Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

Kansas RB Devin Neal  - Over the past three weeks, the Jayhawks beat three straight ranked teams, but this last one wouldn’t have taken place with one of the best individual offensive performances in college football this year. In the Jayhawks win over Colorado, Neal ran 37 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns; that makes seven in the last three games. Plus, he had 80 yards receiving on four catches, with one TD - a total of 287 yards and four TDs in Kansas 37-21 win over #23 Colorado.

 

Auburn WR Cam Coleman - The true freshman torched Texas A&M throughout the Tigers’ four overtime win on the Plains. He finished with seven catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Nearly every single catch was of the highlight variety as Coleman showed exactly why he was one of the most sought after pass catchers in the 2024 recruiting class.

 

Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins - The 31-28 win over Utah was buoyed by one of the most talented wide receivers in the Big 12. Higgins finished with nine catches for 155 yards and a touchdown and kept Iowa State’s Big 12 Championship game hopes alive, nearly single handedly.

-------------------------------

Rivalry Week is finally here and one of the greatest of all-time gets renewed for the first time in 13 years. Oh, yeah, and Texas and Texas A&M are playing for a spot in the SEC Championship game. It already had intrigue just because it’s the first time these hated rivals have met since 2011. Now, it’s the most important game in the SEC in week 14, and maybe the nation, with SEC Championship game stakes at hand.

 

With UT/A&M leading the way, this should be a wild and fantastic Rivalry Week after what was one of the wildest weeks of the year last week in week 13. We’ll look back at week 13, then look ahead to week 14, in addition to trying to figure out the potential Texas Bowl participants

 

Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Oklahoma - Anyone that said they saw the Sooners beating Alabama was just fooling themselves. Anyone that said they saw Oklahoma blowing out the Crimson Tide was lying to everyone. NO ONE saw the Sooners pulling off a 24-3 win over Alabama, but that’s exactly what head coach Brent Venables’ team did on Saturday night.  QB Jackson Arnold and true freshman RB Xavier Robinson both ran for 100+ yards and Robinson had two TDs. LB Kip Lewis had another pick six and the Sooners got to bowl eligibility with their sixth win.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Florida - The Gators have gotten better and better in the 2024 season and that rise has coincided with the rise of true freshman D.J. Lagway. With Lagway under center, the Gators upset #9 Ole Miss 24-17 in the Swamp as the defense picked off Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart twice and took advantage of every break to grind out a win. Head coach Billy Napier got a vote of confidence two weeks ago and the Gators responded by beating LSU and Ole Miss in back-to-back weeks.

 

Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Kansas RB Devin Neal  - Over the past three weeks, the Jayhawks beat three straight ranked teams, but this last one wouldn’t have taken place with one of the best individual offensive performances in college football this year. In the Jayhawks win over Colorado, Neal ran 37 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns; that makes seven in the last three games. Plus, he had 80 yards receiving on four catches, with one TD - a total of 287 yards and four TDs in Kansas 37-21 win over #23 Colorado.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Arizona State’s triplets - The Sun Devils continued their improbable run to a potential Big 12 Championship game/CFP opportunity. QB Sam Leavitt threw for 247 yards and a touchdown, while RB Cam Skattebo ran for 147 yards and three TD and WR Jordyn Tyson had another brilliant game, catching nine passes for 125 yards in a 28-23 win over #14 BYU. These three have been incredible throughout the entire season, but, in particular, the past two months. A win over Arizona in the finale will put Arizona State, somewhat improbably, in the Big 12 Championship game.

 

National Team of the Week - SMU - The Mustangs have gone from ACC newcomer to ACC powerhouse and that was evident in SMU’s blowout victory in Charlottesville over UVa. QB Kevin Jennings threw for 323 yards and a pair of TDs but the defense starred, holding UVa without points until the four minute mark of the fourth quarter. SMU locked up a spot in the ACC Championship game as a result as the Mustangs aim to win its conference title in two different conferences in two years.

 

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Notre Dame - The Irish hammered Army right out of the gate and never stopped. RB Jeremiyah Love had just seven carries but he averaged nearly 20 yards per carry and had two touchdowns as well in the 49-14 win over #19 Army. The Irish defense made Army work for every single yard and slowed the Army offense unlike at any point in the 2024 season. Notre Dame is playing as well as any team in the nation right now. USC is up next!

 

National Player of the Week - Illinois WR Pat Bryant - What an ending in Rutgers! With fourteen seconds remaining on fourth down and 13, Illinois QB Luke Altmyer hit his #13 Bryant for an improbable 40-yard TD to give Illinois its eighth win of the year. Bryant was tremendous, yet again, seven catches for 197 yards and one unreal TD. Bryant has been brilliant all year, but this was his best performance of a great season.

 

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Cal QB Fernando Mendoza - The Cal gunslinger completed 25 of 36 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns in a comeback win over rival Stanford. He led a comeback from down 21-7, driving Cal 98 yards in 11 plays for the game winning TD. In fact, he threw two TD to Jonathan Brady in the last ten minutes to lead Cal to a win and bowl eligibility.

 

Quick Kudos

…to Kansas for not giving up on the season when the Jayhawks were getting blasted for underachieving through the first eight weeks of the season. Then, the Jayhawks beat Colorado, a third win over a ranked team in as many weeks.

 

…to Arizona State for staying on this miraculous run. Even though the Sun Devil faithful celebrated just a few seconds early, they had plenty to celebrate.

 

…to Auburn for beating Texas A&M in four overtimes.

 

…to Miami, FL’s defense for keeping Wake Forest off the board in the second half. FINALLY, it showed up before it was too late.

 

…to Penn State for hanging on for a one point win against Minnesota.

 

…to Ohio State for putting Indiana right back in its place, so to speak.

 

…to Kennesaw State for a second FBS win in the last five weeks.

 

Week 14’s Big games

#3 (10-1) Texas at #15 (8-3) Texas A&M - Yeah, this one is big, like REALLY BIG! It’s the first time that the two Texas rivals have met since 2011 and the winner earns a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. It’s the hottest ticket in the nation and for good reason.

 

#18 (8-3) South Carolina at #17 (9-2) Clemson - This matchup didn’t look like much more than just a sexy rivalry game to end the season, but after the CFP rankings came out on Tuesday night, a playoff opportunity could be in play for the winner. South Carolina can’t play in the SEC Championship game, but a win could catapult them into the conversation for an at-large playoff bid. A Clemson win, a Miami loss and the Tigers would head into the ACC Championship game…with a strong win over a strong SEC squad.

 

Texas Bowl Potential teams

Big 12 candidates

(7-4) Baylor - Dave Aranda’s squad is one of the hottest teams in the nation and a trip to Houston would be super fun because…the Bears OFFENSE is lights out.

(7-4) Texas Tech - The Red Raiders were in the bowl just two years ago and it was entertaining as all get out.

(7-4) TCU - The Horned Frogs were supposed to be in the Texas Bowl in 2020, but COVID…so let’s bring them back four years later. Like TT and Baylor, the Horned Frogs can put up points in bunches.

 

SEC candidates

(7-4) LSU - Any time that the Texas Bowl can have a shot at LSU, the Texas Bowl will take LSU. An 8-4 LSU team might be pulled in a different direction though, so we’ll see what happens.

(6-5) Florida - The Gators got to bowl eligibility last week and have a true freshman star QB from just outside the Houston area. I’m intrigued.

(6-5) Arkansas - It was supposed to be Arkansas-TCU in 2020, so I’m all for bringing it back in 2024…without the COVID.

 

(6-5) Oklahoma - The Texas Bowl has never truly had a shot at the Sooners, but now in the SEC, Oklahoma might be a great fit, regardless of winning at LSU or not.

Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

Texas DB Jahdae Barron - The Longhorns’ Jim Thorpe Award DB of the Week put on a show in Fayetteville against the Razorbacks. He had seven tackles, 1.0 sacks, 2.0 TFL, an interception, one QB Hurry and one pass breakup in the Longhorns gritty 20-10 win over Arkansas.

 

Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson - Tyson’s performance against UCF in week 11 was just a precursor of what he did against #16 Kansas State in week 12. He had another two TD performance, but this time he snatched 12 passes for 176 yards and broke hearts on the road in Manhattan.

 

Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter - The Heisman candidate continued to bolster his resume with another wide ranging stat line and viral YouTube moments. The numbers? He had one carry for a five yard touchdown, in addition to five catches for 55 yards. He had three tackles and one interception as well. The YouTube moment? That catch on fourth down? Ridiculous.

-------------------------------

The CFB season is winding down, but the drama is heating up in conferences all across the country. A decent handful of teams reached bowl eligibility this past week, yet a few realized that the 12th game will be the end of their respective 2024 season.

 

The Dawgs came back barking after an embarrassing loss to Ole Miss in week 11, while the upper crust of college football held on, including Oregon’s nailbiter at Wisconsin. Let’s take a look back at Week 12, prepare for week 13 and examine who might have a shot at the Texas Bowl in five to six weeks or so.

 

Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Georgia - In the biggest game in the country, the Dawgs came out in the second half and dominated the game. QB Carson Beck found his groove, finally, as he got time to throw against the vaunted Tennessee defense. Then, the Georgia defense physically changed the game in the second half. That second half was the finest 30 minutes the Dawgs have played since beating Clemson in Atlanta to start the season.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Arizona State - The Sun Devils jumped out front of #16 Kansas State in Manhattan 21-0 in the first half and never looked back. WR Jordyn Tyson did a whole lot better than his elder namesake Mike Tyson, reeling in 12 passes for 176 yards and two TD. Jordyn (not Mike) has been as good as ever down the stretch of what has been a magical season for the Sun Devils.They went on to win 24-14 and kept their hopes alive for a Big 12 Championship berth.

 

Texas Bowl Player of the Week - The Longhorns’ Jim Thorpe Award DB of the Week put on a show in Fayetteville against the Razorbacks. He had seven tackles, 1.0 sacks, 2.0 TFL, an interception, one QB Hurry and one pass breakup in the Longhorns gritty 20-10 win over Arkansas.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson - Tyson’s performance against UCF in week 11 was just a precursor of what he did against #16 Kansas State. He had another two TD performance, but this time he snatched 12 passes for 176 yards and broke hearts on the road in Manhattan.

 

National Team of the Week - Stanford - I don’t know how you put into words HOW Stanford beat #19 Louisville on Saturday afternoon on The Farm. Miraculous? Stupendous? Ridiculous? Either way, the Cardinal trailed 35-28 with :48 seconds left, a backup QB in the game and an L all but assured. However, after Emmett Mosley V’s 25-yard TD catch, a fourth down stop with four seconds remaining, a 15-yard penalty on Louisville with one second left, a five yard penalty on a 57-yard field goal attempt and a 52-yard made FG by Emmet Kenney, the Cardinal pulled a magical win from the proverbial jaws of defeat.

 

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - New Mexico - The Lobos program was mired in the muck last year after another losing campaign. Enter Bronco Mendenhall who’s given the program a jolt. On Saturday night, the Lobos gave #18 Washington State a jolt, knocking the Cougars, more than likely, out of a possible CFP berth. QB Devon Dampier was ridiculously good - 174 yards passing and a touchdown, 193 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a 38-35 upset win over the Cougars. In a battle with WSU QB John Mateer (375 yards passing, 65 yards rushing and five total TDs) Dampier took home the hardware and the win.

 

National Player of the Week - Clemson DE T.J. Parker - All Tomorrion “T.J.” Parker did on Saturday was ruin the Pitt Panthers offensive scheme all day at Acrisure Stadium. He finished with 4.0 sacks, 5.0 TFL, a PBU and a forced fumble in Clemson’s come from behind win. No FBS pass rusher has had more sacks in a game this year and his 5.0 TFLs were the most for a Clemson player in seven years, tied for the most for any FBS player in a game in 2024.

 

Honorable mention National Player of the Week (tie) - Penn State TE Tyler Warren - All Warren did in Penn State’s blowout 49-10 win over Purdue was snag eight receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown, tack on three rushes for 63 yards, including a 48-yard TD run, the longest of his career. Over the last 48 years, Warren is the only B1G TE with four rushing TDs in a season. That 48-yard sprint to the house was a beaut for the most diverse player in the B1G.

 

&

 

New Mexico QB Devon Dampier - Dampier was ridiculously good - 174 yards passing and a touchdown, 193 yards rushing and three touchdowns - in a 38-35 upset win over the Cougars at home in Albuquerque. In a battle with WSU QB John Mateer (375 yards passing, 65 yards rushing and five total TDs) Dampier took home the hardware and the win. Those two QBs put on a damn SHOW!

 

Quick Kudos

…to SMU LB Kobe Wilson, ACC Defensive LB of the Week, who had a career-high 16 tackles in SMU’s tough win over Boston College.

 

…to Kansas for ruining BYU’s undefeated season in Provo. The Jayhawks got some help from BYU, but you make your own breaks and Kansas finally got one to go their way this time.

 

…to Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty for his 159 yards and three TD, giving him 1,893 yards and 26 TD in ten games, in a win over San Jose State. Could the Broncos get a bye in the CFP?

 

…to Coach Prime and the CU Buffaloes. My goodness, what a string of performances this year, culminating with one of their best in a blowout win over Utah.

 

…to South Carolina for another late fourth quarter magic show. Rocket Sanders 15-yard shovel pass TD gave the Gamecocks win number seven on the season.

 

…to Billy Napier and the Florida Gators for a massively impressive 27-16 win over LSU

 

…to Tulane for its blowout win over 7-3 Navy 35-0. The Green Wave are one of the hottest teams in the nation.

 

…to my man K.C. Keeler for his eighth win of the season, an OT CUSA win on the road at Kennesaw State, keeping CUSA Championship game hopes alive.

 

…to Dave Aranda and Baylor for their fourth straight win, this time on the road at West Virginia, scoring 49 in the process. Give me RB Bryson Washington all day, every day.

 

…to North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton for a 35 carry/244 yard/one TD day against Wake Forest. He was superb all day long.

 

Week 13’s Big games

#5 (10-0) Indiana at #2 (9-1) Ohio State - It’s the second most difficult test of the season for the Buckeyes with Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers coming to town. Those same Hoosiers are coming off of a bye week, Cignetti got a new contract extension and they’re playing with HOUSE money…just don’t tell them that. Cignetti’s Hoosiers are probably mad that they’re underdogs.

 

#6 (9-1) BYU at (8-2) Arizona State - On the schedule earlier in the campaign, this matchup looked like any old late season matchup, not a ton of juice for a few teams still growing and finding themselves. But, BUT, things have changed significantly in 2024 as this game in Tempe turns into some sort of play-in to the Big 12 Championship game. I LOVE seeing teams take THE LEAP as both have done this year in the Big 12.

 

#24 (9-0) Army v. #8 (9-1) Notre Dame - Yankee Stadium - Oh, man, throwin’ it back to a time when these teams met in Yankee Stadium, in the 40s, as the two best teams in the nation. They are a combined 18-1 and the one is on the Irish side, not Army’s. This is as fun a game as there is in college football ANY week, much less just this week. I don’t know what even happens if Army knocks off Notre Dame and how that plays into the CFP, but I’d love to find out if the Black Knights can do the unthinkable.

 

Texas Bowl Potential teams

Big 12 candidates

(6-4) Baylor - The Bears earned bowl eligibility with an impressive win at West Virginia. Dave Aranda’s crew withstood a difficult loss to the Colorado Buffaloes on a Hail Mary earlier this year and has won four in a row with two left to play.

 

(6-4) TCU - The Horned Frogs have been equal parts “brilliant” and “needs improvement” throughout the 2024 campaign. There’s a great chance for a split and a 7-5 finish for Spike Dykes’ TCU squad.

 

(6-4) Texas Tech - The Red Raiders might be one of the top ten more entertaining squads in all of college football. When they line up on Saturdays, there’s no telling what’s going to happen…and that always makes them intriguing for a bowl game.

 

Some work to do…

(4-6) Houston - the Cougars would be a perfect fit in the Texas Bowl, but need to sweep Baylor at home and BYU on the road. Tough one.

 

(4-6) UCF - one of the most talented 4-6 teams in the country, if there is such a thing, needs two wins - @ West Virginia and then at home at Utah.

 

SEC candidates

(6-4) LSU - The Texas Bowl loves having LSU in the bowl game and at 6-4, with eight teams with better conference and/or overall records, there’s a chance that LSU could be available.

 

(6-4) Vanderbilt - Now, I would love to see Vanderbilt in Houston for the first time and QB Diego Pavia would add some sauce to a Texas Bowl matchup for sure.

 

(5-5) Arkansas - The Hogs should beat La. Tech this weekend to get to bowl eligibility, but a tough road game at Missouri awaits in the final week of the season.

 

Some work to do…

(5-5) Oklahoma - All Oklahoma needs is one win for bowl eligibility, so what’s it going to be - a win over Alabama at home in Norman or on the road at LSU. Oh man, that’s tough!

 

(5-5) Florida - Billy Napier’s Gators have rebounded in a season when EVERYONE has been injured, or so it seems, to get back in bowl contention. But, it’ll take upsetting the hottest team in the SEC Ole Miss in Gainesville or beating rival Florida State in Tallahassee on the road.

Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter - 23 carries for 278 yards, two touchdowns, four receptions for 19 yards in a 24-10 win at Kentucky.

 Texas A&M DB B.J. Mayes - He picked off LSU star QB Garrett Nussmeier twice and added two tackles in the Aggies’ impressive 38-23 win over #8 ranked LSU.

 Ole Miss DE Suntarine Perkins - Ole Miss came up with ten sacks of Oklahoma quarterbacks and Perkins led the way with 4.0 sacks, 5.0 TFL and 11 tackles. Perkins’ sack total was the most for a Rebel defender in 31 years.

 -------------------------------

Week nine in college football might have been the most normal week of the entire season. Well, with the exception of winless Kennesaw State beating undefeated Liberty…and well, Houston knocking off Utah on a last second field goal…and, okay, there was North Carolina upsetting Virginia by 27 in Charlottesville.

 So, okay, maybe it was a bit more abnormal than I first thought. Let’s go back and review what a great weekend it was and then look ahead to week 10, highlighted by a massive game in Happy Valley.

 Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Texas A&M - It was THE game of the weekend in College Station and it wasn’t going well for the Texas Aggies. At the half, OC Collin Klein’s offense was mired in muck and QB Conner Weigman was struggling mightily. Head coach Mike Elko and Klein made a change at QB and the game turned immediately. QB Marcel Reed, who led the Aggies to three consecutive wins when Weigman was injured, stepped into the lineup and the game flipped. He threw just two times but he completed both. However, it was his running that changed this one - nine attempts for 62 yards and three touchdowns. The Aggies defense harassed LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier all night long, forcing three interceptions and racking up 2.0 sacks. Elko’s Aggies went on a 31-6 2nd half scoring binge to beat #8 ranked LSU 38-23.

 Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Houston - It’s been a bit of a rocky season for the Cougars, but the last second 17-14 win over Utah will be one that head coach Willie Fritz can build off of for the remainder of this season. The Cougars beating a pre-season Big 12 favorite will do nothing but build the confidence of this team. K Jack Martin nailed a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give Houston its third win of the season.

 Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter - The Tigers season had been heading south rather quickly. Even as they prepared to play feisty Kentucky in Lexington, head coach Hugh Freeze flew separately to the game due to illness. As such, it looked to be a rough day for Auburn yet again. Enter Hunter. He went OFF. He set a career high with 278 yards, which also set the mark for the highest single-game total for an FBS ball carrier this year (yes, even Ashton Jeanty hadn’t hit that mark). Hunter also broke Bo Jackson’s school record for rushing yards in a half with 214 in the second half in Auburn’s much needed 24-10 win over Kentucky.

 Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week - Texas A&M DB B.J. Mayes - He picked off LSU star QB Garrett Nussmeier twice and added two tackles in the Aggies impressive 38-23 win over #8 ranked LSU. The Aggies defense played one of the best halves of football over the last 30 minutes of game action to secure a big win over LSU. Mayes was a big reason why, attacking the ball in the air, and the Tigers receivers,  throughout the night.

 National Team of the Week - Kennesaw State - The odds of Kennesaw State, 0-6 entering the game, beating undefeated Liberty were so astronomical that even Kevin Malone from The Office wouldn’t have felt comfortable betting on the Owls. Yet, after two Austin Welch field goals in the fourth quarter, the Owls led C-USA conference leading Liberty 27-17. A late Liberty TD only cut the final margin, but it didn’t stop the Owls from earning their first ever win over an FBS opponent…that just so happened to be the undefeated, playoff seeking Liberty Flames.

 Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - SMU - The Mustangs set a record on Saturday and it’s one that they hope to never accomplish ever again. FBS teams were 124-1 THIS CENTURY when +6 in turnover margin. Make that 124-2 because SMU somehow found a way to beat formerly 6-1 Duke IN DURHAM after throwing three interceptions and losing three fumbles to Duke’s zero turnovers. The Mustangs kept coughing up that win in Durham, but forced an incompletion on a two point attempt in overtime to finally win 28-27. The #22 ranked Mustangs are now 7-1 with their only loss coming to undefeated Big 12 leader BYU. RB Brashard Smith ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns to lead SMU to a massive ACC win.

 National Player of the Week - Indiana DB D’Angelo Ponds - Washington came to Bloomington, IN telling everyone that would listen that it wasn’t coming for autographs. The Huskies also didn’t intend for Ponds to ruin the game, but he did. The IU star picked off a tipped double pass attempt and took it 65 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring. Then, he had an interception in the second quarter that led to another IU TD in Indiana’s 31-17 victory, the 8th in a row in 2024 and with GameDay in attendance.

 Honorable mention National Player of the Week - North Carolina DE Kaimon Rucker - I’ve been a fan of Rucker’s for a while, but the University of Virginia isn’t after what he did to them this past Saturday. In one of the best games of his career, he finished with eight tackles, 3.0 sacks, 3.5 TFL and an interception in the Tar Heels big 41-14 win over UVa.

 Quick Kudos

…to Sam Houston and head coach K.C Keeler for a sixth win to become bowl eligible in only the second year in FBS play. It wasn’t pretty but a 10-7 win over FIU did the trick.

 …to undefeated Pitt for one of the best halves of football in CFB this year - the defense had THREE pick sixes in the FIRST HALF in a 41-13 win over Syracuse.

 …to Louisville for coming back from a 20-0 deficit to win on the road in Chestnut Hill over Boston College 31-27

 …to Penn State QB Beau Pribula for replacing star QB Drew Allar and leading the Nittany Lions to a big road win over Wisconsin 28-13.

 …to Texas S Michael Taaffe for a six tackle, one INT performance in a 27-24 win over Vandy in Nashville.

 …to BYU for staying undefeated after being an underdog to 3-4 UCF

 …to Alabama for becoming Alabama again.

 …to Ole Miss’ defense for one of the most dominating second halves I’ve seen in a 26-14 win over Oklahoma.

 …to Memphis. Don’t look now but the 33-28 win over Charlotte took the Tigers to 7-1 on the season. GOOD football team!

 …to Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson who threw for 222 and three tuddies, plus ran for 73 yards and one touchdown in Baylor’s win over Oklahoma State. Dave Aranda’s Bears have won two in a row beating Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, averaging 47 points in the process.

 Finally…to Coach Prime, Shedeur, Travis and the Colorado Buffs for winning a sixth game to make them bowl eligible for the first time in a full season since 2016. Congrats Buffs!

 Week 10’s Big games

#4 (6-1) Ohio State at #3 (7-0) Penn State - The Buckeyes have made a habit out of ruining perfectly good seasons for the Nittany Lions and another Buckeyes’ win would do the exact same thing. Penn State’s QB Drew Allar’s status is still up in the air for this game and that makes it REALLY interesting in Happy Valley.

 #18 (7-0) Pitt at #20 (7-1) SMU - This is the most important football game that SMU has played in Dallas in decades. The surprising Pitt Panthers and QB Eli Holstein are on the way to take on SMU star QB Kevin Jennings and the Mustangs. Both teams are undefeated in conference play but the winner will make a serious playoff statement with a win.

 

Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori - The South Carolina star safety had 11 tackles, one TFL, two interceptions, one of which he returned 65-yards for a pick six, in the Gamecocks 35-9 win over Oklahoma in Norman.

 

Georgia DEs Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams - The two star edge rushers combined for five sacks, five TFLs, 11 tackles, one forced fumble and five QB hurries in a statement win over #1 Texas.

 

Iowa State QB Rocco Becht - Becht accounted for 371 total yards (274 passing, 97 rushing - throwing/rushing on 66 total snaps) and three total touchdowns in the Cyclones 38-35 win over pesky UCF. He also scored the game winning TD with 0:30 remaining to keep Iowa State undefeated.

 

Kansas CB Cobee Bryant - The Kansas Mamba had THREE interceptions in the Jayhawks win over Houston. He was the first Jayhawk to record three interceptions in a game since 1958!

 

-------------------------------

For the first time since the opening weekend, Georgia showed up to play ball and dominated the Texas Longhorns in Austin. That win highlighted the weekend that was filled with ups and downs all the way throughout week eight in college football.

 

Let’s review that week and then look forward to a sneak hot week nine across the country. It’s going to be a wild one in the SEC, yet again, but the B1G has a couple of great games to preview in week nine as well.

 

Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Georgia - The Dawgs were dead, right? They beat Kentucky by just a point a month ago. They lost to Alabama after trailing 30-7 at halftime a few weeks ago. They went through the motions, seemingly, in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State last week. Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, they rope-a-doped Texas in Austin when EVERYONE thought that Texas was back. Texas was not back because Georgia said so. It was like Georgia turned into the college football version of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. The defense sacked Texas QBs seven times and intercepted them once, completely dominating one of the best offenses in the nation. The Dawg defense held Texas to 29 yards rushing, 160 yards BELOW the Horns’ average. Georgia overcame a horrendous moment in the second half to leave Austin with a convincing 30-15 win over the formerly number one Longhorns.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - BYU - Kelani Sitake’s Cougars stayed undefeated with one of the great finishes in the 2024 season. Against Oklahoma State on Friday Night, the Cougars engaged in a back-and-forth for the ages. With 1:13 left, Cowboys WR Brennan Presley scored on a throw from QB Alan Bowman to give the Cowboys a 35-31 lead. BYU’s undefeated appeared to be on life support, but Dr. Jake Retzlaff, errr, QB Jake Retzlaff brought the undefeated season back to life, throwing a 35-yard catch-and-run TD to Darius Lassiter with ten seconds remaining to win 38-35. The Cougars are 7-0 and don’t play a ranked team the rest of the season (although the three road games aren’t easy - UCF, Utah and Arizona State)

 

Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Kansas CB Cobee Bryant - The Kansas Mamba had THREE interceptions in the Jayhawks win over Houston. He was the first Jayhawk to record three interceptions in a game since 1958! He was also the first player in FBS to have three and the first Big 12 player to have three picks since 2012. Yeah, that’ll do it!

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week (tie) - Georgia DEs Jalon Walker & Mykel Williams - The two star edge rushers combined for five sacks, five TFLs, 11 tackles, one forced fumble and five QB hurries in a statement win over #1 Texas.

 

South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori - The South Carolina star safety had 11 tackles, one TFL, two interceptions, one of which he returned 65-yards for a pick six in the Gamecocks 35-9 win over Oklahoma in Norman.

 

National Team of the Week - Indiana - A few years ago, beating Nebraska would’ve been a field rushing event at Indiana. But, after the Hoosiers DESTROYED the Huskers 56-7 in Bloomington, head coach Curt Cignetti and crew have designs on doing much more than celebrating a win over a fellow B1G team. The Hoosiers will have to live life without star QB Kurtis Rourke for a few weeks, but are you going to stop believing in this team now? Absolutely not. Cignetti has been the unquestioned Coach of the Year to this point. Washington, a trip to Michigan State and a visit from the defending national champions Michigan are all that stand in the way of an Indiana-Ohio State top ten matchup for B1G supremacy…possibly, in a few weeks.

 

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - America, i.e Army & Navy - I sent a text to my Texans radio crew prior to last Saturday as I was watching Army DISMANTLE UAB during the middle of last week. It hit me that this might not be a one year upswing for the Service Academy programs. Geoff Monken (Army) and Brian Newberry (Navy) have built stalwarts in the college game and they kept the machines rolling in week eight. #23 ranked Army was up 38-7 before they let off the gas pedal in their 45-28 win over East Carolina, while #25 ranked Navy beat Charlotte into submission 51-17. Look at Army’s schedule - it has Notre Dame on November 23rd and not much else. Look at Navy’s schedule - Notre Dame is up this weekend at MetLife Stadium. Pull upsets in those games and December 14th gets all kinds of interesting when these two teams meet.

 

National Player of the Week - Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten - In the win over Boston College, Tuten was unstoppable. 266 yards and three TD on the ground. One reception for a 20-yard touchdown. Four total touchdowns. One 83-yard run for a TD. One 61-yard run for a touchdown. He was explosive and dominant against an experienced and disciplined Boston College defense. Tuten just went OFF on Thursday night at home in a key 42-21 win over BC in Blacksburg.

 

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Miami, FL QB Cam Ward - Watch a full game of Cam Ward live. Do it. Just watch everything he does in a game and you’ll walk away wondering what kind of magician act you just watched. The numbers are always jaw dropping - 21 of 32 for 319 yards and four TD, in addition to 29 yards rushing, mostly on improbable escapes. But, the moments…my gosh, the moments. The flip forward to RB Mark Fletcher Jr when Ward was engulfed by three Louisville defenders. The 35-40 yard LASER to WR Jacolby George, rolling to his left, back across his body into a six inch spot where only George could catch it. Ridiculous.

 

Quick Kudos

…to Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson for an outstanding ballgame when the Vols needed it the most - 26 carries for 139 yards and two TD in the come-from-behind win over Alabama. Kudos to

 

…to Oregon for having no let down on a short week, traveling to a tough place to play, after beating undefeated Ohio State…and shutting out Purdue in West Lafayette 35-0

 

…to Duke for a sixth win this year, a 23-16 win over Florida State. Head coach Manny Diaz has done a wonderful job elevating the program after Mike Elko left for Texas A&M

 

…to Clemson’s offense that is quietly TEARING it up lately. Since the loss to Georgia in the opener, the Tigers low point output is 29 and they’ve averaged, AVERAGED 48.3 points per game, including 48 against Virginia in week eight.

 

…to Kansas State for destroying West Virginia in Morgantown 45-18. That’s a tough place to play and Kansas State completely took over the second half with 28 points in the last two quarters.

 

…to SMU for scoring 31 in the first half against Stanford and cruising to a 40-10 win, giving them an unblemished 3-0 record in the ACC.

 

…to Mizzou QB Brady Cook for coming back from the hospital to lead the Tigers to a come-from-behind 21-17 win over the Auburn Tigers.

 

…to Wisconsin, head coach Luke Fickell and DC Mike Tressel for holding Northwestern to three points. After giving up 80 in two games to Alabama and USC, the Badgers held Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern to a combined 16.

 

…to UCLA for its first B1G win ever over Rutgers in Piscataway, NJ

 

…to Cincinnati and head coach Scott Satterfield for a ten point win over hot Arizona State, the Bearcats’ fourth win in five weeks. Four points separates the Bearcats from an undefeated start.

 

…to Coach Prime and Colorado for a decisive W at Arizona, which moves the Buffs within one win of bowl eligibility…and much more.

 

…to Dave Arands, Lubbock native QB Sawyer Robertson and Baylor for putting 59 (!!) on Texas Tech in Lubbock.

 

Week 9’s Big games

#8 (6-1) LSU at #14 (6-1) Texas A&M - Each team’s loss came to a non-conference foe as LSU lost to USC out in Vegas and A&M lost to Notre Dame in each program’s opening game of the season. As such, each program’s SEC Championship/Playoff dreams are still out in front, in full view, with just five games remaining. Kyle Field hasn’t seen as important a football game in quite some time and it’ll be rocking. But, LSU is like a Tiger with nine lives with all the close games it has won this year. QBs Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) and Conner Weigman (A&M) will have a national stage to show it off in the most important game for each to date in their careers.

 

#5 (6-1) Texas at #25 (5-2) Vanderbilt - Even though Texas is a massive favorite in this game. However, after what, and who, Vandy QB Diego Pavia has slayed this year, can Texas fans feel totally confident in a trip to Nashville to face this Vandy QB and team? I wouldn’t be, especially after the way Texas struggled in all phases against Georgia last week in Austin. Pavia is the LAST QB I’d want to face right now if I were Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.

 

#20 (6-1) Illinois at #1 Oregon (7-0) - The Fightin’ Bielemas won’t be wearing the old-time Illini jerseys & helmets as they did last week (if you haven’t seen the helmets, my gosh, what are you doing? Go find a shot of them - BEAUTIFUL). However, they will come to Autzen for a fight because that’s what Bret Bielema-coached teams do. But, the Ducks are on a different level now as they’ve found their stride. The Ducks don’t face a current ranked team after Illinois the rest of the season, so this one is the toughest hurdle to cross on their way to the B1G Championship game.

 

#12 (6-1) Notre Dame v #24 Navy (6-0) - Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ - The more I watch both Army and Navy, the more I think this success could stick for years to come. Navy QB Blake Horvath’s offense can morph from option look to spread scheme and back in the same series. No defense has come close to slowing the Midshipmen this year but Notre Dame’s is by far the most athletic and dynamic unit that Navy has faced this season. Can’t wait for this one!

Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

Arizona State RB Cam Skatteboo - 26 touches for 199 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-19 win over Utah on Friday Night Football.

 Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr - Against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, Hill Jr finished with 11 tackles, 3.5 TFL, two sacks, one FF and one QB pressure.

 Georgia WR Arian Smith - Smith had the best game in his career with five catches for 134 yards and one touchdown in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State. 

-------------------------------

Oregon and Ohio State highlighted an outstanding week seven with a one point Duck win. LSU upset Ole Miss with one of the best late game comebacks of the season. Texas was dominant in the Cotton Bowl. BYU stayed undefeated.

 Those are just the ones that stood out in an intense week seven, so let’s dive into the whole weekend and then preview an important week eight in college football.

 Texas Bowl Team of the Week - LSU - After a narrow defeat to USC to start the season, Brian Kelly’s Tigers have been walking a tightrope of thrilling one score games. South Carolina in Columbia, SC comes to mind, but against #9 ranked Ole Miss, the tension was thick late in the game again. Gritty LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier threw a touchdown on fourth down with just 0:27 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. After Ole Miss’ K Caden Davis somehow hit a 57-yard FG in the first overtime, Nussmeier sealed the improbable win on the first play of LSU’s possession with a 25-yard TD toss to WR Kyren Lacy. That’s five straight now for LSU but the tests don’t stop (road Arkansas, road A&M, bye week, home Alabama). Regardless, the Tigers are the team of the week for this 29-26 win over Ole Miss.

 Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Arizona State - I’ve said it a few times already that Friday Night Football on ESPN with my guy Andre Ware is some of the most exciting football you’ll find any given CFB weekend. This past Friday night was no exception as Kenny Dillingham’s Sun Devils did it again, coming back from behind to beat #16 Utah 27-19. On the field after the game, the Sun Devils’ student section rushed the field while Dillingham did his post game on-field interview. “I WAS THESE GUYS, I WAS THESE GUYS”, Dillingham, the former Sun Devil, excitedly stated as he was being interviewed. It was an outstanding moment on a beautiful night in Tempe.

 Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Arizona State RB Cam Skatteboo - Once again, Skatteboo carried the Sun Devils to an upset win over the formerly #16 ranked Utah Utes. He ran 22 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, he was second on the team with four receptions for 41 yards - In total, 26 touches for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns. It’s not as if the Sun Devils don’t have a ton of other talent but everyone in the building knows Skatteboo is getting the ball the majority of the time and he STILL roasts every defense he faces.

 Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week - Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. - The Longhorns shut out the Sooners for the last three quarters of the game and Hill Jr. was a major reason why. He led the team with 11 tackles, racked up two sacks, 3.5 tackles for a loss, forced one fumble and one QB pressure. Talk about stuffing the stat sheet. The Horns are a problem for the SEC and Hill Jr leads the defense that puts fear in their hearts.

 National Team of the Week - Oregon - The Ducks were a three point underdog at Autzen Stadium heading into their massive matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Yet, at the end of the night, head coach Dan Lanning’s crew stood tall as the clock ran out on Ohio State. QB Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks offense thrived under the glare of the national spotlight and put 32 points up on the board in a one point win over the potently explosive Buckeyes.

 Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Iowa - The Hawkeyes scored 40 points. Okay, so the joke isn’t as funny since head coach Kirk Ferentz changed coordinators and QB Cade McNamara and RB Kaleb Johnson took the reins of the offense. This is now a competent college offense, led by these two stars. Johnson ran for 166 yards and accounted for three touchdowns in a 40-16 win over last year’s national championship runner-ups Washington.

 National Player of the Week - Penn State TE Tyler Warren - It’s been a long time since, if ever, I can remember a tight end having the type of game that Warren did for Penn State out in Los Angeles. The gifted Penn State tight end had 17 receptions…SEVENTEEN…for 224 yards and a touchdown. On that touchdown, he actually snapped the ball to the backup QB, who then threw it to the starting QB, who then threw it to Warren, who went up over TWO USC defenders in the end zone for the touchdown catch. He caught 17 of Penn State QB Drew Allar’s 30 completions, just an amazing afternoon in sunny LA.

 Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Wisconsin RB Tawee Walker - The Badgers have outscored Purdue and Rutgers a combined 94-13 and Walker was the key in the 42-7 win this week over Rutgers. The Oklahoma transfer ran 24 times for 198 yards and three touchdowns in the Badgers win - don’t look now but Luke Fickell might have something going with Walker leading the way.

 Quick Kudos

…to Kansas State’s Triplets - QB Avery Johnson (15-23, 224 yards and two TD), RB D.J. Giddens (25 totes, 182 rushing yards) and WR Jayce Brown (six catches for 121 yards and two TD). BIG win over Colorado in Boulder 31-28

 …to UNLV for its fifth victory (now 5-1) in 2024, scoring 41 points in the first half in a 50-34 win over Utah State.

 …to Texas. That was a thorough beatdown in Dallas.

 …to Iowa State for a gritty 12-point win on the road in Morgantown to stay undefeated - 6-0

 …to Pitt for remaining undefeated 6-0 after a defensively driven win over Cal

 …to Vandy, again, this time on the road at Kentucky for the 20-13 win over the Cats

 …to Syracuse, I’ll bet that no one knows that the Orange are 5-1 with the only loss coming against Stanford on a Friday Night on the last play of the game. Orange coach Fran Brown is making his first year look real easy.

 …to Rice and QB E.J. Warner, throwing four TDs, including the game winner with four seconds left to beat UTSA 29-27.

 …to Washington State for its fifth win against one loss. The Cougars went to Fresno and took home a 25-17 win after Ethan O’Connor’s pick six in the fourth quarter.

 …to UL-Monroe and head coach Bryant Vincent. The Warhawks have one loss to Texas and that’s it. They beat Southern Miss 38-21 to get to 5-1.

 …to Army for a sixth straight win, a 44-10 hammering of UAB. The two service Academies - Army and Navy - are 11-0 and atop the American Athletic Conference.

 …to Penn State and TE Tyler Warren - man, WHAT A GAME from Warren. The Nittany Lions were dead to rights with just about three minutes left after a USC TD gave the Trojans the 30-23 lead. But, the Nittany Lions’ offense drove down to tie the game, winning it with a field goal in overtime.

 …to BYU, again, a dominating performance at home in a 41-19 win. DOMINATING.

 …to Cincinnati for winning twice as many Big 12 contests this year as they did in their inaugural year of 2023. The 19-13 win over UCF in Orlando was a huge road win for the Bearcats.

 Week 8’s Big games

#5 (5-1) Georgia at #1 (6-0) Texas - This is what it’s all about. Georgia goes on the road again, but this time can the Dawgs earn a big time win? The Dawgs didn’t have much luck in Tuscaloosa a few weeks ago, but now have a chance for retribution in Austin. But, Texas is the best team in the country, bar none, so this is going to be a football war.

 #7 (5-1) Alabama at #11 (5-1) Tennessee - The third Saturday in October has yet again become a must-see football event. Even though these two each have an ugly loss on the record, they have the potential of playing an all-timer in Knoxville yet again.

 #8 (5-1) LSU at (4-2) Arkansas - The Tigers came back from behind to beat top-ten ranked Ole Miss in Baton Rouge, so a trip to Arkansas is the WORST tonic from that hangover. The Hogs had the week off to prepare for LSU and play at home. Oh boy, this could get really interesting…again.

The TaxAct Texas Bowl will kickoff on Wednesday, December 27th with a tremendous matchup between Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Here’s my preview of the game.

 

TaxAct Texas Bowl - NRG Stadium

(9-4) Oklahoma State v (7-5) Texas A&M 

 

Oklahoma State Players to Watch

RB #0 Ollie Gordon II - The Man. The Straw Stirring the Drink. The Cowboys offense IS Gordon II - Doak Walker Award Winner - 1,614 rushing yards, 20 TD, 326 yards receiving, one TD

WR #80 Brennan Presley - 24 catches combined in “GOTTA HAVE IT” games the last two games of the regular season - reliable veteran who gets open against anyone.

DE #30 Collin Oliver - The most dynamic pass rusher for this Cowboys defense, plenty of bend and twitch that could be problematic for the Texas A&M OTs/TEs - 13.5 TFL & 6.0 sacks

LB #4 Nickolas Martin - Leads the Cowboys in tackles (133), TFL (16.0) and is tied at the top for sacks (6.0), future NFL LB. Martin had an interception against Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.

 

Texas A&M Players to Watch

RB #8 LeVeon Moss, #4 Amari Daniels & #2 Rueben Owens - There hasn’t been a true #1 Aggie running back for this offense. One of these three backs must emerge to match Gordon on the ground for the Aggies.

WR #1 Evan Stewart - Internet rumors have Stewart playing in the game, bypassing to transfer, not playing but staying. I have absolutely no idea what to think, but he’s the most dynamic Aggie weapon in the arsenal, by FAR!

DE #45 Edgerrin Cooper - Cooper was magnificent this season and a 1st Team All-American. He’s already accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl, so not sure he’s playing. I’m praying he does play to face Gordon - Cooper v. Gordoni is one of the best matchups in the bowl season if they both play.

DT #34 Isaiah Raikes - Fellow DT McKinnley Jackson declared for the NFL Draft early this month and that will leave a massive hole up front. That forces Raikes into the void to make plays against Gordon and the Cowboy run game.

 

Keys to the Game

1. It’s all about whether the Texas A&M defense slows down Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II on the ground consistently enough to force Oklahoma State QB Alan Bowman to throw 30+ times. If Gordon gets into a rhythm, he’s going to get the rock 30 times and put A&M on its heels. That will be 30 tough carries against a versatile and disruptive A&M front.

 

2. A&M QB Jaylen Henderson, the Fresno State transfer, was impressive in the final two games of the season, starting twice in those games. His escapability and slipperiness were issues for Mississippi State and LSU. He’ll have a different OC calling plays with former Aggies OC Bobby Petrino leaving for Arkansas, but Henderson can create out of structure, putting Oklahoma State’s defense in trouble, regardless of play call or execution.

 

3. A&M has lost some offensive linemen to the transfer portal, so it could be a long night against Oklahoma State DE Collin Oliver. The Cowboy edge rusher is the twitchiest edge guy for the Oklahoma State defense and a great answer to Henderson’s scramble and off-schedule creations.

The college football season ended on Saturday night, minus one of the great rivalry games of all-time this Saturday (Army v. Navy). As expected, it ended with its typical, annual controversy. Let’s dive into our awards for the weekend and some season awards as well.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Alabama - The Crimson Tide needed a miracle 4th and 31 conversion to beat Auburn the week prior, but they didn’t need one ounce of a miracle in a convincing and emphatic win over previously #1 Georgia 27-24 in the SEC Championship. The upset win moved Alabama into the CFP and on to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl against Michigan to kick off the new year.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Team of the Year - Texas - In the final season of the Big 12, Texas had a target on its chest every single week. It beat Alabama by ten on the road early in the season and succumbed just one time in an incredible Texas-OU rivalry game. However, Texas closed the door on the Big 12 with dominant victories against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, out-scoring those teams a combined 106-28. As a result, the Longhorns earned the overall #3 seed in the CFP and will play Washington in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 1st.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Texas QB Quinn Ewers - Ewers left the game against Oklahoma State with an injury for a play, but he had already done all his damage in the first half against the Cowboys. This Texas team is on a roll and Ewers is the biggest reason why, if I’m being honest.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Player of the Year  - LSU QB Jayden Daniels - It’s going to be one heck of a Heisman Trophy discussion, but Daniels did his part, putting up just ridiculous numbers. He threw for over 3,800 yards and 40 TD. He, then, ran for 1,134 yards and ten TDs. He accounted for 50 total TDs, which has typically been the ticket to winning a Heisman. Either way, he’s the Player of the Year for sure.

National Team of the Week - SMU - The Mustangs were down to their backup QB Kevin Jennings from nearby South Oak Cliff HS in a road Championship game against a 11-1 Tulane team. All he did was lead the Mustangs to the 2023 AAC Title in a convincing 26-14 win over #22 Tulane in New Orleans. Rhett Lashlee’s ‘Stangs won their last nine in a row, many in dominating fashion, to finish 11-2 and AAC Champs!

National Team of the Year - Florida State - Even with Jordan Travis in the coach’s box watching games the last two weeks of the year, the Seminoles thumped Florida 24-15 in Gainesville and then completely destroyed Louisville in Charlotte for the ACC Championship. It was close between FSU and Washington, but FSU gets this award, something it didn’t get from the CFP committee.

National Player of the Week - Liberty QB Kaidon Salter - Liberty earned an invite to the New Year’s Day Six after Salter led the Flames to the 2023 C-USA Championship game. The Flames generated 49 points as Salter threw for 319 yards and two TD and ran for 165 yards and a TD in the 49-35 win over New Mexico State.

National Player of the Year - LSU QB Jayden Daniels - See above. Stud.

 

Quick Kudos

…to Washington QB Michael Penix Jr for an outstanding season, two wins over Oregon and the final Pac-12 Championship. What a pair of seasons for the lefty from Florida in the Pac Northwest.

…to the University of Houston for procuring the services of one of the finest men/coaches in the business to lead them into the future Willie Fritz.

…to Texas WR Adonai Mitchell for his six catch, 109 yard, one TD performance in the Longhorns last Big 12 game ever.

…to Alabama head coach Nick Saban for perhaps his greatest coaching performance with this year’s Alabama squad.

…to Florida State and head coach Mike Norvell. 13 wins and no losses in a season is no small feat and should’ve been rewarded in a much larger way. It wasn’t and that’s a darn shame.

…to Miami Redhawks for exacting some revenge over Toledo in a 23-14 MAC Championship win.

…to Boise State interim, turned permanent head coach Spencer Danielson. Boise State was 4-5 when Danielson took over as the interim coach. He led them to four straight wins, including a MWC Championship win over UNLV.

 

TaxAct Texas Bowl Matchup

(9-4) Oklahoma State v. (7-5) Texas A&M - I was on record thinking that this would be Kansas State v. Texas A&M, but the Pop Tarts bowl wanted Kansas State. That decision put the Texas Bowl in a great situation, in all honesty. I LOVE this matchup and it irritates me that the Cowboys and Aggies don’t play each other, at least every other year. So, I’ll take it as Oklahoma State star RB Ollie Gordon II takes on a talented Texas A&M defensive front. The Aggies have a  new leader in Mike Elko, but not 100% sure if he’ll coach the team through the bowl game. Either way, it’s a fantastic matchup coming our way on December 27th.

It’s almost here. The day we look forward to all year long - TaxAct Texas Bowl announcement day is coming up on Sunday December 3rd! Can’t wait! So, let’s dive into what happened in week 13 and what’s coming up on Championship weekend this Friday and Saturday.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Oklahoma State - The Cowboys fought back, in horrid weather in Stillwater, for one of their greatest regular season victories ever. BYU jumped out to a 24-3 lead, bringing all the tricks and gadgets to the Stillwater party, looking to get to six wins and bowl eligibility. But, the Cowboys, behind the sensational running of RB Ollie Gordon II (166 yards and FIVE touchdowns), staged a furious rally to take the lead late in the game. BYU K Will Ferrin tied it and sent it to overtime where Gordon II locked in Oklahoma State’s trip to Arlington and the Big 12 Championship game with two OT TDs.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Alabama - Somehow, someway, the Crimson Tide found a way to pull out a win on the road in the Iron Bowl. QB Jalen Milroe’s Gravedigger toss laid Auburn to rest with less than a minute remaining in what’s typically been a house of horrors for the Tide over the past few decades. The win kept Alabama in the playoff picture for the time being, setting up a gargantuan matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta for the SEC title on Saturday. 

TaxAct Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Alabama QB Jalen Milroe - When Milroe was asked to take a back seat after the loss to Texas early in the season, I don’t think anyone could foresee how Milroe would eventually respond. He not only responded; he became a legend in Alabama football lore with one of the greatest throws for a game winning touchdown in the history of the Iron Bowl. 366 total yards. 16 of 24 for 259 yards and two touchdowns passing. 18 carries for 107 yards rushing. What a performance for Milroe against Auburn!

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II - Oklahoma State just kept giving Gordon II the ball and he responded with another gem of a performance. 34 carries for 166 yards and FIVE touchdowns, including both scores in overtime. The Cowboys have ridden Gordon all the way to Arlington and a spot in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas

National Team of the Week - Michigan - It was the biggest game of the weekend, with an interim coach at the helm, against its biggest rival that just happened to be the #2 team in the nation. When S Rod Moore intercepted a hurried Kyle McCord pass late in the fourth quarter, Michigan solidified a third straight win over rival Ohio State and a third straight undefeated regular season. Interim head coach Sherrone Moore did a wonderful job for the Wolverines this year, winning the final three games down the stretch in place of head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines will play Iowa on Saturday for the B1G Championship and a shot at a third straight trip to the college football playoff.

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Arizona - The Wildcats put up 52 in three quarters in a demolition of rival Arizona State. All Jedd Fisch’s Wildcats have done is win six in a row, having lost just three games by a total of 16 points (Mississippi State, USC and Washington). A bowl win will give Arizona ten wins for the first time since 2014 and just the second time since the magical season of 1998.

National Player of the Week - Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty - The Broncos star ball carrier went 100/100 in their biggest win of the year. He ran 14 times for 107 yards and a touchdown and had five receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown in Boise State’s 27-19 win over Air Force. The win propels Jeanty and the Broncos into the MWC Championship game against one of the biggest surprise teams in the nation - UNLV.

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Florida State LB Jared Verse - The Seminoles needed every last tackle, pressure and/or hurry from Verse against the Gators in Gainesville. He finished with six tackles, 2.5 sacks and 3.0 TFLs in the 24-15 win over rival Florida in The Swamp. He was nearly unblockable in the fourth quarter and Florida couldn’t throw the ball late in the game as a result.

Quick Kudos

…to Oregon QB Bo Nix for locking in his trip to NYC in a revenge game against Oregon State - 33-40 for 367 and two touchdowns in a 31-7 win.

…to former Duke head coach Mike Elko for taking on the challenge at Texas A&M.

…to Texas and Oklahoma for putting 50-burgers up on opponents in their final regular season contests in the Big 12 (57 for Texas v. Texas Tech, 69 for Oklahoma v. TCU)

…to Eli Drinkwitz leading the Missouri Tigers to a top ten finish and ten wins.

…to Kentucky RB Ray Davis for finishing his college career the absolute right way with a 37-yard game winning TD AT Louisville, leading the Cats to a 38-31 upset win on the road.

…to LSU QB Jayden Daniels *standing and applauding for minutes at a time* BRAVO, young man, BRAVO. What a season!

…to Cal head coach Justin Wilcox and the Golden Bears getting to bowl eligibility in a massive road win over UCLA.

…to Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren and the Owls for hanging on to a 24-21 win over a game FAU squad to get Rice into a bowl for the second straight season.

…to San Jose State for winning its sixth game in a row over a really good UNLV squad. That was the GREAT news; the bad news? The Spartans lost the coin flip (basically) and will miss out on a trip to the MWC Championship game…to the team they just beat - UNLV.

 

Week 13’s Big games

#20 (9-3) Oklahoma State v. #7 (11-1) Texas - I’ll be brutally honest, at the outset of the season, I thought Oklahoma State was going to struggle to win five games in 2023, but Mike Gundy’s crew fought its way to nine wins and the Big 12 Championship Game. Oklahoma State’s win sets up one final Big 12 contest with the longtime conference behemoth and heavy favorite - the Texas Longhorns. There will be blood.

#1 (12-0) Georgia v. #8 (11-1) Alabama - These two just seem to find themselves in the SEC Championship game more often than not. This will be the fourth matchup since 2012 when Alabama beat Georgia in a classic. Alabama is 3-0 in the first three matchups (2012, 2018 & 2021). Can Georgia finally win one in Atlanta over the Tide or will an Alabama win completely tip over the College Football Playoff apple cart?

(10-2) #25 SMU v #17 (11-1) Tulane - I LOVE this matchup between two RISING teams. SMU won eight in a row to finish the season, while Tulane won ten in a row after losing to Ole Miss in week two. A MAJOR question is the health of SMU QB Preston Stone. He went out with an apparent ankle injury in the win over Navy and his status is unclear. Tulane QB Michael Pratt led the Green Wave to an AAC title last year and is back to repeat.

#4 (12-0) Washington at #6 (11-1) Oregon - When these two met back in November, it was one to remember. Now that the calendar has turned to December, this one is WAY MORE important. It’s also one final act for two Heisman candidates - Oregon QB Bo Nix and Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Potential teams

Big 12 candidates

(8-4) Kansas State - The Wildcats lost to Iowa State in their white jerseys in the snow in a 42-35 loss in Manhattan, the first home loss of the year.

(9-3) Oklahoma State - The Cowboys roared back, again, for an indescribable 40-34 2OT win over BYU in Stillwater. A win over the Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship game would upset the entire bowl universe.

(8-4) Kansas - The Jayhawks’ big win over Oklahoma in November was massive for the Jayhawks respective bowl opportunities.

 

SEC candidates

(7-5) Texas A&M - The Aggies now have a new coach (Mike Elko, if you missed it) and an opportunity to finish the season in Houston against a team from the Sunflower State - that’s as bold as I’m getting…for now.

(6-6) Auburn - I still don’t see any other team than Texas A&M out of the SEC, but if there’s another squad that could make some sense, it’s Auburn.

Rivalry Week is here with some of the greatest matchups of the entire 2023 season. We’re also honing in on our TaxAct Texas Bowl teams, which should provide for one heck of a matchup again on December 27th at NRG Stadium.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Kansas State - Trailing most of the game at Lawrence, KS against rival Kansas, the Wildcats came from behind to win the Sunshine Showdown 31-27. The Wildcats won their 15th straight over Kansas after QB Will Howard ran into the end zone with the game winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter. A win over Iowa State on Thanksgiving weekend will give the Wildcats nine wins in 2023, with three losses by a total of 14 points (Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas)

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Missouri - The Thicker Kicker, aka Harrison Mevis, knocked home a game winning field goal with little time left in a 33-31 win for the Tigers over Florida. The Gators took a 31-30 lead with 1:36 remaining on a Trey Smack 35-yard field goal. But, Missouri QB Brady Cook hit a key 4th and 17 pass for a first down to help get Mevis in position for his game winning kick. That’s the second one for Mevis this season (Kansas State the other). Head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s team can get to ten wins with a win over Arkansas in Fayetteville on Black Friday.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Player of the Week - LSU QB Jayden Daniels - Again? Yes sir!! Daniels’ tremendous performance put him right back into the winner’s circle after what he did against Georgia State. EIGHT total TDs. That’s right, Daniels accounted for eight total TD - rushing for two and throwing for six in a 56-14 win over Georgia State. Could a Heisman be next?

 

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Oklahoma S Billy Bowman Jr. - 100+ yard pick sixes completely change the tenor of any game and that’s exactly what Bowman Jr. did against BYU on Saturday afternoon. With the score tied at 17, BYU QB Jake Retzlaff had the Cougars within a few yards of taking the lead; however, Bowman Jr. picked off Retzlaff’s pass at the goal line and raced to the other end of the field for the backbreaking touchdown. OU beat BYU 31-24, the difference being Bowman’s huge interception for a TD. He also added nine tackles and a TFL in the win.

National Team of the Week - New Mexico State - All Jerry Kill’s squad did was walk into Jordan-Hare Stadium and beat 26-point favorite Auburn…and collect a massive check in the process. QB Diego Pavia threw three touchdowns in a 31-10 win over the Auburn Tigers in one of the most shocking wins of the entire season. NMSU did that to Hugh Freeze last year when he was the coach at Liberty, beating Freeze’s squad at Liberty in the same manner. Liberty. Auburn. It doesn’t matter to Kill as the Aggies are beating everyone on the schedule right now. As a result, the Aggies will play Jamey Chadwell’s Liberty squad for the CUSA title in two weeks.

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - (Tie) Toledo - The Rockets are 10-1 and no one in the nation is talking about Jason Candle’s squad. Win number ten, though, didn’t come easy. The Rockets trailed rival Bowling Green 28-10 at half and it looked like the Falcons would get a memorable win at season’s end. However, Toledo RB Peny Boone (15 carries for 131 yards, one TD) and Toledo QB Dequan Finn (20-30, 279 yards and two TD) led the Rockets back from the dead. Finn threw a 59-yard TD to Jacquez Stuart for the game winner with just under two minutes remaining. The Rockets face Central Michigan and then Miami, OH in the MAC Championship game. Run the table, win their bowl game and the Rockets could be one of a handful of teams to win 13 games this season.

(tie) Louisville - In just his first year back home at Louisville, head coach Jeff Brohm led the Cardinals to the ACC Championship game after a scintillating defensive stop on the goal line at Miami for a 38-31 win. At 10-1, Louisville is hanging on to faint playoff hopes, but a win over Kentucky in the finale will put the Cardinals at 11-1, heading into the ACC Championship game against undefeated Florida State. ANYTHING could happen at that point but, holy cow, what a game that’ll be!! 

National Player of the Week - UTSA QB Frank Harris - The longtime starter at UTSA had one of the best games of his career, throwing for 411 yards and three touchdowns in UTSA’s 49-21 win over USF. He also ran for over 100 yards, racking up 112 yards on 10 carries and three touchdowns. So, a 300-100 game with SIX total TD. Wow!

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Oregon QB Bo Nix - The Ducks signal caller lit up Arizona State in a 49-13 win. Nix threw for 24 of 29 for 404 yards and SIX touchdowns and spent most of the second half watching the rest of the game. Revenge is on the schedule next as the Ducks prepare for Oregon State, a game that slipped through Nix’s grasp last season.

Quick Kudos

…to Washington’s defense for holding Oregon State to 20 points in a 22-20 win in the rain in Corvallis. The (LAST??) Apple Cup is next!!

…to Texas for grinding out its tenth win in a place that hasn’t always been kind to them in recent years - 26-16 win over Iowa State in Ames, IA.

…to Arizona and head coach Jedd Fisch. Perhaps the HOTTEST team in the country, Fisch’s Wildcats trounced Utah 42-18 on the strength of four TD passes by three different individuals.

…to Northwestern for getting bowl eligibility. Wow, what a coaching job David Braun’s done in Evanston in 2023.

…to Arkansas State and Butch Jones. In the first two games of the 2023 season, Arkansas State lost to Oklahoma and Memphis a combined 110-3. Ten weeks later, ASU beat bowl bound Texas State 77-31 on Saturday night. What a turnaround!

Week 13’s Big games

#1 (11-0) Ohio State at #3 (11-0) Michigan - It’s THE Game. What else needs to be said? The vitriol is 100% real and there are MASSIVE implications, FOOTBALL implications, on the line for this matchup, as it always seems.

(8-3) UTSA at #24 (10-1) Tulane - Simply put, the winner goes to the American Championship game. It’s an AAC unofficial semifinal. I can’t wait to see Frank Harris (UTSA) battle Michael Pratt (Tulane) in New Orleans with so much on the line.

#11 (8-3) Oregon State at #6 (10-1) Oregon - The Civil War will not be so civil given the Pac-12/Pac-2 situation, not to mention the revenge the Ducks seek after Oregon State beat them last year in Corvallis. There will be blood.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Potential teams

Big 12 candidates

(9-2) Oklahoma - A win over TCU would more than likely put OU in a New Years’ Day bowl game. A TCU win over Oklahoma could make things very interesting.

(8-3) Kansas State - At home, the Wildcats are undefeated in 2023 and guess where they play Iowa State on Saturday?

(8-3) Oklahoma State - The Cowboys roared back for a 43-30 come from behind win over Houston last week. The Cowboys are my odds on favorite to be in the bowl game this year.

(6-5) Texas Tech - If the Red Raiders finish out the year with a win over Texas, I’d absolutely be ALL FOR bringing the Red Raiders back to Houston.

SEC candidates

(7-4) Texas A&M - Beating LSU would give the Aggies momentum on into the bowl game. HUGE momentum.

(6-5) Auburn - A stunning 21-point loss to New Mexico State didn’t help the bowl prospects for Auburn, but beating Alabama on Thanksgiving weekend would make Auburn the belle of the ball.

The CFB season is really just starting to hit its stride, so let’s take a look at what happened last week, project some TaxAct Texas Bowl teams and look ahead to another tremendous weekend in CFB for week 12.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Missouri - The Tigers got lambasted last year in Knoxville when the Tennessee Volunteers poured it on late in a 66-24 win. This year, though, was a different story. The Tigers, riding the wave of former DII transfer RB Cody Schrader trampled Tennessee 36-7, making a significant statement that the Tigers are a force in 2023. The Tigers have only lost to LSU by ten and to Georgia by nine last week. That’s it. So, they needed this one at home for a bit of revenge and a bit of redemption. A ten win season is certainly in range with games against Florida and Arkansas coming up.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - UCF - Gus Malzahn’s squad did not have a Big 12 win after grueling gut punch losses to Baylor, Oklahoma and West Virginia, in particular. But, in week ten, the Knights beat Cincinnati on the road. But, they still hadn’t beaten a legacy Big 12 team until Saturday. Not only did they beat a legacy team, they dismantled the HOT Oklahoma State Cowboys. Fresh off an upset over Oklahoma and five Big 12 wins in a row, Mike Gundy’s Cowboys got shellacked by Malzahn’s squad 45-3. That’s not a misprint. Oklahoma State was in some kind of driver’s seat after Kansas lost to Texas Tech, but the Cowboys couldn’t handle UCF at all. UCF RB R.J. Harvey looked more like Ollie Gordon than the real Ollie Gordon looked like Ollie Gordon. Harvey ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Player of the Week - LSU QB Jayden Daniels - I fell asleep well before the Florida-LSU game concluded, so I got on my phone first thing in the morning and I saw Daniels’ numbers. I got confused. I thought those have to be a misprint. Nope. Daniels did something that’s never been done in the history of college football. He’s the first QB to throw for 350+ yards and rush for 200+ yards. Check these #s out - 17 of 26 for 372 yards and three touchdowns through the air with 12 rushes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. 606 total yards, accounting for five touchdowns. He was the only player that could make Missouri RB Cody Schrader the honorable mention selection this week.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Missouri RB Cody Schrader - This was such a tough decision but when Daniels set records that no QB in FBS history had ever reached, Schrader moved down a notch from his high perch. But, that doesn't take away in the slightest from one of the greatest RB performances in SEC and Missouri history. He was the first player in SEC history to have 200 yards rushing (205) and 100 yards receiving (116) in the same game. There are only ten players that have done it in the history of college football. No player has generated as many all-purpose yards (321) in a game in FBS this season as Schrader.

National Team of the Week - Oregon State - The Beavers are one of the least talked about GREAT teams in the country. Stifling defense. Outstanding QB play. One of the nation’s best OL. The Beavers piled up 62 points on Stanford on Saturday, including 55 in the first three quarters. Circle the next two Saturdays - Oregon State gets Washington at home in Corvallis and then it’s Civil War time in Eugene against the Ducks. Those games will be AWESOME!

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - UNLV - The Rebels finished 2022 with six losses in their last seven games. In 2021, they won just two games. In 2020, they lost all six games. After Friday night’s win over Wyoming in Vegas, the Rebels are now 8-2. That’s eight wins, one more than the Rebels had in the last three years COMBINED. Head coach Barry Odom’s squad jumped all over the Cowboys in the second half, shutting out the Cowboys and putting up 13 points over the last 30 minutes in a 34-14 win. 

National Player of the Week - Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. - Three touchdowns against Michigan State. Went over 1000 yards receiving for the second consecutive season. Heisman love. Seven catches for 149 yards, two TD. One carry for a nineteen yard touchdown. Yeah, he’s the absolute Truth.

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Cal LB David Reese - You wouldn’t think that a defensive star emerged in a 42-39 game on the west coast, but Reese should get all kinds of honors for his performance. Three sacks. Six tackles. Two forced fumbles, one of which was returned for a 52 yard TD for the Golden Bears.

 

Quick Kudos

…to Sam Houston for its second win, and first ever against a CUSA as a FBS program, on the road at Louisiana Tech.

…to Georgia for a resounding win over a top ten team at home. TE Brock Bowers returned to the lineup and scored a TD in a 52-17 win over formerly #9 Ole Miss.

…to Washington for remaining undefeated in a hard fought win over Utah in Seattle 35-28

…to Oregon QB Bo Nix for throwing four TD passes against USC in a 36-27 win.

…to the Red Raiders of Texas Tech for wrecking Kansas’ magical season with a last second field goal in Lawrence, KS.

…to Jedd Fisch and the Arizona Wildcats for their seventh win of the season, this time over Colorado on the road in Boulder.

…to Iowa for a shutout over Rutgers.

…to James Madison for its tenth win in a row this season. All that stands between JMU and a perfect 12-0 season is a game with Appalachian State and a trip to Coastal Carolina.

 …to Hugh Freeze and Auburn for finding their offensive attack at the right time in the season. 48-10 over Arkansas in Fayetteville.

 

Week 12’s Big games

#2 (10-0) Georgia at #13 (7-3) Tennessee - the Volunteers are coming off of an embarrassing showing in Columbia, MO, so ruining the season of the #2 Bulldogs would be an amazing finish to the year.

 #5 (10-0) Washington at #12 (8-2) Oregon State - This is the BEST game of the weekend, in my estimation. Oregon State is actually a slight favorite at home, so it’s clear this could be Washington’s last biggest test.

 #24 (8-2) North Carolina at (6-4) Clemson - The Tigers are starting to play some good football finally, but facing, and shutting down, North Carolina QB Drake Maye might be a more difficult exercise on Saturday afternoon.

 

TaxAct Texas Bowl Potential teams

Big 12 candidates

(7-3) Oklahoma State - The Cowboys have overachieved a bit this year, but I didn’t expect them to get it handed to them this past weekend. Still in the Tax Act Texas Bowl hunt.

(7-3) Kansas - The Jayhawks lost to Texas Tech and have Kansas State this week…and potentially a banged up QB.

(5-5) Texas Tech - If the Red Raiders finish out the year with a win over UCF and an upset of Texas…I wouldn’t mind a HOT Tech team coming back to Houston.

SEC candidates

(7-3) LSU - If LSU finishes out with two more wins, the Tigers will get snapped up by a New Year’s Bowl

(6-4) Texas A&M - With the change at the head coaching position, A&M is an intriguing team to watch this offseason for many reasons.

(6-4) Auburn - The Tigers stayed hot with a MASSIVE blowout win on the road last weekend.