Tag: Week 7

LSU freshman named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week

Will Campbell shined in his return to the field.

What a difference a week makes for [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag].

He had to sit out for the Tennessee game due to an illness that sent him to the hospital. One week later, he found himself starting at offensive tackle in the Swamp against the Florida Gators. He was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts.

Life comes at you fast, and Campbell was ready for the challenge. Thanks to his blocking, [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] was able to run for 106 yards on 14 carries, and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] had all day to throw the ball.

Daniels finished with 349 yards and three touchdowns through the air. If you are going to win a tough game, especially on the road, you have to win the game in the trenches. LSU did that against the Gators.

Campbell is only a freshman, so this could be one of the many awards he receives during his career in Baton Rouge. The future looks bright at offensive tackle for the Tigers.

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Week 7 Winners and Losers: Rocky Top Triumph headlines a pivotal college football Saturday

They say the cigar smoke is still wafting out of Neyland Stadium.

Once or twice a season (if we’re lucky), this sport rewards us with an absolute gem of a Saturday: Wall-to-wall chaos, major upsets, the whole nine yards.

Week 7 was one of those special ones.

It included what was hands down the game of the season so far — and isn’t likely to be topped — as Tennessee stunned Alabama for its first win in the series since Nick Saban took over in 2007. The fans stormed the field at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville as the Vols announced their return to the top tier of the sport.

That was just one of several instant classics from the best weekend of football we’ve been treated to so far this season. Now that the dust has settled, here are the winners and losers from Week 7.

Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr.’s suspension officially lifted

#Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. had his suspension lifted by the commissioner. He’s free to practice and play with the team in Week 7.

Kansas City Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. officially had his suspension lifted by the commissioner on Monday per the NFL’s personnel notice.

Andy Reid suggested this was coming as early as today, but he couldn’t confirm whether it would happen during his media availability. It was only a matter of time before he was removed from the Reserve/Suspended list this week.

Gay Jr. served his four-game suspension and was able to return to team meetings after the first two weeks. Reid had high praise for the league for allowing players to be involved this way.

“I’m glad that the league lets them back in with the group,” Reid said. “That’s a good place for them to be and stay in tuned with the game so when he has an opportunity to get back in, he knows what’s going on. Things go fast in the National Football League and a week can seem like an eternity. Things change, you’re always growing in certain areas, so to be back in the room, at least you can grow with the guys scheme-wise and do what he can do on the field here – we’ll just see where he’s at on the field this week.”

Gay Jr. is now cleared to resume practicing and playing with the team. Obviously, there will be some acclimation for the linebacker, but he’s expected to be available to play in Week 7.

The Chiefs received a roster exemption for Gay Jr. until Monday, Oct. 24. That means he won’t count against the 53-man roster until that time. The team also waived CB Dicaprio Bootle, who was just signed from the practice squad on Saturday. Theoretically, that leaves one open roster spot available, which could potentially be used later this week should the team activate CB Trent McDuffie from injured reserve.

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Where LSU stands in the Football Power Index top 25 after win at Florida

Here’s where things stand after a wild Week 7.

The Tigers extended their winning streak over the Florida Gators to four games in a rivalry that, despite the downturn over the last few seasons, they’ve dominated in recent years.

Now, it’s on to the next one as 5-2 (3-1 SEC) LSU returns home to Death Valley for a crucial matchup in the SEC West against the No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels, who enter this contest at 7-0 after surviving a shootout of their own against Auburn.

LSU’s lone test against a top-10 opponent this season went awry when it lost 40-13 to Tennessee in Week 6, but this seems like a much friendlier matchup for a Tigers team that may have found a spark on offense in Gainesville.

It was a wild week around the sport that saw quite a bit of shakeup, headlined by the Vols ending a 15-game losing streak against Alabama. Here’s where things stand in the ESPN Football Power Index as the dust has settled.

Josh Williams gets the game ball against Florida

Williams led the Tigers in rushing in the win over the Gators.

[autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] was the hero the LSU Tigers needed, and the one they wanted.  Williams had 14 carries for 106 yards as he led the LSU rushing attack against a good Florida Gators team in the Swamp.

It’s no secret that the LSU running game has been average at best this year. The offense didn’t show up at all against Tennessee. The offensive line made some adjustments and got [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] back this week as they traveled the Swamp and they were able to part the blue and orange sea to give Williams room to run.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] raved about Williams’ pass-blocking ability as much as his ability to run the ball. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns because of the amount of time in the pocket Williams helped to give him.

Williams was a team player and put his body on the line for his teammates.

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LSU finally found the explosiveness it has been searching for

LSU’s offense erupted on Saturday night. Here’s how it happened.

LSU’s offense has been hard to pin down. It’s been inconsistent and just when it seems like an issue is solved, another one emerges.

One of the most pertinent issues was a lack of explosive plays. LSU had been decent on a down-to-down basis but had yet to really find a way to create big plays.

Against Florida, LSU finally found some. The Tigers tallied eight explosive plays against Florida, according to GameOnPaper.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] looked comfortable standing in the pocket and delivering the ball down the field. He had seven passes that traveled 20 or more air yards and completed four of them.

He only has nine such completions all year, meaning nearly half of them came against Florida. It began on LSU’s opening series, with Daniels finding [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] for a 40-yard gain on third and eight.

On the first play of the second quarter, Daniels found Boutte again, this time for a gain of 21. On LSU’s third drive of the night, Daniels connected with Kole Taylor for a gain of 26 and finished the drive with a 24-yard touchdown to [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag]

LSU’s fourth drive was finished with a 56-yard touchdown to [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] after Florida jumped offsides. In the second half, [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] broke free for a 50-yard run and Daniels would find Boutte and Nabers a couple more times for a significant gain.

LSU’s offense looked confident and comfortable. It looked like a group that was working in sync. For the first time all year, the unit played a complete game. Daniels, who has held the ball for too long at times, had his quickest time to throw of the year against Florida, per PFF.

He was trusting his receivers and not afraid to put the ball into tight windows. We saw some of that in the Tennessee game, but the timing looked much better in Gainesville.

Boutte finally having his breakout game helped and LSU got contributions from top to bottom, with guys like [autotag]Kole Taylor[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] getting involved too.

Daniels was good under pressure, too. His passer rating under pressure was the best in the SEC in Week 7.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] didn’t have their best night, allowing eight combined pressures, but it never became a talking point thanks to Daniels’ ability to either get the ball out quick or scramble.

In the run game, Daniels and Williams combined to force 13 missed tackles. LSU’s explosiveness was a result of players stepping up and making plays. Receivers were winning one-on-one battles, and Daniels was trusting them to make a play.

It didn’t matter if it was first down or third down. It didn’t matter what side of the field they were on — plays were made that needed to be made.

Whether or not it will continue is to be determined, but this was a good start. LSU will need more of the same with a top-10 Ole Miss team coming to town.

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SEC power rankings after Week 7: One team makes a big statement while others get back on track

See where each team stands in the latest SEC power rankings after Week 7 of the 2022 season.

SEC fans were in for a very eventful Week 7 of games across the conference. The Tennessee Volunteers defeated Alabama for the first time in 15 years to move to 7-0 on the season. Brian Kelly’s Bayou Bengals were able to knock off Florida in the Swamp.

Will Levis returned from injury and Kentucky cruised their way to victory against Mississippi State. Not to mention, Arkansas bounced back after three losses to beat BYU on the road.

Georgia and Ole Miss took care of business and moved to 7-0 on the season. Other programs like Auburn and Florida continued to struggle on Saturday as both teams suffered losses. Vanderbilt wasn’t able to put up a fight against Georgia. Both Texas A&M and South Carolina had bye weeks before colliding in Week 8.

Overall, there is a lot to dissect after Week 7’s slate of games. Roll Tide Wire gives the latest conference power rankings after Week 7 of the 2022 season.

Brian Kelly praises Jack Bech after first half mishap

Kelly had Bech’s back after his muffed punt in the first half against Florida.

[autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] has caught 10 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown this season and has made a few appearances on special teams for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag].

In the first half of tonight’s game, Bech found himself under the spotlight in a way that he didn’t want to be. Bech was a punt returner who muffed a punt in the second quarter after a three-and-out stop by the Tiger defense.

That fumble gave Florida the ball at the LSU 13-yard line and they proceeded to get a touchdown run out of it to take a seven-point lead. Although Bech made a mistake, Kelly had some nice words for him at halftime.

“You’re our best player,” Kelly said to Bech. “Now, I think he probably should fair catch that, that’s a lot to ask. That’s a four-point-plus hang time. But he’s such a competitor, he wants to try to win in those situations — he’s such a great kid and he’s our best player.”

It’s nice to see Kelly have his players’ backs no matter what.

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College Football Playoff Expansion Top 12 Projection, 2022 Version After Week 7

College Football Playoff expansion: What would the top 12 project to be if the new format was in place for 2022?

College Football Playoff Expansion Top 12 Projection, 2022 Version After Week 7

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Bowl Projections | CFN Week 7 Rankings 1-131

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In this wildest of years, an expanded College Football Playoff would make this season even more exciting.

Would Tennessee’s win over Alabama have meant as much if the playoff was expanded? Of course it would, because that would’ve all but sealed a spot in the playoff for the Vols – it’s hardly guaranteed in the current format.

But more than that, it’s going to be harder than you think to get into the top 12 – or top 11 if the top Group of Five champion is outside of the group.

Just look at the top three teams that wouldn’t get in.

The plan – potentially starting in 2023 – is to guarantee that the top six conference champions are in, and then the next six are in according to the CFP rankings.

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Top Four Projected Seeds After Week 6
 (top four conference champions)

1. Georgia (SEC): Sugar Bowl
2. Ohio State (Big Ten): Rose Bowl
3. Clemson (ACC): Orange Bowl
4. TCU (Big 12): Cotton Bowl

At-Large Seeds 



12. Cincinnati (AAC Champion) at
5. Tennessee (SEC)

11. Oklahoma State (Big 12) at
6. Michigan (Big Ten)

10. Oregon (Pac-12) at
7. Alabama (SEC)

9. UCLA (Pac-12) at
8. Ole Miss (SEC)

Top Three Teams That Would Be Left Out
USC (Pac-12), Wake Forest (ACC), Syracuse (ACC)

Here’s how it’s going to work (this is from the College Football Playoff):

1. The 12 teams will be the six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee (no minimum ranking requirement), plus the six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions.

2. The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee whose size, composition, and method of selection will remain substantially unchanged.

3. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will receive a first-round bye.

4. The other eight teams will play in the first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded institution (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8.

5. The model allows for first-round games to be played on either the second or third weekend in December in a way that best accommodates the format and the participating teams, with at least 12 days between the conference championship games and the first-round games. The Management Committee would make the final determination of the calendar.

6. Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four quarterfinal games and two Playoff Semifinal games would be played in bowls on a rotating basis.

7. The national championship game will continue to be played at a neutral site.

8. Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be assigned to quarterfinals bowls on selection day in ranking order, and in consideration of current contract bowl relationships if those bowls are selected for the rotation. For example, if the Pac-12 champion were ranked #1, the Big Ten champion were ranked #3, and the Rose Bowl were a quarterfinal site, the Pac-12 champion would be assigned to the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten champion would be assigned elsewhere.

9. With the four highest-ranked champions assigned to quarterfinal games in bowls, the opponent from first-round game winners will be assigned by the selection committee based on the bracket.

10. The higher seeds would receive preferential placement in the Playoff Semifinal games.

Bowl Projections | CFN Week 6 Rankings 1-131

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– 2022 CFN College Football Schedule & Results

Updated AP Poll after Alabama’s loss to Tennessee in Week 7

Following Alabama’s loss to Tennessee, the Crimson Tide have now dropped to No. 6 in the latest AP Poll. They were previously at No. 3.

After a Week 7 loss to Tennessee, the latest AP Poll dropped Alabama from No. 3 to No. 6. The Crimson Tide is ranked behind Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan and Clemson.

However, Alabama will have an opportunity to gain ground if it can knock off Mississippi State in their Week 8 matchup. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 24 in the latest AP Poll.

The Crimson Tide still has to play currently-ranked Ole Miss (No. 7) on the road in Week 10, which will be another opportunity to make a statement. Nick Saban’s squad can still achieve the goals it set before the season. It will be interesting to see how Alabama is able to respond in the weeks to come.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the season progresses.

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