College Football Awards, Week 13 (2023) November 30, 2023

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.
Tags: ACC, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, B1G, Big XII, BYU, C-USA, Cal, CHip Kelly, Coastal Carolina, Colorado, David Braun, Deion Sanders, Drake Maye, Georgia, Hugh Freeze, Iowa, James Madison, Jim Harbaugh, Kirby Smart, Louisville, MAC, Mack Brown, Miami (OH), Michigan, Mike Gundy, Nevada, Nick Saban, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pac-12, Ryan Day, SEC, Steve Sarkesian, Texas, Toledo, UCLA, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wolverines, Wyoming, Zak Zinter
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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

Glad I’m not him: Ryan Day, Ohio State

Lucky guy: Nick Saban, Alabama

Poor guy: Hugh Freeze, Auburn

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Mack Brown, North Carolina

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: David Braun, Northwestern

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Chip Kelly, UCLA

Desperately seeking … anything:  Deion Sanders, Colorado

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Arizona (defeated Arizona State 59-23)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Alabama (defeated Auburn 27-24)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Nevada (lost to Wyoming 42-6)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  BYU (lost to Oklahoma State 40-34)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  James Madison (defeated Coastal Carolina 56-14)  

Dang, they’re good: Michigan

Dang, they’re bad:  Nevada

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  Louisville

Did the season start?  North Carolina
Can the season end?  Colorado

Can the season never end?  Texas

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 3 Michigan 30, No. 2 Ohio State 24

Play this again, too:  No. 8 Alabama 27, Auburn 24

Never play this again: Virginia Tech 55, Virginia 17

Huh?  Cal 24, No. 24 UCLA 7

Are you kidding me??  Kentucky 38, No. 10 Louisville 31

Oh – my – God:  No. 3 Michigan 30, No. 2 Ohio State 24

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current (week 14)
Ticket to die for:  No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama in the SEC championship game

Best non-Power Five matchup: New Mexico State vs No. 24 Liberty in the C-USA champ. game

Upset alert: No. 14 Louisville vs. No. 4 Florida State in the ACC championship game

Must win: No. 18 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Texas in the Big XII championship game

Offensive explosion: No. 5 Oregon vs No. 3 Washington in the Pac-12 championship game

Defensive struggle: No. 2 Michigan vs No. 16 Iowa in the B1G championship game

Great game no one is talking about: Miami (OH) vs Toledo in the MAC championship game

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Steve Sarkesian of Texas vs Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State

Also:  Kirby Smart of Georgia vs Nick Saban of Alabama

Week 13 Thoughts:

This rivalry week yielded so many great, close, nail-biting games.  So many near-upsets that did not quite materialize, that no doubt tantalized many fanbases who were hoping that a key loss here and there would have bolstered the case for their team making it to the playoffs.  Some random thoughts:

Michigan vindicated themselves against Ohio State.  The Game itself was one that lived up the hype, as both worthy teams fought hard.  At many moments, the game could have gone in different directions, but in the end, Michigan had to rally past a devastating injury of one of their own, Zak Zinter.  Such a disaster clearly demoralized every Wolverine faithful in the Big House.  What was amazing was that the team itself dragged itself up off the canvas, and once play resumed, on the very next play, they scored a touchdown.  Rarely does even a talented team such as Michigan show such resilience.  Should they win the upcoming B1G championship game in Indianapolis (now with Jim Harbaugh back on the sidelines), few teams shall have demonstrated that they belong in the playoffs as this Wolverine squad has.

North Carolina ended on a very low note.  A team that started off so strongly and with such promise ended up sputtering at the end, losing to an in-state (practically cross-town) rival in NC State.  Surely Mack Brown, let alone senior QB Drake Maye, did not envision losing the last four of six games this regular season.

Auburn had a golden opportunity to upset hated Alabama, at home.  They had nothing to lose, and played like it for most of the game.  They only lost the game in the end on a 4^th-and-goal at the 31 yard line (no, really).  Clearly Auburn squandered this incredible opportunity to shut down the Tide when they rushed only two defenders, and kept a third as a “spy”.  In end, we saw example no. 236 of how the only thing that the “prevent defense” prevents is the implementer from winning the game.  Translation:  Auburn should have rushed at least a couple more men, obviously. Looks like Hugh Freeze’s defensive coordinator might be desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard along with UCLA’s Chip Kelly this week.

On to the Championship Week, and afterwards, let the endless playoff debates continue to a greater degree than they have already.