"Week 9 Recap”
Written by Wendi
Hope you all had a good Halloween for those who celebrated. On a day where the monsters and clowns come out and the creepy and crawly things lurk; Halloween was not short on some tricks and treats.
There were only treats for Texas Tech in a spine-chilling top 25 Big 12 showdown that paved way for the 34-26 victory over Arizona. After a brutal loss last week, the Red Raiders looked to a quarterback change that immediately casted some spells on Arizona’s defense. Lubbock proved to be a true house of horrors for Arizona's conference title hopes, as the Wildcats saw their five-game winning streak vanish into the autumn fog.
Iowa buried Wisconsin 30-0 in a ruthless nightmare. Late in the second quarter, the Badgers thought they saw a glimmer of hope – a phantom light in the woods that dragged them to Iowa’s 8-yard line. They clawed their way to the 1-yard line but on 4th and goal, the trap snapped shut turning the ball over on downs. Iowa’s defense squeezed the last breath of Wisconsin in the second half by forcing three fatal wounds (turnovers).
The ritual execution of Boston College by Duke happened in broad daylight 47-2. The Eagles had no idea they were walking into an inescapable slaughterhouse. The only spark of resistance Boston College had was blocking an extra point for a return. I am sure it was meant to be a rally; however, it was a mere cruel illusion.
Georgia haunted Florida in a 27-8 clash. This legendary rivalry quickly became an indoor house of horrors for the Gators surrendering four terrifying turnovers. The Gators broke out of the crypt in the fourth quarter with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion but it was a little too late. This makes six straights wins for Georgia over their rival.
Oregon survived a Halloween scare at home against Northwestern which turned a nightmare season briefly into an afternoon of triumphant survival. With fog thick over their stadium, the Ducks quickly found themselves in an eerie backdrop for a Freddy Kruger film. The Wildcats quickly went up 20-6 but Oregon cut the deficit and went in to halftime 20-13. Oregon regrouped at halftime and rallied behind the run game and Raiola to win 34-23.
What began as a dominant, ghost quieting performance by Kansas, quickly dissolved into a terrifying second half collapse as TCU rose from the dead to steal a 22-16 victory. The Jayhawks controlled the narrative in the first half playing like a team entirely unbothered by any ghouls and went into halftime up 13-0. But as twilight approached in the third quarter, the football spirits quickly turned wicked for Kansas.
Utah dismantled Cincinnati 49-25 that left the stadium at halftime feeling like a ghost town with the Utes on top 42-6. There was a brief sign of life for the Bearcats in the second half but that quickly faded late in the fourth quarter with a Utah touchdown. What happened in Oklahoma wasn’t just a football game, it was a supernatural slaughter as South Carolina terrorized the Sooners 42-25. The Gamecocks’ offense, possessed by some dark, unstoppable force, proceeded to tear Oklahoma’s highly-rated defense limb by limb. Like ghosts escaping a crypt, South Carolina’s receivers slipped past the secondary for horrific, explosive plays. Is Brent Venables on the hot seat? Could he be the next coach to go?
The winds howling through Tallahassee Saturday night brought a deeply unsettling atmosphere as Clemson defeated Florida State 36-24 in a game where the Seminoles’ own mistakes acted like a curse they couldn’t escape. Anytime Florida State would threaten to build some momentum, that invisible phantom would appear and snatch the ball away. The FSU QB was possessed by the turnover ghost and accounted for a total of four turnovers. Even after an attempted fourth quarter rally, it wasn’t enough to save Mike Norvell from getting fired.
The annual blackout game for Nebraska against Washington on Halloween night became a true horror trilogy. For the third straight week, the Cornhuskers phantom-walked their way into a fourth quarter collapse, rising from the grave of a dominate defensive performance only to be slaughtered 17-10 by the Huskies. Down by a field goal, the Cornhuskers tried to stitch a game winning drive with 90 seconds left. However, the horror movie delivered its final jump scare with a pick six. A late field goal meant nothing; the onside kick was revered by the Huskies sealing the grave for Nebraska’s 2026 season momentum.
On to Pick’ems…
After the many blows the last week gave us, this was a more manageable week for most of us. Everyone except for Sam scored more than the week prior and for those who managed single digits last week, you rebounded well.
However, when the music stopped, Teddy and Sam were the only two left standing while everyone else had found a chair. Both struggled to find points in Week 9 while everyone else gobbled them up.
Is Sean trying to win this thing for the second year in a row? It sure looks like it.
Rick’s picks have wet the bed two weeks in a row, sending him tumbling from 2nd place to 5th. Luckily, he’s still only a few points behind 3rd, so there’s time to change the sheets and get back in the race.
Most points for the week: With 43 points, Evelyn went from NOT to HOT after last week’s performance. She took home the $10 weekly prize.
Least points for the week: For the first time this season, Teddy got whacked and totaled 19 points. He’s on a slow trajectory towards the bottom in the overall standings. Can he bounce back this weekend?
Best pick of the week: Chris picking Washington helped secure his second-place tie.
Worst pick of the week: Maybe it’s best to quit picking Florida State this year.
Letters to the Editor:
Was the firing of Mike Norvell overdue?
I believe so. After going undefeated back in 2023 and being snubbed in the playoffs, I think it broke him and FSU. They haven’t been able to recover. It is a hefty buyout (over $50M) after they spent a lot of money renovating the athletic facilities. Although I am sure he is upset, he is still smiling all the way to the bank.
Here are the rankings after Week 9:
1. Sean – 360 points
2. Noah – 347 points
3. Kim – 338 points
4. Jacob – 335 points
5. Rick – 334 points
6. Wendi – 325 points
7. David – 321 points
8. Adam – 318 points
9. Sam – 318 points
10. Marc – 313 points
11. Cindy - 312 points
12. Chris - 299 points
13. Teddy - 291 points
14. Christian - 286 points
15. Mike – 280 points
16. Evelyn – 257 points
There is a 103-point difference between 1st and last place
