Week 14(ish) Reflections

      Hey Football Friends! I hope you're all doing well and still riding high after a great weekend of College Football and most importantly, a Husker victory! Yes, the Huskers in fact looked like a competent football team for a majority of the day on Saturday, and were able to hold off the Boilermakers for a 37-27 victory. They proved me wrong in my prediction, but I couldn't be happier. I've got your full analysis of the game along with all the other happenings around the nation from a fabulous weekend of football action. Let's get to it!

     Scott Frost has cleared the Purdue hurdle in his young tenure at Nebraska, beating the Boilermakers for the first time as the Huskers' head coach. Nebraska started off hot with impressive defensive stands, some big special teams plays and short fields for an offense that finally put some things together. Purdue made a push late in the game, even pulling to within 7. The Blackshirts stood tall though and the Huskers now have an outside shot at finishing with a 4-4 record. I've got the full break down of the game in my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories below.

GOOD - Adrian Martinez and Cam Taylor-Britt. There were a lot of good things about the Huskers' win on Saturday, but Martinez and Taylor-Britt really stood out and made some key plays on their respective sides of the ball to clinch the second win of the season. Starting with Martinez, it's clear his benching helped him reset, and Frost's QB1 looks back to his Freshman self. I am still very much excited by the potential with Luke McCaffrey, but I'm never opposed to a confident AM2 slinging it for the Huskers. He's gained his confidence back, which has helped in his decision making. There were flashes of it against Iowa, but against the Boilermakers, Martinez was lights out. He completed 23/30 passes for 242 yards and a TD while rushing for another 45 and 2 more TDs on the ground. Martinez managed the game extremely well and didn't force many throws he didn't need to make. He used his legs to move up and out of the pocket when necessary, and hit some very nice routes to the open receiver down the field. It's been a while since we've seen him play this smooth, and I hope it's here to stay. Great game Adrian!

Onto the defensive side of the ball, the star is Cam Taylor-Britt. Everyone will remember his leaping pass deflection to stop a Purdue 3rd & 13 conversion with just over 5 minutes left in the game, ultimately keeping the Huskers' 10-point lead intact. However, there were a number of plays Taylor-Britt made throughout the course of the game, and overall he's been great all season. Opposing teams rarely throw to his side due to his tremendous coverage, but if they dare, he's got great awareness to locate the ball and knock it down. Outside of Quarterback, corner is arguably the most difficult position to play in football. Corners are often lined up against some of the best athletes the other team has on their roster and in many cases are left alone on an island to cover them, having to read and react off of a number of keys such as route patterns, WR footwork, QB eyes, the ball and more, all without touching the receiver before the last possible second in order to avoid a costly penalty. Cam Taylor-Britt has sneakily become one of the best corners in the conference in the past couple seasons. It's been great watching him lead this defense and be the spark that fires them up.

EXPECTED - Purdue comeback & solid defense from the Blackshirts. My two expected takeaways from the game may seem like opposites, but there's a reasoning behind both. Starting with Purdue, they're a talented and well-coached team. The have probably the best receiving corps in the BIG 10 West and one of the best in the conference overall with a QB who can throw the ball with few mistakes. Jack Plummer torched the Blackshirts for the second straight year, tossing the pigskin for 334 yards and 3 TDs. They have an experienced defense and shut down the Husker offense for a majority of the second half. Zander Horvath is a problem at RB, but luckily the Huskers were able to keep their lead big enough and limit Purdue's attempts at running. Nebraska can never be trusted to fully close out a game (at least not yet), so it was no surprise when the Boilermakers pulled within 7 mid-way through the 4th. Besides, all of their losses prior to Nebraska were by 7 points or less and often came down to the wire. This game will be a battle again next year.

Looking at the Blackshirts, they played extremely well in this game. There was a bit of bend don't break due to the passing attack catching fire for Purdue, but the Huskers held the Boilermakers to -2 in the rushing column. This was the first time all season the Huskers were able to get consistent pressure. While no turnovers were gained, the Huskers held Purdue to just 3/13 on third down conversions. The defense has played solid all year apart from the Illinois game and a few other quarters, but this time the offense stepped up to take advantage of the defensive effort. The Blackshirts played well and are starting to earn those jerseys back.

BAD - Penalties and more penalties. The Huskers continue to be one of the most penalized teams, ranking 105th in the nation with an average of 66 yards per game from penalties. Nebraska racked up 9 penalties for 107 yards. For context, this is nearly as many rushing yards the Huskers had on Saturday. This continues to be an issue, on both sides of the ball. Luckily, Purdue ranks 91st in the nation and actually bested the Huskers in the yellow flag category with 11 for 126. This was a big factor in the Husker victory as Purdue hurt themselves more than Nebraska did. Most Husker fans were freaking out last week because of a stat that was released saying that there was something like 340+ plays since the last time an opponent was called for holding against Nebraska. Yeah, that's ridiculous and there were probably a number of missed holding calls. WHO CARES?! There's missed holding calls and others in every game. Yes, penalties on the other team is always a benefit for the Huskers, but a bigger benefit is not having penalties of their own, especially those that shut down drives before they even get started. Nebraska needs to fix their own issues before they complain about other teams, and the penalties are one of the biggest issues plaguing this team.

Quick hit thoughts from the rest of CFB:

- The fun kicked off on Friday night when #25 Louisiana defeated Appalachian State for the first time in program history in a very odd way. The Ragin' Cajuns took an intentional safety with 1:46 left in the game, trusting in their defense to hold onto what then became a 3 point lead. App State had a chance to tie it with a field goal in the end but the kick was wide left. The funny thing is that the Ragin' Cajuns had a 4th & 1 from near midfield when they took the safety.

- After a slow start for both Notre Dame & Clemson, they turned on the jets in the second half to demolish Syracuse and Virginia Tech respectively. Both teams now have a week off to prepare for the (sure to be wild) rematch in Charlotte.

- Absolutely nothing was slow about DaVonta Smith and Bama as the Tide Rolled LSU in Death Valley 55-17. Smith only had 8 catches on the night, but that was more than enough as he racked up 231 yards and 3 TDs. The SEC Championship is looking to be a high scoring affair.

- Sparty was nothing more than a bug on a windshield against the Buckeyes Saturday, even without Ryan Day. I think something about not being worthy of their playoff rankings may have upset Ohio State.

- Kyle Trask is making that Heisman push loud and clear with another 400+, 4 TD passing performance against the Vols.

- Iowa State was in no mood for an upset, absolutely demolishing the Mountaineers of WVU 42-6. Look out for Matt Campbell's squad.

- Miami is the quietest 1-loss team I've ever seen, but that's not going to matter much with 2020. Either way, D'Eriq King is ballin'.

- The Sooners locked up a rematch with the Cyclones for the Big XII Title by holding off a late push from the Baylor Bears.

- Who said Indiana was done with Michael Penix Jr. out?? I certainly didn't and the Hoosiers showed why. They locked down the Badgers offense in a rugged 14-6 win. Don't sleep on the Hoosiers and don't sleep on new QB Jack Tuttle.

- TCU pulled a second half upset and I still can never predict Oklahoma State correctly. Oh well, I like the Horned Frogs better anyways.

- Eastern Michigan got their first win of the season by handing Western Michigan their first loss of the season. Gotta love #MACtion.

- Texas ran the ball like K-State wasn't even on the field, racking up 334 yards on the ground and 69 points on the scoreboard.

- The PAC-12 continues to be a disaster as the Ducks were upset by Cal and Stanford rocked the Huskies. UCLA and Arizona State provided some late night entertainment, but at least USC is still unbeaten??

- Penn State apparently likes to win again and dominated Rutgers 23-7.

- Last but not least I close with the best game of the weekend. The Cougars of BYU and the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina met for a battle of the unbeatens with College Gameday after Liberty backed out due to covid-19. This game was put together on Thursday and was absolutely fantastic to watch. My adopted Chanticleers pulled off the victory by puling BYU wide receiver Dax Milne away from the goalline after he caught the ball at the two yard line and fought to win the game on the final play. It was an incredible finish, an incredible game and watch out for my adopted Chanticleers!

Thank you for reading my Week 14(ish) Reflections post and watch for my predictions later this week. It's CHAIR Week for the Huskers as they take on Minnesota in the Battle for the Broken Chair Trophy!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 14(ish) Predictions

      Good morning Football Fans and welcome to regular season College Football in December! Because of Covid-19 we have an extended regular season into the first couple weeks of December before we get to crown conference champions and find out who is going to the playoffs for real. There's a lot of discussion on if Ohio State should be the #4 team or not and it's well warranted due to only playing 4 games. They'll be back to action along with a great slate of games, so let's get onto the predictions!

Week 13(ish) Record: 10 - 6

Overall Record: 55 - 29

#4 Ohio State at Michigan State

     Starting with the aforementioned Buckeyes, they look to shut-up the haters as they travel to East Lansing, MI for just their fifth game of the season. Last week's tilt against the Illini was scrapped due to a small covid outbreak on the Buckeye squad which included Head Coach Ryan Day. He will not be with the team against Michigan State, who is coming off of an upset win against previously undefeated Northwestern. Sparty took advantage of an uncharacteristic 4 turnovers by the Wildcats and QB Rocky Lombardi played one of his best games of the year. That won't be easy to repeat against Ohio State and Justin Fields though. They're itching to get back on the field since their last performance against Indiana wasn't as stellar as some of the analysts would like. They will be out for blood in this game, and I bet they find it. Even short-handed, Ohio State flexes their muscles for the CFB Playoff Committee with a big victory in East Lansing. Buckeyes 38, Spartans 17.

#5 Texas A&M at Auburn

     The Aggies are sitting right behind the Buckeyes and just outside of the CFB Playoff at #5. They have plenty to prove as well after a lackluster performance against the other SEC West Tigers (LSU) last weekend. They take on the Auburn Tigers this week, who are looking to bounce back after being demolished in the Iron Bowl by Mac Jones and his 5 TD passes. Bo Nix has really struggled in 2020, and against a rugged Aggie defense he could be in for another rough outing. The Aggies defense ranks 20th in total defense and will be looking to cause more havoc in the backfield as the Tigers have given up 17 sacks so far this season compared to A&M who have only given up 3. I think Kellen Mond will bounce back with a big game and the Aggies will win this one on the road 34-17.

#15 Oklahoma State at TCU

     The Pokes proved me wrong last week by holding off the Red Raiders, but will still need help from others to get a spot in the Big XII Championship. First of all, they'll need to continue to win out and then have Oklahoma lose a game. TCU stands in the way of the first piece, as the Horned Frogs are always ready for an upset. They've had an up and down 2020 campaign, but Sophomore QB Max Duggan has been solid all the way through. In addition to his 1,370 yards through the air, he's also the team's leading rusher with 409 yards and a combined 15 TDs. The good and bad news for the Frogs is that he's playing well, but he's the vast majority of their offense. This means the Cowboys have one man to focus on to ultimately shut down TCU's offense. For Oklahoma State, their offense sparked up last week behind 236 rushing yards from Junior RB Dezmon Jackson. If they can get that rolling again they should be able to keep Duggan on the sidelines for most of the game. This one could go either way, but I'll take a close win by the Pokes. Oklahoma State 31, TCU 28.

Texas at K-State

     The Longhorns won't have a shot at the Big XII Title, but don't for a minute think Sam Ehlinger won't have his squad ready to ball out against the Wildcats. The do-it-all Senior has accounted for 31 TDs so far this season and is also the leading rusher for the Horns. He'll be up against a typically stingy K-State defense that's had the hinges blown off in recent weeks. The Wildcats will be looking to stop a 4-game skid, and there's always a chance for an upset when you play in Manhattan. I do like Texas in this game though, and I think Ehlinger will have a big day. Don't sleep on the Texas defense either, they're not great by any standards, but they've been playing a lot better in the second half of the season and could be the difference maker in this one. Texas 33, K-State 21. Hook 'Em.

Memphis at Tulane

     If you like offense, this is the game to watch. Both the Tigers and the Green Wave average around 35 points per game with not much defense. Tulane's still trying to figure out how they lost their last game two weeks ago to Tulsa after a game-tying Hail Mary and then game-winning pick-6 in double overtime won it for the Golden Hurricanes. They'll need to be ready to defend the pass again as Senior QB Brady White and the Tigers will look to continue their dominance through the air. White has thrown for 2,602 yards so far this season, with an impressive 24:6 TD to INT ratio. Tulane has the edge in the run game with the two-headed rushing attack of Senior RB Stephon Huderson and Sophomore Cameron Carroll. The duo have combined for more than 1,200 yards and 14 TDs on the season. They're both averaging around 6 yards per carry and are not easy to bring down. Memphis will have their hands full, but I like Brady White to get it done on the road. He's been great his entire career at Memphis and he'll finish the year great. Tigers win this one 34-28 over the Green Wave.

West Virginia at #9 Iowa State

     The Cyclones can celebrate about locking up a spot in the Big XII Championship game, but there are still two regular season games left on the schedule for one of the newest top 10 members of the CFB Playoff Rankings. West Virginia is primed for an upset though, quietly boasting the 4th best defense in the nation and number 1 in pass defense. The Mountaineers give up just 274 yards and 17.8 points per game on average, while creating a lot of havoc in the backfield with 22 sacks so far on the season. Iowa State has protected Brock Purdy well, giving up just 10 sacks this year. The Cyclones also have Breece Hall, the impressive Sophomore averages 6.3 yards per carry and has 16 TDs on the season so far, so WVU's defense will certainly be tested. This has some major upset potential for the weekend, but I think Matt Campbell has something special with the Cyclones this year. They've got good leadership with Brock Purdy and a stingy defense of their own. Iowa State wins a dangerous one at home 27-23.

#1 Alabama at LSU

     One of the best rivalries in football has one of the biggest point spreads we've ever seen for a defending national champion, and not in a good way. LSU comes in as a nearly 30 point underdog in what looks to be another easy outing for Mac Jones and the Rolling Crimson Tide. The Tigers stepped up a bit on defense last week, locking down Kellen Mond and the A&M offense apart from just a couple of plays. Unfortunately they were unable to get their own offense working, and that doesn't bode well when facing Bama. The Tide rank 3rd in the nation for scoring offense with an average of 48.5 points per game. And even though they lost star receiver Jaylen Waddle for the season a few weeks back, Mac Jones and crew haven't missed a beat. Jones is in the thick of the Heisman race with 2,728 yards and 23 TDs through the air, compared to just 3 interceptions. Senior RB Najee Harris has 17 TDs so far on the ground, and averages 6 yards per carry. LSU's defense is playing a bit better, but no where near good enough to hang around in this game. Tide Roll big over the defending champs, 52-17.

#3 Clemson at Virginia Tech

     The Tigers are looking to punch another ticket to the ACC Championship with a win on Saturday, but the VT Hokies stand in their way. It's never easy to win in Blacksburg, especially at night. The Hokies haven't been great this year, but Senior RB Kahlil Herbert and his staggering 8.2 yards per carry average are always a handful. Unfortunately for Herbert, he doesn't have much help around him, unlike the Clemson offense. With Trevor Lawrence and multiple defensive starters back, the Tigers are prepared to show everyone they are the best team in the nation, and they won't let anyone or anything stand in their way of another showdown with Notre Dame. They will start hot and never look back in this game. Clemson 56, Virginia Tech 10.

#12 Indiana at #16 Wisconsin

     One of only two ranked v. ranked match-ups this weekend takes place up in Madison as the Badgers take on the Hoosiers in a unique BIG 10 Battle. With yet another cancellation last week due to a covid out break on the Gopher squad, we still don't know much about Wisconsin since they've only played in 3 games. Graham Mertz will look to bounce back from his horrendous performance against the Wildcats while the Hoosiers will have to figure out a new QB after their star Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL against Maryland last week. Both defenses will be the true measuring stick in this one, more specifically on which defense will crack. Both are two fo the best in the conference and love to wear down their opponents. Everyone is leaning toward Wisconsin, but I'm sticking with the Hoosiers. They were my dark horse team to start the year, and I think they have enough talent and firepower to overcome the Penix injury. Look out for Indiana, they're not done yet! Hoosiers win a big one on the road 23-16.

#13 BYU at #18 Coastal Carolina

     College Gameday visits Coastal Carolina this week as my adopted Chanticleers take on the unbeaten Cougars of BYU rather than the Flames of Liberty who canceled due to a covid outbreak. The ability to save this game in the first place was phenomenal in itself, but to set up a ranked v. ranked match-up between two unbeaten teams is even better. Both teams are looking for more respect from the College Football Playoff Committee and their rankings, so this game has some major implications. I've been on board the Chanticleer bandwagon all season, and with the current state of my Huskers it's been nice to have a winning team to root for! Freshman QB Grayson McCall has been spectacular in 2020, throwing for 1,747 yards with 20 TDs compared to just 1 pick. He's complimented by a strong rushing attack in one of the most balanced offenses in the nation. On the other side, BYU QB Zach Wilson is looking to boost his Heisman stock with another big performance. The Cougars haven't played the best competition this year, but Wilson has looked impressive nonetheless with a 74.3 percent completion rating, 2,724 yards through the air and 26 TDs with a couple more on the ground. Both teams are looking to prove something, and as much as I love the Chanticleers, I think BYU is being underrated by the Playoff Committee. I'll be happy either way in this one, and I think this could be one of the best games of the day. BYU wins a fun one 34-30.

Nebraska at Purdue

     A game that was originally slated to be the opener for both teams now opens the month of December as the Huskers travel to West Lafayette rather than hosting the Boilermakers in Lincoln. Jack Plummer is in to start for the injured Aiden O'Connel, but no matter what QB trots out there for Purdue they're bound to have success. Both QBs combined for 304 passing yards a year ago against the Blackshirts and their passing attack is better this year. That's aided by the return of All-American WR Rondale Moore and Sophomore Stud David Bell. Bell has been the new star as Moore still battles injuries, catching passes for nearly 500 yards this season and 7 TDs. He's been nearly impossible for opposing DBs to cover, which does not bode well for the Huskers who have struggled in pass coverage this year. The other threat from the Boilermaker offense is RB Zander Horvath, a 6'3, 230 lbs. monster who's nearly impossible to bring down on the first hit. They don't run him as much as they should in my opinion, but he makes the most of it with a 5.1 yard per carry average. The front 7 of the Huskers need to be ready and wrap hard on their tackles. Switching over to the Husker offense, we're likely to see Adrian Martinez back in the starting roll. He played well at Iowa last week, despite his offensive line doing just about everything possible to get him killed, and I'm excited to watch him. I will again be a major advocate for running both Martinez and McCaffrey in the backfield at the same time. With the lack of support at the RB position, I think it could really open up the offense to have these two running the ball together. Looking to the air attack, there's not much outside of Austin Allen and Wandale Robinson. Robinson needs to touch the ball as much as possible, but predictable play calling and bad snaps to throw off the timing of predictable play calls is likely to occur with Cam Jurgens back at Center. Frost doubled-down on his decision to go with Jurgens, but that could mean we see a number of snaps going haywire again. As always, avoiding turnovers and dumb mistakes are the keys to victory for the Huskers. Look for an emphasis on play fakes in this one, Purdue has struggled against the play action this season. Also look for 3rd Down Conversion rates and TOP, the winner of those, especially in the second half will likely have the victory. I really don't know what to expect from Nebraska any more outside of poor performances, so I'll go with Purdue and pray the Huskers surprise me and prove me wrong. I just want to see some progress and for the head coach to take some responsibility for his team. Purdue 31, Nebraska 27. BoilerUp, but please Go Big Red.

Quick Hit Predictions:

#6 Florida at Tennessee - The Gators are nearly to the SEC Championship, but have a couple more games to get through first. The Vols are always looking for an upset in a rivalry like this, but I doubt they'll be able to keep up with Heisman front-runner Kyle Trask and the Gator's air raid. Gators Chomp again behind another big day from Trask. Florida 44, Tennessee 20.

#19 Iowa at Illinois - The Hawkeyes are on a roll after dropping their first two games of the season, and the Illini are ready to get back to football after having their bout with Ohio State cancelled a week ago. Nothing would be better to watch Iowa be upset by Illinois, and they might have the offense to do it. The Illini run defense is the key to victory though, because Tyler Goodsen is planning to have a big day. I think he will and the Hawkeyes return home with a 34-21 victory.

Penn State at Rutgers - Hanging around in the BIG 10, we've got a game that could possibly determine who squares off against Nebraska in the extra week of the season (Michigan is also in the hunt for that coveted spot). The Scarlet Knights have been playing well in Greg Schiano's first year back, but Penn State just won their first game of 2020 and doesn't want to stop there. The Nittany Lions may have found their rushing attack with Freshman RB Keyvone Lee, so I'll take them in this game. Neither team is very good, so expect this to be a messy one. Penn State wins 26-21.

Boston College at Virginia - Nothing outside of Notre Dame and Clemson really matter in the ACC, but this is an interesting game. The Eagles are looking to restart their offense while the Cavaliers are riding a three game win-streak. Neither team runs the ball very well, so this will be a battle of the QBs. BC's Jurkovec and UVA's Armstrong. Jurkovec has more yards, TDs and fewer picks, so I'll give him the nod. Eagles 35, Cavaliers 27.

Stanford at #22 Washington - With the Ducks losing last week, Washington is looking to represent the North in the PAC-12 Championship yet again. The could be looking ahead to their meeting with Oregon next week, but I don't think David Shaw and Stanford quite have the firepower to break through the Husky defense. Washington 28, Sanford 21.

Baylor at #11 Oklahoma - The Sooners have been red hot since their 1-2 start to the season, but Baylor just ended their losing streak of close games and is ready to upset. The Bears have a solid QB-WR duo between Brewer and Sneed, but I think Spencer Rattler should be okay in this one. Sooners win big behind Rattler 44-21.

Thank you for reading my Gameday predictions and I hope you all enjoy the fantastic CFB Saturday we have before us. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 13(ish) Reflections

     Ugh... hello my football friends. This is getting more and more frustrating each week due to the poor performances by my Huskers, but I'm still here to give you all the College Football content you're looking for! As usual, my reflection post will have a full analysis and break down of the Husker game as well as all the other exciting things that happened around the nation. There were some big upsets, big injuries and big performances, so let's get to it!

     Another poor performance by the Huskers leads to another loss to Iowa and more excuses from Scott Frost about how the coaching staff before him is to blame.  Regardless of the team's performance, it is way past time for Frost to take responsibility for this team. I will rant a bit more about this topic later in my reflection, but for the last time, THE HUSKERS LOSING RIGHT NOW IS NOT MIKE RILEY'S FAULT. Looking at the game itself, there were some bright spots for the Huskers, but more mental errors and dumb mistakes did them in more than the Hawkeyes did. I've got everything broken down into my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories below.

GOOD - The Husker Defense & Adrian Martinez. I am cautious to give the Blackshirts title back to the defense, but honestly they performed very well against Iowa, holding the typically efficient Hawkeye rushing attack to just 128 yards. The Hawks were only able to score TDs on 2 of their 5 trips to the redzone, as the Husker defense forced 5 field goals throughout the game, Iowa made 4 of them. This is a great turnaround for a unit that gave up 41 to one of the worst offenses in the BIG 10 with Illinois last week. The defense played well enough for the Huskers to win, and overall, I thought Adrian Martinez did as well. Martinez was nearly perfect on the day, completing 18/20 for 174 yards. The Huskers still have yet to throw a legitimate TD pass, but Martinez was able to make the best out of some very bad situations thanks to his creativity outside of the pocket. I was a bit disappointed to see the lack of playing time Luke McCaffrey got, but Martinez did what he was supposed to in most circumstances of the game. He even saved some potential disasters, so I give him a nod in this one. There's still no clear starter for the Huskers, which is another reason why I don't see any issue in putting them both in the backfield. There's a different kind of tempo when Luke runs the offense, and if Frost wants the BIG 10 to change for him, that tempo is necessary. I was very happy to see Adrian play well, but there's still a lot of work to do before he is able to lead this team to victory. Also, the golden rule should just be give the ball to Wan'dale Robinson as much as possible. The kid is a baller and defenses rarely have much of an answer for him even though they can focus 3 defenders on him at once.

EXPECTED - Predictable play calling and dumb mistakes. At this point, I honestly think I could script most of the Huskers' playbook in my sleep. Iowa was clearly able to read a majority of Nebraska's offensive plays before the snap, leading to another pedestrian performance and an atrocious 4 of 12 on third down for the Huskers. Nebraska now ranks 116th in the nation for third down conversion rate, sitting at 32.26 percent. The lack of ability to sustain drives goes far beyond third down though, as most of these failures are set up on first and second down where the Huskers often times go backwards. Nebraska clearly cannot run any of the RPOs with much success, and the run game (outside of Martinez & McCaffrey making 3 defenders miss on their own) is nonexistent. The Huskers continue to neglect using their talent on the outside with the lack of a downfield passing attack and the QB draws can be sniffed out a mile away. The offensive line has not push and often acts as a dysfunctional floodgate for any running plays between the tackles or when the Huskers attempt a pass more than 7 yards. Then you add in untimely holding penalties, bad snaps and fumbled punt returns, there's not much rhythm to be found on the offensive side of the ball.

BAD - Cam Jurgens and Scott Frost's inability to accept responsibility. In the words of my Aunt Jennifer, "what type of blackmail does Cam Jurgens have on Scott Frost to keep him in there?" It's honestly a fair question, especially after hearing Frost double-down on his decision to have Cam Jurgens as the starting Center. The snaps did improve in the second half, but after a season and a half at the position, it's pretty obvious this is not the best spot for Jurgens. It's worth noting that Jurgens was a 4-star Tight End prospect coming out of High School, and was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the position. Now it's fairly common for TEs to be moved to the offensive line, but typically not Center. I don't mind having a player of Jurgens' speed and agility on the line, but he clearly does not know how to play the Center position. The Center has to call and change blocking schemes depending on what he sees from the defense, and most importantly keep the timing of the play intact by snapping the ball directly to the QB. In a very low-level comparison, the 3rd & 4th grade rookies I coached this fall struggled on offense because we were sitting in shotgun and could not snap the ball well enough to set up the timing of our plays. We had to switch players into the Center position numerous times and eventually went under Center to fix the issue. Again, this is a very thin string connecting the two situations, but it's worth putting other players at the position if they're more successful. Timing of the play is dictated by the snap from the Center.

Now onto my second issue, Scott Frost. I do still believe there's potential with him and this team, but I am extremely disappointed in the lack of responsibility he's taken, especially now that we're in year 3. Following the Iowa loss he's still blaming the Mike Riley staff for culture issues, players leaving and the overall terrible performances on the field. I worked with the Riley staff in recruiting athletes to the program, things were far from perfect, and the on-field performance highlighted some of the issues, but things were not as bad as Frost makes them seem. I repeat, THE ISSUES UNDER MIKE RILEY WERE NOT AS SIGNIFICANT AS SCOTT FROST SAYS, especially for a coach in his third year. I've had Husker fans tell me they would trust Frost to do open heart surgery on their mother before they trusted Mike Riley. Now there's a number of glaring issues with statements like that, but I'll focus on the blind loyalty to a coach who still has yet to win more games than his predecessor did at this point in the tenure. If Scott Frost does not begin to take responsibility for the performances by his team, they will continue to crumble and lose players. Frost announced on Monday that WR Marcus Fleming is no longer with the team, taking away more depth at one of the thinnest positions on the roster. If Frost is so worried about a culture problem, then he needs to ensure this team is prepared for each practice, game and plays like they want to win, not like they already have. This team has become complacent and doesn't get phased by losing (from an outside perspective). A big responsibility is on the athletes as well, getting that fire and passion to play comes from within. However, that fire is stoked by a coach who wants to win and can motivate their players to do the same. I'm sure Frost can be that guy, it's clear (most of) these players like him, but culture is more than being friends. I liked the tough love comment from Monday's press conference, but the toughness needs to show in practice and on the field. It's well past time to stop blaming Mike Riley, this is Frost's team. Own it and coach them up. Go Big Red.

Quick hit thoughts from the rest of CFB:

- Notre Dame flexed their defensive muscles by shutting out the dynamic Tar Heels offense in the second half to win 31-17. They close their season against the Organge before likely squaring off against the Tigers again in the ACC Championship.

- Brock Purdy played a tremendous game and the Cyclones scored 10 4th quarter points to beat Texas on the road and lock up their spot in the Big XII Championship. This brought Head Coach Matt Campbell to tears. Good to see for the Cyclones, and they better hold onto him as long as they can.

- Ex-Husker QB Tristian Gebbia led a tremendous comeback win by the Beavers as they beat the Ducks 41-38. Oregon State just wouldn't go away and a 22-point 4th quarter capped in by a game winning QB sneak by the back-up QB after Gebbia got hurt completed the comeback. OSU Running Back Jermar Jefferson went wild with 226 and 2 TDs on the ground, single-handedly outrushing the Ducks by himself. The Bevers are on the rise in the PAC-12, and the conference is certainly out of Playoff consideration for yet another year.

- 25 4th quarter points by the Chippewas prevented Eastern Michigan from recording their first victory of 2020.

- A blocked PAT at the end of the game gave Stanford the victory over Cal and the Ax Trophy from the oldest rivalry in the West.

- Bama rolled in the Iron Bowl as Mac Jones threw for 5 TDs.

- Clemson was very excited to have Trevor Lawrence back, especially since he threw for 406 yards and 2 TDs over Pitt.

- LSU brought their defense to College Station, but that was about it. A&M had an impressive defensive performance of their own and were able to win 20-7.

- The Gators are on a collision course with the Tide and are looking to jump over A&M (their only loss) to get into the playoffs.

- Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats were bit by the turnover and penalty bugs as Rocky Lombardi led Sparty to a 29-20 upset over Northwestern. The Purple Cats can still win the Big 10 West, but Playoff hopes are dashed significantly and they still need a run game.

- Georgia changed QBs and started winning big again, about damn time.

- In true 2020 fashion, Indiana's star QB, Michael Penix Jr., tore his ACL in the Hoosiers victory over Maryland and will be out for the remainder of the season. He's been sensational to watch and hopefully will make a speedy recover to be back next year. Dark horse Heisman if the Hoosiers can keep this momentum in 2021.

- The Chanticleers continue to roll and will get to host College Gameday this weekend. I guess there are some good things in this world!

- The Pokes out last the Red Raiders in a classic Big XII shootout 50-44.

- Penn State notches their first victory of 2020 in the Big House against Michigan. Haha Jim Harbaugh!

- If you haven't heard of Buffalo's RB Jarett Patterson, you need to watch this kid. He tied an NCAA record with 8 rushing TDs on 409 yards. The kid is phenomenal and is 5th in the nation with 920 rushing yards despite playing in just 4 games this season. He's tied for 2nd in TDs at 16, behind Bama's Najee Harris at 17. GIVE THIS KID THE WALKER AWARD!

- Ohio State is in danger of missing out on a BIG 10 Championship due to a small covid outbreak canceling their game against Illinois.

- Rutgers surprised everyone and beat Purdue on the road despite a pretty solid game from the Boilermaker offense. Purdue will try to right the ship against the Huskers this weekend.

- Colorado was able to play San Diego State after USC cancelled due to covid and the Buffs are 3-0.

- The best was saved for last as we look at the Vandy-Mizzou game. The score didn't matter much as Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play football for a Power 5 school by opening the second half with a kickoff! This was incredible for College Football and I hope the Commodores are able to drive into field goal range next game to give her a shot at some points. Congratulations Sarah Fuller and thank you for helping change the game!

Thanks for reading all of my week 13(ish) reflections and be watching for my predictions post later this week. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando