Backup quarterbacks rule the weekend

Here are nine takeaways from Week 9 in college football:

When the Texas A&M Aggies made the surprising but necessary $77 million move to replace Jimbo Fisher with Mike Elko, it was understandable to view 2024 as a rebuilding season of sorts. Some roster moves on a 7-6 team and Elko only having two seasons under his belt as head coach reinforced the general mindset.

After a 38-23 victory over the No. 8 LSU Tigers, that fear is now just a pipe dream in College Station, Texas. Elko is the leading candidate for SEC Coach of the Year, and the No. 14 Aggies are near the top of the conference standings. The former defensive coordinator showed why he is one of the best schemers in the game by confusing, attacking and outright harassing Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (25 of 50 passes with three picks to account for three total touchdowns) in a turnover-heavy second half.

It also helps for Elko that he understood one of the big themes of the day: having a backup quarterback you can trust. Needing a spark on offense, freshman Marcel Reed entered the game with 8:10 left in the third quarter and seemed to unleash a unit that mostly just went through the motions. The dual-threat signal-caller finished the game with nine carries for 62 yards and three touchdowns while completing both pass attempts. It sparked a discussion about who will play at South Carolina next week.

It's been a difficult few months for the ACC off the field, but on the field? Well, things are going quite well after a fun Week 9 plan sets up next Saturday's intrigue.

They can start Thursday night when the Pittsburgh Panthers moved to 7-0 for the first time since 1982, thanks largely to three pick-sixes from Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord. Head coach Pat Narduzzi hired bright 31-year-old Kade Bell from FCS Western Carolina to revamp his offense this offseason. That offsets a step up in quality with a defense that is allowing 5.3 fewer points per game than it did in 2023. Now the team dreams of returning to the ACC Championship Game for the first time since 1921.

Standing in the way of that potential trip to Charlotte are the league newcomer SMU Mustangs, who survived five turnovers and a banged up quarterback to escape the Duke Blue Devils with a 28-27 overtime win. The Panthers and Ponies meet next week in Dallas in college football's biggest home game in years.

Of all the offseason additions, Kansas Jayhawks offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was acquired from the Penn State Nittany Lions and was widely viewed as a potential game-changer for a team that had always been a bridesmaid when it came to getting over the edge College Football Playoffs to exceed. Especially after a 28-13 win over the Wisconsin Badgers, it's safe to say that Kotelnicki's hiring more than paid off for head coach James Franklin. This may be the main reason the program is 7-0 instead of 6-1 after losing starting quarterback Drew Allar to a knee injury at Camp Randall.

The signal caller was sacked just before halftime and did not return to game action, instead spending much of Saturday night watching from the sideline with a towel wrapped around his head. However, it is to Kotelnicki's credit that the Nittany Lions' offense hasn't deteriorated after switching to backup Beau Pribula. He used his legs (28 yards rushing) effectively enough to open up some passing lanes, resulting in a 21-point lead down the stretch. The defense also caused a stir with a pick-six and opened the run.

There will be a lot of worry about Allar's status next week, but having a backup come in and complete 11 of 13 passes with a touchdown will allay that fear a bit.

This weekend in Bloomington, Indiana, all the ingredients were in place for America's fastest-growing train to go off the rails. Indiana was without starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke for an entire game for the first time; Memorial Stadium was sold out again; Former coach Lee Corso was there with all the fanfare surrounding ESPN College game day; and the pressure was palpable as the Hoosiers were rightfully included in the College Football Playoff predictions.

However, the Hoosiers didn't look a bit rattled Saturday as they matched their best start in program history by defeating the Washington Huskies 31-17. Curt Cignetti's team hasn't trailed for a single second this season and has contributed in all areas (including two diving interceptions from D'Angelo Ponds as well as an 11-of-19 passing outing and two total touchdowns from QB Tayven Jackson). ), which you can switch to 8–0. The Hoosiers will be favorites against both Michigan schools over the next two weeks as they look to set up the biggest game in program history against the Ohio State Buckeyes before Thanksgiving.

Speaking of the team in Columbus, Ohio, if Ryan Day wanted to convince the Ohio State faithful that his team is ready for next week's mega-matchup against Penn State, he hasn't done a good job. The Buckeyes needed a late interception by cornerback Jordan Hancock to earn a 21-17 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but it did nothing to assuage the simmering discontent of this coaching staff.

The biggest concern, aside from losing a left tackle to injury for the second straight game, was the fact that OSU simply couldn't run the ball (64 yards) despite having two of the best tailbacks in the country. Part of this is due to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's play-calling, and part of it is due to a lack of forward momentum. Star freshman Jeremiah Smith caught a touchdown pass for the seventh straight game, but that was about the only bright spot in a hot offensive performance from the No. 4 team.

The most cathartic and hottest (at least among a fan base) win of the weekend went to Kalen DeBoer as his Tide upset a struggling Mizzou 34-0. Alabama's offense had the most balanced performance in SEC play (215 yards passing, 271 yards rushing), while the defense featured a bevy of Tigers quarterbacks and recorded three turnovers.

It's a little early at this point to say that DeBoer absolutely has to win every game, but there was undoubtedly some pressure to go out and meet the standards set by his predecessor. Mission accomplished on that front, as a trip to the LSU Tigers awaits after a week of release.

Every week the bookmakers set a line that makes no sense. The one that stunk to high heaven in week 9? It had to be the UCF Knights, who preferred the undefeated No. 11 BYU Cougars at home.

The Cougars proved why that was suspicious by taking the 37-24 win and looking more and more like it The The team to beat in the Big 12. Whenever UCF threatened to make things interesting, BYU came up with a play to increase their cushion. The Cougars have the “it” factor that teams exhibit when putting together a special run. The Iowa State Cyclones are also undefeated in the league – and the winner of the Colorado Buffaloes-Cincinnati Bearcats game is lurking in the race for the conference title – but Kalani Sitake's team has achieved the most complete winning streak this season.

The Boise State Broncos bus shifted into high gear after a 29-24 win over the UNLV Rebels on Friday night, but that doesn't mean the Group of 5 bid hunt is a one-way street. Despite two losses, the Tulane Green Wave could be the biggest threat to emerge from the American Athletic Conference. Tulane defeated a troublesome North Texas Mean Green, 45-37, in a game that featured just under 1,000 yards of total offense, 49 total first downs and eight scoring drives in the first half.

With the Memphis Tigers needing late heroics to prevail against the Charlotte 49ers and the Navy Midshipmen blowing every other snap in a crushing loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, first-year coach Jon Sumrall's team with a perfect league record probably has the best Potential. The Green Wave benefits from the fact that the Army Black Knights (owners of the longest active winning streak in the country) are also missing from the schedule.

When every game can become one The Game of the day, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane's crazy comeback against the UTSA Roadrunners secured its claim. Both teams were under .500 entering this AAC matchup and have endured largely forgettable campaigns in 2024.

The Golden Hurricane scored on six of their eight second-half drives and rallied from a 35-7 deficit at halftime (and a 42-17 deficit with five minutes to play in the third quarter) to win 46-45 . Tulsa scored touchdowns on drives of 75 and 92 yards in the final minutes. The two starting quarterbacks combined for 767 yards and nine touchdowns through the air.