What a wild yr it is been for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. In 3 months, the query about Milroe has shifted from “Is he the guy who can lead this Alabama offense?” to “What would the Alabama offense do without him?”
Milroe’s efficiency in Alabama’s 42-28 win over LSU, in my eyes, was once his maximum spectacular in an Alabama uniform. Not on account of the stats he post, however why and the way he and the Crimson Tide offense adjusted to what was once in entrance of them.
When Milroe was once benched following a 34-24 loss to Texas in Week 2, it was once a query of have compatibility. Milroe fought all offseason to be triumphant the No. 1 select within the 2023 NFL Draft, Bryce Young. New offensive coordinator Tommy Rees was once within the technique of finding out his gamers and seeking to have compatibility them into his offense whilst the gamers have been all attempting to be told the offense.
Early on, it wasn’t running. Rees and Alabama have been seeking to put a sq. peg right into a spherical hollow and determined to discover a another way formed peg. When neither Tyler Buchner nor Ty Simpson proved to be the solution, the Tide returned to Milroe. Thus started a collaborative procedure: Milroe picked up extra of Rees’ offense and Rees tailored his offense to Milroe’s strengths.Â
Ever since, Alabama has used a passing assault that I discuss with because the “Dink and Detonate Offense.” It’s basically a mixture of straightforward, quick throws and deep bombs, which can be more straightforward for Milroe. The intermediate stuff has been got rid of for probably the most section, and the consequences were exceptional.
I anticipated to peer extra of it Saturday evening towards LSU. The Tigers secondary have been torn aside all yr and there was once little explanation why to consider Alabama would not proceed working because it have been. I used to be unsuitable.
The explanation why Milroe rushed for 155 yards and 4 touchdowns on Saturday evening was once that LSU controlled to remove his largest power as a passer: The deep ball. In 5 SEC video games since being reestablished because the starter, Milroe finished 25 of 40 passes of no less than 15 air yards for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns. That was once a median of 5 completions consistent with recreation on 8 makes an attempt.
Against LSU, Milroe was once 1 of seven at the similar throws. The lone of completion was once for 21 yards to Isaiah Bond.
LSU’s recreation plan was once sensible and efficient, however Milroe and Alabama overcame it anyway. A excellent crew or participant figures out their power and performs to it, however the nice ones work out tactics to win when their power is taken away.
“I’m excited for this team because we’re not a finished product,” stated Milroe after the sport. “We’re excited for what’s to come.”
I may just say the similar factor about him. He’s no longer the similar participant he was once in September, nor is Alabama the similar crew. It has been bettering ceaselessly because the season’s improved, and as soon as once more it looks as if a crew in a position to crashing any individual else’s playoff birthday party and making it their very own.
Rivalry Game of the Week
Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma 27-24 in what is going to most likely be the ultimate Bedlam recreation we see for rather some time. It was once but every other vintage between the state competitors, and it had the whole lot. It was once an in depth recreation that got here right down to the general snaps and incorporated a arguable no-call that Sooners lovers will use as a coping mechanism for future years.Â
But as Okahoma State gamers and lovers ran onto the sphere to have a good time, I used to be conquer with unhappiness. This game assists in keeping dropping rivalries like this to realignment and the College Football Playoff. I do not wish to sound like a sour outdated guy yelling on the tide coming in, however I hate dropping such things as this.
Next season, the College Football Playoff will increase to twelve groups and transform an excellent better center of attention. We’re already to some extent the place should you are not competing for the playoff, you “don’t matter.” I do not believe this is excellent for the long-term well being of the game.Â
Rivalries like Bedlam carry a human part that deepens the relationship we need to faculty soccer. Bedlam existed for 110 years ahead of the College Football Playoff, and till now it survived quite a lot of convention alignments for each colleges. I ensure this competition has intended so much to gamers and lovers irrespective of convention affiliations or playoff implications. The extra rivalries like this one we lose, the looser that connection to a shared sense of significance turns into. There’s no approach I will be satisfied this is a excellent factor, it doesn’t matter what tv rankings say.
Dominant Michigan Statistic of the Week
We’ll be informed extra about Michigan subsequent week when it faces Penn State than we have now discovered up till this level within the season, however there is no denying that no crew within the nation has been extra dominant. That was once the case once more within the Wolverines’ 41-13 win over Purdue, however are there indicators Big Blue is slipping?
Purdue’s 13 issues have been probably the most allowed through Michigan this yr! Sure, the ultimate landing got here within the ultimate seconds, however each level counts!
It’s amusing to have a look at some stats and be reminded of the way a lot better Michigan has been than everyone else, and the stat that stuck my eye is its defensive luck charge within the pink zone. In layman’s phrases, luck charge is made up our minds through whether or not you added for your crew’s likelihood to attain issues (or, within the protection’s case, take issues away) on a given play. As you’ll be able to see in terms of the pink zone, Michigan’s protection has been lovely a success.
As spectacular as that 95.5% luck charge within the pink zone is, alternatively, there is every other stat I wish to carry up. I’ve introduced it up ahead of, however it nonetheless holds true and grows extra spectacular each week. Michigan has performed 9 video games. Its protection has been at the box for 490 snaps. Not a unmarried certainly one of them has include the opposition in a goal-to-go scenario. That’s proper — no person has controlled a unmarried first-and-goal towards Michigan this yr. The next-closest protection is Virginia Tech, which has taken 11 snaps in a goal-to-go scenario.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum, Missouri’s protection has performed 61 such snaps. Michigan has handiest allowed six touchdowns at the season, and they have come through a median of 44.3 yards. You both rating from midfield, or you do not rating in any respect in this crew.
Shout-Out of the Week
Speaking of Michigan, this is elite scoreboard trolling from UNLV. You might consider the Rebels misplaced to Michigan 35-7 previous this season, however everyone knows that there is no approach that may’ve took place if Connor Stalions hadn’t (allegedly) stolen all UNLV’s indicators. Allegedly.
Best Play Design of the Week
There are various issues about Lincoln Riley and USC that you’ll be able to criticize (and I’ve), however there also are various positives. Riley stays one of the vital ingenious offensive minds within the game, and it was once on show with this flea-flicker design that resulted in a USC landing.
Not handiest was once it a good suggestion, however it was once one thing no person has ever noticed ahead of and achieved to perfection.Â
Second-Best Play Design of the Week
I noticed other folks discuss with this as a Fumblerooski, however there is no fumble. Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt palms the ball at once to Kyle Monangai, who choices up a primary down and much more. It’s a very good pivot off the Tush Push, which is what everyone expects. Instead, the between-the-legs handoff supplies time to suck the protection into the internal, after which it is a very simple race to the brink for the again to simply select up the primary down and most likely extra. Monangai discovered the extra.
Unfortunately, Rutgers could not convert the play right into a landing and in the end misplaced the sport. Similarly, USC went directly to lose to Washington. I assume the lesson right here is bobbing up with cool new performs prices you video games? That does not appear proper!
Backup QB of the Week
Put to your creativeness caps. You’re a quarterback who spent 4 years at a Group of Five college, serving as a starter within the fourth yr, and you have got three hundred and sixty five days of eligibility left. You make a decision to switch to a Power Five college to offer it a shot. You switch to the college the place your members of the family have performed courting again generations. You compete for the beginning process figuring out the probabilities are not nice as the college has already approved every other, extra heralded switch from every other Power-Five college who has an within monitor.
You move anyway, you compete for the gig and win the backup process. Now it is November. While you’ve gotten performed in some mop-up responsibility, you’ve gotten spent lots of the season status at the sideline preserving a clipboard. That’s the place you’re at the highway past due within the recreation along with your crew trailing. You had the lead, however fourth-quarter turnovers price you. In the sport’s ultimate mins, your crew wishes a landing.
On a 3rd down deep for your finish of the sphere, you watch the beginning QB get sacked from in the back of. He is gradual to stand up and desires to depart the sport. Your quantity is known as.
Without warming up, you are within the huddle. You have the ball at your 15-yard line. There’s a minute left and you don’t have any timeouts. Oh, and it is fourth-and-11. On your first snap since past due September, you to find your receiver for a 22-yard acquire and a primary down. Now you are on the 37; you hurry to the road and run every other play. This time, you to find your goal for a 17-yard acquire. Again, you race to the road because the clock continues to tick.
Then you’re taking the snap, steer clear of the force, consider to seem off the security, step up within the pocket and fireplace a cross that splits the safeties and unearths your receiver in stride in the back of them for a 46-yard landing.
Three performs, 3 passes, 85 yards and a game-winning landing. That was once John Paddock’s Saturday when the Ball State switch stepped in for an injured Luke Altmyer and led Illinois to a 27-26 highway win over Minnesota.
Low Blow of the Week
Texas A&M’s Shemar Turner was once ejected for this low blow towards Ole Miss offensive lineman Micah Pettus. Which, come on, bro. There are positive traces we do not move.
Everybody is aware of that the one time you punch a man underneath the belt like this is when that man is your buddy and they don’t seem to be anticipating it, and all your buddies are round. Then it is humorous.
As for Pettus, he was once sort sufficient to tell us after the sport that he survived this vicious assault.
Under-the-Radar Circus Game of the Week
Saturday evening featured two high-profile shootouts with Washington beating USC 52-42 and Alabama knocking off LSU 42-28. While lots of the faculty soccer global watched the ones video games, previous within the day there was once an excellent crazier recreation that came about.
Memphis beat South Florida 59-50 in a recreation that completed with 1,163 yards of offense and 15 touchdowns. Even crazier, of the 15 landing drives within the recreation, none took greater than 4 ½ mins off the clock (Memphis had an eight-play, 75-yard pressure that took 4:23). Six of the 15 landing drives lasted 5 performs or fewer. Four of them did not even last more than a minute of recreation time.
Every time you blinked, any individual scored a landing.
Whoopsy Daisy Rate Leaderboards of the Week
|
1. Drew Allar, Penn State |
0.34% |
1. Henrich Haarbert, Nebraska |
4.55% |
|
2. Bo Nix, Oregon |
0.37% |
2. Jeff Undercuffler, Akron |
4.07% |
|
3. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado |
0.92% |
3. Keyone Jenkins, FIU |
3.73% |
|
4. Gavin Wimsatt, Rutgers |
1.02% |
4. Josh Hoover, TCU |
3.46% |
|
5. Michael Alaimo, Kent State |
1.03% |
5. Mitch Griffis, Wake Forest |
3.28% |
|
6. Drake Maye, North Carolina |
1.06% |
6. Davis Brin, Georgia Southern |
3.27% |
|
7. Garrett Greene, West Virginia |
1.07% |
7. Brendon Lewis, Nevada |
3.25% |
|
8. Jordan Travis, Florida State |
1.09% |
8. KJ Jefferson, Arkansas |
3.22% |
|
9. Jayden Daniels, LSU |
1.16% |
9. Cam Fancher, Marshall |
3.21% |
|
10. Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State |
1.17% |
10. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State |
3.15% |
We have new leaders on each ends of the board this week as a result of Oregon’s Bo Nix threw an interception within the Ducks’ 63-19 win over Cal, permitting Penn State’s Drew Allar to squeak through him for the bottom WDR at the season. Meanwhile, Nebraska’s Heinrich Haarberg strikes to the No. 1 spot at the different finish of the board after he fumbled thrice and threw two interceptions in Nebraska’s 20-17 loss to Michigan State. The two fumbles give Haarberg 14 at the season, tying him with Caleb Williams for many within the nation. However, Haarberg’s 20 overall Whoopsy Daisys are handiest the second-most within the nation, trailing Georgia Southern’s Davis Brin.
College Football Playoff Projection of the Week
The best 8 groups in ultimate week’s College Football Playoff Rankings all received this weekend. That makes it tougher to as it should be challenge the highest 4 like we did ultimate week as a result of it is laborious to understand what pointers the committee will shift to have the opportunity to modify the scores so all of us have one thing to speak about.
Here’s my perfect wager.
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Michigan
- Washington
Until the following Monday After!