By JC Nevils
There were some surprises this past week, including an instant
classic and downright ugly performances. Let’s take a look at the
winners and losers from this past week.
Winners
1. Colorado
Saturday night, all eyes were on Deion Sanders and the Buffs
going up against hated rival Colorado State. In a barnburner that
ultimately went into double overtime, Colorado State seemed like it
would pull off the major upset. Shedeur Sanders ended that hope
with a 98-yard drive to tie the game and take it into OT, ultimately
winning the game in an instant classic. While Travis Hunter ended
up leaving the game with an injury, they now are undefeated, going
into a prime matchup with Oregon next week.
2. QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)
Daniels had himself a day this past weekend against
Mississippi State. The star QB went 30-34 for 361 yards, and two
touchdowns, while also adding 64 yards on the ground with another
two scores. Malik Nabers also had himself a great game, solidifying
his spot as one of the best WRs in the nation. I think it’s safe to say
he is back on track along with the rest of the team.
Losers
1. Colorado State and S Henry Blackburn
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While it ended up being a great game and an instant classic,
there were also a lot of negatives. It started at the beginning of the
week with Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell taking shots at
Coach Prime. When game time arrived, the tension was already at a
high, starting in pre-game warmups with both teams getting into a
scuffle.
That led right into the game with ugly play all first half with
numerous personal foul penalties on both teams. The most egregious
play of the night, though, was made by Colorado State Safety Henry Blackburn, who hit Travis Hunter with a cheap shot to the gut, ultimately leading him to the hospital with an internal injury.
That says a whole lot about him and the team, who were obviously
targeting players all game, especially the stars. While he did get a
penalty, he deserved no less than an ejection and maybe even a
suspension. Long story short, do better, Colorado State.
2. Tennessee
Coming into this game, Tennessee had not won in the
swamp since 2003. Not winning at a place for two decades can do a
lot to your mental makeup, no matter how good your team is. With
that being said, Tennessee obviously had the better roster, but they
got outplayed in every phase of the game.
While there were a lot of questionable penalties, that just cannot
happen. Especially in year three, coming off an 11-win season going
up against a second-year coach, who only won six games prior. Even
worse, the game ended with both teams fighting, which looked worse
on Tennessee’s part. The Vols need a major wake-up call, and maybe
this game was it.
3. Alabama Backup QBs
All spring and summer, Alabama had the biggest QB battle
of them all going on. Ultimately, Jalen Milroe won the job. He
played well up until the Texas game, in which he made some throws,
but not enough for Nick Saban’s liking as they eventually lost, which
led to Milroe also losing his starting job.
Going into the USF game this past week, Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner got his shot to see what he could do as he started the game.
That didn’t last long, as he went 5 for 14 with 34 yards in five drives, gaining a total of 78 yards and ending in five punts. He was benched
for Ty Simpson, who had a little more success, but not by a lot. He
ended the game going 5 for 9 for 73 yards. They ended up winning 17-3,
but simply put, it was a pitiful day for Alabama’s standards. Had the
defense not stepped up, it could have been a completely different
outcome.
Recently, Saban named Milroe the starter once again for the Ole
Miss game, which probably is the best-case scenario. Given the
backup situation as it is, they certainly need him to stay there.
