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A yr in the past, the world was a really totally different place. A highschool crew named Bishop Sycamore was the talk of the country. Now, it is a school crew referred to as Nebraska making questionable monetary choices off the field and looking embarrassing on it.
A yr in the past, school soccer followers couldn’t escape an Applebee’s industrial. This yr, it is Nick Saban chasing a goat.
A yr in the past, Georgia was 3-0, having completely dominated its early schedule, however there was one huge crimson flag, one clear Achilles’ heel for an in any other case terrific soccer crew. His title was Stetson Bennett IV.
What a distinction a yr makes.
Bennett wrapped his day early Saturday, main the Bulldogs to a 48-7 thrashing of South Carolina. Within the sport, Bennett accomplished 16 of 23 passes for 284 yards and two TDs, then added one other 36 yards on three rushes, one going for a landing.
How good was Bennett on Saturday? He did all this whereas, in keeping with the ESPN broadcast, he was sick and throwing up on the sidelines through the sport.
The play earlier than Bennett vomited featured some of the spectacular grabs a decent finish has ever made.
After he vomited, Bennett was 6-of-10 for 159 yards with a passing and speeding rating.
The person is a legend.
A yr in the past, Bennett was preserving the QB1 chair heat for JT Daniels. Now, he is finishing 74% of his passes and averaging 11 yards each time he throws the ball.
In a sport during which no Georgia participant ran for greater than 36 yards (that was Bennett, by the best way), the Bulldogs nonetheless cruised to a straightforward highway victory in opposition to an SEC East foe. It is mind-boggling simply how good this crew has appeared.
Like final yr, Georgia opened in opposition to a ranked foe. However this time, relatively than a slender 10-3 win over Clemson behind a stagnant offense, the Bulldogs dominated Oregon, 46-3.
Like final yr, Georgia moved to 3-0 with a straightforward win over the Gamecocks, however this time round, it wasn’t a check run for Bennett helming the offense however relatively the most recent instance that he is simply constructed totally different.
A yr in the past, Georgia outscored its first three opponents by a rating of 106-23.
One nationwide title and a busload of NFL draft picks later, the Dawgs are 3-0 once more by a mixed rating of 130-10.
No, this isn’t the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs. This crew is likely to be even higher as a result of this is not 2021’s Stetson Bennett. The man spent final season doing what nobody believed potential, then celebrated with a championship and an look on “Good Morning America.”
This yr? As unimaginable as it would sound, he would possibly find yourself doing much more.
The change at Nebraska was instantaneous. Scott Frost is gone, and immediately the Huskers aren’t shedding shut video games anymore.
As a substitute, Nebraska acquired blown out by former Massive 12 rival Oklahoma, 49-14.
OK, so the issues in Lincoln did not finish with a training change. As a substitute, Saturday provided emphatic proof that Oklahoma’s fortunes have not shifted with a training change both.
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Dillon Gabriel takes off on a 61-yard run for Oklahoma to tie the sport in opposition to Nebraska.
In its first sport in opposition to a Energy 5 foe with Brent Venables on the helm, Oklahoma appeared an terrible lot just like the Sooners we have come to count on. The offense was potent, with Dillon Gabriel throwing for 2 touchdowns and working for an additional. The protection dominated. After Nebraska scored on its opening drive, the Huskers did not sniff the top zone once more till the sport was nicely out of hand. As with Venables’ finest Clemson groups, the Oklahoma defensive entrance dominated the road of scrimmage, tormenting Casey Thompson to the tune of 4 sacks.
For the Sooners, it was a press release that Lincoln Riley’s departure will not hold this crew from being within the playoff hunt.
For the Huskers, it was an ideal alternative to interview City Meyer for the open head-coaching job. In any case, Nebraska has numerous wide-open areas for a person to show his picture frames.
Week 3 once more had its share of FBS-FCS mismatches, however that did not imply the video games got here with none curiosity.
The great: Southern Illinois’ protection pressured 4 turnovers because the Salukis scored the upset over Northwestern, 31-24, on Saturday. Reminder: Northwestern beat Nebraska however is not even near being the most effective crew within the state of Illinois.
The dangerous: Virginia Tech cruised to a 27-7 win over Wofford, however that wasn’t all dangerous for the Terriers. Nathan Walker‘s 3-yard TD run with 9:34 to play marked the primary factors of the yr for 0-3 Wofford. That is progress!
The ugly: Kent State earned its first win of the season, thumping Lengthy Island College 63-10. LIU cashes its share of FBS checks, however what it has performed with that cash is anybody’s guess. Along with Saturday’s defeat, the Sharks (we appeared that up) misplaced 37-0 to Toledo in Week 1, 42-7 to Miami (Ohio) and 66-0 to West Virginia final yr, and opened the 2021 season with a 48-10 loss to a Florida Worldwide crew that did not win once more that season.
So, when you’re preserving rating at dwelling, that is 5 video games vs. FBS foes up to now 13 months that resulted in an 0-5 file by a mixed rating of 256-20. Lengthy Island College is to varsity soccer groups as Lengthy Island iced teas are to drinks — it is comprised of a haphazard assortment of substances and ends in a seemingly infinite collection of dangerous choices.
Should you had the beneath within the Purdue-Syracuse sport, you have been feeling fairly good on the half. The whole closed at 59.5. The sport went to the break with Purdue nursing a 9-3 lead.
Even after the third quarter, the scoring was nonetheless briefly provide. However within the fourth, that is when issues acquired bizarre.
Purdue scored with 11:25 to play to take a 15-10 lead. Then Syracuse scored. Then Purdue threw a pick-six. Then the Boilermakers accomplished a 55-yard landing throw and located the top zone once more on their subsequent drive, taking a 29-25 lead with simply 51 seconds to play.
Nonetheless, the beneath would cowl if Purdue might hold Syracuse out of the top zone.
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Two penalties after Purdue’s landing gave Syracuse glorious subject place for its last drive, and Garrett Shrader linked with Oronde Gadsden II for a 25-yard TD with 7 seconds to go.
Closing rating: Orange 32, Purdue 29. The over hit after 42 factors have been scored within the last quarter.
Oh, and when you additionally had Purdue +1.5 — good luck recovering from this one.
Michigan hasn’t precisely challenged itself with its nonconference schedule to start out the season. In Week 1, the Wolverines have been 31-point favorites in opposition to Colorado State. In Week 2, Michigan was a 52-point favourite in opposition to Hawaii. And on Saturday, UConn arrived on the Massive Home as a 47.5-point underdog.
Based on ESPN, Michigan is the primary crew because the FBS/FCS break up in 1978 to be favored by at the very least 45 factors in consecutive video games and the primary crew to be favored by at the very least 31 in its first three video games of the yr since 2001 Florida.
And even with the hefty unfold, Michigan nonetheless had no hassle overlaying Saturday. Behind 5 touchdowns from Blake Corum, the Wolverines topped UConn 59-0.