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Week 1 is done, and with it, we now have 100 percent more insight into this young college football season than before. Upsets, blowouts, overtimes, and an overwhelming inundation of advertisements characterized the week that was. I’ve assigned superlatives for the best of the best and worst of the worst in some of the most important categories for any given college football week, from best game to biggest embarrassment.
Best Game: Wyoming 35, Texas Tech 33 (2OT)
Texas Tech led, 17-0, at the end of the first quarter, but that was gone by the middle of the third period. Wyoming registered 20 unanswered points, which started with a 56-yard bomb of a field goal via kicker John Hoyland, to regain footing in the fixture. The Red Raiders missed three field goals, including one off the upright in the fourth quarter, but kicker Gino Garcia came through in the final minute of regulation with a 27-yarder to knot it all at 20.
Wyoming stared down the barrel at a 4th & 7 from the 11 in the second overtime. Unwilling to play it safe, the offense stayed on the field. While in the midst of a vicious hit, the Cowboys quarterback narrowly slung a perfect pass to John Michael Gyllenborg on a crossing route left open by the blitz to flip a near-catastrophe to pure ecstasy. The Red Raiders responded with a touchdown of their own but couldn’t complete the two-point conversion to match, and Wyoming picked up its second win over a power-conference opponent since 2009.
Before the start of the season, I predicted which games would be the best of each week of the year. I did not have Texas Tech at Wyoming tabbed as my game-to-watch, instead going for Florida State vs. LSU, which did deliver in the first half at least. But I’m big enough to admit I was wrong. On Saturday, Laramie was treated to a night many won’t soon forget (in a general sense – specific memories may be spotty, you know, for reasons).
Worst Game: BYU 14, Sam Houston State 0
To the more than 63,000 people who showed up in person to watch BYU and Sam Houston State combine for more punts than points: I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve this. This shouldn’t have happened to you. It’s not your fault.
The Bearkats and Cougars punted the ball to one another 19 times in 60 minutes of play – that works out to a punt approximately every 3 minutes and 16 seconds. It also surpassed the 14 points they mustered up, all BYU’s responsibility. Only eight of the game’s 27 possessions ended in some way other than a punt: three in interceptions, two on downs, and two by the end of the two halves rounded out the unsuccessful attempts. In all, more than 92 percent of all possessions ended in anything but a score.
If you’re a masochist, watch the highlights. If you’re a sadist, convince someone else to watch them. If you’re a BYU or Sam Houston State fan, forget that this ever happened and move on with your life as quickly as possible. It will shock you how much it never happened.
Most Improved: Colorado
Colorado has already matched its win total from the 2022 season.
The college football world is buzzing over Coach Prime and his Buffs after Colorado dispatched of No. 17 TCU in Fort Worth, 45-42, in a performance that at the least confirms that a repeat of last year is not in the cards. How much more it means than that is yet to be seen, but there’s no way Boulder runs back-to-back one-win conference slates.
Now the big question becomes: How good is Colorado? Quarterback Shedeur Sanders torched TCU for 510 yards and four touchdowns through the air, and CU’s receiving core looked outstanding. But the Buffs managed just 1.6 yards per rush and allowed the Horned Frogs to gash them for 541 total yards. Is this a bowl-caliber team? A contender for the Pac-12 title? A pretender that outlasted a paper tiger?
That fog will clear soon enough, but the baseline inquiry of improvement has already been answered.
Biggest Embarrassment: Butch Jones
The guy known for blaming his players and giving post-game quotes you can’t believe are actually coming out of the mouth of an FBS head coach is back at it again, and this time, he’s diverting responsibility for his team losing 73-0.
Arkansas State was not supposed to win in Norman, but any 73-point destruction, especially a shutout, will always be embarrassing. It seemed to be all too much for head coach Butch Jones to handle as he was visibly distraught on the sideline, one of his players consoling him as if their roles were reversed.
This is not a good look.
After the game, Jones doubled down on the not-so-good look, implying that the program’s players didn’t care before he took over as coach in 2021. The Red Wolves went to bowl games from 2011 through 2019 and won at least seven games in each of those seasons. They are now 5-20 under Jones. Something doesn’t add up.
It’s a deserved beating that Jones is taking in the aftermath of the annihilation. A once-proud program in Jonesboro is now hapless, and it’s apparently the fault of the unsalaried, amateur players.
Biggest Statement: Florida State
To do what the Seminoles did in the most hyped game of the week says something, and it’s why they now have a few voters convinced they’re the top team in the nation. After a tight first 40 minutes, Florida State put its foot down on LSU in Orlando, smothering the Tigers in the second half with 28 straight points to blow the game open, 45-24. The Noles came through in big moments, displayed adeptly by the discrepancy in late-down efficiencies: FSU was 9-of-14 on third down and 1-of-1 on fourth, while LSU converted on just 3-of-10 third-down tries and went 0-of-3 on the ultimate down.
Jordan Travis influenced five touchdowns as he led his offense to nearly 500 total yards, but he wasn’t the star of the show. It was wide receiver Keon Coleman, one of two Florida State wideouts to record more than 100 receiving yards on the night along with Johnny Wilson, who elevated above the rest. His nine receptions for 122 yards were crucial, including three scoring snags and a huge 41-yard catch in the middle of the third quarter with the score tied at 17 and his team needing some breathing room away from their own end zone.
Naturally, people will lambast LSU and Brian Kelly for the capitulation, because it’s fun and convenient. Such is the nature of college football. But don’t be too quick to jump down the throat of the losing party at the cost of praising excellence – Florida State put the nation on notice with how well it stayed focused down the stretch.
Biggest Upset: Duke 28, Clemson 7
Forget who overcame the biggest spread. This game has to be the choice.
The Tigers started their defense of the ACC title belt with a dud, making mistake after mistake to take themselves out of the game. Clemson lost two fumbles, threw one interception, turned the ball over on downs three times, and had two two field goal attempts blocked en route to amassing seven points. The offense moved the ball okay, but it’s tough to win when you convert on only one of four red zone opportunities. This was an authentic, gen-u-wine Clemson-ing, and boy, what a sight to behold.
Conversely, you have to acknowledge how giant this is for Duke. In my 20-plus years of watching college football, I cannot recall a single time when the Blue Devils did anything that approached this. It was Duke’s first victory over an AP top-10 team since 1989 after 28 straight failed attempts, and it’s the school’s first triumph over Clemson since 2004. It’s a dream start for the program and second-year head coach Mike Elko.
Duke is now ranked, and quarterback Riley Leonard and the Blue Devils are less likely to sneak up on anybody. But all of a sudden, the entire complexion of the ACC has changed, and we’ve only played one week.
Biggest Lesson: Commercials
You didn’t think those fat media rights contracts were paying for themselves, did you?
Less football, more advertising! It’s exactly what the people asked for. It’s what the coaches asked for, too. Just ask Chip Kelly.
In the offseason, the NCAA changed its rule regarding clock stoppages after first downs. Now, only in the last two minutes of each half does a first down initiate a time suspension while the chains are reset. Otherwise, only the sidelines and incompletions terminate the ticks.
The TV runtime for games has not altered, though. The game itself is moving faster, but the length it takes is not. That artificial void is now filled with something even faker – advertisements that inform us of all the wonderful products we should purchase to achieve happiness. I recall experiencing more happiness while watching college football before commercials outdid the game itself by a ratio of more than 3-to-1, but perhaps I’m not buying enough things to reap the full benefits of hyper-commercialization.
Best Meme: Montana State Trash Guy
It’s what we all love about college football: unfettered goofiness. It doesn’t get much goofier than some dude in Montana riding around the field inside a motorized trash can.
I have searched for greater context, but I have not found it. Is this something the Bobcats do? Who is this guy? What inspired the fusion of what appears to be a garbage can without the bottom and a modified mobility scooter? Do you have to tip it over to get out? And, most pressing, how would one acquire such a machine?
If anyone has the answers to these questions or can supply further information regarding the Montana State trash mystery, please reach me through appropriate means by hand delivering your message on a lawnmower rigged to a dumpster.
CFB FAQs
How are college football bowl games determined?
Only bowl-eligible teams are selected for College Football Bowls. At the NCAA Division I FBS level, the standard by which teams become available for selection in bowl games varies. For example, in 2018-19 season, the team had to have at least as many wins as overall losses. Wins against non-Division I teams do not count toward the number of wins.
How do you play college football pick'em pools?
Simply pick winners from the games each week selected by the Pool Commissioner, either straight up or against the spread. Whichever member has the most points at the end of the season wins
What is a football pool?
"Football Pool" is a broad term for a group of people competitively guessing the outcome of one or more football games. There are many types of formats, each assigning winners differently. They can be played informally between friends or through a more formalized system. They are often considered a great alternative to fantasy football given the ease of playing, although there are fantasy football pools as well.
How to run a football pool?
How you decide to run a football pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
How to play squares football pools?
Football squares are played by creating a grid, in which Team 1 takes the column and Team 2 the rows. In some cases, participants may claim as many squares as they like. In others, commissioners limit them to one. At the quarter times and end of the game, the winner is decided at the point the scores final digit intersect.
How do you setup a college football bowl pool?
To set up a college football bowl pool, you'll need to first choose if you will include all the games or specific ones. Then, you'll need to set the ground rules. As commissioner, you'll implement rules to ensure everything runs smoothly during the bowl games. Many use pool sites like RunYourPool to make the process easier.
What is a college football squares pool?
In a college football squares pool, a commissioner starts with a 10x10 grid of 100 squares (though commissioners decide to use smaller 5x5 pools). Members pick one or more squares in that grid. Winners are determined based on the score of each team after each quarter and at the end of the game.
How many squares in a football pool?
In a traditional football squares pool, a grid is sectioned off into 100 squares with 10 columns and 10 rows. This accounts for a direct relationship between each possible digit from 0 to 9 on both the X and Y axis. For smaller square grids like 5x5, multiple numbers can be assigned to each column and row.
How to read a football squares pool sheet?
In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.
How do you setup a college football bowl pool?
To set up a college football bowl pool, you'll need to first choose if you will include all the games or specific ones. Then, you'll need to set the ground rules. As commissioner, you'll implement rules to ensure everything runs smoothly during the bowl games. Many use pool sites like RunYourPool to make the process easier.
How do you win college football confidence bowl pool?
The winner of a college bowl confidence pool is the member with the most points after all games have ended. Members rank each game based on how confident they are in their pick (44 points = most confident, 1 point = least confident). For each game picked correctly, members receive the number of points they assigned.
What is a college football bowl confidence pool?
Players try to pick the winner of every bowl game, assigning a point value to each game. Picks are made "straight up," not using a point spread system. Members rank each game based on how confident they are (44 points = most confident, 1 point = least confident). A winner is determined by totalling the point values assigned to correctly picked games.
How do you setup a college football bowl pool?
To set up a college football bowl pool, you'll need to first choose if you will include all the games or specific ones. Then, you'll need to set the ground rules. As commissioner, you'll implement rules to ensure everything runs smoothly during the bowl games. Many use pool sites like RunYourPool to make the process easier.
How do you win college football bowl pick'em pool?
As you might expect, the player who selects the most bowl winners will win their pick'em pool. You can win your college football bowl pick'em pool by choosing winners wisely, based on past performance, player starting status and other "intangibles."
What is a college football bowl pick'em pool?
In a College Bowl Pick'em pool members attempt to pick the winner of every College Bowl game (or a subset of games determined by the Pool Commissioner). Picks are made using the point spread system or "straight up", as assigned by the Pool Commissioner.
