TWIF Notes 9/30/19

Welcome back!

What an exciting weekend of college football- close games, big upsets, and blowouts (of course).  I spent much of the day switching from game to game- the perfect Saturday!

Here is how the games turned out, and some thoughts on each (or at least most).

Teams who won against FCS competition, exactly as expected:

Syracuse 41-3 over Holy Cross

Florida 38-0 over Towson

Texas State 24-3 over Nicholls

Teams who struggled with FCS teams, but won

Pitt barely survived Delaware, 17-14, and trailed for a good portion of the game.  

That's it.  Only 4 games against FCS teams this past weekend.  Generally, these will disappear during October, as most teams are playing conference games, but they will reappear in November, especially in the SEC.

FBS vs FBS games

Memphis opened conference play with a victory over Navy, 35-23, dropping the Midshipmen from the ranks of the undefeated.  The Tigers play at ULM this week, while Navy has a rivalry game versus Air Force at home.

Duke demolished Virginia Tech 45-10, and there have to be some serious questions about the direction of the Hokies, who have gotten progressively worse in each year under HC Justin Fuente.  On the other hand, the Blue Devils continue to exceed expectations under HC David Cutcliffe.  Both teams continue with conference play this week.

Penn State destroyed Maryland 59-0, and I think it's fair to say the honeymoon for Terrapins' HC Mike Locksley is over.  Maybe the shortest honeymoon period in history, but they should be able to beat Rutgers this week.  The Nittany Lions continue to roll, setting up a big October: Purdue, @Iowa, Michigan, @Mich St.

Air Force moved to 3-1 by defeating San Jose State 41-24.  The Falcons have a tough October: @Navy, Fresno St, @Hawai'i, Utah St.  The Spartans have a chance to win the next 2 games (New Mexico and @Nevada), but they'll likely lose 5 of their last 6, but 5-7 would be a huge improvement!

Arizona State went on the road and knocked off the last unbeaten Pac 12 team, defeating California 24-17.  Each team is now 4-1/1-1.  Both will have a chance to win their division.

Oklahoma routed Texas Tech 55-16, as it looks like typical Sooners and Red Raiders teams.

Wisconsin perhaps suffered a little bit of a let down, but survived against Northwestern 24-15.  They were never truly threatened, but they never quite put the game away as expected.  The Wildcats now travel to Nebraska, where a loss virtually eliminates them from repeating as Big Ten West champions.  The Badgers host Kent State in a nonconference tilt.

Iowa ran all over, around, and through Middle Tennessee, winning 48-3.  The Hawkeyes put their unbeaten record on the line at Michigan this weekend.  The Blue Raiders jump into conference play by hosting Marshall.

Michigan pummeled Rutgers 52-0, and the Scarlet Knights' head coach, Chris Ash, has just been relieved of his duties.  TE coach Nunzio Campanile has been named the interim.

Texas A&M struggled to outlast Arkansas 31-27, in Arlington, Texas.  Even though the Razorbacks lost again, they have yet to lose a game by more than 14 points, and have an off week before travelling to Kentucky.  The Aggies appear to be not very good.  They also have an off week, but they play a little bit tougher team: Alabama.

Vanderbilt finally got a win, but it was against a MAC team- Northern Illinois- and it was a close game: 24-18. The Commodores have a chance to put together a winning streak, playing @ Ole Miss and UNLV the next 2 weeks.  The Huskies will be glad to get into conference play.

TCU blasted Kansas 51-14.  The Horned Frogs are 3-1/1-0, and have a big game @Iowa St to perhaps determine 3rd place in the Big 12.  The Jayhawks host Oklahoma.  Good luck with that!

Toledo beat BYU 28-21, dropping the Cougars to below .500 at 2-3, and earning the MAC one of its few non-FCS nonconference wins (the MAC is 6-28 in games against FBS teams).  BYU is off before travelling to USF, while the Rockets open conference play by hosting W Mich.

Miami, OH earned a conference win by beating Buffalo 34-20.  The Redhawks are 2-3/1-0, and the Bulls are 2-3/0-1, and host Ohio next.

Western Michigan got its conference slate off to a good start by defeating Central Michigan 31-15.  The Broncos travel to Toledo next, in a game that should determine the frontrunner for the MAC West crown.  The Chippewas host E Mich, but have already won more games than last year!

Clemson had its worst showing this year, but still managed to eke out a win over North Carolina 21-20.  The Tar Heels scored with around a minute left, and elected to go for a 2-point conversion.  The strategy was right, but the play call and execution were less than ideal, and the Tigers won.  UNC plays Ga Tech this weekend, while Clemson is off.

Notre Dame overcame a 3-point halftime deficit to beat Virginia 35-20, handing the Cavaliers their first loss.  UVA is off this week.  The Fighting Irish kept their playoff hopes alive with the win, and they host Bowling Green and USC the next 2 weeks, both teams coming out of bye weeks.

Washington put USC HC Clay Helton back on the hot seat by defeating the Trojans 28-14.  USC is now 1-1 in the Pac 12, and are off before travelling to Notre Dame.  The Huskies are also 1-1, but will be on the road the next 2 weeks: @Stanford and @Arizona.

Michigan State won a battle of 3-1 teams when they beat Indiana 40-31.  The Spartans, 4-1/2-0, play @Ohio St and @Wisconsin the next 2 weeks, a stretch that very well could define their season.  The Hoosiers, 3-2/0-2, are off this week, but they could conceivably be 7-2/4-2 heading into November if they get a couple of breaks.  A lot will depend on how well they can fix their defensive problems.

FAU bested Charlotte 45-27.  The Owls are on a 3-game winning streak, and will be battling to win the CUSA East title.  The 49ers need to find 4 wins to become eligible for their 1st bowl, but they better get to 7-5 to ensure they get picked; 6-6 may not cut it.

Temple completely shut down Georgia Tech in a 24-2 win.  The Owls have looked good all season, except for their inexplicable 16-point loss to Buffalo.  The Yellow Jackets are in for a long season, but I could see them pulling an upset or 2, but there is so much to fix...

Wake Forest squeaked by Boston College 27-24 to remain one of only 2 ACC teams that are undefeated.  The Demon Deacons are off 2 of the next 4 weeks, and could be 7-0 heading into their November contest against NC St.  Could they be 9-0 when they travel to Clemson on November 16? The Eagles have rebounded nicely and played well since their loss to Kansas (Kansas!!!) 2 weeks ago.  

Iowa State came back from a 20-0 deficit to take a 21-20 lead, only to allow Baylor to kick a game-winning FG with less than a minute left.  The Bears are one of only 2 undefeated teams left in the Big 12.  The Cyclones are 2-2/0-1, but have a big game this weekend against TCU.

Minnesota moved to 4-0/1-0 with a 38-31 victory over Purdue, their 4th straight win of 7 points or less.  The Golden Gophers could possibly be 8-0 heading into a showdown with Penn St on November 9.  The Boilermakers are 1-3/0-1, but are obviously still alive to win the Big Ten West, but I don't see that happening.  Purdue plays at Penn St next while Minnesota hosts Illinois.

Appalachian State stayed undefeated by beating Coastal Carolina 56-37.  The Mountaineers are off before a big game @Louisiana.  The Chanticleers are having a decent season, and could very well make it to bowl eligibility.  Their off 2 of the next 4 weeks.

UMass beat Akron 37-29 in a game matching 2 winless teams.  The Zips will be hard pressed to win a game this year, but the Minutemen have 2 more possible wins on their schedule.

SMU routed USF 48-21 to remain undefeated at 5-0, their 1st time at 5-0 since 1983 (the Pony Express days!).  The Bulls, at 1-3, have had a tough schedule to start, but should handle UConn on the road this weekend. The Mustangs host an improved Tulsa, coming out of an off week.

Cincinnati had a surprisingly easy victory over Marshall 52-14.  The Bearcats host UCF on Friday in a game that could decide the AAC East.  The Thundering Herd travels to Middle Tenn.

Liberty squeaked out a victory over New Mexico, and it looks like the Flames may qualify for a bowl in their 1st year of eligibility, as they are 3-2 (3-game winning streak), and have at least 3 winnable games left on their schedule.  The Lobos are a mess, and need to get things turned around soon, or they may not match last year's 3 wins.

East Carolina edged ODU 24-21.  The Pirates moved above .500 for the 1st time since starting 2016 at 2-0, but that may be short lived, as they have Temple on Thursday, and are @UCF after a week off.  The Monarchs will be hard pressed to match last year's 4 wins, as they are 1-3.

Arkansas State outscored Troy 50-43, to take control of the SBC West, and firmly establish themselves as the favorite, though the Red Wolves still must get through Louisiana on Oct 17.  The Trojans travel to Missouri this week before jumping back into conference play after an off week.  By then, they may be playing catch up to Appalachian State.  I still think the division will come down to Nov 29, when App St visits Troy.

Louisiana beat Georgia Southern 37-24 to keep pace with Ark St in the SBC West.  The Eagles are 1-3/0-1, and need to get things turned around quickly if they hope to be a factor in the SBC East.  The Ragin' Cajuns, at 3-1, have an off week before hosting App St on a Wednesday night.

Auburn destroyed Mississippi State 56-23.  The Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles, dominated from start to finish, and remain unbeaten at 5-0, one of 3 undefeated teams in the SEC West.  They have a HUGE game @Florida this week, one that may establish which of these teams are an actual threat in their respective divisions.  The Bulldogs have a week off to lick their wounds before travelling to Tennessee, where I assume they will get well.

UCF demolished UConn 56-21.  The Knights travel to Cincinnati to decide the leader in the AAC East.  The Huskies host USF this week, and will struggle to win another game.

Oklahoma State defeated Kansas State 26-13, giving them a good chance at 3rd place in the Big 12.  The Wildcats suffered their 1st loss of 2019 and host an undefeated Baylor team this week.  The Cowboys are 4-1/1-1, and play @Texas Tech.

ULM beat South Alabama 30-17.  The Warhawks have played well in 3 of their 4 games, and host Memphis before jumping back into conference play.  The Jaguars will find it difficult to match last year's 3 wins.

Southern Miss throttled UTEP 31-13.  The Golden Eagles, at 3-2, have a good chance of at least matching last season's 6 wins.  They are off before hosting North Texas.  The Miners have 3 or 4 more chances at a victory, starting this week versus UTSA, but they need to take advantage of those opportunities.

WKU looks to be much better than last year as they defeated UAB 20-13.  The Hilltoppers, 2-2/1-0, beat last year's CUSA West winner, and travel to ODU this week.  The Blazers, 3-1/0-1, host Rice, which should allow them to get back on the winning track.

Louisiana Tech survived Rice in OT 23-20.  The Owls have lost 3 games this year by single digits, but hopefully they can at least match last year's 2 wins, though their luck will need to turn.  The Bulldogs have not looked impressive, though they are 4-1 heading into their off week.

Stanford eked out a win against Oregon State 31-28.  The Cardinal held a 28-14 lead before the Beavers came back to tie.  This looks to be a down year for Stanford, and the schedule doesn't get any easier with Washington coming to town.  The Beavers need to find another win to match last year's win total, and they have a perfect chance this week at UCLA.

Ohio State stomped Nebraska 48-7 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates.  The Buckeyes led 38-0 at the half, and pretty much played subs all 2nd half.  OSU host Mich St this weekend.  The Cornhuskers dropped to 3-2 and host Northwestern.

FSU routed NC State 31-13.  The Seminoles had their way with the Wolfpack in a way that brings hope to its fans.  FSU is off before going to Clemson, as is NC State, who hosts Syracuse after their off week.

South Carolina dominated Kentucky 24-7, and I must now admit that everyone was right about this being the same old Wildcats, which means I was wrong.  UK is 2-3/0-3, and the Gamecocks are 2-3/1-2.  SC is off this week, then plays @UGA.  UK is off, then hosts Arkansas.

Utah State continued the misery of Colorado State by defeating the Rams 34-24.  The Aggies are 3-1/2-0, but travel to LSU this week.  The Rams are 1-4/0-1 and host SDSU.

Wyoming crushed UNLV 53-17.  The Cowboys are a surprising 4-1, and have a decent chance of surpassing last year's 6 wins.  The Rebels are 1-3, and likely to be 1-7 when they have their next chance at a victory, @Colo St on Nov 2.

Fresno State had a harder time than expected at New Mexico State, only winning 30-17.  The Bulldogs are off before playing @Air Force.  NMSU hosts Liberty.

Houston, without QB D'Eriq King, pummeled North Texas 46-25.  The Cougars seemed inspired to contradict all the doom and gloom predicted for them.  They are off before facing Cincinnati at home.  The Mean Green will have a week off to lick their wounds before travelling to Southern Miss for a big CUSA West game.

Utah routed Washington State 38-13 to get back on the winning track at 4-1/1-1.  The Utes are off before going to Oregon St.  The Cougars have now lost 2 straight, and are 3-2/0-2.

Arizona eked out a win against UCLA 20-17.  The Wildcats are 3-1/1-0 and play at Colorado.  The Bruins showed that their offensive outburst of the 2nd half against Wash St was a fluke.  They are 1-4/1-1, and host Oregon State.

In one of the more surprising results of the weekend, Hawai'i totally destroyed Nevada 54-3 in Reno.  The Rainbow Warriors have served notice that they are a force to be reckoned with in the MWC West, but their toughest conference games are ahead of them.  They next play at Boise St after an off week.  The Wolfpack have shown virtually nothing since defeating Purdue in the opener, making that result even more perplexing.  They are also off, and have a chance to get better against San Jose St.

That's it for now!  I hope you are enjoying reading my recaps as much as I enjoy writing them.  As I've said before, all the research is my own, though I might repeat something I have heard during a game or read in an article.  Come back tomorrow for my Power Rankings, Wednesday for my Odds and Ends, and Thursday for Paul's Picks.  Oh, and don't forget to follow me on Twitter: @pbanderson.

Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!