USC’s Deception Crosses the Line, ACC in Chaos, and Florida Schools Flirt with Futility
— The Worst from Week 11 of the College Football Season with Our Flop 10 —
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### USC’s Fake Punt and Number Swap: Lincoln Riley’s New QB Sneak
In Friday night’s win over Northwestern, USC head coach Lincoln Riley gave a whole new meaning to the QB sneak. Third-string quarterback Sam Huard, who normally wears No. 7, lined up in punt formation wearing No. 80—the usual number of punter Sam Johnson. Northwestern didn’t seem to notice the trick. Huard then completed a pass to keep the Trojans’ drive alive.
“It was just a well-thought out thing by several of our staff members,” Riley said postgame.
Here’s my take: That’s some bull****. Play with integrity, not duplicity.
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### Wisconsin Fans: Celebrations Amid Struggles
Wisconsin fans rushed the field after beating an unranked Washington team, highlighting just how dismal this season has been for the Badgers. The often humorous quip that “more beer is sold at Camp Randall than anywhere else” (h/t Matt Brown) feels especially accurate this year.
Congrats to Luke Fickell on the win—and to his athletic director for assuring he’ll return next season. But the offense remains among the worst in the country.
After back-to-back home shutouts, the Badgers’ offense was painfully slow to start Saturday’s game. It took 29 minutes to complete their first forward pass, with the punter being the team’s leading passer thanks to a 24-yard completion in a 13-10 win.
As we said earlier: watching Wisconsin football this season will drive you to drink.
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### ACC Chaos: Playoff Rankings and Upheavals
The first College Football Playoff rankings exposed the ACC’s turmoil. One-loss Virginia and Louisville were ranked 14th and 15th. Now, both teams sit at two losses after upsets by Wake Forest and Cal, respectively.
To make matters worse, Duke—4-1 in ACC play—lost to UConn despite being an 8.5-point favorite. Five ACC teams have only one league loss, setting up a messy road to the ACC Championship game in Charlotte.
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### Boston College: A Season to Forget
If the ACC’s unpredictability is one thing, Boston College’s season is another. Bill O’Brien showed more fight in his midweek news conference than his Golden Eagles have all year.
When asked about the team’s rough season, O’Brien fired back, “You come in here with these down questions. I’m not down. I don’t know what year you graduated from BC, but this is a program that we’re building.”
On Saturday, BC dropped to 1-9 (0-6 ACC) after a 45-13 home loss to SMU. Their only win so far is against FCS Fordham.
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### BYU’s Offense Hibernates in Big 12 Showdown
Led by a “Bear,” the BYU offense struggled through three quarters during their marquee Big 12 game against Texas Tech in Lubbock.
The Cougars didn’t cross into Texas Tech territory until nine minutes remained and already trailed 26-0. Averaging 36.3 points per game this season, BYU’s offense was stifled by Jacob Rodriguez and the Texas Tech defense.
There’s still CFP hope for BYU, but it likely hinges on winning the Big 12 championship game.
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### Florida and Florida State Flirt with Futility
One school has already fired its coach; the other should. College football is better when Florida and Florida State are good. Maybe it’s just the Florida boy in me speaking, but this just ain’t it.
The Gators, who parted ways with Billy Napier two weeks ago, were uncompetitive in a 38-7 loss to Kentucky. The Seminoles weren’t much better, falling 24-10 to Clemson.
Florida (3-6) still faces Ole Miss and Tennessee before closing the season against Florida State. The Seminoles (4-5) have Virginia Tech and at NC State ahead of their finale versus Florida.
Both teams are flirting with missing a bowl game. The last time UF and FSU missed bowls in the same season? 1978.
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### Brawls and Rivalries Heat Up
Bethune Cookman and Grambling State threw punches, literally, with several players trading haymakers on the field. Meanwhile, the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana were visibly frustrated after their game against Texas State.
College football’s passion and intensity showed in these heated moments, though brawls always bring negative headlines.
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### American Athletic Conference (AAC) College Football Playoff Hopes
Will anyone in the AAC step up to take control? The league keeps eating its own.
Memphis’ recent loss to Tulane opens the door for a non-AAC team to sneak into the College Football Playoff as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion.
North Texas is the only AAC team with just one loss and has a comparatively easy schedule remaining. While they can be penciled in as conference title contenders, they still need to win it.
San Diego State (Mountain West) and James Madison (Sun Belt, 8-1) are lurking as well. Recent polling places UNT at 27th, JMU at 28th, and SDSU at 29th in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
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### Midwest Weather Woes
Saturday’s games in the Midwest—at Iowa, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame—were played amid miserable weather. We’re talking steady rain, and even some freezing sideways precipitation.
And it’s way too early in the season for that kind of nonsense.
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### Mike Locksley and Maryland: From Hope to Struggles
After a 4-0 start, Maryland’s recent collapse has some fans turning on head coach Mike Locksley once again.
Following Saturday’s 35-20 loss at Rutgers, the Terrapins have dropped five straight games. A week ago, Maryland fans were already chanting for Locksley’s dismissal.
He’s 36-40 over seven seasons, making him one of the top 20 longest-tenured FBS coaches currently.
Locksley does have one of the top freshman QBs to build around and talented receiver Malik Washington. But with a 17-45 Big Ten record, the coach’s job security is undoubtedly shaky — the seat is warming, significantly.
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Week 11 has delivered chaos, questionable decisions, and heartache across college football. As the season approaches its final stretch, the pressure intensifies for coaches, players, and programs alike. Stay tuned for what promises to be a wild finish to the college football season.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/11/09/usc-fake-punt-bs-acc-football-chaos-college-football-fights-grambling-bethune-cookman/87086459007/
