College Football Week 8 Awards (2021) October 25, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Badgers, Baylor, Brett Bielema, Bronco Mendenhall, Buckeyes, BYU, Clark Lea, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Crimson Tide, Dave Doeren, Ed Orgeron, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Hawkeyes, Hoosiers, Hurricanes, Huskies, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Jedd Fisch, Jeff Traylor, Jim Harbaugh, Jimmy Lake, Kansas, Kentucky, Lane Kiffin, Lincoln Riley, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Mark Stoops, Mel Tucker, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Leach, Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska, Nittany Lions, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sean Clifford, SMU, Spartans, Tennessee, Texas, Texas State, UCLA, UMass, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Volunteers, Wake Forest, Washington, Wisconsin, Wolverines
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Glad I’m not him: Ed Orgeron, LSU
Lucky guy: Jimmy Lake, Washington (hon. mention: Brett Bielema, Illinois)
Poor guy: Jedd Fisch, Arizona (hon. mention: James Franklin, Penn State)
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Traylor, UTSA
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dave Doeren, NC State
Desperately seeking … anything: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Arkansas (defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 45-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oklahoma (defeated Kansas 35-23)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UMass (lost to Florida State 59-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kansas (lost to No. 3 Oklahoma 35-23)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Indiana 54-7)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Vanderbilt
Can’t Stand Prosperity: NC State
Did the season start? Penn State
Can the season end? Akron
Can the season never end? SMU
GAMES
Play this again: Illinois 20, No. 7 Penn State 18 (9OT)
Play this again, too: No. 10 Oregon 34, UCLA 31
Never play this again: Florida State 59, UMass 3
What? Miami (FL) 31, No. 18 NC State 30
Huh? Appalachian State 30, No. 17 Coastal Carolina 27
Are you kidding me?? Iowa State 24, No. 8 Oklahoma State 20
Oh – my – God: Illinois 20, No. 7 Penn State 18 (9OT)
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 6 Michigan @ No. 8 Michigan State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Virginia @ No. 25 BYU
Best non-Power Five matchup: Fresno State @ No. 21 San Diego State also: No. 19 SMU @ Houston
Upset alert: No. 9 Iowa @ Wisconsin
Must win: No. 20 Penn State @ No. 5 Ohio State
Offensive explosion: Texas @ No. 16 Baylor
Defensive struggle: No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida
Great game no one is talking about: Purdue @ Nebraska
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Stoops of Kentucky vs. Mike Leach of Miss. State
Also: Bronco Mendenhall of Virginia vs Kalane Sitake of BYU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Kansas @ No. 4 Oklahoma
Why are they playing? (no game worth mentioning this week)
Plenty of good seats remaining: La. Tech @ Old Dominion
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Texas State @ Louisiana
Week 8 Thoughts:
Penn State vs Illinois
Two weeks ago, Penn State QB Sean Clifford’s injury at Iowa was literally a game-changer. After out-classing the Hawkeyes for almost three quarters, the Nittany Lion’s loss of their starting quarterback began a negative trend that allowed Iowa to stop their own bleeding and turn things around in a positive direction, resulting in a huge upset, of sorts.
Fast-forward two weeks to the present day. Clifford was back in the proverbial saddle, but no where near his former self. It showed with Penn State’s offensive struggles. They could muster only one touchdown in regulation, with the score tied at 13-13 with 0:00 left on the clock, and this against a mediocre – at best – Illinois team.
The game would go into a record nine overtimes, with five consecutive of them being scoreless. In the end, the Illini triumphed by managing just one more two-point conversion than the Nittany Lions.
My takeaway: unless Sean Clifford returns to full health, Penn State’s season is essentially lost.
Army vs Wake Forest
In what sane universe does the matchup between these two teams add up to an offensive explosion? The Demon Deacons – on a considerable roll, this year – triumphed over the Black Knights, 70-56.
Purdue vs. Wisconsin
My suspicions that Purdue’s ranking of No. 25 was suspect at best was confirmed, as the Boilers experienced a semi-drubbing at home by Wisconsin, 30-13. Conversely, the Badgers played as though their previous week’s woes are behind them. What we saw of that team yesterday suggests that they are playing back up to how we would expect a Wisconsin team to perform. This resurgence shall be put to the test next week when Iowa comes calling.
Pittsburgh vs Clemson
Speaking of sane universes (see: Army vs Wake Forest, above), in what sane universe is Pittsburgh ranked and Clemson unranked? This quandary is brought on by Clemson’s fearsome reputation which they have rightfully earned since 2015. This is why, despite this Twlight Zone-esque ranking of the two pitted teams, it still feels like an upset when the Panthers triumphed over the Tigers, 27-17.
Indiana vs Ohio State
The fact that Ohio State steamrolled over Indiana 54-7 does not mean that this was supposed to be a body bag game. Far from it. The Hoosiers, in truth, have a solid team this year. Indeed, the game could have been a “trap” one for the Buckeyes, as they face Penn State next week. What the results of this game thus shows is that Ohio State’s coaching staff has quietly and gradually made fine-tuning adjustments to their team as the season has progressed. If this game’s score is any indications, the Buckeyes’ ranking of No. 5 is legitimate, and this rate, they could make the playoffs yet.
Alabama vs. Tennessee
The Volunteers played with heart, and there is some talent there. But the Crimson Tide is still considerably better, talent-wise, and the score (52-24) demonstrated that. It shall take another good recruiting class or two from Josh Heupel to bring this bitter rivalry back up to the level of drama and stakes that it deserves.
Looking ahead: Michigan @ Michigan State
Two top-ten titans clash in East Lansing as a resurgent Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines take on a quietly-rebuilt Spartans squad led by up-and-comer Mel Tucker. How these teams perform against each other – as bitter rivals, no less – shall say much as to how far each respective team has come.
Penn State @ Ohio State
On paper, with one team ranked No. 5 and the other ranked No. 20, this sounds like it could be almost as good a game as Michigan State vs. Michigan, right? Wrong. While Ohio State is currently proven legit at their current ranking, Penn State has been struggling offensively since Sean Clifford’s injury at Iowa. If the Nittany Lions continue to struggle to put points on the board, this could be a rout in Ohio State’s favor.
Georgia vs. Florida in Jacksonville
Not to call too much attention, but there’s this World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party about to commence this upcoming weekend in Jacksonville. Georgia is currently ranked No. 1 (and rightfully so), but historically, Florida has given the Bulldogs fits in this game. Hence, it behooves us all to keep an eye on this game in case things get potentially interesting.
Ole Miss @ Auburn
Coming off a huge win over hated LSU, the Rebels now go into Auburn to take on ranked Auburn. This could be another great slugfest worth watching.
Texas @ Baylor
The Bears have proven to be a potent team. Texas’ offensive output has proven to be strong – for three quarters, at least. Regardless, get ready for a potential shootout in Waco.
Louisville @ NC State
Here is an interesting ACC matchup for fans. The Cardinals won over a cagey BC team in the rain. Now they venture into Raleigh to take on the Wolfpack, fresh from an upset loss at the hands of Miami (Fla.). Louisville passed a test (winning a game in adverse weather conditions) this weekend. Now can they pass an even greater one?
College Football Week 7 Awards (2021) October 17, 2021
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Army, BYU, Cal, Cincinnati, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Colorado, Cyclones, Dabo Swinney, Dino Babers, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Greg Schiano, Herm Edwards, Iowa, Iowa State, Josh Heupel, Kansas, Kirby Smart, Kirk Ferentz, Lane Kiffin, LSU, Matt Campbell, Mike Gundy, Mississippi State, Nick Saban, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pat Narduzzi, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rice, Rutgers, San Diego State, Southern Miss, Steve Sarkesian, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, UMass, Utah, UTSA, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Glad I’m not him: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Lucky guy: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Poor guy: Dino Babers, Syracuse
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Herm Edwards, Arizona State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Pat Narduzzi, Pitt
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Desperately seeking … anything: Greg Schiano, Rutgers
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Alabama (defeated Mississippi State 49-9)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oregon (defeated Cal 24-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Rice (lost to UTSA 45-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (defeated No. 2 Iowa 24-7)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Colorado (Arizona 34-0)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Rutgers
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Iowa
Did the season start? Arizona State
Can the season end? Southern Miss
Can the season never end? Cincinnati
GAMES
Play this again: No. 13 Ole Miss 31, Tennessee 26
Play this again, too: No. 12 Oklahoma State 32, No. 25 Texas 24
Never play this again: Virginia 48, Duke 0
What? LSU 49, No. 20 Florida 42
Huh? Utah 35, No. 18 Arizona State 21
Are you kidding me?? Aurburn 38, No. 17 Arkansas 23
Oh – my – God: Purdue 24, No. 2 Iowa 7
NEXT WEEK
rankings are current AP (week 8)
Ticket to die for: LSU @ No. 13 Ole Miss
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: BYU @ Washington State; also, No. 16 Wake Forest @ Army
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 15 Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State; also, No. 22 San Diego State @ Air Force
Upset alert: UCLA @ No. 10 Oregon
Must win: Wisconsin @ Purdue
Offensive explosion: (inconclusive)
Defensive struggle: Syracuse @ Virginia Tech
Great game no one is talking about: Clemson @ Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Nick Saban of Alabama vs Josh Heupel of Tennessee
Who’s bringing the body bags? Kansas @ No. 4 Oklahoma
Why are they playing? UMass @ Florida State
Plenty of good seats remaining: Washington @ Arizona
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Arkansas
Week 7 Thoughts:
Oklahoma State vs Texas
For the second week in row, Texas has blown a 4th-quarter lead to a ranked opponent. Here’s a fairly disturbing stat to back up this observation. In the 4th quarters of games against Oklahoma and then Oklahoma State, the Longhorns have been outscored 41-7. Head coach Steve Sarkesian clearly has his work cut out for him on that side of the ball. On the other side, it wouldn’t hurt to work on his offense’s performance, either, as scoring only 7 points in those two quarters combined is clearly unacceptable.
Purdue vs Iowa
File this under “Boy, did we get that one wrong/Boy, we didn’t see that one coming”. In what could have potentially been a “body bag” game for Iowa, given Purdue lackluster performance against Minnesota two weeks earlier, the Boilermakers actually showed up to play, and both thrilled their faithful fans and stunned the college football world in the process.
There are many layers one can slice-and-dice this game and the surrounding conditions that came with it. Start with the premise of Iowa’s No. 2 ranking prior to said game. Yes, they were undefeated, but that alone came about under questionable circumstances. In the prior game against Penn State, the Hawkeyes were being outclassed by the Nittany Lions for more than half the game, before the latter’s quarterback was out of the game’s remainder due to injury.
Even had that injury to Penn State’s QB not occurred, and somehow Iowa would have righted the ship anyhow, I nevertheless must propose a thought experiment. If an undefeated Iowa team (that of this season) were to go head-to-head against a one-loss Alabama team (likewise the current team of this season), which squad do think would emerge victorious? Answering ‘Alabama’ would be a no-brainer. Would it not thus be logical that the Crimson Tide be ranked ahead of the Hawkeyes, not withstanding the teams’ respective records, going into this week?
All that aside, the sad fact of the matter is that the Hawkeyes failed to live up to the prestigious ranking that had attained. To close out the broadcast coverage, one of the commentators for ABC observed that “Purdue out-Iowa’d Iowa”. Say what you will about head coach Jeff Brohm, but he put the extra week that he had with last week’s bye to very good use in preparing to take on this strong foe.
Going forward, it shall be very interesting to see how each of the two teams react to this big upset. This time, the Hawkeyes have the bye, with their next game after that being a surprisingly winnable one against Wisconsin. Indeed, the remainder of their schedule is all winnable. Can they bounce back to seize such a opportunity, and to make a great season out of things regardless? Last I checked, 11-1 for a program like Iowa is a great achievement.
For Purdue, can they stop celebrating long enough to re-focus and properly prepare for what lies ahead? Many treacherous teams await the Boilers, starting with Wisconsin next week.
Kentucky vs Georgia
Kentucky is a great team, but face it: Georgia is that much greater. This was plainly discernable going into the game, and the outcome therefore surprised no reasonable party. That said, the Wildcats acquitted themselves well by covering the spread in the last minutes of the game.
Ole Miss vs Tennessee
For the first time in a long time, it felt as though Tennessee was returning to its glory days of the 1990s and early 2000s. Neyland Stadium was positively electric last night when Ole Miss came calling. They put up a valiant effort against a loaded Rebels team headed by their own former head coach, Lane Kiffin. Despite being outmanned, in the end, they were only several yards shy of the opportunity to tie the game at the end of regulation. It’s never a disgrace to lose to a better team, and, moreover, if the players continue to buy in to Josh Heupel’s vision, and the latter can bring in another good recruiting class or two, the Volunteers could continue to be on the upswing and legitimately bring back their glory days.
All that said, shame on the Tennessee fans who threw everything from water bottles to golf balls onto the field near the end of the game. That is very classless; it reflects poorly on the fan base, and on many southern fans at large; the perpetrators of such a classless act need to see the error of their ways, and if some degree of ostracization to help guide them to the light is what is necessary to do so, then so be it. Tennessee fans, do better and be better, so as to be worthy of such aforementioned glory days, should they return.
Looking ahead: Oklahoma State @ Iowa State
Can the Cowboys now handle their own prosperity? They are currently undefeated, ranked No. 8, and now head up to Ames, Iowa, where lately many ranked teams have gone to die. The Cyclones are never to be taken lightly under head coach Matt Campbell. Can he prepare his already-strong team to take down an undefeated foe? Can Oklahoma State’s head coach Mike Gundy prepare his squad to be ready to face proven giant-killers? We’ll find out shortly.
Clemson @ Pittsburgh
Queue the theme music from “The Twilight Zone”. In this upcoming matchup, the Pitt Panthers are ranked (No. 23), whereas the Clemson Tigers are not. It should thus be a very interesting matchup at Heinz Field.
Tennessee @ Alabama
No time for the Volunteers to lick their wounds after a close, emotional loss to Ole Miss. Now they must travel to Tuscaloosa to take on their traditionally most-hated rival. Such is life in the SEC.
LSU @ Ole Miss
Speaking of hated rvials, there is never any love lost between these two. While recently this rivalry has been a bit one-sided in LSU’s favor, the Rebels are now the favored team, and could make this season full of questions for LSU and their head coach Ed Orgeron (who was previously the head coach at Ole Miss) all the more painful. Then again, the Tigers pulled off a mild upset win over Florida, which leads many discerning fans to believe that this game could be a reasonably even, tough matchup on paper after all.
Final thought: can we bring back the “Twlight Zone” theme music for a second? Because Cincinnati is now the No. 2-ranked team in the country. Ponder that for what it is worth.
College Football Awards, Week 13 (2019) November 25, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Auburn, B1G, Baylor, Buckeyes, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, college, Colorado, football, Gary Patterson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Herm Edwards, Iowa State, James Franklin, Kansas State, Kevin Sumlin, Lincoln Riley, Mario Cristobal, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, Navy, NCAA, Nebraska, Nick Rolovich, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Oregon, Penn State, Rice, Rutgers, Ryan Day, Samford, San Diego State, SMU, Sonny Dykes, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Tom Herman, Troy, UCLA, UMass, USC, UTEP, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State
Lucky guy: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Poor guy: Gary Patterson, TCU
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Sonny Dykes, SMU
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Nick Rolovich, Hawaii
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mario Cristobal, Oregon
Desperately seeking … anything: Tom Herman, Texas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Auburn (defeated Samford 52-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Georgia (defeated Texas A&M 19-13)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Maryland (lost to Nebraska 54-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: TCU (lost to No. 9 Oklahoma 28-24)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: USC (defeated UCLA 52-35)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Troy
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oregon
Did the season start? Texas
Can the season end? UMass
Can the season never end? Ohio State
GAMES
Play this again: Arizona State 31, No. 6 Oregon 28
Never play this again: No. 5 Alabama 66, Western Carolina 3
What? Colorado 20, Washington 14
Huh? Hawaii 14, San Diego State 11
Are you kidding me?? Navy 35, No. 25 SMU 28
Oh – my – God: Arizona State 31, No. 6 Oregon 28
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 14, pre-week 14)
Ticket to die for: No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 13 Michigan
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 19 Cincinnati @ No. 18 Memphis (Friday, Nov. 29)
Upset alert: Kansas State @ No. 22 Iowa State (hon. mention: No. 5 Alabama @ No. 15 Auburn)
Must win: No. 12 Wisconsin @ No. 10 Minnesota
Offensive explosion: No. 9 Oklahoma @ No. 21 Oklahoma State
Defensive struggle: inconclusive
Great game no one is talking about: Wyoming @ Air Force
Intriguing coaching matchup: Kevin Sumlin of Arizona vs Herm Edwards of Arizona State
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 4 Georgia @ Georgia Tech
Why are they playing? Rutgers @ No. 8 Penn State
Plenty of good seats remaining: Texas State @ Coastal Carolina (dishon. mention: Rice @ UTEP)
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Charlotte @ Old Dominion
Week 13 Thoughts:
Baylor vs Texas
Once again the Longhorns disgraced themselves with tepid outputs on both offense and defense. The Longhorns had such high expectations going into the season. Now, they sit at 6-5. What happened? For starters, they graduated lots of experienced players after their Suger Bowl win. This year, they have a young team, made younger with lots of injuries on defense and at running back. For that, they need time for the injuries to heal. Much more systemic are the questions of Texas’ identity on offense. For that, they cannot excuse injuries. Nor can they excuse their lack of player development despite good recruiting classes during Tom Herman’s tenure. So how can they do better? Three things: develop an offensive identity; do better at developing your players; also, learn to get out of your own way. Oklahoma and A&M have figured out how to do so: what is Texas’ excuse?
Ohio State vs Penn State
The game was a good game, and it should not have been as good as it was. Some key mistakes, namely turnovers in the 3rd quarter, allowed for Penn State to come within less than a touchdown of the Buckeyes. Ohio State will have to button things up better if they expect to defeat their bitter rival up north come rivalry weekend. Such urgency for discipline is even greater for the B1G championship game in Indianapolis, be it Wisconsin or Minnesota. This is a reminder that the road to the playoffs still has a critical amount of potholes that only vigilance shall help avoid.
All that said, on to Rivalry Weekend!
College Football Awards, Week 11 (2019) November 11, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Alabama State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Bi1G, Big Ten, Bill Mallory, Central Florida, Chad Morris, Cincinnati, Commodores, Copper Bowl, Ed Orgeron, Florida, Florida State, Floyd of Rosedale, Gators, Georgia, Hoosiers, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Les Miles, Lincoln Riley, Louisville, LSU, Luke Fickell, Maryland, Matt Campbell, Memphis, Michigan State, Mike Gundy, Minnesota, New Mexico State, Nick Saban, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Penn State, Rutgers, Scott Satterfield, TCU, Temple, Texas, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, UCLA, UMass, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ed Orgeron, LSU (hon. mention: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota)
Glad I’m not him: Nick Saban, Alabama
Lucky guy: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Poor guy: Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Scott Satterfield, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: James Franklin, Penn State
Desperately seeking … anything: Chad Morris, Arkansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Maryland 73-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Michigan State (lost to Illinois 37-34)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Vanderbilt (lost to No. 10 Florida 50-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Oregon State (lost to Washington 19-7)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Western Kentucky (defeated Arkansas 45-19)
Dang, they’re good: LSU
Dang, they’re bad: UMass
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Penn State
Did the season start? TCU
Can the season end? Northwestern
Can the season never end? Ohio State
GAMES
Play this again: No. 17 Minnesota 31, No. 4 Penn State 26
Never play this again: No. 1 Ohio State, Maryland 14
What? Tulsa 34, UCF 31
Huh? Texas 27, No. 16 Kansas State 24
Are you kidding me?? No. 2 LSU 46, No. 3 Alabama 41
Oh – my – God: No. 17 Minnesota 31, No. 4 Penn State 26
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 11, pre-week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 5 Georgia @ No. 13 Auburn
Next-best game of the week: No. 24 Indiana @ No. 11 Penn State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: Tulane @ Temple
Upset alert: UCLA @ No. 8 Utah
Must win: No. 8 Oklahoma @ No. 10 Baylor
Offensive explosion: No. 18 Memphis @ Houston
Defensive struggle: Kentucky @ Vanderbilt
Great game no one is talking about: Texas @ Iowa State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Les Miles of Kansas vs Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 2 Ohio State @ Rutgers
Why are they playing? Alabama State @ Florida State
Plenty of good seats remaining: UMass @ Northwestern
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? UIW @ New Mexico State
Week 11 Thoughts:
Alabama vs LSU
What more can be said about this dramatic and incredibly consequential game? On paper, was it LSU’s victory really an upset? They were ranked No. 2 in the polls ahead of Alabama at No. 3, after all. So what made the Tigers’ win an upset? Call it a mental block. Call it a [proverbial] monkey on LSU’s back. They had, after all, lost to the Crimson Tide eight straight times, often with national championship aspirations on the line. This time, they finally won, and now, the Tigers control their own destiny to Atlanta and to the Playoffs as well.
Minnesota vs Penn State
The Golden Gophers have earned their biggest win in more than a decade. They currently lead the Western Division of the Big Ten. While they control their own destiny to the conference championship, they have a challenging road ahead if they want to make it to Indianapolis. Their next game is at No. 18 Iowa, a border rivalry where they play for one of the most prominent trophies in college football, the Floyd of Rosedale. After a respite against a down Northwestern, they close out the regular season at home against Wisconsin. The Badgers alone are a tough out, and they usually are the perennial Western representative in the B1G championship. Factor in the border rivalry and the fact that both teams play for the Paul Bunyan Axe (have you seen the size of that thing?), and one is apt to anticipate a high-stakes, high-drame showdown in Minneapolis come Nov. 30. But first, the Gophers have to win their other remaining games, starting with Iowa, which is never easy these days, Floyd or no Floyd.
Florida vs Vanderbilt
This blowout only merits mention because the Commodores attempted a “sad field goal” and failed. The definition of a “sad field goal” is if your team is down by more than two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and yet you go for a field goal anyhow. That sounds sad just saying it, does it not? Well, Vandy attempted the saddest of field goals as they were down 49-0 to Florida in The Swamp late in the 4th quarter. Instead of going for it with nothing to lose, they attempted a sad field goal, which went wide left. Like a train wreck, you can’t not watch.
Looking ahead: Indiana at Penn State
When was the last time that Indiana was ranked in football? Give up? It was 1994. Bill Mallory was the head coach at that time. He built a decent program, too, winning the 1991 Copper Bowl. But his labors went unnoticed because IU was more basketball-obsessed than it is today, which saying something. Frankly, I don’t hold out much hope for the Hoosiers, but if they put up a fight against wounded Penn State, it should be an entertaining game.
College Football Awards, Week 10 (2019) November 4, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Auburn, Ball State, Boise State, Brian Kelly, Bryan Harsin, Clemson, college, Dan Mullen, FIghting Irish, Florida, football, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Hokies, Huskies, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, James Franklin, Justin Fuente, Kansas State, Kirby Smart, liberty, Liberty Bowl, LSU, Maryland, Memphis, Minnesota, Mustangs, NCAA, Nebraska, New Mexico, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Pac-12, Pat Fitzgerald, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, SMU, Sonny Dykes, South Alabama, South Carolina, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Tigers, Tom Allen, UMass, Utah, Utes, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Wofford, Wyoming
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Glad I’m not him: Dan Mullen, Florida
Lucky guy: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Poor guy: Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bryan Harsin, Boise State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Tom Allen, Indiana
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Sonny Dykes, SMU
Desperately seeking … anything: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Clemson (defeated Wofford 59-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Auburn (defeated Ole Miss 20-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: UTSA (lost to Texas A&M 45-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Georgia Tech (lost to Pittsburgh 20-10)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Liberty (defeated UMass 63-21)
Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad: Arkansas
Can’t Stand Prosperity: SMU
Did the season start? TCU
Can the season end? Rutgers
Can the season never end? Oregon
GAMES
Play this again: No. 8 Georgia 24, No. 6 Florida 17
Never play this again: No. 4 Clemson 59, Wofford 14
What? Georgia Southern 24, No. 20 Appalachian State 21
Huh? Purdue 31, Nebraska 27
Are you kidding me?? No. 8 Georgia 24, No. 6 Florida 17
Oh – my – God: No. 24 Memphis 54, No. 15 SMU 48
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 10, pre-week 11)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 LSU @ No. 2 Alabama
Next-best game of the week: No. 5 Penn State @ No. 13 Minnesota
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Appalachian State @ South Carolina
Best non-Power Five matchup: Wyoming @ No. 21 Boise State
Upset alert: Iowa State @ No. 9 Oklahoma (hon. mention: Virginia Tech @ No. 22 Wake Forest)
Must win: No. 20 Kansas State @ Texas
Offensive explosion: Kansas State @ Texas
Defensive struggle: No. 18 Iowa @ No. 16 Wisconsin
Great game no one is talking about: Ball State @ Western Michigan
Intriguing coaching matchup: James Franklin of Penn State vs P.J. Fleck of Minnesota
Who’s bringing the body bags? Maryland @ No. 3 Ohio State
Why are they playing? New Mexico State @ Ole Miss
Plenty of good seats remaining: South Alabama @ Texas State (dishonorable mention: Purdue @ Northwestern)
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Vanderbilt @ No. 6 Florida
Week 10 Thoughts:
Again, am I the only one who has noticed that waaaaay too many teams have bye-weeks for upcoming week 10?
Notre Dame vs Virginia Tech
Earlier in the awards list, I listed Justin Fuente as the “Poor Guy” of the week. Really, though, I should have created a special, one-off category for him this week called “Stupid Guy” instead. His Virginia Tech team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the last few minutes of the game by persistently playing a “prevent” defense (specifically, rushing only three and dropping back the remaining eight) that allowed for Notre Dame to pick the Hokies’ secondary apart in the final minutes, play by play. Not once did Virginia Tech mount anything resembling a pass rush, and the Irish made them pay dearly for not doing so. All it would have taken would be to rush a couple of extra men, as one or two sacks in the process would have ruined Notre Dame’s day. But no. Once again, we are reminded that the only thing the prevent defense prevents is the implementer of said defense from winning the game. Period.
Georgia vs Florida
Can anybody recall, within recent memory, a Georgia-Florida game with as much drama, excitement, and close play as this week’s matchup? Neither can I.
SMU vs Memphis
Another undefeated bites the dust. May your undefeated season rest in peace, SMU. Still, what a game, and what a moment. ESPN’s College Gameday crew visited Memphis for the first time, and the fans came out in droves to celebrate the arrival and to show their support for their Memphis Tigers. The latter point is especially worth noting. U-Memphis has historically been known as a basketball school. Yet an ESPN-televised game at night, in front of a sellout crowd in the Liberty Bowl stadium, with ranked Memphis taking on then-undefeated SMU shows that UM’s football prowess is on the rise, and that is always a wonderful thing, notwithstanding the unfortunate side-effect of SMU’s undefeated season going by the boards.
Utah vs Washington
Utah needed to bring their A-game to Seattle, since the Huskies can be unpredictable at times. Eventually, the Utes did just that. Combine their win at Washington with USC’s crushing loss at home to No. 7 Oregon, and Utah controls their own destiny regarding clinching a Pac-12 South berth for the conference championship game.
College Football Awards, Week 8 (2019) October 21, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Badgers, Ball State, Baylor, Boise State, Brian Kelly, Buckeyes, BYU, Cal, California, CHip Kelly, college, football, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Herm Edwards, Illinois, James Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Kansas, Kansas State, Les Miles, liberty, LSU, Maryland, Matt Rhule, Miami, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Navy, NCAA, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Paul Chryst, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Texas, Toledo, Tom Arth, Tom Herman, Tulane, UCLA, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: James Franklin, Penn State
Glad I’m not him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Lucky guy: Tom Herman, Texas
Poor guy: Les Miles, Kansas
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Tom Herman, Texas
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Matt Rhule, Baylor
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
Desperately seeking … anything: Tom Arth, Akron
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Northwestern 52-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas (defeated Kansas 50-48)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Arkansas (lost to Auburn 51-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Illinois (defeated Wisconsin 24-23)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Ball State (defeated Toledo 52-14)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Rutgers
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Wisconsin
Did the season start? Washington
Can the season end? Arkansas
Can the season never end? Oklahoma
GAMES
Play this again: No. 10 Penn State 28, No. 16 Michigan 20
Play this again, too: No. 15 Texas 50, Kansas 48
Never play this again: No. 4 Ohio State 52, Northwestern 3
What? Ball State 52, Toledo 14
Huh? Georgia Tech 28, Miami (Fla.) 21, OT
Double-Huh? Vanderbilt 21, No. 22 Missouri 14
Are you kidding me?? BYU 28, No. 14 Boise State 25
Oh – my – God: Illinois 24, No. 6 Wisconsin 23
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 8, pre-week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 13 Wisconsin @ No. 3 Ohio State
Next-best game of the week: No. 9 Auburn @ No. 2 LSU
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Liberty @ Rutgers
Best non-Power Five matchup: Tulane @ Navy
Upset alert: Kansas State @ No. 5 Oklahoma
Must win: No. 11 Auburn @ No. 2 LSU
Offensive explosion: No. 15 Texas @ TCU (hon. mention: WSU @ No. 11 Oregon)
Defensive struggle: (inconclusive)
Great game no one is talking about: Cal @ No. 12 Utah
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jim Harbaugh of Michigan vs Brian Kelly of Notre Dame
(honorable mention: Herm Edwards of Arizona State vs Chip Kelly of UCLA)
Who’s bringing the body bags? Arkansas @ No. 1 Alabama
Why are they playing? Liberty @ Rutgers
Plenty of good seats remaining: Akron @ Northern Illinois
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Maryland @ No. 17 Minnesota
Week 8 Thoughts:
Two more undefeated teams bite the dust. First No. 6 Wisconsin in the noon time slot, who went down to defeat at lowly Illinois on a last-second field goal. Then, late at night, the second undefeated team lost today when No. 14 Boise State lost on the road to BYU. The latter, however, is not nearly as massive as the former.
The shame of such an upset is that it takes some of the [proverbial] starch and the all-too-real excitement out of next week’s upcoming matchup between the Badgers and the Buckeyes. But it will still be a great game.
Texas vs. Kansas
Texas had to score 50 points to beat Kansas. Yes, Kansas. Granted, Les Miles has the Jayhawks continually improving. Still, this does not bode well for the Longhorns. Clearly, injuries have depleted their defense, especially their secondary. Any team with a good quarterback can thus score points on them. The question becomes, can the Horns still stop the run? Assuming they can, then they stand a chance yet against TCU next week.
College Football Awards, Week 6 (2019) October 7, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Arizona, Auburn, B1G, Big Ten, Boise State, Boston College, Bowling Green, Buckeyes, Cincinnati, Craig James, Dan Mullen, Florida, football, Golden Hurricane, Hawaii, Hawkeyes, Houston, Iowa, Iowa State, Jeff Brohm, Jim Harbaugh, Kent State, Kirk Ferentz, Louisville, LSU, Matt Campbell, Michigan, Michigan State, Mustangs, NCAA, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Purdue, Rhode Island, Scott Frost, Scott Satterfield, SMU, Spartans, Stanford, Steve Addazio, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, UCLA, UConn, UNLV, Utah, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington, Wisconsin, Wolverines
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Dan Mullen, Florida
Glad I’m not him: Guz Malzahn, Auburn
Lucky guy: Scott Satterfield, Louisville
Poor guy: Steve Addazio, Boston College
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Desperately seeking … anything: Jeff Brohm, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Notre Dame (defeated Bowling Green 52-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Nebraska (defeated Northwestern 13-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Utah State (lost to No. 5 LSU 42-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Tulsa (lost to SMU 43-37)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Iowa State (defeated TCU 49-24)
Dang, they’re good: LSU
Dang, they’re bad: Bowling Green
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Auburn
Did the season start? TCU
Can the season end? UCLA
Can the season never end? SMU
GAMES
Play this again: No. 10 Florida 24, No. 7 Auburn 13
Never play this again: No. 9 Notre Dame 52, Bowling Green 0
What? No. 19 Michigan 10, No. 14 Iowa 3
Huh? Texas Tech 45, No. 21 Oklahoma State 35
Double-Huh? Cincinnati 27, No. 18 UCF 24
Are you kidding me?? Stanford 23, No. 15 Washington 13
Oh – my – God: No. 10 Florida 24, No. 7 Auburn 13
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 6, pre-week 7)
Ticket to die for: No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 11 Texas in the Red River Shootout
(Possible second choice): No. 10 Florida @ No. 5 LSU
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: UNLV @ Vanderbilt
Best non-Power Five matchup: Cincinnati @ Houston (also: Hawaii @ No. 16 Boise State)
Upset alert: No. 25 Michigan State @ No. 8 Wisconsin (also: Florida @ LSU)
Must win: No. 15 Washington @ Arizona
Offensive explosion: (inconclusive)
Defensive struggle: No. 10 Florida @ No. 5 LSU
Great game no one is talking about: Louisville @ No. 22 Wake Forest (also: Penn State @ Iowa)
Intriguing coaching matchup: P.J. Fleck of Minnesota vs Scott Frost of Nebraska
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 17 Utah @ Oregon State
Why are they playing? Rhode Island @ Virginia Tech
Plenty of good seats remaining: Kent State @ Akron
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? UConn @ Tulane
Week 6 Thoughts:
Michigan vs. Iowa
Iowa came into the Big House ranked No. 14 to home team Michigan’s No. 19 ranking. The game was a close one from start to finish, and in the end, Michigan triumphed in a defensive struggle, 10-3. Under normal circumstances, when a team, ranked or otherwise, defeats a higher-ranked team, that is a good day, that is a good day for the lower-ranked team.
So why do I get the feeling that this win will not slake the bloodthirst of Jim Harbaugh’s critics? I can think of two reasons. The most obvious is that Michigan scored only 10 lousy points. At home. Granted, it was against Iowa, which is always a deceptively tough out, but in the end, scoring only 10 points borders on disturbing.
Keep in mind that Wisconsin is, theoretically, an even stronger defense, yet the Wolverines scored two touchdowns on them in a losing effort on the road. Should such an abysmal offensive performance persist later in the season, how does one think that Michigan is to fare against, say, Penn State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, or even [shudder] archrival Ohio State?
The reason this win does not assuage concerns about Michigan’s direction was Iowa’s performance. That the Hawkeyes’ offense kept sputtering when it reached the Wolverines’ 40 yard line is what saved the latter’s bacon. To be sure, that is also a tribute to the Wolverines’ tough D. Still, can one count on such defensive shut-downs against even more formidable opponents? Most likely, not.
Bottom line: Harbaugh needs to re-shuffle the proverbial deck for his offense, and do so right now.
SMU vs Tulsa
The Golden Hurricane played the Mustangs tough for the entire game, but a last-minute touchdown put SMU ahead of Tulsa for good. The Mustangs are now undefeated at 6-0 for the first time since 1982 (back when Craig James was still playing for them). Let that sink in for a moment.
Ohio State vs Michigan State
Speaking of stronger defenses than that of Iowa, Michigan State gave a maximum effort against Ohio State. Even then, the Buckeyes still won, 34-10. The Spartans’ aforementioned max effort from their own strong D was all that kept the game from becoming a blowout.
Can anyone in the conference take Ohio State? It certainly does not seem so at this rate. All that said, Oct. 26 could give us a preview of coming Big Ten Championship attractions when the Buckeyes play Wisconsin at home. Once again, the Buckeyes are playing like a solid national championship contender.
Florida vs Auburn
Either Auburn is not quite as good as we thought they were (at No. 7), or Florida is better than we thought they were (at No. 10). Whatever the case may be, if the Gators keep up these strong performances, it shall shape up to be a memorable matchup against Georgia in Jacksonville later this month.
College Football Awards, Week 5 (2019) September 29, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona State, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Boston College, Bowling Green, Buckeyes, BYU, Cal, California, Central Florida, Clemson, Cornhuskers, Dabo Swinney, Florida, Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech, Golden Bears, Huskers, Iowa, Iowa State, Jeff Brohm, Justin Wilcox, Kansas State, Kent State, Louisville, LSU, Mack Brown, Mario Cristobal, Mark Stoops, Maryland, Michigan, Middle Tennessee State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Ryan Day, Scott Frost, SMU, Sonny Dykes, South Florida, Stanford, Tarheels, TCU, Temple, Texas A&M, Toledo, Tom Osborne, Tulane, UCF, UCLA, USF, Utah State, Washington, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Glad I’m not him: Scott Frost, Nebraska
Lucky guy: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Poor guy: Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Justin Wilcox, Cal
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Sonny Dykes, SMU
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech
Desperately seeking … anything: Jeff Brohm, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Michigan (defeated Rutgers 52-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Clemson (defeated North Carolina 21-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Middle Tennessee (lost to No. 14 Iowa 48-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: North Carolina (lost to No. 1 Clemson 21-20)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: SMU (defeated USF 48-21)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Rutgers
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Cal
Did the season start? Purdue
Can the season end? Georgia Tech
Can the season never end? Oklahoma
GAMES
Play this again: No. 1 Clemson 21, North Carolina 20
Play this again, too: No. 23 Texas A&M 31, Arkansas 27
Never play this again: No. 12 Penn State 59, Maryland 0
What? Temple 24, Georgia Tech 2
Huh? Oklahoma State 26, No. 24 Kansas State 13
Are you kidding me?? Toledo 28, BYU 21
Oh – my – God: Arizona State 24, No. 15 Cal 17
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 5, pre-week 6)
Ticket to die for: No. 7 Auburn @ No. 10 Florida
(Possible second choice): No. 14 Iowa @ No. 19 Michigan
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Utah State @ No. 5 LSU
Best non-Power Five matchup: Tulane @ Army
Upset alert: Michigan @ Iowa (also: No. 15 Washington @ Stanford)
Must win: Boston College @ Louisville
Offensive explosion: Cal @ No. 13 Oregon
Defensive struggle: Northwestern @ Nebraska
Great game no one is talking about: TCU @ Iowa State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Justin Wilcox of Cal vs Mario Cristobal of Oregon
Who’s bringing the body bags? Purdue @ No. 12 Penn State
Why are they playing? Bowling Green @ No. 10 Notre Dame
Plenty of good seats remaining: Oregon State @ UCLA
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Kent State @ No. 8 Wisconsin
Week 5 Thoughts:
North Carolina vs Clemson
Mack Brown remains full of surprises. Not the least of which was the stunning near-upset over previously-No. 1 Clemson, in which the Tigers escaped the Tarheels by only a point. A botched [surprise] two-point attempt on the part of UNC allowed the escape. Had such an attempt been successful, it would have set the college football rankings on fire. As it is, nobody in their right mind should protest Brown’s surprise move at the end. If they went for the tie with an extra point, then the game would have gone into overtime, where Clemson would quite likely have outlasted North Carolina. The two-point attempt thus, after further analysis, remained the Tarheels’ best bet.
Time will tell if this valiant performance on North Carolina’s part is a harbinger of better football to come from this team.
Nebraska vs Ohio State
Ohio State drubbed Nebraska 48-7 in Lincoln. It could have been even worse. All but 10 of those 48 points were scored in the first half (meaning, the Buckeyes put in lots of backups in the second half). This game and its outcome are a tale of two teams in two different directions.
For Ohio State, this is another key test the Buckeyes have passed in their assertion that they belong in the national conversation. Indeed, this performance helped them supplant LSU as the No. 4 team in the nation, currently. That has typically been good enough to make the playoffs, should such shadows remain unchanged.Will such shadows change? After all, nothing is a given in the Big Ten. Such was the case in its late-1990s glory days, and such is the case since roughly 2014 as well. Next week the Buckeyes face an arguably tougher test when Michigan State comes to Columbus. But the ultimate showdown in the conference is still likely when Wisconsin take on the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium on Oct. 26 in what could be one of the games of the year. Why this fixation on OSU’s fortunes? Because the more teams from more regions outside of the Southeast contend for the national title, the better it is for college football.
On the other side of the coin is Nebraska. Head coach Scott Frost, one might recall, left a Central Florida program that he had built into arguably the strongest non-Power Five team in the land so he could coach his alma mater. Last year’s campaign only resulted in a 4-8 finish. Currently the Huskers stand at 3-2, and even some of those wins were struggles over South Alabama and Illinois. What gives?
No, it would stand to reason that Frost has not forgotten how to coach. Rather, the systemic problem of geography has come into play. Frost had the advantage of being right in the middle of [embarrassingly] talent-rich Florida when he built up the UCF program. Nebraska does not produce any top-caliber players, save for the possible offensive lineman or two. Much of Nebraska’s unstoppable linemen during theTom Osborne (especially the latter era) came from much more lax standards and screening mechanisms for steroid use. Those days are now gone.
Also gone are the days of Prop-48 players, which gave Nebraska an easy pipeline to high-caliber talent without the normal barrier of NCAA eligibility standards found elsewhere. Perhaps even more devastating, though, is that Nebraska prospered in the days when only a relative handful of teams were consistently on national television. This made the program in Lincoln an attractive destination for top recruits despite its cold weather and geographic isolation. That advantage, too, was nullified when cable channels greatly expanded college football coverage in the 2000s, giving prized recruits many more options than in earlier times. Given this current environment, how is one to attract top recruits to this cold, isolated place? Scott Frost has his work cut out for him.
College Football Awards, Week 3 (2019) September 19, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona State, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Auburn, Boston College, Bulldogs, BYU, Chattanooga, Chis Klieman, Citadel, Clay Helton, Clemson, college, Dabo Swinney, Dan Mullen, FIghting Irish, Florida, Florida State, football, Furman, Geoff Collins, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hurricanes, Iowa, Iowa State, Jeff Brohm, Jim Harbaugh, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisiana, Louisville, LSU, Mark Stoops, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, NCAA, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Rutgers, San Jose State, South Alabama, Southern Illinois, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, Virginia Tech, Washington, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Glad I’m not him: Clay Helton, USC
Lucky guy: Dan Mullen, Florida
Poor guy: Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech
Desperately seeking … anything: Jeff Brohm, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Notre Dame (defeated New Mexico 66-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Virginia Tech (defeated Furman 24-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Arkansas State (lost to Georgia 55-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Temple (defeated No. 21 Maryland 20-17)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated Chattanooga 45-0)
Dang, they’re good: Oklahoma
Dang, they’re bad: South Alabama (honorable mention: Indiana)
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Maryland
Did the season start? Purdue
Can the season end? Georgia Tech
Can the season never end? LSU
GAMES
Play this again: No. 9 Florida 29, Kentucky 21
Play this again, too: No. 18 Iowa 18, Iowa State 17
Never play this again: Louisiana 77, Texas Southern 6
That will leave a mark: Miami 63, Bethune-Cookman 0
What? Kansas State 31, Mississippi State 24
Huh? Temple 20, No. 17 Maryland 17
Double Huh? Citadel 27, Georgia Tech 24
Are you kidding me?? BYU 30, No. 24 USC 27
Oh – my – God: Arizona State 10, No. 18 Michigan State 7
NEXT WEEK (rankings are current AP (post-week 3, pre-week 4)
Ticket to die for: No. 7 Notre Dame @ No. 3 Georgia
Best game of the week (second choice): No. 8 Auburn @ No. 16 Texas A&M
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: No. 23 Washington @ BYU
Best non-Power Five matchup: Air Force @ No. 22 Boise State
Upset alert: No. 23 Washington @ BYU
Must win: No. 10 Michigan @ No. 14 Wisconsin
Offensive explosion: Oklahoma State @ No. 12 Texas
Defensive struggle: Boston College @ Rutgers
Great game no one is talking about: Louisville @ Florida State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mario Cristobal of Oregon vs. David Shaw of Stanford
Who’s bringing the body bags? Charlotte @ No. 1 Clemson
Why are they playing? San Jose State @ Arkansas
Plenty of good seats remaining: New Mexico State @ New Mexico
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Southern Illinois @ Arkansas State
Week 3 Thoughts:
Too many body-bag games to in the first three weeks for college football in 2019. At least next week starts with a bang with Michigan vs. Wisconsin in the noon time slot, and we are treated to an early Big XII quasi-rivalry with Texas vs. Oklahoma State in the evening, which will be an intriguing distraction from the game of the week, in which the Notre Dame Fighting Irish venture down to Athens, Ga., to take on the Bulldogs “between the hedges”. Oh, and Auburn plays Texas A&M in the 3:30 EDT time slot, so prepare for an engaging Saturday come the 21st!
Also, belated shout-out to an incredible game the previous week with LSU at Texas. Had the Horns done a slightly better job of stopping the Tiger’s passing game, they might have triumphed. As it is, LSU seems to be a top-flight QB this season, and, based on their stellar performance in Austin, could end up vying for the SEC West divisional title. Mark you calendars for November 9 now.
CFB Recruiting Class Random Observations for 2019 February 8, 2019
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: B1G, Big Ten, Big XII, Ducks, Georgia, Huskies, Indiana, Iowa, Jeff Brohm, Kentucky, Kirk Ferentz, Longhorns, Mark Stoops, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, P.J. Fleck, Pac-12, Pat Fitzgerald, Paul Chryst, Peach Bowl, Purdue, Ryan Day, Sam Ehlinger, SEC, Sugar Bowl, Texas, Urban Meyer, Washington, Wisconsin
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In the previous article, I made observations on the potentially changing competitive landscape in the SEC based on the recruiting class rankings this year. But those observations in no way cover the entire intrigue that these recruiting class rankings offer to college football fans.
For example, it’s quite clear that the SEC teams have dominated these rankings. But other teams merit attention, too. Take Michigan, for example. They are the lone Big Ten representative in the top ten of said rankings, at No. 8 this year, interestingly one ranking position ahead of Florida (No. 9), who, er, chomped the Wolverines 41-15 in the recent Peach Bowl. Meanwhile, Ohio State, who have been the most dominant force in the conference during Urban Meyer’s six-season tenure, only made it to No. 14 in the rankings this year (down from No. 2 last year). Certain programs have proven they can do more with less (Kentucky under Mark Stoops is a wonderful example of this). New Buckeye head coach Ryan Day will be put to the test to see if he can do the same thing and continue to contend for the national title.
That said, defending national champion Clemson’s recruiting class is at No. 10 (their 2018 class was No. 8). Yet they have a young quarterback with a transcendent talent that is sure to lead the Tigers to the Promised Land this year as well, so their king-of-the-hill status remains unthreatened, for now.
One of the most-improved recruiting classes is Purdue. Ranked only No. 49 in 2018, they have jumped to the No. 25 class for 2019. Perhaps this could portend further improvement in their performance, allowing Coach Jeff Brohm to do more than just employ smoke-and-mirrors, as he had no choice but to do with such a bare cupboard his first two years in West Lafayette.
An intriguing stat to share: Purdue’s recruiting class for 2019, at No. 25, ranks ahead of Wisconsin (No. 27), Michigan State (No. 30), Indiana (No. 38), Iowa (No. 40), Minnesota (No. 42), and Northwestern (No. 50). That said, do not underestimate Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald (especially Fitzgerald!) or even Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck in their abilities to develop players.
Another interesting improvement in recruiting rankings is that of Oregon. At a respectable No. 13 last year, this year’s recruiting class has merited a No. 7 ranking. Meanwhile, Washington at No. 17 is clearly not going anywhere. A reasonable prediction from these figures is that an interesting border rivalry between the Huskies and Ducks could quickly emerge. Add a steadily-performing Stanford to the mix, and on can easily foresee an increasingly competitive Pac-12 North division.
Rounding out the top ten in recruiting rankings are two Big XII teams; Oklahoma at No. 6, and Texas at No. 3. The latter is coming off huge momentum with their dominating upset over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Their quarterback, Sam Ehlinger, combines talent and grit for a winning synergy that could potentially help the Longhorns contend for the playoffs this upcoming season. This No. 3 recruiting class certainly cannot hurt the Horns in this endeavor, and surely enforces the mantra that “Texas is back.”
Again, player development can sometimes compensate for lack of ranking in player recruitment. Just ask Northwestern. But also ask Alabama for Georgia (No’s 1 and 2, respectively) how their perennial top recruiting rankings work out for them to see the potential significance of said recruiting class rankings. Such is the biggest reason why it’s so easy for college football fans to geek out about this subject! It should add up to a more interesting college football season for 2019 compared to the one just concluded.
intellectualgridiron 