You’re Nuts: What was the craziest thing to happen in college football over the weekend?

What a crazy weekend it was in the college football world. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to make you relive the Ohio State-Michigan game, since that is something that we want to forget about as soon as possible. Hopefully now that the Wolverines got their win, it will be another 10 years before they get their next against the Buckeyes.

Take a look at what is going on around the rest of the college football world. A ton of high-profile head coaching jobs are open, and some have already been filled. This year’s coaching carousel and flight tracker season are already the craziest we have seen in quite some time. Add in the players entering the transfer portal and there is going to be a lot of movement over the next couple months between coaches and players.

As if all that wasn’t enough to process, we also have what is happening on the field. The conference championship matchups have been set. The College Football Playoff picture is starting to clear up a little bit, but there is still plenty that will be settled on Saturday. College football never fails to entertain.

Today’s question: What was the craziest thing in college football that happened over the weekend?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.

Brett’s answer: Nebraska’s loss to Iowa

I know there’s a lot of other things around college football that are more important that the final game of the season for a team that finished the year 3-9. This is more me being in awe of just how many close losses Nebraska had this season. The biggest loss by the Cornhuskers this year came when Ohio State beat them 26-17 in Lincoln. Nine losses and not one of them was by double digits. I’m glad I’m not a Nebraska fan or I would be bald right now because I would have pulled all my hair out.

Even though they were 3-8 heading into the game, Nebraska fans packed Memorial Stadium to see the Cornhuskers take on Iowa. We make fun of Nebraska and how they have gone from being a national title contender to a mediocre Big Ten team. You can’t deny the passion of Nebraska fans, though. By comparison, there was a lot of empty seats in Austin for the final Texas home game of the season.

Not only did Nebraska come into the Iowa game with a 3-8 record, they were forced to start a freshman quarterback since Adrian Martinez was injured the previous week against Wisconsin. Somehow the Cornhuskers held a 21-6 lead with just under six minutes left in the third quarter. Then Nebraska remembered they were Nebraska, as Iowa blocked a punt for a touchdown and recorded a safety as part of the Hawkeyes running off 22 unanswered points to secure the 28-21 victory.

The craziest stat to come out of the Nebraska loss is they finished their Big Ten schedule at 1-8, yet scored just as many points as their opponents. Head coach Scott Frost will get one more crack at trying to right the ship in Lincoln, as he signed an extension a few weeks ago. The Cornhuskers open up the 2022 season overseas in Dublin, Ireland against the one team they beat in 2021, Northwestern.

Meredith’s answer: Bob Stoops coaching one more game

There was a lot of pandemonium this weekend, including the obvious that I’m trying desperately to not think about, but chief among the Bedlam (see what I did there?) was the announcement that Lincoln Riley would be leaving Oklahoma for the head coaching job at USC.

But it got even more bizarre, because Bob Stoops — yes, the guy who you see on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff and who retired from coaching in 2016 — will be the interim coach in Norman, including for the Sooners’ as of yet unknown bowl game.

In all reality, this is actually a very cool story, because it gives a silver lining to a sour situation. Stoops is the winningest coach in Sooners’ history, and took Oklahoma to their 2000 national championship.

It’s also been a little painful to watch him as an analyst, so it’ll be nice to see him out of the booth and back on the sideline.

Riley leaving feels like pretty poor form, especially toward the school that put him on the map as one of the nation’s hottest coaches. It’s also disrespectful to Stoops, who handpicked Riley as his successor. And of course, it’s disrespectful to the players (several of whom have already announced transfers), and finally the fanbase of one of the most elite programs in college football’s history.

Further, Riley leaves Oklahoma saying he’s looking for a “new challenge.” Well, Riley is 0-4 in College Football Playoff appearances, so it’s not like he was successful in his current challenge.

At least he doesn’t have to compete in the SEC. And the college football world will get a vintage Oklahoma game this winter.