Another fall weekend has come and gone, and with it came another exciting weekend of college football. Then again, when was the last time a week of football wasn't exciting? There are always notable games and big moments. We started the week with six undefeated teams and greeted the new week with only four. Heisman stocks rose and fell. Playoff hopes were born and crushed. You get the point. Let's get cracking.
Notable Games:
There was no bigger game than #5 Notre Dame and #2 Florida State. Both teams came in at 6-0 and had Heisman contenders who had never lost a regular season game at quarterback. It was a close game throughout, but Florida State squeaked out a win, 31-27. There is still a debate raging as to whether Notre Dame should have won, but a loss is a loss. The Irish are now #7, but their playoff dreams are still very much alive.
The other undefeated team that lost this week was #4 Baylor, and unlike Notre Dame, their game wasn't close. The Bears fell 41-27 to Clint Trickett and unranked West Virginia. Not only does this hurt Baylor's playoff hopes (they are now 12th in the polls and third in the Big 12), but West Virginia now has playoff hopes (though slight). The Mountaineers are now ranked #23 and second in the Big 12.
#3 Ole Miss found themselves down 3-0 to 3-3 Tennessee in the second quarter, but managed to pull it together. They picked up 34 unanswered points (including 14 in the second quarter) to stay undefeated.
The only new team in the top ten is #10 TCU, which started the week at 12. Why the boost? The Horned Frogs manhandled #15 Oklahoma State, sending the Cowboys spiraling out of the rankings. TCU is now 5-1 (their sole loss coming to Baylor last week), fifth in the Big 12 conference, and have a pretty good shot at making the playoffs.
The biggest win of the week was by #7 Alabama over #21 Texas A&M. The last two matches were close, but that was when Johnny Manziel played for the Aggies. Now, they are led by Kenny Hill, and Hill underwhelmed BIG TIME. His Aggies only drummed up 172 yards of total offense and put up a goose egg on the scoreboard.
Auburn didn't play on Saturday, but they still moved up to #5. Right behind them is #6 Oregon, who beat Washington 45-20. Many people had the 5-1 Huskies getting the upset, but the Ducks cruised to a great win. They are now less than 100 points from the top five, but also only nine points ahead of #7 Notre Dame.
The only meeting between two ranked Pac-12 teams this week was between #17 Arizona State and #23 Stanford. ASU lost to UCLA earlier this season, while Stanford picked up losses against USC and Notre Dame. So, both of these teams needed wins to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Sun Devils managed to keep their dream alive by winning 26-10. ASU is now in the top 15 and second in the Pac-12 South.
Taking Stanford's place at 23, is Marshall, who moved up two spots on the polls. They did so after beating Florida International 45-13. The Thundering Herd is now 7-0 and have a great shot at finishing the regular season undefeated. Next week, Marshall QB Rakeem Cato has the chance to become the first QB in NCAAF history to throw for a touchdown in 40 straight games.
LSU jumped back into the top 25 courtesy of their 41-3 win against Kentucky on Saturday. The Tigers had trouble earlier in the season, but are now 6-2 and look to be heading in the right direction. They do have some ground to cover, however. The Tigers are in the bottom half of the SEC West.
#13 Ohio State put on a great display against Rutgers. The Buckeyes won 56-17, giving them their 18th-straight Big Ten regular season win. OSU is behind only #8 Michigan State in their division, the Big Ten East.
Notable Performances:
The week started off in a big way, as #20 Utah took on Oregon State. This was a close game, but the Utes held on to pick up their fifth win of the season. Leading the way for them was running back Devontae Booker, who rushed for 229 yards and three touchdowns. The Utes are now ranked at 19.
When the season started, expectations for USC QB Cody Kessler were mixed. Some expected him to be a dark horse Heisman contender, others thought he would drop the ball. On Saturday, Kessler proved his doubters wrong by throwing for an amazing seven scores and 300+ yards to lead #22 USC over Colorado.
Readers of my blog know I'm a fan of Andrew Hendrix of Miami (OH), but this week it was the QB of the other side of the team that stole the show. Drew Hare of Northern Illinois was 12 for 16 and threw for one touchdown, ran for 180 yards and two scores, and had one catch for 18 yards.
Another guy who had a great day: Jaquez Johnson. The junior quarterback of Florida Atlantic threw for 325 yards and three scores. He also ran for 95 yards and two scores. FAU picked up its second conference win and is now third in its division.
One team that's been completely off the radar this season: Minnesota. This is surprising, seeing as the Golden Gophers are 6-1 and first in the Big Ten West. QB Mitch Leidner has been the leader of this team. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another one on Saturday against Purdue. Minnesota is now less than 60 points in the polls behind #25 UCLA.
Heisman Watch:
First off, let's give some love to the guys who just missed out on the list, including TCU QB Trevone Boykin, USC QB Cody Kessler, and UCLA QB Brett Hundley. And, let's look at the guys who dropped off: Todd Gurley (looks like he'll be suspended for the rest of the season), Jameis Winston (the public outcry against him has all but derailed his Heisman campiagn), Bryce Petty (he lost to West Virginia on Saturday), and Kenny Hill (he accounted for zero scores on Saturday). Now, to the new top ten list.
10. Shane Carden, East Carolina- Carden's East Carolina Pirates are ranked #18, mainly due to Carden's great work this season. He's accounted for 19 touchdowns and more than 2,200 yards of total offense. If ECU continues to win, expect Carden to move up this list.
9. Kevin White, West Virginia- White makes his debut on the list after a great showing against Baylor this week. He's been great this whole season too, 69 catches and 7 touchdowns. He leads the nation in receiving yards per game and is second in catches per game. It is tough for a wide receiver to win the Heisman, but White certainly has a shot.
8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall- There are only four undefeated teams left, and Cato is the QB of one of them. Furthermore, he has 2,135 yards of total offense and 24 total touchdowns. If Marshall finishes undefeated, which is looking extremely probable, look for Cato to get invited to New York.
7. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- When Braxton Miller went down with a season-ending injury, many thought Ohio State was doomed. In came Barrett, who has played sensationally. On Saturday, he threw for 261 yards and ran for 107 more. Barrett has a great shot at becoming the front-runner if he continues to play well and the Buckeyes keep winning.
6. Bo Wallace, Ole Miss- Wallace just misses out on the top five, though he does move up from last week. He didn't have a really great game against Tennessee on Saturday, but he did throw for 199 yards and lead his team to a 34-3 win.
5. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- Abdullah makes a huge leap into the top five after a productive weekend. The Nebraska back ran for four touchdowns and caught four passes. His Cornhuskers are now ranked #16.
4. Everett Golson, Notre Dame- He did lose to #2 Florida State on Saturday, but he played quite well. He threw for more than 300 yards and three scores, though he also had two picks. Nonetheless, Notre Dame is still in the top 10 and has a shot at making the playoffs.
3. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- Another Big Ten running back who is a true Heisman contender at this point, Gordon ran for 175 yards and four scores against Illinois on Saturday. If any back is going to make it to New York, it's this guy.
2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- The Oregon QB stays in the second spot after a great showing against Washington. He had a pretty poor ground game, but he did go 24 for 33, 336 yards, and two scores in the win.
1. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- Prescott stays in the top spot after a week off. He'll be back in action next week on Saturday against Saturday. The real test however, comes in November 15th against Alabama.
Games to Watch Next Week:
The week starts off with a bang, as #18 East Carolina takes on UCONN. The Huskies are huge underdogs, but with former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco as their head coach, they could put up a fight.
There are only four undefeated teams left in the country, and the one most likely to fall on Saturday is #3 Ole Miss. They take on #24 LSU, a team that is very much on the rise. It'll be interesting to see if the Tigers can pull off the upset.
The Great Lakes State will be watching with bated breath as Michigan takes on #8 Michigan State in a big rivalry game. Michigan has been struggling this season, but beating the Spartans would really get their season back on track.
Besides LSU/Ole Miss, the only game between ranked teams is #20 USC and #19 Utah. These two teams need a win to keep their playoff and Pac-12 championship hopes alive. This could potentially be the game of the week.
The best Big 12 game of the week could be between #22 West Virginia and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys just dropped off the rankings recently, but are still a good team. They are definitely capable of picking up the win.
The slate doesn't look great for next week (especially compared to other weeks), but it could surprise us. You never know in college football.
Notable Games:
There was no bigger game than #5 Notre Dame and #2 Florida State. Both teams came in at 6-0 and had Heisman contenders who had never lost a regular season game at quarterback. It was a close game throughout, but Florida State squeaked out a win, 31-27. There is still a debate raging as to whether Notre Dame should have won, but a loss is a loss. The Irish are now #7, but their playoff dreams are still very much alive.
The other undefeated team that lost this week was #4 Baylor, and unlike Notre Dame, their game wasn't close. The Bears fell 41-27 to Clint Trickett and unranked West Virginia. Not only does this hurt Baylor's playoff hopes (they are now 12th in the polls and third in the Big 12), but West Virginia now has playoff hopes (though slight). The Mountaineers are now ranked #23 and second in the Big 12.
#3 Ole Miss found themselves down 3-0 to 3-3 Tennessee in the second quarter, but managed to pull it together. They picked up 34 unanswered points (including 14 in the second quarter) to stay undefeated.
The only new team in the top ten is #10 TCU, which started the week at 12. Why the boost? The Horned Frogs manhandled #15 Oklahoma State, sending the Cowboys spiraling out of the rankings. TCU is now 5-1 (their sole loss coming to Baylor last week), fifth in the Big 12 conference, and have a pretty good shot at making the playoffs.
The biggest win of the week was by #7 Alabama over #21 Texas A&M. The last two matches were close, but that was when Johnny Manziel played for the Aggies. Now, they are led by Kenny Hill, and Hill underwhelmed BIG TIME. His Aggies only drummed up 172 yards of total offense and put up a goose egg on the scoreboard.
Auburn didn't play on Saturday, but they still moved up to #5. Right behind them is #6 Oregon, who beat Washington 45-20. Many people had the 5-1 Huskies getting the upset, but the Ducks cruised to a great win. They are now less than 100 points from the top five, but also only nine points ahead of #7 Notre Dame.
The only meeting between two ranked Pac-12 teams this week was between #17 Arizona State and #23 Stanford. ASU lost to UCLA earlier this season, while Stanford picked up losses against USC and Notre Dame. So, both of these teams needed wins to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Sun Devils managed to keep their dream alive by winning 26-10. ASU is now in the top 15 and second in the Pac-12 South.
Taking Stanford's place at 23, is Marshall, who moved up two spots on the polls. They did so after beating Florida International 45-13. The Thundering Herd is now 7-0 and have a great shot at finishing the regular season undefeated. Next week, Marshall QB Rakeem Cato has the chance to become the first QB in NCAAF history to throw for a touchdown in 40 straight games.
LSU jumped back into the top 25 courtesy of their 41-3 win against Kentucky on Saturday. The Tigers had trouble earlier in the season, but are now 6-2 and look to be heading in the right direction. They do have some ground to cover, however. The Tigers are in the bottom half of the SEC West.
#13 Ohio State put on a great display against Rutgers. The Buckeyes won 56-17, giving them their 18th-straight Big Ten regular season win. OSU is behind only #8 Michigan State in their division, the Big Ten East.
Notable Performances:
The week started off in a big way, as #20 Utah took on Oregon State. This was a close game, but the Utes held on to pick up their fifth win of the season. Leading the way for them was running back Devontae Booker, who rushed for 229 yards and three touchdowns. The Utes are now ranked at 19.
When the season started, expectations for USC QB Cody Kessler were mixed. Some expected him to be a dark horse Heisman contender, others thought he would drop the ball. On Saturday, Kessler proved his doubters wrong by throwing for an amazing seven scores and 300+ yards to lead #22 USC over Colorado.
Readers of my blog know I'm a fan of Andrew Hendrix of Miami (OH), but this week it was the QB of the other side of the team that stole the show. Drew Hare of Northern Illinois was 12 for 16 and threw for one touchdown, ran for 180 yards and two scores, and had one catch for 18 yards.
Another guy who had a great day: Jaquez Johnson. The junior quarterback of Florida Atlantic threw for 325 yards and three scores. He also ran for 95 yards and two scores. FAU picked up its second conference win and is now third in its division.
One team that's been completely off the radar this season: Minnesota. This is surprising, seeing as the Golden Gophers are 6-1 and first in the Big Ten West. QB Mitch Leidner has been the leader of this team. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another one on Saturday against Purdue. Minnesota is now less than 60 points in the polls behind #25 UCLA.
Heisman Watch:
First off, let's give some love to the guys who just missed out on the list, including TCU QB Trevone Boykin, USC QB Cody Kessler, and UCLA QB Brett Hundley. And, let's look at the guys who dropped off: Todd Gurley (looks like he'll be suspended for the rest of the season), Jameis Winston (the public outcry against him has all but derailed his Heisman campiagn), Bryce Petty (he lost to West Virginia on Saturday), and Kenny Hill (he accounted for zero scores on Saturday). Now, to the new top ten list.
10. Shane Carden, East Carolina- Carden's East Carolina Pirates are ranked #18, mainly due to Carden's great work this season. He's accounted for 19 touchdowns and more than 2,200 yards of total offense. If ECU continues to win, expect Carden to move up this list.
9. Kevin White, West Virginia- White makes his debut on the list after a great showing against Baylor this week. He's been great this whole season too, 69 catches and 7 touchdowns. He leads the nation in receiving yards per game and is second in catches per game. It is tough for a wide receiver to win the Heisman, but White certainly has a shot.
8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall- There are only four undefeated teams left, and Cato is the QB of one of them. Furthermore, he has 2,135 yards of total offense and 24 total touchdowns. If Marshall finishes undefeated, which is looking extremely probable, look for Cato to get invited to New York.
7. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- When Braxton Miller went down with a season-ending injury, many thought Ohio State was doomed. In came Barrett, who has played sensationally. On Saturday, he threw for 261 yards and ran for 107 more. Barrett has a great shot at becoming the front-runner if he continues to play well and the Buckeyes keep winning.
6. Bo Wallace, Ole Miss- Wallace just misses out on the top five, though he does move up from last week. He didn't have a really great game against Tennessee on Saturday, but he did throw for 199 yards and lead his team to a 34-3 win.
5. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- Abdullah makes a huge leap into the top five after a productive weekend. The Nebraska back ran for four touchdowns and caught four passes. His Cornhuskers are now ranked #16.
4. Everett Golson, Notre Dame- He did lose to #2 Florida State on Saturday, but he played quite well. He threw for more than 300 yards and three scores, though he also had two picks. Nonetheless, Notre Dame is still in the top 10 and has a shot at making the playoffs.
3. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- Another Big Ten running back who is a true Heisman contender at this point, Gordon ran for 175 yards and four scores against Illinois on Saturday. If any back is going to make it to New York, it's this guy.
2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- The Oregon QB stays in the second spot after a great showing against Washington. He had a pretty poor ground game, but he did go 24 for 33, 336 yards, and two scores in the win.
1. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- Prescott stays in the top spot after a week off. He'll be back in action next week on Saturday against Saturday. The real test however, comes in November 15th against Alabama.
Games to Watch Next Week:
The week starts off with a bang, as #18 East Carolina takes on UCONN. The Huskies are huge underdogs, but with former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco as their head coach, they could put up a fight.
There are only four undefeated teams left in the country, and the one most likely to fall on Saturday is #3 Ole Miss. They take on #24 LSU, a team that is very much on the rise. It'll be interesting to see if the Tigers can pull off the upset.
The Great Lakes State will be watching with bated breath as Michigan takes on #8 Michigan State in a big rivalry game. Michigan has been struggling this season, but beating the Spartans would really get their season back on track.
Besides LSU/Ole Miss, the only game between ranked teams is #20 USC and #19 Utah. These two teams need a win to keep their playoff and Pac-12 championship hopes alive. This could potentially be the game of the week.
The best Big 12 game of the week could be between #22 West Virginia and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys just dropped off the rankings recently, but are still a good team. They are definitely capable of picking up the win.
The slate doesn't look great for next week (especially compared to other weeks), but it could surprise us. You never know in college football.
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