What I Loved and Hated in College Football Week 8

Mark Dolejs-US PRESSWIRE

Duke is bowl-eligible. I repeat: Duke is bowl-eligible.

This is not a drill or an announcement regarding some sort of basketball affair from a small bowl-like bubble situated on the moon. The Duke football team is actually bowl-eligible.

Kudos to David Cutcliffe and that entire team on what it has already accomplished this season. Never did I imagine that I’d be leading off a Week 8 wrap-up with such news, but I’m thrilled to do it. That was pure joy on the sideline when the team took down UNC on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Collin Klein may or may not be human. Related: the West Virginia hotrod has broken down and is on fire like much of Morgantown. Moving south, Florida continues to dismantle everything in its path, while up north Notre Dame continues to make winning ugly look easy. 

As for some of the moments you might have missed this weekend, here’s what I loved and hated in Week 8.

Hated: Ryan Lochte’s GameDay Appearance

First and for most, you did good work at the Olympics, Ryan. Go you, go America. 

With that out of the way, your performance on ESPN College GameDay was brotacular and questionable at best. When asked to pick a winner in the LSU-Texas A&M game, Lochte chose...Auburn. Yes, Auburn. 

Gene Chizik will take any support that he’ll get at this point, but not so fast, my friend.

My suggestion: Just add Darius Rucker (aka Hootie) to the set as a full-time guest and don’t look back. He might know more football than the majority of regular hosts.

Loved: These Boise State Helmets

Image Via Bryan Fisher

Oh, Boise. You get me. You and your Death Horse, you absolutely get me.

These are the helmets that Boise wore in its game against UNLV, and they are awesome. I want to wear one in public so people know that I mean business even when I really don’t.

Does it go with their typical color scheme? Nope. Does anyone even follow that code these days? Hell no. 

Wear these always, Boise State. No one will ever complain. Long live the Death Horse.

Hated: That Texas A&M's Last-Minute Play Didn't Work

First, whoever cued up "Yakety Sax" to this play, keep up the good work. With that out of the way, Texas A&M's final play against LSU was truly remarkable.

It did not work, which is a terrible shame, but you can't knock the effort here. Some 200 Aggies touched the football—some an upward of a dozen times—but they simply could not get past the LSU defense for one more score.

We’ll give them an “A” for effort, creativity, determination and hilarity. 

Loved: This Sit-Down Interception

This one’s for you, guy that watches football lying down on his couch with a beer balanced on your finely shaped belly.

Behold the sit-down interception, coming courtesy of Virginia Tech’s Michael Cole. Cole slipped and struggled to get his balance, so he improvised in magnificent fashion, grabbing a pass from Clemson's Tajh Boyd off his backside.

This was certainly the highlight for the Hokies on Saturday. I’m sure you could do the exact same if someone tossed you another beer. You couch champion, you. 

Hated: The Fan That Ran on the Field

Look, you want to streak and spend the night in jail? Go for it. You want to dress up like a fake referee, entertain the world, and then pay fines and enjoy a jail cell? Go right ahead.

Unless you have something planned, don’t run on the field. And please, don’t run on the field when there’s a play going on. That’s dangerous for everybody—especially the person without the pads—and just plain dumb.

Alcohol certainly seemed to play a part (like, all of it) here, and I imagine tomorrow’s drunk tank wake-up will not be fun.

Loved: Will Muschamp's Halftime Interview

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Oh, Will Muschamp. I’ve seen you incredibly angry on the sidelines a few hundred times in the past year or so, but this week you outdid yourself.

As Muschamp headed to the locker room at halftime, he did an interview with Brady Ackerman of Gator Network Radio. At the same exact moment that Muschamp was beginning to share his thoughts, an official walked by and Muschamp was not pleased with some of the first-half calls.

And so we had the perfect storm.

The result is this. Absolutely wonderful audio from a head coach winning a football game comfortably.

Hated: That the Ol' Jayhawk Is so Sad

Image Via @Bubbaprog

Oh, Kansas.

The image above was captured at some point during the Kansas-Oklahoma game (where the final score was 52-7) and will probably be the cover of your Kansas Football 2012 "Remember the Good Times" Guide.

I would assume such a thing exists, although it's probably two-and-a-half pages long and included the entire basketball schedule on one page.

On that note, chin up, sad bird. Basketball season is a comin'.

Loved: Oregon's Two-Quarterback Touchdown

Oregon's offense is hard to keep up with as is, but this is just getting ridiculous. 

Backup quarterback Bryan Bennett hooked up with starting quarterback Marcus Mariota on a broken play gone horribly right in the team's game against Arizona State, and the resulting touchdown is one you drew up with a buddy in your backyard.

It's the most exciting two-yard play we've seen this season, and it'll be very tough to top. Now, one lineman (preferably over 325 pounds) lateraling a ball to a lineman (also preferably over 325 pounds) for a touchdown—that could do it.