Game of the Week: No. 10 LSU (31) vs. No. 6 Alabama (30) OT
Another cosmic shift has taken place in College Football, and once against Alabama was on the wrong side of it, and even more surprisingly, to me at least, it came at the hands of the 2022 LSU Tigers. Brian Kelly had been the butt of so many jokes at the beginning of the season, and after their week one loss against Florida State (a result of a missed extra point I remind you) it seemed like LSU had made a terrible mistake bringing in Brian Kelly, or perhaps Kelly made a huge mistake leaving Notre Dame for LSU. Now all of that is in the past.
LSU outplayed Alabama in almost every facet of the game and despite the game going into overtime (hats off to Bryce Young on another outstanding performance) LSU seemed to play more like a national title hopeful than their Alabama counterparts. Jayden Daniels was magnificent, completing 22/32 passes, rushing for 95 yards, and 3 total touchdowns on the day. LSU’s defense seemed to be able to pressure Bryce Young the entire game as well as blanket their receivers and despite his best efforts, Bryce Young never truly looked comfortable in what was probably the most inhospitable environment he has ever played in. Everything LSU wanted to do, they were able to do, whereas Alabama was once again exposed, like they have not been for quite some time in the Nick Saban era.
But what will this mean going forward? LSU still has an uphill battle to even have a chance to get in the Playoff, and it appears as if Alabama’s postseason aspirations are all but gone. But if LSU is able to recruit the way they have always been able to recruit, Brian Kelly and the Tigers may once again turn the SEC West into a two-team race for the next several years.
And College Football is always better when LSU and Alabama are on top.
Player of the Week: Tanner Mordeaci, QB, SMU (28-37, 349, 9 TDs, 1 Rush)
While all the eyes of the country were on Tennessee/Georgia, something crazy was happening in Texas. The SMU Mustangs pulled off a mild upset over rival Houston, but the real story was the play of quarterback Tanner Mordecai.
To say Mordeaci had a great day is as mild as the wings I like to order from Buffalo Wild Wings (yeah I said it, their sauces are overrated). Mordeaci blew up on Saturday, and was responsible for all 10, yes 10, Mustang touchdowns throwing for 9 and rushing for 1. While the record is still held by David Klinger in 1991 who ironically played for Houston, this may not be a feat we see for quite some time.
Imagine being the guy who bet the under in this game.
Disappointment of the Week: Clemson
The shoe has finally dropped on Clemson. The thumping they took against Notre Dame on Saturday solidified the fact that since the departure of quarterback Trevor Lawerence, Clemson’s stability on offense has become a thing of the past. Just two seasons ago Clemson was on top of the sport, seemingly with no rival (besides Alabama) and last night we can see what they have been reduced to.
How did this happen so quickly? For whatever reason, Dabo Swinney, despite his outstanding recruiting classes, has been unable to find a quarterback to play alongside some of the best talent in the country. No matter having great receivers and explosive running backs, the Clemson offense for the past two seasons has been pedestrian, at best, with very few signs of improvement. Now the question is: What becomes of Clemson?
How does Dabo address this in the offseason? While the obvious answer, finding a stable quarterback, should not be a difficult task for Dabo, perhaps there is something we need to consider. One thing that should not go unnoticed is the transitioning that Clemson has been in over the last two seasons as well. Former offensive coordinators Brent Venables and Tony Elliott, fixtures in Clemson’s offense left for their own head coaching positions with other schools (Oklahoma and Virginia respectfully). If Clemson wants to regain their prominence in the sport, perhaps they should take a page out of Nick Saben’s playbook and bring in a coordinator, with a new vision for Clemson.
Saben has had no issue handing off the offseason reigns and makeup of the program to established coaches in the game, like Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisan and currently Bill O’Brien. While Alabama’s offensive coordinator has been a bit of a revolving door, their production has been one of the best in the country. And that is exactly what Clemson needs…production.
Perhaps Dabo needs a new voice in Clemson.
Game to Watch: No. 4 TCU @ No. 18 Texas
The last great test for TCU, this regular season, comes this weekend against Texas. Now the 18th ranking for Texas is what I am assuming they will rise to this week in the College Football Playoff ranking, but Texas has been playing much better than the ranking they will have. While the losses to Oklahoma State and Texas Tech look terrible on the resume (which was my bad last week when I had them ranked in the top 10…you can overlook that right?) Texas, when things are going right, looks like one of the best teams in the country. The offense has exploded averaging 38 points a game since their week 2 loss to Alabama. But it was that loss to Alabama that showed how good Texas’s defense can be against a national contender.
TCU is a national contender, their offense is the best in the country, and while their defense is the vulnerable part of their team, the Horned Frogs can out score anybody, and may just do so all the way to the Playoff. An impressive performance against Texas, on a national stage, should cement their status in the Playoff, and if TCU wins out, they may become the most unlikely of teams to reach the final four in the short playoff history.
All eyes are on Texas this Saturday.
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