College Football Week 8 Awards (2026) October 26, 2026
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona, Army, Badgers, Bill Belichick, Boise State, BYU, Camp Randall Stadium, Cincinnati, college football, Colorado, Colorado State, Curt Cignetti, Dan Lanning, East Carolina, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Floyd of Rosedale, football, Gamecocks, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Josh Heupel, Kennesaw State, Kyle Whittingham, liberty, Longhorns, Luke Fickell, Mario Cristobal, Miami, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri State, Navy, NCAA football, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota State, North Texas, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Rice, Rich Rodriguez, Rutgers, Sam Houston State, San Diego State, Shane Beamer, Sonny Dykes, South Carolina, Spencer Danielson, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Trinidad Chambliss, UCF, UCLA, USC, Utah, UTEP, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Glad I’m not him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Lucky guy: Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia
Poor guy: Sonny Dykes, TCU
Desperately seeking a wake-up call clue: Kyle Whittingham, Michigan
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Spencer Danielson, Boise State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kalani Sitake, BYU
Desperately seeking … anything: Dan Lanning, Oregon
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Northwestern (defeated Rutgers 42-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Florida Atlantic (defeated Rice 51-49)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kennesaw State (lost to Liberty 34-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Michigan (lost to Indiana 13-6 (OT))
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Hawaii (defeated Northern Illinois 56-21)
Dang, they’re good: Miami
Dang, they’re bad: Sacramento State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: BYU
Did the season start? Tennessee
Can the season end? Vanderbilt
Can the season never end? UCLA
GAMES
Play this again: No. 19 Texas 34, No. 7 Ole Miss 27
Play this again, too: Virginia Tech 20, Clemson 16
Never play this again: Delaware 61, Missouri State 38
What? Minnesota 13, No. 15 Iowa 10
Come again? Wisconsin 24, No. 16 USC 7
Huh? South Carolina 27, No. 11 Tennessee 24
Double-Huh?? No. 19 Texas 34, No. 7 Ole Miss 27
Are you kidding me?? Cincinnati 31, No. 8 Texas Tech 24
Oh – my – God: UCF 39, No. 2 BYU 31 (2OT)
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Ohio State @ USC
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: No. 5 Notre Dame @ Navy*
Best non-Power Four matchup: Army @ Memphis
Upset alert: No. 22 Arizona @ No. 13 Texas Tech
Must win: No. 17 Florida vs No. 3 Georgia
Offensive explosion: Florida Atlantic @ North Texas
Defensive struggle: No. 25 Wisconsin @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: South Carolina @ Oklahoma
Intriguing coaching matchup: P.J. Fleck of Minnesota vs Curt Cignetti of Indiana
Also: Mario Cristobal of Miami vs Bill Belichick of North Carolina
Who’s bringing the body bags? UTEP @ North Dakota State
Why are they playing? Nevada @ No. 7 UCLA
Plenty of good seats remaining: Sam Houston State @ Missouri State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Missouri State @ Delaware
Week 8 Thoughts:
Just as last week’s game involved many upsets, this week was certainly not devoid of them, either. For example, after celebrating its biggest regular-season win in program history, BYU suffered a let-down on the road at UCF. It’s college football: this phenomenon is not unheard of. Ole Miss suffered a loss at Texas, despite a now-predictable stagnant offense on the part of the Longhorns in the second half, and also despite 4th-quarter heroics from Trinidad Chambliss. One thing that negated a typical Chambliss-engineered comeback was that, unlike the previous two weeks, this time Texas discovered this new thing called a running game late in the second half.
Elsewhere, USC discovered the hazards and tribulations of playing a night game at Camp Randall Stadium. No doubt the shock of the hostile environment and the colder-than-normal weather did not set well with the Trojans. How else to account for losing 24-7? On the other hand, Luke Fickell now as a signature win for 2026, with a Badgers sitting at 5-2, and at a much better spot than they were during the previous season.
In Columbia, S.C., the Gamecocks were able to get their act together, and upset Tennessee with a last-second field goal. No doubt the South Carolina faithful was happy to eat the half-million-dollar fine when the fans stormed the field in celebration.
In another interesting upset, with a rivalry trophy on the line, Minnesota held off Iowa in arguably the grandest defensive struggle of the week, 13-10, and thus winning the famed Floyd of Rosedale trophy for a year.
Despite the week’s matchus appearing to be a minor let down after last week’s legendary slate of games, many turned out to be thrilling after all. Not bad for a week that was not supposed to be a “winner”.
Offensive Explosion Review:
Remember when I predicted that the Utah vs Texas Tech game was supposed to be an offensive explosion? It turned out to be quite the opposite, with Utah triumphing in the end 21-13. Some games that could have qualified as offensive explosions, though, include Oklahoma State over Colorado, 57-24 (a bit lop-sided, to be sure). Another possible example along those same lines was Delaware over Missouri State, 61-38. A less lopsided example would be Memphis over East Carolina, 41-34. One would not need to look far for two textbook examples, though, such as Florida Atlantic over Rice, 51-49, and, perhaps the grandest of the week, Colorado State over San Diego State, 56-49.
College Football Awards, Week 13 (2024) November 25, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Buffalo, BYU, Cardinal, Cardinals, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Crimson Tide, Curt Cignetti, Deion Sanders, East Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Hugh Freeze, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Kalani Sitake, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kent State, Lane Kiffin, Louisiana, Louisville, Michael Desormeaux, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Navy, NCAA, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, P.J. Fleck, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Ryan Day, San Jose State, Sooners, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tigers, Tulane, UMass, UTEP, War Eagle, Washington State, West Virginia, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Lucky guy: James Franklin, Penn State
Poor guy: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Deion Sanders, Colorado
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Desperately seeking … anything: Kalani Sitake, BYU
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated UTEP 56-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Penn State (defeated Minnesota 26-25)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to Georgia 59-21)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Minnesota (lost to No. 4 Penn State 26-25)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Louisville (defeated Pitt 37-9)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: UTEP
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Alabama
Did the season start? Ole Miss
Can the season end? Mississippi State
Can the season never end? Kansas
GAMES
Play this again: Auburn 43, No. 15 Texas A&M 41 (4OT)
Play this again, too: No. 4 Penn State 26, Minnesota 25
Never play this again: No. 11 Tennessee 56, UTEP 0
What? No. 21 Arizona State 28, No. 14 BYU 23
Huh? Florida 24, No. 9 Ole Miss 17
Double-Huh? Auburn 43, No. 15 Texas A&M 41 (4OT)
Are you kidding me?? Kansas 37, No. 16 Colorado 21
Oh – my – God: Oklahoma 24, No. 7 Alabama 3
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 14)
Ticket to die for: No. 3 Texas @ No. 20 Texas A&M
Honorable mention No. 1: No. 16 South Carolina @ No. 12 Clemson
Honorable mention No. 2: Michigan @ No. 2 Ohio State
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Stanford @ San Jose State
Best non-Power Four matchup: Memphis @ No. 18 Tulane
Upset alert: Kansas State @ No. 17 Iowa State
Must win: All Big XII games involving Iowa State, BYU, Arizona State, and Colorado
Offensive explosion: West Virginia @ Texas Tech
Defensive struggle: Nebraska @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: Navy @ East Carolina
Intriguing coaching matchup: Hugh Freeze of Auburn vs Kalen DeBoer of Alabama
Who’s bringing the body bags? Purdue @ Indiana
Dishonorable mention: Kent State @ Buffalo
Why are they playing? Wyoming @ Washington State
Plenty of good seats remaining: UTEP @ New Mexico State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Kennesaw State @ Louisiana Tech
Week 13 Thoughts:
In perusing through some of the interesting games from this week, just as we began with a game involving Louisville last week, it seems fitting that we do so again. The Cardinals have given major Jekyll-and-Hyde vibes lately. They hang tough with Miami, only losing by a touchdown. Only two weeks later, they embarrass Clemson in Death Valley, thus mortally wounding the Tigers’ bid for the ACC crown. Then a week later, they lay an egg in the 4th quarter to Stanford, giving the Cardinal (notice the lack of the plural) a rare win for their dismal year. Apparently that embarrassment woke something up inside of them, for they turned things around the following week and ripped a potentially dangerous Pittsburgh team, 37-9. If that team shows up in Lexington this upcoming week, the Governor’s Cup could likely come back to Louisville.
What most of us thought to be the main event of the day – at noon EST, no less – was the Indiana @ Ohio State game. Finally, a chance to prove themselves against a top five team. After getting licked by the Buckeyes 38-15, clearly Curt Cignetti & Co. have further developing and growth to undertake in order to be a legit top-five team themselves in the future. But if the most recent, updated AP rankings are of any indication, it is still likely that IU could make the playoffs.
Speaking of potential playoff teams from the Big Ten, can we legitimately call Penn State the No. 4 team in the land after narrowly escaping a loss to unranked Minnesota? Yes, P.J. Fleck’s teams are never to be underestimated, and they can make a team pay if said team lets down its guard. But after such an impressive win on the part of the Nittany Lions, it raises the question of maybe the current rankings are some degree of wishful thinking than that of objective reasoning. To broaden the scope of the matter at hand, are we truly going to say with a straight face that the three of the top five teams are all in in the B1G? Are we trying to convince ourselves that No. 4 Penn State is somehow better than No. 6 Georgia? Same question applies to Notre Dame, at No. 5, to be sure. I offer this as food for thought as one last week in the regular season remains.
Meanwhile, with Kansas upsetting Colorado and with Arizona State escaping their matchup with BYU with a win, the race for the Big XII crown has been officially knocked on its ear. As many as four teams could vie for the title – Colorado and BYU still, along with Iowa State and Arizona State, the latter of whom seems to have the strongest momentum of the pack. Should all four teams win this upcoming week, how to sort out who plays for the conference title? My personal choice would be to select the explosive combination of pizzazz and momentum, thus Colorado and Arizona State. But let’s see how these teams fare in their regular season finales in the meantime.
All that said, despite the deserved hype of the Indiana-Ohio State game earlier in the day, the best game of the day turned out to be Texas A&M at Auburn at night. The Aggies might have been looking past the Tigers, understandably as that program seems to have lost its way this year. Nevertheless, Hugh Freeze managed to get the War Eagles prepared and focused, and it showed as they took they led the Aggies most of the the game, tied it up at the end of the regulation, then outlasted them in overtime in a wild thriller of a matchup in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
But if one upset in the SEC with title race implications is great, why not double our pleasure with another such upset? Raise your hand if you had not given up Oklahoma for dead? Then Alabama comes calling, only to come out flat the entire game. The Sooners inexplicably held the Crimson Tide to three points the entire game, while Oklahoma scored far more than that. Don’t look now, but Bama has three losses for this season. And yet, is anybody going to deny, with a straight face, that they could not beat half the teams currently in the AP Top Ten?
Bottom line: the Playoff Committee has their work cut out for them in sorting out this week as Rivalry Week is about to unfold.
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 12 (2023) November 22, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: ACC, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, B1G, Billy Napier, BYU, Clemson, Colorado, Cyclones, Deion Sanders, Duke, East Carolina, Eliah Drinkwitz, Florida, Georgia, Hawai'i, Hugh Freeze, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Madison, Jeff Brohm, Jeff Traylor, Jerry Kill, Jonathon Brooks, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kansas State, Kyle Whittingham, Lance Leipold, liberty, Longhorns, Louisville, Mark Stoops, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, NC State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Purdue, Qwinn Ewers, Ryan Walters, South Carolina, Tarheels, Tennessee, Texas, Tulane, Tulsa, Utah, UTEP, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, Wolfpack, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Glad I’m not him: Lance Leipold, Kansas
Lucky guy: Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
Poor guy: Billy Napier, Florida
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Deion Sanders, Colorado
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Also: Jerry Kill, New Mexico State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Desperately seeking … anything: Ryan Walters, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Alabama (defeated Chattanooga 66-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (defeated BYU 31-24)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Hawai’i (lost to Wyoming 42-9)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Maryland (lost to No. 3 Michigan 31-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Arizona (defeated No. 22 Utah 42-18)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Purdue
Can’t Stand Prosperity: James Madison
Did the season start? North Carolina
Can the season end? Auburn
Can the season never end? Georgia
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Washington 22, No. 11 Oregon 20
Play this again, too: No. 21 Kansas State 31, No. 25 Kansas 27
Never play this again: No. 8 Alabama 66, Chattanooga 10
What? Appalachian State 26, James Madison 23, OT
Huh? Virginia 30, Duke 27
Are you kidding me?? Clemson 31, No. 20 North Carolina 20
Oh – my – God: New Mexico State 31, Auburn 10
Told you so: No. 16 Iowa 15, Illinois 13
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 3 Michigan
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: UTSA vs No. 24 Tulane Also: Jacksonville State @ NM State
Upset alert: South Carolina @ Clemson
Must win: Washington State @ No. 5 Washington
Offensive explosion: No. 11 Oregon State @ No. 6 Oregon
Defensive struggle: No. 16 Iowa @ Nebraska
Great game no one is talking about: North Carolina @ NC State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Mark Stoops of Kentucky
Honorable Mention: Deion Sanders of Colorado vs Kyle Whittingham of Utah
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 17 Arizona @ Arizona State
Why are they playing? Liberty @ UTEP
Plenty of good seats remaining: Tulsa @ East Carolina
Plenty of good seats remaining, B1G Edition: Indiana @ Purdue
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Vanderbilt @ Tennessee
Week 12 Thoughts:
Maryland vs Michigan
The Terrapins played the Wolverines reasonably close, losing by only a touchdown, 31-24. Is this close score on account of the matchup being a trap game for Michigan? They just came off a big win in Happy Valley, and must now prepare for “The Game”. If the matchup against Maryland does not scream “trap game”, what does? Moreover, did Jim Harbaugh’s absence hurt Michigan’s performance that much? Or, were the Wolverines simply playing their cards close to the vest, without giving away any major secret plays, while executing a very conservative game plan? I personally suspect the latter.
Miami (FL) vs Louisville
The Cardinals, by the hardest, pulled off a win in Miami. Mirabile dictu, in his first year at the helm at Louisville, Jeff Brohm has clinched a spot in the ACC championship game against Florida State.
Auburn vs New Mexico State
In the O-M-G upset of the year, the Aggies (the ones in Las Cruces, not College Station) have defeated the Tigers 31-10. Surely this is the greatest win in the history of the program for New Mexico State, and surely this is Auburn’s most ignominious loss in at least, say, 45 years.
Iowa State vs Texas
In the upset alert that was not, the Longhorns proved many a doubter wrong and triumphed, fairly convincingly, in Ames. Texas’ recent loss of running back Jonathon Brooks to an ACL tear last week seemed to doom their running game. The two most recent games indicated inconsistencies in their offense overall. The Cyclones’ defense was known to be stingy, especially at home. On top of all that, the weather for this game was colder than what the Longhorns are used to back in Austin. And yet, the Horns still proved the doubters wrong. This time, there was no close call. QB Qwinn Ewers executed more consistently than in the past couple of games, the running game was still there, and the defense made some big plays when needed. Make no mistake: winning by 10 points in Ames in the latter part of November is a rather impressive feat.
Northwestern vs Purdue
Leave it to Purdue to find new ways to disappoint its fans. This team could not even beat a mediocre Northwestern team. Is it too early to speculate that Ryan Walters is Darrell Hazell 2.0? Conversely, the Wildcats, whom everyone gave up for dead earlier in the season, is now bowl-eligible.
Looking ahead to Week 13:
(Yay, it’s Rivalry Week!)
Michigan vs Ohio State
A.K.A., “The Game”. It all comes down to this. Or does it? The winner is in the driver’s seat for the playoffs. Too bad the B1G has not yet wised up and allowed the two teams with the best records in the conference to play each other for a matchup.
Purdue vs Indiana
Meanwhile, it’s a race to the bottom in the B1G as the two play for the Old Oaken Bucket.
Louisville vs Kentucky
The Wildcats have had the recent upper hand in the Governor’s Cup rivalry, winning the last four. Having just clinched a berth in the ACC championship, the Cardinals’ Jeff Brohm is surely out to make a statement and halt that trend.
Oregon vs Oregon State
This could be one of the hardest-fought, high-scoring “Civil Wars” of recent memory. Buckle up, and enjoy!
Illinois vs Northwestern
The Wildcats, now with six wins, are technically bowl-eligible. The Illini are now fighting for bowl-eligibility, and this is their last chance. Such is a great example of two mediocre teams pitted together can make for a potentially great game.
South Carolina vs Clemson
Speaking of fighting for bowl eligibility, the Gamecocks, sitting at 5-6, are in the same position as Illinois, though they are have a tougher task to make it to the six-win mark, since they face the Tigers.
That said, having passed something of a test against Kentucky, perhaps South Carolina might now pass a slightly harder one.
NC State vs North Carolina
No doubt that the Tarheels did not predict they would be sitting at only 8-3 at this point. Oddly, the Wolfpack has the same current record. Moreover, how ironic is it that, going into this game, NC State is the ranked team?
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2023) November 6, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Army, Brian Kelly, Cal, Caleb Williams, Cardinals, Chris Klieman, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Cowboys, Dino Babers, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Georgia State, Huskies, Illinois, Indiana, James Madison, Jedd Fisch, Jeff Brohm, Kansas State, Kirby Smart, Lane Kiffin, Longhorns, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Maalik Murphy, Marcus Freeman, Matt Rhule, Memphis, Michael Penix Jr., Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Mike Gundy, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nick Saban, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sam Houston State, Sooners, South Carolina, South Florida, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas State, Trojans, Tulane, Tulsa, UConn, UNLV, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Wildcats, Will Howard, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Nick Saban, Alabama
Honorable mention: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, LSU
Lucky guy: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Poor guy: Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jedd Fisch, Arizona
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Desperately seeking … anything: Dino Babers, Syracuse
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oregon (defeated Cal 63-19)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Tulane (defeated East Carolina 13-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Purdue (lost to No. 3 Michigan 41-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: East Carolina
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: James Madison (defeated Georgia State 42-14)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Arizona State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Air Force
Did the season start? Oklahoma
Can the season end? Middle Tennessee
Can the season never end? Oregon
GAMES
Play this again: No. 22 Oklahoma State 27, No. 9 Oklahoma 24
Play this again, too: Memphis 59, South Florida 50
Never play this again: No. 17 Tennessee 59, UConn 3
What? Army 23, No. 25 Air Force 3
Huh? Arizona 27, No. 24 UCLA 10
Are you kidding me?? No. 22 Oklahoma State 27, No. 9 Oklahoma 24
Oh – my – God: Clemson 31, No. 15 Notre Dame 23
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 3 Michigan @ No. 11 Penn State
Honorable Mention: No. 10 Ole Miss @ No. 3 Georgia
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: Wyoming @ UNLV
Upset alert: No. 17 Tennessee @ No 12 Missouri
Must win: No. 17 Tennessee @ No 12 Missouri
Offensive explosion: No. 20 USC @ No. 6 Oregon
Defensive struggle: Pittsburgh @ Syracuse
Great game no one is talking about: Texas State @ Coastal Carolina
Intriguing coaching matchup: Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss vs Kirby Smart of Georgia
Who’s bringing the body bags? Tulsa @ No. 21 Tulane
Why are they playing? UConn @ James Madison
Plenty of good seats remaining: Sam Houston State @ Louisiana Tech
Plenty of good seats remaining, SEC Edition: Vanderbilt @ South Carolina
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Holy Cross @ Army
Week 9 Thoughts:
Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma
The Bedlam Series went to hiatus on a high note in Stillwater. Plenty of drama, mistakes, and big plays to go around on both sides of the ball, with the Cowboys, in the end, giving their hated rival a massive sewage burger to eat as the Sooners are departing for the SEC next year. It is the sort of game fans would dream of to transpire in T. Boone Pickens Stadium.
Texas vs Kansas State
This game was the week’s upset alert, and the suspicion almost came true. Granted, the Longhorn’s backup QB Maalik Murphy is but a freshman, but one cannot thrown even two INTs against a tough team like Kansas State and expect to win the game. And yet, Texas did, by the hardest. It helped that the defense came through with the game on the line in OT, making a key stop on 4th down with a sack to KSU QB Will Howard. It also helped that Texas did a decent job of establishing the running game through stretches of the game, with 230 yards and two rushing touchdowns. But going forward, Murphy needs to work on his completion percentage and turnover prevention.
Tennessee vs UConn
Looks like the Volunteers got their annual November SEC body bag game in early this year, since most of the rest of the conference will be getting theirs in come the 18th instead. Commendably, on that day, Tennessee plays Georgia, so at least there will be one game in the SEC worth seeing that weekend.
Louisville vs Virginia Tech
Granted that the Hokies are not very strong this year, but it is impressive nevertheless how the Cardinals demolished them all the same. It is shaping up to be one memorable year as Jeff Brohm’s inaugural season as head coach of his alma mater.
USC vs Washington
That a memorable shootout occurred in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is no surprise. That Trojans QB Caleb Williams was not able to win despite a nearly-flawless performance was tragic. We can blame USC’s inept defensive coordinator for the bulk of the losses up to now, but this time, to be fair, it is hard to overcome the formidable Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr.
Other games:
One thing to notice was the small upsets throughout the Big Ten this week. Indiana upset Wisconsin at home; Illinois pulled out a win on the road against Minnesota; and Michigan State, despite their self-inflicted disarray, managed to upset Nebraska. What does one want to bet that one of those losing teams anticipated taking home an “L” that week? Looks like Luke Fickell, P.J. Fleck, and Matt Rhule are also looking for sunglasses and a fake beard right now.
Looking ahead to Week 11:
Penn State vs Michigan
The Wolverines roll into Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions. This will be Michigan’s first real opportunity to prove they belong in the top three, if not the No. 1 spot.
Tennessee vs Missouri
This game could determine the solid No. 2 in the SEC East after clear leader Georgia.
Georgia vs Ole Miss
This is the other “ticket to die for” of the upcoming week. The Rebels have quietly worked their way up the rankings to No. 10. Granted, there is often a considerable discrepancy in talent between teams of those respective rankings, but this will be a good test for both squads.
Utah vs Washington
As good as Utah’s defense is, it will likely be not enough to contain Washington’s offense.
Oregon vs USC
Poor USC. First they lose a heartbreaking shootout at home to Washington, now they have to travel up to Eugene, where their defense is likely to receive its worse pommeling yet (and that’s saying something). But now that Lincoln Riley has axed his feckless DC Alex Grinch, perhaps the Trojans’ D might see some gradual improvement.
Duke vs North Carolina
One of the most venerable rivalries in the ACC is about to commence its latest football edition. With two good teams this time around, it’s likely to be a good one.
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?
College Football Awards, Week 13 (2018) November 25, 2018
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arkansas, Boise State, Bronco Mendenhall, Cincinnati, Clemson, David Cutcliffe, Derek Mason, Duke, East Carolina, Georgia, Iowa State, Jeremy Pruitt, Jim Harbaugh, Jonathan Smith, Justin Fuente, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Marshall, Memphis, Michigan, Middle Tennessee, NC State, North Texas, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Pat Fitzgerald, South Carolina, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UAB, UCF, UConn, Urban Meyer, Utah State, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 13] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Urban Meyer, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Lucky guy: Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
Poor guy: Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: David Cutcliffe, Duke
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee
Desperately seeking … anything: Jonathan Smith, Oregon State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Kentucky (defeated Louisville 56-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas (defeated Kansas 24-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: East Carolina (lost to Cincinnati 56-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: UTSA (lost to North Texas 24-21)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated No. 4 Michigan 62-39)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Louisville
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Washington State
Did the season start? Wisconsin
Can the season end? Arkansas
Can the season never end? Clemson
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Oklahoma 59, No. 13 West Virginia 56
Play this again, too: No. 22 Texas A&M 74, No. 7 LSU 72, 7OT
Never play this again: Temple 57, UConn 7
What? Minnesota 37, Wisconsin 15
Huh? No. 23 Boise State 33, No. 21 Utah State 24
Double Huh? No. 16 Washington 28, No. 8 Washington State 15
Are you kidding me?? No. 22 Texas A&M 74, No. 7 LSU 72, 7OT
Oh – my – God: No. 10 Ohio State 62, No. 4 Michigan 39
NEXT WEEK
Rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 14 Texas vs No. 6 Oklahoma also: No. 1 Alabama @ No. 5 Georgia
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Marshall @ Virginia Tech
Best non-Power Five matchup: UAB @ Middle Tennessee
Upset alert: No. 19 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Ohio State
Must win: Any conference championship game
Offensive explosion: inconclusive
Defensive struggle: inconclusive
Great game no one is talking about: Memphis @ No. 9 UCF
Intriguing coaching matchup: Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern vs Urban Meyer of Ohio State
Who’s bringing the body bags? East Carolina @ NC State
Why are they playing? Drake @ No. 25 Iowa State
Plenty of good seats remaining: inconclusive
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Akron @ South Carolina
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2018) November 4, 2018
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, Brett Brennan, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado, Dana Holgorsen, East Carolina, Florida, Fresno State, Georgia, Georgia State, Hurricanes, Iowa, James Franklin, Kansas, Kansas State, Kliff Kingsbury, Louisiana, Louisville, Matt Wells, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Navy, Nebraska, Nick Saban, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Purdue, San Jose State, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech, Tom Herman, Tulane, UCF, Urban Meyer, USF, Utah, Utah State, Virginia, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 10] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Nick Saban, Alabama
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
Poor guy: Tom Herman, Texas
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Urban Meyer, Ohio State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Matt Wells, Utah State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Desperately seeking … anything: Brett Brennan, San Jose State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Clemson (defeated Louisville 77-16)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Ohio State (defeated Nebraska 36-31)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Louisville (lost to Clemson 77-16)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Charlotte (to Tennessee 14-3)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Michigan (defeated No. 14 Penn State 42-7)
Dang, they’re good: Clemson
Dang, they’re bad: San Jose State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Florida
Did the season start? Miami
Can the season end? Louisville
Can the season never end? Michigan
GAMES
Play this again: No. 13 West Virginia 42, No. 17 Texas 41
Play this again, too: Purdue 38, No. 16 Iowa 36
Never play this again: No. 2 Clemson 77, Louisville 16
What? Baylor 35, Oklahoma State 31
Huh? Pitt 23, No. 25 Virginia 13
Double Huh? Purdue 38, No. 16 Iowa 36
Are you kidding me?? Arizona State 38, No. 15 Utah 20
Oh – my – God: Missouri 38, No. 11 Florida 17
NEXT WEEK
Rankings are current AP (week 10)
Best game of the week: (lots of decent games, but nothing spectacular)
One good game to see: Auburn @ No. 6 Georgia
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: USF @ Cincinnati also: Fresno State @ Boise State
Upset alert: Michigan State @ No. 10 Ohio State
Must win: South Carolina @ No. 11 Florida
Offensive explosion: Texas @ Texas Tech
Defensive struggle: Kansas @ Kansas State
Great game no one is talking about: No. 8 Washington State @ Colorado
Also: Wisconsin @ Penn State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Tom Herman of Texas vs. Kliff Kingsbury of Texas Tech
Who’s bringing the body bags? Utah State @ San Jose State
Why are they playing? Navy @ No. 12 UCF
Plenty of good seats remaining: East Carolina @ Tulane
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Georgia State @ Louisiana
College Football Awards Week 13 (2017) November 27, 2017
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, B1G, Baylor, Big Ten, Big XII, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, Bulldogs, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Dabo Swinney, East Carolina, FIU, Florida State, Frank Solich, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Gus Malzahn, Hurricanes, Idaho, Kentucky, Lamar Jackson, Longhorns, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville, Mark Richt, Maryland, Matt Luke, Memphis, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nick Saban, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Pac-12, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Rocky Long, San Diego State, San Jose State, Seminoles, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, Tigers, Tom Herman, UCF, UMass, USC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 13] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Glad I’m not him: Nick Saban, Alabama
Lucky guy: Matt Luke, Ole Miss
Poor guy: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Frank Solich, Ohio U
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Rocky Long, San Diego State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mark Richt, Miami also: Tom Herman, Texas
Desperately seeking … anything: Bret Bielema, Arkansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Penn State (defeated Maryland 66-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: TCU (defeated Baylor 45-22)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: East Carolina (lost to No. 20 Memphis 70-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: San Jose State (defeated Wyoming 20-17)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Louisville (defeated Kentucky 44-17)
Dang, they’re good: Auburn
Dang, they’re bad: East Carolina
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Miami
Did the season start? Alabama
Can the season end? Arkansas
Can the season never end? Oklahoma
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Auburn 26, No. 1 Alabama 14
Play this again, too: Ole Miss 31, No. 14 Mississippi State 28
Never play this again: No. 20 Memphis 70, East Carolina 13
What? Ole Miss 31, No. 14 Mississippi State 28
Huh? No. 21 Stanford 38, No. 8 Notre Dame 20
Are you kidding me?? Pittsburgh 24, No. 2 Miami 14
Oh – my – God: No. 6 Auburn 26, No. 1 Alabama 14
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP, post-week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 9 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Wisconsin in the B1G championship (Indianapolis)
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 20 Memphis @ No. 15 UCF (AAC championship)
Upset alert: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Also: No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 6 Auburn in the SEC championship (Atlanta)
Must win: (any championship game with playoff implications)
Offensive explosion: No. 12 TCU @ No. 4 Oklahoma (Big XII championship)
Defensive struggle: (jury’s still out)
Great game no one is talking about: No. 21 Stanford vs. No. 11 USC in the Pac-12 championship
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Richt of Miami vs. Dabo Swinney of Clemson
Who’s bringing the body bags? Louisiana-Monroe @ Florida State
Why are they playing? UMass @ FIU
Plenty of good seats remaining: Georgia Southern @ Coastal Carolina
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Idaho @ Georgia State
Week 13 Random Thoughts:
This weekend was one of reckoning for teams vying for playoff contention. Some survived, others went down in flames. One, surprisingly, was Alabama. In hindsight, the Tide was somewhat fool’s gold. All their tough conference games were at home. The season’s opener against Florida State was supposed to be a very marquee matchup, but it quickly became a rout once the Seminoles’ starting quarterback was knocked out of the game (and out for the season), thus sending FSU’s season town the toilet before it truly began. Last week should have been a greater warning than most of us acknowledged, what with Mississippi State giving the Tide a scare on the road. They escaped, only to face their first real test of the whole season, ironically at its end. They failed to step up to the challenge. Conversely, Auburn has proven they are the real deal, a playoff-worthy contender.
Clemson seems to have bounced back very nicely from the loss of their starting QB. Having handily defeated a good South Carolina team, they now prepare for this upcoming week’s ACC championship game. There they face Miami, who surprisingly lost to Pitt in their first loss all year. The inopportune loss was bad enough, but they looked listless in defeat as well, perhaps convincing a critical mass of voters that the Hurricanes are not the playoff-worthy team we thought they were. All that said, they still clinched their division for the first time since its inception, and now face the Tigers this upcoming week. The odds favor the Tigers, but then again, there are compelling reasons why we line ‘em up and play.
Ohio State stated off slowly against Michigan in “The Big House,” allowing the Wolverines to score two touchdowns. But the Buckeyes eventually got going and eventually rolled to victory. While Alabama failed to knock Auburn out of contention, Notre Dame’s convincing loss to Stanford and Miami’s sudden loss could nevertheless keep the door open for their playoff hopes. Next step is to beat Wisconsin the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis this upcoming weekend.
Texas seemed to have rediscovered their offense on the road last week at West Virginia. This week, they could only muster 23 points, at home, to Texas Tech, who is hardly the defensive juggernaut. Things have improved this year with the Longhorns compared to the previous few seasons. Case in point, the Horns remain bowl-eligible. But much work and improvement clearly remains. The biggest objective is: find offensive consistency.
Louisville is finally playing back to form, practically scoring at will over a deceptively formidably Kentucky squad. Whether Lamar Jackson deserves a return trip to Manhattan for Heisman consideration is neither here nor there, but his team is in a far better position than it was last year, trending the proper direction as they await their bowl bid destination.
Okay, so my “near-perfect playoff scenario” is already compromised. This is not a huge surprise. In hindsight, Alabama was not the juggernaut we thought they were, and Miami was not as far along as they seemed earlier this year (but at this rate, Mark Richt will bring them into legit contention). Perhaps, at this rate, it could be Clemson, Auburn, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. With that in mind, Auburn is to face Georgia for a rematch, this time in Atlanta. The Bulldogs shall surely be out for revenge. The bottom line is, the reckoning is not over yet. Buckle up.
But seriously, Ohio State, ditch those gray-black uniforms. They look horrible.
