Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Willie Fritz, Houston
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: N/A
Desperately seeking … anything: Brian Kelly, LSU
TEAMS Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Indiana (defeated UCLA 56-6)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oregon (defeated Wisconsin 21-7) Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Oklahoma State (lost to Texas Tech 42-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: North Carolina (lost to Virginia 17-16)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Iowa (defeated Minnesota 41-3)
Dang, they’re good: Texas A&M Dang, they’re bad: Oklahoma State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: South Florida
Did the season start? Illinois Can the season end? Nevada
Can the season never end? Georgia Tech
GAMES Play this again: No. 10 Vanderbilt 17, No. 15 Missouri 10
Play this again, too: No. 4 Alabama 29, South Carolina 22
Never play this again: No. 2 Indiana 56, UCLA 6
What? Virginia Tech 42, Cal 34, 2OT
Huh? Memphis 34, No. 18 South Florida 31
Are you kidding me?? Houston 24, No. 24 Arizona State 16
Oh – my – God: Washington 42, No. 23 Illinois 25
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 10) Ticket to die for: No. 18 Oklahoma @ No. 14 Tennessee
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: none
Best non-Power Four matchup: Navy @ North Texas
Upset alert: No. 17 Cincinnati @ No. 24 Utah
Must win: No. 9 Vanderbilt @ No. 20 Texas
Offensive explosion: Baylor @ No. 24 Cincinnati
Defensive struggle: Kentucky @ Auburn
Great game no one is talking about: No. 15 Virginia @ Cal
Intriguing coaching matchup: Lincoln Riley of USC vs Matt Rhule of Nebraska
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 12 Notre Dame @ Boston College
Why are they playing? N/A
Plenty of good seats remaining: Louisiana @ South Alabama
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Sam Houston @ Louisiana Tech
Week 9 [Random] Thoughts:
Vanderbilt, the perennial punching bag of the SEC, is now ranked in the top ten for the first time since 1947. Let that sink in for a moment. How did this come about? The likely answer is, a number of factors. Clark Lea certainly had a vision, greatly aided to fruition by talented QB Diego Pavia. But surely other talented players have been key factors in this fascinating development. That is where the combination of the transfer portal and the NIL come into play. Vanderbilt has enjoyed the well-earned reputation of being the most prestigious school in the SEC, and with that surely comes some reasonably deep pockets to fund a strong NIL collective, to say nothing of its location in growing corporate hotbed Nashville. As fans of college football, let us embrace the opportunity to witness this further develop, for if nothing else, it gives us all the more great SEC matchups to enjoy every Saturday.
Texas pulled off an improbable comeback in the 4th quarter at Mississippi State. Arch Manning went 29-35 for 346 yards and 4 touchdowns, with one interception, and that came from a deflection off the hands of a receiver. In the 4th quarter, Manning went 12-20, passing for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Yet the biggest irony of all was when he went out, concussed, in overtime. Backup Matthew Caldwell went into the game, and executed in a massive way, throwing the game-winning touchdown. Could it be that the biggest untapped strength of this young, unstable Texas team is its backup QBs?
Is the Brian Kelly experiment in Baton Rouge about to come to a sudden, ignominious end? Texas A&M embarrassed LSU in Death Valley, 49-25. Early in the 4th quarter, fans started to empty the stands in droves. Such is hardly the look the powers that be in LSU’s athletics department like to project during a primetime game on ABC. But in Kelly’s defense, the Tigers’ three losses all come to current, top-ten teams, those being Ole Miss (currently No. 8), Vanderbilt (currently No. 9), and now Texas A&M (currently No. 3). Can some blame be nevertheless placed at Kelly’s feet for not having an optimal season? Surely, yes. He certainly has failed at designing an offense to play to QB Garrett Nussmeier’s strengths, but that also assumes that he has any strengths worth noting in the first place. But while many are now calling for Kelly’s head, some context in this situation might be a benefit to everyone.
Meanwhile, Ole Miss seemed to pass a key test by defeating Oklahoma on the road, 34-26. With a reasonably clear path to win out in the regular season, it is quite reasonable to conclude that the Rebels control their own destiny to make the playoffs this year, surely legitimizing Lane Kiffin’s tenure in Oxford in the process.
Did the season start? LSU Can the season end? Sam Houston
Can the season never end? Vanderbilt
GAMES Play this again: No. 9 Georgia 43, No. 5 Ole Miss 35
Play this again, too: Arizona State 26, No. 7 Texas Tech 22
Never play this again: James Madison 63, Old Dominion 27
What? UAB 31, No. 22 Memphis 24
Huh? Minnesota 24, No. 25 Nebraska 6
Double-huh? No. 17 Vanderbilt 31, No. 10 LSU 24
Are you kidding me?? Arizona State 26, No. 7 Texas Tech 22
Oh – my – God: Louisville 24, No. 2 Miami, FL 21
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 9) Ticket to die for: No. 3 Texas A&M @ No. 20 LSU
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: none
Best non-Power Four matchup: No. 18 South Florida @ Memphis
Upset alert: No. 11 BYU @ Iowa State
Must win: No. 8 Ole Miss @ No. 13 Oklahoma
Offensive explosion: Baylor @ No. 24 Cincinnati
Defensive struggle: Rutgers @ Purdue
Great game no one is talking about: No. 23 Illinois @ Washington
Also: Northwestern @ Nebraska
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jedd Fisch of Washington vs Bret Bielema of Illinois
Who’s bringing the body bags? Oklahoma State @ No. 14 Texas Tech
Why are they playing? N/A
Plenty of good seats remaining: South Alabama @ Georgia State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? North Texas @ Charlotte
Week 8 Thoughts:
Another week has passed where upsets abounded. The weekend launched with a bang in the form of unranked Louisville delivering a massive upset in Miami, thus exposing the Hurricanes for perhaps not being the juggernaut team some thought they were. Jeff Brohm has been known to gear his team up for huge games, and golly, did he deliver this time. On the other side of the ball, the Hurricanes can still regroup, finish the season strongly, and a playoff berth would surely be in the cards – an ironic expression, given the team to which they just lost – nonetheless.
Also on Friday evening, Minnesota delivered a blow to Nebraska’s brief ranking.
The next day at noon Eastern Time, the upset trend picked up where it left off with Vanderbilt exposing LSU for having an inconsistent office. Here it is, mid-season, and Brian Kelly, a supposedly offensive coach, has yet to craft an offense to take advantage of Garrett Nussmeier’s strengths.
Then Memphis inexplicably laid an egg against UAB in Birmingham, Ala., thus jeopardizing its ranking. At that same time, Arizona State came out of hiding and delivered the first loss of the season to then-No. 7 Texas Tech.
One would think that then-No. 9 Georgia defeating then-No. 5 Ole Miss would also qualify as a massive upset, but deep down, we all knew that the Bulldogs were the stronger team in any case, regardless of preliminary ranking.
Some near-upsets likewise occurred, such as Texas, who barely escaped Lexington with their skin on, while Washington State actually led Virginia, in Charlottesville, for a good chunk of the game before eventually losing by only two points.
Do not be fooled by the result of the Arkansas-Texas A&M game. The Razorbacks’ loss by only three points was due to a last-minute touchdown. That said, Bobby Petrino’s signature upset shall surely come in due time.
Another near-upset took place in Columbia, Mo., with unranked Auburn taking Missouri into OT, only to lose by a touchdown in the second overtime. Over in Utah, while the Utes gave BYU a tough game in Provo, it was not meant to be, as the Cougars triumphed 24-21.
Random Thoughts:
The Miami Hurricanes’ quest for the playoffs is by no means dead, but look out for Georgia Tech, who remains undefeated and has now quietly risen to the No. 7 ranking, ahead of the ‘Canes sent down to that of No. 9 (a fall that could have been worse).
The Longhorns were lucky to escape Lexington with their skin on. Now they venture to Starkville, Miss., to take on a scrappy Mississippi State squad. High-profile QB Arch Manning was outclassed by Kentucky’s Cutter Boley last night. Can he get it together in time to redeem himself on the road this week?
Also this week, Minnesota plays Iowa for one of the most unique trophies in all of college football, the Floyd of Rosedale, considered by many to be the top rivalry trophy in all of college football. Be ready for what should be a hard-fought matchup, as both teams are now 5-2 and are fairly evenly matched.
Look for another possibly even matchup with No. 15 Mizzou taking on No. 10 Vandy in Nashville (both teams are 6-1). Elsewhere, 5-2 Northwestern ventures over to Lincoln to face 5-2 Nebraska, while 5-2 Illinois goes all the way out to Seattle to take on 5-2 Washington. Perhaps the best battle of teams with matching records shall be 6-1 [No. 8] Ole Miss playing 6-1 [No. 13] Oklahoma in Norman.
It might not be the monster week we all enjoyed in week 7, but plenty of hidden gems await us all the same.
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Alex Golesh, South Florida
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Desperately seeking … anything: James Franklin, Penn State
TEAMS Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Clemson (defeated Boston College 41-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Ole Miss (defeated Washington State 24-21) Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: N/A
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Northwestern (defeated Penn State 22-21)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: South Florida (defeated North Texas 63-36)
Honorable mention: Utah (defeated No. 21 Arizona State 42-10)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State Dang, they’re bad: Akron
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oregon
Did the season start? Penn State Can the season end? Florida State
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES Play this again: No. 7 Indiana 30, No. 3 Oregon 20
Play this again, too: No. 8 Alabama 27, No. 14 Missouri 24
Never play this again: UTSA 61, Rice 13
What? Colorado 22, No. 22 Iowa State 17
Huh? USC 31, No. 15 Michigan 13
Double-huh? No. 7 Indiana 30, No. 3 Oregon 20
Are you kidding me?? Texas 23, No. 6 Oklahoma 6
Oh – my – God: Northwestern 22, Penn State 21
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 8) Ticket to die for: No. 12 Tennessee @ No. 8 Alabama
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Washington State @ No. 19 Virginia
Best non-Power Four matchup: UNLV @ Boise State
Upset alert: Utah @ No. 18 BYU
Also: No. 20 USC @ No. 13 Notre Dame
Must win: No. 4 Ole Miss @ No. 9 Georgia
Offensive explosion: Air Force @ UNLV
Defensive struggle: Penn State @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: Arizona @ Houston
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mike Elko of Texas A&M vs Bobby Petrino of Arkansas
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 22 Memphis @ UAB
Why are they playing? Washington State @ No. 19 Virginia
Plenty of good seats remaining: Georgia State @ Georgia Southern
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Lafayette @ Oregon State
Week 7 Thoughts:
Another monster week for college football, with great games abounding from noon Eastern through night, and upsets abounding in turn. Indiana proved that they are a considerable force to be reckoned with in defeating Oregon, on the road, no less. USC continues to quietly gain strength after losing to Illinois earlier in the year, this time by defeating ranked Michigan in rather convincing fashion. Colorado proved to have some fight within them by upsetting Iowa State on the road. Then we had the Red River Showdown, and the incredibly electric environment it always produces. Many in the sports commentary space had given Texas up for dead after their loss to Florida in the Swamp last week. The calculus was that since the Longhorns’ offense sputtered against the Gators’ defense, given that Oklahoma’s defense is even better, Texas would likely be demolished in Dallas. But as the great Lee Corso would say, “[N]ot so fast, my friend!” The Longhorns’ defense stepped up in a major way, cramping the performance of the Sooner’s star QB John Mateer as he returned to the line-up, going so far as to shut out OU in the second half and to deny them reaching the endzone the entire game. In so doing, Texas defense gave their offense time to get their sea-legs under them. Thus, Texas’ triumph was unexpected, and all the more savored.
Elsewhere, Pitt upset Florida State, in Tallahassee, no less, but perhaps the biggest upset of all came when Northwestern stunned Penn State in Happy Valley, 22-21. That loss came on the heels of the Nittany Lions already losing that heartbreaker to Oregon, then laying an egg on the road to UCLA. Now they have suffered this defeat, which is no ignominious and ill-timed that Penn State fired James Franklin today. Penn State’s current state was made all the worse with QB Drew Allar suffering a season-ending injury late in the game. What started out as a potential championship season for the Nittany Lions now lies in ruin.
Some near-upsets also occurred wherein Mizzou was on the verge of defeating favored Alabama before the Tiger’s QB threw a sudden pick that ended the drive and their hopes of victory. In a similar situation was Washington State, who ventured into Ole Miss and nearly defeated the home team before the Rebels somehow managed to escape with their skin intact. Arkansas presented a serious challenge to Tennessee, signaling that the Bobby Petrino Era 2.0 is on the rise in Fayetteville. Late into the night, Arizona took BYU in a second overtime before the Cougars managed to pull out the win.
What a week.
Random Thoughts:
UCLA was once the whipping boy of the B1G. Not anymore. Perhaps all it took was the firing of the inept DeShaun Foster, inter alia. But now the Bruins are a rising force in the conference. First, they massively upset Penn State at home last week. This week, they went on the road to dismantle Michigan State. Not a moment too soon, either, since all the remaining opponents – including Indiana and Ohio State – or nearly-ranked (e.g., Maryland and Washington). At this rate, their traditional rivalry game against USC should be one the best in Gen-Z’s living memory.
Meanwhile, has there been a team to more quietly advance up the rankings than Georgia Tech, at least recently? The Yellowjackets are currently undefeated (6-0), and have now reached the rank of No. 12.
Did the season start? Penn State Can the season end? Oklahoma State
Can the season never end? Alabama
GAMES Play this again: No. 3 Miami (FL) 28, No. 18 Florida State 22
Play this again, too: Navy 34, Air Force 31
Never play this again: NC State 56, Campbell 10
What? Wake Forest 30, Virginia Tech 23
Huh? Cincinnati 38, No. 14 Iowa State 30
Are you kidding me?? Florida 29, No. 9 Texas 21
Oh – my – God: UCLA 42, No. 7 Penn State 35
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 7) Ticket to die for: No. 7 Indiana @ No. 3 Oregon
Best Only non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Washington State @ No. 4 Ole Miss
Best non-Power Four matchup: No. 24 South Florida @ North Texas
Upset alert: No. 8 Alabama @ No. 14 Missouri
Also: No. 15 Michigan @ USC
Must win: No. 6 Oklahoma vs Texas in the Red River Showdown in Dallas
Offensive explosion: Air Force @ UNLV
Defensive struggle: Iowa @ Wisconsin
Great game no one is talking about: Nebraska @ Maryland
Intriguing coaching matchup: Barry Odom of Purdue vs PJ Fleck of Minnesota
Who’s bringing the body bags? Houston @ Oklahoma State
Why are they playing? Washington State @ No. 4 Ole Miss
Plenty of good seats remaining: UMass @ Kent State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Wake Forest @ Oregon State
Week 6 Thoughts:
What are we to make of what happened some of this week’s games? Let us take Penn State as an example: last week, they could have earned top-rank status in the Big Ten Conference, arguably the strongest conference this season. A sudden, freak interception thrown by Penn State QB Drew Allar instead vaulted Oregon to near-supremacy in the B1G instead, though further tests await the Ducks (namely, IU coming to Eugene this upcoming weekend).
Then, in the most inexplicable of turns, Penn State ventures out west to play UCLA. The Bruins have been notorious for reeling this year, so it stood to reason that the Nittany Lions could get well on a this hapless bunch, almost having to play the role of pitiless executioner, even on the road. Funny thing how the Bruins failed to get that memo, as they pounced on the ‘Lions, first scoring 10 unanswered points and never relinquishing the lead throughout the game, despite giving up a safety with 0:25 left in the 4th quarter.
The questions that many observers quietly raised about the limitations of James Franklin’s coaching have now become a roaring clamor heard throughout the core geographical footprint of the B1G. Could this be a sudden unraveling of Franklin’s tenure in not-so-Happy Valley?
Meanwhile, let us recall that many folks, Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd included, projected Penn State to play Texas for the national title. The latter’s scenario seems almost unlikely as the former’s, as Arch Manning & Co. got swallowed up in The Swamp this week. Manning continues to wait too long in the pocket to release his passes, but remains quite adept at scrambling for yardage. Perhaps Steve Sarkesian and staff can coach the former out of him and lean more into the latter. If so, then further room for growth and development remains. It had better come quickly, as they play hated, resurgent rival Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl amid the Texas State Fair next week.
The respective problems with Franklin and Sark are polar-opposites to each other. Sark thinks he can overwhelm his opponents with a “wow” factor, and that clearly has not worked. Moreover, Sark’s big weakness is that he is never organizationally buttoned-up as one might expect for an elite coach. The latter is not Franklin’s problem at all, but he is totally lacking in the “wow” factor. That actually makes him a good fit at Penn State, which historically takes a very blue-collar attitude towards the game.
Combine the two respective strengths of these respective coaches, and one has the next Nick Saban. But alone, they are not quite as elite coaches as we thought that they were. In their defense, so few coaches are in an overall league (the FBS) with 136 teams.
Random Thoughts:
Not a week of many potential offensive explosions, so it seems, but my prediction record on those is spotty at best. That said, we have a bumper crop this upcoming week for potential upsets. In addition to the aforementioned Alabama @ Missouri and Michigan @ USC, potential upsets abound elsewhere. To wit: South Carolina @ No. 11 LSU; Arizona @ No. 18 BYU; Arkansas @ No. 12 Tennessee; dare we also include Arizona State (ranked) @ Utah (currently unranked), and Illinois @ Ohio State? The last one, probably not, although it will be interesting to see how well the Illini rise to that ultimate test.
intellectualgridiron 