College Football Awards, Week 5 (2024) September 30, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Akron, Alabama, Army, Auburn, Ball State, Boise State, Bowling Green, Brent Pry, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Clemson, college football, Crimson Tide, Florida State, football, Georgia, Greg Schiano, Jalen Milroe, James Madison, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Kirby Smart, Lance Leipold, Lane Kiffin, Louisville, LSU, Mario Cristobal, Matt Rhule, Miami (Fla.), Navy, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Rutgers, Ryan Williams, SEC, Sooners, Temple, Texas, Texas Tech, Tigers, UConn, Utah State, Virginia Tech, War Eagle
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Glad I’m not him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Lucky guy: Mario Cristobal, Miami (Fla.)
Poor guy: Brent Pry, Virginia Tech
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: (inconclusive)
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Greg Schiano, Rutgers
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Desperately seeking … anything: Lance Leipold, Kansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: James Madison (defeated Ball State 63-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (defeated Auburn 27-21)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Temple (lost to Army 42-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Virginia Tech (lost to No. 7 Miami, Fla. 38-34)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Kansas State (defeated No. 20 Oklahoma State 42-20)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Buffalo
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Auburn
Did the season start? Ole Miss
Can the season end? Florida State
Can the season never end? Alabama
GAMES
Play this again: No. 4 Alabama 41, No. 2 Georgia 34
Play this again, too: Texas Tech 44, Cincinnati 41
Never play this again: James Madison 63, Ball State 0
What? N/A
Huh? Arizona 23, No. 10 Utah 10
Are you kidding me?? No. 4 Alabama 41, No. 2 Georgia 34
Oh – my – God: Kentucky 20, No. 6 Ole Miss 17
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 6)
Best game of the week: No. 9 Missouri @ Texas A&M
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Syracuse @ No. 25 UNLV
Best non-Power Four matchup: Colorado State @ Oregon State
Upset alert: SMU @ No. 22 Louisville
Must win: No. 12 Ole Miss @ South Carolina
Offensive explosion: Utah State @ Boise State
Defensive struggle: Navy @ Air Force
Great game no one is talking about: Rutgers @ Nebraska
Intriguing coaching matchup: Greg Schiano of Rutgers vs Matt Rhule of Nebraska
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 15 Clemson @ Florida State
Why are they playing? N/A
Plenty of good seats remaining: Bowling Green @ Akron
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Temple @ UConn
Week 5 Thoughts:
Oklahoma @ Auburn
There are two types of teams that “can’t stand prosperity”. The typical type is one that is on a win streak but then inexplicably loses a winnable game. The atypical type is where a team that has been having a lousy season but then, in one game, is leading as an underdog for most of the 60 minutes, only to blow the lead in the last minutes of regulation.
Clearly Auburn fell into the latter category. Going into the game against Oklahoma at 2-2, they already lost some games that many perceived to be winnable, namely Cal and Arkansas. That losing prompted some in the press to speculate that Auburn football had lost its way.
Yet things seemed to turn around against Oklahoma. The Tigers led most of the game until the Sooners scored at 8:34 in the 4th quarter, made the two point conversion, then broadened their lead to 27-21 when they kicked a field goal with 58 seconds left in the game. Though Auburn got the ball back, that amount of time was not enough for them to go the length of the field.
So, has the War Eagle still “lost its way”? Perhaps, but then again, this is the SEC, which is brutal top to bottom. A potentially more plausible explanation is that Auburn is down in talent during a season when its surrounding competition is especially “up”, from LSU to Georgia, from Alabama to Tennessee. Ole Miss was considered a top ten team prior to their upset loss at home to Kentucky, who in turn got spanked by South Carolina earlier this month.
Can they still turn things around and salvage the season? Anything is possible. The current problem for Auburn is, they have no time to lick their wounds, as the go on the road to Georgia next week. Speaking of…
Georgia @ Alabama
Despite being down 28-0 early in the 2nd quarter to Alabama, Georgia gradually roared back and even briefly led with 2:42 left in the game. Then Jalen Milroe’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams, along with a two-pointer, put the Crimson Tide back on top for good at 41-34.
Does this mean that Georgia’s playoff hopes are dashed on the rocks? Hardly, but they also have one of the toughest schedules of any team in the FBS this year (they still have yet to play Ole Miss, Texas, and Tennessee), and losing to Bama put them in the hole from the outset.
Nevertheless, should they make the playoffs, perhaps next time they’ll know better than to spot a top-ranked team four touchdowns before they decide to start playing football.
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.
College Football Awards, Week 1 (2024) September 4, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Brent Key, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, BYU, Dan Lanning, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hurricanes, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Lance Leipold, Lincoln Riley, LSU, Mack Brown, Miami (FL), Michigan, Mike Norvell, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Rice, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, UConn, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Lincoln Riley, USC
Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, LSU
Lucky guy: Mack Brown, North Carolina
Poor guy: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Brent Key, Georgia Tech (Week 0)
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Desperately seeking … anything: Mike Norvell, Florida State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated Chattanooga 69-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oregon (defeated Idaho 24-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Temple (lost to No. 16 Oklahoma 51-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Stanford (lost to TCU 34-27)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Miami, FL (defeated Florida 41-17)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: UConn
Can’t Stand Prosperity: N/A
Did the season start? Florida State
Can the season end? Rice
Can the season never end? USC
GAMES
Play this again: No. 23 USC 27, No. 7 LSU 20
Play this again, too: No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 20 Texas A&M 13
Never play this again: Auburn 73, Alabama A&M 3
What? Vanderbilt 34, Virginia Tech 27 (OT)
Huh? Georgia Tech 24, No. 10 Florida State 20 (Week 0)
Are you kidding me?? No. 23 USC 27, No. 7 LSU 20
Oh – my – God: Boston College 28, No. 10 Florida State 13
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 2)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Texas @ No. 9 Michigan
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Boise State @ No. 3 Oregon
Best non-Power Four matchup: Liberty @ New Mexico State
Upset alert: Iowa State @ No. 25 Iowa
Must win: Colorado @ Nebraska
Offensive explosion: Arkansas @ No. 17 Oklahoma State
Defensive struggle: Iowa State @ No. 25 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: BYU @ SMU
Intriguing coaching matchup: Bret Bielema of Illinois vs Lance Leipold of Kansas
Who’s bringing the body bags? Tennessee Tech @ No. 1 Georgia
Why are they playing? Samford @ Florida
Plenty of good seats remaining: Merrimack @ UConn
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Texas Southern @ Rice
Week 1 Thoughts:
The 2024-’25 college football season has already gotten off to an interesting start. Already there has been a noticeable upset (Georgia Tech triumphing over Florida State on Week 0, in Dublin, Ireland, no less). Already we have also seen the Miami Hurricanes reassert themselves in a big way in the Swamp, trouncing the Gators 41-17. Either the Canes are “back”, or Florida has a long way to go to return to their championship-caliber days under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.
But the first full week has also been hit-and-miss. Most of the matchups scream “[W]hy are they playing?” To wit: New Hampshire @ UCF; Chattanooga @ Tennessee; Austin Peay @ Louisville; Temple @ Oklahoma; Murray State @ Missouri; Southern Utah @ Utah; Lehigh @ Army; Alabama A&M @ Auburn; Western Carolina @ NC State; and that is just the short list. Only the last listed game was remotely competitive (the Wolfpack won, but only 38-21).
These are way too many body bag games for teams that are now in expanded conferences, and are now vying for berths in a new 12-team playoff system. No more excuses. After all, what is the point in teams joining expanded conferences, if said teams are not to engage their newfound rivals? It is time for so many of these teams to start giving fans more quality matchups at the beginning of the season, and to play more teams in-conference. Too many snoozefests at the beginning of the season is bad for the sport. Period.
All that said, some games did stand out, some for the wrong reasons.
Idaho @ Oregon:
Pursuant to the matter noted above, sometimes a “gimme game” can backfire. Case in point: Idaho got a payday to come to Oregon to play the Ducks. Though ranked No. 3 in the country going into the game, all the Ducks could do was squeeze out a 24-14 win over the Vandals, an FCS team. If the Ducks want us to believe they belong at the No. 3 ranking, they better start playing like it.
All that said, three games did stand out of the right reasons:
North Carolina @ Minnesota
This game proved to be a good one. It remained close throughout, and the results went down to the wire, where in the end, the Golden Gophers had a chance to win it, but missed a field goal at the buzzer. This game also doubled as an honorable mention Intriguing Coaching Matchup, what with PJ Fleck vs Mack Brown.
Notre Dame @ Texas A&M
This game did live up to the hype, and Notre Dame proved they are a more-than-respectable team. The only thing that disappointed was the outcome for the A&M. Had the Aggies a better QB, the game could very well have ended in their favor. A concern going forward: given the Irish’s rather favorable schedule (the only ranked teams they play are Florida State and USC, at the end of the regular season), will they be overhyped and put into the playoffs, only to be crushed in the first round?
USC vs LSU in Las Vegas
What a way to start the college football season: a primetime, marquee matchup in Vegas. The game was a thriller from wire to wire, and if USC’s performance is any indication, they are instant playoff contenders, and could very well give Ohio State a tough contest for B1G champion. On the other side of the ball, LSU had chances to get ahead, but execution errors hobbled them, much to Brian Kelly’s expressed frustration, post-game.
College football is back in full-swing. Now for us to wade through more body bag games next week so we can proceed with conference schedules in earnest.
College Football Awards, Week 13 (2023) November 30, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: ACC, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, B1G, Big XII, BYU, C-USA, Cal, CHip Kelly, Coastal Carolina, Colorado, David Braun, Deion Sanders, Drake Maye, Georgia, Hugh Freeze, Iowa, James Madison, Jim Harbaugh, Kirby Smart, Louisville, MAC, Mack Brown, Miami (OH), Michigan, Mike Gundy, Nevada, Nick Saban, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pac-12, Ryan Day, SEC, Steve Sarkesian, Texas, Toledo, UCLA, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wolverines, Wyoming, Zak Zinter
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Glad I’m not him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Lucky guy: Nick Saban, Alabama
Poor guy: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Mack Brown, North Carolina
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: David Braun, Northwestern
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Chip Kelly, UCLA
Desperately seeking … anything: Deion Sanders, Colorado
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Arizona (defeated Arizona State 59-23)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Alabama (defeated Auburn 27-24)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Nevada (lost to Wyoming 42-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: BYU (lost to Oklahoma State 40-34)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: James Madison (defeated Coastal Carolina 56-14)
Dang, they’re good: Michigan
Dang, they’re bad: Nevada
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Louisville
Did the season start? North Carolina
Can the season end? Colorado
Can the season never end? Texas
GAMES
Play this again: No. 3 Michigan 30, No. 2 Ohio State 24
Play this again, too: No. 8 Alabama 27, Auburn 24
Never play this again: Virginia Tech 55, Virginia 17
Huh? Cal 24, No. 24 UCLA 7
Are you kidding me?? Kentucky 38, No. 10 Louisville 31
Oh – my – God: No. 3 Michigan 30, No. 2 Ohio State 24
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current (week 14)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama in the SEC championship game
Best non-Power Five matchup: New Mexico State vs No. 24 Liberty in the C-USA champ. game
Upset alert: No. 14 Louisville vs. No. 4 Florida State in the ACC championship game
Must win: No. 18 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Texas in the Big XII championship game
Offensive explosion: No. 5 Oregon vs No. 3 Washington in the Pac-12 championship game
Defensive struggle: No. 2 Michigan vs No. 16 Iowa in the B1G championship game
Great game no one is talking about: Miami (OH) vs Toledo in the MAC championship game
Intriguing coaching matchup: Steve Sarkesian of Texas vs Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State
Also: Kirby Smart of Georgia vs Nick Saban of Alabama
Week 13 Thoughts:
This rivalry week yielded so many great, close, nail-biting games. So many near-upsets that did not quite materialize, that no doubt tantalized many fanbases who were hoping that a key loss here and there would have bolstered the case for their team making it to the playoffs. Some random thoughts:
Michigan vindicated themselves against Ohio State. The Game itself was one that lived up the hype, as both worthy teams fought hard. At many moments, the game could have gone in different directions, but in the end, Michigan had to rally past a devastating injury of one of their own, Zak Zinter. Such a disaster clearly demoralized every Wolverine faithful in the Big House. What was amazing was that the team itself dragged itself up off the canvas, and once play resumed, on the very next play, they scored a touchdown. Rarely does even a talented team such as Michigan show such resilience. Should they win the upcoming B1G championship game in Indianapolis (now with Jim Harbaugh back on the sidelines), few teams shall have demonstrated that they belong in the playoffs as this Wolverine squad has.
North Carolina ended on a very low note. A team that started off so strongly and with such promise ended up sputtering at the end, losing to an in-state (practically cross-town) rival in NC State. Surely Mack Brown, let alone senior QB Drake Maye, did not envision losing the last four of six games this regular season.
Auburn had a golden opportunity to upset hated Alabama, at home. They had nothing to lose, and played like it for most of the game. They only lost the game in the end on a 4th-and-goal at the 31 yard line (no, really). Clearly Auburn squandered this incredible opportunity to shut down the Tide when they rushed only two defenders, and kept a third as a “spy”. In end, we saw example no. 236 of how the only thing that the “prevent defense” prevents is the implementer from winning the game. Translation: Auburn should have rushed at least a couple more men, obviously. Looks like Hugh Freeze’s defensive coordinator might be desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard along with UCLA’s Chip Kelly this week.
On to the Championship Week, and afterwards, let the endless playoff debates continue to a greater degree than they have already.
College Football Awards, Week 12 (2023) November 22, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: ACC, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, B1G, Billy Napier, BYU, Clemson, Colorado, Cyclones, Deion Sanders, Duke, East Carolina, Eliah Drinkwitz, Florida, Georgia, Hawai'i, Hugh Freeze, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Madison, Jeff Brohm, Jeff Traylor, Jerry Kill, Jonathon Brooks, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kansas State, Kyle Whittingham, Lance Leipold, liberty, Longhorns, Louisville, Mark Stoops, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, NC State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Purdue, Qwinn Ewers, Ryan Walters, South Carolina, Tarheels, Tennessee, Texas, Tulane, Tulsa, Utah, UTEP, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, Wolfpack, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Glad I’m not him: Lance Leipold, Kansas
Lucky guy: Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
Poor guy: Billy Napier, Florida
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Deion Sanders, Colorado
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Also: Jerry Kill, New Mexico State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Desperately seeking … anything: Ryan Walters, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Alabama (defeated Chattanooga 66-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (defeated BYU 31-24)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Hawai’i (lost to Wyoming 42-9)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Maryland (lost to No. 3 Michigan 31-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Arizona (defeated No. 22 Utah 42-18)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Purdue
Can’t Stand Prosperity: James Madison
Did the season start? North Carolina
Can the season end? Auburn
Can the season never end? Georgia
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Washington 22, No. 11 Oregon 20
Play this again, too: No. 21 Kansas State 31, No. 25 Kansas 27
Never play this again: No. 8 Alabama 66, Chattanooga 10
What? Appalachian State 26, James Madison 23, OT
Huh? Virginia 30, Duke 27
Are you kidding me?? Clemson 31, No. 20 North Carolina 20
Oh – my – God: New Mexico State 31, Auburn 10
Told you so: No. 16 Iowa 15, Illinois 13
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 3 Michigan
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: UTSA vs No. 24 Tulane Also: Jacksonville State @ NM State
Upset alert: South Carolina @ Clemson
Must win: Washington State @ No. 5 Washington
Offensive explosion: No. 11 Oregon State @ No. 6 Oregon
Defensive struggle: No. 16 Iowa @ Nebraska
Great game no one is talking about: North Carolina @ NC State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Mark Stoops of Kentucky
Honorable Mention: Deion Sanders of Colorado vs Kyle Whittingham of Utah
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 17 Arizona @ Arizona State
Why are they playing? Liberty @ UTEP
Plenty of good seats remaining: Tulsa @ East Carolina
Plenty of good seats remaining, B1G Edition: Indiana @ Purdue
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Vanderbilt @ Tennessee
Week 12 Thoughts:
Maryland vs Michigan
The Terrapins played the Wolverines reasonably close, losing by only a touchdown, 31-24. Is this close score on account of the matchup being a trap game for Michigan? They just came off a big win in Happy Valley, and must now prepare for “The Game”. If the matchup against Maryland does not scream “trap game”, what does? Moreover, did Jim Harbaugh’s absence hurt Michigan’s performance that much? Or, were the Wolverines simply playing their cards close to the vest, without giving away any major secret plays, while executing a very conservative game plan? I personally suspect the latter.
Miami (FL) vs Louisville
The Cardinals, by the hardest, pulled off a win in Miami. Mirabile dictu, in his first year at the helm at Louisville, Jeff Brohm has clinched a spot in the ACC championship game against Florida State.
Auburn vs New Mexico State
In the O-M-G upset of the year, the Aggies (the ones in Las Cruces, not College Station) have defeated the Tigers 31-10. Surely this is the greatest win in the history of the program for New Mexico State, and surely this is Auburn’s most ignominious loss in at least, say, 45 years.
Iowa State vs Texas
In the upset alert that was not, the Longhorns proved many a doubter wrong and triumphed, fairly convincingly, in Ames. Texas’ recent loss of running back Jonathon Brooks to an ACL tear last week seemed to doom their running game. The two most recent games indicated inconsistencies in their offense overall. The Cyclones’ defense was known to be stingy, especially at home. On top of all that, the weather for this game was colder than what the Longhorns are used to back in Austin. And yet, the Horns still proved the doubters wrong. This time, there was no close call. QB Qwinn Ewers executed more consistently than in the past couple of games, the running game was still there, and the defense made some big plays when needed. Make no mistake: winning by 10 points in Ames in the latter part of November is a rather impressive feat.
Northwestern vs Purdue
Leave it to Purdue to find new ways to disappoint its fans. This team could not even beat a mediocre Northwestern team. Is it too early to speculate that Ryan Walters is Darrell Hazell 2.0? Conversely, the Wildcats, whom everyone gave up for dead earlier in the season, is now bowl-eligible.
Looking ahead to Week 13:
(Yay, it’s Rivalry Week!)
Michigan vs Ohio State
A.K.A., “The Game”. It all comes down to this. Or does it? The winner is in the driver’s seat for the playoffs. Too bad the B1G has not yet wised up and allowed the two teams with the best records in the conference to play each other for a matchup.
Purdue vs Indiana
Meanwhile, it’s a race to the bottom in the B1G as the two play for the Old Oaken Bucket.
Louisville vs Kentucky
The Wildcats have had the recent upper hand in the Governor’s Cup rivalry, winning the last four. Having just clinched a berth in the ACC championship, the Cardinals’ Jeff Brohm is surely out to make a statement and halt that trend.
Oregon vs Oregon State
This could be one of the hardest-fought, high-scoring “Civil Wars” of recent memory. Buckle up, and enjoy!
Illinois vs Northwestern
The Wildcats, now with six wins, are technically bowl-eligible. The Illini are now fighting for bowl-eligibility, and this is their last chance. Such is a great example of two mediocre teams pitted together can make for a potentially great game.
South Carolina vs Clemson
Speaking of fighting for bowl eligibility, the Gamecocks, sitting at 5-6, are in the same position as Illinois, though they are have a tougher task to make it to the six-win mark, since they face the Tigers.
That said, having passed something of a test against Kentucky, perhaps South Carolina might now pass a slightly harder one.
NC State vs North Carolina
No doubt that the Tarheels did not predict they would be sitting at only 8-3 at this point. Oddly, the Wolfpack has the same current record. Moreover, how ironic is it that, going into this game, NC State is the ranked team?
College Football Awards Week 6 (2023) October 11, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Arizona, Auburn, Ball State, Brent Key, Brent Venables, Craig Bohl, Florida State, Fresno State, Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Jeff Tedford, Kentucky, Lincoln Riley, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville, LSU, Mack Brown, Mario Cristobal, Marshall, Miami (FL), Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, San Jose State, Sonny Dykes, Steve Sarkesian, TCU, Texas, Toledo, UCLA, UMass, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Glad I’m not him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Lucky guy: Brent Key, Georgia Tech
Poor guy: Jeff Tedford, Fresno State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lincoln Riley, USC
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Craig Bohl, Wyoming
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Miami
Desperately seeking … anything: Sonny Dykes, TCU
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Michigan (defeated Minnesota 52-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: USC (defeated Arizona 43-41)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Virginia Tech (lost to No.5 Florida State 39-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Arizona (lost to USC 43-41)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Georgia (defeated No. 20 Kentucky 51-13)
Dang, they’re good: Michigan
Dang, they’re bad: Louisiana-Monroe
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Texas
Did the season start? Notre Dame
Can the season end? TCU
Can the season never end? Oklahoma
GAMES
Play this again: No. 12 Oklahoma 34, No. 3 Texas 30
Never play this again: No. 2 Michigan 52, Minnesota 10
What? Georgia Tech 23, No. 17 Miami 20
Huh? UCLA 25, No. 13 Washington State 17
Are you kidding me?? No. 12 Oklahoma 34, No. 3 Texas 30
Oh – my – God: No. 25 Louisville 33, No. 10 Notre Dame 20
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 7)
Ticket to die for: No. 8 Oregon @ No. 9 Washington
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: Wyoming @ Air Force
Upset alert: Auburn @ No. 23 LSU
Must win: No. 9 USC @ No. 10 Notre Dame
Offensive explosion: No. 17 Miami (FL) @ No. 14 North Carolina
Defensive struggle: Iowa @ Wisconsin
Great game no one is talking about: Marshall @ Georgia State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mario Cristobal of Miami vs Mack Brown of North Carolina
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 1 Georgia @ Vanderbilt
Why are they playing? UMass @ No. 6 Penn State
Plenty of good seats remaining: San Jose State @ New Mexico State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Toledo @ Ball State
Week 6 Thoughts:
Texas vs. Oklahoma
The question on the mind of many football fans lately has been, “is Texas back?”. Well, we sure thought Texas was. They were certainly playing like it. Maybe they still are, but there are clearly some issues that remain to be resolved. Yes, Oklahoma was also ranked, and also undefeated. But the Longhorns were still favored, and given the intensity of this rivalry, losing leaved a feeling of disgust for the defeated team. Did Texas make too many mistakes early in the game? Perhaps. But those mistakes were, by that token, made early in the game, with plenty of game left to overcome them.
A bigger issue? Execution in the red zone. The Sooners made a goal line stand that will go down as part of the lore of this storied rivalry, denying the Longhorns entry into the endzone on four straight plays. Give credit to the Sooners for pulling off the upset. Also give credit to Steve Sarkesian for realizing what still needs work.
Kentucky vs Georgia
Where was this Georgia team the whole year? Apparently sleepwalking through the first five weeks of the season. Kentucky proved to be a more-than-decent team thus far. Yet, when they ventured down to Athens, the sleeping giant awoke. Long story short, Georgia finally decided to start playing football for the first time this year, and demolished a good Kentucky team in the process, 51-13.
Arizona vs USC
Do we get the feeling that USC is playing up, or down, to their competition?
Louisville vs Notre Dame
Notre Dame has proven that they are a good game, and can handle themselves well in big games. Maybe three big games in a row was too much. Either that, or Louisville is that good. Sneaky good, but certainly more than respectable. Every time the Cardinals have been put to the test, they have passed the test. Now, the test they just passed led to one of the program’s top-five all-time greatest wins (along with winning the 1991 Fiesta Bowl; beating No. 5 Florida State in a monsoon in 2002; defeating Florida in the 2013 Sugar Bowl, and beating No. 5 West Virginia in 2006).
Looking ahead to Week 7:
Oregon vs Washington
Next week will be a tough act to follow after this wild weekend. Nevertheless, this game will help determine the eventual champion for the Pac-12, which, safe to say, will be going out on the highest note conceivable. Seriously, has anyone witnessed this conference being this deep? Even Arizona, usually a perennial bottom-feeder in the conference, is competitive.
Which leads us to this game in Seattle. Both teams could make life very hard for most other teams in the top 10 right now. Either team could make a compelling case to be a playoff contender right now. Thus it is a safe bet that we’ll be in a for a ‘dandy’ of a game in Husky Stadium this weekend!
Miami vs North Carolina
This game has huge implications for the eventual ACC championship. The bonus is that coaches Mario Cristobal and Mack Brown will be going head-to-head.
Missouri vs Kentucky
Here is an interesting situation where two good teams are coming off losses and have no time at all to lick their wounds, as both teams see this as an opportunity to ‘get well’ on their respective opponent. Intriguing, no?
Notre Dame vs USC
Fans of the Gold and Blue are now exhorting the Irish to hang in there for one more week, the last game in a brutal schedule stretch, this time against USC. Will the Trojans discover this new thing called a defense? Because playing in South Bend these days is a less-than-ideal place to make that discovery while on the job. Nevertheless, in the meantime, the Trojans’ offense will keep ND’s defense’s collective hands full, so maybe that’s a wash, and thus a good game, after all.
Texas A&M vs Tennessee
Wait, Tennessee is still ranked? Apparently. Now is a good opportunity for them to prove they deserve it, as the Aggies, who narrowly lost to Bama this past weekend, come calling. What will Bobby Petrino have in store for his offense against the Volunteers?
College Football Awards Week 13 (2021) December 3, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: AAC, ACC, Alabama, Army, Auburn, B1G, Baylor, Bedlam, Big XII, Bryan Harsin, California, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Crimson Tide, Dana Holgorsen, Egg Bowl, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Jeff Monken, Jeff Traylor, Jim Harbaugh, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nevada, Nick Saban, North Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Paul Chryst, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Purdue, rivalry, Ryan Day, SEC, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tigers, Tom Allen, UConn, USC, Utah, UTSA, Wake Forest, week, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Glad I’m not him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Lucky guy: Nick Saban, Alabama
Poor guy: Bryan Harsin, Auburn
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Monken, Army
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Desperately seeking … anything: Tom Allen, Indiana
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Houston (defeated UConn 45-17)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Baylor (defeated Texas Tech 27-24)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Georgia Tech (lost to Georgia 45-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Auburn (lost to Alabama 24-22, 4OT)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Kentucky (defeated Louisville 52-21)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Colorado State
Another one bites the dust: UTSA
Did the season start? Wisconsin
Can the season end? Indiana
Can the season never end? Michigan
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Michigan 42, No. 2 Ohio State 27
Play this again, too: No. 3 Alabama 24, Auburn 22 (4OT)
Never play this again: Nevada 52, Colorado State 10
What? North Texas 45, No. 22 UTSA 23
Huh? LSU 27, No. 15 Texas A&M 24
Are you kidding me?? Minnesota 23, No. 14 Wisconsin 13
Oh – my – God: No. 5 Michigan 42, No. 2 Ohio State 27
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 3 Alabama
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 24 Houston vs. No. 4 Cincinnati
Upset alert: No. 19 Utah vs. No. 11 Oregon
Must win: No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 16 Iowa
They have the same record? USC @ California
Offensive explosion: No. 8 Baylor vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State also: Kent State vs Northern Illinois
Defensive struggle: (none)
Great game no one is talking about: No. 17 Pitt vs. No. 18 Wake Forest
Intriguing coaching matchup: Luke Fickell of Cincinnati vs. Dana Holgorsen of Houston
Week 13 Thoughts:
Rivalry week did not disappoint. Sure, there was the occasional lop-sided outcome (looking your way, IU-Purdue and Kentucky-Louisville, and others, too.), but so many matchups produced so many great games. The Ole Miss-Mississippi State game (the “Egg Bowl”, named after the golden football trophy that has long been dubbed “the golden egg”) on Thanksgiving started things off with a bang. Then on Friday, unranked Nebraska had a chance to knock No. 16 Iowa out of B1G West contention, and came up shy by only a touchdown. Coastal Carolina had to hold off lowly South Alabama: the Chanticleers defeated the Jaguars by only seven points.
On Saturday, even greater action took place. Neither Florida nor Florida State has had much of a season, but they certainly gave fans a good fight in The Swamp, with the Gators winning, 24-21.
But The Game itself delivered. Michigan finally got a major monkey off its back in beating Ohio State for the first time since 2011. With such a rivalry and a game of such high stakes (a conference championship berth and also a potential playoff bid on the line), there was plenty of drama to go around, and all the while, Michigan Stadium was rocking, both during, and very much after the game. The crowd of fans gathered around the FOX crew outside of the stadium post-game rivaled that of crowds at ESPN’s College Gameday, pre-game.
Speaking of the B1G and conference championship berths on the line, Wisconsin had the chance to win Paul Bunyan’s Ax and also to lock up the B1G West by beating Minnesota. PJ Fleck and the boys had other plans. The Golden Gophers won the day, 23-13, and the Ax along with it. That upset made Iowa’s win the previous day all the more significant, as now they’ll represent the B1G West in Indianapolis next weekend.
In a quasi-rivalry game, Michigan State and Penn State duked it out in the snow in a high-scoring slugfest, with the Spartans winning closely, 30-27.
If we are to be reminded of anything, it’s that the Iron Bowl is always a great game, no matter how much one team may struggle and no matter how high the other may be currently flying. Case in point: this year’s Iron Bowl looked like it might have been a lop-sided affair, what with Alabama’s top-five ranking and Auburn not even ranked. But crazy things have happened against the Crimson Tide in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Last night’s game was one of them. Auburn led most of the game in a defensive struggle. Going into the 4th quarter, it was 10-0 in favor of the Tigers. The Tide managed to score 10 points that quarter to tie things up at the end of regulation. It took four overtimes to finally decide the game, with Alabama triumphing in the end. Ironically, it took a hobbled back QB’s understandably limited performance for Alabama to have even a shot at winning this game.
Speaking of getting monkeys off one’s back, Oklahoma State certainly came through against Oklahoma in last night’s edition of the Bedlam Series. In what was a back-and-forth shootout for much of the game, the Cowboys held the Sooners scoreless in the 4th quarter (a considerable stepping up of OK State’s defense), while they themselves scored 14 points to triumph, 37-33.
Other great games took place elsewhere, and it all amounted to a wonderful Rivalry Week that shall no about long be remembered. But now, it is time to look ahead.
Looking ahead to Week 14:
Michigan vs. Iowa in the B1G Championship game (Indianapolis)
This will be a different Big Ten championship game from what we are used to. Reason being, Wisconsin is not in it. Kidding aside, neither is Ohio State or Michigan State. Nope, Michigan crashes the party for the first time, ever, too. I wonder how Iowa’s and Michigan’s bands will sound like when they play the Star Spangled Banner together. It will be a beautiful sound to hear and a sight to behold in any case.
Oh, and all Michigan needs to do is close the deal, and they could make it to the playoffs. No pressure.
Georgia vs. Alabama in the SEC Championship game (Atlanta)
This is Georgia’s opportunity to remind everyone that they are the legit No. 1 team. Conversely, if Alabama has any hopes of crashing the playoffs, they need to get through the Bulldogs in order to attain that prize. Needless to say, that’s a huge ask.
Questions also abound: was the Crimson Tide looking ahead to Georgia, and thus were caught off-guard by sputtering Auburn? Or did Alabama arrive in The Plains with the War Eagle fully on their minds, only to come out flat anyhow, and lucky to escape back to Tuscaloosa with a win? If their underperformance yesterday is any indication, they could wind up as cannon fodder for the Bulldogs.
Conversely, Georgia would be wise to prepare as if they shall be in the fight of their lives, because, well, because Alabama, that’s why.
Baylor vs. Oklahoma State in the Big XII Championship game (Arlington, Texas)
Credit the Big XII with two things: one, they get it right by selecting the contestants for their conference championship game. Forget these silly divisions: simply select the top two best teams, and let them slug it out. Okay, “slug” might be too strong a word since this is the Big XII, which defensively is almost a pillow-fight of a conference (Oklahoma notwithstanding). Nevertheless, the Bears vs. the Cowboys should be a marvelous matchup.
The other thing that the Big XII gets right is selecting the best possible location within their geographic footprint in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. To be sure, the B1G and SEC have gotten it right, respectively, for a long time in that same regard, with the former playing in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy (which is perfect for the B1G), and now Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the SEC in Atlanta (before then, they played in the Georgia Dome: perfect in either case).
Houston vs. Cincinnati in the AAC championship game
When was the last time we all looked forward to the AAC championship game? Perhaps starting now. If you’re not, you should. Cincinnati is undefeated and could earn a coveted playoff berth if they win out. Meanwhile, Houston has but one loss, has played very strongly as of late, and could be a likely spoiler.
No neutral site here: the two teams shall be duking it out in the Bearcats’ home field of Nippert Stadium. As an undefeated team, UC has earned this advantage.
Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest in the ACC championship game (Charlotte)
What, no Clemson? Correct, no Tigers in this ACC championship. Nevertheless, we ought not to overlook this game, as it too could be a great one, pitting (if you’ll pardon the pun) two teams that are focused and tenacious. Yes, bring out the popcorn for this one, too!
College Football Awards Week 12 (2021) November 24, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Bedlam, Boise State, Bryan Harsin, Buckeyes, BYU, Cardinals, Cincinnati, Clemson, Cornhuskers, Crimson Tide, Dan Mullen, Duke, Egg Bowl, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hawkeyes, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Jeff Traylor, Kansas, Kentucky, Lane Kiffin, liberty, Louisville, Mario Cristobal, Maryland, Mel Tucker, Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Leach, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Oaken Bucket, Ole Miss, Oregon, Paul Chryst, Purdue, Rutgers, Ryan Day, San Diego State, Scott Frost, Shane Beamer, Sooners, South Carolina, Steve Sarkesian, TCU, Temple, Texas, UAB, UConn, UMass, UNLV, USC, Utah, UTEP, UTSA, Wake Forest, Wildcats, Wolverines
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: Mel Tucker, Michigan State
Lucky guy: Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; also: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Poor guy: Scott Frost, Nebraska; also: Bryan Harsin, Auburn
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Dan Mullen, Florida
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Oregon
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Notre Dame (defeated Georgia Tech 55-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: San Diego State (defeated UNLV 28-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Duke (lost to Louisville 62-22)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Arkansas (lost to Alabama 42-35)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Michigan State 56-7)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Temple
Another one bites the dust: Wake Forest
Did the season start? Florida
Can the season end? Texas
Can the season never end? Houston
GAMES
Play this again: No. 15 Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28
Play this again, too: TCU 31, Kansas 28
Never play this again: No. 1 Georgia 56, Charleston Southern 7
What? Missouri 24, Florida 23 (OT)
Huh? South Carolina 21, Auburn 17
Are you kidding me?? Clemson 48, No. 10 Wake Forest 27
Oh – my – God: No. 23 Utah 38, No. 3 Oregon 7
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Ohio State @ No. 6 Michigan
also: No. 13 Oklahoma @ No. 9 Oklahoma State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: Boise State @ No. 19 San Diego State
also: Army @ Liberty
Upset alert: Nebraska @ No. 17 Iowa; also: South Carolina @ Clemson
Must win: No. 15 Wisconsin @ Minnesota
They have the same record? Florida @ Florida State
Offensive explosion: No. 13 Oklahoma @ No. 9 Oklahoma State
Defensive struggle: Maryland @ Rutgers
Great game no one is talking about: UTEP @ UAB
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mike Leach of Missisippi State vs Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 1 Georgia @ Georgia Tech
Why are they playing? No. 24 Houston @ UConn
Plenty of good seats remaining: UMass @ New Mexico State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? No. 22 UTSA @ North Texas
Week 12 Thoughts:
So here we thought that No. 7 Michigan State lining up against No. 4 Ohio State in The Horseshoe was going to be the barn-burner of the week. Let us all briefly pause while we laugh at ourselves for such an erroneous prognostication. It is not as if the Spartans are a bad team. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, the Buckeyes are simply that much better.
Let us put it in greater perspective. Two top-four teams but their opponents senseless, 56-7. One was the aforementioned Buckeyes. The other team was No. 1 Georgia. The latter’s flattened opponent was Charleston Southern (yes, an FCS team), while the former was, again, top-ten Michigan State.
Let us now thus ask ourselves: which of those two wins is [considerably] more impressive? The obvious answer is that for Ohio State, and is thus proof-positive that the Buckeyes are a legit playoff team. All they have to do is close the deal against Michigan in the Big House next week. To be sure, that is not the easiest of tasks, but if they do so, their case should be all the stronger.
Notice that Kansas almost got their second consecutive conference win. Looks like the Jayhawks are no longer the instant win on the schedule that everyone usually hopes to have.
A quick side note: we now have all those pointless body bag games played by SEC teams are behind us now. Thank heavens.
Finally, with Oregon, for all intents and purposes, knocked out of playoff contention, can we* all get over ourselves and acknowledge that Cincinnati belongs in the Top Four for the playoffs?
*By “we”, I really mean the Playoff Committee. Seriously, in light of recent events, Cincinnati belongs in the playoffs. Make it happen, guys.
Looking ahead to Week 13:
Rivalry Week is now upon us. Let us drink it in with full enjoyment.
Indiana @ Purdue
If Purdue wins, at home, to their traditional rival, they shall accomplish two things. For one, they reclaim the Old Oaken Bucket trophy (fun fact: that bucket was found on a farm in the same county where I graduated from high school) But more importantly, they shall finish the regular season with eight wins for the first time since 2006. Not a bad consolation prize to shoot for, given that Purdue is out of contention for the BIG West division.
Penn State @ Michigan State
Not a traditional, bitter rival, you observe? Okay, not in the strictest sense. Bu-ut, anytime two tough Big Ten teams get together, it becomes a rivalry in the moment. This should be a great game in any case, so let us enjoy it accordingly.
Alabama @ Auburn
This was going to be a great game. Probably not now, though, in light of Auburn coming up short at South Carolina. If the Tigers have the same offensive miscues against the Crimson Tide, Alabama will crush them without remorse. More the pity, too, for a good Iron Bowl is always a hallmark of a memorable Rivalry Week.
Houston @ UConn
Not so much a rivalry game, this is a weird juxtaposition for the head coach – in this case, Dana Holgorsen – of a non-Power Five team having to play the role of pitiless executioner during Rivalry Week, as it’s almost a given that Houston shall demolish the Huskies.
Nebraska @ Iowa.
Do not let the lop-sided matchup of records fool you. Yes, Nebraska is unranked at 3-8, whereas Iowa is no. 17 with a 9-2 record. But the Cornhuskers lost to Wisconsin on the road by only a touchdown in yet another heartbreaker for them. Anyone who has witnessed Nebraska’s performance these past several weeks would notice a team that has become increasingly strong, and could possibly flip the script at home this Friday.
Georgia @ Georgia Tech
This used to be a decent rivalry game. Not right now, though. If Notre Dame managed to crush Georgia Tech 55-0, what is an even tougher team in Georgia going to do to them?
Louisville @ Kentucky
Louisville lost a heartbreaker to a down Clemson team earlier this month. Immediately afterwards, they bounced back and played “on fire”. Meanwhile, Mark Stoops is coaching one of the strongest Kentucky teams in recent memory. The Cardinals seem to have peaked just in time to give the Wildcats a tough game in Lexington. We shall see.
BYU @ USC
Wait, doesn’t that matchup sound like a bowl game? That’s how good it sounds on paper. Too bad that, in reality, USC sports an anemic 4-6 record. The game could still be interesting regardless.
Ole Miss @ Mississippi State
With so many rivalry games already, it might be easy to overlook this one. If so, one would deny oneself a great game. So many memorable “Egg Bowl” games capped off my family’s Thanksgiving Day evenings in style, and this one could be a ‘dandy’ among the others in this longstanding rivalry. Lane Kiffin’s Rebels are currently ranked no. 8 in the AP poll, while Mike Leach’s Bulldogs can take down a stronger team at a moment’s notice should the latter ever let down its guard. Be sure to make this game part of your Thanksgiving tradition!
Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State
Notwithstanding the Sooner’s loss to Baylor on the road two weeks ago, the Sooners are still a tough team. The catch is, this time, Oklahoma State could be better still. On top of that, the game takes place in Stillwater this time. So sit back and enjoy another memorable game in the Bedlam Series!
Ohio State @ Michigan
There’s a reason this storied rivalry is simply called “The Game”. And this time, The Game should live up to its storied hype. Michigan is officially out of its head-scratching slump from the previous couple of seasons, playing back up to the potential a Jim Harbaugh-coached team should possess. Out of the opposing corner, Ohio State is currently playing like yet another Playoff-contending team, and carries all the legitimate prowess that comes with that well-earned status. A worthy challenger on its home field ties to knock off the playoff-ranked team: let The Game begin.
College Football Week 11 Awards (2021) November 14, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: ACC, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, B1G, Baylor, Big XII, Bryan Harsin, Buckeyes, C-USA, Cincinnati, Clemson, Dana Holgorsen, Florida, Georgia, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Jayhawks, Jim Harbaugh, Kansas, Kentucky, liberty, Longhorns, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Luke Fickell, Matt Campbell, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pac-12, Penn State, Pittsburgh, SEC, Shane Beamer, SMU, Sonny Cumbie, Sonny Dykes, South Alabama, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UConn, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Sonny Cumbie, Texas Tech
Poor guy: Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Dana Holgorsen, Houston
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bryan Harsin, Auburn
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Alabama (defeated New Mexico State 59-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Florida (defeated Samford 70-52)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UConn (lost to Clemson 44-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kansas (defeated Texas 57-56)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Louisville (defeated Syracuse 41-3)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: South Alabama
Another one bites the dust: Oklahoma
Did the season start? Florida
Can the season end? Indiana (also: Texas)
Can the season never end? Baylor
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Michigan 21, Penn State 17
Play this again, too: No. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19
Never play this again: No. 2 Alabama 59, New Mexico State 3
What? Mississippi State 43, No. 17 Auburn 34
Huh? No. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19
Are you kidding me?? No. 13 Baylor 27, No. 8 Oklahoma 14
Oh – my – God: Kansas 57, Texas 56 (OT)
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 7 Michigan State @ No. 4 Ohio State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: SMU @ No. 5 Cincinnati; also: Louisiana @ Liberty
Upset alert: Nebraska @ No. 18 Wisconsin; also: No. 3 Oregon @ No. 24 Utah
Must win: No. 7 Michigan State @ No. 4 Ohio State; also: Texas @ West Virginia
They have the same record? Florida @ Missouri
Offensive explosion: No. 10 Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech
Defensive struggle: Illinois @ No. 20 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: Virginia @ No. 21 Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Luke Fickell of Cincinnati vs Sonny Dykes of SMU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Charleston Southern @ No. 1 Georgia
Why are they playing? Prairie View A&M @ No. 11 Texas A&M
Plenty of good seats remaining: Southern Miss @ Louisiana Tech
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? New Mexico State @ Kentucky; also: Wofford @ North Carolina
Week 11 Thoughts:
Lots of great games and lots of head-scratchers for week 11. On one hand, we were treated to great games such as Michigan @ Penn State, then Texas A&M @ Ole Miss in the evening. But we also saw a number of games that left us scratching our heads. Not the least of the latter was Texas’ shocking loss to Kansas, at home. Apparently, the defense decided to take the night off, allowing the Jayhawks to score a total of 57 points in the game, and to snap Kansas road losing streak in the conference that began back in 2008. No, really. Even Steve Sarkesian acknowledged that the Longhorns played a bad first half of football, spotting KU three touchdowns before they decided to start playing in earnest. It is quite clear where he needs to make adjustments both now and in the offseason.
That aside, Michigan is playing incredibly well right now: this is easily their best team since 2016. Ohio State is also playing up to their potential. No “Spoilermakers” for Purdue yesterday, but in all fairness, it was too much to ask them to pull off two massive upsets in back-to-back weeks. Moreover, the talent gap was too much to overcome for Purdue, as the Buckeyes were firing on all eight cylinders and demonstrated that they belong in the playoff discussion.
As for the No. 1 team, Georgia demonstrated their continued worthiness of their current top ranking by beating – in methodical yet convincing fashion – an increasingly formidable Tennessee squad.
Looking ahead to Week 12:
It’s the time of year again. This time around, week 13 will be Rivalry Week. That means that the week before then, week 12, will have lots of games that, frankly, should not even be on the schedule. The SEC is the worst offender at this, scheduling body bag games that are ludicrous on the very surface of things. To be sure, some already had their easy-gimmies this week, and they have seized the opportunity to play more worthy opponents. Case in point, Alabama plays No. 25 Arkansas, in what could amount to a decent game. Also, and oddly, Missouri and Florida, who unbelievably have identical records at 5-5, play each other this weekend in what could be a competitive game, even though, on paper, it shouldn’t be. South Carolina might be a relatively weak team in the conference, but at least they are playing Auburn.
But then there are the clear mismatches. The wrinkle this year is that some look even on paper because of similar records, but the reality is, the talents gaps are a mile wide. This includes by Louisiana-Monroe playing LSU, and South Alabama playing Tennessee, and Prairie View A&M plays Texas A&M. Tennessee State plays Mississippi State as well. In each of these cases, the question “why are they playing” practically screams in our minds. If that is not enough, New Mexico State, at 1-9, plays Kentucky, in what is perhaps the most lop-sided matchup of all that week, save for Charleston Southern – of all teams – playing No. 1 Georgia. If they Bulldogs are serious about remaining at the top of the heap, perhaps they could do better than schedule a cupcake team so late in the year. Indeed, much of the SEC could do better in that regard, and should.
Meanwhile, the B1G gets a pass. No body bag game for those teams, they keep playing other teams within their conference. Purdue plays Northwestern; Rutgers plays Penn State; Illinois plays Iowa; Michigan plays Maryland; Minnesota plays Indiana; Nebraska plays Wisconsin. Best of all, Michigan State plays at Ohio State in what is clearly the game of the week.
Similar credit is due to the Big XII teams that are playing each other this upcoming week, as well as to the Pac-12, American Conference, C-USA, Mountain West, and Sunbelt teams who do the same, respectively. The ACC teams also deserve credit for keeping up the conference schedule, save for one or two (looking your way North Carolina: you can do better than play Wofford).
College Football Week 10 Awards (2021) November 9, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: Aggies, Alabama, Army, Auburn, Baylor, Big XII, Boilermakers, Bucknell, Cincinnati, Clemson, Dabo Swinney, Dan Mullen, Dave Clawson, Florida, Gators, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Jimbo Fisher, Josh Heupel, Kent State, Kentucky, Kyle Whittingham, Lane Kiffin, Louisville, Mark Stoops, Matt Campbell, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rebels, Rutgers, San Diego State, Scott Satterfield, South Carolina, Spartans, Stanford, Steve Sarkesian, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, Tulsa, UConn, Utah, Wake Forest, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Glad I’m not him: Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Lucky guy: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Poor guy: Scott Satterfield, Louisville
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dan Mullen, Florida
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Georgia (defeated Missouri 43-6)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Cincinnati (defeated Tulsa 28-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Rutgers (lost to Wisconsin 52-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Tulsa (lost to No. 6 Cincinnati 28-20)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: South Carolina (defeated Florida 40-17)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Temple
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Michigan State
Did the season start? Florida
Can the season end? Texas
Can the season never end? Michigan State
GAMES
Play this again: Tennessee 45, No. 18 Kentucky 42
Play this again, too: Kent State 52, Northern Illinois 47
Never play this again: Utah 52, Stanford 7
What? Illinois 14, No. 20 Minnesota 6
Huh? TCU 30, No. 12 Baylor 28
Are you kidding me?? North Carolina 58, No. 10 Wake Forest 55
Oh – my – God: Purdue 40, No. 3 Michigan State 29
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 14 Texas A&M @ No. 16 Ole Miss also: No. 8 Oklahoma @ No. 12 Baylor
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: Nevada @ No. 24 San Diego State
Upset alert: No. 19 NC State @ No. 9 Wake Forest
Must win: No. 7 Michigan @ Penn State
Offensive explosion: Oklahoma @ Baylor
Defensive struggle: Minnesota @ No. 22 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: North Carolina @ No. 25 Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jimbo Fisher of Texas A&M vs Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss
Who’s bringing the body bags? New Mexico State @ No. 2 Alabama
Why are they playing? UConn @ Clemson
Plenty of good seats remaining: Tulsa @ Tulane
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Bucknell @ Army
Week 10 Thoughts:
Just when Michigan State looks red-hot, they go and lay an egg at Purdue. In their defense, though, strange things have been known to happen to the Spartans in Ross-Ade Stadium over the years (witness the 1997 and 1999 games, for example).
Conversely, just when one is apt to give Purdue up for dead after a lackluster performance against Illinois and losing a winnable game on the road to Minnesota, they turn around and beat then-No. 2 Iowa and just defeated then-No. 3 Michigan State. With still more to ponder, the Boilermakers are now 6-3. Hard to give up a team for dead when they currently have a record like that.
Moreover, this is the second time in one year that Purdue has taken down a top-five team (Iowa was the previous team to fall in such a manner), giving further credibility the Boilermakers’ nickname-within-a-nickname of “Spoiler-makers”.
Similarly, just when one is about to give South Carolina up for dead, they trounce Florida, 40-17. To be sure, the Gators started off the season very strongly, but mysteriously seem to have gradually declined in performance over the past few weeks. On the other side of the ball, is this a sign that Frank Beamer’s son is building the Gamecocks into an increasingly strong team? They close out the season with home games against Auburn and Clemson that shall answer that question.
Looking into Non-Power Five upstarts, if Cincinnati truly wants to be taken seriously as a legitimate playoff contender, then the last thing they want to do is to squeak by a team like Tulsa by only one touchdown when the ESPN College Gameday crew comes to their campus that very day/week. Oh wait…
In the Big XII (what shall soon be left of it), is it safe to start calling Iowa State’s Jack Trice Stadium the Death Valley of that conference? Because quite a few teams with far greater pedigrees have gone there to die during head coach Matt Campbell’s tenure with the Cyclones.
Moving to the SEC, the A&M-Auburn game surely lived up to its billing as a slugfest. Now that the Aggies survived that war in the trenches, can they turnaround and survive a different sort of slugfest in Oxford against the Rebels?
Finally, nice to see Tennessee win a thriller over Kentucky in Lexington. Head coach Josh Heupel is clearly building the Vols back to the strong program they used to be. Such a development is very good for college football. Just how far they have yet to go to be “back” shall be ascertained when they face the legitimate no. 1 team in the land, Georgia, this upcoming weekend.
intellectualgridiron 