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Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Don’t blink! Bama-Georgia just another NIL-era classic

Robert Melton

And now, 20 thoughts from college football’s Week 5, where, if you blinked, you missed a 75-yard touchdown.

1. I keep waiting for college football to go the way of BlackBerry and Blockbuster as so many have predicted. But this weird thing keeps happening. When these teams full of amazing athletes step onto the field and play each other, it’s as if they don’t realize NIL deals and a bigger College Football Playoff are ruining the sport.

Instead, they give us classics like No. 4 Alabama 41, No. 2 Georgia 34.

2. Few could have seen Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, winners of 42 consecutive regular-season games, going to Tuscaloosa and falling behind 30-7 at halftime. But once that happened, even fewer could imagine Georgia quarterback Carson Beck morphing into Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter and putting the Bulldogs on top, 34-33. Of course, Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe, who produced nearly 500 yards of offense himself, needed only one play to reclaim the lead. He went deep to super freshman Ryan Williams, who caught, spun and ran for a 75-yard touchdown. And then another freshman, cornerback Zabien Brown, picked off Beck in the end zone to seal the win for Alabama.

It’s hard to say what the loss means for Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC), which showed troubling signs on offense and defense during that disastrous first half, then completely flipped itself after halftime. Beck finished with a career-high 439 passing yards, but he also committed four turnovers. Smart, who is somehow now 1-6 against the Tide, has some issues to figure out, especially before his team’s Oct. 19 trip to No. 1 Texas.

But I know exactly what it means for Alabama.

3. In his warp-speed search last January to hire Nick Saban’s successor, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne pursued two candidates: Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Washington’s Kalen DeBoer. Eight months later, Norvell is presiding over a 1-4 FSU team that just lost 42-16 to SMU. DeBoer just beat the No. 2 team in the country and is now 29-3 as a Power-conference coach.

Milroe, who had an up-and-down first season as the starter under former offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, is thriving in the creative, explosive offense that helped Washington reach the national title game last season. He’s helped, no doubt, by the arrival of Williams (six catches, 177 yards) but also by OC Nick Sheridan’s play calling. The Tide’s second touchdown came when running back Jam Miller went into motion just before the snap, then beat his defender to the corner on a wheel route.

DeBoer and Sheridan went too conservative in the second half, helping Georgia get back in it. But as soon as Alabama fell behind, they went right to a deep ball straight out of the Michael Penix Jr.-to-Rome Odunze playbook.

Bama fans should be feeling giddy about their new Ball Coach.

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4. Mark Stoops is already the winningest coach in Kentucky history, but he’s never enjoyed a bigger victory than Saturday’s 20-17 escape at No. 6 Ole Miss. The Wildcats, staring down the barrel of a potential 2-3 start, earned the program’s highest-ranked road win since 1977. Stoops has himself quite a defense. Two weeks ago, it held then-No. 1 Georgia to 13 points. This time, it shut down a Rebels offense that averaged 55 points against four overmatched foes to start the season.

I wouldn’t count out Lane Kiffin’s team just yet. But after eight months of bravado about Ole Miss’ NIL war chest and upgraded roster, Rebels fans might be understandably frustrated with such an underwhelming performance.

5. All Hugh Freeze wanted for Christmas was a quarterback who wouldn’t throw it to the other team, and for 56 minutes against Oklahoma, the Auburn coach got his wish. The Tigers were closing in on a 21-16 win. But wouldn’t you know it, Payton Thorne threw a 63-yard pick six to put the Sooners up 24-21, then got sacked three times on Auburn’s last two possessions. Five weeks in, the Tigers (2-3, 0-2 SEC) have already lost three Power 4 home games, while averaging 16.3 points in those contests.

It’s a much-needed win for Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1 SEC) coming off its humbling 25-15 home loss to Tennessee. In his first career start, freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. broke a 48-yard touchdown run and completed a 60-yard pass.

6. First, the officials in Friday night’s Virginia Tech-Miami game decided the Hokies had caught a game-winning Hail Mary despite a Miami defender running away with the ball. Then, after seven minutes, with what could hardly be considered “indisputable evidence,” replay officials overturned the call, handing the seventh-ranked Canes a 38-34 victory. If Miami (4-0, 1-0 ACC) winds up being a CFP bubble team, that decision could put it over the top.

I did not expect the Hokies (2-3, 0-1) to give the home team such a scare, but three Cam Ward turnovers led directly to 14 points, and Miami’s defense struggled to stop the run. The Canes live and die with their star quarterback, who threw for four touchdowns and ran for another to save the day.

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7. No. 13 USC (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten), trailing Wisconsin 21-10 at the half, turned around and outscored the Badgers 28-0 from there to win its first Big Ten home game, 38-21. Lincoln Riley’s team always seems to have a different receiver erupt with each game, and this week it was sophomore Ja’Kobi Lane, who had 10 catches for 105 yards and two TDs. Next up comes a very B1G October for the Trojans, who sandwich a home showdown against No. 9 Penn State with sizable trips east to face Minnesota and Maryland.

8. Like Alabama’s Williams, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith looks like a pro in a freshman’s body. He had a 19-yard touchdown run and a one-handed catch he turned into a 17-yard score in the Buckeyes’ 38-3 win at Michigan State (3-2, 1-1). Their defense allowed just 246 yards, notched four sacks and forced three turnovers. No. 3 Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) has yet to be tested, but could be over the next two weeks as it faces Iowa (OK, probably not), then visits a top-10 Oregon team.

9. Penn State out-Bielema’d Bret Bielema in its 21-7 win over Illinois. The ninth-ranked Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) dominated in the trenches on both sides, rushing for 239 yards on 44 attempts while holding the 19th-ranked Illini (4-1, 1-1) to just 34 yards on 32 attempts. It still took until late in the fourth quarter for Penn State to put the game away, due in part to two missed field goals and a failed fourth-and-3 conversion when it passed up a short field goal try. James Franklin may need to make a change at kicker. Sander Sahaydak is now 3-of-9 on field goals.

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10. It looks like the Big 12 race is going to flip itself on its head from one week to the next. Arizona (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) went to Salt Lake City and shut down No. 10 Utah, 23-10. The Utes (4-1, 1-1) had lost two home games in four years. But this was also their third straight game without quarterback Cam Rising, who just can’t stay healthy, and it’s clearly taking its toll. Isaac Wilson threw two picks, and the Utes ran for just 84 yards.

That doesn’t mean Utah can’t still win the Big 12. But so could Arizona. And so could…

11. No need for a Hail Mary or goal-line strip this week. Colorado (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) went to UCF and housed the Knights 48-21 for the most impressive performance of the two-year Deion Sanders era. UCF (3-1, 1-1) came in averaging 6.8 yards per rushing attempt, fourth-best nationally, but managed just 4.0 against CU’s much-improved defense. And Travis Hunter did his thing, catching nine passes for 89 yards and a TD and making a diving interception, after which he struck the Heisman pose. Hard to argue with him.

As of this moment, the top of the Big 12 is a three-way tie between the Buffs, BYU (5-0, 2-0) and Texas Tech (4-1, 2-0). Naturally.

12. Also striking a Heisman pose Saturday night: Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who went off in a 45-24 rout of Washington State to the tune of 259 yards and four touchdowns. The guy is incredible. On his first score, a 64-yard run, he shook off at least six tacklers before hitting the gas. On the third, a 59-yard run, it defied physics how he stayed upright all the way to the end zone.

In his four games in September, Jeanty averaged 211.3 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. He’s in a league of his own among running backs nationally.

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13. On Tuesday, UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka abruptly left the team due to an alleged $100,000 NIL promise that never arrived. While we still don’t know whether that offer was ever real, we do now know the Rebels (4-0) will be OK without him. Sluka’s replacement, Campbell transfer Hajj-Malik Williams, ran for 119 yards and completed 13 of 16 passes for three touchdowns in a 59-14 rout of Fresno State (3-2). UNLV, which is 13-5 in two seasons under Barry Odom, had previously lost six straight meetings with the Bulldogs.

Programming alert: Boise State visits UNLV on Friday, Oct. 25. But before we get to that, the Rebels host a Friday night game against Syracuse this week.

14. No. 16 Notre Dame (4-1) still seems to be finding its way on offense, but it found enough Saturday to put down No. 15 Louisville 31-24. The Irish dug themselves an early hole, fumbling the opening kickoff to set up an easy touchdown for the Cardinals (3-1), then scored 21 first-quarter points … then went quiet for two-plus quarters. Quarterback Riley Leonard eventually delivered, hitting Jeremiyah Love for a 32-yard touchdown to go up 31-17, and the defense got a late stop. Leonard finished 17-of-23 passing for 163 yards and no picks, his most efficient performance of the season so far, though he’s yet to hit 200 yards passing in a game.

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15. It’s remarkable what an impact Curt Cignetti is having on Indiana football just five games into his tenure. The Hoosiers are 5-0 for the first time since 1967 after a 42-28 win over Maryland (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten). It also marks the program’s first five-game winning streak in 37 years. Despite throwing two interceptions, quarterback Kurtis Rourke led IU to its fourth straight 40-plus-point performance.

Granted, the Hoosiers’ schedule to date has been light (FIU, Western Illinois, at UCLA, Charlotte and Maryland), but let them enjoy this. The program has won as many as eight games only once in the last 30 years (2019).

16. Rutgers’ arduous, decade-long climb to Big Ten respectability hit a new milestone Friday night when the second-largest crowd in SHI Stadium history watched the Scarlet Knights down Big Ten newcomer Washington, 21-18. Rutgers, which won 26-23 at Virginia Tech six days earlier, is 4-0 for the first time since 2012 in the old Big East. Greg Schiano’s team got outgained 521-299 but got help in the form of several drive-killing Washington penalties and three missed field goals.

Rutgers relies heavily on star running back Kyle Monangai (25 carries, 132 yards) and does not have much margin for error. But with no Ohio State, no Michigan, no Penn State and no Oregon, the schedule lends itself to an eight-win type season (or better).

17. A year after winning 10 games and reaching its conference championship game, Oklahoma State is off to a 0-2 start in Big 12 play after falling 42-20 at No. 23 Kansas State (4-1, 1-1 Big 12). Quarterback Alan Bowman threw two picks, and the Cowboys rushing attack remains ho-hum despite returning Doak Walker winner Ollie Gordon II, who managed a modest 76 yards on 15 attempts — his fourth consecutive sub-100-yard performance. K-State itself needed a bounce-back win after last week’s blowout loss at BYU. The Wildcats have an off week before visiting Colorado.

18. The Florida State circus show took last week off, then came roaring back with even sillier material. The Noles fell to 1-4 (1-3 in the ACC) with a 42-16 drubbing by conference newcomer SMU (4-1, 1-0). Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw three interceptions, including an 82-yard fourth-quarter pick six that prompted Norvell to turn to backup Brock Glenn. Who didn’t complete a pass.

Imagine if I’d told you 13 months ago, when SMU got its invite to the ACC, that it would beat Florida State 42-16 in its first year in the conference. And it wouldn’t seem surprising.

19. Many expected Duke to tail off after losing head coach Mike Elko to Texas A&M and Leonard to Notre Dame, but instead, first-year coach Manny Diaz has the Blue Devils off to a 5-0 start. Down 20-0 in the third quarter to rival North Carolina (3-2, 0-1 ACC), Duke stormed back to win 21-20, claiming the Victory Bell for the first time since 2018. Senior running back Star Thomas exploded for 166 yards on 30 carries, his third straight 100-yard game, and caught a 29-yard touchdown.

20.  I don’t want to alarm anyone, but there’s a brimming possibility that Army and Navy could play each other for the AAC conference championship a week before Army-Navy game, in Army’s first year in the conference.

Both academies are off to 3-0 starts in the AAC (and 4-0 overall). The Black Knights have won all of their games by at least 17 points, the latest a 42-14 rout at Temple, and have won eight in a row dating to last season. Quarterback Bryson Daily ran for 152 yards and three TDs. Navy, off to its best start since 2017, went to UAB and won 41-18, thanks to two 70-plus-yard Blake Horvath TD throws.

As we know, the two schools spend 365 days a year preparing to beat the other. That could prove particularly useful this season.

(Photo of Jalen Milroe running past Malaki Starks: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

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