Welcome to the tenth edition for the junior season of The Hangover, where I recap the previous weekend in college football. This week, The Hangover comes to you from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where I stood on the sidelines and watched as “The Game of the Century” proved to be just that. There is a ton to parse through from this past weekend and what the results mean, so let’s dive in!
As the clock ticked down under 40 seconds, I looked at my co-worker Julia. “Be ready to run,” I said. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow took the snap and placed his knee on the ground and, before I knew it, I was sprinting onto the field in the direction of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was needed for an interview. As I ran faster than I have in quite a while, I sensed the noise. The corner to which I was sprinting was loud, raucous, and full of funs screaming and welcoming the LSU players headed in that direction. Everywhere else, though, was silent. Alabama fans were stunned at what they’d just seen.
There are so many things to which you can point when you break down why LSU defeated Alabama 46-41 on Saturday. SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic went on Twitter and said the turning point for him was Burrow’s escapability. Numerous times, it looked as if the Heisman Trophy contender and, now, front-runner was trapped in the backfield. Then, the Ohio State transfer would use his legs to get out of a dicey situation, keeping the play alive with a scramble for positive yardage or with a throw to a receiver that had worked his way open.
For me, it was the miscues. Alabama made un-Alabama mistakes, and they made a ton of them. Busted coverages all night long, including horrendous work by the secondary on LSU’s second touchdown to put the Tigers up 16-7 in the second quarter. How about uncharacteristic turnovers from Tua Tagovailoa, who, despite throwing for 418 yards and four touchdowns, fumbled deep in LSU territory on Alabama’s first drive of the game? Or, what about the horrible interception right before the half with an incredibly dumb personal foul penalty on the Crimson Tide tacked on to give LSU first and ten on Alabama’s 13-yard-line. There was a dropped snap on a punt, missed tackles…in the end, Alabama didn’t look ready, and LSU rose to the occasion. The Crimson Tide still made tons of plays (Najee Harris had an incredible game, and Jaylen Waddle’s magnificent punt return was right in front of me), but LSU just made a few more.
Tons of credit goes to Joe Burrow, Joe Brady, and Ed Orgeron. When Coach O was brought into Baton Rouge, I was asked when the Tigers would ever beat Alabama again. I foolishly said it wouldn’t happen, because I just didn’t believe that Ed Orgeron would be able to out-coach Nick Saban. Amazingly, that happened on Saturday. LSU’s offensive gameplan was spectacular, mixing in designed quarterback runs and using Edwards-Helaire well to the tune of 103 yards on the ground with three scores as well as 77 receiving yards on nine catches with a touchdown. Burrow was sharp through the air of course, going 31/39 for 393 yards and three touchdowns while securing the Heisman Trophy in the process. When Alabama was threatening in the fourth quarter after cutting the deficit to one possession, Burrow engineered to fantastic drives to deaden the cheers coming from the 100,000+ wearing crimson in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
So, what does this game mean? For LSU, it means a playoff bid. Yes, LSU should be locked in barring an unforeseen loss somewhere down the stretch to either Ole Miss, Arkansas, or Texas A&M. Get into the SEC Championship undefeated, and the Bayou Bengals are in the CFP. For Alabama, things are a bit more complicated. Right now, it looks as if LSU, Ohio State, and Clemson are all good enough to run the table and get to 13-0 heading into bowl season. If that happens, and I think there’s a strong chance of that, then the Crimson Tide will be in a battle for that fourth spot with presumably a one-loss Big 12 champion and one-loss Pac-12 champion. The most favorable situation for Alabama, in our opinion, would be if that final playoff bid came down to the 11-1 Crimson Tide and 12-1 Oregon. At 11-1, Alabama would’ve had to defeat Auburn, which is Oregon’s loss this season. Of course, the committee can always use the “conference championship” argument, but the Pac-12 hasn’t gotten much respect the last couple of seasons and Alabama would have the common opponent edge. Still, Nick Saban’s squad has lost the chance to control their own destiny.
Bottom line, LSU won. They were the better team on Saturday and, while I’m not still 100% convinced because Alabama made so many mistakes and because Tua Tagovailoa was clearly less than healthy (I was monitoring him from the moment he got off the bus; trust me, the signs were there early), it looks like LSU is the better team period. Still, the “Game of the Century” lived up to the billing this time, with an intense atmosphere fueling a back-and-forth slugfest with as many highlight reel plays as a fan could want. We’ll throw one last thing out before we get to the rest of The Hangover…
Saturday was fun, but imagine the drama, intensity, and the craziness that would happen with a healthy Tua and full, ready-to-go rosters eager to play after a month of rest. Yes, I’m advocating for a rematch in the CFP semifinals. How amazing would that be?
More Week Eleven Thoughts
-A note about President Trump’s appearance at Bryant-Denny Stadium: security, thankfully, wasn’t awful, although I’m sure it helped that I had a credential around my neck. There are various opinions about why the President came to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he attended just to see a darn good football game. The President is a known sports fan and, admittedly, I’d be doing the same thing if I were in office. I mean, when you’ve got the ability to go to literally any game you want, wouldn’t you take advantage? If I’m ever elected President, the places where I’d want to see a college football game that I otherwise might not get a chance to visit would be: South Bend for a Notre Dame game, Eugene for an Oregon game, Columbus for an Ohio State game, and probably Lawrence for a Kansas game, just because I’d want to see Les Miles in action (he’d still be coaching, right?).
-We’re going to talk more about P.J. Fleck below, but Minnesota’s 31-26 upset over Penn State was stunning to watch because of quarterback Tanner Morgan. Morgan was 18/20 for 339 yards and three touchdowns, and he was able to slice and dice a very good Penn State defense was ease. Maybe Minnesota is for real. It’s very unlikely they get through the regular season undefeated, but…maybe?
-The Chase Young situation is wild and, while I don’t fault the NCAA for enforcing the current rules, it’s mind-boggling to me that Young is facing a four-game suspension (prior to an appeal) for taking a lone from a friend to pay for a flight to the Rose Bowl when Urban Meyer got just three games for all of the crap he did last season (I’ve written about it extensively and, if you don’t know by now the Meyer controversy, then I don’t know what to tell you). College football is better with Chase Young playing, and I know many people would like to see him available against Penn State in two weeks. He’s already sat out a game, let’s just suspend him against Rutgers and wrap this whole thing up.
-Oklahoma continues to play with fire. Whether they beat Baylor or not this weekend, the defense has clearly taken steps back the last few weeks after looking so impressive during the front half of the season under new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. A 35-14 halftime lead against Iowa State melted away, and it took a stop on a two-point conversion to win 42-41. Not ideal.
-It’s wild how under-the-radar Clemson is right now. I know I’ve said in the past that I have some reservations (and I still do), but the Tigers crushed another poor ACC team in a 55-10 victory over NC State. Since beating North Carolina by a single point, Clemson has outscored opponents 263-55. It should be noted that those teams are 5-5, 5-4, 5-5, 6-3 (that’s FCS Wofford), and 4-5. Not an amazing stretch, but not exactly basement-dwellers, so it’s tough to read. If Clemson beats Wake Forest this weekend by the same margins we’ve been seeing lately, count me fully back in on Dabo Swinney and his squad.
-Chad Morris got fired from Arkansas on Sunday, which isn’t a shocker after a 4-18 start to his tenure. Yes, it was just Morris’ second season, but the results speak for themselves–his only wins in Fayetteville are against Eastern Illinois, Tulsa, Portland State, and Colorado State. Even worse, Morris was 0-14 in SEC play during his time with the Razorbacks, and that record isn’t even misleading. The average margin of those 14 defeats is 22.5 points. The back-breaker seemed to be Saturday’s 45-19 loss to Western Kentucky in a game that, somehow, wasn’t even that close. Now, we turn our attention to what’s next. Who should Arkansas go after? Some names I like: Bill Clark from UAB, Willie Fritz from Tulane, Lane Kiffin from Florida Atlantic, and Billy Napier from Louisiana-Lafayette. Not included on the list but worth a call: Mike Leach from Washington State, because he’s been interested in a few SEC jobs in the past, and Mike Norvell at Memphis, although I’d be pretty surprised if he took the gig after Arkansas passed on his a few years ago.
-For the first time, we didn’t lose any teams from the CFP List. We’re still stuck at 11 squads, although that will for sure get smaller with Baylor and Oklahoma facing off this weekend.
Gray’s Top Ten
- LSU
- Ohio State
- Clemson
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Minnesota
- Utah
- Oklahoma
- Penn State
Well, the top three teams are pretty easy. LSU stays at the top spot after beating Alabama on the road, and Ohio State remains at number two after the dismantling of Maryland. Clemson surges past Alabama and into the top three. I think third is the ceiling for the Tigers if LSU and Ohio State continue to win. I’ve got Alabama at four because I think the Crimson Tide would defeat the other one-loss teams on a neutral field. Right behind is Georgia, which continues to use a suffocating defense to win. Oregon follows at six, and then Minnesota moves into the seven spot after the upset win over Penn State. Minnesota’s movement keeps Utah in the eight spot, and Oklahoma remains at nine after escaping against Iowa State. Finally, I kept Penn State in the top ten ahead of Baylor. Yes, the Bears are undefeated, but I think Penn State is the better team. Baylor will have a chance to prove me wrong this weekend.
Coach of the Week
Let’s send a shout-out to Bud Foster, the defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech. Saturday, Foster was honored by the athletic for 33 seasons of service to the university. Then, against a Wake Forest team that had been red-hot and had been scoring with ease lately, Foster flexed his muscles. The Hokies won 36-17 over the 19th-ranked Demon Deacons, holding Wake Forest to 301 total yards and their fewest number of points in ACC play. It should be noted that Virginia Tech is now 6-3 and 3-2 in the ACC, and the Hokies have won four of the last five with a one-point loss to Notre Dame mixed in. Whether Virginia Tech wins the ACC Coastal is still to be determined, but Saturday was a nice showcase for the career of legendary assistant Bud Foster.
A special, second shout-out to Lovie Smith at Illinois. A month ago, Smith was on the hot seat. Then, the Illini shocked Wisconsin, rattled off four straight, and now sits bowl-eligible at 6-4. Incredible.
Idiot of the Week
What is going on in East Lansing? Let’s take a look at the whole picture because we dive into why Mark Dantonio is this week’s winner of this “prize.” Last season, despite starting at number eleven in the preseason polls, Michigan State went 7-6 (5-4 in the Big Ten) and closed out the campaign with the legendary 7-6 loss to Oregon in the Redbox Bowl. After a year when the Spartans were held under 20 points seven times, fans wanted Dantonio to go and hire somebody else to run the offense. Instead, Dantonio just shifted things around on his staff, keeping the same people but just handing out different positions. Fast-forward to this season, and things aren’t much better. Michigan State currently sits at 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, and misery came to a head on Saturday when the Spartans blew a 28-3 lead to the aforementioned Fighting Illini of Illinois. The Spartans were outscored 27-3 in the fourth quarter and lost 37-34 on a last-second touchdown, marking four straight losses for Dantonio’s squad. Dantonio has been there for thirteen seasons, so I’m not sure he’ll get fired this year. But, maybe it’s for the best for all parties involved if the 63-year-old Dantonio moves on to either retirement or some other job where he can ride off into the sunset.
150 Corner
This week, we get a battled between two rivals as Notre Dame and Navy face off in South Bend. Both teams are ranked, which is a lot of fun. This match-up has given us a few good games this year, so let’s take a look at a few of the classics between the Fighting Irish and the Midshipman.
Random Rankings
We are torn here at RR HQ about whether or not to make the purchase of Disney+. Yes, we’ve admitted our love for Marvel movies and all things Disney, but we’re already paying for Netflix and Amazon Prime…it’s a lot. Still, the launch of the Mickey Mouse streaming service brought up a conversation about classic Disney Channel shows. What will be available on Disney+? What are the best ones? Admittedly, we won’t watch the station anymore but, back in the old days, Disney Channel provided some really quality television. Here are our random rankings of the best classic Disney Channel shows.
1.Kim Possible
2. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
3. Phineas and Ferb
4. That’s So Raven
5. The Suite Life on Deck
SEC Power Rankings
LSU cemented itself in the top spot, probably until the SEC Championship. Behind the Tigers, things are still a bit unclear. Here’s how The Hangover sees things stacking up in the conference where it just means more.
- LSU (LW: 1)
- Alabama (2)
- Georgia (3)
- Florida (4)
- Auburn (5)
- Texas A&M (6)
- Tennessee (7)
- Kentucky (8)
- Missouri (9)
- Ole Miss (11)
- Mississippi State (12)
- South Carolina (10)
- Vanderbilt (13)
- Arkansas (14)
So Who’s Ready for Next Week?
Can Week Twelve match Week Eleven? I guess we’ll have to watch and find out. Here’s what’s coming up this weekend. Note: the rankings shown are from this week’s AP Poll, since the updated CFP Rankings will come out tonight.
#4 Alabama at Mississippi State, 11 am CT on ESPN
#24 Indiana at #9 Penn State, 11 am CT on ABC
#11 Florida at Missouri, 11 am CT on CBS
Michigan State at #14 Michigan, 11 am CT on FOX
Kansas at #25 Oklahoma State, 11 am CT on FS1
#21 Navy at #16 Notre Dame, 1:30 CT on NBC
Wake Forest at #3 Clemson, 2:30 CT on ABC
#5 Georgia at #13 Auburn, 2:30 CT on CBS
#22 Texas at Iowa State, 2:30 CT on FS1
#7 Minnesota at #23 Iowa, 3:00 CT on FOX
#1 LSU at Ole Miss, 6:00 CT on ESPN
#10 Oklahoma at #12 Baylor, 6:30 CT on ABC
UCLA at #8 Utah, 7:00 CT on FOX
USC at California, 10:00 CT on FS1
That’s it for this edition of The Hangover! This weekend, we’re off to Auburn to see the Tigers host Georgia. We’ll be back for our regularly scheduled time next week. Until next time, college football fans!
