Not-so-normal November.

I have no idea whether that’s catchy enough to become a thing (it’s not), but it’s probably the language most suitable for the first weekend of the month. Two ranked B1G teams lost to unranked opponents in Week 10. A total of 8 teams ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25 fell.

Maybe it’s not quite the “mass hysteria” Pete Venkman described in Ghostbusters, but it’s close. Hence the moniker, not-so-normal November.

Strange things took place on the field in Week 10, and some weirder things occurred off of it. I can’t wait to talk about, and have a completely logical and rational reaction to all of it.

Kirk Herbstreit or my great-grandmother?

Let me start this off by saying I am a huge fan of Kirk Herbstreit. There are not many individuals around who have his keen eye for the game, provide such in-depth analysis and possess his knowledge of college football. So it pains me to have to call him out for his language.

Maybe you missed it, but during Saturday morning’s airing of College GameDay, Herbstreit dropped an very audible F-bomb.

Fanny.

Like a character out of Looney Tunes, I cleaned out my eardrum with my pinky finger, hit the rewind button and listened to it again. There it was again, the word, “fanny.” It came in reference to the Michigan State-Purdue game and all the noise about a potential “trap game.”

“I’m tired of hearing it. Can you imagine being a Michigan State football player? or Michigan State coach?” Herbstreit said. “I think they’ve heard so much about Purdue, they’re gonna turn around and whip Purdue’s fanny.”

There’s really no place in college football for that kind of talk. You know who says fanny? My great-grandmother. The 87-year-old neighbor who lives down the hall.  Probably some elementary school teachers, too.

Jeff Brohm found that trick play where?

Who says spending hours on YouTube going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole doesn’t pay off? It certainly did for Jeff Brohm and Purdue over the weekend.

That’s where Brohm said he discovered the double-reverse flea-flicker screen pass (is that the proper classification? It wasn’t in NCAA Football 2014) that was run by a high school team and posted to YouTube. The result? A touchdown, an upset victory and, most important, a Twitter sensation.

https://twitter.com/SchutteCFB/status/1457089559079051270?s=20

I wasn’t in the media room after the game, but my follow up question would’ve been to ask Brohm what he typed into the search bar to come up with that play? Really hoping it was “best trick plays of all time.”

The many faces of Pat Fitzgerald

There may not be a coach in the B1G who wears his emotions on his sleeve quite like Pat Fitzgerald. Over the course of his nearly-two decades in Evanston, we’ve seen many examples.

Saturday night against Iowa was no exception.

Here is Fitzgerald pondering his next move like Bobby Fischer at a chess board. It’s also the same facial expression and hand gesture I make when I’m rummaging through the fridge for a late-night snacky snack.

Oh, don’t act like you don’t do the same thing.

Sports Betting in Big Ten Country

There is big news coming to the upcoming 2022-23 Big Ten football season (and NFL season). Ohio online sports betting and Maryland sports betting are on the way.

21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

https://twitter.com/SchutteCFB/status/1457155726296731648?s=20

Then, there’s angry Fitzgerald. In this video, he looks like he’s about pop a blood vessel if one more call goes against him or his team. Honestly, I have a hard time not laughing at this — even though it’s the same expression I have if someone cuts me in line at Chipotle.

Unfortunately, “many” is my term for “two” this week. After a 17-12 loss to Iowa and dropping to 3-6 on the season, there weren’t any quality videos of a smiling Fitzgerald.

Maybe next week.

Why the hell did we sleep on Wisconsin?

Remember when Wisconsin was 1-3? Now the Badgers are 6-3. I bet that’s fun for everyone in the B1G West who thought they might actually have a shot to get to Indianapolis during a down year in Madison.

The Port-A-Party in Ames

Please, someone, explain this to me. Is this a joke of some kind? A tradition? And, if so, why?

Apparently, the Iowa State band circles around a collection of Port-A-Potties near the stadium and performs as if it’s a completely normal action. The last thing anyone wants to deal with in that situation, in my opinion, is a live audience.

This isn’t even in the B1G, but it’s just too weird not to mention. If there are any Cyclones out there who can help explain this sh***y tradition, please let me know.

Oh wait — maybe it’s a tribute to Iowa State’s performance against Iowa every year.

I get it now.

“Adrian!”

Did you read that in a Sylvester Stallone/Rocky Balboa voice? Good, that’s how it’s supposed to be interpreted.

The reason for the one-name recognition is because of the status report Scott Frost provided on Adrian Martinez after Nebraska’s loss to Ohio State. Apparently, the senior quarterback has been playing with a broken jaw and a high-ankle sprain FOR MULTIPLE WEEKS.

Honestly, Martinez might be tougher than Rocky.

I’m not here to get your thoughts on what you think about Martinez as a quarterback. Just, for a minute, think about how painful it is when you stub your toe against the coffee table or suffer a nasty paper cut. Now magnify that pain by, I don’t know, 12 million percent.

Kudos, 2AM.

Blake Hayes vs. Purdue fan

We have a battle for the best celebration of the weekend. It comes to one of Illinois’ “Lads,” Blake Hayes and some random guy sitting in Ross-Ade Stadium.

Let’s set the stage, shall we?

After pinning Minnesota deep in its own territory, Hayes looked to the Gophers sideline, started rowing an imaginary canoe (obviously he didn’t have a real canoe), and followed it by snapping an air oar (obviously he didn’t have a real oar) over his knee:

This Purdue fan took a tip from Petey Pablo’s hit from 2001, Raise Up.

Yes, he did, quite literally, “Take his shirt off, twist it ’round his head and spin it like a helicopter”:

Personally, I am a fan of both. They each have their positives. So, I’m leaving this decision up to the readers. Who had the better celebration in Week 10?

Dez 4 Prez?

Desmond Howard is back in the good graces of B1G fans this week after the comments he made on Saturday morning during College GameDay about the College Football Playoff rankings. To be exact, he called Alabama’s No. 2 ranking “SEC bias.”

Go ahead and insert the GIF of Michael Scott slapping his hand on the table and shouting, “Thank you!”

Howard was asked what surprised him most about the initial release of the College Football Playoff Poll last Tuesday. He mentioned Alabama’s ranking multiple times, suggesting the Crimson Tide should be further down the list — at least right now.

To further prove Howard’s point — the SEC had the highest-ranked 0-loss, 1-loss, 2-loss and 3-loss teams in the initial Top 25. So, if the College GameDay analyst wants to use that platform for his presidential campaign, he’s got my vote.

Shoutout to the B1G WRs

This is not an overreaction, but instead a legitimate shoutout to 3 B1G wide receivers who were incredible on Saturday. Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Purdue’s David Bell and Penn State’s Jahan Dotson. All 3 went for over 200 yards.

Here are the final numbers:

  • Smith-Njigba: 15 catches, 240 yards, 1 TD
  • Bell: 11 catches, 217 yards, 1 TD
  • Dotson: 11 catches, 242 yards 3 TDs

For those doing the math, that’s 37 catches for 699 yards and 5 touchdowns. For 3 receivers. In a total of 3 games. Insane.

Is a BTN analyst responsible for all the Week 10 chaos?

To answer the question in one word: Yes.

For those familiar with Big Ten Network, Joshua Perry has become on of the network’s top analysts. He’s also flashed plenty of style in his appearances, typically rocking a plaid or pinstripe suit on game days.

Not in Week 10. And you saw what happened, right? Illinois upset No. 20 Minnesota. Purdue took down No. 3 Michigan State. Northwestern had a chance against No. 22 Iowa. Nebraska nearly knocked off No. 5 Ohio State.

If you think the accusation is too harsh, I basically received admission of guilt via Twitter:

If the former Ohio State star is back in the patterns, we’ll probably avoid B1G weirdness. If he goes solid, expect “all hell to break loose” for a second straight week.