College Football Random Thoughts: Everybody Sucks; nailbiters, upsets, and more.

Old Dominion > Va Tech > Liberty > Arkansas > LSU > Alabama

Eastern Kentucky > Bowling Green > Marshall > Notre Dame > Clemson

We have almost come to the end of the season and I have come to an emphatic conclusion: everybody sucks. There are no super great teams, not even great teams that the fan bases will look back at with fondness. Every FBS team we have seen this season is flawed and beatable. On any given day in a neutral setting, there are about a dozen or more FBS teams that could match up and the game would be a toss up as to who wins. If you ever wanted parity in college football, this is what it looks like.

SUCK

Ohio State 43 Maryland 30 – Taulia Tagovailoa (26-36, 293 YDS, 2 TD, RUSH TD, 2-PT CONV TD PASS) was having a great game (much better than the Heisman favorite CJ Stroud: 18-30, 241 YDS, 1 TD, -6 RUSH YDS) and he had his Terps in a position to ruin the Buckys season down only 36-30. But one of his dumbass teammates returned the kickoff to the 16 and the offensive line threw some look-out blocks that got Lia Sacked twice, the second of which he fumbled and anOSU scored – making the final score look better than it was.

Lia was the far superior quarterback on the field this day. It’s a damn shame he doesn’t have the OL that Stroud does.

SHENANIGANS 1

Michigan and TCU got several favorable calls in their games that aided in their comeback wins. Hmm. I wonder why. College football needs national officials.

Michigan 19 Illinois 17 – In the last 3 minutes of the game with Michy trailing 17-16, the officials called an iffy holding against Illinois, let the Wolverines get away with a pick play on 4th down (NOTE: ABC did not even replay this nor comment on it), called pass interference on Illinois, and reviewed a Michigan reception that clearly hit the ground and did not overturn it. The final gaffe set UM up for a game winning 35-yard field goal with seconds to go.

SHENANIGANS 2

TCU 29 Baylor 28 – The Horn Frogs had no business winning this game. Coach Sonny Dykes did everything wrong but somehow pulled out a last second win. If he was on the take, he probably has broken thumbs right about now. With 49 seconds and no timeouts remaining, TCU kept running the ball right up the middle – not getting out of bounds. With 20 ticks left, they again ran the ball. With the clock running the Frogs had to hustle the kick team onto the field for a hasty 40 yard field goal attempt in which the kicker did not even get a chance to measure out his steps. Foot hit leather with three seconds left and it was good. It was the same kicker who had missed a PAT earlier in the game. Inconceivable.

You can watch the final drive here. Make note that the center judge spotting the ball on that final play and how he did not give the Bears defense proper time to get their subs on the field as per the rules. Shenanigans.

Southern Cal 48 UCLA 45 – I hate to admit it, but this was a pretty good game. Both teams wear their home colored jerseys which is kind of a cool tradition. It’s just too bad that tool Lincoln Riley came out on top. If UCLA had not thrown an ill-advised ball into heavy traffic, the outcome might have gone the other way.

SHENANIGANS 3

Tennessee trailed 28-14 and driving when South Carolina’s leading tackler Nick Emmanwori was flagged for opting not to get his ass run over. The call, which somehow was not overturned, would put UT at the 14 yard line. However, the Vols could only manage to cash in on a field goal.

SEC

South Carolina 63 Tennessee 38 – Playoff? OUT! Heisman? GONE! Karma? IN!
After recording eight touchdowns all season, Spencer Rattler played out of his mind! Truly, he threw some incredible passes that would make Patrick Mahomes jaw drop. The former Sooner put up 438 passing yards and six touchdowns against a hapless Vols secondary. Twelve different Gamecocks had receptions including a 15-yarder to Rattler himself.

SC scored TDs on their first five possessions before taking a knee to end the half. They punted in the first series of the second half but put up 7 on their next five and took a knee to put the game out of its misery. Tennessee lost so bad that even two of their former coaches got beat as well (Kiffin at OM, Butch at Ark St). Krazy Kristi has some fun stats for you below.

Georgia 16 Kentucky 6 – UGA played their usual struggle-ball against this washed up team. Senior citizen Stetson Bennett XXVIII was 13-19 for 116 YDS with an INT. This game is a surefire cure for insomnia. Will Levis is going to get some poor NFL GM fired.

Arkansas 42 Ole Miss 27 – Want to hear a crazy stat? The Rebels had 703 yards of offense… and LOST! OM running backs Quinshon Judkins and Zach Evans both had over 200 yards on the ground. However, it was mistakes that haunted them. Ole Miss had holding penalties nullify two touchdown passes and had three turnovers to none for the Hogs.

Having JK Jefferson back behind center for Arky helped this team offensively and mentally. But it was Rocket Sanders who did most of the work tallying 232 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Vanderbilt 31 Florida 24 – What is the wide wide world of sports in a-going on here? The team that beat Utah to start the season has descended into losing to the SEC perennial doormat. This rebuild might take a little longer than expected. But seriously, this Commodores offense is a little scary. VU pounded the rock with Ray Davis gaining 122 yards on 30 carries. As a team, UF could muster only 45 rushing yards and that is a problem. After a mid-season slump and a benching, the Dores QB Mike Wright has been humming along. He had only 10 completions in 16 attempts but three went for touchdowns.

Gators QB Anthony Richardson had some nice moments but threw a pick at his own 28 that was later converted to a TD. The Dores also recovered a muffed punt in the end zone.

That stupid two-point conversion chart has claimed yet another victim. Trialing 14-6 early in the third quarter, UF scored to make it 14-12 and Billy Napier decided to look at that dumb card and go for two. With 25 minutes to play… That is WAY too early. They missed and ended up chasing points the rest of the half. The Gators failed on all three of their second half conversion attempts. Scoring a touchdown can debase a defense. But when they stop a two-pointer, it can get them fired up again. Shred that card, Billy. And then burn it.

SEC VS CUPCAKES

Alabama 34 Austin Peay 0 – Bama did not dominate like they should have and most of the starters had to stay in until the fourth quarter but at least they got a shutout.

Texas A&M 20 UMass 3 – Wow, how low can the Aggies go? TAMU struggled against one of the absolutely worst teams in FBS. A&M managed only 16 first downs, lost four fumbles, and got their quarterback sacked three times.

And the fans have had about enough of Jimbo’s little sideshow attraction. ^^^

They are SO fkn weird!! ^^^

Mississippi State 56 East Tennessee State 7 – TCB
LSU 41 UAB 10 – TCB
Missouri 45 New Mexico State 14 – TCB

Aubren 41 WKU 17 – Aubie was struggling, so they had to use a trick play to get going.

ACC YOUR WAY TO THE DOOR

Here we have what is perceived to be the top three teams in the Aye See See.

Is it just me or is this a little creepy? ^^^ #ClemsonIsACult

Clemson 40 Miami 10 – The Tigers offense did their usually muddling around against a godawful Hurricanes team. CU had 5 fumbles and lost two. DJ Ukelele added in a pick for good measure. The defense held the Canes, playing with a third-team QB, to 98 total yards. Playing at home, Clemson was flagged only twice. Yeah, right. In a mistake-filled game they committed only two penalties. SHENANIGANS 4

Georgia Tech 21 North Carolina 17 – The Tar Heels blew a 17-0 lead at home to a team that fired their head coach a month ago. After throwing at least two touchdown passes in every game thus far this season, UNC’s Drake Maye (16-30, 202 YDS, 1 INT) was denied the end zone by a defense who gave up three to some guy named Jacurri Brown (Miami) a week prior. Additionally, the Yeller Jackets were down to their third string quarterback.

Louisville 25 NC State 10 – The Wolfpack was supposed to be the third best team in the conference but they were flat out bad against Louisville who was also playing with a back-up QB – a former 0-star who transferred in from a juco. NCSU had 77 rushing yards in 31 attempts and 291 total yards.

NON P5 INCLUSIVITY SWEEPSTAKES

Tulane 59 SMU 24 AND Cincinnati 23 Temple 3 – With Center Florida losing, Tulane and Cincy (both 9-2, 6-1) are the highest ranked non-P5s. They play Saturday and maybe again in the AACCG (there are too many scenarios to figure out right now without getting a headache).

Oklahoma 28 Oklahoma State 13 – Bedlam was more like Boredom. Okie scored four touchdowns in the first quarter and shut it down for the final 45 minutes of play. The Sooners were 1-14 on third down conversions.

I HAVE ZERO PROBLEMS WITH THIS PENALTY

VOX’D

BYU 52 Dixie State 26 – I just wanted to put this score here to see if I might get cancelled by CoralBeth.

FEEBLEST ATTEMPT AT MAKING THE OVER

Iowa 13 Minnesota 10 – The Hawkeyes and Golden Gophers were assigned the lowest Over/Under in college football history of 31.5 and were STILL under by 8.5 points.

FISHIEST GAME ENDING OF THE WEEK

Down 27-17, Stanford kicked a meaningless 61-yard buzzer-beater field goal to make the final score 27-20 in a loss to Cal. The Over/Under was 46.5. What’s that smell in Denmark?

NERDIEST FIELD RUSH OF THE WEEK

‘Dores fans “rushed” the field in a polite and orderly manner. What the heck was that security doing standing there like mannequins? Vandy still got fined. See DRAMA section below.

I WANT THIS GUY ON MY TEAM

WORST RECRUITING TOOL

IMA JUST LEAVE THIS HERE

FUNNIEST FLOP OF THE WEEK

DICK MOVE OF THE WEEK

This dickhead Arkansas fan stole an Ole Miss player’s helmet and that is definitely not cool. Shameful is what it is. If I ever see a Bama fan do something like this, I would not be hesitant about snatching that a-hole and dragging his ass back to the field.

I usually leave the rants for Krazy Kristi but it is time for Greg Sankey to put his foot down. There was talk around Alabama circles that during the Tennessee near-riot that the Tide had several thousands of dollars of equipment stolen or damaged, and that a staffer had gotten knocked down losing vision in any eye for a moment. It is unsubstantiated talk but very believable. Remember the incident with Jermaine Burton smacking a girl in the head? I am sure there is a very good story behind why he did it and why Saban and the SEC did not punish him. And that part was probably not captured on video – or deleted. The players and staffers (some who are just students themselves) do not deserve to be treated this way. How long is this going to go on until there is a serious incident?

Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The contributors here at RBR have been discussing solutions and have come to the easy conclusion that fining the school will not deter anything. After all, “that is someone else’s money.” One suggestion is moving the student section to the upper deck. Another suggestion is the threat of expulsion. There is video everywhere. Start identifying these jokers and put them on probation. It is not all students but they are the instigators. Expulsion may not halt the practice of field rushing but it would slow it down. Would you risk it? At least it is better than forming lame committees, Mr. Sankey.

NAME OF THE WEEK

Boston College QB Emmett Morehead. Sounds like a hillbilly porn star.

UGLIEST UNIFORM OF THE WEEK

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

MOST CARTOONISH HELMET OF THE WEEK

Lost to Indiana.

KAYSHON BOUTTE/JORDAN ADDISON PEACE OUT WATCH

• Just what was predicted. With a high-profile game on national TV, Jordan Addison played and had 11 receptions for 178 yards. What a miraculous recovery! He was practically at death’s door a week ago.
• Another big surprise: Kayshon Boutte didn’t play. LSU’s stance was that he was out with “the flu”. Translation: he had a bad case of “I don wanna play against no punk-ass UAB on a game starting at 9pm ET on ESPN2” syndrome.

COOLEST FAN OF THE WEEK (sorry)

BERT EMANUEL JR.

He won’t be playing in the snow next season.

ALL GLORY TO HYPNOTOAD

STATIONARY RUNNING BACK OF THE WEEK

• Okie Lite running back Ollie Gordon had 7 rushes for 13 yards, 1.9 YPA.

STATS OF THE WEEK

• Navy, Army, and Air Force all won without completing a pass, attempting just four combined. It is the first time they have accomplished this feat since 2000.
• Oklahoma State could learn a thing or two from the military academies. QB Spencer Sanders passed an amazing 67 times and only completed 36 to teammates. Four passes went to Sooners. The Cowpokes got only 13 points out of the effort.

GAMEDAY SIGN OF THE WEEK

World famous.

THE WACKY WORLD OF DESI

Packers fans think they are so hardcore. Montana State fans were up in negative temperatures before the sun was cresting the east coast just to be a part of GameDay.

Lee Corso was back and it seemed odd to be bringing an 87-year old who is just getting over an illness to a place where the temperatures are in the single digits and – gee, I dunno – where he might GET SICK!

Desmond Howard is an imbecile.

ADOPT-A-TEAM NOMINATIONS

• …… nope ……
• Not adopting but just a note to mention that Week 1 Bama foe Utah State (6-5) has won three straight and five of the last six.

COUSINS

• Troy (9-2) – The Trojans decimated ULM 34-16. They can clinch the Sun Belt West at Arky State (+13.5) and possibly get to see Butch get fired. And it’s a good thing too. Saban’s car is SO dirty.
• South Alabama (9-2) – The Jags outscored Southern Miss 14-3 in the fourth to take the road game 27-20. USA hosts Old Dominion as a 16.5 point favorite with a chance for their 10th win.
• Samford (10-1), whose only loss was to UGA, earned the No. 6 seed in the FCS playoff. The Bulldogs get a first round bye before facing the winner of Idaho and SE Louisiana.

THAT ANNOYING GUY WHO BURPS IN EVERYONE’S FACES… AT HIS PAROLE HEARING

• UAB (5-6) – The Dragons were thumped by LSU 41-10. Oo-Ab hosts LaTech (+16.5) and need a win to go to a bowl.

SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS

• Navy (4-7) – As a 16 point underdog, the Midshipmen pulled a big upset on Center Florida in Orlando on Senior Day to the tune of 17-14. This loss gives the Florida Men a third loss and probably knock them out of a NY6 bowl. Next is two weeks off before the Army-Navy Game on December 10 in Philadelphia.
• Army (4-6) – The Black Knights also had a big win knocking off team du jour UConn 34-17. The Cadets still have a shot at the post-season if they can win the next two. First off is a deployment to UMass (+19.5).
• Air Force (8-3) – The Falcons conquered Colorado State 24-12. They head to San Diego Maradona State (+1.5) for the regular season finale.

Odds/lines are provided by DraftKings and subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

Eliminated: all non-Power 5 incl. Houston, Cincinnati, BYU, FSU, Pitt, Boston College, Wake, Virginia Tech, Duke, Virginia, Miami-FL, NC State, Syracuse, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Illinois, Purdue, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisky, Minnie, Maryland, Northwestern, Sparty, Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana, Okie, Okie Lite, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Texas, Kansas State, Cal, Stanford, Oregon State, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona State, Arizona, UCLA, Utah, Washington State, Washington, Mizzou, Vandy, Florida, Auburn, South Carolina, Missy State, Arky, Texas A&M, LSU, Kentucky, Ole Miss. NEW: Tennessee, North Carolina.

Endangered: Southern Cal. NEW:

Extremely Endangered: Clemson – it’s just one loss but BOY was that a bad loss. Alabama (see below).

WACKY CRAZY SCENARIO

Alright. Indulge me here for a minute.

PAC-12

• Oregon (9-2) – Lose at Oregon State (8-3): DEF OUT
• Southern Cal (10-1) – Lose to Notre Dame who is hot right now and the PACCG: OUT
• Washington (9-2) – Lose at Washington State: DEF OUT

ACC

• Notre Dame’s dismantling of Clemson (10-1) is still fresh on everyone’s minds. Up next is South Carolina and North Carolina in the ACCCG. Thanks to the weak schedule and how sloppy they have looked, one more loss knocks them OUT.
• North Carolina (9-2) has a weak-ass schedule and just lost at home to Georgia Tech led by an interim coach: OUT

BIG TEN

• Penn State (9-2) – Was already thumped by the only ranked teams they have played in Michigan and Ohio State: PRETTY MUCH OUT
• Michigan (11-0) and Ohio State (11-0) are probably IN regardless of what happens the next two weeks.

BIG 12

• TCU (11-0) – Should beat an awful Iowa State (4-7) and then faces K-State in the B12CG. Lose both: OUT. Lose big to K-State: might still be OUT

SEC

• LSU (9-2) – Lose at TAMU (hey, ya never know) or UGA: DEF OUT
• Tennessee (9-2) – After that performance in Columbia, it’s hard to imagine they get in: OUT
• Georgia (11-0) – Jekyll and Hyde Georgia Tech could surprise the erratic Bulldogs. Lose that and the SECCG: OUT.
• Alabama (9-2) – Two road losses by four points on the final play to ranked teams. Beat Auburn and who knows?

JUST CURIOUS

Look at these six randomly selected schedules and LMK if you think your favorite team could run the table – or at the very least get by with just one loss.

A way WAY WAY too early look at the College Football Playoff (CFP) picture:

DraftKings NCAAF Championship Winner 2022-23 Odds:

1. Georgia +180 to +100 to -120 to -150
2. Ohio State +180 to +200 to +240 to +240
3. Michigan +1500 to +900 to +700 to +1000
4. TCU +3500 to +2500 to +1600
5. Clemson +1600 to +4000 to +5000 to +2200
6. Southern Cal +4000 to +3000
7. LSU to +4000 to +4000 to +3500
8. Oregon ??? to +8000
9. Washington ??? to +50000

Tennessee +1600 to +1600 to +1200 OFF THE BOARD

RANK ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM

Tonight at 7pm is the unveiling of the fourth College Football Playoff rankings according to the CFP Committee. There is not much reason to think the top 4 will change.

Below is the ESPN College Football SP+ rankings (behind a paywall) after Week 12:

1. Georgia (11-0)
2. Ohio St. (11-0)
3. Michigan (11-0)
4. Alabama (9-2)
5. Tennessee (9-2)
6. Penn St. (9-2)
7. TCU (11-0)
8. Texas (7-4)
9. Oregon (9-2)
10. Clemson (10-1)
11. Kansas St. (8-3)
12. Utah (8-3)
13. LSU (9-2)
14. Southern Cal (10-1)
15. Ole Miss (8-3)

“What is SP+? In a single sentence, it’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency.” ~ ESPN.com

LET’S GO BOWLING!

• Of the 130 FBS teams, only FOUR are still undefeated: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, and TCU. Only three teams (So Cal, Clemmy, Coastal) have one loss each.
• 74 FBS teams are bowl eligible for 84 slots. James Madison would make it 75 but they are not eligible in this their transition year. Stupid rule.
• Ten SEC teams are in: Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi State.
• Mizz needs a home win over Arky for win No. 6.
• The Crimson Tide is still trending towards the Orange Bowl against UNC or Clemson.

LET’S GO BLOWING!

• Colorado and Northwestern are both still stuck on one win at 1-10. The Buffys likely end the season with a loss to Utah. NW has Illinois. UMass, USF, and Akron also still have one W.
• 37 teams have more than 6 losses on the season including Texas A&M (4-7). LOL.
• Vanderbilt and Auburn staved off the dreaded defeat No. 7 for another week.

KERFLOP

• Remember that time everyone was in love with Kansas? Good times… After starting out 5-0, it took them four tries to get win number six. They have lost two more since that victory and stand at 6-5 with a sure loss at K-State (-12) up next.
• Syracuse was the team du jour for a second after a winning their first six games. They have not won since.
• And remember that time when Michigan State was King of the World? After losing at home to 7-loss Indiana, they are 5-6 with a season finale at Penn State. Let’s just put Mel Tucker on Kirby’s coaching tree for awhile…

Krazy Kristi’s “SHUT UP!” of the Week goes to Tennessee fans. OMG they have been talking so much smack, especially at Gamecocks fans leading up to last Saturday. There was a lot of blabbermouths laughing at Nick Saban trying to get through the throngs of puke orange after the Alabama-Tenn game but take a look at this scared kitten:

The Vols beatdown set so many records of futility. The 25-point loss by 22.5 point favorite Tennessee is the third largest loss by a team favored by at least 21 points. 63 points are the most points Tennessee has allowed to an unranked opponent in school history. Apparently, 56 is the most too. So whatever the worst UT defeat was before this game, it was less that 56 points allowed. 63 points is also the most by an unranked team against a Top 5 foe in almost 100 years. UT will be just the second team ever to be ranked No. 1 by the CFP Committee and not make the playoff (the other was Dak Prescott’s Missy State who got violated by Alabama). No joke: SC scored so many points that Brice-Williams ran out of fireworks to shoot off after every score.

HEISMAN HYPE

ODDS

Below are the top Heisman picks in order of the money lines.

Odds are provided by DraftKings and many more options can be seen at that link including Washington QB Michael Penix at +30000. [Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.]

1. QB C.J. Stroud (JR, Ohio State) +220 to +350 to +260 to +140 to +160 to -130 to +110 to +100 to +140 to -125
2. QB Caleb Williams (Soph, Southern Cal) +700 to +600 to +320 to +600 to +500 to +1300 to +800 to +1400 to +700 to +1200 to +130
3. RB Blake Corum (JR, Michigan) ???? to +1800 to +1800 to +1200 to +1400 to +750 to +550 to +1500
4. QB Max Duggan (SR, TCU) ??? to +4000
5. QB Jayden Daniels (RS-JR, LSU) ??? to +4000
6. QB Bo Nix (SR, Oregon) from ???? to +3000 to +800 to +8000 to +6000
7. QB Stetson Bennett XIV (8th YR SR, UGA): +1800 to +1400 to +1800 to +1800 to +2800 to +3000 to +3000 to +8000
8. QB Drake Maye (Soph, UNC) ???? to +4000 to +550 to +10000
9. QB Bryce Young (JR, Alabama) from +400 to +300 to +340 to +350 to +800 to +1500 to +1800 to +2200 to +2500 to +8000 to +10000

DROPPING

• QB Hendon Hooker (SR, Tennessee) +4000 to +1600 to +1200 to +1100 to +450 to +200 to +280 to +350 OFF THE BOARD

PERCEPTIONS

• Well, Drake Maye’s brief candidacy is over.
• Not only did Hendon Hooker lose the game and injure a knee, but his Heisman hopes went up in smoke as well.
• Even though he had a medicore game, C.J. Stroud is getting all the love by default.
• Caleb Williams is the new girl at school. Athough I am pretty sure most of the top FBS quarterbacks would have shredded that UCLA defense as well.
• Blake Corum wasn’t going to win but they always need a token non-QB. He did not play in the second half of the Illinois game due to injury.
• TCU QB Max Duggan might get an invite to NYC but I’d be surprised if he took home the trophy.

WHO SHOULD WIN

• Can we just skip this year? Everyone sucks.

THE SICK REPORT

• In a play reminiscent of Jameson Williams’s injury last year, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker was helped off the field after suffering a non-contact injury tearing his ACL against the South Carolina. Fortunately, he will not have to tap into his IRA. Medicare should take care of his hospital bills.
• Clemson will be without to key defensive players for the rest of the season. They are starting defensive end Xavier Thomas, who underwent an operation on an injured foot, and junior defensive back Malcolm Greene who has a groin injury.
• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and RB Miyan Williams sat out for Ohio State’s trip to Maryland. It #MustBeNice to be able to sit key players to rest for several weeks against conference foes. #TopHeavyConference

• Michigan running back Blake Corum tweaked his knee late in the second quarter of the Illinois game. He reentered the game in the first series of the second half but had only one rush. Defensive end Mike Morris and tight end Luke Schoonmaker also left the game.

R.I.P.

• In the aftermath of the senseless tragedy at Virginia, the Cavaliers (3-7) cancelled their game with Coastal Carolina last weekend and this weekend in what would have been the season finale against rival Virginia Tech (3-8) in Blacksburg. IMHO, they should have played the Hokies. Saturday will make 13 days since the incident. It is time for healing, not moping around for nine months. The seasons of both teams mercifully come to an end.

DRAMA

• Nice side-step, fatty. The scuttlebutt is that the Vols linebacker got in a fight with Hendon Hooker and perhaps another UT player in the locker room. It’s never a good thing to get in a fight with a hooker. You may recall Banks was arrested a few years ago and Jeremy Pruitt tried to grease some wheels for his release.
• And so it begins. A proposal by LEAD1 was sent out to all FBS ADs to appoint a Chief Operating Officer of college football who would report to a proposed FBS football governing board. This is the beginning of the eventual split of college football from the NCAA and a likely structuring of superconferences. It could also mean the end of cupcake games against FCS teams and potentially enacting ten Power-5 vs Power-5 game schedules. Bama fans would hate to lose Nick Saban but you know he would be a perfect fit as CFB COO.

• You know college football has gone soft when rust belters Akron and Buffalo postpone their football game due to a little bit of snow. Come on!
• South Carolina and Vanderbilt were fined by the SEC after the schools’ fans rushed the field to celebrate football victories. SC got a bill for $100,000, while third-time offender Vandy got hit for $250,000. South Carolina was last fined in 2014, after the men’s basketball team topped Kentucky. The last one for the Commodores also came after a men’s basketball win over Kentucky in 2016. Amateurs.

KOACHES KORNER

INTERIM COACH FEVER. #HireCadillacYouCowards

Arizona State – OUT: Herm Edwards, INTERIM: Shaun Aguano L (2-6)
Auburn – OUT: Bryan Harsin, INTERIM: Cadillac Williams W (2-1)
Charlotte – OUT: Will Healy, INTERIM: Peter Rossomando W (2-2)
Colorado – OUT: Karl Dorrell, INTERIM: Mike Sanford L (1-5)
Georgia Tech – OUT: Geoff Collins, INTERIM: Brent Key W (4-3)
Nebraska – OUT: Scott Frost, INTERIM: Mickey Joseph L (2-6)
South Florida – OUT: Jeff Scott, INTERIM: Daniel Da Prato L (0-2)
Wisconsin – OUT: Paul Chryst, INTERIM: Jim Leonhard W (4-2)

• Arkansas head man Sam Pittman is the GOAT of honesty!
• On Monday, Starkville sports reporter Jon Sokoloff tweeted that Auburn was on the verge of hiring Lane Kiffin as their head coach… and got absolutely ROASTED for it. Kiffin himself retweeted with the caption “That’s news to me Jon. Nice sources”.
• Rumors had been swirling around the pairing and and he’ll probably get a big fat raise out of it. But I can’t imagine a scenario in which LFK would leave Ole Miss for Auburn. First off, I’m pretty sure that Kiffin is familiar with the s–t show that is Auburn and he wants no part of that lifestyle or meddling. Secondly, I feel pretty confident that he is perfectly content to ride it out in Oxford for however long it takes until Saban retires. There is only one job that man wants.
• Auburn probably took a run at Kentucky’s Mark Stoops as well. However, he signed an extension at Kentucky through June 2031 that raises his salary to $8.6 million a year (up from $6.35m). That salary is slightly more than John Calipari. Delicious.
• Michigan associate head coach Biff Poggi has been hired as Charlotte’s next head football coach. UNCC must be a fan of The Athletic, because they just did a big ol’ profile on the 62-year old. He was the longtime coach at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore but has very college coaching experience.
• Northern Colorado announced that head coach Ed McCaffrey won’t return after two seasons that saw the Bears go 6-16. Part of the problem might be that the former Denver Bronco hired his son, Max, as the offensive coordinator
• For Thanksgiving, Urban Meyer plans to poison a flock of Canadian geese at a local pond and intends to give them to the less fortunate in his neighborhood by flinging them through the front window at 3am Thanksgiving morning. But, shhhh! Don’t tell anyone. It’s a surprise.
• When Fat F*** Phil Fulmer’s wife asked him where he got the iPad, he revealed that he sat on his iPhone.

TEEVEE

Out of the playoff and STILL people are tuning in.

THIS WEEK – RIVALRY WEEK!

(Below is an abbreviated list of highlighted games of interest with lines provided by DraftKings. If you REALLY need to know about the big New Mexico State- Liberty showdown, you can find the details here.)

Tuesday, November 22

Two MAC at 6pm/7pm on secondary ESPNs.

Wednesday, November 23

~ NO GAMES? AAAH! ~

Thursday, November 24 – HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Mississippi State at Ole Miss (-3) 6pm/7pm ESPN – THE EGG BOWL! One of the greatest Thanksgiving traditions evah!

Friday, November 25 – 13 total games

SEC

Arkansas (-4) at Missouri 2:30/3:30 PM CBS – Mizz needs a W to get to a bowl.
Florida at Florida State (-9.5) 6:30/7:30 ABC – The Gators would love nothing more than to ruin FSU’s good feels.

OTHERS WORTH A GANDER ON FRIDAY

Tulane at Cincinnati (-3) 11am/noon ABC or ESPN – Winner has the inside track to the NY6 bowl game.
Baylor at Texas (-7) 11am/noon ESPN
Arizona State at Arizona (-4) 2pm/3pm FS1
NC State at North Carolina (-6.5) 2:30/3:30 ABC

Saturday, November 26

SEC

Georgia Tech at Georgia (-15) 11am/noon ESPN – Don’t get caught looking ahead.
South Carolina at Clemson (-15) 11am/noon ABC – SCar better not get too full of themselves.
Louisville at Kentucky (-4) 2pm/3pm SECN – Could go either way.
LSU (-10) at Texas A&M 6pm/7pm ESPN – On the cusp of the worst record since 2008 (Mike Sherman), will TAMU show any fight to ruin LSU’s dwindling CFP hopes?
Tennessee (-17) at Vanderbilt 6:30/7:30 SECN – Hangover or pisst off?

OTHERS WORTH A PEEK

Michigan at Ohio State (-8.5) 11am/noon FOX – Does this game really matter CFP-wise?
Notre Dame at Southern Cal (-5.5) 6:30/7:30 ABC – The Irish can expose this ruse.

DON’T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE…

BYU (-6) at Stanford 10pm/11pm FS1 – Mormons versus entitled dotcommers.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

SABAN vs. MACK, POP & BEAR

Below is a count of career FBS/Division I-A win totals for coaches.

For those of you new to RBR Random Thoughts, we count all on-field wins at the FBS/Division I-A level. So, before you go squawking about Frank Beamer, 42 of his wins came at Murray State. Mack Brown had six victories in one season with Appalachian State when they were still in what was known at I-AA (FCS today). Brian Kelly won 118 games with something called Grand Valley State. So, let’s stop talking about his win record with such reverence. In addition, we don’t recognize NCAA sanctioned forfeits. If you won on the field, it counts in our books.

UNC was riding a six-game winning streak and clinched the ACC’s Coastal Division last week before behind upended at home by lowly Georgia Tech. Mack Brown must have started game-planning for Clemson. That’s some good coaching there. Brown falls a game back of Saban. Note that Mack has almost twice as many losses as the G.O.A.T.

#ALABAMA

#NinjaAD

• After the APSU game, some brave reporter basically asked Nick Saban about “injuries”. Saban asked for specific names. He relented to say that tackle Tyler Steen, who had to be helped off the field right before halftime and did not return, had a twisted ankle and is day-to-day. Redshirt junior Amari Kight took his place. [Pray like you’ve never prayed before.]
• Saban also reported Jahmyr Gibbs and Cameron Latu had twisted ankles. Both “should start practice on Monday (yesterday).” Eli Ricks has “cleared concussion protocol” and should be back this week.
• Saban got a little testy scolding the inquiring reporter “you have to ask. You have to do your homework. I am not bringing an injury report in here and telling you. You wanna know about a specific guy? I’ll be glad to share the information. But I don’t have an injury report.” After the lambasting, he then walked off deadpanning “you know how much I appreciate you all. Thank you so much,” with a sly grin on his face. LOL.
• Amazingly, no reporter had the wherewithal to ask about WR Ja’Corey Brooks who disappeared early in the game after one reception. The crack research ESPN team assigned to this game aired a shot of Ricks on the sideline in his No. 7 jersey but not dressed out and presented it as if it was Brooks. I guess all those No. 7s look alike… Still no word on his status.
• Tuesday saw another round of weak lazy questions from this lame-o Alabama press corps. [Aye-Ell Dot Com’s Michael Casagrande asked about Will Anderson. Really? Such lazy journalism.] However, one guy – I think Charlie Potter of 247sports – asked about the status of Khyree Jackson who has been M.I.A. the last two weeks. After a pause, Saban replied, “he’s suspended right now.” It was the last question and that was the end of that.
• Appreciate Brian Branch in these last few games because some lucky NFL team is going to snatch him up in April.

GAME 12 – SENIOR DAY: Saturday, November 26, 2022

Auburn Tigers (5-6, 2-5) at Alabama Crimson Tide (9-2, 5-2)

Tuscaloosa, AL ~ 2:30pm CT/3:30pm ET, CBS

• Rookie head coach Cadillac Williams (2-1) has taken over for the recently fired Bryan Harsin and the Aubies still have Interim Coach Fever. They are really talking themselves into this “Auburn Man” being the answer. If you know anyone who is an Auburn fan, help sell this idea to them. Tell them how good of a coach he is and that you hope they don’t hire him.
• Tuscaloosa forecast calls for a high of 65° with cloudy skies and a good chance of rain.
• SEC Nation Live will be on-site. Be sure to boo Pawwwll.
• TV Announcers: Brad and Gary with Jenny (“JEN-NAY”) Dell roaming the sidelines.
• Marconi plays the mamba, listen to Alabama Radio.
• Alabama holds a 48-37-1 advantage over the WarTigerPlainsmenEagles.
• The point spread provided by DraftKings had Bama opening as a -24.5 favorite but it is now down to -22. The Over/Under is 49.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.