Snap judgments from college football's Week 4
A postgame reversal, dramatic comebacks and a Duke win at Notre Dame ... in football?! After another weekend of wild matchups, let's analyze the four biggest overreactions this week in college football:
1. Les Miles might be fired for a sequence that perhaps best sums up Les Miles.
It was fitting, in a weird but very Mad Hatter way, that what likely did him in was poor clock management during LSU's final drive. Again.
Against Auburn, he mismanaged what could have been the game-winning drive, with players exhibiting a surprisingly lackadaisical approach during the possession.
College football's Week 4 winners and losers
There also was an illegal shift penalty called, which backed LSU up to the Auburn 10-yard line with one second on the clock, down five. Though the Tigers thought they got the snap off in time and scored, officials overruled the initial touchdown call and awarded Auburn the win.
It was a bizarre finish in a game billed as a Hot Seat Bowl, and it cannot bode well for the future that Miles cost himself the game.
2. Wisconsin looks legit.
The Badgers now boast one of college football's best résumés — it's only Week 4, and they have two top-10 wins.
Saturday's blowout of Michigan State showed both a staunch defense and a offense that looks to be in good hands in a freshman quarterback making his first career start. Sure, Wisconsin has a tough stretch ahead with games against No. 4 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State up next.
But if the Badgers play like they did against Sparty, they have a chance to add to their already eye-popping credentials.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly fumes over team's lack of energy, passion
3. Notre Dame is even more of a mess than we thought.
Obviously, preseason expectations were more than a tad off. But no one could have predicted such an atrocious defense, one that struggled to stop first Texas, then Michigan State and now Duke — who had just lost to Northwestern, which had been winless entering that game.
Now Notre Dame has allowed at least 30 points to Power Five opponents seven times in their last nine games. Coach Brian Kelly said there will be personnel changes coming.
He should start with defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. He also should stop blaming his players for this 1-3 start.
No. 6 Stanford rallies past UCLA 22-13
4. Stanford's final drive saves its Playoff hopes — so far.
David Shaw is a coach who's known in the college football world as someone who takes the conservative route in big spots.
Trailing UCLA by four in the final minutes and no timeouts on hand, Shaw's Stanford team got decidedly aggressive, moving quickly and confidently down the field before an end zone fade call actually worked (!) and Ryan Burns found J.J. Arcega-Whiteside for the game-winning score.
On a night in which UCLA's defense did a good job containing Christian McCaffrey and the Cardinal for much of the game, escaping with the victory was key. As was not adding a blemish to a resume in a league that's filled with parity and perhaps few true Playoff contenders.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM WEEK 4
