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 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
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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?
On Changes in SEC Competition February 8, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Alabama, Citrus Bowl, Crimson Tide, Dak Prescott, Dan Mullen, Ed Orgeron, Florida, Fran Curci, Gator Bowl, Gators, Georgia, Jim Harbaugh, Jimbo Fisher, Johnny Manziel, Kentucky, Kevin Sumlin, Kirby Smart, LSU, Mark Stoops, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, NCAA, Nick Saban, Penn State, recruiting, SEC, Texas A&M, Wildcats
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They say that a college football team’s potential for high rankings and even playoff contention is predicated on the ranking of its recruiting classes. Alabama’s persistently top-ranked recruiting classes seem to demonstrate this. Yet while some things remain the same, others seem to be changing.
For several years, the SEC appeared to consist of Alabama and everybody else. The Crimson Tide had Nick Saban, who has proven to be the best college head coach in the business, while almost all other programs in the conference – with some exceptions – having been led by glorified gym teachers.
That now seems to be changing. Kirby Smart at Georgia, for example, has proven to be a most capable Saban protégé. He learned Saban’s modus operandi while defensive coordinator at Alabama, and the Bulldogs’ performance for the past two seasons shows that he has successfully transplanted a critical percentage of this erstwhile master’s methodologies into Athens. Indeed, the 2017-2018 season culminated with Georgia playing Alabama for the national title. At the send of the 2018 season, the Bulldogs once again played the Tide down to the wire during the SEC championship game.
While Georgia has emerged as Alabama’s toughest competition for conference supremacy, other intra-conference competition now gradually emerges, too. Take Florida, for example. Dan Mullen is such a skillful coach that his previous program, Mississippi State, was briefly the number one team in the country back in 2014 (Dak Prescott sure helped with that, to be sure). Now, with far more resources at his disposal, he has brought the Gators back to strength. Their 41-15 trouncing of a solid, Jim Harbaugh-led Michigan team in the Peach Bowl has demonstrated this. Both Georgia and Alabama ought to be on notice that there is a new up-and-comer on the block.
As things currently stand, Alabama has the top-ranked freshman recruiting class for 2019, and Georgia is right behind them at No. 2. But Florida is now at No. 9 (up from No. 17 the previous year), and their on-the-field improvement was clearly noticeable in the aforementioned Peach Bowl. With such a bump in the recruiting rankings, one can only imagine how highly their team rankings could improve come the Fall.
While Georgia needs to start looking over its shoulder at SEC East and border rival Florida, in the west, the competitive pressure is intensifies for Saban and Bama. Texas A&M caught lightning in a bottle with Johnny Manziel under the leadership of Kevin Sumlin (who went 51-26, not bad for an overall average program). While it remains my contention that Aggie Nation was a collective fool in jettisoning Coach Sumlin just a few years post-Manziel, they nevertheless seem to have upgraded with Jimbo Fisher, who previously had revived Florida State. Fisher did not disappoint in his first year (2018), going 9-4, winning the Gator Bowl (52-13 over NC State…ouch!), and finishing the year at No. 16.
Further improvement for the Aggies seems imminent. Last year, they finished at No. 16 in the recruiting rankings, but this year have risen to No. 4. Nick Saban’s dominance of the SEC West is about to become considerably more difficult.
It gets no easier from there. Just behind A&M (who, again, is No. 4) in the recruiting rankings at No. 5 is SEC West rival LSU. All head coach Ed Orgeron needs is a more creative offense, and they could very well contend with the Tide for divisional supremacy. Until he does, Orgeron might still merit the “gym teacher” category placement.
One other proven coach of note is Mark Stoops at Kentucky. A program at considerable disadvantages compared to other SEC programs not named Missouri, Stoops has built the Wildcats up to their strongest level since the Fran Curci era. Barring some major scandal, he shall have done so through considerably more ethical means at that! His 2018 recruiting class was only at No. 30, and this year at No. 34. Yet the Wildcats finished the 2018 season at 10-3, including a win over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl, and with a ranking at No. 11. Mark Stoops thus deserves a serious award for the SEC coach to have done the most with the least.
Yes, the SEC still has its fair share of “gym teachers”, but there are others who are clearly talented and have what it takes to seriously threaten Saban’s legendary dynasty.
Look out for Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M, and possibly LSU as they look to start campaigns that should make for a very interesting 2019 season in SEC football.
Playoff scenarios based on the latest AP Polls (Week 8, 2018) October 18, 2018
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Atlanta, Auburn, Austin, B1G, Big Ten, Buckeyes, Bulldogs, Chicago, Clemson, Crimson Tide, Dallas, Florida, Fort Worth, Georgia, Houston, Hurricanes, Iowa State, Lee Corso, Longhorns, Los Angeles, Lou Holtz, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, New York, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Sam Ehlinger, San Antonio, SEC, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
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Week 7 in college football for the 2018 provided considerable thrills – and headaches – for fans, what with upsets abounding, especially near the top of the rankings. Unranked Tennessee taking down then-No. 17 Auburn, and unranked Virginia beating then-No. 16 Miami (Fla.) are small potatoes compared to upsets elsewhere that week.
Indeed, no fewer than four AP top ten teams went down in defeat in Week 7 of 2018. For starters, No. 17 Oregon outlasted then-No. 7 Washington, 30-27, in overtime. Unranked Michigan State toppled No. 8 Penn State on the road, 21-17. Iowa State leveraged their special night-time atmosphere to help them beat then-undefeated (and then-No. 6) West Virginia 30-14. Even more significant was No. 13 LSU pommeling then-No. 2 Georgia 36-16.
As a result of these four key upsets, Washington fell from the No. 7 ranking to No. 15. Penn State fell from No. 8 to No. 18. West Virginia fell from No. 6 to No. 13, while Georgia fell from No. 2 to No. 8.
Last year, the Bulldogs made it to the national championship game. Now, the prospect to return is in jeopardy. At least it’s October and not November, meaning there is still time to recover.
Regardless, the current AP Top Ten now suggests some very intriguing playoff possibilities. These are important for the health of college football. An all-southern/all-SEC college football championship game my thrill the faithful in the southeastern region of the country, but it turns off the rest of the country. That’s bad for business. If your sport starts to be perceived as regional in its nature, that hurts your national image, and prevents you from engaging the markets you need to be interested in order to ensure its long-term strength and viability. Alabama vs. Clemson and Alabama vs. Georgia thus saw a TV ratings decline, whereas Texas vs. USC (2005-’06) and Ohio State vs. Oregon (2014-’15) where perfect matchups to bring in robust, national audiences. Ohio State vs. Florida (2006-’07), Ohio State vs. LSU (2007-’08) and especially Ohio State vs. Miami (2002-’03) were decent-to-great matchups as well for this purpose. Alabama vs. Notre Dame (2012-’13) was good on paper, but the outcome of the game proved that it was a mismatch, with the Irish clearly being overrated at the time.
Start with a basic premise that it’s good for business when traditional powers do well. If Georgia does well, that engages the Atlanta market, which is pretty big, in case you forgot. If Notre Dame does well, it engages the Chicago and New York City markets. If USC does well, it engages the Los Angeles market. If Ohio State and Michigan do well (either or both), that engages much of the Midwestern markets, as well as the Big Ten alums who have left the Midwest for the East Coast, the South, or the West Coast. If Texas does well, it engages the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston Markets. You get the picture.
Now, back to the Week 8 Top Ten rankings from the AP poll. At No. 1 remains Alabama. Ok, fine. With Georgia knocked out of the No. 2 spot (but still in the top ten), that allows for Ohio State to take over that position. This is good for the sport. Clemson has moved a spot to No. 3, while Notre Dame has quietly moved up to the No. 4 ranking.
Just by looking at these current top four spots, if these remain unchanged and translate directly into playoff rankings, one would have a great playoff scenario to engage a critical mass of the viewing public. Alabama and Clemson would be there to keep the South’s fever pitch at maximum levels, while Ohio State and Notre Dame enjoy national audiences so as to include enough of the rest of the country as well. The Fighting Irish’s ranking this time is no wishful thinking. Thoughtful analysts concur that this 2018 ND team is much stronger and more athletic than its overrated 2012 counterpart. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd has gone so far as to observe that this is the best ND team since the Lou Holtz era. As ESPN’s Lee Corso would exclaim, “Yo!”
While there is no west coast team in sight in these current rankings, that is not a deal-breaker, either. There are enough Big Ten grads on the west coast to keep those markets engaged should Ohio State make it to the playoffs. The Buckeyes, in this scenario, would represent the West Coast as well as the Midwest.
Naturally, much football remains to be played, and the remainder of the top ten shall make all efforts to crack their way into the playoffs as well. Of those currently poised for such possibilities, some of them, too, offer intriguing engagement opportunities. LSU sits at No. 5 after their ripping upset victory over the Bulldogs, and are destined for a major showdown with the Crimson Tide come Nov. 3, in Baton Rouge, no less. Michigan sits at No. 6 after their big win over Wisconsin last night. If they maintain their momentum, their Nov. 24 annual grudge match with the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor could be epic.
Meanwhile, Texas has survived another test and now sits at No. 7. If QB Sam Ehlinger stays healthy, who knows how much further the Longhorns could continue to climb? This is key to note because Texas in the playoffs engages a different market than the Southeast. The beauty of Texas in the championship game is that they can theoretically engage two markets simultaneously, as a B1G team can do vis-à-vis both the Midwest and other regions. In Texas’ case, not only can a Longhorn playoff appearance pique the interest of the DFW and Houston metro areas (San Antonio and Austin don’t hurt either, as that is another combined 4 million-plus people in that mini-megalopolis), but the Southeast could vicariously join in, too.
An Oklahoma (currently No. 9) playoff appearance, while a different region than the Southeast, has a limited upside. Yes, it engages the central plains, but there is not much major population there). Best case scenario is that it will interest the OU grad transplants living in the major Texas markets. The Longhorns, thankfully, have done their part, though, in making the more market-significant team better-poised for a playoff run at this point.
This is not a swipe at the SEC, or the fans therein, for a personally love southern football and identify with the South. As someone who is concerned about the national and long-term health of college football, however, perspective must be maintained. Fans in SEC country will watch the playoffs no matter who is playing. Fans elsewhere, though, will only watch if they feel they have a stake in things; that they are being represented. We have enjoyed such perfect or near-perfect matchups in the past, such as the aforementioned Texas-USC games and the Ohio State-Oregon games, for example.
Meanwhile, more big games remain, and the way things have gone thus far, more upsets are likely to occur. Teams currently in the bottom half of the top ten could claw theyr way up with help from such theoretical upsets. After all, we’re halfway to regular season’s end, and the stakes and urgency only intensify from here. Let’s enjoy the ride, and cheer on the key wins that would help make for the best playoff matches with optimal, national appeal while we’re at it!
College Football Awards, Week 4 (2018) September 23, 2018
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Army, Bill Snyder, Bobby Petrino, Boilermakers, Boilers, Boston College, Cardinals, Cavaliers, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado State, Crimson Tide, David Shaw, Eastern Michigan, Florida, Fresno State, Gardner-Webb, Georgia, Hurricanes, Illinois, Illinois State, Jeff Brohm, Justin Fuente, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Luke Fickell, Mario Cristobal, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Mike Gundy, Mississippi State, Navy, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Oregon, Pac-12, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sam Darnold, Scott Frost, SMU, Southern Cal, Stanford, Tennessee State, Texas, Texas Tech, Toledo, Tom Herman, Trojans, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington State, West Virginia
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 4] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Tom Herman, Texas
Glad I’m not him: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Lucky guy: David Shaw, Stanford
Poor guy: Mario Cristobal, Oregon
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
Desperately seeking … anything: Scott Frost, Nebraska
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Penn State (defeated Illinois 63-24)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (defeated Army 28-21 in OT)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Tulane (lost to No. 9 Ohio State 49-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Army (lost to Oklahoma 28-21 in OT)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Texas Tech (defeated No. 15 Oklahoma State 17)
Dang, they’re good: Clemson
Dang, they’re bad: Arkansas
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Virginia Tech
Did the season start? Nebraska
Can the season end? Rutgers
Can the season never end? Alabama
GAMES
Play this again: No. 7 Stanford 38, No. 20 Oregon 31
Play this again, too: SMU 31, Navy 30
Never play this again: Appalachian State 72, Gardner-Webb 7
What? Purdue 30, No. 23 Boston College 13
Huh? Texas Tech 41, No. 15 Oklahoma State 17
Double Huh? Illinois State 35, Colorado State 19
Are you kidding me?? Kentucky 28, No. 14 Mississippi State 7
Oh – my – God: Old Dominion 49, No. 13 Virginia Tech 35
NEXT WEEK (Rankings are current AP, week 5)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Ohio State @ No. 9 Penn State
Also: No. 7 Stanford @ No. 8 Notre Dame
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Pitt @ UCF
Best non-Power Five matchup: Toledo @ Fresno State
Upset alert: Texas Tech @ No. 12 West Virginia
Must win: Purdue @ Nebraska
Offensive explosion: Toledo @ Fresno State
Defensive struggle: Florida @ No. 23 Mississippi State
Great game no one is talking about: No.18 Texas @ Kansas State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Bill Snyder of Kansas State vs. Tom Herman of Texas
Who’s bringing the body bags? Louisiana @ No. 1 Alabama
Why are they playing? Southern Miss @ No. 10 Auburn
Plenty of good seats remaining: UTEP @ UTSA
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Tennessee State @ Vanderbilt
Week 4 Thoughts:
Purdue has started the season as a major head-scratcher. Coming off a surprising winning season after the Hazell-era doldrums, including a bowl win, the Boilermaker faithful had high hopes for the team in 2018. Thus far, after an understandable, opening-season loss to then-ranked Northwestern, Purdue proceeded to lose squeakers at home to beatable teams, including [shudder], Eastern Michigan – a directional school. Chalk it up to an undisciplined defense and a lack of a running game. Regardless, the Boilers have their first win of the year, and, all things considered, it’s a rather big one, handily defeating No. 23 Boston College 30-13. To be sure, Purdue did step it up on defense, and if they can maintain this newfound intensity on that side of the ball, there’s hope for the season yet. All that said, sometimes it takes a few weeks for a good team to find its footing and thus to play up to its potential.
The team now becoming an even bigger head-scratcher is Louisville. Sure, they lost badly to Alabama, but the Crimson Tide is such a juggernaut this year that most winning-season teams will look pathetic against them. What really raised concerns was having to struggle, at home, to beat Western Kentucky – another directional school! Let us thus give the Cardinals an ex-post-facto “Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t”. But now they got embarrassed, on the road to a beatable team in Virginia. At 27-3, are the Cavaliers that much better than the Cards? Is their offense that poor that they failed to punch it into the endzone, with only a sad field goal to open the 3rd quarter? A comparison of recent seasonal performances of both teams would say no, but today’s score would suggest so. Here is one possible diagnosis of Louisville’s under-performance. In the last few years (basically since Lamar Jackson was QB), Petrino has been fixated on “skills” players while acting as if he can get any lumbering lummox to block on the line. So, while he might have NFL-caliber talent on the wings, he has no way of executing plays. Has the time come to where Petrino would be better off as an offensive coordinator instead of a head coach? Further observation and analysis of the team’s performance shall tell us yes or no.
What about USC? Before losing badly on the road to Texas last week, they were ranked and poised to compete for the Pac-12 title again. But on Friday night, they had to play hard at home to beat unranked Washington State. One possible explanation: Sam Darnold’s talent at QB papered over the mediocrity of talent on the coaching staff. While I’m not a Trojans fan personally, I nevertheless recognize that when a traditional power like USC does well, it’s good for college football (same goes for other traditional powers like Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, or even Miami (Fla.)). Conversely, a mediocre Southern Cal team is thus not great for college football. Let us hope that they can eventually rise back to national title contention to help keep the west coast markets engaged in the game. After all, it’s never good for a sport to become regional (looking your way, Major League Baseball).
Speaking of Texas, are they “back”? And why were they ever, well, not back? This article by Pete Thamel explains the nature of why a national brand and a massively-valued program ever needed turning around in the first place (hint: turning around an aircraft carrier takes much, much longer than turning around, say, a personal sailboat). Forget, for a moment, that the program sure did not help anybody, least of all themselves, by laying an egg on the road to Maryland, and then under-performing at home the next week against Tulsa. The Longhorns’ big win over USC last week might not indicate that the team is “back” as strongly as one would think due to USC’s apparent mediocrity at the moment. But then again, Texas did follow up with another big win, this time over No. 16 TCU, 31-16. So the current conclusion is, if they’re not “back” yet, they’re certainly headed in the right direction. Onward and upward.
My Nearly Perfect Playoff Scenario November 16, 2017
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: ACC, Alabama, AP, Auburn, B1G, Baker Mayfield, Big Ten, BYU, Clemson, college football, Crimson Tide, Georgia, Hurricanes, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, NCAA, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pac-12, playoffs, poll, TCU, Utah State, Wisconsin
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The developments in this past week of college football have shaken up the polls yet again, thus further modifying the playoff projections. Given the current state of affairs, if the new AP poll is of any indication, here’s how I think things could play out.
The current top eight in the AP poll is as follows:
- Alabama
- Miami
- Oklahoma
- Clemson
- Wisconsin
- Auburn
- Georgia
- Ohio State
So, based on current polling and whom the teams have yet to play, who goes into the final four of the playoffs? My scenario could lead to near-perfection.
Let’s start with Alabama. Mississippi State almost beat them at home. So, the Crimson Tide is vulnerable. Nevertheless, they’ll get an easy win over a cupcake in Mercer this Saturday. That leaves us with Auburn at No. 6. Strange things happen in rivalry games. Even stranger things happen in the Iron Bowl, arguably the most heated, bitter rivalry in college sports. Bama thought they would be playing for the national title until the famous “kick-six” incident of 2013, for example. Nevertheless, let us say for the sake of argument that Bama beats Auburn. On paper, this is entirely possible. Auburn will thus have three losses, and be eliminated from playoff consideration.
The Tide remains undefeated, and goes onto the SEC championship game in Atlanta. There, they play Georgia, who was briefly No. 1 before getting their asses handed to them by Auburn. Now at No. 7, they’ll still give Alabama a good challenge in Atlanta. But on paper, the odds still favor The Tide. Let us thus accept the law of averages and say Bama wins. Again. Having knocked out both Auburn AND Georgia, Bama as undefeated AND SEC champs, also ranked No. 1, instantly clinch a playoff berth.
Berth No. 1 of 4: Alabama
Next up is Miami. After tearing Notre Dame a new one in Hard Rock Stadium, the Hurricanes now sit at No. 2 in the AP. They have also clinched the Atlantic Division of the ACC for the first time since the conference split into those two divisions. To remain undefeated in the regular season, they need to take out Virginia (at home) and Pittsburgh (on the road). Both are doable, obviously, though keep an eye out for the Canes having to deal with cold Pittsburgh weather in late November.
At any rate, the Hurricanes are now slated to play Clemson, currently No. 4 in the AP, for the ACC Championship. That game will be in Charlotte in early December, effectively a home game for the Tigers. IF the Hurricanes can overcome this huge challenge and triumph over Clemson, they shall be undefeated, ACC champs, and shall have clinched the second spot in the playoffs. This could actually be the most tenuous of contingencies. Nevertheless…
Berth No. 2 of 4: Miami
Oklahoma currently sits at No. 3. Aside from Iowa State, the Sooners have risen to the occasion each game, recently beating a tough TCU squad. OU quarterback Baker Mayfield is a more mature version of Johnny Manziel: someone capable of making special things happen. Despite legit challenges from strong teams within the conference, nobody can credibly take the Sooners down this year. If these shadows remain unchanged, they’ll surely clinch a playoff berth.
Berth No. 3 of 4: Oklahoma
That leaves us with the last spot. In this scenario, three out of the eight are already in. Three of the remaining five are out. That leaves us with the remaining two: Wisconsin and Ohio State. “But wait,” you protest, “Ohio State already has two losses, one a both recent AND embarrassing one to Iowa.” A valid point you would raise, to be sure. But here’s the deal. The Buckeyes’ schedule is still much stronger than Wisconsin’s, for one. Whereas OSU had the guts to play a tough OU squad that, as already mentioned, shall surely be playoff-bound, Wisconsin padded their schedule with Utah State, Florida Atlantic, and a weak (for this year) BYU.
Moreover, IF Ohio State shows up ready to play, they can beat anybody. Would you want to coach head-to-head against Urban Meyer? I didn’t think so.
Finally, both Wisconsin and Ohio State, if both win out, are destined to butt heads in the Big Ten Championship game. They both need to beat Michigan to guarantee this scenario. Should they play each other for the B1G title, and should Ohio State actually triumph, Wisconsin shall be effectively eliminated. Why? Again, their relatively weak schedule without winning their own conference. Meanwhile, Ohio State will be the last team standing in the top eight in the current AP poll. Could winning the B1G over an undefeated team be enough to get them back into playoff contention? I would wager “yes.”
Berth No. 4 of 4: Ohio State
Yes, this scenario is contingent on many factors. Change one major factor (Bama loses to Auburn, for example), and it all falls apart. Wisconsin and Ohio State’s viabilities depend on both beating Michigan. Miami still needs to face Pittsburgh in the cold of late November at Heinz Field. After that, they must face down Clemson. Obviously, that’s a tall order.
If, however, all these things come to pass, it would be a nearly geographically-perfect playoff line-up. Alabama would represent the south. Miami could represent urban, coastal fans of the game. Ohio State could represent the Midwest, the Big Ten, and its demographic TV-viewing juggernaut along with it. Finally, Oklahoma could represent other parts of Middle America. Indeed, the only problem with this scenario is that it lacks a Pac-12 team. If it did, we would have perfection. Too bad the Pac-12 teams ended up cannibalizing themselves this year, but that could be the case with the B1G, too, depending on how things truly do come to pass. The only way we’ll know one way or the other is to keep lining them up and playing.
College Football Awards, Week 7 2016 October 17, 2016
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, B1G, Badgers, Baylor, Big Ten, Bowling Green, Buckeyes, Camp Randall Stadium, college football, Crimson Tide, Dan Mullen, Dave Doeren, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Hurricanes, Illinois, Jim Mora, Justin Fuente, Kansas, Kent State, Kirby Smart, Kyle Whittingham, Louisville, LSU, Mark Dantonio, Memphis, Miami, Miami (OH), Michigan, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee, Mike Novell, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, NCAA, Nick Saban, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Prairie View, Purdue, Rice, Rutgers, SEC, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, toilet bowl, UCLA, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Volunteers, Wake Forest, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 7] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Nick Saban, Alabama
Glad I’m not him: Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
Lucky guy: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Poor guy: Dave Doeren, NC State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Mike Norvell, Memphis
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Desperately seeking … anything: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Baylor (defeated Kansas 49-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Florida State (defeated Wake Forest 17-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kansas (see above)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Duke (lost to No. 7 Louisville 24-14)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: West Virginia (defeated Texas Tech 48-17)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Kent State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Virginia Tech
Did the season start? Georgia
Can the season end? Purdue
Can the season never end? Ohio State
GAMES
Play this again: No. 2 Ohio State 30, No. Wisconsin 23, OT
Play this again, too: No. 22 Arkansas 34, No. 12 Ole Miss 30
Never play this again: Army 62, Lafayette 7
Close call: No. 7 Louisville 24, Duke 14
What? North Carolina 20, No. 16 Miami 13
Huh? Northwestern 54, Michigan State 40
Double-Huh? Syracuse 31, No. 17 Virginia Tech 17
Are you kidding me? No. 22 Arkansas 34, No. 12 Ole Miss 30
Oh – my – God: Vanderbilt 17, Georgia 16
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 7, pre-week 8))
Ticket to die for: No. 6 Texas A&M @ No. 1 Alabama
Also: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 11 Wisconsin
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Middle Tennessee @ Missouri
Best non-Power Five matchup: BYU @ No. 15 Boise State Also: Memphis @ Navy
Upset alert: BYU @ No. 15 Boise State
Must win: NC State @ No. 7 Louisville
Offensive explosion: South Florida @ Temple
Defensive struggle: Mississippi State @ Kentucky
Great game no one is talking about: TCU @ No. 20 West Virginia
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jim Mora of UCLA vs. Kyle Whittingham of Utah
Who’s bringing the body bags? Illinois @ No. 4 Michigan
Why are they playing? UMass @ South Carolina
Plenty of good seats remaining: Miami (Ohio) @ Bowling Green
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Middle Tennessee @ Missouri
Week 7 Take-aways:
Louisville barely escaped with a win at home to Duke. As I have said before, beware of bye-weeks, for they can be deceptively perilous to teams.
Who would have thought that the offensive explosion of the week would have been Northwestern vs. Michigan State, much less thinking that the Wildcats – underperforming all season thus far – would win?
The results of the Toilet Bowl, B1G edition, are in, and it’s Rutgers that is at the abyss of that conference, having lost to Illinois, 24-7. Sarcastic congrats to the Scarlet Knights!
Ohio State proved their mettle by defeating what is perhaps the toughest Wisconsin team within my memory. Not only that, but this win was on the road, in the evening. For those “in the know,” it is understood throughout the Big Ten that Camp Randall Stadium is the worst snake pit to play in within the entire conference. It is relatively the loudest, with a compact 80,000 seemingly right on top of the teams. Compound that with the fact that Wisconsin fans enjoy a certain, er, reputation throughout the league. Compound that further with the fact that night games give these already rowdy fans extra hours to get extra inebriated, hence extra loud. A night game in Camp Randall is a baptism by fire for a visiting team. Ohio State proved that they belonged in the No. 2 spot in the rankings by coming from behind, then dominating in overtime.
Yes, Tennessee lost badly to Alabama at home today, 49-10. But are we really surprised? The Volunteers have had one emotional game after another. Sooner or later, after so many games, they would experience an energy nadir as a result. Couple that with that fact that Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide rolling into a juggernaut of a team, and the loss should be seen as a minimal disgrace. As things currently stand, it is not unreasonable for Tennessee to end up 10-2 in the regular season, which is a remarkable turnaround from the doldrums in which the program found itself just a few years ago.
Oh, and it has been established that Florida and LSU will be playing after all. The catch is, they’ll play it at LSU instead, on Nov. 14, and to compensate, the Tigers will face Florida on the road for two consecutive years afterward. This does not even take into consideration that to make the Nov. 14 date work, both teams had to drop would-be body bag games (hello, easy money to the teams they would have played), which is actually a big win for the fans overall. So, the SEC East will have some clarity after all. Or will it?
College Football Awards Week 6 October 13, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, Ball State, Baylor, Bill Snyder, Bob Stoops, Bulldogs, Butch Jones, Cotton Bowl, Crimson Tide, David Shaw, Florida, Gary Patterson, Georgia, Georgia State, Horned Frogs, Hurricanes, Iowa, Iowa State, Jim Harbaugh, Jim Mora, Kansas, Kansas State, Kyle Whittingham, Longhorns, Mark Richt, Matt Campbell, Memphis, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Razorbacks, Red River rivalry, Red River Shootout, Red River Showdown, Sooners, South Carolina, Stanford, Steve Sarkesian, Steve Spurrier, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Toledo, Trojans, Troy, UCLA, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Vols, Wildcats, Wolverines
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Texas head coach Charlie Strong celebrates with his team after their incredible upset over rival Oklahoma. Judging by the photo, it seems as though he might have won back the locker room. Photo from the Dallas Morning News.
(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 6] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES Wish I were him: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Glad I’m not him: Steve Sarkesian, USC
Lucky guy: Butch Jones, Tennessee
Poor guy: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Gary Patterson, TCU
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Matt Campbell of Toledo
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
TEAMS Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Baylor (defeated Kansas 66-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (see below)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Troy (lost to Mississippi State 45-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Texas (see below)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Michigan (see below)
Dang, they’re good: Baylor
Dang, they’re bad: Miami, Ohio
Can’t Stand Prosperity: USC
Did the season start? Miami, Fla.
Can the season end? South Carolina
Can the season never end? Utah
GAMES
Play this again: Texas 24, No. 10 Oklahoma 17
Play this again, too: Tennessee 38, No. 19 Georgia 31
Never play this again: No. 3 Baylor 66, Kansas 7
What? No. 18 Michigan 38, No. 13 Northwestern 0
Huh? Washington 17, No. 17 USC 12
Are you kidding me? Tennessee 38, No. 19 Georgia 31
Oh – my – God: Texas 24, No. 10 Oklahoma 17
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 6, pre-week 7)
Ticket to die for: No. 7 Michigan State @ No. 12 Michigan
Also: No. 10 Alabama @ No. 9 Texas A&M
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: No. 13 Ole Miss @ Memphis
Best non-Power Five matchup: Akron @ Bowling Green
Upset alert: Louisville @ No. 11 Florida State
Must win: USC @ No. 14 Notre Dame
Offensive explosion: West Virginia @ No. 2 Baylor
Defensive struggle: Vanderbilt @ South Carolina
Great game no one is talking about: No. 17 Iowa @ No. 20 Northwestern
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jim Mora of UCLA vs David Shaw of Stanford
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 3 TCU @ Iowa State
Why are they playing? Louisiana Tech @ Mississippi State
Plenty of good seats remaining: Georgia State @ Ball State
They shoot horses, don’t they? Troy @ Mississippi State
Week 5 Take-aways:
What a weekend of upsets and near-upsets. One obvious near-miss: Gary Patterson’s TCU almost got upset on the road to Bill Snyder’s Kansas State. You just know that the old man was not going to roll over for the vaunted Horned Frogs. In the end, the near-miss cost the Frogs one spot in the rankings, as they are down to No. 3 from the No. 2 spot.
Similarly, Alabama took a while to get going at home against Arkansas. Eventually the Tide decided to start playing football, but they were down to the under-performing Hogs for too long of a time in regulation to be taken seriously as a contending team.
Now the upsets: we all knew that Northwestern was a legitimate team. Most of us thought that the Wildcats playing the Michigan Wolverines would be the game of the week. That turned out, in the end, not to be the case. Jim Harbaugh seems to be building the Wolverrines to become stronger by the week.
Then there was the upset of the USC Trojans, at home, against Chris Petersen’s scrappy Washington Huskies. We were all hoping for a good game, but certainly did not foresee the the embarrassment at home for the Men of Troy – though the subsequent news of Steve Sarkesian’s major alcohol problem certainly explains USC’s volatile performance this season. Let us all wish a complete, sober recover for Sark as he embarks on a rehab program.
Or what about Tennessee? The poor Vols were unable to “close the deal,” blowing leads to both Oklahoma and to Florida, leading to heartbreaking losses in so doing. This time around, however, they had to play from behind, and upset the heavily-favored Georgia Bulldogs in so doing. So much for Georgia’s national championship hopes this year.
But let us not fool ourselves. The biggest upset of the week came in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. All of us, even the team’s fans, had given the Texas Longhorns up for dead, especially after the devastating loss to TCU the previous week. Coach Charlie Strong seemed to have lost the locker room, and he was strategically flailing in terms of not having an offensive or defensive identity.
Perhaps the rival Oklahoma Sooners were just naïve enough to take the bait. The Horns looked like an entirely different team this past Saturday than they did for the entire season leading up to this fateful day. Texas drew first blood late in the first quarter, and, mirabile dictu, did not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. Moreover, Strong somehow regained his identity, effectively playing a run-oriented, ball-control offense that left OU’s defense sucking wind by late in the 4th quarter. It was just enough to hold on and to upset their heavily-favored rival. It also likely saved Coach Strong’s bacon for the rest of the year. Hook ‘em!
intellectualgridiron 