The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is the FASTEST combine in history.
Every single position group, except the QB’s. ran the fastest 40 times ever.
For the final day, MY favorite group took to the field, the offensive linemen. The hogmollies, baby. The guys that really make things work.
Coming in, we all knew that this was a deep class of prospects, and that played during the on the field drills.
There could be as many as 6 or even 7 offensive linemen taken in the 1st round in the NFL Draft this April.
Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, Olaivavega Ioane, Caleb Lomu, Kadyn Proctor, and Monroe Freeling, are sure fire locks to go Round 1.
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My biggest winner was Logan Jones, the center from the Iowa Hawkeyes. He not only ran the fastest 40 of all the offensive lineman (4.90), but he also looked so smooth, with quick feet, during the on the field portion of the day.
Personally, I’d love for my Cleveland Browns to snatch him up at #70, IF he’s still available at that spot.
This is a nice OC class. Jones, Connor Lew (Auburn), and Jake Slaughter (Florida), could all go inside the Top 100.
My biggest loser of the day was Dametrious Crownover from Texas A&M. He has impressive size for an offensive lineman, but he struggled badly during the on the field portion. He couldn’t keep his balance, slow feet, looked very uncomfortable pulling, it was a bad day.
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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night, April 23rd, at 8:00 PM (EST) and goes through Saturday, April 25th, on ESPN and NFL Network.
Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books. The theme of S-P-E-E-D speed, continued!!! Absolutely nobody thought that this particular draft class, would be breaking all-time speed records.
The first group of Day 3 was the Running Backs. As anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE me some running backs. I’m a run-first guy.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love only solidified his position as the #1 RB in this class. We all knew that he was fast, and he ran a 4.36 in the 40, with a 1.55 10 yd split. He showed his smooth footwork and ability to get skinny, during the on the field portion of the drills.
His teammate Jadarian Price ran a 4.49 in the 40, with a slower than expected 1.61 10 yard split. His footwork isn’t as smooth as Love in the running drills, but he did EXCELLENT catching the ball during the on the field portion of the drills.
My biggest winner was Alabama RB Jam Miller. He ran a 4.42 in the 40, with a 1.53 10 yard split. He was smooth with his footwork , kept his balancing cutting, and did a good job catching balls.
Penn State RB Kaytron Allen did EXACTLY what I’ve been telling everyone he would during the on the field portion of the drills. Smooth footwork, quick feet, can catch the ball. I’ve always thought he was better than his Nittany Lions counterpart Nicholas Singleton.
My biggest loser was Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson. He ran a 4.56 in the 40. He looked like a board, his feet looked sluggish, his reaction to the bags, on cut drills were slow.
Outside of Love, there isn’t a first rounder here, but there is very quality depth, and varied abilities in this class.
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QB Group 1 ran the 40, and the news was Arkansas QB Taylen Green ran a 4.36 in the 40. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King ran a 4.46 in the 40.
When it came to throwing, the biggest winner overall was Penn State QB Drew Allar. He had the best deep ball, by far. He was accurate with his ball placement on almost every drill.
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King did quite well. He was great on all the underneath throws, but his lack of arm strength showed on the deep balls.
The biggest loser for on the field drills, was EASILY Teylan Green. He completely airmailed throws on all the outroutes, both short and deep. His ball placement was high and low on slant routes. He has great arm strength though.
Next up, was WR Group #1. Oklahoma Deion Burks (4.30), Cincinnati Jeff Caldwell (4.31), Georgia Zachariah Branch (4.35), Oregon Malik Benson (4.37), Tennessee Chris Brazzell (4.37), and Texas Tech Caleb Douglas (4.39), all ran under 4.40 in the 40.
The big winner was Zachariah Branch. He was so smooth and really crisp on his breaks. Just snapping them off. He caught everything, including some horrible throws by QB Fagnano and Green. It was so fun to watch him today. He made himself some money and climbed many draft boards.
Biggest loser was WR Malachi Fields from Notre Dame. He ran a slow 4.61 in the 40, with a 1.63 10-yard split. He couldn’t keep his feet and hips under control on his breaks, and had 3 drops on The Gauntlet Drill. The film is better than his performance Saturday afternoon, but it did cost him some spots.
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Only 2 players from QB Group 2 ran the 40. North Dakota State’s Cole Payton (4.56) and Baylor Sawyer Robertson (4.65).
When it came to the on the field drills, Alabama’s Ty Simpson was the winner of the group. Good accuracy on the out breaking routes. He had great ball placement and timing on the medium and deep routes.
Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was a close 2nd place though.
The loser of the group was the aforementioned Cole Payton. His best 2 passes didn’t come until the 2nd to last drill, on deep balls. It was a terrible night for him, after the 40-yard dash.
WR Group 2 saw the fastest 40-yard dash of the weekend. Brenen Thompson from Mississippi State ran a 4.26, with a 1.54 10-yard split. North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance ran a 4.34 in the 40, with a 1.49 10-yard split, and Ole Miss’s De’Zhaun Stribling ran a 4.36, with a 1.53 10-yard split.
When it came to the on the field drills, the winner was actually 2 this time. Makai Lemon from USC and Colbie Young from Georgia. Both of them were catching absolutely everything thrown their way. With some of the bad balls, both of them showed great body control and the ability to adjust mid-air to catch the bad throws.
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Day 2 of the NFL Scouting Combine is in the books. The speed from the first day, kept going here in Day 2.
This is officially, the fastest overall class, in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine.
It started with DBs Group 1, which was CB (cornerbacks).
The big news was that San Diego State Aztec CB Chris Johnson answered the biggest question about himself, his speed. He ran a 4.40 in the 40. We knew that he’d do well in the on the field drills and he did.
Tennessee Volunteers CB Colton Hood ran a 4.44, and the one of the biggest surprises for me, and quite a few people that I talked to, was Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun running a 4.45. His tape does not reflect that type of speed, so that was a big boost for him. Both Hood and Igbinosun did very well during the on the field drills as well.
The biggest overall surprise to me and others, was Georgia CB Daylen Everette. He’s 6’3″ and not only ran a 4.38 in the 40, but he was quite fluid flipping his hips, changing directions and did well on the Gauntlet Drill.
Biggest loser was CB Julian Neal from Arkansas. He looked absolutely terrible in all the drills. Could he move to safety? Sure. It was a bad day for him.
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DB Group 2 was the safeties, and HOLY HOLY MOLY!!! It was the fastest safety class in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine.
It started with Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr running a 4.27 and a 4.28 in the 40. 3 other safeties, Robert Spears-Jennings, Treydan Stukes, and Dillon Thieneman ran under 4.40 seconds in the 40.
By far, Styles Jr had the best day, as he not only ran fast, but he also dominated the on the field drills. He kept his feet under him, he was able to keep his balance on breaks, and he was catching everything his way. There’s no way, he should be a late Day 3 pick. I think he might have worked himself into Day 2 (rounds 2 and 3).
Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren MIGHT have solidified himself as a first-round pick. Previously mentioned Dillon Thieneman from Oregon absolutely solidified his position in the second round.
Unfortunately, one of my favorite “sleeper picks” Bishop Fitzgerald was the biggest loser of the night. He ran much slower than anyone thought 4.55 in the 40. He looked stiff and couldn’t keep his balance when he had to cut on his back foot. Hopefully, he’ll do better at his pro day.
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The final Group of the day, saw the tight ends open it up for the offensive players.
What did they do??? Then went out and ran the fastest collective group in NFL Scouting Combine history. See a theme here folks.
Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq set a new NFL Combine record for TEs, running a 4.39 in the 40. He also did very well in the measurables and testing.
Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers ran a 4.51 in the 40, and he set a new NFL Combine record as well. His was in the vertical jump, jumping a whooping 45.50″ inches.
To me, the biggest winner was Wyoming TE John Michael-Gyllenborg. He ran a solid 4.60 in the 40, and looked so smooth and fluid in the on the field drills.
The biggest loser was Tennessee Volunteer TE Miles Kitselman. He ran a 4.90 in the 40, looked very rigid, and absolutely couldn’t even move Fred the Sled on the blocking drill. It was a bad day for him.
My surprise was TE Bauer Sharp from LSU. Ran a nice 4.63 in the 40. Was the best in the blocking drill, and caught everything that went his way.
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Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine starts at 1:00 PM (EST) on NFL Network, with Quarterbacks, Running Backs, and Wide Receivers, testing and taking the field.
Day 1 of the NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, and I must say, that it provided more overall depth of talent than I thought it would.
The day started out with the defensive tackles taking the field for on the field drills.
For teams like the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, and teams that run the 3-4 defense, they were loving it. This DT class is a strong, run stopping, nose tackle class. There’s nobody that’s going to get inside pressure.
My two biggest winners were Lee Hunter from Texas Tech, who absolutely solidified his position as DT1; and the surprise guy Zane Durant from Penn State, who came in and just crushed the drills.
My biggest loser was Kaden McDonald from Ohio State. He looked sluggish, stiff, and his footwork was sloppy, causing him to lose his balance, causing slips and falls.
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Group 2 was the Edge Rushers, and they showed that there was some quality depth this year.
David Bailey from Texas Tech, and TJ Parker showed everyone why they are not just MY #1 and #2 ranked Edge players, but a lot scouts and pundits as well.
Dani Dennis-Sutton from Penn State showed that the down year this past season, was not a reflection of his true talent. He did quite well, and is my #3 Edge.
The two players that shocked me the most were, Mason Reiger from Wisconsin and Max Llewellyn from Iowa. They crushed the on the field drills. Whether it was the Wave Drill or the 4-Bag Agility, they looked smooth, and their footwork was great. They really helped their draft stock bigtime.
The biggest loser to everyone but me, was LT Overton from Alabama. He’s not a pass rusher. He ran slow, his footwork was sloppy, his couldn’t keep his hips, knees, and feet in tandem, it was bad. LOT of my fellow Browns fans were mocking him at #24. I’ve told them and even a family member, that I’m not touching him in the first round.
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The day finished with Group 3, the Linebackers.
HOLY CALCUTTA WHAT A CROP IT IS THIS YEAR!!!
Starting with the two standout Ohio State Buckeyes, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Both ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash. Then turned around and made the on the field drills look like a walk in the park, barely breaking a sweat and completely dominating.
I felt bad for Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodrigeuz, who a GREAT day, but was overshadowed simply by being next after Reese. He’s a turnover machine and so smooth.
Kyle Louis from Pitt had a great day on the field as well. Ran a solid 4.53 and looked so smooth and fluid during the drills.
My biggest loser was Jack Kelly from BYU, and that’s simply just nitpicking because he wasn’t all that bad. He ran slower than I thought he would. He was stiffer than he looked in games, and kept losing his balance during the early drills, like the Wave and 4-Bag.
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Day 2 of the NFL Scouting Combine continues tomorrow afternoon, starting at 3:00 PM (EST) on NFL Network.
Conference Championship Weekend is over and done with.
Congratulations to Indiana (B10), Georgia (SEC), Duke (ACC, yes you read that right), Texas Tech (B12), Tulane (AAC), James Madison (Sun Belt), Kennesaw State (C-USA), Boise State (MWC), and Western Michigan (MAC), for winning their conference titles.
It’s the main goal of these teams when they start the season, and through hard work, dedication, and a bit of luck, they all achieved it.
On Sunday, the College Football Playoff Committee released their official bracket.
There is a LOT WRONG with it as well.
First of all, I’m happy that the Dukes and Green Wave won their conferences, but in no way, shape, or form, should they BOTH be in the CFP. Personally, I don’t think ANY of the “G5 schools” deserved to be in the playoffs this season. However, if one team did deserve it, it was James Madison, not Tulane.
It’s especially hard on JMU as they have to fly all the way across the country (2,806 miles) and play the Oregon Ducks, at Autzen Stadium.
It’s a bit easier for Tulane, as they only have a 346-mile bus ride up I-55 to play the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.
The fact that Notre Dame was left out of the playoffs is a disgrace. They started the season 0-2 with both those loses to CFP teams Miami and Texas A&M, being by a combined 4 points.
They’ve won 10 straight games, and outside of Indiana, is probably playing the best football of any team in the country.
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Unlike a lot of my fellow sports writers, I’m 100% OK with Alabama making the CFP.
I understand they lost to a horrible Florida State team, but that was in Week 1. Their two other losses were to CFP Oklahoma by 2 points, and they did lose to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game by 21, but remember, they beat the Bulldogs in the regular season matchup. Ranked wins over Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee, is a fine resume, and deserving of a spot.
I wouldn’t have put them at #9 though. That’s too high for a 3 loss team. #11 or #12 would’ve been better.
Looking at the bracket, there’s some nice campus matchups. The Alabama-Oklahoma rematch is going to be another great game. Remember, that game was in Tuscaloosa and the Sooners went in to get a close 23-21 victory. You KNOW that Boomer Sooner crowd is going to be rocking in Norman for that game.
The aforementioned Tulane-Ole Miss game is a game to keep an eye on. The Rebels are in the middle of a coaching change, and they’re having a lot of movement with the staff. The fact of the matter is that we do not know how new head coach Pete Golding is going to do, with his first ever game being a playoff game.
Meanwhile, with Tulane promoting Will Hall to be the head coach, they’re in a much better spot. Hall has been the man in charge before (Southern Miss) and worked at Tulane (19-20) before returning. He understands the culture and has the big game coaching experience.
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I’m not saying the Green Wave is going to shock the world and beat the Rebels, I’m just saying………………it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
I’ll make my College Football Playoff Predictions, as well as ALL the Bowl Game predictions in a later article.
Finally, after duking it out all regular season, teams have arrived here at Championship Saturday.
Conference Championships mean a lot to the fans, the players, and the teams.
It’s not all about NIL for the players, and bonuses for the coaches, it’s also about pride.
Saying We are the champions of the Big Ten, or SEC, or Big 12, or ACC, means a lot.
It shows that you went through the gauntlet of meaningful games, and rivalry games, to be called champions. Every player and team aspires to reach that goal, but you are the only ones to do it.
So, here we go.
ACC Championship Game – Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. Duke Blue Devils (7-5) vs #17 Virginia Cavaliers (10-2) Game starts at 8:00 PM (EST) on ABC.
These 2 teams just met on November 15th, and the Cavaliers laid a 34-17 butt whopping on the Blue Devils.
NO, the game was not as close as the score indicated.
Unfortunately, the Cavaliers have suffered a few injuries since that game, and the Blue Devils have gotten a few players back from injury in the secondary since.
Like most games, this one will come down to the trenches and quarterback. Chandler Morris for UVA and Darian Mensah for Duke.
Personally, I love that these 2 teams, (which historically struggle in football), playing for the conference title is great. It shows one of the very few good things that NIL has done, which is parity.
Prediction – I think it’s going to be a repeat, but closer. I’m taking the Cavaliers to win 28-24.
Big Ten Championship Game – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN. #2 Indiana Hoosiers (12-0) vs #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0). Game starts at 8:00 PM (EST) on FOX.
This game could very well end up being for the Heisman Trophy, as both quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin are the front runners.
Indiana MUST control the clock and keep the Buckeyes offense off the field, if they want to win this game. They rank 9th in the country in rushing, averaging 229.8 YPG and must use it to their advantage. The revamped offensive line has only allowed 15 sacks all season too. That will allow the play action passing game to open up and let Mendoza show off his arm and accuracy.
Ohio State MUST get pressure on Mendoza, as he’s first in the conference getting rid of the football (2.5 seconds). Make him hold onto the football and be uncomfortable. That will allow the Buckeye playmakers on defense like Downs, Reese, Styles, to do what they do best. They have the advantage at all the skill positions, so just play within themselves.
Prediction – Indiana hasn’t played a defense like this all season long. I think they’ll hang around for a little while, before Ohio State takes over. Give me the Buckeyes to win 35-17.
Big 12 Championship Game – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX. #11 BYU Cougars (11-1) vs #4 Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1). Game starts at Noon (EST) on FOX.
Like in the ACC Championship Game, these 2 teams have already met. Texas Tech won 29-7 on November 8th.
BYU likes to play “ugly football”. They run the ball and play sound defense. The offensive line must get movement this time, and allow HB LJ Martin to eat. He leads the conference with 1,229 yards and has 11 TDs. That’ll allow their freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier to be comfortable. IF they can find a way to keep it close, they’ll have a chance. Otherwise, it’ll be a rinse and repeat.
Texas Tech simply has to continue to play top notch defense and allow quarterback Behren Morton to get into a rhythm early. In the first meeting, they had a 13-0 lead at the half. It should’ve been 28-0, but they couldn’t convert in the redzone. Linebackers David Bailey and Jacob Rodriguez are the leaders of this team. They just need to keep the other 9 players calm and focused. This is the team’s first ever Big 12 conference championship game.
Prediction – This game was U-G-L-Y the first time around, and I don’t think it’ll be better. Texas Tech is clearly the better team. Give me the Red Raiders to win 28-13.
SEC Championship Game – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA. #3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) vs #9 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) Game starts at 4:00 PM (EST) on ABC.
Like 2 of the previous games here, these teams have met already this season, with the Crimson Tide winning 24-21.
The Bulldogs haven’t forgotten that loss either.
The Georgia defense HAS to play better than it did in the first game. They allowed Alabama to dominate them on the ground. Stopping the run and getting pressure will make it much easier for their offense (who struggled last week). Quarterback Gunnar Stockton only threw for 70 yards, with 1 TD and 1 INT last week against Georgia Tech. He CAN NOT repeat that performance. HC Kirby Smart must get him into rhythm very early.
For Alabama, with starting running back Jam Miller questionable for the game, and backup Kevin Riley is out with a broken jaw; they’ll need quarterback Ty Simpson to be absolutely on point. They have the advantage at WR with Williams and Bernard, so use that with quick passes and crossing routes. The defense allowed 227 yards rushing in the first meeting (mostly in the 2nd half), they must not allow that to happen again.
Prediction – History has shown us, that it’s hard to beat the same team twice in a season. Alabama jumped out early, but Georgia fought back when they first met this season. I think it’ll be a very close game. This is so hard to predict. Simpson is the better QB, but Smart is the better coach. I’ll go out on a limb and take the Crimson Tide to win 28-24.
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In other Conference Championship Games, on Friday Night, give me….
#25 James Madison over Troy in the Sun Belt Championship Game. Jacksonville State over Kennesaw State in the C-USA Championship Game. #24 North Texas over #20 Tulane in the AAC Championship Game. Boise State over UNLV in the Mountain West Championship Game.
In the other Saturday game, I’m taking Western Michigan to spank Miami (OH) in the MAC Championship game.
– by Sean McKenzie
Stats and information courtesy of…..NCAA and ESPN.
Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, clutchpoints, MSN, and FOX4News.
I could go on and on and on, about each and every game.
Quite simply, I don’t have the time and energy.
I’m still recovering from my mini-stroke, and my heart monitor keeps wanting to fall off.
So, I’m going to give you my predictions on these biggest games of the week.
It all begins and ends with the Greatest Rivalry in College Sports.
“The Game” is Satruday at Noon on Fox.
The #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are traveling to take on #15 Michigan Wolverines.
The forecast is calling for cold temperatures, snow on the ground, and the wind to be a blowing.
It’s Big Ten Football.
Will the weather impact the Buckeyes passing game? It’s certainly shaping up to favor the Wolverines, as they have the superior running game. Can the Buckeyes defense continue to dominate?
Prediction – Ohio State beats TTUN for the first time since 2019. I’m taking the Buckeyes 28-21.
“The Iron Bowl”. Game starts at 7:30 PM on ABC.
The #10 Alabama Crimson Tide travel to take on the unranked Auburn Tigers.
He’s the kicker for this game. Tigers freshman QB Duece Knight had 6 total touchdowns in his start against Mercer. His dual threat ability gives them hope.
If Alabama wins, they clinch a spot in the SEC Conference Championship Game. If they lose, it’ll take some help. They have no room for error.
Prediction – The Tigers will keep in close in the first half, before the Crimson Tide pull away for the 35-21 win.
How great is it to see this game as a ranked matchup!?!?!?
The #14 Vanderbilt Commodores travel to Knoxville to take on #19 Tennessee Volunteers.
QB Diego Pavia has the chance to put a stamp on his chance to be a Heisman Finalist with a win for the first time since 2018. Let’s be honest, Pavia IS Commodore football. They go as he goes.
A Volunteer win completely eliminates Vandy from the College Football Playoffs. Can the Tennessee defense step up and help the offense out?
Prediction – It’s been a fun ride for Vandy these last two seasons, but that Tennessee offense is gonna dunk on the Commodores. Volunteers win big 42-21.
“The Lonestar Showdown” is a Friday Night game, at 7:30 PM on ABC.
The Aggies last won in Austin, way back in 2015. They have a real chance to do it this year. They’re a complete team. Head coach Mike Elko has come in and done what “big name” coaches like Jimbo Fisher failed to do.
If Arch Manning plays well, then the Longhorns have a shot. Their run game has been a colossal disappointment this season. Their defense has played great, and they’ll need to do it again on Friday Night.
Prediction – Part of me wants to say this will be close, but I’m really feeling like the Aggies gonna smack the Longhorns around. Give me Texas A&M to win 49-24.
For the best coffee and lattes in ALL of Van Wert County, stop into The Rebel Bean. Check out their Facebook page for hours and special drink menu.
– by Sean McKenzie
Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, USAToday, and ESPN.
When we all looked at the Week 11 schedule, we thought it’d be a “chalk” week.
We were W-R-O-N-G.
The ACC had 2 of their top 3 teams upset, as #14 Virginia lost to Wake Forest 16-9. Congratulations Demon Deacons on their first win against at Top 15 team since 2003. #15 Louisville lost to Cal 29-26 in overtime.
Keeping on the Top 25 upset train; unranked Wisconsin Badges trip up the #23 Washington Huskies 13-10. In my College Football Preview Article, I predicted that WISC HC Luke Fickell would be fired by now. Instead, they announced they’re going to give him 1 more season.
There was a BANGER of a game in the SEC, as the Auburn Tigers gave #16 Vanderbilt all they could handle and more. The Commodores behind an incredible game by QB Diego Pavia get the win in OT, 45-38.
In the Big Ten, we had the front runner for Catch/Play of the Year, by WR Omar Cooper Jr, as the #2 Indiana Hoosiers scored a touchdown with 36 seconds left, to win 27-24.
#9 Oregon Ducks hit a game winning field goal with 3 seconds left, to escape Kinnick Stadium, and beat the Iowa Hawkeyes, 18-16.
In the Big-12, the #8 Texas Tech Red Raiders handled the #7 BYU Cougars 29-7.
Ranked teams #1 Ohio State, #3 Texas A&M, #4 Alabama, #5 Georgia, and #10 Notre Dame, all got wins on Saturday, and kept their College Football Playoff Chances intact.
Ladies and gentlemen, the James Madison Dukes now have the BEST ODDS to get the G5 spot in the CFP (35%) with a 35-23 win over Marshall Thundering Herd. They are now 8-1 on the season.
Now without further ado, it’s time for the popular Helmet Stickers.
(Team) Sam Houston Bearkats
The Bearkats FINALLY get their 1st win of the season with 21-17 win over the Oregon State Beavers.
(Offense) Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt.
There were a lot of choices to choose from, but it has to go to the Vanderbilt QB. Pavia had 489 total yards and 4 total TDs.
He went 25 of 33, for 377 yards, and 3 TDs passing, and added 18 carries, for 112 yards, and 1 TD on the ground.
(Defense) Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech.
I had Rodriguez in my Top 10 College Football Players article before the season started, and he continues to show the country why I had him there.
He had 14 total tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and an interception, to help the Red Raiders take sole possession of 1st place in the Big-12 Conference.
– by Sean McKenzie
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Stats courtesy of…..NCAA.
Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, sportslogo.net, yahoosports, and collegefootballnetwork.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t start this article, without mentioning that LSU fired head football coach Brian Kelly, late Sunday night, after their 49-25 loss at home, to #3 Texas A&M. Kelly had a 34-14 record over his four seasons at LSU.
Personal opinion – It was a bad hire from the start. I said so at the time, and caught a lot of crap for it. I think that LSU thinks it’s a better job than it really is. IF I were Interim President Matt Lee, I would immediately go get Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield.
Onto other business, it was a solid week of college football. We had 3 Top 25 upsets.
Aforementioned Memphis Tigers defeated #18 USF 34-31, in a banger of a game. The Washington Huskies beat #23 Illinois, 42-25, and the Houston Cougars defeated #24 Arizona State 24-16, in one of the worst officiated games, that I’ve even seen. Absolutely disgraceful by that Big-12 crew.
We had some close calls, as well. #4 Alabama squeaked by South Carolina 29-22. #6 Oregon eked out a 21-7 win over Wisconsin. #16 Virginia survived a scare from North Carolina, 17-16 in OT, and #22 Texas held off Mississippi State 45-38 in overtime.
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Indiana, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Miami, Vanderbilt, BYU, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Michigan, all held serve as Top 25 teams and got the win.
Time for your favorite part, it’s Helmet Sticker time. I thank you readers for the messages, telling me that you like this segment.
(Team) North Dakota State Bison.
The defending FCS National Champions and #1 ranked Bison, absolutely MOLLYWHOPPED their rival (then ranked #2) South Dakota State Jackrabbits 38-7 on Saturday. HB Cole Payton had 4 rushing touchdowns.
(Offense) Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas Mean Green.
This was the easiest choice so far this season.
The freshman QB went 37 of 49, for a massive 608 yards, and 4 TDs, as he led the Mean Green to a 54-20 win over Charlotte. North Texas is 7-1 on the season, and still in the hunt, for that G5 college football playoff spot.
(Defense) Cade Uluave, LB, California Golden Bears.
Cal is #0.
The junior linebacker was all over the field, and causing havoc, as he did everything, he could in a double overtime loss to Virginia Tech.
Cal finished the game 19 total tackles and 2 sacks.
Who would you give a helmet sticker to?
– by Sean McKenzie
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Stats courtesy of…..NCAA.
Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, meangreensports, and SI.
We all know some of the AP voters, don’t even watch the games, or even highlights (Haley Sawyer).
We all know that ESPN doesn’t even hide their SEC bias at all. You can’t be unbiased when you literally own the SEC Network (so much for real journalism and reporting).
At any time on Saturday’s, I’m watching up to 6 games at the same time. Then I spend Sunday morning watching games on my laptop.
So, without further ado, here are the REAL Top 10 teams, after Week 9.
1) Indiana Hoosiers – 8-0 – defeated UCLA 56-6. No team in America, is playing better than Indiana on both sides of the football.
2) Ohio State Buckeyes – 7-0 – Bye. What’s scary is that their offense isn’t even hitting on all cylinders yet, and they still have the #1 defense in the country.
3) Texas A & M Aggies – 8-0 – defeated #20 LSU 49-25. QB Marcel Reed has this offense playing at a high level and the defense is finally getting to the quarterback this season.
4) Alabama Crimson Tide – 7-1 – defeated South Carolina 29-22. Since their Week 1 loss to FSU, QB Ty Simpson is playing at a Heisman Trophy level clip.
5) Georgia Bulldogs – 6- 1 – Bye. All the “breaks” are falling in their favor right now…..with a lot of help from their officiating friends (see the SEC official suspension article on ESPN).
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6) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – 8-0 – defeated Syracuse 41-16. QB Haynes King is a beast, and doesn’t make mistakes.
7) Vanderbilt Commodores – 7-1 – defeated #15 Missouri 17-10. QB Diego Pavia is my Heisman front-runner, and is carrying this team on his back.
8) Ole Miss Rebels – 7-1 – defeated #13 Oklahoma 34-26. QB Chambliss and HB Lacy just control the clock and beat you down.
9) Oregon Ducks – 7-1 – defeated Wisconsin 21-7. QB Dante Moore slings it all over the field.
10) BYU Cougars – 8-0 – defeated Iowa State 41-27. They run it, they pass it, and play great pressure defense.
Next 4 teams – Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Virigina, Tennessee.
allsportsfan 