From controversy to comebacks to conference play beginning in most major conferences, here are the takeaways from the weekend of college football.
Valiant Volunteers
Tennessee had a tremendous comeback against Florida as the Volunteers scored 38 unanswered points in the second half, keeping their perfect season alive. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs shook off a rather forgettable first half, as the senior finished with almost 400 all-purpose yards and was responsible for each of the team’s five touchdowns in the second half.
The Vols successfully defeated Florida for the first time since 2004, not only getting the monkey off of their back, but also gaining a rather large advantage on the rest of the SEC East. Georgia, one of the bigger threats to compete for the conference title, opened SEC play with a loss to Ole Miss.
In the four games Tennessee has played this season, it has outscored opponents 84-24. With this win and other top teams in the division falling over the weekend, Tennessee is in the driver’s seat for the division title. The Vols will need every bit of confidence they can muster as they face Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama in the next three weeks.
Badgers burst into College Football Playoff discussion
The Wisconsin Badgers were not highly regarded coming into the season. Then they knocked off two top-10 teams in LSU and Michigan State. It’s time to take ole Bucky Badger seriously.
Wisconsin controls the clock better than just about any team in the country and limits its mistakes. The Badgers are ranked No. 8 in the polls after knocking off Michigan State.
This week will be their biggest test to date when they go head-to-head against No. 4 Michigan at the Big House.
But think about this: If Wisconsin can upset Michigan, it will have a bye week before having to face No. 2 Ohio State in Madison. A win in both of these games would all but lock up a spot in the playoff.
Bye bye, Baton Rouge
Les Miles won’t graze the sidelines at Tiger Stadium for the first time since 2005. The Mad Hatter won’t face off against his predecessor, Alabama’s Nick Saban, and he won’t eat grass before LSU games anymore. The veteran head coach was given his walking papers Sunday as LSU decided to part ways with the man who made the program a national powerhouse for over 10 seasons.
Miles had an overall record of 141-55 in Baton Rouge and was celebrated as one the most interesting and popular coaches in college football. With an interim coach set to take over a 2-2 team and a program that now faces one of the most important transition periods in its history, many will sympathize with Miles.
But this move was one that was for the betterment of the football program, and the writing had been on the wall for some time. Regardless of the team’s performance under Miles this season, the very fact that rumors of his termination were floating around toward the end of last season showed that, despite his average of 9.5 wins per season, even a national championship-winning coach can fall victim to mediocrity.
It didn’t help that the man he had to replace, Nick Saban, has built a dynasty of his own in less time at LSU-rival Alabama. In building the reputation Miles did, he was also digging his own grave in the process.
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