Week 6 Top 25

Did the SEC get exposed this week, or did they showcase their top to bottom strength? Regardless, we now have 4 SEC teams in our Top 10, the most of any conference – but, only 1 other in the 25! Oklahoma rejoined us this week as well as new entrants BC, Tulsa and NC State. Will any of these newcomers stick around? Let us know in the replies, forums and on Twitter @Sidelines_SN!

Note: We are currently only ranking teams set to play the following weekend. Thus, we are not yet including the Big Ten, Pac 12, MWC or MAC.

Top 25

1Clemson (16)448
2Alabama (1)428
3Georgia (1)419
4Notre Dame393
5Oklahoma State358
6Cincinnati355
7North Carolina351
8BYU303
9Florida277
10Texas A&M265
11Miami (FL)251
12SMU250
13Louisiana203
14Tennessee198
15Kansas State194
16Iowa State192
17Auburn181
18Virginia Tech140
19Marshall138
20Coastal Carolina79
21UCF70
22NC State65
23Oklahoma55
24Tulsa50
25Boston College45

Others Receiving Votes:

West Virginia28
UAB21
Army20
Texas13
LSU10
TCU10
Pittsburgh9
Liberty7
San Diego State7
Memphis4
Houston4
Iowa2
Kentucky2
Arkansas2
MIssouri2
Appalachian State1

Be sure to let us know what you think in the Forums and on Twitter @Sidelines_SN!!!

Week 5 Top 25

Two blood weeks in a row? We knew this College Football season would be different, but boy are we getting a show this year. Many thought there couldn’t be any bigger shakeups than last weeks poll, but this has been our most tumultuous week yet. We have teams like Coastal Carolina making their first appearance (above UCF, no less) and both OU and Miss State fall out of the poll (’twas a very short stay for Mike Leach’s bulldogs).

Let us know what you think in the replies, the forums and on Twitter @Sidelines_SN!

Note: We are only ranking teams that plan to play the next week. This means no Big Ten, Pac 12, MWC or MAC yet.

Top 25

1Clemson (13)517
2Alabama (6)507
3Florida471
4Georgia (1)463
5Notre Dame429
6Miami (FL)426
7Oklahoma State366
8North Carolina359
9Cincinnati357
10BYU335
11Tennessee315
12Virginia Tech260
13SMU234
14Auburn230
15Louisiana179
16LSU163
17Iowa State151
18Kansas State137
19Texas107
20TCU106
21Marshall96
22Texas A&M89
23Coastal Carolina (1)82
24UCF73
25Pittsburgh49

Others Receiving Votes:

Tulsa47
Mississippi State38
UAB31
Army24
West Virginia23
Oklahoma22
Memphis17
Louisville13
Appalachian State12
Ole Miss9
Virginia5
Baylor4
Arkansas4

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Big 12 Power Rankings: Week 3

By Andrew Sheridan, @SidelinesKState

Image Credit: David Stacy | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Big 12 returned this past weekend in full force as all ten teams took the field for the first time in the same weekend this season. Coming off of two questionable weeks of non-conference play, conference-play started with a bang as the #3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners fell at the hands of K-State for the second straight season, this time in Norman. I mean, what more could you ask for to start a wild season in a wild conference? Elsewhere around the Big 12, Iowa State took care of business as they gave a visit to TCU in Ft. Worth. Max Duggan saw the field in the second half of that game, but wasn’t able to produce quite enough to make the difference the Horned Frogs needed. In Stillwater, the Cowboys handed West Virginia their first loss of the season as Shane Illingworth grabbed his first start at QB for Oklahoma State. Further south, Texas traveled to the land of tortillas where they were upse… wait, Tech blew their 15 point lead with two minutes to go? Seriously?! Alright, let’s try this again. Further south, Texas traveled to the land of tortillas and snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat coming back from 15 down to grab the win in overtime! Finally, in Waco, Baylor opened their season against a FCS squ… hold on a minute. Baylor played Kansas. So yeah, Baylor opened their season against a FCS squad and handled them to start with a win.

10) Kansas Jayhawks | 0-2 (0-1) | Last Week: 8/8

Image Credit: Jerry Larson | Waco Tribune Herald via AP

Last Game: @ Baylor, 14-47 L

To nobody’s surprise, Kansas lands in last place once again. The Jayhawks were able to score first against the Bears but weren’t able to find the endzone again until mid-fourth quarter, but by that time, Baylor had already scored forty straight points. Pooka Williams scored both of the Jayhawks’ touchdowns on a pair of runs that went for 16 and 21 yards. Outside of those runs/scores, Pooka only carried the ball twelve other times for a combined 39 yards. Once again, the Kansas coaching staff failed to utilize their strongest asset in Pooka Williams as much as they should have. Pooka only received 12 carries in game one which he turned into 67 yards. Kansas will need to rely more on Pooka throughout the season if they hope to have more success on offense. Defensively, the Jayhawks looked mediocre at best as Charlie Brewer and Co. went for 34 points offensively. Finally, the Kansas special teams unit needs lots of work as they allowed two returns for touchdowns this past weekend. Kansas must improve all the way around if they have any hope at even winning a game throughout the season.

Next Game: vs. #17 Oklahoma State – Oct. 3 | 2:30 PM | ESPN

9) West Virginia Mountaineers | 1-1 (0-1) | Last Week: 3/8

Image Credit: WVU Football

Last Game: @ Oklahoma State, 13-27 L

West Virginia opened their Big 12 slate with a loss to Oklahoma State for the 6th straight year. Relatively, the Mountaineers kept the score pretty close. The offense was able to move the ball but unfortunately had difficulty pointing points on the board. The Mountaineers actually outgained the Cowboys and won the game in nearly every category except rushing yards and the most important category: points scored. Jarret Doege tossed the ball around nicely for the Mountaineers accounting for 285 yards through the air and a touchdown. Running back Leddie Brown also surpassed the 100 yard mark for the 2nd straight game as he rushed for 104 yards. The Mountaineer defense showed a heavy weakness when it came to defending the run. West Virginia allowed 203 yards on the ground on Saturday with 103 of those yards coming from LD Brown including a 66-yard TD run in the second quarter. Chuba Hubbard tacked on another 101 yards for the Cowboys. West Virginia will need to improve all around as a team if they hope to compete with a strong-looking Baylor team who just whipped Kansas to start their season.

Next Game: vs. Baylor – Oct. 3 | 11:00 AM

8) TCU | 0-1 (0-1) | Last Week: Unranked

Image Credit: Brandon Wade | AP

Last Game: vs. Iowa State, 34-37 L

TCU with Max Duggan versus TCU without Max Duggan are two entirely different teams. QB Matthew Downing started the game for the Horned Frogs and while he didn’t necessarily have a bad game, he didn’t look great either. Downing threw for 159 yards on 21 attempts while only connecting on 11 of those. Downing also finished the game with 11 carries for -1 yard, so that’s not great. Despite a very mediocre offensive performance in the first half, TCU only entered the half down nine to the Cyclones. Max Duggan took over the Horned Frog offense in the second half. Almost immediately, the offense flowed better and simply looked more comfortable. Duggan finished with 241 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception on 19 attempts. Unfortunately for the offense, the defense wasn’t able to secure the same momentum and allowed three scores in the second half. On the bright side, Brock Purdy did have a great toss straight to La’Kendrick Van Zandt for a 24 yard fumble return. TCU travels to Austin to take on the Longhorns next weekend in what should be a fantastic duel between Sam Ehlinger and Max Duggan.

Next Game: @ #9 Texas – Oct. 3 | 11:00 AM | FOX

7) Texas Tech | 1-1 (0-1) | Last Week: 7/8

Image Credit: John E. Moore III | Getty Images

Last Game: vs. Texas, 56-63(OT) L

To be completely honest with you, I thought there was no way Texas Tech would even remotely compete in this game following the performance we saw against Houston Baptist. However, I am happy to admit that I was very wrong. Texas Tech should have won this game, but a ferocious 15 point comeback by the Longhorns with two minutes remaining took away the opportunity for the Red Raiders to start 2-0 and 1-0 in conference play. Once again, Texas Tech’s downfall was their defense, who allowed 63 points as well as 262 passing yards and 214 rushing yards. Tech also had issues with turnovers as Alan Bowman threw 3 interceptions, including a crucial interception just before halftime that led to a Texas touchdown. Despite the three interceptions, Alan Bowman still had a great game as he threw for over 330 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tech RB SaRodorick Thompson ran for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the Red Raider offense put up 56 on the Longhorn defense. Texas Tech travels to Manhattan this week to face a K-State team coming off their first AP Top 3 road win in school history.

Next Game: @ Kansas State – Oct. 3 | 2:30 PM | FS1

6) Iowa State | 1-1 (1-0) | Last Week: 6/8

Image Credit: Tim Heitman | USA Today Sports

Last Game: @ Baylor, 14-47 L

Two weeks following a disappointing season-opening loss to Louisiana, Iowa State began Big 12 play with a hard-fought victory over TCU. Offensively, Iowa State looked settled behind veteran QB Brock Purdy and breakout RB Breece Hall. Hall had a fantastic game as he ran for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns on only 18 carries. Brock Purdy threw for 211 yards and a touchdown with only 5 incompletions but did toss a fumble straight to a TCU defender resulting in a Horned Frog touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cyclones looked shaky, especially in the second half when Max Duggan entered the game, as they allowed 400 passing yards. Iowa State’s rush defense did well though as they only allowed 99 yards on 44 attempts, resulting in about 2.3 yards per carry. Iowa State did enough to grab their first victory of the season, but will need to put together a stronger performance next week as they host an angry Oklahoma team if they hope to grab win number two.

Next Game: vs. #18 Oklahoma – Oct. 3 | 6:30 PM | ABC

5) Oklahoma Sooners | 1-1 (0-1) | Last Week: 2/8

Image Credit: Sue Ogrocki

Last Game: vs. Kansas State, 35-38 L

What is it about Chris Klieman and K-State? For the second straight year, Oklahoma was out-coached and outplayed by the Wildcats. Last season, K-State jumped to a big lead in the second half and the Sooners nearly made the comeback only to fall short on a controversial onside kick. This season, the Sooners looked to be easily in control leading by as much as 21 with two minutes left in the 3rd quarter. So what happened? Spencer Rattler looked strong and comfortable to start the game, throwing 17/19, 181 yards, and 3 touchdowns in the first half. He looked a bit uncomfortable as K-State put more pressure on him which caused some loose and inaccurate throws. Rattler finished the game with 387 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions including the game-sealing interception on Oklahoma’s final drive. Oklahoma once again came away with 0 takeaways in the game, causing more frustration among the coaches and fans. Oklahoma travels to Ames this weekend in hopes of righting the ship and putting themselves back in the win column, but Iowa State is always a tough test, so Rattler will need to remain composed from beginning to end.

Next Game: @ Iowa State – Oct. 3 | 6:30 PM | ABC

4) Baylor Bears | 1-0 (1-0) | Last Week: Unranked

Image Credit: Jerome Miron | USA Today Sports

Last Game: vs. Kansas, 47-14 W

Five cancellations later, Baylor finally opened their 2020 season with a dominant win over the Jayhawks. Trestan Ebner put on a show for the Bears as he had not one but two kick-returns for touchdowns along with two more touchdowns. His first score came from the goal-line on a one yard touchdown run. Ebner didn’t stop there though, as late in the second quarter, Ebner brought in an 18-yard pass from Brewer for six. During the second half, Ebner would return two kickoffs for touchdowns, including one that went for 100 yards! Overall, the Bears looked comfortable as they began play here in 2020. Baylor did not outgain Kansas by great amounts (352 to 328 total yards), but Baylor’s 3rd down defense was on fire as they were able to hold Kansas to only 4 3rd-down conversions on 16 attempts. Baylor travels to Morgantown this weekend to face West Virginia in what should hopefully be a better test of what Baylor is capable of. Can first year coach Dave Aranda start his tenure 2-0 with wins against the Jayhawks and Mountaineers?

Next Game: @ West Virginia – Oct. 3 | 11:00 AM | ABC

3) Kansas State Wildcats | 1-1 (1-0) | Last Week: 5/8

Image Credit: Kevin Jairaj | USA Today Sports

Last Game: @ Oklahoma, 38-35 W

Last Friday, K-State officials were unsure the Wildcats would even be able to travel and play against the Sooners due to many players being out for COVID reasons. Thankfully for the Wildcats, they were able to put together a roster and traveled to Norman. Against all odds, the Wildcats upset a top-5 Oklahoma team for the second straight season. Oklahoma led 35-14 late in the 3rd quarter and looked to be in full control of the contest, but after a couple big plays, including a 78 yard pass to Justin Garnder to set up a Wildcat touchdown, K-State was on the comeback trail. Following that score which cut the lead to 35-21, the Wildcats defense forced a Sooner fumble which led to another K-State touchdown. Once again, K-State’s defense came in clutch as they forced a punt which AJ Parker would end up blocking to set the Wildcats up with great field position. Kicker Blake Lynch would later make a career long 50-yard field goal to take the lead and the win. Senior QB Skylar Thompson came up with one of his best performances yet throwing for 334 yards, a touchdown, and running for 3 more scores. True freshman RB Deuce Vaughn ran for 45 yards and a touchdown as well as hauled in 4 receptions for 129 yards. K-State put together one of the best team efforts we have seen in this young season, and the Wildcats will hope to use this momentum to carry them through the rest of their Big 12 schedule.

Next Game: vs. Texas Tech – Oct. 3 | 2:30 PM | FS1

2) Texas Longhorns | 2-0 (1-0) | Last Week: 1/8

Image Credit: USATSI

Last Game: @ Texas Tech, 63-56(OT) W

Sam Ehlinger led the comeback for the Longhorns with two touchdowns in the final three minutes of regulation last Saturday as Texas came back from 15 down to send the game to overtime. Ehlinger would connect with Joshua Moore for the second time that game in overtime to put Texas ahead. Sam Ehlinger finished the game with 5 touchdowns, 262 yards, and an interception on 40 attempts. It was a miraculous finish for the Longhorns as the game looked all but over after Texas Tech scored a 75 yard touchdown run with 3:13 left in the fourth quarter. Cameron Dicker had one of the most perfect onside kicks you’ll ever see late in this game to contribute to the comeback. Quite honestly, I’m still not sure how Texas managed to win this game. This game had to have hurt badly for Tech fans and can’t have felt great for Longhorn fans either. Yes, Texas won, but boy did they look exposed and mediocre doing it. Texas hosts TCU next weekend in what will likely be Max Duggan’s first start of the season. TCU upset the Longhorns a year ago. Will Texas get revenge or can TCU do it again?

Next Game: vs. TCU – Oct. 3 | 11:00 AM | FOX

1) Oklahoma State Cowboys | 2-0 (1-0) | Last Week: 4/8

Image Credit: Oklahoma State Athletics

Last Game: vs. West Virginia, 27-13 W

LD Brown opened the scoring for the Cowboys last Saturday as he raced 66 yards down the field for the opening score of the game. The Oklahoma State defense would make it 14 only two minutes later as they returned a Mountaineer fumble 56 yards for six. Shane Illingworth started his first career game as Spencer Sanders was still out due to the injury he picked up last week. Illingworth performed well in his debut start throwing for 139 yards on 21 attempts. The name of the game for the Cowboys on Saturday was their ground game as both LD Brown and Chuba Hubbard went for over 100 yards each. Chuba remains as Oklahoma State’s primary back but still hasn’t quite come to be what we knew him as last year. Chuba will need to have another strong year this year if the Cowboys hope to run the table and win the Big 12 especially if QB Spencer Sanders isn’t at 100% with his health. The Cowboys should have no issues next week as they travel to Lawrence, but beware, the Cowboys have struggled against Kansas before, and Kansas is still looking for win number one!

Next Game: @ Kansas – Oct. 3 | 2:30 PM | ESPN

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40 Years in the Making

By Kenny van Doren (@SidelinesCuse)

The NBA Finals are finally around the corner. The scene is set; Lakers vs. Heat. The lucky thing for Syracuse fans is that for the first time in 40 years a former Orange hooper will win a ring. That player is Dion Waiters. 

Dion played at Syracuse for two years averaging 9.7 pts, 1.9 rb, and 2 ast. He was not the huge standout that you may have thought he was, but he led a Syracuse team to the Elite Eight in his second year. Dion ended up going 4th overall to the Cavs and since then he’s jumped around from the Thunder, to the Heat and now finally a Laker. 

Dion is already an NBA Finals Champion, because he played for the Heat earlier this season. The last player to be in this situation was Anderson Varejão in 2016-2017, when he went from Cleveland to Golden State. 

Dion is only the fourth former Orange to make it the NBA Finals. Marty Byrnes was a bench player for the 1980 LA Lakers – they ended up beating the Philadelphia 76ers. Dennis Duval was a bench player for the 1975 Washington Bullets, and they ended up losing to the Golden State Warriors. Duval later became the city of Syracuse’s Police Chief. Lastly, Bill Gabor was a role player for the 1954 Syracuse Nationals that lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in 7 games.

Dion’s Wikipedia page already says this:

However, don’t expect much from Dion in the Finals. If we see the “Philly Cheese,” the Lakers must be blowing out the Heat in game 5. Either way, we’ll be happy to see a former Orange win a ring!

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Week 4 Top 25

Chaos week already? Week 3 brought many sacrifices as the Sooners got their hearts eaten out by Wildcats and defending champions LSU felt the full fury of Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense. Other shake ups happened across the board as Miami made a statement with a blowout against rival FSU and both Georgia and Tennessee scraped past potential upsets.

Without further ado, below is our updated Top 25. Let us know what you think in the Forums or on Twitter at @Sidelines_SN!

Note: Our policy is to only rank conferences that are playing or plan on playing the next week. Thus, the Big Ten, Pac 12, MWC and MAC are still out of our rankings.

1Clemson (16)471
2Alabama (2)402
3Florida384
4Notre Dame362
5Miami (FL)344
6Georgia334
7UCF315
8Texas306
9Auburn300
10Cincinnati262
11North Carolina248
12Oklahoma State232
13Oklahoma210
14Mississippi State179
15BYU168
16Pittsburgh164
17Texas A&M161
18Louisiana152
19Memphis134
20Virginia Tech129
21Tennessee127
22LSU87
23Kansas State (1)76
24Marshall64
25Baylor61

Others receiving votes:

SMU57
Army44
Louisville28
Appalachian State23
Kentucky18
Tulsa16
Virginia14
West Virginia12
Arkansas State9
Purdue9
Georgia Tech8
Iowa State7
Coastal Carolina6
UAB5
Ole Miss5
UTSA5
Boston College4
Houston1
UTEP1

Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the forums or on Twitter @Sidelines_SN!

Big 12 Power Rankings: Week 2

By Andrew Sheridan

Image Credit: Brian Bahr | Getty Images

This past weekend saw only one Big 12 team in action: the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Oklahoma State’s matchup was a rematch of last year’s Cowboy victory over the Golden Hurricanes of Tulsa. Coming into the season, expectations were high for the Pokes as star running back Chuba Hubbard, star receiver Tylan Wallace and quarterback Spencer Sanders all returned for action. Unfortunately, the Cowboys we saw on Saturday looked nothing like the Cowboys we were told to expect this season. Spencer Sanders left for the locker room early in the game after suffering an ankle injury. In the meantime, Tulsa defended the run well holding Heisman hopeful Hubbard to 93 yards on 27 carries. Fortunately, the Cowboys found a way to move the ball and overcome a sturdy Tulsa test late in their contest.So where does Oklahoma State’s poor performance land them in their first appearance in the Big 12 Power Rankings? Let’s find out!

NOTE: This ranking list will only include teams who have played so far this season.

8) Kansas Jayhawks | 0-1

Image Credit: KU Football

Last Game: vs. Coastal Carolina, 23-38 L

Coastal Carolina took on Campbell in their matchup last week. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, Campbell scored more points in the first half against the Chanticleers only trailing 9-21 at the break compared to KU’s 3-28. By the end of the game though, Coastal looked more similar to the team we saw perform against Kansas. After taking a week off, the Jayhawks see no movement from being the cellar dwellers of the Big 12.

Next Game: @ Baylor, 9/26

7) Texas Tech Red Raiders | 1-0

Image Credit: Jason Davis

Last Game: vs. Houston Baptist, 35-33 W

The Red Raiders are still undefeated, but even with that, they are on a very slim margin between 7th and 8th place in these rankings.Their lone game of the season, a win against Houston Baptist, looks worse by the day. As we knew last week, Tech beat a Houston Baptist team who had previously already been blown out by North Texas. Well, that looks even worse now because in Week 3, North Texas saw SMU go off for 65 points on them. Texas Tech is on thin ice, and quite honestly, they are going to need a miracle if they stand any chance against Texas.

Next Game: vs. Texas, 9/26

6) Iowa State Cyclones | 0-1

Image Credit: USATSI

Last Game: vs. Louisiana, 14-31 L

Iowa State’s first opponent, Louisiana, found themselves another challenge in Week 3. Georgia State took Louisiana to overtime before falling 31-34. Once again, this brings back a more negative look for the Big 12 team who under performed in the previous week. Iowa State sees no movement a week after falling to the Ragin Cajuns’.

Next Game: @ TCU, 9/26

5) Kansas State Wildcats | 0-1

Image Credit: Charlie Riedel | AP

Last Game: vs. Arkansas State, 31-35 L

Arkansas State’s Week 3 game against Central Arkansas was postponed, so K-State’s loss has no Week 3 comparison. As it currently stands, the Wildcats’ game against Oklahoma is currently in danger of postponement due to COVID issues with the Wildcats. K-State was missing 35 players for their game against Arkansas State. Since then, 12 players have been able to return, but 10 other players have had to quarantine. With that, the Wildcats are currently without 33 players. Other information on who the players are or what positions they play is unknown.

Next Game: @ Oklahoma, 9/26

4) Oklahoma State Cowboys | 1-0

Photo Credit: Rob Ferguson | USA Today Sports

Last Game: vs. Tulsa, 16-7 W

Chuba Hubbard’s streak of 11-straight 100+ yard games was snapped this past weekend as Tulsa was able to hold the Heisman hopeful to only 93 yards on 27 carries. Throughout the game, the Golden Hurricanes found themselves stacking the box defensively as there was simply no aerial threat from the Cowboys. Starting QB Spencer Sanders left the game early due to injury and was replaced by Junior QB Ethan Bullock who produced 41 passing yards on 8 completions (13 attempts), 0 touchdowns and an interception. Bullock was replaced by Freshman QB Shane Illingworth in the 4th quarter who immediately made an impact and produced a game-winning drive. Illingworth finished with 4 completions on 5 attempts for 74 yards. Star WR Tylan Wallace produced an optimistic amount of yards given his limited attempts, bringing in 4 receptions for 94 yards, including a beautiful snag during the go-ahead scoring drive. The Cowboy defense looked strong and tough against an improved Tulsa offense led by QB Zach Smith, who had an impressive day throwing for 166 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboy defense continually made stops throughout the game though to limit Tulsa to only one touchdown. Oklahoma State’s underwhelming performance earned them the number 4 spot in our rankings list. The Cowboys host our next team, the West Virginia Mountaineers, this coming weekend.

Next Game: vs. West Virginia, 9/26

3) West Virginia Mountaineers | 1-0

Image Credit: William Wotring | WVU Football

Last Game: vs. Eastern Kentucky, 56-10 W

West Virginia retains the #3 ranking for this week after Oklahoma State’s poor performance last weekend. Though their opponents’ strength levels were not nearly the same, West Virginia still looked light-years better than the Cowboys did, and that’s why the easily hang onto the #3 spot. However, this coming weekend will certainly tell us who is the better team as the Mountaineers and Cowboys face off head-to-head.

Next Game: @ Oklahoma State, 9/26

2) Oklahoma | 1-0

Image Credit: Sue Ogrocki | AP

Last Game: vs. Missouri State, 48-0 W

The Sooners are looking ahead to their matchup this coming weekend as they seek revenge against the Wildcats for their lone Big 12 loss from last season. Though we hope we are wrong, the Sooners may have to wait a little longer for payback as the Wildcats are struggling with numbers right now from COVID-19.

Next Game: vs. Kansas State, 9/26

1) Texas | 1-0

Image Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell | American Statesman

Last Game: vs. UTEP, 59-3 W

There isn’t much to say here except that we can more clearly see the difference between a FBS and FCS team. UTEP is now 2-1 on the season. Both of those wins came over FCS schools; meanwhile, UTEP’s lone FBS opponent so far this season (Texas) put up 59 on them and allowed only 3 points. Texas remains in the top spot for at least another week. Can they hold onto this position after this weekend?

Next Game: @ Texas Tech, 9/26

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“Did You Know?” Week Three Recap

By Hunter Martinez-Buehrer (Sidelines_OU)

Week 3 has come and gone as quickly as Week 2. We had a few cancelled games such as Baylor vs. Houston and BYU vs. Army. However, the games that were played this week did give us enough to feed our appetite for college football, and with that comes a lot more facts that you may or may not have heard about. So without further ado, here is our “Did You Know” segment of the week.

Did You Know? Oklahoma State vs Tulsa

Oklahoma State RB Chubba Hubbard’s 11 game streak of 100+ yards in a game was snapped on Saturday in the Cowboys 16-7 win over Tulsa.

This game was less than ideal for #11 Oklahoma State, as they struggled throughout the entire 60 minutes against in-state opponent Tulsa. The Cowboys’ struggles began in the 1st quarter, with QB Spencer Sanders leaving the game early with what appeared to be a right ankle injury. His replacement was Ethan Bullock, a JUCO transfer (City College of San Francisco). While Bullock was in, the Cowboys did not score once, which prompted Coach Gundy to put in true freshman Shane Illingworth in the 3rd quarter. Illingworth on his first drive threw 2 long passes to Tylan Wallace for 24 yards and 36 yards respectively to get the Cowboys in scoring position, where Hubbard scored on a 3 yard run. Illingworth was on the field for 3 drives, and each drive the Cowboys scored, however the other two ended in field goals. The Cowboy defense was enough to hold off Tulsa most of the game, holding the Golden Hurricanes to 278 total yards (which is actually 1 more total yard than OK State!). The offense for Tulsa was hurting though, as their #1 RB, Shamari Brooks, did not play after suffering a torn ACL on Tuesday, which was a major blow to the offense. Pair that with the Golden Hurricanes going 0-12 on 3rd downs and it just spells a recipe for disaster. Overall, it was not a good game for both teams. The subject of this “Did You Know”, Chubba Hubbard, only averaged 3.4 yards that day and had 93 yards in total. This snapped his 11 game streak of 100+ yards rushing, dating back to Week 2 of the 2019 season. The Cowboys next game is next week vs. 1-0 West Virginia, and the Golden Hurricanes next game is next week @ Arkansas State.

Did You Know? Marshall vs Appalachian State

The Marshall Thundering Herd won their first game against a ranked opponent since 2003, and their first win over a ranked opponent at home since 1976.

Photo by Adam Gue

What a win for The Thundering Herd. This is Marshall’s first win vs. a ranked opponent since upsetting #6 Kansas State on the road in 2003 and their first win against a ranked opponent at home since 1976 when they beat #20 Miami (OH). The key players for the Herd in this match up were QB Grant Wells and RB Brenden Knox, as well as the entire defense. Wells was 11/25 with 163 yards and an INT in the air, and had 43 rushing yards and a touchdown on 6 carries on the ground. Knox had 138 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown on the ground as well. The defense for Marshall also stepped up big when needed, forcing an interception in the first half on a promising drive for the Mountaineers, and a fumble in the 4th quarter on what would have been a touchdown if it had not been for Brandon Drayton of The Herd, who punched it out of the hands of Mike Evans of App State, and was recovered in the end zone by Nazeeh Johnson. App State also had a costly missed field goal late in the fourth. Had it not been for these two mishaps, the Mountaineers would have the game all tied up at 17.

The offense for App State just couldn’t find its rhythm on the ground either, being held to just 96 rushing yards one week after gaining more than 300 rushing yards against Charlotte. Marshall’s offense this year has not skipped a beat, outscoring opponents 76-7 this year, and today showed the strength of the defense against a very good App State team. Marshall has the next few weeks off, and if a game isn’t rescheduled (such as the Rice or East Carolina game) then we will see them in action again October 10th vs. 0-2 Western Kentucky. App State is in action next week looking to rebound against the 0-2 Campbell Fighting Camels.

Did You Know? UCF vs Georgia Tech

UCF QB Dillon Gabriel had a career day, throwing 4 TD’s and 417 yards, which is tied for 7th most yards thrown in a single game in UCF history. The Knights won 49-21  over Georgia Tech.  

Photo by Hyosub Shin

Oh man, what a day it was for Dillon Gabriel. He went 27/41 with 471 yards and 4 TD’s, along with 1 INT. He also had 8 rushes for 30 yards on the ground. This helped the Knights charge on to victory in Atlanta vs. a Georgia Tech team coming off a massive win at Florida State. The UCF offense in total had a whopping 660 total yards, which far outdid anything the Yellow Jackets could muster. The Knights started out the game strong, taking a 21-7 lead in the 2nd quarter, but the Yellow Jackets came closing in, cutting the lead down to 7 in the 4th quarter after both teams went scoreless in the 3rd. This is when Gabriel and the Knights really put it into gear, scoring 3 touchdowns on 3 drives in the 4th while holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless after the initial touchdown early on in the 4th. While Dillon Gabriel was the big name this week, I think the defense of UCF cannot be forgotten. They forced not 1, not 2, but 5 turnovers the entire game! The biggest two in my opinion were the two final offensive drives by Georgia Tech, which were an interception and a fumble respectively. This killed any momentum Tech may have had, and allowed UCF to build on their lead. This win was actually UCF’s first-ever win against Georgia Tech, and I don’t think either fan base will be forgetting this one for a long time. The Knights next game will be next week @ East Carolina, while the Yellow Jackets next game will be next week @ Syracuse.

Did You Know? Navy vs Tulane

Navy’s 27-24 comeback win against Tulane was the largest 2nd-half comeback in school history.

Photo by Chris Graythen

Who could have seen this coming? The Midshipmen were trounced last week 55-3 against BYU and Tulane was coming off a comeback win of their own against South Alabama. Here’s the crazy thing; Tulane’s win last week also ended with a score of 27-24. What a case of deja vu for the Green Wave, and one they did not want to experience. The game really looked like another blow out, until Midshipmen Defenseman Cameron Kinley intercepted the ball at the Navy 3 yard line, preventing the Green Wave from extending their lead. From there, Navy was able to out gain the Green Wave 291 to 82 in total yards, score 27 unanswered points, and win the game after all hope seemed lost. The rainy conditions lead to the ground game being the preferred offense of both teams, with the leading rushers of Tulane providing 2 of the 3 touchdowns. Tyjae Spears accumulated 199 yards on 18 carries and Cameron Carroll accumulated 62 yards on 11 carries with 2 TD’s. For Navy, Jamale Carothers gained 127 yards on 25 rushes, and Nelson Smith gained 22 yards and 2 TD’s on 6 rushes. If you are a fan of big comebacks, definitely check out the highlights or full replay of this game. Navy is back in action October 3rd when they travel to 0-0 Air Force. Tulane looks to rebound next week on the road against 0-2 Southern Mississippi.

What were you’re thoughts on Week 3? Leave a reply on this article, or join our new forums to talk with us and other fellow college football fans as well! And be sure to follow @Sidelines_SN for all future updates in the college sports world!

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Week 3 Top 25

It’s a tumultuous time for college football. Every week new games are cancelled or postponed due to COVID and new players are opting out (though we don’t expect we would’ve seen much of Tate Martell in the first place). However, there’s one constant along with every other college football season; arguing over rankings. Here are ours, comprised of our writers votes. Feel free to let us know what you think in the forums (click “Sidelines Forums” in our menu and sign up!) or on Twitter.

Note: We are currently only ranking teams planning to play in the next week. This means the Big Ten, Pac 12, MAC and MWC have been left out of this poll.

1Clemson (13)372
2Alabama (1)345
3Oklahoma321
4Notre Dame302
5Georgia299
6Florida295
7Texas275
8Auburn262
9LSU260
10UCF217
11North Carolina208
12Miami (FL)203
13Texas A&M187
14Cincinnati167
15Oklahoma State148
16Louisiana (1)124
17Memphis114
18Tennessee98
19Army91
20Pittsburgh88
21BYU77
22Louisville52
23Virginia Tech50
24Kentucky47
25Marshall47

Others Receiving Votes:

SMU21
Baylor14
West Virginia9
Navy8
Arkansas State7
Arkansas7
UAB6
Coastal Carolina4
Liberty3
Tulsa3
Boston College2
Appalachian State1

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Restore 44

By Kenny Van Doren, @SidelinesCuse

   

The personal and sentimental reasons behind a number might be silly to some, but an athlete’s number means more than anything. It all comes from a “look good, play good” mentality, or it comes from tradition. Players these days idolize their heroes; LeBron wears 23 because of Jordan, many MLB shortstops wear number 2 because of Jeter, etc. For Syracuse University, the number 44 was given to the starting running back for a 14 year stretch. College football legends Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little wore this number. 44 is the most historic and connected number to any college football program ever, and the Syracuse football program should bring this number back.

Tradition is what makes college football, college football. Penn State has their white out game at Happy Valley, the state of Alabama has the Iron Bowl, Mississippi the Egg Bowl, etc. Rivalries, uniforms, and numbers are exactly the kind of tradition that needs to be kept alive in college football. For the Syracuse Orange, the number 44 was first worn in 1921. Here is a list of all who wore 44:

Gifford Zimmerman, halfback, 1921

Charles Roberts, halfback, 1924

Clarence Taylor, quarterback, 1925

Don Baldwin, wide receiver, 1926

Richard Fishel, halfback, 1932

Henry Merz, quarterback, 1933

Hamilton Watt, wide receiver, 1934

Francis Mullins, halfback, 1935-36

Stanley Sanislay, wide receiver, 1937

Benjamin DeYoung, wide receiver, 1938

Francis Mazejko, guard, 1939

Richard Ransom, tackle, 1940

J. O’Brien, tackle, 1945

Robert Eberling, running back, 1952

Jim Brown, running back, 1954-56

Thomas Stephens, halfback, 1957-58

Ernie Davis, halfback, 1959-61

William Schoonover, halfback, 1962-63

Floyd Little, running back, 1964-66

Richard Panczyszyn, quarterback, 1967-69

Mandel Robinson, running back, 1977

Glen Moore, running back, 1981-82

Michael Owens, running back, 1987-89

Terry Richardson, running back, 1990-93

Rob Konrad, fullback, 1995-98

    The number is rooted in a deep history of All-Americans, NFL players, and two NFL Hall of Famers. It even has its ties to the basketball team with greats Danny Schayes, Derrick Coleman, and John Wallace wearing it. Wallace was the last to suit up in the towering 4s, even though the program retired his number earlier this year. Many fans wanted another big man to bear 44, such as the late, great Fab Melo. 

    One argument about bringing back 44 is if players can live up to the greatness that comes with the number. We may never see a Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, or Floyd Little ever again in blue and orange, but the 44 Foundation was made to honor and keep the spirit alive. Sure, they may not leave the same impact, but traditions are essential to college sports. 

44 should make its way back to the field for the Orange, and it does not even have to be the running back. Give the number to the captain of the team. Texas A&M finds a player to wear their beloved 12 each season that displays the highest level of leadership, and Syracuse should do the same. The number 44 is so sentimental to the University in many ways, so why not bring it back? Make it a number of honor and give it to the leader or hardest working player. With a number so heavily tied to some of the greatest college athletes in the 20th century, it would be an honor for any Syracuse football player to wear. Leave it up to Brown and Little, and see if they want their number to be on the backs of the future.

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“Did You Know?” Week One Recap

by Hunter Martinez-Buehrer (Sidelines_OU)

Here we are at last. College football finally kicked off and one week (well, two if you count week 0) is now in the record books. But one thing that has piqued my interest is those record books. Back in High School when I played football, my coach would always do a pep talk that he called “Did you know” where he would talk about the history of our team vs. our opponent before the game. This was a fun tradition, and I’ve decided to bring it over to the College Football landscape as a recap instead.

So here it is, A mixture of knowledge and a recap of a few of the games from Saturday in our first edition of “Did you know?”

Did You Know? Oklahoma vs Missouri State

Photo by Ty Russel

Oklahoma’s 48-0 rout against Missouri State is the team’s first shutout since 2015 when they beat Kansas State 55-0.

Did anyone really expect the Sooners to struggle in this matchup against this FCS team? No, of course not. But did anyone expect the Sooners to hold the Bears scoreless and to only 135 yards total? Maybe some of you, but still an impressive feat nonetheless. Spencer Rattler’s first start as QB went as well as you can do. His stat line tells the whole story, where he went 14-17 for 290 yards and 4 TDs. His two big throws went for a 58 yard TD to Marvin Mims and a 53 yard TD to Charleston Rambo. The defense held the Bears to a total of 135 total yards, only 7 first downs, and had 1 interception. This performance is eerily similar to their 2015 game against Kansas State, the last time OU shut out an opponent. In that game, the Wildcats only had 110 total yards, 7 first downs, and 3 turnovers. The Sooners are back in action in 2 weeks when they play the Wildcats of Kansas State. 

Did You Know? FSU vs Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech’s 16-13 road win over Florida State is their first road game win against an ACC opponent to open up a season since 1996.

Well, this was certainly a surprise. Florida State had higher expectations after bringing in Mike Norvell from Memphis, but as it turns out, the former-FSU-commit-turned-Georgia-Tech-QB Jeff Sims helped push the Yellow Jackets to victory. He went 24-35 with 277 yards with 1 TD and 2 INT. What really sealed the deal was the mistakes by Florida State, who committed 3 turnovers throughout the entire game, including a fumble deep in their own territory which let the Yellow Jackets take the lead late in the game. The entire game was full of mistakes on both sides though, as Georgia Tech had turnovers, missed field goals, and bad offensive drives. This was evident in the score at halftime where FSU had a 10-0 lead. However, the Seminoles just couldn’t pull away, and their mistakes on offense and turnovers on defense lead to GT to come back and eventually take the win. This win is special, as it’s the first time GT has won an opening game on the road vs. an ACC team since 1996 when they beat Wake Forest 28-16 with a strong performance by eventual College Football Hall of Famer Joe Hamilton.

Did You Know? UTSA vs Texas State

UTSA earns emotional win over Texas State in double-OT - ExpressNews.com

This was the first year in the I-35 rivalry between UTSA and Texas State where the game went into Overtime.

If I told you about a game where both teams had around 500 yards, both teams had more than 20 first downs, you had a pick 6 for one team, both teams scored more than 45 points, AND it went into 2OT before we had a winner, would you want to watch?

Look no further than Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, TX where the Roadrunners of UTSA and the Bobcats of Texas State did battle Saturday night in a 51-48 shootout in probably the best game of this rivalry, to which UTSA now holds a 4-0 all time series lead dating back to 2012. It started looking like an early UTSA rout, with the Roadrunners taking a 24-7 lead by halftime, however the Bobcats came storming back to tie it at 41, and would have won the game if not for a missed PAT, which sent the game into overtime. There, after the teams traded touchdowns, Texas State kicker Alan Orona missed a field goal from 20 yards, and UTSA won the game on the next possession with a made field goal of their own. Stars of the game go to Texas State Quarterback Tyler Vitt, who went 26/40 with 346 yards and 4 TDs (along with 2 INTs) and UTSA running back Sincere McCormick, who had 197 yards on 29 carries with 1 touchdown. Seriously, go watch the highlights (or full game) if you can, this will definitely be a hidden gem for this season, and has been the best game in the entire history of meetings between these two teams.

Did You Know? Coastal Carolina vs Kansas

Coastal Carolina now has a 2-0 all time record vs. the Big 12 conference* and are 2-1 against P5 opponents under head coach Jamey Chadwell.

*Yes, I know, it’s Kansas, but can you still understand how absolutely insane that is? The Jayhawks didn’t just lose, they were throttled. The Chanticleers scored 28 straight points before the Jayhawks were able to put points on the board with a field goal.

The real star of the game was Coastal Car. QB Grayson McCall, who went 11-18 with 113 yards and 3 touchdowns in the air. On the ground, McCall also had 73 yards on 11 rushes with 2 touchdowns. That’s right, McCall had a role in every single touchdown that was scored by the Chanticleers. This recently absorbed school into the FBS level has now never lost a game against a Big 12 opponent.

The other Big 12 school they played was West Virginia, but that was before the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference, so in my eyes it doesn’t count as a game against the conference. This matchup was a lot more entertaining compared to last year though, as the score was 12-7 in 2019. However, the clear elephant in the room is how far Kansas and Les Miles still need to go before the Jayhawks can be excited for something other than basketball. The Big 12 overall had a rough time with the Sun Belt conference last night, as Kansas State and Iowa State also lost to Sun Belt members Arkansas State and Louisiana respectively.

So, did you know all four of these facts? If you didn’t, now you know!

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