THE LOOKAHEAD

Can these teams keep the streak alive?

In college football today, nothing feels sacred. Coaches abandon teams, teams abandon conferences, conferences abandon logic. Still, there are a few active streaks in the sport that are still going strong. Is this the weekend they screech to a halt?

It’s another pivotal moment in the young season. Let’s examine some bizarre trends and ask whether they can last or just be a flash in the pan.

How many games can Utah win without a quarterback?

I mean no disrespect to Nate Johnson, Bryson Barnes, or whatever pagan forces Kyle Whittingham has been making deals with. Still, 157 passing yards per game on 56% completion is pretty rough.

Of course, it doesn’t really matter when you can hold your opponents to less than 10 points per contest. Things get a bit more interesting tonight as Utah takes on Oregon State, a flawed but feisty squad. Do we finally get to see Cam Rising? Does the scoreboard at Reser Stadium somehow knock the Beavers into negative points so Utah wins without scoring? I’ve grown very fond of watching the Utes tight-end their way to 10 wins, and this season might be the purest form of that.

Can Duke keep the magic going?

Sure, make all the jokes you want about Duke’s roster consisting primarily of future CPAs. Well, guess what? It’s tax season, and the Devils (the Blue ones, not the ones at the IRS) have been collecting mercilessly.

Granted, that could change with Notre Dame. The Irish are stinging from a last-second home loss to Ohio State, but they’re still a step up from anything Duke has seen so far. Duke QB Riley Leonard might struggle for the first time this year as he throws against a skilled secondary and a menacing front seven… or maybe six, in Notre Dame’s case.

Will Florida and Kentucky remain stuck between “OK” and “Not OK”?

Kentucky brought back beloved offensive coordinator Liam Coen and snagged a high-profile transfer QB in Devin Leary… and haven’t done much at all with them. Florida, meanwhile, recently upset ranked Tennessee and has a surprisingly efficient offense… led by Graham Mertz.

These are two teams that feel destined for six to eight wins. I’m sure they’ll both have ups and downs. The question is which one will earn a low-20s AP Poll spot in time to boost Georgia’s resume. Saturday’s game should help us learn.

How long can Texas A&M keep the dream of nine wins alive?

It absolutely sucks that Conner Weigman is out for the season. It’s never fun to see a young player get hurt, even if it pushes Texas A&M even further into the inevitable, hilarious black hole that is 8-4.

KJ Jefferson and the Razorbacks are no slouch, and could light up the Aggie defense if they’re firing on all cylinders. But hey, maybe A&M will rally behind backup QB Max Johnson and salvage a decent season. Either way, it doesn’t seem like good news for Jimbo Fisher, as bad as any news can be for someone who’s been promised the GDP of a small island nation over the next decade.

Are we sure either Pitt or Virginia Tech really has to win this game?

Look, I’ve watched a football game or two. I know that in 2023, per the rules, you can’t tie. And yet, I’ve crunched the numbers and connected thumb tacks with string on a corkboard, and for the life of me I can’t find a case for either team winning this game.

But who knows? Maybe it will be super fun. After all, ESPN put it in a primetime spot, and when has ESPN ever made a questionable judgment call regarding college football? It’s important we see these teams under the bright lights to know how they’ll fare against Cal and SMU.

-Bradley Hohulin

WIN NEW KICKS IN WEEK 5!

We’re all getting older, and nothing makes you feel more like a kid than a pair of fancy new sneakers. That’s why the winner of our Week 5 pick’em contest is getting a $100 gift card to GOAT, where you can go and treat your feet to something higher brow than those New Balance 574’s.

It could not be easier to play. Simply sign up for any Patreon tier and follow the directions to submit your picks. And, while you’re at it, reap the benefits of our other Patreon perks, including ad-free episodes, bonus content, unfettered access to our great Discord community, scheme breakdown videos and much more! All Patreon tiers instantly get access to our great games and prizes!

THE LOOKBACK

Things you missed from last week

1) Welcome to your streaming future, Jim Harbaugh. This clip killed me.

2) Speaking of funny coach clips, Mark Stoops has confidence in the Kentucky fandom’s daydrinking skills:

3) Our sensors are picking up an increased level of chatter around the possibility that Clemson is about to leave the ACC. Stay very tuned, indeed:

4) Mel Tucker is officially out at Michigan State, and here’s a list from Bruce Feldman including some potential replacement candidates:

5) A few weeks back, Colorado’s Travis Hunter suffered a lacerated liver after a controversial hit from Colorado State’s Henry Blackburn. To bury the hatchet, Hunter got together with Blackburn and went bowling for a video posted on his YouTube channel. Shout out to Hunter for doing this:

6) Presented without further comment:

-Ty Hildenbrandt

THE VERBALLERHOOD

Getting comfy on Su Casa Saturday

Oh look, it’s a bunch of ranked teams playing on the road! What could go wrong? Our name for tomorrow is Su Casa Saturday. Here’s how you can make sure you’re prepared:

1️⃣ Listen to our Week 5 preview episode

We produce these episodes as a public service to help get you ready for the Saturday ahead. Notably, our picks are not to be trusted. At least not yet. It’s been a bumpy ride thus far, but we’re sloooooowly getting better.

☝️ Also, if you consider yourself a super college football dork, we did a full hour breaking down the statistical profiles of Duke and Washington State. We’re going to be taking cues from our community and picking the teams that are of the most interest. You can listen to a brief preview here and decide if it’s for you.

2️⃣ Call the Reverb Line at 855-VERBAL3 (855-837-2253)

While you’re watching the games this weekend, call our voicemail line and leave us a real-time reaction. The more emotion, the better. Really go for it. We’ll play our favorites on our midnight reaction stream. Speaking of which, you can find it here at midnight ET on Saturday. Oh, and if you’re looking for a fun place to hang, we invite you to come lurk on your Discord and see if it’s something you’re into.

3️⃣ Support the podcast by leaving us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts

The college football community, as a whole, likes to sample college football podcasts in the first month of the season. Your reviews really help turn passersby into loyal members of the Verballerhood. Please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review if you listen over on Apple Podcasts! And, of course, Verballers.com is the spot for you if you’d like ad-free episodes, bonus content and more!