College Football: What is going on in an unpredictable season?

Those of us who try to make sense of what goes on in college football are asking does anyone know what is going on. So far, the 2022 season has been most unpredictable.

There are some exceptions to suggest college football is business as usual. Nebraska, after cutting loose a failed, former hero showed coaching was not its only problem. After Georgia Southern beat Nebraska last week, they lost to UAB on Saturday.

And Auburn continues its swirling dysfunction with a bad football team requiring another – many millions of dollars, to purge. Auburn is close to expanding its all-time, college football record for multiple coaching buyouts. Bryan Harsin will not last the season as Auburn tries to wipe away its often self-inflicted failings with a $15M-plus bounty payment.

Outside the Nebraska and Auburn constants, college football in 2022 has been crazily unpredictable.

How unpredictable has college football been?

Trying to make sense of this season in college football is befuddling. For example, Marshall beat Notre Dame in South Bend. Next for the Thundering Herd was Bowling Green who had lost to Eastern Kentucky. Bowling Green beat Marshall on Saturday. No sure conclusion is warranted by these events, except that the Fighting Irish, despite escaping with a win over Cal, are pretenders again.

The example above suggests defining an upset is suddenly tricky. Through week three of college football, Texas A&M beat a higher-ranked Miami team, a week after losing (badly) to Appalachian State. Arizona State won eight games last season, ending with a seven-point loss to Wisconsin in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Pac 12 conference is populated by mediocrity, but even so, the Sun Devils are not supposed to lose at home to an Eastern Michigan team. They did, 30-21, with Eastern Michigan pushing the Sun Devils around for 305 rushing yards.

In Fayetteville, there was a homecoming (of sorts) for Bobby Petrino. Before his faded glory, Petrino was considered a sharp offensive mind. Now, he is a guy lucky to have a head coaching job. So don’t chalk up Missouri State leading Arkansas in the fourth quarter to Petrino wizardry. The FCS team outplayed the Razorbacks for three-plus quarters before Arkansas pulled off a comeback win. That is not supposed to happen at home for the No. 10 team in the nation.

What must surely be the height of craziness

Some college football pundits are suddenly claiming ‘Georgia is the new Alabama.’ The loudest voice was master provocateur, Paul Finebaum.

"Georgia doesn’t (have any holes). They look like the perfect team. They look like you went into a lab and put them together…They look like the best Alabama teams that Nick Saban had back, maybe, when Kirby Smart was his defensive coordinator."

As much as Alabama football fans want to disagree, Finebaum makes a credible argument. Voters in both major polls agree after week three that Georgia is the nation’s best team. At this point of the season, not many Alabama football fans are arguing with the current polls.

More proof of the craziness in this early college football season is all the love for Georgia quarterback, Stetson Bennett. Certainly, over the last year, Bennett has improved considerably. But, some college football pundits now claim Bennett is better than Bryce Young.

It is true Young’s passing production is way off last season. It is also true his accuracy has failed him a few times this season. But, Stetson Bennett, portrayed as better than Bryce Young, is just foolishness.

Wild outcomes usually happen early in college football seasons. But 2022 has been so unpredictable, the craziness may last.