How the Mighty (except Bama) Have Fallen (except Bama) – Week 7 College Football Recap (except Bama)

Except for when I absolutely have to, there will be no mention of…well that team that I have mentioned four times (three written, one in picture form) already this post.  They had very little to do with what happened this past weekend.  They won big.  That is all.  On to much more interesting topics.

I was going to do things a bit differently this time around.  I was going to include Twitter posts but since I am not tech-savvy in the least, I insert them into this post and they look like shit.  Too small and when I blow them up a bit they look like someone is viewing them through the beer glasses in that drunk driving commercial years ago.  So forget that.  Just normal style.  Well as normal as I can make it. (UPDATE: I figured it out…after I finished the post).

Friday the 13th, Part I: The weekend started on Friday night with one of the biggest upsets of the season.  Syracuse played extremely well, especially defensively, and beat Clemson.  And it was all on Friday the 13th.  Crazy, right?  Oh it was about to get a bit crazier…

Friday the 13th, Part II: Washington State laid an absolute egg in Berkeley right afterwards.  Friday the 13th did turn out to be an absolute trainwreck of a night for college football.  Do I love it?  In a way, yes.  I mean we all want 2007 (or at least 1990) to make a return.  We haven’t had a truly astonishingly crazy year this decade yet.  As college football fans, we’re due.

Put a Fork in the them: And the state of Washington’s weekend continued to go to shit in the college football world as Washington was upset by Arizona State.  Todd Graham may have saved his job with this win amazingly enough and now ESPN is going to put every Washington game, home and away, at exactly 7:30 local time for the rest of the season and probably the near future as well.  Good times!

So as for that Iron Bowl game in a month…: All Auburn had to do was win out until the Iron Bowl and that game against…you know who would be a ratings bonanza.  I mean it would be a ratings bonanza for CBS but still.  Then they went out and did what they have done this entire century…lose at LSU.  Somehow, Ed Orgeron is going to keep his job through all this we just know it.  As for Gus Malzahn who knows.  One conference loss and half the fanbase wants his head on a platter.  They take football super serious in the dirty south.

FINALLY!  OK I don’t want to count chickens before they hatch but it sure does look like Miami will finally make its way to the ACC Championship.  Over a decade after they were invited to the ACC.  And were put in a different division than Florida State because for sure they would be facing each other at least every year in the conference championship.  Yeah kind of missed on that one.  But games like the Georgia Tech game played in a virtual quagmire is the kind of game they couldn’t close for years.  Now they are so they have to be considered at least contenders for the College Football Playoff at this point, no?

It’s the RED…RIVER…SHOOTOUT!!!  But it’s about guns and guns are bad despite the fact most of the crowd at this game every year owns multiple guns.  America, everybody!  Anyway, this game was closer than it should have been and I am starting to wonder about Baker Mayfield’s Heisman chances.  He has fallen a bit behind Saquon Barkley and J.T. Barrett has rocketed up the rankings after Ohio State’s loss earlier in the year to those same Sooners.  Maybe my proclamation of the Sooners and Buckeyes being out of it were premature although Oklahoma is holding on by the barest of threads at this point with no wiggle room for error.

Just like I thought it would happen.  I had San Diego State running the table except for one game this season.  They would mow through their division opponents and their non-conference schedule.  The only blemish?  Boise State.  And that’s exactly what happened.  So don’t be surprised if in a few weeks, the Aztecs are back in the Top 25 and stay there for the rest of the season.  I still think they may be upset losses to USF and UCF away from being back in the thick of the Group of Five New Year’s Six race.

The AUDACITY!  How dare Navy show up at the Liberty Bowl as a Top 25 team.  How dare they!  Memphis destroyed Navy’s slim chances at the New Year’s Six and has made it so the AAC’s hopes bank (probably) on the War on I-4 between USF and UCF.

Yeah that didn’t last long.  Texas Tech’s time in the Top 25 lasted, well, not as long as they would have wanted it to.  Worst part is they had West Virginia on the ropes and couldn’t put them away.  With the rest of the schedule not looking too fun for Texas Tech, just getting to bowl-eligibility should be considered a success for Kute Kliff Kingsbury and his Red Raiders.

I gotta give Kyle Whittingham credit…  He had the balls to go for two late in Utah’s 28-27 loss to USC.  Yes they didn’t make it but I loved the call.  Being an underdog on the road to a ranked team.  Taking them to overtime probably wouldn’t have helped anyway.  Might as well try to put the Trojans away in a game they weren’t expected to win anyways right?  Also, no one is going to catch USC in the Pac-12 South now I don’t think.  So they have basically clinched their spot in the Pac-12 Championship game before Halloween.

How many people REALLY wanted Michigan to win that game?  Not too many.  And a lot of people like Michigan and Jim Harbaugh.  But Indiana was oh so close.  Another heartbreaker for Indiana who has been close for a few years now to breaking through with a big win and end up falling just short.

How did this happen?  How did a Steve Addazio-coached Boston College squad beat a Louisville squad with an elite quarterback who had another fantastic day?  Boston College has had an anemic offense, at best, under Addazio and relies on their defense, which GAVE UP 42 POINTS!  I don’t get it.  God, I love college football.

I wonder where Butch Jones is hiding now.  I think ol’ Butch is as good as gone.  They could win out and I don’t think it would save him.  Problem is, who can you hire to replace him?  Who would take the job in Knoxville knowing that unless they can pull out a 10-win season (at the very least) they are just starting to dig their own grave?  They never should have canned Philip Fulmer when they did.  That started this whole cavalcade of nonsense.

OK enough recapping for now.  That was a fun weekend.  We need more of them like that!  Alright, now for the much-anticipated Bossman Top 25!

#1	Alabama
#2	Georgia
#3	Penn State
#4	TCU
#5	Wisconsin
#6	Ohio State
#7	Miami
#8	USC
#9	Oklahoma State
#10	Clemson
#11	Oklahoma
#12	Washington
#13	USF
#14	Virginia Tech
#15	Washington State
#16	Notre Dame
#17	Michigan
#18	UCF
#19	NC State
#20	Auburn
#21	Michigan State
#22	LSU
#23	Stanford
#24	Texas A&M
#25	Virginia

Clemson, Washington, Washington State, and Auburn all being gone from near the top put quite the wrinkle in this exercise this week.  I am sure I have the top four as right as can be with the Tide at the top.  After that, it gets to be a bit of a dog’s breakfast.  It’s still too early for rankings that mean anything although the College Football Playoff initial rankings come out soon.

As for what I think the CFP combatants will be, here is what I think will end up being the rankings at the top:

1. Alabama
2. Wisconsin
3. TCU
4. USC
5. Clemson
6. Penn State
7. Ohio State

Really, past Alabama no one can make any definitive statements at this point.  Penn State could go through with one loss and be left out altogether, especially if that loss is to Michigan or Ohio State over the next two weeks (I think they will lose one of those two games).  Wisconsin has the easiest schedule of this bunch and should get to the Big Ten Championship unscathed.  After that who knows since they will finally have to face a true Top 10 opponent.  Could be very interesting.

Alright, NFL recap of sorts coming tomorrow.  Enjoy your Monday everyone (as much as you possibly can enjoy a Monday).

Coach O-NO! – Week 5 College Football Recap

I could have gone with a lot of different titles for this recap.  I decided to go with this one.  Don’t know why.  What I do know, however, is that Ed Orgeron is now squarely on the hot seat after LSU’s stunning loss to Troy on Saturday.  And it wasn’t a fluke.  Troy looked dominating at times.  LSU just isn’t a contender anymore in the SEC West and many will point the finger at Ed Orgeron and even athletic director Joe Alleva.  They had opportunities to go a different direction but stuck with Coach O.  That may bite them in the ass considering LSU’s conference schedule kicks in to gear next week with a game at The Swamp against Florida (who has their own issues but nothing like this).  I can’t foresee a scenario where Orgeron is back next season but it does show that LSU has taken quite a few steps back as a program lately.

Now on to the rest of the recap which is chock-full of interesting and exciting tidbits thanks to another great weekend of college football.  Here we go!

This somewhat crazy weekend started Friday night with some Pac-12 After Dark action.  And my pick for the natty, USC, lost a very good game with Washington State.  So already some chaos.  I still think USC can run the table the rest of the way.  As for Sam Darnold, I think his Heisman chances took a huge hit since he was, quite honestly, not good in this one.  Yes, Wazzu is a bit better than advertised but it’s not like they have a crazy good defense.  As for the new frontrunner…

Saquon Barkley put on another show yet again.  Penn State rolled Indiana and looks awesome as they start Big Ten play.  I still see some tough games for them with the game against Ohio State being the one that has a big red circle on their calendar.  I can’t wait for a few weeks from now when some “experts” start talking about Barkley not being the frontrunner.  Every year recently it seems like people start getting sick of a guy who is playing so well that he goes way out in front.  It happened last year with Lamar Jackson, who had a couple bad games in the last four or five but kept the pedal down in the others.  It happened the previous year with Leonard Fournette who did end up playing two quite bad games and fell out of the running.  Oh well, 24-7 media means we get this kind of stuff.  It also means we get…

Calls for Butch Jones to be Lane Kiffin-ed at the Knoxville airport tarmac.  Which honestly would be one of the least surprising things to happen since Tennessee got blown the fuck out by Georgia.  It was pretty tough to watch.  A car wreck of a game for the Vols if you will.  They could do nothing.  Now maybe the Dawgs are better than advertised (they are a bit for sure) but Tennessee now has no chance to win the SEC East which they almost needed to keep Butch Jones as head coach next season.  Now?  Who knows but they better win way more than they lose the rest of the way or Jonesy may be taking his Champions of Life title belt to the unemployment line.  Speaking of the SEC East…

Florida didn’t exactly look like world beaters against Vanderbilt.  Vanderbilt is not a bad team but the Gators are supposed to better than they have been.  Alabama is going to have a ton of fun in the SEC Championship.  Speaking of conference championship games…

Florida State won’t be in one this season.  Yes they beat Wake Forest in a conference game but they barely won it.  Losing Deondre Francois has proven to be devastating for this team.  Maybe next year is a phrase almost never uttered in Tallahassee but it is for this year’s Seminoles.  A team that may not have to wait until next season is…

Miami.  They looked really good on Friday night against Duke and look like they may FINALLY get to an ACC Championship Game.  Only took over a decade and they are the sole reason why the Noles and Canes are in opposite divisions (thanks a bunch ACC for confusing division names).  A team that doesn’t have issues making conference championship games…

Bama has absolutely crushed their last two opponents.  Vandy the previous week and this past Saturday, they beat Ole Miss 66-3.  Seriously?  There is no team close in the SEC.  Not even in the same area code.  There are other teams that are pulling away early…

San Diego State has already locked up the MWC West Division.  I know mathematically they haven’t but man they have an easy division.  The only thing keeping USF from winning the AAC East is a possible massive War on I-4 matchup with UCF (only if the Knights can keep things going).  And USC, despite their loss, is probably still the heavy favourite in the Pac-12 South.  So yes, even among craziness of college football, there are certain things that seem very certain.  Other things that are becoming certain even if many thought it wouldn’t be the case…

Clemson is making a strong case for heading back to the CFP National Championship for Bama-Clemson III.  They have made ABC Saturday Night Football their playground as they have beaten Louisville and Virginia Tech in impressive fashion.  Unless they lose in an upset (which is entirely possible), they should be going to the ACC Championship to try and begin their road to repeating as national champion.

No lead-in to this paragraph.  Oklahoma State was exposed last week against TCU and didn’t look like a top-tier Big XII team against Texas Tech this time around.  Bedlam will still be big but I don’t think it will be a precursor to the Big XII Championship anymore.

Going back to the Group of Five, it is still very interesting.  As of this point, San Diego State and USF are the front-runners for the New Year’s Six spot.  But lurking in the weeds is UCF and Navy from the American, along with Troy from the Sun Belt, and the ultimate under-the-radar team at this point, UTSA.  For once we could have an amazing race for that one spot since the first three years of the College Football Playoff it hasn’t been too exciting come mid-November.  It’s almost like we hope that a team like Western Michigan last season blows a gasket and loses.  It’s sad but kind of true because in the end, we hope for a bit of chaos (there’s that word again) because it keeps things exciting.  Having Clemson-Bama III might make for a great championship but the lead-up to it will be not as exciting as it could be if a lot had happened before that.

Alright, now up is the Bossman Top 25 and from what I can see, very few of my choices match the true AP Top 25.  And it’s only September.  Here’s my rankings:

#1	Clemson
#2	Alabama
#3	Washington
#4	Penn State
#5	Oklahoma
#6	Georgia
#7	Wisconsin
#8	Washington State
#9	Michigan
#10	Auburn
#11	TCU
#12	Ohio State
#13	Miami
#14	USC
#15	Oklahoma State
#16	Louisville
#17	USF
#18	Florida
#19	Virginia Tech
#20	San Diego State
#21	Utah
#22	West Virginia
#23	UCF
#24	Notre Dame
#25	Oregon

Yep, I put Clemson back on top.  And that may stay that way for a while since all of Bama’s future SEC conference opponents (other than Auburn) seem to be falling by the wayside meaning their strength of schedule is taking a hit.  To me, #3 through #7 are interchangeable.  Just waiting for the shoe to drop for some of them in that group.  I think the only one I am missing that is on the AP list that I don’t have is NC State.  I have them just outside my Top 25 but it wouldn’t surprise me if soon enough they are pushing up the list (until they face Clemson that is).

You will see my NFL recap tomorrow and then I am still deciding whether to do another post on Wednesday or not.  Don’t want to overload the blog with useless crap (which some could say is a somewhat accurate statement about my blog’s history).  We shall see.  Enjoy your week everyone.

Hey it’s time for my Heisman ballot…wait, don’t leave!

Look I will try to do better this time around OK?  Hopefully I get someone in my top, say, five to actually win the damn thing.  I think my predictions closely match other actual experts’ selections so at least if I look like a fool at the end of the season, they will too.  At least that’s what I’m telling myself.  On to the ballot!

My Heisman Ballot of Doom

1. Sam Darnold, USC – Sam-I-Am seems to be the consensus pick for the Heisman going into the season. I agree with that consensus.  This also means that there is starting to be a bunch of HOT TAKES trickle in as to why Darnold won’t be the Heisman winner.  That’s fine that everyone can have different opinions.  What I balk at is when people make others feel stupid for agreeing that Darnold is the favourite going in.  Because he is.
2. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma – He came relatively close to winning the Heisman last year. OK, not really that close but he was in the mix.  He tosses the ball for like eleventy billion yards so at least he will be exciting to watch.  Much of his Heisman campaign will have to do with if the Big XII in general (and the Sooners in particular) can make the College Football Playoff this season with their new fancy conference championship game.
3. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State – It just feels like Barrett is in his like 8^th year of eligibility. It’s about time he gets his due (as long as he can avoid injury).  tOSU is going to be a contender all season which will keep Barrett in the spotlight enough to garner some Heisman attention.
4. Saquon Barkley, Penn State – It has been a while since a running back has won the Heisman. Barkley seems to the best pick out of a few running backs who have the acumen to do it.  A lot rides on their team’s offense and the only way Barkley gets hurt in this race is if James Franklin decides that Trace McSorley needs to throw the ball more.
5. Bo Scarbrough, Alabama – As long as his injury (or whatever is ailing him at the moment) doesn’t cut into the season, Scarbrough should be the focal point of the Crimson Tide offense. Just like Barkley, Bo knows he stands a good chance for some Heisman hype as long as Evil Saban doesn’t decide Jalen Hurts needs to toss the ball around more.  Less chance happening here than, say, at Penn State but still a possibility.
6. Deondre Francois, Florida State – I am still of the belief that the ACC teams (at least the top teams) will beat up on each other and no one will be in the CFP at the end of the season from the conference. That will affect Heisman voting (it almost always does).  This is why I have Francois here and not higher up.  He should be the ACC’s best player this year (even better than Lamar Jackson) but not being on a team contending for a national title will make things more difficult in this race.
7. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State – Now here’s the guy who will get all the stats hype. He will throw for even more than eleventy billion yards and a shit-ton of touchdowns.  For Rudolph to get some true Heisman hype, OSU will probably have to overcome Oklahoma twice: once in Bedlam, and once in the Big XII Championship Game (sponsored by Mountain Dew or some shitty-ass pop like that).
8. Darius Guice, LSU – LSU feels like a dark horse in general this season and Guice fits the dark horse Heisman candidate profile in particular. With Leonard Fournette gone, I believe many people will overlook Guice despite the fact the also had a great season last year.  He could sneak up many people’s lists of he can look good in major games against Alabama, Auburn, and BYU to start the season.
9. Jake Browning, Washington – The Fighting Chris Pedersens will be good again. That much we know.  The thing is they now have stiffer competition from Stanford and USC, not to mention a much-improved Oregon and an always-pesky Wazzu.  I can see at least a couple of mediocre games from Browning that would prevent him from ascending to the Heisman throne (or at least getting an all-expenses-paid trip to NYC in December).
10. Lamar Jackson, Louisville – OK before you get pissed at me for putting Jackson this low, hear me out. This is not (I repeat, NOT) the whole “we can’t have a repeat Heisman winner” type of deal (except for, you know, Archie Griffin who didn’t deserve to win two in the first place but that’s a different kettle of fish).  I can’t see Louisville getting to double digit victories and I don’t think the team itself will have as prolific an offense.  Both of those things will keep Jackson from getting to the absurd heights he got through the first two-plus months of the season.

Honourable Mention

• Jalen Hurts, Alabama
• Josh Rosen, UCLA
• Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
• Luke Falk, Washington State
• Quinton Flowers, USF
• Tanner Mangum, BYU
• Josh Allen, Wyoming
• Nick Chubb, Georgia

And there it is.  I am hoping beyond hope that at least one of these eighteen names is announced as the Heisman winner in December.  If not, I might just quit doing this post altogether.

Next up is the FIRST SCHEDULE POST OF THE YEAR!

That’s right Ric I’m excited as well.  I am still (STILL!) looking for where Bell has hid the specialty pack since it was overwritten by regional CTV channels thanks to DAZN getting Sunday Ticket.  What a mess.  Hey, as long as it’s fixed by Saturday morning, that’s all I care about.  I have put the first two games that I can see (both on CBS Sports Network) on the PVR so the start is in sight.  Once I can get the specialty pack stuff on the PVR I will breathe a sigh of relief and know that we are ready to go for the season.

I still need to do an NFL preview of sorts.  That will come next week as long as something unforeseen doesn’t happen.  Football season is finally upon us.  Let us all rejoice and then watch an unhealthy amount of football for the next four-and-a-half months.