Virginia Tech and UCLA must do some soul searching because their past weekend performance was awful. There. I said it. Now, we move on. My goodness this was supposed to be a mellow weekend of college football, but it cooked immediately thanks to Georgia Tech leading things at 9am. Then, we got into a noon PT/afternoon PT slate of football that had so many thrillers and overtime thrillers (including my Wolfpack falling in theirs😢). Then the late afternoon/early evening games cooked with so many SEC games, including Texas A&M/Notre Dame to make this one of the better weekends to watch. I can’t wait to watch more conference matchups because they bring out the best in every team battling for two spots in their conference title games.

12) TULANE

Look, I continue to praise quarterback Jake Retzlaff since seeing him in person in his first start back in 2023. If you have noticed him then, you better notice him now. However, I was unaware of how capable he was as a runner. Couple that with his passing ability and you have the most lethal quarterback in the nation. If he can utilize everything against Ole Miss and win, he could be in New York in a few months.

11) TENNESSEE

The Vols fought a valiant effort against Georgia. They were the better team for what seemed like the entire game. I really thought they had Georgia down for the count. Unfortunately, they were knocked out by running back Nate Frazier with a risky reach-in touchdown. Quarterback Joey Aguilar has proven to be a very capable quarterback, and NFL scouts will take notice for that for dang sure.

10) GEORGIA TECH

I’m starting to think the ACC has a Top 4 team, but it’s nothing like what we would expect. Georgia Tech could be one of them, and they’re formidable against ranked opponents, win or lose. With Brent Key alongside quarterback Haynes King, and running back Jamal Haynes, they make a dangerous team that could go the distance.

9) GEORGIA

Georgia definitely has some exposure, but they also may have unlocked Gunnar Stockton’s new ability. The number of shots he took and the yards he stacked up in the air and on the ground was impressive. The Dawgs were backed against the wall in a hostile environment but never wavered. It took the offense and just enough defense to bite back and win a thriller in overtime thanks to Nate Frazier’s risky reach-in touchdown score. Is Gunnar showing a positive sign or was Tennessee’s defense the same like previous seasons???

8) FLORIDA STATE

BYE WEEK

7) ILLINOIS

Illinois crushed Western Michigan and didn’t allow a single score. That’s a good thing because their upcoming opponent, Indiana, did the exact same thing to Indiana State. This upcoming matchup should be one of the best Big Ten games to watch, if not nationally.

6) TEXAS

Arch once again struggled with passing, but Texas may have found a formula to his ability (as they should). He ran for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, their defense entrenched on UTEP for most of the game. If Texas can get more out of Manning’s athleticism, we might be seeing a different type of Manning that both Archie and his father can’t compare to in their primes back in the day.

5) MIAMI

Miami wasn’t going to fall for USF’s upset special unlike Florida. They came in, got the early lead, stayed focus through the lightning delay, and then returned to finish them off. I don’t think I’ve seen a crane as a trophy head and Hurricanes can’t technically become a trophy, and Miami ensured it stayed that way.

4) PENN STATE

Penn State finally shaped up and took down their opponent like they’re supposed to. Whether there was a bad beat on the total, spread or whatever of that game, it means nothing as long as Penn State takes care of business properly. They rest before their big matchup with Oregon.

3) OREGON

Oregon had no problems at Northwestern. They carved them from the start and left nothing behind. They have yet to face stiff competition, but they’re doing what they’re supposed to against weaker competition. Penn State is only two weeks away.

2) LSU

LSU struggled early and it looked like Florida was going to drag the Tigers down with them after the Gators’ own blunders last week. Not happening and the defense ensured it. They forced a whopping five turnovers on poor quarterback DJ Lagway. LSU ran through three games without allowing 20 points. Their defense is indeed formidable.

1) OHIO STATE

Ohio definitely has a formidable team to compete for the MAC title again. For now, Ohio State made sure they didn’t succumb to an upset like West Virginia did. Julian Sayin and company made work of them in the second half. Did I forget to mention that Bo Jackson ran for 100-plus today. Yes, Bo Jackson (no relation).

HONORABLE MENTION

NICK VATTIATO

That kid is tough. I was very impressed with his poise in the fourth quarter. When it looked like Mid Tenn had nothing left, Vattiato put that team on his back and carried them (f***ing literally) to victory. His rushing yards looked miniscule due to sacks and TFL’s, but he literally led the team in rushing to catch Nevada’s defense off guard and cap off with 14 unanswered to win. It’s painful for me to witness, but I applaud Vattiato for his relentless effort👏🏾

WEST VIRGINIA

When Pat McAfee and Rich Rodriguez were talking about “Hard Edge”, I thought they were talking about the past. They lost to Ohio, so I didn’t believe it. But now after that overtime win against rival Pitt, I understand their true nature of “Hard Edge”. They may need a year or so, but this could hint into what the new West Virginia might become in Rich Rod’s second stint.

DREW MESTEMAKER

Just like Jake Retzlaff, I mentioned enough about Mestemaker to believe he could be the guy for North Texas. The former walk-on is playing like he was a three-star or higher quarterback. Him and North Texas clobbered the literal crap out of Washington State. The AAC talk surrounds USF, Tulane, Memphis, and Navy, but maybe they need to mention North Texas thanks to their walk-on.