Dan From The Tailgate

 Week 8 Recap: “The Third Week in October”

As I mentioned in last week’s recap, I finally took a weekend off from attending a game. Not that I wasn’t tempted to go to the Sacramento State vs. Weber State game on Saturday night, but instead, I indoctrinated my grandsons into a full day of watching college football on TV while enjoying Mrs. Tailgate’s famous chili.

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Our Texas Tailgate greeters!

Around the Country: In the Big Ten, Illinois took the field in retro 1920s uniforms, complete with leather helmets, for their matchup against reigning national champion Michigan. Not only did Illinois pull off a victory, but they trolled Michigan by playing their song Mr. Brightside in the stadium as the win became inevitable. It pains me to see Lincoln Riley and USC lose once again, this time to my home state Maryland Terrapins. That must’ve been a long flight from DC back to Los Angeles for Riley.

Red Grange running over Michigan?

Meanwhile, Indiana is having its best season ever, led by cocky coach Kurt Cignetti and transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The Hoosiers absolutely dismantled the up-and-coming Nebraska Cornhuskers 56-7 in Bloomington. Indiana remains undefeated and should crack the Top 10 this week. ESPN College Gameday will be in Bloomington this Saturday morning.

In the SEC, Alabama traveled to Tennessee for the annual "Cigar Game" and came away with another loss in the inhospitable state of Tennessee. Teenage Tennessee fans awkwardly tried to light cigars as part of the victory celebration in the stadium. Over in Austin,TX,  Georgia thoroughly dominated the first half against Texas, going into the locker room with a 23-0 lead. Texas rallied in the third quarter, putting a couple of touchdowns on the board, but despite a controversial overturned call that led to students throwing bottles onto the field, Georgia comfortably prevailed. And yes, I still maintain that Coach Kirby Smart has the most punchable face in college football.

Deep in the hair of Texas......

In the ACC, Miami and Louisville put on a scoring clinic, but Miami ultimately emerged victorious, staying unbeaten. Clemson added another win to their tally with a victory over Virginia in Death Valley, SC.

Big 12 Action: Iowa State hung on in a thriller to beat UCF 38-35. There was some serious Bieber-worthy action in that game, as a player pulled a DeSean Jackson, dropping the ball intentionally before crossing the goal line. Down in the desert, the Sanders family and the Colorado Buffaloes took down Arizona easily, improving to 5-2 and staying in the Big 12 title chase.

Both Army and Navy continued their dominance, each moving to 7-0 on the season. In FCS action, North Dakota State recaptured its past glory, knocking off reigning champs South Dakota State in the Fargodome. Honestly, both of these teams could beat half of the FBS schools.

Bieber Award: In a week full of Bieber-worthy moments—like Tennessee fans struggling with cigars, Texas fans throwing garbage onto the field, and referees making wrong calls—one incident stood out. During the USF vs. UAB game, two members of the USF squad got into a verbal altercation. As they were being separated, USF player Dinnellson Exume decided to go the extra mile and lay hands into his teammate's face. After some pushing and shoving, Exume was led away by his teammates. While I get being frustrated when you’re losing to UAB, fighting with your own teammate mid-game is Bieber-level behavior of the highest order. Exume, whether you were suspended or kicked off the team, take solace in your new bling—this week’s Bieber trophy.

Ginger Award: Wisconsin strength coach Brady Collins vowed that if the Badgers beat Northwestern, he would jump into Lake Michigan. With the water temperature hovering around the mid-50s, Collins made good on his promise after Wisconsin's 23-3 victory. He and some of the team headed straight to the lake to watch him get a frigid baptism. It’s refreshing to see someone follow through on an outrageous promise—unlike the dog crap man at Florida State, who is still missing in action. Congrats, Coach Collins, on earning this week’s badass Ginger Award!

Next Week: My final game at CU Boulder for Parents' Weekend. Mrs. Tailgate, #1, #2, and both sons-in-law will be in tow, likely governing my activities for the weekend.

Happy Tailgating!