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Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders - With the game on the line against Baylor in the Big 12 opener, Sanders threw a 50-yard Hail Mary to tie the game at 31. He finished the game 25 of 41 for 341 yards and two touchdowns in the 38-31 overtime win.

 

Texas RB Jaydon Blue - Even though Longhorn Nation was buzzing about the first start of the season for Arch Manning, Blue dominated the win over UL-Monroe. He ran 25 times for 124 yards and three touchdowns in the 51-3 win.

 

Utah RB Micah Bernard - 25 carries and 182 yards in a big road win over #19 Oklahoma State.

 

Utah Weapon X/TE Brant Kuithe - three total touchdowns as a combination wildcat QB/RB/TE against Oklahoma State in the 22-19 win

 

West Virginia QB Garrett Greene - 382 yards total offense, three total touchdowns, including two passing touchdowns in the last four minutes to upset Kansas 32-28 in Morgantown, WV.

 

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Week four of the college football season gave us one of the best games of the young season in Ann Arbor as the Wolverines came from behind to beat the #11 USC Trojans 27-24. Perhaps, though, the Game of the Year thus far in the early CFB season? Take your pick from Colorado’s Hail Mary comeback win over Baylor or the scoreboard busting Washington State 54-52 win over San Jose State.

 

It gets even better this week as two top four teams, a combined five national championships in the last nine seasons between them, lock horns in the SEC. We’ll preview that one in a bit, but first let’s look back at week four in college football.

 

Texas Bowl Team of the Week - BYU - Kelani Sitaki’s Cougars jumped all over Kansas State on Saturday after most people had gone to bed. That’s a shame because BYU went on a 31-point unanswered run, going from trailing 6-0 to leading 31-6. The Cougars went on to win 38-9 after scoring on two Jake Retzlaff passing touchdowns, a Sione I Moa rushing TD, a 90-yard punt return and a 30-yard fumble return. BYU smoked Kansas State, a top 15 ranked team that was coming off of a blowout win the week prior over Arizona.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Cincinnati - The Bearcats just put on a dominant performance at home against the Houston Cougars, winning a Big 12 home game for the first time in two years in the Big 12 Conference. The Bearcat defense held the Cougar offense to 233 total yards and QB Brendan Sorsby accounted for three total touchdowns in Cincinnati’s first shutout win since 2018

 

Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter - I mean, this dude is just indescribable. He led the Buffaloes with seven magnificent catches for 130 yards in the 38-31 overtime win over Baylor. Then, he forced a Dominic Richardson fumble at the one yard line that went out of the end zone to end the game. It’s one thing to be a star on one side of the ball. It’s another to just line up on both sides of the ball. But, Hunter is a STAR on BOTH sides of the ball, all the time. He’s a legit Heisman candidate if he can continue to play at this level all season long.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week - Utah Weapon X/TE Brant Kuithe - After multiple seasons missed due to injury, the Cinco Ranch HS product came through for his Ute teammates with a mixed media performance, so to speak, for the ages. He lined up in the wildcat a few times, running one time for one yard for one touchdown. He also added four receptions for 74 yards and one TD. Honestly, this could’ve gone to his teammate RB Micah Bernard who ran for 182 yards on 25 carries, but Kuithe gets the nod given all that he’s been through the past three seasons.

 

National Team of the Week - James Madison - The Dukes set one record after the next. They put up 53 in the first half…on the road…against a Power 5 team (North Carolina). They put up a total of SEVENTY, yes SEVENTY against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. QB Alonza Barnett was ridiculous in the win. See below for his individual honors as he led the Dukes to their third straight win to start 2024.

 

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Michigan - The Wolverines needed every single ounce of grit to beat USC on Saturday. QB Alex Orji, starting for the first time all year, threw for just 32 yards, but the run game went OFF, including Kalel Mullings who had two massive runs to put Michigan in the driver’s seat. The Wolverines can’t throw the ball, but they can grind teams into submission and they seemingly did that to USC for a massive B1G win.

 

National Player of the Week - James Madison QB Alonza Barnett  - I mean, WHAT?!? All Barnett did on the road at North Carolina was complete 22 of his 34 passes for 388 yards and FIVE TDs. But, he was not done. He also tacked on 99 yards on 13 carries and two tuddies on the ground in James Madison’s 70-50 win over the formerly undefeated Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

 

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Illinois QB Luke Altmyer - Friday College football is one of the most underrated things in all of college football. My man Andre Ware always calls a Friday night game and his game on Friday night was a thriller as Stanford hit a last second field goal to beat Syracuse. This week, though, the other Friday night game was even better. It was a battle of ranked teams in Lincoln, NE. Former Ole Miss QB/current Illinois QB Altmyer put Illinois on his back and carried them to an overtime win over the homestanding Huskers. He completed 77% of his 27 passes for 215 yards and four tuddies to lead the Illini to a fourth straight win.

 

Quick Kudos

…to BYU punt returner Parker Kingston for his 90-yard punt return touchdown in a decisive 38-9 smashing of #13 ranked Kansas State in Provo.

 

…to Trent Taylor’s Stanford squad for a cross-country win over Syracuse in the Cardinal’s first ever ACC win. K Emmet Kenney hit a 39-yard field goal to send the Cardinal back to Cali with their first ACC win ever.

 

…to Washington State QB John Mateer who went NUTS again! 26 of 46 for 390 yards and four tuddies through the air and 18 carries for 111 yards and a rushing TD in a 54-52 win over offensively potent San Jose State. Speaking of…

 

…to San Jose State WR Nick Nash, the nation’s leading receiver. All he did was catch 16 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the two point loss to WAZZU.

 

…to Colorado for one heck of a come from behind victory against Baylor in Boulder. Good grief, what a freakin’ game!

 

…to Michigan RB Kalel Mullings for carrying Michigan on his broad shoulders, rushing for 159 yards on 17 carries, including a 63-yarder that led to his second touchdown, a game winner, against USC.

 

…to Hawai’i QB Brayden Schager, one tough Texan, for his four TD, 374 yard performance in a 36-7 win over Northern Iowa on the Island.

 

…to West Virginia for a comeback win in a weather delayed victory over Kansas. QB Garrett Greene brought the Mountaineers back from an 11 point deficit with two TD passes in the last 3:30 of the game.

 

…to Virginia WR Malachi Fields for his two touchdown performance in a 43-24 win on the road at Coastal Carolina.

 

…to Boston College, Bill O’Brien, Thomas Castellanos and Lewis Bond for BC’s come behind Red Bandana game in the rain over Michigan State. Castellanos threw a 42-yard bomb to Bond for the game winning TD in the driving rain with just 90 seconds remaining. Pretty emotional scene watching the BC fans storm the field after this win too.

 

…to SMU RB Brashard Smith for his 151 total yards, three total TDs in a 66-42 win over rival TCU.

 

…to Heisman favorite Miami, FL QB Cam Ward for a 404 yard, three touchdown performance in a 50-15 win over gritty USF.

 

…to Army for one of the best first halves I’ve seen this year. QB Bryson Daily ran for two TD and threw for two to give Army a 28-0 lead at half in their 37-14 win over Rice.

 

…to Buffalo K Upton Bellenfant for his game winning 37-yard field goal to beat previously undefeated Northern Illinois in DeKalb, IL.

 

Week 5’s Big games

#2 (3-0) Georgia at #4 (3-0) Alabama - These two teams have five national championships over the last nine years (2015, 2017, 2020, 2021 & 2022) and these two teams are as talented as those teams. This game should have as many NFL scouts as any other game in the nation this year. Studs all over the place, including QBs Carson Beck (Georgia) and Jalen Milroe (Alabama).

 

#15 (3-0) Louisville at #16 (3-1) Notre Dame - Last year, Notre Dame seemed to be on a collision course with the college football playoff until it ran into the Louisville buzzsaw on the road. So, this year, Notre Dame gets a chance to return the favor in South Bend this weekend.

 

 

#19 (4-0) Illinois at #9 (3-0) Penn State - The Nittany Lions’ offense has had some moments to start the year, but now they’ll need to have even more firepower to overcome an improved Illinois offense, led by QB Luke Altmyer. This has the potential to be a tricky game for Penn State QB Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions and that makes for a great matchup.

Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed - The surprising A&M starter led the Aggies to a thorough demolition of the Florida Gators on the road in Gainesville - 178 yards and two TD passing, 83 yards and a TD rushing.

 

Kansas State QB Avery Johnson - Johnson led the Wildcats to a dominating 31-7 win over #20 Arizona, rushing for 110 yards and throwing for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

 

UCF RB R.J. Harvey - The dynamic Knight star ran 29 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns, plus a 29-yard TD catch, in a 35-24 comeback win over TCU.

 

Texas QB Arch Manning - Replacing an injured Quinn Ewers, Manning threw for 223 yards and four TD, ran for 67 yards for another score in 56-7 win over UTSA

 

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In week three of the CFB season, some dogs went barking, while the number one team nearly got knocked off. Plus, the Texas Longhorns finally needed some backup to knock off a nouveau riche state program. It was a potpourri of greatness as it always is.

 

Let’s look back at week three in college football, then turn our attention to the start of conference season with some gargantuan matchups in the Big 12 and the SEC.

 

Texas Bowl Team of the Week - LSU - The trip to Columbia, SC to take on the feisty South Carolina Gamecocks couldn’t have started any worse. Down 17-0 to start the game, LSU fought back behind RB Caden Durham’s 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns and QB Garrett Nussmeier’s 285 yards passing and two touchdowns. RB Josh Williams pounded the rock into the end zone with 1:12 remaining to finish the come from behind victory 36-33 on the road.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Kansas State - In one of only two matchups of ranked teams, Kansas State DISMANTLED Arizona from the opening quarter through the final play. In a 31-7 win over Arizona, QB Avery Johnson put on a show but the defense was the story, holding the Cats to seven points in a 24 point victory.

 

Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Texas QB Arch Manning - Dr. Pepper’s commercial with Quinn Ewers is one of the funniest I’ve seen, but the Texas Longhorns DID need some backup against UTSA after Ewers went out with an injury. The Legacy came into the game and was brilliant, throwing for 223 yards and four tuddies. But, he set the internet in flames as he RAN for a 67 yard TD run. When Ewers is back, Manning will probably go back to the bench, but if Manning has to stay the starter, he, and the Longhorns, are going to be just fine.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week - UCF RB R.J. Harvey - The dynamic Knight star ran 29 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-24 comeback win over TCU. He also added a 29-yard touchdown reception too. Harvey has really been the player of the month, really. He has three games of 126+ rushing yards and eight total rushing touchdowns.

 

National Team of the Week - Toledo - All Jason Candle’s team did on Saturday was travel into SEC territory and beat an SEC team by 24. The Rockets thumped Mississippi State in Starkville 41-17 for one for the most impressive wins of the weekend. A 21 point 2nd quarter put the Rockets up 28-3 and they never looked back. Toledo beat an SEC team for the first time since 2015 and it put the spotlight squarely on the MAC one week after MAC power NIU beat Notre Dame in South Bend.

 

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Indiana - The Hoosiers flew out to LA to start B1G play in the most un-B1G type of place - the Rose Bowl. But, first year IU head coach Curt Cignetti had the Hoosiers ready to rock and roll against the UCLA Bruins. Former Ohio QB/current Hoosiers QB Kurtis Rourke threw four TD passes in a dominating performance and 42-13 win over the Bruins out on the west coast.

 

National Player of the Week - San Jose State WR Nick Nash - Surprise! Nah, not really. Nash is no surprise to those west coast college football fans. He leads the nation in every single receiving category through three weeks of play - 34 catches for 485 yards and six TD. Against Kennesaw State on Saturday, Nash went OFF - 17 catches for 225 yards and three touchdowns.

 

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke - As I noted above, Rourke threw four TD passes in a 29 point blowout win in Los Angeles over UCLA. Hoosier fans are starting to really believe in Rourke/Cignetti in Bloomington.

 

Quick Kudos

…to Arizona State and head coach Kenny Dillingham for their third straight win, a 31-28 win over Texas State, to start the season. The Sun Devils had three wins in each of the last two seasons. Dillingham and Sun Devils have three through three games.

 

…to Barry Odom and undefeated UNLV for a gutty win at Kansas for win number three on the season.

 

…to K.C. Keeler and his Sam Houston Bearkats for a thorough trouncing of Hawai’i at Bowers Stadium…and the best drone show I’ve ever seen. Sam Houston WR Qua’Vez Humphreys had four catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

 

…to Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter for a 100 yard receiving/1 INT performance. Just a special athlete who we need to appreciate before he departs for the NFL next year.

 

…to Texas A&M for their first road win since 2021. Mike Elko’s Aggies hammered the hapless Florida Gators, leading at one point 33-7 before Florida tacked on two meaningless TDs in the fourth quarter.

 

…to Memphis for a third straight win in the 2024 season, an upset of Florida State in Tallahassee (yikes, Seminoles!)

 

…to Texas Tech for scoring three touchdowns in less than 60 seconds against North Texas. In fact, the Red Raiders scored 52 in the first half and 66 in total.

 

…to Pitt QB Eli Holstein leading the Panthers to a come from behind 38-34 win against West Virginia. He finished with three TDs and over 300 yards passing.

 

…to Willie Fritz and the Houston Cougars for winning the Bayou Bucket at home, his first career win as a Cougar, beating Rice 33-7.

 

…to LSU edge rusher Bradyn Swinson who finished with 3.0 sacks of South Carolina QBs in the Tigers hard fought win in Columbia.

 

…to Vanderbilt and Georgia State for scoring 36 of 68 points in the 4th quarter in a wild game, a win for Georgia State.

 

Week 4’s Big games

#6 (3-0) Tennessee at #15 (3-0) Oklahoma - Former Oklahoma QB/current Vol head coach Josh Heupel takes his HOT Volunteer squad into Norman for the first time since 2014. Oklahoma’s offense hit some rough spots against Houston and Tulane, but it needs to be at full volume against QB Nico Iamaleava and the potent Volunteer attack.

 

#12 (3-0) Utah at #14 (3-0) Oklahoma State - This matchup is why I was excited when Utah joined the Big 12, starting this season. These two teams haven’t played a game since 1945 when the Cowboys were known as the Aggies. Utah QB Cam Rising should be back for this one, so it should match two 7th year Van Wilders at QB - Rising v. Oklahoma State’s Alan Bowman. But, there’s so much to love about this matchup and Stillwater should be HOPPING!

 

 

#11 (2-0) USC at #18 (2-1) Michigan - It’s not the Rose Bowl. It’s a B1G matchup in Ann Arbor. Yep, whole new college football world. This is Michigan’s chance to save the season and the pressure of this game will fall on the broad shoulders of QB Alex Orji, named starting QB earlier this week. The Trojans got some much needed rest before entering B1G play and they’ll need it against an angry/wounded Wolverine squad in the Big House. It’s the first regular season meeting since 1958, a game Michigan won 20-19. Now, it’s a conference game.

Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo - 297 yards total offense, 262 rushing, 35 receiving in 30-23 win over Mississippi State

 

Texas QB Quinn Ewers - 24 for 36 for 246 yards and three touchdowns in win over #10 Michigan in the Big House.

 

Georgia QB Carson Beck - The Bulldogs QB threw for five TDs in a 48-3 win over Tennessee Tech.

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It feels like the college football season just began, but we’re now in full swing, nearing conference play in a week or so. In week two, the cream seemed to separate from the rest of the crop on Saturday and will continue to do so until said national powerhouses actually meet one another on the field later in the season.

 

Before we look too far ahead, let’s look back at week two, which featured a couple of dominant performances by SEC stalwarts Texas and Tennessee.

 

Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Texas - Last year, Texas traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama in week two. The Longhorns left with one of the most impressive wins in the 2023 season, which led the Horns to the Big 12 Championship and a CFP berth. This year, a week two berth resided in Ann Arbor, MI against the defending national champions. However, this one wasn’t even close as QB Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns dominated the game from the outset and didn’t need any backup. He finished with 246 yards passing and three touchdowns. The defense jumped all over the Michigan offense and suffocated the Wolverines attack in no time flat. The Longhorns won’t be invited back for week two anywhere next year.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Tennessee - Vol Nation was amped for this season in large part due to the presence of dynamic QB Nico Iamaleava. The reality might be even better than Vol fans thought at the outset of the season. In the only other week two matchup of ranked teams (Michigan v. Texas was the other one), Tennessee completely cleaned NC State’s clock in Charlotte 51-10. Iamaleava threw for two touchdowns, but the story of this matchup was the dominating run performance of RB Dylan Sampson (20 rushes for 132 yards and two touchdowns). Tennessee is clearly one of the top ten teams in the nation and top three in the SEC.

 

Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo - Outside of having one of the best names in college football, Skattebo strung together one of the most impressive performances in college football in week two. The Sun Devils star RB carried the rock 33 times for 262 yards, the highest yardage total for week two, against Mississippi State. Skattebo led Arizona State to their second straight win in Tempe, 30-23 over the Bulldogs. He tacked on three catches for 35 yards, giving him 297 yards total offense in the seven point win.

 

Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Iowa State K Kyle Konrardy - Okay, so I didn’t see this one coming given my lack of love for kickers, but it’s hard to deny Konrardy’s clutch-ness in the fourth quarter in the 20-19 win over rival #21 ranked Iowa AT Iowa. Down 19-14 in the fourth quarter, Konrardy nailed a 46-yard field to cut the lead to two. Then, with just six seconds remaining, Konrardy hit the game winner from 54 yards out to give the Cyclones the one point victory. Konrardy’s clutch field goals capped a comeback from 13 points down in the second half.

 

National Team of the Week - Northern Illinois - How could ANY team be the National Team of the Week other than Northern Illinois? After Notre Dame went down to Texas and knocked off #20 Texas A&M, the Irish were seemingly flying high early in the game against NIU. But, head coach Thomas Hammock’s Huskies chipped away at the lead. RB Antario Brown caught a slant route and took it 83 yards to the house to tie the game at 7. That TD changed the game and it was a slugfest the rest of the way. With 35 seconds remaining, NIU K Kanon Woodill knocked home a 35-yard field goal to put NIU ahead by a point. NIU blocked Notre Dame’s last second game winning attempt to ice the win at Notre Dame Stadium. What a massive upset and program changing win for Hammock and NIU!!

 

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Illinois - The Kansas Jayhawks were ranked 19th in the nation and one of the most underrated teams in the nation. But, Illinois was ready to knock the Jayhawks down a peg or two. In Champaign, IL, the Illini rallied from behind in the fourth quarter for the 23-17 upset over the Jayhawks. That was a huge win for Bret Bielema and the Illini.

 

National Player of the Week - Syracuse QB Kyle McCord - The Cuse was an underdog at home against Georgia Tech, but Fran Brown’s Orange walked out with a win because of the performance of McCord. The Ohio State transfer completed 32 of 46 for 381 yards and four TDs against the Yellow Jackets in the Cuse’s 31-28 upset win. Two games into the 2024 season, McCord has been sensational, throwing four touchdowns in each of his first two games.

 

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Washington State QB John Mateer - In the Mike Leach Bowl up in Pullman, WA, the Cougars went into anti-Leach mode against Texas Tech, running Mateer 21 TIMES for 197 yards and a touchdown. He also threw for 115 yards and one touchdown in a 37-16 win over the Red Raiders. I mean, somewhere Leach was wondering what Mateer was doing running so much in a football game, but it worked…and worked well.

 

Quick Kudos

…to Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty in a losing effort at Oregon. Jeanty ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns one week after scoring six rushing TDs in the opener.

 

…to Oklahoma State for its comeback win over Arkansas in Stillwater. HUGE comeback 2OT win.

 

…to USC for its first shutout win (48-0 over Utah State) since 2011.

 

…to BYU for a massive W in Dallas in a slobberknocker of a matchup with SMU.

 

…to Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers for a dominating win over Coach Prime’s Colorado squad in Lincoln.

 

…to Arizona State for its second win in a row, this one against SEC member Mississippi State

 

…to Kansas State for a 14 point fourth quarter on the road that led to a 34-27 win over gritty Tulane.

 

…to Clemson QB Cade Klubnik for the best game of his career, throwing for 378 yards and five TD in a 66-20 win over App. State

 

…to Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai for his 27 carry, 208 yard, three touchdown performance in a 49-17 win over Akron.

 

…to Pitt K Ben Sauls for his game winning field goal with no time remaining to beat rival Cincinnati.

 

…to UNLV WR Ricky White for a five catch, 111 yards and three touchdown performance against Utah Tech.

 

…to the South Carolina Gamecock defense for holding Kentucky to six points IN LEXINGTON. The Gamecocks flew home with a 31-6 dominating win. DB Nick Emmanwori led the Gamecocks in tackles (seven) and interceptions (one).

 

…to UCF’s RB R.J. Harvey who had four TD in a 45-14 win over Sam Houston

 

…to Michigan State and head coach Jonathan Smith for their comeback win at Maryland. Down seven in the fourth quarter, MSU QB Aidan Chiles 77-yard TD pass to Nick Marsh tied the game and K Jonathan Kim won it with a 37-yard field goal on the last play of the game

 

Week 3’s Big games

#20 (2-0) Arizona at #9 (2-0) Kansas State - The new Big 12 rivals are two of the most exciting teams in the nation and will meet for the first time as Big 12 rivals. There’s a TON of talent on each sideline, but my eyes will be locked onto my WR1 in the Harris 100 - Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan.

 

#24 (2-0) Boston College at #9 (2-0) Missouri - The upstart Eagles go on the road again to take on another ranked opponent. BC QB Thomas Castellanos v. Missouri QB Brady Cook might be the most underrated QB matchup in any game in the month of September. I love this game and it’ll be the first real test for the Tigers in 2024.

 

 

(2-0) Washington State at (2-0) Washington - The Apple Cup will be up for grabs in Seattle for the second consecutive season. WSU QB John Mateer did his best Tim Tebow imitation last week and he’ll do the same to get a win over Washington…and win one for the Pac-12, err, Pac-2.

The CFB season is finally HERE. Okay, technically, it was here last week for week zero, but we had just a smattering of games last week, like having just potato salad at the buffet. Potato salad is GREAT but we need the FULL buffet. That happens this week. Let’s dive in.

 

Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

SMU TE R.J. Maryland - eight second half catches for 162 yards and the game winning TD in the fourth quarter for SMU in a week zero win over Nevada in Reno.

 

2024 Season Predictions Sure to Go Wrong in a Hurry

The transfer portal, NIL and 12 team playoff will combine to make this the WILDEST season in a long time.

 

The Heisman Trophy winner will come from out of nowhere, somewhat like LSU’s Jayden Daniels did last year. A few names that could surprise will come from a name program, perhaps a transfer that has just flown under the radar based on his previous stops. Keep an eye on Miami QB Cam Ward (West Columbia, TX represent, yo!!), but don’t sleep on former Texas transfer Utah QB Cam Rising, Oregon’s much traveled starter Dillon Gabriel or talented Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty. Talk about sleepers, I just gave the Rip Van Winkle of all sleepers right there in that trio.

 

Games will finish 10-15 minutes EARLIER, on average, with the new rules on timing after first downs and the “two minute timeout”. Trust me, it’s NOT the two minute warning; we broadcasters have already been given the “what for” to make sure it remains the two minute TIMEOUT not WARNING.

 

Even with all the shake up in conference alignment, NIL, portal and the sort, Ohio State will win the national championship.

 

Georgia will be undefeated until it’s upset in the semifinal round of the playoff.

 

The winner of the Michigan-Oregon game on November 2nd will make the playoff as an at-large.

 

The SEC will get four teams into the playoff, at a minimum. The B1G will get two or more.

 

Boise State will be the Group of 5 (or 6) that gets the #12 seed.

 

Alabama may take a step back this year, but head coach Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama staff are recruiting like gangbusters. Get Alabama this year, because in the near future, the Tide will be a BEAST…again.

 

Texas A&M, with Mike Elko in charge, will make a statement right out of the chute against Notre Dame on Saturday.

 

There will be a 2,000 yard rusher this year in college football. This is an outstanding class of running backs in 2024 and one of them, at a minimum, will get to 2,000 yards on the ground.

 

My guy, longtime head coach K.C Keeler will lead the Sam Houston Bearkats to a bowl game in year two in FCS.

 

I like Oklahoma State, led by seventh year QB Alan Bowman and RB Ollie Gordon, to win the Big 12 and host a first round playoff game.

 

The SEC will be a bloodbath as usual. Keep an eye on Tennessee as a dark horse to get to ten wins. A&M will be in the mix as well with one of the more underrated coaches in college football Mike Elko. But, in the end, Georgia is one of the two most talented teams in the nation and that’ll have the Dawgs back in Atlanta raising the championship trophy in December.

 

Quick Kudos from Week 0

…to Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech’s star RB, who had 13 touches for 91 yards and two rushing TD in the Yellow Jackets’ upset of #10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland.

 

…to WWE legend Seamus. As the guest picker on College Gameday, he was the ONLY expert to pick the Georgia Tech upset over Florida State

 

…to the Montana State Bobcats. Down 31-14 as a double digit favorite over FCS New Mexico heading into the fourth quarter, QB “Touchdown” Tommy Mellott and crew roared back to beat the Lobos in Albuquerque.

 

…to SMU TE R.J. Maryland. The son of former #1 overall pick Russell Maryland is carving out his own name and made a statement in week zero. After not catching a pass in the first half, Maryland led a wild fourth quarter SMU comeback with eight catches for 162 and the game winning TD against Nevada on the road.

 

…to Delaware State for making it to Hawai’i and then competing after an arduous road trip to the island. The Hornets missed their flight initially to Hawai’i, but eventually made it to Hawai’i to play the Warriors.

 

Week 1’s National game of Note

(0-0) Boston College at (0-1) #10 Florida State - there’s no more difficult way Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien could start his BC coaching career. At Florida State…after the Seminoles lost their opener in Ireland. Ouch. That said, BC QB Thomas Castellanos can throw and run his Eagles into good offense but the Seminoles are angry. This could be fun.

 

Week 1’s Big 12/SEC Games of Note

(0-0) #1 Georgia v (0-0) #14 Clemson - Atlanta - This must just be the most anticipated matchup in week one. Clemson needs retribution from a couple of average seasons and is looking to find its way back into the Bluebloods Club. A win over QB Carson Beck’s Georgia Bulldogs would have people’s attention in a big way.

 

(0-0) #8 Penn State at (0-0) West Virginia - This rivalry should be played every year, but conference realignment blah, blah, blah. Either way, Penn State QB Drew Allar had one of his best games in 2023 v. West Virginia, but Morgantown will be turned all the way up for the arrival of one of their most despised rivals.

 

(0-0) #19 Miami, FL at (0-0) Florida - The Hurricanes ruled the offseason and its prized transfer acquisition is Texan QB Cam Ward, who shined at Washington State and Incarnate Word, before heading to Coral Gables. However, Gainesville’s Swamp is not welcoming to visitors in openers. Ask Utah. So, Ward will have to be on his game to win big on the road.

 

(0-0) #7 Notre Dame at (0-0) #20 Texas A&M - The finale of the ABC/ESPN tripleheader is going to be a bloodbath in College Station. These two teams will physically wear each other out throughout the game in 90 degree temperatures at Kyle Field. It’s the opener for head coach Mike Elko at A&M and a statement game needed for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.

 

 

(0-0) #23 USC v. (0-0) #13 LSU - Las Vegas - Last year, this one would’ve been a matchup of the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and the last two Heisman Trophy winners (USC QB Caleb Williams and LSU QB Jayden Daniels). But, don’t think that their absence takes away from the juice and star power in this gargantuan matchup on Sunday night in Vegas. USC’s Miller Moss and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier have massive shoes to fill, but they are BOTH ready for this opportunity.

If Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy had his way, the game of college football would be a massive interconnected communication experience for both sides of the ball.

“They didn’t go with my plan. I said they should put five coach comm systems in helmets on offense and five coach comm systems on defense” the Oklahoma State coach quipped during Big 12 Media Days.

It was at that point that I turned to Gundy’s Director of Football Business Kenyatta Wright, who I spent a ton of time with that day…and a former New York Jet.

“Man, can you imagine Belichick with five defensive players with coach comms in their helmets?”

So, yeah, college football has changed off the field in 2024. There’s a 12 team playoff now. There’s now two universities in California that are in the ACC. There are two California universities and two in the Pac Northwest that are in the midwestern-dominated Big Ten. Finally, the Big 12 added four former Pac-12 schools, which is why the ever growing Big 12 had its Media Days in Vegas.

But, on the field, there are going to be changes as well, and two major changes were on display here in Vegas, that will bring the college game closer to the NFL game. First, though, we have to discuss a funeral. This funeral will be for the five GA (graduate assistant) coaches wearing different colored coaching outfits madly signaling plays to its offense. This funeral also includes the death of the four square, uniquely labeled picture cards that college offenses used. Also, included in this funeral is the death of the big drapery that covered the coaches signaling plays to its quarterback/offense.

RIP to all. I mean, there won’t be any more signal controversies like the one that emerged in Ann Arbor last year, correct? So, I guess we can have a funeral for the young GA’s traveling to other games and filming an opponent’s signals too. Years ago, when I was at the Bear Bryant Award ceremony, talking to the great coaches of the game, I remember one saying to me “Well, (team redacted) got all the way to the championship game by stealing signs all year.” So, it was time to send those aspects of college football to their timely death.

Those things are no longer seen at the NFL level because of the coach comm system utilized by the 32 teams in the NFL. Now, finally, college football is going to use the same equipment. An offense’s play caller can now talk to his QB as all NFL teams can do. No more changing signals. Shoot, no more signals, period. Just talk in the helmet and let’s rock.

“I’m curious how this is going to go,” Gundy said during his media session. The Cowboys head coach was FOR the new system, but wonders how it will all transpire given the differences in offensive systems to the NFL.

The other change is one that the NFL made years ago. As I walked near the radio row, I just happened to see a Microsoft Surface station with some media members picking up the Surfaces and staring at them longingly. When I saw it, I didn’t react because I’m so used to seeing that blue box in our offices on a daily basis as they’re used for all Texans games. Then, it hit me, oh man, Surface sideline usage is all new for these Big 12 universities (and all schools, honestly). One advantage the college coaches are going to have over the NFL, though, is that the schools can use video on the sideline. I spoke to the DV Sports rep on site and we had a great discussion on that aspect and how and why that’s different from the NFL, a league that does NOT use video on their Surfaces during the game.

2024 is going to be a weird, feeling out process for many, for many reasons, but, without question, the big winners are the IT departments everywhere. Technology has exploded in the game of football but it took college football a while to figure it all out. They seemingly got there just in time for The Year of Change in college ball.