Random Thoughts Week 5: O MY! Ohio State, Oregon, Ole Miss Moving Up

Ohio State, Oregon, and Ole Miss had big wins. And the SEC had kind of a major shake-up that you might have heard about.

View Link

Alabama 24 Georgia 21 – The Crimson Tide rolled into Athens, GA in an unfamiliar position of being a 2.5 point underdog against the 5th ranked Bulldogs – who everyone thought would come out in their rarely-worn black jerseys. Instead, it was the same ol’ red jerseys and the same ol’ loss to the Tide. After a UGA 3-&-out to open the game, Bama drove 74 yards for the first touchdown of the game. A Bulldogs 4-&-out was followed by another long TD drive by the Tide. Alabama would take a 24-14 lead into the locker room.

Credit the UGA defensive staff as they made some halftime adjustments to slow down Ty Simpson and the Bama O. However, the Dawgs offense could not get much going against the stifling Bama defense. Georgia scored a TD on their opening drive to close the gap. On the first series of the 4th quarter, Gunner Stockton drove the Dwags down to Bama 8 yard line. From there, Kirby Smart made a bold/reckless decision to turn down the chance for a game-tying field goal and instead go for a first down. Even more baffling, he put the ball in the hands of little used Cash Jones who was dropped for a 3 yard loss. Later in the quarter, Georgia got to a 3rd & 9 at midfield and AGAIN gave the ball to Jones who again was dropped for a loss. With 3:19 left, Smart chose to punt from their own 45. On Alabama’s ensuing possession, Simpson ran a quarterback sneak on 3rd & 1 for a first down. Another 15 yards were tacked on for a bone-headed unnecessary roughness foul when UGA DB Ellis Robinson dove onto the top of the pile. A Simpson-to-Jam Miller reception converted another first down to end the game.

Of course, rational Dwags fans were very accepting of the former 5-star Robinson’s performance.

Oregon 30 Penn State 24 (OT) – Oh, yeah. There was another game Saturday night if anyone cares.

There was not much happening in the first half as all each team could manage was a field goal. Late in the 3rd, Oregon fumbled on 1st & goal at the 9 and a Penn State player returning it to midfield. However, joy from the home crowd turned to gloom as video replay determined the running back’s knee was down. UO would convert a touchdown on the next play. Early in the 4th, Oregon pushed the advantage to 17-3 but PSU answered right back with a TD in the next series. After a Dux punt, Penn went on a clock-eating 15 play, 62 yards drive culminating in a tying touchdown with 30 ticks to go in regulation.

In OT number one, both teams easily put up seven points. On the first play of the second extra frame, Dante Moore found a wide open receiver for a 25-yard score but the 2-point conversion was intercepted by a slow-ass defensive end who was taken down near midfield. Way overrated Lion QB Drew Allar one-upped Moore with an interception of his own (video above) on the next play that ended the game.

Ole Miss 24 LSU 19 – America is starting to see what we at RBR have been saying the last several months. LSU is overrated and their quarterback is no Heisman contender. On the second drive of the game, Garrett Nussmeier threw a wounded duck that somehow found a yellow Tiger receiver for 50 yards. Later in the series, Nuss threw a ball that was tipped by an OM defender and caught by an untargeted LSU receiver for an early 7-0 advantage. After a Rebels field goal, the Bayou Bengals were driving, but Nussmeier threw a ball into a crowd and a player in baby blue came down with it. Old Mississippi had another good drive going but a receiver fumbled the ball and it was recovered by LSU in the end zone for a touchback. That turnover would not deter the Black Shark Bear Ackbars as they forced two punts and scored two TDs to take a 17-7 lead at the break.

In the 3rd quarter, LSU capitalized on a short OM punt and a big interception return to pick up two field goals. Missy pushed their lead to 11 on a long drive for a TD. LSU would respond with a touchdown of their own and a failed 2-pointer with 5 minutes remaining, but they would not get the ball back. On 4th & 3 at the LSU 35 with 1:46 left, Lane Kiffin reached into his bag of tricks and found a wide open tight end who nobody bothered to cover (above). That guy ran 20 yards and smartly, delicately took a seat onto the turf that allowed Miss to run out the clock.

OF NOTE: Ole Miss fans did NOT rush the field.

Texas A&M 16 Auburn 10 – It took all of 30 seconds for Jackson Arnold to get sacked. The Aggies would get to the Aubie QB four more times on the day. The War Tigers picked up only 9 first downs, 177 total yards, were 0-13 on third down conversions, and 0-2 on fourth down. At one point in the 2nd quarter, Arnold scrambled for 30 yards into TAMU territory, but it was called back for holding.

Despite the futility surrounding the Auburn offense, AU stayed in the game. TAMU missed two long field goals wide right, Marcel Reed threw a pick that was returned 73 yards to the 2, and he was sacked four times himself. He also fumbled on a sack but a teammate recovered. Le’Veon Moss had some big runs (21 rush, 139 yds), but the Aggs struggled to put up points. Texas A&M had a touchdown wiped off the board late in the game due to an ineligible receiver downfield. They would have to settle for a field goal that kept Auburn within six points. But, the Plain Men could not pick up a first down and the Fake Army ran out the clock.

A&M linebacker Taurean York was a terror (sack, 2 TFL, 3 QBH, 6 solos, 1 asst, BrkUp). Arnold averaged 3.8 yards per pass attempt. Auburn had only 1 yard of total offense in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee 41 Mississippi State 34 (OT) – OH, so close. The Bullies went toe-toe with the Vols for 60 minutes with this game having seven lead changes. For the most part, MSU defense kept the Orangies in check. It was the turnovers that hurt them. The Tennersee defense had a pick-6 and a sack-scoop-and-score. The latter occurred one play following a successful fake punt by MSU. Take away one of those mistakes and Missy State might have won this one in regulation. In overtime, Tenn scored on one play. MSU could not.

UT’s Joey Aguilar threw a pair of picks and one pass for a TD. Bully RB Fluff Bothwell finished with 134 yards rushing and two scores. It was his second straight 100-yard game.

Notre Dame 56 Arkansas 13 – In the Lou Holtz Bowl, the Irish stomped on the Hogs in the first half 42-13. The Dames had 420 yards of offense in the first half alone. TBH, it looked like Arky was in quit mode – especially as they left the field at halftime to a downpour of boos. Sensing blood in the water, Marcus Freeman called for a dippity-doo fake punt on the first possession of the second half. Casting a further pall on Razorback Stadium later in the third quarter, Ark linebacker Jalen Brown had to be taken off the field on a cart.

Although ND scored only 14 points in the second half, they basically spent that time on a vanilla offense running out the clock. This was an complete ass-whupping. Happy retirement, Sam.

NOTHING TO ESS-EE-SEE HERE

Vanderbilt 55 Utah State 35 – The Commodores were making all kinds of goof-ups early on. An errant punt by USU went through the end zone for a safety. However, VU got called for holding. On another punting play for the Aggies, a Commodore whiffed on blocking the kick and was flagged for roughing the punter. The ‘Dores had 4 first quarter penalties including a couple of personal fouls. Utah State led this one 14-7 in the second quarter but Diego Pavia finally woke up. The VU senior citizen QB finished with 321 passing yards and 5 touchdowns plus one score on the ground. Vanderbilt is at Bama next.

South Carolina 35 Kentucky 13 – The Gamecocks’ defense caused four turnovers with two returned for scores, recorded six sacks, and 11 tackles for loss while holding the Wildcats to 232 yards in a blowout win.

Missouri 42 UMass 6 – The Mo-Tigers toyed with their prey before devouring them.

OTHER STUFF

Ohio State 24 Washington 6 – One of the most underrated home game experiences is in Seattle where the Huskies held a 22-game home winning streak. The purple and gold played tough early on and briefly held a 3-0 lead and trailed only 7-3 at the half. But the superiority of the Buckys soon wore UW down.

Julian Sayin was efficient (22/28-208-2-0) but he sure seems to zero in on Jeremiah Smith who had 9 targets and 8 catches. Meanwhile, the OSU defense collected six sacks, allowed only 61 yards of rushing, and yielded only one first down on 11 third down attempts.

Indiana 20 Iowa 15 – This Big Ten grudge match was tied at 10 heading into the 4th quarter. After matching field goals, the Hawkeyes intercepted Fernando Mendoza and returned it to the 29 yard line, Unfortunately, Iowa would miss a 42-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, Indy traveled 76 yards and scored on a 49-yard touchdown pass with 1:28 remaining. Iowa’s incompetent offense could not move the ball and gave the ball over on downs.

Illinois 34 Southern Cal 32 – The Illini fumbled twice inside the 5 yard line and blew a 31-17 4th quarter lead and almost the game. Trojans QB Jayden Maiava led two long touchdown drives – one with a two-point conversion – for a one point lead.

However, Lincoln Riley might have gotten a bit too antsy as he had So Cal score too quickly and left UI with just under 2 minutes to get up the field into field goal range for a 41 yard game-winner. Had Riley milked the clock a little more, everyone might be slobbering all over Maiava for the Hypesman Trophy this week.

Virginia 46 Florida State 38 (OT) – In a wild and crazy affair, this one came down to 4th & goal from the 11 for FSU with 49 ticks remaining in regulation. Tommy Castellanos found a receiver in the end zone to send the game into extras. In the first overtime, both teams had to settle for a field goals. In the second extra frame, the Cavaliers quarterback rolled out right and then took it in for the go-ahead score.

It was the ACC officials’ turn to be put under a microscope. By rule, teams are forced to go for two-point conversions after scoring a touchdown in the second overtime. However, the Virginia offense trotted off the field and the PAT team came on. The problem was, the officials did not start the play clock. A flag would have pushed the Cavs back. Instead Virginny converted to go up 8 points.

But it was a moot point as FSU could not score ^^^ and the idiot UVa fans stormed the field.

Arizona State 27 TCU 24 – The Horned Frogs blew a 17-0 advantage as the Sun Devils drilled a 23-yard field goal with 1:14 to go.

LESSON TIME!

Okay, kids. Hitting a guy who is still churning his legs in the shoulder and chest area is Targeting! NO!NO!

Trying to decapitate a dude who was going to the ground is perfectly fine. XOXOXO! Butterflies & Unicorns!

Penn State LB Amare Campbell got away with one.

WORST FAKE FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT OF THE WEEK

WORST OFFICIATING OF THE WEEK

The Line Judge has ONE job. We joke a lot here at RBR about refs not being on the up and up, but this non-call definitely looks suspiciously like a desperate ACC trying to get two teams into the CFP.

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO PLAY FOR THIS GUY?

TRANSLATION: “Everybody sucks but me and my coaches.”

SCARIEST MOMENT OF THE WEEK

That was horrifying. It looked like something out of a horror movie. The irresponsibility on the part of the University of Virginia allowing fans to stack up like that is baffling. UVa is lucky someone did not get seriously injured, although it was reported that 19 fans were treated for injuries. All it takes is someone tripping and the trampling begins. It’s going to happen one of these days and then all these ADs will furl their brows, stroke their chins, and say “we need to put an end to this.”

How do they fix this? First off, how about not letting the fans on the field and stack up ten-deep before the game is over? Secondly, announce to the fans that the game will be stopped until they get their asses back into the stands where they belong. And give them a time limit which if not reached will cause a penalty on the home team. If that span elapses without satisfactory progress, add more time and additional penalties with a potential for a forfeit. Some people might think this move is to drastic, but won’t think that way when a kid gets trampled to death.

DOUCHEBAG OF THE WEEK

Putting your personal feelings for FSU and Tommy Castellanos aside for a moment, this is an a-hole move by the UVa fan. I hope this guy gets identified and barred from future games.

PICK SIX OF THE WEEK

SCOOP & SCORE OF THE WEEK

CLANG OF THE WEEK

BEST WAY TO MOTIVATE AN OPPOSING QB

Kentucky running back Seth McGowan foolishly fired the ball into the stands after scoring on a 20-yard run early in the first quarter. Unfortunately, it hit the grandfather of South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers. That’s a good way to fire someone up… on the OTHER TEAM!

WORST ANNOUNCING OF THE WEEK

ODDEST CLOCK RUNOUT OF THE WEEK

That is a great way to screw up your rushing average.

EASIEST TOUCHDOWN OF THE WEEK

It sure looked like the Jayhawks let this guy through so they could get the ball back with some time left. Cincy held on for the W.

AUBIE TROLL OF THE WEEK

CANINE TROLL OF THE WEEK

WORST GAMBLING ADVICE OF THE WEEK

The Rebs and LSU combined for 43 points. The Over/Under was 58.5.

DERP OF THE WEEK

I’D LIKE TO REPORT A MURDER

TIP DRILL OF THE WEEK

Of note, Sage Ryan played for LSU the last four seasons.

GOOFBALL OF THE WEEK

FORMER BAMA PLAYER OF THE WEEK

5 catches for 214 yards and 2 TDs.

WEAKEST COACHING DECISION OF THE WEEK

LET THE MAN DO HIS JOB

Ball boy was just trying to retrieve the football, bro. This ain’t the NFL… Yet.

SENIOR CITIZEN OF THE WEEK

Lawd, is Cade McNamara still in college? Back in the early 2020s, Michigan fans were trying to convince the world that this dude was the second coming of Tom Brady. Three years in Ann Arbor were followed by two with Iowa. Now, the 25-year old QB is playing for FCS East Tennessee State (2-3) where he has 6 TDs and 6 INTs.

NAME OF THE WEEK

Kansas State 260-lbs. Defensive End Cody Stufflebean.

ALABAMA VS KIRBY SMART STATS OF THE WEEK

UGA head coach Kirby Smart is now 1-7 versus the Crimson Tide. The one win came when Alabama was without two starting cornerbacks, starting WR John Metchie, and for the second half, WR Jameson Williams.
Against every other team, Smart is 107-13.
In 2023, Alabama ended Georgia’s 29-game winning streak.
In 2024, Alabama ended Georgia’s 43-game regular season winning streak.
In 2025, Alabama ends Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak.
It really makes you wonder why Big Al is Smart’s Boogieman. Folks used to say it was because of “Nick Saban and nobody beatin’ Nick Saban!” But now Kalen DeBoer is 2-0 versus the former Saban lieutenant. Smart is a Georgia graduate, but he got his real education in Tuscaloosa (2007–2015). There must be something about that mystique that makes him feel like he will always be looking up to Bama as big brother.

STATS OF THE WEEK

According to Cole Cubelic, the 13 converted 3rd downs by Alabama “are the most Georgia has allowed in any game in the last 30 seasons.”
James Franklin is 4-21 vs. AP Top 10 opponents at Penn State.
Hawaii and Air Force combined for 41 points scored in the 4th quarter.

THE WACKY WORLD OF CORSO McAFEE

College GameDay was in Slap-Happy Valley for PSU-Oregon. The crew wore all-white suits and looked pretty sharp, except for Pat McAfee who doesn’t seem to know what “white” means as he wore a cream-colored jacket.

For the record, Nick Saban was the only one to correctly pick Bama. Desmond Howard was the sole panelist on board with Oregon over PSU.

Former Brittany Lion LaVar Arrington was the guest picker. What? No little-known stand-up comedians with no ties to the school??

Not to sound bias, but what a big mistake it was to go to the Keystone State with so many BIG storylines going on in Athens, GA. If you watched any post-game shows this past week, it was clear that Bama-UGA was the Game of the Week. To make up for this faux pas, GameDay will be in Tuscaloosa next weekend. Start prepping your signs.

Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff was on the Illinois campus for Illinois-Southern Cal. Former Trojans QB and NFL bust Matt Leinart tried to troll the Illinois crowd with a Trojan helmet, but it was broken and he looked pretty foolish.

Former Trojans Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott, and Mark Carrier were on-site. BNK is sticking to their B1G bias and heading to Ann Arbor for Michigan’s dismantling of Wiskconsin.

Of note, AJ McCarron has done some guest appearances on SEC This Morning.

ADOPT-A-TEAM

Georgia Tech (5-0) – The Yeller Jackets almost screwed the pooch against Wake Forest (2-2). The Demon Deacons jumped out to a 20-3 advantage in the third quarter, but Tech scored the next 17 points. An exchange of field goals sent the game into bonus periods. GT’s Haynes King ran in a score plus an extra point. When Wake answered with a TD, they made a bold move to go for a 2-point conversion and the win, but the pass was intercepted to end the affair.
Could Maryland (4-0) cause some chaos this season? The Terps are one of just eight teams in the country to have not trailed at any point in a game this season. After going 4-8 without Lia Tagovailoa a season ago, Mike Locksley needed a big turnaround and he is getting one. MU hosts Indy and Michy and have Illinois on the road, all in November.

COUSINS

It has not been a great year for our little cousins.

Jacksonville State (2-3) – The Gamecocks lost to Southern Miss 42-25. JSU has a bye week before a trip to godawful Sam Houston.
South Alabama (1-4) – The Jags were hammered by North Texas 36-22. USA heads to Troy.
Troy (2-2) – The Trojans had a week off to prep for South Alabama.
West Alabama (5-0) – Scott Cochran’s Tigers held off North Greenville University (SC) 52-44 on the road.

THAT ANNOYING GUY WHO BOOS AT TEE BALL GAMES

UAB (2-2) – The Dragons had a week off before hosting Army.

SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS

Navy (4-0) – The Midshipmen cooked Rice 21-13. Next on the menu is the first round of the Commander in Chief Trophy round robin as Air Force makes their way to Annapolis.
Army (1-3) – The Black Knights were dominated by East Carolina 28-6. The Cadets have been struggling mightily without starting QB Ethan Washington who had a season-ending knee injury in a preseason scrimmage. Next is a trip to the University of Birmingham.
Air Force (1-3) – The Falcons got outscored by Hawaii 44-35.

ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

Eliminated: Washington State, Oregon State, Boston College, Stanford, Wake Forest, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky

Endangered: Cal, Duke, FSU, NC State, Pitt, Utah, Iowa, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Center Florida, Indiana, Notre Dame

Extremely Endangered: Clemson, UNC, SMU, Syracuse, Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas, West Virginia, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Auburn, South Carolina

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

POWER 2

SEC – Ten SEC teams ranked in the top 25.
Big Ten – Only six for the Rust Belters.

SECOND 2

Big 12 – Iowa State and Texa$ Tech lead the conference. Arizona State and BYU will have something to say.
ACC – FSU took a big hit and Virginia is the new darling.

AT LARGE

Indies – Notre Dame (2-2) dominated Arkansas as they continue their cupcake slate.

PARTICIPATION TROPHY

No non-Power team really made a statement this week.

RANK ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM

Ranking teams at this point is still a bit ridiculous. Thus, we continue with more important rankings.

TV SHOWS THAT LASTED ONLY ONE SEASON:

Freaks and Geeks (18 episodes) Judd Apatow basically launched the careers of Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Martin Starr, Busy Philipps, Lizzy Caplan, Ben Foster, Rashida Jones, and many others.
Firefly (14 episodes) Created the Space Western genre. Many modern Star Wars movies have stolen from this show.
Undeclared (18 episodes) Basically a sequel to Freaks and Geeks, who like its predecessor, did not get a fair chance.
Profit (8 episodes) A cliffhanger that will kick you in the nether-regions.
Terriers (13 episodes) Underrated buddy P.I. show.
My So-Called Life (19 episodes) Another one in which the unknown leads (Claire Danes, Jared Leto) became big stars.
The Dana Carvey Show (8 episodes) Wacky sketch comedy that TV execs thought was TOO funny. The writers room included a bunch of nobodies: Bob Odenkirk, Steve Carell, Louis C.K., Stephen Colbert, Robert Smigel, Charlie Kaufman, and Dino Stamatopoulos among others.
The Prisoner (1967) (17 episodes) A wild mind-blowing show that was WAY before its time.
Police Squad! (6 episodes) This show was @so bad@ that it spawned the hit movie “Naked Gun”, two sequels, and this year’s remake. Man, TV execs are stupid.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (20 episodes) Before X-Files, there was Kolchak.

The first college football playoff rankings will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 4.

LET’S GO BOWLING!

North Texas is 5-0 for the first time since 1959.
Georgia Tech‘s 5-0 start to the 2025 season is their first since 2014, and one of only four 5-0 starts in the last 59 seasons.

LET’S GO BLOWING!

Oregon State (0-5) was so close to getting that first win by taking undefeated Houston (4-0) to overtime, but lost in the bottom half of the first extra frame, 27-24.
UCLA (0-4) also almost broke through, coming back on Northwestern (2-2) down 17-0 but fell 17-14.
Oklahoma State has lost 12 consecutive games against FBS opponents.
After five weeks, every MAC team has at least two losses.

Krazy Kristi’s “SHUT UP!” of the Week goes to scumbag lawyers ruining the game we love. Look at this POS who thinks sorry MFers who opt-out of playing football for a school should continue receive benefits.

Imagine quitting a job and expecting to continue to get paid until you find another job. The NCAA needs to just get rid of the 4-game redshirt rule. Going back to removing a redshirt the moment a guy steps on the field would help quell a good deal of this nonsense. That rule was originally created to help with depth issues. With the expansion to 105 scholarships, do they even need that rule anymore?

At the very least, this is a lesson to ADs to not fire head coaches until after the fifth game.

For the record, this opt-out crap is all happening because former head idiot of the NCAA, Mark Emmert, decided to wave his magic wand and give everyone an extra year of eligibility during Captain Trips in 2020.

HEISMAN HYPE

With John Mateer out of action for a month, he is pretty much out of the running for the Big Hype Award – regardless of what he does when he gets back.

Dante Moore takes the top spot in a good yet imperfect performance in the Ducks win over Penn State.

One of the new sweethearts is Ty Simpson. The raw stats don’t tell the whole story of what Ty has done for his team so far this season. One number of note is that Bama is tied with Maryland for tops in the nation in turnover margin per game at 1.75. That is mostly due to the Tide being only one of three FBS teams and the sole Power team to not turn the ball over. [KNOCK ON WOOD.]

Heisman Winner Odds Per FanDuel:

QB Dante Moore (Oregon) +750
QB Carson Beck (Miami-FL) +1000
QB Ty Simpson (Alabama) +1000
WR Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) +1000 – they cannot let this go. He is having a good season but by far great.
QB Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) +1200
QB Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) +1500 – out of nowhere!

R.I.P.

Former Auburn and Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson committed suicide. He was 45.

THE SICK REPORT (don’t click video if you are squeamish)

Arkansas receiver Jalen Brown was carted off the field on Saturday after suffering a gruesome leg injury trying to haul in a touchdown pass in the third quarter against Notre Dame.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer will miss about a month after suffering a broken bone in his right (throwing) hand in the previous Saturday’s win over Auburn. Oke was off this week. The Crimson Tide plays the Sooners in about a month and a half.
When it rains, it pours for Florida. Starting cornerback Dijon Johnson will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery last Tuesday.

DRAMARAMA

From Ross Dellenger: “DI commissioners this week in Chicago received an update on the long-discussed concept of permitting schools to outfit player jerseys with sponsorship patches. The legislation is expected to be approved in time for patches to be added to uniforms as soon as next fall.” I think I am going to be sick.
Following the firing of football coach Brent Pry, Virginia Tech has revoked payments for players who chose to redshirt/opt out/quit on teammates to enter the transfer portal. Of course they are lawyering up like the snowflakes they are. [See KRAZY KRISTI’s thoughts on all that above.]

KOACHES KORNER

Arkansas finally fired coach Sam Pittman, about 24 months too late. Pittman seems like a very nice man, but he was a poor hire from the very beginning. Even so, he lasted into his sixth season in Hogville. At least Arky was smart enough to wait five games before firing their guy. His overall record is a rather meh 32–34 and a yucky 14–29 in the SEC. He had one decent campaign of 2021 (9–4) and two seasons of totaling seven win.
HEEE’S BAAA-AAACK! Bobby Petrino has been named Arkansas interim coach and the 64-year old is acting like Fat F*** Phil Fulmer did when he knived Johnny Majors in the back. The Razorback offensive coordinator fired defensive coordinator Travis Williams, defensive line coach Deke Adams, and co-DC/safety coach Marcus Woodson (all African-Americans BTW) just one day after being moved up. Former Alabama DB Nick Perry, who coaches defensive backs, still has a job… for now.
Petrino best not get too comfortable. Arkansas has reportedly been tracking SMU coach and former Razorbacks QB Rhett Lashlee.

It is old news by now, but Mike Gundy was fired from Oklahoma State a few hours after the last Random Thoughts was posted last Tuesday. The timing was a bit odd as the Tulsa loss was on Friday and then he did his regular Monday presser like it was just another Monday. The administration had the whole weekend to come up with how to proceed with the program. It makes you wonder if perhaps Gundy had a powwow with a higher-up on Tuesday that did not go so well and hotter heads ended the relationship. He has been known to be a little short-fused if you haven’t heard. Coincidentally, the firing also happened a day after the infamous “I’m a man, I’m 40!“ rant turned 18 years old.
A week after dumping Gundy, Okie Lite cut defensive coordinator Todd Grantham loose following the Cowpokes 45-27 home loss to Baylor.
FIRED: Gundy wants to keep coaching and definitely needed a fresh start. Though, he could probably have a good career in TV. Brent Pry (Virginia Tech) probably does not get another head job. His next gig is most likely as a DC. DeShaun Foster (UCLA) was a poorly-thought out hire. Look for him to go back to being a non-OC assistant or some other role. Pittman might catch on somewhere in a demoted role, but retirement cannot be too far away.
Others of interest who are heading for the chopping block include Billy Napier (Florida), Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), Mark Stoops (Kentucky), Trent Dilfer (UAB), and Butch Jones (Arkansas State). Just make sure to wait until your team completes Game 5.
Urban Meyer thinks going paperless means wiping himself with a hand towel.
Fat F*** Phil Fulmer went to a Cosplay Convention as Lookout Mountain.

TEEVEE

THIS WEEK

Below is just a sampling highlight of games of interest this week. If you REALLY MUST know about the BIG Coastal Carolina @ Old Dominion showdown, click here.

Thursday, October 2 – One Game

Sam Houston at New Mexico State 8pm/9pm CBSSN – Ugh. For addicts only. This is equivalent to watching an FCS game.

Friday, October 3- Five Games

Charlotte at South Florida 6pm/7pm ESPN2
West Virginia at BYU 9:30/10:30 ESPN – Hillbillies vs Mormons

Saturday, October 4

SEC

Kentucky at Georgia 11am/noon ABC – Hangover?
Texas at Florida 2:30/3:30 ESPN – Can Billy inspire his troops?
Kent State at Oklahoma 3pm/4pm SECN
Mississippi State at Texas A&M 6:30/7:30 SECN

* Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU, Mizzou, South Carolina, Tennessee are off.

National

Clemson at North Carolina 11am/noon ESPN – Dabo vs Grumpy Old Perv
Boise at Notre Dame 2pm/3pm ESPN – GO SMURFS!
Texas Tech at Houston 6pm/7pm ESPN – Huge conference game
** Miami-FL at Florida State 6:30/7:30 ABC – Criminals vs Criminoles

* All of the B1G games suck and not worth mentioning.

Stars Shining Bright Above You/Night Breezes Seem To Whisper, I Love You/Birds Singing In The Sycamore Trees/Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Duke at Cal 9:30/10:30 ESPN – #ACCAfterDark

#ALABAMA

It was interesting to see usually well-mannered Ty Simpson hush the Georgia crowd, as well as do a Royal Wave as he exited the field. You could call it “swagger” as the talking heads like to say all the time ad nauseum. More likely, the UGA fans were saying ugly things to him and his teammates from the beginning to end and he was just getting in the last word.
Simpson was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week. Kadyn Proctor was selected as SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
The Crimson Tide offensive line had one of their best games of the young season. Simpson was sacked one time. Beyond that, the Dawgs did not record a QB hurry the entire game as the Bama field general stood in a clean pocket for much of the night.
In case you missed it, Alabama’s second drive of the 2nd half started with William Sanders at left guard, Wilkin Formby at right guard and Michael Carroll at right tackle. Despite the gravity of the opponent, Alabama’s coaches had said that they were still planning to rotate the O-line in this game. Sanders played 26 snaps, Carroll was in on 25 plays. Former starter Jaeden Roberts played 7 snaps. True freshman Jackson Lloyd had two in his third game of participation.
Safety Bray Hubbard was the leading tackler for the Tide. He had 5 solos, and 4 assists with a HUGE forced fumble and a pass break-up. Edric Hill has stepped up his game. The redshirt sophomore had 1.5 TFL and shared a sack of Gunner Stockton. After a slowish start to the season (by his standards), LB Deontae Lawson probably had his best game of the year.
Again from the ICYMI Dept: DL James Smith was ridiculously ejected from the Georgia game due to targeting. He will have to sit out the first half of the Vanderbilt game.
Starting wolf linebacker Qua Russaw went to the locker room in the first half of Saturday’s game and did not return. On Monday, Kalen DeBoer stated Russaw has a broken foot that required surgery. He will be out for awhile but is not expected to miss the entire season. Russaw had replaced the previous starter, the injured Jah-Marien Latham, who as suspected is out for the year. Yhonzae Pierre (49 snaps) picked up much of the slack. True freshman Justin Hill (21 snaps) backed him up. Behind them is anyone’s guess. Maybe Keon Keeley, Noah Carter, Kelby Collins?
Tight end Danny Lewis made his first appearance of the season. He recorded 18 snaps.
Bama played 61 players against UGA.
Alabama at Missouri kickoff has been set for 11am/noon and will air on ABC.

GAME 5: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1) vs Vanderbilt Commodores (5-0)
Tuscaloosa, AL ~ 2:30/3:30 ABC

Editorial: Could the loss to FSU just have been early season rust? It is kinda looking like it. Even still, Bama cannot afford to lose to Vandy. QB Diego Pavia will certainly be coming into T-town with a chip on his shoulder.
Coach: Clark Lea is remarkably in his fifth season in Nashville. He is 21-33 overall and 6-27 in the SEC.
VU 2024: Despite upset wins over Alabama and Auburn, the Commodores went 7–6 (3–5 SEC) last season.
VU 2025: Vandy is 5-0 but the only impressive win came at South Carolina with the Gamecocks’ star QB out of the game. The rest of the VU slate has been Charleston Southern, at Virginia Tech, Georgia State, Utah State. The ‘Dores have outscored foes 245-86.
Series: Alabama is 63-19-4 all-time against VU. Vandy snapped a 23-game losing streak against the Tide last season. According to Brett McMurphy, this is the first time both teams are ranked at kickoff.
Pre-Game Concert: Uncle Kracker (Follow Me, Drift Away, Smile)
Honoring: The University of Alabama is celebrating the 1979 National Championship Team – the final NC for Paul William “Bear” Bryant. That team went 12-0 and throttled Lou Holtz’s SWC champion Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. The Honorary Captains for Saturday’s game are quarterback Steadman Shealy and College Football Hall of Fame inductee E.J. Junior.
GameDay is coming to T-town!
Weather: It has potential to be a hot one in Tuscaloosa with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 80s. October has not gotten the memo that it is fall.
TV Announcers: Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy (ugh), and Molly McGrath.
Radio: Chris Stewart, Tyler Watts, Corey Reamer on Alabama Radio.
Vegas: The FanDuel point spread has Alabama as a 10.5 point favorite with an Over/Under of 56.5. The preseason spread was -22.5.

Source link