College Football Week 8 Awards (2026) October 26, 2026
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona, Army, Badgers, Bill Belichick, Boise State, BYU, Camp Randall Stadium, Cincinnati, college football, Colorado, Colorado State, Curt Cignetti, Dan Lanning, East Carolina, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Floyd of Rosedale, football, Gamecocks, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Josh Heupel, Kennesaw State, Kyle Whittingham, liberty, Longhorns, Luke Fickell, Mario Cristobal, Miami, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri State, Navy, NCAA football, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota State, North Texas, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Rice, Rich Rodriguez, Rutgers, Sam Houston State, San Diego State, Shane Beamer, Sonny Dykes, South Carolina, Spencer Danielson, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Trinidad Chambliss, UCF, UCLA, USC, Utah, UTEP, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Glad I’m not him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Lucky guy: Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia
Poor guy: Sonny Dykes, TCU
Desperately seeking a wake-up call clue: Kyle Whittingham, Michigan
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Spencer Danielson, Boise State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kalani Sitake, BYU
Desperately seeking … anything: Dan Lanning, Oregon
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Northwestern (defeated Rutgers 42-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Florida Atlantic (defeated Rice 51-49)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kennesaw State (lost to Liberty 34-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Michigan (lost to Indiana 13-6 (OT))
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Hawaii (defeated Northern Illinois 56-21)
Dang, they’re good: Miami
Dang, they’re bad: Sacramento State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: BYU
Did the season start? Tennessee
Can the season end? Vanderbilt
Can the season never end? UCLA
GAMES
Play this again: No. 19 Texas 34, No. 7 Ole Miss 27
Play this again, too: Virginia Tech 20, Clemson 16
Never play this again: Delaware 61, Missouri State 38
What? Minnesota 13, No. 15 Iowa 10
Come again? Wisconsin 24, No. 16 USC 7
Huh? South Carolina 27, No. 11 Tennessee 24
Double-Huh?? No. 19 Texas 34, No. 7 Ole Miss 27
Are you kidding me?? Cincinnati 31, No. 8 Texas Tech 24
Oh – my – God: UCF 39, No. 2 BYU 31 (2OT)
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Ohio State @ USC
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: No. 5 Notre Dame @ Navy*
Best non-Power Four matchup: Army @ Memphis
Upset alert: No. 22 Arizona @ No. 13 Texas Tech
Must win: No. 17 Florida vs No. 3 Georgia
Offensive explosion: Florida Atlantic @ North Texas
Defensive struggle: No. 25 Wisconsin @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: South Carolina @ Oklahoma
Intriguing coaching matchup: P.J. Fleck of Minnesota vs Curt Cignetti of Indiana
Also: Mario Cristobal of Miami vs Bill Belichick of North Carolina
Who’s bringing the body bags? UTEP @ North Dakota State
Why are they playing? Nevada @ No. 7 UCLA
Plenty of good seats remaining: Sam Houston State @ Missouri State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Missouri State @ Delaware
Week 8 Thoughts:
Just as last week’s game involved many upsets, this week was certainly not devoid of them, either. For example, after celebrating its biggest regular-season win in program history, BYU suffered a let-down on the road at UCF. It’s college football: this phenomenon is not unheard of. Ole Miss suffered a loss at Texas, despite a now-predictable stagnant offense on the part of the Longhorns in the second half, and also despite 4th-quarter heroics from Trinidad Chambliss. One thing that negated a typical Chambliss-engineered comeback was that, unlike the previous two weeks, this time Texas discovered this new thing called a running game late in the second half.
Elsewhere, USC discovered the hazards and tribulations of playing a night game at Camp Randall Stadium. No doubt the shock of the hostile environment and the colder-than-normal weather did not set well with the Trojans. How else to account for losing 24-7? On the other hand, Luke Fickell now as a signature win for 2026, with a Badgers sitting at 5-2, and at a much better spot than they were during the previous season.
In Columbia, S.C., the Gamecocks were able to get their act together, and upset Tennessee with a last-second field goal. No doubt the South Carolina faithful was happy to eat the half-million-dollar fine when the fans stormed the field in celebration.
In another interesting upset, with a rivalry trophy on the line, Minnesota held off Iowa in arguably the grandest defensive struggle of the week, 13-10, and thus winning the famed Floyd of Rosedale trophy for a year.
Despite the week’s matchus appearing to be a minor let down after last week’s legendary slate of games, many turned out to be thrilling after all. Not bad for a week that was not supposed to be a “winner”.
Offensive Explosion Review:
Remember when I predicted that the Utah vs Texas Tech game was supposed to be an offensive explosion? It turned out to be quite the opposite, with Utah triumphing in the end 21-13. Some games that could have qualified as offensive explosions, though, include Oklahoma State over Colorado, 57-24 (a bit lop-sided, to be sure). Another possible example along those same lines was Delaware over Missouri State, 61-38. A less lopsided example would be Memphis over East Carolina, 41-34. One would not need to look far for two textbook examples, though, such as Florida Atlantic over Rice, 51-49, and, perhaps the grandest of the week, Colorado State over San Diego State, 56-49.
College Football Awards, Week 12 (2025) November 17, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arch Manning, Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Bobby Petrino, Boston College, Buckeyes, Bulldogs, BYU, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, college football, David Braun, Florida, football, Gators, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Jake Dickert, Jeff Brohm, Kirby Smart, Longhorns, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, Mike Elko, Minnesota, NCAA, Nevada, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, San Jose State, Shane Beamer, Sherrone Moore, Sooners, South Caroina, Southern Miss, Steve Sarkesian, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, UNLV, UTEP, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Glad I’m not him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Lucky guy: Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Also: Sherrone Moore, Michigan
Poor guy: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Also: David Braun, Northwestern
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: N/A
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jake Dickert, Wake Forest
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jeff Brohm, Louisville
Desperately seeking … anything: Bobby Petrino, Arkansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated New Mexico State 42-9)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Georgia Tech (defeated Boston College 36-34)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Minnesota (lost to No. 8 Oregon 42-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: South Carolina (lost to No. 3 Texas A&M 31-30)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Nevada (defeated San Jose State 55-10)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: San Jose State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Alabama
Did the season start? Louisville
Can the season end? Arkansas
Can the season never end? Oklahoma
GAMES
Play this again: No. 11 Oklahoma 23, No. 4 Alabama 21
Play this again, too: No. 3 Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 30
Never play this again: Nevada 55, SJSU 10
What? Texas State 41, Southern Miss 14
Huh? Arizona 30, No. 25 Cincinnati 24
Are you kidding me??: Clemson 20, No. 20 Louisville 19
Oh – my – God: No. 11 Oklahoma 23, No. 4 Alabama 21
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for: USC @ Oregon
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Western Kentucky @ LSU
Hon. mention: Coastal Carolina @ South Carolina
Best non-Power Four matchup: Missouri State @ Kennesaw State
Upset alert: Arkansas @ Texas
Must win: BYU @ Cincinnati
Offensive explosion: Hawaii @ UNLV
Defensive struggle: Minnesota @ Northwestern
Great game no one is talking about: Tennessee @ Florida
Also: Arizona @ Cincinnati
Intriguing coaching matchup: Rhett Lashlee of SMU vs Jeff Brohm of Louisville
Who’s bringing the body bags? Charlotte @ Georgia
Why are they playing? Samford @ Texas A&M
Plenty of good seats remaining: New Mexico State @ UTEP
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Mercer @ Auburn
Week 12 [Random] Thoughts:
After seeing the way Ohio State easily dispatched with UCLA and how Georgia dominated an improved Texas, it has become quite clear that, barring a massive development along the lines of a huge asteroid hitting the Earth causing another mass extinction, the Buckeyes and the Bulldogs are destined to duke it out for the national championship. Glad we got that cleared up and out of the way.
That being said, barring a similar development as described above, it seems increasingly likely that Ole Miss shall punch through a major barrier hitherto holding them back and make finally make the playoffs. They passed yet another test by beating the Gators. Granted, the casual observer might sniff “big deal, Florida’s not that good this year.” To which I may respond, granted in turn, but they’re also not that bad, and they took down Texas right before the Longhorns took down a then-hitherto juggernaut Sooner squad. But even then, let that not obfuscate a more salient point which is: since 2003, the two have played each other seven times. Despite the relatively massive successes of the Eli Manning years, the Hugh Freeze and now the Lane Kiffin eras, the Rebels were only 3-for-7 against the Gators. In that light, beating Florida is no small thing, and is further proof that Ole Miss not only controls their own destiny, but is in the unique position to do so ably, what with a bye next week before closing out the regular season with the Egg Bowl.
Back to the Texas-Georgia game. Even if the Longhorns win out (tall order, what with Texas A&M being the last game on their schedule), their playoff hopes are likely dashed after the beating they took Between the Hedges. Kirby Smart demonstrated he was a level above Steve Sarkesian in terms of coaching when, after scoring on the Longhorns, they then sucker-punched Texas with an on-side kick that they recovered. The message was clear: “forget about momentum and forget about your comeback. We won’t even let you have the ball again”.
Thus we are led to a rather painful conclusion: Sark is not the coach to lead the Horns to the promised land. He is a great offensive architect, but that has been both a blessing and a curse. The curse is that he has yet to decide if he is an offensive coordinator or a head coach first. This self-imposed quandary has led to him tying himself up at knots at times, seemingly straightjacketing Arch Manning in the process, while ignoring other details of overall team organization. Hence, Sark has earned the reputation of his team not being entirely “buttoned up”, and an obvious manifestation of that are the unnecessary penalties that plagued his team last night and in many games before then.
So, if Sark is not the coach to take Texas all the way, who is? That is the question we shall have to explore further in subsequent articles.
In the meantime, next week shall sadly be a let-down, in that the rest of the SEC has its body-bag fest before Rivalry Week. Alabama assumes the role of pitiless executioner to Eastern Illinois; Auburn to Mercer; Texas A&M to Samford; Charlotte to Georgia. Rather convenient, it is, that the SEC teams can have such a breather while the rest of the teams in FBS put in the work. At least LSU makes it somewhat interesting playing Western Kentucky (8-2 compared to the Tigers’ 6-4 record). That game could be all the more intriguing given LSU’s recent struggles and coaching avulsions.
Fortunately, this farcical aspect of SEC schedules ends soon. Starting next year, SEC teams shall play a 9-game conference schedule like everyone else, and thank heavens for that.
Meanwhile, some SEC teams got their requisite November body-bag games out of the way earlier, and shall thus have decent, if not great, matchups for us to enjoy after all, what with battered Texas playing reeling Arkansas, or, better yet, Florida playing Tennessee. Can the Volunteers avenge last years upset loss against the Gators? We’ll find out next week.
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2025) November 3, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona, Auburn, Boise State, Boston College, Brent Venables, Clark Lea, college, Colorado, Commodores, Dan Lanning, FIU, Florida, Florida State, football, Fresno State, Gators, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Hugh Freeze, Indiana, Josh Heupel, Kentucky, Kirk Ferentz, Longhorns, Louisville, Mario Cristobal, Memphis, Miami (FL), Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Middle Tennessee, NC State, NCAA, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sam Houston, SMU, Sooners, Steve Sarkesian, Tennessee, Texas, The Citadel, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Volunteers, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Willie Fritz
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Glad I’m not him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Lucky guy: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Poor guy: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Willie Fritz, Houston
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Miami
Desperately seeking … anything: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Florida State (defeated Wake Forest 42-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Notre Dame (defeated Boston College 25-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Colorado (lost to Arizona 52-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (lost to Michigan 21-16)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Fresno State (defeated Boise State 30-7)
Dang, they’re good: Indiana
Dang, they’re bad: Colorado
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Georgia Tech
Did the season start? Miami, FL
Can the season end? Auburn
Can the season never end? Ole Miss
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Georgia 24, Florida 20
Play this again, too: SMU 26, No. 10 Miami 20, OT
Never play this again: No. 2 Indiana 55, Maryland 10
What? UTSA 48, Tulane 26
Huh? West Virginia 45, No. 22 Houston 35
Double-Huh? SMU 26, No. 10 Miami 20, OT
Are you kidding me??: No. 20 Texas 34, No. 9 Vanderbilt 31
Oh – my – God: NC State 48, No. 8 Georgia Tech 36
Told you so: Kentucky 10, Auburn 3
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 8 BYU @ No. 9 Texas Tech
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: none
Best non-Power Four matchup: San Diego State @ Hawaii
Upset alert: Cal @ No. 14 Louisville
Must win: No. 6 Oregon @ Iowa
Offensive explosion: No. 3 Texas A&M @ No. 19 Missouri
Defensive struggle: Florida @ Kentucky
Great game no one is talking about: Tulane @ No. 22 Memphis
Intriguing coaching matchup: Dan Lanning of Oregon vs Kirk Ferentz of Iowa
Who’s bringing the body bags, B1G edition? No. 1 Ohio State @ Purdue
Who’s bringing the body bags, ACC edition? SMU @ Boston College
Why are they playing? The Citadel @ No. 7 Ole Miss
Plenty of good seats remaining: Sam Houston @ Oregon State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? FIU @ Middle Tennessee
Week 10 [Random] Thoughts:
Texas played some of its best football all season – for three-and-a-half quarters, at least. A long bomb to the end zone threatened to break favored Vanderbilt’s collective back, only to find out that the receiver dropped the ball upon further review. That gave the Commodores enough time to regroup in an effort to overcome a three-TD deficit. The Longhorns’ collapse of their defense late in the 4th quarter almost enabled that. Sloppy play on both sides of the ball that pushed Vandy’s on-side kick out of bounds finally sealed the deal for Texas. But the final minutes of play left the 100,000+ faithful in DKR Memorial Stadium breathing a sigh of relief instead of belting out a massive cheer in celebration of this counterintuitive upset.
To zoom out the lens, Texas pulled off an improbably comeback on the road last week. This week, they almost allowed for an improbably comeback at home. Looks like Sark needs to teach his team how to play the whole 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, can Josh Heupel & Co. find a higher gear? As good as this Tennessee teams have been these past few years, he cannot seem to be able to pick up a signature win against the heavyweights within his own conference, or even others (witness the drubbing the Volunteers took in Ohio Stadium during last year’s playoffs).
Oklahoma, conversely, picked up a quality win, which, ironically, gives hated rival Texas’ decisive win over the Sooners all the more quality.
Where has this Florida team been all year? Notwithstanding their win over the Longhorns in the Swamp, the Gators have underperformed the rest of the year…until now, when they threatened to upset No. 5 Georgia at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville (yes, I’m still calling that), and it turned out to be the greatest game of the week.
College Football Awards, Week 7 (2025) October 13, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Alex Golesh, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, Bruins, BYU, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Cougars, Curt Cignetti, Dan Lanning, DeShaun Foster, Drew Allar, Eliah Drinkwitz, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, John Mateer, Kalen DeBoer, Lane Kiffin, Longhorns, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Elko, Mike Norvell, Missouri, NCAA football, Nittany Lions, North Texas, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Red River rivalry, Rice, Sooners, South Florida, Steve Sarkesian, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tigers, UAB, UCLA, UNLV, USC, USF, Utah, UTSA, Virginia, Washington State, Yellowjackets
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Honorable mention: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Glad I’m not him: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Lucky guy: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Poor guy: Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
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.
College Football Awards, Week 4 (2025) September 22, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Bret Bielema, Clemson, college football, Curt Cignetti, Dabo Swinney, Florida State, Georgia, Hugh Freeze, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Kyle Whittingham, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Memphis, Miami (OH), Michigan, Mike Locksley, Navy, NCAA, Nebraska, North Texas, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Red Raiders, Rice, Ryan Silverfield, Sam Pittman, South Carolina, Steve Angeli, Syracuse, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UCLA, USC, Utah, Utes, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Glad I’m not him: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Lucky guy: Ryan Silverfield, Memphis
Poor guy: Sam Pittman, Arkansas
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Mike Locksley, Maryland
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bret Bielema, Illinois
Desperately seeking … anything: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Florida State (defeated Kent State 66-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: North Texas (defeated Army 45-38)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Oregon State (lost to No. 6 Oregon 41-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Army (lost to North Texas 45-38)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Indiana (defeated No. 9 Illinois 63-10)
Dang, they’re good: Oklahoma
Dang, they’re bad: Oklahoma State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Illinois
Did the season start? Utah
Can the season end? Clemson
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES
Play this again: No. 11 Oklahoma 24, No. 22 Auburn 17
Play this again, too: No. 21 Michigan 30, Nebraska 27
Never play this again: No. 7 Florida State 63, Kent State 10
What? Maryland 27, Wisconsin 10
Huh? Memphis 32, Arkansas 31
Are you kidding me?? Tulsa 19, Oklahoma State 12
Oh – my – God: No. 19 Indiana 63, No. 9 Illinois 10
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 5)
Ticket to die for: No. 6 Oregon @ No. 2 Penn State
Hon. mention: No. 4 LSU @ No. 13 Ole Miss
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: N/A
Best non-Power Four matchup: Rice @ Navy
Upset alert: Arizona @ No. 12 Iowa State
Must win: Auburn @ No. 9 Texas A&M
Offensive explosion: (inconclusive)
Defensive struggle: Kentucky @ South Carolina
Great game no one is talking about: Louisville @ Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Bret Bielema of Illinois vs Lincoln Riley of USC
Who’s bringing the body bags? South Alabama @ North Texas
Why are they playing? UMass @ No. 23 Missouri
Plenty of good seats remaining: UCLA @ Northwestern
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Lindenwood @ Miami (OH)
Week 4 Thoughts:
The Texas Tech-Utah game reminded us fans that one can have a defensive struggle for a game, and still enjoy an exciting contest. That being said, the aforementioned defensive struggle lasted for three of the four quarters of the game. Then in the 4th quarter, things finally clicked offensively for the Red Raiders, they opened up the game, and the Utes had no answer, hence the lopsided score in the end.
A random observation: since the Utes elected to wear white helmets at home, how come Texas Tech could not wear their signature black helmets to further, and properly, differentiate themselves on the field? Furthermore, do not get me started on the irony of how I predicted this game to be an offensive explosion, only for it to materialize as a defensive struggle instead…for three quarters, at least.
That said, the best game of the week was definitely the showdown in Norman, Okla., between the Sooners and visiting Auburn. Both teams had good talent; both fought hard throughout the game. Underdog Auburn was certainly, and commendably, game for the fight, but in the end, did not quite have enough offense to overcome the favored home team. But what a game. This win should put the rest of the western half of the SEC on notice that the Sooners are not to be taken lightly.
Meanwhile, what was the “ticket to die for” on paper was at…Indiana University? That’s right. No. 9 Illinois came calling to play at No. 19 Indiana, on an NBC night game, no less. In what was perhaps the most electric atmosphere ever in Bloomington, Ind., the Hoosiers threw down the gauntlet early when drawing first blood at 9:35 in the 1st quarter, off a blocked punt, no less. While Illinois seemed to answer the challenge with their own score only 1:01 later, that answer proved anemic, as the Hoosiers then ripped off eight unanswered scores in what amounted to one of the biggest blowouts of the week. All the Illini could muster within IU’s eight-score stretch was a sad field goal right before halftime. Not exactly the expected performance of a No. 9-ranked team: concurrently, can we acknowledge the possibility that this year’s IU squad is even better than last year’s surprise playoff team?
Random Thoughts:
Syracuse triumphed over Clemson, in [the other] Death Valley, 34-21. A couple of weeks ago, this would be considered a massive upset. But going into this game, the Orange was 2-1, while the Tigers were unranked at 1-2. Given that context, is the Orange’s win even an upset? Not to put a bad spin on Syracuse’s big win, but it came at the cost of an injury (the crutches-and-protective-boot kind) to their starting QB, Steve Angeli, meaning that this victory could prove to be Pyrrhic.
Where was Arkansas’ defense in the second half? Their defense allowed for 18 answered points scored, in turn allowing for Memphis to pull off a stunning upset.
So, next week should be a monster one for the sport that we love. In addition to Auburn and Texas A&M; LSU and Ole Miss; Alabama and Georgia; plus Oregon and Penn State knocking heads, plenty other interesting matchups abound. TCU plays Arizona State; Notre Dame plays Arkansas; USC plays Illinois; Cincinnati plays Kansas; Louisville plays Pittsburgh; Indiana plays Iowa; Tennessee plays undefeated Mississippi State; Arizona plays Iowa State; Ohio State plays Washington; and BYU takes on Colorado. To express things another way, for once, there is a dearth of body bag games this week (potentially two, and that is it). Let us give thanks to the Lord our God, and buckle up, buckaroos.
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2024) November 4, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Air Force, Alabama, Arizona, Army, Cardinals, Chris Creighton, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Cyclones, Dabo Swinney, Eastern Michigan, Florida, Gamecocks, Georgia, Georgia State, Houston, Indiana, Iowa State, James Franklin, James Madison, Jason Candle, Jedd Fisch, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, Kirby Smart, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, NCAA football, New Mexico, New Mexico State, North Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Purdue, Red Raiders, Ryan Day, Ryan Walters, San Diego State, Shane Beamer, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tigers, Toledo, UCF, UCLA, UMass, Utah State, UTEP, Washington, Washington State
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Jason Candle, Toledo
Poor guy: Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Desperately seeking … anything: Ryan Walters, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oklahoma (defeated Maine 59-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Army (defeated Air Force 20-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to Mississippi State 45-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Louisville (defeated No. 11 Clemson 33-21)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: NC State (defeated Stanford 59-28)
Most improved from previous week: UCLA
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: New Mexico State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Texas A&M
Did the season start? Iowa State
Can the season end? Arizona
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES
Play this again: No. 4 Ohio State 20, No. 3 Penn State 13
Never play this again: UCF 56, Arizona 12
What? Minnesota 25, No. 24 Illinois 17
Huh? Houston 24, No. 19 Kansas State 19
Double-Huh? Texas Tech 23, No. 11 Iowa State 22
Are you kidding me?? UCLA 27, Nebraska 20
Oh – my – God: Louisville 33, No. 11 Clemson 21
OMG/Told you so: South Carolina 44, No. 10 Texas A&M 20
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Georgia @ No. 16 Ole Miss
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: (N/A)
Best non-Power Four matchup: No. 18 Army @ North Texas
Upset alert: Florida @ No. 5 Texas
Must win: No. 11 Alabama @ No. 14 LSU
Offensive explosion: New Mexico @ San Diego State
Defensive struggle: Oklahoma @ Missouri
Great game no one is talking about: No. 21 Colorado @ Texas Tech
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jedd Fisch of Washington vs James Franklin of Penn State
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 3 Ohio State @ Purdue
Why are they playing? Utah State @ Washington State
Plenty of good seats remaining: Kennesaw State @ UTEP
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Georgia State @ James Madison
Week 10 Thoughts:
Another great day for college football is in the books. The Ohio State – Penn State game lived up to the hype, and told us what we need to know about the respective strengths and weaknesses of the two teams. Then, as the rest of the day unfolded, some very intriguing upsets occurred, especially in the evening, making things most entertaining, which is the point, in case we forgot.
Ohio State @ Penn State
Last week, Ohio State was trying to fix its running game problem on the fly against Nebraska, hence the puzzlingly low score against the Cornhuskers in that game. Suffice it to say, the Buckeyes solved that problem, having rushed for 179 yards against the vaunted defense of Penn State. That was perhaps the biggest deciding factor in what amounted to be something of a defensive struggle throughout the contest. Media talking heads speculated that the bulk of the must-win pressure was on Ryan Day. If so, he and his team rose to the occasion. Conversely, James Franklin’s Ohio State problem persists, as his record is now 1-10 against the Bucks. Nevertheless, the Nittany Lions gave a valiant effort, which was rewarded in that they went down only few spots in the rankings from No. 3 to No. 6.
Georgia vs Florida
On paper, this game should have been a blowout. Florida had other plans. The Gators took the early lead, and kept it through halftime, 13-6. In the second half, the Bulldogs chipped away early on, then built the lead to ultimately triumph, 34-20. The Bulldog’s biggest weakness is their QB play. Even though Carson Beck threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, he also threw three interceptions. One cannot make those sorts of mistakes against a Texas, an Oregon, or an Ohio State and expect to win.
On the other side of the ball, Florida is not quite the basketcase they were at the beginning of the year. By now, they can hang with the best in the conference, even if they cannot triumph over them. One hallmark of a well-coached team is whether or not your team is showing improvement as the season progresses. The Gators have showed that in spades. Texas best be on the lookout next week.
Upsets abound:
Texas Tech @ Iowa State
The Cyclone’s road to the playoffs just hit a major pothole when the unranked Red Raiders upset them at home.
Minnesota @ Illinois
Even though the Illini were ranked and the Golden Gophers were not, P.J. Fleck’s squad was still favored by the wiseguys in Vegas. Hard to see why in hindsight.
UCLA @ Nebraska
Let’s be honest, we all gave up the Bruins for dead earlier this year. Then, they venture to Lincoln, Neb., and upset the Huskers on their home turf. Matt Rhule should likewise be desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard along with Dabo Swinney. Speaking of…
Louisville @ Clemson
The Cardinals have been a team with much potential but not quite there, as they have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball, though especially on defense. That all changed with defensive coordinator Ron English (one of the better ones in the business IMO) simplified his defensive assignments, and his players responded most positively.
So much so, that they shut down an explosively resurgent Tigers, on their home turf of all places. Offensively, things came together for Louisville as well: they amassed 210 yards on the ground, as well as all three of their touchdowns. When other drives stalled, the Cards still managed to put additional points on the board thanks to the sure and accurate foot of kicker Brock Travelstead, who went 4 for 5.
This marks the first time Louisville has beaten Clemson, and it came when was least suspected, given the former’s previously inconsistent performances compared to the latter’s surge, which the Cardinals suddenly stalled.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals can sustain this newfound defensive cohesiveness and improved offense. Likewise, it will still intrigue the fans of the college football as to whether or not the Tigers can still make a run for the playoffs and which other contenders they can wreck along the way.
Texas A&M @ South Carolina.
The Aggies were the new darling of the SEC after knocking off LSU. But in the words of the late LSU head coach Charley McClendon, “In football, and in life, you’ve got to keep proving yourself.” That opportunity to keep proving themselves came for No. 10 Texas A&M when they ventured into Columbia to take on giant-menacing South Carolina.
To set the stage, the Gamecocks only narrowly lost to LSU and Alabama by three points each, and they demolished Oklahoma, 35-9. One could discern a potential upset a mile away. Such discerners were proven correct. Not only did the Gamecocks upset the Aggies, they did so in grandiose fashion, 44-20, a more-than 2-1 margin. Shane Beamer has proven that his team is one to be reckoned with, and the remainder of their schedule is a winnable one, with regular season finale with Clemson shaping up to be a possible monster of a game.
As Bill Connelly reminded us, November is for everything. These games, and others yesterday, have gotten this month off to a red-hot start, and we have an awesome remainder yet to enjoy. Buckle up.
College Football Awards, Week 2 (2024) September 9, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Ball State, Boise State, Boston College, Bowling Green, Brent Venables, Bret Bielema, Broncos, BYU, Cal, California, Colorado, Cougars, Dana Holgorsen, Deion Sanders, Ducks, Florida, Fresno State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Hugh Freeze, Illilnois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas State, Kenni Burns, Kent State, liberty, Longhorns, LSU, Luke Fickell, Marcus Freeman, Matt Rhule, Miami (FL), Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Missouri, NC State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Sam Pittman, San Diego State, Sherrone Moore, SMU, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCF, UTSA, Volunteers, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Wolfpack, Wolverines
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Glad I’m not him: Sherrone Moore, Michigan
Lucky guy: Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Poor guy: Dana Holgorsen, Houston
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Bret Bielema, Illinois
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Desperately seeking … anything: Kenni Burns, Kent State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ole Miss (defeated Middle Tennessee 52-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Penn State (defeated Bowling Green 34-27)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Western Michigan (lost to No. 2 Ohio State 56-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Northern Illinois (defeated No. 5 Notre Dame 16-14)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Texas (defeated No. 10 Michigan 31-12)
Dang, they’re good: Texas
Dang, they’re bad: Kent State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Georgia Tech
Did the season start? Notre Dame
Can the season end? Akron
Can the season never end? Tennessee
GAMES
Play this again: No. 9 Oregon 37, Boise State 34
Play this again, too: BYU 18, SMU 15
Never play this again: Indiana 77, Western Illinois 3
What? Iowa State 20, No. 21 Iowa 19
Huh? Syracuse 31, No. 23 Georgia Tech 28
Double-Huh? Illinois 23, No. 19 Kansas 17
Are you kidding me?? Cal 21, Auburn 14
Oh – my – God: Northern Illinois 16, No. 5 Notre Dame 14
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 3)
Best game of the week: No. 20 Arizona @ No. 14 Kansas State
Keep an eye on this one: No. 24 Boston College @ No. 6 Missouri
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: San Diego State vs. Cal
Best non-Power Four matchup: New Mexico State @ Fresno State
Upset alert: No. 18 Notre Dame @ Purdue
Must win: No. 16 LSU @ South Carolina
Offensive explosion: Washington State @ Washington
Defensive struggle: Texas A&M @ Florida
Great game no one is talking about: UCF @ TCU
Intriguing coaching matchup: Kalen DeBoer of Alabama vs Luke Fickell of Wisconsin
Who’s bringing the body bags? Kent State @ No. 16 Tennessee
Why are they playing? UTSA @ No. 3 Texas
Plenty of good seats remaining: Bethune-Cookman @ Western Michigan
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Ball State @ No. 12 Miami, FL
Week 2 Thoughts:
The second week is in the books, and already, new information has given us fuel for reevaluating. For some of us, that reevaluation comes in the form of confirmation of suspicion. Did Notre Dame truly deserve to be ranked No. 5 going into the game against Northern Illinois? I for one was not fooled, and neither were others. We chalked it up to the typical media hype about ND, hype which, surprise, surprise, was yet again unfounded.
If one thought that we had the early season body bag games behind us, think again. Did we really need to see Georgia beat up on Tennessee Tech, or Texas A&M beat up on McNeese, just to name two of dozens of examples? Ironically, the most lopsided game came from Indiana of all teams, who obliterated Western Illinois 77-3.
But at least some games were interesting and competitive.
BYU @ SMU
This “great game no one is talking about” tuned out to be just that. The two teams fought hard and closely the entire game, and the fans got their money’s worth in the process…unlike at Indiana, Georgia, Texas A&M, Boston College, Miami (Fla.), Missouri, etc., etc.
Texas @ Michigan
This game was the “ticket to die for”, and going in, how could it not be? We learned much from this game. Michigan, the defending national champions, were supposed to be the bullies, the boa constrictor, the team that will keep you in its clutches until you die. Again, they were supposed to be. What we forgot was that unlike Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, or Alabama, Michigan is not a team in a position to reload. When Harbaugh was still there, he recognized this systemic limitation, and thus invested in a robust development program. The thing is, it takes time to develop players, and when you graduate a heap of them after winning the big one (including your quarterback), the team is apt to not play at the same level. Plus, Jim Harbaugh has left to coach in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Texas has not only reloaded, they are arguably stronger than last year, particularly in their receiving corps. But that’s not the half of it. The Longhorns outgained the Wolverines on the ground, 143 to 88 yards. That means that Texas beat Michigan up front, even with the latter’s vaunted defensive line.
Texas has some tough teams further into its schedule. Nevertheless, if they play the way they did in Ann Arbor, it’s a reasonable prediction to say they’ll make the final four of the playoffs.
Liberty @ New Mexico State
This “best non-Power 4 matchup” lived up to its hype, with the Flames triumphing in Las Cruces, 30-24. Despite the Aggies losing at home, look for NM State to continue to bring a tough game to whomever they play. To that end, keep an eye on them when they play Fresno State (the team that gave Michigan a surprisingly hard time the previous week) next week.
Houston @ Oklahoma
The Sooners won this game, 16-12. Needless to say, such an outcome left us scratching our heads. Is Houston’s defense that good, or is Oklahoma’s offense that inconsistent? Regardless, the Cougars should consider this result a moral victory, and deserve to leave Norman with their heads held high, with one of the few times where a team loses a game but still looks like they are headed in the right direction.
Colorado @ Nebraska
Nothing like a classic Big 8 matchup, especially with such an intriguing coaching matchup in Deion Sanders vs Matt Rhule. Going into the season, there were rumors that that Coach Prime had improved his personnel on the offensive line. Yet the Buffaloes managed to eke out only 16 net yards on the ground, compared to the Cornhuskers’ 151 rushing yards. Ouch. The final score of 28-10 reflected that lopsided comparison well. Looks like Coach Prime has more work to do up front.
NC State vs Tennessee in Charlotte
By the 3rd quarter, one thing became quite clear: the Wolfpack may be a good team, but the Volunteers is simply much better. So much better in fact, that we are all intrigued to see what sort of problems they can give Oklahoma, Alabama, or even Georgia this year.
Arkansas @ Oklahoma State
The Razorbacks came into Stillwater, outgained the Cowboys on the ground by 173 yards, and yet stil managed to lost the game. It has been said time and again that the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins. For Arkansas to have such a great game on the ground and still lose it means they had to have made a staggering amount of mistakes. Looks like Sam Pittman has some further work to do.
Boise State @ Oregon
After the Ducks struggled to beat Idaho last week, many observers of the game called for a pumping of the breaks about all the hype about said Ducks being a shoe-in for the playoffs. Nevertheless, to their credit, they did manage to break a losing streak against…the Broncos, of all teams, and did so in a game that was arguably the best of the week, in hindsight.
