Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Remember Travis Hunter’s dominance. Plus, ‘new’ CFB is here

And now, 20 thoughts from Week 4, where Colorado conjured quite a 30th-anniversary tribute of Kordell Stewart’s Hail Mary to beat Michigan, while Michigan itself earned the biggest win of the weekend.

1. Saturday’s USC-Michigan thriller was a three-hour advertisement for New College Football. Two marquee brands that may have previously only met in a Rose Bowl, playing an intra-conference Big Ten game in September with Playoff implications for both teams’ resumes, as well as those of their opponents. And it came down to the end, with the 18th-ranked Wolverines (3-1) prevailing 27-24 after their defense thwarted the 11th-ranked Trojans’ (2-1) last-minute drive.

Hearing Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson call a Big Ten game on CBS after all those years at Alabama and LSU still feels unnatural. But here’s guessing their bosses — who forked over $350 million a year for the rights to Big Ten showdowns like this one — will be lighting cigars when the ratings arrive Tuesday.

Can’t believe we’re stuck with this game when we could be watching SC play Cal in front of 40,000 empty seats.

— Michael Mulvihill (@mulvihill79) September 21, 2024

2. The actual action on the field was the furthest thing from new and modern. This was a circa 1970s Big Ten duel. Michigan, incapable of completing a forward pass this season, ran the ball and ran it some more. USC’s defense, which has improved light years under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn, played admirably for most of the day, but the Wolverines popped a few big runs, most importantly Kalel Mullings’ 63-yard dash to set up the go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds left. USC quarterback Miller Moss, who managed to throw three TDs despite facing constant duress, could not get into field-goal range.

Trojans fans should still feel encouraged. They have a legit defense now, one that had eight tackles for loss Saturday and made numerous open-field tackles. Their two biggest games down the stretch, Penn State and Notre Dame, are at home. Michigan, meanwhile, salvaged a season that threatened to turn dire if the Wolverines lost twice in September.

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3. Excluding quarterbacks, Colorado’s Travis Hunter is the most sensational player I’ve seen come through college since Christian McCaffrey was at Stanford. And that was eight years ago.

Saturday night against Baylor, the receiver/cornerback caught seven passes for 130 yards, his fourth 100-yard game to start the season, then sealed his team’s 38-31 win by forcing a fumble in overtime just as Bears running back Dominic Richardson was about to cross the goal line. Per ESPN, he is the first player to accomplish both feats in a game in at least 20 seasons.

I can’t imagine there is a more outstanding player in the country this season. But Heisman winners tend to play on great teams, and the Buffs, which needed a Shedeur Sanders Hail Mary to force overtime against a ho-hum foe, are not that. I’m skeptical Hunter will remain in the national conversation once his team is no longer in contention for anything significant. But he should be.

4. Two years ago, Tennessee rose to No. 1 in the CFP rankings with a bend-but-don’t-break defense that eventually broke. This Vols defense is not that one.

The sixth-ranked Vols (4-0) went 19 straight quarters (dating to last season) without allowing a touchdown before No. 15 Oklahoma (3-1) tacked on two in the fourth quarter of Tennessee’s 25-15 win in Norman. The defense forced three turnovers and notched 11 tackles for loss. Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who threw a 66-yard touchdown, may not be as fully formed as 2022 Hendon Hooker, but it doesn’t matter. With a strong rushing attack and a now-dominant defense, Tennessee is as well-equipped to contend for an SEC title as anyone.

Had a little something extra. pic.twitter.com/5R09sSlFb9

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 22, 2024

5. Oklahoma finally has a defense to make its fans proud — but, for the first time in decades, it has a problem at quarterback. After watching sophomore Jackson Arnold commit three first-half turnovers, and with OU down 19-3, Brent Venables pulled the former five-star signee. Arnold, mind you, was purportedly so talented that All-Big 12 starter Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon, but Arnold’s yet to pass for 200 yards in a game this season. Arnold’s replacement, true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., led OU to two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but it was too little, too late.

Venables’ defense is strong enough to hang with the best teams in the SEC, but his offense is many miles behind. Quarterback arguably wasn’t even his biggest problem. But it’s going to be his biggest headache going forward.

6. America’s most famous nephew got his first career start Saturday, and it went exactly as you’d expect. Texas’ Arch Manning mostly picked his spots against overmatched Louisiana-Monroe, throwing a 56-yard completion to Isaiah Bond and a 46-yarder to Matthew Golden. He also threw two interceptions. But the top-ranked Horns (4-0) were firmly in control throughout their 51-3 rout. Manning, who finished 15 of 29 for 258 yards, two TDs and two picks, is dripping with talent, but there are moments where he reminds you he’s in his first year on the field.

Quinn Ewers, a fourth-year junior, will get his job back as soon as he’s healthy, but man is it nice to be Steve Sarkisian and have both guys.

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7. Were one to pick a theme song for football in the state of North Carolina this season, it would be Green Day’s classic “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”

Clemson put up 45 points in the first half against NC State en route to a 59-35 win, becoming the second team in three games to hang 50 on the Wolfpack. (They lost 51-10 to Tennessee.) More stunning, James Madison went to Chapel Hill and scored 53 in the first half en route to a wild 70-50 win over host North Carolina. Just two weeks earlier, this same James Madison team — which lost head coach Curt Cignetti and many of its top players to Indiana this offseason — squeezed past Gardner Webb 13-6.

Meanwhile, normally stout Appalachian State has losses of 66-20 to Clemson and 48-14 to South Alabama. The good news for the state: Basketball practices begin soon.

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8. In December 2018, North Carolina brought back national championship coach Mack Brown — by then, out of coaching for five years — in hopes he could replicate his first stint at UNC, when the Tar Heels notched three 10-win seasons from 1993-97. It has not happened. There was a Top 25 season in 2020, a division title in 2022 and many highlights from NFL QBs Sam Howell and Drake Maye. But the common thread has been horrific defenses. After journeyman Gene Chizik couldn’t fix it the past two seasons, Brown turned to ex-Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins, whose defense allowed eight plays of 20-plus yards.

Brown, 73, told reporters afterward, “I am at fault, 100 percent.” Meanwhile, Inside Carolina reported that Brown told his team in the postgame locker room he would “walk away and step down if he was the problem.” Brown later told ESPN he will be back in the office Sunday, but you can see where this might be heading come season’s end.

9. Since a humbling 34-3 loss to then-No. 1 Georgia to start the season, Clemson (2-1) has scored at least 45 first-half points in consecutive games (against Appalachian State and NC State) for the first time in Dabo Swinney’s 16-year tenure. Quarterback Cade Klubnik broke a 55-yard touchdown run on the opening series Saturday against NC State and cruised from there. The two opponents’ defenses have admittedly been exposed in their other games, but it’s not like the Tigers will be facing Georgia every week.

As long as Clemson’s offense is more potent than it’s been the past few seasons, the Tigers can win the ACC.

10. But Miami (4-0) remains the favorite. Quarterback Cam Ward, who has moved to the top of most sportsbooks’ Heisman odds, went 24 of 34 for 404 yards, three TDs and one INT (which his receiver bobbled) in the eighth-ranked Hurricanes’ 50-15 win at USF (2-2). Ward, a Washington State transfer who makes seemingly every throw appear effortless, looks like he’s having a blast playing with Miami’s plethora of explosive playmakers, including receivers Isaiah Horton (eight catches, 108 yards Saturday) and Xavier Restrepo (six catches, 99 yards), former Houston receiver Samuel Brown (76-yard TD) and former Oregon State running back Damien Martinez (36-yard catch and run).

11. Longtime Pac-12 fans may miss their conference, but they don’t likely miss facing Utah’s defense. The 12th-ranked Utes smothered No. 14 Oklahoma State so thoroughly in the first half in Stillwater that Mike Gundy benched veteran quarterback Alan Bowman to start the second half. He eventually returned and threw two late TDs before Utah (4-0) held on, 22-19. The Utes, preseason Big 12 favorites, are once again dealing with a Cam Rising injury soap opera. He was a pregame scratch with a hand injury. Utah’s offense struggled without him, save for running back Micah Bernard, who ran for a career-high 182 yards.

Utah may still be the class of the Big 12, but not if it has to go through another weekly “Will he or won’t he” season with its star quarterback.

12. Three of the Big 12’s four newcomers failed to reach a bowl last season, but now they’re starting to come to life. BYU (4-0) delivered an unexpected 38-9 beatdown of No. 13 Kansas State late Saturday, highlighted by a 30-yard fumble return for a touchdown and a remarkable 90-yard Parker Kingston punt return that began with him muffing the punt and going backward and ended with him vomiting on the bench in exhaustion. And Cincinnati (3-1), which went 3-9 last season, blanked Houston 34-0. The Bearcats should probably be 4-0 right now but blew a 27-6 lead against Pittsburgh two weeks ago.

The best of that 2023 class may still be UCF (3-0), which was off this week but gets a showcase opportunity next week when it hosts Colorado.

13. Revitalized Vanderbilt nearly pulled off a top-10 road upset but fell to No. 7 Missouri 30-27 in overtime on a missed field goal. It was poetic, given Mizzou (4-0) might have put the game away sooner if not for three missed field goals in regulation. The Tigers, which beat Boston College 27-21 at home last week, are probably not the No. 7 team in the country, but it also feels like they haven’t fully jelled yet. Running back Nate Noel went for 199 yards Saturday, but the passing game has not been as explosive as expected. Quarterback Brady Cook is averaging 7.4 yards per attempt, down from 9.0 last season, despite the presence of All-America receiver Luther Burden III.

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14. Hugh Freeze had fantastic runs at Ole Miss and Liberty, but he is flailing at Auburn (2-2). Two weeks ago, quarterback Payton Thorne threw four interceptions in a 21-14 home loss to Cal, after which Freeze pivoted to freshman Hank Brown. Saturday, Arkansas came to town. Brown threw three first-half picks, causing Freeze to pivot back to the veteran Thorne. His own pick allowed the Razorbacks (3-1) to go up two scores and eventually win 24-14. After which, Freeze said, “I know there’s people open, and I know that we’re running the football. We’ve got to find a guy who won’t throw it to the other team.”

And whose job is that?

We’re approaching the point that he’s thrown so many QBs under the bus , that maybe no one wants to play for him?? His offense helped me tremendously put numbers up when I blew my shoulder out…. But why is it someone else’s fault every time there’s a loss ?? … but when there’s… https://t.co/ADJoR1BzYJ

— Bo Wallace (@bowallace14) September 22, 2024

15. Only two teams in the country have already procured two Top 25 wins: Tennessee … and Illinois. The surprising Illini (4-0), ranked 24th, went to Lincoln and took down No. 22 Nebraska 31-24 in overtime, with Bret Bielema’s defense sacking Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola three times on their one overtime possession. Granted, Illinois’ accomplishment comes with the caveat that Kansas, ranked at the time of their Week 2 game, has now lost three straight, but still, the long-struggling program hasn’t notched two Top 25 wins in a season since its 2007 Rose Bowl season.

And now the Illini can try for a third one next Saturday night at No. 10 Penn State.

16. Iowa was not the only Big Ten team to prove you can win a big game without passing the ball. The Hawkeyes (3-1) went to Minneapolis and took back Floyd of Rosedale with a 31-14 win over the hated Gophers (2-2). Quarterback Cade McNamara passed for just 62 yards. But Iowa’s offense is no longer dreadful this season thanks to its powerful rushing attack. Kaleb Johnson carried 21 times for a career-high 206 yards and three touchdowns Saturday. He is now averaging 171.3 yards through four games. Kirk Ferentz’s best teams have at least had an above-average quarterback, so the 2024 edition might not be able to crash the CFP, but it shouldn’t be so hard to watch week to week.

17. It’s a new day at Rutgers (3-0), as evidenced by how the Scarlet Knights earned their 26-23 road win at Virginia Tech (2-2). Rutgers’ 23-7 fourth-quarter lead evaporated, with the Hokies tying the game with 4:35 left. The fans at Lane Stadium came to life as the Knights took over on offense. On the snap, Virginia Tech’s defense came after Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. So he threw a quick screen to Ian Strong, who broke it 63 yards to set up a go-ahead field goal. Then Robert Longerbeam intercepted Kyron Drones to seal the outcome.

Just a clutch performance all around for Greg Schiano’s team, which welcomes Washington for a big Friday night game this week. SHI Stadium will be rocking.

18. We wonder if the SEC office would consider calling in a preemptive mercy rule for Mississippi State. A week after falling 41-17 at home to Toledo, the Bulldogs (1-3) fell 45-28 at home to much-maligned Florida (2-2). Making matters worse, Jeff Lebby’s team lost starting quarterback Blake Shapen to a season-ending shoulder injury.

And making matters way worse than that? Mississippi State’s next two games are road trips to face No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Georgia. Who pulled this prank?

19. The thing about Group of 5 teams is they can swing wildly from week to week. Northern Illinois (2-1), off last week after upsetting Notre Dame, came back to earth with a 23-20 overtime loss at home to Buffalo. Toledo (3-1) followed up its blowout at Mississippi State with a mistake-strewn 26-21 loss at Western Kentucky. And Memphis (3-1), which began dreaming of a CFP berth after winning at ACC foe Florida State, is 0-1 in the AAC after falling 56-44 to Navy.

However, the AAC’s newest member, Army, is now 2-0 in conference play after routing Rice 37-14. Jeff Monken’s teams failed to make a bowl game the past two seasons, but the Black Knights hammered an athletic FAU team 24-7 a week earlier. And next week they visit 1-3 Temple.

20. Finally, was it really just two seasons ago that TCU played in the national championship game? Sonny Dykes’ Horned Frogs are 7-9 since then, with Saturday marking a new low point. In the Battle for the Iron Skillet, rival SMU hammered TCU 66-42. Dykes, formerly SMU’s coach, got ejected in the third quarter after drawing two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties while protesting a dubious holding call that wiped out a long Horned Frogs touchdown.

But Dykes wasn’t alone in causing embarrassment for TCU. On Friday, TCU’s social team posted a bizarre parody video ripping the ACC for putting the game on The CW. This prompted both the ACC and The CW to troll the Horned Frogs after SMU’s win.

pic.twitter.com/lSKr1Dl1OP

— The CW (@TheCW) September 22, 2024

College football in 2024 means trolling an opponent over its conference’s TV contract. In hindsight, perhaps TCU would have preferred the game was not on television anywhere.

(Top photo of Travis Hunter: Andrew Wevers / Getty Images)