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College Football Awards, Week 9 November 2, 2026

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Lincoln Riley, USC

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

Lucky guy: Jedd Fisch, Washington

Poor guy: Matt Rhule, Nebraska

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Rhett Lashlee

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jason Eck, New Mexico

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Brent Venables, Oklahoma

Desperately seeking … anything: Tony Elliott, Virginia

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Wake Forest (defeated Virginia 51-7)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Indiana (defeated Minnesota 23-16 (OT))
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: FIU (lost to Liberty 49-10)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kennesaw State (defeated MTSU 44-28)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Duke (defeated BC 47-2)

Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Boston College

Can’t Stand Prosperity: SMU

Did the season start?  Ohio State
Can the season end? UTEP

Can the season never end? Utah

GAMES
Play this again: Iowa State 51, No. 24 Oklahoma State 49

Play this again, too: No. 1 Miami 38, North Carolina 35

Never play this again: No. 14 Wake Forest 51, Virginia 7

What? Iowa 30, No. 25 Wisconsin 0

Come again? Iowa State 51, No. 24 Oklahoma State 49

Huh? Oregon 34, No. 20 Northwestern 26

Double-Huh?? Syracuse 30, No. 19 SMU 27

Are you kidding me?? South Carolina 42, Oklahoma 25

Oh – my – God:  USC 30, No. 2 Ohio State 18

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 10)
Ticket to die for:  No. 7 BYU @ No. 3 Utah

Also: No. 1 Miami @ No. 4 Notre Dame

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: None

Best non-Power Four matchup: Buffalo @ Miami (OH) (Tuesday)

Upset alert: No. 5 UCLA @ Minnesota

Must win: No. 8 Kentucky @ No. 16 Tennessee

Offensive explosion: West Virginia @ No. 14 Texas Tech

Defensive struggle: Michigan State @ Michigan

Great game no one is talking about: Air Force @ Army

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Kalen DeBoer of Alabama vs Lane Kiffin of LSU

Who’s bringing the body bags?  Merrimack @ No. 14 Wake Forest

Why are they playing?  (see above)

Plenty of good seats remaining: Hawaii @ UTEP

Plenty of good seats remaining, B1G edition: Maryland @ Purdue

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? North Carolina @ UConn

Week 9 Thoughts:

Some major and some minor upsets occurred this week.  Let us address the 900-lb gorilla in the room with USC upsetting Ohio State, 30-18.  If both teams were intact, this outcome would be most unlikely, even with the Buckeyes having to venture out to the west coast to play.  But Ohio State’s victory at Indiana last week proved to be more Pyrrhic than first considered.  The loss of QB1 Julian Sayin was a major hit to the Buckeyes’ offense, which was left sputtering at times and unable to put the ball into the end zone at other times.  The rain certainly did not help things for true freshman backup Luke Fahey, either. Still, the Buckeyes dominated time of possession, and they were decent on 3rd down, on the road. One possible takeaway is that OSU can learn from this, even build upon this, and recover further as the season further progresses.

Other interesting surprises included Iowa whipping Wisconsin, 30-0.  So much for this week’s defensive struggle, at least as far as the Iowa side of the equation was concerned.

Oregon’s upset over Northwestern sounds oxymoronic on a number of levels, but the immediate context makes the categorization of an upset technically correct.  After all, Northwestern came into Eugene ranked.  The Ducks, ranked in the top-10 at the season’s start, have suffered enough losses to be currently out of the rankings altogether.  Perhaps Oregon’s win is a sign that Dan Lanning might be righting the ship for the season after all.

As for the most entertaining upset of the week, that clearly goes to South Carolina defeating Oklahoma, on the road, no less.  The high-scoring affair could also consider itself an explosion of offense of sorts, what with the Gamecocks scoring 42 points compared to the home team’s 25.  The Cocks’ triumph should remind the rest of the conference to take Shane Beamer’s team lightly at their own peril.

One of the most engaging games was the low-scoring affair in Bloomington, Ind., between defending national champ Indiana and scrappy Minnesota.  Fun fact:  this was the first game in B1G history (which spans 130 years) wherein two 60-yard field goals were kicked, and that’s not even the whole it.  Both teams kicked theirs within the last two minutes of the game.

Another near-upset occurred with North Carolina plays top-ranked Miami closely throughout, making this week’s intriguing coaching matchup even more interesting to observe as the game unfolded.

Offensive Explosion Review:

For once, my predicted offensive explosion actually came to pass.  North Texas triumphed over Florida Atlantic in a rather thrilling finish, with high scoring throughout the game.  Interestingly, that was not the only offensive explosion worth noting.  Texas State almost upset No. 20 Boise State, with a second-half near-comeback mounted in the second half (the Bobcats outscored the Broncos 22-0 alone in the 3rd quarter), but the Broncos managed to hold off the challengers in the end, barely, 46-45.

Looking Ahead

Two potentially legendary games await us next week, what with a fitting replay of the “Catholics vs Convicts” as No. 1 Miami ventures up to South Bend, Ind., to play No. 4 Notre Dame, with obvious playoff implications abounding.  At the same time, No. 7 BYU plays No. 3 Utah in what could be the most legendary, definitely most high-stakes “Holy War” ever staged. 

Elsewhere, other intriguing matchups abound.  Kentucky plays Tennessee:  the fact that the Wildcats currently outrank the Volunteers merits us to queue the “Twilight Zone” theme music. 

While UCLA currently sits at the No. 5 ranking, they now venture up to the Twin Cities to play Minnesota, a team that almost upset IU on the road.  Can the Bruins handle the frozen tundra of Huntington Bank Stadium? 

Consider that Texas heads up to Missouri.  Can the Longhorns’ defense contain the Tigers’ offense while Arch Manning continues to find his own offensive footing, including achieving further growth in playing to his strengths (he clearly takes after his grandfather more than he does his uncles).

In another must-win scenario, Oregon, which seems to have stabilized, now plays Ohio State on the road, just as the Buckeyes continue to scramble to revive their offense, assuming such a thing is possible in the first place.

Also, No. 2 Georgia plays No. 12 Ole Miss:  can the Rebels’ Trinidad Chambliss overcome the Bulldogs’ potentially stifling defense?  Conversely, can the Dawgs effectively contain Chambliss and thus put themselves into the driver’s seat in the whole SEC?  We’ll find out this and more this Saturday.  Buckle up, Buckaroos.

College Football Week 8 Awards (2026) October 26, 2026

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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 6 (2026) October 12, 2026

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Kirby Smart, Georgia

Glad I’m not him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas

Lucky guy: Brent Venables, Oklahoma

Poor guy: Ken Niumatololo, SJSU

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Steve Sarkesian, Texas

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Bob Chesney, UCLA

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Steve Sarkesian, Texas

Desperately seeking … anything:  Jon Sumrall, Florida

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Northwestern (defeated Ball State 45-14)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Indiana (defeated Nebraska 20-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Stanford (lost to Notre Dame 58-7)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Penn State (lost to USC 31-23)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Purdue (defeated Minnesota 41-13)

Dang, they’re good: Notre Dame
Dang, they’re bad:  Appalachian State

Can’t Stand Prosperity: Texas

Did the season start?  Florida
Can the season end? Northern Illinois

Can the season never end? Georgia

GAMES
Play this again:  Oklahoma 27, No. 1 Texas 24

Play this again, too: No. 2 Georgia 20, No. 6 Alabama 17

Never play this again: Oregon State 66, SDSU 14

What? No. 21 UCLA 17, No. 13 Oregon 15

What-what?  Purdue 41, Minnesota 13

Huh?  North Carolina 21, No. 25 Pittsburgh 17

Double-Huh?  Kentucky 34, No. 10 LSU 33 (OT)

Are you kidding me??  South Carolina 38, No. 16 Florida 19

Oh – my – God:  Oklahoma 27, No. 1 Texas 24

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 7)
Ticket to die for:  No. 5 Ohio State @ No. 7 Indiana

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: none

Best non-Power Four matchup: Memphis @ Tulane (Friday)

Upset alert: Florida @ No. 7 Texas

Must win: No. 6 Alabama @ No. 14 Tennessee

Offensive explosion: No. 13 Missouri @ No. 9 Ole Miss

Defensive struggle: Penn State @ Michigan

Great game no one is talking about: No. 18 Oklahoma State @ No. 20 Houston

Also:  Washington @ Purdue

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Brent Venables of Oklahoma vs Will Stein of Kentucky

Who’s bringing the body bags?  No. 25 Northwestern @ Michigan State

Why are they playing?  Elon @ Stanford

Plenty of good seats remaining: Ball State @ Bowling Green

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Rutgers @ Maryland

Week 6 Thoughts:

The Red River Rivalry did not disappoint in terms of delivering a dramatic game.  Having 92,000 fans in the storied Cotton Bowl stadium, evenly divided between fan bases in a bitter rivalry never fails in delivering an incredibly electric environment.

As far as the game itself and its dramatic outcome, there are lessons to be learned.  On paper, Texas should have put Oklahoma away early on.  The fact that they failed to do so, thus allowing for the Sooners to hang around, eventually got the underdogs thinking that they could win the game.  Some key errors late in the 4th quarter, namely Steve Sarkesian opting for a [missed] field goal instead of going for it on 4th and 2, and Arch Manning throwing a most-costly interception that put Oklahoma in position to kick a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.  So one lesson learned:  if you are the Number-one team, act like it, assert yourselves accordingly, and put your rival away without mercy.

As far as Arch Manning goes, it is beyond time to have a grown-up conversation that he is not as great a QB as hype would suggest otherwise.  That said, he does have the occasional flash of brilliance.  The long bomb into the end zone in the 1st quarter was certainly impressive.  Sark would do well to sometimes get out of his way and allow for him to move the chains with his schoolyard ball-style heroics that did him so well against Ohio State.  The other lesson, should Sark thus heed it, is to take the straightjacket off Arch, who has clear limitations at this point, and let me run more with the ball.

In fairness, credit Oklahoma with their offensive line play.  They held off Texas’ killer front four the whole game, minimizing sacks allowed with their QB, Mateer, was underperforming throughout the game except for, inexplicably, the final series.

Elsewhere, Georgia beat Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, in a hard-fought game.  Many have speculated that the Bulldogs could be the best time in the country currently, but as good as they looked, it was against nobodies.  Now they played somebody in the form of Kalen DeBoer’s resurgent Alabama squad, and beat them at that.  Now we know that Georgia is for real after all.

Random Thoughts:

Don’t look now, but UCLA is 5-0 and just upset Oregon.  Given the offensive output of both teams going into that game, it seemed like an enticing prospect for an offensive explosion.  Inexplicably, it turned out to be a defensive struggle instead.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Purdue, who was one of the conference punching bags for a while, just beat Minnesota, in butt-kicking fashion no less.  Next up for the Boilermakers to prove they deserve more respect in the conference is a Friday night matchup against visiting Washington, a team that is trying to lick its wounds after taking a 41-24 shellacking at home against Iowa this past Friday.

Louisville remains the biggest mystery in the ACC.  After frustrating performances against both Wake Forest and NC State, they turn around and wallop Florida State, arguably a better team than either of the previous two.  If we did not know any better, we might assume that they flipped some magical, invisible switch that got the Cardinals to play good football again.

Florida’s decline seems to continue.  First they laid an egg last week against Missouri.  Now South Carolina embarrassed them at home.  Was their ripping victory over Ole Miss at Pyrrhic?

Back to Red River to offer a parting observation:  throughout that game, neither team’s QB elected to throw over the middle, despite it being undefended during the bulk of regulation.  No doubt this will be a vexing issue for both Texas’ and OU’s offensive coordinators to deal with this week during film study, and have a thing or two to point out to their respective QBs in the process.

College Football Awards, Week 5 (2026) October 5, 2026

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  PJ Fleck, Minnesota

Glad I’m not him: Kyle Whittingham, Michigan

Lucky guy: Pat Narduzzi, Pitt

Also:  Will Stein, Kentucky

Poor guy: James Franklin, Virginia Tech

Also:  Shane Beamer, South Carolina

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Matt Campbell, Penn State

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

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jon Sumrall, Florida

Desperately seeking … anything:  Jeff Brohm, Louisville

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Memphis (defeated Charlotte 59-8)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas Tech (defeated Colorado 29-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Stanford (lost to Wake Forest 57-3)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Rice (lost to UTSA 16-14)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Mizzou (defeated No. 8 Florida 45-17)

Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad:  UTEP

Can’t Stand Prosperity: Florida

Did the season start?  Louisville
Can the season end?  Charlotte

Can the season never end? Missouri

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 18 USC 25, Washington 21

Play this again, too: Iowa State 45, West Virginia 42

Never play this again: New Mexico 61, UTEP 7

What? Eastern Michigan 38, UMass 14

Huh?  Northwestern 34, Penn State 13

Are you kidding me??  Temple 17, South Florida 13

Oh – my – God:  No. 25 Missouri 45, No. 8 Florida 17

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 6)
Ticket to die for:  No. 2 Georgia @ No. 6 Alabama

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: none

Best non-Power Four matchup: South Florida @ UTSA

Upset alert: Oklahoma vs No. 1 Texas in the Red River Shootout

Must win: Florida State @ Louisville (Friday)

Offensive explosion: No. 21 UCLA @ No. 13 Oregon

Defensive struggle: No. 20 Iowa @ Washington (Friday)

Great game no one is talking about: No. 22 Houston @ Kansas State

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Pat Narduzzi of Pitt vs Bill Belichick of North Carolina

Who’s bringing the body bags?  Stanford @ No. 3 Notre Dame

Why are they playing?  Ball State @ Northwestern

Plenty of good seats remaining: Sacramento State @ Bowling Green

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Maryland @ No. 5 Ohio State

Week 5 Thoughts:

Let us be honest:  this was not the greatest week for college football.  Even the so-called “ticket to die for” turned out to be something of a dud.  Mississippi State is good, but apparently, Alabama found another gear of performance and shifted into it in Starkville when folks were least expecting it.

That said, there were good games.  Auburn, which has quietly gained strength, put up a real fight against the Volunteers in Knoxville.  Minnesota demonstrated that they are not a team to be taken lightly as they retained the Little Brown Jug against Michigan.  North Carolina put up an impressive fight against Notre Dame at home, and Kentucky won in a shootout at South Carolina.

If that is not enough, Iowa gave Ohio State a good fight for a half, and on-again, off-again rain in Fort Worth made the BYU-TCU game a close, defensive struggle wherein the Cougars eventually triumphed.  Moreover, Iowa State squeaked by West Virginia in a massive shootout of a game. If that is not enough, Purdue snapped a 19-game B1G losing streak, at Illinois, no less.

So there were plenty of interesting games, just no “monster games” as in previous weeks.  Games between Texas and Ohio State, and also Texas at Tennessee, not to mention Oregon at USC, have spoiled us.

But next week Georgia faces their first true test, on that road in Tuscaloosa, and it’s also Red River time in Dallas.

Random Thoughts:

What to make of Florida?  Just when they appear to be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC, they lay an egg on the road at Mizzou.  The Tigers cannot be that good, can they?

Keep an eye on how the Gators bounce back from this embarrassing loss as they venture up to South Carolina next week.  Same could be said for the Gamecocks:  they lost a heartbreaker at home to Kentucky, and now recently-embarrassed Florida is about to come calling.

Clemson put up a decent fight against Miami at home. If I were Marcus Freeman, I would be studying film of this game very intently as I prepare my team to face the Hurricanes later this year.

College Football Awards, Week 3 (2026) September 21, 2026

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Pete Golding, Ole Miss

Glad I’m not him: Lane Kiffin, LSU

Lucky guy: Joey McGuire, Texas Tech

Poor guy: Willie Fritz, Houston

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Brent Venables, Oklahoma

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Desperately seeking … anything:  Bronco Mendenhall

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Kent State 59-3)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: USC (defeated Rutgers 42-35)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UTEP (lost to No. 19 Michigan 52-17)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  New Mexico (lost to Oklahoma 14-6)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Iowa State (defeated Bowling Green 55-7)

Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad:  Northern Illinois

Can’t Stand Prosperity: Virginia

Did the season start?  Texas A&M
Can the season end?  Utah State

Can the season never end? Ole Miss

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 8 Ole Miss 32, No. 9 LSU 24

Play this again, too: Toledo 49, Temple 48 (OT)

Never play this again: No. 21 Oregon 84, Portland State 0

What?  West Virgina 38, No. 25 Virginia 27

Huh?  No. 23 Louisville 41, No. 16 SMU 31

Are you kidding me??  No. 8 Ole Miss 32, No. 9 LSU 24

Oh – my – God:  Kentucky 31, No. 9 Texas A&M 21

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 4)
Ticket to die for:  No. 1 Texas @ No. 14 Tennessee

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: Appalachian State @ NC State

Best non-Power Four matchup: Boise State @ Western Michigan

Upset alert: Wake Forest @ No. 16 Louisville

Must win: No. 23 Texas A&M @ No. 10 LSU

Offensive explosion: No. 20 Oregon @ No. 12 USC

Defensive struggle: Nebraska @ Michigan State

Great game no one is talking about: No. 15 Utah @ Iowa State

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Kirk Ferentz of Iowa vs Kyle Whittingham of Michigan

Who’s bringing the body bags?  Central Michigan @ No. 5 Miami

Why are they playing?  South Alabama @ Kentucky

Plenty of good seats remaining: Stonehill @ Ohio U

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Mercyhurst @ Western Kentucky

Week 3 Thoughts:

Lane Kiffin’s awkward homecoming back to Ole Miss as the new head coach at LSU was a game that lived up to its hype.  In addition to the obvious awkwardness and intrigue of that matchup (Kiffin’s former assistant at Ole Miss is now the Rebels’ head coach) was a layer of irony piled on top of it all.  Clearly the idea behind Kiffin’s sudden, jarring departure from a playoff-bound program was to go to an even greener pasture.  Yet the team Kiffin left behind played like the more physical team, not to mention having an overwhelming advantage in quarterback play.  Despite the Tigers’ occasional flash of brilliance, the Rebels were able to maintain their lead throughout most of the game, and triumphed in the end, 32-24, in what must have felt like a massive vindication for the faithful fans in Oxford, Miss.

When one widens the angle of the lens, a curious dynamic comes into view.  Louisville opened the season against Ole Miss, and almost beat them.  LSU, seemingly a stronger team than the Cardinals, had greater struggles against the Rebels in their game than the Cards did against the same team in theirs.  Meanwhile, Louisville defeated a formidable SMU team at home.

Next week, Wake Forest comes calling at Louisville, the same Demon Deacons that hanged tough against currently-No. 6 Miami.  Whereas the Cardinals faced a must-win for conference championship viability this just-concluded week, they could face a potential upset in the week to come.

Random Thoughts:

Offensive explosions I did not have on my bingo card this week included Florida at Auburn (the Gators won, 44-39); Mississippi State at South Carolina (the Bulldogs won, 41-34); Florida State at Alabama (the Tide eventually pulled away, 50-36); and, perhaps the most odd of them all, Purdue at UCLA, with the Bruins winning 52-38.

Speaking of Mississippi State, they have been on a tear recently.  The Bulldogs humiliated Minnesota up in Minneapolis the previous week before pulling out another win on the road in Columbia.  Now at No. 24, they face No. 19 Missouri in their biggest test yet.

Speaking of potential upsets, keep an eye on how Ole Miss reacts to their big win, as they venture into The Swamp next week to face an apparently resurgent Florida team, now ranked No. 21.

Meanwhile, whither LSU?  Now at No. 10 (only losing two spots in the rankings), they face Texas A&M, erstwhile No. 9, now all the way down to No. 23 after coughing up the game at home to still-unranked Kentucky.  Both teams now have a chance to recover their wounded pride and standing, making for a uniquely must-win situation.

Along the same subject of must-wins, how does Texas respond to their No. 1 ranking?  They now must venture into a hostile Neyland Stadium to face No. 14 Tennessee.  Not so long ago, on paper, such a discrepancy in the rankings would be overwhelming.  With NIL having brought a new level of parity to the upper rankings, that gap in rank is not so overwhelming anymore.  Bottom line, the Horns will have a major fight on their hands, in what should be the best game of the week, within the Noon Eastern Time slot, no less.

College Football Awards, Week 2 (2026) September 14, 2026

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Steve Sarkesian, Texas

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

Lucky guy: Brian Hartline, South Florida

Poor guy: Jeff Monken, Army

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Jedd Fisch, Washington

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dan Lanning, Oregon

Desperately seeking … anything:  Barry Odom, Purdue

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Georgia (defeated Western Kentucky 70-20)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Washington (defeated Utah State 16-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Rice (lost to No. 3 Notre Dame 52-0)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Oregon State (lost to Texas Tech 35-24)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Mississippi State (defeated Minnesota 38-13)  

Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad:  UNLV

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  Oregon

Did the season start?  Oregon
Can the season end?  Purdue

Can the season never end? Texas

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 4 Texas 24, No. 1 Ohio State 23

Play this again, too: Michigan 17, No. 11 Oklahoma 10

Never play this again: Houston 77, Southern 6

What?  Illinois State 28, Northern Illinois 24

Huh?  Michigan 17, No. 11 Oklahoma 10

Are you kidding me??  No. 4 Texas 24, No. 1 Ohio State 23

Oh – my – God:  OK State 39, No. 6 Oregon 31

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 3)
Ticket to die for:  No. 8 LSU @ No. 9 Ole Miss

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: Tulane @ Kansas State

Best non-Power Four matchup: Western Michigan @ Rice

Upset alert: Michigan State @ No. 3 Notre Dame

Must win: No. 16 SMU @ No. 23 Louisville

Offensive explosion: No. 22 Houston @ No. 13 Texas Tech

Defensive struggle: North Carolina @ Clemson

Great game no one is talking about: Arizona State @ Kansas

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Bill Belichick of North Carolina vs Dabo Swinney of Clemson

Who’s bringing the body bags?  Kent State @ No. 6 Ohio State

Why are they playing? Western Kentucky @ No. 4 Indiana

Plenty of good seats remaining: Stonehill @ UMass

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Northern Iowa @ No. 18 Iowa

Week 2 Thoughts:

The Ohio State-Texas game lived up to its hype, with a miraculous comeback win for the Longhorns over the Buckeyes, a result that has left Buckeye Nation in apoplexy if these articles are of any indication.  Allowing Texas to score three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter is the worst second-half collapse for the Buckeyes in the Ryan Day Era.

Conversely, OSU collapse or none, this is massive win for the Longhorns, one that gets a major monkey off the program’s – and Sark’s – back.  For how long have discussions swirled that Texas cannot win the big game?  Now they have the huge win.

Win or lose, both teams will be able to lick their wounds for a week, what with body bag games coming up for both of them.  Then, it’s on to the season, where Ohio State can no doubt take the Big Ten by storm, and where Texas has the opportunity to prove that this huge win was not a fluke as they face a positively brutal SEC schedule.

Random Thoughts:

As I look back on the random thoughts I offered for Week 2 from last year, I am struck by the interesting parallels and related differences.

For instance, take this week’s Cy-Hawk trophy game between Iowa and Iowa State.  I wrote:

“The only reason the game for the Cy-Hawk trophy ended as closely as it did was because of avoidable mistakes committed by the victors.  Sooner or later, a team that make fewer mistakes shall come along to play Iowa, and when they do, expect a humiliating defeat for the Hawkeyes and a possible end to the Kirk Ferentz era.”

Given how last night’s game was such a low-scoring affair, one could say the exact same thing for this go-around.

Regardless, there’s something about Iowa and their massive trophies.  The Cy-Hawk trophy is so heavy, at 90 pounds, it required two o-linemen to carry it.  If that’s not enough, the Floyd of Rosedale trophy, played for annually between the Hawkeyes and Minnesota, is even heavier at 98 pounds.

But in continuation of the initial observation, in another parallel to last year’s week 2 observations, Illinois played their home half of the home-and-home series with Duke.  But in contrast to last year’s 45-19 ripping victory on the road, this time Duke pulled off an upset on the road, 31-27.  While I observed last year:

“Keep an eye out for Illinois.  They are currently ranked No. 9, and defeated a well-coached Duke team, 45-19.”, the Illini are currently unranked.  I can’t imagine why.

Returning to the Texas-Ohio State game, one thing that allowed for an improved offensive output for the Longhorns in the second half was Sark getting out of Arch Manning’s way.  Let us hope for the sake of that team that their head coach continues to heed this lesson as the season progresses.

College Football Awards, Week 13 (2025) November 26, 2025

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Dan Lanning, Oregon

Glad I’m not him: Lincoln Riley, USC

Lucky guy: David Braun, Northwestern

Poor guy: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bret Bielema, Illinois

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Sean Lewis, San Diego State

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Brent Key, Georgia Tech

Desperately seeking … anything:  Jeff Brohm, Louisville

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Auburn (defeated Mercer 62-17)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Illinois (lost to Wisconsin 27-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Syracuse (lost to No. 9 Notre Dame 70-7)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Stanford (defeated Cal 31-10)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Texas (defeated Arkansas 52-37)  

Dang, they’re good: Notre Dame
Dang, they’re bad:  Sam Houston

Can’t Stand Prosperity: Georgia Tech

Did the season start?  Louisville
Can the season end?  Florida State

Can the season never end? Oregon

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 11 Oklahoma 23, No. 4 Alabama 21

Play this again, too: No. 12 Utah 51, Kansas State 47

Never play this again: No. 9 Notre Dame 70, Syracuse 7

What?  Penn State 37, Nebraska 10

Huh?  Stanford 31, Cal 10

Double-Huh?  TCU 17, No. 23 Houston 14 

Are you kidding me??  Wisconsin 27, No. 21 Illinois 10

Oh – my – God:  Pittsburgh 42, No. 16 Georgia Tech 28

NEXT WEEK

rankings are those for the playoffs
Ticket to die for:  No. 3 Texas A&M @ No. 17 Texas

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: No. 4 Georgia @ Georgia Tech

Best non-Power Four matchup: Navy @ Memphis

Also:  San Diego State @ New Mexico

Upset alert: LSU @ No. 18 Oklahoma

Must win: No. 1 Ohio State @ No. 18 Michigan

Offensive explosion: No. 14 Vanderbilt @ No. 20 Tennessee

Defensive struggle: Iowa @ Nebraska

Great game no one is talking about: Arizona @ No. 25 Arizona State

Also:  Cincinnati @ TCU

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Mario Cristobal of Miami vs Pat Narduzzi of Pittsburgh

I.C.M., B1G Edition:  P.J. Fleck of Minnesota vs Luke Fickell of Wisconsin

I.C.M., SEC Edition:  Clark Lea of Vanderbilt vs Josh Heupel of Tennessee

Who’s bringing the body bags?  No. 2 Indiana @ Purdue

Why are they playing? Charlotte @ No. 24 Tulane

Plenty of good seats remaining: Bowling Green @ UMass

Plenty of good seats remaining, ACC Edition: Boston College @ Syracuse

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  UTEP @ Delaware

Week 13 [Random] Thoughts:

In an offensive explosion to end all offensive explosions, Utah triumphed over Kansas State 51-47:  there’s the Big XII we all know and love, where defenses treat their job as if it’s a pillow fight!

The potential outcomes for the ACC champion right now are so convoluted, one would need one of those diagram boards detectives use to figure out “whodonit”.  But Pittsburgh just beat hitherto contender Georgia Tech in convincing fashion, and are now about to face tough-but-inconsistent Miami (Fla.) this week.  If Pat Narduzzi’s squad can pull an upset win, ought there not to be a path for the Panthers to walk away with the conference crown?

Am I the only person out there who thinks that Georgia should be ranked No. 2 in the playoffs instead of No. 4?  They can demolish almost any team not named Alabama, or, possibly, Ohio State.

Rivalry Week is now upon us, where any number of crazy things can happen.  Case in point:  the theme music from The Twilight Zone is required to play in the background when discussing the fact that Vanderbilt is favored over Tennessee, rankings-wise…yet Tennessee still has a good team this year.  There’s a twist, no?

This week is special for a number of reasons, one of which this time around is that there are so many intriguing coaching matchups.  One that should perhaps also be mentioned in the list above is Dan Lanning of Oregon vs Jedd Fisch of Washington.  While we’re at it, how about Eliah Drinkwitz of Missouri vs Bobby Petrino of Arkansas, or Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Mark Stoops of Kentucky, or Dabo Swinney of Clemson vs Shane Beamer of South Carolina?  I would be somewhat tempted to include Barry Odom of Purdue vs Curt Cignetti of Indiana, but the former will be so outgunned that the game will surely end in tragedy for the host team.  Nevertheless, the list goes on, but the reader understands one more fascinating aspect of why this week could yield so many great games.

College Football Awards, Week 12 (2025) November 17, 2025

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Kirby Smart, Georgia

Glad I’m not him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas

Lucky guy: Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Also:  Sherrone Moore, Michigan

Poor guy: Shane Beamer, South Carolina

Also:  David Braun, Northwestern

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: N/A

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jake Dickert, Wake Forest

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jeff Brohm, Louisville

Desperately seeking … anything:  Bobby Petrino, Arkansas

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated New Mexico State 42-9)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Georgia Tech (defeated Boston College 36-34)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Minnesota (lost to No. 8 Oregon 42-13)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: South Carolina (lost to No. 3 Texas A&M 31-30)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Nevada (defeated San Jose State 55-10)  

Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad:  San Jose State

Can’t Stand Prosperity: Alabama

Did the season start?  Louisville
Can the season end?  Arkansas

Can the season never end? Oklahoma

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 11 Oklahoma 23, No. 4 Alabama 21

Play this again, too: No. 3 Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 30

Never play this again: Nevada 55, SJSU 10

What?  Texas State 41, Southern Miss 14

Huh?  Arizona 30, No. 25 Cincinnati 24

Are you kidding me??:  Clemson 20, No. 20 Louisville 19

Oh – my – God:  No. 11 Oklahoma 23, No. 4 Alabama 21

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for:  USC @ Oregon

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: Western Kentucky @ LSU

Hon. mention:  Coastal Carolina @ South Carolina

Best non-Power Four matchup: Missouri State @ Kennesaw State

Upset alert: Arkansas @ Texas

Must win: BYU @ Cincinnati

Offensive explosion: Hawaii @ UNLV

Defensive struggle: Minnesota @ Northwestern

Great game no one is talking about: Tennessee @ Florida

Also:  Arizona @ Cincinnati

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Rhett Lashlee of SMU vs Jeff Brohm of Louisville

Who’s bringing the body bags?  Charlotte @ Georgia

Why are they playing? Samford @ Texas A&M

Plenty of good seats remaining: New Mexico State @ UTEP

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Mercer @ Auburn

Week 12 [Random] Thoughts:

After seeing the way Ohio State easily dispatched with UCLA and how Georgia dominated an improved Texas, it has become quite clear that, barring a massive development along the lines of a huge asteroid hitting the Earth causing another mass extinction, the Buckeyes and the Bulldogs are destined to duke it out for the national championship.  Glad we got that cleared up and out of the way.

That being said, barring a similar development as described above, it seems increasingly likely that Ole Miss shall punch through a major barrier hitherto holding them back and make finally make the playoffs.  They passed yet another test by beating the Gators.  Granted, the casual observer might sniff “big deal, Florida’s not that good this year.”  To which I may respond, granted in turn, but they’re also not that bad, and they took down Texas right before the Longhorns took down a then-hitherto juggernaut Sooner squad.  But even then, let that not obfuscate a more salient point which is:  since 2003, the two have played each other seven times.  Despite the relatively massive successes of the Eli Manning years, the Hugh Freeze and now the Lane Kiffin eras, the Rebels were only 3-for-7 against the Gators.  In that light, beating Florida is no small thing, and is further proof that Ole Miss not only controls their own destiny, but is in the unique position to do so ably, what with a bye next week before closing out the regular season with the Egg Bowl.

Back to the Texas-Georgia game.  Even if the Longhorns win out (tall order, what with Texas A&M being the last game on their schedule), their playoff hopes are likely dashed after the beating they took Between the Hedges.  Kirby Smart demonstrated he was a level above Steve Sarkesian in terms of coaching when, after scoring on the Longhorns, they then sucker-punched Texas with an on-side kick that they recovered.  The message was clear:  “forget about momentum and forget about your comeback.  We won’t even let you have the ball again”. 

Thus we are led to a rather painful conclusion:  Sark is not the coach to lead the Horns to the promised land.  He is a great offensive architect, but that has been both a blessing and a curse.  The curse is that he has yet to decide if he is an offensive coordinator or a head coach first.  This self-imposed quandary has led to him tying himself up at knots at times, seemingly straightjacketing Arch Manning in the process, while ignoring other details of overall team organization.  Hence, Sark has earned the reputation of his team not being entirely “buttoned up”, and an obvious manifestation of that are the unnecessary penalties that plagued his team last night and in many games before then.

So, if Sark is not the coach to take Texas all the way, who is?  That is the question we shall have to explore further in subsequent articles.

In the meantime, next week shall sadly be a let-down, in that the rest of the SEC has its body-bag fest before Rivalry Week.  Alabama assumes the role of pitiless executioner to Eastern Illinois; Auburn to Mercer; Texas A&M to Samford; Charlotte to Georgia.  Rather convenient, it is, that the SEC teams can have such a breather while the rest of the teams in FBS put in the work.  At least LSU makes it somewhat interesting playing Western Kentucky (8-2 compared to the Tigers’ 6-4 record).  That game could be all the more intriguing given LSU’s recent struggles and coaching avulsions.

Fortunately, this farcical aspect of SEC schedules ends soon.  Starting next year, SEC teams shall play a 9-game conference schedule like everyone else, and thank heavens for that.

Meanwhile, some SEC teams got their requisite November body-bag games out of the way earlier, and shall thus have decent, if not great, matchups for us to enjoy after all, what with battered Texas playing reeling Arkansas, or, better yet, Florida playing Tennessee.  Can the Volunteers avenge last years upset loss against the Gators?  We’ll find out next week.

College Football Awards, Week 9 (2025) October 26, 2025

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, LSU

Lucky guy: Greg Schiano, Rutgers

Poor guy: Barry Odom, Purdue

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Steve Sarkesian, Texas

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Willie Fritz, Houston

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: N/A

Desperately seeking … anything:  Brian Kelly, LSU

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Indiana (defeated UCLA 56-6)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oregon (defeated Wisconsin 21-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Oklahoma State (lost to Texas Tech 42-0)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  North Carolina (lost to Virginia 17-16)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Iowa (defeated Minnesota 41-3)  

Dang, they’re good: Texas A&M
Dang, they’re bad:  Oklahoma State

Can’t Stand Prosperity: South Florida

Did the season start?  Illinois
Can the season end?  Nevada

Can the season never end? Georgia Tech

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 10 Vanderbilt 17, No. 15 Missouri 10

Play this again, too: No. 4 Alabama 29, South Carolina 22

Never play this again: No. 2 Indiana 56, UCLA 6

What?  Virginia Tech 42, Cal 34, 2OT

Huh?  Memphis 34, No. 18 South Florida 31

Are you kidding me??  Houston 24, No. 24 Arizona State 16

Oh – my – God:  Washington 42, No. 23 Illinois 25

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 10)
Ticket to die for:  No. 18 Oklahoma @ No. 14 Tennessee

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: none

Best non-Power Four matchup: Navy @ North Texas

Upset alert: No. 17 Cincinnati @ No. 24 Utah

Must win: No. 9 Vanderbilt @ No. 20 Texas

Offensive explosion: Baylor @ No. 24 Cincinnati

Defensive struggle: Kentucky @ Auburn

Great game no one is talking about: No. 15 Virginia @ Cal

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Lincoln Riley of USC vs Matt Rhule of Nebraska

Who’s bringing the body bags?  No. 12 Notre Dame @ Boston College

Why are they playing? N/A

Plenty of good seats remaining: Louisiana @ South Alabama

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Sam Houston @ Louisiana Tech

Week 9 [Random] Thoughts:

Vanderbilt, the perennial punching bag of the SEC, is now ranked in the top ten for the first time since 1947.  Let that sink in for a moment.  How did this come about?  The likely answer is, a number of factors.  Clark Lea certainly had a vision, greatly aided to fruition by talented QB Diego Pavia.  But surely other talented players have been key factors in this fascinating development.  That is where the combination of the transfer portal and the NIL come into play.  Vanderbilt has enjoyed the well-earned reputation of being the most prestigious school in the SEC, and with that surely comes some reasonably deep pockets to fund a strong NIL collective, to say nothing of its location in growing corporate hotbed Nashville.  As fans of college football, let us embrace the opportunity to witness this further develop, for if nothing else, it gives us all the more great SEC matchups to enjoy every Saturday.

Texas pulled off an improbable comeback in the 4th quarter at Mississippi State.  Arch Manning went 29-35 for 346 yards and 4 touchdowns, with one interception, and that came from a deflection off the hands of a receiver.  In the 4th quarter, Manning went 12-20, passing for 169 yards and two touchdowns.  Yet the biggest irony of all was when he went out, concussed, in overtime.  Backup Matthew Caldwell went into the game, and executed in a massive way, throwing the game-winning touchdown.  Could it be that the biggest untapped strength of this young, unstable Texas team is its backup QBs?

Is the Brian Kelly experiment in Baton Rouge about to come to a sudden, ignominious end?  Texas A&M embarrassed LSU in Death Valley, 49-25.  Early in the 4th quarter, fans started to empty the stands in droves.  Such is hardly the look the powers that be in LSU’s athletics department like to project during a primetime game on ABC.  But in Kelly’s defense, the Tigers’ three losses all come to current, top-ten teams, those being Ole Miss (currently No. 8), Vanderbilt (currently No. 9), and now Texas A&M (currently No. 3).  Can some blame be nevertheless placed at Kelly’s feet for not having an optimal season?  Surely, yes.  He certainly has failed at designing an offense to play to QB Garrett Nussmeier’s strengths, but that also assumes that he has any strengths worth noting in the first place.  But while many are now calling for Kelly’s head, some context in this situation might be a benefit to everyone.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss seemed to pass a key test by defeating Oklahoma on the road, 34-26.  With a reasonably clear path to win out in the regular season, it is quite reasonable to conclude that the Rebels control their own destiny to make the playoffs this year, surely legitimizing Lane Kiffin’s tenure in Oxford in the process.

College Football Awards, Week 8 (2025) October 20, 2025

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

Glad I’m not him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee

Lucky guy: Steve Sarkesian, Texas

Poor guy: Mark Stoops, Kentucky

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Brian Kelly, LSU

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

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Miami (FL)

Desperately seeking … anything:  Barry Odom, Purdue

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oregon (defeated Rutgers 56-10)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Memphis  
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Charlotte (lost to Temple 49-14)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: UAB

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Toledo (defeated Kent State 45-10)  

Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad:  Purdue

Can’t Stand Prosperity: Miami, FL

Did the season start?  LSU
Can the season end?  Sam Houston

Can the season never end? Vanderbilt

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 9 Georgia 43, No. 5 Ole Miss 35

Play this again, too: Arizona State 26, No. 7 Texas Tech 22

Never play this again: James Madison 63, Old Dominion 27

What?  UAB 31, No. 22 Memphis 24

Huh?  Minnesota 24, No. 25 Nebraska 6

Double-huh?  No. 17 Vanderbilt 31, No. 10 LSU 24

Are you kidding me??  Arizona State 26, No. 7 Texas Tech 22

Oh – my – God:  Louisville 24, No. 2 Miami, FL 21

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for:  No. 3 Texas A&M @ No. 20 LSU

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: none

Best non-Power Four matchup: No. 18 South Florida @ Memphis

Upset alert: No. 11 BYU @ Iowa State

Must win: No. 8 Ole Miss @ No. 13 Oklahoma

Offensive explosion: Baylor @ No. 24 Cincinnati

Defensive struggle: Rutgers @ Purdue

Great game no one is talking about: No. 23 Illinois @ Washington

Also:  Northwestern @ Nebraska

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Jedd Fisch of Washington vs Bret Bielema of Illinois

Who’s bringing the body bags?  Oklahoma State @ No. 14 Texas Tech

Why are they playing? N/A

Plenty of good seats remaining: South Alabama @ Georgia State

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  North Texas @ Charlotte

Week 8 Thoughts:

Another week has passed where upsets abounded.  The weekend launched with a bang in the form of unranked Louisville delivering a massive upset in Miami, thus exposing the Hurricanes for perhaps not being the juggernaut team some thought they were.  Jeff Brohm has been known to gear his team up for huge games, and golly, did he deliver this time.  On the other side of the ball, the Hurricanes can still regroup, finish the season strongly, and a playoff berth would surely be in the cards – an ironic expression, given the team to which they just lost – nonetheless.

Also on Friday evening, Minnesota delivered a blow to Nebraska’s brief ranking.

The next day at noon Eastern Time, the upset trend picked up where it left off with Vanderbilt exposing LSU for having an inconsistent office.  Here it is, mid-season, and Brian Kelly, a supposedly offensive coach, has yet to craft an offense to take advantage of Garrett Nussmeier’s strengths.

Then Memphis inexplicably laid an egg against UAB in Birmingham, Ala., thus jeopardizing its ranking.  At that same time, Arizona State came out of hiding and delivered the first loss of the season to then-No. 7 Texas Tech.

One would think that then-No. 9 Georgia defeating then-No. 5 Ole Miss would also qualify as a massive upset, but deep down, we all knew that the Bulldogs were the stronger team in any case, regardless of preliminary ranking.

Some near-upsets likewise occurred, such as Texas, who barely escaped Lexington with their skin on, while Washington State actually led Virginia, in Charlottesville, for a good chunk of the game before eventually losing by only two points.

Do not be fooled by the result of the Arkansas-Texas A&M game.  The Razorbacks’ loss by only three points was due to a last-minute touchdown.  That said, Bobby Petrino’s signature upset shall surely come in due time.

Another near-upset took place in Columbia, Mo., with unranked Auburn taking Missouri into OT, only to lose by a touchdown in the second overtime.  Over in Utah, while the Utes gave BYU a tough game in Provo, it was not meant to be, as the Cougars triumphed 24-21.

Random Thoughts:

The Miami Hurricanes’ quest for the playoffs is by no means dead, but look out for Georgia Tech, who remains undefeated and has now quietly risen to the No. 7 ranking, ahead of the ‘Canes sent down to that of No. 9 (a fall that could have been worse).

The Longhorns were lucky to escape Lexington with their skin on.  Now they venture to Starkville, Miss., to take on a scrappy Mississippi State squad.  High-profile QB Arch Manning was outclassed by Kentucky’s Cutter Boley last night.  Can he get it together in time to redeem himself on the road this week?

Also this week, Minnesota plays Iowa for one of the most unique trophies in all of college football, the Floyd of Rosedale, considered by many to be the top rivalry trophy in all of college football. Be ready for what should be a hard-fought matchup, as both teams are now 5-2 and are fairly evenly matched.

Look for another possibly even matchup with No. 15 Mizzou taking on No. 10 Vandy in Nashville (both teams are 6-1).  Elsewhere, 5-2 Northwestern ventures over to Lincoln to face 5-2 Nebraska, while 5-2 Illinois goes all the way out to Seattle to take on 5-2 Washington.  Perhaps the best battle of teams with matching records shall be 6-1 [No. 8] Ole Miss playing 6-1 [No. 13] Oklahoma in Norman.

It might not be the monster week we all enjoyed in week 7, but plenty of hidden gems await us all the same.