I have some time as my morning coffee kicks in, so heck, why not another one for week 9?
Best performance: Antonio Carter continues to have a very good season for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.
Worst performance: Drew Pyne (see below at the bottom)
CB Ryan Barnes, UMass - NSR vs Wagner
CB Micah Bell, Vanderbilt - NSR vs Texas, not listed on the 3-deep
LB Prince Collie, Vanderbilt - NSR. Bryan Longwell has passed him up on the depth chart and got the start despite being questionable.
S Antonio Carter II, Jacksonville State - 4 tackles (2 solo), 0.5 TFL, 1 PBU against Middle Tennessee
OL Zeke Correll, NC State - Bye
OL Michael Carmody, UCLA - NSR (Bye)
WR Rico Flores Jr., UCLA - Bye
S Ramon Henderson, UCLA - Bye
S KJ Wallace, UCLA - Bye
WR Braylon James, TCU - NSR vs Texas Tech
DE Nana Osafo-Mensah, TCU - 2 tackles (1 solo)
DL Aidan Keanaaina, California - 1 tackle in the blowout against Oregon State
WR Tobias Merriweather, California - NSR, not listed on the 3-deep
CB Jayden Bellamy, Syracuse - 2 tackles (1 solo) in a blowout loss to Pitt
CB Clarence Lewis, Syracuse - Started at FCB, NSR
TE Holden Staes, Tennessee - NSR (Bye)
WR / RB Chris Tyree, Virginia - 1 rush for 4 yards, 2 receptions for 11 yards in a blowout loss to UNC. Still not up to full speed.
P Bryce McFerson, Maryland - NSR (Bye)
OL Quinn Murphy, Western Michigan - Started at LG in a blowout win vs Kent State
OL Joey Tanona, Purdue - Bye
OL Caleb Johnson - Southern Methodist - Not listed on the 2 deep vs Duke.
LB Nolan Ziegler, Central Michigan - NSR vs Miami (OH)
TE Cane Berrong, Coastal Carolina - NSR (Bye)
CB / S Lorenzo Styles, tOSU - 1 tackle (1 solo) vs Nebraska
And lastly...
QB Drew Pyne, Missouri - Ouch... 6 of 12 passing for 42 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT, 1 rush for 10 yards vs Alabama.
After Brady Cook was taken out for a 2nd week an a row, this time for a hand injury, Pyne played the rest of the game.
Receivers were actually breaking open, and Missouri's offensive line only gave up one sack to a good Alabama defense.
The Tiger fans are screaming for OC Moore's head, and for good reason. Moore kept calling plays that weren't going to work with Pyne at the helm. By now, Moore should know darn well that Pyne can't make a medium range throw, nor will he look over the middle, all while locking in on WR1. Pyne can't execute the read option, either.
Alabama squatted in a short, wide zone, occasionally mixing up man coverage, taking away WR1 and WR2. Pyne's only completions were almost all dink 'n dunk plays to the safety valves that the defense basically let him have (no YAC).
I understand Drew Pyne's desire to play college football, but by now he has to have a more realistic approach to life. He's not going to be on any notable professional league's roster as a quarterback, whether it be NFL, UFL, or even CFL with his level of talent and mindset.
We all knew this in 2022, but having an excellent offensive line blocking for, along with one of the best 1-2 running back punches in the nation (Estime and Diggs), and the best tight end in college football concealed those traits.
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They were supposed to be uber talented and be game changers. They don't even play.
I also feel bad for some of the other "grass is always greener" guys on your list as they are not playing much, either. Too bad Jayden Mickey fell prey to this, too.
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He had to have some tests done to make sure that playing on that injured groin wouldn't turn into a full fledged hernia.
They said he could play, and that it wouldn't become one, but it would be very painful. The fact that he's even playing right now on an injury of that nature shows how tough of a guy he is.
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For almost any ND player who transfers out, I want him to succeed, and I'm pretty sure most of the folks here feel the same way.