TWIF Notes 10/26/2020
Welcome Back!
We had an another exciting weekend of College Football! The Big Ten had a stellar debut weekend, with an oddity in the West division: if you list the teams alphabetically, the ones listed first all lost, while those at the end all won! We had 47 games, so let's get to the reviews. Please understand that future opponents are apt to change at a moment's notice.
Thursday, October 22
Appalachian State crushed Arkansas State 45-17. The Mountaineers are 1 of 3 undefeated Sun Belt Conference teams, but they have only played 1 game, and trail CCU (3-0) in the East division. At 1-2, the Red Wolves are in 3rd place behind 1st place S Alabama, which is 2-0. Ark St is scheduled to host Troy while App St travels to ULM.
Friday, October 23
FIU lost to Jacksonville State 19-10, becoming the 1st FBS team to lose to an FCS team in 2020. The Panthers have actually played better against their 2 FBS opponents so far, losing by 2 to Liberty and by 3 to MTSU. They host Marshall next, and with only 5 games remaining in an 8 game schedule (barring any rescheduled games), they may not get any wins this year.
Tulsa demolished USF 42-13 to keep the Bulls winless against FBS teams. The Golden Hurricane are 2-0 in the AAC (2-1 overall) and host ECU this week. Due to their game with Cincy being postponed, they are tied with the Bearcats and Houston at the top of the conference.
Wisconsin destroyed Illinois 45-7 to open Big Ten play on the 2020 season and exact revenge for its loss last year to the Illini. The Badgers will play at Nebraska while Illinois will host Purdue, another team it beat last year.
Louisiana broke a 21-game home winning streak for UAB when it won 24-20 to notch another non-conference feather in the Sun Belt Conference belt. The Ragin' Cajuns are 3-0 on the road, winning at Iowa State, and 2 close games at Ga St and UAB. They play another road game at Texas St this week. The Blazers suffered their 2nd loss of 2020, but will try to rebound at La Tech. They remain undefeated in CUSA play.
Saturday, October 24
Clemson routed Syracuse 47-21, scoring the last 20 points. The Tigers remain atop the ACC, and their closest win has been by 18 points. They host Boston College this week, but the game everyone is waiting for is when they travel to South Bend on Nov 7.
Ohio State blew out Nebraska 52-17 after the Cornhuskers put up a fight initially. The Buckeyes look every bit as good as advertised, and will travel to take on a Penn State team looking to rebound from an upset loss. Nebraska hosts Wisconsin, and is staring at an 0-2 start.
North Carolina rolled over NC State 48-21 to rebound from their upset loss to FSU last week and stay in the ACCCG hunt. The Tar Heels are in a tie for 3rd and play at UVA. The Wolfpack are alone in 5th and are off this week.
Kansas State obliterated Kansas 55-14, and coupled with ISU's loss, are now alone at the top of the Big 12. If they can make it past a trip to WVU this weekend, that could set up a massive showdown between unbeatens at home vs. Okla St. The Jayhawks remain winless, and, to be honest, I just don't see a win on their schedule. They host Iowa St next. The Wildcats had 2- count them...TWO- punt returns for TDs in this game!
Coastal Carolina remained undefeated and atop the SBC with a 28-14 defeat of Georgia Southern. The Chanticleers, who most people picked to finish last in the SBC East, will try to continue their magical season at Georgia State. The Eagles are a disappointing 1-2 in the SBC, and will take on 2-0 S Alabama. Ga Southern was 2-12 on 3rd downs in this game.
Auburn scored a TD with 1:11 left to break a tie with Ole Miss and win 35-28. The Tigers have struggled in each of their wins, and now must take on a seemingly rejuvenated LSU, who just beat a team (S Carolina) by 28 that the War Eagles lost to by 8. The Rebels have a good chance to improve their record, because they travel to Nashville to take on Vandy.
Oklahoma is back on track with its 33-14 pasting of TCU. With its 2nd win in a row, the Sooners are looking to run the table and get back into the playoff picture, but they have to hope Kansas St and Okla St both have at least 2 losses. They play at Texas Tech this week, so they better hope their defense is ready. The Horned Frogs are tied for 8th in the conference at 1-3, and are almost out of any possibility of playing in the championship game. They play at Baylor this week.
Memphis stayed alive for a spot in the AACCG with a 41-29 win over Temple. The Tigers have what could be an elimination game at Cincinnati this weekend. The Owls, who are also alive in the conference race, if only because they've only played 3 games, will play at Tulane
Charlotte defeated UTEP 38-28. Chances are, neither of these teams will factor in their respective CUSA divisions, other than possibly playing spoiler. The 49ers step outside the conference to play at Duke while the Miners host N Texas.
Louisville crushed FSU 48-16, destroying any good feelings the Seminoles had built up with their fans after their upset of UNC last week. FSU will have a week off to try to fix their numerous offensive and defensive problems. The Cardinals, who broke a 4-game losing streak, will host Va Tech.
Rutgers upset Michigan State 38-27 to get the Greg Schiano era Part II off to a great start. The Scarlet Knights will try to make it a 2-0 start when they host another surprise winner, Indiana. The Spartans will be trying to avoid their 1st 0-2 conference start since 2016, and their 1st 0-2 season start since 1998 when they travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan.
Army rolled over FCS Mercer 59-3 to move to 6-1, and will have a week off before taking on rival Air Force. Army has already accepted a bid to play in the Independence Bowl.
Liberty moved to 6-0 by demolishing Southern Miss 56-35. The Flames are off this week, but will try to get their 2nd win against an ACC opponent when they take on Va Tech in Blacksburg on Nov 7. The Golden Eagles are 1-4, but 1-1 in CUSA, and will host Rice.
UCF upended Tulane 51-34 to even their AAC record at 2-2 and drop the Green Wave to 0-4 in the conference. The Knights will play at Houston this week. Tulane hosts Temple.
Marshall scored the final 13 points to pull out a 20-9 victory over FAU and remain undefeated at 5-0/3-0. The Thundering Herd plays at hapless FIU this week. The Owls are only 1-1/1-1, so they are still very much in the CUSA East discussion. They host surprisingly good UTSA.
Alabama destroyed Tennessee 48-17 in a game that was not as close as the score indicated. The Crimson Tide has only been seriously challenged in the 2nd half once (by Ole Miss), and I'm not sure anyone remaining on their schedule will be any more of a challenge than the Volunteers were. Bama hosts Miss St this week. The Vols have lost 3 straight after a 2-0 start, but get a week off before travelling to take on a surprising Arkansas team whose record will be at least as good as the Vols' (the Razorbacks are currently 2-2 and play TAMU this week).
Notre Dame demolished Pittsburgh 45-3. The Fighting Irish are unbeaten at 5-0/4-0 and will play at Ga Tech before their big game vs. Clemson. The Panthers drop to 3-4/2-4 and are most likely out of the ACCCG race. They have an off week coming.
Oklahoma State eked by Iowa State 24-21. The Cowboys are the only Big 12 team with an overall unbeaten record, and at 3-0 in the Big 12, are a half game behind 4-0 Kansas State. They need to get past Texas to set up a match between conference unbeatens in Manhatten, Kansas on Nov 7. The Cyclones suffered their 1st conference loss, but are still in the running for a championship game berth. They play at Kansas this week.
Indiana pulled perhaps the biggest upset of the day when they defeated Penn State 36-35 in OT. The Hoosiers had trouble moving the ball all day, and all looked lost when the Nittany Lions scored a late TD to go up 21-20 with 2:30 left in the game, and then stopped the Hoosiers on 4th down deep in their own territory. Penn State scored a quick TD to go up 28-20 with 1:42 remaining, but Indiana drove the field and scored a TD with 22 seconds left, and then converted the 2-pt try. In OT, PSU got the ball 1st and scored a TD to go up 7, but when Indiana scored a TD, they opted to go for 2 and the win. It was ruled a successful conversion, but it took a 5-minute review to determine that the call stood for an amazing result on a gutsy call. Indy will attempt to win their 1st 2 Big Ten games since 1991 (Michigan St and NW under Bill Mallory) when they travel to Rutgers, who had an upset win of their own. Penn State will be looking to avoid their 1st 0-2 Big Ten start since 2010 when they take on Ohio State at home.
Wake Forest held off Virginia Tech to win 23-16. The Demon Deacons move to 3-2/2-2 and will play at Syracuse. The Hokies are 3-2/3-2 and play at Louisville. Neither team figures to factor into the ACC race.
Middle Tennessee defeated Rice 40-34 in OT. Rice finally played its 1st game after several cancellations, and if you didn't see the FG try that bounced off the goal posts 4 times- FOUR TIMES- you should Google that RIGHT NOW!
Houston stayed unbeaten in the AAC by beating Navy 37-21. I have no idea what to make of the Midshipmen; just when I think they're a decent team, they lay an egg like this, but when I think they're not very good, they pull out surprising wins. The Cougars may be better than expected, but its hard to know how they will fare against better competition. We should find out the next 2 weeks when they play UCF and @Cincy. Navy plays at SMU.
Texas may have righted the ship with its 27-16 win over Baylor, but we'll know more after it plays at Okla St this week. Win that game, and they are back in the hunt for a championship game berth. Lose, and they are all but eliminated. The Bears will host TCU as both attempt to stay away from Kansas-bottom-of-the-Big12 territory.
Purdue beat Iowa 24-20 for the 3rd of a trifecta of upsets in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers had to play this game without HC Jeff Brohm due to Covid concerns, but they'll have a chance to improve their record to 2-0 when they travel to Illinois. The Hawkeyes will host Northwestern.
Georgia State squeaked out a 36-34 win over Troy when the Trojans failed on a potential tying 2-point conversion try, and then failed to convert an onside kick, illegally touching the ball just before it went 10 yards. With the win, the Panthers earned their 1st SBC victory after 2 narrow defeats, but now they have to host undefeated CCU. Troy gets to play at always dangerous Arkansas St. The Panthers were the only team from Georgia to win this weekend.
Boston College extended Georgia Tech's misery with a 48-27 victory over the Yellow Jackets. The Eagles (4-2/3-2) are technically still in line for a berth in the ACCCG, as they still have to play both of the leaders, but they have no realistic chance to get there. They play at Clemson this week. GT hosts Notre Dame. Maybe they'll have a repeat of their miracle 1980 result. Then again, we don't have ties anymore...
WKU barely survived Chattanooga 13-10, needing a TD with 1:21 left to win. The Hilltoppers are a disappointing 2-4, with 2 narrow victories, and 2 losses by 23+ points. They play at BYU this week.
Missouri used stifling defense, holding Kentucky to 145 total yards, and a grind-it-out offense, controlling the ball for 43 minutes, to win 20-10 in Columbia. The Tigers are 2-2 and move past the 2-3 Wildcats into 3rd in the SEC East. They will play at Florida while the Wildcats host Georgia, both of those teams coming off byes.
Texas Tech broke a 27-27 tie, scoring the only points in the 4th quarter to defeat West Virginia 34-27. The Red Raiders won their 1st Big 12 game (and 1st FBS game), and they host Oklahoma this week. The Mountaineers fell to 3-2/2-2 and will host Kansas St.
LSU routed South Carolina 52-24 as the Gamecocks were never really in the game. The Bayou Bengals obviously used their unscheduled off week to fix some defensive issues, as they evened their overall record at 2-2, but improved their record at home to 1-2. They play at Auburn this week. I thought SC was ready for bigger challenges after beating Auburn last week (as did some of the ESPN Gameday crew), but I couldn't have been more wrong. SC is off this week.
South Alabama is 2-0 in the SBC after defeating ULM 38-14. The Jaguars lead the SBC West as the only unbeaten team in the division, but they'll put that on the line when they travel to Statesboro to take on Ga Southern. The Warhawks (0-6/0-3) just may be the worst team in FBS this year, or at least the worst team playing a full schedule.
Boise State pummeled Utah State 42-13 in the opener for both teams. The Broncos will play at Air Force and the Aggies will host SDSU.
Wyoming had a furious comeback to force OT, but lost 37-34 when Nevada scored a TD after the Cowboys could only get a FG. Wyoming will host Hawai'i and the Wolf Pack will play at UNLV.
Michigan jumped out to a big lead and then cruised to a 49-24 victory over Minnesota. The Wolverines will host Mich St and the Golden Gophers will play at Maryland this week.
Hawai'i defeated Fresno State 34-19 in the HC debuts of both coaches at their new schools. The Rainbow Warriors will play at Wyoming and the Bulldogs will host Colorado State, who had their 1st game cancelled this past weekend.
Northwestern obliterated Maryland 43-3. The Wildcats will play at Iowa and the Terrapins will host Minnesota.
Miami defeated Virginia 19-14 to improve their record to 5-1/4-1 and remain in the ACCCG race. The Hurricanes are off this week. At 1-4, the Cavaliers are playing just to stay out of last place. they take on UNC at home.
UTSA overcame a 19-6 halftime deficit and scored the final 14 points to beat La Tech 27-26. The Roadrunners are 4-3/2-1 and in 2nd place in the CUSA West. The Bulldogs are 3-3/2-2 and in 3rd. UTSA plays @FAU and LT hosts CUSA West leader UAB.
Cincinnati whooped SMU 42-13 and remains tied atop the AAC. The Bearcats have a key game against Memphis, and can virtually eliminate the Tigers with a victory. The Mustangs are still in the race, especially since they don't play UCF and have already defeated Memphis, but still have games at Tulsa and against Houston, the other teams currently leading the conference, remaining. They host Navy this week.
BYU flattened Texas State 52-14 to remain unbeaten at 6-0. The Cougars are scheduled to host WKU this week. The Bobcats dropped to 1-6, but this was the first time they were not competitive in a game, as 4 of their 5 losses were by 10 points or less. They host Louisiana this weekend.
San Diego State routed UNLV 34-6, and the Aztecs will travel to Logan to take on Utah State. The Rebels will host rival Nevada.
Air Force stumbled against San Jose State, losing 17-6 as they were held to 298 total yards and had 2 fumbles lost. The Spartans opened with a win for the 2nd year in a row and will be trying for their 1st 2-0 start since 1987 when they play at New Mexico (whose game against CSU last week was cancelled)! However, the last time they started 2-0 in their conference was as recent as 2015. The Falcons are 1-1/0-1 and will host Boise State.
Conference Standings
Here are the conference standings as of now (NOTE: ACC and MWC are NOT in divisions):
That's all for today. Feel free to leave a comment, and come back tomorrow for my updated Power Rankings.
Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!
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