Official 2015 College Football Week 9 thread
 

Only one match up again this week between AP Top 25 Teams:

Notre Dame at Temple

Coastal Carolina faces its perhaps toughest challenge to its #1 ranking this week as they head to Charleston to play rival Charleston Southern. They are also undefeated in the conference, and just seem to have Coastal's number the last few years-you know that one team that beats you despite their talent year in and year out. Win and their road to keeping their #1 ranking becomes easier the rest of the way. Lose and then losing to Liberty or other Big South team could knock them out of the playoffs altogether.

Thomkal, I thought it was interesting watching the Panthers-Eagles game last night, that they mentioned that Josh Norman didn't even have a scholarship for at least some time (the whole time?) at Coastal Carolina. Was he kind of a late blooming talent?

This article will explain all that. He walked on after no one was interested in him in primarily because his SAT scores were not good (Georgia was ready to give him a scholarship if he met a certain score-he did not). He had a lot of growing up to do (still does if you watch his antics on the field sometimes), and the position was still very new to him at Coastal. He needed time to learn it and the rest is history. He should make a lot of money this off-season.

Who is Josh Norman? Panthers corner took winding road to the NFL - News - Gaston Gazette - Gastonia, NC

I watched UMass nearly knock off Temple. Either that was Temple's worst game by a mile or ND should win comfortably (barring 5+ turnovers.)

UMass is fiesty this year. They led #20 Toledo 28-10 at halftime. Lost 56-35

Baylor just announced their starting QB, Seth Russell, will need neck surgery and will miss the rest of the year.

Chris Clark is already leaving Cuse

Technically the ND game was close too (21-20 late 2nd Q before ND woke up), but it was an obvious athletic mismatch. Meanwhile Temple's big win was vs Penn State before people realized Penn State (and Hackenberg) still isn't good - I'd probably put them 4th out of the 4 undefeated teams (and throw Bowling Green above them too), although I'd give them a shot vs any of the others. Temple's well coached, and plays a style that keeps them in the game vs most teams, but I just see ND dominating enough 1v1 matchups that we'll win even if we're a little sloppy. The injuries obscure it a little, and Ohio State/Alabama/maybe LSU are close, but I don't think there's a more athletic/talented team outside of the QB position than ND - I think McShay has them with them like 11 out of the top 150 eligible NFL draft prospects.

Btw, fwiw after UMass threw that pick at the goal line to end the first half I offered any of the 20 people I was there with odds against them winning (me picking Toledo), and not a single person would take them even when I went up to 2 to 1. It's still light years better than it was 2 years ago, but take away Tajae and we won't beat you.

Iowa hosts Maryland. I'm nervous about Iowa. I so much want them to run the table. But there is always that little voice in the back of my mind that is saying "Iowa always loses one it should win".

Go Hawks!

Lmao

And we never even got the chance to debate whether he's a system Quarterback yet. ;) Stidham does have the hype, and it's not like TCU or Oklahoma State's been stopping anybody with a pulse (don't really have a read on Oklahoma's D, and I'm not sure anyone knows what Texas will be like in a month) so as good as Russell's been I don't think it knocks them out of being a playoff favorite.

Iowa is really under rated from my perspective.
They are Pitt's only loss.
Plus somehow both polls have Stanford ahead of Iowa despite the NW results.

Question for those that know Iowa and / or Michigan - was Jake Rudock slated to be the Iowa starting QB this fall before leaving? Was he last year?

Im sure I have the best perspective.

Ferentz did an unusual thing this Winter. He published a 2 deep in early January.
He was feeling pressure from the fan base. And back up CJ Beathard. CJB and his Dad went to the press before Iowas bowl game last year and, basically said, start me or Im gone.

Rudock is a great kid. Super smart and will make tons more money in his medical career then an NFL player will see.

Ferentz was giving Rudock an out and giving the fan base what they wanted. Rudock was a graduate transfer. Michigan has an outstanding medical program, as does Iowa. But Ferentz and Rudock would have been blasted had Rudock started again.

Rudock never had the weapons at Iowa that he has at Michigan, esp. last season. Iowa started a FB at RB. No WRs. And Rudock played like he did the first game of this season all last season. He needs a run game to make him more effective. And Iowa didnt have that last season. And JR isnt a win a game by himself type QB.

Oh, and Iowa was worried about ticket sales. A lot of people were saying they werent going to renew. It was ugly last season.

So, Ferentz gave JR an out. Didnt block any schools on his tranfer list. It was a very amicable parting. I think everyone was happy.

Iowa fans got what they wanted. Rudock got out of a no-win situation, Iowa sold some tickets, Ferentz looks like a genius right now.


EDIT: Concerning the depth chart. By unusual, I meant in Ferentz's 17 year career, this was the first time he put one out in January.

You guys probably wont like this. But that's okay. After that ugly video put in the thread about 5 undefeated teams left. I thought I would share this.

FYI as a graduate there is no transfer and no blocking. He has fulfilled the contract obligation and can go anywhere without batting out. I like KF, a lot, but he had no rolein that portion.

I mispoke. It was JRs 4th year of eligibility. So he hadn't fulfilled his obligation.
KF blocked no teams and allowed JR to use the practice facilities until he transferred. He didn't practice with the team in the Spring, but used the Iowa facilities.

it doesnt matter what year he was. He had his undergrad degree. Once you graduate from a school you can transfer anywhere.

You have to be released by your previous school, even as a graduate transfer.

You also can't just transfer anywhere

Jerry Kill retires, effective immediately. Cited his health. Tracy Claeys is the interim.

Graduate transfers don't have to be released if they choose a school that has a grad program their current school doesn't have.

This has been talked about ad nauseam on BYU fan sites because of Taysom and if he is healthy, does he stay or transfer because he graduates in Dec.

That's too bad. I liked what Kill was doing at Minnesota.

They actually do need to be released. But you are correct about the program part

Here is an artcle about the rules
NCAA Transfer Exceptions. College Transfer Waivers.


It's also been discussed at length at UCLA. We had a player transfer to a PAC-12 south rival so it was also discussed.

For graduate transfers, it's more of a formality however.

Since it is a BYE week for BYU. Guys are getting healthy, they are opening more of the playbook up for Tanner this week too.

But as mentioned earlier there is major buzz on some of the fan boards about Taysom and what he will do when he graduates this December. If he comes back to football, just calls it quits.

If he does come back to football, does he stay at BYU and if so...what kind of plan will the school have with him and Tanner and keeping them happy.

OR

Does he transfer and if so where. Right now the consensus is he will either call it quits or transfer and if he does transfer, it would be to Michigan.

Remember the whole Osweiler thing, Bug? I wonder how that would have changed things if Osweiler had been allowed to transfer to UCLA by ASU. Hundley would have been on the bench another year. Might even still be our QB and maybe Rosen is starting somewhere else.

This is a minor aggravating technicality that gets missed everywhere.
Graduate transfers have graduated and started grad school at one program and transfer to another grad program.
Graduate enrollees have graduated undergrad at program #1 but never taken post grad classes. These require no release.

Source: A Div 1 (SEC not ACC HA not who you thought) NCAA Compliance Director I just spoke with.

Dola - Was reading up on NCST for this coming weekends game, Raleigh is a place that always worries me. Clemson has laid some major eggs their over the years.

Anyway I was a huge Dave Doeren fan coming in and have been iompressed by his recruiting chops. Was looking to see how he has done since arriving at NCSU and came across this


Wow.
That surprises me.

Still Clemson better come out firing early and be buckled down. This has the makings of a special season if they just keep playing to the standard.

I'm not sure how far along JR was in his education. Would it matter if he was an undergrad in the Spring when he announced his transfer, or that he is a grad student at the new school in the Fall.
And, I believe, Michigan has the program he wanted and Iowa does not.

Disappointing to see Pitt lose. I was hoping they would continue to bolsget Iowa's resume.

Incredibly ugly and fun game between ASU and Oregon

I didn't need sleep anyway

That game has some of the worst playcalling in a game with 116 points scored

Now, North Carolina also beat Pitt.

The same North Carolina whose only loss is to South Carolina.

The same South Carolina who is so hopeless, their hall of fame coach resigned mid-season because he couldn't take the losing.

So, yeah.

And you haven't seen Iowa play. The team that beat Northwestern by 30 at their place.

Northwestern is the team that held Stanford to 6 points.

Stanford who beat USC.

USC who beat Utah.

Yeah, we can play that game all day.

Iowa has one of the best defenses in the nation and a great running game.

Yeah but UNC's QB had to get paid handsomely for throwing that SC game.

I watched Iowa beat Wisconsin. That was a pretty Iowa game by Iowa standards. If Wisconsin had the type of team they normally have, no way Iowa wins that game.

I also watched Iowa come back and beat Iowa State. Not that whole game, but the part where Iowa turned it on.

I'm not saying Iowa's not good, but their good is always going to be compared to others. We have to play that game, because by the limited schedule that we have in college football and the sheer number of teams, we need something to compare.

The fact that they beat Pitt just lost some luster. Pitt is ok. Iowa is good. North Carolina is somewhere in there, probably closer to ok than good.

Michigan could have used this guy against MSU:

So apparently UGA plans to start 3rd-string QB Fauton Bata vs Florida this weekend. Matters naught to me really but I was curious so I did a little looking. I'll just copy & paste my FB post about what I found

For all the talk about the QB problems at UGA, I'll point out what seems to be overlooked: Lambert has the 4th best completion percentage in the SEC, 5th best QBR.

If you take away the entire 24/25 record setting day he's still in the middle of the pack for conference quarterbacks this season. At worst, he's pretty much the average QB.

As played, his completion percentage is less than 1% different than Aaron Murray's final two seasons, better than Murray's career figure and with a better TD/INT ratio than Murray had in any season of his career. YPA is lower but he has different receivers and a different OC than Murray had.

He sure can look lost at times but his reality is not nearly as bad as the perception.

JT Barrett arrested for DWI last night.

Ohio St. The SEC of the Big Ten.

In a sitcom like situation JT called Cardale to bail him out

Wow, Nebraska is really bad this year. Riley may not make it after this season.

Has a team ever started 3-0 and then went 0-9 ?

I'm sure there were plenty of big conference doormats who beat up FCS teams then lost to every decent team.

Didn't realize Kyler Murray was starting today. Not surprised he tore it up.

If Nebraska could just play 4th quarters they'd be National Champs.

Did I hear an announcer earlier mention "Iowa" and "National Championship" in the same sentence?