College football 2021

[InThe313]

It's the most wonderful time of the year again!  College football is back beginning today in Champaign, Ill., so get ready to go tailgating and memorize your school's fight song.  Of course, this will be your home for news and notes throughout the season and I ask that you please remain respectful to one another.  Now, your opening day schedule:

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Illinois Fighting Illini today at 1 p.m.
UConn Huskies at Fresno State Bulldogs today at 2 p.m.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at UCLA Bruins today at 3:30 p.m.
UTEP Miners at New Mexico State Aggies tonight at 9:30 p.m.
Southern Utah Thunderbirds at San Jose State Spartans tonight at 10 p.m.

[InThe313]

Remember how big this game is later in the year.  No. 5 Georgia will play No. 3 Clemson tonight in Charlotte, N.C.  Updates to come.

UPDATE:  The rivalry is renewed.  Georgia is playing Clemson in a heavyweight showdown.  This is the first Week 1 Top 5 matchup since 2017 and the schools are separated by just 75 miles.

UPDATE 2:  Who had this happening?  Georgia upset Clemson, 10-3.  The Bulldogs had seven sacks.  The Tigers scored the fewest points under head coach Dabo Swinney.

[InThe313]

Just shut up and let me enjoy this.  No. 12 Oregon upset No. 3 Ohio State, 35-28, behind three touchdowns from CJ Verdell for the Ducks' first win in 10 meetings between the schools.

[InThe313]

Who would have thought the catch of the year would come from the fans?  When a cat was dangling from one of the upper levels of Hard Rock Stadium, a group of No. 22 Miami (Fla.) fans saved the day with an incredible catch.  Updates to come.

Miami (Fla.) beat Appalachian State, 25-23.

[InThe313]

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.  No. 3 Oklahoma's D.J. Graham may have had the greatest interception ever when he laid out for an unbelievable one-handed grab near the goal line and left Spencer Rattler speechless in a 23-16 win over Nebraska.

[InThe313]

Who had this penciled in as must-see?  No. 2 Georgia with its top-ranked defense is hosting No. 8 Arkansas, which is scoring 36 points per game, in a Top 10 SEC clash.  Updates to come.

Georgia beat Arkansas, 37-0.

[InThe313]

What just happened?  Washington State's Calvin Jackson Jr. bent time and space to make an incredible one-handed touchdown grab while doing a 360.  Updates to come.

Washington State beat California, 21-6.

[InThe313]

That was an epic finish.  Kennedy Brooks’ broke off the winning 33-yard touchdown with three seconds left to cap No. 6 Oklahoma’s 21-point rally in a 55-48 victory over No. 21 Texas.

[InThe313]

What a thriller tonight in College Station!  The fans rushed the field Seth Small kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired in Texas A&M’s thrilling 41-38 upset over No. 1 Alabama.

[InThe313]

If you predicted this, good for you.  No. 2 Iowa was upset by Purdue, 24-7, to become the first AP Top 2 team to lose to an unranked team at home since 2014.

[InThe313]

Stay classy, Knoxville.  No. 13 Ole Miss vs. Tennessee experienced a lengthy delay after fans threw debris on the field, including a golf ball that hit Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin.  Ole Miss beat Tennessee, 31-26.

[InThe313]

We're coming up on the end of an era in Baton Rouge.  According to Sports Illustrated, Ed Orgeron and LSU reached an agreement that he will not return as head coach next season.

[InThe313]

If this pandemic has been good for one thing, it has been weeding out stupid people.  According to The Oregonian, Nick Rolovich is out as Washington State head football coach after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

[InThe313]

Before the College Football Playoff rankings are revealed for the first time on Tuesday, let’s look at the new AP Top 25.

1.  Georgia
2.  Cincinnati
3.  Alabama
4.  Oklahoma
5.  Michigan State
6.  Ohio State
7.  Oregon
8.  Notre Dame
9.  Michigan
10.  Wake Forest
11.  Oklahoma State
12.  Auburn
13.  Texas A&M
14.  Baylor
15.  Ole Miss
16.  UTSA
17.  BYU
18.  Kentucky
19.  Iowa
20.  Houston
21.  Coastal Carolina
22.  Penn State
23.  SMU
24.  Louisiana
25.  Fresno State

[InThe313]

The home stretch is upon us.  The first College Football Playoff rankings of 2021 are set to be revealed.  Updates to come.

UPDATE:  Who broke the monkeys out of the zoo and made them come up with these rankings?  Georgia, Alabama, Michigan State and Oregon topped the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2021.  Ohio State is fifth and Cincinnati sixth.