College Football Awards, Week 11 (2025) November 10, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Auburn, Boise State, Boston College, BYU, Cal, California, Clark Lea, Clemson, Colorado, Cougars, Curt Cignetti, Deion Sanders, Florida, football, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hoosiers, Indiana, Iowa, Jedd Fisch, Joey McGuire, Justin Wilcox, Kalani Sitake, Kentucky, Louisville, Marcus Freeman, Memphis, Michigan, Navy, NCAA, New Mexico State, Nittany Lions, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Pat Narduzzi, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Red Raiders, San Diego State, SMU, South Florida, Steve Spurrier, Tennessee, Terry Smith, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulane, Tulsa, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest, Washington, Wisconsin
add a comment
COACHES
Wish I were him: Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
Glad I’m not him: Kalani Sitake, BYU
Lucky guy: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Poor guy: Terry Smith, Penn State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Justin Wilcox, Cal
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jedd Fisch, Washington
Desperately seeking … anything: Deion Sanders, Colorado
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ole Miss (defeated The Citadel 49-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Indiana (defeated Penn State 27-24)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Boston College (lost to SMU 45-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Penn State (lost to Indiana 27-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Kentucky (defeated Florida 38-7)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Northern Illinois
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Virginia
Did the season start? Washington
Can the season end? Florida
Can the season never end? Texas A&M
GAMES
Play this again: No. 2 Indiana 27, Penn State 24
Play this again, too: No. 9 Oregon 18, Iowa 16
Never play this again: No. 6 Ole Miss 49, The Citadel 0
What? Tulane 38, No. 22 Memphis 32
Huh? No. 8 Texas Tech 29, No. 7 BYU 7
Double-Huh? Wisconsin 13, No. 23 Washington 10
Are you kidding me??: Cal 29, No. 15 Louisville 26, OT
Oh – my – God: Wake Forest 16, No. 14 Virginia 9
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 10 Texas @ No. 5 Georgia
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: none
Best non-Power Four matchup: Boise State @ San Diego State
Upset alert: Iowa @ No. 17 USC
Must win: No. 11 Oklahoma @ No. 4 Alabama
Offensive explosion: South Florida @ Navy
Defensive struggle: No. 18 Michigan @ Northwestern
Great game no one is talking about: Clemson @ No. 19 Louisville
Also: Arizona @ Cincinnati
Intriguing coaching matchup: Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame vs Pat Narduzzi of Pittsburgh
Who’s bringing the body bags, B1G edition? Wisconsin @ No. 2 Indiana
Who’s bringing the body bags, ACC edition? No. 14 Georgia Tech @ Boston College
Why are they playing? New Mexico State @ No. 21 Tennessee
Plenty of good seats remaining: Oregon State @ Tulsa
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Tennessee Tech @ Kentucky
Week 12 [Random] Thoughts:
Indiana averted one of the biggest upsets of the season when they came back in the last minute of the game to score on Penn State, in Happy Valley. For the first time all year, the Hoosiers had to play from behind, initially having to punt with only four minutes and change left in the game, and somehow forcing Penn State to punt at the two-minute warning. Moreover, the game-winning drive only became such with a series of amazing catches, including two improbable ones, one of which was the touchdown itself, what with Omar Cooper, jr., barely keeping his feet in bounds at the back of the end zone. Still, Penn State theoretically had time to kick a field goal with the ball back, with the drive stalled at the 50, forcing a Hail Mary play that went nowhere.
Once again, Penn State played up to their initially high-rank potential, as if they too were still a top-ten team. In so doing, instead of getting their doors blown off, as my speculated they would, the Nittany Lions forced the Hoosiers into situations they had not faced all year. Upon further review, perhaps Curt Cignetti should send a case of wine over to the Penn State coaching staff, as they forced IU into situations the Hoosiers will certainly have to deal with some playoff time.
In other news, Texas Tech boat raced BYU during the Noon ET timeslot in Lubbock. Remember when that was supposed to be the game of the week (admittedly as part of a relatively weak slate of games for this weekend)? As things manifested, however, it soon became clear that the Red Raiders had too many ponies for the Cougars to corral. Just as war is a laboratory to find out what should have been known between countries’ powers before the first battle, lining up teams and having them play is the ultimate showing of who is actually better than whom, and the outcome of this game is “Exhibit A”.
They say that by November, you pretty much are who you are as a team. For example, by November of 2014 (Steve Spurrier’s last full season coaching South Carolina), the Gamecocks were a team that blew 4th quarter leads. Today, and in a similar vein, Louisville is a team that blows it in overtime at home.
Who had the Auburn @ Vanderbilt game as the offensive explosion of the week on their bingo card? Not this guy: where had that offense for Auburn been all year?
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2025) November 3, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona, Auburn, Boise State, Boston College, Brent Venables, Clark Lea, college, Colorado, Commodores, Dan Lanning, FIU, Florida, Florida State, football, Fresno State, Gators, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Hugh Freeze, Indiana, Josh Heupel, Kentucky, Kirk Ferentz, Longhorns, Louisville, Mario Cristobal, Memphis, Miami (FL), Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Middle Tennessee, NC State, NCAA, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sam Houston, SMU, Sooners, Steve Sarkesian, Tennessee, Texas, The Citadel, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Volunteers, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Willie Fritz
add a comment
COACHES
Wish I were him: Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Glad I’m not him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Lucky guy: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Poor guy: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Willie Fritz, Houston
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Miami
Desperately seeking … anything: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Florida State (defeated Wake Forest 42-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Notre Dame (defeated Boston College 25-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Colorado (lost to Arizona 52-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (lost to Michigan 21-16)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Fresno State (defeated Boise State 30-7)
Dang, they’re good: Indiana
Dang, they’re bad: Colorado
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Georgia Tech
Did the season start? Miami, FL
Can the season end? Auburn
Can the season never end? Ole Miss
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Georgia 24, Florida 20
Play this again, too: SMU 26, No. 10 Miami 20, OT
Never play this again: No. 2 Indiana 55, Maryland 10
What? UTSA 48, Tulane 26
Huh? West Virginia 45, No. 22 Houston 35
Double-Huh? SMU 26, No. 10 Miami 20, OT
Are you kidding me??: No. 20 Texas 34, No. 9 Vanderbilt 31
Oh – my – God: NC State 48, No. 8 Georgia Tech 36
Told you so: Kentucky 10, Auburn 3
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 8 BYU @ No. 9 Texas Tech
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: none
Best non-Power Four matchup: San Diego State @ Hawaii
Upset alert: Cal @ No. 14 Louisville
Must win: No. 6 Oregon @ Iowa
Offensive explosion: No. 3 Texas A&M @ No. 19 Missouri
Defensive struggle: Florida @ Kentucky
Great game no one is talking about: Tulane @ No. 22 Memphis
Intriguing coaching matchup: Dan Lanning of Oregon vs Kirk Ferentz of Iowa
Who’s bringing the body bags, B1G edition? No. 1 Ohio State @ Purdue
Who’s bringing the body bags, ACC edition? SMU @ Boston College
Why are they playing? The Citadel @ No. 7 Ole Miss
Plenty of good seats remaining: Sam Houston @ Oregon State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? FIU @ Middle Tennessee
Week 10 [Random] Thoughts:
Texas played some of its best football all season – for three-and-a-half quarters, at least. A long bomb to the end zone threatened to break favored Vanderbilt’s collective back, only to find out that the receiver dropped the ball upon further review. That gave the Commodores enough time to regroup in an effort to overcome a three-TD deficit. The Longhorns’ collapse of their defense late in the 4th quarter almost enabled that. Sloppy play on both sides of the ball that pushed Vandy’s on-side kick out of bounds finally sealed the deal for Texas. But the final minutes of play left the 100,000+ faithful in DKR Memorial Stadium breathing a sigh of relief instead of belting out a massive cheer in celebration of this counterintuitive upset.
To zoom out the lens, Texas pulled off an improbably comeback on the road last week. This week, they almost allowed for an improbably comeback at home. Looks like Sark needs to teach his team how to play the whole 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, can Josh Heupel & Co. find a higher gear? As good as this Tennessee teams have been these past few years, he cannot seem to be able to pick up a signature win against the heavyweights within his own conference, or even others (witness the drubbing the Volunteers took in Ohio Stadium during last year’s playoffs).
Oklahoma, conversely, picked up a quality win, which, ironically, gives hated rival Texas’ decisive win over the Sooners all the more quality.
Where has this Florida team been all year? Notwithstanding their win over the Longhorns in the Swamp, the Gators have underperformed the rest of the year…until now, when they threatened to upset No. 5 Georgia at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville (yes, I’m still calling that), and it turned out to be the greatest game of the week.
College Football Awards, Week 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
add a comment
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 6 (2024) October 7, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arizona State, Army, Ball State, Cal, California, Clark Lea, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, college football, Eliah Drinkwitz, Florida, Florida State, football, Golden Bears, Hurricanes, Indiana, Iowa, James Franklin, James Madison, Jeff Monken, Justin Wilcox, Kalen DeBoer, Kent State, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Mario Cristobal, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Missouri, NCAA, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Red River rivalry, Red River Shootout, Ryan Walters, SEC, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, UAB, UMass, UNLV, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington, Western Michigan, Wisconsin
add a comment
COACHES
Wish I were him: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Glad I’m not him: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Lucky guy: Mario Cristobal, Miami
Poor guy: Justin Wilcox, Cal
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lincoln Riley, USC
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Monken, Army
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
Desperately seeking … anything: Ryan Walters, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tulane (defeated UAB 71-20)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Clemson (defeated Florida State 29-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Purdue (lost to Wisconsin 52-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Vanderbilt (defeated No. 1 Alabama 40-35)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Texas A&M (defeated No. 9 Missouri 41-10)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Purdue
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Alabama
Did the season start? Missouri
Can the season end? UAB
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES
Play this again: No. 4 Alabama 41, No. 2 Georgia 34
Play this again, too: Washington 27, No. 10 Michigan 17
Never play this again: Wisconsin 52, Purdue 6
What? Minnesota 24, No. 11 USC 17
Huh? Washington 27, No. 10 Michigan 17
Double-Huh? No. 25 Texas A&M 41, No. 9 Missouri 10
Are you kidding me?? Arkansas 19, No. 4 Tennessee 14
Oh – my – God: Vanderbilt 40, No. 1 Alabama 35
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 7)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout
Ticket to die for, runner-up: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 3 Oregon
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: N/A
Best non-Power Four matchup: Coastal Carolina @ James Madison
Upset alert: Arizona State @ No. 16 Utah
Must win: Florida @ No. 8 Tennessee
Offensive explosion: No. 9 Ole Miss @ No. 13 LSU
Defensive struggle: Washington @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: California @ No. 22 Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: James Frankin of Penn State vs Lincoln Riley of USC
Who’s bringing the body bags? Army @ UAB
Why are they playing? Missouri @ UMass
Plenty of good seats remaining: Ball State @ Kent State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Akron @ Western Michigan
Week 6 Thoughts:
Upsets abounded this weekend. On paper, this was not supposed to happen. Most of the matchups appeared to be middling at best, without any top-ten, high-stakes slugfest. Yet the games delivered some good contest and interesting results anyhow. Things started in such an interesting manner Friday night, when Syracuse ventured out to Las Vegas to take on UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels had been on something of a hot streak lately, but the Orange played them closely throughout regulation, even took the game to overtime, where they went on to triumph with a touchdown after UNLV’s field goal.
Nor would UNLV be the only undefeated team to bite the dust suddenly and unexpectedly. Missouri went down to ignominious defeat to Texas A&M, losing 41-10. In so doing, the Tigers proved our suspicions that they were grossly overrated at No. 9.
Louisville might not have been undefeated, but they were ranked before going down to defeat at home to SMU. The Cardinals were unable to contain the Mustangs’ offense the whole game, and that lack of defense cost them dearly in the end.
USC appears to still struggle to get its sea legs under them in the B1G, for they lost to unranked Minnesota on the road, 24-17. Clearly “rowing the boat” paid off for P.J. Fleck this week.
Arkansas’ defense showed up in a massive way at home on a night game when No. 4 Tennessee came calling, and the Volunteers went home with their first loss of the season, 19-14.
But the most jaw-dropping upset of them all, even, likely, the most jaw-dropping upset of the decade thus far, was without a doubt No. 1 Alabama losing to Vanderbilt in Nashville. To put things in perspective, this monumental win marked the first time that the Commodores defeated a No. 1 team, ever.
If all these upsets are not enough, though, we almost had another one late at night…almost. The [No. 8] Miami Hurricanes ventured out to Berkeley to play California. The Golden Bears led most of the game. Even in the middle of the 3rd quarter, they led 35-10. Finally, in the 4th quarter, the ‘Canes decided to live up to their potential, and scored three touchdowns in 10 minutes of play to eventually, almost inexplicably, triumph, 39-38.
So much for middling matchups.
That notwithstanding, next week we have Texas playing Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout; No. 2 Ohio State vs No. 3 Oregon, and No. 9 Ole Miss vs No. 13 LSU. It’s going to be grand. Buckle up.
College Football Awards, Week 4 (2024) September 23, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Akron, Alabama, Appalachian State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, BYU, Chris Klieman, Cincinnati, Clark Lea, college football, Eliah Drinkwitz, Georgia, Houston, Illinois, James Madison, Josh Heupel, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kansas State, Kent State, Kirby Smart, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Mack Brown, Major Applewhite, Matt Rhule, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Mizzou, NC State, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn State, South Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Wyoming
add a comment
COACHES
Wish I were him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Glad I’m not him: Lincoln Riley, USC
Lucky guy: Eliah Drinkwitz, Mizzou
Poor guy: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Major Applewhite, South Alabama
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Matt Rhule, Nebraska
Desperately seeking … anything: Mack Brown, North Carolina
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Penn State (defeated Kent State 56-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas A&M (defeated Bowling Green 26-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Akron (lost to South Carolina 50-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: UCLA (lost to LSU 34-17)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Cincinnati (defeated Houston 34-0)
Dang, they’re good: Miami (Fla.)
Dang, they’re bad: Appalachian State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Kansas State
Did the season start? Kansas
Can the season end? North Carolina
Can the season never end? Tennessee
GAMES
Play this again: No. 18 Michigan 27, No. 11 USC 24
Play this again, too: Utah 22, Oklahoma State 19
Never play this again: No. 9 Penn State 56, Kent State 0
What? No. 24 Illinois 31, No. 22 Nebraska 24
Huh? Buffalo 23, No. 23 Northern Illinois 20
Double-Huh? No. 18 Michigan 27, No. 11 USC 24
Are you kidding me?? James Madison 70, North Carolina 50
Oh – my – God: BYU 38, Kansas State 9
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 5)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Georgia @ No. 4 Alabama
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Northern Illinois @ NC State
Best non-Power Four matchup: Fresno State @ UNLV
Upset alert: No. 19 Illinois @ No. 9 Penn State
Must win: No. 15 Louisville @ No. 16 Notre Dame
Offensive explosion: South Alabama @ No. 14 LSU
Defensive struggle: Air Force @ Wyoming
Great game no one is talking about: No. 20 Oklahoma State @ No. 23 Kansas State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Kalen DeBoer of Alabama vs Kirby Smart of Georgia
Who’s bringing the body bags? Mississippi State @ No. 1 Texas
Why are they playing? Holy Cross @ Syracuse
Plenty of good seats remaining: New Mexico @ New Mexico State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Wagner @ Florida Atlantic
Week 4 Thoughts:
Offensive explosions are usually the hardest game to predict. No matter how one formulates the prediction, it has the least likelihood of coming true. The reason I bring this up is because this past week did not give us only one, or two, but several. Perhaps the most prominent – and inexplicable — was where James Madison beat North Carolina, 70-50, an outcome so embarrassing on the latter’s part that Mack Brown even suggested resigning after sustaining such a loss. But the day had offensive explosions elsewhere, too, if not quite as egregious. Clemson beat NC State, 59-35; Navy defeated Memphis 56-44; Monmouth upset Florida International, 45-42. Finally, out on the west coast, Washington State held on in two overtimes to defeat San Jose State, 54-52. Has there ever been such a horrible day to be a defensive coordinator?
USC @ Michigan
Typically when these two teams have played each other, it is in the Rose Bowl, and not just the stadium, but the actual “Granddaddy of Them All”. This time, the Trojans ventured into Ann Arbor, Mich, to take on the Wolverines. Such amazing new matchups in hitherto atypical settings are now a hallmarks of the newly expanded Big Ten. USC caused everyone to take notice during their win over LSU at the beginning of the season. The game lived up to its hype in every way, with Michigan pulling off the upset win.
Three takeaways from this game: Michigan, despite rebuilding, still has a strong defense. Granted, Texas made mincemeat of them a couple of weeks earlier, but now they are starting to play to form.
Second, Michigan might be rebuilding to an extent. Jim Harbaugh is no longer there. But they have been wise to emulate Harbaugh’s winning business model of a run-oriented offense and gritty, disciplined defense. Thus, they are in a position to continue to be a force in the conference foreseeably. Also, USC’s season is far from over. They can still climb their way back into playoff contention, with a partly favorable schedule paired with enough very good teams at home (Penn State and Notre Dame) to appear credible in the eyes of the football pollsters.
Georgia Tech @ Louisville
The Yellowjackets proved they are a dangerous team with some of their previous wins this season. That is why Louisville demonstrated – for now – that they deserve their current ranking of No. 15, despite a few unforced errors throughout the game. But while their win over Georgia Tech was a nice one, they must work extra-hard to prevent such unforced errors this week, as they play Notre Dame in what could be one of the best games of Week 5.
Tennessee @ Oklahoma
The Volunteers proved that they are the real deal. Not only did they win on the road in a hostile environment, but their winning score of 25-15 understates the way they gradually dominated as the game progressed. The most decisive factor of the game was Tennessee’s dominant front seven, which shut down the Sooners’ running game (OU managed only 33 total yards on the ground). While Tennessee’s rushing attack only added up to 59 yards, that is still better for one. But for another, that left both teams to rely more on the pass, wherein the Vols proved to be more adept.
Key takeaways: the fact that OU held Tennessee to only 25 points speaks well to their defensive talent and valiant efforts, and other teams in the conference should take notice, including Texas three weeks hence.
Also, the Volunteers passed a key test, but arguably tougher tests remain, as they are scheduled to play both Alabama and Georgia later in the year, giving us more memorable games to which to look forward. But the potential is nevertheless there to be one of the greatest Volunteer teams ever, should they live up to it.
Looking ahead:
No. 20 Oklahoma State @ No. 23 Kansas State
Two good teams coming off losses now go head-to-head. Nothing like two good teams butting heads who are hungry to avenge the previous week’s losses: this could be a good one.
No. 15 Louisville @ No. 16 Notre Dame
Ironically, this could be Notre Dame’s biggest test yet, as Texas A&M proved to be a bit overrated as the season began.
No. 2 Georgia @ No. 4 Alabama
Let’s be honest: we live for matchups like these. Adding additional intrigue is Georgia likely keen to avenge their loss to the Tide in the playoffs last year.
College Football Week 8 Awards (2021) October 25, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Badgers, Baylor, Brett Bielema, Bronco Mendenhall, Buckeyes, BYU, Clark Lea, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Crimson Tide, Dave Doeren, Ed Orgeron, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Hawkeyes, Hoosiers, Hurricanes, Huskies, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Jedd Fisch, Jeff Traylor, Jim Harbaugh, Jimmy Lake, Kansas, Kentucky, Lane Kiffin, Lincoln Riley, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Mark Stoops, Mel Tucker, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Leach, Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska, Nittany Lions, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sean Clifford, SMU, Spartans, Tennessee, Texas, Texas State, UCLA, UMass, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Volunteers, Wake Forest, Washington, Wisconsin, Wolverines
add a comment
COACHES
Wish I were him: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Glad I’m not him: Ed Orgeron, LSU
Lucky guy: Jimmy Lake, Washington (hon. mention: Brett Bielema, Illinois)
Poor guy: Jedd Fisch, Arizona (hon. mention: James Franklin, Penn State)
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dave Doeren, NC State
Desperately seeking … anything: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Arkansas (defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 45-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (defeated Kansas 35-23)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to Florida State 59-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kansas (lost to No. 3 Oklahoma 35-23)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Indiana 54-7)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Vanderbilt
Can’t Stand Prosperity: NC State
Did the season start? Penn State
Can the season end? Akron
Can the season never end? SMU
GAMES
Play this again: Illinois 20, No. 7 Penn State 18 (9OT)
Play this again, too: No. 10 Oregon 34, UCLA 31
Never play this again: Florida State 59, UMass 3
What? Miami (FL) 31, No. 18 NC State 30
Huh? Appalachian State 30, No. 17 Coastal Carolina 27
Are you kidding me?? Iowa State 24, No. 8 Oklahoma State 20
Oh – my – God: Illinois 20, No. 7 Penn State 18 (9OT)
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 6 Michigan @ No. 8 Michigan State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Virginia @ No. 25 BYU
Best non-Power Five matchup: Fresno State @ No. 21 San Diego State also: No. 19 SMU @ Houston
Upset alert: No. 9 Iowa @ Wisconsin
Must win: No. 20 Penn State @ No. 5 Ohio State
Offensive explosion: Texas @ No. 16 Baylor
Defensive struggle: No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida
Great game no one is talking about: Purdue @ Nebraska
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Stoops of Kentucky vs. Mike Leach of Miss. State
Also: Bronco Mendenhall of Virginia vs Kalane Sitake of BYU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Kansas @ No. 4 Oklahoma
Why are they playing? (no game worth mentioning this week)
Plenty of good seats remaining: La. Tech @ Old Dominion
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Texas State @ Louisiana
Week 8 Thoughts:
Penn State vs Illinois
Two weeks ago, Penn State QB Sean Clifford’s injury at Iowa was literally a game-changer. After out-classing the Hawkeyes for almost three quarters, the Nittany Lion’s loss of their starting quarterback began a negative trend that allowed Iowa to stop their own bleeding and turn things around in a positive direction, resulting in a huge upset, of sorts.
Fast-forward two weeks to the present day. Clifford was back in the proverbial saddle, but no where near his former self. It showed with Penn State’s offensive struggles. They could muster only one touchdown in regulation, with the score tied at 13-13 with 0:00 left on the clock, and this against a mediocre – at best – Illinois team.
The game would go into a record nine overtimes, with five consecutive of them being scoreless. In the end, the Illini triumphed by managing just one more two-point conversion than the Nittany Lions.
My takeaway: unless Sean Clifford returns to full health, Penn State’s season is essentially lost.
Army vs Wake Forest
In what sane universe does the matchup between these two teams add up to an offensive explosion? The Demon Deacons – on a considerable roll, this year – triumphed over the Black Knights, 70-56.
Purdue vs. Wisconsin
My suspicions that Purdue’s ranking of No. 25 was suspect at best was confirmed, as the Boilers experienced a semi-drubbing at home by Wisconsin, 30-13. Conversely, the Badgers played as though their previous week’s woes are behind them. What we saw of that team yesterday suggests that they are playing back up to how we would expect a Wisconsin team to perform. This resurgence shall be put to the test next week when Iowa comes calling.
Pittsburgh vs Clemson
Speaking of sane universes (see: Army vs Wake Forest, above), in what sane universe is Pittsburgh ranked and Clemson unranked? This quandary is brought on by Clemson’s fearsome reputation which they have rightfully earned since 2015. This is why, despite this Twlight Zone-esque ranking of the two pitted teams, it still feels like an upset when the Panthers triumphed over the Tigers, 27-17.
Indiana vs Ohio State
The fact that Ohio State steamrolled over Indiana 54-7 does not mean that this was supposed to be a body bag game. Far from it. The Hoosiers, in truth, have a solid team this year. Indeed, the game could have been a “trap” one for the Buckeyes, as they face Penn State next week. What the results of this game thus shows is that Ohio State’s coaching staff has quietly and gradually made fine-tuning adjustments to their team as the season has progressed. If this game’s score is any indications, the Buckeyes’ ranking of No. 5 is legitimate, and this rate, they could make the playoffs yet.
Alabama vs. Tennessee
The Volunteers played with heart, and there is some talent there. But the Crimson Tide is still considerably better, talent-wise, and the score (52-24) demonstrated that. It shall take another good recruiting class or two from Josh Heupel to bring this bitter rivalry back up to the level of drama and stakes that it deserves.
Looking ahead: Michigan @ Michigan State
Two top-ten titans clash in East Lansing as a resurgent Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines take on a quietly-rebuilt Spartans squad led by up-and-comer Mel Tucker. How these teams perform against each other – as bitter rivals, no less – shall say much as to how far each respective team has come.
Penn State @ Ohio State
On paper, with one team ranked No. 5 and the other ranked No. 20, this sounds like it could be almost as good a game as Michigan State vs. Michigan, right? Wrong. While Ohio State is currently proven legit at their current ranking, Penn State has been struggling offensively since Sean Clifford’s injury at Iowa. If the Nittany Lions continue to struggle to put points on the board, this could be a rout in Ohio State’s favor.
Georgia vs. Florida in Jacksonville
Not to call too much attention, but there’s this World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party about to commence this upcoming weekend in Jacksonville. Georgia is currently ranked No. 1 (and rightfully so), but historically, Florida has given the Bulldogs fits in this game. Hence, it behooves us all to keep an eye on this game in case things get potentially interesting.
Ole Miss @ Auburn
Coming off a huge win over hated LSU, the Rebels now go into Auburn to take on ranked Auburn. This could be another great slugfest worth watching.
Texas @ Baylor
The Bears have proven to be a potent team. Texas’ offensive output has proven to be strong – for three quarters, at least. Regardless, get ready for a potential shootout in Waco.
Louisville @ NC State
Here is an interesting ACC matchup for fans. The Cardinals won over a cagey BC team in the rain. Now they venture into Raleigh to take on the Wolfpack, fresh from an upset loss at the hands of Miami (Fla.). Louisville passed a test (winning a game in adverse weather conditions) this weekend. Now can they pass an even greater one?
intellectualgridiron 