A slightly different type of column this week as we travelled back from the US. Normal service will be resumed next week.

We’ll get to the game previews shortly, but some news on the Ed Oliver front. The dominant defensive tackle from Houston had a very public sideline meltdown in the Cougars 48-17 defeat of Tulane on Thursday evening. Sitting out his fourth straight game – some say with injury, others say to protect his NFL future as the junior has already declared for the draft – he was ordered to remove a jacket which was reserved for those who were actually playing, by head coach Major Applewhite. Oliver became irritated just before half-time and then angrily confronted Applewhite as he walked from the field, pushing teammates who were trying to calm him down before being restrained by director of sports performance Rod Grace.

“We just have a rule on the sideline that guys who are participating in the games and specifically starters, that they have jackets, so they can stay [warm],” Applewhite told ESPN. “As a coach who has coached and played for years, you don’t want a thousand guys in jackets when it’s only 50 degrees outside. You want guys to stand up, be off the bench, be tough, and some guys had them early on. I asked them to take them off … and Ed had one, so I asked him to take it off because I don’t want to be unfair and unequal to the other guys, and you know, he got emotional. But he’s young. And that’s what happens. And he’s not playing, and that’s hard and that’s difficult. I don’t hold anything against anyone.”

Whilst it seems remarkably churlish of Applewhite to ask a player to remove a coat, let alone one who means more to the programme than any since Andre Ware in 1989, it’s not a great look for Oliver to be berating his head coach, and it will mean some fairly big questions for NFL GMs and coaches come next year when he prepares for the draft. With his knee injury limiting his output this season, combined with this incident, and the play of Alabama’s Quinnen Williams, the impossible now seems likely: that Oliver won’t be the first defensive tackle drafted in April. It also wouldn’t be surprising if he doesn’t play another down for the Cougars and instead follows Nick Bosa’s lead by stepping aside and preparing for the Combine.

“I love him, I want him to be a part of our team, I want him to be with our team,” Applewhite said. “You’d be amazed how many emotional things you deal with all the time with players. This is just one that you see. But we deal with things like this all the time as coaches. That’s part of our job.”

GAME OF THE WEEK:
As we said in the podcast, it’s perhaps a down week in terms of games with major national ramifications: Number one Alabama play The Citadel, second ranked Clemson face Duke, Michigan take on Indiana with Georgia and Oklahoma tackling UMass and Kansas respectively. Put simply, it’s cupcake week at the top end of college football.

But, there are some intriguing games, nowhere more so than at Yankee Stadium where 3rd-ranked Notre Dame – unveiling some somewhat questionable uniforms – take on one of the surprises of the season in 12th-ranked Syracuse.

The scenarios seem pretty simple for Notre Dame: victory here and next week in the LA Coliseum against unranked USC should see them into the playoff. But the Orangemen will be no pushover and have the sort of team that can make life difficult for an Irish side who are unused to being back in the rarefied air of the top three. The convincing win over Florida State last week served to underline the strength in depth of Brian Kelly’s men, with back-up QB Brandon Wimbush acting as a more-than-able deputy. But the return of starter Ian Book is key. His very solid play, coupled with Dexter Williams on the ground, gives Notre Dame the offensive versatility they’ve lacked for so many years.

Syracuse will be no pushover, however. Dino Babers has done a masterful job of making them not only competitive, but nationally relevant. They’re averaging 44 points per game and have a fast-break, up-tempo offense that’s hard to corral. And they’re not scared of reputation. If they can repeat the same level of performance and intensity they showed in almost taking down Clemson on the road, then they will beat the Irish and throw the playoff into disarray ahead of Rivalry Week.

BACK-UP GAME OF THE WEEK:
USF against Cincinnati is a fascinating game because of the continual conversation around the Golden Knights’ unbeaten record and their relevance to the playoff. But nobody wants to play number 14 Iowa State right now.

In Matt Campbell, they have a young head coach garnering some serious looks from the NFL. And they have an offense packed full of pro potential, headlined by running back David Montgomery and receiver Hakeem Butler. Montgomery is suspended for the first half this week because he threw a punch in the brawl at Baylor a week ago, and Campbell will hope to keep it close until his star back is ready to go. But perhaps the most important player for them is freshman passer Brock Purdy, who turned down Alabama to head to Ames and is 5-0 as a starter since taking over from incumbent Kyle Kempt.

Purdy is the fourth highest rated passer in college football right now and Tom Herman’s Texas side, who’ve been faltering in recent weeks after a midseason renaissance that topped out with the dramatic win over Oklahoma, are there for the taking. If Campbell and Purdy can stay together as a combo, then the Cyclones will become one of the most dangerous opponents in all of college football. The Longhorns might just find out why on Saturday.

NFL WATCH:
NFL scouts have flocked to Ames all season to watch the aforementioned Montgomery and Butler. The former is a 5’11, 216 ball of toughness who is a cross between Saquon Barkley and James Conner. Whilst he doesn’t possess the speed of Barkley, his contact balance is similar and he’s shifty like Conner, which makes him a threat to make significant yards after contact. In fact, he leads the Big 12 in yards after contact this season.

Butler, on the other hand, is 6’6, 225lbs and a human highlight reel of big plays and contested catches. He lacks some refinement in his route running and his top end speed will be a question mark should the redshirt junior choose to declare, but he has top 60 ability.

UNC Charlotte games aren’t easy to come by, but scouts have been flocking to see offensive guard Nate Davis this season and he should be one of the under the radar stars of the Senior Bowl, should he get an invite. Big and nasty, with strong hands and excellent feet, he’s been on NFL radars a long time after scouts saw him in one-on-ones against now Browns DT Larry Ogunjobi.

HEISMAN FIVE:
I think we can call time on this race. Kyler Murray has played the proverbial blinder, but he’d need something drastic to happen for Tua Tagovailoa to lose this now. What’s more remarkable is that the sophomore has played in the 4th quarter just once this season. It’s unprecedented. Quinnen Williams should win the majority of defensive awards he’s eligible for and it would be an outrage if he doesn’t make it to New York.

1. Tua Tagovailoa – Alabama
2. Kyler Murray – Oklahoma
3. Gardner Minshew – Washington State
4. Quinnen Williams – Alabama
5. Will Grier – West Virginia