College Football Awards, Week 10 (2025) November 3, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona, Auburn, Boise State, Boston College, Brent Venables, Clark Lea, college, Colorado, Commodores, Dan Lanning, FIU, Florida, Florida State, football, Fresno State, Gators, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Hugh Freeze, Indiana, Josh Heupel, Kentucky, Kirk Ferentz, Longhorns, Louisville, Mario Cristobal, Memphis, Miami (FL), Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Middle Tennessee, NC State, NCAA, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sam Houston, SMU, Sooners, Steve Sarkesian, Tennessee, Texas, The Citadel, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Volunteers, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Willie Fritz
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Glad I’m not him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Lucky guy: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Poor guy: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Willie Fritz, Houston
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Miami
Desperately seeking … anything: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Florida State (defeated Wake Forest 42-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Notre Dame (defeated Boston College 25-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Colorado (lost to Arizona 52-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (lost to Michigan 21-16)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Fresno State (defeated Boise State 30-7)
Dang, they’re good: Indiana
Dang, they’re bad: Colorado
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Georgia Tech
Did the season start? Miami, FL
Can the season end? Auburn
Can the season never end? Ole Miss
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Georgia 24, Florida 20
Play this again, too: SMU 26, No. 10 Miami 20, OT
Never play this again: No. 2 Indiana 55, Maryland 10
What? UTSA 48, Tulane 26
Huh? West Virginia 45, No. 22 Houston 35
Double-Huh? SMU 26, No. 10 Miami 20, OT
Are you kidding me??: No. 20 Texas 34, No. 9 Vanderbilt 31
Oh – my – God: NC State 48, No. 8 Georgia Tech 36
Told you so: Kentucky 10, Auburn 3
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 8 BYU @ No. 9 Texas Tech
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: none
Best non-Power Four matchup: San Diego State @ Hawaii
Upset alert: Cal @ No. 14 Louisville
Must win: No. 6 Oregon @ Iowa
Offensive explosion: No. 3 Texas A&M @ No. 19 Missouri
Defensive struggle: Florida @ Kentucky
Great game no one is talking about: Tulane @ No. 22 Memphis
Intriguing coaching matchup: Dan Lanning of Oregon vs Kirk Ferentz of Iowa
Who’s bringing the body bags, B1G edition? No. 1 Ohio State @ Purdue
Who’s bringing the body bags, ACC edition? SMU @ Boston College
Why are they playing? The Citadel @ No. 7 Ole Miss
Plenty of good seats remaining: Sam Houston @ Oregon State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? FIU @ Middle Tennessee
Week 10 [Random] Thoughts:
Texas played some of its best football all season – for three-and-a-half quarters, at least. A long bomb to the end zone threatened to break favored Vanderbilt’s collective back, only to find out that the receiver dropped the ball upon further review. That gave the Commodores enough time to regroup in an effort to overcome a three-TD deficit. The Longhorns’ collapse of their defense late in the 4th quarter almost enabled that. Sloppy play on both sides of the ball that pushed Vandy’s on-side kick out of bounds finally sealed the deal for Texas. But the final minutes of play left the 100,000+ faithful in DKR Memorial Stadium breathing a sigh of relief instead of belting out a massive cheer in celebration of this counterintuitive upset.
To zoom out the lens, Texas pulled off an improbably comeback on the road last week. This week, they almost allowed for an improbably comeback at home. Looks like Sark needs to teach his team how to play the whole 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, can Josh Heupel & Co. find a higher gear? As good as this Tennessee teams have been these past few years, he cannot seem to be able to pick up a signature win against the heavyweights within his own conference, or even others (witness the drubbing the Volunteers took in Ohio Stadium during last year’s playoffs).
Oklahoma, conversely, picked up a quality win, which, ironically, gives hated rival Texas’ decisive win over the Sooners all the more quality.
Where has this Florida team been all year? Notwithstanding their win over the Longhorns in the Swamp, the Gators have underperformed the rest of the year…until now, when they threatened to upset No. 5 Georgia at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville (yes, I’m still calling that), and it turned out to be the greatest game of the week.
College Football Awards, Week 7 (2025) October 13, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Alex Golesh, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, Bruins, BYU, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Cougars, Curt Cignetti, Dan Lanning, DeShaun Foster, Drew Allar, Eliah Drinkwitz, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, John Mateer, Kalen DeBoer, Lane Kiffin, Longhorns, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Elko, Mike Norvell, Missouri, NCAA football, Nittany Lions, North Texas, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Red River rivalry, Rice, Sooners, South Florida, Steve Sarkesian, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tigers, UAB, UCLA, UNLV, USC, USF, Utah, UTSA, Virginia, Washington State, Yellowjackets
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Honorable mention: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Glad I’m not him: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Lucky guy: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Poor guy: Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Alex Golesh, South Florida
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Desperately seeking … anything: James Franklin, Penn State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Clemson (defeated Boston College 41-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Ole Miss (defeated Washington State 24-21)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: N/A
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Northwestern (defeated Penn State 22-21)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: South Florida (defeated North Texas 63-36)
Honorable mention: Utah (defeated No. 21 Arizona State 42-10)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Akron
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oregon
Did the season start? Penn State
Can the season end? Florida State
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES
Play this again: No. 7 Indiana 30, No. 3 Oregon 20
Play this again, too: No. 8 Alabama 27, No. 14 Missouri 24
Never play this again: UTSA 61, Rice 13
What? Colorado 22, No. 22 Iowa State 17
Huh? USC 31, No. 15 Michigan 13
Double-huh? No. 7 Indiana 30, No. 3 Oregon 20
Are you kidding me?? Texas 23, No. 6 Oklahoma 6
Oh – my – God: Northwestern 22, Penn State 21
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 8)
Ticket to die for: No. 12 Tennessee @ No. 8 Alabama
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Washington State @ No. 19 Virginia
Best non-Power Four matchup: UNLV @ Boise State
Upset alert: Utah @ No. 18 BYU
Also: No. 20 USC @ No. 13 Notre Dame
Must win: No. 4 Ole Miss @ No. 9 Georgia
Offensive explosion: Air Force @ UNLV
Defensive struggle: Penn State @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: Arizona @ Houston
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mike Elko of Texas A&M vs Bobby Petrino of Arkansas
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 22 Memphis @ UAB
Why are they playing? Washington State @ No. 19 Virginia
Plenty of good seats remaining: Georgia State @ Georgia Southern
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Lafayette @ Oregon State
Week 7 Thoughts:
Another monster week for college football, with great games abounding from noon Eastern through night, and upsets abounding in turn. Indiana proved that they are a considerable force to be reckoned with in defeating Oregon, on the road, no less. USC continues to quietly gain strength after losing to Illinois earlier in the year, this time by defeating ranked Michigan in rather convincing fashion. Colorado proved to have some fight within them by upsetting Iowa State on the road. Then we had the Red River Showdown, and the incredibly electric environment it always produces. Many in the sports commentary space had given Texas up for dead after their loss to Florida in the Swamp last week. The calculus was that since the Longhorns’ offense sputtered against the Gators’ defense, given that Oklahoma’s defense is even better, Texas would likely be demolished in Dallas. But as the great Lee Corso would say, “[N]ot so fast, my friend!” The Longhorns’ defense stepped up in a major way, cramping the performance of the Sooner’s star QB John Mateer as he returned to the line-up, going so far as to shut out OU in the second half and to deny them reaching the endzone the entire game. In so doing, Texas defense gave their offense time to get their sea-legs under them. Thus, Texas’ triumph was unexpected, and all the more savored.
Elsewhere, Pitt upset Florida State, in Tallahassee, no less, but perhaps the biggest upset of all came when Northwestern stunned Penn State in Happy Valley, 22-21. That loss came on the heels of the Nittany Lions already losing that heartbreaker to Oregon, then laying an egg on the road to UCLA. Now they have suffered this defeat, which is no ignominious and ill-timed that Penn State fired James Franklin today. Penn State’s current state was made all the worse with QB Drew Allar suffering a season-ending injury late in the game. What started out as a potential championship season for the Nittany Lions now lies in ruin.
Some near-upsets also occurred wherein Mizzou was on the verge of defeating favored Alabama before the Tiger’s QB threw a sudden pick that ended the drive and their hopes of victory. In a similar situation was Washington State, who ventured into Ole Miss and nearly defeated the home team before the Rebels somehow managed to escape with their skin intact. Arkansas presented a serious challenge to Tennessee, signaling that the Bobby Petrino Era 2.0 is on the rise in Fayetteville. Late into the night, Arizona took BYU in a second overtime before the Cougars managed to pull out the win.
What a week.
Random Thoughts:
UCLA was once the whipping boy of the B1G. Not anymore. Perhaps all it took was the firing of the inept DeShaun Foster, inter alia. But now the Bruins are a rising force in the conference. First, they massively upset Penn State at home last week. This week, they went on the road to dismantle Michigan State. Not a moment too soon, either, since all the remaining opponents – including Indiana and Ohio State – or nearly-ranked (e.g., Maryland and Washington). At this rate, their traditional rivalry game against USC should be one the best in Gen-Z’s living memory.
Meanwhile, has there been a team to more quietly advance up the rankings than Georgia Tech, at least recently? The Yellowjackets are currently undefeated (6-0), and have now reached the rank of No. 12.
College Football Awards, Week 5 (2025) September 29, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arkansas, Boise State, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, Cavaliers, college football, Dan Lanning, Drew Allar, FIU, Florida, Florida State, Garrett Nussmeier, Georgia, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, James Franklin, Kalen DeBoer, Kent State, Kentucky, Kirby Smart, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Miami (FL), Miami (OH), Mike Norvell, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, NCAA, Nittany Lions, North Texas, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Razorbacks, Ryan Silverfield, Sam Pittman, Seminoles, South Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Texas Tech, Toledo, Trinidad Chambliss, UCLA, UConn, UMass, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Bret Bielema, Illinois
Poor guy: Lincoln Riley, USC
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Brian Kelly, LSU
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Ryan Silverfield, Memphis
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Desperately seeking … anything: Sam Pittman, Arkansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Missouri (defeated UMass 42-6)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Indiana (defeated Iowa 20-15)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Akron (lost to Toledo 45-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: South Alabama (lost to North Texas 36-22)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Notre Dame (defeated Arkansas 56-13)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Akron
Can’t Stand Prosperity: LSU
Did the season start? Florida State
Can the season end? UCLA
Can the season never end? Ole Miss
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Oregon 30, No. 3 Penn State 24, 2OT
Play this again, too: No. 13 Ole Miss 24, No. 4 LSU 19
Never play this again: No. 22 Notre Dame 56, Arkansas 13
What? No. 23 Illinois 34, No. 21 USC 32
Huh? No. 17 Alabama 24, No. 5 Georgia 21
Double-Huh?: No. 13 Ole Miss 24, No. 4 LSU 19
Are you kidding me?? No. 6 Oregon 30, No. 3 Penn State 24, 2OT
Oh – my – God: Virginia 46, No. 8 Florida State 38, 2OT
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 6)
Ticket to die for: No. 3 Miami (FL) @ No. 18 Florida State
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Boise State @ No. 21 Notre Dame
Best non-Power Four matchup: FIU @ UConn
Upset alert: No. 16 Vanderbilt @ No. 10 Alabama
Must win: Mississippi State @ No. 6 Texas A&M
Offensive explosion: No. 11 Texas Tech @ Houston
Defensive struggle: No. 7 Texas @ Florida
Great game no one is talking about: No. 24 Virginia @ Louisville
Intriguing coaching matchup: Bret Bielema of Illinois vs Barry Odom of Purdue
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 7 Penn State @ UCLA
Why are they playing? Kent State @ No. 5 Oklahoma
Plenty of good seats remaining: Miami (OH) @ Northern Illinois
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Campbell @ NC State
Week 5 Thoughts:
What a week for the game. We experienced a week in college football where the monster Saturday lived up to its hype. We witnessed an epic nighttime clash in Happy Valley; an interesting test for the No. 1 team in Seattle; a stunning upset Between the Hedges; defensive struggles in College Station and Iowa City alike; a near-upset in Starkville; and a statement game near The Grove. Did we also mention a Friday-night upset in Charlottesville, echoing one involving the same opponents almost 30 years ago to the day?
So, where to begin?
If we were to start with perhaps the biggest of all the games this day, why not start with the purported “ticket to die for”? What was a 3-3 tie at halftime became a 17-17 tie in regulation. Penn State struggled to get their running game established for the majority of the 60 minutes, but managed to put together some impressive runs late in the 4th quarter, enough to come back from a deficit to Oregon. Both teams scored in the first OT, Oregon answered with another TD in the 2OT, but botched their two-point attempt. The window for the Nittany Lions was open…only for it to close in an instant when Drew Allar threw an inexplicable pick to the right side of the field. What ended in huge triumph for Dan Lanning and the Ducks ended in turn as continued frustration for James Franklin & Co., who continue to search for a top-ten win.
Ohio State journeyed out to Seattle to take on undefeated, underrated Washington. The Huskies were prepared well to take on Ohio State, but the Buckeyes managed to slowly, gradually, subdue their hosts over the course of the game, winning 24-6.
Alabama came into a raucous Sanford Stadium at night to take on Georgia, and led for the majority of the game in an incredibly physical contest, walking out from Between the Hedges with a huge win that vindicates Kalen DeBoer’s tenure – for now – in Tuscaloosa, and continues Kirby Smart’s head-scratching Alabama woes.
The purported “defensive struggle” for this week, Kentucky @ South Carolina, turned out not to be for this pathetic prognosticator, as the Gamecocks surprisingly revived their offense to drub the Wildcats 35-13. Meanwhile, the true defensive struggle took place in College Station, where the home team Aggies beat Auburn 16-10. The Tigers have demonstrated to have a good defense, but to describe their offense as anemic would still be an understatement.
The other defensive struggle of note took place in Iowa City. Apparently, Indiana was still on Cloud Nine after ripping Illinois the previous week, for their offense seemed to take the week off. Meanwhile, Iowa, who seemed to discover their offense against UMass (does that even count?) only to lose it again when it counted two weeks later. That aside, an early 4th-quarter field goal put the Hawkeyes up 13-10 over the Hoosiers, who nevertheless answered in delayed fashion with a touchdown with 1:36 left in the game. It proved to be the decisive score, ending at 20-15 in IU’s favor.
Tennessee came calling at Mississippi State, amid more than 60,000 fans with clanging cow bells. The Bulldogs, undefeated prior to this game, put up an incredible fight against the Volunteers, staying close to the orange-clad team throughout regulation, where the teams ended in a tie. But Tennessee’s talent shined through in OT, allowing them to leave with a win, 41-34. Nevertheless, if Mississippi State’s performance is any indication, they can make life difficult for many subsequent teams on their conference schedule.
Meanwhile, a true ‘statement game’ unfolded in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Despite No. 4 LSU drawing first blood in this huge game, home team (and No. 13-ranked) Ole Miss quickly took the lead, and never looked back for the remainder therein. Backup QB Trinidad Chambliss contributed 385 of total offense, including a 20-yard completion for a 4th-down conversion that sealed the game. This decisive win was a ‘statement’ in that it proved the Rebels belong in the conversation as part of the highest tier in the brutal SEC. Conversely, this loss to a major rival raises lots of questions for LSU. Fans were already grumbling over what they perceived to be an unconvincing win over dubious Florida earlier this month. Imagine the grumbling in Bayou Country right now. Perhaps instead of complaining about whether the scrutiny over his coaching is justified, perhaps Kelly should work to develop an offense that takes advantage of QB Garrett Nussmeier.
Finally, Friday night yielded perhaps the greatest upset of the week, when No. 8 Florida State came into town to play unranked Virginia. The Cavaliers played the undefeated Seminoles closely throughout the game, even taking the heavily-favored visitors into overtime. Throngs of students gathered on the grassy slopes behind Scott Stadium’s northwest endzone in anticipation of their Virginia team coming through, which they did when Florida State failed to convert in the second overtime. Instantly, the fans filled the field in wild celebration. This 46-38 win echoes a similar upset 30 years earlier, when, on a Thursday night game on Nov. 2, 1995, then-No. 2 Florida State came to town, only to leave Charlottesville with their first loss of the season (and Virginia’s first-ever win over the vaunted Seminoles). Time to party like it’s 1995!
Random Thoughts:
Here we thought that Syracuse was a good team, I guess, because they beat Clemson. Then they go on to lose a home game in embarrassing fashion to Duke. What gives?
Remember how we thought that Arkansas’ defense taking leave of the entire second half against Memphis was a fluke? Perhaps it was not after all, given the drubbing the Razorbacks just took at home to Notre Dame. Sam Pittman just nudged Billy Napier out of the No. 1-coach-on-the-hotseat-in-the-SEC spot after sustaining the Razorbacks’ eighth-worst loss at home.
College Football Awards, Week 14 (2024) December 3, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: ACC, Aggies, Alabama, Arch Manning, Arizona State, Army, B1G, Big XII, Boise State, Buckeyes, Buffalo, CHip Kelly, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Dan Lanning, Florida State, football, Fran Brown, Gamecocks, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Jacksonville State, James Franklin, Kent State, Kirk Ferentz, Longhorns, Louisville, Mario Cristobal, Matt Rhule, Memphis, Miami (FL), Miami (OH), Michigan, Mike Elko, Mustangs, NCAA, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Quinn Ewers, Ryan Day, Ryan Walters, Sherrone Moore, SMU, South Carolina, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, Tigers, Tulane, UNLV, USC, Western Kentucky
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Honorable mention: Sherrone Moore, Michigan
Glad I’m not him: Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Lucky guy: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Poor guy: Matt Rhule, Nebraska
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Mario Cristobal, Miami (FL)
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Fran Brown, Syracuse
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Desperately seeking … anything: Ryan Walters, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Indiana (defeated Purdue 66-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Georgia (defeated Georgia Tech 44-42)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kent State (lost to Buffalo 43-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: USC (lost to No. 5 Notre Dame 49-35)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Colorado (defeated Oklahoma State 59-0)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Purdue
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Ohio State
Did the season start? Miami (FL)
Can the season end? Florida State
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES
Play this again: Michigan 13, No. 2 Ohio State 10
Play this again, too (told you so): Iowa 13, Nebraska 10
Never play this again: Indiana 66, Purdue 0
What? Memphis 34, No. 17 Tulane 24
Huh? No. 15 South Carolina 17, No. 12 Clemson 14
Are you kidding me?? Syracuse 42, No. 6 Miami 35
Oh – my – God: Michigan 13, No. 2 Ohio State 10
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (week 15)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Texas @ No. 5 Georgia in the SEC championship game
Honorable mention: No. 1 Oregon vs No. 4 Penn State in the B1G championship game
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Four matchup: No. 17 Tulane @ Army
Upset alert: No. 12 Clemson vs No. 9 SMU in the ACC Championship game
Must win: All championship games, but especially the No. 16 Arizona State vs No. 18 Iowa State in the Big XII championship game
Offensive explosion: No. 22 UNLV vs. No. 11 Boise State
Defensive struggle: Ohio vs Miami (OH)
Great game no one is talking about: Western Kentucky @ Jacksonville State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Dan Lanning of Oregon vs James Franklin of Penn State
Who’s bringing the body bags? N/A
Why are they playing? N/A
Plenty of good seats remaining: N/A
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? N/A
Week 14 Thoughts:
Let us confront the 800-lb. gorilla in the room. It was all set for Ohio State. All they had to do was win the game. But the game turned out to be “The Game”, and in “The Game”, the Buckeyes choked massively. QB Will Howard failed to seek out his marquee weapons. The receivers dropped key passes.
While we can lay this massive failure at the feet of the offense, perhaps we should be more specific and lay the failure at the feet of Ryan Day and the offensive tactics he chose by wanting to prove how tough his team was by winning “tough”, that is, winning by battling out in the trenches running the ball between the tackles. That’s all well and good, but when your strengths are at the perimeters, not on the line (remember, Ohio State was working with a patchwork line-up on the o-line due to injuries), then the smart play is to play to those strengths.
This tactical failure on the part of Day is all the more stark when one considers that while Ohio State has an unbeatable receiving corps, Michigan was “patchwork” in the secondary. Such is the magnitude of the missed opportunity. My lingering question is, to what extent did Chip Kelly influence the offensive tactics for this game?
No more B1G championship berth for Ohio State: that now goes to Penn State instead. At least they have retained a No. 7 ranking in the polls, which should, in all likelihood, help them clinch a spot in the playoffs anyhow. But this loss will smart, especially since Ryan Day is now 1-4 against their hated rival, “that school up north”. One takeaway is that Day’s tenure in Columbus just became much more tenuous. He can consult John Cooper on the “why”.
Elsewhere, Miami (FL) had a golden opportunity to make it to the ACC championship and clinch a spot in the playoffs. All they had to do was beat Syracuse, but then they blew a three-TD lead to Syracuse in the second half. Now, not only are the Hurricanes out of the ACC championship, their potential bid for the playoffs is very much in doubt. Funny how one game can do that, but this reminds us that November is for everything.
One team that did rise to the occasion, barely, was Texas. The Longhorns and the Aggies renewed their rivalry on Saturday, playing for the first time since 2011. The Horns were ranked No. 3, but the Aggies were also ranked and No. 20. Sounds like advantage, Longhorns…except that the game was at nighttime in Kyle Field, a bona fide hostile place to play. Nevertheless, despite some hiccups on offense (Ewers threw a pick-six, for example), Texas still prevailed, 17-7. Were it not for the pick-six, the game could have ended 24-0 or better in Texas’ favor. Give the game ball to the Longhorns’ D for shutting down A&M’s offense. Meanwhile, Sark has work to do on offense when they take on Georgia in Atlanta for all the marbles in the conference. To that end, is Ewers dealing with a more serious injury than we are led on to believe? If so, Sark would be well-served to deploy Manning at the drop of a hat in Atlanta next week.
One interesting development is that South Carolina defeated in-state rival Clemson in Death Valley (no small feat), but since the Tigers’ loss was not in-conference, they still get to play SMU for the ACC championship. Looks like that loss to Louisville earlier in the season did not mortally wound their chances for the playoffs after all. But how might they fare against the Mustangs? The potentially lone ACC representative hangs in the balance of that game’s outcome.
Same goes for Iowa State playing Arizona State for the Big XII title, unless the playoff committee chooses Colorado to be within the bubble for a playoff bid. Speaking of the Buffaloes, they certainly make a strong case to be considered by crushing Oklahoma State 52-0.
Two teams that quietly get things done: Notre Dame and Boise State. We can debate about strength of schedule for these two teams, especially that of the latter, but in the beauty contest that is college football, the pollsters and the playoff committee alike seem to like what the Broncos are selling. Perhaps we will all need a dose of truth serum should Boise State make the playoffs and get embarrassed in the first round. Tuesday’s latest round of revised rankings will give us a better idea of where these teams stand regardless.
Both Alabama and South Carolina are on the bubble for a playoff berth. Should the Gamecocks be favored over the Tide? It’s a fair question when one considers that Alabama laid an egg to a sub-par Oklahoma team, while South Carolina beat their ranked, hated rival on said rival’s home turf, no less. Clearly the better momentum is with the ‘Cocks. Will the playoff committee consider these as they release their updated rankings come Dec. 3?
College Football Awards, Week 12 (2024) November 18, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona State, Brian Kelly, Buffaloes, BYU, Cardinals, Carson Beck, college football, Colorado, Cougars, Dan Lanning, East Carolina, Florida State, football, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Jeff Brohm, Josh Heupel, Kalani Sitake, Kansas, Kansas State, Kirby Smart, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Missouri, Navy, NCAA football, Nico Iamaleava, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Oregon State, Pat Narduzzi, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, Tennessee, Tennnessee, Texas State, Tulane, UMass, Utah, UTEP, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Glad I’m not him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Lucky guy: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Poor guy: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kalani Sitake
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jay Norvell, Colorado State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jeff Brohm, Louisville
Desperately seeking … anything: Brian Kelly, LSU
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Alabama (defeated Mercer 52-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oregon (defeated Wisconsin 16-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Purdue (lost to Penn State 49-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Wisconsin (lost to No. 1 Oregon 16-13)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Tulane (defeated Navy 35-0)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Oregon State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: BYU
Did the season start? Kansas State
Can the season end? LSU
Can the season never end? Colorado
GAMES
Play this again: No. 1 Oregon 16, Wisconsin 13
Play this again, too: No. 21 South Carolina 34, No. 23 Missouri 30
Never play this again: Texas State 58, Southern Miss 3
What? Florida 27, No. 22 LSU 16
Huh? Stanford 38, No. 19 Louisville 35
Double-Huh? Arizona State 24, No. 16 Kansas State 14
Are you kidding me?? No. 12 Georgia 31, No. 7 Tennessee 17
Oh – my – God: Kansas 17, No. 6 BYU 13
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 5 Indiana @ No. 2 Ohio State
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: No. 18 Army @ No. 6 Notre Dame
Best non-Power Four matchup: UNLV @ San Jose State
Upset alert: Kansas @ No. 16 Colorado
Must win: No. 14 BYU @ No. 21 Arizona State
(See also: “ticket to die for”)
Offensive explosion: East Carolina @ North Texas
Defensive struggle: Iowa State @ Utah
Great game no one is talking about: Illinois @ Rutgers
Intriguing coaching matchup: Pat Narduzzi of Pittsburgh vs Jeff Brohm of Louisville
Who’s bringing the body bags? UMass @ No. 8 Georgia
Why are they playing? UTEP @ No. 10 Tennessee
Plenty of good seats remaining: Charleston Southern @ Florida State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Wofford @ No. 16 South Carolina
Week 12 Thoughts:
Let us start out on the west coast with Louisville visiting Stanford. The Cardinals had two things going against them for this game. One is that they were coming off a bye week, and that typically throws college teams off, especially their offense. Second, this was a team in the Eastern Timezone that ventured out to the west coast. That time difference also throws off college teams, thus it affects their performance negatively. Still, Louisville was leading Stanford by two touchdowns going into the fourth quarter. Then the Cards blew that lead big time, and in the end, the Cardinal defeated the Cardinals on a last-second field goal. Head coach Jeff Brohm himself admitted that the team “gave in at the end”, and the barrage of penalties throughout the game likewise contributed to the upset loss.
Meanwhile, Oregon, the current No. 1 team, ventured into Madison, Wis., to take on the Badgers. Apparently Dan Lanning & Co. were unaware of just how tough a place Camp Randall Stadium is to play, especially at nighttime, hence the Ducks’ narrow margin of victory in a surprise defensive struggle, 16-13.
Turning one’s attention to the game of the week, wherein Tennessee played Georgia “between the hedges”, a key takeaway for me emerged as the Bulldogs proceeded to a convincing win. The Volunteers did not have a deep threat the entire game, and the Bulldogs exploited that by putting constant pressure on up front on their QB. Nico Iamaleava is young, and will likely grow further into his key role. What is now clear is that this year is not the year – yet – for the Vols, but with further seasoning and growth, they could likely vie more effectively for the playoffs next season.
Conversely, Georgia QB Carson Beck seems to have found his way out of his multi-week slump, and performed brilliantly against a potentially lethal foe, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns.
Finally, BYU did control its own destiny regarding the road to the Big XII championship and a possible playoff bid. That road now has more obstacles than before after the Cougars coughed up the game at home to Kansas, 17-13. Discerning observers of the game have noticed that the Jayhawks had improved considerably over the past couple of weeks, but to that extent? Perhaps BYU was looking past Kansas in anticipation of taking on newly-ranked Arizona State. In so doing, they added to the urgency of next week’s game in Tempe, Ariz.
All the while, Colorado continues to roll through Big XII competition, and it is still not inconceivable that the Buffaloes and the Cougs could be headed for a showdown for a playoff berth come early December.
College Football Awards, Week 8 (2024) October 21, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Ball State, Bill O'Brien, Boise State, Boston College, Bret Bielema, Bulldogs, BYU, California, Cardinals, Charlotte, college football, Colorado State, Dan Lanning, Florida State, football, Georgia, Hurricanes, Illinois, Indiana, James Madison, Jeff Brohm, Josh Heupel, Kalani Sitake, Kalen DeBoer, Kennesaw State, Kenny Dillingham, Kentucky, Kirby Smart, liberty, Lincoln Riley, Longhorns, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Mike Gundy, Mike Norvell, Navy, NCAA, NCAA football, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nico Iamaleava, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Red Grange, Rice, Riddell, Rutgers, Shane Beamer, South Caroina, Southern Miss, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Honorable mention: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Glad I’m not him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Ditto: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Lucky guy: Kalani Sitake, BYU
Poor guy: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Lincoln Riley, USC
Desperately seeking … anything: Mike Norvell, Florida State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oregon (defeated Purdue 35-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Vanderbilt (defeated Ball State 24-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Charlotte (lost to No. 25 Navy 51-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Rice (lost to Tulane 24-10)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Indiana (defeated Nebraska 56-7)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Kennesaw State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Texas
Did the season start? Nebraska
Can the season end? Auburn
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Georgia 30, No. 1 Texas 15
Play these again, too: No. 11 Tennessee 24, No. 7 Alabama 17
Never play this again: No. 16 Indiana 56, Nebraska 7
What? UCLA 35, Rutgers 32
Huh? No. 11 Tennessee 24, No. 7 Alabama 17
Are you kidding me?? Maryland 29, USC 28
Oh – my – God: No. 5 Georgia 30, No. 1 Texas 15
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 8 LSU @ No. 14 Texas A&M
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Oregon State @ California
Best non-Power Four matchup: No. 17 Boise State @ UNLV
Upset alert: No. 24 Navy @ No. 12 Notre Dame
Must win: No. 5 Texas @ No. 25 Vanderbilt
Offensive explosion: New Mexico @ Colorado State
Defensive struggle: Auburn @ Kentucky
Great game no one is talking about: Syracuse @ No. 19 Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Dan Lanning of Oregon vs Bret Bielema of Illinois
Honorable mention: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Bill O’Brien of Boston College
Who’s bringing the body bags? Florida State @ No. 6 Miami (Fla.)
Why are they playing? Liberty @ Kennesaw State
Plenty of good seats remaining: Utah State @ Wyoming
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Southern Miss @ James Madison
Week 8 Thoughts:
Last week was a tough act to follow. This week nevertheless delivered some good ones.
Let us address the 900-pound gorilla in the room by taking a look at the Georgia-Texas game. The Longhorns are still good, but the Bulldogs bested them last night anyhow. One takeaway is that neither team was able to handle its opponents’ front seven in the second half. The problem was, Texas was also unable to handle Georgia’s in the first half. Both teams have work to do to improve, with Georgia still probably having the bigger problem to deal with in terms of limitations of their own quarterback. Nevertheless, it was a good game.
Perhaps more of a thriller was Tennessee defeating Alabama at home. Nico Iamaleava seems to have marginally improved from the previous couple of games (he completed a monster pass with 1:33 left in the first half, for example, and made a clutch TD pass with 5:52 left in the game), but the real salvation for Tennessee came in their running game. The tradition of the fans of the winning team lighting cigars materialized in such a way to see a smokey haze ascend out of Neyland Stadium upon the conclusion of the game. As an aside, Alabama is 0-2 against teams from Tennessee this year. That cannot sit well among the Crimson-clad faithful in the Yellowhammer State.
Don’t look now, but Indiana University is now 7-0 after dusting Nebraska 56-7. At this rate, a projected record of 11-1 is not an unreasonable prognostication for the Hoosiers.
In other news, seeing Illinois don their 1920s-era throwback uniforms in honor of the 100th anniversary of Red Grange’s senior season there was a sheer delight to see. Yes, before the Galloping Ghost become the first superstar in the NFL, he was tearing it up on the gridiron for Illinois. Further props to Illinois for being able to recreate the vintage leather helmet graphic pattern on their modern-day Riddells.
Forget the last week’s prognostications: the actual offensive explosion this week turned out to be Miami at Louisville. The No. 6 Hurricanes triumphed in the end, 52-45. Imagine if the Cardinals had a slightly better defense. Not only would the outcome of the game likely been different, but their current record of 4-3 would likely be better as well.
College Football Awards, Week 7 (2024) October 14, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona State, Army, Ball State, Billy Napier, Boilermakers, Boilers, Brent Venables, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, Buckeyes, Buffaloes, California, college football, Colorado, Crimson Tide, Dan Lanning, Deion Sanders, Ducks, Florida, football, Gamecocks, Georgia, Hawkeyes, Illini, Illinois, Iowa, Jedd Fisch, Jeff Brohm, Josh Heupel, Justin Wilcox, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas State, Kenny Dillingham, Kyle Whittingham, Longhorns, Louisville, LSU, Mario Cristobal, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi State, Missouri, NCAA, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Red River, Ryan Day, Ryan Walters, San Jose State, SEC, Sooners, South Carolina, Sports, Stanford, Steve Sarkesian, Sun Devils, Tennessee, Texas, Tigers, Trent Dilfer, UAB, UConn, UMass, USC, Utah, Utah State, UTEP, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest, Washington, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Honorable mention: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Glad I’m not him: Brent Venables
Ditto: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Lucky guy: Bret Bielema, Illinois
Poor guy: Ryan Walters, Purdue
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jedd Fisch, Washington
Desperately seeking … anything: Trent Dilfer, UAB
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Army (defeated UAB 44-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Georgia (defeated Mississippi State 41-31)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to No. 25 Missouri 45-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (lost to No. 23 Illinois 50-49)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Iowa (defeated Washington 40-16)
Dang, they’re good: Texas
Dang, they’re bad: UMass
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Utah
Did the season start? Washington
Can the season end? UTEP
Can the season never end? Oregon
GAMES
Play this again: No. 3 Oregon 32, No. 2 Ohio State 31
Play these again, too: No. 8 Tennessee 23, Florida 17
No. 4 Penn State 33, USC 30
No. 7 Alabama 27, South Carolina 25
No. 13 LSU 29, No. 9 Ole Miss 26
Never play this again: No. 11 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 7
What? Arizona State 27, No. 16 Utah 19
Huh? Iowa 40, Washington 16
Are you kidding me?? No. 13 LSU 29, No. 9 Ole Miss 26
Oh – my – God: No. 3 Oregon 32, No. 2 Ohio State 31
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 8)
Ticket to die for: No. 5 Georgia @ No. 1 Texas
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Wake Forest @ UConn
Best non-Power Four matchup: UNLV @ Oregon State
Upset alert: No. 11 Notre Dame @ Georgia Tech
Must win: No. 7 Alabama @ No. 11 Tennessee
Offensive explosion: New Mexico @ Utah State
Defensive struggle: UCLA @ Rutgers
Great game no one is talking about: Nebraska @ No. 16 Indiana
Intriguing coaching matchup: Josh Heupel of Tennessee vs Kalen DeBoer of Alabama
Honorable mention: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Mario Cristobal of Miami
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 2 Oregon @ Purdue
Why are they playing? Ball State @ Vanderbilt
Plenty of good seats remaining: Kennesaw State @ Middle Tennessee
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Wyoming @ San Jose State
Week 7 Thoughts:
We said, on this blog, that this week was going to be grand. Not to be self-congratulatory in the least, but we were more right than we realized.
This week was one of the most epic for college football in ages. To wit:
Friday evening started the weekend off interestingly, delivering an upset of No. 16 Utah at the hands of unranked Arizona State. Lesson learned: take the Sun Devils lightly at one’s own peril.
South Carolina, battered by Ole Miss the week prior, came off the mat to threaten Alabama within an inch of its life, taking the Crimson Tide down to the wire and losing only 27-25. Had the Gamecocks not botched a two-point conversion attempt, it is unlikely that Bama could have escaped intact.
Texas avenged its unexpected loss from last year, trouncing Oklahoma gradually over the course of 60 minutes of play, triumphing most convincingly 34-3. The Sooners’ only three points came early in the first quarter before the Longhorns’ defense and offense settled into their respective rhythms. In the process of this most ripping victory, Texas has, for now, vindicated its current standing as the No. 1 team in the nation.
Even the lesser-regarded teams got in on the act and delivered incredible games in their own right. Cal ventured across the country to Pittsburgh, and gave a valiant effort, only losing 17-15 to the No. 22 Panthers. Despite the loss, I am left convinced that Justin Wilcox is the best coach nobody has heard of.
Iowa decided to find this new thing called an offense, and blew out an unsuspecting Washington squad at home, 40-16. This blew more than a few minds, given that the Hawkeyes have been in more than a few defensive struggles as of late.
Purdue, earning its reputation as a punching bag, what with its hitherto dismal performances, suddenly found an offense as well. The timing was perfect, since the Boilermakers have become Illinois’ nemesis or sort in recent years. The Boilers took the 23rd-ranked Illini into overtime before coming up short in an expected thriller, 50-49.
Louisville, having had something of a “Virginia problem” as of late, likewise rebounded after a tough loss to SMU and picked up the win on the road, in comeback fashion, no less.
Penn State ventured out to Los Angeles to take on USC in the Coliseum. The legendary venue showed up beautifully on TV, what with a packed house creating a “sea of cardinal”; the east stands decked out in full Trojans banner-regalia; the 4th quarter tradition of the lighting of the Olympic torch; it all blended together as a symphonic feast for the eyes. Better yet, the game surpassed the outward aesthetics. The Trojans came through on big plays to maintain a lead most of the game. But the Nittany Lions are nothing if not tenacious, gnawing away at the opposition throughout regulation, waiting to capitalize on the inevitable mistake. Penn State’s comeback was enough to take the game into OT, where they won by a field goal. On a grander scale, such a thriller of a game personified the amazing potential of new conference matchups made possible by the recent west coast additions to the B1G. Yes, it still feels like we’re in the Twilight Zone with the Big Ten having expanded this way, but such games make question whether being in such a “Zone” is so bad after all.
All these games listed, and we still have yet to note the night game thrillers!
To start off that segment, Tennessee finally got a major money off its back by defeating Florida in a close one, 23-17. Pundits have speculated on the inconsistent offensive output on the Volunteers’ part since they beat Oklahoma earlier this season. While those concerns are not unfounded, what made this game more of a nailbiter than considered ‘on paper’ is that Florida continues to improve as a team under the much-maligned Billy Napier. Perhaps giving Napier the ax so soon would be unnecessarily hasty. Regardless, the Volunteers have little time to celebrate, as the Crimson Tide comes calling next week. That matchup between Tennessee and Alabama shall be easily the most epic clash of those two teams in easily 30 years, if not more.
In another massive game, LSU took on Ole Miss in Death Valley. The level of play and intensity of rivalry directly harkened back to the high-stakes matchups between the two teams of the late 1950s when legendary coaches Paul Dietzel and Johnny Vaught helmed the respective squads. The Tigers’ huge, come-from-behind win is no doubt a monkey off Brian Kelly’s back, who still has yet to prove himself to everyone’s satisfaction in the most brutal of conferences.
Finally, the perhaps the biggest thriller of them all took place in Eugene, where No. 2 Ohio State ventured out to the west coast to take on conference newcomer, No. 3 Oregon. Not only was this matchup massive on paper, but teams’ performances lived up to the hype. In the end, the Ducks overcame the Buckeyes thanks to the latter’s clock mismanagement in the final seconds. But to zoom out the proverbial lens, this game’s outcome is not the end, only the beginning. Between the new 12-team playoff format, and the reformatted conference championship, if the two teams continue to live up to their potential, it is very likely their paths may cross again. Should that come to pass, perhaps that should favor the Buckeyes, who now have luxury to examine what went wrong and to take corrective action in anticipation of the next time. But in the meantime, they had better prepare to meet still-undefeated Penn State come Nov. 2.
Finally, Deion Sanders & CO (see what I did there?) delivered a highly competitive night cap. Seriously, the game kicked off at 8:15 local [Mountain] time: who in their right mind starts a game that late? Say what you want about Coach Prime, but after the first few games which were a comedy of errors, the team has suddenly gotten serious, having steadily improved during the last few games. This improvement has developed to the point where they almost triumphed, on the road, over consistently tough No. 18 Kansas State. Let us not give the Buffaloes up for dead yet, as they have a slate of challenging but winnable games throughout the remainder of their schedule.
College Football Awards, Week 1 (2024) September 4, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Brent Key, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, BYU, Dan Lanning, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hurricanes, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Lance Leipold, Lincoln Riley, LSU, Mack Brown, Miami (FL), Michigan, Mike Norvell, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Rice, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, UConn, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Lincoln Riley, USC
Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, LSU
Lucky guy: Mack Brown, North Carolina
Poor guy: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Brent Key, Georgia Tech (Week 0)
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Desperately seeking … anything: Mike Norvell, Florida State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated Chattanooga 69-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oregon (defeated Idaho 24-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Temple (lost to No. 16 Oklahoma 51-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Stanford (lost to TCU 34-27)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Miami, FL (defeated Florida 41-17)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: UConn
Can’t Stand Prosperity: N/A
Did the season start? Florida State
Can the season end? Rice
Can the season never end? USC
GAMES
Play this again: No. 23 USC 27, No. 7 LSU 20
Play this again, too: No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 20 Texas A&M 13
Never play this again: Auburn 73, Alabama A&M 3
What? Vanderbilt 34, Virginia Tech 27 (OT)
Huh? Georgia Tech 24, No. 10 Florida State 20 (Week 0)
Are you kidding me?? No. 23 USC 27, No. 7 LSU 20
Oh – my – God: Boston College 28, No. 10 Florida State 13
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 2)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Texas @ No. 9 Michigan
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Boise State @ No. 3 Oregon
Best non-Power Four matchup: Liberty @ New Mexico State
Upset alert: Iowa State @ No. 25 Iowa
Must win: Colorado @ Nebraska
Offensive explosion: Arkansas @ No. 17 Oklahoma State
Defensive struggle: Iowa State @ No. 25 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: BYU @ SMU
Intriguing coaching matchup: Bret Bielema of Illinois vs Lance Leipold of Kansas
Who’s bringing the body bags? Tennessee Tech @ No. 1 Georgia
Why are they playing? Samford @ Florida
Plenty of good seats remaining: Merrimack @ UConn
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Texas Southern @ Rice
Week 1 Thoughts:
The 2024-’25 college football season has already gotten off to an interesting start. Already there has been a noticeable upset (Georgia Tech triumphing over Florida State on Week 0, in Dublin, Ireland, no less). Already we have also seen the Miami Hurricanes reassert themselves in a big way in the Swamp, trouncing the Gators 41-17. Either the Canes are “back”, or Florida has a long way to go to return to their championship-caliber days under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.
But the first full week has also been hit-and-miss. Most of the matchups scream “[W]hy are they playing?” To wit: New Hampshire @ UCF; Chattanooga @ Tennessee; Austin Peay @ Louisville; Temple @ Oklahoma; Murray State @ Missouri; Southern Utah @ Utah; Lehigh @ Army; Alabama A&M @ Auburn; Western Carolina @ NC State; and that is just the short list. Only the last listed game was remotely competitive (the Wolfpack won, but only 38-21).
These are way too many body bag games for teams that are now in expanded conferences, and are now vying for berths in a new 12-team playoff system. No more excuses. After all, what is the point in teams joining expanded conferences, if said teams are not to engage their newfound rivals? It is time for so many of these teams to start giving fans more quality matchups at the beginning of the season, and to play more teams in-conference. Too many snoozefests at the beginning of the season is bad for the sport. Period.
All that said, some games did stand out, some for the wrong reasons.
Idaho @ Oregon:
Pursuant to the matter noted above, sometimes a “gimme game” can backfire. Case in point: Idaho got a payday to come to Oregon to play the Ducks. Though ranked No. 3 in the country going into the game, all the Ducks could do was squeeze out a 24-14 win over the Vandals, an FCS team. If the Ducks want us to believe they belong at the No. 3 ranking, they better start playing like it.
All that said, three games did stand out of the right reasons:
North Carolina @ Minnesota
This game proved to be a good one. It remained close throughout, and the results went down to the wire, where in the end, the Golden Gophers had a chance to win it, but missed a field goal at the buzzer. This game also doubled as an honorable mention Intriguing Coaching Matchup, what with PJ Fleck vs Mack Brown.
Notre Dame @ Texas A&M
This game did live up to the hype, and Notre Dame proved they are a more-than-respectable team. The only thing that disappointed was the outcome for the A&M. Had the Aggies a better QB, the game could very well have ended in their favor. A concern going forward: given the Irish’s rather favorable schedule (the only ranked teams they play are Florida State and USC, at the end of the regular season), will they be overhyped and put into the playoffs, only to be crushed in the first round?
USC vs LSU in Las Vegas
What a way to start the college football season: a primetime, marquee matchup in Vegas. The game was a thriller from wire to wire, and if USC’s performance is any indication, they are instant playoff contenders, and could very well give Ohio State a tough contest for B1G champion. On the other side of the ball, LSU had chances to get ahead, but execution errors hobbled them, much to Brian Kelly’s expressed frustration, post-game.
College football is back in full-swing. Now for us to wade through more body bag games next week so we can proceed with conference schedules in earnest.
College Football Awards Week 9 (2023) November 2, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Akron, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Brent Venables, Brian Kelly, Clemson, Cougars, Dabo Swinney, Dan Lanning, Dana Dimel, Ducks, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Jacksonville State, James Madison, K.C. Keeler, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kansas State, Kent State, Kyle Whittingham, Lance Leipold, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nick Saban, North Carolina, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rich Rodriguez, Sam Houston State, SMU, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, Tulsa, UCLA, UConn, USC, Utah, UTEP, Utes, Wake Forest, Washington
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Honorable mention: Lance Leipold, Kansas
Glad I’m not him: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Lucky guy: Dana Dimel, UTEP
Poor guy: K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Rich Rodriguez, Jacksonville State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Desperately seeking … anything: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Florida State (defeated Wake Forest 41-16)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Washington (defeated Stanford 42-33)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Michigan State (lost to No. 2 Michigan 49-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Indiana (lost to No. 10 Penn State 33-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Kansas State (defeated Houston 41-0)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Tulsa
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oklahoma
Did the season start? North Carolina
Can the season end? Sam Houston State
Can the season never end? Louisville
GAMES
Play this again: Kansas 38, No. 6 Oklahoma 33
Never play this again: SMU 69, Tulsa 10
What? Northwestern 33, Maryland 27
Huh? Arizona 27, No. 11 Oregon State 24
Are you kidding me?? Georgia Tech 46, No. 17 North Carolina 42
Oh – my – God: Kansas 38, No. 6 Oklahoma 33
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 10)
Ticket to die for: No. 13 LSU @ No. 8 Alabama
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Jacksonville State @ South Carolina
Best non-Power Five matchup: South Alabama @ Troy
Upset alert: No. 25 Kansas State @ No. 7 Texas
Must win: No. 10 Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State
Offensive explosion: No. 5 Washington @ No. 24 USC
Defensive struggle: Arkansas @ Florida
Great game no one is talking about: No. 23 James Madison @ Georgia State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Nick Saban of Alabama vs Brian Kelly of LSU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Purdue @ No. 2 Michigan
Why are they playing? UConn @ No. 19 Tennessee
Plenty of good seats remaining: Kent State @ Akron
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Campbell @ North Carolina
Week 9 Thoughts:
Kansas vs Oklahoma
Was this the only competitive game for this weekend’s noon EDT time slot? Not quite. Penn State vs Indiana, far from the “body bag game” it could have been on paper, was incredibly competitive until the past few minutes of the game. This particular game, though, was competitive throughout, with Kansas surprisingly leading the bulk of the time, and, even more so, surprisingly winning. Was this a trap game for the Sooners? Were they thinking about playing their hated in-state rival, Oklahoma State, the following week? That would not be logical. At this point, the Jayhawks are a stronger team than the Cowboys, so the recipe for a trap game does not come together for this head-scratcher of an upset, but signature win for the program under Lance Leipold.
Utah vs Oregon
The Utes may have hitherto passed numerous tests, but not this one. Oregon clearly had the winning formula to exploit what very few weaknesses Utah’s proven defense had, and the final score proved it, 35-6, in Rice-Eccles Stadium, of all places. Furthermore, the Ducks are not going away anytime soon. Already having clawed their way back to the No. 6 spot in the AP polls, this apparent second wind could carry them to an epic clash for the Pac-12 championship.
Texas vs BYU
In contrast to Oklahoma’s close call against UCF last week wherein this week they clearly did not bounce back, Texas clearly did over BYU after their close call last week at Houston. Or did they? A 35-6 triumph over the Cougars should be as convincing as any on paper, given the consistent discipline and tenacity of the visiting team. Yet concerns remain: the Longhorns’ red zone inconsistencies persist. Most disturbing was their inability to punch it in from the goal line on a particular drive, a carbon-copy scenario of point off the board against hated OU in Dallas just a few weeks earlier. Above all else, Texas needs to fix their goal line offensive woes if they have any aspirations for the playoffs.
Louisville vs Duke
Nobody is going to dispute that Duke is a very respectable team, never to be taken lightly, and only narrowly missing a chance to beat Notre Dame a few weeks prior. Yet the Cardinals demolished the Blue Devils anyhow. Even notwithstanding the trap game loss at Pittsburgh, it is amazing the team that Jeff Brohm has built in his inaugural season coaching his alma mater, a squad that is already beyond bowl-eligible. A winnable stretch of three games remains, then they close out the season with a potential slugfest against in-state rival Kentucky. This is a team worth keeping one’s eye on as high-stakes November approaches.
Looking ahead to Week 10:
South Carolina vs Jacksonville State
The Gamecocks have struggled mightily this year, and now, an intriguing test approaches. Is Jacksonville State that good at 7-2, or have their seven wins come from Group-of-Five cupcakes? This game will be an interesting test of respective strengths. Also intriguing: the Gamecocks will be playing the Gamecocks.
Ole Miss vs Texas A&M
The Aggies’ offense has been up and down this year. If it is up for this game, this could be a potentially high-scoring game.
Texas vs Kansas State
Sure, Texas just notched a convincing win, but the Wildcats just mauled the other Cougars (Houston), 41-0. Now would be a good time for the Longhorns to fix their goal line offensive woes, or they had better be prepared to be upset at home.
Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma
The Badlam Series game comes early this year. The Sooners might come into Stillwater with a renewed focus after being blindsided by Kansas this past weekend. At the same time, the Cowboys are slightly down from previous strong years. It might not be a pretty sight for the Cowboys.
Tulane vs East Carolina
The Green Wave and the Pirates have polar-opposite records (7-1 and 1-7), respectively. When was the last time that Tulane could be enjoying a body bag game?
Alabama vs LSU
Brian Kelly’s Bayou Bengals take on Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. What more do we need to add to convince ourselves that this is likely the game of the week?
USC vs Washington
Get ready for some offensive fireworks, West Coast-style.
Arizona vs UCLA
The Wildcats have already knocked off ranked teams back-to-back. Can they three-peat?
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