College Football Awards, Week 3 (2025) September 16, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Arch Manning, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Army, Auburn, Bill Belichick, Bret Bielema, Central Michigan, Clark Lea, Clemson, college football, Commodores, Curt Cignetti, DeShaun Foster, Florida State, Fresno State, Gamecocks, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Jacksonville State, Josh Heupel, Kent State, Kirby Smart, Longhorns, Marcus Freeman, Marshall, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee, Mike Elko, Missouri, NCAA, NCAA football, North Carolina, North Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Scott Frost, Shane Beamer, South Carolina, Steve Sarkesian, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCF, UCLA, USC, Utah, UTEP, Vanderbilt, Washington State, Wisconsin, Yellow Jackets
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Glad I’m not him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Lucky guy: Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Poor guy: Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Desperately seeking … anything: DeShaun Foster, UCLA
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Indiana (defeated Indiana State 73-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas (defeated UTEP 27-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Central Michigan (lost to No. 23 Michigan 63-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Arkansas State (lost to No. 14 Iowa State 24-16)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: North Texas (defeated Washington State 59-10)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Washington State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: South Carolina
Did the season start? Clemson
Can the season end? UCLA
Can the season never end? Texas A&M
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Georgia 44, No. 15 Tennessee 41, OT
Play this again, too: No. 16 Texas A&M 41, No. 8 Notre Dame 40
Never play this again: No. 22 Indiana 73, Indiana State 0
Huh? No. 16 Texas A&M 41, No. 8 Notre Dame 40
Are you kidding me?? Georgia Tech 24, No. 12 Clemson 21
Oh – my – God: Vanderbilt 31, No. 11 South Carolina 7
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 4)
Ticket to die for: No. 9 Illinois @ No. 19 Indiana
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Arkansas @ Memphis
Best non-Power Four matchup: Fresno State @ Hawaii
Upset alert: South Carolina @ No. 23 Missouri
Must win: No. 22 Auburn @ No. 11 Oklahoma
Offensive explosion: No. 17 Texas Tech @ No. 16 Utah
Defensive struggle: Maryland @ Wisconsin
Great game no one is talking about: Michigan State @ No. 25 USC
Intriguing coaching matchup: Curt Cignetti of Indiana vs Brett Bielema of Illinois
Honorable mention: Scott Frost of UCF vs Bill Belichick of North Carolina
Who’s bringing the body bags? North Texas @ Army
Why are they playing? Kent State @ No. 7 Florida State
Plenty of good seats remaining: Marshall @ Middle Tennessee
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Murray State @ Jacksonville State
Week 3 Thoughts:
We the fans enjoyed two incredible games this week, one was during the 3:30 EDT timeslot in Knoxville, between Georgia and Tennessee. The other was in the evening, in South Bend, as a rematch between Texas A&M and Notre Dame. Both we close games that went down to the wire.
For the former, Tennessee had the chance to bring home the win, but made too many mistakes, and in the end, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
For the latter, fewer mistakes on both sides of the ball were made, and was arguably an even more epic game. The ‘so-what’ outcome is that Mike Elko & Co. finally have a signature win, establishing the Aggies as a force to be reckoned with in their division of the SEC.
Random Thoughts:
Either Vanderbilt is that good or South Carolina decided to take a night off in their own home stadium. Making sense of such a drubbing on one’s own home turf shall take time in the form of seeing more games from the Commodores to find out if embarrassing the Gamecocks was some fluke or if they are the real deal.
Should the Longhorn faithful become increasingly concerned? Probably. For the second week in a row in what should have been a cakewalk for Texas, the home team scored only 27 points against lowly, lowly UTEP. QB Arch Manning remains off-rhythm, still missing easy passes. What on Earth is going on in Austin? They have one last game to get it together (against Sam Houston State) before things start to get real with conference play.
Was Clemson overrated all this time, or has Georgia Tech been underrated for the same duration? Regardless, the Yellow Jackets winning on a last-second field goal provided yet another thrilling finish to contribute to a great day for the game of college football. The completed FG made me want to jump up like Homer Simpson (in Season 1 of the long-enduring sitcom), exclaiming “It’s good! It’s good!”
College Football Awards, Week 9 (2024) October 27, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Air Force, Akron, Alabama, Army, Boise State, Boston College, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, Broncos, Buckeyes, Central Michigan, Chris Klieman, Cincinnati, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Cornhuskers, Dabo Swinney, Derek Mason, Ducks, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Florida State, football, Garrett Nussmeier, Happy Valley, Houston, Illinois, Jake Dickert, Jamey Chadwell, Jeff Brohm, Kansas, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Lance Leipold, liberty, Louisville, LSU, Maine, Matt Rhule, Miami (Fla.), Middle Tennessee, Mike Elko, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, NCAA football, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Ryan Day, San Diego State, SEC, SMU, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tigers, UMass, UNLV, USC, Utah, UTEP, Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, LSU
Lucky guy: Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Poor guy: Lance Leipold, Kansas
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jake Dickert, Washington State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jamey Chadwell, Liberty
Desperately seeking … anything: Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Miami (defeated Florida State 36-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Ohio State (defeated Nebraska 21-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Missouri (lost to No. 15 Alabama 34-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Vanderbilt (lost to No. 5 Texas 27-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Pittsburgh (defeated Syracuse 41-13)
Most improved from previous week: Nebraska
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Central Michigan
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Liberty
Did the season start? LSU
Can the season end? Mississippi State
Can the season never end? Texas A&M
GAMES
Play this again: No. 14 Texas A&M 38, No. 8 LSU 23
Play this again, too: No. 17 Boise State 29, UNLV 24
Never play this again: No. 15 Notre Dame 51, No. 25 Navy 14
What? Houston 17, Utah 14
Huh? Akron 25, Eastern Michigan 21
Are you kidding me?? No. 14 Texas A&M 38, No. 8 LSU 23
Oh – my – God: Kennesaw State 27, Liberty 24
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 10)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Ohio State @ No. 3 Penn State
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: (they are all bad)
Best non-Power Four matchup: Jacksonville State @ Liberty
Upset alert: No. 10 Texas A&M @ South Carolina
Must win: No. 18 Pittsburgh @ No. 20 SMU
Offensive explosion: TCU @ Baylor
Defensive struggle: Kentucky @ No. 7 Tennessee
Great game no one is talking about: USC @ Washington
Intriguing coaching matchup: PJ Fleck of Minnesota vs Bret Bielema of Illinois
Honorable mention: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Dabo Swinney of Clemson
Who’s bringing the body bags? Air Force @ No. 21 Army
Why are they playing? Maine @ Oklahoma
Plenty of good seats remaining: Middle Tennessee @ UTEP
Plenty of good seats remaining, B1G edition: Northwestern @ Purdue
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? UMass @ Mississippi State
Week 9 Thoughts:
Thursday gave us a surprising upset in Kennesaw State, winless up to that point upsetting Liberty. Indeed, the Flames picked up their first loss of the season. Given how lopsided the matchup was on paper, that clearly merits this game as the biggest upset of the week.
Then Friday gave us two very engaging games, one wherein Louisville managed to gradually gnaw away at BC’s lead to where they eventually triumphed, 31-27, on the road, no less.
Later that night, the grandest Non-Power Five clash of the week occurred with UNLV taking on Boise State, wherein the Broncos had to fight hard to fend off the Runnin’ Rebels, 29-24.
Nebraska @ Ohio State
What to make of this game? A couple of weeks ago, Ohio State was considered a major favorite to win the national title. Then they lost to Oregon, on the road, in Autzen Stadium, which is a tough place to play and even tougher if it is a team’s first time there. But they still looked like playoff contenders.
Then, the Buckeyes had a bye week to lick their wounds before taking on Nebraska at home. While the Cornhuskers are no chump team, they are no Oregon or Georgia. Ohio State only scored 21 points against them, and the Huskers even led for 4:39 in the 4th quarter.
So what to make of all this? One can boil it down to two potential explanations. The first: the Cornhuskers have drastically improved under Matt Rhule as the season has progressed, especially within the past couple of weeks. At the same time, Ohio State is showing regression at running the ball and on the offensive line, and they had to extend themselves to beat a decent team.
The second potential explanation: Nebraska may have considerably improved, but they are not world-beaters. Ohio State got caught in a trap game while too many on the team were looking past the Huskers in anticipation of taking on Penn State in Happy Valley next week.
Occam’s razor, to which I generally subscribe, would suggest the latter. But seriously, if the Buckeyes are serious about giving the Nittany Lions their first “L” of the season, they need to work on their running game and their line play.
Illinois @ Oregon
The outcome of the Ducks defeating the Illini at home was hardly in doubt. Oregon got that job done and then some, 38-9. Nevertheless, Illinois put up a valiant effort in the process. Yet one cannot help but wonder as to why such a considerable loss only knocked Illinois down five positions, at the most, in the latest rankings. Yes, the Illini are still a good team, but after losing that badly yet to stay ranked (from about No. 19 to No. 24) is quite likely more of a commentary on the high esteem the voters have towards Oregon and less of the regard they may have for Illinois, which clearly has not diminished much, and rightly so.
LSU & Texas A&M
The SEC evening game on ABC certainly did not disappoint. But one of the biggest upsets of the week did occur, where the Aggies triumphed over the Tigers, 38-23. LSU was the higher-ranked team going in, and could have won. So what happened? Simply put, LSU’s QB play went South. Yes, Garrett Nussmeier did throw for 405 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw three interceptions, all of which were at very inopportune times. It leads us to the biggest takeaway of the game, that Brian Kelly needs a better QB if he wants to take LSU to the promised land.
Elsewhere:
One more interesting aspect to Week 9 was that a cluster of close, competitive games happened late at night. Colorado continues to surge under Coach Prime after a sluggish start to the season, defeating Cincinnati 34-23. Kansas and Kansas State slugged it out in a classic rivalry clash. Though the latter’s record is vastly superior to that of the former, you could barely tell that last night, as the Wildcats had to fight hard to come back against the Jayhawks, 29-27. Duke took SMU not only down to the wire, but into OT, and even then, the Mustangs only won by a point, 28-27. Out on the west coast, Washington State, who quietly grows stronger by the week, had to stage a 4th-quarter comeback over visiting San Diego State. It was a good week, and a unique one at that.
2015-2016 Bowl Games Preview December 15, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Appalachian State, Art Briles, Baylor, Boca Raton, Camelia, Central Michigan, Clemson, Connecticut, Cure, Florida State, Foster Farms, Georgia State, Hawaii, Iowa, Jim Harbaugh, Kevin Sumlin, Larry Fedora, Mark Dantonio, Marshall, Miami Beach, Military, Minnesota, Mississippi, Navy, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Orange, Oregon, Outback, Pasadena, Pittsburgh, Quick Lane, Rose, San Diego State, San Jose State, Sooners, St. Petersburg, Sugar, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Tigers, Toledo, UCLA, UConn, Western Kentucky
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What used to be the “most wonderful week of the year” has become the most wonderful two weeks of the year. The bowl game lineup has reach an all-time high of 40. Diminishing returns, anyone?
But that aside, here are some upcoming highlights and low-lights (note that all times are EASTERN time):
Tickets to Die For:
No. 4 Oklahoma (11-1) vs. No. 1 Clemson (13-0) in the Capital One Orange Bowl, Dec. 31, 4:00 PM
The Tigers are the No. 1 team, while the Sooners are the hottest of the four teams in the playoffs. More intriguingly, this will be a rematch from the Russell Athletic Bowl of last year.
No. 3 Michigan State (12-1) vs. No. 2 Alabama (12-1) in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Dec. 31, 8 PM
The Crimson Tide has the postseason experience, but the Spartans have passed every major test over the past three years. Moreover, the two teams are practically a mirror-image of each other.
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup:
Auburn (6-6) vs. Memphis (9-3) in the Birmingham Bowl, Dec. 30, 12:00 PM
Auburn needs this win to validate their lousy season. Memphis needs this win to validate the best season arguably in the history of the program. Thus, this also doubles as a Must-Win.
No. 18 Houston (12-1) vs. No. 9 Florida State (10-2) in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, 12 PM
The Cougars are going to their first decent bowl game in decades, while the Seminoles might via the Peach Bowl as a come-down after recent BCS/playoff berths. Thus, this also doubles as an Upset Alert.
Best non-Power Five matchups:
San Diego State (10-3) vs. Cincinnati (7-5) in the Hawai’i Bowl, Dec. 24, 8:00 PM
Rocky Long has continued the deceptive strong program built by Brady Hoke in San Diego, while Tommy Tuberville’s Bearcats are never to be underestimated.
Western Kentucky (11-2) vs. South Florida (8-4) in the Miami Beach Bowl, Dec. 21, 2:30 PM
The Hilltoppers have proven to be strong all year, while the Bulls have performed very strongly as of late. The record comparison may look lop-sided, but let not that fool us, for it shall be a close game.
Intriguing Coaching Match-ups:
Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M vs. Bobby Petrino of Louisville in the Music City Bowl.
One leads one of the most progressive offenses in the SEC. The other is one of the best offensive minds in the game. The irony? Do not expect an offensive explosion.
Mark Dantonio of Michigan State vs. Nick Saban of Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.
As mentioned previously, the two teams are practically mirror-images of the other.
Urban Meyer of Ohio State vs. Brian Kelly of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, Fri., Jan. 1, 1:00 PM
Two of THE best coaches in the game, going head-to-head? Yes, please!
Larry Fedora of No. 10 North Carolina vs. Art Briles of No. 17 Baylor in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Dec. 29, 5:30 PM
Potentially THE most underrated bowl game of the postseason, provided that both teams show up.
Rumble in the Phone Booth:
No. 6 Stanford (11-2) vs. No. 5 Iowa (12-1) in the Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, 5:00 PM
Both teams have great running games, meaning that this should be a dream for fans of old-fashioned, smash-mouth football. The question becomes, will we be “looking LIVE in Pasadena, Calif., folks”?
Rematches, Anyone?
No. 13 Northwestern (10-2) vs. No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) in the Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, 12:00 PM
Recall the 1997 Citrus Bowl?
No. 16 Oklahoma State (10-2) vs. No. 12 Mississippi (9-3) in the Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, 8:30 PM
Recall the 2004 Cotton Bowl? This time, the results could be reversed.
Upset Alerts:
No. 18 Houston (12-1) vs. No. 9 Florida State (10-2) in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, 12 PM
The Cougars are going to their first decent bowl game in decades, while the Seminoles might view the Peach Bowl as a come-down after recent BCS/playoff berths.
Offensive Explosion:
No. 15 Oregon (9-3) vs. No. 11 TCU (10-2) in the Valero Alamo Bowl, Jan. 2, 6:45 pm
Ah, Alamo Bowl, you never fail to entertain!
Defensive Struggle:
No. 14 Michigan (9-3) vs. No. 19 Florida (10-3) in the Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1, 1:00 PM
The Citrus Bowl came back! That aside, the Gators have excelled at making games low-scoring, win or lose. Regardless, Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines will be prepared, and should end up victorious in the end. Also, the matchup of first-year coaches Harbaugh and Jim McElwain is intriguing unto itself.
Great Games No One Is Talking About:
Ohio (8-4) vs. Appalachian State (10-2) in the Raycom Media Camelia Bowl, 5:30 PM
They play this in Montgomery, Ala., in case you were wondering. The Mountaineers are making their FBS bowl debut against a decent Bobcats team.
No. 24 Temple (10-3) vs. Toledo (9-2) in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl, 7:00 PM
The Owls have proven to be a good team, while the Rockets did beat Arkansas. It’s not a wash, but it should be a close game.
Not Sure What to Make of This One:
UCLA (8-4) vs. Nebraska (5-7) in the Foster Farms Bowl, 9:15 PM
The Cornhuskers are the second team listed here with a 5-7 record. That said, they are better than their record suggests, and, more importantly as far as the bowl committee is concerned, their fans will TRAVEL.
Think there is enough dark blue and gold?
Pittsburgh (8-4) vs. No. 21 Navy (10-2) in the Military Bowl, Dec. 28, 2:30 PM
Why Are They Playing?
Connecticut (6-6) vs. Marshall (9-3) in the St. Petersburg Bowl, Sat., Dec. 26, 11:00 AM
UConn is bowl eligible? That alone is an insult to Marshall, which is actually a decent team.
Plenty of Good Seats Remaining:
San Jose State (5-7) vs. Georgia State (6-6) in the Cure Bowl, Sat., Dec. 19, 7:00 PM
As if Orlando, Fla., did not have enough bowl games, they came up with this one. The Spartans are one of three teams with a 5-7 record but are still going bowling. Meanwhile, the Panthers are only 6-6, meaning that this is a classic example of a garbage bowl game.
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
Central Michigan (7-5) vs. Minnesota (5-7) in the Quick Lane Bowl, Mon., Dec. 28, 5:00 PM
This is the latest iteration of what used to be the Little Caesars Bowl (still at Ford Field in Detroit). The Golden Gophers are the third team that is 5-7 and yet still bowl eligible. I can hear Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd mocking this bowl matchup right now.
College Football 2015 Quick Preview September 3, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas State, Auburn, Baylor, Bethune-Cookman, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, BYU, Central Michigan, Clemson, Colorado State, Eastern Michigan, Elon, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Gus Malzahn, Houston, Idaho, Kevin Sumlin, LA Monroe, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Nick Saban, Norfolk State, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Paul Chryst, Presbyterian, Purdue, Rutgers, SavannahState, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, state, TCU, Tennessee Tech, Texas, Texas State, Todd Graham, UConn, UNLV, USC, Utah, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Wofford
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Atlanta bolsters its stature as one of the epicenters of college football by being the host city for arguably the best game of Week 1. Photo by Paul Abell, USA Today Sports.
Another glorious season of college football is about to commence. Come the evening of Thurs., Sept. 3, teams will have kicked off the most exciting three months in all of sports (four if you count the bowl game postseason), and come late Monday evening, the fans, analysts and pundits alike shall have had a look at whether or not the preseason rankings are worth any count.
What is particularly attractive about this particular opening weekend is that, unlike in some years past, there is a critical mass of high-stakes games from the beginning. Sure, the body-bag games abound as they usually do during Week One. However, there are many high-ranked teams that are about to butt heads with other ranked teams, or teams that are near-ranked and hungry for respect from the voters.
From the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta, to an incredibly delectable home opener for Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., to a Carolina border war Thursday evening, to a revenge game for Urban Meyer & Co. in Blacksburg, Va., on Labor Day evening, this weekend has it all. Below is thus faithfully submitted a list highlight and lowlight games on which to keep a fan’s eye. Enjoy, and God Bless America!
Ticket to die for: Auburn vs. Louisville in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta; possible Texas @ Notre Dame, too.
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Western Kentucky @ Vanderbilt; BYU @ Nebraska
Best non-Power Five matchup: UNL @ Northern Illinois; Ohio U @ Idaho
Upset alert: Texas @ Notre Dame; TCU @ Minnesota (don’t laugh);
Must win: Ohio State @ Virginia Tech; Purdue @ Marshall
Offensive explosion: Arizona State @ Texas A&M
Defensive struggle: BYU @ Nebraska
Great game no one is talking about: South Carolina vs. North Carolina in Charlotte; Michigan @ Utah; Washington @ Boise State; Stanford @ Northwestern
Intriguing coaching matchup: Gus Malzahn of Auburn vs. Bobby Petrino of Louisville and Paul Chryst of Wisconsin vs. Nick Saban of Alabama; Todd Graham of Arizona State vs. Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M
Who’s bringing the body bags? Baylor @ SMU; Akron @ Oklahoma; Mississippi State @ Southern Miss; UTSA @ Arizona; Michigan State @ Western Michigan; Texas State @ Florida State; Wofford @ Clemson; LA Monroe @ Georgia – and that’s the short list!
Why are they playing? Savannah State @ Colorado State; Oklahoma State @ Central Michigan; Norfolk State @ Rutgers; Arkansas State @ USC
Plenty of good seats remaining: Villanova @ UConn; also, Presbyterian @ Miami (Ohio); also Old Dominion @ Eastern Michigan;
They shoot horses, don’t they? Bethune-Cookman @ Miami (Fla.); Georgia Southern @ West Virginia; Tennessee Tech @ Houston; Elon @ Wake Forest
The College Football Bowlgame Breakdown for 2014-2015 December 17, 2014
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, BC, Belk, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise State, Boston College, Bowl, Bulldogs, Butch Jones, Central Florida, Central Michigan, Chick-Fil-A, Clemson, college, Colorado State, Cotton, Dana Holgersen, Detroit, East Carolina, Fiesta, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida State, football, game, Gator, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hawkeyes, Heart of Dallas, Idaho Potato, Illinois, Independence, Iowa, Lafayette, Las Vegas, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, MAC, Mark Dantonio, Marshall, Miami, Michigan State, N.C. State, NCAA, Nevada, New Orleans, Nick Saban, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Orange, Oregon, Owls, Peach, Pinstripe, Rams, Rose, Russell Athletic, Schnellenberger, South Carolina, St. Petersburg, state, Sugar, TaxSlayer, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCF, Urban Meyer, Utah, Utes, Volunteers, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan
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The 2012 New Mexico Bowl between Arizona and Nevada turned out to be a thrilling, high-scoring affair. Let us hope that when the Wildcats line up against Boise State in this upcoming Fiesta Bowl, we the fans will be treated to similar fireworks!
Yes, folks, we are but a few short days away from looking LIVE at a bevy of bowl games. This plethora of postseason pigskin contests will span two weeks and change, and we will likely be satiated with college football, at least until the Spring games in April. So, here is a break-down of what not to miss, and a few that you’d like to miss, but will not be able to help yourselves just the same.
Ticket to die for: Oregon vs. Florida State in the Rose Bowl, Thurs., Jan. 1. Actually the real ticket to die for is the playoff championship game held a week later, but the semifinals must be played first to determine who plays then. Fair enough, you say, but what about Bama vs. the Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl? That’s a good one, to be sure. But in the minds of most fans and commentators, the Ducks vs. the Seminoles seems to have just a slightly greater degree of sex appeal, that’s all.
Best non–Power Five vs. Power Five match–up: Utah vs. Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl, Sat., Dec. 20. For one, this might be the only worthwhile bowl game to watch on the first day of the post–season. For another, there are actually a few other decent match–ups to keep one’s eye on as said post–season unfolds, namely Illinois (wait, they’re in a bowl this year?) vs. Louisiana Tech in the Heart of Dallas Bowl and N.C. State vs. Central Florida in the St. Petersburg Bowl (wait, what happened to it being called the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl?), both on Fri., Dec. 26. Indeed, the latter line–up might be cause to reconsider who merits the “best” distinction. The reason I say that is, with the Rams’ coach having bolted to take the Florida job (who can blame him for taking such a prestigious post?), nobody knows what sort of team will show up to face the Utes.
Then again, this is the mystery that shrouds most bowl game line–ups.
Best non–Power Five match–up: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tues., Dec. 23. So Florida Atlantic is going to host a bowlgame? Apparently they’re good for something after all. Sorry, Owls, but things haven’t been the same since Coach Schnellenberger retired. The Huskies won the MAC decisively in Detroit, while Marshall has been a strong non–Power Five team all year long, notwithstanding almost coughing it up to the La. Tech Bulldogs recently.
Upset alert: Oklahoma vs. Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Mon., Dec. 29. This is the safest upset to predict because whereas the Tigers are ranked (No. 17), the Sooners are not, and Clemson’s postseason performance is unreliable, right, Dana Holgersen?
Must win: Ole Miss vs. TCU in the Peach Bowl, Wed., Dec. 31. The winner of this game will be the team that is the least disappointed to be there after having much higher aspirations during the regular season. A win here will also help them salvage some consolation from not having lived up to said aspirations.
Offensive explosion: Boise State vs. Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl, Wed., Dec. 31. At least, this match-up has a good a chance as any to rack up some points. The Wildcats and the Broncos both have been fairly adept at that this season, after all. The bonus in this game is that there is great potential for snazzy colors in the team uniforms on both sides of the ball!
Defensive struggle: Boston College vs. Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl, Sat., Dec. 27. Neither team really lit up the scoreboard this year, did they? Add cold weather on top of that (it will be played in Yankee Stadium, after all), and that is likely to put a further damper on offensive output.
Great game no one is talking about: Iowa vs. Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Fri., Jan. 2. This used to be called the Gator Bowl for the previous 67 years, fyi. What makes this game so good is that the Hawkeyes have been very quietly winning a critical mass of games this year, while the Volunteers are a year away under Coach Butch Jones before becoming really good. Translation: this is a closer match–up than most SEC fans would be willing to acknowledge.
Intriguing coaching match–up: Nick Saban of Alabama vs. Urban Meyer of Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, Thurs., Jan. 1. This is a no–brainer. They’re arguably the two best coaches in the business, no what it takes to win, and both of multiple national championships under their belts. Moreover, the two have gone head–to–head before when Meyer was coaching at Florida. This oughtta be a good one, folks!
Who’s bringing the body bags? LSU vs. Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl, Tues., Dec. 30. The only way this game is remotely competitive is if the Tigers just lie down for most of the game, for the Irish have been exposed time and again as overrated frauds late this year.
Why are they playing? Florida vs. East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl, Sat., Jan. 3. The only reason in any known universe that these two programs would be playing each other in a bowl game is because the Gators are that far down as a program at the moment.
Plenty of good seats remaining: Western Michigan vs. Air Force in the Idaho Potato Bowl, Sat., Dec. 20. Nothing against Western Michigan and the fine year they have had (by MAC standards, at least). Nothing against Air Force, because they’re the troops. But still, it will be in frigid Boise, Idaho. Unless you’re going there to ski, why bother being anywhere near there this time of year?
They shoot horses, don’t they? Nevada vs. Louisiana–Lafayette in the New Orleans Bowl, Sat., Dec. 20. Yes, I know, these past 13 years, the New Orleans Bowl has been the traditional kick-off game for the bowl season, but let us be honest: this strikes us as only a slightly better–than–average non–Power Five early season match–up. Do I lie?
That said, an honorable mention for pointless match–up is Toledo vs. Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl (played in Mobile, Ala.) on Sun., Jan. 4.
Red–and–Black Special: Louisville vs. Georgia in the Belk Bowl, Tues., Dec. 30. These two teams seem too good for the Belk Bowl. Still, the bowl itself has managed to climb its way up the prestige ranks a bit over the course of a decade. It must be the sponsor: “Belk Bowl” has far better ring to it than “Continental Tires Bowl”. Yes, that’s what it used to be called. Honest!
Most exotic location: Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl on Wed., Dec. 24. Do not adjust your screens, for you read that correctly. Yes, there is now a bowl game in the Bahamas (Nassau, specifically), an obvious “first”. Let’s hope the teams have the opportunity to enjoy things and live it up a bit.
Two great programs in a so–so bowl: Miami vs. South Carolina in the Independence Bowl, Sat., Dec. 27. Maybe after these two proud programs get down knocking heads, the bowl game will be a bit less so–so, and more reminiscent of recent times when the likes of LSU and Notre Dame slugged it out (1997) or when Mississippi State and then–Big XII rep Texas A&M duked it out in a blizzard (2000). It already has made us forget the less–than–memorable match–ups of the past few years.
The explosive offense meets the immovable defense: Baylor vs. Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl, Thurs., Jan.1. Plus, there will be lots of green! Seriously, though, the Bears have put up scorching numbers on offense, but the big knock against them has constantly been, whom have they played this year? On the other hand, Michigan State has proven themselves to be a force with which to be reckoned after upsetting Stanford in the most recent Rose Bowl. Lesson learned: Mark Dantonio and the Spartans are not to be taken lightly.
Consolation game: Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl, Jan. 1. Similar The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, if Mississippi State wins this, it will be because they overcame their disappointment of not making the Top 4 in the playoffs. With that said, when was the last time that the Bulldogs have made it to such a prestigious bowl game? Certainly not in my lifetime!
College Football Week 12 Awards November 18, 2014
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Al Golden, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Bo Pelini, Bobby Petrino, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, BYU, Cardinals, Central Michigan, Charleston Southern, college, Curtis Johnson, Eastern Michigan, FIU, Florida, Florida International, Florida State, football, Gary Pinkel, Georgia, Iowa, Jerry Kill, Jimbo Fisher, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, NCAA, Nebraksa, North Carolina, North Texas, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Pat Fitzgerald, Purdue, Savanna State, South Alabama, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, Tulane, UCLA, USC, Western Carolina, Western Michigan, Wisconsin
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 12] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Bret Bielema, LSU
Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Lucky guy: Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
Poor guy: Al Golden, Miami
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Todd Graham, Arizona State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Gary Pinkel, Missouri
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bo Pelini, Nebraska
Desperately seeking … anything: Curtis Johnson, Tulane
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tennessee (beat Kentucky 50-16)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: TCU (defeated Kansas 34-30)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kentucky (lost to Tennessee 50-16)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kansas (lost to No. 4 TCU 34-20)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Wisconsin (defeated No. 16 Nebraska 59-24)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Tulane
You know, they’re not so bad: Iowa
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Arizona State
Did the season start? Notre Dame
Can the season end? Eastern Michigan
Can the season never end? Wisconsin
GAMES
Play this again: Northwestern 43, No. 18 Notre Dame 40
Play this again, too: South Carolina 23, Florida 20
Never play this again: Western Michigan 51, Eastern Michigan 7
What? No. 5 Alabama 25, No. 1 Mississippi State 20
Huh? No. 15 Georgia 34, No. 9 Auburn 7
Are you kidding me? No. 20 Wisconsin 59, No. 16 Nebraska 24
Oh – my – God: Northwestern 43, No. 18 Notre Dame 40
Told you so: Arkansas 17, No. 17 LSU 0
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 12, pre-week 13)
Ticket to die for: USC @ No. 11 UCLA
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: South Alabama @ South Carolina
Best non-Power Five matchup: Western Michigan @ Central Michigan
Upset alert: Louisville @ No. 18 Notre Dame
Must win: South Carolina @ Florida
Offensive explosion: North Carolina @ No. 21 Duke
Defensive struggle: No. 10 Ole Miss @ Arkansas
Great game no one is talking about: Northwestern @ Purdue
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jerry Kill of Minnesota vs. Bo Pelini of Nebraska (also: Bobby Petrino of Louisville vs Brian Kelly of Notre Dame)
Who’s bringing the body bags? Charleston Southern @ No. 15 Georgia
Why are they playing? Western Carolina @ Alabama
Plenty of good seats remaining: Florida International @ North Texas
They shoot horses, don’t they? Savanna State @ BYU
Week 12 Random Thoughts:
- Forget Notre Dame being overrated. They are frauds. Allowing Purdue to be competitive against them early in the season was one thing. Struggling against mediocre North Carolina and Navy teams raised an eyebrow or two. Getting embarrassed in the desert completely exposed the flaws in the façade. But losing at home to one of the worst Northwestern teams in Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure? Inexcusable, whether you are an Irish fan or foe. Look for Bobby Petrino and his Louisville Cardinals to come into South Bend and make like hard for ND.
College Football Week 4 Awards September 22, 2014
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, B1G, Badgers, Big 10, Big Ten, Bob Diaco, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Clemson, college, Dan Mullen, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Florida State, football, Frank Beamer, Gary Pinkel, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Jim Mora, Jimbo Fisher, Kansas, Kansas State, Larry Fedora, Les Miles, LSU, Mark Twain, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Midshipmen, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Navy, NCAA, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Nichols, North Carolina, North Texas, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Orange, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rich Rodriguez, Ruffin McNeil, Rutgers, San Jose State, South Carolina, Syracuse, Terps, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, Todd Graham, Troy, UTEP, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 4] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
Glad I’m not him: Les Miles, LSU
Lucky guy: Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
Poor guy: Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Gary Pinkel, Missouri
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Ruffin McNeil, East Carolina
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Larry Fedora, North Carolina
Desperately seeking … anything: Bob Diaco, UConn
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: No. 11 Michigan State (defeated Eastern Michigan 73-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Central Michigan (lost to Kansas 24-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Troy (lost to No. 13 Georgia 66-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Texas State (lost to Illinois 42-35)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: East Carolina (defeated North Carolina 70-41)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Hawaii
You know, they’re not so bad: Arkansas
Can’t Stand Prosperity: LSU
Did the season start? Virginia Tech
Can the season end? Eastern Michigan
Can the season never end? East Carolina
GAMES
Play this again: No. 1 Florida State 23, No. 22 Clemson 17
Never play this again: North Texas 77, Nichols 3
What? East Carolina 70, North Carolina 41
Huh? Georgia Tech 27, Virginia Tech 24
Are you kidding me? Indiana 31, No. 18 Missouri 27
Oh – my – God: Mississippi State 34, No. 8 LSU 29
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 4, pre-week 5)
Ticket to die for: Arkansas @ No. 6 Texas A&M
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Cincinnati @ No. 22 Ohio State
Best non-Power Five matchup: Central Michigan @ Toledo
Upset alert: Tennessee @ No. 12 Georgia
Must win: Missouri @ No. 13 South Carolina
Offensive explosion: North Carolina @ Clemson
Defensive struggle: Iowa @ Purdue
Great game no one is talking about: Texas Tech @ No. 24 Oklahoma State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jim Mora of UCLA vs. Todd Graham of Arizona State
Who’s bringing the body bags? Wyoming @ No. 9 Michigan State
Why are they playing? New Mexico State @ No. 17 LSU
Plenty of good seats remaining: Miami (Ohio) @ Buffalo
They shoot horses, don’t they? UTEP @ No. 25 Kansas State
Week 4 Random Thoughts:
- This week, the Big Ten acquitted themselves rather well. After three weeks of disaster, along with nearly everyone in America paying attention to the college football scene about to write the one-great conference’s epitaph, the B1G appeared to have reminded folks that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. To wit:
- Maryland upset Syracuse. The Orange, who were 2-0 going into the game, seemed to be the favored team (especially since they were playing at home in the Carrier Dome). But the Terps showed up, and won 34-20, on the road.
- Yes, even Purdue won, even though they had to defeat an FCS team in order to do so, beating the Southern Illinois Salukis only 35-14. Just one more touchdown would have made the win semi-convincing.
- Iowa won on the road, defeating a respectable Pitt team, 24-20, in the last minutes of the game, no less.
- Think Purdue’s win was less-than-convincing? Check out Northwestern: they beat Western Illinois 24-7. Still, a win is a win – at least, in this case.
- Michigan State, without any surprise, thrashed their directional neighbor Eastern Michigan 73-14, in what amounted to be one of the biggest “body bag games” of the week.
- Even though Illinois had to struggle to do so, they pulled in out in the end over Texas State, 42-35.
- Granted, there was a rather ignominious loss concerning Michigan. To be sure, Utah is not a horrible team, but they’re not great either. Moreover, this was a home game for the Wolverines, who failed to even reach the red zone. In the Big House.
- Wisconsin’s blowout win over Bowling Green at home, 68-17, came as little surprise. And I must say, the Badgers’ red helmets look very nice indeed!
- Minnesota beat San Jose State 24-7.
- Let us not forget Nebraska’s win at home over Miami (Fla.), 41-31.
- Rutgers did beat Navy, 31-24, and the Midshipmen are never to be taken lightly.
- That said, Indiana (yes, that Indiana) represented the entire conference well by beating a more-than-respectable Missouri Tigers squad on the road. If these shadows remained unchanged, the Hoosiers could take the conference by storm this year (notwithstanding Michigan State or Ohio State, who both happen to inhabit the same division as IU).
- So, 12-1 for the conference is not bad considering the previous two weeks. Were it not been for Ohio State’s bye week, it might have been 13-1.
- In other news, while I hate to see LSU take it on the chin, it is very nice indeed to see Dan Mullen and Mississippi State get a nice, signature win.
Week 3 College Football Awards September 16, 2014
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona State, Baylor, BC, Bill Snyder, Bobby Petrino, Boilermakers, Boilers, Boston College, Bowling Green, Buffalo, BYU, Cardinals, Cards, Central Michigan, Charlie Strong, Chuck Martin, Clemson, Colorado, Ducks, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, FIghting Irish, Florida State, Georgia, Grover Cleveland, Gus Malzahn, Idaho, Indiana, Jim Mora, Kansas, Kent State, Louisville, Mark Richt, Memphis, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Michigan State, Middle Tennessee, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Ruffin McNeil, Rutgers, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Illinois, Steve Addazio, Steve Sarkisian, Steve Spurrier, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, Troy, UMass, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington State, Western Kentucky, Wyoming
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 3] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Steve Addazio, Boston College
Glad I’m not him: Charlie Strong, Texas
Lucky guy: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
Poor guy: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Ruffin McNeil, East Carolina
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Steve Sarkisian, USC
Desperately seeking … anything: Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio)
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: No. 22 Ohio State (defeated Kent State 66-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Vanderbilt (defeated UMass 34-31)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kent State (see first line above)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Colorado (lost to No. 16 Arizona State 38-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Syracuse (defeated Central Michigan 40-3)
Dang, they’re good: Oklahoma
Dang, they’re bad: Kansas
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Virginia Tech
Did the season start? Texas
Can the season end? Eastern Michigan
Can the season never end? Ole Miss
GAMES
Play this again: Bowling Green 45, Indiana 42
Play this again, too: Middle Tennessee 50, Western Kentucky 47
Never play this again: No. 8 Baylor 63, Buffalo 21
Told you so: Penn State 13, Rutgers 10
What? Virginia 23, No. 21 Louisville 21
Huh? No. 24 South Carolina 38, No. 6 Georgia 35
Are you kidding me? East Carolina 28, No. 17 Virginia Tech 21
Oh – my – God: Boston College 38, No. 9 USC 31
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 3, pre-week 4)
Ticket to die for (sort of): No. 22 Clemson @ No. 1 Florida State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: North Carolina @ East Carolina
Best non-Power Five matchup: Middle Tennessee @ Memphis
Upset alert: Miami (Fla.) @ No. 24 Nebraska
Must win: Southern Illinois @ Purdue
Offensive explosion: No. 2 Oregon @ Washington State
Defensive struggle: Penn State @ Rutgers
Great game no one is talking about: Virginia @ No. 21 BYU
Intriguing coaching matchup: Gus Malzahn of Auburn vs. Bill Snyder of Kansas State
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 6 Texas A&M @ SMU
Why are they playing? Troy @ No. 13 Georgia
Plenty of good seats remaining: Idaho @ Ohio U
They shoot horses, don’t they? Eastern Michigan @ No. 11 Michigan State
Week 3 Random Thoughts:
– Just when you think that Louisville is rolling again under second, non-consecutive term head coach Bobby Petrino (paging Grover Cleveland), the Cards lay an egg on the road. Virginia is not that bad of a team, but that is still no excuse for all the quarterback miscues that seemed to plague U of L throughout the game, leading to the disappointing result. Perhaps Petrino should consider playing the freshman QB?
– Virginia Tech seems nothing if not consistent when it comes to losing games the week after winning a big one.
– They say that football can be a game of inches. In the case of South Carolina upsetting intra-conference and border rival Georgia, it was a game of one inch. Period. Well, that and a good (favorable?) spotting of the ball by the refs after 4th and one inch.
– Perhaps Oregon might have been saving a little energy for future endeavors later this season. How else might one explain a win over Wyoming by a score of only 48-12? Given how well the Ducks have played thus far, you’d think the Cowboys got off easy.
– Did Purdue acquit themselves against No. 11 Notre Dame, or are the Fighting Irish that mediocre? In the wake of the Boilermakers embarrassing themselves at home last week to Central Michigan, coupled with ND demolishing Michigan, one would have thought that the annual in-state rivalry game would have meant utter demolition for Purdue. Instead, the Boilers ended up leading, however briefly, in the first half, scoring two touchdowns on the Irish. Such an effort compelled Notre Dame to increase their efforts, allowing them to gradually win over the course of the second half, 30-14. The reason that so many people naturally incline towards the former answer is that they want to believe the Notre Dame hype (it sells, after all!). But what we keep learning, and continue to have to keep learning over the past 10-15 years, is that Notre Dame is once again overrated. The real question, therefore, to consider is, how bad is Michigan?
– That being said, Notre Dame’s helmets for that game did look rather neat. It is a long time coming that they incorporated a blue “ND” logo on to their gold shells. The single, blue center stripe was a nice touch, too. The jury is still out on the latitude-longitude, “globe lines” effect, though. Moreover, I can do without that weird brocade effect on the shoulders of the jerseys.
– Is Texas in trouble? First, they lost ignominiously at home to BYU last week. Then, they lose to an increasingly good UCLA team, ostensibly at a neutral site, though hardly anybody could consider the Horns playing in Dallas as playing on neutral turf, be it the Cotton Bowl or AT&T Stadium. Yes, Jim Mora has truly breathed intensity into the Bruins program at Westwood, Calif., but there is still no excuse for such a proud, tradition-and-resource laden program as Texas to suffer two such consecutive losses. Is Coach Strong in over his head at Austin? It would be a very painful thing to acknowledge, to be sure. The wise thing, at this point, is to allow the rest of the season (and how it plays out) to answer that question.
– If we were to apply the law of transitive properties, just how badly would Syracuse beat Purdue if the two played each other right about now?
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