2 weeks Ago
Disclaimer: Bandwagoning is not a ranking of the best or worst teams, the biggest wins or worst losses. It’s instead an inexact assessment of the emotions experienced by various fan bases following their most recent game. There is nothing scientific about this.
Nothing. JUMPING ON: We've yet to see how he plays against South Carolina this weekend, but we already know Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia lives rent-free in the head of Auburn coach Hugh Freeze. He’s undefeated against Freeze, beating him each of the last three seasons while playing for two different teams.
A Pavia-led New Mexico State won at Liberty 49-14 in 2022, Freeze’s last season with the Flames. Freeze moves on to Auburn a year later, only to have the scheduling gods send the Aggies to the Plains last November. New Mexico State won 31-10.
More serendipity this year when Pavia, a grad transfer short on options, ended up at Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2 SEC). He led the Commodores to a 17-7 win last weekend at Auburn (3-6, 1-5), their first-ever victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium. That win also made Vanderbilt bowl eligible for the first time since 2018 .
But here’s where it gets really problematic for Freeze: Pavia has totaled 744 yards and 11 touchdowns during those wins that were decided by an average score of 31-10. To compound matters, the average spread going into each of those games was 19 points in favor of Team Freeze. No wonder Freeze said he was “sick of seeing that quarterback” in his weekly presser the Monday before the game.
Pavia, who’s in his final season of eligibility, is 127-of-205 passing for 1,677 yards and 15 touchdowns against three interceptions. He also leads No. 24 Vanderbilt in rushing with 563 yards and four touchdowns.
USC charged with NCAA Level III violation and given light penalties in Taylor Edwards matter JUMPING OFF: Cameron Blankenship, Louisiana-Monroe’s (5-3, 3-2 Sun Belt) offensive line coach, is being taken to task after chasing down and then shoving one of his players . It happened near the team bench during the Warhawks’ 28-23 loss at Marshall (5-3, 3-1). Video of the incident — which occurred after sophomore offensive lineman Drew Hutchinson erroneously subbed into the game — went viral, leading to criticism from points all over.
The school responded with a written reprimand and the ol’ “because this is a personal matter, the discipline will be handled internally.” Blankenship has issued a public apology; Hutchinson demonstrated grace by accepting and saying “coaches are humans, too.” Blankenship looks like a wild man in the video, frantically stalking Hutchinson behind the bench before shoving him.
But it wasn’t like Ohio State coach Woody Hayes slugging Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman in the 1978 Gator Bowl. That incident ended Hayes’ iconic career. Still, it’s a bad look in an increasingly sensitive environment where coaches are criticized even for the age-old face mask tug while trying to get a player’s attention.
And it’s exacerbated by the sight of Blankenship chasing Hutchinson so he could push him. But his vague punishment is likely nominal, anyway. And the odds are strong this will soon be a non-issue.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart pushed Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren just a few weeks ago. Smart wrote it off as unintentional , that Van Buren was collateral damage as he argued with a referee and that the sidelines are "pandemonium." He wasn’t flagged, though SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said it should’ve elicited a 15-yard penalty.
That sends a mixed message; touching an opposing player is verboten, but it’s OK if it’s one of your own. And, if that’s the case, why is anyone upset to begin with? 'That's not who we are': Swinney reacts to Clemson fans throwing objects on the field SEATS GOING FAST: Fans of chaos rejoice because things are lining up for a wild, wild November. Thanks to South Carolina’s 44-20 win over Texas A&M , there are now five teams with an SEC-best one loss each.
And with no divisions, the league could have to resort to going far down on its list of tiebreaking contingencies to determine who plays in the SEC Championship. Let’s all hope things work their way down to the final tiebreaking method that reads “random draw of the tied teams.” Oh, and that’s a six-step tiebreaking plan the league didn’t even release until Aug.
21 — months after announcing it was doing away with divisions. But that still beats the Big 12, which divulged how it would handle ties in September after the season started. For the record: eight teams are mathematically alive to play for the Big 12 title with four weeks left in the regular season.
While competitive, the downside is it will likely keep the Big 12 from having multiple teams in the final College Football Playoff field. As far as the ACC, things settled a bit last Saturday with Clemson and Pittsburgh both losing their first league games . Fourth-ranked Miami (9-0, 5-0 ACC) and No.
13 SMU (8-1, 5-0) need only take care of business to meet in the ACC Championship. Hamilton: Most teams stay the course before first CFP rankings reveal HOT TICKETS: South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers ..
. Arizona State ..
. Marshall at home ..
. #ACCForBreakfast ..
. Ohio State coach Ryan Day: Winner of a big game (finally) ..
. UConn coach Jim Mora Jr. .
.. UAB: Not as bad as Tulsa .
.. Army’s Michie Stadium .
.. Ohio State’s offensive line .
.. Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester .
.. Navy after Week 8.
COLD TICKETS: Georgia QB Carson Beck ...
Nebraska ...
Florida’s quarterback room ...
Marshall on the road ...
...
#ACCAfterDark ...
Penn State coach James Franklin: Loser of a big game (again) ...
Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry ...
Tulsa: Worse than UAB ...
Penn State’s defensive line ...
Purdue coach Ryan Walters’ entire staff ...
Navy before Week 9..
