College Football Week 11 Awards (2021) November 14, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: ACC, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, B1G, Baylor, Big XII, Bryan Harsin, Buckeyes, C-USA, Cincinnati, Clemson, Dana Holgorsen, Florida, Georgia, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Jayhawks, Jim Harbaugh, Kansas, Kentucky, liberty, Longhorns, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Luke Fickell, Matt Campbell, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pac-12, Penn State, Pittsburgh, SEC, Shane Beamer, SMU, Sonny Cumbie, Sonny Dykes, South Alabama, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UConn, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Sonny Cumbie, Texas Tech
Poor guy: Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Dana Holgorsen, Houston
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bryan Harsin, Auburn
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Alabama (defeated New Mexico State 59-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Florida (defeated Samford 70-52)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UConn (lost to Clemson 44-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kansas (defeated Texas 57-56)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Louisville (defeated Syracuse 41-3)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: South Alabama
Another one bites the dust: Oklahoma
Did the season start? Florida
Can the season end? Indiana (also: Texas)
Can the season never end? Baylor
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Michigan 21, Penn State 17
Play this again, too: No. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19
Never play this again: No. 2 Alabama 59, New Mexico State 3
What? Mississippi State 43, No. 17 Auburn 34
Huh? No. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19
Are you kidding me?? No. 13 Baylor 27, No. 8 Oklahoma 14
Oh – my – God: Kansas 57, Texas 56 (OT)
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 7 Michigan State @ No. 4 Ohio State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: SMU @ No. 5 Cincinnati; also: Louisiana @ Liberty
Upset alert: Nebraska @ No. 18 Wisconsin; also: No. 3 Oregon @ No. 24 Utah
Must win: No. 7 Michigan State @ No. 4 Ohio State; also: Texas @ West Virginia
They have the same record? Florida @ Missouri
Offensive explosion: No. 10 Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech
Defensive struggle: Illinois @ No. 20 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: Virginia @ No. 21 Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Luke Fickell of Cincinnati vs Sonny Dykes of SMU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Charleston Southern @ No. 1 Georgia
Why are they playing? Prairie View A&M @ No. 11 Texas A&M
Plenty of good seats remaining: Southern Miss @ Louisiana Tech
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? New Mexico State @ Kentucky; also: Wofford @ North Carolina
Week 11 Thoughts:
Lots of great games and lots of head-scratchers for week 11. On one hand, we were treated to great games such as Michigan @ Penn State, then Texas A&M @ Ole Miss in the evening. But we also saw a number of games that left us scratching our heads. Not the least of the latter was Texas’ shocking loss to Kansas, at home. Apparently, the defense decided to take the night off, allowing the Jayhawks to score a total of 57 points in the game, and to snap Kansas road losing streak in the conference that began back in 2008. No, really. Even Steve Sarkesian acknowledged that the Longhorns played a bad first half of football, spotting KU three touchdowns before they decided to start playing in earnest. It is quite clear where he needs to make adjustments both now and in the offseason.
That aside, Michigan is playing incredibly well right now: this is easily their best team since 2016. Ohio State is also playing up to their potential. No “Spoilermakers” for Purdue yesterday, but in all fairness, it was too much to ask them to pull off two massive upsets in back-to-back weeks. Moreover, the talent gap was too much to overcome for Purdue, as the Buckeyes were firing on all eight cylinders and demonstrated that they belong in the playoff discussion.
As for the No. 1 team, Georgia demonstrated their continued worthiness of their current top ranking by beating – in methodical yet convincing fashion – an increasingly formidable Tennessee squad.
Looking ahead to Week 12:
It’s the time of year again. This time around, week 13 will be Rivalry Week. That means that the week before then, week 12, will have lots of games that, frankly, should not even be on the schedule. The SEC is the worst offender at this, scheduling body bag games that are ludicrous on the very surface of things. To be sure, some already had their easy-gimmies this week, and they have seized the opportunity to play more worthy opponents. Case in point, Alabama plays No. 25 Arkansas, in what could amount to a decent game. Also, and oddly, Missouri and Florida, who unbelievably have identical records at 5-5, play each other this weekend in what could be a competitive game, even though, on paper, it shouldn’t be. South Carolina might be a relatively weak team in the conference, but at least they are playing Auburn.
But then there are the clear mismatches. The wrinkle this year is that some look even on paper because of similar records, but the reality is, the talents gaps are a mile wide. This includes by Louisiana-Monroe playing LSU, and South Alabama playing Tennessee, and Prairie View A&M plays Texas A&M. Tennessee State plays Mississippi State as well. In each of these cases, the question “why are they playing” practically screams in our minds. If that is not enough, New Mexico State, at 1-9, plays Kentucky, in what is perhaps the most lop-sided matchup of all that week, save for Charleston Southern – of all teams – playing No. 1 Georgia. If they Bulldogs are serious about remaining at the top of the heap, perhaps they could do better than schedule a cupcake team so late in the year. Indeed, much of the SEC could do better in that regard, and should.
Meanwhile, the B1G gets a pass. No body bag game for those teams, they keep playing other teams within their conference. Purdue plays Northwestern; Rutgers plays Penn State; Illinois plays Iowa; Michigan plays Maryland; Minnesota plays Indiana; Nebraska plays Wisconsin. Best of all, Michigan State plays at Ohio State in what is clearly the game of the week.
Similar credit is due to the Big XII teams that are playing each other this upcoming week, as well as to the Pac-12, American Conference, C-USA, Mountain West, and Sunbelt teams who do the same, respectively. The ACC teams also deserve credit for keeping up the conference schedule, save for one or two (looking your way North Carolina: you can do better than play Wofford).
College Football Week 8 Awards (2021) October 25, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Badgers, Baylor, Brett Bielema, Bronco Mendenhall, Buckeyes, BYU, Clark Lea, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Crimson Tide, Dave Doeren, Ed Orgeron, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Hawkeyes, Hoosiers, Hurricanes, Huskies, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Jedd Fisch, Jeff Traylor, Jim Harbaugh, Jimmy Lake, Kansas, Kentucky, Lane Kiffin, Lincoln Riley, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Mark Stoops, Mel Tucker, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Leach, Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska, Nittany Lions, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sean Clifford, SMU, Spartans, Tennessee, Texas, Texas State, UCLA, UMass, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Volunteers, Wake Forest, Washington, Wisconsin, Wolverines
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Glad I’m not him: Ed Orgeron, LSU
Lucky guy: Jimmy Lake, Washington (hon. mention: Brett Bielema, Illinois)
Poor guy: Jedd Fisch, Arizona (hon. mention: James Franklin, Penn State)
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dave Doeren, NC State
Desperately seeking … anything: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Arkansas (defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 45-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (defeated Kansas 35-23)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to Florida State 59-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kansas (lost to No. 3 Oklahoma 35-23)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Indiana 54-7)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Vanderbilt
Can’t Stand Prosperity: NC State
Did the season start? Penn State
Can the season end? Akron
Can the season never end? SMU
GAMES
Play this again: Illinois 20, No. 7 Penn State 18 (9OT)
Play this again, too: No. 10 Oregon 34, UCLA 31
Never play this again: Florida State 59, UMass 3
What? Miami (FL) 31, No. 18 NC State 30
Huh? Appalachian State 30, No. 17 Coastal Carolina 27
Are you kidding me?? Iowa State 24, No. 8 Oklahoma State 20
Oh – my – God: Illinois 20, No. 7 Penn State 18 (9OT)
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 6 Michigan @ No. 8 Michigan State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Virginia @ No. 25 BYU
Best non-Power Five matchup: Fresno State @ No. 21 San Diego State also: No. 19 SMU @ Houston
Upset alert: No. 9 Iowa @ Wisconsin
Must win: No. 20 Penn State @ No. 5 Ohio State
Offensive explosion: Texas @ No. 16 Baylor
Defensive struggle: No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida
Great game no one is talking about: Purdue @ Nebraska
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Stoops of Kentucky vs. Mike Leach of Miss. State
Also: Bronco Mendenhall of Virginia vs Kalane Sitake of BYU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Kansas @ No. 4 Oklahoma
Why are they playing? (no game worth mentioning this week)
Plenty of good seats remaining: La. Tech @ Old Dominion
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Texas State @ Louisiana
Week 8 Thoughts:
Penn State vs Illinois
Two weeks ago, Penn State QB Sean Clifford’s injury at Iowa was literally a game-changer. After out-classing the Hawkeyes for almost three quarters, the Nittany Lion’s loss of their starting quarterback began a negative trend that allowed Iowa to stop their own bleeding and turn things around in a positive direction, resulting in a huge upset, of sorts.
Fast-forward two weeks to the present day. Clifford was back in the proverbial saddle, but no where near his former self. It showed with Penn State’s offensive struggles. They could muster only one touchdown in regulation, with the score tied at 13-13 with 0:00 left on the clock, and this against a mediocre – at best – Illinois team.
The game would go into a record nine overtimes, with five consecutive of them being scoreless. In the end, the Illini triumphed by managing just one more two-point conversion than the Nittany Lions.
My takeaway: unless Sean Clifford returns to full health, Penn State’s season is essentially lost.
Army vs Wake Forest
In what sane universe does the matchup between these two teams add up to an offensive explosion? The Demon Deacons – on a considerable roll, this year – triumphed over the Black Knights, 70-56.
Purdue vs. Wisconsin
My suspicions that Purdue’s ranking of No. 25 was suspect at best was confirmed, as the Boilers experienced a semi-drubbing at home by Wisconsin, 30-13. Conversely, the Badgers played as though their previous week’s woes are behind them. What we saw of that team yesterday suggests that they are playing back up to how we would expect a Wisconsin team to perform. This resurgence shall be put to the test next week when Iowa comes calling.
Pittsburgh vs Clemson
Speaking of sane universes (see: Army vs Wake Forest, above), in what sane universe is Pittsburgh ranked and Clemson unranked? This quandary is brought on by Clemson’s fearsome reputation which they have rightfully earned since 2015. This is why, despite this Twlight Zone-esque ranking of the two pitted teams, it still feels like an upset when the Panthers triumphed over the Tigers, 27-17.
Indiana vs Ohio State
The fact that Ohio State steamrolled over Indiana 54-7 does not mean that this was supposed to be a body bag game. Far from it. The Hoosiers, in truth, have a solid team this year. Indeed, the game could have been a “trap” one for the Buckeyes, as they face Penn State next week. What the results of this game thus shows is that Ohio State’s coaching staff has quietly and gradually made fine-tuning adjustments to their team as the season has progressed. If this game’s score is any indications, the Buckeyes’ ranking of No. 5 is legitimate, and this rate, they could make the playoffs yet.
Alabama vs. Tennessee
The Volunteers played with heart, and there is some talent there. But the Crimson Tide is still considerably better, talent-wise, and the score (52-24) demonstrated that. It shall take another good recruiting class or two from Josh Heupel to bring this bitter rivalry back up to the level of drama and stakes that it deserves.
Looking ahead: Michigan @ Michigan State
Two top-ten titans clash in East Lansing as a resurgent Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines take on a quietly-rebuilt Spartans squad led by up-and-comer Mel Tucker. How these teams perform against each other – as bitter rivals, no less – shall say much as to how far each respective team has come.
Penn State @ Ohio State
On paper, with one team ranked No. 5 and the other ranked No. 20, this sounds like it could be almost as good a game as Michigan State vs. Michigan, right? Wrong. While Ohio State is currently proven legit at their current ranking, Penn State has been struggling offensively since Sean Clifford’s injury at Iowa. If the Nittany Lions continue to struggle to put points on the board, this could be a rout in Ohio State’s favor.
Georgia vs. Florida in Jacksonville
Not to call too much attention, but there’s this World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party about to commence this upcoming weekend in Jacksonville. Georgia is currently ranked No. 1 (and rightfully so), but historically, Florida has given the Bulldogs fits in this game. Hence, it behooves us all to keep an eye on this game in case things get potentially interesting.
Ole Miss @ Auburn
Coming off a huge win over hated LSU, the Rebels now go into Auburn to take on ranked Auburn. This could be another great slugfest worth watching.
Texas @ Baylor
The Bears have proven to be a potent team. Texas’ offensive output has proven to be strong – for three quarters, at least. Regardless, get ready for a potential shootout in Waco.
Louisville @ NC State
Here is an interesting ACC matchup for fans. The Cardinals won over a cagey BC team in the rain. Now they venture into Raleigh to take on the Wolfpack, fresh from an upset loss at the hands of Miami (Fla.). Louisville passed a test (winning a game in adverse weather conditions) this weekend. Now can they pass an even greater one?
College Football Awards Week 6 (2021) October 11, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Baylor, Bijan Robinson, Boise State, Boston College, Bronco Mendenhall, Bulldogs, BYU, Caleb Williams, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Colorado, Dave Aranda, Ed Orgeron, FIU, Florida International, Florida State, Georgia, Hawkeyes, Indiana, Iowa, James Franklin, Jimbo Fisher, Josh Heupel, Kentucky, Lane Kiffin, Lincoln Riley, Longhorns, Louisville, LSU, Mack Brown, Mark Stoops, Maryland, Michigan State, Mike Leach, Minnesota, Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska, Nick Saban, Nittany Lions, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Purdue, Red River, Scott Satterfield, Showdown, Sooners, Spencer Rattler, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tigers, UCF, UConn, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest, Wildcats, Wisconsin, Xavier Worthy, Yale
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia
Poor guy: Scott Satterfield, Louisivlle
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Mack Brown, North Carolina
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Dave Aranda, Baylor
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kalani Sitake, BYU
Desperately seeking … anything: Ed Orgeron, LSU
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Cincinnati (defeated Temple 52-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Wake Forest (defeated Syracuse 40-37 in OT)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Maryland (lost to No. 7 Ohio State 66-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: FIU (lost to Charlotte 45-33)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Kentucky (defeated LSU 42-21)
Dang, they’re good: Cincinnati
Dang, they’re bad: Vanderbilt
Can’t Stand Prosperity: BYU
Did the season start? North Carolina
Can the season end? UConn
Can the season never end? Iowa
GAMES
Play this again: Texas A&M 41, No. 1 Alabama 38
Play this again, too: No. 6 Oklahoma 55, No. 21 Texas 48
Never play this again: No. 7 Ohio State 66, Maryland 17
What? Florida State 35, North Carolina 25
Huh? No. 17 Ole Miss 52, No. 13 Arkansas 51
Are you kidding me?? Boise State 26, No. 10 BYU 17
Oh – my – God: Texas A&M 41, No. 1 Alabama 38
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 7)
Ticket to die for: No. 11 Kentucky @ No. 1 Georgia
Next-best game of the week: No. 18 Auburn @ No. 13 Arkansas
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: No. 19 BYU @ Baylor
Best non-Power Five matchup: UCF @ No. 3 Cincinnati
Upset alert: No. 10 Michigan State @ Indiana; also, No. 13 Ole Miss @ Tennessee
Must win: No. 12 Oklahoma State @ No. 25 Texas
Offensive explosion: Oklahoma State @ Texas
Defensive struggle: Nebraska @ Minnesota
Great game no one is talking about: No. 22 NC State @ Boston College
Intriguing coaching matchup: Nick Saban of Alabama vs Mike Leach of Mississippi State
Who’s bringing the body bags? Purdue @ No. 2 Iowa
Why are they playing? Army @ Wisconsin
Plenty of good seats remaining: Arizona @ Colorado
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Yale @ UConn
Week 6 Thoughts:
Iowa vs. Penn State
This week provided some incredible games, one of which was an unusual clash of titans (No’s. 3 and 4, respectively) during the second time slot of the day, in Iowa City. For the first 25 minutes of the game, Iowa was being outclassed by Penn State, and the score showed it at 17-3. Then the Nittany Lion’s starting quarterback, Sean Clifford, went down with an injury, either to back or the ribs. Penn State was not the same with their backup QB in place. The offense only managed a field goal after that, while the Hawkeyes gradually clawed their way back, eventually winning, 23-20. Let us hope that Clifford’s injury does not derail the rest of the Nittany Lions’ season. Still, it was a thrilling comeback for the Hawkeye faithful to witness.
Oklahoma vs Texas
In yet another exciting edition of the Red River Showdown, Oklahoma bested Texas yet again. This time it was full of twists and turns. The Longhorns scored quickly on the Sooners, tallying 38 points in their favor by halftime. A new, major wrinkle occurred when Lincoln Riley benched QB Spencer Rattler after two turnovers and replaced him with Caleb Williams. In hindsight, Texas coach Steve Sarkesian had no gameplan for this wrinkle, and it showed with his lack of answers for this more-capable replacement. The Longhorns also failed to established a running game, despite having Heisman candidate Bijan Robinson in their backfield. On the other side of the ball, they hardly mounted any decent pass rush against Williams, giving him time to complete one inexplicable pass after another. In the end, the Sooners triumphed in an admittedly thrilling game, 55-48. The main takeaway for Oklahoma is that they could best either Iowa or Penn State, both of whom, on that day, were ranked ahead of the Sooners.
One takeaway for Texas is the Sark must shore up his defense. Another is that he must work on better establishing the running game. A third is that freshman receiver Xavier Worthy holds much promise as a playmaker, but the Horns cannot win games on long bombs to him alone. Texas might not be “back” yet, but they could be soon with a couple of key adjustments and another good recruiting class from Sark. In the meantime, he did not see this game’s outcome as a devastating loss, but rather, something to make the team hungrier for potentially bigger things to come. “Ultimately, you know my mindset is I’d love to get another crack at these guys hopefully in December, so that’s that,” he said.
Texas A&M vs Alabama
Think about this for a second: the last regular season game that Alabama lost was on Nov. 30, 2019, to Auburn (hey, it’s the Iron Bowl, where crazy things happen. Anyone remember the “Kick Six”?). Since then, the Crimson Tide has remained undefeated, with another national title under their collective belt, until last night. Last night, Texas A&M ended that streak in front of the second-largest crowd at Kyle Field (106,815). Moreover, this marks Alabama’s first loss to an unranked team since 2007 (!). The Aggies maintained a lead for most of the game, until the Tide tied the score in the 4th quarter. A key stop late in the game gave Texas A&M the ball back, allowing them to kick a winning field goal at a comfortable distance for one incredible night to remember in College Station for a long time to come. All that said, if the familiar pattern of Nick Saban’s dynasty in Tuscaloosa holds, Alabama shall refocus and redouble its efforts, and continue to perform at the highest of levels in the college game. Nevertheless, this is the first time a former assistant (Jimbo Fisher) has bested him. We shall now see if Fisher can maintain his team’s focus. Immediately, that might not be too difficult a task, as they face Missouri next week, followed by South Carolina thereafter. But come the first week of November, they face a dangerous Auburn team, wherein another key test awaits.
Kentucky vs. LSU
Last week, I noted that Mark Stoops needed to refocus his team after a huge win over Florida. Well, he succeeded in spades, this time triumphing over LSU, in convincing fashion, 42-21. Granted, the Bayou Bengals are not quite what they were when they caught lighting in a bottle with QB Joe Burrow and a coaching lineup of young, talented coordinators, which generated a wave that they rode all the way to another national championship. Since then, those assistants have left for other things, and Orgeron has been struggling to keep LSU a contender in the admittedly brutal SEC West. On the other side of the proverbial coin, everything seems to have come into place for Mark Stoops and Kentucky. The Wildcats are 6-0 for only the first time since 1950, when Bear Bryant was their head coach (they went on to defeat national champion Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl that season). Put as many asterisks on this win as some critics may, but for two consecutive weeks, Stoops and the Big Blue Nation have turned Commonwealth Stadium into a top-tier SEC environment. That might not last forever, but it’s quite the achievement to behold regardless. But now is the time to refocus the team’s efforts yet again, this time for the Wildcats’ toughest opponent to date.
Looking ahead: Kentucky @ Georgia
That aforementioned toughest opponent to date for Kentucky is now-No. 1 Georgia. Furthermore, unlike facing Florida and LSU in the friendly home environs, this time they travel to face the Bulldogs “between the hedges”. Even though both teams come into this game at 6-0, Kentucky’s magical run thus far might come to a temporary halt, for Georgia, along with Alabama, is clearly well above the rest of the competition for now. The reasonable hope is that the Wildcats keep the game respectable. That will be something to build upon as they could then continue their incredibly strong run of a season. That season will continue to get more interesting, as afterwards, they face Mike Leach’s cagey Mississippi State team (one Bulldog team after another!), followed by Josh Heupel’s quietly, gradually resurgent Tennessee squad. So it goes in the SEC, where there’s never any rest for the wicked.
Ole Miss @ Tennessee
Speaking of the Volunteers, they face Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels, along with their high-powered offense that he has put together. This game shall be a key test for both teams. For Ole Miss, can they maintain their level of intensity after winning a shootout at home over a suddenly resurgent Arkansas? Speaking of resurgent teams, Tennessee has regained in strength under lots of peoples’ radars (easy to do, given that the Volunteers have struggled since the waning days of Phil Fulmer’s coaching regime). Now that the players seem to be buying into Josh Heupel’s potentially winning vision, they have a chance to show how far along they have come in a short time if they can pull off the upset at home over the Rebels. This test could be a good one to watch.
Texas vs Oklahoma State
The Longhorns just lost another close one to their hated rival Oklahoma. Now, without time to lick their wounds (mostly to their pride), they have to turn around to face the Cowboys at home. Oklahoma State has quietly risen up the ranks to No. 12. As the rankings (barely) held in Dallas this past Saturday, now we shall see if they continue to hold in Austin. If Steve Sarkesian can make a defensive adjustment or two and work to establish the run more effectively, this time, it might not.
College Football Week 5 Awards (2021) October 9, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, B1G, Bayou Bengals, Big Ten, Boise State, Boston College, Brian Kelly, BYU, CHip Kelly, Cincinnati, Clemson, Dave Clawson, David Shaw, Ed Orgeron, Florida, Houston, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Jimbo Fisher, Kansas, Kentucky, Kirk Ferentz, Lance Leipold, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Mario Cristobal, Mark Stoops, Memphis, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Texas, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Red River rivalry, Red River Showdown, Rutgers, South Alabama, Stanford, Steve Sarkesian, Temple, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Tigers, Tulsa, UCLA, UConn, UMass, Virginia, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky, Wildcats
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Better late than never.
COACHES
Wish I were him: Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Lucky guy: David Shaw, Stanford
Poor guy: Mario Cristobal, Oregon
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Chip Kelly, UCLA
Desperately seeking … anything: Lance Leipold, Kansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Iowa State (defeated Kansas 59-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Clemson (defeated Boston College 19-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Rutgers (lost to No. 11 Ohio State 52-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Western Kentucky (lost to No. 17 Michigan State 48-31)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Nebraska (defeated Northwestern 56-7)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Kansas
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oregon
Did the season start? UCLA
Can the season end? Tulsa
Can the season never end? Iowa
GAMES
Play this again: No. 7 Cincinnati 24, No. 9 Notre Dame 13
Never play this again: Tennessee 62, Missouri 24
Play this again, too: Kentucky 20, No. 10 Florida 13
What? Mississippi State 26, No. 15 Texas A&M 22
Huh? Arizona State 42, No. 20 UCLA 23
Are you kidding me?? Kentucky 20, No. 10 Florida 13
Oh – my – God: Stanford 31, No. 3 Oregon 24
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 6)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Penn State @ No. 3 Iowa
Next-best game of the week: No. 21 Texas vs No. 6 Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: North Texas @ Missouri
Best non-Power Five matchup: Boise State @ No. 10 BYU
Upset alert: No. 21 Texas vs No. 6 Oklahoma; also, LSU @ No. 16 Kentucky
Must win: No. 13 Arkansas @ No. 17 Ole Miss
Offensive explosion: No. 18 Memphis @ Houston
Defensive struggle: LSU @ No. 16 Kentucky
Great game no one is talking about: Virginia @ Louisville
Intriguing coaching matchup: Steve Sarkesian of Texas vs. Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 11 Michigan State @ Rutgers
Why are they playing? Temple @ No. 5 Cincinnati
Plenty of good seats remaining: South Alabama @ Texas State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? UConn @ UMass
Week 5 Thoughts:
Notre Dame vs Cincinnati
Sure, the Bearcats have had some big wins before, but this one felt differently. For the first time in living memory, if ever, Cincinnati was A) a top-ten team that B) defeated another top ten team, and C), accomplished this on the road, in a hostile place to play. As corny and hackneyed as it may sound, this win had to be the greatest in the history of the UC program. Good job, Luke Fickell.
Georgia vs. Arkansas
Arkansas may be a legitimately strong team this year, but Georgia is considerably stronger. The 37-0 score in favor of the Bulldogs demonstrated how much stronger. So far this year, the top two of Alabama and Georgia appear to have separated from the rest of the pack. If these shadows remain unchanged, it will be one memorable game in Atlanta come early December. That matchup may seem routine by now, but the evenness of it will make the [potential] game exciting nonetheless.
Kentucky vs Florida
The last time Kentucky beat Florida at home (or any time, perhaps?) was in 1986, when the late Jerry Claiborne (part of Bear Bryant’s “coaching tree”) was the head coach. Thirty-five years later, the Wildcats have suddenly, almost stealthily come onto the scene as a force to be reckoned with in the SEC East.
Looking ahead: LSU @ Kentucky
Now that the Wildcats have demonstrated they are not to be taken lightly this year, can they maintain, even build upon their success? An ideal test comes up at home this week. LSU is strong, but inconsistent, with recent close losses starting to raise questions about Ed Orgeron’s coaching abilities – as well as his tenure – in Baton Rouge. Can they overcome their tough loss to Auburn from last week by redoubling their efforts and leave Lexington with a win? Conversely, can Kentucky maintain their focus and intensity after such a huge win on their home turf? Mark Stoops’ challenge is to get his team to stop celebrating and to re-focus on preparing for yet another challenging foe, in what is, oddly, a winnable game. Fun facts: the last time the Wildcats beat the Bayou Bengals was 2007, in Lexington, when LSU was undefeated, and it happened in triple-overtime. If that is not enough, LSU nevertheless eventually went on to win the national title anyhow in what amounted to the craziest of roads to the BCS that year.
Iowa vs Penn State
We are currently in the Big Ten “Twilight Zone”. Don’t believe me? Well, imagine, if you will:
There are two teams currently ranked ahead of Ohio State (who is nevertheless back in the AP Top Ten). Moreover, they are both ranked in the top five. The kicker? Neither of them are Michigan, Michigan State, or Wisconsin. Penn State earned its prowess by defeating a tough Auburn team. Iowa has earned its high ranking and according respect with wins over tough opponents and consistent play thus far. Indeed, if the latter wins, they could control their own destiny to Indianapolis come early December. Moreover, the two teams are led by two of the best coaches in the business. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz could arguably win anywhere, what with his no-nonsense style and consistency of product in a talent-barren landscape for this immediate environs. Meanwhile, Penn State’s James Franklin has an almost Presidential quality to him, has been mentioned as a legitimate candidate for the vacant USC job, and has the big personality to fit it. It all shapes up to be a massive showdown in Iowa City, fittingly following the one in Dallas during the previous time slot.
Texas vs Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown
For more than 20 years, regardless of discrepancy of rank (if even notable at times), or how lop-sided the game may sometimes be at the end. As the game begins, there are few atmospheres more electric in the entire sport than Texas vs Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl during the second Saturday of October. This one has new intrigue, what with Steve Sarkesian bringing new energy and new offensive ideas into the Longhorn program against a good Sooners team led by Lincoln Riley that nobody seems to know exactly how good. After this game, questions shall likely be answered, namely: just how good is Oklahoma? Do they belong in the top ten, or even the top five? For Texas, was the loss at Arkansas a temporary stumble against a surprisingly good team, or does it show that Sark has a longer way to go in re-stabilizing the program than previously thought? These shall likely be answered, with perhaps new questions raised at that time, after the final second ticks off the clock in Dallas. The key for Texas shall be to do what West Virginia did to Oklahoma earlier this year, before the Mountaineers collapsed late in the fourth quarter. A stronger, more consistent replication of WVU’s 3 ½ quarter performance from that game could ensure that the Horns take home the Golden Cowboy Hat.
College Football Awards, Week 13 (2019) November 25, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Auburn, B1G, Baylor, Buckeyes, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, college, Colorado, football, Gary Patterson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Herm Edwards, Iowa State, James Franklin, Kansas State, Kevin Sumlin, Lincoln Riley, Mario Cristobal, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, Navy, NCAA, Nebraska, Nick Rolovich, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Oregon, Penn State, Rice, Rutgers, Ryan Day, Samford, San Diego State, SMU, Sonny Dykes, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Tom Herman, Troy, UCLA, UMass, USC, UTEP, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Poor guy: Gary Patterson, TCU
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Sonny Dykes, SMU
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Nick Rolovich, Hawaii
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Oregon
Desperately seeking … anything: Tom Herman, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Auburn (defeated Samford 52-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Georgia (defeated Texas A&M 19-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Maryland (lost to Nebraska 54-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: TCU (lost to No. 9 Oklahoma 28-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: USC (defeated UCLA 52-35)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Troy
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oregon
Did the season start? Texas
Can the season end? UMass
Can the season never end? Ohio State
GAMES
Play this again: Arizona State 31, No. 6 Oregon 28
Never play this again: No. 5 Alabama 66, Western Carolina 3
What? Colorado 20, Washington 14
Huh? Hawaii 14, San Diego State 11
Are you kidding me?? Navy 35, No. 25 SMU 28
Oh – my – God: Arizona State 31, No. 6 Oregon 28
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 14, pre-week 14)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 13 Michigan
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 19 Cincinnati @ No. 18 Memphis (Friday, Nov. 29)
Upset alert: Kansas State @ No. 22 Iowa State (hon. mention: No. 5 Alabama @ No. 15 Auburn)
Must win: No. 12 Wisconsin @ No. 10 Minnesota
Offensive explosion: No. 9 Oklahoma @ No. 21 Oklahoma State
Defensive struggle: inconclusive
Great game no one is talking about: Wyoming @ Air Force
Intriguing coaching matchup: Kevin Sumlin of Arizona vs Herm Edwards of Arizona State
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 4 Georgia @ Georgia Tech
Why are they playing? Rutgers @ No. 8 Penn State
Plenty of good seats remaining: Texas State @ Coastal Carolina (dishon. mention: Rice @ UTEP)
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Charlotte @ Old Dominion
Week 13 Thoughts:
Baylor vs Texas
Once again the Longhorns disgraced themselves with tepid outputs on both offense and defense. The Longhorns had such high expectations going into the season. Now, they sit at 6-5. What happened? For starters, they graduated lots of experienced players after their Suger Bowl win. This year, they have a young team, made younger with lots of injuries on defense and at running back. For that, they need time for the injuries to heal. Much more systemic are the questions of Texas’ identity on offense. For that, they cannot excuse injuries. Nor can they excuse their lack of player development despite good recruiting classes during Tom Herman’s tenure. So how can they do better? Three things: develop an offensive identity; do better at developing your players; also, learn to get out of your own way. Oklahoma and A&M have figured out how to do so: what is Texas’ excuse?
Ohio State vs Penn State
The game was a good game, and it should not have been as good as it was. Some key mistakes, namely turnovers in the 3rd quarter, allowed for Penn State to come within less than a touchdown of the Buckeyes. Ohio State will have to button things up better if they expect to defeat their bitter rival up north come rivalry weekend. Such urgency for discipline is even greater for the B1G championship game in Indianapolis, be it Wisconsin or Minnesota. This is a reminder that the road to the playoffs still has a critical amount of potholes that only vigilance shall help avoid.
All that said, on to Rivalry Weekend!
College Football Awards, Week 11 (2019) November 11, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Alabama State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Bi1G, Big Ten, Bill Mallory, Central Florida, Chad Morris, Cincinnati, Commodores, Copper Bowl, Ed Orgeron, Florida, Florida State, Floyd of Rosedale, Gators, Georgia, Hoosiers, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Les Miles, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Maryland, Matt Campbell, Memphis, Michigan State, Mike Gundy, Minnesota, New Mexico State, Nick Saban, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Penn State, Rutgers, Scott Satterfield, TCU, Temple, Texas, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, UCLA, UMass, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ed Orgeron, LSU (hon. mention: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota)
Glad I’m not him: Nick Saban, Alabama
Lucky guy: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Poor guy: Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Scott Satterfield, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: James Franklin, Penn State
Desperately seeking … anything: Chad Morris, Arkansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Maryland 73-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Michigan State (lost to Illinois 37-34)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Vanderbilt (lost to No. 10 Florida 50-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Oregon State (lost to Washington 19-7)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Western Kentucky (defeated Arkansas 45-19)
Dang, they’re good: LSU
Dang, they’re bad: UMass
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Penn State
Did the season start? TCU
Can the season end? Northwestern
Can the season never end? Ohio State
GAMES
Play this again: No. 17 Minnesota 31, No. 4 Penn State 26
Never play this again: No. 1 Ohio State, Maryland 14
What? Tulsa 34, UCF 31
Huh? Texas 27, No. 16 Kansas State 24
Are you kidding me?? No. 2 LSU 46, No. 3 Alabama 41
Oh – my – God: No. 17 Minnesota 31, No. 4 Penn State 26
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 11, pre-week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 5 Georgia @ No. 13 Auburn
Next-best game of the week: No. 24 Indiana @ No. 11 Penn State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: Tulane @ Temple
Upset alert: UCLA @ No. 8 Utah
Must win: No. 8 Oklahoma @ No. 10 Baylor
Offensive explosion: No. 18 Memphis @ Houston
Defensive struggle: Kentucky @ Vanderbilt
Great game no one is talking about: Texas @ Iowa State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Les Miles of Kansas vs Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 2 Ohio State @ Rutgers
Why are they playing? Alabama State @ Florida State
Plenty of good seats remaining: UMass @ Northwestern
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? UIW @ New Mexico State
Week 11 Thoughts:
Alabama vs LSU
What more can be said about this dramatic and incredibly consequential game? On paper, was it LSU’s victory really an upset? They were ranked No. 2 in the polls ahead of Alabama at No. 3, after all. So what made the Tigers’ win an upset? Call it a mental block. Call it a [proverbial] monkey on LSU’s back. They had, after all, lost to the Crimson Tide eight straight times, often with national championship aspirations on the line. This time, they finally won, and now, the Tigers control their own destiny to Atlanta and to the Playoffs as well.
Minnesota vs Penn State
The Golden Gophers have earned their biggest win in more than a decade. They currently lead the Western Division of the Big Ten. While they control their own destiny to the conference championship, they have a challenging road ahead if they want to make it to Indianapolis. Their next game is at No. 18 Iowa, a border rivalry where they play for one of the most prominent trophies in college football, the Floyd of Rosedale. After a respite against a down Northwestern, they close out the regular season at home against Wisconsin. The Badgers alone are a tough out, and they usually are the perennial Western representative in the B1G championship. Factor in the border rivalry and the fact that both teams play for the Paul Bunyan Axe (have you seen the size of that thing?), and one is apt to anticipate a high-stakes, high-drame showdown in Minneapolis come Nov. 30. But first, the Gophers have to win their other remaining games, starting with Iowa, which is never easy these days, Floyd or no Floyd.
Florida vs Vanderbilt
This blowout only merits mention because the Commodores attempted a “sad field goal” and failed. The definition of a “sad field goal” is if your team is down by more than two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and yet you go for a field goal anyhow. That sounds sad just saying it, does it not? Well, Vandy attempted the saddest of field goals as they were down 49-0 to Florida in The Swamp late in the 4th quarter. Instead of going for it with nothing to lose, they attempted a sad field goal, which went wide left. Like a train wreck, you can’t not watch.
Looking ahead: Indiana at Penn State
When was the last time that Indiana was ranked in football? Give up? It was 1994. Bill Mallory was the head coach at that time. He built a decent program, too, winning the 1991 Copper Bowl. But his labors went unnoticed because IU was more basketball-obsessed than it is today, which saying something. Frankly, I don’t hold out much hope for the Hoosiers, but if they put up a fight against wounded Penn State, it should be an entertaining game.
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2019) November 4, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Auburn, Ball State, Boise State, Brian Kelly, Bryan Harsin, Clemson, college, Dan Mullen, FIghting Irish, Florida, football, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Hokies, Huskies, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Justin Fuente, Kansas State, Kirby Smart, liberty, Liberty Bowl, LSU, Maryland, Memphis, Minnesota, Mustangs, NCAA, Nebraska, New Mexico, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Pac-12, Pat Fitzgerald, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, SMU, Sonny Dykes, South Alabama, South Carolina, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Tigers, Tom Allen, UMass, Utah, Utes, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Wofford, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Glad I’m not him: Dan Mullen, Florida
Lucky guy: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Poor guy: Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bryan Harsin, Boise State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Tom Allen, Indiana
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Sonny Dykes, SMU
Desperately seeking … anything: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Clemson (defeated Wofford 59-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Auburn (defeated Ole Miss 20-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UTSA (lost to Texas A&M 45-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Georgia Tech (lost to Pittsburgh 20-10)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Liberty (defeated UMass 63-21)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Arkansas
Can’t Stand Prosperity: SMU
Did the season start? TCU
Can the season end? Rutgers
Can the season never end? Oregon
GAMES
Play this again: No. 8 Georgia 24, No. 6 Florida 17
Never play this again: No. 4 Clemson 59, Wofford 14
What? Georgia Southern 24, No. 20 Appalachian State 21
Huh? Purdue 31, Nebraska 27
Are you kidding me?? No. 8 Georgia 24, No. 6 Florida 17
Oh – my – God: No. 24 Memphis 54, No. 15 SMU 48
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 10, pre-week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 LSU @ No. 2 Alabama
Next-best game of the week: No. 5 Penn State @ No. 13 Minnesota
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Appalachian State @ South Carolina
Best non-Power Five matchup: Wyoming @ No. 21 Boise State
Upset alert: Iowa State @ No. 9 Oklahoma (hon. mention: Virginia Tech @ No. 22 Wake Forest)
Must win: No. 20 Kansas State @ Texas
Offensive explosion: Kansas State @ Texas
Defensive struggle: No. 18 Iowa @ No. 16 Wisconsin
Great game no one is talking about: Ball State @ Western Michigan
Intriguing coaching matchup: James Franklin of Penn State vs P.J. Fleck of Minnesota
Who’s bringing the body bags? Maryland @ No. 3 Ohio State
Why are they playing? New Mexico State @ Ole Miss
Plenty of good seats remaining: South Alabama @ Texas State (dishonorable mention: Purdue @ Northwestern)
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Vanderbilt @ No. 6 Florida
Week 10 Thoughts:
Again, am I the only one who has noticed that waaaaay too many teams have bye-weeks for upcoming week 10?
Notre Dame vs Virginia Tech
Earlier in the awards list, I listed Justin Fuente as the “Poor Guy” of the week. Really, though, I should have created a special, one-off category for him this week called “Stupid Guy” instead. His Virginia Tech team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the last few minutes of the game by persistently playing a “prevent” defense (specifically, rushing only three and dropping back the remaining eight) that allowed for Notre Dame to pick the Hokies’ secondary apart in the final minutes, play by play. Not once did Virginia Tech mount anything resembling a pass rush, and the Irish made them pay dearly for not doing so. All it would have taken would be to rush a couple of extra men, as one or two sacks in the process would have ruined Notre Dame’s day. But no. Once again, we are reminded that the only thing the prevent defense prevents is the implementer of said defense from winning the game. Period.
Georgia vs Florida
Can anybody recall, within recent memory, a Georgia-Florida game with as much drama, excitement, and close play as this week’s matchup? Neither can I.
SMU vs Memphis
Another undefeated bites the dust. May your undefeated season rest in peace, SMU. Still, what a game, and what a moment. ESPN’s College Gameday crew visited Memphis for the first time, and the fans came out in droves to celebrate the arrival and to show their support for their Memphis Tigers. The latter point is especially worth noting. U-Memphis has historically been known as a basketball school. Yet an ESPN-televised game at night, in front of a sellout crowd in the Liberty Bowl stadium, with ranked Memphis taking on then-undefeated SMU shows that UM’s football prowess is on the rise, and that is always a wonderful thing, notwithstanding the unfortunate side-effect of SMU’s undefeated season going by the boards.
Utah vs Washington
Utah needed to bring their A-game to Seattle, since the Huskies can be unpredictable at times. Eventually, the Utes did just that. Combine their win at Washington with USC’s crushing loss at home to No. 7 Oregon, and Utah controls their own destiny regarding clinching a Pac-12 South berth for the conference championship game.
College Football Awards, Week 8 (2019) October 21, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Badgers, Ball State, Baylor, Boise State, Brian Kelly, Buckeyes, BYU, Cal, California, CHip Kelly, college, football, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Herm Edwards, Illinois, James Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Kansas, Kansas State, Les Miles, liberty, LSU, Maryland, Matt Rhule, Miami, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Navy, NCAA, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Paul Chryst, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Texas, Toledo, Tom Arth, Tom Herman, Tulane, UCLA, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: James Franklin, Penn State
Glad I’m not him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Lucky guy: Tom Herman, Texas
Poor guy: Les Miles, Kansas
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Tom Herman, Texas
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Matt Rhule, Baylor
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
Desperately seeking … anything: Tom Arth, Akron
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Northwestern 52-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas (defeated Kansas 50-48)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Arkansas (lost to Auburn 51-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Illinois (defeated Wisconsin 24-23)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Ball State (defeated Toledo 52-14)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Rutgers
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Wisconsin
Did the season start? Washington
Can the season end? Arkansas
Can the season never end? Oklahoma
GAMES
Play this again: No. 10 Penn State 28, No. 16 Michigan 20
Play this again, too: No. 15 Texas 50, Kansas 48
Never play this again: No. 4 Ohio State 52, Northwestern 3
What? Ball State 52, Toledo 14
Huh? Georgia Tech 28, Miami (Fla.) 21, OT
Double-Huh? Vanderbilt 21, No. 22 Missouri 14
Are you kidding me?? BYU 28, No. 14 Boise State 25
Oh – my – God: Illinois 24, No. 6 Wisconsin 23
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 8, pre-week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 13 Wisconsin @ No. 3 Ohio State
Next-best game of the week: No. 9 Auburn @ No. 2 LSU
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Liberty @ Rutgers
Best non-Power Five matchup: Tulane @ Navy
Upset alert: Kansas State @ No. 5 Oklahoma
Must win: No. 11 Auburn @ No. 2 LSU
Offensive explosion: No. 15 Texas @ TCU (hon. mention: WSU @ No. 11 Oregon)
Defensive struggle: (inconclusive)
Great game no one is talking about: Cal @ No. 12 Utah
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jim Harbaugh of Michigan vs Brian Kelly of Notre Dame
(honorable mention: Herm Edwards of Arizona State vs Chip Kelly of UCLA)
Who’s bringing the body bags? Arkansas @ No. 1 Alabama
Why are they playing? Liberty @ Rutgers
Plenty of good seats remaining: Akron @ Northern Illinois
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Maryland @ No. 17 Minnesota
Week 8 Thoughts:
Two more undefeated teams bite the dust. First No. 6 Wisconsin in the noon time slot, who went down to defeat at lowly Illinois on a last-second field goal. Then, late at night, the second undefeated team lost today when No. 14 Boise State lost on the road to BYU. The latter, however, is not nearly as massive as the former.
The shame of such an upset is that it takes some of the [proverbial] starch and the all-too-real excitement out of next week’s upcoming matchup between the Badgers and the Buckeyes. But it will still be a great game.
Texas vs. Kansas
Texas had to score 50 points to beat Kansas. Yes, Kansas. Granted, Les Miles has the Jayhawks continually improving. Still, this does not bode well for the Longhorns. Clearly, injuries have depleted their defense, especially their secondary. Any team with a good quarterback can thus score points on them. The question becomes, can the Horns still stop the run? Assuming they can, then they stand a chance yet against TCU next week.
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 9 (2018) October 28, 2018
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Alcorn State, Arizona, Bethune-Cookman, Bill Clark, Bobby Petrino, Cal, California, Charlotte, Clay Helton, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, James Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Jimbo Fisher, Kansas, Kentucky, Kirby Smart, Louisville, LSU, Mark Stoops, Mississippi State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rice, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tom Herman, UAB, USC, Utah State, UTEP, Wake Forest, Washington, West Virginia, Willie Taggert
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 9] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Glad I’m not him: Willie Taggert, Florida State
Lucky guy: Mike Stoops, Kentucky
Poor guy: Mike Helton, USC
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Tom Herman, Texas
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Bill Clark, UAB
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Desperately seeking … anything: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Nebraska (defeated Bethune-Cookman 45-9)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: TCU (lost to Kansas 27-26)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Florida State (lost to Clemson 59-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kansas (defeated TCU 27-26)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Wake Forest (defeated Louisville 56-35)
Dang, they’re good: Clemson
Dang, they’re bad: Louisville
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Texas
Did the season start? Washington
Can the season end? UTEP
Can the season never end? Notre Dame
GAMES
Play this again: No. 17 Penn State 30, No. 18 Iowa 24
Play this again, too: Oklahoma State 38, No. 6 Texas 35
Never play this again: No. 2 Clemson 59, Florida State 10
What? Arizona 44, No. 19 Oregon 15
Huh? Missisippi State 28, No. 16 Texas A&M 13
Double Huh? Cal 12, No. 15 Washington 10
Are you kidding me?? Oklahoma State 38, No. 6 Texas 35
Oh – my – God: Kansas 27, TCU 26
NEXT WEEK
Rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Alabama @ No. 4 LSU
Another key game to see: No. 7 Georgia @ No. 12 Kentucky
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Louisiana Tech @ Mississippi State
Best non-Power Five matchup: Utah State @ Hawaii
Upset alert: No. 13 West Virginia @ No. 6 Texas
Must win: Purdue @ No. 18 Iowa
Offensive explosion: No. 8 Oklahoma @ Texas Tech
Defensive struggle: inconclusive
Great game no one is talking about: No. 3 Notre Dame @ Northwestern
Also: Purdue @ No. 18 Iowa
Intriguing coaching matchup: James Franklin of Penn State vs. Jim Harbaugh of Michigan
Who’s bringing the body bags? Louisville @ No. 2 Clemson
Why are they playing? Charlotte @ Tennessee
Plenty of good seats remaining: UTEP @ Rice
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Alcorn State @ New Mexico State