2024 College Football: Week 7 Takeaways
Unusually, this week of the college football season was marked by potential upsets that did NOT happen. Most of the top-ranked teams held on despite scares. The lone exception was (2) Ohio State, but they played another elite team in (3) Oregon. Outside of the top 3 schools, I find it hard to identify any other top-tier teams. This season possesses an unmatched level of parity despite the introduction of NIL. Those supposed financially-induced imbalances have not yet materialized, which is great for the game. Let’s jump right in to my week 7 takeaways and see how the week went!
First SEC Edition of Red River Rivalry Not a Competitive Affair
One of the most storied rivalries in college football is undoubtedly that between Texas and Oklahoma. The schools have played yearly for over 100 seasons, and they met again at their usual Cotton Bowl location this week. Last year, the underdog Sooners knocked off their talented rival, so many hoped that we’d see a great battle. That was not at all the case. (18) Oklahoma had their work cut out for them from the beginning: their top 5 WRs were all out, and the offensive line also had injuries. (1) Texas, conversely, saw QB Quinn Ewers return after missing two games with an oblique injury.
The only thing keeping OU in the game early was Ewers’ rust. The star QB didn’t look comfortable right away, throwing an INT on the opening drive and firing several off-target passes. He settled in as the game went on though, finishing 20/29 for 199 yards, a passing TD, and a rushing TD. The hallmark of a great team is the ability of its other position groups to make up for any other shortcomings. The defense did a beautiful job snuffing out any Sooner threats, holding Oklahoma to just 3 first-quarter points and no more for the rest of the game. LB Anthony Hill Jr (11 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2.5 sacks) was a particularly game-wrecking monster.
Texas’ rushing attack handled most of the offensive scoring. RB Quintrevion Wisner (13/118/1) had a great day, and it could’ve been even bigger. On a big run, Wisner fumbled at the 1, and the ball went into the end zone. WR Silas Bolden, who had been hustling down the field, recovered the fumble for a TD. Had he not been so proactive, that was destined to be a touchback. His play will be great teaching tape for so many young players. That sequence was part of a stretch during which OU lost fumbles twice on back-to-back plays, letting UT build a 21-3 lead. The Longhorns would run away with a 34-3 blowout win.
The only thing I have to say about the Sooners is the following: what is HC Brent Venables doing with his QBs? Five-star recruit Jackson Arnold started the season well, struggled a bit, and got benched. He didn’t play terribly, but Venables wanted a spark and inserted freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Hawkins has since looked completely overmatched. In this game against Texas, he had 148 yards (mostly garbage-time production), yet unlike with Arnold, Venables stuck by him. In doing so, he is ruining Oklahoma’s season. Arnold should transfer for 2025, and if he keeps this up, Venables might need a new home soon as well.
(3) Oregon Defeats (2) Ohio State in Big Ten Thriller
Few matchups give let us see two top-3 teams compete on the same field. Even fewer of those games live up to their billing. This contest between Ohio State and Oregon did both. The defenses didn’t impress, but both offenses looked great. We haven’t gotten much of a chance to talk about Ohio State this year because they’ve been in boring blowouts. I’ve been a backer of their transfer QB Will Howard though in the past, and I expected him to make the Buckeyes a dangerous bunch. Oregon’s own transfer QB, Dillon Gabriel, came in with high expectations as well. Both men really delivered in this matchup.
The Buckeyes’ offense was hot early, with only a Quinshon Judkins fumble slowing them down. RB TreVeyon Henderson (10/87) was the better OSU back in this one. The Ducks actually took a bit longer to get going, but once they warmed up, they became virtually unstoppable. Only their special teams let them down from a scoring perspective, with K Atticus Sappington missing a PAT and an FG. The unit would atone though, executing a surprise onside kick that worked to perfection. One other blemish was WR Traeshon Holden being ejected for spitting on an OSU CB; his penalty also short-circuited the associated drive.
In truth, the QBs stole the show. Howard (28/35, 326 yards, 2 TDs, rush TD) and Gabriel (23/34, 341 yards, 2 TDs; 4/32/1 rushing) each accounted for over 300 passing yards and 3 total TDs without committing a single turnover. For Oregon, RB Jordan James (23/115/1) and WRs Evan Stewart (7/149/1) and Tez Johnson (7/75/1). OSU relied on an elite WR room, with Jeremiah Smith (9/100/1) and Emeka Egbuka (10/93/1), both likely future 1st-round picks for the NFL, to rack up points. That led to a wild game with multiple lead changes, and it felt like whoever had the ball last would win. It almost went down that way.
On the final drive, with OSU trailing 32-31, the Buckeyes reached the Oregon 28. However, a freshman mistake cost them: Smith committed an unnecessary OPI foul, pushing OSU out of FG range. With just 6 seconds left, Howard took off and ran, but he lost track of time and didn’t slide until time had run out. It was a disappointing way to lose, but both teams really played great. One little shift here or there could’ve altered the outcome. I have no doubt that these are two of the best 5 teams nationwide, and both of them have what it takes to make a deep playoff run (assuming they stay healthy).
(4) Penn State, (7) Alabama, (8) Tennessee Struggle but Survive
Three schools in the top 10 faced major challenges, but all three escaped with victories…often helped by their opponents. Penn State was not assisted much by their foe, as they faced a USC team that came to play. PSU looked putrid early on, falling into a 17-3 hole. To their credit though, the defense clamped down on the Trojans while the offense clawed back. QB Drew Allar (30/43, 391 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) and TE Tyler Warren (17/224/1), who we’ve discussed before, led the charge, tying the game at 20, 23, and 30 in succession. The Nittany Lions won 33-30 in OT, but mistakes made things harder than they needed to be.
Alabama is simply lucky that South Carolina made critical errors. They trailed 19-14 in the 4th quarter and were playing terribly on offense. QB Jalen Milroe (16/23, 209 yards, TD, 2 INTs; 18/36/2 rushing), who seems to have become overrated since his win over Georgia, threw a late INT that nearly cost the Crimson Tide the game. Fortunately for them, SC QB LaNorris Sellers (23/31, 238 yards, 2 TDs, INT, 2 FUM lost) fumbled the ball right back in Gamecock territory, allowing Alabama to retake the lead. South Carolina could’ve gone back ahead, but K Alex Herrera badly missed a 51-yard FG.
Even after another TD stretched the Alabama lead to 27-19 with 1:54 to go, the Crimson Tide couldn’t quite put the game away. South Carolina scored a TD, but they missed the subsequent two-point conversion. Needing an onside kick recovery, SC somehow got it; two Alabama TEs appeared to get two hands each on the ball, but neither secured it. It was all for nothing though, as Sellers sailed a pass 20 yards over his WR’s head for a game-ending INT. Against a less self-destructive team (e.g., Vanderbilt), Alabama would’ve lost again. This is starting to become a disturbing trend.
Tennessee had perhaps the most unlikely victory. Whatever the reason, the Volunteers had lost 17 of 19 meetings with Florida coming into this game. Their play in the first half made an 18th defeat seem inevitable. The Gators didn’t score a lot, but they were efficient. They had a smothering defense, which enabled them to earn a 10-0 lead. However, QB Graham Mertz (11/15, 125 yards, TD) suffered a noncontact injury and ended up in crutches. That brought freshman DJ Lagway (9/17, 97 yards, TD, INT) in, and that was quite the roller coaster. Seeing Mertz leave also energized the Tennessee offense.
RB Dylan Sampson (27/112/3) was the star who brought Tennessee back and helped them rip off 17 straight points. Down 17-10, Lagway threw for an improbable TD to force OT, but a missed FG therein made things easy for Tennessee. Sampson’s third TD run allowed Tennessee to walk off with a 23-17 win. QB Nico Iamaleava (16/26, 169 yards, TD), however, deserves little credit. He was as underwhelming as he has been the past several games. This is a freshman passer, so he deserves patience, but I believe the media crowned him far too soon. At the very least, he isn’t pulling his weight on a top-10 team, and they nearly paid for it.
Service Academies Pacing the AAC
I always like to keep my eye on the Group of 5, especially with the new playoff system likely guaranteeing one of them a postseason bid. The teams are beginning to shuffle, and it seems like with the exception of (17) Boise State, every time a Group of 5 program joins the rankings, they lose and fall right out. Two teams that aren’t yet ranked but definitely warrant consideration are two military schools from the AAC: Army and Navy. The Midshipmen (idle this week) are 5-0, while the Black Knights moved to 6-0 with a dominating 44-10 win over UAB. The third service academy in the FBS, Air Force (1-5), is faring much worse.
Navy is being its usual self. The Midshipmen have just 68 total pass attempts through 5 games, and their rushing attack has been their MO. Army, who is new to the conference, throws the ball even less, with just 48 attempts through 6 games. However, they are running at an incredible pace. The Black Knights have over 2000 rushing yards on the season, including 413 this week against the Blazers. Army has scored 40 points 4 different times in 2024. Their defense is playing lights-out as well, allowing a miniscule 59 points so far this year. These two teams have made it through week 7 as the only unbeaten teams in the AAC.
Admittedly, the conference is worse this year. UTSA and Tulane have taken steps back with the departures of their long-time QBs (Frank Harris and Michael Pratt, respectively). Temple is a complete doormat, while UAB and Tulsa are heading in the wrong direction. That shouldn’t take away from what Army and Navy have done. Navy’s 56-44 win over Memphis earlier in the season was extremely impressive (and the Tigers’ lone loss so far). Army has dominated lesser opponents like a good team should. Considering that both schools have matched their respective 2023 win totals already, this is a fantastic start.
QB Cam Rising Finally Returns for (16) Utah; He Should’nt Have
If it feels like we’ve been waiting years to see Utah QB Cam Rising back in action, well, it has actually only been a month this time. But he has indeed played in just 3 games since the 2022 Rose Bowl (including this week’s loss to Arizona State) due to injuries. The man has been cursed with various afflictions, most notably a shredded knee. Given how backup Isaac Wilson has played (not great), fans were excited to see the Rising they know and love. Alas, that wasn’t meant to be. Another injury struck, this time another leg ailment, but Rising remained in the game. In doing so, he put up the worst performance of his college career.
Against the Sun Devils, Rising was a very tough watch. The injuries have sapped much of his athleticism, and he looked like a sitting duck. When pressured, his movement was very poor, and I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to protect himself. Whether due to the new injury, rust, or something else, he also demonstrated abnormal inaccuracy. Sailing passes high, tossing balls into the dirt, and flinging the pigskin wide of his intended target, Rising finished 16/37 for 209 yards and 3 ugly INTs. This was his first game with a completion percentage below 50, and the INTs never had a chance of reaching their targets.
Despite all of that, ASU only managed to win 27-19. The game was 20-17 when Rising threw his 3rd INT, sealing Utah’s fate. ASU RB Cam Skattebo (22/158/2; 4/41 receiving) deserves the credit for the victory. For Utah, aside from a few runs, the defense played well enough to win. RB Micah Bernard (21/129/1; 5/61 receiving) did everything he could, breaking tackles and evading defenders to try and put up points. Rising just couldn’t execute the offense. We hope that he’ll be better as the season goes along, but that’s not guaranteed with his injury history. The Utes will probably drop out of the rankings in the meantime, their season a failure.