2021-22 NCAA Football (Week 4)

Games I saw (some of):

West Virginia 13-16 (4) Oklahoma. 

Fun game--funner than it should've been! The Sooners just never took charge, couldn't confidently move the ball, didn't get the big stops they needed to get. OU was still the better team, they just didn't come to play and it feels like this is just not their year. Still time, though, to get it together, but they'd better run through the conference to get Playoff love. 

(7) Texas A&M 10-20 (16) Arkansas

There was not a moment in this game where A&M was better. The score doesn't suggest how lopsided this game was, felt like Arkansas whomped 'em from beginning to end. I think I'm more un-impressed with A&M than I am impressed with Arkansas, so this will likely look like a rather meaningless contest by the end of the season.  

(12) Notre Dame 41-13 (18) Wisconsin

This game was tied at 10 at the end of the 3rd quarter, this game was much closer than the score suggests. This was a very even match for the first 45 minutes. Notre Dame made the plays late (I turned away at 34-13, so I guess they made another right at the end) and Wisconsin fell apart, that was the difference. My creepy observation: the ND QB originally went to Wisconsin and was bounced after an injury and went to ND, but unfortunately, I thought the Irish didn't get going until he got hurt and was replaced. Ouch! Not completely out on Wisconsin, they've got major spoiler potential for the rest of the season. 

Top 25

Handled their business

(1) Alabama, (2) Georgia, (3) Oregon, (5) Iowa, (6) Penn State, (10) Ohio State, (11) Florida, (12) Notre Dame, (15) BYU, (16) Arkansas, (17) Coastal Carolina, (22) Fresno State, (24) UCLA

Won but did not impress

(4) Oklahoma. That offense needs to get going or the boos will continue to rain down from the stands. 

(19) Michigan. Scoreless in the 2nd half at home against a so-so conference opponent when the Wolverines really need to impress as much as possible right now. Perhaps I'm being overly critical: They were up at halftime and they secured the W, yeah, but I was looking for a blowout and Michigan did not give one. Just sayin'...when they lose a game they shouldn't, this is the game we'll look back to and tell ourselves we should've seen it coming.  

(20) Michigan State. Likewise with the in-state rivals: I expected a little more than an OT squeaker at home against an unimpressive conference opponent. They got it done, they got the W, perhaps this is a great moment for them...but it doesn't feel like one to me. 

(23) Auburn. Aw, dude....Auburn got so fuckin' lucky in this game. They should've lost. They got totally outplayed for 58 minutes, got a fluke TD to save the game and then a pick-6 to make it look comfortable. This game was not comfortable for Auburn fans! And the double fluke--to still not even come close to covering the spread!--is fun in a highlight package but does not inspire confidence. 

Bad beat

(14) Iowa State. @Baylor is never easy and this State team is nice but probably not a top 15 team. They were overrated but this L does not convince me that they're not good, just that they're not #14.  

(25) Kansas State. Yeah, they were ranked and they lost. But they really probably shouldn't have been ranked and they were an underdog going into a tough conference road game. This only looks disappointing because they were 25th last week instead of 26th.  

Not so good

(7) Texas A&M. Gotta say: I'm not into that QB, I'm not into Coach Jimbo, the defense didn't show me anything, this team has fluked out all year long and I think they are not the real deal. 

(9) Clemson. A classic Clemson squad would've won this game easily; a so-so Clemson squad would've found a way to win in regulation. This Clemson squad was lucky to get to OT (State missed 3 FG's!) and did nothing to gut out a W once they got there. This is the crappiest Clemson side in a decade or more. This team is going to lose more games, I guarantee. 

(21) North Carolina. I'm done with the Tarheels. 

Next week's intriguing matchups (nice slate!):

(8) Arkansas @ (2) Georgia (all right, Razorbacks, welcome to the top ten! If you're for real, this is a great opportunity)

(14) Michigan @ Wisconsin (my gut feeling is Wisconsin in still better than the Wolverines (Spartans, too), so if Michigan is gonna make it happen, now is the time)

(7) Cincinnati @ (9) Notre Dame (game o' the week!)

(12) Ole Miss @ (1) Alabama (meh, I don't really think this is game but this is maybe Ole Miss's best chance in years to steal a W from the Tide)

(6) Oklahoma @ Kansas State (yeah, the Wildcats just got bounced from the top 25 in a rugged road conference game, now is their chance to dole that back on the Sooners)

(21) Baylor @ (19) Oklahoma State (one of these teams is overrated unless...they both are)

Indiana @ (4) Penn State (tricky match for the Nittany Lions, top five makes every contest a chance to fail and don't sleep on the Hoosiers, two losses to two good teams)

Boston College @ (25) Clemson (uh oh, this might be the last straw for the Tigers)

(22) Auburn @ Louisiana State (loser leaves town)