College Football Superlatives from Kramer's Korner: Preseason Polls Looking Good

Adam KramerNov 30, 2014

Preseason football polls are repulsive, purposeless, preposterous and a determent to the overall well-being of the sport. They should be sent to the moon or the bottom of the ocean. They should be denied access to any club and your home, for that matter. They should be mocked openly whenever possible.

With that necessary disclaimer out in the open, let’s give credit where it’s due.

The 2014 preseason AP poll tagged Florida State, Alabama and Oregon as overwhelming favorites before the season began. Such prognostications have played out accordingly—albeit with strange twists and turns along the way—into conference championship week.

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The Top 10 has lost and gained a few names since it crept into view all the way back in August, but the voters fared quite well overall. Of the 10 teams highlighted before the season began, six are still in the picture. Another, UCLA, fell out this week.

Rank	Preseason AP Poll	Week 15 AP Poll
1	Florida State	Alabama
2	Alabama	Florida State
3	Oregon	Oregon
4	Oklahoma	TCU
5	Ohio State	Baylor
6	Auburn	Ohio State
7	UCLA	Michigan State
8	Michigan State	Arizona
9	South Carolina	Kansas State
10	Baylor	Mississippi State

And the top three, as referenced above, have remained the favorites throughout the entire season.

Watching the chalk play out as such shouldn’t come as some sort of crowning achievement, but the reality is that college football rarely follows this script. For further proof of this, go back less than one full calendar year to the national championship: Florida State (the No. 11-ranked team to start the season) took on Auburn. The Tigers began the year unranked.

Teams with high hopes crash and burn. Typically, however, they burn at a far greater frequency.

This season has not yielded typical results. While chaos has loomed throughout, it’s strange to see us enter the final week prior to the bowl season right back where we started. We never expected TCU or Arizona to crash this party or a talent-rich Oklahoma team to fall so hard, but the preseason poll, for the most part, tabbed this season quite well.

Nicely done, voters. Nicely done.

With that praise out of the way, does anyone have a rocket ship or a submarine I can borrow?

As for the awards, large-men achievements and important Vines of the week, here is a look at Week 14.

Offensive Player of the Week: Cody Kessler, USC

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

It took Cody Kessler less than two-and-a-half quarters to accomplish something no other quarterback had ever done: throwing for six touchdowns against Notre Dame. On the afternoon, he completed 32 of his 40 passes for 372 yards and found the end zone six times, helping USC thrash the Irish, 49-14.

Quite frankly, the entire surgery looked far too easy.

In 2014, Kessler has accounted for 38 total touchdowns and has thrown only four interceptions. He has quietly put together a tremendous season, and yet, no one is really talking about it in large part because of the number in USC's loss column.

Assuming Kessler returns in 2015, that should certainly change. With so much talent expected to return with him, he won’t go underappreciated for much longer.

Dominant Defender: Scooby Wright, Arizona

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

I know we’re not into the whole defensive-players-winning-the-Heisman thing, but please take note of the following.

Scooby Wright has been a monster all season for Arizona, and his 2014 efforts culminated in a brilliant performance against rival Arizona State. Wright finished Week 14 with 13 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble against the Sun Devils. As impressive as his performance was, this was more or less an extension of what he’s done all season.

Wright has 140 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2014. He has a chance to add to these totals in the Pac-12 Championship on Friday, and I ask that you hold on to all Heisman ballots until at least the weekend is complete.

Video Game Box Score

The Marshall-Western Kentucky game is precisely why this section was concocted in the first place. After all, where else can you celebrate 133 points, 1,446 yards of total offense, 933 passing yards, 74 first downs and so much more in one football game? I can’t possibly do the Hilltoppers’ 67-66 win complete justice, so please celebrate the absurdity of the box score yourself.

"
Just been gazing at this for a while. pic.twitter.com/OzZWMUYZD3
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) November 29, 2014"

Arkansas State created Sun Belt carnage on Saturday, beating New Mexico State, 68-35. The score was one thing; the offensive brilliance was another. The Red Wolves finished with 764 yards, including 469 rushing yards. Three different Arkansas State players ran for at least 100 yards in this matchup, which is something you don't see all too often.

Anti-Video Game Box Score

South Florida capped off its 2014 season by being shut out against Central Florida. The Bulls finished with just 200 total yards and ran the ball 22 times for five yards. Two USF quarterbacks finished with negative rushing yards, which helped vandalize all rushing totals. Take it away, offseason.

Wake Forest’s final game of the 2014 season was a 20-point loss to Duke. With the 2014 campaign complete, the Demon Deacons capped off one of the most anemic rushing seasons in recent history. Wake Forest finished the year with 383 rushes for 479 yards and four touchdowns. (You can do the math on what this averages out per carry. It is not good.)

Biggest Surprise

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Justin Fuente just orchestrated one of the more staggering one-year turnarounds you will ever witness. The Memphis head coach led the Tigers to a 9-3 record with their victory over Connecticut, giving the team at least a share of the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship. It's also worth noting that two of these losses came to UCLA and Ole Miss.

One year ago, Memphis was 3-9. Go back a little further, and the Tigers were likely the worst team in the country.

With jobs opening all over the map, expect Fuente to get serious consideration in a handful of places. Regardless of what transpires, he should probably begin construction on his backyard Scrooge McDuck vault.

Best Moment

Lane Kiffin knew Amari Cooper was scoring a touchdown before you did. In fact, Kiffin knew that Blake Sims would hit college football’s most dominant weapon in stride before the pass even left his hand.

Cooper’s 39-yard touchdown catch in the second half may appear somewhat simple on the surface. But when you zero in on the sideline and turn the focus to Alabama’s offensive coordinator—a coach you know quite well—you gain a much bigger appreciation for the way the play was executed.

Nicely called, sir. And thanks to Chris Brown—better known as @Smartfootball—for the tremendous find.

For the Highlight Reel: Part 1

It looked like the play was going to be stopped before it ever began and that a tackle for loss (or a short gain) was inevitable. Then, once all ankles had been broken, it quickly became a 91-yard touchdown.

Ole Miss running back Jaylen Walton somehow managed to avoid almost the entire Mississippi State defense. After navigating a sea of people much larger than him, Walton came out on the other side, somehow, and didn’t look back.

Be careful; you may want to ice all critical leg joints out of precaution before you watch.

For the Highlight Reel: Part 2

This is the first time, to my knowledge, a football has been kicked multiple stories skyward before falling down in the arms of a defender. And you thought there was no good reason to watch Kansas State play Kansas. (There was one, and this was it.)

With the Jayhawks trailing 14-0 midway through the first quarter, Kansas quarterback Michael Cummings tried to hit Rodriguez Coleman near the end zone. Coleman, however, somehow kicked the ball to the clouds. It seemed to hang up there for a while—as if the slow-mo feature was activated—before falling into the arms of Kansas State’s Randall Evans.

It was odd, unusual and spectacular.

For the Highlight Reel: Part 3

On Thanksgiving night against Texas A&M, LSU freshman Leonard Fournette showed the world just how miserable he would be to tackle. This is not so much a running back breaking a tackle as it is a tank trying out its new industrial roller skates.

The scariest thing about Fournette isn't what he already is, which is scary. It's what he can (and will) become once he logs more hours with a strength coach at a major college football program. The results could be terrifying.

Quote of the Week

Baylor head coach Art Briles' poetic truths are so much better without context. This gem came following the Bears' close victory over Texas Tech.

"
Briles: "I'll fight a man with three children and a nice house any day over a man that's living out of a car."
— David Ubben (@davidubben) November 30, 2014"

If the College Football Playoff Started Today...(or Why I Hate Your Team)

We are now less than one week away from the first-ever release of the College Football Playoff field, and I’m not talking about the weekly cash-grab programming. The real thing is coming, which means this will take on a much different tone soon.

If you are a committee member, you should not be wasting your time reading this piece. You should be ensuring that your windows are indeed brick-proof and that your basement has enough food to last roughly six months. Get to it.

Here are my four playoff teams as it stands right now, subject to change, of course.

1. Oregon

2. Alabama

3. Florida State

4. TCU

5 Leftovers to Chew On

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

1. I’m shocked, to be honest, that Nebraska fired Bo Pelini when it did. If he was going to go, last year seemed like the appropriate time. The relationship between administration and coach was clearly fractured, although Pelini still won a ton of games. In some ways, because of this, I respect the decision. It shows that the Cornhuskers are risking plenty—more than $7 million—in order to return to their previous form, and that this simply was not good enough. Another part of me wonders just what kind of message this sends to coaches who might be interested in the position. If nine or 10 wins isn’t going to cut it, is this a job they'll want?

2. The injury to Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett is an enormous gut-punch. There is no other way to shape it. Barrett has been one of the most explosive players in all of college football this season, and his absence for the rest of the year due to an ankle injury could potentially reshape the College Football Playoff. Bigger than any postseason or conference championship game impact, however, is the impact on the player. This is a tremendous bummer for one of the game’s true breakout stars in 2014. Here's hoping he returns to form next year.

3. What a strange week for Group of Five teams. After finally cracking the College Football Playoff selection committee’s Top 25, Marshall lost its first game. Colorado State, which was poised to make an appearance in the poll, also fell in Week 14. That was not the case for Boise State, which cruised in its matchup against Utah State and is poised to represent the Group of Five in a major bowl game. Some things change; some things stay the same.

4. SMU has been a pinata in these weekly columns all season, but it landed a gem in Chad Morris. The soon-to-be former Clemson offensive coordinator will head back to his high school coaching roots in the state of Texas and have the dubious task of turning around a program that has hit rock bottom. It sounds like he will be compensated handsomely to do so. A turnaround such as this is going to take time—multiple recruiting classes and a few seasons of frustration, namely—but I love this hire. Plus, Morris can operate with little pressure early on while taking home a pretty penny. This is a true win-win.

5. There is nothing quite like rivalry week. Whether it’s the Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl, the Apple Cup or any of the other meaningful (and historic) matchups played yearly between familiar programs, we were reminded once again just how vital these games are to the sport in Week 14. While college football can be frustrating at times—especially when it comes to the financial implications seemingly reshaping the sport—the origins of our interests have not shifted. The hate, the love, the passion and the familiarity between schools is why we signed up in the first place, and it was on display this past weekend.

Large-Man Play of the Week: Part 1

When a player tipping the scales near or over 300 pounds gets his hands on the football, magic happens. In fact, this magic happens before these large men actually touch the football.

It’s that moment before they can actually make a play, when the ball is falling toward them like a magical glazed ham, that time stops along with our beating hearts.

Virginia defensive lineman David Dean was tossed into this situation against Virginia Tech. The 295-pounder grabbed the tipped pass out of the air and gracefully rumbled for a touchdown.

Please be sure to play the appropriate music before watching.

Large-Man Play of the Week: Part 2

Danny Shelton is listed at 339 pounds on his bio. Please keep that in mind as you watch the defensive tackle pull a Varsity Blues-like barrel roll prior to the snap and come away with another quarterback sack shortly after.

He is the world's largest cat. (He's also an exceptional defensive tackle.)

Fan of the Week

What do you do when your team—the No. 1 team in the country—is down in the second half and seemingly on the ropes?

You don’t panic like the rest of Bryant-Denny Stadium. You simply enjoy the delicious nachos you paid $75 for not long ago. Nothing soothes the soul like nachos.

Mascot of the Week

Disclaimer: This is snow.

The Western Michigan mascot had himself a good time this past weekend, getting a face full of winter during his team's game. I'm going to leave it at that and allow you to consume the rest of this yourself.

Angry Rich Rodriguez Vine of the Week

Let’s attempt to figure out why Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez had a meltdown near the end of his team’s win against Arizona State. Was it something someone said? If so, I have a few ideas.

“Coach, I lost my playbook.”

“Coach, are you taking the Florida job?”

“Coach, I got you a signed photo of Pitbull for Christmas."

“Coach, I didn't get you a signed photo of Pitbull for Christmas. Sorry.”

Best (Worst) Snap of the Week

This is your Week 14 Notre Dame recap in its entirety. You don't need a replay. You don't need a box score. You don't need in-depth analysis.

All you need is one glorious Vine.

From the Peanut Gallery (Best Tweets of the Weekend)