Home School Fans Episode 10 - Week 9; or 10 - Part Two - The Other Six

    BYU had my thoughts consumed, as I am an unrepentant homer of them. See part I. I even bought a Phil Steele's 2022 preview book, (today!), for 20 dollars, because of wanting the stories of BYU from last year, 2021. And 2020. In case you didn't know, it is the Thursday before Veteran's Day, (Marine Birthday, Devil Dogs, congratulations), and BYU has only two games left in the regular season, after going a less than hoped for 5-5. But we know that 5-5 is much better than 4-6, which was a distinct possibility as they faced the Broncos on the Smurf Turf, 4th and 6 on the goal line with the game (and season, practically) on the line, and Jaren Hall and Puka Nacua saved it. Okay, I already wrote about that last post. But I have to relive it to ensure that I am right. I was working, I only tracked a little bit on my phone... Oh, all is not lost.

    So, what of the others? The other squads that make up the group that I follow this year? Utah, Fresno State, Texas A&M, Virginia, and my fast-and-slow fading Indiana... Start with the best, maybe...

    Utah Utes, Standing Somewhat Tall

    The Utes won a close one against Washington State, a not bad team, but not as good as last year, likely, and then crushed a lackluster Arizona squad, and they now sit on their 7-2 record, next facing Stanford, an up and down team that beat Notre Dame, but is more than capable of losing to many. I hope that they lose to my Cougars at the end of the month. The Cardinal is 3-6, ranked 81st. Wow. BYU lost to the Irish by 8, and then Notre Dame just walloped number 4 Clemson. Go figure. I am happy that Clemson has found itself outside the finalists, but talk about week-to-week arbitrary results! 

    Go Utes. Play it hard. I resent that a good defensive lineman prospect from Utah just flipped from Provo to Salt Lake, but still...

    That dude in Chatanooga who had Utah and BYU out of the top 25? You were at least half right. Then again, if the Cougs catch fire and win their last two and the bowl... 8-5? I remember the three years in a row with that record... Not bad, not great. But at this point 8-5 for the Cougs would be a reprieve after 0 for October. Okay, back to the others...

    Fresno State Bulldogs: Buying or Selling?

    I think that I am buying on the Dogs of the San Joaquin Valley. They barely beat the Aztecs in week 9, and then they blow out the hapless Warriors of Hawai'i. Next up: UNLV Friday night, tomorrow. The Rebs had me impressed early in the season, but not anymore. Bulldogs will keep moving up the polls, now 5-4 and ranked 65th by CBSSports.com. Yes, I am buying.

    JMU better than UVA and A&M? I think So.

    Keep in mind, the Dukes of Harrisonburg, a smallish town in the wiles of the Shenandoah Valley, bucolic Virginia (a place where my daughter attended before transferring, so I got to see it a bit) is better than the vaunted Big 12 and ACC counterparts. Oh, and goes without saying, my Big Ten alma mater. Indiana, Our Indiana... 

    James Madison is in its first year of being in the top tier, Division 1, Football Bowl Series teams. And it is better than all of the above Power 5 teams. (P5 are SEC, Big 10, ACC, Big 12, and PAC-12.) JMU was hot early in September and early October, but has cooled off. Now at 5-3 after losing its last three, to Marshall and Louisville the last two, it will face Old Dominion in our fair Commonwealth, and I expect the ship to be righted. Ranked 50 in this poll, I expect the Duke stocks to rise.

    A&M, I Knew you When...

    I and smarter people than me (see Phil Steele, the guru of all college football), expected the Aggies to have a good, decent, solid, even stellar year. Not so fast !!! (Lee Corso, you coined it). 

      

        The disappointing Ags from the get-go lose a close one to ranked Ole Miss, then are crunched by the Florida Gators. They are 3-6, with a hungry Auburn next. Both teams are underwhelming, and stupefying to their fans (I think the War Eagle fired their coach a few weeks ago), but I have less faith in A&M. Sorry co-worker who wears their colors and her hopes on her sleave. 

    I am selling on this 3-6 team. Who was the fool who picked them to go undefeated pre-season?

    Moi? I hardly knew ya.

    UVA - Wahoos -- Post Bronco Era Not So Fun

        Oh, they had some chances. They lost to the Hurricanes in a low scoring game. In four over times? And the final score, after all that, was: 14-12. Ouch. Four OTs! That was week 9, and then they lose by 3 to a ranked UNC Tar Heel program. Overall record 3-6, and ranked 88th. Bronco Mendenhall declared his early retirement, and the new guy has some big shoes to fill. 

    Good luck, Cavs. I wish that you had better results this season. Maybe next year? Bronco is a wanted quantity, in places like Colorado, or Colorado, or why not Hawai'i? He could take his pick. Are his sons done with their missions yet? Interesting family and times.

    Did I leave someone out? Yeah, the IU Hoosiers. Crunched by Penn State, and Michigan -- no, close loss to Rutgers before that... Ach! We lost the two games we could have won, and now the Power three nail us... IU is 3-6 and 90 something. 93? What ev-uh.