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College Football Week 11 Awards (2021) November 14, 2021

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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 endBaylor

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

HuhNo. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19

Are you kidding me??  No. 13 Baylor 27, No. 8 Oklahoma 14

Oh – my – GodKansas 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).

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College Football Week 9 Awards (2021) November 1, 2021

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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Mel Tucker, Michigan State

Glad I’m not him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

Lucky guy: Dana Holgorsen, Houston

Poor guy: Sonny Dykes, SMU

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Herm Edwards, Arizona State

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Hugh Freeze, Liberty

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kirk Ferentz

Desperately seeking … anything:  Steve Sarkesian, Texas

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

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Iowa State (lost to West Virginia 38-31)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kansas (lost to Oklahoma State 55-3)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Penn State (lost to No. 5 Ohio State 33-24)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Georgia (defeated Florida 34-7)  

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

Can’t Stand Prosperity: San Diego State

Did the season start?  Iowa
Can the season end?  Vanderbilt

Can the season never endMichigan State

GAMES
Play this again: No. 8 Michigan State 37, No. 6 Michigan 33

Play this again, too:  No. 5 Ohio State 33, No. 20 Penn State 24

Never play this again: Liberty 62, UMass 17

What?  Mississippi State 31, No. 12 Kentucky 17

HuhNo. 18 Auburn 31, No. 10 Ole Miss 20

Are you kidding me??  Wisconsin 27, No 9 Iowa 7

Oh – my – GodNo. 8 Michigan State 37, No. 6 Michigan 33

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 10)
Ticket to die for:  None compared to last week.  Within this week’s lineup, No. 18 Auburn @ No. 12 Texas A&M

Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five  matchup: Liberty @ No. 15 Ole Miss

Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 23 UTSA @ UTEP

Upset alert: North Carolina @ No. 10 Wake Forest; also, Tennessee @ No. 18 Kentucky

Must win: Texas @ Iowa State

Offensive explosion: No. 11 Oklahoma State @ West Virginia

Defensive struggle: Kansas State @ Kansas

Great game no one is talking about: Mississippi State @ Arkansas

They have the same record??  Penn State @ Maryland

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Paul Chryst of Wisconsin vs Greg Schiano of Rutgers

Who’s bringing the body bags?  Missouri @ No. 1 Georgia

Why are they playing? Idaho State @ No. 17 BYU

Plenty of good seats remaining: North Texas @ Southern Miss

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  No. 21 Coastal Carolina @ Georgia Southern

Week 9 Thoughts:

Georgia vs Florida

Remember what I noted last year regarding Florida historically giving Georgia fits in this came?  That obviously did not happen this time.  The Bulldogs have proven that they are the legit No. 1 team for now.  If they keep up this next-level intensity, it’s going to be one epic showdown for the conference title in Atlanta.

Mississippi State vs Kentucky

Either Kentucky decided not to show up at the level they have been playing the previous several weeks, or the Wildcats simply did not match up well with the Bulldogs.  On one hand, the running game was almost non-existent, the fumbles were more frequent than usual for Kentucky.  Apparently their defense showed up in name only, too.  No time to lick their wounds after an ugly loss, as Tennessee comes calling next week, hungry for revenge after losses to the Cats in recent years.

Iowa @ Wisconsin

Wisconsin defeated Iowa, 27-7.  This game proved two things.  One, it proved FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd that Iowa is “the fake ID of college football”, as it sadly seems that every time the Hawkeyes receive a high ranking, they never can demonstrate they are for real when put to actual test in the regular season, they never sufficiently prove themselves.  Indeed, they only reason they defeated Penn State earlier in the year was due to knocking PSU’s starting quarterback out of the game.  The other thing this game proved is that Wisconsin is playing back to the level we expected them to be at earlier in the year.  Whatever slump they were in recently seems to have vanished, making things all the more interesting in the West division of the Big Ten.

Michigan State vs Michigan

The clash of top-ten titans lived up to its billing in East Lansing, giving fans both in the stands and in living rooms across this great nation a thrilling game.  The Wolverines proved to be a legitimately strong team, possibly the best of the Harbaugh era, but made one too many mistakes in the end to triumph over an inexplicably resurgent Spartans squad.  The fact that A) Michigan lost by only a few points to B) a team that continues to prove they belong in the top ten has not been lost on the voters, as C) the Wolverines, even after this tough loss, fittingly remain in the top ten at no. nine.

Penn State @ Ohio State.

Penn State clearly played back to form, as they gave Ohio State a strong challenge, wire-to-wire.  The Nittany Lions are clearly good once again.  Had they played the same way the entire game in Iowa, they would not have lost that game.  This time, the Buckeyes’ superior talent won out, and sadly Penn State has sustained its third loss of the season, knocking them out of the rankings for now.  A team this good shall not likely be out of them for long.

To broaden the scope, the East division of the Big Ten is as loaded this year as it has been in recent memory, possibly even living memory.  Already, we have experienced two outstanding games from great teams in one day.  Better yet, this is only the beginning:  For example, Michigan has yet to play Penn State or Ohio State, and these two teams continue to loom large on Michigan State’s schedule, too.  Furthermore, as we get into November, the stakes only get higher from here on.  It’s going to be a thrilling ride.  To quote Southpark’s satirical portrayal of Caitlyn Jenner, “Buckle up, buckaroos!”

Looking ahead:  Texas @ Iowa State

After three tough losses, can the Longhorns bounce back, on the road, and take down the giant killers known as Iowa State?

Tennessee @ Kentucky

It used to be that Tennessee owned this border rivalry.  How else can one describe it, when, from 1985 through 2010, The Volunteers won every matchup between these two teams?  That streak ended in 2011, and Kentucky managed to win two more within this series, one in 2017, as well as last year.  If Kentucky wins, it would be the first two-in-a-row for them in this series since 1976 and 1977 (during the Fran Curci era, of course).  What makes this upcoming matchup all the more intriguing is that the Wildcats have an exceptionally strong team this year compared with most teams they typically field, while at the same time, Tennessee is resurgent, clearly clawing its way out of the doldrums that have plagued them for more than a decade.  All this adds up to the most interesting context surrounding an SEC game in a very long time.

Maryland vs Penn State

If someone told you that, going into the first weekend in November, Maryland and Penn State would have identical records, you would likely say that this someone was crazy.  Yet, here we are.  To be sure, Penn State played back to their earlier, strong form in Columbus, Ohio, last night.  If they keep it up, they should bag another ‘W’ without too much trouble.

Texas A&M vs Auburn

The Aggies have already taken given Alabama a loss.  Can they also fend off a dangerous Auburn team?  The Tigers proved how dangerous they were in their convincing handling of Ole Miss last night.  Can they keep up that same intensity against a foe that, one could argue, is just as dangerous?

Wake Forest vs North Carolina

In one of the surprises of the year, Wake Forest is currently 8-0, and ranked No. 10.  Conversely, North Carolina may only be 4-4, but they seemed to finally live up to their potential last night, losing to No. 8 Notre Dame by only ten points.  If that sort of Tarheels squad shows up in Winston-Salem, then maybe the Demon Deacons shall experience their first loss of the season.

College Football Awards, Week 12 (2019) November 18, 2019

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COACHES
Wish I were himKirby Smart, Georgia

Glad I’m not him: Nick Saban, Alabama

Lucky guy: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

Poor guy: Matt Rhule, Baylor

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Jason Candle, Toledo

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Rocky Long, San Diego State

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Tom Herman, Texas

Desperately seeking … anything:  Walt Bell, UMass

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: BYU (defeated Idaho State 42-10)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Florida (defeated Missouri 23-6)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Rutgers (lost to No. 2 Ohio State 56-21)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Syracuse (defeated Duke 49-6)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  USC (defeated Cal 41-17)

Dang, they’re good: Clemson

Dang, they’re bad:  Texas State

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  Minnesota

Did the season start?  Texas

Can the season end?  Georgia Tech

Can the season never endOhio State

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 10 Oklahoma 34, No. 13 Baylor 31

Never play this again: No. 3 Clemson 52, Wake Forest 3

What?  Oregon State 35, Arizona State 34

HuhWest Virginia  24, No. 24 Kansas State 20

Are you kidding me??  No. 20 Iowa 23, No. 8 Minnesota 19

Oh – my – GodIowa State 23, No. 19 Texas 21

NEXT WEEK

(rankings are current AP (post-week 12, pre-week 13)
Ticket to die for:  No. 9 Penn State @ No. 2 Ohio State

Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five  matchup: Liberty @ Virginia

Best non-Power Five matchup: SMU @ Navy (hon. mention:  SDSU @ Hawaii)

Upset alert: Syracuse @ Louisville

Must win: Texas @ No. 13 Baylor

Offensive explosion: (inconclusive)

Defensive struggle: Tennessee @ Missouri

Great game no one is talking about: Pittsburgh @ Virginia Tech

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Mario Cristobal of Oregon vs Herm Edwards of Arizona State

Who’s bringing the body bags?  Samford @ No. 16 Auburn

Why are they playing? Western Carolina @ No. 5 Alabama

Plenty of good seats remaining: Old Dominion @ Middle Tennessee

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  BYU @ UMass

Week 12 Thoughts:

Iowa vs Minnesota

This had to have been one of the biggest face-offs for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy in recent memory.  Funny things happen in rivalry games such as this, and a few small errors ended up making the difference in the Hawkeyes’ favor.  The Golden Gophers have an easy outing against Northwestern. Such should be a tune-up game for the following week, when Wisconsin comes calling and the berth for representing the Western Division in the B1G title game hangs in the balance.

Iowa State vs Texas

Despite the Longhorns’ offense inexplicably sputtering most of the game, Texas could have won the game after Iowa State missed a field goal with two minutes left in the game.  Instead, Texas got an offsides penalty at the worst possible time.  It allowed for the Cyclones to get further downfield, kill the clock, and kick the game-winning field goal at the buzzer.  No excuses, Tom Herman.  Do better.

Looking ahead:

Shoutouts to Texas A&M, Georgia, Missouri, and Tennessee:  they are the only SEC teams who had the guts to play real games this upcoming week.  While the rest of their fellow SEC members are wasting everybody’s time with pointless body bag games (e.g., Western Carolina @ Bama; Abilene Christian @ Mississippi State), The Aggies, the Georgia Bulldogs, the Mizzou Tigers, and the Volunteers will give us real games this week.  Technically, the same should go for LSU and Arkansas.  While on paper it’s a glorified body bag game, at least those two teams are keeping it in-conference.  To the rest of you in the SEC:  get it together.  Step up and play real games.

 

 

College Football Awards, Week 13 (2018) November 25, 2018

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(Note:  All rankings are current AP [week 13] unless otherwise noted.)

COACHES
Wish I were him: Urban Meyer, Ohio State

Glad I’m not him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

Lucky guy: Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech

Poor guy: Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: David Cutcliffe, Duke

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Derek Mason, Vanderbilt

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard:  Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee

Desperately seeking … anything:  Jonathan Smith, Oregon State

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

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas (defeated Kansas 24-17)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: East Carolina (lost to Cincinnati 56-6)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  UTSA (lost to North Texas 24-21)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Ohio State (defeated No. 4 Michigan 62-39)

Dang, they’re good: Ohio State

Dang, they’re bad:  Louisville

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  Washington State

Did the season start?  Wisconsin

Can the season end?  Arkansas

Can the season never endClemson

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 6 Oklahoma 59, No. 13 West Virginia 56

Play this again, too:  No. 22 Texas A&M 74, No. 7 LSU 72, 7OT

Never play this again: Temple 57, UConn 7

What? Minnesota 37, Wisconsin 15

HuhNo. 23 Boise State 33, No. 21 Utah State 24

Double Huh?  No. 16 Washington 28, No. 8 Washington State 15

Are you kidding me??  No. 22 Texas A&M 74, No. 7 LSU 72, 7OT

Oh – my – GodNo. 10 Ohio State 62, No. 4 Michigan 39

NEXT WEEK

Rankings are current AP (week 13)
Ticket to die for:  No. 14 Texas vs No. 6 Oklahoma also:  No. 1 Alabama @ No. 5 Georgia

Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five  matchup: Marshall @ Virginia Tech

Best non-Power Five matchup: UAB @ Middle Tennessee

Upset alert: No. 19 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Ohio State

Must win: Any conference championship game

Offensive explosion: inconclusive

Defensive struggle: inconclusive

Great game no one is talking about: Memphis @ No. 9 UCF

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern vs Urban Meyer of Ohio State

Who’s bringing the body bags? East Carolina @ NC State

Why are they playing?  Drake @ No. 25 Iowa State

Plenty of good seats remaining: inconclusive

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Akron @ South Carolina

 

 

College Football Awards, Week 12 (2018) November 18, 2018

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(Note:  All rankings are current AP [week 12] unless otherwise noted.)

COACHES
Wish I were him: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

Glad I’m not him: Chad Morris, Arkansas

Lucky guy: Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

Poor guy: Jeff Brohm, Purdue

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Urban Meyer, Ohio State

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Frank Solich, Ohio U

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard:  Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee

Desperately seeking … anything:  Lovie Smith, Illinois

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Mississippi State (defeated Arkansas 52-6)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Ohio State (defeated Maryland 52-51 in OT)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: New Mexico (lost to No. 25 Boise State 45-14)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Middle Tennessee (lost to No. 17 Kentucky 34-23)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Ohio U (defeated Buffalo 52-17)

Dang, they’re good: Alabama

Dang, they’re bad:  Arkansas

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  West Virginia

Did the season start?  Michigan State

Can the season end?  Tennessee

Can the season never endNotre Dame

GAMES
Play this again: Oklahoma State 45, No. 9 West Virginia 41

Play this again, too:  Wisconsin 47, Purdue 44, 3 OT

Never play this again: Iowa 63, Illinois 0

What? Miami (Ohio) 13, Northern Illinois 7

HuhKansas State 21, Texas Tech 6

Double Huh?  Nebraska 9, Michigan State 6

Are you kidding me??  Florida State 22, No. 20 Boston College 21

Oh – my – GodOklahoma State 45, No. 9 West Virginia 41

NEXT WEEK

Rankings are current AP (week 12)
Ticket to die for:  No. 4 Michigan @ No. 10 Ohio State

Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five  matchup: BYU @ No. 19 Utah

Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 11 UCF @ South Florida

Honorable mention for above:  UAB @ Middle Tennessee

Upset alert: Auburn @ No. 1 Alabama  also:  Georgia Tech @ No. 5 Georgia

Must win: Purdue @ Indiana

Offensive explosion: No. 6 Oklahoma @ No. 9 West Virginia

Defensive struggle: Eastern Michigan @ Kent State

Great game no one is talking about: No. 23 Utah State @ No. 25 Boise State

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Chris Petersen of Washington vs Mike Leach of Washington State

Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 17 Kentucky @ Louisville  Also:  San Jose State @ Fresno State

Why are they playing?  No. 15 Texas @ Kansas

Plenty of good seats remaining: Southern Miss @ UTEP

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Rutgers @ Michigan State

College Football Awards, Week 11 (2018) November 11, 2018

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(Note:  All rankings are current AP [week 11] unless otherwise noted.)

COACHES
Wish I were him: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

Glad I’m not him: Willie Taggart, Florida State

Lucky guy: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

Poor guy: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Jeff Brohm, Purdue

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Monken, Army

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard:  Mark Stoops, Kentucky

Desperately seeking … anything:  Chip Kelly, UCLA

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Michigan (defeated Rutgers 42-7)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: NC State (lost to Wake Forest 27-23)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Louisville (lost to Syracuse 54-23)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Boston College (lost to Clemson)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Arkansas State (defeated Coastal Carolina 44-16)

Dang, they’re good: Alabama

Dang, they’re bad:  UTSA

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  NC State

Did the season start?  Wisconsin

Can the season end?  North Carolina

Can the season never endNotre Dame

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 6 Oklahoma 48, Oklahoma State 47

Play this again, too:  No. 19 Texas 41, Texas Tech 34

Never play this again: Utah State 62, San Jose State 24

What? Minnesota 41, Purdue 10

HuhBoise State 24, No. 23 Fresno State 17

Double Huh?  Northwestern 14, No. 21 Iowa 10

Are you kidding me??  Wake Forest 27, NC State 23 (Thurs.)

Oh – my – GodTennessee 24, No. 11 Kentucky 7

NEXT WEEK

Rankings are current AP (week 11)
Best game of the week:  No. 13 Syracuse @ No. 3 Notre Dame

Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: UAB @ Texas A&M

Best non-Power Five matchup: Cincinnati @ No. 12 UCF

Upset alert: No. 22 Iowa State @ No. 19 Texas

Must win: Wisconsin @ Purdue

Offensive explosion: No. 9 West Virginia @ Oklahoma State

Defensive struggle: Missouri @ Tennessee

Great game no one is talking about: Cincinnati @ No. 12 UCF

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Paul Chryst of Wisconsin vs Jeff Brohm of Purdue

Who’s bringing the body bags? Rice @ No. 7 LSU  Also:  Citadel @ No. 1 Alabama

Why are they playing?  UMass @ No. 5 Georgia

Plenty of good seats remaining: Western Carolina @ North Carolina

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Liberty @ No. 24 Auburn

 

 

College Football Awards, Week 10 (2018) November 4, 2018

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(Note:  All rankings are current AP [week 10] unless otherwise noted.)

COACHES
Wish I were him: Nick Saban, Alabama

Glad I’m not him: James Franklin, Penn State

Lucky guy: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia

Poor guy: Tom Herman, Texas

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Urban Meyer, Ohio State

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Matt Wells, Utah State

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard:  Bobby Petrino, Louisville

Desperately seeking … anything:  Brett Brennan, San Jose State

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Clemson (defeated Louisville 77-16)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Ohio State (defeated Nebraska 36-31)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Louisville (lost to Clemson 77-16)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Charlotte (to Tennessee 14-3)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Michigan (defeated No. 14 Penn State 42-7)

Dang, they’re good: Clemson

Dang, they’re bad:  San Jose State

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  Florida

Did the season start?  Miami

Can the season end?  Louisville

Can the season never endMichigan

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 13 West Virginia 42, No. 17 Texas 41

Play this again, too:  Purdue 38, No. 16 Iowa 36

Never play this again: No. 2 Clemson 77, Louisville 16

What? Baylor 35, Oklahoma State 31

HuhPitt 23, No. 25 Virginia 13

Double Huh?  Purdue 38, No. 16 Iowa 36

Are you kidding me??  Arizona State 38, No. 15 Utah 20

Oh – my – GodMissouri 38, No. 11 Florida 17

NEXT WEEK

Rankings are current AP (week 10)
Best game of the week:  (lots of decent games, but nothing spectacular)

One good game to see:  Auburn @ No. 6 Georgia

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

Best non-Power Five matchup: USF @ Cincinnati  also:  Fresno State @ Boise State

Upset alert: Michigan State @ No. 10 Ohio State

Must win: South Carolina @ No. 11 Florida

Offensive explosion: Texas @ Texas Tech

Defensive struggle: Kansas @ Kansas State

Great game no one is talking about: No. 8 Washington State @ Colorado

Also:  Wisconsin @ Penn State

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Tom Herman of Texas vs. Kliff Kingsbury of Texas Tech

Who’s bringing the body bags? Utah State @ San Jose State

Why are they playing?  Navy @ No. 12 UCF

Plenty of good seats remaining: East Carolina @ Tulane

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Georgia State @ Louisiana

 

 

College Football Awards, Week 9 (2018) October 28, 2018

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(Note:  All rankings are current AP [week 9] unless otherwise noted.)

COACHES
Wish I were him: Kirby Smart, Georgia

Glad I’m not him: Willie Taggert, Florida State

Lucky guy: Mike Stoops, Kentucky

Poor guy: Mike Helton, USC

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Tom Herman, Texas

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Bill Clark, UAB

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

Desperately seeking … anything:  Bobby Petrino, Louisville

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Nebraska (defeated Bethune-Cookman 45-9)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: TCU (lost to Kansas 27-26)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Florida State (lost to Clemson 59-10)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Kansas (defeated TCU 27-26)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Wake Forest (defeated Louisville 56-35)

Dang, they’re good: Clemson

Dang, they’re bad:  Louisville

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  Texas

Did the season start?  Washington

Can the season end?  UTEP

Can the season never endNotre Dame

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 17 Penn State 30, No. 18 Iowa 24

Play this again, too:  Oklahoma State 38, No. 6 Texas 35

Never play this again: No. 2 Clemson 59, Florida State 10

What? Arizona 44, No. 19 Oregon 15

HuhMissisippi State 28, No. 16 Texas A&M 13

Double Huh?  Cal 12, No. 15 Washington 10

Are you kidding me??  Oklahoma State 38, No. 6 Texas 35

Oh – my – GodKansas 27, TCU 26

NEXT WEEK

Rankings are current AP (week 9)
Ticket to die for:  No. 1 Alabama @ No. 4 LSU

Another key game to see:  No. 7 Georgia @ No. 12 Kentucky

Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five  matchup: Louisiana Tech @ Mississippi State

Best non-Power Five matchup: Utah State @ Hawaii

Upset alert: No. 13 West Virginia @ No. 6 Texas

Must win: Purdue @ No. 18 Iowa

Offensive explosion: No. 8 Oklahoma @ Texas Tech

Defensive struggle: inconclusive

Great game no one is talking about: No. 3 Notre Dame @ Northwestern

Also:  Purdue @ No. 18 Iowa

Intriguing coaching matchup:  James Franklin of Penn State vs. Jim Harbaugh of Michigan

Who’s bringing the body bags? Louisville @ No. 2 Clemson

Why are they playing?  Charlotte @ Tennessee

Plenty of good seats remaining: UTEP @ Rice

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Alcorn State @ New Mexico State

Playoff scenarios based on the latest AP Polls (Week 8, 2018) October 18, 2018

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Week 7 in college football for the 2018 provided considerable thrills – and headaches – for fans, what with upsets abounding, especially near the top of the rankings.  Unranked Tennessee taking down then-No. 17 Auburn, and unranked Virginia beating then-No. 16 Miami (Fla.) are small potatoes compared to upsets elsewhere that week.

Indeed, no fewer than four AP top ten teams went down in defeat in Week 7 of 2018.  For starters, No. 17 Oregon outlasted then-No. 7 Washington, 30-27, in overtime.  Unranked Michigan State toppled No. 8 Penn State on the road, 21-17.  Iowa State leveraged their special night-time atmosphere to help them beat then-undefeated (and then-No. 6) West Virginia 30-14.  Even more significant was No. 13 LSU pommeling then-No. 2 Georgia 36-16.

As a result of these four key upsets, Washington fell from the No. 7 ranking to No. 15.  Penn State fell from No. 8 to No. 18.  West Virginia fell from No. 6 to No. 13, while Georgia fell from No. 2 to No. 8.

Last year, the Bulldogs made it to the national championship game.  Now, the prospect to return is in jeopardy.  At least it’s October and not November, meaning there is still time to recover.

Regardless, the current AP Top Ten now suggests some very intriguing playoff possibilities.  These are important for the health of college football.  An all-southern/all-SEC college football championship game my thrill the faithful in the southeastern region of the country, but it turns off the rest of the country.  That’s bad for business.  If your sport starts to be perceived as regional in its nature, that hurts your national image, and prevents you from engaging the markets you need to be interested in order to ensure its long-term strength and viability.  Alabama vs. Clemson and Alabama vs. Georgia thus saw a TV ratings decline, whereas Texas vs. USC (2005-’06) and Ohio State vs. Oregon (2014-’15) where perfect matchups to bring in robust, national audiences.  Ohio State vs. Florida (2006-’07), Ohio State vs. LSU (2007-’08) and especially Ohio State vs. Miami (2002-’03) were decent-to-great matchups as well for this purpose.  Alabama vs. Notre Dame (2012-’13) was good on paper, but the outcome of the game proved that it was a mismatch, with the Irish clearly being overrated at the time.

Start with a basic premise that it’s good for business when traditional powers do well.  If Georgia does well, that engages the Atlanta market, which is pretty big, in case you forgot.  If Notre Dame does well, it engages the Chicago and New York City markets.  If USC does well, it engages the Los Angeles market.  If Ohio State and Michigan do well (either or both), that engages much of the Midwestern markets, as well as the Big Ten alums who have left the Midwest for the East Coast, the South, or the West Coast.  If Texas does well, it engages the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston Markets.  You get the picture.

Now, back to the Week 8 Top Ten rankings from the AP poll.  At No. 1 remains Alabama.  Ok, fine.  With Georgia knocked out of the No. 2 spot (but still in the top ten), that allows for Ohio State to take over that position.  This is good for the sport.  Clemson has moved a spot to No. 3, while Notre Dame has quietly moved up to the No. 4 ranking.

Just by looking at these current top four spots, if these remain unchanged and translate directly into playoff rankings, one would have a great playoff scenario to engage a critical mass of the viewing public.  Alabama and Clemson would be there to keep the South’s fever pitch at maximum levels, while Ohio State and Notre Dame enjoy national audiences so as to include enough of the rest of the country as well.  The Fighting Irish’s ranking this time is no wishful thinking.  Thoughtful analysts concur that this 2018 ND team is much stronger and more athletic than its overrated 2012 counterpart.  Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd has gone so far as to observe that this is the best ND team since the Lou Holtz era.  As ESPN’s Lee Corso would exclaim, “Yo!”

While there is no west coast team in sight in these current rankings, that is not a deal-breaker, either.  There are enough Big Ten grads on the west coast to keep those markets engaged should Ohio State make it to the playoffs.   The Buckeyes, in this scenario, would represent the West Coast as well as the Midwest.

Naturally, much football remains to be played, and the remainder of the top ten shall make all efforts to crack their way into the playoffs as well.  Of those currently poised for such possibilities, some of them, too, offer intriguing engagement opportunities.  LSU sits at No. 5 after their ripping upset victory over the Bulldogs, and are destined for a major showdown with the Crimson Tide come Nov. 3, in Baton Rouge, no less.  Michigan sits at No. 6 after their big win over Wisconsin last night.  If they maintain their momentum, their Nov. 24 annual grudge match with the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor could be epic.

Meanwhile, Texas has survived another test and now sits at No. 7.  If QB Sam Ehlinger stays healthy, who knows how much further the Longhorns could continue to climb?  This is key to note because Texas in the playoffs engages a different market than the Southeast.  The beauty of Texas in the championship game is that they can theoretically engage two markets simultaneously, as a B1G team can do vis-à-vis both the Midwest and other regions.  In Texas’ case, not only can a Longhorn playoff appearance pique the interest of the DFW and Houston metro areas (San Antonio and Austin don’t hurt either, as that is another combined 4 million-plus people in that mini-megalopolis), but the Southeast could vicariously join in, too.

An Oklahoma (currently No. 9)  playoff appearance, while a different region than the Southeast, has a limited upside.  Yes, it engages the central plains, but there is not much major population there).  Best case scenario is that it will interest the OU grad transplants living in the major Texas markets.  The Longhorns, thankfully, have done their part, though, in making the more market-significant team better-poised for a playoff run at this point.

This is not a swipe at the SEC, or the fans therein, for a personally love southern football and identify with the South.  As someone who is concerned about the national and long-term health of college football, however, perspective must be maintained.  Fans in SEC country will watch the playoffs no matter who is playing.  Fans elsewhere, though, will only watch if they feel they have a stake in things; that they are being represented.  We have enjoyed such perfect or near-perfect matchups in the past, such as the aforementioned Texas-USC games and the Ohio State-Oregon games, for example.

Meanwhile, more big games remain, and the way things have gone thus far, more upsets are likely to occur.  Teams currently in the bottom half of the top ten could claw theyr way up with help from such theoretical upsets.  After all, we’re halfway to regular season’s end, and the stakes and urgency only intensify from here.  Let’s enjoy the ride, and cheer on the key wins that would help make for the best playoff matches with optimal, national appeal while we’re at it!

College Football Awards, Week 7 (2018) October 15, 2018

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(Note:  All rankings are current AP [week 7] unless otherwise noted.)

COACHES
Wish I were him: Ed Orgeron, LSU

Glad I’m not him: Kirby Smart, Georgia

Lucky guy: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Poor guy: James Franklin, Penn State

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Gus Malzahn, Auburn

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Seth Littrell, North Texas

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia

Desperately seeking … anything:  Scott Frost, Nebraska

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Army (defeated San Jose State 52-3)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Florida (defeated Vanderbilt 37-27)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: San Jose State (lost to Army 52-3)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t:  Minnesota (lost to Ohio State 30-14)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did:  Purdue (defeated Illinois 46-7)

Dang, they’re good: LSU

Dang, they’re bad:  Western Kentucky

Can’t Stand Prosperity:  Georgia

Did the season start?  TCU

Can the season end?  Rice

Can the season never endMichigan

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 17 Oregon 30, No. 7 Washington 27, OT

Never play this again: Army 52, SJSU 3

What? Virginia 16, No. 16 Miami 13

HuhNo. 17 Oregon 30, No. 7 Washington 27, OT

Double HuhMichigan State 21, No. 8 Penn State 17

Are you kidding me??  Iowa State 30, No. 6 West Virginia 14

Oh – my – GodNo. 13 LSU 36, No. 2 Georgia 16

NEXT WEEK

Rankings are current AP (week 8)
Game of the week:  No. 22 Mississippi State @ No. 5 LSU

Also:  No. 16 NC State @ No. 3 Clemson

Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five  matchup: Memphis @ Missouri

Best non-Power Five matchup: North Texas @ UAB

Upset alert: No. 16 NC State @ No. 3 Clemson

Must win: No. 6 Michigan @ No. 24 Michigan State

Offensive explosion: No. 12 Oregon @ No. 25 Washington State

Defensive struggle: (inconclusive)

Great game no one is talking about: Virginia @ Duke

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Dave Doeren of NC State vs Dabo Swinney of Clemson

Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 10 UCF @ East Carolina

Why are they playing?  UTEP @ Louisiana Tech

Plenty of good seats remaining: Tulsa @ Arkansas

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  San Jose State @ San Diego State

Due to the intriguing complexity of the current situation, no additional thoughts are offered at this time, but shall be forthcoming in a subsequent article later this week.