Clock mismanagement is back in college football. This week’s Football IQ segment is loaded with coaches who misused timeouts, burned them when they shouldn’t and either let too much time or didn’t let enough time run off clocks. It was historically bad this week, which lets us know the sport is in full swing, so let’s dive in.

5. Hugh Freeze throws too much with the lead

Our first Football IQ fail doesn’t involve clock mismanagement, but it involves the Auburn Tigers choking again. Hugh Freeze’s team finally had a chance at a win. They led the Oklahoma Sooners 21-10 with the ball and under 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. After a 22-yard run by Jarquez Hunter, they had it 1st and 10 at the OU 33.

OU has a horrendous offense and couldn’t move the ball. KEEP IT ON THE GROUND! Auburn had a history of interceptions to that point, and despite playing well, Payton Thorne was bound to mess up eventually. Well, Freeze called two passes, both incomplete, and eventually brought up a fourth down, which resulted in a missed field goal.

The next drive, OU scored a touchdown. They then forced a pick-six on the next drive, which would inevitably come, to take the lead 24-21. If Freeze just ran it on the previous drive, though, he may have gotten an easier field goal, and if not he could punt. Then, OU would have to drive potentially 90 yards with eight minutes to go just to make it a one-score game. It would’ve been impossible with that offense.

4. P.J. Fleck burns a timeout to argue with refs

It’s hard to see now because the Minnesota Golden Gophers had to come back from 21 down to even make it a game with the Michigan Wolverines over the weekend. However, they had a legitimate chance of winning that game in The Big House for the upset of the weekend in college football. P.J. Fleck’s gross clock mismanagement cost them, though, and it happened twice.

Early in the third quarter, Fleck burned a timeout on 2nd and 12 because he thought it should be 2nd and 9. He didn’t challenge the spot of the ball. The timeout was only so he could have more time to argue with the officials. That timeout was missed late when, after failing to recover an onside kick, Michigan could run out the clock.

If Fleck didn’t do that, Minnesota would have had two timeouts on that final Michigan possession, so they could’ve gotten the ball back down only a field goal with about 50 seconds left. Fleck also stupidly burned a timeout on a fourth down to talk about a play earlier in the game, but that timeout to argue a spot was the worst.

3. Sam Pittman burns timeout…to call a fake FG

A regular staple on our list of dumb college football head coaching decisions, Sam Pittman of the Arkansas Razorbacks did it again. His in-game decision making is the only reason the Hogs are 3-2 instead of 5-0 right now. Regardless of how nice you may think he is, he can’t keep making these horrendous mistakes week after week.

Against the Texas A&M Aggies, early in the third quarter, the Hogs were stopped on a 3rd and 6 at the A&M 32-yard line. Pittman was indecisive on whether or not to go for it or try a field goal, so the team couldn’t get the right players out on either front. That forced Pittman to take a timeout, which is inexcusable on its own.

Coming out of the timeout, though, Pittman decided to try a fake field goal. It didn’t work. There’s no way you can justify a fake field goal when the opposing team already knew you were considering going for it. Doing it out of a timeout is suicide. Burning that timeout cost the Hogs a chance to get the ball late, too, as it allowed A&M to run out the clock with a 21-17 lead and eventual win.

2. Brent Pry calls timeout too early before 1st half FG

Everybody is talking about the Virginia Tech Hokies Hail Mary that wasn’t in their 38-34 loss to the Miami Hurricanes, but a decision by Brent Pry in the first half is really the story. Up 21-14 with 25 seconds to go in the first half, VT had the ball in Miami territory. Their quarterback, Kyron Drones, was sacked on a third down, so Pry decided to try a 57-yard field goal.

John Love made the field goal to give VT a two-score lead, which should be great, right? No. Inexplicably, Pry decided to call a timeout with over 20 seconds on the clock when he could have run it down to one second, assuring the field goal would be the last play of the half. Then he decided to squib kick it on the ensuing drive. Pry kept The U alive in the College Football Playoff race.

As a result, Miami had time and the distance to get into field goal range, which they did, and they hit it. That is the reason VT needed a Hail Mary to win late to begin with. That ball was on the Miami 30, so Love would’ve only needed a 47-yard field goal to win after hitting a 57-yarder. If Pry managed the end of the first half right, he would’ve had a game-winning field goal there.

1. Jeff Brohm clock MISMANAGEMENT late

Although the Notre Dame Fighting Irish get credit for returning to the College Football Playoff race, Marcus Freeman’s team only benefitted from gross clock mismanagement by the Louisville Cardinals. Jeff Brohm messed things up in the first half by costing himself a late score and not using any of his three timeouts, and he then burned one early in the second half to talk about a 4th and 2.

Brohm didn’t get that fourth down. What happened at the end of the game, though, was the most inexcusable part. Trailing 31-24 with the ball near midfield and just under three minutes to go, Brohm called three running plays and, no joke, ran the clock all the way down to 59 seconds. On 4th and 1, he even drew a delay of game penalty, which forced a 4th and 6.

Louisville threw an incomplete pass on 4th and 6, allowing Notre Dame to run out the clock. What is Brohm doing milking the clock right that? You’ve got to move a lot more quickly with that time, and having a delay of game penalty is absolutely inexcusable on 4th and 1. It’s the worst clock management ever in college football and why this one takes the cake.