This is a digital version of Until Saturday. Sign up here to receive it daily in your inbox.
Jimbo Fisher standing on the field during Auburn’s scoop-and-score TD was my second-favorite CFB moment on Saturday. Let’s get to the first.
Today, I’m joined by Max Olson to break down what happened in college football on Saturday.
Plenty of background noise
Ohio State clinched its sixth consecutive win against Notre Dame on a 1-yard TD run by Chip Trayanum with one second left. And the Buckeyes got some help from a costly mistake by Notre Dame.
But the drama didn’t stop there. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day gave a passionate postgame interview. “I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now,” Day said. “What he said about our team I cannot believe.” So what exactly did Holtz say?
- On the “Pat McAfee Show,” Holtz said: “You look at Coach Day — he has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice, and everybody that beats him does so because they’re more physical than Ohio State. I think Notre Dame will take that same approach.” (Here’s the full interview.)
- At least for today, Day gets to own his rebuttal, Ari Wasserman writes.
Colorado Fatigue Irked Oregon
Was Pac-12 rout personal?
No. 19 Colorado came crashing back to earth in a 42-6 loss to No. 10 Oregon. Ducks QB Bo Nix tossed four TD passes and had an 84.8 percent completion rate, tying himself for the second-highest completion rate in Oregon history, per ESPN Stats and Info. The Ducks and coach Dan Lanning were cold-blooded in the win.
In his pregame speech, Lanning said, “The Cinderella story’s over. They’re fighting for clicks; we’re fighting for wins. There’s a difference. This game ain’t gonna be played in Hollywood. It’s played on grass.”
Heading into halftime with Oregon leading 35-0 Lanning told ESPN, “We’re not done yet. We’re not satisfied. I hope everyone that’s been watching (Colorado) every week is still watching.”
Deion Sanders said he was “surprised” his team “played like hot garbage.”
Lanning and Oregon wanted to embarrass the Buffaloes. Was this personal? Chris Vannini says no, while Jim Trotter begs to differ. And David Ubben details the scene of a Colorado team coping with an emphatic loss.
And now to Max Olson on all the anger around the country.
Making Sense Of Week 4
Why is everyone so angry?
The almighty power of motivation was on display in the biggest games on Saturday. Sanders may have mastered it early on this season, but Coach Prime isn’t the only one who knows how to effectively tap into that rich, renewable resource.
The stakes were already high for Ohio State-Notre Dame in the final seconds of their top-10 showdown in South Bend. But little did we know how intensely motivated Day and his Buckeyes were to win and prove Holtz wrong? We’ve never seen Day as fired up as he was after that win when he got a chance to call out an 86-year-old coaching legend on national TV. That made an epic finish even more unforgettable.
Lanning played the game the right way during the week, keeping his honest opinion of Colorado to himself to not stir up any drama. But by allowing TV cameras in the locker room for his pregame speech – and doubling down during his halftime interview – it’s clear Lanning aimed to send a message.
Florida State’s overtime victory against Clemson was another case of a deeply motivated squad digging deep. Clemson being unranked was irrelevant. When you’ve lost seven in a row to your opponent, finally getting over on that team in its home stadium is a sweet treat. But, of course, that alone doesn’t fuel the fire. “I feel like we were disrespected all day,” Florida State QB Jordan Travis said. Why? Because the Tigers went with one-on-one coverage on his receivers. In a sport where seemingly everyone is looking for a reason to make things personal, it’s enough. — Max Olson
Scores Around The Country
Ranked showdowns
Saturday Superlatives
Best catch: How about this one-handed grab by Ricky Pearsall?
Punter of the day: Utah punter Jack Bouwmeester had eight punts for an average of 44 yards. Six landed inside the 20-yard line.
Uniform winners: At least Notre Dame wins here. The all-green unis with gold helmets looked bold.
Uniform losers: The Pac-2 needs a uniform tune-up before its inaugural season. I was not a fan of the Cougs’ plain gray jerseys with white pants.
My favorite moment: This Louisville lineman did a cartwheel mid-play in the middle of the field. Only in CFB.
Max Olson has more superlatives here.
Quick Snaps
Stewart Mandel’s Final Thoughts on all the anger he saw Saturday.
Who’s on top of Nicole Auerbach’s top 10?
The Until Saturday podcast on Ohio State’s thrilling win and more from Week 4.
As long as Jordan Travis stays healthy, Manny Navarro says Florida State could go unbeaten.
No. 16 Oklahoma relied on its defense to take down Cincinnati 20-6 on the road. But are the Sooners improved enough to win the Big 12?
(Photo of Ryan Day: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
