College Football Monday Madness

All right all right, time to stop the day drinking, stop the gorging on turkey. Time to get back into the swing of all things madness, and some things Monday. That being said, and me being new to the Belly-Up team, I thought I would take it upon myself to start a College Football Monday Madness thread. We look at the games that happened this weekend and kick the new week off laughing at all those teams who caught an L this weekend in College Football.

Jim Harbaugh’s Kindness Knows No Bounds:

We kick off Monday Madness with Harbaugh, who may just have to win an award for most charitable coach this year. He saw Penn State was having a bad year, heck they had not even won a game yet. They had just been beaten down by Nebraska and things were looking bad. But ole’ Harbaugh wouldn’t have any of the blues during the holiday season. He graciously offered his wolverines up to be Penn State’s first win of the year. What a guy, Harbaugh is.

But in seriousness, check out my YouTube channel for more content on Harbaugh. He is one of the most infuriating people in college football to me. He knows the game of football and has all the makings of a top coach. But, in my opinion, he wants to be liked by the recruits more than anything. Harbaugh makes his brand off being “young” and “hip” but sometimes it just comes off as weird. Wearing cleats inside young man’s house and not taking them off is a pretty good way to stand out. Albeit I do not know if in the best way. Be on the lookout for an article coming up this week about Michigan’s current situation.

Oregon and Cristobal Crash:

Oregon is a team that I have been high on. I really like a lot of their pieces, and I really like the way they are recruiting now. But this loss hurts, bad. Sure, it’s a rivalry game and those always mean more, and sure its COVID season and things are wonky. But still, Oregon is a much more talented football team. They have solid DB play, one of the best edge rushers in the game, and one of the most intriguing players in the nation in freshman Noah Sewell.

As high as I was on Oregon, I did not have them making the playoffs. I even had them losing a game this year. What I did not expect, was Oregon to lose this game. In the end, it may not matter. But let’s give credit where it is due, and my Lord is it due. Jermar Jefferson is maybe the most underrated player in the nation. He runs with such purpose and burst that even while playing against the stars of Oregon, he shined the brightest. Keep your eye on this kid, because he is the real deal.

Herman May Join the Texas Exes Sooner Rather Than Later:

We just talked about Herman, so I will keep this section short and sweet. If I told you Texas would lose to Iowa State pre-season you may believe me. In fairness to Texas, it had more to do with Brock Purdy coming off a great season and generating a ton of buzz coming into this one. That buzz has all but dissipated now, and all we are left with is unfulfilled expectations. Sure, Texas has been the same, but they are a much deeper team than Iowa State. The development or lack thereof continues to rear its ugly head. All I can say is watch the recruiting classes, because I would not be surprised to see more kids jump ship.

Texas has zero identity. If you look at the box score of a Longhorns game you can probably hedge a safe bet that the leading rusher is Ehlinger. The Horns have mismanaged Ehlinger, putting him in terrible situations to win a game and then relying on him in the fourth quarter. They have abandoned the run game, which is interesting for two reasons. One, that’s the history of UT football, plain and simple. Two, they have the number one running back in the nation from a year ago, Bijan Robinson who is a stud on roster. No identity sounds like a culture problem to me, where have we heard that before.

Notre Dame and North Carolina in a Thriller:

This is a game that was really fun to watch. Notre Dame has been much more consistent this year than I believed they would be. Ian Book and this team are getting better as the weeks go on, which may not be the best news for the ACC.

On the other side of the equation we had North Carolina. North Carolina is one of the most confusing teams in College Football. They are recruiting at an elite level, they have a phenomenal QB, but they also have (arguably) one of the worst losses in major College Football right now to Florida State, and another bad loss to Virginia.

North Carolina is a team that, like Michigan, you should be on the lookout for another article on. They are really fun to watch, and their recruiting classes are looking really impressive. But consistency is key, and wins are not handed out in football. If they can maintain recruiting at a high level, and develop consistency, the ACC may have a new number two assuming Notre Dame doesn’t stay. (Which they absolutely should).

Ironless Iron Bowl:

Ahh, my favorite section of this article so far. Even as I write this I can’t help but feel vindicated in Alabama getting revenge on the War Eagles this year. Sure, some would argue that given how lopsided this game was, that the taste of victory would be a little less sweet. To those people I say, your team never lost a game to a kick six and had to hear about it every year. Every time the Iron Bowl rolls around, the video resurfaces. Chris Davis screaming down the sidelines while the whole stadium stood in shock.

For Auburn fans, I get it. That play is arguably one of the greatest plays in the history of the game. Certainly one of the craziest. So I don’t blame you for clinging to it, because there isn’t much left of Gus to cling to. But this year, ah this year is different. Mac Jones went super savage (if you know you know) and the Crimson Tide would not be denied. Since we have brought up young players to keep an eye on, I will give everyone two from the Crimson Tide. Will Anderson Jr, edge rusher out of Georgia and former five star recruit is a monster (check out my film breakdown of him on my youtube channel). The other, true freshman Malachi Moore, starting at CB for a Saban defense, and quickly becoming one of the best in the SEC.

So that’s it for your Monday madness, while the Michigan State v Northwestern game was certainly crazy, those disgraceful uniforms Michigan State wore would be nothing short of a trigger for me. So happy Monday you degenerates. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and check out the rest of the Belly Up work.