Teams that gave up vs teams still fighting

s--k

s--k

Goodbye to Romance College Football
All these teams are .500 or worse. Last week of the year for most of them, some teams have obviously thrown in the towel, others still play hard despite the poor record. What do you say? Maybe I have some teams mis-categorized?

Sometimes a rivalry game can change a teams complexion, or final home game, but can we drill down to figure out which teams actually do not care about the final game(s)?

Quitters:
Arizona (lost by 25 to Ore St)
Cincinnati (haven't scored more than 13 pts in a month)
ECU (It's just gotten worse each week for 3 games now)
Fresno St (assumed they quite before the season started, but every now and then they surprise you)
Ga Southern (was down on them before the Ole Miss game, but they played inspired there so I bought back in, ugly last 2 games - 7 losses now)
Illinois (awful team even though on rare occurances the D can be not quite as bad)
Marshall (one good game played all season essentially)
Rutgers (not sure I can say they've given up, but they are the worst power 5 team in the country)
Southern Miss (lost 3 straight without Mullens to Char, ODU, N Tex)
Syracuse (not seeing the effort they gave at times earlier, just aren't good in alot of ways)
Texas State
UCLA
Utah State (hard to say they have quit, but they might be on the verge...lost 4 straight, the last 2 in gut wrenching fashion)
UTEP (how do you get down 3-34 vs Rice?)

Playing Hard:
Bowling Green (won last 2)
Cal (I think they are still competing, they just aren't good in alot of areas)
FAU (don't know enough about them, had won 2 in-a-row before dropping home finale ODU game by 18)
FIU (Marshall sucks, but FIU was very spirited in that win)
Hawaii (ran up vs some superior teams, not sure what to make of the Fresno game - I feel they will give good effort in finale for Rolovich)
Indiana (very good 5-6 team in fact)
Iowa State (obviously)
Kansas (they do play tougher at home, will they let down or have wind in their sails for the K St game?)
ULL (I will give them some credit for improvement over the last few games, they seem to care more than they did just a few games ago I'd a put them on the quitter list)
Miami, Oh (5-6 won 5 straight)
Michigan St (impressive efforts vs Mich, Rut and tOSU, but the ILL loss is sandwiched in there..let down off the UM game perhaps? Do they let down again off the OSU game?)
Missouri (just not that good, beat Vandy and competed better vs Tenn than score indicated)
NC State (5-6)
North Texas (5-6, had lost 3 straight before upset of SMiss)
Northern Illinois (7 losses, but won 3 of last 4 including big 21 pt 2nd half comeback at EMich)
Oregon
Oregon State
Purdue (play as hard as they can, they just suck)
Rice (won 2 straight, was up huge on UTEP last week)
San Jose St (very impressive efforts last 3 weeks)
SMU (team is jeckyll and hyde)
UNLV
UTSA
Vandy

Questionable:
Arizona State
Ball State
Baylor
Buffalo
Charlotte
UConn (back-to-back shut outs, I'm wondering if they might go back to Sherriffs this week for home finale?)
Duke (7 losses now, the performance vs Pitt is uncharacteristic of a Cutcliffe team)
Ga State (would've had them on the quitter list before the Ga Southern game - 8 losses, fired their coach which on the surface was stupid I think)
Kent St (I was impressed by effort vs WM, but the BG game was ugly - best player on D arrested on kidnapping charges - do-everything QB hurt)
Maryland (not sure what to make of them)
UMass (has covered 3 straight before the 51-9 loss at BYU)
Ole Miss (allowing Vandy 38 has to be huge concern)
Miss State (O has been hot as long as they ain't playing Bama)
Nevada (last second upset of Utah St stopped 4 game losing streak)
New Mex State (scored 50 on Tex St, nearly more than their 3 previous O outputs combined 3 games prior)
Notre Dame
South Alabama
TCU (5-5 looked bad vs Ok St)
Texas (how do they respond with everything going on?)
Texas Tech (about as ugly of a loss as you can have last week)
Tulane
ULM (had won 2 straight before losing to App St)
Virginia (I think the effort is there, option football hit them on some big plays though)
 
I would add Vols to the list of playing hard, but I am curious to see how they play in Nashville this weekend.
They are "Champions of Life" per Butchie
 
I just exclusively listed teams with losing records or .500 records. Could go into winning teams that have lost some mojo or have gained some.
 
several 5-6 teams playing opponents with records that can't make 500 ... teams that may have given up previously, but gotta watch out for spoiler motivation ... i.e. MS State 4-7 vs Ole Miss 5-6, Arizona 2-9 vs Arizona State 5-6, etc etc
 
Gamecocks still in fight mode after unexpectedly making a bowl and now going to Clemson to play a rivalry game. Being at home helped last year to the 37-32 game out a lot but that is a much worse cocks team taking arguably a better Clemson team to a one score game and now are catching 24 having not lost by that margin all season.
 
I was at the ODU/USM game last week. I disagree that they have given up. They were down 42-7 early in the 3Q (mainly due to 3 turnovers by true freshman QB in the first quarter), but they fought back and made it a 2 score game with about 9-10 mins left. Then the fresh QB gave up some sacks and the game was out of hand. They played tough last week, but obviously didn't win. Now, they have a chance to play the divisions best in LA Tech; possibly with Mullins back. ANd this is a team that would be really good if they just quit turning the ball over. I expect they give effort vs. LT this coming week. Hell, if Mullins plays and they show up, they may have a chance at winning vs. a half motivated LT squad already locked into the title game next week (although home field is still at play).

The week prior I saw Marshall play in person. The team absolutely hates the QB and the coach has dismissed guys over the past few months. If ODU wins, WKY has to win to make the championship game and I expect them to come in and wipe the floor with Marshall.
 
Dollaz said:
I was at the ODU/USM game last week. I disagree that they have given up. They were down 42-7 early in the 3Q (mainly due to 3 turnovers by true freshman QB in the first quarter), but they fought back and made it a 2 score game with about 9-10 mins left. Then the fresh QB gave up some sacks and the game was out of hand. They played tough last week, but obviously didn't win. Now, they have a chance to play the divisions best in LA Tech; possibly with Mullins back. ANd this is a team that would be really good if they just quit turning the ball over. I expect they give effort vs. LT this coming week. Hell, if Mullins plays and they show up, they may have a chance at winning vs. a half motivated LT squad already locked into the title game next week (although home field is still at play).

The week prior I saw Marshall play in person. The team absolutely hates the QB and the coach has dismissed guys over the past few months. If ODU wins, WKY has to win to make the championship game and I expect them to come in and wipe the floor with Marshall.
Click to expand...

Good insight thank you.
 
I was hoping Texas Tech would have something left as I wanted to desperately play them against Baylor as that team has quit / is done. I watched all 60 minutes of that K-State game last weekend and that team has thrown in the towel. But so has Tech, apparently.
 
ksimpsc said:
Gamecocks still in fight mode after unexpectedly making a bowl and now going to Clemson to play a rivalry game. Being at home helped last year to the 37-32 game out a lot but that is a much worse cocks team taking arguably a better Clemson team to a one score game and now are catching 24 having not lost by that margin all season.
Click to expand...

It wasn't really a one-score game last year (USC garbage TD with one second left), but home field never matters in a rivalry like this. This sets up differently from last year; Clemson was coasting with the number-one ranking. This year Clemson still has something to prove and most certainly wants to avoid a four-seed matchup against Bama -- or falling out of the top four altogether. Moreover, this year's Carolina team is actually worse than last year's. I expected a lower number myself, and I'm not planning to bet Clemson, but last year doesn't tell us much about this year.
 
Amen on Arizona quitting. ASU on the other hand wins and they get a bowl game yet somehow the line has dropped from ASU -6 to -3 and I for one am dumbfounded.

Arizona has given up 23 TD's on it's last 34 possessions on Defense. Last week we made that Oregon St. QB who was 0-6 as a starter with 6 TD's vs 6 INT's look like the second coming of John Elway going 16-19 for 265 yards and 5 TD's. Oregon Sate's 2 tailbacks combined for 38 carries for 195 yards and ZERO carries for negative yards. The defense is shredded with injuries as starting DE Belnap got hurt on the first play, and LB Magloire didn't play while LB De'Andre Miller and DB Tellas Jones barely played. Also on the injurt front the starting RT and RG both missed the last game and their staus is up in the air for Friday's game.

QB Solomon started the last game but hurt his foot on the 2nd series and missed the rest of the game...I can't imagine he plays and if he does effectively. Also keep an eye on Magloire's status as he is the best defensive player we have and only NFL prospect on D. If Dawkins starts Todd Graham is going to stack the box and take away Dawkins running and force him to beat them thru the air which I don't see happening.

Here is Senior WR turned starting RB Semajie Grant on how things are:

“We don’t have players like we had previously who just loved football,” senior Samajie Grant said Tuesday. “We just have a bunch of players who want to play football and be out there and say they wear a jersey and stuff like that.”

How would he turn around this program? Start by giving some guys the boot. “I mean, if you get rid of the weak links, that’s what it is,” he said.
“That’s just being honest. I can see it myself. It’s a lot of people who don’t love the game, and you can’t play college football if you don’t love it, or else you’re just going to be average, and that’s kind of a waste of time — a waste of our time for the players who love it to have to be playing on a team who doesn’t love it.”

“How can a person play and not give his all?” he said. “It don’t even feel right.”


At ASU -3 I will pay dearly if I'm wrong but I don't see Arizona pulling an upset. We are too banged up and ASU has actually owned this series of late winning 3 of 4 since RichRod got to Arizona and is 11-6 the last 17 matchups.




 
ArizonaKid said:
Amen on Arizona quitting. ASU on the other hand wins and they get a bowl game yet somehow the line has dropped from ASU -6 to -3 and I for one am dumbfounded.

Arizona has given up 23 TD's on it's last 34 possessions on Defense. Last week we made that Oregon St. QB who was 0-6 as a starter with 6 TD's vs 6 INT's look like the second coming of John Elway going 16-19 for 265 yards and 5 TD's. Oregon Sate's 2 tailbacks combined for 38 carries for 195 yards and ZERO carries for negative yards. The defense is shredded with injuries as starting DE Belnap got hurt on the first play, and LB Magloire didn't play while LB De'Andre Miller and DB Tellas Jones barely played. Also on the injurt front the starting RT and RG both missed the last game and their staus is up in the air for Friday's game.

QB Solomon started the last game but hurt his foot on the 2nd series and missed the rest of the game...I can't imagine he plays and if he does effectively. Also keep an eye on Magloire's status as he is the best defensive player we have and only NFL prospect on D. If Dawkins starts Todd Graham is going to stack the box and take away Dawkins running and force him to beat them thru the air which I don't see happening.

Here is Senior WR turned starting RB Semajie Grant on how things are:

“We don’t have players like we had previously who just loved football,” senior Samajie Grant said Tuesday. “We just have a bunch of players who want to play football and be out there and say they wear a jersey and stuff like that.”

How would he turn around this program? Start by giving some guys the boot. “I mean, if you get rid of the weak links, that’s what it is,” he said.
“That’s just being honest. I can see it myself. It’s a lot of people who don’t love the game, and you can’t play college football if you don’t love it, or else you’re just going to be average, and that’s kind of a waste of time — a waste of our time for the players who love it to have to be playing on a team who doesn’t love it.”

“How can a person play and not give his all?” he said. “It don’t even feel right.”


At ASU -3 I will pay dearly if I'm wrong but I don't see Arizona pulling an upset. We are too banged up and ASU has actually owned this series of late winning 3 of 4 since RichRod got to Arizona and is 11-6 the last 17 matchups.
Click to expand...

this is incredible. thanks for sharing.
 
P-Unit said:
this is incredible. thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...

Oh it gets worse. Here is Coach RichRod himself in his postgame interview after the Oregon State game this past Saturday:

[FONT=&amp]"We make every quarterback we play look like a Heisman Trophy winner," Rodriguez said. "Every wideout, every quarterback, every running back, has a career day against us."

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]"They ran the same play over and over again. I mean, it's embarrassing. We got pushed around. It's all on me," he said. [/FONT][FONT=&amp]"Obviously, we have a weight program. Some guys are freshmen, so they haven't had time to get stronger, but we can't get off a block. I mean, we're too weak. We can't hold blocks and we can't get off blocks. And if can't do that, you're going to get your tail kicked."
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]"Maybe instead of practicing, we'll just lift weights. It's embarrassing. I have to take the blame for that"[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]"They pushed us around. I mean, we're too small and too weak, and it goes back to me as well in recruiting. It's embarrassing."

"If you go through Hell, you have to keep going," Rodriguez said. "It's a short week, but we'll have to get ready for ASU because they'll run the same plays over and over against us and push us around as well."


If RichRod didn't have a $9 million buyout and more importantly a top 20 recruiting class coming in which is unheard of for Arizona (top 30 in 2014 but many busts) he would be on the hot seat. [/FONT]
 
wow

now watch they go out and win by 3 TD's. unlikely, but crazier things have happened.

In all seriousness, this program sounds like a hot mess and everyone from top to bottom is ready for it to be over.
 
M.W. said:
It wasn't really a one-score game last year (USC garbage TD with one second left), but home field never matters in a rivalry like this. This sets up differently from last year; Clemson was coasting with the number-one ranking. This year Clemson still has something to prove and most certainly wants to avoid a four-seed matchup against Bama -- or falling out of the top four altogether. Moreover, this year's Carolina team is actually worse than last year's. I expected a lower number myself, and I'm not planning to bet Clemson, but last year doesn't tell us much about this year.
Click to expand...
If are looking at total season numbers for Carolina then you are not seeing the picture correctly. Since Bentley has come in this team has been by far better, and pretty much since he has been in have the skill guys been healthy. Also, the defense is a lot better this year than last year.
 
I don't think USC is any better since Bentley took over. You played your two weakest opponents plus your weakest division opponent, caught Tennessee at a great time, and were held to 7 points by UF. Yes, the defense is better this year, but I don't think the offense is.

Still, why are we talking about this here? There is no chance whatsoever that USC has "given up" in any sense that might negatively affect their performance on Saturday.
 
I initially made the comment that you will see some fight from the Cocks and potentially could be on the playing hard list. Had they not beat Tenn and Mizzou then that may not be the case right now.

I think you would have seen a different outcome in all the SEC games prior to Oct 22 had Bentley played in them. We can agree to disagree on that. BOL this week.
 
ksimpsc said:
are the players left going to play for strongs last game or is the team on quit mode? I was considering laying the points on the motivational angle but havent looked at the game yet.
Click to expand...

oh i'm sure they'll play for him, they love the guy--but i wouldn't be quick to lay any points with this team.
 
i don't think near this many teams quit. even when teams are getting their ass kicked, it's more often than not injuries, lack of depth, etc. And even teams that quit one week sometimes start playing the next.
 
cubsker said:
i don't think near this many teams quit. even when teams are getting their ass kicked, it's more often than not injuries, lack of depth, etc. And even teams that quit one week sometimes start playing the next.
Click to expand...
Arkansas comes to mind...
 
I would add Colorado State to the still fighting list.

I think they have covered six straight games now and are actually playing right now the best they have all season.

And I list Baylor as quitting instead of questionable. They have failed to cover four straight, and I don't think they have covered on the road all year.
 
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