College Football Awards, Week 6 (2024) October 7, 2024
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arizona State, Army, Ball State, Cal, California, Clark Lea, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, college football, Eliah Drinkwitz, Florida, Florida State, football, Golden Bears, Hurricanes, Indiana, Iowa, James Franklin, James Madison, Jeff Monken, Justin Wilcox, Kalen DeBoer, Kent State, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Mario Cristobal, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Missouri, NCAA, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Red River rivalry, Red River Shootout, Ryan Walters, SEC, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, UAB, UMass, UNLV, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington, Western Michigan, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Glad I’m not him: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Lucky guy: Mario Cristobal, Miami
Poor guy: Justin Wilcox, Cal
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lincoln Riley, USC
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Monken, Army
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
Desperately seeking … anything: Ryan Walters, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Tulane (defeated UAB 71-20)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Clemson (defeated Florida State 29-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Purdue (lost to Wisconsin 52-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Vanderbilt (defeated No. 1 Alabama 40-35)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Texas A&M (defeated No. 9 Missouri 41-10)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Purdue
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Alabama
Did the season start? Missouri
Can the season end? UAB
Can the season never end? Indiana
GAMES
Play this again: No. 4 Alabama 41, No. 2 Georgia 34
Play this again, too: Washington 27, No. 10 Michigan 17
Never play this again: Wisconsin 52, Purdue 6
What? Minnesota 24, No. 11 USC 17
Huh? Washington 27, No. 10 Michigan 17
Double-Huh? No. 25 Texas A&M 41, No. 9 Missouri 10
Are you kidding me?? Arkansas 19, No. 4 Tennessee 14
Oh – my – God: Vanderbilt 40, No. 1 Alabama 35
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 7)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout
Ticket to die for, runner-up: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 3 Oregon
Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four matchup: N/A
Best non-Power Four matchup: Coastal Carolina @ James Madison
Upset alert: Arizona State @ No. 16 Utah
Must win: Florida @ No. 8 Tennessee
Offensive explosion: No. 9 Ole Miss @ No. 13 LSU
Defensive struggle: Washington @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: California @ No. 22 Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: James Frankin of Penn State vs Lincoln Riley of USC
Who’s bringing the body bags? Army @ UAB
Why are they playing? Missouri @ UMass
Plenty of good seats remaining: Ball State @ Kent State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Akron @ Western Michigan
Week 6 Thoughts:
Upsets abounded this weekend. On paper, this was not supposed to happen. Most of the matchups appeared to be middling at best, without any top-ten, high-stakes slugfest. Yet the games delivered some good contest and interesting results anyhow. Things started in such an interesting manner Friday night, when Syracuse ventured out to Las Vegas to take on UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels had been on something of a hot streak lately, but the Orange played them closely throughout regulation, even took the game to overtime, where they went on to triumph with a touchdown after UNLV’s field goal.
Nor would UNLV be the only undefeated team to bite the dust suddenly and unexpectedly. Missouri went down to ignominious defeat to Texas A&M, losing 41-10. In so doing, the Tigers proved our suspicions that they were grossly overrated at No. 9.
Louisville might not have been undefeated, but they were ranked before going down to defeat at home to SMU. The Cardinals were unable to contain the Mustangs’ offense the whole game, and that lack of defense cost them dearly in the end.
USC appears to still struggle to get its sea legs under them in the B1G, for they lost to unranked Minnesota on the road, 24-17. Clearly “rowing the boat” paid off for P.J. Fleck this week.
Arkansas’ defense showed up in a massive way at home on a night game when No. 4 Tennessee came calling, and the Volunteers went home with their first loss of the season, 19-14.
But the most jaw-dropping upset of them all, even, likely, the most jaw-dropping upset of the decade thus far, was without a doubt No. 1 Alabama losing to Vanderbilt in Nashville. To put things in perspective, this monumental win marked the first time that the Commodores defeated a No. 1 team, ever.
If all these upsets are not enough, though, we almost had another one late at night…almost. The [No. 8] Miami Hurricanes ventured out to Berkeley to play California. The Golden Bears led most of the game. Even in the middle of the 3rd quarter, they led 35-10. Finally, in the 4th quarter, the ‘Canes decided to live up to their potential, and scored three touchdowns in 10 minutes of play to eventually, almost inexplicably, triumph, 39-38.
So much for middling matchups.
That notwithstanding, next week we have Texas playing Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout; No. 2 Ohio State vs No. 3 Oregon, and No. 9 Ole Miss vs No. 13 LSU. It’s going to be grand. Buckle up.
2023-2024 Bowl Games Preview December 18, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: ACC, Alabama, Alamo, Arizona, B1G, Big XII, Brent Musburger, Brian Kelly, Clemson, college, Crimson Tide, Fiesta, football, Georgia, Huskies, Iowa, James Franklin, Jeff Brohm, Jim Harbaugh, Kansas, Kentucky, Lane Kiffin, liberty, Lincoln Riley, Longhorns, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Michael Penix Jr., Michigan, Missouri, NCAA, Nick Saban, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Orange, Oregon, Oregon State, Pac-12, Penn State, Rose, SEC, Sugar, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Toledo, UNLV, USC, Utah, Washingon, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wolverines, Wyoming
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Bowl game season is now upon us again. While the bulk of the first day of games are not exactly eyeball-grabbing, there are a couple of potential interest, and many more that will keep us glued to the screen over the next couple of weeks. So, without further ado, let us sort out the good, the really good, the so-so, and the downright ugly. Note that the times of games are given in Eastern Standard Time. Note also that not all bowl game are listed below: some are so boring or pointless, it’s a waste to mention them.
Tickets to Die For:
No. 1 Michigan (13-0) vs No. 4 Alabama (12-1) in the Rose Bowl, Jan 1, 5:00 PM ESPN
Let us address the elephant in the room (see what I did there)? This game is going to be epic. Jim Harbaugh leads a Michigan team that is even stronger than the last Wolverine squad that won the national championship (1997). In the opposing corner is Nick Saban’s Alabama team, which has grown stronger and more formidable with each passing week. This game obviously doubles as an intriguing coaching matchup. No, it is not the first time that these coaching legends have faced off, either. The 2020 Citrus Bowl pitted the two together, with the Crimson Tide pounding the Wolverines 35-16. But that was then, this is now. Bama is not quite the juggernaut it was then, but could potentially return to that level. Conversely, the Wolverines are considerably stronger since then, leading to an irresistible force meeting an immovable object. Grab your snack food of choice and leave your belts behind, folks. This one could be a ‘dandy’ to remember in the Granddaddy of Them All! Also, can we please bring Brent Musburger out of retirement for this one?
No. 2 Washington (13-0) vs No. 3 Texas (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl, 8:45 PM ESPN
Let us not overlook this other matchup for the playoffs. In contrast to the above listed playoff game, this one is likely to be high-octane on both sides of the ball. Michael Penix Jr. leads an incredibly potent offense (they took down an incredibly strong Oregon squad not once, but twice with it). Meanwhile, Texas is no offensive slouch, either, with playmakers in their receiving corps that an also light up the scoreboard. Is there a potential mismatch? Sadly, yes, what with the Longhorns’ secondary being a potential gap in their otherwise strong defensive armor. Yet the Horns are bigger up front, on both sides of the ball. That potential for their front seven to make sufficient pass rushes to contain Penix might explain why Texas is favored by four points. Regardless, this matchup has the third-highest over-under of any bowl game this season at 63, and is an obvious double for an offensive explosion.
No. 5 Georgia (12-1) vs No. 6 Florida State (13-0) in the Orange Bowl, Dec. 30, 4:00 ESPN
Perhaps we are to call this the Consolation Bowl? How about the Spurned Contestants Bowl? Both teams had reasonable claims to be in the playoffs, if not the best claims compared to other teams. At any rate, on paper this matchup is very juicy. In reality, things are more complicated (aren’t they always)? The reason why the Seminoles got left out of the playoffs was not due to their record, but rather due to their recent performances. Yes, the reason behind that is a tragic one: their star QB, Jordan Travis, had a season-ending injury, in another illustration of the potential cruelty of November in the college game. Since then, their offensive output has plummeted. This leads me to predict, with a giant asterisk, that the Bulldogs could crush the Seminoles. The asterisk comes in the form of a mitigating factor: how motivated is Georgia to play up to their potential? This is more than a valid concern for college football postseason games in recent years, what with sit-outs (departing seniors not wanting to risk injury and thus risk NFL draft capital), players entering the transfer portal, etc. Perhaps those mitigating factors might even the odds after all.
Best Power Five vs. Non-Power Five Matchup
No. 8 Oregon (11-2) vs No. 23 Liberty (13-0) in the Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 1, 1:00 ESPN
This designation/categorization could not be more obvious. Too bad that the Ducks’ level of competition is orders of magnitude greater than that of the Flames. So, on paper, Oregon might crush Liberty, but it nevertheless could provide a nice laboratory experiment of what happens when a playoff-potential team pits itself against a stronger-than-normal mid-major team. Oh, and with an over-under of 65.5, this clearly doubles as an offensive explosion, too.
Best non-Power Five Matchup:
Toledo (11-2) vs Wyoming (8-4) in the Arizona Bowl, Dec. 30, 4:30 PM ESPN
The MAC champ butts heads with the Mountain West champ. Speaking of lab experiments, this one is interesting, too.
Upset Alerts:
No. 7 Ohio State (11-1) vs No. 9 Missouri (10-2) in the Cotton Bowl, Dec. 29, 8:00 PM ESPN
On paper, the respective rankings alone should make for a good game. But the sit-outs and transfers on Ohio State’s part leaves the game in Mizzou’s favor, but only by 2.5 points. On the other hand, many fans remain skeptical about the Tigers’ actual strength, since many their 10 wins came against under-performers in the SEC East. Can the remaining personnel for the Buckeyes overcome that narrow margin?
No. 22 Clemson (8-4) vs Kentucky (7-5) in the Gator Bowl, Dec. 29, 12:00 PM ESPN
Sure, Clemson has a decent record, but the ACC proved weak this year. Yes, Kentucky took its fair share of lumps, but they did so in the SEC. Do not be surprised if the Wildcats overcome the Tiger’s 5.5 point favoring margin.
No. 16 Notre Dame (9-3) vs No. 19 Oregon State (8-4) in the Sun Bowl, Dec. 29, 2:00 PM CBS
In a rematch of the 2000-’01 Fiesta Bowl (another intriguing coaching matchup that pitted Bob Davie against Dennis Erickson), this time a blowout in Oregon State’s favor is not likely, as Notre Dame is favored by 6.5 points. But this game also pits Marcus Freeman, who has led the Irish to a respectable 9-3 year, against Trent Bray, whose team has performed brilliantly by Oregon State standards. Not only does this double as an intriguing coaching matchup, but one where the strength of the Pac-12 could be a bigger factor than the oddsmakers have initially considered.
Offensive Explosions:
No. 12 Oklahoma (10-2) vs No. 14 Arizona (9-3) in the Alamo Bowl, Dec. 28, 9:15 ESPN
When was the last time we saw a boring Alamo Bowl? Surely this one is likely to be anything but that. Oddsmakers give the over-under for this game at 62.5. On one side of the ball, this is Arizona squad is the strongest it has been since they beat Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl 25 years ago. On the other side is the only team that [barely] took down a tough Texas team. Then again, the Sooners also lost twice to weaker competition. Regardless, their ceiling is/was sky-high. But perhaps not anymore, since their QB, Dillon Gabriel, is now transferring to Oregon. Perhaps that accounts for the Wildcats being favored by three points. After, they have more than held their own in the Pac-12, which in turn has been at its strongest in recent memory.
Kansas (8-4) vs UNLV (9-4) in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Dec. 26, 9:00 PM ESPN
Yes, UNLV has played light years better this season than their typical annual performance. But Kansas has likewise played far more strongly then their respective typical performance, and against stiffer competition. Thus, the Jayhawks are favored by 12.5 points. One of two things could happen; either Kansas barely covers the spread, or, their superior line play truly takes over in the second half, leading to a gradual blowout. The over-under is 64.5, one of the highest of the bowl season, so expect some fireworks.
Georgia Tech (6-6) vs UCF (6-6) in the Gasparilla Bowl, Dec. 22, 6:30 PM ESPN
This game has the highest over-under of them all at 66.5, with UCF favored by 4.5 points. This is another example of two mediocre teams, when pitted against each other, giving fans a good game.
Defensive Struggles:
No. 17 Iowa (10-3) vs No. 21 Tennessee (21) in the Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1, 1:00 ABC
Once again Tennessee plays in their winter home (according to Steve Spurrier), this time against Iowa. The latter has made a name for itself with a stringy defense with hardly any offense. Perhaps this accounts for one of the lowest over-unders of this bowl season at only 36.5. The intriguing question becomes, can a mediocre SEC offense overcome what is considered a strong defense by B1G standards? Conversely, how much of mismatch occurs between a mediocre SEC defense and a pitiful B1G offense? That latter point likely accounts for why the Vols are favored by 8.5 points. That said, a nice bonus is the intriguing coaching matchup between Josh Heupel and Kirk Ferentz.
Great Games no one is Talking About:
California (6-6) vs Texas Tech (6-6) in the Independence Bowl, Dec. 16, 9:15 ESPN
The Independence Bowl is one of those reliable bowls that almost always delivers with a good bowl game. While traditionally a late December bowl game, this time they moved it up to nine days before Christmas. Regardless, when two mediocre teams get together, sometimes a great game happens. The Red Raiders are favored by only 3.5 points, so on paper, this game might deliver, too.
Georgia State (6-6) vs Utah State (6-6) in the Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec. 23, 3:30 PM ESPN
Speaking of close games going either way, the Panthers will certainly be out of their element playing in Boise, Idaho in late December, but Aggies should feel right at home in those Nordic climes. The latter factor might account for Utah State’s slight favoring by 1.5, but with an over-under at 62.5, hello potential offensive explosion despite the cold!
Miami (FL) (7-5) vs Rutgers (6-6) in the Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 28, 2:15 PM ESPN
Perhaps the only reason that the Hurricanes are favored by only 1.5 points is because they are not used to playing in chilly NYC winter weather.
Utah (8-4) vs Northwestern (7-5) in the Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 23, 7:30 PM ABC
In what looks like a bargain-basement Rose Bowl (Pac-12 vs B1G), this game could deliver good value nonetheless, if only for the wrong reasons. Utah started off strongly but weakened with injuries, while all of us gave up Northwestern for dead earlier this year, only to see the Wildcats surge down the stretch. That Utah is favored by slightly less than a touchdown is a testament to how much Northwestern has improved throughout the season.
No. 18 NC State (9-3) vs No. 25 Kansas State (8-4) in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Dec. 28, 5:45 PM ESPN
Yes, like the 68 Ventures Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl is actually a thing (played in Orlando, Fla., FYI). The oddsmakers favor Kansas State by three points, implying a close game throughout. The tenacity of both squads assures the reader that it will be hard-fought throughout as well.
Think There is Enough Red and Black?
Arkansas State (6-6) vs Northern Illinois (6-6) in the Camellia Bowl, Dec. 23, 12:00 PM ESPN
The Red Wolves are favored by only 1, with an over-under of 53.5. This is a game that could go either way, and stay close throughout regulation.
Intriguing Coaching Matchups:
James Franklin of No. 10 Penn State (10-2) vs Lane Kiffin of No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2) in the Peach Bowl
Dec. 30, 12:00 PM ESPN
The contrasting styles of these respective coaches notwithstanding, what adds to the intrigue is that Franklin himself used to coach in the SEC, leading Vanderbilt to successes undreamed of in the modern era of college football. On the other side of the ball, Kiffin has led Ole Miss to a solid season, albeit one with an inexplicable loss to Texas Tech early in the season. Perhaps it is Penn State’s consistency that has led the oddsmakers to favor the Nittany Lions in this matchup by 3.5 points.
Jeff Brohm of No. 15 Louisville (10-3) vs Lincoln Riley of USC (7-5) in the Holiday Bowl
Dec. 27, 8:00 PM FOX
Jeff Brohm has certainly made a smash debut in his first year at his alma mater, leading the Cardinals to their first ACC championship game. He faces off against Lincoln Riley, an offensive mastermind who nevertheless has not properly addressed his issues on defense. Oddly enough, even with an underperforming offense, Louisville is still favored by 7.5 points, which leads us to another question: is USC’s defense truly that bad?
Jerry Kill of New Mexico State (10-4) vs Jeff Tedford of Fresno State (8-4) in the New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 16, 6:00 PM ESPN
Jerry Kill has led the Aggies to some amazing, memorable wins this season, and to a rare (for the program) bowl game, one where they are practically on home turf. Meanwhile, Jeff Tedford has brought his unique offensive philosophy into Fresno to help revitalize the Bulldogs. This could likewise be a great game no one is talking about.
Luke Fickell of Wisconsin (7-5) vs Brian Kelly of No. 13 LSU (9-3) in the ReliaQuest Bowl
Jan. 1, 12:00 PM ESPN
It’s a good thing this is an intriguing coaching matchup, because, despite both teams underperforming this year (within the context of their respective capacities, that is), on paper, this game is mismatch. Yes, the last time these two met up was on Sept. 3 of 2016, and the Badgers won that one, 16-14. But these teams are different now. Whereas the Badgers are not as strong as there were then, the Tigers, under Kelly, could be, in time, poised for another championship run. These current trajectories add up to the logic behind LSU being favored by 8.5 points. That aside, what is even more intriguing than the coaching matchup is the pitting of the fan bases. Both sets of fans are the most obnoxious in their respective conferences, so it’s always fun to see them bounce off each other in a game like this!
What Could Have Been
Texas A&M (7-5) vs No. 20 Oklahoma State (9-4) in the Texas Bowl, Dec. 27, 5:30 PM ESPN
If the powers that be at Texas A&M did ax Jimbo Fisher so soon, we could have had one of the most intriguing, entertaining coaching matchups of the season, what with Mike Gundy on the other side of the ball. As things now stand, the Aggies are still favored by two points, which also makes it a great game no one is talking about.
North Carolina (8-4) vs West Virginia (8-4) in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Dec. 27, 5:30 PM ESPN
Speaking of what could have been, remember when North Carolina started out as a top-ten team? Seems like the might have sadly fallen. Now they have to settle to play in their own backyard, and yet, West Virginia is still favored by 6.5 points.
Why Are They Playing?
South Alabama (6-6) vs Eastern Michigan (6-6) in the 68 Ventures Bowl (no, really)
Dec. 23, 7:00 PM ESPN
Looks like a rather even matchup on the surface…until you find out that South Alabama is favored by 15.5.
UTSA (8-4) vs Marshall (6-6) in the Frisco Bowl, Dec. 19 9:00 PM ESPN
The Roadrunners are favored by 12 in this matchup. It might take a monumental effort on Marshall’s part, should UTSA show up in this game staged in the fourth-largest city within the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country.
Ohio (10-2) vs Georgia Southern (6-6) in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, Dec. 16, 11:00 AM ESPN
This game simply has mismatch (in the Bobcats’ favor) written all over it.
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
Tulane (11-2) vs Virginia Tech (6-6) in the Military Bowl, Dec. 27, 2:00 PM ESPN
So let us get this straight: Tulane has an 11-2 season, and has a team almost as strong as the one that went undefeated in 1998, and yet: Virginia Tech, who was lucky to even qualify for a bowl game this year, is still favored by 7.5 points? To add insult to injury, let us not forget that the ACC is particularly weak with year. Is the American Athletic Conference that much weaker still?
No. 24 SMU (11-2) vs Boston College (6-6) in the Fenway Bowl, Dec. 28, 11:00 AM ESPN
In another head-scratcher, SMU (also in the AAC), who is ranked, plays BC (also in the AAC), in what is the latter’s home turf, in chilly New England winter weather, and yet the Mustangs are still favored by 11 points.
Bowling Green (7-5) vs Minnesota (5-7) in the Quick Lane Bowl, Dec. 26, 2:00 PM ESPN
To quote the great Yogi Berra, “It’s déjà vu all over again”. These same two teams, with the same respective records, played each other in this very same bowl game eight years ago. I can hear FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd mock this matchup and laugh at the irony of it all at the same time.
College Football Awards, Week 12 (2023) November 22, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: ACC, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, B1G, Billy Napier, BYU, Clemson, Colorado, Cyclones, Deion Sanders, Duke, East Carolina, Eliah Drinkwitz, Florida, Georgia, Hawai'i, Hugh Freeze, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Madison, Jeff Brohm, Jeff Traylor, Jerry Kill, Jonathon Brooks, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kansas State, Kyle Whittingham, Lance Leipold, liberty, Longhorns, Louisville, Mark Stoops, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, NC State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Purdue, Qwinn Ewers, Ryan Walters, South Carolina, Tarheels, Tennessee, Texas, Tulane, Tulsa, Utah, UTEP, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, Wolfpack, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Glad I’m not him: Lance Leipold, Kansas
Lucky guy: Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
Poor guy: Billy Napier, Florida
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Deion Sanders, Colorado
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Also: Jerry Kill, New Mexico State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Desperately seeking … anything: Ryan Walters, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Alabama (defeated Chattanooga 66-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (defeated BYU 31-24)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Hawai’i (lost to Wyoming 42-9)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Maryland (lost to No. 3 Michigan 31-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Arizona (defeated No. 22 Utah 42-18)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Purdue
Can’t Stand Prosperity: James Madison
Did the season start? North Carolina
Can the season end? Auburn
Can the season never end? Georgia
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Washington 22, No. 11 Oregon 20
Play this again, too: No. 21 Kansas State 31, No. 25 Kansas 27
Never play this again: No. 8 Alabama 66, Chattanooga 10
What? Appalachian State 26, James Madison 23, OT
Huh? Virginia 30, Duke 27
Are you kidding me?? Clemson 31, No. 20 North Carolina 20
Oh – my – God: New Mexico State 31, Auburn 10
Told you so: No. 16 Iowa 15, Illinois 13
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 3 Michigan
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: UTSA vs No. 24 Tulane Also: Jacksonville State @ NM State
Upset alert: South Carolina @ Clemson
Must win: Washington State @ No. 5 Washington
Offensive explosion: No. 11 Oregon State @ No. 6 Oregon
Defensive struggle: No. 16 Iowa @ Nebraska
Great game no one is talking about: North Carolina @ NC State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Mark Stoops of Kentucky
Honorable Mention: Deion Sanders of Colorado vs Kyle Whittingham of Utah
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 17 Arizona @ Arizona State
Why are they playing? Liberty @ UTEP
Plenty of good seats remaining: Tulsa @ East Carolina
Plenty of good seats remaining, B1G Edition: Indiana @ Purdue
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Vanderbilt @ Tennessee
Week 12 Thoughts:
Maryland vs Michigan
The Terrapins played the Wolverines reasonably close, losing by only a touchdown, 31-24. Is this close score on account of the matchup being a trap game for Michigan? They just came off a big win in Happy Valley, and must now prepare for “The Game”. If the matchup against Maryland does not scream “trap game”, what does? Moreover, did Jim Harbaugh’s absence hurt Michigan’s performance that much? Or, were the Wolverines simply playing their cards close to the vest, without giving away any major secret plays, while executing a very conservative game plan? I personally suspect the latter.
Miami (FL) vs Louisville
The Cardinals, by the hardest, pulled off a win in Miami. Mirabile dictu, in his first year at the helm at Louisville, Jeff Brohm has clinched a spot in the ACC championship game against Florida State.
Auburn vs New Mexico State
In the O-M-G upset of the year, the Aggies (the ones in Las Cruces, not College Station) have defeated the Tigers 31-10. Surely this is the greatest win in the history of the program for New Mexico State, and surely this is Auburn’s most ignominious loss in at least, say, 45 years.
Iowa State vs Texas
In the upset alert that was not, the Longhorns proved many a doubter wrong and triumphed, fairly convincingly, in Ames. Texas’ recent loss of running back Jonathon Brooks to an ACL tear last week seemed to doom their running game. The two most recent games indicated inconsistencies in their offense overall. The Cyclones’ defense was known to be stingy, especially at home. On top of all that, the weather for this game was colder than what the Longhorns are used to back in Austin. And yet, the Horns still proved the doubters wrong. This time, there was no close call. QB Qwinn Ewers executed more consistently than in the past couple of games, the running game was still there, and the defense made some big plays when needed. Make no mistake: winning by 10 points in Ames in the latter part of November is a rather impressive feat.
Northwestern vs Purdue
Leave it to Purdue to find new ways to disappoint its fans. This team could not even beat a mediocre Northwestern team. Is it too early to speculate that Ryan Walters is Darrell Hazell 2.0? Conversely, the Wildcats, whom everyone gave up for dead earlier in the season, is now bowl-eligible.
Looking ahead to Week 13:
(Yay, it’s Rivalry Week!)
Michigan vs Ohio State
A.K.A., “The Game”. It all comes down to this. Or does it? The winner is in the driver’s seat for the playoffs. Too bad the B1G has not yet wised up and allowed the two teams with the best records in the conference to play each other for a matchup.
Purdue vs Indiana
Meanwhile, it’s a race to the bottom in the B1G as the two play for the Old Oaken Bucket.
Louisville vs Kentucky
The Wildcats have had the recent upper hand in the Governor’s Cup rivalry, winning the last four. Having just clinched a berth in the ACC championship, the Cardinals’ Jeff Brohm is surely out to make a statement and halt that trend.
Oregon vs Oregon State
This could be one of the hardest-fought, high-scoring “Civil Wars” of recent memory. Buckle up, and enjoy!
Illinois vs Northwestern
The Wildcats, now with six wins, are technically bowl-eligible. The Illini are now fighting for bowl-eligibility, and this is their last chance. Such is a great example of two mediocre teams pitted together can make for a potentially great game.
South Carolina vs Clemson
Speaking of fighting for bowl eligibility, the Gamecocks, sitting at 5-6, are in the same position as Illinois, though they are have a tougher task to make it to the six-win mark, since they face the Tigers.
That said, having passed something of a test against Kentucky, perhaps South Carolina might now pass a slightly harder one.
NC State vs North Carolina
No doubt that the Tarheels did not predict they would be sitting at only 8-3 at this point. Oddly, the Wolfpack has the same current record. Moreover, how ironic is it that, going into this game, NC State is the ranked team?
College Football Awards, Week 11 (2023) November 13, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Bulldogs, Cardinals, Cavaliers, Curt Cignetti, Duke, Georgia, Georgia State, Illinois, Iowa, James Franklin, James Madison, Jeff Brohm, Jim Harbaugh, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Lance Leipold, Louisville, LSU, Mack Brown, Mario Cristobal, Maryland, Memphis, Miami (FL), Michigan, Mike Elko, Mike Gundy, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, P.J. Fleck, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCF, UCLA, UConn, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Volunteers, Wisconsin, Wolverines
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim Harbaugh*, Michigan
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Mack Brown, North Carolina
Poor guy: Mike Elko, Duke
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lance Leipold, Kansas
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Curt Cignetti, James Madison
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Desperately seeking … anything: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Kansas State (defeated Baylor 59-25)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Wisconsin (lost to Northwestern 24-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Stanford (lost to No. 12 Oregon State 62-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Virginia (lost to No. 11 Louisville 31-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: UCF (defeated No. 15 Oklahoma State 45-3)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Akron
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oklahoma State
Did the season start? UCLA
Can the season end? UConn
Can the season never end? Alabama
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Washington 35, No. 18 Utah 28
Play this again, too: North Carolina 47, Duke 45 (2 OT)
Never play this again: No. 12 Oregon State 62, Stanford 17
What? No. 14 Missouri 36, No. 13 Tennessee 7
Huh? Arizona State 17, UCLA 7
Are you kidding me?? Texas Tech 16, No. 16 Kansas 13
Oh – my – God: UCF 45, No. 15 Oklahoma State 3
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current (week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 5 Washington @ No. 12 Oregon State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: SMU @ Memphis
Upset alert: Virginia @ Duke
Must win: Nebraska @ Wisconsin
Offensive explosion: UCLA @ USC
Defensive struggle: Illinois @ No. 22 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: No. 18 Utah vs No. 21 Arizona
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jeff Brohm of Louisville vs Mario Cristobal of Miami (FL)
Who’s bringing the body bags? North Alabama @ No. 4 Florida State
Why are they playing? Georgia State @ No. 19 LSU
Plenty of good seats remaining: Sacred Heart @ UConn
Plenty of good seats remaining, SEC Edition: Vanderbilt @ South Carolina
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Abilene Christian @ Texas A&M
Week 11 Thoughts:
*Penn State vs Michigan
The Wolverines won in convincing fashion against a most worthy opponent, in one of the toughest places to play in the B1G. Moreover, they did it without Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines. Nevertheless, Harbaugh clearly did his part as a head coach throughout the week, as his players were well-prepared. Now, can Michigan appeal the B1G’s hasty ruling in time for Harbaugh to be present at the game for “The Game”?
Louisville vs Virginia
On paper, this game should have been a blowout. But the Cardinals triumphed by only a touchdown. All night long, Louisville’s defense had trouble containing Virigina’s QB. Where did he come from? Was he always the starter, or did he earn the starting job later in the season? Regardless, the Cavaliers must be the best 2-8 team in the country by far…either that, or the Cards took a night off and barely survived to tell about it.
Central Florida vs Oklahoma State
This game shall go down as the worst hangover outcome in living memory. It is also a reminder that the Cowboys have a disturbingly low performance floor.
Georgia vs Ole Miss
Everybody, yours truly including, has been saying that yes, Georgia is clearly a good team, but whom have they played? Well, the Rebels are a legitimately good team; they came into Sanford Stadium….and, the Bulldogs demolished them. It’s nice to see our hunches confirmed that Georgia belongs in the top two.
North Carolina vs Duke
The fabled UNC-Duke rivalry is starting to become more exciting on the gridiron than it is on the hardwood. This one ended with the Tarheels triumphing in 2OT, 47-45.
Looking ahead to Week 12:
SEC:
It’s that unenviable time of year again: the time when SEC teams think that because their regular season schedule is somehow “tougher” than the rest of college football, that they are allowed to play an extra Roast Beef Tech-cream puff each year. That nadir of the season typically occurs in mid-November, and this time is sadly no exception. To wit: Chattanooga plays Alabama; Louisiana-Monroe plays Ole Miss; Georgia State plays LSU; New Mexico State plays Auburn. Snore.
Even Florida State seems to be following the SEC’s irresponsible example and playing, of all teams, North Alabama (Never heard of them before? Join the club.). The over-under for this game should be how many points the Seminoles score on their hapless victims.
Thankfully, and to half the conference’s credit, some SEC teams are actually going to [gasp!] play each other this upcoming week. Tennessee plays Georgia after being unexpectedly battered by Mizzou this week. Speaking of the Tigers, it’s Florida’s turn to get unexpectedly mauled by them. Kentucky also plays South Carolina, in what could be the best SEC matchup of the week, unless the Volunteers find a higher gear they have not yet discovered.
Northwestern vs Purdue
On paper, this game is insignificant, and yet: Northwestern just upset Wisconsin. Purdue just upset Minnesota, and in convincing fashion at that. So, what we have are two teams in a tough conference that have suddenly shown signs of life. This could be one of those “sleeper” matchups that could turn out to be good.
Kansas vs Kansas State
Despite Kansas getting unexpectedly stung by Texas Tech, assuming they pick themselves up after such a stunning upset, this could be the best battle for the Sunflower State in a long, long time.
Maryland vs Michigan
The Wolverines proved that they could more than just survive a game, against a tough opponent, with Harbaugh’s presence on the sideline. Can they survive yet again? If they do, will cracks start to appear in this currently impressive façade?
Georgia vs Tennessee
The Vols picked a bad time to have to lick their wounds after taking a shellacking…against Mizzou.
South Carolina vs Kentucky
The Gamecocks are coming off a blowout win over Vanderbilt. The Wildcats are coming off a beat-down from Alabama. Can Kentucky over their bad momentum and pull out a win, or can South Carolina build further on theirs?
Washington vs Oregon
With so many mismatches on TV this upcoming week, it is nice to see some Pac-12 teams stepping into the breach to fill a void. Get ready for another offensive explosion, in addition to the USC-UCLA rivalry game.
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2023) November 6, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Army, Brian Kelly, Cal, Caleb Williams, Cardinals, Chris Klieman, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Cowboys, Dino Babers, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Georgia State, Huskies, Illinois, Indiana, James Madison, Jedd Fisch, Jeff Brohm, Kansas State, Kirby Smart, Lane Kiffin, Longhorns, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Maalik Murphy, Marcus Freeman, Matt Rhule, Memphis, Michael Penix Jr., Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Mike Gundy, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nick Saban, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sam Houston State, Sooners, South Carolina, South Florida, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas State, Trojans, Tulane, Tulsa, UConn, UNLV, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Wildcats, Will Howard, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Nick Saban, Alabama
Honorable mention: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Glad I’m not him: Brian Kelly, LSU
Lucky guy: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
Poor guy: Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jedd Fisch, Arizona
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Desperately seeking … anything: Dino Babers, Syracuse
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oregon (defeated Cal 63-19)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Tulane (defeated East Carolina 13-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Purdue (lost to No. 3 Michigan 41-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: East Carolina
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: James Madison (defeated Georgia State 42-14)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Arizona State
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Air Force
Did the season start? Oklahoma
Can the season end? Middle Tennessee
Can the season never end? Oregon
GAMES
Play this again: No. 22 Oklahoma State 27, No. 9 Oklahoma 24
Play this again, too: Memphis 59, South Florida 50
Never play this again: No. 17 Tennessee 59, UConn 3
What? Army 23, No. 25 Air Force 3
Huh? Arizona 27, No. 24 UCLA 10
Are you kidding me?? No. 22 Oklahoma State 27, No. 9 Oklahoma 24
Oh – my – God: Clemson 31, No. 15 Notre Dame 23
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 3 Michigan @ No. 11 Penn State
Honorable Mention: No. 10 Ole Miss @ No. 3 Georgia
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: Wyoming @ UNLV
Upset alert: No. 17 Tennessee @ No 12 Missouri
Must win: No. 17 Tennessee @ No 12 Missouri
Offensive explosion: No. 20 USC @ No. 6 Oregon
Defensive struggle: Pittsburgh @ Syracuse
Great game no one is talking about: Texas State @ Coastal Carolina
Intriguing coaching matchup: Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss vs Kirby Smart of Georgia
Who’s bringing the body bags? Tulsa @ No. 21 Tulane
Why are they playing? UConn @ James Madison
Plenty of good seats remaining: Sam Houston State @ Louisiana Tech
Plenty of good seats remaining, SEC Edition: Vanderbilt @ South Carolina
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Holy Cross @ Army
Week 9 Thoughts:
Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma
The Bedlam Series went to hiatus on a high note in Stillwater. Plenty of drama, mistakes, and big plays to go around on both sides of the ball, with the Cowboys, in the end, giving their hated rival a massive sewage burger to eat as the Sooners are departing for the SEC next year. It is the sort of game fans would dream of to transpire in T. Boone Pickens Stadium.
Texas vs Kansas State
This game was the week’s upset alert, and the suspicion almost came true. Granted, the Longhorn’s backup QB Maalik Murphy is but a freshman, but one cannot thrown even two INTs against a tough team like Kansas State and expect to win the game. And yet, Texas did, by the hardest. It helped that the defense came through with the game on the line in OT, making a key stop on 4th down with a sack to KSU QB Will Howard. It also helped that Texas did a decent job of establishing the running game through stretches of the game, with 230 yards and two rushing touchdowns. But going forward, Murphy needs to work on his completion percentage and turnover prevention.
Tennessee vs UConn
Looks like the Volunteers got their annual November SEC body bag game in early this year, since most of the rest of the conference will be getting theirs in come the 18th instead. Commendably, on that day, Tennessee plays Georgia, so at least there will be one game in the SEC worth seeing that weekend.
Louisville vs Virginia Tech
Granted that the Hokies are not very strong this year, but it is impressive nevertheless how the Cardinals demolished them all the same. It is shaping up to be one memorable year as Jeff Brohm’s inaugural season as head coach of his alma mater.
USC vs Washington
That a memorable shootout occurred in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is no surprise. That Trojans QB Caleb Williams was not able to win despite a nearly-flawless performance was tragic. We can blame USC’s inept defensive coordinator for the bulk of the losses up to now, but this time, to be fair, it is hard to overcome the formidable Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr.
Other games:
One thing to notice was the small upsets throughout the Big Ten this week. Indiana upset Wisconsin at home; Illinois pulled out a win on the road against Minnesota; and Michigan State, despite their self-inflicted disarray, managed to upset Nebraska. What does one want to bet that one of those losing teams anticipated taking home an “L” that week? Looks like Luke Fickell, P.J. Fleck, and Matt Rhule are also looking for sunglasses and a fake beard right now.
Looking ahead to Week 11:
Penn State vs Michigan
The Wolverines roll into Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions. This will be Michigan’s first real opportunity to prove they belong in the top three, if not the No. 1 spot.
Tennessee vs Missouri
This game could determine the solid No. 2 in the SEC East after clear leader Georgia.
Georgia vs Ole Miss
This is the other “ticket to die for” of the upcoming week. The Rebels have quietly worked their way up the rankings to No. 10. Granted, there is often a considerable discrepancy in talent between teams of those respective rankings, but this will be a good test for both squads.
Utah vs Washington
As good as Utah’s defense is, it will likely be not enough to contain Washington’s offense.
Oregon vs USC
Poor USC. First they lose a heartbreaking shootout at home to Washington, now they have to travel up to Eugene, where their defense is likely to receive its worse pommeling yet (and that’s saying something). But now that Lincoln Riley has axed his feckless DC Alex Grinch, perhaps the Trojans’ D might see some gradual improvement.
Duke vs North Carolina
One of the most venerable rivalries in the ACC is about to commence its latest football edition. With two good teams this time around, it’s likely to be a good one.
College Football Awards Week 9 (2023) November 2, 2023
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Aggies, Akron, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Brent Venables, Brian Kelly, Clemson, Cougars, Dabo Swinney, Dan Lanning, Dana Dimel, Ducks, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Jacksonville State, James Madison, K.C. Keeler, Kalen DeBoer, Kansas, Kansas State, Kent State, Kyle Whittingham, Lance Leipold, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nick Saban, North Carolina, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rich Rodriguez, Sam Houston State, SMU, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, Tulsa, UCLA, UConn, USC, Utah, UTEP, Utes, Wake Forest, Washington
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Dan Lanning, Oregon
Honorable mention: Lance Leipold, Kansas
Glad I’m not him: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Lucky guy: Dana Dimel, UTEP
Poor guy: K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Rich Rodriguez, Jacksonville State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Desperately seeking … anything: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Florida State (defeated Wake Forest 41-16)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Washington (defeated Stanford 42-33)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Michigan State (lost to No. 2 Michigan 49-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Indiana (lost to No. 10 Penn State 33-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Kansas State (defeated Houston 41-0)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Tulsa
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oklahoma
Did the season start? North Carolina
Can the season end? Sam Houston State
Can the season never end? Louisville
GAMES
Play this again: Kansas 38, No. 6 Oklahoma 33
Never play this again: SMU 69, Tulsa 10
What? Northwestern 33, Maryland 27
Huh? Arizona 27, No. 11 Oregon State 24
Are you kidding me?? Georgia Tech 46, No. 17 North Carolina 42
Oh – my – God: Kansas 38, No. 6 Oklahoma 33
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 10)
Ticket to die for: No. 13 LSU @ No. 8 Alabama
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Jacksonville State @ South Carolina
Best non-Power Five matchup: South Alabama @ Troy
Upset alert: No. 25 Kansas State @ No. 7 Texas
Must win: No. 10 Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State
Offensive explosion: No. 5 Washington @ No. 24 USC
Defensive struggle: Arkansas @ Florida
Great game no one is talking about: No. 23 James Madison @ Georgia State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Nick Saban of Alabama vs Brian Kelly of LSU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Purdue @ No. 2 Michigan
Why are they playing? UConn @ No. 19 Tennessee
Plenty of good seats remaining: Kent State @ Akron
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Campbell @ North Carolina
Week 9 Thoughts:
Kansas vs Oklahoma
Was this the only competitive game for this weekend’s noon EDT time slot? Not quite. Penn State vs Indiana, far from the “body bag game” it could have been on paper, was incredibly competitive until the past few minutes of the game. This particular game, though, was competitive throughout, with Kansas surprisingly leading the bulk of the time, and, even more so, surprisingly winning. Was this a trap game for the Sooners? Were they thinking about playing their hated in-state rival, Oklahoma State, the following week? That would not be logical. At this point, the Jayhawks are a stronger team than the Cowboys, so the recipe for a trap game does not come together for this head-scratcher of an upset, but signature win for the program under Lance Leipold.
Utah vs Oregon
The Utes may have hitherto passed numerous tests, but not this one. Oregon clearly had the winning formula to exploit what very few weaknesses Utah’s proven defense had, and the final score proved it, 35-6, in Rice-Eccles Stadium, of all places. Furthermore, the Ducks are not going away anytime soon. Already having clawed their way back to the No. 6 spot in the AP polls, this apparent second wind could carry them to an epic clash for the Pac-12 championship.
Texas vs BYU
In contrast to Oklahoma’s close call against UCF last week wherein this week they clearly did not bounce back, Texas clearly did over BYU after their close call last week at Houston. Or did they? A 35-6 triumph over the Cougars should be as convincing as any on paper, given the consistent discipline and tenacity of the visiting team. Yet concerns remain: the Longhorns’ red zone inconsistencies persist. Most disturbing was their inability to punch it in from the goal line on a particular drive, a carbon-copy scenario of point off the board against hated OU in Dallas just a few weeks earlier. Above all else, Texas needs to fix their goal line offensive woes if they have any aspirations for the playoffs.
Louisville vs Duke
Nobody is going to dispute that Duke is a very respectable team, never to be taken lightly, and only narrowly missing a chance to beat Notre Dame a few weeks prior. Yet the Cardinals demolished the Blue Devils anyhow. Even notwithstanding the trap game loss at Pittsburgh, it is amazing the team that Jeff Brohm has built in his inaugural season coaching his alma mater, a squad that is already beyond bowl-eligible. A winnable stretch of three games remains, then they close out the season with a potential slugfest against in-state rival Kentucky. This is a team worth keeping one’s eye on as high-stakes November approaches.
Looking ahead to Week 10:
South Carolina vs Jacksonville State
The Gamecocks have struggled mightily this year, and now, an intriguing test approaches. Is Jacksonville State that good at 7-2, or have their seven wins come from Group-of-Five cupcakes? This game will be an interesting test of respective strengths. Also intriguing: the Gamecocks will be playing the Gamecocks.
Ole Miss vs Texas A&M
The Aggies’ offense has been up and down this year. If it is up for this game, this could be a potentially high-scoring game.
Texas vs Kansas State
Sure, Texas just notched a convincing win, but the Wildcats just mauled the other Cougars (Houston), 41-0. Now would be a good time for the Longhorns to fix their goal line offensive woes, or they had better be prepared to be upset at home.
Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma
The Badlam Series game comes early this year. The Sooners might come into Stillwater with a renewed focus after being blindsided by Kansas this past weekend. At the same time, the Cowboys are slightly down from previous strong years. It might not be a pretty sight for the Cowboys.
Tulane vs East Carolina
The Green Wave and the Pirates have polar-opposite records (7-1 and 1-7), respectively. When was the last time that Tulane could be enjoying a body bag game?
Alabama vs LSU
Brian Kelly’s Bayou Bengals take on Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. What more do we need to add to convince ourselves that this is likely the game of the week?
USC vs Washington
Get ready for some offensive fireworks, West Coast-style.
Arizona vs UCLA
The Wildcats have already knocked off ranked teams back-to-back. Can they three-peat?
College Football Awards Week 13 (2021) December 3, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: AAC, ACC, Alabama, Army, Auburn, B1G, Baylor, Bedlam, Big XII, Bryan Harsin, California, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Crimson Tide, Dana Holgorsen, Egg Bowl, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Jeff Monken, Jeff Traylor, Jim Harbaugh, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nevada, Nick Saban, North Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Paul Chryst, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Purdue, rivalry, Ryan Day, SEC, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tigers, Tom Allen, UConn, USC, Utah, UTSA, Wake Forest, week, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Glad I’m not him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Lucky guy: Nick Saban, Alabama
Poor guy: Bryan Harsin, Auburn
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Monken, Army
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Desperately seeking … anything: Tom Allen, Indiana
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Houston (defeated UConn 45-17)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Baylor (defeated Texas Tech 27-24)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Georgia Tech (lost to Georgia 45-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Auburn (lost to Alabama 24-22, 4OT)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Kentucky (defeated Louisville 52-21)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Colorado State
Another one bites the dust: UTSA
Did the season start? Wisconsin
Can the season end? Indiana
Can the season never end? Michigan
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Michigan 42, No. 2 Ohio State 27
Play this again, too: No. 3 Alabama 24, Auburn 22 (4OT)
Never play this again: Nevada 52, Colorado State 10
What? North Texas 45, No. 22 UTSA 23
Huh? LSU 27, No. 15 Texas A&M 24
Are you kidding me?? Minnesota 23, No. 14 Wisconsin 13
Oh – my – God: No. 5 Michigan 42, No. 2 Ohio State 27
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 3 Alabama
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 24 Houston vs. No. 4 Cincinnati
Upset alert: No. 19 Utah vs. No. 11 Oregon
Must win: No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 16 Iowa
They have the same record? USC @ California
Offensive explosion: No. 8 Baylor vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State also: Kent State vs Northern Illinois
Defensive struggle: (none)
Great game no one is talking about: No. 17 Pitt vs. No. 18 Wake Forest
Intriguing coaching matchup: Luke Fickell of Cincinnati vs. Dana Holgorsen of Houston
Week 13 Thoughts:
Rivalry week did not disappoint. Sure, there was the occasional lop-sided outcome (looking your way, IU-Purdue and Kentucky-Louisville, and others, too.), but so many matchups produced so many great games. The Ole Miss-Mississippi State game (the “Egg Bowl”, named after the golden football trophy that has long been dubbed “the golden egg”) on Thanksgiving started things off with a bang. Then on Friday, unranked Nebraska had a chance to knock No. 16 Iowa out of B1G West contention, and came up shy by only a touchdown. Coastal Carolina had to hold off lowly South Alabama: the Chanticleers defeated the Jaguars by only seven points.
On Saturday, even greater action took place. Neither Florida nor Florida State has had much of a season, but they certainly gave fans a good fight in The Swamp, with the Gators winning, 24-21.
But The Game itself delivered. Michigan finally got a major monkey off its back in beating Ohio State for the first time since 2011. With such a rivalry and a game of such high stakes (a conference championship berth and also a potential playoff bid on the line), there was plenty of drama to go around, and all the while, Michigan Stadium was rocking, both during, and very much after the game. The crowd of fans gathered around the FOX crew outside of the stadium post-game rivaled that of crowds at ESPN’s College Gameday, pre-game.
Speaking of the B1G and conference championship berths on the line, Wisconsin had the chance to win Paul Bunyan’s Ax and also to lock up the B1G West by beating Minnesota. PJ Fleck and the boys had other plans. The Golden Gophers won the day, 23-13, and the Ax along with it. That upset made Iowa’s win the previous day all the more significant, as now they’ll represent the B1G West in Indianapolis next weekend.
In a quasi-rivalry game, Michigan State and Penn State duked it out in the snow in a high-scoring slugfest, with the Spartans winning closely, 30-27.
If we are to be reminded of anything, it’s that the Iron Bowl is always a great game, no matter how much one team may struggle and no matter how high the other may be currently flying. Case in point: this year’s Iron Bowl looked like it might have been a lop-sided affair, what with Alabama’s top-five ranking and Auburn not even ranked. But crazy things have happened against the Crimson Tide in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Last night’s game was one of them. Auburn led most of the game in a defensive struggle. Going into the 4th quarter, it was 10-0 in favor of the Tigers. The Tide managed to score 10 points that quarter to tie things up at the end of regulation. It took four overtimes to finally decide the game, with Alabama triumphing in the end. Ironically, it took a hobbled back QB’s understandably limited performance for Alabama to have even a shot at winning this game.
Speaking of getting monkeys off one’s back, Oklahoma State certainly came through against Oklahoma in last night’s edition of the Bedlam Series. In what was a back-and-forth shootout for much of the game, the Cowboys held the Sooners scoreless in the 4th quarter (a considerable stepping up of OK State’s defense), while they themselves scored 14 points to triumph, 37-33.
Other great games took place elsewhere, and it all amounted to a wonderful Rivalry Week that shall no about long be remembered. But now, it is time to look ahead.
Looking ahead to Week 14:
Michigan vs. Iowa in the B1G Championship game (Indianapolis)
This will be a different Big Ten championship game from what we are used to. Reason being, Wisconsin is not in it. Kidding aside, neither is Ohio State or Michigan State. Nope, Michigan crashes the party for the first time, ever, too. I wonder how Iowa’s and Michigan’s bands will sound like when they play the Star Spangled Banner together. It will be a beautiful sound to hear and a sight to behold in any case.
Oh, and all Michigan needs to do is close the deal, and they could make it to the playoffs. No pressure.
Georgia vs. Alabama in the SEC Championship game (Atlanta)
This is Georgia’s opportunity to remind everyone that they are the legit No. 1 team. Conversely, if Alabama has any hopes of crashing the playoffs, they need to get through the Bulldogs in order to attain that prize. Needless to say, that’s a huge ask.
Questions also abound: was the Crimson Tide looking ahead to Georgia, and thus were caught off-guard by sputtering Auburn? Or did Alabama arrive in The Plains with the War Eagle fully on their minds, only to come out flat anyhow, and lucky to escape back to Tuscaloosa with a win? If their underperformance yesterday is any indication, they could wind up as cannon fodder for the Bulldogs.
Conversely, Georgia would be wise to prepare as if they shall be in the fight of their lives, because, well, because Alabama, that’s why.
Baylor vs. Oklahoma State in the Big XII Championship game (Arlington, Texas)
Credit the Big XII with two things: one, they get it right by selecting the contestants for their conference championship game. Forget these silly divisions: simply select the top two best teams, and let them slug it out. Okay, “slug” might be too strong a word since this is the Big XII, which defensively is almost a pillow-fight of a conference (Oklahoma notwithstanding). Nevertheless, the Bears vs. the Cowboys should be a marvelous matchup.
The other thing that the Big XII gets right is selecting the best possible location within their geographic footprint in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. To be sure, the B1G and SEC have gotten it right, respectively, for a long time in that same regard, with the former playing in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy (which is perfect for the B1G), and now Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the SEC in Atlanta (before then, they played in the Georgia Dome: perfect in either case).
Houston vs. Cincinnati in the AAC championship game
When was the last time we all looked forward to the AAC championship game? Perhaps starting now. If you’re not, you should. Cincinnati is undefeated and could earn a coveted playoff berth if they win out. Meanwhile, Houston has but one loss, has played very strongly as of late, and could be a likely spoiler.
No neutral site here: the two teams shall be duking it out in the Bearcats’ home field of Nippert Stadium. As an undefeated team, UC has earned this advantage.
Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest in the ACC championship game (Charlotte)
What, no Clemson? Correct, no Tigers in this ACC championship. Nevertheless, we ought not to overlook this game, as it too could be a great one, pitting (if you’ll pardon the pun) two teams that are focused and tenacious. Yes, bring out the popcorn for this one, too!
College Football Awards Week 12 (2021) November 24, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Bedlam, Boise State, Bryan Harsin, Buckeyes, BYU, Cardinals, Cincinnati, Clemson, Cornhuskers, Crimson Tide, Dan Mullen, Duke, Egg Bowl, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hawkeyes, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Jeff Traylor, Kansas, Kentucky, Lane Kiffin, liberty, Louisville, Mario Cristobal, Maryland, Mel Tucker, Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Leach, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Oaken Bucket, Ole Miss, Oregon, Paul Chryst, Purdue, Rutgers, Ryan Day, San Diego State, Scott Frost, Shane Beamer, Sooners, South Carolina, Steve Sarkesian, TCU, Temple, Texas, UAB, UConn, UMass, UNLV, USC, Utah, UTEP, UTSA, Wake Forest, Wildcats, Wolverines
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: Mel Tucker, Michigan State
Lucky guy: Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; also: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Poor guy: Scott Frost, Nebraska; also: Bryan Harsin, Auburn
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Dan Mullen, Florida
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Oregon
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Notre Dame (defeated Georgia Tech 55-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: San Diego State (defeated UNLV 28-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Duke (lost to Louisville 62-22)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Arkansas (lost to Alabama 42-35)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Michigan State 56-7)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Temple
Another one bites the dust: Wake Forest
Did the season start? Florida
Can the season end? Texas
Can the season never end? Houston
GAMES
Play this again: No. 15 Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28
Play this again, too: TCU 31, Kansas 28
Never play this again: No. 1 Georgia 56, Charleston Southern 7
What? Missouri 24, Florida 23 (OT)
Huh? South Carolina 21, Auburn 17
Are you kidding me?? Clemson 48, No. 10 Wake Forest 27
Oh – my – God: No. 23 Utah 38, No. 3 Oregon 7
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Ohio State @ No. 6 Michigan
also: No. 13 Oklahoma @ No. 9 Oklahoma State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: Boise State @ No. 19 San Diego State
also: Army @ Liberty
Upset alert: Nebraska @ No. 17 Iowa; also: South Carolina @ Clemson
Must win: No. 15 Wisconsin @ Minnesota
They have the same record? Florida @ Florida State
Offensive explosion: No. 13 Oklahoma @ No. 9 Oklahoma State
Defensive struggle: Maryland @ Rutgers
Great game no one is talking about: UTEP @ UAB
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mike Leach of Missisippi State vs Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 1 Georgia @ Georgia Tech
Why are they playing? No. 24 Houston @ UConn
Plenty of good seats remaining: UMass @ New Mexico State
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? No. 22 UTSA @ North Texas
Week 12 Thoughts:
So here we thought that No. 7 Michigan State lining up against No. 4 Ohio State in The Horseshoe was going to be the barn-burner of the week. Let us all briefly pause while we laugh at ourselves for such an erroneous prognostication. It is not as if the Spartans are a bad team. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, the Buckeyes are simply that much better.
Let us put it in greater perspective. Two top-four teams but their opponents senseless, 56-7. One was the aforementioned Buckeyes. The other team was No. 1 Georgia. The latter’s flattened opponent was Charleston Southern (yes, an FCS team), while the former was, again, top-ten Michigan State.
Let us now thus ask ourselves: which of those two wins is [considerably] more impressive? The obvious answer is that for Ohio State, and is thus proof-positive that the Buckeyes are a legit playoff team. All they have to do is close the deal against Michigan in the Big House next week. To be sure, that is not the easiest of tasks, but if they do so, their case should be all the stronger.
Notice that Kansas almost got their second consecutive conference win. Looks like the Jayhawks are no longer the instant win on the schedule that everyone usually hopes to have.
A quick side note: we now have all those pointless body bag games played by SEC teams are behind us now. Thank heavens.
Finally, with Oregon, for all intents and purposes, knocked out of playoff contention, can we* all get over ourselves and acknowledge that Cincinnati belongs in the Top Four for the playoffs?
*By “we”, I really mean the Playoff Committee. Seriously, in light of recent events, Cincinnati belongs in the playoffs. Make it happen, guys.
Looking ahead to Week 13:
Rivalry Week is now upon us. Let us drink it in with full enjoyment.
Indiana @ Purdue
If Purdue wins, at home, to their traditional rival, they shall accomplish two things. For one, they reclaim the Old Oaken Bucket trophy (fun fact: that bucket was found on a farm in the same county where I graduated from high school) But more importantly, they shall finish the regular season with eight wins for the first time since 2006. Not a bad consolation prize to shoot for, given that Purdue is out of contention for the BIG West division.
Penn State @ Michigan State
Not a traditional, bitter rival, you observe? Okay, not in the strictest sense. Bu-ut, anytime two tough Big Ten teams get together, it becomes a rivalry in the moment. This should be a great game in any case, so let us enjoy it accordingly.
Alabama @ Auburn
This was going to be a great game. Probably not now, though, in light of Auburn coming up short at South Carolina. If the Tigers have the same offensive miscues against the Crimson Tide, Alabama will crush them without remorse. More the pity, too, for a good Iron Bowl is always a hallmark of a memorable Rivalry Week.
Houston @ UConn
Not so much a rivalry game, this is a weird juxtaposition for the head coach – in this case, Dana Holgorsen – of a non-Power Five team having to play the role of pitiless executioner during Rivalry Week, as it’s almost a given that Houston shall demolish the Huskies.
Nebraska @ Iowa.
Do not let the lop-sided matchup of records fool you. Yes, Nebraska is unranked at 3-8, whereas Iowa is no. 17 with a 9-2 record. But the Cornhuskers lost to Wisconsin on the road by only a touchdown in yet another heartbreaker for them. Anyone who has witnessed Nebraska’s performance these past several weeks would notice a team that has become increasingly strong, and could possibly flip the script at home this Friday.
Georgia @ Georgia Tech
This used to be a decent rivalry game. Not right now, though. If Notre Dame managed to crush Georgia Tech 55-0, what is an even tougher team in Georgia going to do to them?
Louisville @ Kentucky
Louisville lost a heartbreaker to a down Clemson team earlier this month. Immediately afterwards, they bounced back and played “on fire”. Meanwhile, Mark Stoops is coaching one of the strongest Kentucky teams in recent memory. The Cardinals seem to have peaked just in time to give the Wildcats a tough game in Lexington. We shall see.
BYU @ USC
Wait, doesn’t that matchup sound like a bowl game? That’s how good it sounds on paper. Too bad that, in reality, USC sports an anemic 4-6 record. The game could still be interesting regardless.
Ole Miss @ Mississippi State
With so many rivalry games already, it might be easy to overlook this one. If so, one would deny oneself a great game. So many memorable “Egg Bowl” games capped off my family’s Thanksgiving Day evenings in style, and this one could be a ‘dandy’ among the others in this longstanding rivalry. Lane Kiffin’s Rebels are currently ranked no. 8 in the AP poll, while Mike Leach’s Bulldogs can take down a stronger team at a moment’s notice should the latter ever let down its guard. Be sure to make this game part of your Thanksgiving tradition!
Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State
Notwithstanding the Sooner’s loss to Baylor on the road two weeks ago, the Sooners are still a tough team. The catch is, this time, Oklahoma State could be better still. On top of that, the game takes place in Stillwater this time. So sit back and enjoy another memorable game in the Bedlam Series!
Ohio State @ Michigan
There’s a reason this storied rivalry is simply called “The Game”. And this time, The Game should live up to its storied hype. Michigan is officially out of its head-scratching slump from the previous couple of seasons, playing back up to the potential a Jim Harbaugh-coached team should possess. Out of the opposing corner, Ohio State is currently playing like yet another Playoff-contending team, and carries all the legitimate prowess that comes with that well-earned status. A worthy challenger on its home field ties to knock off the playoff-ranked team: let The Game begin.
College Football Week 11 Awards (2021) November 14, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: ACC, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, B1G, Baylor, Big XII, Bryan Harsin, Buckeyes, C-USA, Cincinnati, Clemson, Dana Holgorsen, Florida, Georgia, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Jayhawks, Jim Harbaugh, Kansas, Kentucky, liberty, Longhorns, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Luke Fickell, Matt Campbell, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pac-12, Penn State, Pittsburgh, SEC, Shane Beamer, SMU, Sonny Cumbie, Sonny Dykes, South Alabama, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UConn, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Sonny Cumbie, Texas Tech
Poor guy: Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Dana Holgorsen, Houston
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bryan Harsin, Auburn
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Alabama (defeated New Mexico State 59-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Florida (defeated Samford 70-52)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UConn (lost to Clemson 44-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kansas (defeated Texas 57-56)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Louisville (defeated Syracuse 41-3)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: South Alabama
Another one bites the dust: Oklahoma
Did the season start? Florida
Can the season end? Indiana (also: Texas)
Can the season never end? Baylor
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Michigan 21, Penn State 17
Play this again, too: No. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19
Never play this again: No. 2 Alabama 59, New Mexico State 3
What? Mississippi State 43, No. 17 Auburn 34
Huh? No. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19
Are you kidding me?? No. 13 Baylor 27, No. 8 Oklahoma 14
Oh – my – God: Kansas 57, Texas 56 (OT)
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 7 Michigan State @ No. 4 Ohio State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: SMU @ No. 5 Cincinnati; also: Louisiana @ Liberty
Upset alert: Nebraska @ No. 18 Wisconsin; also: No. 3 Oregon @ No. 24 Utah
Must win: No. 7 Michigan State @ No. 4 Ohio State; also: Texas @ West Virginia
They have the same record? Florida @ Missouri
Offensive explosion: No. 10 Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech
Defensive struggle: Illinois @ No. 20 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: Virginia @ No. 21 Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Luke Fickell of Cincinnati vs Sonny Dykes of SMU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Charleston Southern @ No. 1 Georgia
Why are they playing? Prairie View A&M @ No. 11 Texas A&M
Plenty of good seats remaining: Southern Miss @ Louisiana Tech
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? New Mexico State @ Kentucky; also: Wofford @ North Carolina
Week 11 Thoughts:
Lots of great games and lots of head-scratchers for week 11. On one hand, we were treated to great games such as Michigan @ Penn State, then Texas A&M @ Ole Miss in the evening. But we also saw a number of games that left us scratching our heads. Not the least of the latter was Texas’ shocking loss to Kansas, at home. Apparently, the defense decided to take the night off, allowing the Jayhawks to score a total of 57 points in the game, and to snap Kansas road losing streak in the conference that began back in 2008. No, really. Even Steve Sarkesian acknowledged that the Longhorns played a bad first half of football, spotting KU three touchdowns before they decided to start playing in earnest. It is quite clear where he needs to make adjustments both now and in the offseason.
That aside, Michigan is playing incredibly well right now: this is easily their best team since 2016. Ohio State is also playing up to their potential. No “Spoilermakers” for Purdue yesterday, but in all fairness, it was too much to ask them to pull off two massive upsets in back-to-back weeks. Moreover, the talent gap was too much to overcome for Purdue, as the Buckeyes were firing on all eight cylinders and demonstrated that they belong in the playoff discussion.
As for the No. 1 team, Georgia demonstrated their continued worthiness of their current top ranking by beating – in methodical yet convincing fashion – an increasingly formidable Tennessee squad.
Looking ahead to Week 12:
It’s the time of year again. This time around, week 13 will be Rivalry Week. That means that the week before then, week 12, will have lots of games that, frankly, should not even be on the schedule. The SEC is the worst offender at this, scheduling body bag games that are ludicrous on the very surface of things. To be sure, some already had their easy-gimmies this week, and they have seized the opportunity to play more worthy opponents. Case in point, Alabama plays No. 25 Arkansas, in what could amount to a decent game. Also, and oddly, Missouri and Florida, who unbelievably have identical records at 5-5, play each other this weekend in what could be a competitive game, even though, on paper, it shouldn’t be. South Carolina might be a relatively weak team in the conference, but at least they are playing Auburn.
But then there are the clear mismatches. The wrinkle this year is that some look even on paper because of similar records, but the reality is, the talents gaps are a mile wide. This includes by Louisiana-Monroe playing LSU, and South Alabama playing Tennessee, and Prairie View A&M plays Texas A&M. Tennessee State plays Mississippi State as well. In each of these cases, the question “why are they playing” practically screams in our minds. If that is not enough, New Mexico State, at 1-9, plays Kentucky, in what is perhaps the most lop-sided matchup of all that week, save for Charleston Southern – of all teams – playing No. 1 Georgia. If they Bulldogs are serious about remaining at the top of the heap, perhaps they could do better than schedule a cupcake team so late in the year. Indeed, much of the SEC could do better in that regard, and should.
Meanwhile, the B1G gets a pass. No body bag game for those teams, they keep playing other teams within their conference. Purdue plays Northwestern; Rutgers plays Penn State; Illinois plays Iowa; Michigan plays Maryland; Minnesota plays Indiana; Nebraska plays Wisconsin. Best of all, Michigan State plays at Ohio State in what is clearly the game of the week.
Similar credit is due to the Big XII teams that are playing each other this upcoming week, as well as to the Pac-12, American Conference, C-USA, Mountain West, and Sunbelt teams who do the same, respectively. The ACC teams also deserve credit for keeping up the conference schedule, save for one or two (looking your way North Carolina: you can do better than play Wofford).
College Football Week 10 Awards (2021) November 9, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Uncategorized.Tags: Aggies, Alabama, Army, Auburn, Baylor, Big XII, Boilermakers, Bucknell, Cincinnati, Clemson, Dabo Swinney, Dan Mullen, Dave Clawson, Florida, Gators, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Jimbo Fisher, Josh Heupel, Kent State, Kentucky, Kyle Whittingham, Lane Kiffin, Louisville, Mark Stoops, Matt Campbell, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rebels, Rutgers, San Diego State, Scott Satterfield, South Carolina, Spartans, Stanford, Steve Sarkesian, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, Tulsa, UConn, Utah, Wake Forest, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Glad I’m not him: Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Lucky guy: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Poor guy: Scott Satterfield, Louisville
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dan Mullen, Florida
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Sarkesian, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Georgia (defeated Missouri 43-6)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Cincinnati (defeated Tulsa 28-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Rutgers (lost to Wisconsin 52-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Tulsa (lost to No. 6 Cincinnati 28-20)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: South Carolina (defeated Florida 40-17)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Temple
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Michigan State
Did the season start? Florida
Can the season end? Texas
Can the season never end? Michigan State
GAMES
Play this again: Tennessee 45, No. 18 Kentucky 42
Play this again, too: Kent State 52, Northern Illinois 47
Never play this again: Utah 52, Stanford 7
What? Illinois 14, No. 20 Minnesota 6
Huh? TCU 30, No. 12 Baylor 28
Are you kidding me?? North Carolina 58, No. 10 Wake Forest 55
Oh – my – God: Purdue 40, No. 3 Michigan State 29
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 14 Texas A&M @ No. 16 Ole Miss also: No. 8 Oklahoma @ No. 12 Baylor
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: Nevada @ No. 24 San Diego State
Upset alert: No. 19 NC State @ No. 9 Wake Forest
Must win: No. 7 Michigan @ Penn State
Offensive explosion: Oklahoma @ Baylor
Defensive struggle: Minnesota @ No. 22 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: North Carolina @ No. 25 Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jimbo Fisher of Texas A&M vs Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss
Who’s bringing the body bags? New Mexico State @ No. 2 Alabama
Why are they playing? UConn @ Clemson
Plenty of good seats remaining: Tulsa @ Tulane
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Bucknell @ Army
Week 10 Thoughts:
Just when Michigan State looks red-hot, they go and lay an egg at Purdue. In their defense, though, strange things have been known to happen to the Spartans in Ross-Ade Stadium over the years (witness the 1997 and 1999 games, for example).
Conversely, just when one is apt to give Purdue up for dead after a lackluster performance against Illinois and losing a winnable game on the road to Minnesota, they turn around and beat then-No. 2 Iowa and just defeated then-No. 3 Michigan State. With still more to ponder, the Boilermakers are now 6-3. Hard to give up a team for dead when they currently have a record like that.
Moreover, this is the second time in one year that Purdue has taken down a top-five team (Iowa was the previous team to fall in such a manner), giving further credibility the Boilermakers’ nickname-within-a-nickname of “Spoiler-makers”.
Similarly, just when one is about to give South Carolina up for dead, they trounce Florida, 40-17. To be sure, the Gators started off the season very strongly, but mysteriously seem to have gradually declined in performance over the past few weeks. On the other side of the ball, is this a sign that Frank Beamer’s son is building the Gamecocks into an increasingly strong team? They close out the season with home games against Auburn and Clemson that shall answer that question.
Looking into Non-Power Five upstarts, if Cincinnati truly wants to be taken seriously as a legitimate playoff contender, then the last thing they want to do is to squeak by a team like Tulsa by only one touchdown when the ESPN College Gameday crew comes to their campus that very day/week. Oh wait…
In the Big XII (what shall soon be left of it), is it safe to start calling Iowa State’s Jack Trice Stadium the Death Valley of that conference? Because quite a few teams with far greater pedigrees have gone there to die during head coach Matt Campbell’s tenure with the Cyclones.
Moving to the SEC, the A&M-Auburn game surely lived up to its billing as a slugfest. Now that the Aggies survived that war in the trenches, can they turnaround and survive a different sort of slugfest in Oxford against the Rebels?
Finally, nice to see Tennessee win a thriller over Kentucky in Lexington. Head coach Josh Heupel is clearly building the Vols back to the strong program they used to be. Such a development is very good for college football. Just how far they have yet to go to be “back” shall be ascertained when they face the legitimate no. 1 team in the land, Georgia, this upcoming weekend.
intellectualgridiron 