Week nine was one of the best weeks in recent college football memory. Some things that made this week so great were also kind of dumb though. Some were dumber than others. There were some thrillers for all the wrong reasons. There were also some trends that just aren’t going to stop. On and off the field, things happened, for better or for worse.
This week reminded me why we follow this sport with so much passion. Like most great traditions it happens at the same time every year. The leaves turn colors. Pumpkin patches and apple orchards are teeming with families and lovers who will someday have their own. Halloween comes and goes. Thanksgiving comes and you wish it never went. Midterms are dreaded and then celebrated when they are over. The first fall of snow either pisses you off or elates you. All these things are happening while we’re betting our expendable income on college students playing football. There were triumphs and heartbreaks this week, much like every other week. The beauty of this point in the season is that these triumphs and heartbreaks are magnified. The triumph of solidifying your spot as a contender. The agony of realizing, “maybe next year” will happen another year. Catharsis can be very cruel to us.
Stanford-Oregon State
There was nothing good about this game. Bryce Love went out and he is Stanford’s whole stupid, boring offense. There’s a reason you don’t see phone booths around anymore so why does Stanford insist on playing in one? Everyone has cell phones now, rendering phone booths obsolete. Keller Chryst simply does not have the talent to drive the ball down the field and David Shaw is perfectly happy with it. Even when it nearly costs him games against Oregon State.
Hats off to the Oregon State defense though. This team had Gary Andersen quit on them (big surprise) and they had every justification to not give a damn about the rest of this season. They could have easily laid down and took their beating. But hell no. The defense showed a ton of heart and interim coach Cory Hall had his team in the game all night. Some late mistakes cost them the game but I’m optimistic that the Beavers will look much better down the stretch. The offense was downright putrid. But that’s alright, Stanford has themselves a pretty solid defense too.
Penn State’s Offensive Line, Downright Offensive
By the fourth quarter, Ohio State had eventually run out of toes to shoot off. One theme that had persisted throughout the day was Ohio State controlling the line of scrimmage. Sure, Penn State ripped off some big plays. None of those plays came from Saquon Barkley. Ohio State’s defensive line smothered the Nittany Lion offensive line and by the end of the game, had worn them down. Penn State is always a homerun threat. Even with about 90 seconds, it seemed like Penn State had a great chance to win the game. Ohio State dominated Penn State’s O-Line for four more plays and sealed their biggest win of the season. With the weapons Penn State has on offense, the line will have to be much better if they want to compete with the Ohio States, Alabamas and Clemsons of the world.
Jim McElwain
This can go out to the whole team too. What the hell is going on down in Gainesville? Florida is currently on a three-game losing streak and what does Jim go out and do? He did two things. First, he made up some death threats that him and players were allegedly receiving. Administration did a little detective work and found out that was not the case. Couple that with a horrendous showing against rival Georgia and you’ve given the University of Florida a perfect reason to help you find your way to the door. Worth mentioning: Georgia had not beaten Florida by more than two scores since 1998. Randy Shannon, good luck.
TCU’s Offense
Zero offensive points. Kenny Hill looked very bad. TCU played stellar defense again. However, the amount of mistakes the Frogs made combined with a phenomenal effort by Iowa State made that a moot point. Iowa State controls their own destiny in the Big XII. How the hell did they lose to Texas?
Florida State
Jimbo Fisher’s buyout is absolutely enormous. He’s staying put, plain and simple. His staff on the other hand, jumped off the hot seat and into the furnace. There will be major changes made to FSU’s coaching staff this summer. I get they’re inexperienced at every important position on offense but this is Florida State. There is no reason they should go out and lose 35-3 to Boston College, even on the road. A close loss is forgivable given how decimated this roster is. But 35-3 is cause for serious concern. FSU still has to play Clemson, btw. The Seminole bowl streak is in serious jeopardy if they can’t take down Syracuse or Florida.
Baylor
Nothing needs to be said here. They are so awful and after a 38-7 pummeling at the hands of Texas, it looks like Baylor’s mailed it in for the year. 0-8 at Baylor was unthinkable just 4 years ago.
Tennessee
Butch Jones should not coach another game at Tennessee. Tennessee needs to get a jump on the coaching carousel now that Florida has already gotten a head start. His buyout isn’t nearly as bad as Jimbo Fisher’s or Ed Orgeron’s so Tennessee has to make a change. Butch simply is not getting it done. One more loss to Vanderbilt will be the last-last nail in the coffin.
UNC and the Injury Bug
It’s really not fair to the Tar Heels to include them with some of the teams on this list. This team has been absolutely destroyed by injuries and has still remained competitive. Aside from three games (Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame) UNC has been in every game. You’ve gotta think that if they were fielding a full team they’d be right up there competing with Virginia Tech for the Coastal Crown. I think Larry Fedora’s job will be safe when it’s all said and done. But they are going to need to come back strong next year if he wants to cool his seat back down. Road games against Pitt and NC State look an awful lot like losses right now. At least it’s basketball season in Chapel Hill.