By Chris Marler
It’s easy to get into a routine in the season when you’re covering a specific team, conference or something in between. Sometimes you get blinders on to cool stories happening around the country and outside of your bubble or social media echo chamber. It happens to me all the time. So, on this last Monday of the month of October, here are a few things I think we should be talking more about in college football.
Colorado
Listen, I don’t know if I ever thought I’d even say that after how obnoxious last year and this offseason were with Coach Prime and the Buffs. But, I have to give credit where credit is due. Colorado and especially Deion Sanders deserve a lot of credit.
My issue with Colorado was never Sanders. My issue was ESPN propping them up like a Matt Rife-level industry plant and giving them so much screen time despite a 4-8 record. I was admittedly over them this offseason. I thought after Shedeur Sanders openly criticized his offensive line following Colorado’s loss to Nebraska. That showed the immaturity from him, and the program, was never going to change.
It has. There’s finally substance to go along with the flash and gimmicks. Since that deservingly criticized moment, Sanders has let his play do the talking for him. He’s been great. So has Travis Hunter.
I have never been a huge proponent of the “college football is better when _____ is good” argument. Probably because it’s usually reserved for Tennessee, and I grew up in a household that hated the Vols. That being said, as someone who grew up in the 90’s I do think college football is better when a team like Colorado is good. Those Friday after Thanksgiving games against Big 12 or Big 8 rivals on a snow covered field in Boulder were awesome. I absolutely love that version of Colorado.
Maybe, just maybe, Deion Sanders will stay after his son and Travis Hunter eventually leave to become Top 10 picks, and he can continue building on the foundation he’s laid for the once proud program. He currently has them ranked for a second year in a row, which may not seem like a big deal, but hasn’t happened since 2002 and 2003. He also has them bowl eligible for the third time in 18 years.
Auburn Running Back Jarquez Hunter
Let me be clear when I say “we” aren’t talking enough about him, I mean that Hugh Freeze isn’t playing him enough. We’ve watched Hugh Freeze metaphorically beat his head against the wall with his own quarterback situation for a year and a half now. Freeze is a self-proclaimed quarterback guru and specialist that has been openly outspoken and negative about Payton Thorne, his roster, and the lack of talent he sees in both.
All the while he’s had a potential bell cow in his backfield that he just refuses to feature enough. Hunter is a senior at Auburn and has been one of the more explosive backs in the league since he stepped foot on campus four years ago. However, in 45 career games, he’s gotten 20 or more carries just twice.
This will shock you, but when he is given the ball 20 or more times, usually good things happen.
On Saturday, Hunter got a career high in carries with 23 and produced a career high in rushing yards with 278 while leading Auburn to a 14-point road win against Kentucky as underdogs. Hunter is averaging 7.2 yards per carry this season which leads the SEC and is fourth most in all of FBS among running backs with at least 100 carries on the season.
Mississippi State Quarterback Michael Van Buren
I make quarterback rankings every week for the site, and almost every week I have Van Buren in the bottom five of the list. Let me apologize to him and Mississippi State fans everywhere, because as the Shaq meme says – “I was unfamiliar with your game”.
We forget how hard it is to play quarterback in this league, especially for young players. Van Buren is a true freshman who has made four career starts replacing injured starter Blake Shapen after the Florida game. Three of those four starts have come against teams currently ranked in the Top 10 including two of the three on the road.
Mississippi State is 0-4 in those games, but that’s not on Van Buren. All he’s done is score 10 touchdowns in those four games including eight passing touchdowns in the last three alone. The future is bright for Van Buren under Jeff Lebby. I don’t know if State will win a lot of games, but I do know that they have a quarterback for the future and foundation of the Lebby era.
