Winner: Army remaining unbeaten
Army methodically marched down the field against the University of Alabama at Birmingham on the way to a 44-10 victory. This has become routine for the Black Knights, as they are now 6-0 atop the American Athletic Conference.
Offensive coordinator Cody Worley has Army’s rushing game firing on all cylinders, leading the nation with 361 yards per game with one of the more creative run schemes you’ll come across. Senior quarterback Bryson Daily has already racked up 20 total touchdowns leading one of the most efficient offenses in the sport. As both Army and Navy remain undefeated, the two service academies may be on a collision course with playoff implications on Dec. 14 for the 125th annual Army-Navy Game.
Loser: College football for not having an NFL RedZone-style broadcast
I get it. I cannot begin to fathom the sheer amount of bureaucratic hoops the NCAA would need to jump through with the different networks to make this happen — but just walk with me for a second. Just picture watching two ranked matchups simultaneously as a talking head frantically splices in the typical college football weirdness happening all over the country — all without commercials.
College football fans had Week 7 circled on their calendars since the schedules were announced with several huge games. Unfortunately, there was almost too much good ball to take it all in live. ESPN Goal Line attempted to solve this issue in the past but only displayed ESPN broadcasts. But we need everything. The need has never been greater for the college football octobox.
Winner: Dan Lanning’s football IQ
The Ohio State and Oregon game deserves a game of the year nomination. Anytime No. 2 and No. 3 face off, it is going to be a good one — and that it was. The back-and-forth bout saw the Ducks outlast the Buckeyes, 32-31.
What sticks out most from this game was Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s defensive clock management in the last ten seconds of the contest. Lanning called a timeout and added an extra man on defense. Oregon makes the stop. Four seconds ran off the clock, leaving only six seconds left on the clock. The Ducks were penalized for having too many men on the field but left time for only one play, in which the Buckeyes could not make anything happen.
Loser: Texas’ midfield shindig
Texas is aware that former OU quarterback Baker Mayfield has been in the NFL for the past seven years, right? Just checking, because they made it seem like they had just beat him in their 34-3 victory on Saturday.
After the final whistle, two Texas players set a Mayfield jersey on the midfield logo and planted a big Longhorn flag before walking away. The action is undoubtedly in response to Mayfield’s 2017 flag-plant celebration but is so late that it screams “little brother” from the team that wears burnt orange. Had they done it a few years sooner, it may have been cool, but seven years later is just ridiculous.
Winner: Bowling Green’s wholesome helmets
Though officially Bowling Green took an L this past weekend, the Falcons flew an under-the-radar win: They debuted new helmets designed by kids. Specifically, it was a contest with two winning designs one dawned by the offense and the other showcased by the defense.
It’s reminiscent of when the Cleveland Charge, the Cleveland Cavaliers G-League affiliate, rocked jerseys designed by NBA Paint —- a social media artist who draws sports teams into Windows Paint-esque styles —- and I’m all for it.
Loser: Shilo Sanders’ not good, very bad day
Though it’s safe to say that the Colorado Buffaloes are much improved compared to last year, the Buffs were on the cusp of securing their first top-20 win of the year. Despite key injuries to star junior athlete Travis Hunter and senior wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr, Colorado had Kansas State on the ropes.
However, the Wildcats kept attacking senior safety Shilo Sanders over, over and over again — and almost every time, the Cats found success, especially in the run game. Junior running back DJ Giddens bounced off Sanders, shed tackles and ultimately cultivated into a highlight play, juking the senior onto his knees.
Had Sanders played just a bit better, the Buffs would be 5-1 and most likely ranked, but the reality is harsh, and the reality is that he played a bad game.
