USA TODAY International Edition
Florida, Texas impress with upsets of unbeatens
Florida’s first-year coach beat rival Tennessee in September and a top-six opponent to open October. The Florida coach could be Dan Mullen, who has the surprising Gators at 5-1 after Saturday’s 27-19 win against No. 6 LSU. The Florida coach could also be Mullen’s predecessor, Jim McElwain, who worked a similar number in his debut season, 2015, with wins against the Volunteers and then-No. 5 Mississippi in leading the Gators to a Southeastern Conference East Division title and spot in the final Amway Coaches Poll. In other words, we’ve seen this act before. Why is 2018 any different? It was with cautious optimism that Mullen’s tenure began, and for good reason. He helped Urban Meyer lead the Gators to two national championships as his top assistant. Mullen worked a lesser miracle in turning Mississippi State into a real national contender, earning the Bulldogs the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings in ’14. And Mullen has delivered on that optimism. September included a loss to Kentucky, an uber-rare setback for the Gators in the series, but also featured wins against Tennessee and a Colorado State team that dismantled Arkansas. Now, one week into October, Mullen has landed the sort of win that can provide early and important validation for a new coach and his staff. If Mullen has the Gators in the Top 25 at the midway point of his first season, what does that suggest about this program’s potential? Ignore that the same question was asked of McElwain during his debut. Despite the parallels, Mullen’s experience and track record as a head coach in the SEC support the idea that Florida is going places. Other Saturday winners and losers:
Winners
❚ Texas: The rivalry win against Oklahoma is the sort of moment that could change the trajectory of this series and the Longhorns program. Leading the way was sophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who threw for 314 yards and two scores, with another 72 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Texas is suddenly a player in the Big 12 race and the Playoff.
❚ North Carolina State: The Wolfpack are making a case for being the second-best team in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The 28-23 win against Boston College marked the first real test of N.C. State’s season, which began with a bunch of winnable games against less-talented competition, and should open some eyes in the ACC as we head deeper into October. Senior quarterback Ryan Finley has been just as good as advertised for the Wolfpack. Next after a bye? A showdown with Clemson.
❚ Notre Dame: The Irish took another big step toward the Playoff by acing a road trip to Virginia Tech. The 45-23 win was the team’s second in a row and first on the road under starting quarterback Ian Book, who threw for 271 yards and two scores in pacing a balanced offensive attack. It’s time to start thinking big about Notre Dame, if in some part thanks to a relatively easy second-half schedule. Notre Dame’s opponents the rest of way are Pittsburgh, Navy, Northwestern, Florida State, Syracuse and Southern California. Each of those teams has two or more losses.
❚ Miami (Fla.): Are the Hurricanes ecstatic about scratching out a 28-27 win against a Florida State team that has wobbled between pitiful and average through the first month of Willie Taggart’s tenure? Probably not ecstatic, no. But Miami still found enough in the tank to scratch out a narrow win against its in-state rival, in a series that has recently gone the Seminoles’ way. Any win against FSU, regardless of how it unfolds, is a banner day for Miami.
Losers
❚ Oklahoma: It’s one loss, and in that sense won’t have a huge impact on its postseason hopes: OU can get into the Playoff by running the table. That the loss came to Texas, on the other hand, doesn’t feel so great. The loss also revealed serious concerns about the play of a defense that has been subpar for far too long and nearly paints the Sooners as a national championship pretender.
❚ Missouri: It’s pretty standard of Missouri to outgain South Carolina by more than 100 yards, run for 6.2 yards per carry while the Gamecocks go for 2.7, start a future NFL starter in Drew Lock against a backup quarterback, hit the go-ahead field goal with 78 seconds left … and still lose. This is how Missouri operates. South Carolina’s 37-35 win will be hard for the Tigers to shake.
❚ Syracuse: Speaking of the expected: Syracuse took Clemson to the wire last week and then goes ahead and loses to Pittsburgh on Saturday. This is par for the course for the Orange. Syracuse (4-2) is headed for a bowl game but likely won’t get back into the Amway Coaches Poll barring a hot streak.