It’s Hump Day, and you know what that means! Here are my (checks schedule) Week 11 Midweek Musings:
MAC
I cannot express how much I love having midweek MACtion back. I don’t follow the conference all that closely, I don’t usually have a rooting interest in the game, but it’s fun football to just turn on for an hour or so and enjoy. Just last night, Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson ran for 301 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-17 win over Bowling Green, and Kent State racked up 750 yards of offense in a 69-35 win over Akron.
On second thought, this may not be the league for you if you like defense.
Miami
It took a late rally for the Hurricanes to edge Virginia Tech. Per coach Manny Diaz, the game came very close to being postponed, as COVID cases and contact tracing left the team perilously thin at certain positions. As of Monday night, Miami’s next three games are in fact postponed. This leads to some major schedule rearranging from the ACC.
Indiana-Michigan State
It was a turnover-fest in East Lansing, with the teams combining for six despite perfectly pleasant weather. The Spartans lost the turnover battle 4-2 and the game 24-0. The Hoosiers out-gained them in total yards (433-191), passing yards (320-131), and rushing yards (113-60). Yahoo Sports has a good article about Indiana’s turnaround from Big Ten doormat to division leaders. Who would have thought even in August that Indiana-Ohio State would be a Top 10 matchup?
However, one thing did go very wrong for the Hoosiers last weekend. Linebacker Thomas Allen, son of coach Tom Allen, suffered a hip injury and will be out for the season. It’s an unfortunate turn of events for a player who suffered a shoulder injury that ended his 2019 season. As for his dad… I can’t imagine watching my kid get injured and have to be carted off, and then having to go coach the rest of the game.
As far as Michigan State is concerned, coach Mel Tucker seems to have seen enough from quarterback Rocky Lombardi. Redshirt freshman Payton Thorne got a chance and fared somewhat better. No word yet on who will get the start against Maryland.
South Carolina
Gamecocks’ athletic director Ray Tanner fired coach Will Muschamp on Sunday. It’s odd timing, to say the least: the team currently sits at 2-5, with three games remaining. In addition, Muschamp has a rather large buyout ($13 million, according to Yahoo) at a time when COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on states’ budgets. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, previously the head coach at Colorado State, will take over as interim coach.
In addition, cornerback Jaycee Horn announced Monday that he’s opting out to focus on draft preparation. Horn leads the team with two interceptions this season. He’s the son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn.
Penn State
Happy Valley can’t be a very happy place these days. The Nittany Lions currently sit winless and at the bottom of the Big Ten. This weekend they face Iowa, so there’s a decent chance they’ll get to 0-5. However, their last three games are very winnable- trips to Ann Arbor and Piscataway, followed by Michigan State at home. I’ll be shocked if they don’t win at least two of those three.
Schedule Changes
UAB @ UTEP (scheduled for Friday): Cancelled
Ole Miss @ A&M: Postponed
Georgia Tech @ Miami: Postponed
Charlotte @ Marshall: Postponed
Wake Forest @ Duke: Postponed
Louisiana-Monroe @ Louisiana Tech: Cancelled
Arizona State @ Colorado: Cancelled
Houston @ SMU: Postponed
Navy @ South Florida: Postponed
Let’s all hope there aren’t any more added.
Those are my Week 11 Midweek Musings. Need more content? Check out our Week Eleven Bowl Projections!
