College football grades: Hyped Indiana-Nebraska game turns into dog
The report card is back this week after a well-deserved break, and some teams need a break as well (hi, friends in Norman and Lincoln).
But all is not lost for other teams that like not giving the ball to opponents or can complete a pass if their lives depended on it, as we inch closer to the reveal of the first College Football Playoff rankings.
The same goes for grading from last season: High marks will only be given to the spectacular, and failing grades have no chance of being reversed.
Here is the Week 8 analysis of how fans, teams, players, and coaches fared:
Wisconsin strength coach Brady Collins … brave soul
There is something special about keeping your word, especially when comes to braving cold temperatures for no other reason than to inspire a football team.
Collins did exactly that when he said he would jump into Lake Michigan if the Badgers beat Northwestern.
After Wisconsin dispatched the Wildcats, 23-3, Collins went ahead and plunged into the frigid lake with the team cheering him on. After splashing around for a few seconds while being totally hyped up, Collins had the good sense to step out of the lake.
Any coaches making similar promises to jump in the lake will have to wait until next year, as it was Northwestern’s final appearance at the makeshift stadium this year. The new Ryan Field is still scheduled to be ready in time for the 2026 season.
Splish, splash: A+
The worst and best of the rest
This week’s tribute to DeSean Jackson.
Drop it like it’s hot: F
Head games in West Lafayette
Rumblin’, bumblin’: A-
High hurdles
Olympics ready: A
When keeping it real goes wrong
Flex while team gets tail kicked: Expulsion
Get off me, son.
Truck stickin’: A+++
Answer: No idea
Candidate for the circus: Graduation
Stretch Armstrong
Paydirt denied: A
They said it
‘Your whole network doubted us, and the refs tried to rob us with calls in this place,’ Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about ESPN and the media when a crucial pass interference call vs. Texas was overturned after a time stoppage for fans throwing trash on the field.
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‘Let me just say this to you guys so everybody hears me very clearly,’ Maryland coach Mike Locksley told the Washington Post about the recent rash of weapon brandishing celebrations around college football. ‘I had a son that was murdered with a gun. Getting up and pointing and acting like you’re shooting a gun or you got a gun is not something that is funny to me or my family.
‘And if that’s how you want to represent making a big play, then this program probably isn’t the one you should be in.’
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“Not to bring anything personal into this with Louisville, great city, love the people, but Miami is gonna smoke them,” said top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler, and Saturday’s College GameDay guest picker. Scheffler was arrested in May before the second round of the PGA Championship by Louisville cops after a traffic violation.
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‘Our kicking game’s atrocious so if you can kick and you’re at Arizona State, email me, right? We’re gonna have kicking tryouts on Monday, so bring it on. Kicking tryouts Monday, let’s go,’ said Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham. ‘Yeah, I’m dead serious. We’re gonna put it out on our socials, we’re gonna have a kicking tryout Monday. We gotta find somebody who can make a field goal.’
Arizona State kickers have made 7 of 13 field goals in 2024, including missing two (from 48 and 41 yards) on Saturday in a 24-14 loss to Cincinnati. Dillingham later apologized for his comments.
Stats for you
0: Points allowed by Indiana in the first quarter.
7: Opening drive touchdowns for Army in seven games this season
9: No. 1 vs. No. 2 regular season matchups all-time in FCS history. No. 2 leads No. 1, 6 to 3, after second-ranked North Dakota State beat South Dakota State 13-9 on Saturday.
22: Consecutive games Duke had lost to Florida State before Friday night’s 23-16 win over the Seminoles.
620: Passing yards for Western Carolina (FCS) quarterback Cole Gonzales. Gonzales completed 35 of 55 passes and threw five touchdowns in a 52-20 win against Furman.
The Dog of the Week
Nebraska at Indiana
Now to the game:
The pups had the rare chance to partake in seeing two Power Four teams with winning records, with the victor having a chance to make a dent in the national championship picture. Like most games that end up in this space, one team decided that it couldn’t be bothered to compete, and the other had better things to do the rest of the day, so they decided to make quick work of their opponents.
For Nebraska, the wounds will need some serious licking after a 56-7 whipping as the Hoosiers were treated to their first sellout at Memorial Stadium in three years. Five turnovers by any team will most certainly lead to a number other than zero in the loss column, and it led Indiana to post its most lopsided conference win in history and an enjoyable afternoon for the doggies with plenty of treats and belly rubs.
(This story was updated to change a video.)
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