September has come and gone, and while college football technically kicked off in August, the sport cranks into high gear in the fall.
There were several significant developments, but who were the biggest losers from the past month?
Mel Tucker
Mel Tucker entered September as the head coach of Michigan State University with a massive contract that would have paid him 95 million dollars over ten years. Near the end of the month, the school officially terminated what remained of Tucker’s deal for breach of contract by subjecting the institution to “ridicule and moral turpitude.” MSU investigated Tucker’s behavior after Brenda Tracy, an activist and rape survivor, said Tucker sexually harassed her during a phone call in April 2022. Tucker is suing the university, so this story will continue, but he is unlikely to ever lead a collegiate football program again.
LSU Tigers
The Louisiana State Tigers began the season with a lot of buzz after a successful first season under head coach Brian Kelly. Quarterback Jayden Daniels was back to lead the offense, and LSU has one of the best pass-catching groups in the country, plus a dynamic defensive front. There were questions about the secondary, but the Tigers were considered one of the favorites to make the College Football Playoff. The feeling surrounding the program after September is quite different. Florida State beat them in Orlando, needed a last-second field goal to beat a bad Arkansas team in Baton Rouge, and closed September by surrendering a stunning 706 yards of offense to the Ole Miss Rebels in a 55-49 loss. The defeat drops LSU to 3-2, eliminating them from reaching the College Football Playoff. LSU has sunk like a stone in the rankings and has fallen to No. 23 in the AP Poll.
Southeastern Conference
The SEC has long been known as the best conference in college football. It’s a moniker the league has earned through years of dominance in non-conference play and a string of national championships by teams like Alabama and Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs are still No. 1 and the favorite to win the national title, but 2023 has been a different story for the conference. The biggest issue is a lack of quality quarterback play, but it is fair to question the top-end defensive lines. Georgia is the only top-ten team in the conference, as Alabama appears more vulnerable than usual (No. 11), and teams like LSU and Tennessee have taken steps back from 2022. There were marquee non-conference losses by Alabama (to Texas), LSU (to Florida State), South Carolina (to UNC), Florida (to Utah), and Texas A&M (to Miami). Plus, the middle of this league is nowhere near what it typically is. The dominance of the SEC is not dead, but it’s fair to call 2023 a down year.
Big Ten West
The Big Ten East looks outstanding, with Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Maryland all unbeaten and looking strong. Even Rutgers looks much improved, and they have a shot to reach a bowl game. As has been the case for much of the era of the East and West divisions in the league, the Big Ten West is an anchor dragging the conference down. Wisconsin is probably the class of the division, but it seems likely the Badgers would be fifth best if they were in the Big Ten East. Iowa is 4-1 but has an offense that is the butt of jokes nationally. Minnesota lost a blowout to North Carolina and blew a massive lead to Northwestern. Purdue lost to Fresno State and Syracuse. Illinois has taken an enormous step backward and is just 2-3 with a non-conference loss to Kansas. Nebraska is 2-3 and looks further away from relevance than ever. The two Big Ten divisions are ending after this season, and the disparity in quality between the East and West has never been wider.
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