Some of you might be wondering — it’s almost Monday afternoon, so where is the College Footblog post? Week 6 just happened to fall on the same weekend as the Seattle Mariners’ ALDS series openers — something I couldn’t miss. As a result, this week’s post will arrive a day late. But have no fear: Week 6’s “sleepy” slate delivered plenty of drama.
Top Ten Teams with no key wins?
This week looked to be just a stepping stone for Penn State and Texas. Both teams found themselves in the top ten despite already having a loss — Texas to the No. 1 team in the country, Ohio State, in Week 1, and Penn State to the then-No. 2 Oregon just last week. Both teams were either looking to continue their slow roll toward tougher competition or get back in the saddle after a tough loss.
We’ll start with Penn State and James Franklin. For all the ridicule he gets for not being able to beat the top teams each year, Franklin has done a tremendous job beating up on the teams he’s supposed to. This week looked no different as the Nittany Lions traveled all the way to the West Coast to play the shipwreck known as UCLA. After starting 0-3 and losing to two Mountain West schools, UCLA fired head coach DeShaun Foster and opted to continue the season by letting fans submit play calls through a QR code on the jumbotron. They soon found out that wouldn’t work because, well, no one shows up to the games. So they handed the interim job to Tim Skipper, with Jerry Neuheisel helping call plays. Every good college team has a former kicker calling plays, right?
UCLA entered the game 0-4 with no sign of a win on the horizon. Their remaining home games were all against undefeated or one-loss teams — including this week’s matchup, as Penn State came to town off a gut-wrenching overtime loss to Oregon. The spread closed at 25.5; no one in their right mind thought this game would be worth watching. CBS announcers Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson had to be thinking, “We traded packed SEC stadiums for this?” as the camera panned across a quarter-full Rose Bowl before kickoff.
UCLA got the opening kickoff, and it was immediately clear that Nico Iamaleava was playing like early-2024 Tennessee Iamaleava. An 11-play touchdown drive followed by a 7-play field-goal drive gave UCLA a 10-0 lead over Penn State. Not only was that the Bruins’ largest lead of the year — it was their only lead of the year. After Penn State went 10 plays and 75 yards for a touchdown, I thought, “Okay, they’ve settled in. They’ll take it from here.” I was wrong. UCLA unleashed a second quarter that saw them score three times while Penn State punted and turned the ball over on downs. Going into halftime, the UCLA Bruins led 27-7. Let me say that again another way: UCLA had a twenty-point lead over the No. 7 team in the country.
A blocked-punt touchdown by the Nittany Lions in the third quarter cut the lead to 27-21 — the closest margin since the start of the game. But even in the face of adversity, UCLA marched down the field to extend the lead to 34-21 right before the fourth quarter. Another 13-play drive that burned nearly half the fourth quarter put UCLA up by 14 with about six minutes left. Penn State answered, but UCLA found itself facing a 4th-and-1 at its own 35 with just over two minutes to play — a chance to ice the game. Not sure if this was a play call from the kicker, but it looked like it. A designed QB run was not the time they wanted Iamaleava to revert back to his UCLA self, losing yardage and giving Penn State the ball in prime position to tie it.
Luckily for UCLA, Drew Allar might be even worse. On 4th-and-2, he kept the ball on what might have been the worst read-option decision of all time. I’ll give UCLA credit — the jet-sweep option looked like it would’ve been blown up too — but when the QB is staring down two defenders right in front of him, he’s usually taught to give that ball.
A late “pitchy-pitchy-woo-woo” effort by the Nittany Lions came up short, and UCLA held on to beat No. 7 Penn State, 42-37. Now let’s talk about what this means. Tim Skipper, who’s been a head coach for about three weeks, now has as many top-ten wins as James Franklin does in the past eight years! (I’m not counting Boise State as a top-ten team last year — that ranking was inflated.) If I were a Penn State fan, this would be unacceptable. To lose to a team having its plays called by a kicker — with no coach, no fans, and no hope — is brutal.
Penn State’s wins this year have come against FIU, Nevada, and FCS Villanova. They fall from No. 7 all the way out of the rankings this week.
On the other hand, UCLA played great — but that doesn’t change the nature of their remaining schedule or how they’ve looked in their other four games. Only time will tell if Nico has figured something out and will play like his Volunteer self, or if he’ll continue his UCLA ways. Penn State, who began the year ranked No. 2, now finds itself unranked. Hard to imagine it could get any worse for anyone else…
Photo Courtesy of Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Week 5 delivered. All the talk leading up to the weekend was about the slate—and how sorry we should feel for the guys being dragged to weddings. All I can say is, if you weren’t streaming during the bride and groom’s first dance, you missed out. Every day, every window, there was great action to soak in.
Flashy Friday
Friday brought us three enticing matchups: an ACC showdown in Charlottesville, a Big 12 clash in Tempe to determine an early frontrunner, and a quirky meeting in Corvallis between a current Power Five school that used to be Group of Five and a former Power Five program that now feels more like Group of Five.
Florida State, fresh off a win over Kent State, traveled to Virginia hoping to keep their bounce-back season rolling. After a cupcake stretch since the Alabama game, this marked their first real test and first taste of ACC play. Virginia, meanwhile, came in confident with their only loss being a road nailbiter at NC State. The Seminoles quickly fell into a 14–0 hole midway through the second quarter before exploding in the final seven minutes of the half for three scores. Thanks to a late Cavaliers drive, the teams entered halftime tied at 21. They traded touchdowns through the third and fourth quarters, sending it to overtime knotted at 35.
The first OT was forgettable, with neither side moving the chains and both settling for field goals. Then the chaos began in double OT. Virginia marched the 25 yards in four plays for a touchdown—but then sent out the kicking unit. Somehow, in the fifth season under the new rules, no one on the Cavaliers sideline seemed to realize a two-point try is mandatory in the second overtime. The refs bailed them out by resetting the play clock rather than penalizing them. As you can imagine, Mike Norvell was not exactly calm about that. I agree with him—the rules are the rules, and the Cavs should’ve been flagged. Still, they regrouped and converted the two-point try.
Florida State answered with their backs against the wall. On third down, QB Tommy Castellanos fired to Duce Robinson. The pass slipped through his hands at the front of the end zone, bobbled all the way to the back, and appeared to be controlled just before he stepped out. But on replay, the ball shifted one last time after Robinson had landed, and the officials ruled it incomplete. The right call, in my opinion. That set up a do-or-die fourth down. Castellanos launched a prayer that was intercepted, sealing a wild Virginia win.
The field rush that followed was elite. With no barrier to hop, it looked more like a basketball court storm than a football field rush—instantaneous and chaotic. Was it 100% safe? No. Did some students cross the line, like the one flipping off Castellanos? Sure. But overall, it wasn’t nearly as bad as some old heads on X made it out to be. Reports even surfaced of Virginia students boxing out others to protect Florida State WR Squirrel White from being trampled. If true, that just cements it: best field storming of the year so far, and maybe one of the best of the decade.
Week 4 brought both highs and lows, depending on the team. It gave some programs the chance to step into the spotlight for the first time and test their new rosters and play-callers against worthy opponents. For others, it offered redemption from earlier losses. And for teams that already had a signature win, it was an opportunity to continue their dominance. Some teams thrived in Week 4, while others wished they could rewind to Weeks 1–3—or even back to the offseason.
Teams First Test
Texas Tech traveled to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Utes in a battle of 3–0 teams, both ranked inside the AP Top 20. The Red Raiders were eager to showcase their newly bolstered roster—built in part by a generous donor who poured $30 million into the program. Utah, meanwhile, had also invested heavily in the transfer portal this offseason, hoping to rebound from last year’s 5–7 campaign. Neither squad had faced a true test yet, with Utah’s Week 1 opponent UCLA and Texas Tech’s Week 3 opponent Oregon State both still winless against multiple Group of Five opponents.
For Utah, it was quarterback Devon Dampier’s first chance to prove himself on the Power Four stage. A transfer from New Mexico, Dampier dazzled Mountain West fans last year, but this was the national spotlight—Big Noon Kickoff with a ranked opponent in Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Texas Tech opened the game strong, forcing a three-and-out before marching 85 yards in seven plays to take a 7–0 lead. From there, the first half turned sloppy: two fumbles, three interceptions, and a lot of wasted drives. The Red Raiders’ kicker drilled a career-long 58-yard field goal, and it looked like Tech would head to halftime up 10–0. But a late pass interference call set Utah up for a long field goal attempt. The kick sailed nowhere near the uprights, but a convincing flop by the kicker drew a roughing-the-kicker penalty. With a second chance from 15 yards closer, Utah converted to cut the lead to 10–3 at the half.
The third quarter was a punt-fest, with neither side gaining momentum. Utah managed just one first down, and Tech QB Behren Morton left the game after taking a hit in the end zone. That brought in backup quarterback Will Hammond, and suddenly the Red Raiders’ offense came alive. Hammond missed just one throw—a would-be touchdown—and Tech settled for a field goal to extend the lead to 13–3. Utah finally answered with a 75-yard drive capped by a Wayshawn Parker touchdown run, trimming the deficit to 13–10 and reviving the Rice-Eccles crowd with just over 10 minutes left.
But the energy didn’t last. Hammond led Tech to touchdowns on their next three possessions, while the Red Raider defense forced a three-and-out and an interception on Utah’s next two drives. In a blink, the Utes went from being within striking distance to getting blown out at home.
Hammond finished 13-of-16 for 169 yards, two passing touchdowns, and 61 rushing yards—providing the spark Tech needed. The win puts Texas Tech in the Big 12 driver’s seat, with their toughest remaining games at Arizona State and home dates against Kansas, BYU, and UCF. In a league where one (or even two) losses can still get you into the conference championship, the Red Raiders’ NIL gamble appears to be paying off.
For Utah, the loss drops them to 2–8 in Big 12 play since joining the league—and still winless at home. Rice-Eccles is billed as one of the toughest venues in the country, but visiting Big 12 teams have had little trouble. Offensively, the Utes looked uncomfortably similar to last year’s unit under Andy Ludwig, when the weekly question was whether Cam Rising would play. Dampier struggled under pressure, the highly touted offensive line was manhandled in the trenches, and Utah barely cracked 100 rushing yards. The defense held strong for three quarters, but football is a four-quarter game—and the Red Raiders took full advantage down the stretch.
There is a lot about Utah in the past being able to pick up on teams signs and decipher other teams codes. Since the emergence of in helmet radios, which Utah coach, Kyle Whittingham was in favor of, Whittingham's Comments , there seems to be a problem with the offense of the Utes. This is all speculation but Utah needs to figure their offense out fast because they travel to Morgantown next week before a bye and then host Arizona State. If they don't figure it out, Whittingham is looking directly into another disappointing season to say the least.
Week 3 has left me more confused than ever when it comes to watching college football. That’s one of the beauties of the sport, but the more I think about it, the more my mind twists into a pretzel. Teams I thought were good might not be so good, teams I thought had no chance showed signs of life, and don’t even get me started on trying to predict how good individual players are. Even with all the confusion and craziness of the season so far, I feel confident saying UCLA is not very good—and you can take that to the bank.
Not so good, my friend!
In the spirit of Coach Lee Corso, I feel that if he were asked about certain preseason expectations of Heisman hopefuls and playoff contenders, he’d slightly alter his famous phrase to sum up the first three weeks of the season: “Not so good, my friend.”
Clemson, who entered as an overwhelming favorite to win the ACC and snag a playoff bye, is just a second-half comeback against Troy away from being 0-3. After losing to LSU at home in Week 1, they had to travel for their first road game this past week to face an up-and-coming ACC opponent, Georgia Tech, in Atlanta. Once again, the Tigers came out flat and found themselves in a 13-0 hole. After fighting back to tie it at 21-21 with just under three and a half minutes left, Haynes King once again put his body on the line and led the Yellow Jackets on a methodical 36-yard drive that drained the clock. The finish wasn’t without drama, as Georgia Tech had no timeouts left and had to run a field-goal fire drill with roughly 16 seconds remaining. Aidan Birr drilled the 55-yarder—a new career long—to seal the win.
The biggest reason for Clemson’s slow start is their offense. Between play-calling and execution, there hasn’t been much to smile about on that side of the ball. With yesterday’s performance, third-year starter (and fourth-year player) Cade Klubnik now sits at 52/88 for 633 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. That’s a far cry from what Tiger fans were expecting—and an even farther cry from the “experts” who pegged him as a Heisman contender.
Now, the Tigers enter ACC play with almost zero room for error. With Florida State and Miami showing all sorts of life, their only real path back to the playoff seems to be repeating as ACC champions. It’s not the first time a Dabo Swinney-led Clemson team has faced an uphill climb—but this may be the steepest yet.
Notre Dame now starts the season 0-2 for the first time since 2022, Marcus Freeman’s first full year as head coach. While this year’s losses didn’t include a defeat to a far inferior opponent, two early setbacks aren’t what Freeman envisioned for his Irish after traveling to Miami and then hosting Texas A&M.
The defense has been a major question mark. They allowed the Aggies to put up 41 points last night and let the Hurricanes score at will when it mattered two weeks ago. Freshman quarterback CJ Carr has been a bright spot, but without improvement on the other side of the ball, his play won’t make much of a difference. Heisman hopeful Jeremiyah Love has also been a nonfactor, recording only 127 yards on 33 carries this season.
Notre Dame now finds itself in a tough position because of its independence. With no conference championship game and only ranked opponent on the schedule left is USC, their margin for error is already gone—and even if they win out, it still might not be enough.
The Arch Manning hype has officially cooled. He’s started the year 47-of-85 with 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. That completion percentage isn’t great—and considering two of Texas’ opponents have been San Jose State and UTEP, people expected much better numbers. Maybe that game in Columbus in Week 1 wasn’t too far off after all.
Garrett Nussmeier also turned in his worst performance of the young season, right after he vaulted to the top of the Heisman odds. He completed only 55% of his passes, threw just one touchdown, and added an interception in LSU’s slogfest against Florida last night. Through three games, he has yet to throw for more than 240 yards in a single outing.
Even teams that haven’t suffered a loss haven’t looked as sharp as they’d hoped. Ohio State only led Ohio 13-3 before finally picking it up in the second half. Penn State let Villanova hang around in the first half as well. Iowa State held just a one-point lead over Arkansas State until a late Cyclone touchdown, and Utah was clinging to a 3-0 halftime edge against Wyoming. Chalk it up to early-season rust, but so far, plenty of teams don’t look nearly as polished as they were advertised to be.
Upsets and G5 Contenders
Four Group of 5 teams knocked off Power Conference opponents this weekend—and none of the games were particularly close. New Mexico put the beatdown on UCLA late Friday night, sparking multiple responses on X from the Big Sky Conference saying they didn’t want UCLA and even a Pac-12 post with a Jerry Seinfeld “what a shame” gif. Old Dominion handled in-state big brother Virginia Tech with ease, leading 31-0 at one point. The Hokies now start the season 0-3—yikes. North Texas also took care of Washington State (don’t worry, the Cougs will get their moment).
USF traveled to Miami for a highly anticipated ranked showdown, but their exhaustion showed. Miami controlled the game from the start and cruised to a comfortable win after a lengthy lightning delay. South Florida still controls its own destiny thanks to the road win over Florida, but hot on their heels is conference rival Tulane. The Green Wave hosted Duke and their former quarterback Darian Mensah, leaving him to wonder if the transfer money was worth it, as Tulane dominated from start to finish. At 3-0, it looks like the AAC is quickly shaping up to be a two-horse race between Tulane and USF.
Meanwhile, South Carolina hosted Vanderbilt to open SEC play for both teams—and it did not go well for the Gamecocks, who entered the week ranked No. 11. A targeting call on a hit against LaNorris Sellers knocked him out of the game with a concussion, and that was essentially all she wrote for South Carolina. Turnovers plagued the Gamecocks as Vanderbilt controlled the ball and the tempo throughout the second half.
It’s striking how different South Carolina looks without its QB1. The offense reminded me a lot of Utah last year after Cam Rising went down—no real movement or threat once Sellers exited, which is a bad sign considering the gauntlet that remains on their schedule. For the Gamecocks’ sake, they’ll be hoping Sellers returns quickly.
On the flip side, the Commodores are off to a 3-0 start, and after last year’s struggles, the swagger in Nashville has to be at an all-time high. Heck, throw Diego Pavia into the Heisman conversation—because you know he’s going to leave it all out there the rest of the way. Vanderbilt now has a real shot to be 5-0 heading into their October 4th trip to Tuscaloosa.
Co Game of the Week: Texas A&M 41, Notre Dame 40
The Aggies looked for revenge from their Week 1 loss in 2024 as they traveled to South Bend to take on the Irish. Notre Dame got off to a hot start on special teams, blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown to take an early lead. After a defensive breakdown by the Irish, their offense bailed them out with a 7-play, 75-yard drive to retake the lead, 14-7.
The second quarter brought a flood of action, as none of the eight possessions ended in a punt. Texas A&M scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the quarter, only failing to add more points when they ran out of time at the half. Notre Dame answered with a field goal and a touchdown, but costly turnovers—a pick and a fumble—left them trailing 28-24 at the break.
The second half was a back-and-forth battle. Notre Dame managed a touchdown and a field goal, while A&M added two field goals, leaving the score tied at 34-34 with just over nine minutes left. That’s when the Irish put together a classic hard-nosed drive: over six minutes, 75 yards, capped by a 12-yard Jeremiyah Love touchdown run to put Notre Dame up with just under three minutes to play.
Earlier, I noted the last time Notre Dame started 0-2 was in 2022, when Tyler Buchner was their quarterback. He was eventually benched, transferred to Alabama, and famously started the rain-soaked game against USF in 2023. That ended up being his only real action with the Tide before transferring back to Notre Dame to play lacrosse. He won a national championship and spent two years starring on the lacrosse team before rejoining the football program as a wide receiver—and apparently, the holder.
On a perfect snap, Buchner mishandled the hold, and the Irish couldn’t convert the extra point.
That left Notre Dame up just six, giving Texas A&M plenty of life. The Aggies promptly marched downfield, eventually facing 3rd-and-16 at the Irish 20. A defensive holding penalty bailed them out, setting up a fresh set of downs. Quarterback Marcell Reed was stuffed on first down, then followed with two of his worst throws of the night—both prayers that Irish defenders somehow failed to intercept. That left one last chance. On 4th down, Reed found tight end Nate Boerkircher for an 11-yard touchdown. The extra point was no problem, and the Aggies walked away with a dramatic 41-40 victory.
I don’t think there needs to be a conversation about Marcus Freeman, but as I mentioned above, Notre Dame has no room for error now. Texas A&M and Mike Elko, meanwhile, just picked up their signature win and now have a great chance to make the playoff depending on how they navigate SEC play. I won’t call them a shoo-in—because we all know what the Aggies are capable of doing to themselves.
Co Game of the Week: Georgia 44, Tennessee 41
The Volunteers looked to break their eight-game losing streak to the Bulldogs as College GameDay came to Knoxville for this highly anticipated matchup. Traditionally played in November, the game was moved up this year—giving us a marquee showdown in mid-September.
While the end results for Tennessee haven’t been great in recent years, the Vols have always started fast—and this year was no different. Joey Aguilar led a crisp 75-yard drive to open the game with a touchdown. After Georgia answered, Aguilar went deep, hitting Chris Brazzell II on consecutive drives to give Tennessee a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Defensive adjustments by Georgia flipped the script in the second quarter. With more pressure on Aguilar, the Bulldogs dominated the frame, outscoring the Vols 10-0 and trimming the deficit to 21-17 at the half—plus they were set to receive the second-half kickoff. Whatever Georgia had drawn up worked to perfection, as they opened the third quarter with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take their first lead of the night, 24-21. Their defense continued to stifle Tennessee until Aguilar finally broke through late in the quarter.
Two straight Volunteer touchdowns gave Tennessee a 35-30 advantage, and when Georgia fumbled deep in its own territory, it looked like the Vols were about to put the game away. The Bulldogs held, however, forcing a 48-yard field goal that Max Gilbert drilled, extending Tennessee’s lead to 38-30 with 6:30 to play.
Georgia answered with a gutsy drive, facing a 4th-and-6 at the Tennessee 26. Instead of a safe play to move the chains, Gunner Stockton launched a back-shoulder fade into the end zone. The throw had guts, the catch had precision, and after converting the two-point try, the game was tied at 38.
Tennessee still had 2:30 to work with, and they marched methodically into Georgia territory. Mixing the pass and a punishing ground attack, they set up for a game-winning kick. A false start while trying to center the ball pushed the attempt back to 43 yards. Gilbert, who had nailed a 48-yarder earlier, couldn’t handle the pressure—his kick sailed well wide, never threatening the upright.
In overtime, Tennessee managed only a field goal, but Gilbert redeemed himself by drilling a 42-yarder. Still, the energy in Neyland carried a sense of dread—because everyone knew what was coming. And they were right. Two plays later, Georgia ran the ball straight into the end zone, sealing their ninth straight win over the Vols, 44-41.
It’s hard to be too upset as a Tennessee fan given the expectations for this season and how the Vols have already surpassed them to a degree. But this one was right there for the taking—and to lose to Georgia in this fashion is gut-wrenching. The key now is to take the positives from this performance and turn the page to the rest of SEC play.
Both games this week came down to the wire and delivered incredible drama. I couldn’t pick just one—making this the first-ever College Footblog Games of the Week.
I was hesitant to highlight Retzlaff’s stat line this week because I think he’s going to have plenty more performances like this—and probably better ones. His ability to come into Tulane on short notice and immediately excel in the offense is impressive. His legs are still his biggest weapon, just like they were at BYU, but his arm keeps defenses honest and gives him the chance to light them up.
Will’s Corner
BYU Bye The Cougars had the week off before traveling to East Carolina this coming Saturday.
Tennessee 41, Georgia 44 You can read about it above. They host UAB next week.
Washington State 10, North Texas 59 This was bad. Bad coaching, bad offense, bad defense, bad special teams—bad everything. Five first-half turnovers led to a 39-point deficit at halftime, despite Washington State actually dominating time of possession and finishing with only seven fewer yards than the Mean Green.
After second-half struggles from Jaxon Potter and Julian Dugger, the Cougs finally turned to Zevi Eckhaus. He led the only touchdown drive of the game, and at this point, I think he should be the starting quarterback moving forward.
This was the worst loss Washington State has suffered since October 18, 2008, when they fell 69-0 to USC. They followed that up with a 58-0 loss the next week and finished 2-10 that season. The one bright spot? They beat UW. And who’s their opponent next week? The University of Washington. I don’t think history is going to repeat itself, though. And it’s no coincidence that next week will mark the first time Martin Stadium sells alcohol—because plenty of Coug fans are going to need it.
AP Poll Reaction
Top 3: All stay the same.
Miami and Georgia leapfrog Oregon.
Tennessee remains at #15 despite loss.
Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, and USC enter the Top 25, replacing South Carolina, Clemson, and South Florida.
Biggest loser: South Carolina, Clemson, South Florida, and Notre Dame all have double digit drops.
Texas A&M jumps into the top 10 with ranked road win.
It seems like the AP voters got the hint after being exposed last week, as Florida received zero votes this time around. However, we still somehow have a winless team in the Top 25. Notre Dame should not be ranked under any circumstances—I don’t care if their two losses came against ranked opponents, they have zero wins.
Vanderbilt cracking the Top 25 at No. 20 is wild, especially when South Carolina isn’t ranked anymore. I guess that’s just the result of SEC cannibalization—beat each other up, and everybody still ends up ranked.
CFB News
AP Poll Voters
AP voters have been getting exposed on X. Fans have been demanding explanations from certain voters, and while those voters have delivered, that doesn’t mean the explanations are any good. You can judge for yourself whether these writers the AP gives power to actually know how to rank college football teams. AP Poll Explanation
College Pre Game Shows
College Gameday announced they’ll be heading to Florida at Miami next week. I think this is an utter disgrace—just plain bad. This makes it 4-for-4 on Gameday choosing SEC schools this season. Gameday used to be a show that highlighted all of college football. Maybe they should just go ahead and rename it SEC Gameday.
Supposedly, they pulled Gameday from Morgantown last week because West Virginia lost the week before. So what about Florida? No one wants to sit through a three-hour program debating whether Billy Napier is getting fired or how Carson Beck has faced “so much adversity” while going 24–3 at Georgia. They had two better options this week with ranked matchups: Illinois at Indiana or Texas Tech at Utah. They dropped the ball here, and if this SEC obsession continues, the lack of Corso on the show could push viewership into the basement. Honestly, even if my wife hadn’t already scheduled us for an Orange Theory class next Saturday morning, I wouldn’t bother tuning in.
Meanwhile, Big Noon Kickoff will be in Salt Lake City for No. 17 Texas Tech vs. No. 16 Utah. That game marks the return of Urban Meyer to Utah, where he coached from 2003–2004.
UCLA and Virginia Tech Coaching Changes
UCLA and Virginia Tech have both fired their head coaches—DeShaun Foster and Brent Pry—after 0–3 starts. With those moves, a 30-day transfer portal window now opens for all players on their rosters. It’ll be interesting to see who takes advantage of the chance to redshirt and look for a fresh start elsewhere.
Week 2 delivered, despite the lackluster matchups that might have seemed underwhelming on paper. I want to start in SEC land, where a former champion came into a very hostile environment and struggled early. That’s right—we’re going to start in Starkville, Mississippi.
SEC Dominance
The Bulldogs of Mississippi State are 1–15 in their last two seasons of SEC play, far from the standard of dominance they set in 2014 with Dak Prescott and again in 2020 when they hired Mike Leach. Since the tragic passing of the Pirate, tough times have fallen hard on Starkville.
Last year, they traveled to Tempe and were beaten by an up-and-coming Arizona State team that went on to win the Big 12. Many picked the Sun Devils to repeat as Big 12 champs this year, and ASU entered last night’s game as a 5.5-point favorite.
Right out of the locker room, Arizona State got punched in the mouth. Before they knew it, Mississippi State was up 17–0 while ASU had only 56 total yards. Thanks to a roughing-the-passer penalty and a nifty move from Jordyn Tyson, the Sun Devils managed to steal 3 points at the end of the half to make it 17–3.
The second half was a different story, as the Arizona State most expected finally showed up. Grinding clock, scoring, and stifling defense tied the game at 17–17 with just under 10 minutes to play. The next time the Sun Devils touched the ball, they unleashed a 17-play, 95-yard drive that could be compared to the great masterpieces of Da Vinci or Monet. The only problem? It ended in 3, not 6, giving ASU just a 20–17 lead.
Having not scored the entire half and generating only 51 yards of offense after the break, there was no way the Bulldogs would drive 77 yards to win—let alone get into field goal range—right? Seems like Arizona State thought the same, as they played normal defense instead of prevent. A wide receiver crossing route on 3rd-and-9 left the defensive backs confused, and with no deep safeties, Brenen Thompson was wide open streaking to the end zone. Game over. Cow bells ringing. Field stormed. Goal posts ripped down. Stark-Vegas went wild.
In Norman, Oklahoma, the Sooners dominated all aspects of the game to cruise to an easy 23–14 win over the 2023 National Champion Michigan Wolverines. John Mateer dazzled as he threw for 270 yards and 1 touchdown, adding two more with his legs—firmly planting his name in the Heisman conversation.
Highly touted freshman Bryce Underwood seemed to handle the atmosphere just okay. No huge mistakes, but you could tell he wasn’t as sharp as he wanted to be—missing targets and struggling with his reads. Nothing to be concerned about, though. You have to remember, he just turned 18 a few weeks ago. Those things should smooth out with time and experience.
Upsets and G5 Contenders
After losing to FCS opponent Tarleton State last week, Army came out and upset Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas. The Black Knights dominated all aspects of the game, scoring late to take and hold the lead. Two weeks ago, I referenced Avery Johnson and Kansas State’s loss to Iowa State and said I didn’t want to make a claim yet, but would monitor the situation. I don’t need to monitor anymore—they aren’t good, and they’ll need a major midseason turnaround to even be mentioned on the blog again.
Two more FCS teams defeated FBS teams this week: Bryant edged UMass 27–26, and Long Island beat Eastern Michigan 28–23. Shoutout to the Bulldogs and Sharks as they add their names to the great FCS upsets of 2025.
Five Group of 5 teams beat up on higher-conference opponents this weekend: UNLV over UCLA, Army over Kansas State, Ohio over West Virginia, Fresno State over Oregon State, and South Florida over Florida. Don’t worry—Florida will get their spotlight a little later.
Lastly, a huge shoutout to Adrian College, a Division III school in Adrian, Michigan, that defeated FCS opponent Valparaiso. For those of you keeping track at home, that’s a difference of three divisions between these two teams.
Week 2 Rivalries
Week 2 gave us multiple out of conference rivalry games.
Iowa vs. Iowa State
Nothing better than trading punts and field goals. This is the sixth time in the last seven meetings that neither team surpassed 20 points. This year, neither team even eclipsed 250 total yards. The hero of the 2024 Cy-Hawk game, Kyle Konrardy, was also the hero for Iowa State this year in Ames, as he hit a 54-yard field goal to give the Cyclones the lead for good. Iowa State went on to beat their in-state rival Hawkeyes 16–13.
Kansas vs. Missouri
The Border War returned for the first time since 2011. A back-and-forth game left them tied 21–21 at halftime. A 92-yard drive gave Kansas a 31–28 lead with just over half the fourth quarter remaining. Kansas must have thought the game ended at that point, because they didn’t give much resistance to the next 14 points Missouri scored. The Tigers notched their fourth win in a row in the current installment of the rivalry. They’ll play again next year before taking another five years off.
Baylor vs. SMU
SMU hadn’t beaten Baylor since 1986, the year before their program was given the death penalty. All signs pointed to the Mustangs’ way this year—coming off a playoff appearance last season, with a Week 1 win for SMU and a Week 1 loss for the Bears. SMU looked to have iced the game as they went up 14 points heading into the fourth quarter. Holding that lead with just over five minutes to go, the wheels came off the stagecoach being pulled by those Mustangs across the Texas plains. The Bears scored 14 points in those final minutes, the last seven coming on a 10-play, 82-yard drive in under 90 seconds to tie it with 20 seconds left in regulation.
Overtime brought both teams trading touchdowns—Baylor with methodical play-calling, and SMU just chucking it into the end zone on their first play of OT. The second overtime wasn’t as kind to the Mustangs: they went three-and-out and then missed a 38-yard field goal. Baylor moved the ball deliberately and kicked on fourth-and-goal to seal the victory. With just over five minutes to go in regulation, ESPN’s win probability gave SMU a 98.9% chance to win. Yikes.
Game of the Week: South Florida 18, Florida 16
Florida entered this game on a high. Coming off a 55–0 win in their opener last year and the finish they had in 2024, Gator fans were quick to declare that they were back and that a title was in reach. Never mind that many of those same fans wanted Billy Napier’s head last year after starting 4–5—suddenly he had figured it out, and he and DJ Lagway were supposed to bring Florida back to national relevance.
South Florida also came into this game riding high, fresh off demolishing last year’s G5 playoff participant, Boise State. However, the national media and sportsbooks weren’t nearly as high on the Bulls as the Bulls were on themselves. Florida entered as an 18.5-point favorite, and based on numerous metrics, the Gators were given roughly an 82% chance to win.
Did the national media forget what kind of coach Napier has been at Florida? Not to toot my own horn, but I had this on my “games to watch” list last week—I saw this coming a mile away.
The game started slow, with only field goals in the first half. Florida carried a 9–6 lead into the break. Byrum Brown was as explosive for the Bulls as they hoped, using his legs and arm to move the ball just enough for a couple of field goals. DJ Lagway, on the other hand, was not what Gator fans wanted to see. He struggled with downfield throws and extending drives, as Florida finished just 4-for-12 on third down.
Early in the third quarter, Brown struck with a 66-yard touchdown pass—helped by the fact that Florida’s defensive backs ran into each other. Things unraveled quickly. A special-teams breakdown led to a punt snap sailing 15 yards over the punter’s head and into the end zone for a safety, giving USF a 15–9 lead. Florida briefly regained control in the fourth quarter, thanks to a great punt return that set up a touchdown to go ahead 16–15. At that point, at home with the crowd behind them, Florida should have closed it out. ESPN’s win probability gave them a 73.4% chance. Just wait—it gets worse.
After trading possessions, South Florida reached the Florida 41-yard line and attempted a 58-yard field goal with just over three minutes left. Nico Gramatica—son of NFL kicker Martin Gramatica—lined up for the long kick, but it came up about three yards short. Florida got the ball back with 2:52 remaining, and USF had only two timeouts left. Win probability was at 82.4% at this point.
Everyone in America knows what to do in that situation: run the ball, burn the timeouts, and pick up a first down to seal the win. Everyone except Billy Napier, apparently. Florida came out throwing—an incompletion. A short two-yard run followed, then another deep incompletion. Just 34 seconds later, Florida punted the ball back, and USF had only used one timeout.
The rest is history. Byrum Brown turned into Houdini, escaping defenders and marching South Florida down the field with ease. Thanks to Florida’s moronic time management, USF actually had too much time, running extra plays before setting up Gramatica for a chip-shot 20-yard field goal as time expired. This one he didn’t leave short. South Florida wins, 18–16.
The noise in Gainesville is just as loud now as it was last year. Florida now faces a brutal stretch: four straight top-20 opponents, five of their next six, and eight top-20 opponents total still remaining. It hasn’t gone as planned for the Gators, and it could get a lot worse before it gets better.
South Florida, meanwhile, firmly has the Group of 5 playoff spot in its grasp as it travels to Miami next weekend. Regardless of that outcome, the Bulls now control their own destiny with their victory in this week’s College Footblog Game of the Week.
Stat Line of the Week
Steve Angeli (Syracuse): 33/53 417 YDS 2 TD
Angeli lit up the air in the JMA Wireless Dome as the Orange needed every last yard to beat UConn in overtime. Not included in the stat line was the number of 20-yard sprints the entire Syracuse team was forced to run by coach Fran Brown—but look on the bright side: at least coach Brown finally got to shower yesterday.
Will’s Corner
BYU 27, Stanford 3
BYU looked sharp on defense, giving up only 161 yards and forcing three turnovers. A balanced attack on the ground and through the air meant the Cougars never felt uneasy in their win over the Cardinal. Freshman QB Bachmeier played alright, but BYU’s offensive MVP was LJ Martin, who surpassed 100 yards rushing for the second time this year. The Cougars have a week off before traveling to East Carolina on the 20th.
Tennessee 72, East Tennessee State 17
Joey Aguilar dazzled with the deep ball, throwing for nearly 300 yards. Star Thomas added three touchdowns on the ground as Tennessee had a historic offensive day. Everything is clicking at the right time ahead of a highly anticipated top-15 matchup this week, as the Georgia Bulldogs come to town.
Washington State 36, San Diego State 13
Jimmy Rogers came through as the Cougs debuted new white Wazzu helmets and an offensive line that could actually get some push. After an early touchdown for the Aztecs, Washington State rattled off 29 unanswered points over the next three quarters. Jaxon Potter looked sharper, and Rogers didn’t substitute another QB until the game was out of reach. Washington State now takes its talent on the road to face North Texas and their former OC Eric Morris—though it’s unclear if any staff or players remain from when Morris held that role in 2022.
AP Poll Reaction
Top 3: All stay the same.
Oregon moves to #4.
Tennessee climbs into the Top 15.
South Florida, Auburn & Missouri enter the Top 25, replacing Florida, Arizona State, &.
Biggest loser: Michigan drops 8 spots to No. 23.
Clemson falls out of the top 10 while Illinois and Florida State enter.
I agree with the majority of this week’s AP Poll Top 25. Georgia and Clemson struggling with lesser opponents caused them to drop. South Florida comes in hot, jumping all the way to 18th, which sets up a great matchup against Miami. I can only assume that because Baylor beat SMU, it helped Auburn crack the rankings at No. 24. In my opinion, that’s a little premature to put the Tigers in the Top 25. They’ve been really bad the last few years, so I feel this is the first example of SEC bias in the rankings this season.
CFB News
Bill Belichick banned New England Patriots scouts from North Carolina’s facilities. This comes after he said he isn’t allowed around the Patriots’ facilities, so he’s just returning the favor.
College Gameday heads to Knoxville next week for the highly anticipated matchup between the Vols and the Bulldogs. That decision came to the disappointment of host Pat McAfee, who was hoping to attend his alma mater, West Virginia, for the Backyard Brawl. Maybe don’t lose to Ohio and Gameday can make its way to Morgantown.
Big Noon Kickoff goes to Evanston, Illinois, for the Oregon–Northwestern game this upcoming week. Can’t imagine that one being remotely close, but hey—you’ve got to go somewhere, I guess.
As college football returned this weekend, the joy of packed stadiums was once again on full display. With the expanded CFP arriving in 2024, we finally got to experience postseason football on actual college campuses — and I’m a firm believer that all regular season games should also be played on campus. The unique atmospheres this week proved it. You can’t tell me that the neutral-site games had more juice or better crowd interaction than what we saw and heard at Doak Campbell, The Shoe, or Death Valley.
But let’s start in Kent, Ohio.
Kent State Ends the Streak
Dix Stadium was only a third full, but those 8,647 fans witnessed something special: Kent State snapping the nation’s longest losing streak (21 games) with a 100-yard kickoff return TD by Da’Realyst Clark in the final five minutes. That play lifted the Golden Flashes over FCS opponent Merrimack. I’ll be on pins and needles waiting for Ryan McGee’s Bottom 10 on Wednesday to see who takes over the new No. 1 “honor.”
Upsets, OTs, and G5 Contenders
Week 1 kicked off with a Top 25 upset as South Florida spoiled Boise State’s post-Ashton Jeanty campaign. The Broncos’ offense looked very pedestrian without the nation’s leading rusher in their backfield.
One of my employees, who trains certain soccer players, gave me inside information that QB Maddox Madsen and his girlfriend (who plays college soccer) broke up over the summer. Moneyball teaches us that if a ballplayer has an ugly girlfriend, he has no confidence. Not sure what it means that Madsen has no girlfriend at all, but his play didn’t inspire much confidence either. Meanwhile, USF firmly entered the G5 playoff conversation. With back-to-back road trips to Florida and Miami, they’ve got a chance to really shake things up.
Friday night brought our first overtime game of the season, as Tarleton State needed two OTs to put away Army. That was also the first of two FCS-over-FBS wins, with Austin Peay handling Middle Tennessee easily. But there were other scares, too. Kansas State, for instance, needed an 81-yard TD drive in the final 90 seconds to edge North Dakota 38–35.
Top 10 Showdowns
Week 1 gave us three different Top 10 matchups — the first time that’s happened since November 2017.
Texas vs. Ohio State
Big Noon Kickoff and Gameday both descended on Columbus for No. 1 vs. No. 3 — a rematch of last year’s Cotton Bowl. Anticipation was sky-high with Arch Manning’s starting debut for Texas and Julian Sayin making his Buckeye debut. The reality? A dud for the first 55 minutes.
Neither QB looked poised for the spotlight, and both teams were sloppy. OSU struck midway through the second quarter and led 7–0 at half. An incredible catch by Carnell Tate stretched it to 14–0, and although Texas rallied late, Ohio State held on 14–7. The Longhorns were stopped twice on fourth-and-goal, and aside from two or three throws, Manning looked overwhelmed. No need to panic, though — it’s still Week 1, and losing on the road to the defending champs isn’t a death sentence.
LSU vs. Clemson
Saturday Night Football gave us “Death Valley vs. Death Valley.” LSU came in ranked No. 9, Clemson No. 4. The first half was all defense, with Clemson leading 10–3 at the break. But Brian Kelly clearly lit a fire at halftime — LSU flipped the script, scoring twice to win 17–10. Huge statement for the Tiger defense after last year’s “Swiss cheese” reputation. Clemson, meanwhile, still controls its destiny with Florida State looming in November.
Notre Dame vs. Miami
Sunday night revived the Catholics vs. Convicts rivalry, and Miami delivered, notching its first Top 10 win since 2017. The Hurricanes’ defense — a liability last season — looked transformed after Mario Cristobal’s offseason tweaks. QB Carson Beck did just enough, while Notre Dame’s CJ Carr showed promise but threw two costly interceptions, including one on a bizarre bounce off a defender’s foot. With that win, Miami is right back in the ACC race.
Belichick’s College Debut
Bill Belichick’s first game at North Carolina was ugly. TCU came into Chapel Hill and after surrendering a early touchdown, dominated the first half to lead the Tar Heels 20-7 at half. The second half didn't go much as TCU took it to the house to extend their lead. It didn't stop there either as TCU continued to score on offense and defense, ultimately winning 48-14. The “coach’s name” only goes so far — UNC has a long road ahead, and Belichick doesn’t have Tom Brady to bail him out.
Game of the Week: Florida State 31, Alabama 17
For the fifth straight year, a Top 10 team lost to an unranked opponent in Week 1 — this time Alabama at Doak Campbell. Tommy Castellanos had called his shot back in June, saying Nick Saban couldn’t save Alabama from him. He was right.
FSU’s offense, full of QB scrambles and misdirection, shredded Bama’s defense. After the Tide cut it to 24–17, it looked like Alabama might do their usual Houdini act — but FSU iced the game with a 10-play, 75-yard drive.
This is now the fourth loss to an unranked team in the Kalen DeBoer era. In fact, since the start of the 2022 season, only one of DeBoer’s eight losses has come to a ranked opponent — Washington’s loss to Michigan in the 2024 National Championship. I don’t necessarily know what this means long-term, but I do know it’s not what Alabama donors had in mind.
DeBoer looked defeated and perplexed on the sideline Saturday, like he had no answers. Personally, I don’t think DeBoer is the genius everyone touted him as. And Ryan Grubb — well, just look at what he did with the Seahawks. It’s starting to catch up with them that they don’t know how to manage games as well as some of the veteran coaches in the South.
Some of you might say: But Will, he went 26–3 at Washington — how can he not be a good coach? To that I’ll respond with three words: Michael Penix Jr. I thought back in 2023 that Penix should have won the Heisman over Jayden Daniels, and as time goes on, watching what DeBoer and Grubb do with their new talent only solidifies that take.
Jalen Milroe helped cover up a lot of issues for Alabama last year. But now, with a quarterback who isn’t as mobile or creative as Penix or even Milroe, DeBoer and Grubb’s deficiencies are being exposed. On Alabama’s opening touchdown drive, they ran the ball 12 times. For the rest of the game, only 14 runs were called. You establish the run early, score, and then completely go away from it. As a Seahawks fan, I saw this far too often from Grubb last year — probably the reason Macdonald canned him.
I also started to notice back at Washington, and it’s even more obvious now: DeBoer-coached teams commit far too many undisciplined penalties (unsportsmanlike conduct, personal fouls, etc.) for a top-tier program. To me, that’s a reflection of coaching style and lack of discipline.
I’m not saying this loss is entirely on DeBoer. But I am saying his seat just got a lot hotter — and the leash is running out.
But don’t let that overshadow FSU’s brilliance. That crowd at Doak was electric — you could feel it through the TV. If the Seminoles carry this energy into Clemson in November, they’ll be dangerous.
Stat Line of the Week
Haynes King (Georgia Tech): 13/20, 143 YDS; 19 CAR, 156 YDS, 3 TD
King was a warrior in GT’s upset of Colorado, including the game-winning 45-yard TD run with a minute left. No celebrations, just exhaustion — pure football.
Will’s Corner
BYU 69, Portland State 0
Not much to take away here — BYU did what they should. Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier tossed 3 TDs and ran for 2 more before halftime. He didn’t get much action, but he looked sharp. BYU plays host to Stanford this coming Saturday, making a clash between Bear's current school and the school he originally committed to.
Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26
The Vols jumped out early and never looked back. QB Aguilar threw for 247 and 3 TDs, while RB Star Thomas added 92 yards. A tune-up next week against East Tennessee State before Georgia comes to town on the 13th.
Washington State 13, Idaho 10
This game had me all worked up — the debut of Jimmy Rogers for the Cougs, with the Battle for the Palouse on the line. Wazzu hasn’t lost to Idaho since 2000, and their last meeting was the closest in a while (24–17). Zevi Eckhaus came in last year after Mateer entered the portal and threw for 363 yards against Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl. I assumed he would win the job this year, but Rogers kept things quiet until redshirt sophomore Jaxon Potter ran onto the field to start the game.
The Cougs’ offense was abysmal. A fourth-down throw to Josh Meredith gave WSU a 7–0 lead at halftime. The run game was truly awful, but the defense was playing great. You can’t expect them to pitch a shutout forever, though, and Idaho scored early in the fourth to make it 10–7.
Then Rogers, for some reason no one understands, put Julian Dugger in at QB — which only resulted in a loss of 14 yards. Thanks to a fumble by Angel Johnson deep in our own territory, we gifted Idaho the ball on the 10-yard line. Our defense held, though, and with 1:30 left it was 10–10.
Rogers finally put Potter back in, and — imagine that — when he called passing plays, Potter led the drive down the field so smoothly that they reached field-goal range with time to spare. Jack Stevens nailed the winner.
A win is a win, but 3 rushing yards on 22 attempts is flat-out bad. That has to be fixed, because San Diego State comes to town next weekend, and that won’t fly again.
AP Poll Reaction
New #1: Ohio State jumps Penn State.
LSU moves to #3.
Miami climbs into the Top 5.
Florida State & Utah enter the Top 25, replacing Kansas State & Boise State.
Biggest loser: Alabama drops 13 spots to No. 21.
Despite losses, Texas, Clemson, and Notre Dame all remain in the Top 10 (slots 7–9).
CFB News
This week was the final week for Lee Corso on ESPN’s College Gameday. If you haven’t watched the special about him, Not So Fast My Friend: A Lee Corso Special, I highly recommend it. Coach Corso is one of a kind, and I want to add my words to the many others who have shared how important he was to the game and what he meant to so many people.
I remember discovering College Gameday as a kid and being excited each Saturday morning to see who Corso would pick and which headgear he’d put on. This was before social media, so the only real way to know his pick was to tune in each week — and that’s exactly what I did. Every Saturday, to kick off a great day of football, I turned on Coach.
Even with the rise of Instagram and Twitter, I still tried to watch live as much as I could. From turning it on while opening the golf course in high school, to having it streaming on my phone while working the course in recent years, Corso was always part of my Saturday routine.
College Gameday won’t be the same without him, but I’m grateful for the memories he gave me. A fitting highlight of what he meant to the game came yesterday, when every team he ever played for or coached won their games — the greatest sendoff he could have asked for.
Games to Watch – Week 2
Iowa @ Iowa State – Sept 6, 12 PM ET (FOX)
South Florida @ Florida – Sept 6, 4:15 PM ET (SEC Network)
Michigan @ Oklahoma – Sept 6, 7:30 PM ET (ABC)
Guest Guesser Update
Growing up, I loved the Seattle Times “pick ’em” segment — so my mom and I started doing our own. Nearly 20 years later, we’re still at it. I’ll post our standings here each week. Fair warning: Mom knows her stuff (even if she roots for UW).
I’d love to hear from readers, too. Think my takes are dumb? Want my opinion on something I missed? Email me at thecollegefootblog@gmail.com.
Iowa State and Kansas State were so excited to both be playing football again that they couldn’t stop giving each other the ball. The first six possessions in the game were: punt, muffed punt, fumble, punt, punt, punt. After an exchange of touchdowns, they ended the half with two more fumbles, a turnover on downs, and two more punts. That left me thinking this could be the end of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. As the rain seemed to stop for the second half, so did the fumbles, and traditional Big 12 football returned. Becht and Johnson each had two touchdown passes, but the inconsistency of Kansas State’s offense seemed to be their demise. I am not going to put it on red alert, but I want to monitor in this space the idea that Avery Johnson may not be as good as all the experts tell us. All we heard last year was that with a full season we’d see what he could unleash—well, last year was underwhelming, and this year is off to the same start. I won’t conclude anything this early in the year, but it will definitely be something I watch.
Four other FBS games blessed our Saturday, including two P5 teams: Kansas and Stanford. Kansas took care of business as they opened their brand-new stadium to a sold-out crowd of 42,000. Jaydon Daniels looked like his 2023 self, and just this performance alone—even against Fresno State—puts Kansas back into the Big 12 conversation.
In the G5 conversation, dark-horse playoff team UNLV survived with a late rally to beat Idaho State, an FCS school not expected to play particularly well this year. It is still Week 0, and a win is a win, but Dan Mullen starts his UNLV tenure on thin ice already. Anyone want to place bets on when he’ll be back in the ESPN studio doing late-night recaps?
Game of the Week: Hawai’i 23, Stanford 20
2025 seems like it will bring more of the struggles Stanford has been dealing with for the last five years. Traveling to Hawai’i to start the season, they were 2.5-point favorites and looked good early, forcing a fumble and recovering it in the end zone to take a 10-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. Their offense, however, showed glaring holes the rest of the game, with the exception of Micah Ford’s strong running (26 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD).
The biggest weakness was at quarterback. Ben Gulbranson transferred in this year from Oregon State, and he struggled mightily (15/30, 109 yards, 1 INT). His passes were wobbly and usually behind receivers. Chalk it up to early-season rust, but I would expect more from a grad transfer who had some success with the Beavs.
Hawai’i QB Micah Alejado wasn’t much more polished, but his grit was the difference. After injuring his ankle partway through the game, he gutted it out and basically finished on one leg. Completing throws off his back foot and scrambling through the pain of a bum ankle, he set his team up for three second-half field goals made by Kansei Matsuzama—the first college placekicker from Japan. His final 38-yarder as time expired upset Stanford and earned Hawai’i The College Footblog Game of the Week.
Stat Line of the Week: Maverik McIvor (WKU) 33/51, 401 YDS, 3 TD
In his first FBS game after transferring from Abilene Christian, Maverik McIvor balled out and got his Western Kentucky Hilltoppers their first win over conference opponent Sam Houston State.
CFB News
Not much other news from this past week. ESPN did unveil a new scorebug that it looks to be using this year. Still remains to be seen if they will use the same SEC-on-ABC scorebug as last year or if that one has changed as well.
We also learned during the Kansas State–Iowa State broadcast that referees will be putting an emphasis on the delay-of-game penalty for disconcerting signals from the defense this year. This is going to be a problem. There’s nothing clearly written about what is and isn’t a disconcerting signal. I’m sorry, but if you choose to run your offense with a snap count of clapping, that shouldn’t mean every time the middle linebacker claps to get his flat defender’s attention, he gets a penalty. Seems like they need to define it the way targeting was defined years ago (not that it helped much, but I digress).
Games to Watch – Week 1
Auburn @ Baylor – 8/29, 8 PM EDT on FOX
Texas @ Ohio State – 8/30, 12 PM EDT on FOX
LSU @ Clemson – 8/30, 7:30 PM EDT on ABC
Utah @ UCLA – 8/30, 11 PM EDT on FOX
With Week 0 being small, I’ve added my year-long predictions to the end of this week’s blog.
Conference Champion Predictions
American: Memphis
ACC: Clemson
Big 12: BYU
Big Ten: Oregon
CUSA: Jacksonville St
MAC: Toledo
Mountain West: Boise St
SEC: Texas
Sun Belt: Louisiana
Playoff Projections
Texas
Clemson
Alabama
Penn St
Oregon
Georgia
Ohio St
Notre Dame
LSU
South Carolina
Boise St
BYU
Heisman Winner: LaNorris Sellers National Champion: Texas
I’d love to hear from readers, too. If you think any of my takes are stupid and want to argue, or if you want my opinion on something I haven't mentioned, feel free to email me at: thecollegefootblog@gmail.com
