College Football: The Good, Bad, Ugly and Insane from Week 3

The Good, Bad, Ugly and Insane from College Football Week Three

Week Three of the College Football season gave us all a little bit of everything to either savor or to sour. Every team had moments of pure joy mixed with equal moments of pure disgust. Except maybe the Oregon Ducks. Competition be what it may for the Quack Attack, but they look just silly so far into the 2013 season.

But what about the rest of the teams that trotted out on the gridiron on Saturday? The full discussion of The Good, Bad, Ugly and Insane for Week Three will be revealed in a bit, but it is pretty clear that today's rambling needs to start in Austin.

First and foremost, has anyone ever witnessed what occurred last night? Besides the frequent non-shows early against their rival Oklahoma Sooners, the second half effort by the Texas Longhorns was simply the worst display of major, big-boy football ever put on display. It wasn’t so much about the Ole Miss Rebels looking like an up and coming, young and talented SEC team as it was about the lack of talent Mack Brown has recruited the past couple of years.

Let’s be honest about a few things.

Who else out there felt like they have a better arm than the side winder that is Case McCoy? How many of you felt you could beat any Longhorn skill guy in the 40? And how sad was it to watch the ship that was the coaching legacy of Brown officially go down in flames?

There was a point where everyone was hoping David Green and Ricky Williams from the Longhorn Network would suit up and give the 25 people who were left in the stands in the fourth quarter something to cheer about.

Texas is the most profitable Athletic Department year in and year out who has the deepest pool of talent in all sports to dip into at all times. For this football team to have this lack of playmakers is unforgivable. This is not a knock on the kids as young men. They are doing everything they can do to the level of their talent.

But back to back blowout losses to the BYU Cougars and Ole Miss? It’s simply time for a youth movement and a fresh start in Austin. Forget redshirt plans on certain players; open up tryouts at every position and see what you can accomplish over the next seven games. And this needs to start with Tyrone Swoopes. McCoy is not capable and David Ash cannot command the leadership of his teammates.

Blow it up and start over. It is as simple as that.

So now that we have solved the situation that is Texas football, let’s take a look at the rest of The Good, Bad, Ugly and Insane for this past weekend of college football

The Good

Again let’s start in Macon, Georgia. (Yes Macon) The Mercer Bears rolled to a 61-0 victory over Warner College to move to 2-0 in their first season of College Football. Jatarii Donald had 11 carries for 102 yards to lead the Bears ground game that tallied 402 yards for Head Coach Bobby Lamb.

Jameis Winston has accomplished something that no other freshman quarterback has ever done through their first two games. So far on the 2013 season, Winston has more touchdowns (6) than incompletions (5). Overall the freshman QB is 20-of-25 for 570 yards with the six scores and one interception. Add that to a solid 62-7 win by the Florida State Seminoles over the Nevada Wolfpack and Week Three was a good showing indeed.

In his biggest game so far this season and on the biggest stage, Ole Miss Rebels running back Jeff Scott delivered with a 19 carry, 164 yard rushing performance that included a score in the 44-23 win over the Texas Longhorns. This was possibly a coming out game for Scott as the Rebels get ready for SEC play.

It was an emotional win for the UCLA Bruins as they recovered from a 21 point deficit by scoring 35 points over the span of 16 minutes to rout the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, 41-21. The win came six days after walk-on wide receiver Nick Pasquale was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking. Head Coach Jim Mora said his team played the game with the same passion and enthusiasm Pasquale did and it was a fitting tribute to his spirit.

The Bad

There was a time folks in ACC Football thought the Wake Forest Demon Deacons had turned the corner as a program. Well, the jury is out and Head Coach Jim Grobe might be too as the Demon Deacons lost at home to the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks 21-19. Wake had a problem with the number 15 in the game as they collected only 15 first downs and rushed for only 15 yards on 15 carries.

Sticking with the ACC, it is now time for Frank Beamer to think about retirement as his Virginia Tech Hokies could only muster a 15-10 victory over the East Carolina Pirates. Much like Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns, the game seems to have passed Beamer by.

When is the rest of the world going to wake up about the crap that is the Big 10. The conference had five teams ranked in the Top 25 who went 3-2 yesterday. The combined points scored for the mighty ranked Big 10 was 169 while they gave up 148 to five unranked teams. Stop buying into the hype, folks. The SEC, Pac 12 Louisville Cardinals and three teams from the ACC are the only teams worth talking about in 2013.

The Ugly

There was a time for about 25 minutes on Saturday when every moonshine still in the rolling hills of Knoxville sat empty and unmanned because the fans of the Tennessee Volunteers thought they were about to arrive back as a relevant power in the game. But 59 points and 617 yards later by the Oregon Ducks, Butch Jones and Rocky Top realized they still have a long way to go to compete with elite teams anywhere much less the SEC.

Thoughts and prayers go out to all those in and around Boulder, Colorado as the great college town in every aspect has been devastated over the past week due to torrential rains and deadly flooding. The game between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Colorado Buffaloes was postponed due to the situation. Ugly and sad times that we all stand with you hoping turn to hope and joy soon!

Attention Michigan Wolverines! You were playing Terry Bowden and the Akron Zips yesterday not Bobby Bowden and the 1999 Florida State Seminoles! When your conference is looking for respect you don’t lay that type of egg ever.

The Insane

The Alabama Crimson Tide’s 49-42 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies was as advertised and completely insane. How many times have you ever seen a Nick Saban team go up 21 and then have to hang on to survive? Never!

Plus Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans were just sick for A&M in the loss. Manziel ended up with 464 yards on 28-of-39 passing with five touchdowns, two costly interceptions and added 98 yards rushing as well. Evans was just a man among preschool boys as he caught seven passes for 207 yards and a score. Those two guys single handedly made Bama look silly for most of the game and almost pulled the greatest comeback in SEC history.

With that last minute touchdown by Texas A&M, the average Vegas Sportsbook lost approximately $200,000 when the Aggies pulled the game to within seven points. The line for the game was 7.5. It's about time the Man(ziel) actually stuck it to the authority for a change.

And the gutsiest performance of the weekend came from Bishop Sankey (one of the best names in the game) who carried the ball 35 (yes, 35) times for 208 yards and a score in the Washington Huskies' 34-24 win at the Illinois Fighting Illini. Sankey was the top rushing performer in all of college football this week.

What's Next?

The Clemson Tigers have their work cut out for them on Thursday as they travel to face the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Yes, Clemson’s second and third string could beat NC State’s all-star team from the past 10 years nine times out of 10. But Thursday nights in Raleigh is where Top Five ranked ACC teams go to die.

For Clemson to catch the eye of the nation, it must take care of the Wolfpack quickly and painfully for State fans. If NC State finds away to pull their magic again, it will be another season where the ACC will not have a team relevant in the BCS discussion.

M Shannon Smallwood is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the US Basketball Writers Association. Follow him @woodysmalls.