As we all know by now, UGA has lost 2 big commits in the last few days. Although the 1st reaction is to wonder to yourself “what’s going on in Athens” there’s still no reason to panic just yet. Kirby has shown time and time again that he might knows a thing or 2 about recruiting. Also let’s keep in mind that these upcoming high school seniors have not had the opportunity to visit campuses on officials since March of 2020, so these guys are finally getting the opportunity to have the red carpet rolled out for them. Let’s let these kids live it up for now and know the “G”, and one of the best closers in the business in Kirby, will be fine come signing day.
On the bright side, after UGA losing 2 5 ⭐️‘S they are still ranked ahead of Florida.

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

With no major changes to this week’s depth chart, the Tigers seem content with running it back with the same group as Florida comes into town.

Missouri released its 10th official depth chart on Tuesday following its third straight conference loss, this time to Georgia, on Saturday. The next game won’t be any easier as the Tigers face No. 11 Florida, but at least they get the Gators at Faurot Field, the place where Missouri is 5-0 this season.

Here’s the full depth chart with some quick reactions following it:

Offense

Quarterback

• 7 Kelly Bryant 6-3 225 Gr. Calhoun Falls, S.C. (Wren)
• 5 Taylor Powell* 6-2 210 So. Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville)

Running Back

• 34 Larry Rountree III** 5-10 210 Jr. Raleigh, N.C. (Millbrook)
• 1 Tyler Badie* 5-9 190 So. Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest Christian)

Wide Receiver

• 9 Jalen Knox* 6-0 195 So. Mansfield, Texas (Timberview)
• 13 Kam Scott* 6-2 170 So. Manvel, Texas (Manvel)

Wide Receiver

• 4 Jonathan Nance 6-0 190 Gr. Perkinston, Miss. (Gulfport)
• 14 Dominic Gicinto* 5-9 180 So. Raytown, Mo. (Raytown)

Slot Receiver

• 12 Johnathon Johnson*** 5-10 180 RSSr. Memphis, Tenn. (Melrose)
• 30 Barrett Banister* 6-0 190 RSSo. Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville)

Left Tackle

• 70 Yasir Durant** 6-7 330 Sr. Philadelphia, Pa. (Imhotep/Arizona Western)
• 64 Bobby Lawrence 6-8 300 RSFr. St. Joseph, Mo. (Central)

Left Guard

• 59 Case Cook 6-5 295 RSSo. Carrollton, Ga. (Carrollton)
• 73 Mike Ruth 6-7 320 RSFr. Coppell, Texas (Coppell)

Center

• 55 Trystan Colon-Castillo* 6-4 315 RSJr. Webb City, Mo. (Webb City)
• 77 Thalen Robinson 6-7 315 Fr. Arlington, Texas (Bowie)

Right Guard

• 75 Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms*** 6-5 330 Sr. East St. Louis, Ill. (East St. Louis)
• 72 Xavier Delgado 6-5 330 RSFr. Glendale, Ariz. (Deer Valley)

Right Tackle

• 79 Larry Borom* 6-6 340 RSSo. Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Brother Rice)
• 50 Hyrin White* 6-6 305 RSSo. DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto)

Tight End

• 81 Albert Okwuegbunam ** 6-5 255 RSJr. Springfield, Ill. (Springfield)
• 82 Daniel Parker Jr.* 6-4 260 So. Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs)

Defense

Defensive End

• 39 Chris Turner** 6-4 255 Jr. Hammond, La. (Hammond)
• 99 Isaiah McGuire 6-5 260 Fr. Tulsa, Okla. (Union)

Defensive Tackle

• 1 Jordan Elliott* 6-4 315 RSJr. Missouri City, Texas (Westside/Texas)
• 90 Markell Utsey* 6-4 295 Jr. Little Rock, Ark. (Parkview)

Defensive Tackle

• 78 Kobie Whiteside** 6-1 310 Jr. Houston, Texas (Alief Taylor)
• 97 Akial Byers** 6-4 280 Jr. Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville)

Defensive End

• 28 Jatorian Hansford* 6-4 245 So. Forsyth, Ga. (Mary Parsons)
• 93 Tre Williams** 6-5 260 RSJr. Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge)

Weakside Linebacker

• 32 Nick Bolton* 6-0 235 So. Frisco, Texas (Lone Star)
• 25 Jamal Brooks** 6-1 240 Jr. Bessemer, Ala. (Bessemer City)

Middle Linebacker

• 58 Devin Nicholson 6-3 215 Fr. Detroit, Mich. (Cass Tech)
• 40 Cameron Wilkins* 6-2 245 So. Del Valle, Texas (Del Valle)

Cornerback

• 8 Jarvis Ware* 6-1 190 So. Apopka, Fla. (Wekiva)
• 21 Christian Holmes** 6-1 200 RSJr. Leland, Miss. (McNair)

Cornerback

• 2 DeMarkus Acy*** 6-2 195 Sr. Dallas, Texas (Wilmer-Hutchins)
• 14 Adam Sparks** 6-0 180 Jr. Baton Rouge, La. (Dutchtown)

Free Safety

• 18 Joshuah Bledsoe** 6-0 205 Jr. Houston, Texas (Dekaney)
• 31 Martez Manuel 6-1 185 Fr. Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge)

Strong Safety

• 9 Tyree Gillespie** 6-0 210 Jr. Ocala, Fl. (Vanguard)
• 4 Jalani Williams 6-2 175 Fr St. Louis, Mo. (Parkway North)

Boundary Safety

• 20 Khalil Oliver* 6-1 210 Gr. Meridian, Idaho. (Rocky Mountain)
• 3 Ronnell Perkins*** 6-0 205 RSSr. St. Louis, Mo. (University City)

Special teams

Kicker

• 19 Tucker McCann** 6-2 215 Sr. O’Fallon, Ill. (O’Fallon)

Punter

• 19 Tucker McCann** 6-2 215 Sr. O’Fallon, Ill. (O’Fallon)

Kick Returner

• 1 Tyler Badie* 5-9 190 So. Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest Christian)

Punt Returner

• 17 Richaud Floyd 5-11 195 RSSr. Gulfport, Miss. (Gulfport)
• 87 Cade Musser 5-9 200 RSFr. Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs)

Depth chart analysis

Bryant still QB1, no movement at backup

Though he didn’t play against Georgia on Saturday due to a lingering hamstring injury, Kelly Bryant is still atop the depth chart at the quarterback position.

Bryant was also the starter on last week’s depth chart, though last Tuesday he said his hamstring was only at about 75%. He warmed up with Missouri prior to last week’s game, but Taylor Powell ended up starting instead. Head coach Barry Odom said post-game that he expected Bryant to be healthy by the time Florida comes into town this Saturday, so it makes sense that the Tigers would keep him at No. 1.

He may not be healthy just yet, but with five more days still to recover, Missouri is expecting Bryant to be good to go against the Gators.

Meanwhile, Powell remains the top option as Bryant’s backup. He had a lackluster performance against the Bulldogs, leading the offense past midfield just once in over three quarters of playing time. Powell doesn’t deserve all of the blame, though, thanks to the play of the pass catchers, offensive line, and running backs, who all had poor performances.

However, third-string quarterback Connor Bazelak was impressive in limited time when he replaced Powell in the fourth quarter, completing 8 of 12 passes for 64 yards while almost leading the only scoring drive of the night for Missouri (he and Dominic Gicinto couldn’t connect on fourth and goal for a touchdown).

There’s been speculation that Bazelak could see an uptick in playing time after his performance, and perhaps eventually move into the backup role.

But, as the depth chart shows, Odom and offensive coordinator Derek Dooley still have faith in Powell for the time being.

‘Or’ distinctions gone

Missouri removed ‘or’ distinctions throughout the depth chart, meaning there will be no co-starters this week against Florida.

That means that Jalen Knox, Larry Borom and Devin Nicholson are the confirmed starters at wide receiver, right tackle and middle linebacker, respectively, heading into Saturday.

Despite an impressive freshman year, Knox has disappeared for most of the past couple of months. He hasn’t caught more than a single pass in a game since Week 3 against SEMO, and has no more than eight receiving yards in a game in the same time span. Borom has been okay on the offensive line, but he’s picked up his share of holding penalties throughout the current losing streak and hasn’t done much to correct the issues that have plagued the line since after Homecoming.

Nicholson, on the other hand, has played a huge role in keeping the defense afloat after losing Cale Garrett. A true freshman, Nicholson has produced six total tackles in both the loss to Kentucky and the loss to Georgia. Though the defense still has trouble with mobile quarterbacks and strong run games, Nicholson has helped take control of the middle of the field alongside Nick Bolton.

It remains to be seen what each player has done to earn sole starter status. Perhaps they’ve shown in practice that without a doubt they are “the guy” at the position, though it’s possible the coaching staff decided having that uncertainty on the depth chart wasn’t something they wanted in the face of so much adversity.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Chomp Chomp

The Arizona State Sun Devils announced on Tuesday that they will plan the Florida Gators in 2028 and 2031. On September 16, 2028 the Gators will travel to Tempe, while the Sun Devils head to Gainesville on either September 6 or 13 in 2031.

Athletic Director Ray Anderson announced the plan.

“This agreement with the University of Florida provides our fan base with yet another elite series with a Power 5 opponent,” Anderson said in a statement. ”The addition of Florida complements our future schedules, which already include series with LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State and BYU. We are proud of our future football schedules and of the fact that we can produce quality and interesting matchups for our fan base to enjoy.”

This is another addition to a pretty good list of conference opponents for the Sun Devils coming up that have also arranged Home/Home series.

BYU: Sep. 19, 2020 (Home), Sep. 18, 2021 (Away)

Oklahoma State: Sep. 10, 2022 (Away), Sep. 9, 2023 (Home)

Mississippi State: Sep. 7, 2024 (Home), Sep. 6, 2025 (Away)

Texas A&M: Sep 12, 2026 (Away), Sep. 11, 2027 (Home)

San Diego State: Sep. 18, 2027 (Home), Sep. 9, 2028 (Away)

LSU: Sep. 8, 2029 (Away), Sep. 7, 2030 (Home)

Texas: Sep. 11, 2032 (Home), Sep. 10, 2033 (Away)

Do you guys like this matchup for the Sun Devils? Do you enjoy scheduling so far in advance? Make sure to discuss below.

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

The Good

The defense. Oregon State went one for 13 on third downs. OSU only ran five plays in Washington territory, the deepest of which was on the the 37-yard line. Washington held OSU to 119 total yards of offense. That is a dominating defensive performance! That’s the least amount of yards the Huskies have given up in a Pac-12 road game since 1991. The defense also pitched a shutout against the Beaver’s offense, although a Jacob Eason pick-six let them sneak onto the scoreboard.

The secondary across the board had a great game, limiting OSU QB Jake Luton to 88 passing yards. A special kudos goes to Elijah Molden for his pick near the end of the first half:

Edefuan Ulofoshio the redshirt freshman walk-on linebacker continues to make a name for himself. “Eddy” finished the game with a team high nine tackles, as well as 1.5 sacks, and 1.5 TFLs. He and fellow redshirt freshman linebacker Jackson Sirmon played a majority of snaps at ILB against OSU and brought an effective and physical performance to the game.

Joe Tryon had his best game as a Husky. At 6’5” with arms the length of legs, Tryon is a physical specimen that coaches and fans alike have been waiting to see go off. He’s flashed his potential on and off the last season and a half, but on Friday he put on a dominant performance. He ended the night with seven tackles, two sacks, and 4.5 TFLs. Without taking too much credit away from him, this performance did come against a mediocre Oregon State offensive line and we’ll need to see more consistency from him moving forward. But regardless, this was a great showing and hopefully just an example of what’s to come for the third-year sophomore.

The running game. Salvon Ahmed had a fantastic game, rushing for 174 yards with an average of 7 yards per carry and two touchdowns. Combined with Richard Newton and three other ball carries who combined for four total carries, Washington rushed for 245 yards on 48 carries. The offensive line blocked very well tonight, opening up some large holes for Ahmed in the second half. Ahmed gets some extra credit in this game for running through several tackles and playing with a more physical running style than we have seen from him in the past. Perhaps it can be attributed to the return of Newton, whose running style could be described as “violent” and may have rubbed off on Ahmed.

The Bad

Hunter Bryant. Despite making what was nearly Washington's best offensive play of the game (it was still very good), Bryant ultimately had a disappointing day. He had at least four dropped passes and was only able to haul in five of his 12 targets. A couple of those incompletions were balls that Eason overthrew, but overall Bryant looked remarkably inconsistent on Friday.

Jacob Eason. It might not be entirely fair to claim that Eason belongs exclusively in the bad category for this game. He did some good things and the insane number of drops from his receivers (a season long issue) certainly negatively impacted his numbers and overall performance. But, his two interceptions were avoidable and he overthrew guys a number of times. He ended the night with 175 passing yards while completing just 50% of his 32 pass attempts, well below his season average. It’s likely that this is more than just an Eason issue, as Washington’s general passing game has been a problem all season long.

Coming into the game, Peyton Henry was a perfect 16/16 on field goals this season. However, he only made two of his four field goal attempts on Friday, and one of those field goals comes with a bit of an asterisk. OSU had a defensive holding penalty on a field goal that Henry initially missed, giving him a second chance to hit it, which he did.

Clock management! This is maybe the fourth time this season there has been a glaring head scratcher of a decision in regards to clock management. While this one ultimately had limited negative implications for the final outcome of the game, if things had ended differently, it would have been a much bigger issue. Specifically, at the end of the first half with time winding down, Washington had one timeout left with eight seconds on the clock on OSU’s 11 yard line. But instead of using their timeout, Washington decided to spike the ball when the clock was down to four seconds. They ultimately wasted an opportunity to take one more shot at the endzone and instead ended up missing a field goal to end the half.

The Unknown

So what’s up with Ty Jones? He played in his first game of the year and saw five snaps, but didn’t get a target. Presumably the coaching staff is easing him back into things. Given the new redshirt rules, Jones can play in the final two regular season games and the bowl game, while still maintaining his redshirt.

Sean McGrew? It appears that McGrew is still recovering from a lingering injury. After getting a pretty regular workload as the number two or three back in the first half of the season, he was sidelined for the past few games. He saw action on special teams against Oregon State, but didn’t have a single carry.

ILB Brandon Wellington appears to have suffered a head injury in the first half of the OSU game and was seen wearing street clothes on the sidelines in the second half. He’s presumably under concussion protocol and will be week-to-week moving forward. Does this mean that Ulofoshio and Sirmon will be the two starting inside linebackers next week? We’ll see what the coaching staff does with Kyler Manu, but it’s looking like a strong possibility.

Go Dawgs!

Of course, the Buckeyes remain atop the LGHL rankings.

Last Saturday, the LSU Tigers went into Tuscaloosa, Ala. and knocked off the Alabama Crimson Tide, so there was little doubt that the Tigers would remain in the top spot of the SB Nation FanPulse Top 25 this week. However, with the Tide’s loss, the Ohio State Buckeyes have climbed up a rung on the ladder and now sit as the second-ranked team in the country.

The defending national champion Clemson Tigers are in third, with ‘Bama sliding to fourth, followed by the Georgia Bulldogs and the pair of under-appreciated unbeatens, the Baylor Bears (No. 6) and Minnesota Golden Gophers (No. 7).

Sign up to vote in the SB Nation FanPulse Survey here

On the Land-Grant Holy Land side of the survey, the Buckeyes remain the top team (natch), followed by LSU and Clemson, and then those plucky, boat-rowing Gophers in fourth.

For what appears to be Big Ten allegiance-related reasons, we Ohio State fans have P.J. Fleck’s crew three spots higher than the rest of the country does. Similarly, the LGHL poll has the Indiana Hoosiers two spots north of where the collective SBN voting body has them.

Check out both the LGHL and SBN polls:

In addition to the Top 25 poll, the FanPulse survey also asks additional questions every week, and this time around they asked who respondents felt was the favorite in the Heisman Trophy race. I have a few thoughts:

1. Good for Joe Burrow.
2. This whole Chase Young absurdity is a travesty. He is the best player in college football, and if it wasn’t for antiquated, hypocritical rules from a governing body that has long outlived its usefulness, I would have been pounding the table that he deserved top billing in this poll.
3. WHERE. IS. J.K. DOBBINS?

Also, every week, FanPulse gauges the level of confidence that fans have in the direction of their specific program. This week, for the ninth time on the season, LGHL’s readers said that they were 100 percent confident in the direction of the OSU football program, which is pretty impressive.

Still not over numskulls who weren’t confident early in the season, but I at least appreciate their willingness to see the error of their ways following Week 3.

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

I mean, Mark Dantonio has clearly quit coaching football.

Mark Dantonio has thrown in the towel. He doesn’t care about Michigan State football or his players anymore. He should be fired.

Those were all things I thought before I read this Tweet on Tuesday morning. That is not how any of this works! A player doesn’t get to decide if they’re “good” to play. It is literally why there is a concussion protocol.

Remember when Brady Hoke was coach at Michigan and he put Shane Morris back into a game after Morris CLEARLY suffered a concussion?

This is BRUTAL to watch. First of all, Morris should have come out at the beginning of the video after getting his leg rolled up, but Hoke leaves him in. Then Morris gets tattooed by a Minnesota defender and needs help standing from one of his linemen. Finally, a play later, he takes himself out of the game ONLY TO BE PUT BACK IN A FEW PLAYS LATER WHEN BACKUP QB DEVIN GARDNER’S HELMET COMES OFF AND HE HAS TO SIT FOR A PLAY!

WHAT THE SHIT?!?

So, that was terrible and Hoke was eventually fired after there were protests on Michigan’s campus about this. Dantonio not knowing whether or not his starting QB has a concussion or the fact that he didn’t insist that he get checked for one is concerning to say the least. It is dangerous and negligent and completely abandons everything a football coach that still gave a shit would do, in actuality.

In comments after the game, Dantonio said they checked him, but that does not seem to be the case. Mark Dantonio can kiss my ass and hopefully after his team gets boat-raced by Michigan he never coaches football again.

Indiana Hoosiers

S&P+ rank: Overall 19th, Offense 15th, Defense 35th, Special Teams 9th

Last week’s results: BYE

Biggest strength: The crazy bastards did it. They ranked Indiana.

None of the players on the team were even alive the last time Indiana was ranked. Good for them! #9WINDIANA FOREVER!

Biggest weakness: So, the NBA season is humming right along.

For the sake of my sanity I need Ben Simmons to shoot a three pointer when he returns from his injury. I don’t care if it goes in. I don’t care if it becomes a meme on #NBATwitter. He just needs to shoot one. The fact that he won’t worries me. It worries me that he’ll never even become a below average shooter, which is all he needs to become to unlock the next level of his talent, and teams will continue to erase him from the offense in the playoffs.

JUST SHOOT ONE, BEN!

This week’s opponent: Saturday at No. 4 Penn State, 11:00 a.m. CST, ABC

Maryland Terrapins

S&P+ rank: Overall 80th, Offense 65th, Defense 71st, Special Teams 128th

Last week’s results: (L) at No. 1 Ohio State, 73-14

Biggest strength: I couldn’t believe that Ohio State just kept scoring in this game. Every time this game came across the bottom line Maryland had given up more points. The Terps threw for 77 yards and ran for 62 yards in the first quarter. ::puts finger to ear:: I’m sorry, what’s that?

Those stats are for the entire game? All four quarters? Well...ok then.

Good for this former Buckeye for being able to be polite after being molly-whopped like that. Antoine Brooks Jr. had 10 tackles and Javon Leake had a 70-yard kickoff return.

Biggest weakness: Commits from Maryland who went to the same high school as Chase Young are now decommitting during a game?!? ::1,000 thinking face emojis::

Probably not for another few decades, I’d imagine.

If Mike Locksley can’t recruit the DMV well, Maryland is in way more trouble than we thought.

This week’s opponent: BYE

Michigan Wolverines

S&P+ rank: Overall 15th, Offense 43rd, Defense 4th, Special Teams 70th

Last week’s results: BYE

Biggest strength: I’ve been told those are Woodman’s price tags and the account says their location is in Madison, so I’m inclined to believe it.

BETTER PRICES ON BETTER PRODUCTS SOLD BY BETTER PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY’RE EMPLOYEE OWNED, HELL YEAH!

Biggest weakness: I wish every coach was like Coach O.

This week’s opponent: Saturday vs. Michigan State, 11:00 a.m. CST, FOX

Michigan State Spartans

S&P+ rank: Overall 35th, Offense 84th, Defense 11th, Special Teams 108th

Last week’s results: (L) vs. Illinois, 37-34

Biggest strength: Brian Lewerke had a bad game. He threw three picks to one touchdown, but he ran the ball really well, scampering for 96 yards and a score. Elijah Collins ran for 170 yards and two scores.

I hope you do, Dantonio.

Biggest weakness: Keeping leads and putting players into the concussion protocol.

This week’s opponent: Saturday at No. 14 Michigan, 11:00 a.m. CST, FOX

Ohio State Buckeyes

S&P+ rank: Overall 1st, Offense 4th, Defense 1st, Special Teams 16th

Last week’s results: (W) vs. Maryland, 73-14

Biggest strength: Three different quarterbacks combined to go 26-of-38 for 322 yards and four touchdowns. The rushing attacking had 56 carries for 383 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers are a lot better than Maryland’s numbers, huh?

It’s almost like Ohio State was mad about something and decided to take it out on the next poor, hapless sap that happened to cross their path. If Young isn’t back this week we’re gonna need to send FEMA to the Rutgers/Ohio State game.

Biggest weakness: Giving up that many yards to Maryland is problematic.

I guess the Buckeyes still having seven sacks even while missing their sack-master is pretty good but they never should have given up any yards to Maryland at all.

This week’s opponent: Saturday at Rutgers, 2:30 p.m. CST, BTN

Penn State Nittany Lions

S&P+ rank: Overall 7th, Offense 11th, Defense 8th, Special Teams 14th

Last week’s results: (L) at No. 17 Minnesota, 31-26

Biggest strength: Defensive game plan against the Minnesota passing attack.

I’ve seen some people try and explain away this loss for Penn State by saying the turnover luck was bad or some such, but when you’re leaving dudes this open you’re going to have a bad time. Journey Brown had 124 yards and two touchdowns and probably should’ve gotten more than 14 carries. K.J. Hamler had 119 yards and TE Pat Freiermuth had 101 yards and seemed basically uncoverable for most of the game.

Micah Parsons had 11 tackles and a sack for a PSU defense that got gashed by the Gophers through the air.

Biggest weakness: The passing defense left a lot to be desired as did the play calling on offense.

James Franklin must be a mind-bending coach to have for your favorite football team. Some of his decisions are just beyond explanation. A fade on fourth and goal to Hamler ain’t it, chief. At least he went for it there, I guess. Baby steps!

This week’s opponent: Saturday vs. Indiana, 11:00 a.m. CST, ABC

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

S&P+ rank: Overall 107th, Offense 109th, Defense 86th, Special Teams 67th

Last week’s results: BYE

Biggest strength: Owen had a good take. One that I’ve had for years and one that I’ll defend to the death.

Throw some brandy in there and enjoy a winter Saturday on the couch in the luxury. You can thank me and Owen later.

Biggest weakness: Holy shit that line!

Do you think if they played their starters the whole game that Ohio State could beat Rutgers by 100?

This week’s opponent: Saturday at No. 1 Ohio State, 2:30 p.m. CST, BTN

Illinois Fighting Illini

S&P+ rank: Overall 53rd, Offense 71st, Defense 58th, Special Teams 4th

Last week’s results: (W) at Michigan State, 37-34

Biggest strength: R u serious?

LOVIE!

The Illini became bowl eligible after the biggest comeback in school history and I know I should hate Illinois for beating Wisconsin earlier this year but...I just can’t. I’m happy for the Illini and their long-suffering fans.

Brandon Peters threw for 369 yards and three scores (and one pick, but who cares!) and Josh Imatorbhebhe had four catches for an eye-popping 178 yards and two scores.

The defense had four guys record double digit tackles with Dele Harding leading the way with 14. They also forced four turnovers. Sydney Brown had two of the turnovers and ran one back for a touchdown.

Biggest weakness: The running game was awful (27 carries for 36 yards) and everything Bill C. lists below happened.

Again, good for the Illini. I hope Lovie grows his beard forever.

This week’s opponent: BYE

Iowa Hawkeyes

S&P+ rank: Overall 23rd, Offense 68th, Defense 9th, Special Teams 23rd

Last week’s results: (L) at No. 13 Wisconsin, 24-22

Biggest strength: Veteran quarterback leadership.

Pregame confidence.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. had five catches for 130 yards and a 75-yard touchdown. Matt Hankins had eight tackles and a pick. Their kicker made three field goals.

Biggest weakness: WHO, I ASK YOU?!?!

I mean, it’s a Wisconsin tradition too.

I hate playing Iowa. I feel like every game is like this one where I think Wisconsin should win handily and then all of a sudden the Hawkeyes are lining up for a game-tying two point conversion and I’m like...“what the hell?”

Iowa’s rushing game, on both sides of the ball, was awful. So was their third down conversion game, again, on both sides of the ball.

This week’s opponent: Saturday vs. No. 17 Minnesota, 3:00 p.m. CST, FOX

Minnesota Golden Gophers

S&P+ rank: Overall 13th, Offense 7th, Defense 25th, Special Teams 92nd

Last week’s results: (W) vs. No. 4 Penn State, 31-26

Biggest strength: Tanner Morgan had his second game of the season where he completed 90% of his passes. He also threw for 339 yards and three touchdowns. A pretty masterful performance against a stout defense. Rashod Bateman has amazing. He caught seven passes for 203 yards and a score. Tyler Johnson had seven catches as well but only accumulated 104 yards and a score. Smh, Tyler.

Antoine Winfield Jr. had 11 tackles and two picks and will hopefully declare for the draft after this year because he is friggin good.

Hmm, yes, having an upright piano on your offensive line is good.

Biggest weakness: Mini Fleck is pretty cute, but he’s no Baby Mangino.

I really want to doubt this Minnesota team and say “Penn State was overrated” and “they had fewer yards and first downs than PSU” and “they won’t average 17 fucking yards per pass again” and “they got lucky with turnovers” but all of that is just sour grapes.

Minnesota is 9-0.

That isn’t something that just happens because you’re lucky. You also have to be good and I now think that Minnesota is good. Their hardest remaining game is this weekend at Kinnick Stadium, aka Where Dreams Go To Die Stadium, and if they make it out of there unscathed they’re probably going undefeated.

Nothing about playing an undefeated Minnesota for the Axe in the last game of the season in Minneapolis (with a top-four ranking on the line?) sounds appealing to me and I see few scenarios where the Badgers come out with win like that.

Will they give Ohio State a game in the conference title matchup? I doubt it, but I’ve doubted basically every single thing about the Gophers this year and here they are in the top-ten proving every idiot like me wrong.

I hate it so much.

This week’s opponent: Saturday at No. 18 Iowa, 3:00 p.m. CST, FOX

Nebraska Cornhuskers

S&P+ rank: Overall 57th, Offense 52nd, Defense 63rd, Special Teams 122nd

Last week’s results: BYE

Biggest strength: I hope that this spawns a whole new series of vulgar signs in foreign languages causing the ESPN censors to have to hire multiple translators.

Biggest weakness: Knowing what leadership is.

After every Nebraska loss this year, and there have been many, some Huskers fan/reporter/both tweets something like this. That isn’t leadership, that’s being accountable to your teammates. Which, to be fair, is a part of leadership but isn’t the whole shebang. Adrian Martinez may be a great leader, I don’t know, but him stating a fact that he played poorly does not make him a “leader of men” like Nebraska so desperately wants him to be.

This week’s opponent: Saturday vs. No. 13 Wisconsin, 11:00 a.m. CST, BTN

Northwestern Wildcats

S&P+ rank: Overall 90th, Offense 126th, Defense 20th, Special Teams 115th

Last week’s results: (L) vs. Purdue, 24-22

Biggest strength: Look, I know Northwestern actually played a game and even scored some points, but I do NOT want to talk about Wildcats football if I don’t have to. And, well, this is my column...so I won’t.

My grandmother is an EXCELLENT crossword puzzler and I’m a little upset she didn’t text me for this answer like she often does when more recent pop culture clues are involved.

Unless.

Unless this means she KNEW THE ANSWER WITHOUT HAVING TO TEXT ME! I take it back. I hope this is the answer. I want nothing more than for my grandmother to know who Bubba Sparxxx is.

Biggest weakness: This man could steal the Mona Lisa with one hand tied behind his back.

This week’s opponent: Saturday vs. UMass, 11:00 a.m. CST, BTN

Purdue Boilermakers

S&P+ rank: Overall 59th, Offense 59th, Defense 75th, Special Teams 61st

Last week’s results: (W) at Northwestern, 24-22

Biggest strength: Becoming the first ever Aidanbowl Champions!

I love Purdue, man. They are on their 11th string QB and still threw the ball 50 times! Aidan O’Connell had 271 yards, two TDs and two picks (electric stuff!) and lead the Boilermakers to a comeback win (his second game-winning drive in as many weeks) over an atrocious Northwestern team. David Bell had 14 catches for 115 yards and one of those touchdowns.

“It wasn’t a pretty game, and we had some moments where we looked really bad,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. A quote from the winning coach every time a game is played in Evanston.

Biggest weakness: This is a good joke. Stop worrying about spreading the wealth and start worrying about spreading the ball around to the skill positions IMO.

Purdue’s kicker had a great game! He made all three of his extra points and made the game-winning 39-yard field goal. Good work, J.D. Dellinger! I like when college kickers do well.

This week’s opponent: BYE

Wisconsin Badgers

S&P+ rank: Overall 11th, Offense 28th, Defense 6th, Special Teams 103rd

Last week’s results: (W) vs. No. 18 Iowa, 24-22

Biggest strength: Here we are again, my friend.

Jonathan Taylor was amazing. Nobody had even rushed for 100 yards against Iowa’s defense this year and he ran for 250. Really weird that he didn’t get into the end zone, but it was nice of him to allow his teammates to score a few. Quintez Cephus looked good and caught a 52-yard pass. The defense was really stout, for most of the game, and Matt Henningsen got another sack.

Biggest weakness: Shouts to you, Kirk Ferentz!

Letting Iowa get back into the game in the fourth quarter was annoying. The kicking game is REALLY annoying and the punting game wasn’t much better. Jack Coan was...ok. I wish the Badgers would call a couple of pass plays that resulted in a player getting the ball in the middle of the field with, potentially, some space to run after the catch.

This week’s opponent: Saturday at Nebraska, 11:00 a.m. CST, BTN

Photo by Logan Stanford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Serenity now.

This is how it began:

And recently, Rapoport recorded this elaboration— which I think was really just an excuse to refer to Sanders as a “prime” candidate for the Florida State job.

Yes, this is an entertaining digression. And it’s also not going to happen. Sure, Sanders was arguably the greatest Seminole to ever wear the garnet and gold. But running fast and running a program are two very different things. With zero college coaching experience — much less as a head coach — Sanders is far better suited for his current role as an on-air personality.

But of course, people had to run with this.

And Sanders isn’t exactly talking it down.

The rumor seems to have the support of FSU’s top-ranked commit for the 2020 class...

And drew a playful jab from a former Seminole player.

As an aside, I’d just like to re-emphasize that the Sanders-to-FSU thing originated with Rapoport and Mike Garafolo: his colleagues at NFL.com. If having your coworkers start a rumor about you is all it takes to make news, I do hope nobody at Tomahawk Nation goes public regarding my tawdry affair with Emma Stone.

OK, maybe the refs.

After a one-week hiatus, Poseur and Chris are back with Seth and Jake to recap the Auburn game, then talk Game of the Century II. Do the Tigers have what it takes to beat Bama this year? The guys also discuss the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, and answer listener questions.

We’ve had our fluids, we’ve stretched, we’ve even taken a nice nap... we are prepared for this Bama game. Doing all the things you need to do to get ready for this thing.

Intro/outro song is “Je Suis Fier de Toi” by The Mudbugs Cajun & Zydeco Band from their 2010 album “Mudbugs”. Used with permission and gratitude!

Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

LSU at Alabama highlights this weekend’s slate.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Buffs look to avoid a sixth straight loss and bowl game elimination in Mel Tucker’s first season

For the first time since 1904, the Colorado Buffaloes (3-6, 1-5 Pac-12) will face a Stanford Cardinal (4-4, 3-3 Pac-12) team past the first week of November. Both teams are fighting for postseason hopes late in the season with no room for error. It’s not an easy road for either team considering Colorado needs to win out after losing five straight games, and Stanford needs two of the four remaining games with two them coming on the road, along with facing 15th-ranked Notre Dame in the season finale at home.

A season that started out at 1-3 for Shaw’s team improved to .500 with back-to-back wins at Oregon State and vs. No. 15 Washington to open October. Since that point, the Cardinal gave away a 34-16 loss to UCLA and took a 41-31 win over Arizona two weeks ago to remain even on the year. Stanford is one loss away from matching the worst record in Shaw’s tenure in Palo Alto— a 9-5 season that produced a Pac-12 North title in 2017 for the then 20th-ranked Cardinal.

Stanford struggled to make the postseason with a total eight bowl appearances prior to the Jim Harbaugh era. Since Shaw arrived in Palo Alto in 2011, the Cardinal have never missed the postseason and are trying for an extra game for the 11th year in a row as the most consistent team in the Pac-12, including four straight BCS bowls between 2010 and 2013 to make Stanford the winning-est conference program of the decade. The Cardinal has won 98 games since the start of the 2010 season, tied for the sixth-most in college football. Just five programs have reached 100 wins this decade.

However, Shaw’s focus isn’t looking ahead to December, but rather taking it one week at a time. “I’m not even thinking about bowl games,” Shaw said this week. “Our charge every week is to play our best football. We’re chasing that great game where you walk out of the stadium saying, ‘Guys, that was our best game.’ That’s what we want. The bowl game stuff will happen however it happens, but our focus is just on what happens on game day.”

The last time Colorado and Stanford meet on the gridiron was 2016. A defensive road battle decided by 10-5 score in favor of the Buffaloes and helped secure a bowl bid for the first time in a decade during “The Rise.” Since that time, CU has gone 9-20 against conference opponents including a 31-point blowout in the 2016 Pac-12 Championship at the hands of 4th-ranked Washington. Colorado has allowed 30+ points in 14 straight games going back to last season, the longest streak in FBS. On the other side, Stanford has surpassed the 30-point mark just twice this season both resulting in wins. Although, one thing to watch in the meeting between the Buffs and Cardinal is the 40-point mark. Stanford is 31-0 under Shaw when scoring 40-or-more points.

While Colorado’s defense has taken a beating as of late, the offense hasn’t produced outstanding numbers either. The Buffs averaged 34.6 points per game thru the first five contests of the season and a low 14.5-point average in the four games since. A look at the stat line over the past month tells a story of the past 16 quarters. A total of 49 offensive drives (not including end of half) resulting in 22 punts, 12 turnovers, 7 touchdowns, 5 missed FGs and 3 made FGs for the Buffs.

The Cardinal have done well defensively this season allowing 28.0 points per game, but still manages to be one of the seven Pac-12 teams to give up over 400+ yards a game. What offsets the lack of discipline is Stanford’s ability to score on both sides of the ball. The Cardinal is currently 15th in the nation and has scored three non-offensive touchdowns this season.

A shuffle for Stanford at quarterback with K.J. Costello returning in the win over Arizona after missing three games due to a thumb injury. The senior starter takes back control of Cardinal offense after backup Davis Mills passed for 890 yards and five touchdowns to an interception in Costello’s absence. Mills’ relief effort was the best start by a Stanford QB in their first three games since 2003. In 24 career starts, Costello has led the Cardinal to a 15-9 record. His 48 career touchdown passes are tied for sixth-most in school history.

After Bryce Love’s exit to the NFL, Stanford’s workhorse out of the backfield this season is Cameron Scarlett. The fifth-year senior from Portland, Ore has rushed for 700 yards and five touchdowns this season, and is 39 yards shy of matching Love’s rushing yard total from last season. Through eight games, Scarlett is second behind Mills with 859 all-purpose yards.

News and notes

Second Half Hustle: “Stanford is 75-7 when leading at halftime under David Shaw and has won 59 of its last 62 games when leading after three quarters.”

Showing up early and often: “Colorado’s attendance of 48,913 for the Southern California game pushed the season number to 203,593 for four games, including two sellouts (against Nebraska and Arizona State; the last time CU exceeded 200,000 for its first four home games was in 2011 (203,666), CU’s first year in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes are at 101.4 percent of capacity at this point, one of the top figures nationally (CU’s final season ticket count for the year was 20,414, while students purchased the full allotment of 12, 254 sport passes).”

No DirecTV— A big deal: Stanford’s David Shaw shared his thoughts about the Pac-12 needing a deal with DirecTV before the season. Here’s what he had to say.

From the desk of Dave Plati:

“Stat of the week: Third Down Successes. Colorado has been fairly proficient on third downs this season, especially when it comes to third-and-short (third-and-four or less). The Buffaloes are 38-of-55 in such situations, which translates to a 69.1 percent conversion rate (CU is 28-of-37 on third-and-three or less, 75.7 percent, and has earned a first down 10 of 12 times on third-and-one). Against UCLA, the Buffs converted all five times when faced with third-and-four or less. When CU has called a running play on third or fourth down, it has converted 33 of 45 times (73.3 percent), with WR Laviska Shenault leading the way (8-of-8), followed by TB Jaren Mangham (10-of-12) and TB Alex Fontenot (9-of-13).”

Game Info

Colorado welcomes Stanford into Folsom Field for the first time since 2015 on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. MT. The Cardinal have won two of the past three over the Buffs, despite losing the most-recent meeting in 2016. Stanford holds a 6-4 all-time advantage over CU, 3-1 as members of the Pac-12.

TV: Pac-12 Network (except DirecTV)

Radio: 850 KOA (Regional) Mark Johnson (play-by-play)/ Gary Barnett (color)

Weather Forecast: 67°, clear at kickoff

Odds: -3 Stanford

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Pete is coming to E-Town! Not creepy at all.

We’re still doing this. Northwestern (1-7, 0-6 Big Ten) is actually favored for the first time since UNLV as they ready to play host to Purdue (3-6, 2-4). But will the Boilermakers’ injuries get the better of them, or will it be the Wildcats who fail to capitalize on a winnable 11 a.m. home tilt?

Here’s how our staff sees things playing out on Parents Weekend in Evanston:

Joe Weinberg: Northwestern 10, Purdue 9

Lake the fucking posts.

Noah Coffman: Purdue 17, Northwestern 16

I really want to pick the Wildcats this week. I even think they’ll score a touchdown! But Aidan O’Connell, in limited action so far this season has seemed pretty solid for a third-string quarterback. He will outplay his fellow Aidan (or Hunter Johnson, we still don’t have an injury report) and Purdue’s complete lack of a run game won’t be enough to sink them.

Get ready for some impressive Charlie Kuhbander field goal kicking, though.

Claire Kuwana: Purdue 13, Northwestern 7

Even with an injury-ridden offense, Purdue will still manage to produce coming off their win over Nebraska. Northwestern may score their first touchdown in over a month. I’m feeling optimistic.

Avery Zimmerman: Northwestern 17, Purdue 10

Northwestern finally gets some takeaways and capitalizes with..... touchdowns!

Matthew Albert: Northwestern 9, Purdue 6

Go ‘Cats. Cancer sucks.

Jacob Brown: Purdue 17, Northwestern 7

With NU’s postseason hopes dashed, and Johnson nursing another injury, I hope the coaching staff will stay away from risking his health (but who knows at this point?) Aidan Smith will throw a touchdown, but Aidan O’Connell and the Boilermakers will dominate time of possession, and win the game easily.

Daniel Olinger: Purdue 17, Northwestern 3

The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo said something something in an NBA preview that I think can apply to Northwestern’s football team. According to Russillo, with certain players we already know the answer to “the question” about them, so we should stop asking it. The question all season with Northwestern has been related to when the offense will improve. It’s been asked enough times, at this point, that everyone should know the answer is never.

This offense is not going to suddenly break through and muster enough points to win Big Ten games. Things don’t change as much as people would like to believe. As much as everyone wants to talk themselves into something like a 17-10 ‘Cats win, that’s just not what this team is this year. I don’t enjoy ripping on a team that’s filled with some really great people, but in 2019, they just aren’t good enough at football.

Mac Stone: Northwestern 13, Purdue 7

Northwestern is bad. Really, really bad. Purdue is also bad though, and will be without their best player in Rondale Moore, who went down in late September with a leg injury. This is going to be an eyesore of a game. The low score won’t be the result of good defense, but horrific offense. If you’re in Vegas, you’re betting your life on the under (the total is currently 39.5 points, who did the math on that?)

Colin Kruse: Purdue 9, Northwestern 6

Both teams are going to struggle immensely on offense, and the special teams units will have field days. Star turns from Andrew David, Trey Finison, and Kuhbander are incoming. Neither Aidan will lead their respective offenses to touchdowns, but, because the world is a cruel place and nobody can have nice things this season, the Boilermakers somehow will prevail. Take the under, folks.

Eli Karp: Purdue 16, Northwestern 10

I picked Northwestern the last two weeks to try to move up in the standings. I’m done now. The touchdown drought ends, though!

Inside NU Prediction Standings

Joe Weinberg: 7-1

Noah Coffman: 6-2

Avery Zimmerman: 6-2

Colin Kruse: 6-2

William Karmin: 5-3

Lia Assimakopoulos: 4-3

Jacob Brown: 4-1

Eli Karp: 3-5

Matt Albert: 2-5

Daniel Olinger: 3-0

Mac Stone: 3-0

Caleb Friedman: 1-0

Lucio Vainesman: 1-0

Claire Kuwana: 1-0

Ryley Hougland: 1-2

Graham Brennan: 0-1

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

One tailback returns; another is on the shelf.

The South Carolina Gamecocks enter Senior Night’s contest against Appalachian State in fairly good health for this time of year, although the backfield continues to struggle with having all hands on deck. Let former and oft-banged up cornerback Akeem Auguste guide you through a lengthy report which, thankfully, contains mostly good news.

Zero Augustes - Full go!

One Augustes - Should play, but won’t start

Two Augustes - Game-time decision

Three Augustes - Questionable

Four Augustes - Unlikely

Five Augustes - Out

Tavien Feaster — Five Augustes

The Clemson transfer who came in and made exactly the kind of instant impact Gamecock fans were hoping for is currently down for the count with a groin injury. This is unfortunate, since he and Rico Dowdle together have rejuvenated South Carolina’s rushing attack and made quite the duo when both were healthy.

A.J. Turner — Four Augustes

It’s not exactly clear what Turner’s status is, but the running-back-corner-back utility player is still nursing a hamstring injury and those are notoriously difficult, so I wouldn’t expect to see him this week.

Shi Smith — Three Augustes

The junior wide receiver joins Turner in dealing with a hamstring pull. He’s officially considered questionable, but it sounds like his availability will ultimately be a game-time decision.

Rico Dowdle — Zero Augustes

But here’s the good news! Dowdle, who has struggled with a snake-bitten injury history throughout his career, suffered another blow to his ankle a couple weeks ago. Fortunately, he’s back to full speed and will be ready to go against the Apps.

Dylan Wonnum — Zero Augustes

After missing five games with an ankle injury of his own, the offensive lineman is finally set to make his return.

Keir Thomas — Zero Augustes

The senior defensive lineman has been absent all season while battling a lingering infection after offseason ankle surgery. Coach Will Muschamp has given him the green light, but I’m not sure how much we’ll see him, given his prolonged recovery.

Damani Staley — Zero Augustes

The reserve linebacker sat out against Vanderbilt with turf toe, but is good to go.

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame has to play Duke again. It will hopefully not be like last time.

You guys are never going to believe this, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team has yet ANOTHER game this weekend.

Yes, I know, it’s wild.

The 6-2, #15 Irish travel to Durham to face off against Coach David Cutcliffe and his 4-4 Duke Blue Devils tomorrow, and after the past two games for Notre Dame, it goes without saying that even Duke can make us uneasy about how our team will perform...especially remembering the last time ND took on the Blue Devils.

Sorry about that, you’ll probably want to toss some acid into your eyes really quick. Maybe watch this to get some positive feelings back in ya?

Once you’ve done that, let’s move past watching a BVG defense lose to Duke at home and focus on Clark Lea’s squad hopefully turning it up a notch while the offense does the same, eh?

Here’s how the two teams match up.

Duke Offense vs. Notre Dame Defense

The Duke Blue Devils offense is not particularly great this season. They’re ranked 95th offensively in SP+ and are 100th in total offense (66th in rushing, 103rd in passing). Furthermore, they average less than 30 points per game, 64th in the country in scoring offense.

Meanwhile, Clark Lea’s defense has, besides the Michigan game, proven to be very consistent and pretty stingy, ranked 29th in SP+ ratings, 33rd in total defense, and 28th in scoring defense. On paper, this group should suffocate the Blue Devils and it should be smooth sailing for the Irish.

Unfortunately, that’s not how things have gone for the Irish lately, and Duke brings another dual-threat QB and some explosive offensive weapons to the table that could cause some issues.

Let’s start with the Duke passing game, which is certainly their weakness, which is odd considering David Cutcliffe is known for being such a good developer of QBs and a strong offensive mind. However, with the departure of 1st Round pick Daniel Jones, Quentin Harris has stepped in as QB1, and although he’s been decent passing the ball, he also hasn’t seen a pass defense as good as ND’s since the opener vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide. Duke lost that game 42-3 while Harris went 12-for-22 for 97 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.

Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

Indeed, the Irish’s pass defense is 14th in the country in passing yards allowed per game, and 19th in yards allowed per passing attempt, surrendering just 6.28. That group, as we all know at this point, is led by a bevy of veteran guys that includes a pair of senior captains at safety — Alohi Gilman (46 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR) and Jalen Elliott (29 tackles, 2 PD, 2 INT) — as well as reliable cover guys Troy Pride Jr. (27 tackles, 5 PD) and Shaun Crawford (17 tackles, 2 PD, 1 INT). That nucleus of seniors does a fantastic job of not letting receivers get behind them for many big plays, and none of them shy away from contact or making key tackles in space.

Along with those older guys, there have been a couple of youths making waves in the secondary, as TaRiq Bracy (21 tackles, 5 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR) stepped up in Crawford’s absence while he was injured, and freshman Kyle Hamilton has been better than advertised — 28 tackles, 3 PD, 3 INT (1 TD) — which is saying a lot for the 5-star talent.

Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The continued strong play from that group will be important, as Harris has been able to find some success this year with some pretty dynamic receivers running routes for him. The leader of that group has been WR Jalon Calhoun, who’s hauled in 37 passes for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns so far this season.

WR Scott Bracey is a big-play, home run threat kind of guy who’s got 257 yards and a pair of scores on just 19 catches, and Aaron Young has been equally strong with 18 catches, 234 yards, and two touchdowns himself. Add in TE Noah Gray’s 32 receptions for 238 yards and 2 scores, along with the unbelievable catch-to-touchdown ratio of Eli Pancol — 4 catches on the year, 3 touchdowns scored — and the Blue Devils have some skill guys who can hurt you if allowed to get open.

Running backs Deon Jackson and Mataeo Durant, in fact, are pretty strong in the passing game as well, combining for 28 receptions, 262 yards, and 3 touchdowns out of the backfield.

Of course, none of this will matter if QB Quentin Harris can’t get the ball consistently to those guys — especially considering they won’t be open every play with that vaunted Irish pass defense hounding them on their routes.

Harris is an okay passer, having tossed the ball for 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns so far in 2019 while completing passes at a 61% clip. However, he’s averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt through the air, and has managed to throw 7 interceptions already, meaning the Irish secondary has to be licking their chops a bit, hoping Harris takes the wrong chance out there.

One way Clark Lea can help nudge Harris in that direction will be by hitting him with a good pass rush that gets to the QB, hits him often, contains him in the pocket while collapsing said pocket, and piles up the sacks. The defensive end duo of Julian Okwara (16 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR) and Khalid Kareem (28 tackles, 4.5 sacks) are WAY overdue for a repeat of the 2nd half performance against the Virginia Cavaliers, and Harris is similar in a lot of ways to Perkins in terms of his being a decent passer and a VERY dangerous runner.

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images

If Okwara and Kareem — in conjunction with key reserves Adetokunbo Ogundeji and Jamir Jones (combined 32 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 FF, 1 FR TD) and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (4 sacks) — can put frequent heat on Harris and make sure he’s bottled up and taken to the turf often, the Irish will really be in business, considering how one-dimensional that kind of effort will make the Blue Devils.

Duke’s got an okay running game, and Notre Dame’s rush defense definitely leaves something to be desired (72nd in total rushing defense, 61st in yards allowed per rush at 4.03), so this would be where the Blue Devils could do some damage if the defense isn’t able to take away the pass and focus heavily on stopping the run.

Deon Jackson leads Duke in rushing with 487 yards and 5 touchdowns while averaging a decent 3.9 yards per carry, and his backup Mataeo Durant is solid as well with 248 yards, 3.8 yards per carry, and a rushing touchdown of his own.

Add in Harris and his 408 yards and 6 rushing touchdowns while averaging 3.9 yards per scramble, and Duke would have the weapons necessary to gash the Irish on the ground if they’re having to invest too much in preventing big passing plays.

The most important guys in containing Jackson, Harris, and Durant will be the Irish linebackers. The trio of Asmar Bilal (51 tackles), Drew White (48 tackles, 1 sack), and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (45 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR) have had their ups and downs this year, but if they can pick the right gaps to shoot and be as sure-tackling as we’ve seen them be, Duke will struggle to move the ball, considering their limitations through the air.

Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

It will also be important that Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (16 tackles, 1 FR), Kurt Hinish (13 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF), and Jayson Ademilola (16 tackles) continue to get a good push in the middle and clog things up, giving the linebackers time to read the run and make plays.

Offensive Blue Devil to Watch

QB Quentin Harris

If Harris can find just an iota of success through the air tomorrow, it will go a long way in terms of keeping the Irish defense honest and giving the Blue Devils running game some room to work. That plus some big scrambles to keep the chains moving will allow the Dukies to hang around in this one, and with the game played in Durham, who knows what could happen if Duke’s still there at the end of the line.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Irish to Watch

DE Julian Okwara

The man was a preseason All-American and projected first round pick, but he’s been incredibly quiet for much of the year. Some of it can be chalked up to teams keying on him and double-teaming him and getting the ball out quick so he’s less effective, but he’s also seemed to disappear at times. With the team still struggling quite a bit, an explosive, loud game from the senior captain would go a long way toward energizing the team and potentially spurring a blowout road win.

Halftime Funtime

Best Names in the Game

1. Notre Dame RB C’Borius Flemister
2. Notre Dame LS Axel Raarup
3. Notre Dame S Litchfield Ajavon
4. Duke PK Charlie Ham
5. Duke S Lummie Young IV
6. Notre Dame TE Tommy Tremble
7. Duke OT Peace Addo
8. Duke LB Koby Quansah
9. Notre Dame DL Hunter Spears
10. Duke LS Lee Rodio
11. Notre Dame LB Ovie Oghoufo
12. Duke WR Damond Philyaw-Johnson
13. Notre Dame DE Nana Osafo-Mensah
14. Duke RB Brittain Brown
15. Duke G Rakavius Chambers
16. Notre Dame CB Temitope Agoro
17. Notre Dame DE Adetokunbo Ogundeji
18. Duke QB Gunnar Holmberg
19. Notre Dame RB Jafar Armstrong
20. Duke LB Sayyid Stevens

Devil Power Rankings, No Context or Explanation Given

1. Devil’s Food Cake
2. A “devil may care” attitude
3. Tasmanian Devil (cartoon character)
4. Tasmanian Devil (animal)
5. “Speak of the devil”
6. Playing Devil’s advocate
7. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band
8. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
9. “The devil is in the details”
10. Devil (2010), which has the following description on IMDB: “A group of people are trapped in an elevator and the Devil is mysteriously amongst them”
11. Geographical features named after the Devil
12. Arizona State Sun Devils
13. Deviled eggs
14. Lucifer/Satan (like, just the actual Devil)
15. “Devil in Disguise” by Elvis Presley
16. Make a deal with the devil/sell your soul to the devil
17. New Jersey Devils
18. Duke Blue Devils

Notre Dame Offense vs. Duke Defense

Whereas the Notre Dame defense appears to have a lot of advantages over the Duke offense, what should be much more interesting is the matchup between the ND offense and the Blue Devil defense.

Both are ranked 37th in the SP+, and although the Irish are 39th in scoring offense while Duke is just 55th in scoring defense, Duke’s defense does a pretty good job of limiting offensive production overall (40th in total defense) while the Irish struggle a bit in producing great raw offensive output (58th in total offense).

Thus, it should be fun to see if offensive coordinator Chip Long is able to change up his game plan a bit after a horrid performance in the rain at Michigan and a mostly bad follow-up against a Virginia Tech defense that rates lower than Duke’s.

Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The key, no doubt, will be QB Ian Book and his continued search for redemption after some disappointing games earlier in the season. Book has been fairly productive overall with 1,828 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, and has done a great job in limiting turnovers, throwing just 4 interceptions.

However, his accuracy (58% completion) has dipped substantially — roughly 10 percentage points — since last season, and persistent issues with abandoning the pocket early and not being able/willing to toss deep balls to a nice array of deep threats has left the offense an incomplete mess that really has trouble driving down the field and scoring against competent defenses.

Duke’s pass defense is its strength on that side of the ball, as the Blue Devils are 43rd in the country in passing defense and 27th in yards allowed per passing attempt (6.75). Their secondary includes a number of guys with a penchant for making plays on the ball, like safeties Marquis Waters (43 tackles, 5 PD, 2 INT) and Michael Carter II (37 tackles, 3 PD) and corners Leonard Johnson (33 tackles, 5 PD, 2 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR) and Josh Blackwell (18 tackles, 4 PD).

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Add in Dylan Singleton, who is 2nd on the team in tackles with 55 (plus 2 FF and 1 FR), and Jalen Alexander, who has 2 picks himself in 2019, and it’s obvious that Duke’s secondary is entirely capable of making some big plays, especially if Ian Book manages to make some big mistakes and throw the ball into risky spots like he did against Georgia and Virginia Tech.

Book will especially be interesting to watch due to Duke’s solid pass rush they’ll send his way — the Blue Devils are tied with Notre Dame for 35th in the country in team sacks, and have multiple guys who really know how to get to the QB and wreak havoc. DE Victor Dimukeje is the guy to watch in that regard, as he’s already got 6.5 sacks on the season and will surely have been told by his coaching staff that his ability to put pressure on Book will force him to ditch his progressions, scramble, and hopefully do much less damage than what could be done by standing in and patiently finding open receivers downfield.

Alongside Dimukeje, look for defensive ends Chris Rumph II (30 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 PD) and Tre Hornbuckle (24 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 FF) to be causing some issues — especially considering the recent injury to starting right tackle Robert Hainsey, as he is done for the season with a broken ankle.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive tackles Trevon McSwain and Edgar Cerenord (combined 36 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 FF, 1 INT) provide some decent heft in the middle and could cause issues as well, what with RG Tommy Kraemer out with a sprained MCL. How Duke attacks that weakened right side of the ND offensive line, and how reserves Trevor Ruhland and Josh Lugg hold up, will be critical for how much time Book even has to pass tomorrow.

If Book does find himself with decent protection, he will of course first look to his two go-to targets, Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet. Claypool was once again fantastic and critical to the team’s success in the 21-20 win over the Hokies last weekend, as he reeled in 8 passes for 118 yards, including multiple HUGE, clutch catches on the final scoring drive for the Irish. On the season, Claypool has amassed a stat line of 37 catches for 554 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Kmet has probably not been targeted in this offensive game plan as much as fans would like, but he’s still a major mismatch whenever he’s out there running routes, and in 6 games has been able to snare 27 balls for 318 yards and 5 touchdowns, which is pretty damn good considering the roller coaster ride this offense has been on this year.

Along with Claypool and Kmet, look for Book to hopefully sprinkle in passes to guys like Javon McKinley (11 rec, 268 yds, 4 TD), Chris Finke (20 rec, 233 yds, 1 TD), and Tommy Tremble (11 rec, 145 yds, 3 TD). Avery Davis and Braden Lenzy (17 rec, 232 yds, 3 TD combined) could also add a spark or two if given the chance, considering their speed and cutting ability.

If Duke is successful in pressuring Book and taking him out of his game through the air, the Irish will HAVE to be running the ball successfully to have a shot at winning this game. Rush defense is not really a strong suit for this Duke defense (54th in rushing defense, 53rd in yards per rush allowed), but unfortunately for us Irish fans, the ND rushing offense has not exactly been dominant this year (72nd in the country in total rushing, 63rd in yards per rush). Considering 40% of the starting offensive line is out, it might be a long day for Tony Jones Jr. and Jafar Armstrong in trying to get things going on the ground.

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Jones Jr. has been very good this season, having run for 571 yards and 4 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. He sat out the Virginia Tech game after injuring his ribs against Michigan, but will supposedly be good to go tomorrow in Durham. The Irish could certainly use him back, considering his powerful, agile running style and consistent ability to move the chains if given just a sliver of room to work with by his offensive line.

Jafar Armstrong, meanwhile, has been hurt for much of the season, and since returning from injury has really done nothing of note, running for just 46 yards and averaging a paltry 1.8 yards per carry. Jahmir Smith has actually been the second-best back for the Irish, running for 4.5 yards per carry while accumulating 122 yards and 2 touchdowns this year.

Of course, I’d be remiss in talking about the ND rushing offense if I left out Ian Book and his 251 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground, including the game winner against VaTech last weekend. For all the flaws Book has, he’s still a very good runner for a QB, and definitely uses his legs pretty well when necessary to turn losses into gains, move the chains, and give defenses fits.

On Saturday, there will be a trio of linebackers tasked with running him down and making sure Irish ball carriers can’t find any space in the second level in general. Koby Quansah is the leader of that group, considering his 72 tackles (plus 1.5 sacks, 2 PD, 1 FR), and along with Brandon Hill (50 tackles, 1 sack, 3 PD) and Shaka Heyward (33 tackles, 1 sack, 2 FR), they definitely have the skill and aggression necessary to bottle up the ND run game if the offensive line struggles to get a good push up front.

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Defensive Blue Devil to Watch

DE Victor Dimukeje

We know at this point that getting into Ian Book’s face, like with many other QBs, is the best way to force him to make mistakes, abandon plays early, etc. Dimukeje is an excellent pass rusher, and with junior captain Robert Hainsey out for the rest of the year, Dimukeje may have free reign at times in getting to the ND QB. If that’s indeed the case — watch out, folks.

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Offensive Irish to Watch

QB Ian Book

Guess who! Book played a bit better last week, but the offense still struggled mightily and Book made some near-critical mistakes that he simply shouldn’t be making at this point. Duke’s got a solid defense, and with the right side of the o-line out, Book will need to elevate his game and make some dazzling passes and runs to ensure the Irish come away from North Carolina with a W.

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Special Teams???

Duke’s kicker, AJ Reed, has not missed a kick this season. He is 27-for-27 on extra points and 9-for-9 on field goals. Folks, it’s time for that to change, amiright???

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Meanwhile, ND’s Jonathan Doerer has been pretty damn good himself, making all 32 of his PAT tries while also hitting 6 of his 8 field goals.

Duke is rated a bit better in special teams than the Notre Dame — the Blue Devils are 31st in SP+ vs. 44th for the Irish — but I don’t anticipate special teams playing too huge of a role in this one (and of course, in saying that, I have all but ensured that Duke will run back a kickoff or ND will block a field goal or something).

Alright, Let’s Predict the Result of This One

Notre Dame 33, Duke 20

Duke is better than Virginia Tech for sure, so this won’t be an easier match-up than last weekend, especially on the road and with some injuries taking their toll. But with that said, I think the Irish are going to once again improve their play week-over-week, we’ll see some big turnovers from the defense, and Ian Book and his squad will be just good enough to make this a comfortable final score despite a decently close game happening throughout. Sorry, David Cutcliffe!

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Next?

Let’s attempt to corral this madness. The Seminoles are in the market for their next head football coach, and as is par for the social-media course, lunacy has ensued. So we’re here to inject a little perspective, in the form of disseminating which hires are actually viable for the ’Noles. We’ll update this piece as new information becomes available, but keep in mind that this list is neither exhaustive nor an endorsement.

Bob Stoops

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This is FSU’s top choice. But despite what some want you to believe, nothing appears to have been finalized as of yet. As per usual, many without real information will hazard guesses, hoping they’re right so that they can later claim to have been first with the news. But the retired Stoops is an attractive option because he brings massive clout and experience, as a former national champion head coach with Oklahoma— and the fact that he doesn’t require a buyout only helps, even if the ’Noles will likely make it up in salary. However, Stoops hasn’t been the biggest fan of recruiting in the southeast.

Several national voices have been quite down on the possibility of Stoops taking over in Tallahassee, but early denial is often the name of the game when it comes to the extended courtship involved between big-name programs and top-tier coaches.

Mark Stoops

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A former Seminole defensive coordinator (2010-2012), Mark is Bob’s younger brother and currently the head coach at Kentucky. In addition to experience in Tallahassee, he’s done a nice job resurrecting Wildcat football at a basketball school, but he’s far from the most inspiring target out there. Then again, his $1.75 million buyout is far from prohibitive, and FSU is far from drowning in cash.

James Franklin

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Franklin’s name was bandied about when Florida State was last searching for a head coach, and his star is on the rise. The Penn State team he leads is 8-0 and 4th in the first College Football Playoff rankings. His $1 million buyout isn’t much, and he has head coaching experience in the southeast, having helmed the ship at Vanderbilt from 2011-2013. Competing against Clemson every year doesn’t sound like much of a draw— but Franklin is a great recruiter, and the Big Ten East is no slouch either. Still, would he want to leave Happy Valley, given what he’s built with the Nittany Lions?

Mike Norvell

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Norvell’s was another name mentioned the last time FSU sought a new boss. The Memphis head coach has limited head coaching experience, having been in charge of the Tigers since just 2016, but his 8-1 team boasts a top-10 SP+ offense. With a buyout of only $500,000, the price is right. And he’s only 38.

P.J. Fleck

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After a year coaching receivers for the Tampa Bay Bucs, Fleck debuted as a head coach with Western Michigan prior to taking over at Minnesota in 2017. The Golden Gophers are 8-0 (an inflated record against the Big Ten Coastal — er, West). Still, they have a top-25 offense and defense, per SP+ rankings, which is adjusted for opponents. But Fleck just agreed to a big extension in Minneapolis, and the buyout of $4 million is pricey, especially for a guy with no college coaching experience of any kind south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Matt Campbell

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Winning at Iowa State isn’t easy, but Campbell has shown that it’s more than possible, having captured Big 12 Coach of the Year honors for the last two seasons. Like Fleck, he’s another midwesterner, and also like Fleck, his buyout is high: north of $6 million. It’s a matter of time before Campbell bolts Ames— could that time be now?

Gus Malzahn

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Now Auburn’s head coach, Malzahn was the OC for the Tigers or War Eagles or Peace Lillies or whatever when they won the national title in 2010. All he needed was a future No. 1 pick QB— so he’s basically Jimbo Fisher. Kidding. But Malzahn is the guy they love to hate on the Plains, so if he wants a change of scenery, he could inherit the same role in Tallahassee.

Odell Haggins

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Florida State’s interim head coach for the second time in three years, Haggins’ loyalty to the program is unquestionable. He’s an exceptional recruiter, but would this be a longterm move for the future, or a temporary, feel-good fix? Haggins is also the only guy on this list without any extended head-coaching experience— are the Seminoles in a position to let him learn on the job?

Again, there are more candidates out there. And while some are more likely hires than others, we find these to be plausible — if not probable — options. We’re not here to waste your time, which is why we present the following most recent “possibility” without comment.

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With no room for error in the SEC East race, no room for error clearly demonstrated in the CFP release no room for error from a team that only beat Florida thanks to clutch 3rd downs, no room for error with a banged up defense. And a Dooley on the field. What, me worry?

Here is what I’m NOT worried about for Saturday night’s matchup:

1) Truman – the official Missouri Tiger mascot. Have you seen this? I admit I’ve never paid it attention. Tony the Tiger wants to throw down his bowl of cereal and jackslap this thing, just on principle. I’m sure the cartoon-ish face is a big hit at the children’s hospital and for the youngsters attending MU athletic events. But is that what you want to get your fans hyped? Granted, we can’t all have live Bengal Tigers living on campus, but c’mon… put a little aggression in this costume. We have plenty of Tigers in the SEC, I just don’t count this as one of them.

2) Yeah, buddy! It’s Saturday night in Athens, and our ladies and gentlemen of the AV arts will once again set the stage for the most intimidating red-lit atmosphere in sports. I haven’t witnessed this in person, but between the official UGA videos, TV broadcasts, and some pretty cool social media, I know and you know that Georgia utilized the newfangled LED technology to the fullest, firstest, and bestest.

3) Turf Monsters. You know the kind – the ones that come up and trip a ball carrier for no discernible reason. And the Missouri Tigers have played on unnatural fields every single game this season. This will be their first test on the surface God intended… honest to goodness grass.

Other than the opener in Nashville, the Bulldogs are completely grass-fed. This won’t be a huge advantage, as the Dooley Field/Sanford Stadium grounds crew prove again and again they are some of the best in the business – the day-long deluge for Kentucky is evidence enough these guys/gals put out an excellent product. Still, Missouri won’t be quite as fast as they practice and play, and our boys should be able to plant that foot and get that route cut off sharper than the Tigers.

Now forgive me, as I was weaned at the nipple of Larry Munson’s scratch on AM radio, so here’s what I am worried about facing our fellow SEC Easters (even though they’re way west):

1) A repeat of last year. There were so many good things about that game. We block a punt and score a special teams touchdown; Tyson Campbell gets a defensive touchdown; Fromm goes 7-9 and almost 200 yards in the 2^nd half; we had passing touchdowns of 33 yards, 54 yards, and 61 yards; we held future 1^st round draft pick Drew Lock to a 23.5 QBR and no TDs. Individually those are great things, collectively they’re tremendous. So why do I have such a bad taste in my mouth?

Because Hot Rod missed a field goal and another was blocked, Fromm threw a pick, no touchdowns in the 1^st half, we didn’t have a 100 yard rusher (Holyfield led with 90 yards), we gave up 4 rushing touchdowns… yet we won by 2 scores on the road against a divisional opponent. This was a signature “disappointing in the way we won” game that has happened too frequently since we became spoiled in the 2017 magical run.

I like nice things. Blowout wins with total game control and inflated stats are nice things. Why can’t we have nice things?

2) Derek Dooley. At some point he’s got to have some success in Athens, surely. Regression to the mean? Law of averages? There’s a phrase that encapsulates this, I’m just too lazy to figure it out. Anywhoo, we’ve owned Missouri since the series started (not counting the 1960 Orange Bowl), winning 6 of 7 and the last 5. However, we are Georgia, and we don’t let mediocre opponents get in the way of our losing… we just time it where it wrecks a season. You’d think the South Carolina game qualified as our annual Derpitudinal Equinox, but I’m not fully convinced.

We’re far more talented than Missouri, and much deeper. But it wasn’t so long ago that many pundits had Missouri coming into Athens undefeated, based on an easy first half of their schedule. The opening loss to Wyoming threw water on that plan, then the Tigers reeled off 5 wins in a row, including 2 SEC wins and a Power 5 OOC victory over West Virginia. Losses to lowly Vanderbilt and one-dimensional Kentucky the last two weeks kicked the dousing level up to 11, neither time gaining 300 yards of offense and being held to two scores or less in each game.

Is this the Missouri team that scored 34+ points in 5 straight wins? Does Son of Dooley figure out how to utilize the mobile Kelly Bryant and stud Tight End Albert Okwuegbunam (who caught 9 balls against us last year, and has 6 scores this year)? Can their 1-2 rushing punch of Larry Rountree and Tyler Badie get back on track and into the end zone against the Bulldogs?

3) The University of Georgia is 3^rd in the nation in Red Zone conversion percentage, with 33 of 34 chances resulting in scores. Yet if you look at Red Zone touchdowns, we fall into a 10-way tie for 37^th, punching it in only 24 times once we hit the opponents’ 20 yard line. As a percentage, we score a TD 70% of the time, which is only ranked 28^th. How do we not get into the end zone more? We haven’t faced great defenses (ND, Florida, yeah kinda). We have multiple height mismatches with our receivers, we have speedy slot guys for the hot slant, we have stud running backs, and the largest offensive line ever known to mankind ever in the history of time ever.

Weirdly, Missouri has only defended the red zone 17 times, allow 9 TDs and 3 FGs. This is much more of a story about giving up a few big plays and facing middlin’ offenses. Likewise, we’re not hitting the big play that much, so in order for Georgia to beat the more stout competition coming up, we’re going to have to get healthy in the red zone or bust open some explosive plays. (Edit: I did like our 2 pt conversion last week – need more of that stuff). If we can’t punch it in against Missouri, Auburn sure isn’t going to let us waltz across that line.

Call me crazy, just don’t call me late for dinner. Sound off in the comments below what worries you about the 9^th meeting between the Bulldogs of Georgia and the Tigers of Columbia.

And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!