College Football Random Thoughts From Around the Country: Mama Said Knock You Out!

Can you believe we are one-third of the way through the college football regular season? Teams are starting to show their true colors. A few big names are down for the count.

LOL

Auburn 18 LSU 13 - What a mess of a game. Auburn could not find the end zone. Daniel Carlson produced all the points for Aubie, kicking six field goals. LSU scored the games only TD but the Bayou Bengals have still yet to score a point in the fourth quarter.

As you surely know by now, LSU coach Les Miles was fired on Sunday. To his team's credit, they put themselves in position to win the game. But the way they lost was just a symptom of Miles' coaching. Time was stopped by a penalty flag with one second remaining. LSU was at the two yard line and no timeouts. A well-coached team would know that as soon as the refs figured it out, the clock would start. They had the benefit of this delay to have a play ready and line up. However, twice the LSU players were caught milling around like they were socializing at Betty Sue's debutante ball. The flag was for illegal shift pushing LSU back 5 yards and a replay of the down. The shift came because the receivers felt it necessary to split all the way out instead of just getting to the line. Watch #82 D.J. Chark wandering around after a catch by a teammate. After the officials moved the ball back, there they all were again, walking around looking for four-leaf clovers.

In the end, Danny Etling connected with Chark in the back of the end zone. But "upon further review," LSU did not get the snap off on time.

If Alabama had played a game like this, Nick Saban would be furious. Gus Malzahn on the other hand had a big ol' grin on his face like he just won the huckleberry eating contest down at the county fair.

Duke 38 Notre Dame 35 - A 19-yard field goal with 84 seconds left was the difference as Duke rallied back from an early two-touchdown deficit. On the stats sheet, this game was pretty even. Both teams had 24 first downs. Both total yards (ND 534, Duke 498) and time of possession (ND 29:25, Duke 30:35) were virtually even. The difference was the 3 to 1 turnover ratio taht favored Duke, the last of which the Blue Devils converted into the game winner.

The most astonishing thing about this defeat was how Brian Kelly threw his players under the bus after the game claiming the "coaching had nothing to do with the outcome." He would fire defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder a day later. The Blue Devils came into the game with losses to Wake Forest and Northwestern. Saturday, they scored more points than their last two games combined (38 to 27).

Oregon Ducks Football 'Dress like a Duck' Nike Uniforms pic.twitter.com/HsOocruoba

— E.D.Twinam (@etcats2) September 24, 2016

Colorado 41 Oregon 38 - If it looks like a duck and plays football like a duck, it's probably a duck. I am guessing that Oregon will not be dressing up like ducks again anytime soon. Stupidest.Uniforms.Ever.

READING THEIR PRESS CLIPPINGS

Wisconsin 30 Michigan State 6 - A week after winning at Notre Dame - which in hindsight does not look like a big accomplishment - Sparty came out flat and got flattened. Tyler O'Connor threw three picks and a fumble by LJ Scott was returned 66 yards for a score.

Ole Miss 45 Georgia 14 - UGA was all geeked up on their Super Bowl win against Mizzou the week before and could not find time to prepare for the Rebs while looking for hotels to book in Atlanta for December. In a blink of an eye, this game was 17-0 aided by an early pick-six. It was 45-0 before the Bulldogs could finally score a point. Evan Engram had 6 catches for 95 yards and a TD. Georgia RB Nick Chubb had 57 yards on 12 carries.

[FUN FACT: Clearly UGA wants to emulate what Alabama has done over the last 9 years. Nick Saban has lost only 18 games during his reign at Bama, but he has never lost a game by more than 14 points and never has he been out of a game by the beginning of the fourth quarter.]

Alabama 48 Kent State 0 - The Crimson Tide took care of business and spanked those young whippersnappers from up north.
Texas A&M 45 Arkansas 24 - The Aggies clearly have more depth than the Hogs as they overcame a 17-10 deficit which included outscoring Arky 21-7 in the fourth quarter. Trevor Knight and Trayveon Williams both ran over over 150 yards and 2 TDs. These guys are starting to look a little scary.
Tennessee 38 Florida 28 - Nobody will ever confuse the Gators for the New England Patriots. They are no plug-and-play system. Florida clearly missed QB Luke Del Rio as replacement Austin Appleby started quickly with a 21-0 lead but then faded in the second half. The Vols FINALLY got over their 11-game losing streak hump and can now get back to losing.
Vanderbilt 31 Western Kentucky 30 (OT) - The 'Dores scored the tying touchdown on a Ralph Webb two yard run as time expired. After Vandy scored in the top half of overtime, WKU answered but coach Jeff Brohm ambitiously chose to end it with a two-point conversion to no avail. On paper, the Hilltoppers dominated the game, putting up 501 yards of total offense. But 11 penalties and 3 turnovers doomed them. Vandy has given up 92 points in the last three games.
Kentucky 17 South Carolina 10 - This game was sadly reminiscent of the Vandy-SC game from week 1 that the Gamecocks won 13-10. Just bad football. Boom Williams (15-123 yds, TD) and Benny Snell (16-73 yds, TD) did most of the heavy lifting for UK. Both teams stand at 2-2.
Mississippi State 47 UMass 35 - What an embarrassing display for Mullen's Mugs. This was a back-and-forth game well into the third quarter when the Minutemen took a 21-20 lead. The Bullies scored TDs on their next three possessions thanks to a long kickoff and a pick six. Even then, MSU could not put away this team - who has seven wins in the last three seasons - as they responded with two TDs of their own.
Missouri 79 Delaware State 0 - TBH, I have never heard of Delaware State. This is just pathetic scheduling.

Louisville 59 Marshall 28 - You forget what a jerk Bobby Petrino is until a game like this one. The game was never in doubt yet the motorcycle enthusiast kept star QB Lamar Jackson and the most of the starters in wire-to-wire. They even tried to score on the last play of the game (stopped at the 3 yard line). smh
Houston 64 Texas State 3 - No style points for this game but at least Tom Herman emptied the bench. 30 first downs, 0 penalties, 0 turnovers for the Cougars.
Florida State 55 South Florida 35 - USF scored on the first play from scrimmage with a long TD pass. FSU answered right back with a Dalvin Cook 75-yard gallop on FSU's first play, as the Heisman hopeful rushed for a career-high 267 yards and two touchdowns. It was a big win for the 'Noles on the scoreboard and in the psyche but Jimbo Fisher has to be concerned about the points his defense is yielding. They are 108th in the nation, giving up 35.0 per game.

GRAB BAG

Michigan 49 Penn State 10 - The Wolverines had six rushing touchdowns by five different players. PSU had a total of 191 yards on offense.
Stanford 22 UCLA 13 - The Bruins lost the game but they may have solved the puzzle of how to stop the Cardinal offense. Christian McCaffrey had 138 yards on the ground but they were "quiet" yards. He recorded only two receptions for 13 yards, one kickoff return of 14 and was denied a punt return in five attempts. He did not score. The strategy to contain the Heisman candidate worked to perfection until the UCLA secondary gave up a 70 yard drive in the final 2 minutes. The final score is misleading as Bruins QB Josh Rosen fumbled on the last play of the game and a Stanford player took it in for a TD. Play a little D, protect the rock, and you win the game. Imagine that.
Tulsa 48 Fresno State 41 (OT) - I only mention this game because Tulsa overcame a 31-0 deficit to defeat Fresno in OT.

~~~~~

BAMA STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Utah 31 Southern Cal 27 For much of the night, the Trojans (1-3) looked like the better team but they couldn't hang onto the ball, losing three fumbles. Coach Clay Helton had a brain-fumble when he decided to punt on fourth-and-3 from the Utah 37-yard line with a 3 point lead late in the 4th quarter. Seriously? Utah went on to drive the field for the winning score.
• WKU (2-2) The Hilltoppers lose a heartbreaker to Vandy. See above.
• Chattanooga (4-0) The Mocs defeat Samford. #3 ranked FCS team.
• Ole Miss' demolition of UGA helps the Bama cause.
• Tennessee's win over Florida does as well.
• Kentucky is terrible but a win over South Carolina doesn't hurt.

~~~~~

ADOPT-A-TEAM

• Jacksonville State (3-1) rang Liberty's bell to the tune of 48-19. They are ranked #4 in the FCS.
  
• USA (2-2) short changed Nicholls (sorry, not sorry) when the Colonels were stuffed on a two-point conversion in OT for a 41-40 Jags victory.
  
• Potential spoilers to keep an eye on: Wisconsin, Wake Forest (YES, Wake at 4-0. Coach Dave Clawson is a guy to watch), UNC, Colorado, LSU (could the Miles firing wake this talented team up?).
  

SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS

The three teams are collectively 9-1.

• Army (3-1) suffered their first defeat with a loss to Buffalo after a missed field goal in overtime, 23-20.
• Air Force (3-0) shocks Utah State 27-20 in Mountain West opener played in Logan, Utah.
  
• Navy (3-0) had the week off for some R&R.

ELIMINATED*:

Welcome to the club NOTRE DAME, LSU, and OREGON.

ARIZONA
AUBURN
BOSTON COLLEGE
BYU
CAL
COLORADO
DUKE
GEORGIA TECH
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
IOWA STATE
K-STATE
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LSU
MISSISSIPPI STATE
MIZZOU
NC STATE
NORTHWESTERN
NOTRE DAME
OKIE LITE
OKLAHOMA
OLE MISS
OREGON
OREGON STATE
PENN STATE
PITT
PURDUE
RUTGERS
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTHERN CAL
SYRACUSE
TEXAS TECH
UCLA
VA TECH
VANDERBILT
VIRGINIA
WAKE FOREST
WAZZU

* crazier things

THE CONTENDERS

A way WAY too early look at the College Football Playoff (CFP) picture:

• ACC - It is looking more and more like only one team (or none?) will come out of the ACC. One team will be eliminated on Saturday night when Louisville travels to Clemson.
  
• Big Ten - Michigan State stubbed their toe pinning the B1G East's hopes on - wait for it - Ohio State and Michigan. In the West, it's Wisconsin and Nebraska, but that can't last. Can it?...
  
• Big 12 - It's not even October and this conference looks like they will be on the outside looking in. How Bob Bowlsby holds onto his job as B12 Commissioner is beyond me. Their last National Champs in the big three sports: Football (Texas 2005), Men's Basketball (Kansas 2008), Baseball (Texas 2005).
  
• PAC-12 - Stanford keeps rolling along but UCLA exposed them. Washington, Utah, and Arizona State are all still unbeaten but it is only a matter of time.
  
• SEC - The Crimson Tide is still #1. Tennessee and Texas A&M are still alive but all three of these teams play each other in October.
  
• Notre Dame - N/A.
  

~~~~~

Krazy Kristi's "SHUT UP!" of the Week goes to Gustavo! Malzahn switched from his usual visor to a white Auburn baseball cap. Is the Lord's vessel ... gasp .... giving into suspicions? HERESY!

~~~~~

• I am not sure why it has been such a big secret but Alabama WR Robert Foster did not play this past weekend against Kent State. He had sustained a knee injury during Tuesday’s practice before the KSU game. His only receptions this season have been against WKU (3-13).
  
• During Nick Saban's Monday news conference he announced that "Damien Harris is still gonna be day-to-day." Wide receivers ArDarius Stewart and Foster will both still be listed as day-to-day and questionable for the UK game.
• As previously reported, suspensions for Tide's DB Tony Brown and DT Johnny Dwight have ended.
• A big blow for Michigan as senior cornerback Jeremy Clark will not play another down this season. Clark suffered a torn ACL in a blowout win against Penn State on Saturday while on special teams duty.
• LSU running back Leonard Fournette exited the Auburn game with an injury to his knee after landing awkwardly late in the game but later returned. He looked a bit disgruntled.
  
• UGA tailback Nick Chubb missed valuable time against Ole Miss and is listed as questionable for their game with Tennessee. It was his third straight game with under 80 yards rushing.
  
• Duke All-ACC defensive back DeVon Edwards is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in Saturday's win over Notre Dame. WORTH IT!
  
• Texas has suspended starting OG Kent Perkins for the Oklahoma State game following a DWI arrest this weekend.
• Florida International fired head coach Ron Turner after 10-30 run. This is the guy they fired Mario Cristobal over. Might the Panthers attempt to rekindle this romance with the Bama assistant coach?
• Some idiot Auburn fan thought it would be a good idea to light the toilet paper in a Toomer's tree on fire. Jochen Wiest, 29, has been arrested on a charge of "desecration of a venerable object" and now faces a 1st degree felony criminal mischief charge, according to police. Seriously, Aubie. Put an end to this stupid "tradition" and let those poor trees grow in peace.
  

STAT OF THE DAY

With 8:10 to go in the 3rd quarter against Duke, Notre Dame recorded their first sack of the season. They are the last FBS team to get their first sack this 2016 season.

KEY & PEELE PLAYER NAME OF THE WEEK

Notre Dame WR Equanimeous St. Brown.

LET'S GO BOWLING!

While it is still early to eliminate (especially with the silliness from last season), these teams are 0-4:

Arkansas State
Florida International
Miami (OH)
Northern Illinois
Rice

HEISMAN HYPE
With the exception of TWO YEARS, the Heisman Trophy voting is basically a hype award. That being the case, we'll bring you "Who Will Win" and "Who Should Win".

• Who Will Win - ABC/ESPN went into full campaign mode for Christian McCaffrey on Saturday for Stanford's game against UCLA. However, the Bruins defense kept the Cardinal running back from making any highlight reels. As long as Michigan keeps winning, DB/KR Jabrill Peppers will continue to get some hype. Louisville's Lamar Jackson continues to light up the scoreboard but Bobby Petrino left his star QB in for the entire game of a blowout win over Marshall, which rubbed some the wrong way.
• Who Should Win - Jackson is still the leader in a weekend in which no one player really stood out.

Last week's CBS coverage of Bama-Ole Miss led me to an epic rant about how awful they are. I am not going to go off again like that this week, but I do want to mention the downward spiral that the SEC Network appears to be heading into.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the SEC Network. I don't even watch ESPN SportsCenter or College GameDay anymore. If you turn my TV on, it is probably already tuned to SECN. But lately, the on-air talent has started to get a bit annoying. Tim Tebow seems angrier in his commentary and is stubborn in his opinions. He also feels his best way to make his point is to repeat exactly what he had just said. Marcus Spears has been entertaining but lately he has taken to smack-talking his fellow commentators. He started dogging on Greg McElroy one day for real reason and Greg just kinda looked at him like okaaay, whatevs. Anyway... about this game coming up... Even Booger McFarland has taken to trying to be - for lack of a better word - sassy. Guys, just talk football! We are not idiots. We don't need a soap opera. We just want to hear about college football!

See there, I lied. I did go off on another rant.

Times are CT/ET.

Thursday, September 29
UConn at Houston 7pm/8pm ESPN - This is what I am talking about when I say the Cougars have too soft a schedule.

Friday, September 30
Stanford at Washington 8pm/9pm ESPN - It's put up or shut up time for two of the most hyped PAC teams.

Saturday, October 1

MUST SEE:

Wisconsin at Michigan 2:30pm/3:30pm ABC- A big game for the B1G and national implications.
Louisville at Clemson 7pm/8pm ABC- Winner takes control of the ACC and a potential CFB slot.

SEC:

Florida at Vanderbilt 11am/noon SECN- It doesn't matter who the QB is this week. The Gators should romp.
Alcorn State at Arkansas 11am/noon SECN Alt- Arky takes a breath before their showdown with Bama.
Louisiana Monroe at Auburn 2:30pm/3:30pm SECN Alt - Maybe the Tigers score a TD?
Tennessee at Georgia 2:30pm/3:30pm CBS- Will the Vols be a little full of themselves?
Texas A&M at South Carolina 3pm/4pm SECN- TAMU should roll. SC is not a good team.
Memphis at Ole Miss 6pm/7pm ESPN2 or ESPNU or SEC Alt - Memphis won this game last season.
Missouri at LSU 6:30/7:30 SECN- Can Coach O get the Tigers back on track?

DURING COMMERCIALS:

Miami at Georgia Tech 11am/noon ESPN2 - Finally, the 'Canes face a P5 team. FSU is next week.
Baylor at Iowa State 11am/noon FS1 - The Bears are taking on an "Us against the World" mentality and it is working... for now.
Texas at Oklahoma State 11am/noon ABC- I'm not sure why the Longhorns are still ranked. This game might just solve that.
Rutgers at Ohio State 11am/noon BTN - There are going to be some sore Scarlet Knights come Sunday morn.
Oregon State at Colorado 1:30pm/2:30pm PAC12 - The Buffs are back?
North Carolina at Florida State 2:30pm/3:30pm ESPN - Loser is for sure eliminated.
Kansas State at West Virginia 2:30pm/3:30pm ESPNU- WVU is 3-0. How long can they keep this up?
Illinois at Nebraska 2:30pm/3:30pm ESPN2 - The Cornhuskers have Indy and Purdue next. And then a trip to Wisky.
Oklahoma at TCU 4pm/5pm FOX - Okie is staring 1-3 dead in the face.

(Nothing else worth mentioning.)

CAN'T SLEEP?

Utah State at Boise State 9:15/10:15 ESPN2
Wyoming at Colorado State 9:15/10:15 ESPNU
Fresno State at UNLV 9:30/10:30 CBSSN
Arizona at UCLA 9:30/10:30 ESPN

#ALABAMA

Kentucky at ALABAMA 6pm/7pm ESPN - It is supposed to get down into the high 50s overnight, so be prepared if you are heading to Bryant-Denny on Saturday.

BTW, CBS has exercised their six-day option on Week 6, leaving the Alabama-Arkansas game time & TV open-ended at this time.

#RollTide!