After the early 34-14 Wisconsin win against FAU last weekend, my plan was to rest up to prepare myself for the incredible slate of night games. Then, when I flipped on my TV to ESPN2, I saw Iowa and Iowa State locked in a thrilling shootout that went until overtime.
Week Two was a surprisingly, special week in the college football season. Lots of fun games filled with big storylines, weird plays and late night action. While there’s only one marquee game this coming weekend, there’s a lot to look forward to, and look back on.
Baker Mayfield Angers an Entire State
Oklahoma’s senior quarterback Baker Mayfield was unstoppable in the Sooners’ 31-16 upset over then-No. 2 Ohio State last weekend. Oklahoma’s defense also impressed, shutting down Ohio State’s senior quarterback JT Barrett and its exciting freshman running back J.K. Dobbins. The Buckeyes’ read option concepts always seemed to be snuffed out by the Sooners’ defense, and the Buckeyes could rarely get drives going. Despite early turnovers, Mayfield dominated the Buckeyes’ secondary as he passed for 386 yards and three touchdowns. While his stats were gaudy, the circumstances were arguably even more impressive. It seemed that every time the Sooners needed a big play, Mayfield escaped the Buckeyes’ pass rush and flung the ball downfield.
But Mayfield’s biggest moment of the night came after the game. Caught up in his feelings of excitement, the gunslinger took the Oklahoma flag, and planted it into the turf at midfield, upsetting the whole state of Ohio and becoming a hero in basically every other state.
Mayfield later recalled how Ohio State and its fans sung OSU’s alma mater in Norman after the Buckeyes’ 45-24 road win last season. Baker Mayfield became a personal hero to me Saturday night, and I will never forget watching him plant that flag into the turf.
#Pac12AfterDark Is Back and Better Than Ever
Lots of people live by the mantra “nothing good ever happens after 2:00 a.m.” College football fans disagree and always enjoy their late night, mind-bending, offensive fireworks. In the late late game, No. 20 Washington State beat Boise State in triple overtime, 47-44. Did this game have passing records broken? Yes. Wazzu’s senior quarterback Luke Falk broke the school record for passing yards.
Did this game feature a huge comeback? Yes. Washington State was down 31-10 with 10:53 left on the clock. There were two defensive scores in the fourth quarter alone, and there was a game-changing play after the ball hit a Boise State player on a punt return, allowing Washington State to scoop it up and get the ball back. The Cougs’ backup quarterback, Tyler Hilinski, was the hero, as he had three touchdowns after replacing Luke Falk, including the game-winning score in the third overtime. Don’t forget this game had three overtimes. THREE! Long live late night football.
Lamar Wants Revenge Against Reigning Champs Clemson
While I could talk about Baker Mayfield for another section, it’s time to look ahead to the marquee match-up of the weekend: The No. 3 Clemson Tigers at the No. 14 Louisville Cardinals. With Florida State’s Deondre Francois out for the season with an injury, the door is now wide open in the ACC Atlantic division. The two best teams in the conference face off this weekend, meaning the winner moves into the driver's seat to get to the ACC Title game. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson won the Heisman trophy last season and has looked just as good, if not better, this season. While Clemson is the better overall team on paper, their quarterback from last year, Deshaun Watson, graduated, and when the teams met in 2016, Jackson went toe-to-toe with the current Houston Texans quarterback. Hopefully Lamar Jackson will dazzle the field just like last year and Clemson’s new quarterback Kelly Bryant will rise to the occasion to produce another classic shootout.
