The first 2 weeks of the season have not been good for the conference who can’t count as 2 of their national championship contenders go down on the road, and they have suffered multiple losses in out of conference play. While we haven’t truly had a wacky Saturday yet, we still encountered a number of message board genius meltdowns across the country on this past college football weekend.
Let’s start in Ann Arbor returning for a different reason than we thought 7 days ago..
Is Michigan as bad as their tainted win last week would indicate? Probably not. Are they going to get exposed as frauds as the season goes on? Probably, but this post isn’t about Michigan. Oklahoma looked like hot garbage on offense with fewer than 300 yards of total offense and a -2 turnover margin. I don’t get the love affair many in the national media have with John Mateer. They want to make him Baker Mayfield reincarnated, but I just don’t see it. The interception he threw was bad and set up Michigan on the doorstep to take the lead for good.
Brent Venables seems to be another defensive mastermind who doesn’t seem to be the best head coach. I really don’t see why Oklahoma saw a reason to extend and restructure his contract. His buyout is north of $50m. With games coming up at Georgia, the Red River Shootout, at Mississippi State (don’t laugh), at Florida and vs. Ole Miss, Venables may be on a scalding hot seat by November.
Let’s head to T. Boone Pickens-land to check on the state of the offseason national champions and another defensive mastermind who seems to find ways to lose.
After a serious scare at home in week 1 and a tumble down the rankings, #6 Oregon gets upset on the road by Oklahoma State, who got beaten soundly by Tulsa, who struggled this week to beat (check notes) Sam Houston. Because of Nike money, Oregon fans believe they are entitled to win national championships. The real question instead of what’s the problem with Dan Lanning may be what’s wrong with the long-time culture at Oregon where these kind of games seem to happen with regularity. I have no idea whether the rumored money being paid to Dante Moore to return to school is the real number or not, but I do wonder if that money has done something in the Ducks’ locker room. Also, a 52.9 QBR after 2 weeks isn’t exactly what a QB with a $5m NIL valuation should be.
Lanning’s calling card is supposed to be defense, and they gave up 550+ yards of total offense including over 230 yards on the ground … yikes. In the meantime, Oregon averaged less than 5 yards per play on offense
Let’s head back to the 404 to check on the temperature of the denizens of StinkTalk after being run over by Tennessee.
Leave it to some Tech nerd genius to express his opinion on Jacketass football using some kind of tech script. First, on Tennessee, you would have thought from the commentary last night that Faizon Brandon was Hendon Hooker. A stat line with 159 yards of total offense shouldn’t scare anyone remaining on the Hillbillies’ schedule. They ripped the Tech defense for 299 yards on the ground. Another poster said on another thread on StinkTalk that he was only focused on the Governor’s Cup … all I got to say to that is we are going to be ready to drop 50+ on them. They need to be worried they may have 7 or 8 losses by the time Clean Old Fashioned Hate rolls around in November.
As this season goes on, the anticipation of throwing the Drought on the ash heap of college football history grows. Given that game time is in a flex spot on Rivalry Saturday, I expect that Sanford is going to be ready.
Let’s head out west for a quick stop in Corvallis to see how the real Texas little brother fan base is doing.
Texas Tech escapes Oregon State with a win. I don’t think anyone in the Big 12 is shaking in their boots about facing this Texas Tech team. Given the little brother bravado their fan base showed this year, anything short of another Big 12 title is going make Cody Campbell and the Red Raider fan base put McGuire on the hot seat. All of these issues can’t be traced back to Brendan Sorsby, but the karma of what’s likely to happen during the rest of the season is going to be fun to watch after watching them defend playing the gambler.
On our way to the meteor game of the century, let’s see how next week’s opponent’s geniuses are doing after their late night trip to SLC.
If you want some Monday morning entertainment, check out one of the Arkansas Barstool accounts after Saturday night’s dismantling at the hands of Utah. I wish I had captured it. Let’s just put it this way … they aren’t optimistic.
Utah hasn’t exactly been known as a cradle of quarterbacks and the passing game. The Utes were 20 of 28 for 301 yards and a 10+ yards per attempt average. Now they face one of the hottest quarterbacks in the game. They rushed for 61 yards and less than 2.5 yards per attempt. It’s clear the Hog faithful are not happy with the choice of Silverfield. I’m sure Kirby is already showing the clip of Silverfield from Memphis last year and his lousy explanation at SEC Media Days. Here’s the reason I don’t understand the decision to fire a college coach midseason. Arkansas fired Pittman while at the same time having no plan resulting in this hire.
We’ll do more this week, but my prediction for Saturday is a lot of pain for the Hogs in Fayette Nam.
Let’s wrap up today with geniuses from both sides of the game in Austin.
Texas’s offense was hot garbage for most of the game. The 4th down end around was one of the worst offensive play calls I’ve seen in the last 10 years. The boo birds were out in Austin as Ohio State built their lead, and the Texas offense sputtered. Jeremiah Smith was running free through the Texas secondary, and Bo Jackson was getting tough yards.
Then, Muschamp made adjustments …
A segment of the Ohio State fan base seems to hate Ryan Day. I saw these game stats to demonstrate the scope of collapse of the Buckeyes in the 4th quarter last night. First, anOSU had won 115 consecutive games when holding a 20 point lead entering the 4th quarter. Second, AP #1 ranked teams were 197-0 since 2004 when holding a 20-point lead at any time in the 4th quarter. This made me laugh when I thought about the context of this past performance.
That’s what I saw this weekend. Did you see something even better? Let us know in the comments.
Day’s decision to not take the easy FG reminded me of Donnan x2 at tech in 99. Both were stupid.
I went back to check the drive chart again. That decision is as bad as I thought it was. The FG there puts anOSU up 13-0.
ESPN loves to throw up the analytic that says to GO. If circumstances say you may have to get into the 40s to win, maybe I would agree. At that point in the game, no one thought Texas was going to turn the game into a track meet.
I just think at that point of the game, take the points. I was saying that on the couch while it was happening.
No gimme with their kicker Shankopotamus….
It was a 30 yard FG. Not saying it was a gimme, but it was 3 points. He has made one from 26 earlier in the game.
Dumb decisions were made in that game. Sark didn’t convert on 4th down with a cute perrimeter play. I’ld love to know what the called reads were for the QB if it was option and the decision the QB was looking for.
I do agree with taking the FG attempt. I don’t agree with Day going for it on 4th down on the road with double digit lead early. Take the point, don’t give the stadium energy and Texas the win of a 4th down stop. Grind it out.
Overall I hate seeing Texas with a comeback for the ages.
But, I love seeing anOSU with a choke for the ages.
The TU message boards were hilarious at halftime. My favorite was fire everyone at halftime and let Bevo coach the second half. Enjoying other fanbase websites at times of misery reminds just how dumb so many fans are. I blame Bobo for this.
It makes the Austin beatdown all the better.
Yes it does. Georgia’s last visit there was mentioned as something they want to forget. Ryan Day is directly responsible for that loss.
Not sure who does less with so much. Day, Sark or Lanning. None would survive without a decided talent advantage and media flossing.
Kirk Herbstreit was so certain of the win he twice referred to tOSU as we. I can’t stand him why was there no SkyCast to protect me from his bias.
I haven’t heard yet, but is Texas back? I’ll hang up, and listen pawwwl.
If you have seen the rankings released yesterday afternoon, you probably have your answer. Texas jumped ND and us into the #1 spot.
According to the experts, Texas is so back.
I’ll be honest … I think Bobby Hill and the Vowels are lying in wait for them in a couple of weeks.
I’ll be pulling for Junior and Lulu over McConaughey.
That game will be a really interesting addendum to that “Book of Manning” thing. UT vs UT. Where do Cooper and family sit in Knoxville? Does Peyton, Marshall and family talk to Cooper during the game?
Funny that people still have meltdowns in this era. Ohio State and Oregon will both have to lose at least two more games before they sweat making the playoff. And as the first two years have shown us, seeding is irrelevant other than whether or not you get a home game in December.
Imagine if this had been 15 years ago…both of those teams are now on life support and one of them would necessarily eliminate the other if they kept winning. I’m starting to miss the greatest regular season in sports.
SC, I miss the greatest regular season in sports. No doubt. Both teams would be on the edge of the abyss at this point.
I think Oregon is probably on life support, they are staring down the barrel of 2 or 3 additional losses if they can’t pull it together….
Sure, but that’s because they appear to be not as good as anticipated. If they are truly a contender, they can still lose to Ohio State or USC and make it in. If they lose those games (or others), then this game wasn’t really all that important because they didn’t belong to begin with…at least until the CFP expands to 64 or whatever it is they’re trying to do now.
Good stuff, EE. The preposterosity out of Austin and out of the sports media on their behalf is going to be insufferable for a bit. I guess it will be left up to Kirby to silence Thst yet again. Colin Cowherd is positively giddy this morning I’m sure.
Obvious for all to see that Ohio Stste (Day) lost that game more than Texas won it.
SARK SARK SARK ARSE ARSE ARSE SARK SARK SARK
I was listening to part of Josh Pate this morning. He made one of the most asinine statements that I think has ever come out his mouth. He said that Ohio State’s loss in Austin proves they are the best team in the country. He must be the brains behind ESPN’s FPI because that still has Ohio State as #1.
Good Lord. You wonder how these people get these jobs where people pay them big money to talk about something they apparently don’t understand.
Like pretty much everyone else, as soon as he got the big promotion to the ESPN mothership, Josh went from insightful commentator not afraid to tell some hard truths to company-man sellout…..
Let me get this straight. Both Michigan and tOSU are both considered the “winners” of games they lost this year. Now that’s some B1G propaganda right there. I like Pate, but he swings and misses his share of takes.
I don’t understand why Josh Pate has ascended to a fairly large position in college football sports media. He reminds me of William Hurt’s character in Broadcast News.
I agree with all of this weeks MBGs 🤣
Saban not around to run a HC coaching rehab home. Can’t believe Kirby willing to do the same. Some big names gonna be wandering around with buyout money after this season. Who will help these poor homeless souls?
My only response … Saban as Ursula with Sgt. Carter as Ariel:
Shane Beamer can always contribute. If nothing else lock him in the film room looking at special teams tape.
I also see Brent Venables getting fired at some point. It likely isn’t this year. OU wants points, he isn’t delivering and if he can’t beat Texas….. I don’t see the fit.
I thought Smart should have picked up some guys last year. Mike Stoops being one.
If Dan Lanning manages to get himself fired, Sexton should be encouraged to find Schumann a promotion
Ouch! This stings a bit:
“anOSU” very Blutarsky-like.
Thank you, kind sir.
I watched all of that Texas-OSU game. In my humble opinion, if Texas had a serviceable QB, they likely win by 14. Arch is not a good QB. He overthrew a wide open Cam Coleman, causing him to leap for the ball and have it bounce up for the INT. That pass to Wingo in the end zone should have been caught but it was also behind him and not a great throw. Arch is slow on his reads, inaccurate with his arm, and yet we are going to hear he is a Heisman candidate all this week. Go figure.
Yep … you saw the same Archduke I did. That throw to Coleman was downright awful given how open he was.
If his last name was Smith, he wouldn’t be the starter or would have already transferred out.
Also, Arch jumping around and celebrating the win like he had just single handed won the Super Bowl was a bit cringe worthy.
Fully agree. And that reaction highlights some program and “process” differences as…
UGA – expects to win
Texas – surprised they won
OSU – wilted in texas heat
my tin foil hat… texas boosters saw/see this and it is why they brought agent muschamp to get that kirby process embedded when they fire Sark.
My opinion on Brent Key remains unchanged. He isn’t a very good coach but he made some good hires in his DC and Buster Faulkner which allowed him to have some success. IIRC he had to replace both this year.
I don’t think he was as lucky in the replacements but, it is early on. Coaching turning over has a price in the learning curve. Also, if you’re bargain shopping up and coming talent, you’re going to have some hires that don’t work or coaches who have a learning curve to work out. GT’s OC isn’t exactly young but is new to CFB.
Such is life for GT, they don’t have the money to retain top coaching talent. It’ll be interesting to see how the program does.
I like the NikeU genius who figured out that Lanning and Cristobal are only successful when they surround themselves with people who mask their weaknesses.
Ummmm….isn’t that what you’re supposed to do as a CEO, chief?