Winner: Sam Houston Bearkats
In its second season in Conference USA, Sam Houston has shocked everyone by earning a 6-2 record and becoming bowl-eligible this early in the season. The Bearkats survived a close match-up against the FIU Panthers in a 10-7 win at Pitbull Stadium on Tuesday. Although the offense struggled, the biggest factor for Sam Houston was its resilient defense, allowing FIU to only score seven points and holding both junior quarterback Chayden Peery and sophomore QB Keyone Jenkins to a combined 74 total passing yards. Congratulations, Bearkats, you’re eligible for your first-ever bowl game.
Losers: Liberty Flames
The Liberty Flames made a lot of sports bettors angry on Wednesday. The Flames were favored by 27 points over the Kennesaw State Owls, who were 0-6 before facing off against a 5-0 Liberty team. But the Owls managed to defend their home field, upsetting Liberty at Fifth Third Stadium in a 27-24 victory. Not only did Liberty let the Kennesaw State fans rush the field twice, but the Flames had two failed game-winning drives in the Fourth Quarter. While Kennesaw State celebrates its first Football Bowl Subdivision win, Liberty’s season looks to be in question, as it still has to face three of the top-four teams in the Conference USA.
Winner: The good-looking Cougars
BYU has taken the Big 12 conference by storm. Coach Kalani Sitake has engineered one of the nation’s most opportunistic defenses, having forced 18 turnovers, including 14 interceptions. What happens when you pair that defense with redshirt junior QB Jake Retzlaff’s 18 passing touchdowns? You get a juggernaut team from the Provo, Utah program.
On Saturday, UCF became the latest victim of the BYU buzzsaw in a 37-24 defeat. BYU moved to 8-0 on the season with no ranked opponents left on its schedule. Should the red-hot Cougars take care of business and win out, a battle with undefeated Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship looms with playoff implications.
Loser: Duke’s inability to make a play when it matters
The SMU Mustangs tried their best to give the game away to the now-6-2 Duke Blue Devils. Instead, in a 28-27 overtime loss, Duke redefined what it means to have a tough loss.
The Mustangs turned the ball over to the Blue Devils six times, compared to Duke’s zero. Then Duke had an opportunity to win the game in regulation with a field goal, only for that to get blocked, too. And finally, in overtime, Duke went for the win on a two-point conversion attempt, only for that to end in futile claims for a phantom pass interference call. Just inexcusable lack of execution from coach Manny Diaz’s team.
Winner: Texas A&M
Football coaches of old have always said if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks. The No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies have been a rare exception this season.
The Aggies’ two-headed monster at the QB spot has led the team to a 7-1 record and propelled A&M to its first-ever 5-0 start in SEC play. When redshirt sophomore QB Conner Weigman began to struggle against the No. 8 LSU Tigers, redshirt freshman QB Marcel Reed answered the call.
The Fightin’ Farmers are legit, and Saturday’s win versus LSU proved that to the entire nation. Coach Mike Elko’s efforts in year one have exceeded expectations, and A&M should be a contender for years to come under him.
Losers: The Navy
Everyone seemed to forget this was not the 1940s when Navy got off to its hot start, except for No. 12 Notre Dame. Heading into Saturday’s game, the No. 24 Midshipmen had beat the breaks off their opponents, leading them to their first 6-0 start since 1979.
College football is better when the service academies are good. A ranked matchup in the Army-Navy game would be the icing on the cake in what is already a must-see matchup. The Fighting Irish clearly thought differently and smashed the Sailors, most likely ending the dream of a ranked Army-Navy game in 2024.
Winner: Indiana Hoosiers
The No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers hosted the Washington Huskies for a Big Ten matchup on Saturday, defeating them 31-17. Despite having a 1-8 record last season in conference play, coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers have absolutely dominated this year with an 8-0 start to the season. Fifth-year senior running back Justice Ellison has had a phenomenal season leading the Hoosiers in rushing yards, and he did not disappoint yesterday, having 29 carries for 123 yards and one touchdown. The Indiana defense played a stellar game led by sophomore defensive back D’Angelo Ponds who picked up two interceptions for the Hoosiers. Indiana also got to host ESPN’s College Gameday for the first time since 2017.
Losers: Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners had high hopes for their first season in the SEC, but they have been disappointing, to say the least. The Sooners took on the No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday and lost 26-14 with Ole Miss scoring 16 unanswered points in the second half. It was punt after punt in the second half for the Sooners, giving the Rebels countless opportunities to score. The Sooners have struggled this season and can’t seem to find the right man for the job under center, as they rotate sophomore QB Jackson Arnold and freshman QB Michael Hawkins Jr. The Sooners are now 1-4 in SEC play and still have to face top programs Missouri, Alabama and LSU.
