Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where Idaho is going to wear the coolest helmets ever this week. First Quarter: This Is Not an Overreaction—It’s Legit Bad at Alabama. Second Quarter: Debuts, Good and Bad. Third Quarter: Conference Call.
Fourth Quarter: Stop Whining, Wolverines
Michigan (31) plays in the biggest game this week, at Oklahoma. The Wolverines are fortunate to be doing so with their head coach, Sherrone Moore, who begins a two-game suspension for NCAA rules violations after this contest is played. Michigan got out in front of sanctions on its head coach by self-imposing a two-game ban on Moore, but made it for the third and fourth games of the season—an extremely rare maneuver instead of making it the first two games of the season, which would have been the opening walkover against New Mexico and then this showdown with the Sooners.
Michigan’s stated reasoning was poppycock: Moore is an Oklahoma graduate, and it didn’t want to deprive him of a sentimental return to his alma mater. Sentiment has never factored into NCAA penalties, and The Dash suspects it was certainly not the primary motive here. The Wolverines did not want their first road game, with a freshman starting quarterback against a ranked opponent, to occur without their head coach. So Moore will miss the Central Michigan and Nebraska games instead.
The surprising thing is that the NCAA Committee on Infractions went along with it, instead of shifting the suspension to the first two games. Then the COI took its enabling a step further—it added a third game suspension for Moore, but deferred it to 2026. When asked about it on a media call last month, the committee chair’s answer was a non-answer. He offered no rationale.
Naturally, Michigan’s response to a largely favorable ruling was to quietly and agreeably stand down, right? Hahahahaha. No, the Wolverines announced their intent to appeal their sanctions, which notably include a fine that could run to about $30 million but also notably does not include a postseason ban.
“If you want to put a fine on an institution, if that’s the way we want to go as an NCAA, then do it,” athletic director Warde Manuel said to The Michigan Insider. “But stop talking about postseason bans of teams—please. That’s my point. … If you’re going to fine people, fine people. But let’s not keep tying it to, ‘Well, you would’ve gotten a postseason ban.’
“That is the part to me. You could talk about the excess of the fine itself, but what frustrates me about where we are in today’s NCAA is this concept that we’re still talking and tying things to postseason bans. Many of the people who were cited in this are no longer here. Why is that even a rationale to what you did? That’s my point.”
To repeat, clearly and slowly: Michigan did not receive a postseason ban. Those are quite likely never going to be applied again—which is probably a good thing. The fine structure is a substitution for a postseason ban, and is indicative of a school having committed major violations on multiple occasions.
Getting upset at the reference to a postseason ban that isn’t being applied is extremely touchy. If you don’t want to pay the fine, just say so and make that your appeal.
But that’s not the only appeal Michigan has launched. There is an even more recent one, disputing a targeting ejection of star linebacker Jaishawn Barham against New Mexico that will keep him out of the first half against Oklahoma.
The hit can be seen here:
After initial review of a possible fumble, Michigan's Jaishawn Barham is ejected for targeting on the play. pic.twitter.com/1DZywru1mx
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 31, 2025
The hit appears to meet the following definition of targeting: “Leading with helmet, shoulder, forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area” of a defenseless player.
The Big Ten denied the appeal this week. This is one penalty that poor, aggrieved Michigan will simply have to swallow.
Dash pick for the game: Oklahoma 23, Michigan 17. Freshman QB Bryce Underwood was impressive in his college debut, but that was at home against New Mexico. This will be a major increase in degree of difficulty. John Mateer also was dynamic in his first game with the Sooners, and he’s a more battle-tested player with 24 collegiate games played.
Neighborhood Scraps
This is Rivalry Week Ultralight, with a number of games matching in-state programs or schools from neighboring states. The Dash looks at the five most interesting:
Missouri-Kansas (32)
Where: Columbia, Mo. When: 3:30 p.m. ET. Series: Missouri leads, 56–55–9. Line: Missouri by 6.5. Is it a rivalry: Oh yes, for those of a certain age. The two haven’t played since 2011, but if you were a cognizant human being in either state from the late 1800s until that time, you have feelings here.
The enmity actually goes back even farther, to the middle of the Civil War, when a series of attacks across the state borders in both directions culminated in the sacking of Lawrence by a band of Confederate guerrillas from Missouri known as Quantrill’s Raiders. When one side burns the other side’s town to the ground, grudges ensue.
Dash pick: Missouri 30, Kansas 27. The Tigers have better talent and home-field advantage, but Jayhawks QB Jalon Daniels will not make this easy.
Iowa–Iowa State (33)
Where: Ames, Iowa. When: Noon ET Saturday. Series: Iowa leads, 47–24. Line: Iowa State by 3.5. Is it a rivalry: Absolutely. The two schools compete in all shared sports annually and keep score, with the winner getting the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Trophy. Football is the centerpiece competition, although there have been times when basketball and wrestling mattered more.
Dash pick: Iowa 22, Iowa State 21. The suspicion here is that the Hawkeyes will unleash transfer QB Mark Gronowski in a much bigger way than last weekend.
South Florida–Florida (34)
Where: Gainesville, Fla. When: 4:15 p.m. ET Saturday. Series: Florida leads, 3–0. Line: Florida by 17.5. Is it a rivalry: Not really. But simply playing the game gives in-state fans who work and live in proximity to each other a chance to chirp. USF’s rout of Boise State might indicate a higher level of competitiveness than was expected this summer.
Dash pick: Florida 38, South Florida 17. The Bulls benefited greatly from a plus-3 turnover margin against Boise State. If that stat is even in this one, the Gators should control the game.
Baylor-SMU (35)
Where: Dallas. When: Noon ET Saturday. Series: Baylor leads, 39–36–7. Line: SMU by 3. Is it a rivalry: You bet. Or was. With the exception of two seasons in World War II and the two seasons when SMU got the death penalty, the Bears and Mustangs played annually from 1916 to ’95. When two different Christian denominations got together in the old Southwest Conference days, it mattered.
Dash pick: SMU 35, Baylor 31. The Bears defense was lacking against Auburn, and SMU has plenty of weapons with which to attack that unit. This would be the Mustangs’ first win over Baylor since 1986.
Arkansas State–Arkansas (36)
Where: Little Rock, Ark. When: 5 p.m. ET Saturday. Series: First meeting. Line: Arkansas by 23.5. Is it a rivalry: No, but perhaps it should be? Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman isn’t happy the game is in Little Rock, although that might have more to do with playing there in general than playing A-State there. While this game is a box to check for the Hogs on their way to consecutive games against Mississippi, Memphis and Notre Dame, it’s likely been circled by the Red Wolves all offseason.
Dash pick: Arkansas 45, Arkansas State 27. There is no stopping Hogs QB Taylen Green. But A-State may score some points, too.
Storm Game, the Sequel
Seven years later, Akron-Nebraska (37) is finally being played. It was supposed to be Scott Frost’s debut as coach of the Cornhuskers in 2018, but storms called it off immediately after kickoff. (An omen of what was to come under Frost.) Attempts were made to reschedule for the next morning, but Akron balked when it couldn’t secure hotel rooms. Anger and lawyering ensued.
There were discussions about playing the game in October or December, but nothing could be worked out. Akron got a $650,000 payment for the canceled game, a little more than half of what it was supposed to receive, and will get $1.17 million for this makeup contest.
The game was not expected to be close then, and is not expected to be close now. Nebraska is favored by 34.5 points.
Coach Who Earned His Comp Car This Week
Mario Cristobal (38), Miami. He had the hungrier team against Notre Dame on Sunday, which helped gain an early advantage. Perhaps more notably, when the game was tied late, he had an offense that executed with everything on the line. The Hurricanes thumped out five straight runs for 17 tough yards on their final possession to get into range for the winning field goal. In Cristobal’s fourth season, is The U finally a playoff team?
Coach Who Should Take the Bus to Work
Steve Sarkisian (39), Texas. Didn’t like his game plan against Ohio State. Didn’t like his play selection for Arch Manning. Didn’t like his red zone offense. Didn’t like hardly anything that had to do with the side of the ball where Sark calls the plays.
Point After
When hungry and thirsty in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, The Dash recommends a visit to Brewery Bhavana (40). It’s a unique concept—extremely good Asian food paired with extremely good craft beers. Try a Glean saison beer with pork dumplings and General Tso’s chicken, and thank The Dash later.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Forde-Yard Dash: Michigan’s New Offensive Strategy Might As Well Be Appeals.