{"id":116485,"date":"2024-10-20T23:19:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-20T16:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=116485"},"modified":"2024-10-20T23:19:46","modified_gmt":"2024-10-20T16:19:46","slug":"mandels-final-thoughts-kirby-smarts-georgia-defense-unleashes-havoc-on-texas-offense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=116485","title":{"rendered":"Mandel\u2019s Final Thoughts: Kirby Smart\u2019s Georgia defense unleashes havoc on Texas offense"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>And now, 20 Final Thoughts from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856966\/2024\/10\/20\/mike-houston-east-carolina-fired\/\">college football<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856317\/2024\/10\/20\/alabama-indiana-college-football-playoff\/\">weekend filled with wild comebacks<\/a>, big-time performances and one heck of a mess to clean up off the field in Austin.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1.<\/strong> All the gentlemen who made picks on ESPN\u2019s \u201cCollege GameDay\u201d set Saturday morning said <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GeorgiaFootball\/status\/1847860386411749475\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">No. 1 Texas would beat No. 5 Georgia that night<\/a>. It was a perfectly reasonable prediction based on how both teams had looked in the weeks leading up to their showdown.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately for them, past performance does not guarantee future results, especially when college players are involved.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.<\/strong> In front of a stadium-record 105,215 fans, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856362\/2024\/10\/20\/georgia-texas-kirby-smart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kirby Smart\u2019s Bulldogs<\/a> (6-1, 4-1 SEC) unleashed the most havoc-wreaking defensive performance of the season <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5838711\/2024\/10\/19\/arch-manning-texas-georgia-quinn-ewers\/\">in a 30-15 win<\/a>. It got so bad, so fast for Texas (6-1, 2-1 SEC), trailing 20-0 in the second quarter, that Steve Sarkisian briefly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856359\/2024\/10\/20\/texas-arch-manning-quinn-ewers-steve-sarkisian\/\">benched starting quarterback Quinn Ewers for Arch Manning<\/a>, only to go back to Ewers after two series. Neither had a chance, given the Horns offensive line had no answers for Georgia pass rushers <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"BBucAZ1ubAuYuFam\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/jalon-walker-BBucAZ1ubAuYuFam\/\">Jalon Walker<\/a> (three sacks, four QB hurries), <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"JOZ5XoNz8zKp9UXP\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/mykel-williams-JOZ5XoNz8zKp9UXP\/\">Mykel Williams<\/a> (two sacks) and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"KvjlL7DrFyy0uAUI\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/damon-wilson-ii-KvjlL7DrFyy0uAUI\/\">Damon Wilson II<\/a> (one strip-sack).<\/p>\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/css\/in-content-modules.css?1729173711\"\/>\n<div class=\"in-content-module\" data-module-type=\"book\" data-module-id=\"the-pulse-newsletter\" data-module-category=\"editorial\" data-module-type-id=\"4\">\n<div class=\"in-content-module-book\"><a class=\"in-content-module-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/newsletters\/the-pulse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=auto\/app\/in-content-modules-images\/in-content-module-the-pulse-newsletter.png\" alt=\"The Pulse Newsletter\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"in-content-module-contents\">\n<div class=\"in-content-copy-container\"><a class=\"in-content-module-headline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/newsletters\/the-pulse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Pulse Newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"in-content-module-intro-copy long\">Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"in-content-module-intro-copy short\">Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"in-content-module-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/newsletters\/the-pulse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sign Up<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/icon-arrow-right.svg\" alt=\"Buy The Pulse Newsletter\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This was precisely the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"259\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/georgia-bulldogs-college-football\/\">Georgia<\/a> juggernaut many envisioned when it was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856362\/2024\/10\/20\/georgia-texas-kirby-smart\/\">designated the preseason No. 1 team<\/a> and again when it blitzed <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"165\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/clemson-tigers-college-football\/\">Clemson<\/a> 34-3 in the season opener. That makes it a mystery where that team went in between. It was only three weeks ago that the Dawgs fell behind <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"263\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/alabama-crimson-tide-college-football\/\">Alabama<\/a> 30-7 at halftime and only a week ago that they allowed 31 points to <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"265\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/mississippi-state-bulldogs-college-football\/\">Mississippi State<\/a>. But it doesn\u2019t matter now, does it?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856014\/2024\/10\/19\/texas-georgia-pass-interfence-call\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19223913\/texas-georgia-1024x819.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">UGA&#8217;s Smart on overturned pass interference call: &#8216;They tried to rob us&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>3.<\/strong> Had <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"182\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/texas-longhorns-college-football\/\">Texas<\/a> come back and won, we might <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856014\/2024\/10\/19\/texas-georgia-pass-interfence-call\/\">have had a ferocious officiating scandal<\/a>. Late in the third quarter, with Georgia up 23-8, Horns cornerback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"JbO9eIa6bWv9f4Km\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/jahdae-barron-JbO9eIa6bWv9f4Km\/\">Jahdae Barron<\/a> picked off <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"KKEGxZ4LaH5PgA3k\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/carson-beck-KKEGxZ4LaH5PgA3k\/\">Carson Beck<\/a> near the sideline and ran it back to the Georgia 9-yard line. Officials initially negated it with a horrendous pass-interference call, at which point Texas students began pelting the field with objects. After a five-minute delay, the officials huddled and eventually, picked up the flag, eliciting much confusion, because defensive pass interference is not reviewable by replay. But this was decided on the field, not in the booth. Ewers threw a touchdown two plays later, only for Beck and Georgia to answer immediately.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5856569\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-5856569 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20062335\/GettyImages-2179682901-scaled-e1729419900128.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2521\" height=\"1696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20062335\/GettyImages-2179682901-scaled-e1729419900128.jpg 2521w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20062335\/GettyImages-2179682901-scaled-e1729419900128-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20062335\/GettyImages-2179682901-scaled-e1729419900128-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20062335\/GettyImages-2179682901-scaled-e1729419900128-1536x1033.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20062335\/GettyImages-2179682901-scaled-e1729419900128-2048x1378.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2521px) 100vw, 2521px\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"table-cell-span\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">Trevor Etienne scored three rushing touchdowns to lead Carson Beck, right, and the Georgia Bulldogs past No. 1 Texas on Saturday. (Tim Warner \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This did not comfort Smart, who said after the game, \u201cNow, we\u2019ve set a precedent that (if) you throw a bunch of stuff on the field and endanger athletes, you can get your call reversed.\u201d To be clear: The final call was the correct one. But the SEC had better act decisively before this becomes a thing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856359\/2024\/10\/20\/texas-arch-manning-quinn-ewers-steve-sarkisian\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20022332\/GettyImages-2179669066-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Steve Sarkisian created Texas QB controversy with Arch Manning, even if he says he didn&#8217;t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>4.<\/strong> Georgia may well turn around and lay an egg against <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"258\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/florida-gators-college-football\/\">Florida<\/a> in a couple of weeks, but it can afford it. With two wins over current top-10 teams, Georgia has ample margin of error between now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5701128\/2024\/10\/19\/college-football-playoff-projections-odds\/\">and the College Football Playoff.<\/a> That said, Beck remains cause for concern. He threw three interceptions (two in the first quarter) and finished 23 of 41 for just 175 yards. Beck, who has thrown eight picks in his past four games, is not as comfortable as he was last season when he had ever-reliable targets Brock Bowers and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"2lSxZwUTxtQmlcuO\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/ladd-mcconkey-2lSxZwUTxtQmlcuO\/\">Ladd McConkey<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856362\/2024\/10\/20\/georgia-texas-kirby-smart\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20025236\/GettyImages-2179681543-scaled-e1729407185774-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">The fuel Georgia found to knock off No. 1 and flip a switch on its season<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d still much rather be in Georgia\u2019s shoes than \u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>5.<\/strong> That Alabama first-half explosion against Georgia on Sept. 28 now looks like an aberration for both sides. No. 11 <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"257\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/tennessee-volunteers-college-football\/\">Tennessee<\/a> (6-1, 3-1 SEC) salvaged its season and put No. 7 Alabama\u2019s (5-2, 2-2 SEC) season on the brink of disaster <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855555\/2024\/10\/19\/alabama-tennessee-football-score-results-takeaways\/\">with a 24-17 win at Neyland Stadium<\/a>. Tennessee\u2019s defense has been stellar all season, but this was its masterpiece. Tide star Jalen Milroe completed a season-low 55.6 percent of his passes, threw two interceptions and ran for just 11 yards. Meanwhile, previously struggling Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856079\/2024\/10\/19\/tennessee-vols-alabama-playoff-heupel\/\">had his signature performance to date<\/a>, setting up one go-ahead touchdown with a 55-yard pass to <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"kINXypJwZsBl0W4Z\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/donte-thornton-jr-kINXypJwZsBl0W4Z\/\">Dont\u2019e Thornton Jr.<\/a> and throwing a 16-yard score to <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"FrC9TXdjzqJ1TgjG\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/chris-brazzell-ii-FrC9TXdjzqJ1TgjG\/\">Chris Brazzell II<\/a> after Alabama reclaimed the lead.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855555\/2024\/10\/19\/alabama-tennessee-football-score-results-takeaways\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19194314\/GettyImages-2179643134-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Tennessee comes alive to spark SEC hope, put Alabama Playoff chances in peril: Takeaways<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And, of course, no Tennessee win would be complete without a big <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"smMvjJ2LVAW8mtlR\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/dylan-sampson-smMvjJ2LVAW8mtlR\/\">Dylan Sampson<\/a> day. The Vols\u2019 star running back carried 26 times for 139 yards and two TDs.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856079\/2024\/10\/19\/tennessee-vols-alabama-playoff-heupel\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19231147\/GettyImages-2178688252-1024x717.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Tennessee proved against Alabama it&#8217;s not a one-hit wonder under Josh Heupel<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>6.<\/strong> This is quickly becoming a nightmare first season for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856027\/2024\/10\/19\/alabama-tennessee-kalen-deboer\/\">Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer<\/a>. First, he lost to Vanderbilt. Now he\u2019s on the wrong end of the Tide\u2019s earliest second loss since Nick Saban\u2019s first season, in 2007. And goodness, was his team undisciplined. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856399\/2024\/10\/20\/alabama-tennessee-loss-crimson-tide-playoff-chances\/\">Alabama committed 15 penalties<\/a>, including a personal foul on receiver <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"p8j5aMwiuvCXqHsO\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/kendrick-law-p8j5aMwiuvCXqHsO\/\">Kendrick Law<\/a> that turned a late fourth-and-7 into a fourth-and-22. The Tide still got the ball back with 1:28 left and a chance to send it to overtime, but Milroe, whose decision-making lately has been shaky, threw a ball into coverage that <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"07SBS4mvrRz3wmZ0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/will-brooks-07SBS4mvrRz3wmZ0\/\">Will Brooks<\/a> picked off.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856027\/2024\/10\/19\/alabama-tennessee-kalen-deboer\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19230347\/GettyImages-2179656411-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Rexrode: Kalen DeBoer&#8217;s Alabama program lacks the discipline, mystique of Nick Saban era<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Milroe, like his coach, has had better days.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856399\/2024\/10\/20\/alabama-tennessee-loss-crimson-tide-playoff-chances\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19183429\/USATSI_24534959-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Smith: Alabama&#8217;s season isn&#8217;t over, but it&#8217;s time for some hard truths<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>7.<\/strong> While Alabama falters, rival <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"267\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/lsu-tigers-college-football\/\">LSU<\/a> continues to surge. The eighth-ranked Tigers (6-1, 3-0 SEC) went on the road and hammered <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"264\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/arkansas-razorbacks-college-football\/\">Arkansas<\/a> (4-3, 2-2 SEC) 34-10. Freshman <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"2oyQpGp8ZihDxpvm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/caden-durham-2oyQpGp8ZihDxpvm\/\">Caden Durham<\/a> (21 carries, 101 yards, three TDs) had his second 100-yard output in three games. But the face of the Tigers this season is remarkable linebacker <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"s52XDxy7u5nb6rdd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/whit-weeks-s52XDxy7u5nb6rdd\/\">Whit Weeks<\/a>. The sophomore had 18 tackles against Ole Miss last week. This week, he turned the entire game with LSU leading 16-10 when he rushed the passer, tipped <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"87wOyNFVllS4xJs6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/taylen-green-87wOyNFVllS4xJs6\/\">Taylen Green<\/a>\u2019s pass into the air, caught the ball and returned it to the 2.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no top-five showdown in the SEC next week, but the stakes are no lower. LSU visits No. 14 Texas A&amp;M (6-1, 4-0 SEC), which beat Mississippi State 34-24. The LSU-A&amp;M winner will be alone in first place in the 16-team conference.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5701128\/2024\/10\/20\/college-football-playoff-projections-odds\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/08\/19175950\/Lede-Image-4-1024x683.png?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">College Football Playoff 2024 projections: Tennessee knocks Alabama out of bracket<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>8.<\/strong> Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said he gave third-year coach Brent Venables a raise and extension last summer as a sign of \u201cstability and strength\u201d entering the SEC. All it did was make it harder to get out of a problematic situation.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"255\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/south-carolina-gamecocks-college-football\/\">South Carolina<\/a> (4-3, 2-3 SEC) went to Norman and raced to a 32-3 halftime lead \u2014 the largest of any OU opponent in that stadium in 27 years \u2014 in handing the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"178\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/oklahoma-sooners-college-football\/\">Sooners<\/a> (4-3, 1-3 SEC) a humiliating 35-9 defeat. Oklahoma has scored five offensive touchdowns during its past four games. Venables\u2019 surprise decision during a Sept. 21 loss to Tennessee to bench decorated quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"bqOteFge67LW6fIG\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/jackson-arnold-bqOteFge67LW6fIG\/\">Jackson Arnold<\/a> for true freshman <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"7ocsp4qRMARyTigu\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/michael-hawkins-jr-7ocsp4qRMARyTigu\/\">Michael Hawkins Jr.<\/a> initially provided some hope, but OU went back to Arnold on Saturday after Hawkins committed turnovers on his first three series.<\/p>\n<p>Injuries have decimated the Sooners\u2019 receiving corps, but that\u2019s not the only problem. Venables, who went 6-7 and 10-3 in his first two seasons, is now 11-11 in conference games.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9.<\/strong> <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"196\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/illinois-fighting-illini-college-football\/\">Illinois<\/a> honored the 100th anniversary of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5848320\/2024\/10\/17\/red-grange-illinois-michigan-uniforms\/\">Red Grange\u2019s famous six-TD game<\/a> against Michigan by wearing 1924-style uniforms. Michigan played its part by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856189\/2024\/10\/20\/michigan-sherrone-moore-illinois-quarterbacks\/\">showcasing a 1924-caliber passing game<\/a>. The <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"192\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/michigan-wolverines-college-football\/\">Wolverines\u2019<\/a> third attempt at a starting quarterback in <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"4FA2mrJGeaxEB5FF\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/jack-tuttle-4FA2mrJGeaxEB5FF\/\">Jack Tuttle<\/a> did little to reverse their fortunes. The No. 22 Illini (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) won 21-7, marking the second time in three seasons Bret Bielema\u2019s team has won six of its first seven games, and its fan base seems galvanized. A sold-out Memorial Stadium got to see Illinois\u2019 first win over the Wolverines since 2009.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856189\/2024\/10\/20\/michigan-sherrone-moore-illinois-quarterbacks\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19234727\/GettyImages-2178662585-scaled-e1729396117768-1024x682.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Meek: For &#8216;disappointed&#8217; Sherrone Moore, challenges of starting over at Michigan hitting hard<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Michigan (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) scored its fewest points in a decade. That\u2019s the best it could muster following an off week.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10.<\/strong> As impressive as <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"189\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/indiana-hoosiers-college-football\/\">Indiana<\/a> looked during its 6-0 start, I was reticent to use \u201cIndiana\u201d and \u201cPlayoff\u201d in the same sentence. Not anymore. The 16th-ranked Hoosiers (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855282\/2024\/10\/19\/indiana-nebraska-big-ten-result-takeaways\/\">smacked Nebraska 56-7<\/a>, despite star quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"8gbHTIb0TeenpgAj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/kurtis-rourke-8gbHTIb0TeenpgAj\/\">Kurtis Rourke<\/a> leaving with a thumb injury. The Huskers (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) aren\u2019t <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"243\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/oregon-ducks-college-football\/\">Oregon<\/a>, but they did enter the game at 5-1 with a top-10 defense. That didn\u2019t stop IU from averaging nearly 8 yards per play. The Indiana defense produced five turnovers, including three interceptions from Nebraska quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"USeL6tEd7vbHtXfX\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/dylan-raiola-USeL6tEd7vbHtXfX\/\">Dylan Raiola<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855282\/2024\/10\/19\/indiana-nebraska-big-ten-result-takeaways\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19135029\/USATSI_24532672-e1729360250312-1024x684.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Time to take Indiana seriously? Hoosiers make case as Nebraska\u2019s misery vs. ranked teams continues<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Rourke\u2019s injury seemed minor, and Indiana now plays two more middling opponents, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"244\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/washington-huskies-college-football\/\">Washington<\/a> and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"190\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/michigan-state-spartans-college-football\/\">Michigan State<\/a>, before a Nov. 9 home date with Michigan. It could be the biggest game in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855708\/2024\/10\/19\/indiana-football-nebraska-cinderella-playoff\/\">Bloomington in more than a half-century<\/a>. According to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5701128\/2024\/10\/20\/college-football-playoff-projections-odds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s model<\/a>, the Hoosiers now have a 61 percent chance to make the Playoff.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855708\/2024\/10\/19\/indiana-football-nebraska-cinderella-playoff\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19202255\/GettyImages-2178632321-scaled-e1729383797461-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Dochterman: Indiana is no Cinderella. The Hoosiers look like they can crash the CFP and compete<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>11.<\/strong> Lincoln Riley forever will get credit for developing Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"D6rSd2n2d8UmpGPA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/caleb-williams-D6rSd2n2d8UmpGPA\/\">Caleb Williams<\/a>. But it now seems those quarterbacks helped mask Riley\u2019s head-coaching shortcomings.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"252\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/usc-trojans-college-football\/\">USC<\/a>\u2019s coach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856010\/2024\/10\/19\/usc-lincoln-riley-results\/\">has lost nine of his past 14 games<\/a>, and somehow, Saturday\u2019s 29-28 defeat at Maryland (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) was the worst one yet. The Terps were winless in the Big Ten, having lost 37-10 at home to <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"199\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/northwestern-wildcats-college-football\/\">Northwestern<\/a> eight days earlier. And the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"279\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/troy-trojans-college-football\/\">Trojans<\/a> (3-4, 1-4 Big Ten) led 28-22 with two minutes left, facing a fourth-and-1 at the Maryland 24, but rather than trying to get 1 yard, Riley opted to attempt a 41-yard field goal, which the Terps blocked. They then drove for the go-ahead touchdown and stopped USC\u2019s last-ditch drive.<\/p>\n<p>Riley admittedly has suffered some tough luck. All four of USC\u2019s losses came down to the final possession. But this one should have never been a close game to begin with.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856010\/2024\/10\/19\/usc-lincoln-riley-results\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19225030\/GettyImages-2179655372-1024x678.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Morales: USC has invested heavily in Lincoln Riley and his staff. Where are the results?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>12.<\/strong> Sixth-ranked <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"176\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/miami-hurricanes-college-football\/\">Miami<\/a> (7-0, 3-0 ACC) is doing its best <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855331\/2024\/10\/19\/miami-hurricanes-louisville-football-score-results\/\">to make every week an adventure.<\/a> The Canes did not need another last-second escape this week at Louisville (4-3, 2-2 ACC). But Cardinals quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"QvVl0qlt8qs3dTFC\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/tyler-shough-QvVl0qlt8qs3dTFC\/\">Tyler Shough<\/a> (31 of 51 for 342 yards, four TDs, zero INTs) kept pace with Miami star <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"oHdiwL239lLeDOQ8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/cam-ward-oHdiwL239lLeDOQ8\/\">Cam Ward<\/a> (21 of 32, 319 yards, four TDs, zero INTs) for much of the day until the Canes wrapped up a 52-45 victory. Miami\u2019s defense has been an issue for three straight games, but Ward, who should remain near the top of Heisman Watch lists, is the kind of big-time QB who can help mask deficiencies. The question is, can he do it all the way to an ACC championship?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855331\/2024\/10\/19\/miami-hurricanes-louisville-football-score-results\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19143911\/GettyImages-2178606796-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Miami survives Louisville in yet another thrilling win<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>13.<\/strong> No. 9 <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"183\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/iowa-state-cyclones-college-football\/\">Iowa State<\/a> (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) and No. 13 <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"217\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/byu-cougars-college-football\/\">BYU<\/a> (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) are defying the prevailing theory that the Big 12 is wide open. They both remain perfect, thanks to game-winning drives by their quarterbacks and wins by identical scores.<\/p>\n<p>Trailing 35-31 to visiting <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"186\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/oklahoma-state-cowboys-college-football\/\">Oklahoma State<\/a> (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) and with his team stuck at its own 38 with fewer than 30 seconds left, BYU\u2019s <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"PeA7uRZX84pN7S6A\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/jake-retzlaff-PeA7uRZX84pN7S6A\/\">Jake Retzlaff<\/a> scrambled 27 yards and two plays later, hit receiver <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"oF0IPNKAGB75oNgD\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/darius-lassiter-oF0IPNKAGB75oNgD\/\">Darius Lassiter<\/a> for a 35-yard touchdown to prevail <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5854633\/2024\/10\/19\/byu-undefeated-oklahoma-state-score-result\/\">38-35 late Friday night<\/a>. Retzlaff is hardly a \u201cwow\u201d passer, but he\u2019s a gamer. And BYU\u2019s offense is more explosive now that running backs <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"Z74XPgLPiHUTjfEy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/lj-martin-Z74XPgLPiHUTjfEy\/\">LJ Martin<\/a> (20 carries, 120 yards, two TDs) and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"5AnYREhKczdOFrNM\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/hinckley-ropati-5AnYREhKczdOFrNM\/\">Hinckley Ropati<\/a> (six carries, 47 yards) are both healthy.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5854633\/2024\/10\/19\/byu-undefeated-oklahoma-state-score-result\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19073314\/GettyImages-2178481234-1024x590.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">BYU remains undefeated with stunning late TD vs. Oklahoma State<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And Iowa State found itself in a dogfight at home against visitor <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"155\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/ucf-knights-college-football\/\">UCF<\/a> (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten), which ran for 354 yards against the Cyclones. Trailing 35-30 with 1:47 left, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"p7EXnn5sqLHOc9aH\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/rocco-becht-p7EXnn5sqLHOc9aH\/\">Rocco Becht<\/a> led his team 80 yards in 11 plays, then converted a two-point conversion for the win. Iowa State is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856238\/2024\/10\/20\/iowa-state-ucf-score-takeaways\/\">7-0 for the second time in program history<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856238\/2024\/10\/20\/iowa-state-ucf-score-takeaways\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20002136\/USATSI_24541552-1024x819.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">No. 9 Iowa State rallies to beat UCF, remain undefeated<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>14.<\/strong> Much to the chagrin of its many haters, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"251\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/colorado-buffaloes-college-football\/\">Colorado<\/a> (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) is off to just its second 5-2 start since 2005 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855681\/2024\/10\/19\/deion-sanders-obama-colorado-comments\/\">following a 34-7 rout at Arizona<\/a> (3-4, 1-3). The Buffs rebounded from last week\u2019s heartbreaking home loss to <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"185\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/kansas-state-wildcats-college-football\/\">Kansas State<\/a> with the best defensive performance of the two-year Deion Sanders era, notching six sacks and three turnovers. <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"253\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/arizona-wildcats-college-football\/\">Arizona<\/a> quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"Przc6eKf74OTEp3i\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/noah-fifita-Przc6eKf74OTEp3i\/\">Noah Fifita<\/a> threw for just 138 yards.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855681\/2024\/10\/19\/deion-sanders-obama-colorado-comments\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19210500\/GettyImages-2179648541-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Deion ribs Obama for his CU comments: &#8216;I heard what he said&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>CU will play for a bowl berth next week against <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"154\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/cincinnati-bearcats-college-football\/\">Cincinnati<\/a>, which was always the primary goal for Sanders in Year 2. But at this point, he should aim higher than that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>15.<\/strong> In its first game away from home since Sept. 14, No. 12 <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"216\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/notre-dame-fighting-irish-college-football\/\">Notre Dame<\/a> (6-1) held <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"172\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-college-football\/\">Georgia Tech<\/a>\u2019s top-25 rushing offense to 64 yards on 29 attempts in an easy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855499\/2024\/10\/19\/notre-dame-georgia-tech-riley-leonard-defense\/\">31-13 win at Mercedes Benz Stadium<\/a>. Marcus Freeman even pulled out both a fake punt and a fake field goal (and both worked).<\/p>\n<p>Before the season, it seemed possible the Irish might not face many ranked opponents, but they\u2019re 2-0 in those games so far (at Texas A&amp;M and against <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"164\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/louisville-cardinals-college-football\/\">Louisville<\/a>) and another Top 25 foe awaits next week at another <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nfl\/\">NFL<\/a> venue: undefeated <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"163\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/navy-midshipmen-college-football\/\">Navy<\/a> at Met-Life Stadium.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855499\/2024\/10\/19\/notre-dame-georgia-tech-riley-leonard-defense\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19190322\/USATSI_24535427-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Notre Dame takeaways: Irish slow down Georgia Tech&#8217;s rushing attack, cruise to easy win<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>16.<\/strong> Embattled Florida coach Billy Napier refuses to go quietly into the night. In the Gators\u2019 first game since losing veteran quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"Mcg2fbGUKGihpf1B\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/graham-mertz-Mcg2fbGUKGihpf1B\/\">Graham Mertz<\/a> for the season with an ACL injury, they rode a pair of true freshmen to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856330\/2024\/10\/20\/florida-gators-kentucky-billy-napier\/\">48-20 rout of Kentucky<\/a> (3-4, 1-4 SEC). Five-star quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"XtgTRML7vJGT1JrD\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/dj-lagway-XtgTRML7vJGT1JrD\/\">DJ Lagway<\/a> completed seven passes, but five of them went for 40-plus yards, and running back <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"N5PkPPLB22eAhq5o\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/jadan-baugh-N5PkPPLB22eAhq5o\/\">Jadan Baugh<\/a>, making his first career start, ran for 106 yards and a program record-tying five touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>After an off week, Florida (4-3, 2-2 SEC) begins its long-awaited gauntlet of Georgia, Texas and LSU back-to-back-to-back. So it\u2019s good for Napier he won this one.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856330\/2024\/10\/20\/florida-gators-kentucky-billy-napier\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/20020427\/USATSI_24541836-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Billy Napier and Florida won a game they couldn&#8217;t lose, but a rugged path is still ahead<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>17.<\/strong> <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"266\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/auburn-tigers-college-football\/\">Auburn<\/a> (2-5, 0-4 SEC) is so beatable these days that Missouri quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"nbmgyrcYTBZpejAT\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/brady-cook-nbmgyrcYTBZpejAT\/\">Brady Cook<\/a> had time to leave in the first quarter, go to the hospital, get an MRI on his ankle, come back and lead 19th-ranked Mizzou (6-1, 2-1 SEC) to two fourth-quarter touchdowns and win 21-17. Cook hit <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"eDtr2ZBbJOhGdj13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/mookie-cooper-eDtr2ZBbJOhGdj13\/\">Mookie Cooper<\/a> for a 78-yard pass to set up a touchdown that cut Auburn\u2019s lead to 17-14, then drove his team 95 yards for the go-ahead score. Cook threw for more yards in a quarter-plus (194) than Auburn quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"98h5z9MkpJqHSZ9Y\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/payton-thorne-98h5z9MkpJqHSZ9Y\/\">Payton Thorne<\/a> did the entire game (176). Looking to keep its CFP hopes alive, Mizzou visits Tuscaloosa next week to face a desperate and vulnerable Alabama team.<\/p>\n<p><strong>18.<\/strong> Cincinnati (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) quietly has won three of its first four conference games, with an overtime loss in the other, after shutting down visiting <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"249\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/arizona-state-sun-devils-college-football\/\">Arizona State<\/a> 24-14. Second-year coach Scott Satterfield did not engender confidence with his 3-9 debut last season, but the program, which won at least nine games five straight years under the departed Luke Fickell, seems to have stabilized. The Sun Devils (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) missed quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"uI5Zl2qYKfyb6lD5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/sam-leavitt-uI5Zl2qYKfyb6lD5\/\">Sam Leavitt<\/a> due to a rib injury. Former Georgia Tech and Nebraska quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"gBaTLo0wpIJHkGjh\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/jeff-sims-gBaTLo0wpIJHkGjh\/\">Jeff Sims<\/a> was ineffective. Also: Coach Kenny Dillingham was so peeved about missing two field-goal attempts that he vowed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855481\/2024\/10\/19\/kenny-dillingham-kicker-comments-arizona-state\/\">hold an open kicker tryout on Monday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5855481\/2024\/10\/19\/kenny-dillingham-kicker-comments-arizona-state\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/19165008\/GettyImages-2177171940-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">ASU coach Kenny Dillingham apologizes for kicking criticism<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>19.<\/strong> Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith\u2019s first season has been expectedly rocky, but one of the sport\u2019s most respected offensive coaches showed what he\u2019s all about in the Spartans\u2019 32-20 home win over <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"201\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/iowa-hawkeyes-college-football\/\">Iowa<\/a> (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten). Smith\u2019s team ran for 212 yards against the Hawkeyes\u2019 normally stingy defense. Talented quarterback <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"dBolxItaxGAOwHxA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/aidan-chiles-dBolxItaxGAOwHxA\/\">Aidan Chiles<\/a>, who followed Smith from <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"246\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/team\/oregon-state-beavers-college-football\/\">Oregon State<\/a>, was a big part of the Michigan State (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) attack with 11 carries for 51 yards. It may be too little, too late for this season, but Chiles may be part of bigger wins down the line.<\/p>\n<p><strong>20.<\/strong> Finally, congrats to FCS No. 2 North Dakota State for ending a five-game losing streak to No. 1 South Dakota State (5-2, 2-1 MVC) in dramatic fashion. The Bison (7-1, 4-0 MVC) trailed 9-7 for the entire second half until <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"aow2fKpPC50slFcK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/cam-miller-aow2fKpPC50slFcK\/\">Cam Miller<\/a> drove them 92 yards, culminating in a 20-yard touchdown to RaJa Nelson with 1:49 left. A Logan Kopp interception on the Jackrabbits\u2019 next drive sealed a 13-9 win. The Dakota Marker returns to Fargo for the first time since 2019.<\/p>\n<p>While impossible to confirm, it\u2019s believed not one single person there suggested the game was meaningless because the FCS has a 24-team playoff.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>(Top photo of <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"BznDHMefJBxufvPm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/player\/julian-humphrey-BznDHMefJBxufvPm\/\">Julian Humphrey<\/a>: Tim Warner \/ Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5856542\/2024\/10\/20\/georgia-texas-alabama-tennessee-week-8-final-thoughts\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>And now, 20 Final Thoughts from a college football weekend filled with wild comebacks, big-time performances and one heck of a mess to clean up off the field in Austin. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=116485\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=116485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116485\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=116485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=116485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=116485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}