We’re all buddies here, so I can be sincere with you, best?
Week 9 of the college football season wasn’t all that great. In truth, I’d go as far stating it was the weakest slate of videogames we’ve seen in 2024, at least giventhat the season actually got moving.
LSU’s journey to Texas A&M with veryfirst location in the SEC on the line was the most preparedfor match of the weekend, and it definitely lived up to the buzz. The Tigers controlled the veryfirst half before a quarterback modification triggered a resurgence for the Aggies, who are now in the motorist’s seat in the SEC title race as the only unbeaten group in conference play.
But otherwise, pickings were slim. LSU was the just top-15 group that fell, and 4 of those teams were idle in Week 9. Nebraska and Vanderbilt almost offered us some magic versus Ohio State and Texas, respectively, however their upset quotes fell brief.
Still, a sluggish week isn’t going to stop the winners and losers list. Here are the groups that stood out for all the right and incorrect factors in Week 9 as we prepare for what oughtto be a thrilling Week 10.
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All the conversation surrounding the ACC, at least at the nationwide level, has focused around Clemson and Miami. It’s easytounderstand — the Tigers have controlled consideringthat a Week 1 loss to Georgia while the Hurricanes stay unbeaten inspiteof a couple of close calls. That appears to be the mostlikely ACC Championship match, and the loser might have a shot at a College Football Playoff at-large quote, as well.
But there’s another ACC group in that mix that hasn’t lost a videogame this season and passes the eye test yet has not gathered the verysame attention: the Pittsburgh Panthers. Pat Narduzzi’s group sits at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 this week, the leastexpensive of any unbeaten Power Four team.
Perhaps it’s time we start talking about Pitt seriously.
Facing off versus Syracuse in a Thursday night videogame that looked like it might be difficult, the Panthers controlled in a 41-13 win. They just handled 217 lawns of offense, however that was all they required as the defense came up with 5 interceptions versus Kyle McCord, 3 of which were returned for ratings.
But when it’s required, the offense still looks quite good. Eli Holstein, who just tossed for 108 backyards however was effective and tossed 2 goals, stays one of the leading transfer signal-callers in college football this season. The Panthers have likewise run the ball efficiently with Western Carolina transfer Desmond Reid.
We’ll understand a lot more about this group after next week when it dealswith another under-discussed ACC competitor in SMU. The winner of that videogame will hang around in the conference title image, and if it’s Pitt, that might set up a Week 12 home match versus Clemson with legitimate ACC title and CFP ramifications.
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I’ll offer Mizzou a bit of a pass here as quarterback Brady Cook, who was a game-time choice versus Alabama with an ankle injury and eventually left the videogame after suffering an unassociated hand injury, was not able to go the entire method while leading rush Nate Noel was likewise out.
But that reason is just going to take this group so far.
It’s not like the concerns we saw on Saturday in an humiliating 34-0 loss to an Alabama group dealing with a lot of its own issues were anything brand-new for the Tigers. Even with a (relatively) healthy Cook, the offense neverever got going in a blowout loss to a talented Texas A&M defense.
But it’s definitely worrying that Missouri couldn’t stimulate anything at all with Drew Pyne, who tossed 3 interceptions, versus an Alabama defense that had looked unsteady at finest in current weeks, and it’s not like Cook was setting the world on fire when he was in there — he had finished simply 7 passes for 30 lawns when he left.
Luther Burden III, one of the finest receivers in the country, was basically MIA in the loss. He amountedto simply 3 captures for as numerous backyards.
There was a lot of buzz around this group goinginto the season, and it was warranted. The Tigers returned a lot of pieces from a group that won 11 videogames last year consistingof the Cotton Bowl over Ohio State. But things simply aren’t the exactsame this fall.
Drinkwitz’s group was handed an simple schedule by brand-new SEC requirements, and it has glaringly stoppedworking both its significant tests so far. While Mizzou hasn’t been removed from the CFP race, at least nominally, there’s a factor this group is hardly sticking on to a area in the leading 25 regardlessof a 6-2 record in the SEC.
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In hindsight, the components for a effective Year 1 at Texas A&M were there for Mike Elko. He acquired a lineup that, inspiteof website attrition, was still packed with blue chips. He likewise included to that skill swimmingpool with an remarkable portal class of his own that brought in skilled gamers all over the defense.
But I’m not sure anybody saw this group gelling together as well as it has, and the Aggies appear to be rounding into type at the right time. Since a loss to Notre Dame in Week 1 — which atfirst aged really badly however looks a lot muchbetter now — this is possibly the mostpopular group in America.
The Aggies have constantly been talented. That was definitely the case under Jimbo Fisher, as well. But Saturday night’s win highlighted the distinction inbetween this program under Fisher compared to Elko.
Texas A&M looked dead in the water at halftime. It tracked by 10, was getting torched by LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and couldn’t muster anything on offense with Conner Weigman. Then, Weigman was switched for Marcel Reed, who began numerous videogames earlier this year when Weigman was injured, and whatever altered.
Reed rightaway stimulated the offense with his hurrying capability, leading scoring drives every time he touched the ball in the 2nd half. The defense reacted to the modification in energy, putting pressure on Nussmeier he hasn’t seen this season. The Tigers’ offense stalled, and Nussmeier was required into 3 interceptions that were both unsightly and incredibly expensive.
It was a 2nd half of dominant, complementary football for the Aggies after the break. That’s what well-coached groups do.
Elko has turned this group into the SEC frontrunner gettingin November and has a excellent possibility of earning a CFP quote in Year 1. $76 million well invested, I expect.
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The parallels inbetween the Tigers and