LSU's collapse, Texas A&M's resurgence under Mike Elko headline Week 9 college football winners and losers

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All nan chat surrounding nan ACC, astatine slightest astatine nan nationalist level, has centered astir Clemson and Miami. It’s understandable — nan Tigers person dominated since a Week 1 nonaccomplishment to Georgia while nan Hurricanes stay unbeaten contempt a mates of adjacent calls. That seems to beryllium nan apt ACC Championship matchup, and nan loser could person a changeable astatine a College Football Playoff at-large bid, arsenic well.

But there’s different ACC squad successful that operation that hasn’t mislaid a crippled this play and passes nan oculus trial yet has not garnered nan aforesaid attention: nan Pittsburgh Panthers. Pat Narduzzi’s squad sits astatine No. 18 successful nan AP Top 25 this week, nan lowest of immoderate unbeaten Power Four squad.

Perhaps it’s clip we commencement talking astir Pitt seriously.

Facing disconnected against Syracuse successful a Thursday nighttime crippled that looked for illustration it could beryllium tricky, nan Panthers dominated successful a 41-13 win. They only managed 217 yards of offense, but that was each they needed arsenic nan defense came up pinch 5 interceptions against Kyle McCord, 3 of which were returned for scores.

But erstwhile it’s needed, nan discourtesy still looks beautiful good. Eli Holstein, who only threw for 108 yards but was businesslike and tossed 2 touchdowns, remains 1 of nan apical transportation signal-callers successful assemblage shot this season. The Panthers person besides tally nan shot efficaciously pinch Western Carolina transportation Desmond Reid.

We’ll cognize a batch much astir this squad aft adjacent week erstwhile it faces different under-discussed ACC contender successful SMU. The victor of that crippled will bent astir successful nan convention title picture, and if it’s Pitt, that could group up a Week 12 location matchup against Clemson pinch legit ACC title and CFP implications.

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I’ll springiness Mizzou a spot of a walk present arsenic backmost Brady Cook, who was a game-time determination against Alabama pinch an ankle wounded and yet exited nan crippled aft suffering an unrelated manus injury, was not capable to spell nan full measurement while starring rusher Nate Noel was besides out.

But that excuse is only going to return this squad truthful far.

It’s not for illustration nan issues we saw connected Saturday successful an embarrassing 34-0 nonaccomplishment to an Alabama squad dealing pinch a batch of its ain problems were thing caller for nan Tigers. Even pinch a (relatively) patient Cook, nan discourtesy ne'er sewage going successful a blowout nonaccomplishment to a talented Texas A&M defense.

But it’s surely concerning that Missouri couldn’t spark thing astatine each pinch Drew Pyne, who threw 3 interceptions, against an Alabama defense that had looked shaky astatine champion successful caller weeks, and it’s not for illustration Cook was mounting nan world connected occurrence erstwhile he was successful location — he had completed conscionable 7 passes for 30 yards erstwhile he exited.

Luther Burden III, 1 of nan champion receivers successful nan nation, was fundamentally MIA successful nan loss. He totaled conscionable 3 catches for arsenic galore yards.

There was a batch of hype astir this squad entering nan season, and it was justified. The Tigers returned a batch of pieces from a squad that won 11 games past twelvemonth including nan Cotton Bowl complete Ohio State. But things conscionable aren’t nan aforesaid this fall.

Drinkwitz’s squad was handed an easy schedule by caller SEC standards, and it has glaringly grounded some its awesome tests truthful far. While Mizzou hasn’t been eliminated from nan CFP race, astatine slightest nominally, there’s a logic this squad is hardly clinging connected to a spot successful nan apical 25 contempt a 6-2 grounds successful nan SEC.

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In hindsight, nan ingredients for a successful Year 1 astatine Texas A&M were location for Mike Elko. He inherited a roster that, contempt portal attrition, was still loaded pinch bluish chips. He besides added to that talent excavation pinch an awesome portal people of his ain that brought successful knowledgeable players each complete nan defense.

But I’m not judge anyone saw this squad gelling together arsenic good arsenic it has, and nan Aggies look to beryllium rounding into shape astatine nan correct time. Since a nonaccomplishment to Notre Dame successful Week 1 — which initially aged very poorly but looks a batch amended now — this is possibly nan hottest squad successful America.

The Aggies person ever been talented. That was surely nan lawsuit nether Jimbo Fisher, arsenic well. But Saturday night’s triumph illustrated nan quality betwixt this programme nether Fisher compared to Elko.

Texas A&M looked dormant successful nan h2o astatine halftime. It trailed by 10, was getting torched by LSU backmost Garrett Nussmeier and couldn’t muster thing connected discourtesy pinch Conner Weigman. Then, Weigman was swapped for Marcel Reed, who started respective games earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile Weigman was hurt, and everything changed.

Reed instantly sparked nan discourtesy pinch his rushing ability, starring scoring drives each clip he touched nan shot successful nan 2nd half. The defense responded to nan alteration successful energy, putting unit connected Nussmeier he hasn’t seen this season. The Tigers’ discourtesy stalled, and Nussmeier was forced into 3 interceptions that were some disfigured and highly costly.

It was a 2nd half of dominant, complementary shot for nan Aggies aft nan break. That’s what well-coached teams do.

Elko has turned this squad into nan SEC frontrunner entering November and has a bully chance of earning a CFP bid successful Year 1. $76 cardinal good spent, I suppose.

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The parallels betwixt nan Tigers and Aggies entering Saturday’s crippled were beautiful clear. Both mislaid matchups to classed powerfulness convention opponents successful Week 1 and hadn’t mislaid since, seeming to beryllium improving each measurement of nan way.

For nan first 30 minutes connected Saturday, it looked for illustration LSU would beryllium nan 1 to denote itself successful primetime connected a nationalist shape arsenic Brian Kelly hoped his 3rd squad successful Baton Rouge would yet beryllium nan 1 to get complete nan CFP hump. But aft nan Tigers’ second-half collapse, those hopes are each but dead.

Nussmeier was astir flawless starring nan discourtesy successful nan first half, but nan squad totaled conscionable 17 points acknowledgment successful portion to a brace of missed section goals, 1 of which was owed to a bad snap. Those mistakes came backmost to wound LSU successful nan 2nd half erstwhile Texas A&M made protect adjustments and a backmost alteration nan Tigers inexplicably had nary answers for contempt location being plentifulness of movie retired location connected Reed.

It each fell isolated erstwhile nan teams came retired of nan locker room. Nussmeier, who has operated from a cleanable pouch astir each play and was sacked conscionable erstwhile entering nan game, was brought down doubly and pressured rather a fewer much times. It resulted successful inaccuracy and questionable decision-making.

The turnovers didn’t thief nan cause, nor did different grounded section extremity effort owed to an operational mishap successful nan 2nd half, but it was yet nan defense’s inability to set to a moving backmost that proved fatal successful this game.

While nan Tigers are still technically live successful nan postseason title pinch a 6-2 record, nan separator for correction is gone. That intends a location crippled against Alabama and its morganatic rushing threat astatine nan backmost position pinch Jalen Milroe is now a must-win erstwhile nan Tigers return from a bye successful 2 weeks.

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• Boise State: The Broncos outlasted UNLV to stay successful rod position for nan Group of Five’s playoff spot. However, there’s a bully chance it won’t beryllium nan past clip these 2 teams look off.
• USC: It’s already astir apt a mislaid play for Lincoln Riley, but things could person really spiraled pinch a location nonaccomplishment to Rutgers. USC didn’t fto that hap and took attraction of business pinch a triumph connected Friday night.
• Indiana: With College GameDay successful town, nan Hoosiers had small rumor dispatching Washington moreover pinch backmost Kurtis Rourke missing nan game. Indiana is 8-0, and nary matter what happens against Ohio State successful a fewer weeks, this squad has a beautiful clear way to make nan CFP.
• Alabama: As unusual arsenic this is to write, this was a Crimson Tide squad that desperately needed to triumph and do truthful convincingly. They sewage what they were looking for against Mizzou arsenic nan defense yet showed out.
• Baylor: It whitethorn beryllium a spot excessively small excessively precocious for Dave Aranda, but nan Bears are getting amended and person now notched back-to-back wins complete Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. There’s a clear way to vessel eligibility, and that could beryllium capable to bargain different twelvemonth for this unit successful Waco.
• Penn State: Wisconsin isn’t among nan scariest Big Ten programs, but it’s been playing very good successful caller weeks, and winning successful Madison is ne'er easy. Props to nan Nittany Lions for overcoming an early shortage and an wounded that knocked Drew Allar retired of nan crippled to triumph by 15.
• Auburn: Coach Hugh Freeze’s squad has squandered truthful galore winnable games this season, but it yet sewage a lead and held it successful a roadworthy triumph against Kentucky. The Wildcats are a messiness correct now, but this was a crippled Auburn perfectly had to have.
• Colorado: You whitethorn not want to perceive it, but nan Buffaloes stay softly very competent and are overmuch improved successful Year 2 of Prime Time. They took down a coagulated Cincinnati squad connected Saturday to move to 6-2 connected nan play and clinch vessel eligibility.

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• Syracuse QB Kyle McCord: The Ohio State transportation is having a bully play pinch his caller team, but Thursday night’s nonaccomplishment is 1 he’ll want to quickly hide arsenic he tossed 5 (!) interceptions pinch 3 returned for touchdowns.
• Navy: The Navy communicative has been fun, but nan Midshipmen ran retired of magic against Notre Dame successful a 51-14 blowout loss. This squad has been awesome astatine taking attraction of nan football, but connected Saturday, it had six full turnovers including 5 mislaid fumbles. Navy is still an AAC contender, but that conscionable isn’t winning football.
• Virginia: The Cavaliers are having a bully play successful Year 3 nether Tony Elliott, but Saturday’s blowout nonaccomplishment astatine location against a struggling North Carolina squad pinch a perchance lame-duck coach was surely a setback.
• Maryland: The Terps had a bully triumph astatine location complete USC successful Week 8, but that triumph has been sandwiched by blowout losses to Northwestern and Minnesota, which isn’t precisely ideal.
• Rice coach Mike Bloomgren: The Owls opted to portion ways pinch Bloomgren aft 7 seasons successful which he had a 24-52 wide record. Bloomgren led nan squad to back-to-back vessel games successful nan past 2 years — though it vanished 5-8 successful 2022 — but Rice will move connected aft a 2-6 commencement this fall.
• Oklahoma State: Things person officially travel disconnected nan rails wholly successful Stillwater. A Cowboys squad that was expected to compete for nan Big 12 pinch returning starters each complete nan section has regressed massively, sitting successful dormant past successful nan convention pinch a 0-5 grounds (3-5 overall). A nonaccomplishment to a Baylor unit connected nan basking spot was nan latest embarrassment successful a monumentally disappointing play for Oklahoma State.
• Texas Tech: The Red Raiders started 5-1 and seemed to beryllium connected way for a much-needed successful Year 4 for coach Joey McGuire. Now, aft suffering back-to-back losses to Baylor and TCU, blowing a 31-14 lead against nan latter, I’m not truthful sure.
• Utah: It’s officially a mislaid play astatine Utah. Coach Kyle Whittingham’s squad fell connected a precocious section extremity to a moribund Houston team, and it’s clear this squad conscionable was not prepared for a reality wherever a patient Cam Rising isn’t an option. Utah was a communal prime to triumph nan Big 12, but now sitting astatine 4-4, vessel eligibility is successful superior jeopardy pinch BYU, Colorado and Iowa State up next.
• Kentucky: The Wildcats don’t look for illustration nan aforesaid squad that stunned Ole Miss and took Georgia to nan wire. In nan past 2 games, they were torched by a Florida discourtesy led by a existent freshman backmost and fell astatine location by 2 scores to an Auburn squad that couldn’t bargain a win. After Mark Stoops tried to bolt for Texas A&M this past offseason, I can’t thief but wonderment astir nan authorities of this matrimony successful Lexington.
• Duke: I can’t deliberation of galore things much sadistic than losing a crippled that would person kept you successful nan ACC title title successful which you forced six turnovers. That’s nan reality nan Blue Devils are surviving successful aft an overtime nonaccomplishment to classed SMU.