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College Football Week 6 Recap | Upsets Everywhere · College Football Nobodies

• Erich: Kevin, week six recap. What a weekend. It was fantastic. I think probably the best weekend yet of college football. Kevin, I was in the position where my main team had a bye week. So I just got to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. And boy, what a show it was. The upsets, some overtime wins. One of the coaches. Maybe has the conus of the year or forever award and in regard to how he handles overtime situations. And we got to see it all. And I think we even got to see some conferences like the Big 12, maybe say, Hey, we're gonna get at least two in this year, maybe three, just by the quality of play on the field. And so let's get into all of it. Upsets to cover and every conference to dive into, some group of six stuff I think we need to touch on. So let's get into it. Let's go right to Friday night. Kevin, I'm driving to my brother's in Salt Lake City. As you know, I was staying there Friday night before catching my flight in Salt Lake on Saturday. And I may have been streaming a game on my phone while my Tesla was in self drive and may not have for legal reasons. We won't say one way or another. But as I'm driving by Provo on I 15 North, the fireworks are going off. The cougs, you know, you look at the score and you think 24 10. Not very impressive, but I think it's their most impressive win so far. And it really sets up a credit an incredible game this coming weekend. And we'll talk about that in our preview episode coming up. But for me, we said BYU, Utah probably the best two teams in the conference. I don't think that's changed. And Bear Bachmeyer continues to be this. I don't know. Like, do you think the comp of Big Ben? type quarterback is is apt here because I I feel like it is and just in how he plays, can throw it when he needs to, is a bear of a person to take down once he gets rolling. And he took over the game and dominated. Kevin: First of all, Eric, I love the visual of your Friday night travels as I as I knew you were up to. Great stuff there with the fireworks past Provo. Yeah, this is absolutely the Bear Bachmeyer game. Whatever comparison you want to make, he's earned it four hundred and forty yards by himself. Literally was Erich: Man. Kevin: the team. Erich: And he's a true sophomore. Kevin: Yes. He's gonna need that next week first Notre Dame. We'll we'll get to that, of course, on our preview show at that monster game next week. Cannot imagine how electric Provo and Lavelle Edwards Stadium is gonna be for that one. Holy cow. Game day in town for the first time since 2009. But that's all ahead. Back to their gamers to Iowa State. BYU is just such a consistent program under Kalani Sataki. That's why. He's highly thought of and they're always always ready to play. They limit Erich: Don't get too much into a what if, Kevin, right now. Don't get too much into a what if when you're talking clonny Zadaki. Stay focused. Kevin: I am. I'm I'm not even going there, Eric. There's so too much else to talk about there. But yes. The Cyclones only managed 98 passing yards. Jalen Rayner could never get it going. They were two of 13 on third down. The Cyclones were. And that's not a recipe to win on the road, especially versus a really good quality BYU program. BYU is just kind of a Boa constrictor. That's what they remind me of. They held ISU to about 200 yards, and some people might not be that impressed. It was 24-10 over Iowa State. But this is an Iowa State team that's playing a lot better than people thought. Jimmy Rogers has this as a competent football team, which no one thought that with the exit of Matt Campbell and taking all those cyclone players with them. So it's a quality win. Will they need more than just Bear Bachmar going forward, especially versus ND? Absolutely. But remember. They're doing this without LJ Martin. We'll see what his status is next week. The defense and fundamentals and coaching is always going to show up for them. Their home field advantage is one of the best in the sport. So Cougars win by 14. Hey, they covered for all what people are saying. It's not like they were favored by like 20 something here. They were favored by I think the line was anywhere from 10.5 to 11.5. So they won by two touchdowns. Cougar fans should be happy with one of the more exciting weeks. They have on tap in a long, long time. Erich: Agreed. And I'll end that game by saying this, Kevin. It's like every time BYU and Utah win, it just feels like we're building to something more incredible at the end of the year. by the way, I may be going to that game as well. some we'll we'll talk about that more later in the year, but BYU beats Iowa State at home by 14 points. The other week, Utah beat Iowa State on the road by 14 points. So we'll we'll see what keeps happening there. the other game on Friday night that you and I were paying attention to is Iowa goes to Washington and dominates them. I I don't know what else to say. Didn't matter who was playing quarterback for Iowa. Irrelevant. I'm out on Washington, Kevin. I'm just I'm out. Like I'm done emotionally trying to pull for that team, the environment that their stadium can have, the jersey colors they have, and it's just not a good team. You and I said it last year. If you look at Any game where they played a team that is good in the trenches on both sides of the ball, they lost kind of a scheduled darling the last couple years, I think, in the Big Ten. And I just I just think they're in for a really rough year because anytime they play someone decent, it just it just shows and the mirage of their close game against USC should be overlooked because USC just seems to play everyone that way, yet still wins. Excuse me. So For me, I'm out on Washington. Kudos to Iowa. They get the big win on the road, like Minnesota the week before. And that's all I really have to say about this game. It does set up Iowa. If you look at their schedule the rest of the way, you're like, boy, if you look at rankings, you're like, they don't have anyone ranked on their left rest of their schedule. But if you look at how some of these teams are playing that they're playing, they're they have plenty of tough spots coming up. So for me, this one is just You and I fell for it. We picked Washington here. We shouldn't have. We assumed that Iowa would be emotional and beat up after their loss against Ohio State the week before. They weren't. And Iowa just has a lot of work to do. Kevin: Yeah, Eric. I'm so tired of falling into the Washington trap. It it's gotta stop for us. And we want it so bad because of those classic unim uniforms, the gold helmet, the W, that setting on the Puget Sound, the history they have, the fact that they really could be a sleeping giant there in Seattle in college football. They have everything going for them. And for that stadium to be empty. Versus Iowa on a Friday night is a major red flag for that athletic administration and Jedfish. A complete indictment on his program, not ready to play in what should have been a very tough situational spot, as you mentioned for Iowa. This game was never a game from the word go. It was twenty seven zero Iowa in a blink with their backup quarterback, mind you. Erich: Yeah. I know. Kevin: And I realize that Iowa's not a Quarterback versus program, as everyone knows. But still a backup on the road. Heklinsky was covering or got comfortable really quick. Jeremy Heklinsky filling in for Hank Brown, but that didn't really matter. Kamari Moulton and that offensive line just shoved it down the Husky's throat. They ran for over, or Kamari Moulton, I should say, ran for 208 yards by himself. And Washington is just so soft, Eric. No offensive line, no improvement from the non conference slate where they looked really bad. Damon Williams, it it doesn't even really matter. He's got his own issues. Sure, he's talented, but great. There's a lot of teams with talented quarterbacks. It doesn't really mean a lot. They can't run the football. Their defense was pathetic in this game. It just looked like a team that didn't want to be out there versus a well coached. Classic Big Ten team. Kirk Ferenc, the dean of the Big Ten,'s been there forever. Shouldn't have doubted him. He's been there, done that. He's been all in all sorts of tricky bounce back games or situational spots where they gotta go on the road. And if he said they had a great week of practice after the game, well, it sure as hell looked like it in that game. An absolute smashing of the Huskies. And like you said, going forward, what's really interesting looking at the schedule here. Iowa has the whole Big Ten West on their slate the rest of the way, which is kind of funny to look at. It starts with that Minnesota for the Floyd of Rosedale. They've earned a bye week, so that's in a couple weeks on the 24th. I've I like Iowa pretty big there from what we just saw from from Minnesota. Erich: Yeah. Kevin: I think Minnesota's win over Michigan says more about Michigan. We'll touch on that a little later. And then yeah, it's it's Your Wisconsin Badgers and then two Northwestern, which could be a massive game on November seventh. And then Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska. So a trip down memory lane in the Big Ten West for the Hawkeyes awaits them and that's gonna be really interesting. But everything is right in front of Kirk Ferenc and that football team. Erich: It indeed is. And looking at their schedule going to the year, if you would have told any of them they'd only have one loss at this point, they would say, okay, our expectation is now playoff and they've earned the right to start talking like that. Well, let's talk about a team that had playoffs before the even on their mind before the season even started. Let's go to the cotton bowl, Kevin. You posted on our X account early in the day, and I feel like this maybe dawned on you because in our our preview show last week, you said I feel like a coward. I'm not picking anyone that I should in regards to an upset. I'm picking teams that are technically favored, even though the rankings say it's an upset. But then you went on our X, didn't even talk to me about it. Or like, hey, something's in the air. I want to change my pick to Oklahoma or Texas. And I was just like, okay, bold. Very bold. Because my upset pick was obviously a little different. We'll get into that in a second. And it didn't start. In a way that I felt like, okay, he's gonna be right. It just once that blocked punt happened, then I was like, okay, how many times in a game, if there's a special teams touchdown between these two teams, does the team on the that on the the receiving end of that touchdown not win? So right then and there I was locked in. I was like, all right, whatever Kevin felt, whatever which doctor he saw this morning. This seems to be a real thing. And it just was like Texas, sloppy mistakes. Oklahoma's hanging around. Eventually, just the magic of a rivalry takes over. I think if Texas plays clean, this probably isn't a game. But guess what? They didn't. And Oklahoma has a lot of talent on their team. Eventually talent will find their let if you let talent do it, it will find its way. And it did. And it's not like it ended easy. It ended on a 47 yard. like intense field goal to get the upset win over the number one ranked team in the country. I mean, this might save Oklahoma's season. That's what we're talking about right here. So just Kevin: Yeah. I know. Erich: and it wasn't this wasn't the only game where this magic was happening, but it was just the first of three really, you know, awesome upsets to watch throughout the day that occurred. And what a win for Oklahoma. Huge win for Brett Venimals. Do they start building off of this? Does their offense start finding a rhythm? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. There's no guarantees. But for at least the next couple weeks and the rest of the year in regards to breaking rights over their rival, Oklahoma fans could feel pretty good. Kevin: Sometimes you just have a feeling waking up on a fall Saturday morning, Eric, about Erich: Yeah. Kevin: these things. There's no doctor scene. I promise you that. Unfortunately, I can't take credit. I can only take partial credit for this upset pick, because I did pick Texas 2314 on our official picks. I did feel it was gonna be a a mucked up game. I can't believe the points that were scored, but as you mentioned, there was a reason for that. The only path for Texas to lose this game was to turn it over or have sloppy special teams. And that's exactly what happened. That's inexcusable for Sarkeesian. You know, they had poor blocking on the punt block they allowed. And you're right. When that happened, I sat up in my recliner and was like, there we go. There's there's some of that magic that the Sooners needed. And it turned. You could feel the tide. It was game on at that point. It was seven up. And then to fast forward towards the end, it's seventeen up in the fourth quarter. Game is on the line. Arch Manning, what what are you doing? I I'm Erich: Boy. I don't know. Kevin: yeah, that's I don't think anyone does. And this is why no one is able to go f all in on this kid. Is because of plays like this, he just rolls out and throws it up to nobody. And I mean, except for Peyton Bowen, who returns it to the house for 24 17. It's pandemonium in the cotton ball. And then the Archmanning experience kicks in because the next possession, like Greg McElroy, I said, he might have thrown the pass of his career to Cam Coleman. In between the safety and the corner for like 45 yards down the field to set up Texas immediately responding to make it 24 up. So those are the glimpses where you're like, okay, this could be a a a great quarterback, but you know, so then it's 24 up and Arch Manning doubles down and goes back to the well. They got a chance, they're driving late. And he's getting pressure and he just throws it to the sideline. And Cortland Gillary had great coverage. I'll give Oklahoma that, but it's essentially right to him. Picks it off on the sideline and seals Texas's fate. Kudos to John Materi. He had to make some plays in here. It was an ugly, ugly, ugly game for Oklahoma on offense, as we knew. But they got the two huge interceptions and the blocked punt. And like you said, the kicker for Texas, I'm blanking on his name right now. Tay Tate Sandel was amazing. F to save their season, 47 yarders, no gimme for college kickers. That thing was struck perfectly. Oklahoma gets to wear the gold boot. What a wild, wild game. Sean McDonough's call, of course, perfect. He's unbelievable as always. You know, good losing his mind. So fun. That's what that 230 slot of college football and bodies, just craziness going around going on all around the country, as we'll get to. But you can't lose that game if you're Texas. What a win for Oklahoma. And for a one we one week at least, Brent Venables is the toast of town and Norman for that win. No matter what they do, if I'm an Oklahoma fan, at least we got that one. And a really interesting game next week as they host the Kentucky Wildcats, which we'll get to a little later, of course. Erich: Agreed. Well, let's keep moving. let's jump to the next game, Kevin. And you're gonna want to skip one as I just texted you. We'll come back to that one. But let's go to Notre Dame Stanford real quick. You know, I want to call it an ACC game, but because Notre Dame chooses to be independent, we can't really call it that. But they're playing a lot of ACC games this year, so we'll call it ACC. Still weird to call Stanford an ACC game, but the main reason Kevin: Yes. Erich: I wanted to cover this game, Kevin, is Notre Dame's in this in interesting spot where they just keep handling their business in the background. They haven't and partial part of the reason why not a lot of attention is being paid to them is because they really haven't had a lot of big games yet. Their win over Wisconsin has aged pretty well so far. Could continue to age even better as it goes. We'll see. But I don't I said after the Wisconsin game, Kevin, I don't think this team has a weakness. That's still how I view them. I don't I don't think they have the weakness. I don't think they're overwhelming on how they attack teams. I just think they're really good on offensive line and they're really good on their defensive line. And and some other parts too. Their defensive backs are really good and so forth. And so we'll see how this goes. But for me, I I just Notre Dame just looks really good and they continue to say, hey, we're really good every week. You know. Where other teams might struggle. And I know Stanford is not very good, but again, you're handling your business, right? There's no this team that's not very good comes in. Other teams have killed this team and we maybe struggle. We haven't seen that from them. I mean, I think the most maybe they've struggled is Michigan State. And even then, they overwhelmed Michigan State at the end this year. So we will learn more about Notre Dame. I think we'll learn everything we need to at this point in the year, this coming week, when they play BYU in Provo. And for me, this is just boy, they they look pretty good. cars looks he just continues to look more and you know more efficient every week. Their running game just gets a little better every week and maybe they're scheduled darlings to this point, but I just don't see a weakness. Kevin: I'm gonna disagree with you a little bit, Eric. I've touched on this a couple times. It's not a full-on disagreement. I know what you mean by no weaknesses, but I I think there's a ceiling on them just because of their athleticism at the skill positions offensively. Without a Jeremiah Love. Without receivers that I see on some of the other top teams in the country. They're not a weakness. And so your point is valid. It's not like they're really bad there. I just looking at them down the road. And we'll see this week at BYU. That's really where they're gonna face their first adversity. Then of course, hosting Miami later in November. So I'm still in wait and see mode. Stanford is objectively horrible. Erich: Yeah, they're bad. Kevin: And I thought they'd be a little bit better with Pritchard at the controls and Andrew Luck. They got a long, long, long, long ways to go to rebuild that into something even close to resembling what David Shaw did and the miracle he was able to pull off as well as Harbaugh. But yeah, 600 yards, 58-7 or whatever it was over Stanford. They're taking care of business and not fumbling around. So I'm excited to to to see that game though this week for sure. Erich: Yeah, they're leave no doubt mantra going into the season. I mean, it was a little annoying to hear it over and over again, but so far they've left no doubt, and we'll see what they do at Provo this coming week. And a game that I'm sure you and I are going to talk about quite a bit in our previous show that we record later this week. Kevin, the game I had tagged as an upset of the week, Indiana at Nebraska. I felt something was in the air. I felt it was time for Nebraska to get this win, that their fans who Fill the stadium every week. Although I'm gonna call out that their consecutive sellouts record is a bit of a sham because they have boosters buying seats when they're short of seats. But either way, there's still fans in the stadium. There's a lot of name brands out there are struggling to fill seats. Nebraska never does. And everything was going their way. Kevin: I'll quick interrupt you. They've your point is taken. They've they've had more fans than anybody that would show up for this Nebraska product in the last number of years. Erich: Agreed. I mean, the these fans have deserved a big win. They've supported their team. They've never stopped supporting their team. I've been on the tormenting end of the matchups with them with Wisconsin way more times than not over the years. And I was just I was ready to see them win a big game. I had said that look, Indiana at some point is going to lose. I still maintain they're not going undefeated this year. And I thought this was the spot. And for me. It looked like it was going that way. Everything was going that way. They were dominating the first half. Indiana couldn't get past the 50 yard line. Nebraska had the ball along. I mean, it but that field goal at the end of the half to put them up 10, right down the middle of the field. I don't even know if it was 40 yards, just right, maybe right around 40 yards, and the guy just misses it wide right. I was sitting there with my brother and I was like, That's it. You can't let N Indiana just hang around forever. And then even the second half, Nebraska, they started all right, but it really came down to two plays. The, you know, when Nebraska goes up 11 or 10 or whatever it was, and then Indiana, Kevin: Eleven. Erich: RPO, the safety just comes barreling down. So by the way, some just ridiculously bad safety play by Nebraska in this game. And the guy just slant touchdown. I was like, okay. I think it was Tamars over the middle. Easy touchdown. And I'm like, all right. And then you know, then to Nebraska's credit, they they hung on. But then the other big play that really turned it, that put it away, is you know, Nebraska's up four at this point. It's fourth and one, it's in the pistol. And I'm gonna really call out just horrific coaching by Matt Rule. And I think this is why Nebraska lost. Nebraska's players, I think, for the most part, did what they needed to to win. Matt Rule just really mismanaged a few situations. First, You know, you're you're getting ready to start the fourth quarter and you have that that lead, that eleven ten point or eleven point lead or whatever it was. And you really need to I'm not saying you need to play prevent, but like your safeties should not be charging the line of scrimmage when you know Indiana runs an RPO offense. And you know they have you know, with they have really good receivers on the outside who on those slants can take it to the house. And so to have your safeties or at least not instruct them to stay home. To really make sure that they're covering that assignment or to make sure a linebacker's dropping and cover, whatever that's gonna be, it's just bad coaching. But then the lack of the timeout that they called when it's fourth and one, India's in the pistol. Their two top receivers are on the field, everyone's lined up to the right side. Me and my brother like Indiana's passing here. We had no doubt in our mind. Matt Rule called the timeout when Indiana was lined up to go for two. And just and then that stopped them. They went for the extra point. In this situation, how do you how are you not calling a timeout there? We see your alignment. Let's see if we can scare you out of it again and get you to punt. They don't. All the players just charge in for the run. Ridiculous. He's in a he's in the pistol. He was never going to do a long handoff out of Kevin: Yeah. Erich: the pistol like that on a fourth and a long one. Marsh just no one's on him right over the middle, touchdown. They get the lead and they never look back from there. So for me, I feel for Indiana fans on this one. Matt Rule is the is to blame here. And here's the thing: this is his MO, is he just doesn't do enough Kevin: I've got to put the command. Doesn't play the code. Erich: for his team from a coaching perspective to win these games. You and I've talked about this. Coaching matters more than anything else in college football. It matters. Yes, the players, the talent, the speed, QB play, offensive line play, all that stuff matters. But when you're two power four teams playing each other, the coaching matters the most. And That's what I think was lacking in this game, in a game where everything went your way, Nebraska. Indiana wasn't running the ball well. They were just the passing game was out of out of sync in many instances. You were moving the ball down the field a little bit. And you just every time you got past the you know the 40 yard line, sloppiness, miss you know, miss throws, penalties, whatever you wanna wanna say, you got sloppy there, you allowed them to hang around. So I don't want to belabor the point here, but for me, this one was just, it's I just feel for our Nebraska fans here in this one because it was everything was right there for you to get your huge win. And who knows what that does for you the rest of the way. Now you lose this one and you got to get off the mat because this one was right there for you. And I want to compare this game to one later that went to overtime in regards to the coaching matters thing and just what the difference is when it when you look at it that way. So maybe I covered too much there, Kevin, but I was emotionally invested in my upset of the week pick. And yes, they did beat the spread, but you know I aren't gamblers, so we don't care about that. We wanted to see the win. Kevin: You deserved it, Eric. It was a great pick. Everything was line Erich: Ha ha ha. Kevin: everything was lined up, and then Matt Rule got in the way. You texted me after that fourth and one critical play on the game-winning play, essentially, for Indiana, and I I responded right away and mentioned the pistol formation. That's a clear tell in that situation. They're not running out of Pistol there with how Nebraska's front had played all game, and just in general. That's a tile that it's a quick, it's a quick play action. He had his pick of the litter on that play. Did you see? Like he threw it to Nick Marsh, but Charlie Becker was wide open. The flat was wide open. Just really poor preparation on that play. And then I don't think you mentioned this. You covered everything. Matt Rule, though, again makes a huge mistake where They get the ball in the next possession, and they went for it on what their own 40 with like four minutes to go, and you still had a couple timeouts and the two-minute warning. He panicked. That's a total, total panic job there. Punt it. Your D's played well all day. They held Turbo Richard to eight carries for 10 yards. They held in. Erich: Yeah. One of the best running backs in the country. Kevin: Yes. Their whole attack rushed for 65 yards, if I'm not mistaken. And Nebraska rushed for 128, which that's not great, but that's a decent number versus a really, really tough front seven of Indiana. That's enough to win, especially with Kalandria's production and how you're D played at home. You can't allow that quick score to me, like you mentioned, the quick score to Marsh. You go up 17 6, the place is on fire, and one play Indiana turn turns it around. And then Indiana believed. And they're like, okay. We can do this. And you know what Nebraska was thinking, Eric? Here we go again. And so you covered it all. I'll just close by saying I could not feel worse for a fan base that cares so much, that's so passionate. It is the only game in town in that entire state. 31 straight losses to ranked teams. It's been an entire decade, Eric. Process that. Erich: I mean it's look. Kevin: It it you just usually stumble into to one of those and instead Indiana's streak of I think twenty two wins rolls on, but I can only imagine the water cooler conversations on Monday or out in the cornfields next leaning up against the silo and just talking about this game. So feel free, Huskers. It's it's gotta happen one day. I just don't know when. Erich: Well, they gave Matt Rule an extension thanks to Penn State st trying to schedule interviews with a hundred coaches last year. So they're one of the many that locked themselves into a longer term deal for better or for worse with with their coach. But Kevin: We're sorry, we're sorry. Erich: Well, let's move back to the Big Twelve, Kevin, and let's cover a team that you I think are one of the only people I still have seen that predicted this team to not only pull an Undertaker, rise from the dead here, you know, start that music every time they play because that's what they were the past two years. But you picked Oklahoma State to go to the Big Twelve Conference Championship. And they took a shot this week from UCF. But Drew Messenker and the boys were just too much. And they ended up pulling away by double digits, one by two touchdowns. And this is why I say for me, the Big 12 is way better as a conference than people realize because I think, and you know, it might not be they're as good as the Big Ten is at the top. Maybe, maybe they don't have anyone that is as quite as good as Ohio State. However, they have four or five teams that are really, really good. That are all, I think, going to be pushing for that conference championship game. So this is your team, Kevin. I love watching Drew Messenaker. Oklahoma State's offense is one of the most fun to watch in the country. They keep putting up points. They pull away 42 28 over UCF. What what say you? Kevin: Yeah, this was a game too, Eric, that I was anticipating that the boys from Orlando, UCF, would come into Stillwater and put up a pretty good fight. They've kind of been a weird team this year under Scott Frost. Ugly 12-7 loss at pit earlier. It's a tough pit team, though. last week, of course, at Houston, I know there was like nine people there, but they led 17-0 and just weren't able to finish. And they weren't able to finish in this game as well. But to your point about the depth of the Big 12, is there's there's talent here. I mean, this team's got Keemon Jenkins at quarterback. He threw for four touchdowns, he had three in the first half. Duke Watson's a stud running back. He came in averaging over eight yards of carry, which seems like a fake number. And kudos to Oki State. They held him, I think, just under 80 yards, which is a big story in this game, as well as that fumble return score they got in the second half. Oklahoma State was leading twenty-seven twenty-one, I think. And that scoopin' score and the two point conversion gave them a two score lead, and they were able to maintain that margin and win forty two twenty eight. So Great win for the Polks. Mestimaker did his thing. I think he's just going to throw over 300 yards every week, it seems. Their ground game is really strong. The spot that worries me a little bit going into next week is you can get Oklahoma State in the secondary, as we've seen this year. So we'll see what Eric Morris has for a plan next week. I'm really excited for that game at Houston. Hopefully Kooks fans show up. That's going to be A really big game and a test for Oklahoma State secondary and a monster monster game for the Big Twelve. But good win. UCF is an underrated five hundred team and yeah, my darling pick in the Big Twelve rolls on and everything's right in front of So I was excited to see them continuing in the path that I predicted. Erich: Yes, the path that you predicted is alive and well. Our overreaction to them in week one is why we shouldn't overreact to teams in week one because a lot of changes between then and the rest of the season. Let's go back to the SEC for real quick, just a couple of games. A team that I think is kind of solidifying itself is like, hey, we know we haven't been great against the teams with winning records in our conference in the past. Elay Drinkowitz's Missouri Tigers. Really helped resolidify the fraud stamp on Texas AM. You and I said they're not a top 10 team going into the year. They've lost too much to the NFL on both sides of the ball. We felt Marcel Reed as a quarterback was overrated. And that's now presented itself three or four times over the past three or four weeks. No difference here. This was all Missouri. And what I would say about this is there's a lot of teams in the SEC, Kevin, that just can't play defense. In fact, I would say at least half of them can't. Missouri is. Is one of the teams that can. And they look like they have their quarterback situation figured out for once here, Kevin. And they're only gonna get better if Amon Hardy gets healthy and then they'll have a true one-two punch. I mean, that's not gonna be a one-two, it's gonna be a one-one punch at running back. So if I'm a Missouri fan, I love where we're at. That loss at Mississippi State is not a bad loss. Everything's in front of us. Kevin: Yeah, the love-hate relationship that Age fans have with Marcel Reed is quite fascinating because Erich: Ha ha ha. Kevin: that's a guy you're, you know, forever indebted to last year. Leads Vegas to the playoffs. We talked about they were scheduled darlings and all those things, but he was your guy. He made tons of big plays. You know, think about the comeback for South Carolina last year and all the different things he did. But he is not the same. And this year he's not the same this year, I should say. And he was covered up at times last year because of their great offensive line. I worried about them not having the tackles anymore. A whole new rebuilt offensive line. The defense you mentioned that lost players. KC Concepcion that's playing on Sundays now. On and on and on. And it's just not there. And there was opportunity early where Mizzou was a little sleepy and this was scoreless and it was three zero and it's just there to hey, come on, the boys from college station are here, and maybe you can get on the board and get an early lead and and put Mizzou in a hole. And that offense, man, is one of the ugliest things that's out there right now. I mean they rushed for twenty some yards, which is pathetic. Mizzou does have a good front four though, to your point, which Can really carry them. So kudos to the Tigers. Enough talking about AM. This is about Mizzou. They blasted them 27-6. This was a tough situational spot that I thought talking on our preview had a chance to be kind of weird. And I thought it was certainly gonna be much closer. I thought Mizoo would maybe have to hang on. And instead they rode Jamal Roberts again, which is incredible. Another 200 yard rushing performance from him without Ahmad Hardy. And a lot of people like to pile on Eli Drinkwitz, myself included at times, but that's coaching. And you see it around the country in different spots. Some of these backups are able to come in and get the same production. That's not the case everywhere. You see you you think it happens more because when it happens more, it gets talked about like it is right now, but it's not. They're finding an identity. They're running the ball physically and they were able to survive a game where Austin Simmons, I think, only completed fifty percent of his passes, Eric. So AM's athletes showed up in that regard to slow down the pass game, but it didn't matter. And you know Austin Simmons is not going to have a 14 of 28 game a lot moving forward. So big win for the Tigers. It might not seem like it on the outside, but to to not get caught up in all the rat poison as Nick Sabin likes to say, that's a really good win for them. Erich: Another one that had a similar feel to it where we're I'm not I don't want to call this team a a a fraud yet because they weren't ranked in the top ten going into the season. So I don't think it's fair to do that. They were unjustifiably vaulted there, but South Carolina dominates Florida. And Florida is boy, is Summerall having his welcome to the SEC moment. where it's just like, hey, yep, you can ride high in this conference and you can get smacked down. Really, really quickly, and it's like that in every power four conference. This one was just all South Carolina the entire way. I I mean, I don't know. Florida just doesn't have like I said, there's like a there's like seven teams in the SEC that just don't have a defense. and they're not the only conference that's like that. I mean, that's every conference is gonna have teams that just don't do defense well, and you're just gonna have to score. And if you have to score 38 or more to win every game, it's just going to be a tough year because There's going to be games where your offense is off. Penalties, sloppiness, turnovers. So that's just not a method to be a playoff team. And I know people were trying to save Florida back playoffs a little early. I don't think Florida fans should be concerned. I still think John Samarell is the right guy. It's just you're playing with other power four teams in the SEC. This is going to happen. Now let's see what you do. Now you're four and two. The expectations are now removed. Your players can reset. Let's see how you bounce back. That's where I'm at with this. Kevin: Yeah, I flipped to this game on the SEC network, I believe it was a twelve thirty Eastern start down there in Gainesville and I see that it's 1710 at half, and I'm just like, okay, let's tune into this. Like, what what the heck is going on down there? Like, Erich: Yeah. Kevin: with the game cocks a mess. Shane Beamer's essentially been fired by everyone down there. I think I fired them last week on our show. And of course they bounce whack bounce back and destroy the Gators in Gainesville. What what was it? Third was it 3813? Erich: Yeah. Kevin: 3819? It was something ugly. It wasn't even a game. Also, kudos to South Carolina on the road with a lightning delay. You know that always favors the home team. So old cocky was Erich: Also, before I forget, Florida never wear those helmets ever again. Those throwback Kevin: It w not Erich: helmets with the F logo on it. Like, what are you doing? You have a great helmet, the orange helmet with the word gators on it. Don't move away from that. And don't wear your all whites at home. What are you doing? You set yourself up from failure with your choice of kits. Kevin: Eric not into the Steve Spurrier throwback at all. That was when he'd played. Yeah. Erich: No, not at all. Like I just, I am into the throwback stuff when it looks good, but when it's trash, absolutely not. Kevin: I didn't like the home colors at home either. I I will say that. Although when South Carolina goes to those garnets when they wear those, whew. Those. And hey, maybe that's maybe that's why they won. But yeah, so back to the lightning delay. You're up seven. You're sitting on a pretty big upset. And they're able to just come out and continue to dominate. Like you said, John Summerl's finding a life in the a SEC is a little different than the American. Obviously he knew that, but When you're in it, you find out just how tough that is on a week to week basis to get your team ready to play versus incredible athletes in that conference. We talked about it last week versus Mizzou. What happens when teams with good front sevens, which South Carolina doesn't have a ton of bright spots on their team, but they're pr mm Erich: They do have they do have a good p pass rush though. Yeah. Kevin: and they're pretty good up front in general. And Jaden Baugh has been invisible these last couple of games, and it's not all in him. The blockers in front of him, just like he gives credit to when things were rolling for them and they couldn't do anything there. Aaron Philo couldn't get the pass game going. So that that's a real issue. As well as Florida's defense. That you and I we overlooked a little bit in the shootout versus Auburn. They allowed 39. miss, they destroyed 52-28, but there was Tons and tons of points there, or excuse me, yards Ole Miss. They kind of shot themselves in the foot at times. And we were wrong on this. Florida is not a playoff contender. We will hand up right here. Both of us on college football nobody's we own that. And Florida has some things they gotta get fixed in a hurry. So that's the story from Gainesville. Erich: Hard to not be romantic about the swamp, Kevin. So when you see some good things cooking there, you're like, all right, here we go. Love that place. But let's move to a place that I think, Kevin, you've been on this team for a while. Wake Forest is Kevin: Mm-hmm. Erich: absolutely rolling right now. And they seem to just be getting better on both sides of the ball every week. You and I felt this week, you know, NC State coming off their big win against Louisville, hosting the Demon Deacons, Wake of you know, a road favorite. I was like, I don't know. I feel like this one's gonna be ugly for them. I still think they'll win and cover, but they ran away with it. 38 14. This is one of the more fun teams in college football to watch right now, especially if you wanna get on the, you know, if you want this to be your old, I had the album before the song was on the radio. type type narrative from your your childhood days. This is your moment in that regard, Kevin, where you were on these guys early. this this win for Miami over Wake Forest when they didn't quite cover their 22 points and people were saying, look, they barely beat Wake. That's aged really, really well and I think shows how good Miami is. But Wake Forest, boy, look out. Are they getting better every week? And I think they're the clear number two in the ACC right now. I think it's Miami one. Wake two, and I think there's a seems to be a pretty big drop from between them and the rest of the teams for now throughout the rest of that conference. But boy, do they look great. Kevin: 100%, Eric. This is so fun to see. I love watching this game. I watched a big chunk of this game down there in the rain, the sloppy elements from the hurricane. It didn't slow down the demon deacons. They are now five and one. Three and one in the ACC. They will be ranked. Those rankings should be coming out while we're still doing the show, actually. And I love that they did face a little bit of adversity earlier or early. You know, the Wolfpack were up 14-10. I think that was the halftime score. And then halftime adjustments by Jake Dicker. What more can you say about him? What more can you say about Robbie Zell, the offensive coordinator, and what he's been able to do with Gio Lopez at quarterback coming over from North Carolina. He's been a whole different guy. One of the stories of the college football season. And of course, Robbie Zell is under the Sabin tree at Alabama. He had some coaching under Saban. So go figure. They know what Erich: Of course. Kevin: to do and how to coach and call plays. But they went on three long, long drives, scoring 21 straight to put this away in the second half. NC State couldn't do anything to stop it. Jack Foley, one of Wake's other receivers, of course. You know, we always talk about Hernandez, but he was out there with no gloves. And I know part of that might have been because of the weather, but just just seeing a receiver out there with no gloves kind of reminded me of like Ed McCaffrey back in the day. It was awesome. This seems like an old school team. And if you're the Wolf pack, you know, i I think. I think it's time to pull the plug on Dave Doran. It's been four fourteen years. Things have gotten stale in Raleigh. He's done some good things, but time and time again we talk about how this program should be so much better. Look at all the great coaches out there. It's time. This is an inexcusable performance at home, even if it was to a really good wake team, which Doran said before the game. Tom Brenneman mentioned on the CW broadcast that Doran said this was the best Wake Forest team he had seen in his 14 years in Raleigh. And that includes some really good Dave Klaus in Wake Forest teams, Eric. Erich: Yeah. Kevin: So that's quite a mouthful for him to say. And I don't think he should be seeing Wake Forest in his 15th year because I think I think it's time for a change down there in Raleigh. But take nothing away from Wake. This is like you said, the clear clut number two in the ACC. If you have not tuned in to watch this team, watch them. Erich: Absolutely. Could not agree more. And I hope that they continue doing well. And I hope Wake is somehow, some way able to keep him there because you and I love when programs are built up and then there's some sort of sustained success by keeping a guy there. we'll have to see how that goes as the season goes on and the coaching care cell as you as we will begins to form. Kevin: Can I just want to add one more thing on one of my favorite teams this year? Their front four is for real. They got my goodness, there is Erich: it's legit. It's so good. Kevin: you know, there there is a lot of big time teams. Tom Brenneman also mentioned that on the broadcast. Like, and you see it like, wow, like LSU could use a guy like that. Or I mean it's Name a a blue blood, they got some dudes on that front four. So this is a real team. Erich: Well, speaking of Blue Bud, a his you know, back in the day Blue Bud versus a a current Blue Bud, we'll call this the ugly duckling game of the week, Kevin. And it's aptly named because it was in Austin. UCLA seventeen, Oregon fifteen. No, folks, this is not Iowa versus Nest Northwestern. And you see that score, maybe that's where your head goes. Big Ten West battle safety win. six turnovers by Oregon. Dylan Rayola benched. UCLA hangs on. I mean, they lived on the other side of the field. I mean, at one point I was just like, is there gonna be an empty hand from one of the quarterbacks every drive? This game was gross. It was disgusting. And I think it's safe to say you and I were wrong about thinking Oregon was gonna be just fine with Dylan Rayola. quarterback. Again, you should not judge a team just based off the way they look or one of their players looks against USC. You and I have fallen victim to that for multiple teams now. By any right, Oregon should have won this game. I mean you turn the ball over six times and US LA had a couple turnovers too and you lose 17 to 15. I mean mind you an ex they went for two to tie it and they didn't quite get it. and then Oregon just ran out of time at the end and they just Kind of had to heap it up and UCLA gets to win. So great win for UCLA. Road win at Eugene. No one wins there, Kevin. You and I talk about that. That is just not a place you go expecting to get a win. And a place you go where even if their quarterbacks out, you expect them to play well for a game at QB. I mean, heck, that's why they brought Dylan Rayolo there. Cause it was like Dante Moore misses a game or two. This guy can come in and win a game for us if we need to. And then he's here for us next year. So that's going to be interesting to monitor too. Just Based off what we saw there, what's Dylan Royola's future look like at Oregon as we go forward? That's a conversation for another time. But this one was ugly, Kevin. From from beginning to end, this one was ugly. I mean, Oregon, you lose 17-15, you got an empty hand like touchdown, basically. Dante Morris, you know, drops it as he's throwing it and you recover it at the one yard line, and you go in and score, and then you go turn over six times from there. It was gross. If I'm a UCLA fan, I'm super happy. You know, who was expecting UCLA to be undefeated at this point in the season? Probably not a lot of people. And here they are. Kevin: I thought it was a beautiful mess, Eric. Erich: Maybe if Oregon didn't wear just some ridiculous jerseys. I mean, just disgusting. What are we doing? Kevin: That that was gross. Especially Erich: Yeah. Kevin: the opportunity against UCLA's beautiful palette. You could have done something right here. We had a flashback in 2004 in that game of what that uni combo should look like. And the reason CBS did the flashback is because this was the Bruins first win since the Drew Olson, Maurice Jones, Drew team. Erich: Man. Kevin: I mean it'd been eleven of twelve they lost. I mean, just utterly dominated in this series. And that's what's beautiful about college football. You just you just really don't know. The Bruins were a good team this year, how they play in Austin. And they found a way to win. And yes, there was seven turnovers by Oregon. And yes, UCLA didn't look pretty doing it. But at the end of the day, folks are waking up that follow that program and in Been through some miserable times, and the score says UCLA 17, Oregon 15. And for the cat Erich: All that matters. Kevin: all it matters, and for the casuals of that program that haven't been filling that Rose Bowl and all the embarrassing shots they've showed at that stadium in recent years, that's a score that can get those bandwagon people and fair weather people back on the wagon to show up this week. But what a win. Bob Chesney talked about at halftime how We need to take advantage of these opportunities. And they hadn't. They had that turnover in the end zone. Erich: Yeah. Kevin: They missed opportunities. Just take they were leading by almost 200 yards. it was like a 200 yard difference in the statistics at half UCLA, but yet it was only 10-6. Chesney knew like we gotta do this, we gotta do it. And they still weren't doing the second half. Finally, on I believe it might have been the sixth or seventh turnover for Oregon, but UCLA gets that pick. And then what a beautiful bootleg call for UCLA. At this point, Nico had gone out for the Bruins. That's another thing. They won with their backup quarterback in this game. So it turned into the battle of the backups. Like you said, Royola got pulled for Oregon for the third stringer. Ty Diffenback. Ty Diffenbach, excuse me, a moment to remember forever. What a bootleg rollout hits Wayne Knight in the flat. We were talking about that play always, always works. When you bring Erich: Every time. Kevin: the back in motion, that put up put UCLA up, was it seven? Yeah, 17-6. 17-6. And then it looked like Oregon was gonna maybe steal it because their third stringer, Brock Thomas, got going. Looked better than anything Rayola had done for the day. By the way, Rayola's stats, I I can't even mention it on the show. There is the ugliest thing you've ever seen what his numbers were. So back to Brock Thomas. Leads a touchdown or leads them down the field for a score. And then here they are. they get it to 17-15 eventually, because there was a yeah, there was a field goal in there as well that Oregon had got. And they're going for two to tie the game, and it's like This does not feel right. Oregon does not deserve this. Like, I'm kind of pulling for UCLA in this game. I love a good breakthrough with a program like them. And I really like Bob Chesney. And they get the stop on Oregon's two-point conversion, but of course, there's a face mask. So then Oregon gets a second crack at Erich: Yeah. Kevin: it. They bow up, make the stop, and UCLA is able to ride out of there with a win and Look out for this program, Bob Chesney. Anybody from that James Madison tree, as we know, is dangerous. And he talked about how it's a new use CLA after the game, and you can just sense it with them. This is true coaching impact. You see the difference. They didn't play pretty at all. You talked about that, but they were never rattled. Never rattled in this game for a young team that has no business going in there and winning versus the talent on Oregon. I don't care about Dante Moore being out. The roster talent's not even close yet. And for Ty Diffin back, yeah, his numbers weren't great as the backup to Nico. They didn't need to be. He didn't make the mistakes. And he's bringing just a bunch of winners from from James Madison, changing that culture. And you could see that with how those kids banded together to pull off. The biggest win that they've had in forever. So what a win for the Bruins. I'm really excited. they got a big one next week, as you know. I'm sure we'll touch on that at some point on this show. And unacceptable for Oregon and for Dan Lanning's team to look like this at home. There there is some issues there, and we were fooled again to think they were fixed, but that's just what the USC defense can do for teams. Erich: That it can. let's go back to the big twelve, Kevin. One that Mirrors what we talked about earlier, where if you're a team where you don't have a defense at all, you're you're you're going to struggle because you can't just expect to outscore everyone. So Arizona flies across the country into Morgantown and thumps West Virginia 52 31. I had read West Virginia in our season preview. It's like maybe this team can go nine and three. I'm not sure. And I thought they'd be better on defense than they were, Kevin. They just they're a great offense, you know. They all are always going to score 30, but if you have to score 40 or more to win every week, it's a problem. Noah Fafita just lit it up. And here's Arizona sitting here five and one, your only loss to BYU in a game where some different coaching can probably potentially at least lead to a different result in that game when they were in Provo. It it's I really love this West Virginia team. I love their scheme on offense. But when you can't get a I mean, when you don't have a pass rush, you can't stop the run. Like they can't stop anything, Kevin. Like there's there Kevin: I know. Erich: it is maybe one of the maybe I know what not maybe. It's other than like Stanford or team like that, it's like a the worst defense in the power four. And Rich Rod needs to get that figured out because you have too much talent on offense to be three and three like this. Get it together, change the scheme up a little bit. Move to a scheme that just tries to keep everything in front of you. If you hold teams to field goals and they get 17 points off of a couple, you know what I mean? Or what or 16 points, you're gonna win. Like just stop giving up touchdowns. And I I don't know if there's just some egos there or some unwillingness to play a different way based off the personnel they have. Whatever they're doing is not working. And I'm sure the fans in Morgantown are like, what the heck, coach? You know, we gave you a bunch of resources. They spent a lot of money in the portal. Like, what'd you do? Just ignore the defense. So a lot of work to be done there. But kudos to Oregon. I mean, excuse me. Q kudos to Arizona. They look great. And again, it's quite a bit of talent at the top of the Big 12 between these teams that have no losses or one loss. Kevin: It is a powder puff defense in Morgantown, Erich: Whoa Kevin: Eric. Ugly, ugly situation. No doubt Rich Rod needs to find a lot of talent in the portal this offseason. And he knows that they gotta bounce back and play better defensively versus the Cincinnati Bearcats this week because it's unacceptable. I mean, looking at their points the last three weeks: 41, 45, 52. You know, and you scored twenty-four, forty-two, and thirty-one in those games, and a couple of those games you're not even really super competitive in. Like you said, to have to score over forty to even hope to win. Not Erich: Not happening. Kevin: happening. And that just puts pressure on the offense and that can create a quick divide. When you have such a good offense and such a bad defense, like you kinda were alluding to, that locker room can become kinda uneven there. So But the story is Arizona, Noah Fafita, like we always talk about very underrated quarterback, and he can really hurt ya. All their goals are still in front of them. And mind you, Arizona did this without their three top receivers in this game, Eric. That is an indictment Erich: Didn't matter. Kevin: on West Virginia's defense. So they stepped up and made play. So kudos to Brennan and Coach Brennan, I should say, in Arizona. And looking at Arizona's schedule. So they're now five and one and what are they? Two yeah, two and one, the big twelve. They got coming up a bye week, which is good. So get some guys healthy, get some of those receivers back, hopefully. And then a home game versus Iowa State, which is very winnable, and then the big one at Texas Tech on Halloween. So it'll be fun to Erich: Yeah, looking forward to that. And this is another one, Kevin, before we move on. If people haven't watched No Fafita play as Arizona, just tune in. He's maybe a little small for the NFL. I'm not I'm not sure, but he's an incredible college quarterback, really fun to watch. I'm really glad they were able to keep him there in Arizona. And you know, I'm sure Arizona fans were a little upset at the Jedfish departure a couple years ago, but It looks to be working out all right for them so far. Let's talk about another team who the coaching change has totally turned them around, Kevin. Purdue is not a gimme anymore. Let's just call it like it is. I mean, their losses, you and I texted about this. it's they lost at UCLA and then they lost to Notre Dame and Wake Forest. Those are three pretty good teams from what we've seen so far. And they took UCLA to the to the brink and took Wake Forest overtime. So boy, yeah, they're three and three, but their three losses are to, in my opinion, three legit top 25 teams. And they just stomped Minnesota. You know, they beat Illinois last week, 24 17. You're like, okay, yeah, this this team, and just based on how they were losing games, I mean, the only team that kind of stomped them was Notre Dame. And you and I talked, Notre Dame is a very good team. And that, you know, and they've shown that in their games against the, you know, everyone they've played so far. And this, I think, also then also resets the level to which you and I believe Minnesota were going to be this year. Yes. The win over Michigan, everyone was riding high on that. The win over W Washington, you know, going to the year, you maybe thought, those if you, you know, if you're sitting there four and two or four and one at that point, look out. The reality is is those teams are not very good. And Purdue is solid. So it is no longer a gimme if Purdue, the boilermakers come to town, or if you got a trick to take the the the boiler train to West Lafayette, good luck. Because and if if you're a Purdue fan, start watching because these guys are starting to play good football. And I think Purdue, at the very least, is a bowl a bowl game team this year, Kevin. Kevin: No, well said. Barry Odom is a ball coach and really good. Erich: Really good coach. I mean, Purdue clearly picked the right guy through the transition that they had to go through a couple of years ago. So Kevin: No doubt. And like you said, with their early schedule, they they took that Wake Forest team to double overtime. And Erich: Yeah. Kevin: maybe maybe we know why I mentioned after that watching that live at the end, the Wake Forest coordinators going wild in the booth. Maybe not not just only to to win, but maybe they knew just how solid of a a road win that was at the time and that big celebration they had. this this was a shocking result. Not that Purdue looking at the spread, knowing that Minnesota's overvalued, their win, as we touched on earlier versus Minnesota last week, says more about Michigan and Minnesota. Minnesota didn't play all that great in that game. Bryce Underwood and Michigan special teams just kept gifting Minnesota the football. So you do that to any big 10 game team, you're gonna lose. They got they got outrushed in this game 305 to 27, Eric. Erich: It was an exact repeat of repeat of the Mississippi State game. Kevin: Yep. A hundred Erich: And Mississippi State doesn't have a good great defense. I wouldn't say Purdue has a great defense. So like the only two capable teams that Minnesota's played, they've gotten trounced against. you know, the games you've won against decent teams or programs are dysfunctional teams right now. So yes, the antics PJ Fleck does. I mean, they are fun to watch. And if it was my team, I'd like them too. But you know what I'd really like? Is you'd be competitive against a decent team. If you were my coach. Kevin: Ouch. You know, the Yeah. Erich: Just saying. May maybe a little biased, but I'm just saying. Kevin: The last thing I'll I'll say about that is Per Purdue, you know, this Friday, they're favorite at home versus Washington, rightfully so. I think they'll w I'll think that win I think they will win that game. They gotta go to Happy Valley, which pfft I that doesn't look hard at all right now. And then Erich: I I I mean if you ask me to pick today, Kevin Kevin: Yeah, yeah, fair. And then they have Erich: Toot that horn 'cause it's not looking Kevin: No. Erich: good. Kevin: No, it's not. And then they get Maryland at home. Maybe they lock up before or that'd be in the first week of November. Bull eligibility for this rebuild would be incredible. And then they have a really tough closing stretch, the Boydmakers in their last three games, but six games, Barry Odom, they might build a statue there with what he's doing. So no, they absolutely Erich: I mean they can get back to their early two thousands form. Purdue, kind of like Indiana, they have a huge alumni base. There are wealthy donors that are alumni of that program. They have a they have a a solid stadium. Their regionality, kind of like that, you know, you're not too far from the south, Indianapolis, and the you know, you're just not too far from a lot of really great recruiting areas. Again, it's another program that could take off if the coach stays and the buy-in's there. So let's see what they do. But yes, Purdue is not a gimme on anyone's schedule anymore. And I I think that's the best way to close that out. Kevin: To that point, Eric, a couple of years ago, I drove down there to see Penn State, because of course it's an easy drive, and that was Penn State's playoff team. And Penn State smashed them and Purdue had no shot in that game. It was senior day. They were favored to lose by a million. They did. The place was it was late in the year game. The place was almost damn near sold out to see an awful product that they knew they were gonna get. You know, they knew it was gonna be an ugly day. And it's like you do see that there at Ross Aid Stadium. There is tradition there, the cradle of quarterbacks, Drew Brees, Kyle Orton, the Joe you know, Joe Tiller, the basketball and grass, all that. So yeah, they you can tap into that. You know, z they obviously get the support for hoops there in a big, big way. So you're spot on. Erich: Well, let's keep moving. Kevin, I think this game, I'm gonna say it might be time for you and I to stop doubting Houston as much as we want to, because just people in their own home stadium don't show up to their games. Their players clearly don't care. their only win loss is the Texas Tech, and they were live in that game to the end that you know, again, one inch away from tying it with the two point conversion and taking it overtime. So as much as you and I hate that lack of support that they're getting, they roll into Kevin: Mm-hmm. Erich: Manhattan against a Kansas State team that have been playing well, really experienced Kansas State team at quarterback. And they kind of throttle them 35 to 16. Kansas State's not an easy place to play. And the Cougars just roll them, Kevin. So as much as you and I want to like pick against them in Texas Tech just for the reasons we chose to pick against these teams, here we are in this They're sitting there still near the top of the Big 12 and they look really good. They're talented. I would love to see Houston's fans start start caring because in this NIL world, I still believe that's a program with where they're located, the access to money that they have that could become a power. I mean, God, what program doesn't recruit the Houston area, Kevin? Like, and you're the team there, and then all the other so there's a lot that could happen there for them long term. but another Houston, they just keep rolling. So maybe it's time for us to give them some credit, Kevin. So this is me giving Houston credit. They look good. Kevin: Eric, we a hundred percent let that lack of crowd in Houston last week affect this pick. Shame on us. Willie Fritz, another ball coach. This was never a game. I'm shocked. It's hard to go into the little apple and win like they did. It was 21-3 early. I'm like, good grief, what's going on here? Like Colin Klein and Kansas State was not ready to play. Avery Johnson did not look good. He is such a roller coaster. I Erich: Man, is he ever? It's the the the Kevin: I Erich: American Eagle roller coaster of quarterbacks right there. Just a wooden coaster Kevin: Yes. Erich: that gives you the thrills and wants you to get out of there. Kevin: It a hundred percent. This is the win that this is a winnable game, you know. Chris Kleiman's no longer there. He would take some heat sometimes for these performances. Now Colin Klein's there, who I think is I mean, one of their program's all-time best players, really good offensive coordinator. He's done some good things wherever he's been. So I think it is a good hire. I think it's a talent issue, honestly, looking at this game. Houston's got a lot of talent. This wasn't us jumping ship on them on the season. We talked a lot about them in our preview show for the Big 12 this year because of the playmakers they have. And I was wrong about Kansas State's past defense. They ranked really high in this game and they got absolutely shredded. They did not affect Connor Wegman, who's one of the nation's most underrated quarterbacks. And the Cougars also rumbled for 230 some yards in this game. So Slade Nagel, the offensive coordinator. He does a really good job there. They're balanced. They're five and one. This was a convincing road statement. And also, shout out to Patrick Overmeyer. Had four touchdowns at tight end Erich: Yeah. Kevin: for the Cougs. Single game record for amount of touchdowns for a tight end in all of college football. So unbelievable game by him. Game ball. Shout out. For Patrick Overmeyer on this show, but yeah, Houston's got a big one now, as we talked about earlier, hosting Oklahoma State coming to town next week in a massive, massive game for that conference, which is gonna be of course talked about heavily in the coming days. Erich: Absolutely. Well let's get to another one of our and no other way to phrase this is massive upset. And I think right now if you had to say like who's your rookie coach of the year, I would lean Will Stein just for the fact of the wins he has right now over Chesney at UCLA and this one So if you're playing Kentucky right now and it goes to overtime and you get the ball first, you have an interesting decision to make. Let's say you get the touchdown and you're like, okay, I kicked the extra point here like normal, like any sane person does. And we just get a stop, right? But at the same time, you now have to realize that, like, well, crap. If Kentucky scores, they're going for two. So The mind games now going forward this happens because folks in back-to-back weeks, Will Stein has said, screw it. I'm going for two. We get it. Game over. We're walking out of here. Sucks for you that you only kicked the extra point there. We got the win. Like, if you're a fan of this team, you love it. But at the same time, if you're a fan of that team, it doesn't work. You hate it, right? This is the classic going forward on fourth and one in a dicey situation. Like, you love it if you get it. You hate it if you don't. But boy, what a turnaround from one year to the next. And I gotta be careful here because I feel like I could just crush on Will Stein, what he's doing at Kentucky. I mean, what the way Kenny Minchie, you know, what they got Kenny Minchie looking like at quarterback and you know, he was kind of a Notre Dame throwaway and he looks great there. It looks like he's really settled pretty quickly with that offense. but they're just getting wins. I mean, who would have thought they'd be five and one at this point? No one would have thought Kentucky would be five and one at this point. And here they are. And they you know, so I don't know what their ceiling is anymore, Kevin. I mean, at some point you think one of these is not gonna go their way. But what if their second half against Alabama wasn't this sloppy turnover ridden second half, right? Like they were live in that game in the first half. So that's really interesting to think what if there. And yeah, this is just it's great. It was a great game. And what I would say this about the game too is. The better team won because Kentucky's missed field goals is what allowed LSU to get to the point where it could even go to overtime. So I was really glad to see sometimes it's just nice to see justice being done. And let's be real, Lane being four and two this point and now having no margin of error for the rest of the season also kind of gives me a little bit of the A little bit of a smile, even though I I love the LSU program, but you know, Lane Kiffins is is the villain of college football right now with just how everything went down. By the way, imagine if he stayed at Ole Miss and all those players stayed and those coordinators stayed, how good that team would be. Like, talk about a what if just kind of crazy how it's like it's like you're splitting the vote with a third party candidate and just like weakening weak weakening both sides in that way. But great game, down to the wire. The evening slate was incredible. And here we are, Kentucky five and one. Kevin: Yeah. This this is just all part of an incredible day. It's like flip into Georgia Bama, and then Herbie's like, well, something crazy just happened in Kentucky. I mean, this is the first time ever a team has won this way in back to back weeks, Eric. Ever on two point conversions by one point. And the same score. 35-34. 35-34. Erich: I know. Kevin: How wild is that? I Erich: It's it's wild. Kevin: what is that joy like today for those Kentucky fans waking up? amazing. And it has to start with Will Stein. You didn't want to gush on him. I will gush on him. And allow me, Kentucky fans, to say, I'm sorry. I owe you an apology. I basically said that your wins over Texas AM and South Carolina were more a product of where those programs were rather than I I gave you credit, but it was a little bit backhanded. I acknowledge Will Stein and how great he's been, but I wasn't fully bought in. I saw the second half first Alabama. I didn't think it was going to be like that at home, but I thought LC would flex and be like, this is what the top of the conference looks like. So, to the good people of Lexington and all across the Commonwealth, this is my Mia Culpa, if you will. My sincerest apologies to you. If there's any room on the bandwagon, I would love to have a seat there. And it's just incredible what this team is doing. This is a good team. This isn't fluky either, Eric. They are legitimately winning these games. They'd be, you know, LSU came in only allowing 220 yards a game. They put up over 400. Like you said, Kenny Minchy's a whole different quarterback. And the belief of this team, the their balance. boy, does Oregon miss Will Stein's balance right now? How he marries that physical downhill running attack, like he's doing with CJ Baxter, started the game with the 77 yard touchdown run. But then also can spread you out. That two-point conversion to win it, five wide. Erich: it was cool glorious. And the timeouts, they change Kevin: The QB keeper? Erich: the formation every time after the timeout. You're just like, there's Kevin: my. Erich: no way LSU's stopping this. It's gonna happen because they don't know what to do. Kevin: It is. They don't know what to do. That is just when you are a mastermind of an offensive coordinator. Brilliant. It was absolutely brilliant. So you can't say enough about this. It was a wild game, back and forth. LSU, sure, did they have some players out, but they still have loads of more talent than Kentucky. Everyone knows that. And I think LSU did miss Wit Weeks on that final drive. They had a chance to get a stop. They're really good defense that they pay millions for. And 85 seconds to go. And Kentucky goes down there and wins the game. They couldn't step up. So I think they missed some of that leadership. They had some other moments too where Kentucky missed that chip-shot field goal and then Sam Levitt gets it back. And I he fumbled it. And I know Kentucky didn't do anything with it on that possession, but it just was another squandered opportunity to say, okay, let's. Let's go on a drive here. Let's start to make our mark on this game. And and they didn't. So what a win for this program. And it goes back to the SEC media days. We've talked about what a lot of people have, what Will Stein said. It was similar to a Cygneti moment where he was asked, Why do you think you can win at Kentucky? And he simply said, Because of me, because I'm here. I love the tone he said it with. It wasn't overly arrogant. He even acknowledged before he answered, like, I know this is gonna sound really and then he didn't finish his sentence because everyone knew what he was trying to say. And it just was the perfect tone of belief and confidence. Cause if you don't believe in yourself, who's going to? And he does. He's seen a lot of things in his career and been in big games. And what a time to be alive in Lexington and all across that state right right now. And What a game they have this week versus Oklahoma. Talk about the ultimate who can come down from the biggest Erich: Mm, yeah. Kevin: of biggest of highs and focus on the next week. That's gonna be fascinating, Eric. With Erich: Well, we'll talk about that in our preview episode for sure. Let's stay in the SEC for a moment. another game that had the evening rains impacted a little bit, Kevin. I think again people were counting on being this like really exciting, maybe higher scoring affair. I I know you and I didn't think it would be too high scoring, but Georgia rolls in to Tuscaloosa, they get to win to twenty seven twenty to seventeen. And some con a little controversy at the end with maybe a pass interference call that should have happened, shouldn't have happened. And then the really bad decision by the Georgia player to get or the Bama player to get goaded by Georgia and committing the personal foul, virtually ending the game, giving Georgia the first down. So Kevin, I don't have a lot to say about this. I'd like to go through this one quickly. frankly, if you want to hear about this game, go listen to every other broadcasted college football show and you can let them listen to them talk about it for forty five minutes. Kevin: I'm gonna just talk about a couple things with it that aren't like necessarily the nuts and the bolts of the game, Eric, that I think are a little bit more interesting. If you haven't seen the pre-game speech by Kirby Smart in this game, it leaked. I don't know if you caught that. Erich: I did. Kevin: It's not suitable for work or NSFP, not suitable for podcasting. I will just say that's what winning at the highest level. Like. He mentioned that he doesn't even care if they win or lose that game, which obviously he does, but his point was he cares more about just bludgeoning the other opponent and letting them feel Georgia for 60 minutes, and that's enough for him. I got goosebumps listening to it. I'll say this, Eric. I would live in a cardboard box for a year if Kirby Smart could coach my favorite team. I would. I He's incredible. And another thing of his effect, we talk about next man up, and everybody loves to say next man up mentality, and that's cute and everything. No Nate Frazier in this game and a monster game. Dwight Phillips Jr. steps up, goes for a buck 20 on the ground. They didn't have Canyon in this game. They didn't have Blackshear in this game. Other receivers step up. It doesn't matter. That's Kirby. That's his effect on a program if you really want to like drill down to it from the pregame speech and then them without some of their very best players to go in a hostile road environment and they just pound at you and they get the job done. I just have immense respect for this program, and I really could give a damn about their players and the speeding and all the jokes that are out there on social media. They truly are dogs and they are a pleasure to watch play football. On the Alabama side, still a really good football team there. This was a back and forth, even game. Alabama, yeah, you're disappointed maybe about some of those calls. You got a heck of a player in Keelan Russell. Did he have his best game? No. Does anybody versus Georgia? But you got the right guy for him to wait on the field after the game for Gunnar Stockton, who was doing his TV interview with ABC, and to congratulate him. A lot of people talk about how he's got the right head on his shoulders in that program. That's important, especially at quarterback. So Alabama, you played terrific. Georgia came out on top. These teams could absolutely see each other again down the road. This is just as good as college football can get when these two elite programs go at it. It's it was a special atmosphere and a amazing game. Erich: Well, let's talk about another special atmosphere, Kevin. And we're gonna keep you on a pitch count here. So if I have to mute you to move forward, I will. No, I don't think I will, but you and I predicted basically what happened. USC rolls into Happy Valley. We both thought it was a sucker bet that Penn State was favored in that game. I think it will you know was as high as two and a half at one point, then down to one and a half, whatever it was. You and I aren't gamblers, so it doesn't really matter, but We just thought the notion that they're being favored was didn't make sense because we're Kevin: Yeah. Erich: like the only thing that makes sense between these two teams was USC's offense is functional, and then nothing Penn State does is functional. I'll say Penn State, I don't know, like USC's offense looked good again. It's looked about how it's looked every week. They can run the ball when they need to. They have weapons on the outside that can make tough contested catches, which I think is the most difficult part about. The matchup with them and they have a QB that can distribute the ball. And there was a couple spots too where if the ball was thrown a little bit better, USC could have had some more long touchdowns that maybe would have put this game out of reach a little bit more. But Penn State's really only strength is their defensive backs. And I think that's probably what kept the game as close as it was. This this one's tough because it's Kevin: Yeah, it's a good one. Erich: just there's not a lot of good things to say about Penn State football right now. I mean, I guess the offense was a little better this week. It wasn't the main problem, it is still the defense. as you and I texted, like, it's not like Rocco Becht is the main problem. It is a problem. The batted balls, the third in mediums, the third and longs, where he zones in the guy that's running a two yard route instead of like hanging in there and hanging tough, trying to actually get a first down. And it just the biggest thing for me is can I honestly say I saw improvement? From the debacle at Wisconsin to the game at Northwestern to this. I mean, I guess in spots, like, yeah, you weren't a sieve against the run, but it wasn't, I don't think anyone expected it to be that bad every week. So for me, Penn State, I'm not sure what's going on. I have no idea what this team's record's gonna be at the end the year. I have no idea what's going on inside that locker room. A lot of questions. And now let me shift to the USC side. You and I talked about this, Kevin. You had them predicted as a playoff team this year. And you said at this point in the year, if they could be, are they five and one now or it's five and one, right? If Kevin: Yeah. Erich: they could be five and one at this point, this stretch to the where they get to their bye week, you know, where they played Washington on the road, they played Oregon at home, and then they played at Penn State. If they Are three and one in those games, and then that we we assume they'd be five and one overall. or is it s it is six and one, yeah. Cause Kevin: Six and one. They had that week zero game. Erich: they so yeah, they played in week zero. So if they're six and one at that point, like look out because you know now they have some margin of error, and here they are, six and one. Yes, not pretty, yes. Their defense gives up yards and points, all those things are true, but they're six and one. So if I'm a USC Trojan fan, I'm six and one. I get a bye week before we go to Wisconsin, we'll see what you feel about that after their game against UCLA the you know the week before and then let's see what we can do. So if I'm a USC fan, I feel really good about where this team is. Yeah, you and I can talk about the holes they have in their defense all they want. The end of the day, they're six and one, Kevin. Like what more could you ask for? And you know, yeah, they lost to Oregon. That's tough, but they should absolutely be thinking playoff right now. Just with the nature of the way the rest of their schedule sets up, it's the long way to go, but they've done they're more than halfway there. Kevin: Yeah, a lot of people are gonna like poo-poo this win for USC and Lincoln Riley because Penn State's really bad, which is true, but it's a hostile environment. It was a hundred and fourteen thousand fans going crazy. I'm so sick of Penn State losing these games with their largest crowds ever because it just turns into a showcase for the other team. but I'll get into that in a second. I'm gonna focus on USC first. It's much easier to I have so many things to say about my team, but I want to make sure I give USC their kudos. you know, they were ready to play. First drive of the game, just bing, bang, boom, down the field 7 0. So you gotta give Riley credit for that. I'll be it verse just a generationally awful defense, which I'll touch on. But Jada Mayava, I wasn't expecting him to be rattled. He's experienced, he's a great quarterback. He was not, he threw for over 300 yards, no picks. They Trent Mosley back in this game, one of my favorite players in the country. He, the freshman from Chicago, is electric. He went Erich: Monster. Kevin: monster, catch and run, down the field, you name it. Went for over a hundred yards, got on the board early. Look, looked like I mean he was a hundred percent looked like he missed no time. King Miller was tough, ran for over a hundred yards. Wayman Jordan was mixing it up to new kinds, backed up his talk this week, had had a good. Erich: Yep. Some really tough catches. Kevin: Some really tough catches. I have no clue why Jameer Joseph was on him at times. Good young corner for Penn State. I have no clue where Audavian Collins was on that drive. So that's coaching. what else? Lincoln Riley outcoached Matt Campbell in this game by a landslide. And is Matt Campbell looking very good right now? No, but Lincoln Riley lately has not been outcoaching anyone. So that says something. They were in control this entire game. He pressed the right buttons. And like you said, it's a huge win before a bye week. They needed to get these last two wins to have everything set up for them. And and now they gotta they get a reset. And their defense is porous, but on the road in a tough environment, and made the plays they needed to, and they didn't turn the ball over all night offensively. And they got the they got the job done in a game. Where I do disagree with Lincoln Riley at the end saying like no one was picking them and stuff, and maybe a couple national on three writers picked Penn State, but most of USC's beat picked USC. Pretty much all of Penn State's beat picked Penn State. College game day, all but one picker picked P USC. So most people were picking USC in this game. As far as Penn State goes, Eric. Holy cow. It's the worst defense I've ever seen in my life, bar none. I've been spoiled with good to great defenses my whole life at Penn State. It's been like some years average at worst. I'd actually rather watch the infamous 6'4 loss to Iowa in 2004. Erich: I mean, yeah. Kevin: Which a every Penn State fan remembers that game. Our last losing season. I just can't stand a bad defense where you just take it. Danton Lynn rushing three guys on the deciding touchdown for USC, dro dropping eight guys into coverage. First of all, the back end zone, it's it's condensed down there. Everyone knows the back line of the end zone's another defender, and our safety just stands there. Gets face cut. Jaden Maiava was reading a book the entire game. I'll be curious to see what novel he read. Someone should ask him that week and this week and how good it was. The linebackers for Penn State, what an embarrassment for linebacker. You, excluding Tony Rojas, the only one doing anything out there. Is he perfect? No. But he's playing with just, I mean, I I have never seen the linebacker play look so bad. Ker Cooper E. Bell should not be out there anymore. Number eight. Slow can't read a play. And like you said, Penn State's corners are the only strength of this team. But smart offensive play callers like Lincoln Riley can easily scheme around that. They'll just scheme up the linebackers and the safeties, and you could tell tell he was avoiding Zion Tracy and Darius Dixon. And those players most of the night. So the big defensive tackles for Penn State, they've meant nothing. They're just big blobs in there that do nothing. And there was a couple opportunities in this game for Penn State to maybe win this. You mentioned the batted ball on a wide open chase solo touchdown on a really good RPO call by Taylor Moser. And instead of going up 24 17, you're only up 2017. You can't kick field goals versus USC. Penn State did. This this team is a complete disaster. I only think they good looked good on offense because it's USC's defense. I mean, heck, look at Washington last week. They looked okay on offense. Rocco Becht had some great deep balls. They rolled the ball, rolled the pocket for him to Chase Sowell, which, by the way, more coaching malpractice. Chase Sowell had four catches for 95 yards in the first half. Eric, one target in the second half. That makes sense. I could go on. I'll close it with big picture thoughts here. We were sold a bill of goods with Matt Campbell, Eric. He was going to bring toughness, time management improvement, or game management, I should say, that James Franklin lacked. The game plans would be better. On and on and on. None of this has happened. You have to ask yourself. Where is Matt Campbell's stamp on this team? And literally, what has he brought to Penn State other than an 0-3 conference record? He what what has he brought? Because look at the timeouts he burned in this game because of late substitutions where USC baited him in with rolling guys slow onto the field. And then that was an absolute joke at the end, where fourth and third, fourth and four on their own 13-yard line, USC. Trots out Jada Mayava, like they're really gonna run a play there in the biggest, one of the biggest games in Lincoln Riley's career. He's gonna throw an eight-point lead away and give Penn State a 13-yard field if he doesn't get it. And Matt Campbell falls for it. Like this was seventh grade like comedy hour stuff. I mean, that was a James Franklin special right there. I there is so much to say here. I've already gone over time. I I it is an absolute disaster in Happy Valley. The only thing that might be worse is the in-game music that they play at Beaver Erich: Well, Kevin: Stadium. Erich: let's let's not get into that because then I'll go on a rant because it is as someone who just likes to enjoy college football, the games at Penn State are almost unwatchable because of the what the announcer is doing in the background with the music and stuff. But let's move on, Kevin. We I agree with everything you said. That's that's I'll close on that by saying Let's move back to the state of my residence. Utah hosts Kansas. This was my Jersey Colors color palette of the week. And Kevin, Kansas let me down because they wore all black uniforms. They did not wear their blue jerseys. Utah's all whites looked great. The helmet I had mentioned looked great and all that stuff. And this is one this Utah team, Kevin, they're really good. They're really fun to watch. Their defense struggled in the second half in this one. But you know what good teams do, Kevin? When their defense is struggling, what does their offense do? Their offense just picks up the slack. Devin Dampier, Bird Ficklin, the two quarterbacks show produced when it needed to. And Way Sean Parker. What an explosive running back. One of his long touchdowns, Kevin, he reached 23 miles per hour. This is why Utah is a playoff pick and was a playoff pick for me. This is why they're undefeated. In that moment to where and again their rush defense was great. They just they just could not stop the pass last night. And I think that just happens to teams sometimes where just the quarterback you're facing, he he gets hot, and the maybe the pass, and especially if it's a mobile quarterback. I mean, their Utah's pass rush was getting home. It's just that for Kansas, you know, Isaiah Marshall's so mobile, he could just roll out, beat the pass rush, and make the throw. And he just kind of lit it up in the second half and you know ended up having a really good night statistically. But Utah gets to win 41-24. They keep rolling. And like I said, Kevin, every time they win and BYU wins, it's like, what are we building towards here late in the year at Rice Eccles when BYU comes to town? So really fun game to watch. I was on my plane on, as I told you, on my way to Boston for work this week and live TV on the Delta flight. I was able to watch this game after it switched from ESPN news to ESPN. A crime that Utah football has to be on U ESPN news ever. This is the biggest thing I hate about college football coverage right now. It's just Utah football should never be on ESPN news. It should always have a station it's on. I digress. Kansas though, not in a great spot, Kevin. you know, as much as you and I like Lance Lipold, they have some work to do. you know, two and three, they're twelfth in the Big Twelve right now. It's it's it's not looking great for them. Although they've looked comp like the thing is is they've looked competitive in spots. You know, they were competitive against Missouri early, lost kind of close to Arizona State. obviously lost the butt you know now they get to go to the Kansas battle and the the the Little Apple, as you put it, and in Manhattan, Kansas next week for the can the battle, the Kansas battle. I don't whatever we want. I don't know if that has a trophy or a a game name to it. Kevin: The sunflower showdown, Eric. Erich: Sunflower showdown. Fantastic. Little preview on that, Kevin. Potential color palette, jersey of the work and jersey color palette. Jersey colors the award of the week of the week. God, I can't talk right now. preview on that one potentially. So we'll see. But Utah keeps on rolling. Kevin: I think as I mean, you're the commissioner, but I think when someone does what they did to you last week and wears it all black, I think they should be ineligible for a couple of weeks. Erich: you know what? I like it. Approved, and sanctioned. Kansas is ineligible. Kevin: Ha ha. Erich: In fact, I'm gonna put my blue Kansas sweatshirt on the tag, I'm gonna put a black mark and axe and sharpie. If they do that two more times, I'm just shredding that thing and I'm posting a video Kevin: It's Erich: of it. Kevin: that's that's perfect. Gavel has been dropped, everyone. Erich: Yeah. Kevin: I I'm with you on Utah. We are trending towards that Beehive State showdown. I I believe you're the Beehive State, I believe. Erich: Yep. We are. Kevin: Yep. So that's gonna be really exciting. Yeah, Weyshawn Parker, electric running back, should get more credit. Erich: Electric. Kevin: I mean, both those backs are underrated criminally, him and LJ Martin in your state. I I think I'm kind of with you. I I was surprised Kansas came to play in this game out in Salt Lake. It was 27-24 going in the fourth quarter. So is there questions about Utah? I I think you're right. The the mobility of Daniels at quarterback for Kansas is tricky. But something to keep in our back pocket. They'll go into Boulder next week, Utah and smash the Buffaloes. But Then it's Houston after. Houston's got to go to Salt Lake. I wanna see how they do against Connor Wegman. That's gonna Erich: Agreed. Kevin: be a great game before we get to the BYU showdown and just see how they handle another really talented quarterback dual threat. So you kind of covered everything with the game, but just wanna keep an eye out for that. Where are we heading next, Eric? Erich: So we're gonna do a group of six game before we do our con our quickly do our conference whip arounds. So the how much caffeine game of the week, how much caffeine did you have? Game of the week. Poise Fresno. Kevin, I got to my hotel room at like 145 Eastern in Boston, Boston. This game was still on. I don't know who Kevin: Yeah, I know. Erich: has to be. Hired and torturing. I don't do we have to hire someone to torture someone that makes these decisions. Boise state should not have to be asking people, and which population-wise, is the majority of the country in eastern time zone to have to stay up till 2 a.m. to watch them play. Criminal. this, you know, I talked about this. I said I'm not picking against Boise the rest of the way. Picked against them one too many times early. They get to win 38-31 over Fresno State. I was able to watch some of it. Fresno came to play. They fought the whole way. you know, technically they did beat the spread, I guess you could say, 'cause you know, you did that half point stuff there if you're a gambling person. But this to me was the toughest game on Boise's schedule for the most part. Although I have to see if they're playing Oregon State. I'm not sure. I think they are, and that one well, I'm Kevin: They do and I'm excited you mentioned them 'cause I want to talk about them. Erich: Yeah, we're gonna we're gonna briefly touch on that and the whip around. So let's leave that for it is 'cause boy, is there an exciting player for Oregon State. So for me, Boise State clear cut excuse me, clear cut group of six favorite for the playoff right now. they've gotten through most of their tough games, though there is one looming in the future. Kevin: Yeah, Boise is just so reliable. This was a really fun game. I was I was kind of like in and out of this one on the couch, you know, one eye open, then I'd be dialed in. I d I I I powered through it for the for Bronco Nation. And I love Fresno. These are historically great programs. Dylan Riley for Boise, one of the nation's best. He's got 835 rushing yards through six games. He put up 150 and he had a 44 yard receiving score in this game. Spencer Daniels team, they they hit explosive plays, they can grind out drives, and and that was the key because Fresno Eric, they didn't turn the ball over in this game. So that gave him a real shot to win this. The problem was that Boise dictated the terms in this game with their physicality and just going on long time consuming drives and just possessing the ball. So Matt Ents's team came to play. They're well coached. Fresno is still gonna have a really good season, I think, in the new Pac 10. But Boise is the king for a reason. And I just think their ability to be a chameleon in whatever type of game they're in is is crucial. So great road win there in the valley. And with that said, let's get into the Beavers. I Erich: Well let's let's we don't have that on here. We'll do that in the whip arounds. Let's get into our Yeah. Kevin: the whip around. I'm just so excited about them. Erich: Yeah, no, we we will get there, I promise. Kevin: Okay. My fault. Erich: so let's we touched on most of the games in the SEC, Kevin, already. the only one we didn't touch on was Tennessee, Arkansas. Tennessee wins 2417. So let's just SEC, I think this is the the way to handle this. Is I'm just gonna ask you who's the top team in the SEC right now? Kevin: Georgia. Easy. Erich: Yep, agreed. And then for me, I would say that it's clear cut top team. And then it's like who's the best of the rest right now? Because I think you then you have Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas. And then maybe Ole Miss. Like people kind of like not talking about them anymore. You know, they just had the one letdown spot loss. So you know, you and I said We're not gonna be picking against Georgia and Texas until they lose. well, Texas lost. So now we can see what we do there. Georgia has not yet, and and so we'll see. So that's the way I would summarize it. Do you have any other differing opinions on that before we go to the big ten? Kevin: I really don't. I mean, you can just make a case for everybody in that second slot. And if Erich: Yeah, exactly. Kevin: gun to my head, I'd probably lean Bama. Because I think Erich: Yep, same. Kevin: tech I think Texas has their flaws. Alabama crushed Kentucky on the road, especially in the second half. LSU's got a couple losses. They certainly can't be at number two. So just th there you have it. And old Ole Miss, I don't I f I'm not sure if you mentioned them, but I I don't I don't have them at Bama's level. Erich: Yeah, I I would agree. let's go to the Big Ten. And again, we covered most of these games. other than a thriller between Illinois and Michigan State, thirty eight thirty-seven. Boy, you could argue that was like the potentially bottom of the Big Ten bowl right there from what we've seen so far. Both those teams, man, whether Kevin: I think I think that was just two r bad even teams going at it. Erich: Yeah, a hundred percent. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, continue to cook. And if you said gun to my head, who's your Heisman favorite right now, I'd probably say Jeremiah Smith at this point. So then see for this conference, Kevin, I would say same thing. I'm putting Ohio State as the clear number one. You know what? I can't say that. I'm gonna say Ohio State, Indiana are the clear one and one, one A and one B. I just I, you gun to my head, I'd pick Ohio State over Indiana, but they they both have passed all the tests they need to pass, pass. And I don't know if that game was played. If anyone's going to shut down or find out a way to shut down Jeremiah Smith, it's going to be Kirknight Cignetti. and then I feel like everyone's competing right now to be in that three, four, five, six spot. I think the top two spots to me are pretty taken at this point. Do you look at it any differently? Kevin: No, I think you got a good grasp of it. And no need to have that gun to your head, Eric, because Erich: No. Kevin: those teams play this Saturday. So Ohio Erich: That's yeah. So Kevin: so we'll we'll Ohio State and Indiana will dis decide that. And then yeah, you got, you know, UCLA in there, Iowa, yo, UCLA, Wisconsin's a huge game for the conference th this weekend. So yeah, whole host of teams you could say. And some certainly not what We thought. Erich: Agreed. The Big Twelve, we covered every game in the Big Twelve this week. that's what we do here in college football nobodies. We cover all the conferences. And I think my opinion still remains that Utah and BYU are the top of this conference. And then you have Houston, you have well, I should say Texas Tech first because they beat Houston. You have Texas Tech, Houston, Arizona, Oklahoma State. I mean just this group of teams. competing for that. You know, if if for me, Utah BYU are one A, one B, then everyone else is competing for, you know, two and three fr from there. I will see some a big coming up game coming up for Oklahoma State and Houston to kind of help maybe move things further that way. But that's the way I view it. What say you? Kevin: Well, I certainly have Oklahoma State in my top two because that's my prediction. Erich: Yeah, true. Kevin: So I got the Cowboys there after BYU. I like Oakie State just a little bit more than Utah. And though and I know. Erich: Fighting words, fighting words. Kevin: And they don't play in the regular season. You know, that Erich: I don't. Kevin: was part of my predictions. Oak Oakie State doesn't have to play BYU or Utah. I do believe they'll play one of them in Arlington. And I'm sticking with that as well. I think it's gonna be BYU Oklahoma State, but it's really, really close. Like Utah's a great team, Houston's really good. Of course, the Polks have to go to Houston this week or this weekend, I should say. And so there's a lot to be said. Arizona's hanging around the chicken coop. You're never out of with Noah Fafita. Texas Tech, I I think they are masquerading as a fraud right now. I'm just waiting for them to play. an opponent that's good enough to take care of all the issues that they got going on there. Erich: Well, we're gonna wait and see on that one. The ACC, again, we covered most of the games other than Cal beats VauTech 2520. so the you know, Kevin, you got that going for you. At least Franklin's put together a good he's got a losing streak put together for VATEC, although you know, when you're rooting against your former coach, who you who was terminated, yeah, that's that's never a good sign there. But Kevin: No. Erich: You know, but Vot Tech has, you know, all this love they were getting early starting to fade a little bit. Louisville kind of gets a bounce back win over Florida State. And now I think we're seeing the Norvell slide here. It's gonna be I I still think he's very much on the hot seat. And now that they're sitting there with three losses, I think that's gonna start becoming a reality. ACC Kevin, we've talked about it earlier. Miami's one. Wake Forest is two. And there's a pretty long line of competing for three, four, and five from there between these teams where it's it's fully up in the air. I will say good win for Cal this week, though. I I would like to call that out. And bounce back win for Louisville having three tough losses already. Kevin: Yeah, you know me. I'm going right back to Vot Tech and Cal. You know, for Franklin and Brent Pry, it it's just this happened at Penn State. Yeah, they're they're okay, not that they lost as the favorite a lot, but so they're 10 point favorites going out to Berkeley. But They it was Cal's backup quarterback. Yo, Sungin Pul Pulitelli didn't play in this game. The Cal Cal's backup threw for over 300 yards. They made him look like Joe Montana. That happened a couple times versus Brent Prize defense where it was like a backup or an injury. Doesn't matter. And Erich: Yeah. Kevin: he's sometimes not quite aggressive enough in his scheme. Yo, they allowed that. 75 yard drive late was aided by penalties. Just another close game where They don't get it done. And Hokie fans are not thrilled about their really good back. Jeffrey Overton Jr. had 67 yards in the first half. At it barely touched the ball in the second half. So make sense of that what you will. There's not a lot say there. So that that's one that they needed to stay in the race and to maybe have the type of season they wanted to have in year one of Franklin. I also wanted to touch on Pittsburgh and North Carolina. And I do think Pat Narduzzi is a good coach. He's done a phenomenal job at Pittsburgh, but that's what he gets. He runs his mouth too much about being ranked and everything after the Virginia Tech win. And then you come home, and I know they have a brutal home environment. They struggle for attendance there at Heinz Field or whatever the heck it's called now. And he loses a home game versus North Carolina. And I know they're improved and North Carolina's got a good defensive line, but that's part of the Narduzie problem is you didn't have your team ready to play in a game that you should win and Erich: Even with your backup quarterback, which to be fair, they're starting quarterback out for the year. Kevin: correct and that I know that's a that's a problem and Garner struggled throwing two interceptions and they're 0 for 4 on fourth down, but this is people might could not consider it a signature win, but within the ACC conference, this is a signature win for Bill for Bill Belichick, and they couldn't get their running game going or anything, but Billy Edwards, your boy. He re Rescued the offense there. Had a big 75-yard touchdown throw late in that game to Shamar Easter that got the job done for the Tar Heels. So big win within that conference. The Tar Heels are a little bit better than I thought, but bad loss for Pitt. Erich: Let's get into the group of six, Kevin. We touched on Boise Fresno already. I want to talk about UNLV, North Dakota State real quick. Kevin: Yeah. Erich: This one went the way I predicted, Kevin, where I just said, I think this is gonna be a tough game for North Dakota State. This is the toughest team they've played so far, and you got to travel pretty far west to do it. I just I, you know, I think if it was a neutral site or at home, North Dakota State probably wins. And I think they're gonna learn from this, where it's just like, hey, like. Yes, we were 4-0 and everything's great. We're flying high. But there are these teams in the group of six that are kind of like powers of the group of six, right? And UNLV is one of those teams where they have a lot of talent. You know, they get a lot of transfers from power four conference teams that go there. And you know, who would have thought low scoring? I didn't see that for this one 13-7. but North Dakota State gets their welcome to the FBS moment. And I think You know, I never expect them to go undefeated, but I think they learn from this and come out for the better. I think it's just it's a good way to like re gauge where you're at in terms of your physicality, athletically, your scheme and so forth, and what you're gonna have to do to beat some of the more talented teams. You didn't get blown out, you won score game. So yes, they were favored. I thought that was wrong and y you know, North Dakota Kevin: That can work on it. Erich: State. It was a fun run, but eventually you were gonna get one this year. I Don't don't think going undefeated was realistic for them as a team. Let's get to the one you really want to talk about, Kevin, unless you want to say something about the bison. Kevin: Yeah, real quick. I think the easy narrative there is, you know, UNLV is an athletic team, and a lot of people were picking, not a lot, but there was people picking UNLV because of their athletic advantage over North Dakota State. And I think that's good for North Dakota State that they hung right in there. That really wasn't the difference in this game. Erich: Yeah. No. Kevin: They it UNLV's defense is athletic, but NDSU was not overmatched. It was more so an execution issue in this game. You know, Erich: Totally. Kevin: that And and their defense played well. They held Jackson Arnold to 77 yards throwing, Unl V under 300 yards. They they just had some key plays, you know. They they failed that fourth and one from their own 18. So that handed UNLV an easy field goal. And then, you know, they they drove down near the red zone at the end of the game, but had a sack and some penalties and just n an uncharacteristic, you know, not the most fundamental game for the buys in. But Yes, to the Beavers. Telling you folks, they smashed San Diego State 6614. This is a program you guys need to be watching out there. Jamarcus Shepard, what a program hire for a place that looked like it was left for dead a long time ago. You know, all their conference mates, those regional rivalries that those folks in Corvallis love, you know. The Civil War with Oregon, of course, Washington and Oregon State playing. They they lose that. But Jamarcus Shepard has this program and fan base energized. They look like a real factor in the new Pac-12. He brings a lot of passion. I love how I think when they lost to Texas Tech, the crowd gave them and the players a standing ovation when they ran off the field. Erich: Yeah, their two losses are at Houston and Texas Tech at home. Most Kevin: Correct. Erich: teams in the country would have two losses with that schedule. Kevin: Yes, and this is a total rebuild. And he told the p the fan base like don't don't clap for us. This isn't about moral victories. And the players have really responded to that. And they've speaking of players, Erich: Jesse Legree. Kevin: Jesse Legree. I it is absurd. Erich: Why I he If you said his stats you people would say, you're talking about Jeremiah Smith. Nope, we're talking about a guy who has more stats than Jeremiah Smith. Kevin: Yeah. We're talking about a guy that's put up a season's worth of numbers. He has 932 yards in six games. It's six consecutive 100 yard games. He went for what 10 for 191 and three scores in this game. He's a freshman. I don't know if we said that yet a true freshman. He is must watch TV. He is ridiculous. This is a really fun team to watch. Malik Murphy, who I know he was at Duke at one point, and I I forget where else. He's not the starting quarterback as many thought. He was beat out. They're using him though. he in different ways. He caught a touchdown pass, and speaking of who he's catching touchdown passes from, Braden Atkinson is a great quarterback. Threw for well over 400 yards in this game, bunch of touchdowns. This is An an unimaginable turnaround by Jamarcus Shecker Shepherd. It cannot be stated enough. Super happy for that fan base. Places like that are what college football is about. And I hated that they got left behind, but they are making the best of it. And that sets up a really fun game versus Boise State on November 14th when they traveled to the Blue Turf. Eric, what did you want to say? Either some more Beavers love or some other group of six love? Group of five. Erich: Let's go to our wrap up here and our our categories. Kevin: Okay. Erich: So let's let's start where we were right and wrong, Kevin. so this is where we we eat crow, if you will. so I actually had a a decent record this week. I think we flipped, Kevin. I think we went from you had a winning record last week to where I had a winning record this week. And yeah, so we we we flipped there a little bit, but I was right about BYU. We were both on in Wake Forest. We were both on in Missouri. I was right about UNLV. we were both right about USC, Georgia. We were both right about Boise. And I was right about Tennessee not covering by more than 10 points. or not not yeah, not covering the spread by being favored more than 10 points over Arkansas. Was wrong about Arkansas. I'm out on them. I was half wrong in Nebra on Nebraska if you count the point spreaders, but I don't. So I picked them to win and and they did it. They almost did it. Kansas State let us down. Texas let me down. Oregon and LSU. So, you know, nine and nine and six this week, Kevin. Kevin: Yeah, not my best week. Had some good things. Can't really count the Oklahoma one. I I I had a feeling. You know, we talked about that already, so it it doesn't Erich: No, you can't. Can't Kevin: count. you know, was really wrong about Washington, horrendous. Kansas State, bad. Oregon, bad. So, you know, you know, LSU Can live with that, lost on a two point conversion. North Dakota State, normally reliable. So but yeah, not not the best week. Happy about Wake and BYU and Mizzou not falling into a trap there. Going with Indiana, even though I I really felt Nebraska that was a good pick by you. I I did pick USC, wasn't a homer. I had thirty one twenty, so I almost nailed that score. Georgia, that was a good pick, toss up pick for sure. So the Dogues came through and then Boise, who I don't know if I'll ever leave their way again this year until we get to the playoffs. Erich: Yep. So let's do our let's do our most impressive team of the week, Kevin. For me, it's Wake Forest. I'm gonna, you know, there's a lot of options you could pick here. but I'm going with a team that I just think needs more love and has looked more impressive each week and went on that tough potential emotional letdown spot on the road at NC State, got the win and showed me that. Hey, we can be down at halftime, adjust, and then just stomp on the other team coming out coming out of it, regardless of bad weather and the road environment. So for me, most impressive the team of the week, I'm going Wake Forest. How about you? Kevin: I'm going UCLA here, Eric. Not the most aesthetically pleasing game, but I just love the identity that Bob Chesney is bringing to Westwood. And this is he brings a bunch of his James Madison kids from a place they just lost in the playoffs ten months ago. And and what revenge for those kids like Wayne Wayne Knight and the others to to win an oddson with their backup quarterback after Nico went down and they controlled. The line of scrimmage in this game, they held the ball for 40 minutes. And I know it was ugly for large portions of it, but this is about a program win and something UCLA had not done in twenty two years. So UCLA very impressed with that win. Erich: I love it. And time for our letdowns of the week. I'm going Florida. Home game swamp chance to bounce back from the week before against a team that should have been a good team for you to bounce back against just based off the way they've looked. And you got throttled. and you had like the the rain lightning delay thing as the home team, which should always always favor the home team when that happens, right? Plus, you had horrendous looking jerseys for your home game when you have some of the best normal jerseys in college football. So all around the clock, Florida let down the week for me. Kevin: A hundred percent. I'm going with a tie here between Texas and Nebraska, two old Big Twelve foes. I will start with Texas real quick. I think just reading everything and listening to pundits that I there wasn't a lot of people that had Texas definitively as the number one team. I and I I think this shows why. And I fall into that camp. I think they were overvalued a bit for the miracle win over Ohio State. Give them credit, but I think a lot of things had to go right for them in that game when it looked really rough for three quarters. UTSA, they weren't overly impressive verse. And Tennessee, I I'm still not really sold on them. Okay, you slug out a road victory. And then some of those offensive issues and inconsistencies showed up. And you just can't lose you can't lose that game to this Oklahoma team. And they did. And Nebraska, not for how they played, but just a letdown for those fans in that program that they're finally going to break the streak of 30 games, misery versus ranked teams. And if they just make one play in the fourth quarter, flip one play that Indiana made, the outcome's different and they're finally celebrating in Lincoln. But That had to be such a letdown for those fan it was. You could see it on their faces in that game. So going with those Erich: Well, Kevin: two. Erich: that is the week six recap, folks. to all our new listeners, thank you. Please like and subscribe, it will help us. And that is the week six recap for Calatural Bell Nobodies. Kevin: What a week it was, folks. Thank you again so much for listening and have a great day.