When the weather cools down, the anticipation rises. Hopes soar. Excitement fills the air.
At Kentucky and Syracuse, it usually means Midnight Madness and the start of the college basketball season is near. That remains true. But a different kind of madness is enveloping those schools this month.
Football, for the time being at least, is king. The two basketball schools are a combined 8-0, two of the sport’s biggest surprises.
Kentucky is ranked in the Associated Press for the first time in 11 years, coming in at No. 17. It just pulled off a stifling 28-7 victory over highly regarded Mississippi State, sending the program to its first 2-0 start in SEC play since 1977, the last time the Wildcats won double-digit games in a single season. Kentucky recently won at Florida in commanding fashion, its first win in Gainesville since 1986, and is one of four undefeated teams in the SEC, joined by last year’s national championship finalists Alabama and Georgia, along with surprising LSU.
Junior Benny Snell Jr. has looked like one of the best running backs in the country, amassing 540 yards and seven touchdowns, and the defense is ranked 11th in total defense, allowing 279.5 yards per game. It handcuffed dynamic Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, limiting the dual threat to 165 total yards.
This start isn’t out of nowhere. Under sixth-year coach Mark Stoops, the younger brother of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, Kentucky has progressed, winning seven games each of the last two seasons to reach bowl games. The upcoming schedule is manageable, making the Nov. 3 clash at home against Georgia potentially the biggest game in decades for the program, three days before John Calipari and his parade of five-star recruits start their season.
Syracuse lacks the résumé of Kentucky — its best win is over decidedly down Florida State — but it boasts a high-powered offense led by quarterback Eric Dungey and has the chance to make a national statement Saturday at Clemson. The Orange, remember, stunned the Tigers last year at the Carrier Dome. And like Kentucky, Syracuse found a young and hungry coach in Dino Babers it could grow with.
In a few weeks, football may be forgotten. Basketball practice begins this week. Syracuse could get crushed by Clemson. Kentucky may slip up a few times before the Georgia showdown.
But so far, these two programs have proven deserving of the attention that usually goes to the guys in shorts. Who knows, basketball could be the other sport at Kentucky and Syracuse in November.
Clash of the Titans
Clear your evening. Don’t make plans. Saturday night will offer plenty of excitement: Two top-10 showdowns featuring premier programs with playoff implications, both in prime time. Ohio State visits Penn State while Stanford will be at Notre Dame, a pair of games that would put the victor in strong position five games into their respective seasons.
Of the four, Penn State is the big mystery, without having faced a quality opponent yet. After needing overtime to get past Appalachian State, the Nittany Lions have hammered Pittsburgh, Kent State and Illinois, three teams with a combined 5-7 record, by a cumulative 177-40. Ohio State breezed through its first three games despite the suspension of Urban Meyer, but the Buckeyes’ one trademark win, over TCU, lost some value when the Horned Frogs were manhandled by Texas, 31-16, Saturday. We’ll learn a lot about both teams in this meeting.
In South Bend, Notre Dame’s offense came alive after a quarterback change — Ian Book replaced the struggling Brandon Wimbush — with the Irish putting up a season-high 566 yards of offense in a 53-26 shellacking of Wake Forest. Stanford, meanwhile, rallied from 17 points down in the second half to knock off previously unbeaten Oregon. Preseason Heisman Trophy favorite Bryce Love has yet to meet those expectations, limited to 254 yards and two touchdowns in three games, and the stingy Irish have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher so far this season.
Drama club
On paper, Saturday was supposed to be a bore, a string of blowouts. And there were plenty of those — seven of our top nine teams cruised — but there were also several instances of excitement, moments that remind you why the regular season remains so intriguing even if the playoff teams are as predictable as another Alabama blowout.
There was Army nearly knocking off powerhouse Oklahoma. There was Louisiana Tech almost coming back from 24 points down to topple LSU. There was Stanford topping Oregon in overtime, thanks to coach Mario Cristobal deciding not to take three knees and seeing running back C.J. Verdell fumble to give the Cardinal life. They all paled in comparison to what happened in Virginia, however, where 0-3 Old Dominion, a 29 ¹/₂-point underdog, handed Virginia Tech its first loss, 49-35, beating its first Power Five foe. College football has a funny way of delivering drama where you least expect it.
Top 10
1. Alabama (4-0) (Last week: 1)
Comparatively speaking, Texas A&M kept Alabama’s potent offense somewhat in check, holding the Crimson Tide under 50 for the first time this season. That’s how electric this group has been, making 45 points and 524 total yards of offense seem like an ordinary day.
2. Georgia (4-0) (2)
The defense, the Bulldogs’ big question mark entering the season, continued to provide answers Saturday, leading the way in a 43-29 rout of Missouri that wasn’t as close as the final score, and snapping NFL quarterback prospect Drew Lock’s streak of touchdown passes at 13 games.
3. Clemson (4-0) (3)
As the rest of the ACC continues to crumble — supposed contenders Boston College and Virginia Tech both lost on Saturday — Clemson rolls along, annihilating Georgia Tech, 49-21. Nobody in the conference belongs on the same field as the Tigers.
4. Ohio State (4-0) (4)
The absence of potential No. 1 draft pick Nick Bosa (core muscle surgery) wasn’t felt against Tulane — Ohio State could’ve prevailed with its scout team — but the defensive lineman’s presence will almost certainly be missed in Saturday’s showdown at Penn State.
5. LSU (4-0) (5)
There should be some concern in the Bayou, after LSU was outgained by Louisiana Tech and nearly coughed up a 24-point lead. The schedule is too tough to survive any more performances like that.
6. Notre Dame (4-0) (8)
A change at quarterback, going from the more mobile Brandon Wimbush to better passer Ian Book, flipped a switch for the Irish, leading to a 56-27 blitzing of Wake Forest.
7. Oklahoma (4-0) (6)
That’s now consecutive weeks Oklahoma’s defense has been an issue, struggling mightily with Iowa State and now Army. The best teams in the Big 12 are going to give this underwhelming unit fits.
8. Auburn (3-1) (8)
How much of a mess is Arkansas? Auburn put up 34 points with 225 yards of offense, notching a special teams touchdown and two other drives of 25 yards or fewer after a punt return and punt block.
9. Penn State (4-0) (NR)
OK, Nittany Lions fans, you have your wish, a spot in our top 10. Now go beat Ohio State in Happy Valley to prove you belong, and are not a product of a pillow-soft schedule.
10. Stanford (4-0) (9)
Just like everyone — or, more likely, nobody — expected, Stanford is passing its way to an undefeated record, rallying from 17 down in the second half to top Oregon on Saturday night.
New: Penn State (4-0)
Dropped out: Washington (3-1)
Heisman Watch
(In alphabetical order)
QB Will Grier, West Virginia
In three games, he’s averaging 372.3 yards, eight incompletions and 4.6 touchdown passes. Those are video-game numbers.
QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
His first half against Tulane — 21-of-24 passing for 304 yards and five touchdowns — is a few weeks of production for some quarterbacks.
QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
Four more touchdowns, with three through the air for Murray, who continues to make juggling two sports look way too easy.
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
His first throw was a 30-yard touchdown pass and the southpaw’s afternoon only progressed from there — he completed 22-of-30 passes for 387 yards and four scores in a rout of Texas A&M — another in a string of dominant performances.
RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
In 18 career games, Taylor has run for at least 100 yards 15 times, an exceptionally high standard of consistency.
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