Random Thoughts Week 7: SEC Chaos, Unlucky Irish, Sketchy Officiating

Five of the nation’s top seven teams went down on the same Saturday for the first time in AP Poll history. A sixth team in that grouping barely won by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin thanks to fishy officiating. The only other team in the top seven to not lose was No. 4 anOhio State who was playing No. 5 Indiana

Tennessee 26 Alabama 10 – Let’s get this one out of the way. It is not clear if Keelon Russell had a concussion but the Crimson Tide offense was in total disarray. The players and coaches did not look prepared for this game at all. The Vols were fired up on defense and forced many mistakes.

On a personal note, I sent out the above Tweet last midweek and the Dwags got all up in their feelings over me calling their win over Bama “their Super Bowl”. And golly gee. Look what happened next… ↓↓↓

Auburn 27 Georgia 24 – The newly crowned No. 1 team scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and then figured they would surely roll to a 77-0 win. But Aubie had other plans. The War Tigers would score the next 24 points and take the lead into the 4th quarter. Karl Childers Gunner Stockton was turning the ball over all over the place (two INT) but managed to put together a late drive that resulted in a game-tying TD. After an Aubie punt, it looked like UGA would pull it off in one final drive, but Karl Stockton coughed up the football in Auburn territory.

Ashton Daniels was able to inch his team closer but a stupid roughing the passer penalty on Georgia moved the ball up a 15 massive yards. After a short run, time dwindled down to 3 seconds at the UGA 16, enough for Auburn to kick the game-winning field goal.

Kirby Smart & the Doggies were so geared up to beat Bama, I guess they forgot to plan for Auburn.

BYU 28 Notre Dame 24 – A little controversy in Big 12 land. The Cougars blew a 21-10 halftime advantage when the Irish scored 14 straight to take a 3 point lead. The Mormons retook the lead with under two minutes remaining. Notre Dame had a chance to score a game-winning touchdown on the final play of the game when a pass into the end zone fell harmlessly to the turf. However on that play, it appeared that KJ Bolden the BYU defender interfered with the receiver, but no flag was thrown. In addition to this issue, it also appears that both the game clock on the ABC broadcast and the stadium clock at the stadium still had one second on the clock once ball hit the ground.

Oopsie!

Florida 27 Texas 24 – The Longhorns were up 17-3 when the Gators scored the next 24 points. Texas scored a late TD and forced a 3-and-out with 2:27 remaining, but the Arch Manning put the ball on the turf and UF ran out the clock. Manning was sacked five times and the ‘Horns were 2 of 10 on third down conversions.

Ohio State 19 Indiana 15 – The Big Ten was in the spotlight and – yeesh – was this game ugly! Indy got to 4th & 4 at the anOSU 27 with under a minute but a Hoosiers reception into the end zone was just a half-step out of bounds.

Neither team gained over 80 rushing yards. Julian Sayin was sacked 4 times and was picked twice. Although, he did throw a pair of TDs. Sayin injured his passing (right) arm late in the game and is said to be out for “several weeks”. The ‘Eyes have a bye week followed by a game at Southern Cal and then at home vs Oregon and Northwestern.

ESS-EE-SEE

Ole Miss 31 Missouri 3 – Lost in the shuffle of the madness on Saturday was the Rebel Black Shark Bears manhandling of Mizzou. The Ozark Tigers were looking like a top 10 team in their previous two games, but not on this day. OM (5-1) had a more balanced attack with 241 yards through the air and 257 on the ground with two backs topping the century mark in rushing yards. Mizzy (5-2) had 339 passing yards but managed only 39 on the ground. Seven of their possessions ended in a punt.

Kentucky 21 Oklahoma 13 – UK scored a TD on their opening possession but then turned cold. The Sooners would take a 13-7 lead in the third quarter and were knocking on the door but quarterback John Mateer threw an interception that was returned to the OU 45 yard line. The ‘Cats would convert the turnover into a go-ahead touchdown. With under 2 to play, Mateer threw a pick six which basically clinched the game. But that was not enough for the Okie QB. He would throw one more interception to give him three for the game.

The Wildcats are now 6-1 with lousy Vandy up next. Then comes a huge matchup in Knoxville.

Arkansas 31 Vanderbilt 21 – In a match of doormats, the Razorbacks proved to be an eyelash better than the Commodores. Vandy (3-4, 0-4) is the only SEC team without a conference win.

NOTHING TO ESS-EE-SEE HERE

LSU 31 Mississippi State 0 – Someday, the players on this LSU team will tell their grandkids how they once beat the #16 team in the nation. However, the Bullies were without star quarterback Kamario Taylor and top running back Fluff Bothwell, and that made all the difference. One glaring number for MSU is that they were 0-5 on fourth down conversion attempts – once at the goal line and all five within the LSU 35 yard line.

Bayou Bengals QB Sam Leavitt finally put up a solid effort, completing 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns in what also was his first turnover-free game this season. [SIDE NOTE: He did fumble but a teammate recovered.]

Texas A&M 41 The Citadel 0 – Much like the military academies, the Bulldogs (2-5) primarily emphasize a run-heavy attack, maintaining aspects of the traditional triple-option style. Their diminutive backs were no match against the hulking Aggies. A&M quarterback Marcel Reed and other starters took the second half off.

OTHER STUFF

Oregon 17 Nebraska 14 – Following his debacle of a start last week versus UCLA, Dylan Raiola got some redemption against his former team. Third-string quarterback Brock Thomas started the game for the Ducks but was largely ineffective, going 9 of 20 for 54 yards and an interception. Raiola (11 of 18 for 59 yards in the fourth quarter) came off the bench and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left to give Oregon a come-from-behind victory.

Both teams amassed 242 total yards. Nebraska punted 9 times, Oregon 7. Big Ten football, y’all.

Miami-FL 43 Florida State 35 (2 OT) – The Hurricanes’ dream perfect season almost came unraveled against their hated rival. This battle stayed deadlock through four quarters and the first overtime. After Miami scored in the second overtime, FSU went backwards due to a sack and two separate penalties that put them behind the chains. But first, shenanigans. On 4th-and-21, Florida State seemingly converted a touchdown. But hold on a minute. An extremely late phantom holding penalty deletes those six points. So on 4th-and-31 (sound familiar?), Ashton Daniels threw another pass into the end zone where the ‘Noles Duce Robinson had two hands on the ball but it was ruled to have been wrestled away by Miami DB Bryce Fitzgerald to end the game. Shenanigans.

Rutgers 37 Maryland 30 – The Scarlet Knights pick up their first conference win against the 0-4 Terps. Sparty and PSU are also 0-4. Big Ten Football, y’all!

Michigan 21 Penn State 18 – Tommy Carr (grandson of Lloyd, brother of CJ) replaced godawful Bryce Underwood (5/11, 43 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT) and led Michy to a win.

A-HOLE OF THE WEEK

Duke cornerback Kimari Robinson.

MAYBE EMBRACING POTHEADS WAS NOT A GREAT IDEA

Cal got smoked by Wake Forest 41-7 in their “Grateful Bears” game.

LONGEST SCOOP & SCORE OF THE WEEK

In this weird game, the Bulls stopped the Golden Flashes on a goal line stand and then got tackled in the end zone to go down 0-2. Kent State would not score again as USF won 28-2.

AI AQUATIC CLOSE CALL OF THE WEEK

HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS?

PSYCHOPATH OF THE WEEK

THE RUNNING OF THE AUBIES

DUMBEST CALL OF THE WEEK

Why?

CATCH OF THE WEEK

TROLL OF THE WEEK

DUMBEST FAKE KICK OF THE WEEK

YOU HAVE ONE JOB

This Vol was clearly offsides on Keelon Russell’s fumble.

Additionally on a Rico Scott punt return, a Vol got a handful of facemask and a flag came out. But… it was on Alabama for a block in the back.

WORST FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT OF THE WEEK

Some days, nothing goes right.

SECOND BEST FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT OF THE WEEK

BEST FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT OF THE WEEK

LOL NEXT MAN UP IN COLUMBUS!

DERP OF THE WEEK

Credit the BYU players for jumping on the ball.

WHAT’D YOU EXPECT?

HELLO, PSYCHIC READERS NETWORK? CAN I SPEAK TO MISS CLEO?

#90sReferences

KICK RETURN OF THE WEEK

Too soon?

WORST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAY OF THE WEEK

WORST TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMP OF THE WEEK

Yeah, probably should have listened to the announcer…

MATH IS HARD

anOhio State graduate.

WORST OVERTHROW OF THE WEEK

DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

WAS THIS TARGETING?

Too many times the officials look for helmet to helmet contact in super slo-mo, but do not consider the intent. Josh Hoover took quite the shot to the chin, but it did not look like the Bucky was intending to do harm.

DOINK OF THE WEEK

NAME OF THE WEEK

This is his real name.

STATS OF THE WEEK

• Army completed one of two passing attempts for 2 yards. Yet the Black Knights ran for 479 yards and had 8 rushing TDs in a 56-24 mauling of FAU.
• Air Force was slightly better in the passing game going 2/3 for 18 yards. The Falcons had 430 rushing yards and 5 TDs in a 41-31 victory over UNLV.
• West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins tallied 464 passing yards on just 25 completions. WVU and Cincinnati combined for 1,220 yards of offense with the Mountaineers coming out on top 45-42.

THE WACKY WORLD OF CORSO WHOEVAH

College GameDay was in Provo for Notre Dame-BYU. I guess all the sisterwives were required to stay at home because all I saw on TV was dudes in blue.

Former Cougar and 49ers QB Steve Young was guest picker.

Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff was AGAIN in Bloomington, this time for Ohio State-Indiana and now they are going back to Ann Arbor for Indiana vs. Michigan. Tell me again how the Big Ten isn’t top-heavy…

GAMEDAY SIGN

ADOPT-A-TEAM

• I like this guy. New Mexico is 5-1.
• Memphis (5-2, 2-1 AAC) lost to their nemesis Tulane, 31-17.

• Western Michigan (5-2*, 3-0 MAC) beat CMU 21-14. Coach Lance Taylor has these guys a cat whisker away from bowl eligibility.

COUSINS

• Jacksonville State (5-2) – The Gamecocks kicked a 46 yard field goal with 47 seconds left. FIU came back to tie but missed a 49-yarder at the buzzer. JSU is next at New Mexico State with bowl eligibility on the line.
• South Alabama (4-2) – The Jags had a bye so they can play at Marshall tonight (Tuesday). USA is favored by 2.5.
• Troy (3-3) – The Trojans were dominated by ULL 33-6. Sad little winless UL-Monroe comes to town.
• West Alabama (5-2) – Scott Cochran’s Tigers lost to the University of West Florida Argonauts 37-7.

THAT ANNOYING GUY WHO INTENTIONALLY PARKS ON THE LINE SO NOBODY PARKS NEXT TO HIM

• UAB (4-3) – Now that is something you don’t see everyday: a two score win in overtime. The Dragons had a pick-6 in OT to beat East Carolina 30-17. On another note, maybe shutting down the UAB football program was not a bad idea. I know it was a Thursday night but this is a pathetic turnout for Homecoming. Below is before the game.

And at the end.

Shameful. The Dragons have a tough one up next at USF.

SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS

• Air Force (5-1) – What a turnaround for the Falcons this season. After two consecutive losing campaigns, AFA is on the precipice of bowl eligibility after topping a tough UNLV team 41-31. The Force bombards Wyoming on Friday.
• Army (4-2) – The Black Knights ran all over FAU 56-24. The Cadets deploy to Tulsa.
• Navy (2-4) – The Midshipmen lost to UTSA late in the game 38-34. North Texas invades.

ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

Eliminated: Boston College, Cal, Duke, FSU, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Center Florida, Cincinnati, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU, West Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, Purdue, Washington, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

In Danger: Clemson, North Carolina, SMU, Arizona, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon, Southern Cal, Wisconsin, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame

Still Alive: Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee, BYU, Houston, Texa$ Tech, Utah, Indiana, Ohio State, UCLA, Wake Forest

Clinched Playoff Birth: Miami-FL (due to lame-ass schedule), Notre Dame (due to lame-ass schedule)

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

POWER 2

• SEC – Every SEC team has at least one loss. Only three teams in the conference are unbeaten at home. Florida crushes Ole Miss beats the crap out of Mizzou who slaughtered Florida. It is one of the weirdest college football seasons in many years.
• Big Ten – UCLA is the last unbeaten in thi B1G. Who saw that coming?? Nebraska is the fraud we all thought they were. Iowa and So Cal are lingering around for now. Oregon is wishy-washy. Indy and anOhio State look definitely beatable.

SECOND 2

• Big 12 – BYU did us all a big favor by beating Notre Dame. Utah is 6-0 but have yet to face a ranked team. Texa$ Tech’s biggest win is Houston. Whoop-dee-doo.
• ACC – The conference is going to do everything in their power to protect Miami-FL. Wake Forest (6-1, 4-1) are surprisingly in second followed by SMU (5-1, 3-1). Those latter two face off on Nov 14. Everyone after that is garbage.

AT LARGE

• Indies – How do you solve a problem like Maria Notre Dame? In an utterly ridiculous move of special treatment, the CFP agreed to guarantee the Irish an at-large berth if they finish the year in the top 12. After beating up on soup cans for six weeks and climbing to No. 2 in the AP Poll, the Dames finally faced a team with a pulse at BYU and lost. After a week off, they host Navy, but then comes a big South Bend showdown with Miami-FL. Then it is Boston College, SMU, and godwaful Syracuse (The Irish’s only remaining road game). The only way ND drops below 12 is if they lose to the ‘Canes and the Mustangs – both home games.

PARTICIPATION TROPHY

• Boise (PAC-12) is up to No. 21 and represent the only non-Power team to be ranked. The Smurfs lost a close one at Oregon earlier in the year, which is not looking as impressive anymore. My money is on them right now.
• UTSA (AAC) is 6-1 (3-0 AAC) with the only defeat coming at the hands of Texas in Week 3. However, the Roadrunners are at Tulane on Saturday
• James Madison (7-0) continues their run on their weak-ass schedule. The Sun Belt schedule-makers did them a big favor by allowing them to avoid all the better teams of the conference in ULL (5-2, 2-1), Louisiana Tech (4-2, 2-1), and South Alabama (4-2, 2-1). However, the Dukes’ one roadblock of the season may come on Thursday at App State (4-2, 1-1). GO APPY!
• New Mexico and North Dakota State have a Mountain West showdown this weekend.

RANK ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM

So, Northwestern is ranked No. 24. Are they National Champion caliber?

The AP Ranking are so dumb and lazy. Instead, here are the TOP 12 SONGS WITH WHISTLING IN THEM:

1. Guns N’ Roses – Patience
2. Scorpions – Wind Of Change
3. Focus – Hocus Pocus
4. David Bowie – Golden Years
5. The Bangles – Walk Like an Egyptian
6. Steve Miller Band – Jungle Love
7. Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers
8. Supertramp – Goodbye Stranger
9. J. Geils Band – Centerfold
10. Paul Simon – Me and Julio (Jones) Down by the Schoolyard
11. Billy Joel – The Stranger
12. Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay

LET’S GO BOWLING!

• Utah (6-0) stays unbeaten and becomes bowl eligible but it wasn’t easy against a bad Colorado (2-4) team.
• Also undefeated after six games are Miami-FL, BYU, Texa$ Tech, and UCLA.
• James Madison is 7-0 with their weak ass schedule.
• Among the eleven 6-1 teams are Wake Forest and UTSA.

LET’S GO BLOWING!

We stand upon the brink of a precipice. We peer into the abyss – we grow sick and dizzy. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

• 0-fers NIU, and ULM both stand at 0-6 and in line for the Triple Golden Sombrero (12 whiffs).
• Charlotte (1-6) shocked the world by defeating Temple (2-5) in Philly, 38-31.
• Rice, Akron, Suckramento State, UTEP, Hawaii, and Washington State are all staring into the abyss of bowl elimination at 1-6.

Krazy Kristi’s “SHUT UP!” of the Week goes to the greedy a-holes ruining college football. The College Football Playoff has a “handshake agreement” with ESPN to televise an expanded 24-team playoff beginning in 2027. Look for the regular season to become less relevant and for bowls to disappear. For ESPN, it is programming. They don’t care if stadiums will be empty.

These short-sided suits have not heeded the warning of the NASCAR implosion one bit. The stock car racing organization has experienced a significant decline in popularity over the last 20 years, with television viewership dropping from a peak of 19.4 million viewers for the 2006 Daytona 500 to an average of just 2.45 million viewers for the 2025 season. A major factor contributing to this decline is the changes in championship format.

HEISMAN HYPE

Odds per FanDuel:

1. WR Jeremiah Smith (anOhio State) -115
2. QB Darian Mensah (Miami-FL) +400
3. QB Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) +600
4. WR Jesse Legree (Oregon State) +1500 – There is NO way.
5. QB CJ Carr (Notre Dame) +1600
6. QB Bear Bachmeier (BYU) +2200
7. QB Gunner Stockton (Georgia) +6000 – “What’cha doin’ with that lawn mower blade, Gunner?” / “I aim to kill you with it.”
8. QB Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State) +4000 – Ain’t gonna happen.
9. (tie) QB Conner Weigman (Houston) +10000 – Is this guy still playing college ball?
9. (tie) QB Jayden Maiava (So Cal) +10000
9. (tie) QB Josh Hoover (anOhio State) +10000
12. (tie) QB Keelon Russell (Alabama) +12500
12. (tie) QB Kamario Taylor (Miss. State) +12500

THE SICK REPORT

• Florida State running back Ousmane Kromah will miss the rest of the season after injuring his left ankle in a double-overtime loss to Miami on Saturday.
• Texas superstar defensive end Colin Simmons (10.5 sacks on the season) left Saturday’s home loss to Florida and did not return to the game. He is reportedly out multiple weeks with high ankle sprain.
• Quarterback Nico Iamaleava will sit out the rest of the season for ninth-ranked UCLA and will undergo surgery for a knee injury sustained against Oregon. Senior Ty Dieffenbach (who was a teammate of Racin Delgatty at Cal Poly last season) finished off the Ducks in relief and helped defeat Wisconsin this past Saturday. Can he keep it up? The Bruins next six are Michigan State, Nevada, @Minnesota, Illinois, @Michigan, and Southern Cal.
• Troy quarterback Goose Crowder was knocked out of the Trojan’s game with ULL and is “day-by-day” with a shoulder injury.
• Georgia Tech starting linebacker Kyle Efford announced last Tuesday that he is medically retiring from football but will remain with the team as a captain and player-coach for the remainder of the season. He aggravated his surgically repaired shoulder during a Week 2 matchup against Tennessee. He led the Yeller Jackets in tackles in each of the past three seasons and finishes his college football career with 250 tackles. It is a tough blow for a team that is having a disappointing season.
• anOhio State was without leading-scorer Ja’Kobi Jackson vs. Indiana. The running back has 354 yards and six scores through six games.

DRAMARAMA

• Ya think the SEC-LSU drama is over? Think again. That lawsuit is still going forward. It sure looks like commissioner Greg Sankey is not a fan of bygones. He is going to make an example of LSU. “This case addresses a broader dispute: Defendants’ complete lack of institutional control over LSU’s athletic programs, their ongoing defiance of the Conference’s Professionalism Rules, and the very real threat — reiterated in Defendants’ briefing — that Defendants will interfere with any effort to terminate LSU’s membership in the Conference,” from the SEC’s court filing. The Cajun Tigers’ scumbag basketball coach Will Wade is still trying to put professional players on his sad little roster.
• Auburn dismissed star linebacker Xavier Atkins on Monday night. No reason has been disclosed as of yet but it must be pretty bad considering he was a first-team All-SEC player in 2025 and an All-SEC preseason team pick by the conference’s coaches this year. Atkins led the league with 17 tackles for loss last year. Thus far this fall – previous to the UGA game in which he did not play – he had 26 solo tackles, 11 assist, 3 sacks and an INT.
• Oregon leading receiver Evan Stewart was arrested early Sunday on a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants. Class act coach Dan Lanning has yet to announce Stewart’s status. The Ducks are at Illinois on Saturday.
• Florida State freshman cornerback Chuck Kennon, the Seminoles’ top-rated recruit in this year’s class, has been dismissed from the program after being arrested and charged with second-degree felony aggravated fleeing to elude, third-degree felony false imprisonment, and resisting an officer without violence, a misdemeanor.
• The Southeastern Conference fined Tennessee $500,000 on Sunday for allowing fans to storm the field following their Super Bowl victory over Alabama. I hope I don’t see Bama fans aping this activity when the Crimson Tide beats the Vols in Tuscaloosa next season.

SCHEDULING

• Alabama has rounded up Mercer to come to Tuscaloosa on September 11, 2027 for a meager a $500,000. The Crimson Tide also face Marshall and @ anOhio State in that campaign. Bama has also snagged Gardner‑Webb for a visit to Tuscaloosa on October 13, 2029, marking the first-ever meeting between the programs. The Bulldogs too will get half a grand for their troubles. Other 2029 OOC opponents include @Notre Dame and Louisiana Tech.
• Mississippi State and Oklahoma State have scheduled a home-and-home football series for the 2030 and 2031 seasons.

KOACHES KORNER

• Former NC State head coach Chuck Amato passed away at age 80.
• Urban Meyer’s wife asked him, “What do you like most in me, my pretty face or my sexy body?” He looked at her from head to toe and replied, “I like your sense of humor.”
• Fat F*** Phil Fulmer’s blood type is Ragu.

TEEVEE

To nobody’s surprise, Alabama vs Georgia was the most-watched game of Week 6. The game drew 12.2 million viewers. Second highest was Texas-Oklahoma with 9.8M.

THIS WEEK

Below is just a sampling highlight of games of interest this week. If you REALLY MUST know about the BIG San Jose State-UTEP Battle Royale, click here.

Tuesday, October 20

Middle Tennessee at FIU 6pm/7pm CBSSN
Missouri State at Delaware 6pm/7pm ESPNU
South Alabama at Marshall 6:30/7:30 ESPN2

Wednesday, October 21

New Mexico State at Sam Houston 7pm/8pm ESPN2

Thursday, October 22

James Madison at App State 6pm/7pm ESPNU
Liberty at Kennesaw 6pm/7pm CBSSN
East Carolina at Memphis 6:30/7:30 ESPN2

Friday, October 23

Duke at Virginia 6pm/7pm ESPN
Umass at UConn 6pm/7pm CBSSN
Army at Tulsa 7:30/8:30 ESPN2
Air Force at Wyoming 8pm/9pm CW
NC State at Stanford 9:30/10:30 ESPN

Saturday, October 24

SEC

LSU at Auburn 11am/noon ABC
Tennessee at South Carolina 2:30/3:30 ESPN
Oklahoma at Mississippi State 2:30/3:30 SECN
Ole Miss at Texas 6:30/7:30 ABC
Vanderbilt at Kentucky 6:30/7:30 SECN

* Arky, Fla, Uga, and Mizz are all off.

OTHERS

Indiana at Michigan 11am/noon FOX
Texas Tech at Cincinnati 11am/noon FS1

Then I Dream Of Her Behind The Wall Of Sleep ~ Smithereens

Houston at Utah 9:15/10:15 ESPN

#ALABAMA

• If I had been at this game, I would have been booing. Not at the players. It would be at the OC. Such crap play-calling.
• For the 2026 rendition of Third Saturday in October, both teams wore their home colored jerseys for the first time in 56 years. I looked up that game last week but did not want to mention it, because Tennessee won that 1970 game 24-0. What do you say we put this attempted resurrected tradition back in its grave?
• According to Pro Football Focus, Alabama missed 23 tackles vs. Tennessee, a season-high. Previous high was 15 against South Carolina. Of course it did not help that the Vols won the time possession 35:44 to 24:16. But still that is a disturbing number.
• I am not sure what is going on with the wide receiver corps. Noah Rogers was a starter during the A-Day scrimmage on April 8 but befell to an injury. It was a long recovery but he seemed to be ready to roll. On Monday a week ago, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said that the NC State transfer was “pretty close” to 100%. On Saturday with WR1 Ryan Williams out, Rogers played all of two snaps. Former 5-star Cederian Morgan has shown great promise but he too was in on only two plays. Sophomore Derek Meadows took up much of the slack, playing 51 of 55 total offensive plays and catching two passes for eight yards on four targets. After Williams, Rico Scott has been getting a ton of playing time and targets. Versus the Vols, he played 52 snaps with 4 receptions on 11 targets and 54 yards. Lotzeir Brooks was in on 37 plays and was 3 and 3 for 26 yards. I am not sure what this strategy of riding two wide receivers for an entire game is about, but personally, I’d like to see more rotation to get fresh legs in the game.
• Daniel Hill continues to get the bulk of the work at running back (33 snaps). He had 34 yards on 7 carries but fumbled once again. At some point, Grubb and Kalen DeBoer need to figure out if it is worth continuing to play slippery hands just because he can pass block better. After awhile, teams are going to gamble that he is in the game because it’s a passing play and think he cannot beat them with a run. Trae’shawn Brown (16 plays) and EJ Crowell (4, injured) did not make much impact. AK Dear did not play and that is a shame.
• Xavier Griffin played only 4 snaps at linebacker and I have to question why.
• Following the game, DeBoer says Zabien Brown and EJ Crowell both have lower extremity injuries and “we’ll work through it this week.” Brown exited to the locker room in the second quarter and returned in street clothes. Crowell also went down in the second quarter and did not return to the game, although he did come back to the sideline in uniform.
• On Monday, DeBoer said about Ryan Williams “I would not expect him to be practicing all week long, but we’ll kind of see as the week gets to the end of what that looks like.”
• Center Racin Delgatty did not play on Saturday and was replaced by Mal Waldrep. Delgatty’s status is still nebulous”week to week”.
• After a cheap blindside shot by Volunteers WR Mike Matthews, safety Bray Hubbard was down on the field but he would return to the game.
• Regarding Terrance Green, he ”is progressing,” DeBoer said. “I really think they’re all kind of in the same spot. So Terrance is week-to-week right now.”

GAME 8: Saturday, October 17, 2026

Alabama Crimson Tide (5-2, 3-2) vs Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3)

Tuscaloosa, AL ~ 2:30/3:30 ABC

• Coach: Mike Elko (23–10, 13–7 SEC in 3rd season as a head coach)
• 2026 TAMU: The season started promising after big wins over Missouri State and Arizona State. But then league play commenced with a heaping spoonful of humility. The Aggies lost to Kentucky, LSU, and Mizzou, but managed to slip by Arkansas. It’s been tough sledding for QB Marcel Reed now in his fourth year and third season as a starter. It probably has not helped that Jimbo Fisher’s players are dissipating from the program with ten of them drafted this last April. This is now Elko’s team and they don’t look so great.
• Series: The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series 13-3. The last TAMU win was in 2021 when Jake Calzada had his “Stephen Garcia game”. Previous to that was JFF throwing YOLO asses to Mike Evans in 2012. Bama has won the last two in 2022 and 2023, and ten of the last 11 meetings.
• Homecoming: The parade starts Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at University Blvd. East. Pre-game music from the Yacht Rock Revue – the genre of music is just what you think. B)
• Honoring: The 2016 SEC Champions, one of the greatest Alabama teams to not win a National Championship. Reuben Foster and Eddie Jackson are honorary captains.
• Editorial: What happened on the field at the garbage truck worker convention is proof of what Ryan Williams means to this offense. There is a good chance the Tide will have to go without his services for awhile and somebody somebodies need to step up.
• Weather: Perfect football weather: Sunny and 77°.
• TV Announcers: Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Kris Budden
• Radio: Chris Stewart & Tyler Watts on Alabama Radio.
• Vegas: The FanDuel opening point spread has Alabama as a 14.5 point favorite. Over/Under is 50.5.