The Week In Football: Tennessee Restoration? Fire Muschamp And Malzahn? The Swamp Monster Wins Again?

It was another wild weekend of college football, full of upsets, blowouts, close games, and… dare I say the restoration of the Tennessee program? Let’s just start there….

Tennessee snapped their 11 game SEC losing streak and gave Jeremy Pruitt his first (of hopefully many!) signature wins

The Vols went into Jordan-Hare Stadium and put together their best start to finish performance in years. Tennessee QB Jarrett Guarantano had a career high in passing yards (328), and for the first time in probably 20 games, the Vols looked like an actual competent football team, particularly offensively. The Pruitt Vols had been stale on that side of the ball for much of the first month and half, but thanks to just an average showing from the offensive line, Guarantano was able to stand back in the pocket and bomb the ball down the field all day to their multitude of playmakers. The defense was a garbage time TD away from shutting out Auburn in the second half, and they forced three turnovers from Tiger QB Jarrett Stidham, mostly due to the constant pressure they were able to get on him for four quarters.

The future appears bright in Knoxville, and I think it’s fair to ask all of those dopes in the national media who killed the Tennessee fan base for revolting against Greg Schiano, whether or not he would’ve been capable of taking this team into Auburn and winning. I have my doubts about a guy who was a .500 career college coach AND faced a team mutiny with the Buccaneers being able to do that. This team has gotten better every week, and Pruitt hasn’t been afraid to be aggressive all year, something that’s a welcome change from the previous coaching staff. The Vols will probably get slaughtered by Alabama next week (who hasn’t been?), but there’s not a game on the schedule the rest of the way that they can’t win after that. South Carolina? Please. Will Muschamp has a beer gut and the Gamecocks look like a 6-6 team at best. Missouri? They’re the matadors of the SEC, a team with a Big 12 level defense. Vanderbilt? They blew an 18 point lead to Florida this weekend and Derek Mason is arguably the worst coach in the conference. If he weren't coaching, he'd probably be working behind the counter at gym, solely because his employment would let him work out there for free. Kentucky? Probably their toughest game left, but it will be in Knoxville. This looks like a bowl team, and even better, they’ll return their entire offense next season. Pruitt appears to be on his way to building something special on Rocky Top.

As for Auburn, it’s got to feel absolutely awful to be riding the Gus Bus right now. Here’s some troubling stats/observations about his tenure:

• Since beating Alabama in the Iron Bowl last season, he’s just 4-5 in his last nine games
• Since his first year, when they went 12-2 and lost in the national title game, Malzahn is just 19-17 in the SEC
• Jarrett Stidham has completely unraveled this season. His completion percentage has dropped by 5.9% from last season, his yards per attempt have fallen by a yard and a half, and his yards per game have plummeted by 11 yards. Plus, his decision making has been atrocious; both of his interceptions against the Vols were completely on him and could’ve been avoided if he’d just eaten the football and taken a sack. There’s not a player in college football who has hurt his draft stock worse than Stidham so far this season. Isn’t it strange that the quarterback of a supposed “offensive guru” would be worse in the second year in that “guru’s” offense? Are we sure Gus is a great offensive coach?
• If he were to be fired at the end of the season, Auburn would owe Malzahn more than $31 million. $31 million! They stupidly decided to give him a contract extension after last season when there was a chance he would’ve gotten fired if he didn’t win the Iron Bowl because Arkansas allegedly showed interest in hiring him. Honestly, why not just let him go? You’re paying him a crap load of money to hover around .500 in the conference the last 4+ years? I’m fairly confident there’s plenty of coaches who we be just as mediocre for a lot less. Hell, there’s coaches who would be significantly better for a lot less. You’re going to pay Gus $7 million a year? If money is no object (and it obviously isn’t), then why not, after last season, let Gus take the Arkansas job if he wants, then pay Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell’s $9 million dollar buyout and give him a contract that’s worth around $4 million? You’re telling me Campbell, who has now won 3 games over the last two years against teams ranked in the Top 6 with the inferior talent he has at Iowa State isn’t a significantly better coach+bargain combo than Malzahn? Gus is supposed to be an offensive coach and he can’t even get that side of the ball figured out. What a terrible decision by that athletic department. Good luck with at least three more years of the Gus Bus. Geez.

Here’s the question you should ask yourself when you’re considering whether or not you should give your coach a contract extension: if we fired this person, would there be people lining up to hire him? If Alabama fired Saban tomorrow, he’d have another head coaching job in an hour. USC would frame Clay Helton for murder if it meant they could land Saban. Same with Urban Meyer, even though he’s a disingenuous liar. Who would’ve wanted Gus Malzahn? Outside of Arkansas, probably no one, and you could argue the Razorbacks were only interested because he’s from the state. And if Gus got fired now, the only football job he’d get would be if Jefferson Pilot Sports re-emerged with an SEC package.

Oregon defeated Washington in overtime and is now the only team in the Pac 12 with a realistic shot at the playoff

Sure, Washington State and Colorado both only have one loss, but I’m eliminating the Cougars because they don’t play any defense, and the Buffaloes because they lost by double digits to Clay Helton and USC on Saturday night.

Washington would be 7-0 right now, and probably in the top 5, if not for back-to-back screw ups in the red zone in the opening week of the season against Auburn coupled with a gaggle of errors against Oregon on Saturday. The missed field goal from 37 yards on the last play of regulation that would’ve won the game is going to get all the attention, but senior quarterback Jake Browning also fumbled in the 4^th quarter on a fourth and short just outside the red zone, and after getting to the Oregon six yard line on the first play of overtime, Washington managed just three yards on their next three plays and threw an abominable fade pattern that never had a chance to be completed on 3^rd and goal.

Oregon needs to win out and have Stanford lose another conference game so they can make the Pac 12 title game and win the conference. Otherwise, I don’t think an 11-1 Oregon team that finishes second in its division makes the playoff unless things get really wild the rest of the way. The Ducks very well may be one of the six or seven best teams in the country though; Justin Herbert is now 12-3 as a starter, there’s a ton of fast guys at the skill positions, and the defense has held its own for the most part this season. They play on the road at Washington State on Saturday. Win that one and they’ll finish with Arizona, UCLA, Utah, Arizona State, and Oregon State, five teams with a combined record of 12-19. Not scary.

The Swamp Monster caged the Bulldogs

I have no idea what to do with LSU anymore. I crap on them and they play incredible and win a game against a Top 10 team. I praise them and their offense plays like they just discovered the forward pass. I have still have no idea if Coach O is going to work out long term there, but this individual team they have right now looks like the best one they’ve had in Baton Rouge since the 2011 squad that lost in the national championship game to Alabama. Could they beat the Tide on November 3^rd? There’s no way, right? Right? Maybe?

As for Georgia, this game was eerily reminiscent of what happened to them at Auburn last season, when the Tigers completely whupped them up and down the field for four quarters and everyone started to question whether or not Jake Fromm should still be the quarterback. Of course, last year’s team rallied back and didn’t lose again until the championship game against Alabama. I’m not as confident about this year’s team; they’ve struggled to run the ball, the offense has been sloppy and out of sync most of the year, and even if they were to make a QB change to Justin Fields, are we sure he’s a competent enough thrower of the football at this point to consistently win games in the SEC? LSU really pushed them around, and I thought the Tiger staff completely outcoached them. That fake field goal in the first quarter when they were down just 3-0 was odd to me. The Florida game in Jacksonville on October 27^th is going to be very interesting.
Side note: my Angry Old Man wanted everyone to know that both of his "college football hot takes" came true, which were that both LSU and Tennessee would win on Saturday. Way to go, Pops. I haven't seen him this proud of himself since he shoved 35 Cheetos in his mouth at the same time.

Alabama is mauling everyone

The Tide scored 39 points against Missouri on Saturday, won by 29, and it was somehow their worst performance of the season. They didn’t even play particularly well and this game was still never in doubt. The only thing that could derail another Alabama national title at this point would be if Tua’s injury ends up being very serious OR the defense gets torched by a team that has similar level athletes AND a great coach. The fly in the ointment of this Alabama season is that their defense is probably the worst one Saban has had there since his first year in 2007. I’m not saying they’re bad, but you can move the ball on them. It hasn’t mattered that much because Tua’s offense has been putting up over 40 every week, but if they ran into Ohio State, Michigan, or Notre Dame in the playoff…. It’d be interesting….

Ohio State was sloppy for the third consecutive week while Michigan dominated Wisconsin

The Buckeyes have very quietly been sluggish the last three weeks, starting with their uneven performance at Penn State back on the 29^th, when they looked like they forgot how to play offensive football for the entire first half. Sure, Happy Valley is a difficult place to play, especially at night in front of a million screaming yahoos, but what’s the explanation for their performances against Indiana and Minnesota? I’d venture to guess that there’s not a single player on either one of those two rosters that would make the starting 22 for the Buckeyes, and yet, both of those were still games in the second half. Are the Buckeyes bored? Are they just going through the motions, waiting for Michigan State and Michigan in November?

Meanwhile, the Wolverines destroyed Wisconsin and made Alex Hornibrook look like a paraplegic was playing QB for the Badgers. I’ve said all year that Hornibrook was the weakest link on this team, and his performance on Saturday night (7-20, 100 yards passing, 2 interceptions, and a 0.7 QBR) proved my point perfectly. They've got no shot to make the playoff now.

Michigan’s offense has gotten significantly better week to week, and outside of the Northwestern game where they only scored 20 points, they’ve been at 38 points or above every week since Week 1. Of course, as long as their defense keeps up this level of effort, there’s a very good chance that neither the Wolverines or Ohio State will lose again before they play each other on November 24^th. Michigan gets the Michigan State on the road this weekend; if Jim Harbaugh has the Wolverines trending in the right direction (and I think he does), then they should be able to go in there and win on Saturday.

Notre Dame played their worse game of the season

The Irish slogged around with Pittsburgh all day, and didn’t have a lead until under 6 minutes to go in the 4^th quarter. Games like that are what the college football season is all about; can you still win even when you don’t have your fastball? Can you scratch and claw your way to a victory, even when you’re playing like garbage? Survive and advance, that’s all this season is.

Will Muschamp will soon be out of work and return to fulfilling his true destiny as an irresponsible wild man who coaches middle school football

South Carolina lost at home to Texas A&M, giving them their third loss of the season. Here’s their three wins: Coastal Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Missouri, a game they would’ve lost if it didn’t start pouring harder than it did during Noah’s flood.

I’ve been anti-Muschamp since his flame out at Florida, and I’ve predicted all year that he’d be out of the job by next season. He’s a guy that pops in his second year somewhere and then collapses quicker than the Phold of '64 (yes, that was a joke for anyone reading this who is in a nursing home. Got to keep those people entertained too!)

I asked this question earlier about Gus Malzahn, but I think it’s worth repeating here; if South Carolina fired Muschamp right now, what football job is he getting? Who is hiring him to be a head coach? No one that I can think of. He’d probably get some interest from a few programs as a defensive coordinator, but doesn’t that tell you everything you need to know about Muschamp right there? That he’s a coordinator masquerading as a head coach?

If I’m South Carolina, why not just cut your losses now? Muschamp isn’t beating Georgia, Florida, or if Jeremy Pruitt gets the Vols rolling, Tennessee year to year. So why not just move on? Then get on the phone, call Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, an alum of your school, and see if he wants $6 million a year to come home. Sure, he’s 62, but he looks great and 62 is the new 52, right? And if he says no, ok, there’s a plethora of better options than what you’re getting from Muschamp right now (Matt Campbell?) It’s time to let Muschamp and his beer gut realize his ultimate destiny as an unruly middle school football coach.

So who is winning the Big 12?

It's completely up in the air. West Virginia got taken apart by 16 points at Iowa State (and got only 7 points from their offense), Texas barely survived Baylor, who had three throws into the end zone at the end of the game that would've won it, and while Oklahoma was idle, their defense is a complete train wreck and they'll be rolling with a new defensive coordinator out of their bye week. All of these teams have a loss right now, and I'd expect they'll all lose again before the regular season, meaning no one in the Big 12 will end up factoring into the playoff conversation at the end of the year. If I had to bet on one of them making a run, I'd pick the Sooners, solely because Kyler Murray is that special, but it's a good thing I don't have to bet.

Teams still alive for the playoff

I started this last week and I’ll continue it this week until the end of the season. I’ve eliminated every Group of Five team regardless of record because there’s no way any of those squads are one of the four best teams. UCF, the “defending national champions” almost lost to Memphis this weekend. Don’t give me the UCF argument, they’d be a four loss team in a big boy conference. I’ve also eliminated every two loss Power 5 team because in the four years of the playoff, a two loss team has never made it. It would have to get really wild up top for that to happen, but until we have less than four teams with one loss or fewer, two losses makes you a cross off. I’m including all the one loss teams here, even if I think it’s completely unrealistic for some of these squads to actually make it.

Undefeated teams=*

SEC: *Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Kentucky

ACC: *Clemson, *N.C. State, Duke

Big 12: Texas, West Virginia, Oklahoma

Big Ten: *Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa

Pac 12: Oregon, Colorado, Washington State

Independents: *Notre Dame

We’re down to just 18 teams, though many of these squads still have to play each other in the coming weeks, which will help with the elimination process. For example, Georgia gets Florida and Kentucky on October 27^th and November 3^rd, respectively, both of which are playoff elimination games, while LSU could (who are we kidding, they WILL) find themselves completely out of it on the November 3^rd when they play Alabama. Oregon-Washington State is an elimination game this weekend, and West Virginia could eliminate/be eliminated by Texas and Oklahoma when they play both in November. Clemson and N.C. State play each other this weekend in what could be an elimination game, considering the loser would need the winner to lose two more conference games if they were to make the ACC Title Game, with the hopes to win the conference and make the playoff.

My Top 4

Alabama

As long as Tua is healthy, the Tide offense could carry them to 15-0. 

And since Alabama is on an all time Steven Seagal season, here's another clip of him cracking skulls and breaking arms, this time in prison! Enjoy!

Ohio State

I’ll leave the Buckeyes here for now, though I’ve cooled on them a bit the last two weeks. From a talent standpoint, they’re the closest thing to Alabama that we’ve seen so far this season

Notre Dame

The Irish had their worst game of the season on Saturday, but I expect they’ll rally back in two weeks against Navy in San Diego.

LSU

I’ll put the Tigers back in the top 4, though I don’t expect they’ll be here again after the Alabama game. Their only loss was an eight point defeat at Florida. Not a bad loss at all. Meanwhile, they’ve had three top ten wins as an underdog.

For the record, I’d have Michigan 5^th and Georgia 6^th. Clemson wouldn’t make my Top Ten.