Category: College Football

Head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes made some headlines prior to the Oregon State game when it was reported that Pat Shurmur would call offensive plays instead of coordinator Sean Lewis.

Shurmur has a lengthy resume, but the decision was made even more head-scratching when the Buffs struggled offensively against Oregon State on Saturday. The Buffs had just 238 yards of total offense and scored two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked four times in the game, and the rushing attack remained nonexistent.

All in all, it was another disappointing offensive performance. After the game, Coach Prime was asked about his decision to give Shurmur an increased role:

“We’re not going to demean Sean Lewis,” Deion Sanders said. “We’re not going to do that. We’re not going to take the tone. Sean is a good man. I think he’s a good playcaller. We just needed change at the time. We just needed to try something else at the time. And that’s what we did. I don’t look back on it. I don’t second-guess myself whatsoever because there’s more to it than what you may know. Let’s just trust the process.”

The offense has taken a giant step back, and this performance was not encouraging one bit. The Buffs have now lost three in a row and five of their last six games with the Arizona Wildcats now coming to town.

If the offense doesn’t improve soon, who knows what changes will happen next?

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Story originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire

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Quarterbacks took center stage in Week 10 as the best and brightest in the sport battled with conference championship dreams on the line. Maligned Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe stood as the brightest of the bunch, while USC’s Caleb Williams fell short. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. needed a little help, while LSU’s Jayden Daniels couldn’t get any of his own. 

Now, the College Football Playoff race is starting to come into focus. Only 10 Power Five teams remain with one or fewer loss after No. 9 Oklahoma fell in a devastating rivalry game. Five others struggled, ending up in tight fourth-quarter battles with six teams in the initial College Football Playoff Rankings dropping overall. The second set of College Football Playoff Rankings this Tuesday should look a lot different. 

Additionally, conference championship races are settling down. Texas and Oklahoma State both have a clear shot to the Big 12 Championship Game. Alabama and Georgia are frontrunners in their respective divisions. Iowa wrested control of the Big Ten West, while Washington knocked USC out of serious contention for the Pac-12. 

Let’s have a look now at the biggest winners and losers of Week 10 in college football, including rivalry games coming down to the wire and the Group of Five race perhaps coming to an end. 

Winner: Oklahoma State

Mike Gundy is the most unkillable force remaining in college football. This time really felt like the end after Gundy’s Cowboys lost a 33-7 shocker against South Alabama. Instead, Gundy committed to quarterback Alan Bowman, handed the ball to running back Ollie Gordon and quietly transformed his program overnight. 

Saturday afternoon in Stillwater, Oklahoma, might have been the finest moment of Gundy’s tenure. After going down…

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There was a shakeup in college football this week, as the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season saw Ohio State usurp back-to-back defending champion Georgia for the top spot.

With a month left in the regular season, the top teams in the country are looking for statement wins to impress the selection committee. In Week 10, all of the top 25 will be in action, with five ranked matchups, including No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 12 Missouri — a chance for the Bulldogs to convince the committee it is still the best team in the nation.

Other ranked matchups include No. 5 Washington vs. No. 20 USC, No. 7 Texas vs. No. 23 Kansas State, No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 14 LSU, and No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No 22 Oklahoma State.

Keep reading for the full list of college football Week 10 top 25 action scheduled for Saturday, November 4th, including matchups, start times, and how to watch. All times listed are ET.

Saturday, November 4

No. 1 Ohio State at Rutgers | 12 p.m. | CBS

No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 12 Missouri | 3:30 p.m. | CBS Sports

No. 3 Michigan vs. Purdue | 7:30 p.m. | NBC

No. 4 Florida State at Pitt | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN

No. 5 Washington at No. 20 Southern California| 7:30 p.m. | ABC

No. 6 Oregon vs. Cal | 5:30 p.m. | Pac-12 Network

No. 7 Texas vs. No. 23 Kansas State | 12 p.m. | FOX

No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 14 LSU | 7:45 p.m. | CBS

No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 22 Oklahoma State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC

No. 10 Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M | 12 p.m. | ESPN

No. 11 Penn State at Maryland | 3:30 p.m. | FOX

No. 13 Louisville vs. Virginia Tech | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network

No. 15 Notre Dame at Clemson | 12 p.m.  | ABC

No. 16 Oregon State at Colorado | 10 p.m. | ESPN

No. 17 Tennessee vs. UConn | 12 p.m. | SEC Network

No. 18 Utah vs. Arizona State | 2 p.m. | Pac-12 Networks

No. 19 UCLA at Arizona | 10:30 p.m. | FS1

No. 21 Kansas at Iowa State | 7 p.m. | ESPN

No. 24 Tulane…

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Clemson isn’t just looking to avenge a loss to No. 15 Notre Dame from a year ago — the Tigers, now 4-4, are also trying to turn around a season that is spiraling in the wrong direction. And a high-profile showdown against the Fighting Irish in Death Valley is the perfect opportunity. 

The Tigers were ranked No. 5 in the country before a trip to South Bend in 2022 ended in a 35-14 defeat, and though Clemson went on to claim its seventh ACC championship in an eight-year span, the loss contributed to a campaign that had the Tigers omitted from the conversation of serious College Football Playoff contenders. 

As these two teams meet for the return trip in 2023, neither is a serious playoff contender but Notre Dame has far more momentum with its 7-2 record and quality wins against the likes of USC and Duke. The Fighting Irish also recorded a victory earlier in the season against NC State, which is the team responsible for handing Clemson its fourth loss of the season just last week. 

With two overtime losses preceding the 24-17 defeat at NC State, Clemson believes its not that far off from its program standard, but the absence of results have the Tigers far from where they expected to be for this showdown of modern college football powers. Notre Dame and Clemson are, after all, two of only seven programs to record multiple CFP appearance since the four-team format began in 2014.

Notre Dame vs. Clemson: Need to know

Sam Hartman continues to add to his legacy: With 288 yards passing in a 58-7 win against Pitt last week, graduate transfer Sam Hartman became the sixth FBS player to throw for more than 15,000 yards in a career. Hartman passed Ty Detmer on the all-time passing yardage list with his current 15,093 total, and his 128 career…

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DAYTONA BEACH — Any number of synonyms for “celebration” would have worked to describe the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats’ locker room late Thursday night.

“Oh, lit,” redshirt junior defensive back Darnell Deas said. “Lit.”

“Yeah,” graduate student wide receiver Tink Boyd said. “It’s a party in there after a win.”

It’s a feeling the Wildcats could get used to.

They beat Mississippi Valley State 20-7 in front of 4,380 fans at Daytona Stadium and more watching on ESPNU. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak and gave them their first Southwestern Athletic Conference win of the season.

“Really proud of the guys,” first-year head coach Raymond Woodie Jr. said. “They fought. We’ve been talking about it since the season started, putting all these aspects together.”

Bethune-Cookman celebrates a TD during a game with Texas Southern, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.

Bethune-Cookman (2-7, 1-5 SWAC) jumped ahead 7-0 in the first quarter and never trailed. It added another touchdown and a Cade Hechter field goal in the second quarter to lead 17-0 at halftime.

On the first drive of the second half, the Delta Devils (1-8, 1-5 SWAC) went 63 yards on 10 plays for their only score: a 1-yard run by Jared Wilson.

Hechter drilled another kick in the third quarter, and neither team scored in the fourth.

Here are three takeaways:

KEN WILLIS: Deion Sanders, Dabo Swinney enjoy leverage; Kyle Trask sits; LSU beats Bama?

Trick play gets scoring started

Before freshman running Mar’Kai Shaw registered a collegiate carry, he threw a touchdown pass.

Bethune-Cookman dug into its Halloween bag and dug out a trick play for Shaw midway through the first quarter.

Graduate student quarterback Tylik Bethea took the snap and tossed the ball to Shaw, who ran right. After a few steps behind the line of scrimmage, he stopped and launched a…

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USATSI

Longtime Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz reaffirmed his intent to continue coach the team in a statement released Wednesday night. The declaration comes amid the pending departure of his son, Brian Ferentz, who joined the program in 2012 and has served as offensive coordinator since 2017.

Kirk Ferentz’s tenure at Iowa dates back to 1999. He holds a 204-138 record with the Hawkeyes.

“While my immediate focus is on finishing the season strong, I love coaching and my intent is to continue coaching here at the University of Iowa,” Ferentz said. “We have built something very special here and I plan to coach until I am no longer passionate about the game, players or coaches.”

The statement echoed thoughts he expressed during his radio show Wednesday. 

“Until they tell me to sit down, I’ll probably keep going,” he said.

The Hawkeyes announced earlier this week that the younger Ferentz will not return to his position in 2024, though he will remain on staff through Iowa’s bowl game. The decision comes after the Hawkeyes fell 12-10 to Minnesota, the program’s first loss against the Golden Gophers since 2015. 

“Anyone who loves Iowa football recognizes both the success and challenges that have brought attention to our program this season,” Iowa interim athletic director Beth Goetz said in a statement. “Our struggles on offense coupled with the offensive coordinator’s contract make this a unique situation. After conversations with head coach Kirk Ferentz, coach Brian Ferentz and President (Barbara) Wilson, I informed…

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The Deion Sanders-coached Colorado Buffaloes remain one of the nation’s most-watched teams despite a 4-4 record. This week should be no different with Colorado at home after a road loss to UCLA, while Oregon State hits the road for the second straight week after a close loss to Arizona. How will both teams rebound?

How much does Shedeur Sanders have left?

After getting sacked seven times last week for the third time this season, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is the second-most pressured quarterback in the country with the most sacks taken with 41. Behind Sanders is South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler with 33 sacks taken. Eight more is a total that makes you question just how much more can Sanders take. With four games to go, Sanders is on pace to tie the FBS single-season sacks taken record of 60, set by Pitt’s Tino Sunseri in 2011.

Sanders displays a high level of mental and physical toughness, but without proper protection the Buffaloes can’t be considered to win as big underdogs against higher-caliber opponents. The lack of protection will be on display once again this week against Oregon State, which is tied for 14th for the most sacks nationally. Defensive lineman Joe Golden, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound wall of pressure, will be looking to wreak havoc on Sanders.

Despite the sacks, Sanders still has the third-best passing grade in the country, according to PFF, behind Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and LSU’s Jayden Daniels. How? Sanders is producing regardless, with the eighth-best completion percentage (70.3%), third-most passing yards (2,636), and fourth-most touchdowns (22).

This week we’ll find out if Sanders can maintain production while sustaining the hits.

Oregon State’s offense facing a lighter load

Beavers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and the offense couldn’t have asked for a better rebound spot. Oregon…

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The initial College Football Playoff Rankings were released on Tuesday, and there is drama at the top. Despite holding the No. 1 spot both polls all season, Georgia chimed in at No. 2 behind Ohio State. Behind those two teams — which happened to meet in last year’s Peach Bowl national semifinal — sit Michigan, Florida State and Washington, respectively. Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma and Ole Miss round out the top 10. 

The race for the Group of Five spot in the New Year’s Six bowls is always an intriguing battle as well. One-loss Tulane out of the AAC takes lead in that one, coming in at No. 24. That’s one spot ahead of undefeated Air Force out of the Mountain West. 

These rankings are fluid, and there’s no doubt that there will be plenty of chaos between now and Selection Sunday on December 3. However, the committee did make a few mistakes in its initial release. Let’s break down the overrated and underrated teams in the first edition of the CFP Rankings

Overrated: No. 20 USC

The Trojans shouldn’t be ranked. It shouldn’t even be a consideration. They have lost two of their last three games, narrowly escaped California last week and needed three overtimes to beat Arizona on October 7. The defense has been atrocious all season — especially lately. USC has given up 34 or more points in each of its last five games. 

This isn’t an aberration. It’s a trend. Coach Lincoln Riley has made a career out of producing flashy offenses, but his resume is also littered with subpar defenses dating back to his time at Oklahoma. Not even a superstar quarterback like reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams can make this team remotely competitive on the national scene. 

Underrated: No. 3 Michigan

No, the Wolverines don’t have a flashy strength…

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