The Hodgepodge: College Football Could Use a Redzone Channel, Kyle McCord Pulls Ahead in QB Competition, Pac-12 Has Eight Teams in Top 25, SEC Struggling Early

By Garrick Hodge on September 11, 2023 at 11:35 am
Pac-12
Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports
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Like Ryan Day, I find myself more and more aghast with college football’s new clock stoppage rules.

Following Ohio State’s 35-7 victory against Youngstown State Saturday, Day was perturbed the Buckeyes had run only 60 plays offensively and had nine possessions (not counting a running play with 25 seconds left), limiting the team’s scoring chances. 

Unlike Ohio State’s head coach, though, the angst from yours truly surrounding the rule created to intentionally shorten games in terms of plays run has nothing to do with a desire to give an offense more opportunities to inflate its point totals. The more alarming trend is the overall watchability of the sport.

Now, we’re not going to be too overdramatic. College football is still an incredible product and still a must-watch every Saturday. It’s just that it’s hard not to notice how much emphasis is being put on keeping advertisers happy when we have a made-only-for-TV sequence thrown right in our face when Youngstown State turns the ball over on downs with 25 seconds left in a 35-7 game. I don’t know who decided we need a three-minute TV timeout so we could all wait with bated breath for the Buckeyes to run one play and run out the clock, but they need to take a long look in the mirror.

Listen, none of us are immune to the ways of the world. We know that monetary decisions dictate the direction of nearly every business and college football is certainly not protected from that reality. But there’s a way where everybody wins. 

With the return of the NFL on Sunday, I indulged in watching the NFL RedZone channel for a bit, which is essentially a live highlight reel of games in progress with zero commercials and all football action while jumping between various games for seven glorious hours. The whole time I watched, I couldn’t help but think, what if college football had something like that? 

Yeah, there’d be complications. The NFL has 32 teams governed under the same umbrella, whereas by next year half of the general population won’t know what conference half the schools located on the West Coast are in now. There would be revenue-sharing wars to be waged from various conferences, Power Five or not. 

But there’s also money to be made. And if that’s a main driving force for all of the changes in the sport, why not go for something that would totally kick ass? 

Imagine settling in for a channel that showed you every touchdown, big play, interception and red zone series from a slate of 12 games beginning at noon, 16 that kicked off in the afternoon, and even more that kicked off in primetime. 

All without a single commercial. Hell, I’d pay a little extra for that. And I know a good chunk of you would too. You’re welcome for the idea, TV network executives. 

McCord establishes himself as QB1

Oh yeah, the Buckeyes played an actual game Saturday, didn’t they? Much as we expected all week, nothing utterly groundbreaking came from the 35-7 win that both felt like a domination of an overmatched opponent and also an unnecessary taffy pull. 

But if we’re being honest with ourselves, it’s probably fair to call the Buckeyes’ quarterback competition over until further notice. Kyle McCord displayed an improved poise and command of the offense from Week 1 to Week 2, completing 14 of 20 passes for 258 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

RELATED Kyle McCord Makes Clear Case to Remain Ohio State’s Starting Quarterback with Performance Against Youngstown State

Devin Brown also played and led OSU to a few scoring drives, going 7-of-13 for 101 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions while running for seven yards on six carries. With Brown, the tools for an elite player in the future are certainly there, as evidenced by his throw on the run to Gee Scott Jr. to convert on fourth down and an absolute laser to Carnell Tate for a significant gain in the second half. But he also missed several passes on crossing routes and overthrows and took a sack on 4th-and-goal instead of at least giving his wideouts a chance to make a play. 

Following Saturday’s win, it’s clear McCord is ahead of Brown in his progression at the moment. It could do wonders for the signal-caller’s confidence if Day named him the permanent starter at his press conference Tuesday, considering the Notre Dame game is less than two weeks away. 

Buckeye Spotlight of the Week: Defensive ends

Outside of Youngstown State’s opening drive on Saturday, Ohio State’s defense has been pretty impressive in an albeit small sample size in 2023. Despite the success, there’s been one eyebrow-raising development of Jim Knowles’ unit: The Buckeyes are only receiving a minimal amount of pressure generated by the team’s defensive ends, with no sacks recorded from any edge player this season. That seems somewhat puzzling, considering that group is stocked full of some of the most talented players on the roster and they’ve had the superior talent up front in both games on the line of scrimmage. 

A matchup with Western Kentucky presents another opportunity for Ohio State to create havoc defensively with a clear talent advantage, but the Hilltoppers certainly aren’t devoid of talent on the offensive side of the ball, especially under center. Quarterback Austin Reed is an established passer at the collegiate level, throwing for 4,746 yards and 40 touchdowns a year ago. In two games this season, he’s completing 67.5 percent of his passes averaging nearly 300 passing yards per game and has thrown six touchdowns to zero interceptions.

He’ll be the best passer by far the Buckeyes have seen so far, and while the secondary has performed well on its own for the most part, it would really benefit from a tenacious pass rush bolstered by the defensive ends. 

Pac-12 continues to flourish, SEC is down bad

The Pac-12 may cease to exist at the end of the year, but damn it, it’s going out with a bang. 

For the first time in conference history, eight of its teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 poll: USC (No. 5), Washington (8), Utah (12), Oregon (13), Oregon State (16), Colorado (18), Washington State (23) and UCLA (24). Through two weeks, the Pac-12 is 18-3 against out-of-conference opponents.

Eight of the league’s 12 teams are undefeated. Two of the Pac-12’s four losses have come in one-score games against SEC teams; Arizona State fell to Oklahoma State by two possessions and Stanford got dusted by USC, arguably the best offensive team in the country. The Pac-12 has never been more intriguing than it is right now, which makes its impending fate all the more perplexing. 

The SEC, on the other hand, has long been propped up as college football’s best conference. Through two weeks, that hasn’t been the case this year, with SEC teams starting 3-6 against Power Five opponents. 

South Carolina, Florida and LSU all lost by double digits in Week 1, while Alabama, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M each fell by at least 10 points in Week 2. The wins have come from Tennessee drubbing Virginia in Week 1 and Mississippi State and Auburn barely squeaking by two Pac-12 teams (Arizona and Cal) that were projected to finish in the bottom third of the standings. 

Looking long-term, it’ll of course be a shock if the SEC misses out on the CFP entirely, but as it stands, it’s hard to envision the conference earning two bids to the final four-team playoff unless Alabama, LSU or some other team not named Georgia can run the table.

Michigan State suspends Mel Tucker

By now, most of you have already read about what’s turned into the biggest college football story in the past 48 hours. 

Michigan State has suspended Mel Tucker without pay following an allegation that he sexually harassed sexual violence prevention educator Brenda Tracy in an April 2022 phone call. Exact details of Tracy’s allegation can be found in a thorough report by USA Today, but I’ll warn you, they’re disturbing and vividly depict alleged sexual harassment. 

The Hodgepodge was designed as a lighthearted column, so we’re not going to delve too deep into the waters of what MSU athletic director Alan Haller called an “active and ongoing” investigation Sunday. Yet, I also feel it would be a disservice to ignore it completely. So, I’ll share a few quick initial thoughts on the subject.  

  • Haller can call the matter ongoing all he wants, but it would be incredibly surprising if Tucker ever coached another game for the Spartans.
  • The university still needs to build back public trust following its heartbreaking mishandling of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse cases. MSU had no choice but to act swiftly.
  • Tucker signed a 10-year, $95 million extension after the 2021 season, which is fully guaranteed unless he’s fired for cause. Going to guess there will be a lengthy court battle between Tucker and the university assuming he’s eventually fired.   

What was fun and what was wacky about Week 2

Week 2 had a lot of things that were fun

  • Have to give credit where it’s due. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers absolutely carved up Alabama in the Longhorns’ 34-24 victory over the Crimson Tide, completing 24 of 38 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. On-field play aside, Ewers is still nearly unrecognizable without his famed mullet. 
  • Rice’s Luke McCaffrey made the catch of the week with this one-handed snag against Houston.
  • The term “college kickers” brings the stereotype of trusty field goal specialists often being less than reliable. But how about Ole Miss’ Caden Davis drilling a 56-yard field goal with just less than two minutes left to extend the Rebels’ lead to two scores and seal a win against Tulane?
  • Oh sure, you’ve heard of a turnover chain. But have you heard of Akron’s turnover tire?
  • After a thrilling overtime win against Arizona, Mississippi State coach Zach Arnett gets so excited he can’t help but swear on live television.
  • With mere seconds to go before halftime, Arizona executed a fake spike that resulted in a touchdown.
  • USC freshman wideout Zachariah Branch is one of two players in the FBS with a kickoff return and punt return touchdown this season. Branch has also become a key cog in USC’s high-powered offense.
  • Colorado continues to be all sorts of fun. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are electric and senior wideout Xavier Weaver has 288 receiving yards in two games. The Buffs have a bit of a breather this week in Colorado State, but have a put-up or shut-up two-game stretch against Oregon and USC coming after that.
  • Houston vs. Rice may have been the most entertaining game that not many people outside of the state of Texas watched. Rice took a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter, only for Houston to storm back with 28 unanswered points, including a game-tying touchdown with 21 seconds remaining. Rice finally prevailed after two overtimes, knocking off Houston 43-41. 
  • USC’s Caleb Williams has a shot of joining Archie Griffin as the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in college football history. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. has thrown for 400-plus yards in back-to-back weeks. Sanders in Colorado has nearly accomplished the same feat. Oregon’s Bo Nix had another standout performance and led a go-ahead drive against Texas Tech. The Pac-12 has some dudes that can sling it. 
  • Utah also has a signal-caller worthy of joining that group, but Cam Rising has missed the first two weeks due to injury. That looked like it was going to derail the Utes against Baylor, but somehow, someway, Utah scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes to win 20-13. But considering the final touchdown came with 23 seconds remaining, it’s kinda wild Baylor went 51 yards in two plays in 22 seconds to give the Bears a chance at the end zone from the Utah 22.

Week 2 had a lot of wacky things too

  • We have to bring up that Youngstown State muffed punt where absolute chaos ensued. What in the hell was that? 

  • Washington State pulls off a massive victory for its program by taking down Wisconsin, a team picked by some to win the Big Ten West, and WSU coach Jake Dickert immediately tries to use his postgame interview as a soft plea that the Cougars belong at the Power Five level somewhere. Hard not to feel bad for the guy. 
  • Speaking of Washington State, it’s very amusing that both the Cougars and Oregon State are ranked in the AP poll and yet both may get relegated to the Mountain West by default following the season. 
  • Maybe Texas’ defensive front is just the cream of the crop, but I cannot remember being this underwhelmed by Alabama’s quarterback and offensive line combination in a long time. 
  • This wide receiver needs a hug.
  • I don’t know what’s worse if you’re a Nebraska fan. Suffering close loss after close loss, or getting boat-raced by a former Big 12 rival.
  • A lightning strike temporarily took out North Carolina State’s video board and forced a 90-minute delay in their contest with Notre Dame. At least the jumbotron eventually got fixed, though we can’t say the same for the Wolfpack’s offense or defense.  
  • It’s never ideal to throw three interceptions in one game. But what about in one QUARTER? Hard to imagine a worse start for Arizona signal caller Jayden de Laura in a 31-24 road loss to Mississippi State. It’s also incredible the Wildcats turned the ball over five times in the contest and somehow only lost by a possession and forced overtime. 
  • Just as Caden Davis tried to dispel the “college kickers” stereotype, North Carolina kicker Ryan Coe was out here fueling it. In a tie game on the final play of regulation, Coe missed a kick wide left a second after Appalachian State coach Shawn Clark iced him by calling a timeout. The camera shifted to an exasperated Clark, who was filled with instant regret. Except Coe missed his second attempt wide left too, and had to have his team bail him out in double overtime.
  • Early nominee for most cringey and unnecessary thing said on air goes to this guy right here.
  • Jim Harbaugh spent his Saturday suspension helping with the chain gang at his son’s football game. 
  • If you stayed up watching Auburn against Cal as I did, you probably regretted either not going to bed earlier or at least doing something more productive with your evening.

Nepotism tracker 

Another week, another Iowa win scoring under 25 points despite the Hawkeye offense getting an assist from its defense with a pick-six.Brian Ferentz better pick it up if he wants to fulfill his contract of averaging 25 points per game and winning seven games to keep working for his father.

The goal: 325 points across 13 games, for an average of 25 points per game. 

Last game: Iowa 20, Iowa State 13. Ferentz even got an assist from the Hawkeyes’ defense who had a pick-six!

Points tallied this season: 44

If the season ended today: Iowa would finish averaging 22 points per game. The law firm of Ferentz and Ferentz would have to split up.

Up next: Iowa faces Western Michigan, who allowed 48 points in a 48-7 loss to Syracuse. 

Game of the Week

No. 6 Washington (2-0) vs. Michigan State (2-0), 5 p.m., Peacock

Season record: 1-2
Last week’s record: 0-2
My pick: Washington -16

Breakdown: We’re looking at slim pickings from Week 3’s slate, easily the worst of the year. It was either this or LSU vs. Mississippi State. Even though you’ll have to subscribe to Peacock to watch it, the suspension of Mel Tucker makes this matchup of undefeated teams all the more interesting, as dysfunction will hover over East Lansing all week with the direction of the program very much in flux. But even in an alternative universe where Tucker isn’t suspended, Micahel Penix Jr. has been nearly unstoppable for the Huskies, and it’s fair to expect a prolific passing attack to feast against the Spartans’ secondary.  

Hodgepodge team classifiers after Week 2

We love rankings just as much as anyone else here, but instead of a top 25, what if we break things down into separate team tiers instead? Like Top 25 ballots, these labels are sure to change frequently every week once more data presents itself – and also get roasted to no end. 

CFP contenders: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas, USC, Washington, Oregon, Utah

Better win out if you want to be in the CFP: LSU, Alabama

New Year’s Six Bowl contenders: Oregon State, Iowa, Kansas State, UCLA, Tennessee, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Miami

Fun Group of Five teams: Tulane, Fresno State, Toledo, Wyoming, Texas State, Jacksonville State, Western Kentucky, James Madison, Coastal Carolina

Could be a fun year for them: Colorado, Washington State, Kansas, Duke, Cincinnati, UCF, Minnesota, Maryland

Could be a long year for them: Texas Tech, Baylor, South Carolina, Nebraska, Arizona State, Florida, Clemson, Texas A&M, Stanford

Might be looking for a new coach at the end of the year: West Virginia, Boston College, Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan State

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