Sports

College football Week 3 highlights - top plays, video games, takeaways

.David Hale, ESPN Personnel WriterSep 14, 2024, 06:14 PM ETCloseCollege football reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012. Graduate of the University of Delaware.If university football were a cartoon, there would certainly've been actually an instant final December, following the committee snubbed an undefeated Fla Condition staff coming from the playoff, when Mike Norvell will've concluded this was actually as negative as traits could possibly receive, all while unwittingly standing up underneath a piano perilously being actually lifted up to a 20th-floor window.Of program, after Florida Condition fell to Norvell's past school, Memphis, 20-12 on Saturday, it's completely feasible the Seminoles will like the piano to reality.Nine months earlier, Fla State possessed the planet's sympathy-- at least the component of the globe that don't shout "S-E-C, S-E-C" at wedding ceremonies, funerals as well as children's parties. It was actually simple to like that team. It was actually a group that fought more challenging after dropping QB Jordan Travis, that provided all it needed to maintain winning, that missed its chance at the playoff not as a result of its personal blunders but as a result of the board's whim.Editor's Picks1 RelatedNow, there is no sympathy. There is just a peculiar mix of pity, irritation and dark wit, like splashing an alcoholic beverage down the front of your pants.The beneficiary of the committee's choice was Alabama, as well as points can've conveniently moved toward a bleak 2024 for the Trend, also. They shed their championship game, swung goodbye to the best instructor in the sport's past history, at that point saw a departure of players in to the gateway, featuring five who left for Tallahassee.And however, on the very same day Florida Condition hit a brand new low point, Alabama flexed the exact same muscle it therefore usually carried out under Chip Saban, obliterating Wisconsin 42-10 responsible for a five-touchdown functionality coming from Jalen Milroe.In a much more merely planet, Fla State may've gained a little good karma after the outrage of its playoff snub. In an extra reasonable world, Alabama might, merely when, be actually given a negative hand.But college volleyball has verified, over and over, it does not care about fairness, but it does possess one hell of a sense of humor.So in Madison, the Trend came to acquire down.Alabama players hop all around in the course of Jump Around pic.twitter.com/OytiNveT43u2014 Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) September 14, 2024 As well as in Tallahassee, Florida State is ready to stuff it up as well as stuff it in.For Alabama, the lineup turn over merely clearance for new stars, like freshman recipient Ryan Williams, who recorded 4 balls for 78 gardens and also a goal in Sunday's win. Williams is only 17-- birthed just seven months before Saban coached his initial activity at Alabama, not old sufficient to also remember there was a time one thing like an 0-3 begin will be unthinkable at Florida State.For FSU, there is actually no clear path forward. DJ Uiagalelei has been dreadful, the ground video game has mustered up little, the repulsive line that was actually meant or else be a stamina obtained manhandled through a Group of 5 system, as well as the defense, which played its finest game Sunday, still contains holes. For the Seminoles, the only silver lining to draw from this awful begin to the time is it may possess reduced the plan's media evaluation good enough that it can escape the ACC for a conventional leave cost and some Kohl's cash.Nine months back, there can be a reasonable controversy about the relative resumu00e9s of Alabama as well as Florida Condition. On Saturday, during the course of commercial breathers of the Trend's thumping of Wisconsin, it was actually feasible to turn between ads for "9-1-1: Lone Star" including a gigantic learn derailment as well as an FSU game featuring a a lot more terrible train wreck.To witness what is actually happened Florida Condition in the time due to the fact that the committee supplied its own judgment is actually hard to understand, a barrage of continuous suffering generally set aside for "Saw" movies or minor weather issues at LAX.But it costs thinking about exactly how absolutely incomprehensible it is for Alabama to become listed below, too-- 3-0 with a roadway win in Big 10 nation just months after Saban's exit. Alabama has been actually the design for continual achievement for a generation, and also uniformity was actually normally attributed to Saban's relentlessness. However even he got to a point in which it was time for one thing brand new, as well as yet Alabama goes on plugging throughout-- one prominent win after yet another, as trusted as the sunrise.None of this particular is proof the board acquired its own decision straight, obviously. That was actually final time-- a various group, a different opportunity. Yet it is actually verification that within this turbulent sport, achievement is actually short lived and option commonly encounters past like a Fla State linebacker skipping an address at free throw line of scrimmage.And even at a place like Alabama, a system that has actually stood defiantly versus the winds of adjustment for 16 years right now, it's constantly far better to enjoy the advantages while you have them. Due to the fact that if there is actually anything we have actually picked up from checking out Florida State these past nine months it's this: It can consistently acquire worse.Jump to: LSU survives|Vibe switches|Arizona's best team The 1st 56 minutes of Saturday's game against South Carolina was much from pleasing for LSU.A series of exclusive teams gaffes, two turnovers and some significant runs by Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers had the Tigers having fun catchup often. South Carolina hopped out to a 24-10 top, found LSU draw in advance for a while in the 4th one-fourth, then found Spacecraft Sanders explode for a 66-yard score.play1:20 Leaping block denies LSU punt, sets up South Carolina TDMaurice Brown II blocks out the LSU punt, which establishes a Raheim Sanders goal to pad the Gamecocks' lead.With lower than 4 mins to participate in, LSU routed through four, and also Brian Kelly had actually looked at all six phases of anguish: Irritation, indignation, violence, temper, asking to speak to the supervisor and also, lastly, deliberating the completion his players.But Garrett Nussmeier used to the rescue along with his 29-yard finalization to Kyren Lacy to trigger a 55-yard touchdown travel to place LSU up 36-33. South Carolina possessed one final gap at the succeed, seeking a 49-yard field goal as opportunity ended, however it missed, offering Kelly an odds to celebrate a hard-earned gain prior to returning to his office to watch film and also shout right into a pillow.Week 3 ambiance shiftsTrending down: Finishing all your throwsThe excellent headlines for Michigan QB Davis Warren is actually every successfully pass he included Michigan's 28-18 draw Arkansas State on Saturday was actually caught.The problem is, 3 of them were actually seen through Arkansas State players.So, below's where our experts are with the speaking up for champs: After years spinning through a slide carousel of quarterbacks who gained their placement through discovering a gold ticket under a Detroit-style pizza, the Wolverines were managed to two times of J.J. McCarthy and thought maybe factors had actually altered once and for all. Instead, Warren is actually balancing 6.1 yards-per-pass with 2 touchdowns and 6 choices via 3 games.Now, USC performs deck following full week, as well as Michigan is actually left behind trying to find a response between Warren or even Alex Orji or even to really hope there's an additional QB stashed in Jim Harbaugh's abandoned storage locker responsible for those containers tagged "signals for each enemy, 2020-2023." Trending up: UNLV's case for Pac-12 expansionMatthew Sluka led an 18-play, 75-yard goal drive that ate 9:31 off the appear the 4th quarter Friday evening, as well as UNLV dismayed Kansas 23-20. It was the Rebels' second win over an Electrical power 4 challenger already this period after dumping Houston in the opener. How remarkable is actually that? Entering Saturday, Northern Illinois' trouble of Notre Dame was the only various other Team of 5 draw an energy event foe.Like along with anything in Vegas, it is actually a little bit of ability and a ton of luck.play0:40 UNLV somehow creates outrageous fumble vs. KansasMatthew Sluka screws up the ball, however in some way UNLV keeps things after the ball styles several Kansas gamers' hands.Still, it's secure to mention Barry Odom possesses the Rebels topping at the correct time, with UNLV's sales pitch to the growing Pac-12 now appearing quite tough: A big market, a really good team, and also accessibility to myriad all-night snack bars. After that all Odom requires to perform is actually take that Pac-12 payment in potato chips, bet it all on dark on a singular roulette twist, double down two or even 3 additional times, and also boost-- UNLV is enjoying with SEC money.Land of the increasing Sunlight DevilsA year back, Arizona was actually the favorite of the university football globe after a rollicking 10-3 period, while Arizona State was actually a laughing inventory required to begin a chorus of straining quarterbacks perhaps featuring a married couple fellas they located hanging around outside a Tempe In-N-Out Burger.What a difference a year makes.Arizona swayed farewell to move instructor Jedd Fisch, that left behind for Washington, and also opened this time with 2 ineffectual gain New Mexico and also Northern Arizona just before falling to Kansas Condition 31-7 on Friday. It was actually Arizona's worst offending efficiency due to the fact that being actually locked out at Colorado in 2021. The Sun Devils, on the contrary, located a QB in Sam Leavitt and are using high after knocking off Texas Condition on Thursday 31-28, starting 3-0 for the very first time since 2019. Arizona State is the unpleasant surprise group of 2024 so far (unless you count poor surprises, which Florida Condition hopes you do not), and Dillingham's turn-around of a program left behind in ruin after the Herm Edwards era ended exactly as every person mentioned it will.