Random Thoughts: Road Warriors and Sun Belt Shine

On Saturday night, the football teams of the Sun Belt Conference had a day that will not be forgotten anytime soon. Two of the member schools beat top 10 opponents on the road. A third team got a Big Ten coach fired.

HERE COMES THE SUN(BELT)

Doobie-doo-wah. Last year it was the AAC making waves. This year, it’s the Sun Belt Conference making headlines.

Appalachian State 17 #6 Texas A&M 14 - Shouldn’t we have seen this coming? Jimbo Fisher spent the whole off-season with his defensive fake outrage and crazy rants against Nick Saban that he forgot to prepare for the other 11 teams on his schedule. Even when the feud died down he tried to reignite it.

App State absolutely took it to the Aggies all game long. TAMU QB Haynes King (13-20, 97 YDS, 0 TD, 2 FUM) is keeping up the school tradition of being pretty dang awful. Jimbo truly is the “Quarterback Killer”. Other than King, preseason All-SEC RB Devon Achane was the only other ball carrier of the game having rushed 10 times for 66 yards. Meanwhile, uber-talented Ainias Smith (4 REC, 21 YDS) is wasting away. The Aggs totaled 186 yards and 9 first downs. It was a truly pathetic showing from TAMU.

Marshall 26 #8 Notre Dame 21 - This was no fluke. Marshall truly was the better team on the field this day. Although the final score does not indicate, the Thundering Herd pushed the Irish around for much of the day. A garbage touchdown by Notre Dame made the game look closer than it was. Marcus Freeman may be a good coach someday, but having Notre By God Dame as his first head job is a poor fit. Congrats to head coach and Saban Coaching Academy alum Charles Huff for building something special at Marshall.

• Texas A&M paid Appalachian State $1.5 million to have them come to College Station.
• Notre Dame paid Marshall $1.25 million to have them come to South Bend.

Georgia Southern 45 Nebraska 42 - What a nice redemption for former Southern Cal head coach Clay Helton to come into Lincoln and lay down an ass-whupping. This was a wild back-and-forth game with five ties and five lead changes, the last of which came when Eagles led an 11 play, 75 yard touchdown drive concluding at the 2:29 mark. GSU hit harder than the ‘Huskers, outgained them (409 to 318), outcoached them, and flat out outplayed them.

South Alabama 38 Central Michigan 24 - This one was not on the level of the other three games but it is a big step forward for the USA program to win on the road against a decent MAC team. BTW, the Jags OC is Major Applewhite.

ROAD WARRIORS

Alabama 20 Texas 19 - It seems almost every season, Nick Saban has that one game in which is Tide team plays bad. And usually it is in the state of Texas or in west Georgia. This game was definitely one of those games. But Bama had Bryce Young to bail them out. For three quarters, this Tide team derped and derped but put it all together in the fourth quarter for Young to pick up a key first down and allow the coolest dude in America, Will Reichard, to split the uprights for the nailbiter road win.

#24 Tennessee 34 #17 Pitt 27 (OT) - It would be great to see these two teams play more often. With only former head coach Johnny Majors in common, there is still some real hate between these two schools. These two slugged it out for four quarters until the Vols stopped Pitt on fourth quarter in overtime. UT won but it wasn’t for lack of trying to lose. They allowed a blocked punt, fumbled in the their own end in the 3rd quarter that was converted into a field goal, and muffed a punt with 7:28 to go that would allow Pitt to tie the game in regulation. The Panthers lost starting quarterback Sedon Klovis in the first half and held Tennessee to 91 rushing yards.

#20 Kentucky 26 #12 Florida 16 - Remember all that gushing over Anthony Richardson from a week ago? Yeah. That’s not a thing any more. The Gators QB was 14-35, 143 YDS, 2 critical INTs, and ran 6 times for 4 yards. UK realized if you bottle him up and don’t let him run that his arm alone could not save the day.

Florida led 16-7 in the first half when Richardson was picked off deep in UF territory. That play shifted momentum and the ‘Cats would score a touchdown just before the half. The Gators would be outscored 13-0 in the second half with the only TD being a pick-6.

Washington State 17 #19 Wisconsin 14 - A big black eye for the Big Ten as tepid rebuilding Wazzu strolls into Madison and grabs the upset. Former Badger RB Nakia Watson scored both of Washington State’s touchdowns - one on the ground and one through the air.

Mississippi State 39 Arizona 17 - Being a road game 1500 miles away and starting 10pm CT, this game could have been a problem for the Bullies. Will Rogers was 39-49 for 313 YDS, 4 TD, and 1 INT.

SEC

Arkansas 44 South Carolina 30 - Entering the final frame, the Hogs held a 21-16 lead. That is when the scoreboard had a power surge as the two teams combined for 37 points. At 6’ 3”, 242 lbs, KJ Jefferson (18-21, 162 YDS, 1 TD, 67 RUSH YDS, TD) is built like a linebacker. Spencer Rattler is a decent quarterback (24-39, 376 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT), but he just doesn’t have the talent around him at South Carolina. Arky on the other hand has a pretty darn good team. Impatient former Bama linebacker Drew Sanders tallied 8 solos, 3 assists, 3 TFL and two forced fumbles.

SEC VS CUPCAKES

Auburn 24 San Jose CanYouSee State 16 - Let’s be perfectly clear here. Jose is a lousy team. And Aubie struggled to put them away. The Spartans led 10-7 at the half and it was a close one to the end. Aubie QBs threw a pair of interceptions and fumbled three times but did not lose any of them. The War Tigers amassed only 378 total yards with Tank Bigsby having only 51 yards and 1 TD on 13 carries. I hope Bryan Harsin never watches tape of Bama’s 2015 season.

Georgia 33 Samford 0 - The FBS Bulldogs were a little sluggish leading only 13-0 against the FCS Bulldogs after one quarter. UGA scored 17 in the second quarter but had only a field goal in the second half. Stetson Bennett XVII led the first two series in the third quarter and had very little to show for it.

Ole Miss 59 Central Arky 3 - Lane Kiffin continues to audition his two quarterbacks with both Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmyer getting snaps. If I was a betting man, I’d put money on Dart getting the starting job.

LSU 65 Southern 17 - The Bayou Bengals scored 37 on the Jaguars in the first quarter. They probably could have won 110-0 if they wanted but Brian Kelly put in Garrett Nussmeier (0 TD, 2 INT, wow is he bad), some stadium ushers, and the horn section from the band in the second half that allowed Southern to make it a little less embarrassing.

PSUEDO SEC

Wake Forest 45 Vanderbilt 25 - Vandy still sucks, but I will give them some credit: They play hard and they hit hard. That is more than I can say for some of those Derek Mason teams. After a brief blood clot scare, NFL prospect QB Sam Hartman (18-27, 300 YDS, 4 TD) was back under center for Wake. VU dual-threat quarterback Mike Wright (8/15, 35 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT, 17 RUSH YDS, LOST FUM) was the hero against Hawaii and Elon but got a harsh dose of reality and was yanked in favor of freshman AJ Swann (8-11, 146 YDS, 2 TD) who was much better.

[SIDE NOTE: Joseph Bulovas is still kicking for Vandy and connected on his first and only attempt of the season, a 35-yarder. He is 16-16 on extra points.]

I have gone on the record of not being a fan of Drink’s hiring. I think he is a great offensive mind, but he is not P-5 head coach material.

Kansas State 40 Missouri 12 - Mizzou has now been demoted below Vandy as the lowest of the low in the conference. K-State manhandled Drinkwitz’s crew. Mizzy QBs threw a quartet of picks and totaled 222 yards of offense. So, the offense sucks and the defense sucks. What about the special teams you ask? Yep, the Tigers gave up a 75-yard punt return for a score. If that wasn’t bad enough, poor UM fans had to suffer through Beth Mowins calling the game.

OTHER STUFF

Texas Tech 33 Houston 30 (2 OT) - TT converted a 4th & 20 in the first overtime to send the game to a second extra frame. After a Houston field goal, a Red Raiders TD took the win and basically ended any hope of the Coogs going to the playoff. The sad part was the Tech fans storming the field. For beating Houston.

#21 BYU 26 #9 Baylor 20 (2 OT) - Did anyone watch this one all the way though? After a 9:15/10:15 kickoff, I doubt many did.

Illinois 24 Virginia 3 - Don’t look now but Bert has the Illini at 2-1 with Chattanooga up next.

OFFENSIVE OFFENSE

Iowa State 10 Iowa 7 The Hawkeyes scored their first touchdown of the season, but only because special teams blocked a first quarter punt and gave them the ball at the ISU 9 yard line. Last week, the Iowa O managed one field goal while the defense outscored them with two safeties. If it was not for punter Tory Taylor pinning the opponents inside the 10, Iowa would probably be scoreless after two games.

DISS OF THE WEEK

Really? You’re recognizing the Texas kicker who was 3 for 4 on field goals over the kicker on the other sidelines?

DICK MOVE OF THE WEEK

Another classy move by Tejas.

NAME OF THE WEEK

Photo by Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

Yes, you heard right. Texas punter’s name is Daniel Trejo.

MOST ANNOYING BROADCAST OF THE WEEK

If you watched the Tennessee-Pitt you must know the name Frank Cignetti Sr. You had no choice because ABC reminded viewers every ten seconds that the former football coach and father of Pitt OC Frank Cignetti Jr. had died early Saturday morning at age 84. They KEPT ON cutting to Frank Jr. in the booth calling plays like he was going to all of a sudden break down in tears or something. SO obnoxious. Saban Coaching Academy alum and JMU head coach Curt Cignetti is also a son of Frank Sr.

MOST CARTOONISH HELMET OF THE WEEK

Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports

PEACE OUT OF THE WEEK

How long until Kayshon Boutte comes up with a mysterious injury at LSU? Against HBCU Southern, he had five catches for 42 yards and has still not scored a touchdown. Three teammates had more receiving yards than him. The first two plays of the game were passes to Boutte as if Brian Kelly was going out of his way to pass him the ball.

PRAISE THE LAWD!

FBS teams continue to fall to FCS teams, especially those who say their prayers. REPENT, YE SINNERS!

Holy Cross 37 Buffalo 31 - Who else but Catholics would have a Hail Mary prayer answered?
Incarnate Word 55 Nevada 41 - This San Antonio, Texas Catholic school has only been playing football since 2009 and moved to FCS in 2013. Much of their success is due to support from New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson (now deceased) and carried on by his wife and family.
Weber State 35 Utah State 7 - Alabama’s 55-0 win over the Aggies does not look so great any more.

Eastern Kentucky 59 Bowling Green 57 (7 OT) - Yep, just like that 2018 LSU-Texas A&M game which prompted a tepid overtime rule change, this one took seven extra frames to be decided.

SOMEBODY IS CRANKY

Yawn... What else ya got?

FACT OF THE WEEK

STATIONARY RUNNING BACK OF THE WEEK

• CMU running back Lew Nichols III had 15 rushes for 20 yards (1.3 ypc) against South Alabama. His dad and grandad have asked him to change his name.

STATS OF THE WEEK

• After 50 games at Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher is 35-15. Kevin Sumlin was 36-14.
• Texas fans are quick to point out that the Longhorns are still 7-2-1 against Alabama. It may be good to remind them that Texas is 3-8-1 all time versus Vanderbilt.
• Marcus Freeman is the first Notre Dame coach to start his career 0-3. He was interim coach in last season’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Okie Lite after Brian Kelly peaced out.
• Colorado State WR Tory Horton scored all but one of his team’s points in a 19-34 defeat to MTSU. The Rams missed a PAT and a two-point conversion.
• Iowa sophomore walk-on receiver Alec Wick had the first reception of his career on a 14 yard gain against ISU. That play represented the longest play from scrimmage that the Hawkeyes had in the whole game.

GAMEDAY SIGN OF THE WEEK

THE WACKY WORLD OF DESI

Props to Kirk Herbstreit. He totally called two big ones.

I really wonder how ESPN feels about Texas opening the gates at 8am. According to a friend of RBR who went to the game, the students were queued up at least half a mile to get in the stadium. Once the gates opened, they flooded in and the GameDay set was occupied by older fans and alumni. It did not have the vibe that they usually have.

If you watched any of GameDay broadcast, you may have noticed they used creative angles to make it look more crowded than it was. Our man on site said he could have easily walked up and been on camera had he so chose. [ED.NOTE: He did not because he is not a tool.]

GD is heading to App State this week. They play Troy. :/

Well, Desmond Howard is an idiot. Three of his four picks already have a loss after two weeks. Utah also has a loss. Only one prognosticator listed above still has four undefeated teams in their bracket. OH. It’s me! How about that? But seriously, there is a long way to go in the season. We’ll see how this all unfolds.

ADOPT-A-TEAM NOMINATIONS

I think we have some pretty good teams to bring into our good graces. The only problem is that they play each other Nov 12.

• Appy State (1-1) - beat that dumb unshaven overpaid whiny-baby in College Station.
• WE ARE MARSHALL! (2-0) - Saban Academy alum exposed perennial media darling Notre Dame.

COUSINS

• Troy (1-1) - The Trojans did not exactly destroy poor little Alabama A&M, 38-17. I still don’t like the hiring of Jon Sumrall, but it’s only two games in. Next comes a likely road game defeat at Appalachian State (-12.5).
• South Alabama (2-0) - The Jags came up with a nice road win at Jim McElwain’s Central Michigan 38-24. Next is a trip to UCLA where USA is a big -14.5 underdog.

THAT ANNOYING GUY WHO EATS CHINESE FOOD WITH TONGS

• UAB (1-1) - The Dragons fell short in their trip to Liberty 21-14. Clay Helton and a revitalized Georgia Southern come to the Magic City this week as a +12 point dog.

SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

• Army (0-2) - The Black Knights took a tough UTSA team down to the wire but fell in overtime 41-38. Li’l ol’ Villanova comes to town.
• Navy (0-2) - The Midshipmen got thumped by a meh Memphis team 37-13. A trip to East Carolina will not end well.
• Air Force (2-0) - The Falcons whipped up on upstate rival Colorado 41-10. They head to Wyoming as a 17 point favorite.

Odds/lines are provided by DraftKings and subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

Eliminated: all non-Power 5, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Illinois, Purdue, Colorado, Oregon, Georgia Tech, Arizona, NEW: Notre Dame, Mizzou, Vandy, Houston, Iowa, Wisky, West Virginia, Nebraska, Zona, Zona State, Stanford.

Premature Elimination: Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State, Washington State, Washington, Rutgers, Kansas, Duke, Syracuse, Texas Tech, K-State, Minnie.

Endangered: South Carolina, Utah, LSU, FSU. NEW: Baylor, Texas, Pitt,

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

• ACC - Clemson continues their slow meander.
• Big 12 - The Kansas Jayhawks are in the first place in the B12! Eight teams are in second place with identical 0-0 conference records.
• Big Ten - It’s one more week of non-conference games/cupcakes until this league starts knocking each other off.
• PAC-12 - Only six teams without a loss.
• SEC - Arky, UK and Tennessee with big wins.
• Indies - Notre Dame is toast. BYU’s late night win over Baylor is not great exposure for the team.
• Non-Power 5 - With Houston and Cincy out, can any other non-P5 make a run?

RANK ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM

GOOD NEWS! Georgia has taken over the top spot in the AP rankings with Bama falling to #2. That is great news. Oddly enough, Texas went from unranked to No. 21. For LOSING. At HOME. By that logic, Bama beat a ranked team on the road this past Saturday. This is just frickin silly. Thus, we have a better poll for you.

BEST NON-DOCU BOXING MOVIES THAT DO NOT INVOLVE SYLVESTER STALLONE

1. Raging Bull
2. Cinderella Man
3. Diggstown
4. The Fighter
5. Fat City (1972)
6. Undisputed
7. The Great White Hype
8. Bleed For This
9. Southpaw
10. Gladiator (1992)

I know I forgot some. Help me out in Comments!

LET’S GO BOWLING!

North Carolina of all teams is the only team in the nation at 3-0. All they need to do to get to a bowl is win three out of four of Va Tech, Duke, UVa and Ga Tech.

LET’S GO BLOWING!

Three teams are now 0-3. Hawaii, Charlotte, and New Mexico State will have to go at least 6-3 the rest of the season. UTEP topped New Mexico State this past Saturday to stave off humiliation for at least a week.

Krazy Kristi’s “SHUT UP!” of the Week goes to the media for slobbering all over FSU coach Mike Norvell last week like he made some kind of statement win in the gift win that Brian Kelly politely handed him. They are acting like he made some historical program-changing whatever when he could have easily have lost due to his stupid decisions.

HEISMAN HYPE

Bryce Young, Derrick Henry, and DeVonta Smith are all over these commercials. Too bad Mark Ingram had a scheduling conflict.

ODDS

Below are the top Heisman picks in order of the money lines. Bryce dropped to third.

Odds are provided by DraftKings and many more options can be seen at that link including Arizona State’s Emory Jones at +20000. [Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.]

1. QB C.J. Stroud (JR, Ohio State) +220 to +350 to +260
2. QB Caleb Williams (Soph, Southern Cal) +700 to +600 to +320
3. QB Bryce Young (JR, Alabama) from +400 to +300 to +340
4. QB Stetson Bennett XIV (8th YR SR, UGA) from ??? to +1800 to +1400
5. EDGE Will Anderson (JR, Alabama) +1600 to +2000 to +2200
6. QB Dillon Gabriel (SR, Okie) from ??? to +2800 for beating Kent State.
7. QB JJ McCarthy (Soph, Michigan) eye-roll; from ??? to +3000
8. RB Jahmyr Gibbs (JR, Alabama) +3000 to +3000 to +3500

DROPPING

• QB Anthony Richardson (RS-Soph, Fla) drops from seventh best odds +2200 to ninth at +3500
• RB Bijan Robinson (JR, Texas) +2200 to +2800 to +4000 - I mentioned last week that he is due for a drop. He had 21 carries for 57 yards (2.7 ypc). I’m telling ya. The guy disappears in second halves!!
• RB TreVeyon Henderson (Soph, Ohio State) is still at +4000 but is 11th.
• WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba (JR, Ohio State) +2500 to +5000 to +9000 is injured and not playing has dropped like a rock in the ocean.

WHO SHOULD WIN

CLARIFICATION: This section IS for who deserves to win it.

Truth be told, it is still way early. But right now, it’s a two man race.

• Bryce Young did not have a great three quarters but caught some eyeballs in the fourth quarter much like he did in last year’s Iron Bowl.
• C.J. Stroud was good (16-24, 351 YDS, 4 TD) but Ohio State was playing Arky Lite and nobody was paying attention.
• As long as UGA keeps winning, Stetson Bennett XXIV will be getting luv

THE SICK REPORT

• Notre Dame QB Tyler Buchner is out for the year with a severe AC sprain in his non-throwing shoulder.
• Quinn Ewers is expected to be out 4-6 weeks after sustaining a similar injury against Alabama.
• South Carolina starting linebackers Jordan Strachan and Mo Kaba each suffered ACL injuries against Arkansas and will miss the rest of the season. Just in time for the Georgia game...
• Florida State was not blessed when they heard that they have has lost starting right tackle Bless Harris for the season due to an arm/shoulder injury.
• Texas fans apparently went to a beach and got sand in their hoo-hahs.

R.I.P.

• Former Alabama defensive end Gary DeNiro passed away at age 64. He played for legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1977 through 1980.

DRAMA

• One of the dangers of transferring willy-nilly has reared it’s ugly head: LSU safety Joe Foucha is out due to insufficient transfer credits from his previous school, Arkansas. L-to-the-O-L. He is in the midst of a four-game academic suspension of which he is appealing.

KOACHES KORNER

Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Nebraska must be big MAD. They wanted Scott Frost gone so badly that they could not wait until October 1, the date that Frost’s buyout would’ve dropped from $15 million to $7.5 million. Frankly, I would have waited. They have a non-winnable game against Okie this Saturday, followed by a bye week and then Indiana on Oct 1.

Frost got so many more chances at Nebraska than his predecessors. Frank Solich [1998–2003, 58–19 (.753)] had the temerity to go 9-3 in 2003 and was fired. He went on to become a legend at Ohio U. Bill Callahan [2004–07, 27–22 (.551)] was not great but at least had a winning percentage over .500. Bo Pelini [2003 (interim), 2008–14, 67–27 (.713)] won either 9 or ten games in his seven seasons as head coach. Mike Riley [2015–17, 19–19 (.500)] was a bad fit but at least he was at .500. And then there is the prodigal son come home. Frost [2018–2022, 16–31 (.340)] was just awful. He couldn’t recruit and he couldn’t coach.

Before you start feeling sorry for him, remember that he declared himself and his Center Florida team as National Champs of the 2017 season. They still keep a lit banner around their stadium proclaim so.

• Clemson coach Dabo Swinney agreed to a new 10-year, $115 million contract Thursday, the largest college football coaching contract by total compensation. The agreement runs through the 2031 football season. It’s gonna be so funny watching the CU fans squirm as he wins 8 or 9 games every year with no ACC trophies.
• After West Virginia losing at home to doormat Kansas 55-42, Neal Brown’s nether regions are probably right around 616° Fahrenheit. He’ll make a fine analyst for Alabama in 2023.
• Urban Meyer volunteers at his local animal shelter, so he can be the ones to put puppies down while listening to Sarah McLachlan songs.
• 1) An overturned truck in Memphis covered Mile 11 of Interstate 55 in Alfredo sauce this week. Fat F*** Phil Fulmer was brought in with biscuits and a fork for clean up.
• 2) In celebration of the Tennessee-Pitt game, Fat F*** Phil Fulmer plunged a knife between the shoulder blades of Johnny Majors’s widow.

TEEVEE

Today I have a new appreciation for ESPN and CBS. After having to suffer through the Jefferson-Pilot-ish broadcast on Saturday, Gary Danielson does not seem so bad. The on-air Fox “talent” is not very analytical, biased, and obnoxiously silly. Fox has terrible camera angles, and even worse replay selections. We are blessed to have guys such as Sean McDonough, Brad Nessler, and Cole Cubelic among others calling SEC games.

THIS WEEK

(Below is an abbreviated list of highlighted games of interest with lines provided by DraftKings. If you REALLY need to know about the big North Texas-UNLV showdown, you can find the details here.)

Friday, September 16

Florida State (-2.5) at Louisville 6:30/7:30 ESPN - Favorite on the road after that LSU game?
Air Force (-17) at Wyoming 7pm/8pm CBSSN - Fly High!

Saturday, September 17

I have no idea what ABC has been smoking for them to pick the games they have picked for Week 3 broadcasts:

UConn at Michigan (-46.5) 11am/noon - Yuck
Ole Miss (-16.5) at Georgia Tech 2:30/3:30 - Blowout
Michigan State at Washington (-3) 6:30/7:30 - Could go either way but meh teams

Meanwhile, FOX has some counter-programming that is slightly better:

Oklahoma (-11) at Nebraska 11am/noon - Schadenfreude
BYU at Oregon (-3.5) 2:30/3:30 - Duck redemption or circling the drain
Toledo at Ohio State (-31.5) 6pm/7pm - gross
Fresno at Southern Cal (-12.5) 9:30/10:30 - Potential upset

SEC

Georgia (-24) at South Carolina 11am/noon ESPN - Impending bloodbath.
Youngstown State at Kentucky (no line) 11am/noon SECN - Terrible
Abilene Christian at Missouri (no line) 11am/noon ESPN+ - Awful
Ole Miss (-16.5) at Georgia Tech 2:30/3:30 ABC - OM’s weak-ass P5 OOC foe.
Penn State (-3) at Auburn 2:30/3:30 CBS - Gonna be some BIG MAD in west Georgia.
Vanderbilt at Northern Illinois (-2.5) 2:30/3:30 CBSSN - NO RESPEKT!
Mississippi State (-2) at LSU 5pm/6pm ESPN - LSU a dog at home?
Missouri State at Arkansas (no line) 6pm/7pm ESPN+
Akron at Tennessee (-47) 6pm/7pm PM SECN - Too big of a spread?
South Florida at Florida (-24.5) 6:30/7:30 SECN - Nope
Miami at Texas A&M (-5) 8pm/9pm ESPN - Desperation time for TAMU.

OTHERS WORTH A PEEK

UCF at FAU! 6:30/7:30 CBSSN - Some real hate going on here.
UTSA at Texas 7pm/8pm Longhorn Network - Rebound or hangover?
Fresno at Southern Cal 9:30/10:30 FOX - Upset Potential

SORRY, NOT A HOCKEY GAME

Colorado at Minnesota 2:30/3:30 ESPN2

ZZZZZZZZzzzzzz...

North Dakota State at Arizona 10pm/11pm FS1 - Oh, Zona! What were you thinking, baby?

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

STOOPS vs. BEAR

Everybody and their brother want to tell you that Mark Stoops is now the “winningest” coach in Kentucky history, passing Paul W. “Bear” Bryant. I suppose if you consider games won as a barometer for “winningest”, than it is true. However, Bryant’s winning percentage is much better:

STOOPS: 61-53 in 10 seasons (.535)

BRYANT: 60-23-5 in 8 seasons (.723)

SABAN vs. MACK, POP & BEAR

Saban was not amused at Malachi Moore (junior) and Henry To’o To’o (senior) flashing “Horns Down” after the last play. As upperclassmen, they should know better.

Below is a count of career FBS/Division I-A win totals for coaches.

For those of you new to RBR Random Thoughts, we count all on-field wins at the FBS/Division I-A level. So, before you go squawking about Frank Beamer, 42 of his wins came at Murray State. Mack Brown had six victories in one season with Appalachian State when they were still in what was known at I-AA (FCS today). Brian Kelly won 118 games with something called Grand Valley State. So, let’s stop talking about his win record with such reverence. In addition, we don’t recognize NCAA sanctioned forfeits. If you won on the field, it counts in our books.

Mack Brown beat Georgia State.

#ALABAMA

• On Monday, Nick Saban mentioned the undisciplined play that plagued the Tide on Saturday but noted that the team played hard every snap.
• Regarding DB Eli Ricks who did see much playing time versus Texas, Saban said “I think that we go a lot by how players practice, and if players have a good week of practice, I think they’re ready to play and they’ll go out there and be able to do their job. And I think the other players that they play with also gain confidence in them, knowing what they’re supposed to do in terms of how focused they are in practicing, getting a game plan right and all that. We just want to continue to do a good job with him and all the other players that we have on our team to get them ready to play so that they’re confident and we’re confident that when they go in the game, they’re going to create value for themselves.”
• RB Jase McClellan and S Demarcco Hellams suffered minor injuries against Texas but should be a go this week. Hopefully, Bama can rest some of these guys.
• WR Tyler Harrell is working his way back from a sprained foot.

GAME 3: Saturday, September 17, 2022

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (1-1) at Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0)

Tuscaloosa, AL ~ 3pm CT/4pm ET, SEC NETWORK

• ULM is a pretty miserable program. They have not had a winning season since 2012 when they finished 8-5. However, they do have something many other teams do not: a current win streak against the Tide. You may recall in Saban’s first season at the Capstone in 2007, the Warhawks beat his Crimson Tide 21-14 in a miserable game that still haunts and baffles my brain.
• This is Year 2 in Monroe under former Aubie and Akron coach Terry Bowden, age 66. They were 2-10 a season ago. Lord knows why ULM hired him.
• T-town forecast calls for a high of 89° with Mostly Sunny skies and a chance of rain at 4%. SPF 95 recommended.
• TV Announcers: Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb with Coley Harvey roaming the sidelines.
• Alabama Radio, is an option.
• The Warhawks are 1-2 versus Alabama with blowout losses in 2006 and 2015.
• The line provided by DraftKings has Bama opening as a -49 favorite. The Over/Under is 60.5.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.