I bow before our new rulers, the Sunbelt Council. who knew? Not long ago he was considered the bottom of the FBS barrel league suddenly became the toast of the sport and on Saturday an earthquake upset saw him score three times.
(The chaotic beauty of this sport is commonplace.)
The league, often referred to as the Fan Belt, morphed into the Stun Belt on Saturday, defeating three established factions.
Sun Belt picks Marshall and others out of Conference USA and rapidly tracks their membership this season, earning 1 for their familiarity with the reorganization. The Thundering Herd (2-0) quickly paid off that bet by shocking Notre Dame and sending the Irish to the brink of his season in just two fights. Marcus Freeman is currently 0-3 as the Irish coach. His first two losses were understandable, but not. At least, it’s Notre Dame’s worst loss since the Charlie Weiss era.
Earn another score to keep the conference’s most successful program folded. The trusty Appalachia State, winner of at least his nine games in each of the last seven seasons, followed by a stunning Texas A&M, solidified the Aggies’ position as America’s most overrated program. A&M ranked in the top 10 of the preseason despite finishing an 8-4 season, returning last season where he lost his last three games against FBS opponents.
Then he hired Clay Helton on a rebound from USC to score one for Georgia Southern in a big 45-42 win in Nebraska. Scott Frost is Lincoln history, and this one seals it.
It’s the first Group of 5 conference since September 2003 to have multiple wins against top 10 opponents on the same day, according to a release from the league.
The first Sunbelt team to play at Notre Dame Stadium, the Marshalls broke the top 10 ranks for the second time in school history.
Michael Conroy/Associated Press
All of these heavyweight schools have big issues, but give the belt the championship belt for these Buster Douglas moments. It’s harder than ever to compete evenly with your internal team using that one Jim Phillips apt phrase. It was monumental for herds, climbers and eagles to do on the same day. And, as an added bonus, I pocketed his 7-figure checks, each of which was supposed to be a loss. That’s the ultimate win-win.
This is supposed to be a great day for underdogs nationally, a humble day for the SEC and Big Ten “Power 2” conference, and a break from the rest of the sport. Alabama was very lucky to win against Texas. Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young’s late heroism, Texas’ QB Quinn’s early injury to Ewers, and some curious official calls to help him win by a single point. was needed. Tennessee also benefited from a QB injury to keep Pittsburgh in overtime. Washington State, perhaps the most endangered member of the endangered Pac-12, entered Madison and upset Wisconsin. Iowa State suffered his sixth straight loss against rival Iowa. Missouri was wiped out at Kansas, Northwestern was beaten at home by Duke, Vanderbilt was no match for Wake at home to his Forrest, and Nebraska had a similar result.
With this caveat, let’s get down to the seriously reconstructed SI Top 10: Preseason rankings are pretty much out the window. If your team hasn’t played anyone before (hello Michigan and Oklahoma), don’t expect me to rank them.
1. Georgia (2-0)
Bulldogs QB Stetson Bennett recorded two consecutive 300-yard passing games on Saturday.
John Bazemore/Associated Press
Last game: 33-0 win over Samford.
Next game: South Carolina (Saturday).
Georgia coach Kirby Smart continued his Nick Saban imitation by pouncing on his FCS opponent for half. The Bulldogs’ offensive evolution continued in this game, with him passing 43 times and running only 32 times. Quarterback Stetson Bennett made his second consecutive 300-yard pass his game and fourth pass his game in the past five years dating back to last season. Georgia’s defense rebuilt? 3 runs in 2 games.
2. Arkansas (2-0)
Last game: 44-30 victory over South Carolina.
Next game: Bobby Petrino’s return to Fayetteville, Missouri (Saturday).
Should Razorbacks be this high in the rankings? Has he ever won two?Arkansas gave Cincinnati his first regular since 2019 loss of his season in Week 1, and then easily improved his Gamecocks squad. processed. Hoggs isn’t far behind this season, and he led in double digits for most of Saturday. Running back Raheim Sanders had two consecutive 100-yard rushing games.
3. USC (2-0)
Last game: 41-28 victory over Stanford.
Next game: Fresno (Saturday).
Lincoln Riley’s scoring machine kept rolling at Palo Alto, scoring 28 points in the first half. Quarterback Caleb Williams completed his 13 of 15 passes for 244 yards and scored 4 touchdowns in the first half alone. On defense, the Trojans continued to be opportunistic. Against Rice he had four takeaways and his three defensively after his score, there were three more takeaways in the first half against Stanford.
4. Ohio State (2-0)
Last game: 45-12 victory over Arkansas.
Next game: Toledo (Saturday).
The Buckeyes fell down the rankings as their win over Notre Dame was rounded down by a Fighting Irish flop against Marshall. After all, the Thundering Herd scored more for Ireland than for Ohio State. Playing again without top receiver Jackson-Smith-Nigba, the Buckeyes failed to track a passing game against the Redwolves. CJ Stroud threw for 370 yards and he had 4 touchdowns, and Marvin Harrison Jr. recorded his 7 catches for 184 yards and his 3 touchdowns.
5. BYU (2-0)
Last game: Baylor beats 26-20 (2OT).
Next game: Oregon (Saturday).
The Cougars overcame a receiver absence and kicker debacle to beat the Bears in a well-played game until they wore out on the edge at the end. Quarterback Jalen Hall threw for 261 yards and a touchdown, and the BYU defense kept Baylor out of the end zone in the second overtime to cement the win. If BYU can beat Eugene, they could host Arkansas 6-0 in mid-October.
6. Kentucky (2-0)
Last game: 26-16 victory over Florida.
Next game: Youngstown (Saturday).
For the first time in 45 years, the Wildcats have beaten Florida in consecutive seasons. This time, they did it without much of a running back depth chart.Most notably, star Chris Rodriguez, who has been withheld from the competition amid the qualification survey. did And they did it by vaporizing the Week 1 hype for Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Kentucky mastered the ability to win games like this under Mark Stoop Sorry John Calipari but is this becoming a legit football school?
7. Alabama (2-0)
Bryce Young’s 4th quarter drive allowed Alabama to win over Texas and escape from Austin.
Rodolfo Gonzalez/Associated Press
Last game: 20-19 victory over Texas.
Next game: Louisiana – Monroe (Saturday).
Winning is all that matters in college football. Alabama had 15 penalties and could have probably been called for a few others that could have changed the outcome. But give Young credit for reversing a game-long struggle to pull the game off the fire with some great possessions in the fourth quarter. as follows. What was Utah’s first loss? Well, the Aggies followed suit with a crushing loss to FCS Weber State.
8. Texas (1-1)
Last game: Lost to Alabama 20-19.
Next game: UTSA for Potential Trap Game (Saturday).
Is Texas Back? Let’s not go yet. But while the loss to Alabama was devastating, progress on the program seemed tangible. Texas was competitive at the line of scrimmage, especially on defense, and had playmakers at receivers to compensate for running back Bijan Robinson. Coach Steve Sarkisian has some work to do if Ewers makes a short return from the shoulder injury that knocked him out early against Alabama.
9. Tennessee (2-0)
Last game: 34-27 victory over Pittsburgh.
Next game: Akron (Saturday).
Volunteers emerged victorious in overtime in the pits. This was also thanks to injuries to Panthers quarterback Keddon Slobis and backup Nick Patty from a misstep. Hendon Hooker and Cedric Tillman hooked him up nine times for 162 yards and a touchdown, bolstering Tennessee’s offense.
10. Penn State University (2-0)
Last game: 46-10 victory over Ohio.
Next game: Auburn (Saturday).
The Nittany Lions’ road victory over Purdue on September 1 paid an early benefit here. Running back Nicholas Singleton, part of a talented freshman tandem at that position, ran for 179 yards against Ohio. Penn State fans are hoping someone will beat his sixth-year quarterback Sean Clifford, but he’s off to a good start.
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