Episode 3: Revenge of the Ranked Teams – CFB Review

As we throw the three fingers up on lap three of my college football review, we pay our respects to Dale Earnhardt Sr, as well as those teams that got absolutely demolished by the top 10 this past weekend. The money in their pockets has to be a nice feeling, so they’ve got that going for them at least. Like Lil’ Wayne said, “it’s a 3 Peat,” as we stay on top with this top shelf review.

Here’s Johnny!

Once again on Friday night, I found myself indulging in the primer for the Saturday college football slate. This ACC tilt pitting the Louisville Cardinals and the Florida State Seminoles against one another was great, full of offense and electricity. The one player that needs to be brought up is the massive 6’7” Seminole receiver Johnny Wilson. His career high night with seven receptions, 149 yards and two TDs, topped his whole body of work for the season and is a good momentum builder following his transfer from Arizona State.

Wowzers! It’s Brock Bowers

If the Georgia Bulldog tight end was draft eligible this season, he’d be a top two prospect in my book… and he’s not number two. The only thing Bowers didn’t do on Saturday was throw a touchdown, or I guess, punt the football if you’re a stickler. Either way, he scored three TDs on an incredible jump ball grab in the back corner of the end zone, a 78 yard seam to the house and even scored on an end around reverse. Who in the world does a reverse to the tight end anyways?

Vegas Strikes Again

The one game outside of Maryland and SMU that I would have smashed the over in a heartbeat was Indiana against Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky loves to score points and Indiana should have been physical enough to score right back. However, this game that had an over/under of 61.5 and spread of Indiana -6.5 was almost spot on.

It was 30-22 late in the game and Indiana needed a TD and two points to tie. Fortunately they got both which sealed the over just before the end of regulation. The spread came just as close because Indiana blocked a field goal in OT, running it almost all the way back. That would have really been close on the spread, coming up just a half point short.

Last Minute Mountaineers

Honestly, we all knew the Appalachian State game against Troy was going to come down to the wire right? I don’t think anyone could have predicted that finish though. I mean come on, a last second Hail Mary from Chase Brice that bounced perfectly into his receiver’s hands as he jogged into the end zone in a walk off win?

You can’t make up the improbable run of ridiculously close games that the Mountaineers have played in the first three weeks. Most teams maybe get one finish or an upset like that once every three years, but it took them just three weeks. What a fun time to be a Mountaineer.

Bigger Kitty Gets The Treat

Rewind to a year ago when the Auburn Tigers and the Penn State Nittany Lions played a fantastic, close game in Happy Valley. This year however was nothing of the sort, as Penn State came into Jordan-Hare and took it to the Tigers for 60 minutes. Nittany Lion quarterback, Sean Clifford may have taken one of the biggest hits I’ve ever seen on the first drive, but after that it was all Penn State.

They ran the ball for 245 yards, topped by the super freshman running back, Nicholas Singleton. Auburn may have finally found a quarterback to replace Bo Nix in Robby Ashford. The threat he poses with his legs would make sense to implement a read option scheme, and force defenses to pick and choose.

Oh and by the way, this was the first and probably the last time Auburn will have a Big Ten team come into their house. CBS’s Gary Danielson even admitted this was an embarrassing evening for the Tigers that had “a ton of pride in this program.”

Not Your Average Huskies

Anyone on who has ever owned a Husky knows that they can be a handful, notably from their absolutely psychotic antics. In the college football world, teams that are represented by huskies as their mascots haven’t been good for a few years. That’s about to change as the Washington Huskies have put the four legged fluff ball back in the top 25.

After a 39-28 toppling of the highly ranked Michigan State, that was not as close as the score would insinuate, the Huskies look to be in prime position. Indiana transfer, quarterback Michael Penix Jr., looks back to his elite 2020 form and ready to have these puppers in the fight out west. If he plays like that in conference play, a PAC-12 crown isn’t out of the question.

Zips Getting Zapped

Apologies to all the kids in school that had a last name with the letter Z, because I feel your pain. Having a W put me all the way at the bottom with you. Speaking of all the way at the bottom, we run into the Akron Zips football program.

It’s not a been good time to be a Zips fan these past few weeks. After a 52-0 beat down at the hands of Michigan State, they followed it up with an even worse encore performance. They got out gained by exactly 400 yards en route to a 63-6 thrashing from the #11 Tennessee Volunteers. Needless to say, conference play can’t come soon enough for the MAC affiliates.