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The Chaos Index, Week Three: The Second Half Is A Bitch

So many dreams – from UT getting that first signature win of the Tom Herman era to UCLA pulling another comeback to UT finally getting over the hump of the Butch Jones era – all came crashing down in the second half this week. (Though Texas did a pretty good job of f-ing things up right at the end of the first half too.)

The next time you hear somebody talking about “finishing games”, feel free to dial up the lowlights from the third real week of this season for a reminder of exactly what that means. In the meantime, let’s see where the Wheel…Of…Misfortune is spinning most festively right about now.

  1. Baylor – At least they won’t get stunned by a team that’s never beaten someone from the Power 5 this coming week. Oh sure, they’ll get stomped by Oklahoma, but now you’re just nitpicking.​ You have to feel bad for Matt Rhule, but it couldn’t happen to a nicer school.  (Remember, sarcasm is our stock in trade in these parts.)
  2. Tennessee – This is it.  The Vols are finally going to break through under bUTch this year. Uh oh, it’s another semi-unexpected banana peel! Oh please, like you didn’t see the annual Big Orange Oops coming. On the other hand, you should didn’t see the banana peel slip being this heartbreaking, did you?
  3. UCLA – The West Coast’s answer to UT has the greatest quarterback ever! Look, he just dropped another dime to a wide receiver you’ve never heard of! Look, there’s a pick six. And now, college football’s mystery date is about to hook up with that bad boy who always does her wrong.  Speaking of guys named Coach Kelly, whatcha doing come January, Chip?
  4. Stanford – Speaking of UCLA’s personal tormentors, while they may not be the hideous SDSU crew we all remember, losing to the Aztecs isn’t a good luck for the team that used to own the P12. Next week’s “showdown” on The Farm is going to leave somebody extra angst ridden.  And, by the way, if you’re USC, that big win over the Cardinal doesn’t look quite so big any more, especially after you should’ve lost to…
  5. Texas – See! The Herman hire wasn’t the embodiment of false hope. Here comes his signature vict…aw hell, with 45 seconds left in the game?!?!?
  6. South Carolina – It’s weird: the action in Columbia feels like the love child of UT under Butch and UF under Coach Boom. Now that the Cocks’ big breakthrough season has run smack into the football dynamo that is Kentucky, it would be cruel to remind you that Deebo Samuel’s season is done.
  7. Louisville – Everything was about as set up for the Cards as it could possibly be, what with Clemson in total rebuild mode and Lamar Jackson looking like, well, Lamar Jackson. Sadly for The ‘Ville, the Cards – er, wait for it – Clemsoned! So, basically, third best in the ACC Whatever-It’s-Called is about the best y’all should ever hope for. Oh, and look – Wake Forest is absolutely en fuego!
  8. Texas A&M – If past performance is an indicator of future results, those unimpressive wins over two tomato cans indicate that the Texas Aggies should spend the first two weeks of October hiding under a table somewhere.
  9. Arizona State – If Paul Graham isn’t the first Power 5 coach capped this year, there is little justice in this world.  Still, with nary a win in sight until they rendezvous with Oregon State, the Devil you know isn’t going to be a Devil for long.
  10. Missouruh – Remember when the Tigers were going to be an offensive dynamo this year? They’ve scored 16 points against teams not named Missouri State, which tells you what the current state of Missouri is. Betcha Butch Jones lands in Columbia next year.
  11. Nebraska – It’s been three years since Northern Illinois was a nationally relevant program. It won’t be three years before the Huskers have a new coach. Oh, and did we mention that Mike Riley just got extended?
  12. BYU – Boy is this thing sinking fast. Mormons are usually the nicest people on the planet, but if you’re not aware of it, there’s one big exception, and it involves their football team sucking. A third of the season gone with one win over Portland State and three ugly losses to Power 5 programs means that their football team sucks. Big time.
  13. San Jose State – Wouldja look at that! SJSU’s season is almost a carbon copy of BYU’s, and while the Spartans are basically irrelevant in college football, Mike MacIntyre created this nasty little thing called “expectations” in Silicon Valley.
  14. Boring College – Give BC this: they beat Northern Illinois by a field goal.​Hell, they might even kick a field goal against Clemson next week.
  15. UNLV – With two whole weeks to prepare for Ohio State, here’s betting the Rebs can hold them to 70. Okay, maybe 80.
  16. UTEP – The Miners join the early-season-coordinator-firing-but-we’re-not-panicking club! Suhweet!
  17. The Schedule – Hate to sound like a broken record, but it suh-suh-suh-suh-suh-suh-sucks beyond description again this coming week when the alleged Game Of The Week involves Oklahoma State & TCU.
  18. LSU – Okay fine, it’s just one incredibly brutal maiming at the hands of a division foe. By the way, what does that make Coach Eaux’s SEC record?
  19. Kansas – Losing to Central Michigan and Ohio leaves the Jayhawks winless in the MAC for 2017, pretty much guaranteeing they’ll be winless in the Big 12 too.  Maybe they should try their hands in the Big Sky.
  20. Morgan State – Yeah, yeah, yeah. They’re not even an FBS program, but then, neither is Kansas, and you don’t question when we harsh on them. Any time you lose 65-0 to freaking Rutgers and are now down 101-0 after three games, you’re going to show up here.

 

The Chaos Index, Week Two: Seasons Start To Implode

Remember when Urban Meyer was the GOAT? Remember when Paul Graham used to jump to a new gig every year, kinda like the Larry Brown of college football? Remember when Kevin Sumlin was an offensive mastermind? Remember when Texas wanted to back up the money truck for Jim Mora? Remember when Bret Bielema was gonna fix the Hogs?

Forget it, but don’t forget to come along for the ride as we survey the smoldering wreckage left when college football seasons fall down and go boom.

 

  1. Baylor – You don’t make it into The Chaos Index because you suck; you make it because you’re a freaking mess. Of course, if you’re a freaking mess and you really, really suck, you’re bound for the “stars”. Lose to Liberty and a UTSA team that hadn’t played yet, and you’re #1 with a bullet.
  2. Texas A&M – After last week’s meltdown, a ten-point “conquest” of Nicholls State should tell you that this is going to be a long year in Aggieland and a short season in Sumlinland.
  3. Ohio State – Remember when Urbz was The Greatest Coach Ever? Then, he was The Greatest Coach Not Named Nick. Now, he’s the offensive guru whose world-beating quarterbacks keep regressing on him.
  4. The Sun Belt – Y’know those college basketball conference showdowns? If someone scheduled the #FunBelt-MVFC Football Showdown, who do you think would win? Hint: it’s not the alleged FBS conference.
  5. Arizona State – San Diego State may not be the awful team you remember from your youth, but they’re definitely the kind of team that you beat if you want to play ball in the Pac-12. The Devils are no longer ballers, are they?
  6. Texas – Ooh! You whacked San Jose State. Good luck with the team a few hundred miles south next week. Luckily, the understanding fans in burnt orange won’t melt down one little bit when they watch their team lose by five touchdowns while being fed regular reminders of Vince Young.
  7. Notre Dame – The fans are far more understanding in South Bend, and when the Irish lose at home to a one-man team without its one man, there’s hardly any reason at all to think they’ll want to whack Brian Kelly upside the head with a shillelagh.
  8. Arkansas – A three-touchdown beatdown at home indicates that the #karma ain’t getting better for Bret and Company, is it? That matchup with #2 TAMU next week is going to drive some fanbase even further into meltdown mode.
  9. UCLA – How ’bout that offense? Okay, how ’bout that Josh Rosen? How ’bout that defense getting plowed for 500+ by Hawaii? It’s a good thing that their personal boogeymen from Stanford aren’t on the schedule in another two wee…never mind.
  10. UNLV – The Rebels are rolling! They’ve even got the same record as Howard!!!
  11. Oregon State – Welcome to 1-11Land, population you.
  12. North Carolina – Welcome back to WhoCaresLand, population you.
  13. Los Angeles Dodgers – Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know; wrong sport. Think of it this way, when you’ve gone from being the Greatest. Team. Ever? in SI to being in danger of blowing a 20something game lead in your division, what you’ve done has transcended your sport completely.
  14. New England Patriots – Speaking of which, when your fans have become more obnoxiously self-entitled that the combined hubris of the people wearing burnt orange, worshipping Touchdown Jesus, and cheering for a drum major wearing a dungeons & dragons costume, and you get the peace sign flashed at your in your own crib while celebrating The Greatest Comeback Of All Time!!!, you’ve transcended your sport completely.
  15. Nebraska – There’s no hubris in Lincoln (and it’s environs, which in Huskerland extend to New York and L.A), but there are a lot of people wearing red who have certain expectations. Losing to a not-back-yet Oregon squad ain’t meeting expectations.
  16. Missouri – I forget. Is this the Mizzou team with no offense, no defense, or both? Considering that it’s the Mizzou team that just capped its DC two weeks into the season, it’s now just two more firings short of maybe getting things right.
  17. BYU – How’s that move to become The Next Notre Dame working out? Not that being The First Notre Dame is any great shakes these days, of course, but the Cougs ought to be begging to get back into the MWC post haste.
  18. Rutgers – No truth to the rumors that the conference will rebrand as The B1G Plus the L1ttle 1.
  19. Virginia – Wow! There are maybe two wins left on the Wahoo schedule, and both of them are definitely maybe games at best. How long until we hear the cry, WahooWTF? Let the 2017 Bronco bashing commence!
  20. East Carolina – We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: before you run off your head coach, make sure you aren’t shooting yourself in the foot. How does the decision to cap Ruffin McNeill look now, Pirates?