College Football Awards, Week 3 (2026) September 21, 2026
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Appalachian State, Boise State, Brent Venables, Bronco Mendenhall, Bulldogs, Cardinals, Central Michigan, college football, Florida, football, Gators, Georgia, Houston, Iowa State, Joey McGuire, Kent State, Kentucky, Kirk Ferentz, Kyle Whittingham, Lane Kiffin, Longhorns, Louisville, Miami (FL), Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Elko, Minnesota, Mississippi State, NC State, NCAA, NCAA football, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Ohio State, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pete Golding, Purdue, Rich Rodriguez, SMU, South Alabama, South Carolina, Sports, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tigers, Toledo, UCLA, USC, Utah, Utah State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan
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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 5 (2025) September 29, 2025
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arkansas, Boise State, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, Cavaliers, college football, Dan Lanning, Drew Allar, FIU, Florida, Florida State, Garrett Nussmeier, Georgia, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, James Franklin, Kalen DeBoer, Kent State, Kentucky, Kirby Smart, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Miami (FL), Miami (OH), Mike Norvell, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, NCAA, Nittany Lions, North Texas, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Razorbacks, Ryan Silverfield, Sam Pittman, Seminoles, South Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Texas Tech, Toledo, Trinidad Chambliss, UCLA, UConn, UMass, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Bret Bielema, Illinois
Poor guy: Lincoln Riley, USC
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Brian Kelly, LSU
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Ryan Silverfield, Memphis
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Desperately seeking … anything: Sam Pittman, Arkansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Missouri (defeated UMass 42-6)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Indiana (defeated Iowa 20-15)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Akron (lost to Toledo 45-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: South Alabama (lost to North Texas 36-22)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Notre Dame (defeated Arkansas 56-13)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Akron
Can’t Stand Prosperity: LSU
Did the season start? Florida State
Can the season end? UCLA
Can the season never end? Ole Miss
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Oregon 30, No. 3 Penn State 24, 2OT
Play this again, too: No. 13 Ole Miss 24, No. 4 LSU 19
Never play this again: No. 22 Notre Dame 56, Arkansas 13
What? No. 23 Illinois 34, No. 21 USC 32
Huh? No. 17 Alabama 24, No. 5 Georgia 21
Double-Huh?: No. 13 Ole Miss 24, No. 4 LSU 19
Are you kidding me?? No. 6 Oregon 30, No. 3 Penn State 24, 2OT
Oh – my – God: Virginia 46, No. 8 Florida State 38, 2OT
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 6)
Ticket to die for: No. 3 Miami (FL) @ No. 18 Florida State
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Boise State @ No. 21 Notre Dame
Best non-Power Four matchup: FIU @ UConn
Upset alert: No. 16 Vanderbilt @ No. 10 Alabama
Must win: Mississippi State @ No. 6 Texas A&M
Offensive explosion: No. 11 Texas Tech @ Houston
Defensive struggle: No. 7 Texas @ Florida
Great game no one is talking about: No. 24 Virginia @ Louisville
Intriguing coaching matchup: Bret Bielema of Illinois vs Barry Odom of Purdue
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 7 Penn State @ UCLA
Why are they playing? Kent State @ No. 5 Oklahoma
Plenty of good seats remaining: Miami (OH) @ Northern Illinois
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Campbell @ NC State
Week 5 Thoughts:
What a week for the game. We experienced a week in college football where the monster Saturday lived up to its hype. We witnessed an epic nighttime clash in Happy Valley; an interesting test for the No. 1 team in Seattle; a stunning upset Between the Hedges; defensive struggles in College Station and Iowa City alike; a near-upset in Starkville; and a statement game near The Grove. Did we also mention a Friday-night upset in Charlottesville, echoing one involving the same opponents almost 30 years ago to the day?
So, where to begin?
If we were to start with perhaps the biggest of all the games this day, why not start with the purported “ticket to die for”? What was a 3-3 tie at halftime became a 17-17 tie in regulation. Penn State struggled to get their running game established for the majority of the 60 minutes, but managed to put together some impressive runs late in the 4th quarter, enough to come back from a deficit to Oregon. Both teams scored in the first OT, Oregon answered with another TD in the 2OT, but botched their two-point attempt. The window for the Nittany Lions was open…only for it to close in an instant when Drew Allar threw an inexplicable pick to the right side of the field. What ended in huge triumph for Dan Lanning and the Ducks ended in turn as continued frustration for James Franklin & Co., who continue to search for a top-ten win.
Ohio State journeyed out to Seattle to take on undefeated, underrated Washington. The Huskies were prepared well to take on Ohio State, but the Buckeyes managed to slowly, gradually, subdue their hosts over the course of the game, winning 24-6.
Alabama came into a raucous Sanford Stadium at night to take on Georgia, and led for the majority of the game in an incredibly physical contest, walking out from Between the Hedges with a huge win that vindicates Kalen DeBoer’s tenure – for now – in Tuscaloosa, and continues Kirby Smart’s head-scratching Alabama woes.
The purported “defensive struggle” for this week, Kentucky @ South Carolina, turned out not to be for this pathetic prognosticator, as the Gamecocks surprisingly revived their offense to drub the Wildcats 35-13. Meanwhile, the true defensive struggle took place in College Station, where the home team Aggies beat Auburn 16-10. The Tigers have demonstrated to have a good defense, but to describe their offense as anemic would still be an understatement.
The other defensive struggle of note took place in Iowa City. Apparently, Indiana was still on Cloud Nine after ripping Illinois the previous week, for their offense seemed to take the week off. Meanwhile, Iowa, who seemed to discover their offense against UMass (does that even count?) only to lose it again when it counted two weeks later. That aside, an early 4th-quarter field goal put the Hawkeyes up 13-10 over the Hoosiers, who nevertheless answered in delayed fashion with a touchdown with 1:36 left in the game. It proved to be the decisive score, ending at 20-15 in IU’s favor.
Tennessee came calling at Mississippi State, amid more than 60,000 fans with clanging cow bells. The Bulldogs, undefeated prior to this game, put up an incredible fight against the Volunteers, staying close to the orange-clad team throughout regulation, where the teams ended in a tie. But Tennessee’s talent shined through in OT, allowing them to leave with a win, 41-34. Nevertheless, if Mississippi State’s performance is any indication, they can make life difficult for many subsequent teams on their conference schedule.
Meanwhile, a true ‘statement game’ unfolded in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Despite No. 4 LSU drawing first blood in this huge game, home team (and No. 13-ranked) Ole Miss quickly took the lead, and never looked back for the remainder therein. Backup QB Trinidad Chambliss contributed 385 of total offense, including a 20-yard completion for a 4th-down conversion that sealed the game. This decisive win was a ‘statement’ in that it proved the Rebels belong in the conversation as part of the highest tier in the brutal SEC. Conversely, this loss to a major rival raises lots of questions for LSU. Fans were already grumbling over what they perceived to be an unconvincing win over dubious Florida earlier this month. Imagine the grumbling in Bayou Country right now. Perhaps instead of complaining about whether the scrutiny over his coaching is justified, perhaps Kelly should work to develop an offense that takes advantage of QB Garrett Nussmeier.
Finally, Friday night yielded perhaps the greatest upset of the week, when No. 8 Florida State came into town to play unranked Virginia. The Cavaliers played the undefeated Seminoles closely throughout the game, even taking the heavily-favored visitors into overtime. Throngs of students gathered on the grassy slopes behind Scott Stadium’s northwest endzone in anticipation of their Virginia team coming through, which they did when Florida State failed to convert in the second overtime. Instantly, the fans filled the field in wild celebration. This 46-38 win echoes a similar upset 30 years earlier, when, on a Thursday night game on Nov. 2, 1995, then-No. 2 Florida State came to town, only to leave Charlottesville with their first loss of the season (and Virginia’s first-ever win over the vaunted Seminoles). Time to party like it’s 1995!
Random Thoughts:
Here we thought that Syracuse was a good team, I guess, because they beat Clemson. Then they go on to lose a home game in embarrassing fashion to Duke. What gives?
Remember how we thought that Arkansas’ defense taking leave of the entire second half against Memphis was a fluke? Perhaps it was not after all, given the drubbing the Razorbacks just took at home to Notre Dame. Sam Pittman just nudged Billy Napier out of the No. 1-coach-on-the-hotseat-in-the-SEC spot after sustaining the Razorbacks’ eighth-worst loss at home.
College Football Awards, Week 13 (2024) November 25, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Buffalo, BYU, Cardinal, Cardinals, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Crimson Tide, Curt Cignetti, Deion Sanders, East Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Hugh Freeze, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Kalani Sitake, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kent State, Lane Kiffin, Louisiana, Louisville, Michael Desormeaux, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Navy, NCAA, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, P.J. Fleck, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Ryan Day, San Jose State, Sooners, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tigers, Tulane, UMass, UTEP, War Eagle, Washington State, West Virginia, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Lucky guy: James Franklin, Penn State
Poor guy: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Deion Sanders, Colorado
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Desperately seeking … anything: Kalani Sitake, BYU
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated UTEP 56-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Penn State (defeated Minnesota 26-25)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to Georgia 59-21)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Minnesota (lost to No. 4 Penn State 26-25)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Louisville (defeated Pitt 37-9)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: UTEP
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Alabama
Did the season start? Ole Miss
Can the season end? Mississippi State
Can the season never end? Kansas
GAMES
Play this again: Auburn 43, No. 15 Texas A&M 41 (4OT)
Play this again, too: No. 4 Penn State 26, Minnesota 25
Never play this again: No. 11 Tennessee 56, UTEP 0
What? No. 21 Arizona State 28, No. 14 BYU 23
Huh? Florida 24, No. 9 Ole Miss 17
Double-Huh? Auburn 43, No. 15 Texas A&M 41 (4OT)
Are you kidding me?? Kansas 37, No. 16 Colorado 21
Oh – my – God: Oklahoma 24, No. 7 Alabama 3
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 14)
Ticket to die for: No. 3 Texas @ No. 20 Texas A&M
Honorable mention No. 1: No. 16 South Carolina @ No. 12 Clemson
Honorable mention No. 2: Michigan @ No. 2 Ohio State
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Stanford @ San Jose State
Best non-Power Four matchup: Memphis @ No. 18 Tulane
Upset alert: Kansas State @ No. 17 Iowa State
Must win: All Big XII games involving Iowa State, BYU, Arizona State, and Colorado
Offensive explosion: West Virginia @ Texas Tech
Defensive struggle: Nebraska @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: Navy @ East Carolina
Intriguing coaching matchup: Hugh Freeze of Auburn vs Kalen DeBoer of Alabama
Who’s bringing the body bags? Purdue @ Indiana
Dishonorable mention: Kent State @ Buffalo
Why are they playing? Wyoming @ Washington State
Plenty of good seats remaining: UTEP @ New Mexico State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Kennesaw State @ Louisiana Tech
Week 13 Thoughts:
In perusing through some of the interesting games from this week, just as we began with a game involving Louisville last week, it seems fitting that we do so again. The Cardinals have given major Jekyll-and-Hyde vibes lately. They hang tough with Miami, only losing by a touchdown. Only two weeks later, they embarrass Clemson in Death Valley, thus mortally wounding the Tigers’ bid for the ACC crown. Then a week later, they lay an egg in the 4th quarter to Stanford, giving the Cardinal (notice the lack of the plural) a rare win for their dismal year. Apparently that embarrassment woke something up inside of them, for they turned things around the following week and ripped a potentially dangerous Pittsburgh team, 37-9. If that team shows up in Lexington this upcoming week, the Governor’s Cup could likely come back to Louisville.
What most of us thought to be the main event of the day – at noon EST, no less – was the Indiana @ Ohio State game. Finally, a chance to prove themselves against a top five team. After getting licked by the Buckeyes 38-15, clearly Curt Cignetti & Co. have further developing and growth to undertake in order to be a legit top-five team themselves in the future. But if the most recent, updated AP rankings are of any indication, it is still likely that IU could make the playoffs.
Speaking of potential playoff teams from the Big Ten, can we legitimately call Penn State the No. 4 team in the land after narrowly escaping a loss to unranked Minnesota? Yes, P.J. Fleck’s teams are never to be underestimated, and they can make a team pay if said team lets down its guard. But after such an impressive win on the part of the Nittany Lions, it raises the question of maybe the current rankings are some degree of wishful thinking than that of objective reasoning. To broaden the scope of the matter at hand, are we truly going to say with a straight face that the three of the top five teams are all in in the B1G? Are we trying to convince ourselves that No. 4 Penn State is somehow better than No. 6 Georgia? Same question applies to Notre Dame, at No. 5, to be sure. I offer this as food for thought as one last week in the regular season remains.
Meanwhile, with Kansas upsetting Colorado and with Arizona State escaping their matchup with BYU with a win, the race for the Big XII crown has been officially knocked on its ear. As many as four teams could vie for the title – Colorado and BYU still, along with Iowa State and Arizona State, the latter of whom seems to have the strongest momentum of the pack. Should all four teams win this upcoming week, how to sort out who plays for the conference title? My personal choice would be to select the explosive combination of pizzazz and momentum, thus Colorado and Arizona State. But let’s see how these teams fare in their regular season finales in the meantime.
All that said, despite the deserved hype of the Indiana-Ohio State game earlier in the day, the best game of the day turned out to be Texas A&M at Auburn at night. The Aggies might have been looking past the Tigers, understandably as that program seems to have lost its way this year. Nevertheless, Hugh Freeze managed to get the War Eagles prepared and focused, and it showed as they took they led the Aggies most of the the game, tied it up at the end of the regulation, then outlasted them in overtime in a wild thriller of a matchup in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
But if one upset in the SEC with title race implications is great, why not double our pleasure with another such upset? Raise your hand if you had not given up Oklahoma for dead? Then Alabama comes calling, only to come out flat the entire game. The Sooners inexplicably held the Crimson Tide to three points the entire game, while Oklahoma scored far more than that. Don’t look now, but Bama has three losses for this season. And yet, is anybody going to deny, with a straight face, that they could not beat half the teams currently in the AP Top Ten?
Bottom line: the Playoff Committee has their work cut out for them in sorting out this week as Rivalry Week is about to unfold.
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2024) November 4, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Air Force, Alabama, Arizona, Army, Cardinals, Chris Creighton, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Cyclones, Dabo Swinney, Eastern Michigan, Florida, Gamecocks, Georgia, Georgia State, Houston, Indiana, Iowa State, James Franklin, James Madison, Jason Candle, Jedd Fisch, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, Kirby Smart, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, NCAA football, New Mexico, New Mexico State, North Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Purdue, Red Raiders, Ryan Day, Ryan Walters, San Diego State, Shane Beamer, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tigers, Toledo, UCF, UCLA, UMass, Utah State, UTEP, Washington, Washington State
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Jason Candle, Toledo
Poor guy: Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Desperately seeking … anything: Ryan Walters, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oklahoma (defeated Maine 59-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Army (defeated Air Force 20-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to Mississippi State 45-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Louisville (defeated No. 11 Clemson 33-21)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: NC State (defeated Stanford 59-28)
Most improved from previous week: UCLA
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: New Mexico State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Texas A&M
Did the season start? Iowa State
Can the season end? Arizona
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES
Play this again: No. 4 Ohio State 20, No. 3 Penn State 13
Never play this again: UCF 56, Arizona 12
What? Minnesota 25, No. 24 Illinois 17
Huh? Houston 24, No. 19 Kansas State 19
Double-Huh? Texas Tech 23, No. 11 Iowa State 22
Are you kidding me?? UCLA 27, Nebraska 20
Oh – my – God: Louisville 33, No. 11 Clemson 21
OMG/Told you so: South Carolina 44, No. 10 Texas A&M 20
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Georgia @ No. 16 Ole Miss
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: (N/A)
Best non-Power Four matchup: No. 18 Army @ North Texas
Upset alert: Florida @ No. 5 Texas
Must win: No. 11 Alabama @ No. 14 LSU
Offensive explosion: New Mexico @ San Diego State
Defensive struggle: Oklahoma @ Missouri
Great game no one is talking about: No. 21 Colorado @ Texas Tech
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jedd Fisch of Washington vs James Franklin of Penn State
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 3 Ohio State @ Purdue
Why are they playing? Utah State @ Washington State
Plenty of good seats remaining: Kennesaw State @ UTEP
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Georgia State @ James Madison
Week 10 Thoughts:
Another great day for college football is in the books. The Ohio State – Penn State game lived up to the hype, and told us what we need to know about the respective strengths and weaknesses of the two teams. Then, as the rest of the day unfolded, some very intriguing upsets occurred, especially in the evening, making things most entertaining, which is the point, in case we forgot.
Ohio State @ Penn State
Last week, Ohio State was trying to fix its running game problem on the fly against Nebraska, hence the puzzlingly low score against the Cornhuskers in that game. Suffice it to say, the Buckeyes solved that problem, having rushed for 179 yards against the vaunted defense of Penn State. That was perhaps the biggest deciding factor in what amounted to be something of a defensive struggle throughout the contest. Media talking heads speculated that the bulk of the must-win pressure was on Ryan Day. If so, he and his team rose to the occasion. Conversely, James Franklin’s Ohio State problem persists, as his record is now 1-10 against the Bucks. Nevertheless, the Nittany Lions gave a valiant effort, which was rewarded in that they went down only few spots in the rankings from No. 3 to No. 6.
Georgia vs Florida
On paper, this game should have been a blowout. Florida had other plans. The Gators took the early lead, and kept it through halftime, 13-6. In the second half, the Bulldogs chipped away early on, then built the lead to ultimately triumph, 34-20. The Bulldog’s biggest weakness is their QB play. Even though Carson Beck threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, he also threw three interceptions. One cannot make those sorts of mistakes against a Texas, an Oregon, or an Ohio State and expect to win.
On the other side of the ball, Florida is not quite the basketcase they were at the beginning of the year. By now, they can hang with the best in the conference, even if they cannot triumph over them. One hallmark of a well-coached team is whether or not your team is showing improvement as the season progresses. The Gators have showed that in spades. Texas best be on the lookout next week.
Upsets abound:
Texas Tech @ Iowa State
The Cyclone’s road to the playoffs just hit a major pothole when the unranked Red Raiders upset them at home.
Minnesota @ Illinois
Even though the Illini were ranked and the Golden Gophers were not, P.J. Fleck’s squad was still favored by the wiseguys in Vegas. Hard to see why in hindsight.
UCLA @ Nebraska
Let’s be honest, we all gave up the Bruins for dead earlier this year. Then, they venture to Lincoln, Neb., and upset the Huskers on their home turf. Matt Rhule should likewise be desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard along with Dabo Swinney. Speaking of…
Louisville @ Clemson
The Cardinals have been a team with much potential but not quite there, as they have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball, though especially on defense. That all changed with defensive coordinator Ron English (one of the better ones in the business IMO) simplified his defensive assignments, and his players responded most positively.
So much so, that they shut down an explosively resurgent Tigers, on their home turf of all places. Offensively, things came together for Louisville as well: they amassed 210 yards on the ground, as well as all three of their touchdowns. When other drives stalled, the Cards still managed to put additional points on the board thanks to the sure and accurate foot of kicker Brock Travelstead, who went 4 for 5.
This marks the first time Louisville has beaten Clemson, and it came when was least suspected, given the former’s previously inconsistent performances compared to the latter’s surge, which the Cardinals suddenly stalled.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals can sustain this newfound defensive cohesiveness and improved offense. Likewise, it will still intrigue the fans of the college football as to whether or not the Tigers can still make a run for the playoffs and which other contenders they can wreck along the way.
Texas A&M @ South Carolina.
The Aggies were the new darling of the SEC after knocking off LSU. But in the words of the late LSU head coach Charley McClendon, “In football, and in life, you’ve got to keep proving yourself.” That opportunity to keep proving themselves came for No. 10 Texas A&M when they ventured into Columbia to take on giant-menacing South Carolina.
To set the stage, the Gamecocks only narrowly lost to LSU and Alabama by three points each, and they demolished Oklahoma, 35-9. One could discern a potential upset a mile away. Such discerners were proven correct. Not only did the Gamecocks upset the Aggies, they did so in grandiose fashion, 44-20, a more-than 2-1 margin. Shane Beamer has proven that his team is one to be reckoned with, and the remainder of their schedule is a winnable one, with regular season finale with Clemson shaping up to be a possible monster of a game.
As Bill Connelly reminded us, November is for everything. These games, and others yesterday, have gotten this month off to a red-hot start, and we have an awesome remainder yet to enjoy. Buckle up.
College Football Awards, Week 9 (2024) October 27, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Air Force, Akron, Alabama, Army, Boise State, Boston College, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, Broncos, Buckeyes, Central Michigan, Chris Klieman, Cincinnati, Clemson, college football, Colorado, Cornhuskers, Dabo Swinney, Derek Mason, Ducks, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Florida State, football, Garrett Nussmeier, Happy Valley, Houston, Illinois, Jake Dickert, Jamey Chadwell, Jeff Brohm, Kansas, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Lance Leipold, liberty, Louisville, LSU, Maine, Matt Rhule, Miami (Fla.), Middle Tennessee, Mike Elko, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, NCAA football, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Ryan Day, San Diego State, SEC, SMU, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tigers, UMass, UNLV, USC, Utah, UTEP, Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, LSU
Lucky guy: Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Poor guy: Lance Leipold, Kansas
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jake Dickert, Washington State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jamey Chadwell, Liberty
Desperately seeking … anything: Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Miami (defeated Florida State 36-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Ohio State (defeated Nebraska 21-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Missouri (lost to No. 15 Alabama 34-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Vanderbilt (lost to No. 5 Texas 27-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Pittsburgh (defeated Syracuse 41-13)
Most improved from previous week: Nebraska
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Central Michigan
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Liberty
Did the season start? LSU
Can the season end? Mississippi State
Can the season never end? Texas A&M
GAMES
Play this again: No. 14 Texas A&M 38, No. 8 LSU 23
Play this again, too: No. 17 Boise State 29, UNLV 24
Never play this again: No. 15 Notre Dame 51, No. 25 Navy 14
What? Houston 17, Utah 14
Huh? Akron 25, Eastern Michigan 21
Are you kidding me?? No. 14 Texas A&M 38, No. 8 LSU 23
Oh – my – God: Kennesaw State 27, Liberty 24
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 10)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Ohio State @ No. 3 Penn State
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: (they are all bad)
Best non-Power Four matchup: Jacksonville State @ Liberty
Upset alert: No. 10 Texas A&M @ South Carolina
Must win: No. 18 Pittsburgh @ No. 20 SMU
Offensive explosion: TCU @ Baylor
Defensive struggle: Kentucky @ No. 7 Tennessee
Great game no one is talking about: USC @ Washington
Intriguing coaching matchup: PJ Fleck of Minnesota vs Bret Bielema of Illinois
Honorable mention: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Dabo Swinney of Clemson
Who’s bringing the body bags? Air Force @ No. 21 Army
Why are they playing? Maine @ Oklahoma
Plenty of good seats remaining: Middle Tennessee @ UTEP
Plenty of good seats remaining, B1G edition: Northwestern @ Purdue
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? UMass @ Mississippi State
Week 9 Thoughts:
Thursday gave us a surprising upset in Kennesaw State, winless up to that point upsetting Liberty. Indeed, the Flames picked up their first loss of the season. Given how lopsided the matchup was on paper, that clearly merits this game as the biggest upset of the week.
Then Friday gave us two very engaging games, one wherein Louisville managed to gradually gnaw away at BC’s lead to where they eventually triumphed, 31-27, on the road, no less.
Later that night, the grandest Non-Power Five clash of the week occurred with UNLV taking on Boise State, wherein the Broncos had to fight hard to fend off the Runnin’ Rebels, 29-24.
Nebraska @ Ohio State
What to make of this game? A couple of weeks ago, Ohio State was considered a major favorite to win the national title. Then they lost to Oregon, on the road, in Autzen Stadium, which is a tough place to play and even tougher if it is a team’s first time there. But they still looked like playoff contenders.
Then, the Buckeyes had a bye week to lick their wounds before taking on Nebraska at home. While the Cornhuskers are no chump team, they are no Oregon or Georgia. Ohio State only scored 21 points against them, and the Huskers even led for 4:39 in the 4th quarter.
So what to make of all this? One can boil it down to two potential explanations. The first: the Cornhuskers have drastically improved under Matt Rhule as the season has progressed, especially within the past couple of weeks. At the same time, Ohio State is showing regression at running the ball and on the offensive line, and they had to extend themselves to beat a decent team.
The second potential explanation: Nebraska may have considerably improved, but they are not world-beaters. Ohio State got caught in a trap game while too many on the team were looking past the Huskers in anticipation of taking on Penn State in Happy Valley next week.
Occam’s razor, to which I generally subscribe, would suggest the latter. But seriously, if the Buckeyes are serious about giving the Nittany Lions their first “L” of the season, they need to work on their running game and their line play.
Illinois @ Oregon
The outcome of the Ducks defeating the Illini at home was hardly in doubt. Oregon got that job done and then some, 38-9. Nevertheless, Illinois put up a valiant effort in the process. Yet one cannot help but wonder as to why such a considerable loss only knocked Illinois down five positions, at the most, in the latest rankings. Yes, the Illini are still a good team, but after losing that badly yet to stay ranked (from about No. 19 to No. 24) is quite likely more of a commentary on the high esteem the voters have towards Oregon and less of the regard they may have for Illinois, which clearly has not diminished much, and rightly so.
LSU & Texas A&M
The SEC evening game on ABC certainly did not disappoint. But one of the biggest upsets of the week did occur, where the Aggies triumphed over the Tigers, 38-23. LSU was the higher-ranked team going in, and could have won. So what happened? Simply put, LSU’s QB play went South. Yes, Garrett Nussmeier did throw for 405 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw three interceptions, all of which were at very inopportune times. It leads us to the biggest takeaway of the game, that Brian Kelly needs a better QB if he wants to take LSU to the promised land.
Elsewhere:
One more interesting aspect to Week 9 was that a cluster of close, competitive games happened late at night. Colorado continues to surge under Coach Prime after a sluggish start to the season, defeating Cincinnati 34-23. Kansas and Kansas State slugged it out in a classic rivalry clash. Though the latter’s record is vastly superior to that of the former, you could barely tell that last night, as the Wildcats had to fight hard to come back against the Jayhawks, 29-27. Duke took SMU not only down to the wire, but into OT, and even then, the Mustangs only won by a point, 28-27. Out on the west coast, Washington State, who quietly grows stronger by the week, had to stage a 4th-quarter comeback over visiting San Diego State. It was a good week, and a unique one at that.
College Football Awards, Week 7 (2024) October 14, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona State, Army, Ball State, Billy Napier, Boilermakers, Boilers, Brent Venables, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, Buckeyes, Buffaloes, California, college football, Colorado, Crimson Tide, Dan Lanning, Deion Sanders, Ducks, Florida, football, Gamecocks, Georgia, Hawkeyes, Illini, Illinois, Iowa, Jedd Fisch, Jeff Brohm, Josh Heupel, Justin Wilcox, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas State, Kenny Dillingham, Kyle Whittingham, Longhorns, Louisville, LSU, Mario Cristobal, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi State, Missouri, NCAA, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Red River, Ryan Day, Ryan Walters, San Jose State, SEC, Sooners, South Carolina, Sports, Stanford, Steve Sarkesian, Sun Devils, Tennessee, Texas, Tigers, Trent Dilfer, UAB, UConn, UMass, USC, Utah, Utah State, UTEP, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest, Washington, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Honorable mention: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Glad I’m not him: Brent Venables
Ditto: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Lucky guy: Bret Bielema, Illinois
Poor guy: Ryan Walters, Purdue
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jedd Fisch, Washington
Desperately seeking … anything: Trent Dilfer, UAB
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Army (defeated UAB 44-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Georgia (defeated Mississippi State 41-31)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to No. 25 Missouri 45-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (lost to No. 23 Illinois 50-49)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Iowa (defeated Washington 40-16)
Dang, they’re good: Texas
Dang, they’re bad: UMass
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Utah
Did the season start? Washington
Can the season end? UTEP
Can the season never end? Oregon
GAMES
Play this again: No. 3 Oregon 32, No. 2 Ohio State 31
Play these again, too: No. 8 Tennessee 23, Florida 17
No. 4 Penn State 33, USC 30
No. 7 Alabama 27, South Carolina 25
No. 13 LSU 29, No. 9 Ole Miss 26
Never play this again: No. 11 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 7
What? Arizona State 27, No. 16 Utah 19
Huh? Iowa 40, Washington 16
Are you kidding me?? No. 13 LSU 29, No. 9 Ole Miss 26
Oh – my – God: No. 3 Oregon 32, No. 2 Ohio State 31
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 8)
Ticket to die for: No. 5 Georgia @ No. 1 Texas
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: Wake Forest @ UConn
Best non-Power Four matchup: UNLV @ Oregon State
Upset alert: No. 11 Notre Dame @ Georgia Tech
Must win: No. 7 Alabama @ No. 11 Tennessee
Offensive explosion: New Mexico @ Utah State
Defensive struggle: UCLA @ Rutgers
Great game no one is talking about: Nebraska @ No. 16 Indiana
Intriguing coaching matchup: Josh Heupel of Tennessee vs Kalen DeBoer of Alabama
Honorable mention: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Mario Cristobal of Miami
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 2 Oregon @ Purdue
Why are they playing? Ball State @ Vanderbilt
Plenty of good seats remaining: Kennesaw State @ Middle Tennessee
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Wyoming @ San Jose State
Week 7 Thoughts:
We said, on this blog, that this week was going to be grand. Not to be self-congratulatory in the least, but we were more right than we realized.
This week was one of the most epic for college football in ages. To wit:
Friday evening started the weekend off interestingly, delivering an upset of No. 16 Utah at the hands of unranked Arizona State. Lesson learned: take the Sun Devils lightly at one’s own peril.
South Carolina, battered by Ole Miss the week prior, came off the mat to threaten Alabama within an inch of its life, taking the Crimson Tide down to the wire and losing only 27-25. Had the Gamecocks not botched a two-point conversion attempt, it is unlikely that Bama could have escaped intact.
Texas avenged its unexpected loss from last year, trouncing Oklahoma gradually over the course of 60 minutes of play, triumphing most convincingly 34-3. The Sooners’ only three points came early in the first quarter before the Longhorns’ defense and offense settled into their respective rhythms. In the process of this most ripping victory, Texas has, for now, vindicated its current standing as the No. 1 team in the nation.
Even the lesser-regarded teams got in on the act and delivered incredible games in their own right. Cal ventured across the country to Pittsburgh, and gave a valiant effort, only losing 17-15 to the No. 22 Panthers. Despite the loss, I am left convinced that Justin Wilcox is the best coach nobody has heard of.
Iowa decided to find this new thing called an offense, and blew out an unsuspecting Washington squad at home, 40-16. This blew more than a few minds, given that the Hawkeyes have been in more than a few defensive struggles as of late.
Purdue, earning its reputation as a punching bag, what with its hitherto dismal performances, suddenly found an offense as well. The timing was perfect, since the Boilermakers have become Illinois’ nemesis or sort in recent years. The Boilers took the 23rd-ranked Illini into overtime before coming up short in an expected thriller, 50-49.
Louisville, having had something of a “Virginia problem” as of late, likewise rebounded after a tough loss to SMU and picked up the win on the road, in comeback fashion, no less.
Penn State ventured out to Los Angeles to take on USC in the Coliseum. The legendary venue showed up beautifully on TV, what with a packed house creating a “sea of cardinal”; the east stands decked out in full Trojans banner-regalia; the 4th quarter tradition of the lighting of the Olympic torch; it all blended together as a symphonic feast for the eyes. Better yet, the game surpassed the outward aesthetics. The Trojans came through on big plays to maintain a lead most of the game. But the Nittany Lions are nothing if not tenacious, gnawing away at the opposition throughout regulation, waiting to capitalize on the inevitable mistake. Penn State’s comeback was enough to take the game into OT, where they won by a field goal. On a grander scale, such a thriller of a game personified the amazing potential of new conference matchups made possible by the recent west coast additions to the B1G. Yes, it still feels like we’re in the Twilight Zone with the Big Ten having expanded this way, but such games make question whether being in such a “Zone” is so bad after all.
All these games listed, and we still have yet to note the night game thrillers!
To start off that segment, Tennessee finally got a major money off its back by defeating Florida in a close one, 23-17. Pundits have speculated on the inconsistent offensive output on the Volunteers’ part since they beat Oklahoma earlier this season. While those concerns are not unfounded, what made this game more of a nailbiter than considered ‘on paper’ is that Florida continues to improve as a team under the much-maligned Billy Napier. Perhaps giving Napier the ax so soon would be unnecessarily hasty. Regardless, the Volunteers have little time to celebrate, as the Crimson Tide comes calling next week. That matchup between Tennessee and Alabama shall be easily the most epic clash of those two teams in easily 30 years, if not more.
In another massive game, LSU took on Ole Miss in Death Valley. The level of play and intensity of rivalry directly harkened back to the high-stakes matchups between the two teams of the late 1950s when legendary coaches Paul Dietzel and Johnny Vaught helmed the respective squads. The Tigers’ huge, come-from-behind win is no doubt a monkey off Brian Kelly’s back, who still has yet to prove himself to everyone’s satisfaction in the most brutal of conferences.
Finally, the perhaps the biggest thriller of them all took place in Eugene, where No. 2 Ohio State ventured out to the west coast to take on conference newcomer, No. 3 Oregon. Not only was this matchup massive on paper, but teams’ performances lived up to the hype. In the end, the Ducks overcame the Buckeyes thanks to the latter’s clock mismanagement in the final seconds. But to zoom out the proverbial lens, this game’s outcome is not the end, only the beginning. Between the new 12-team playoff format, and the reformatted conference championship, if the two teams continue to live up to their potential, it is very likely their paths may cross again. Should that come to pass, perhaps that should favor the Buckeyes, who now have luxury to examine what went wrong and to take corrective action in anticipation of the next time. But in the meantime, they had better prepare to meet still-undefeated Penn State come Nov. 2.
Finally, Deion Sanders & CO (see what I did there?) delivered a highly competitive night cap. Seriously, the game kicked off at 8:15 local [Mountain] time: who in their right mind starts a game that late? Say what you want about Coach Prime, but after the first few games which were a comedy of errors, the team has suddenly gotten serious, having steadily improved during the last few games. This improvement has developed to the point where they almost triumphed, on the road, over consistently tough No. 18 Kansas State. Let us not give the Buffaloes up for dead yet, as they have a slate of challenging but winnable games throughout the remainder of their schedule.
