College Football 22’-23’

Have been meaning to start this, better late….

Shout out to the Sun Belt Conference (who knew I’d ever say that?) Not only because @astroevan Coastal Carolina is off to another good start, but last weekend App
State beat Texas A&M (miss Mateo on this thread), Marshall beat Notre Dame, and Georgia Southern put the final nail in Scott Frost’s coffin by beating Nebraska. That’s some serious great results. Not a huge week of big time matchups, but:

Florida St at Louisville: FUSA Special @MicahMan @jumpkutz . FSU won a crazy game against LSU and look to continue the rebuild. Have to like the Noles.

HotSeat Game:
#22 Penn State at Auburn; With Frost’s firing, Bryan Harsin is in trouble. Player defections (because of alleged bad treatment) & poor recruiting has put his short tenure in jeopardy. Nittany Lions should heap more pressure.

#12 BYU at #25 Oregon; Ducks got stomped by Georgia, this game will go a long way to figuring what kind of season it will be for them.

Upset Alert:
Miss State at LSU; @dtowndough I think it’s the Bulldogs not Ole Miss you support along w/Southern Miss (forgive if I have that backwards). MSU impressed me by going into Tucson and winning comfortably (I know my Cats have stunk in recent years, but they are much improved). 16 starters return for Pirate Mike Leach and if they can avoid silly turnovers (had a couple against us) they can heap more misery on Brian Kelly.

Love to hear about any and all teams, so please share.

 

I haven’t caught a lot of college ball yet but what I know to this point is Coastal Carolina is living on borrowed time. The offense is still exciting and clicking on most cylinders (35.7 points/game, 6.8 yards/play) but the defense can’t stop anything. As a 32.5 point favorite at home against FCS Gardner Webb, they eked a 31-27 victory. They should be able to make a bowl game this year but it may be another “home” game as a participant in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

In other NCAAFB things that I can talk about (as the son and brother of Auburn alumni), I’m actually surprised that Bryan Harsin hasn’t been given his severance check yet. The boosters tried to oust him in the off-season, he’s lost recruits and had far more transfers out than in, the team squeaked past mighty San Jose St in week two, and then got completely embarrassed at home by PSU on Saturday. Harsin is somehow borrowing more time than anyone else in CFB.

 

I'm not much of a college football fan. I've been to one Mizzou game in my life. If there is nothing else on I'll watch a quarter or two. Mizzou got some top recruit so expectations were high, but they haven't been anything special so far. They got blown out by k-state a couple weeks ago.

My alma mater is off to a good start in division III play. The bears of Washington University have two blow out wins to begin the campaign. The bears stadium is Francis Field which was the site of 1904 Olympics. It's a neat place.

 

IU is undefeated but I can't quite figure out how.

 

SoCal - Southern Miss - that's correct. I do cheer for MSU when I watch them. CU is in shambles and has been fun to watch in unfold (and sad).

Looking forward to TN/Florida this week.

How you feeling about the Beavers this weekend SoCal?

 

@dtowndough There is a stirring down here. The obnoxious elitist Trojan fans (SC fans are the worst when they are winning) are awakening from their hibernation and suddenly SC gear is seen in public. My Trojan buddies are leery of this game, because while the offense has been fixed, they say the defense is short on talent and has been relying on turnovers so far. Oregon State is no pushover, their coach is legit and wouldn’t be a surprise if #7 goes down in Corvallis.

#20 Florida at #11 Tennessee. Dtown, who you got in this one? Between their crazy hard schedule thus far and history you would think UF, but the Koolaid has been drink, I’ll take the Vols.

#10 Arkansas at #23 Texas A&M. Aggies offense has been quite offensive (in the bad way). The Hogs are a reflection of their coach and will be looking to run it. Can’t believe I’m picking Arkansas, but A&M has to prove they can move the ball.

Upset Alert; I can see all the above underdogs win outright, but will take Washington St at home over #15 Oregon. The Ducks have bounced back after their beatdown by Georgia, but Pullman is a tough place to play.

 

I'm with you on USC. However, I think with Riley, he'll have them ready and avoid the upset. I'm with you on Vols. I'm also with you on Arkansas. For upset, Iowa State is actually favored, so not an upset pick. I'm taking Texas Tech!

 

https://www.espn.com/college-footba.../fifteen-years-later-giving-business-lives-on

Got a few minutes? Please read above story on one of the most famous/funny ref calls of all time. Great stuff.

Games l:
@astroevan Your Coastal Carolina (7-1) host App
State. No lie, wish they weren’t playing this tonight w/World Series going on. This should be high scoring and sorry Evan, but picking Coastal. The dreaded SCJ Kiss of Death likely in effect.

#6 Alabama at #10 LSU: Death Valley at night is no joke, Bayou Bengals improving and I think will finish off Bama’s Natty hopes.

Game of the Week:
#1 Tennessee at #3 Georgia: Not a typo, the Vols top the rankings. I saw them squeak out an OT win vs Pitt, so it’s shocking on how much they’ve improved since then. Vols QB, Hedon Hooker is the leader for the Heisman. Georgia hasn’t been very impressive after thumping Oregon in the opener, but taking the Dawgs at home due to the experience factor.

Upset Alert #23 Oregon State at Washington. The Beavs have been a great story out here, but give me
the Huskies at home.

 

I think you may be right on Bama there. I'm taking UGA as well.

Heading down to Boulder for a few quarters and to tailgate for Oregon game. Don't think it will be much of a game, but it's a reason to get out for a little bit.

 

4 for 4 @SoCalJoe !

You may have to update your kiss of death strategy.

I said earlier this season that Coastal was playing on borrowed time but, outside of not showing up for their own homecoming game, they keep winning. The last two wins have been a bit more convincing, especially this victory over App St. They never trailed and were only tied at 0-0 and 7-7 (for two minutes). As the fates would have it though, I still cannot feel comfortable about the team's prospects since Grayson McCall (Coastal's QB and two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year) has been ruled out 3-6 weeks with a foot injury. This means he'll miss their final home game this weekend vs @dtowndough 's Southern Miss and two tricky road games in VA (UVA and James Madison).

 

RIP to 1 of 1..Mississippi St coach Mike Leach. He would prefer to talk about anything other then football. His irreverent deadpan style, kept him from being hired at a big program because they were scared of what he would say, but he won huge at smaller schools (Lubbock, Pullman, Starkville are all outposts), and his coaching tree includes Sonny Dykes (in the playoffs at TCU), Lincoln Riley (USC), and Josh Heupel (Tennessee). An offense genius, and a unique personality gone at age if 61. His discussion of Pac 12 mascot battle is legendary;

 

I feel a little depressed that I didn't know much about Leach. Sounds like my kinda celebrity.

 

Yeah, me too. I am pleased to see that a few of the long time stalwarts are still here.

 

The aimless ship with no port that is Louisville football managed to win the inaugural Fenway Bowl against longtime rival Cincinnati. School legend Deion Branch led them to it as interim head coach between outgoing HC Scott Satterfield and another school legend in incoming Jeff Brohm. Ironies: Satterfield left for Cincinnati after Luke Fickell bolted UC for Wisconsin. It continues to be unfortunate and very unfair to the student-athletes that the coaching carousel starts before the end of their seasons and, in most cases, their football careers. Equally poor is the ability of probable future NFL’ers to opt out of playing in a bowl game. Louisville will always be a basketball school, but any athletic department that doesn’t take football as seriously as the Alabamas, Georgias, Michigans, Ohio States, Clemsons, Penn States and USCs hurts the whole program. The Lamar Jackson days seem a really long time ago.

 

After the Fulham match the SemiFinals are here with #1 Georgia vs #4 Ohio State, Atlanta. The Dawgs have a short drive and seem to be a for sure back to back champ. Totally bizarre to ever think of Ohio State as big underdog, but I think it very well could be propel them to a great performance. I’ll go Georgia, but not before Ohio State gives them all they want.

#2 Michigan vs #3 TCU. It took longer then expected, but Jim Harbaugh has built the Wolverines into what all his previous teams (USD, Stanford, 49ers) were; dominant physical Offensive/Defensive Lines, great running game, and an efficient QB. TCU is only the 3 seed because they didn’t want to have Mich/Ohio St play again right away. Sonny Dykes will have the Horned Frogs ready and putting up a fight for respect, but can’t see anything but Meatchicken wearing them down.