7 things we've learned through 7 weeks of college football season

7 things we’ve learned through 7 weeks of the college football regular season

By Stu White | Oct 18, 2015

Oct 17, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) receives the snap from the shotgun and runs for a touchdown against the Florida Gators during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 17, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Tigers wide receiver Daniel Hurd (83) and Memphis Tigers running back Jamarius Henderson (26) celebrate during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Memphis Tigers beat Mississippi Rebels 37-24. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Memphis is the best team in the state of Tennessee

Volunteer fans, you may wanna just click over to the next slide. Or drown your sorrows in alcohol. Really, either works. It’s your call.

The Memphis Tigers are quietly stringing together an impressive season. Already sporting wins over Cincinnati and Bowling Green, two solid-to-good teams with great offenses, the Tigers had a season to be proud of going into this weekend’s game against the No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels. Even though Memphis was playing at home, they were the underdogs. After all, Ole Miss absolutely annihilated the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier this year. There’s no way the Tigers of the American Conference — yes, I had to check to make sure that was a real conference — would be able to play a better game against the Rebels than the Crimson Tide did, right?

Wrong.

Memphis took it to Ole Miss on Saturday, and they looked good doing it. It wasn’t one of those games where the underdog team won thanks to wacky trick plays or lucky breaks or anything that could be easily dismissed as a fluke. The Tigers out-executed and outplayed the Rebels, looking every bit the equal of their bigger-conference opponent. Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch went 39-for-53 for 384 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Using a stable of running backs, the Tigers managed to earn 107 yards on the ground against the stout Ole Miss defense. On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers picked off Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly twice. It was an all-around strong performance from the Tigers, who effectively torpedoed any dreams Ole Miss had of climbing back into playoff contention.

Next: 4. Replacing a Heisman winner isn't easy

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