First of all, sorry for the late recap, it took a while to get this post started. Now, let's get down to business. The last week of football wasn't as great as previous weeks. There were no real upsets and not a lot of games between ranked teams. Still, it was a fun week with some great games, exciting finishes, and prolific performances. We'll cover all that and more in this recap. Note: all rankings are AP polls, unless stated.
Notable Games:
One of the best games of the week was #5 Auburn taking on South Carolina. The Gamecocks may be unranked, but they still have talented players like Dylan Thompson and Mike Davis. Steve Spurrier's team pushed the Tigers to the brink, but a late INT by Jonathan Jones (his second of the game) sealed the deal for Auburn. The Tigers are now third in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
Another ranked team that was pushed to the brink by an unranked team was #25 UCLA. They beat Colorado (who is now 2-6) 40-37 in 2OT. Remember, USC beat Colorado 56-28 last week, so this is by no means an impressive win for the Bruins. They still stand at 25 on the polls.
Michigan State and Michigan squared off in their annual rivalry game. The Spartans have dominated the series as of late, and they continued that trend. MSU rolled to a 35-11 win behind Jeremy Langford's three running scores. Michigan State is #8 in both polls and has a great shot at making the playoffs.
Marshall continued its undefeated season by beating Florida Atlantic 35-16. The Thundering Herd trailed for the first time this year, but they managed to come back and keep their playoff dreams alive. They are ranked #23 in the AP Poll but unranked in the CFP.
Marshall, Florida State, and Mississippi State are the only undefeated teams left after #3 Ole Miss failed to leave Death Valley with a win. Bo Wallace threw a last-second interception to seal the deal for #24 LSU. The Tigers are now #16 while Ole Miss is now #7 and less than a hundred points behind #6 Notre Dame.
#13 Ohio State needed two periods of overtime to beat unranked Penn State. OSU is now ranked #16 in the CFP and ranked second in their division, the Big Ten East. The only team ahead of them in the division: Michigan State.
Clemson has been kind of an afterthought this season, but they are now ranked #22. They entered the week at #21, but they struggled against unranked Syracuse. They won 16-6, but they were not very impressive in the win.
The only game between top twenty teams was between #20 USC and #19 Utah. This was one of the best games of the weekend, as these two Pac-12 teams fought it out for Pac-12 supremacy. Utah won 24-21, propelling the Utes to #18 in the AP poll while knocking the Trojans off the rankings completely.
West Virginia wasn't expected to contend for the Big 12 Championship at the beginning of the season, but they are now ranked at 20 in both polls and second in the conference (behind only Kansas State). On Saturday, the Mountaineers beat Oklahoma State 34-10.
As for Kansas State, they struggled against Texas, but managed to win 23-0. The Wildcats are now ranked #9 in the CFP and #11 in the AP Polls. They're 6-1 and undefeated in conference play, making them real contenders for the playoffs.
Notable Performances:
Let's start with Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon, who threw for five touchdowns against Washington State on Saturday. Arizona is now ranked #12 in the CFP and is first in the Pac-12 South.
Alabama QB Blake Sims led the Crimson Tide to a 34-20 win against Tennessee. The senior threw for two scores and ran for another. Alabama is now 6-1, ranked third in the AP Poll, and third in the SEC West.
#14 Arizona State picked up its sixth win of the season by beating Washington 24-10. A big reason was freshman DB Armand Perry, who returned an interception 61 yards for a score. The Sun Devils are now ranked #14.
#1 Mississippi State kept its championship hopes alive by staving off unranked Kentucky. The Bulldogs held on for a 45-31 win. The difference? Josh Robinson, who ran for two scores and had one catch for 11 yards.
Western Kentucky may be 3-4 and sixth in their division, but they had an impressive 66-51 win against Old Dominion. Leading the way for them was quarterback Brandon Doughty, who threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns.
Heisman Watch:
First, let's give some love to some of the guys who missed out on the list, including Nick Marshall, who led Auburn to a 42-35 win over South Carolina. Now, the guys who dropped off the list: Kevin White (who had only 27 receiving yards on Saturday) and Bo Wallace (who threw three picks in a loss to LSU). And now, the updated Heisman watch.
10. Shane Carden, East Carolina- Carden didn't have a perfect game against Connecticut on Thursday, but he did throw for 445 yards and two touchdowns. He still has a shot at making it to New York, especially if ECU keeps winning.
9. Trevone Boykin, TCU- Boykin makes his debut on our list after throwing for an amazing seven touchdowns against Texas Tech and ran for 28 yards as his Horned Frogs accumulated 82 points in a romp.
8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall- Cato stays at #8 after a good, but not great, effort against Florida Atlantic. Marshall is still undefeated and ranked #23, and if they continue this streak, Cato's Heisman candidacy can only strengthen.
7. Amari Cooper, Alabama- Cooper dropped off the rankings on Week 8, but makes a return after a great showing against Tennessee. The WR had nine catches for 224 yards and two scores. It is hard for a wide receiver to win the Heisman. The last receiver to win the award was Desmond Howard in '91.
6. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- The OSU quarterback didn't have a great showing against Penn State (he accounted for three scores and two interceptions) but he did lead them to a win in a closely contested game.
5. Everett Golson, Notre Dame- The senior QB was out of action this week, but he returns on Saturday to play Navy. Golson will need a great game to continue his Heisman bid, a loss will send him spiraling down the rankings.
4. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- Abdullah accounted for 341 all-purpose yards, setting a new Nebraska record. The senior running back has accounted for nineteen total touchdowns this season and has been a big reason Nebraska is ranked #15 in the CFP.
3. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- Wisconsin may be unranked, but Melvin Gordon is still putting up great numbers. He accounted for 134 yards and three touchdowns, helping propel Wisconsin to a 52-7 win over Maryland.
2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- The Ducks QB had a great game against California. He went 18 for 30, threw for 326 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for 36 yards. While he did throw his first interception of the season, he led his team to an impressive victory.
1. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- His team may still be undefeated and ranked #1, but Prescott is losing his grip after an up-and-down game against Kentucky. He passed for one score and had one pick while his Bulldogs barely won against Kentucky.
Games to Watch Next Week:
Notre Dame beat Navy 43 times straight before the Midshipmen righted the ship (ha). They have won three of the last seven meetings and could throw a wrench into Notre Dame's playoff dreams. The Fighting Irish are expected to win, but don't expect Navy to go down without a fight.
The biggest game is no doubt #4 Auburn visiting #7 Ole Miss. Both of these teams already have one loss, and another loss would almost definitely end playoff dreams. Ole Miss is expected to win, but don't expect the defending SEC champions to lose easily.
One of only two games between ranked Pac-12 teams is between #14 Arizona and #25 UCLA. Both of these teams are still in contention for the conference title, so the loser will most likely be dropped from the Pac-12 race.
#24 Duke is #1 in the ACC Coastal Division and has a great shot at meeting Florida State for the ACC Championship game. However, they have yet to clinch the division. What will help them do that is a win on Saturday against Pittsburgh, who is better than their 4-4 record suggests.
The best Big 12 game of the week will be between #10 Texas Christian University and #20 West Virginia. Both of these teams have dynamic offenses that are capable of putting up big points on the scoreboard.
This has the potential to be a great week, as there are some excellent games on the slate. Be sure to tune in and check out some of the games.
Notable Games:
One of the best games of the week was #5 Auburn taking on South Carolina. The Gamecocks may be unranked, but they still have talented players like Dylan Thompson and Mike Davis. Steve Spurrier's team pushed the Tigers to the brink, but a late INT by Jonathan Jones (his second of the game) sealed the deal for Auburn. The Tigers are now third in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
Another ranked team that was pushed to the brink by an unranked team was #25 UCLA. They beat Colorado (who is now 2-6) 40-37 in 2OT. Remember, USC beat Colorado 56-28 last week, so this is by no means an impressive win for the Bruins. They still stand at 25 on the polls.
Michigan State and Michigan squared off in their annual rivalry game. The Spartans have dominated the series as of late, and they continued that trend. MSU rolled to a 35-11 win behind Jeremy Langford's three running scores. Michigan State is #8 in both polls and has a great shot at making the playoffs.
Marshall continued its undefeated season by beating Florida Atlantic 35-16. The Thundering Herd trailed for the first time this year, but they managed to come back and keep their playoff dreams alive. They are ranked #23 in the AP Poll but unranked in the CFP.
Marshall, Florida State, and Mississippi State are the only undefeated teams left after #3 Ole Miss failed to leave Death Valley with a win. Bo Wallace threw a last-second interception to seal the deal for #24 LSU. The Tigers are now #16 while Ole Miss is now #7 and less than a hundred points behind #6 Notre Dame.
#13 Ohio State needed two periods of overtime to beat unranked Penn State. OSU is now ranked #16 in the CFP and ranked second in their division, the Big Ten East. The only team ahead of them in the division: Michigan State.
Clemson has been kind of an afterthought this season, but they are now ranked #22. They entered the week at #21, but they struggled against unranked Syracuse. They won 16-6, but they were not very impressive in the win.
The only game between top twenty teams was between #20 USC and #19 Utah. This was one of the best games of the weekend, as these two Pac-12 teams fought it out for Pac-12 supremacy. Utah won 24-21, propelling the Utes to #18 in the AP poll while knocking the Trojans off the rankings completely.
West Virginia wasn't expected to contend for the Big 12 Championship at the beginning of the season, but they are now ranked at 20 in both polls and second in the conference (behind only Kansas State). On Saturday, the Mountaineers beat Oklahoma State 34-10.
As for Kansas State, they struggled against Texas, but managed to win 23-0. The Wildcats are now ranked #9 in the CFP and #11 in the AP Polls. They're 6-1 and undefeated in conference play, making them real contenders for the playoffs.
Notable Performances:
Let's start with Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon, who threw for five touchdowns against Washington State on Saturday. Arizona is now ranked #12 in the CFP and is first in the Pac-12 South.
Alabama QB Blake Sims led the Crimson Tide to a 34-20 win against Tennessee. The senior threw for two scores and ran for another. Alabama is now 6-1, ranked third in the AP Poll, and third in the SEC West.
#14 Arizona State picked up its sixth win of the season by beating Washington 24-10. A big reason was freshman DB Armand Perry, who returned an interception 61 yards for a score. The Sun Devils are now ranked #14.
#1 Mississippi State kept its championship hopes alive by staving off unranked Kentucky. The Bulldogs held on for a 45-31 win. The difference? Josh Robinson, who ran for two scores and had one catch for 11 yards.
Western Kentucky may be 3-4 and sixth in their division, but they had an impressive 66-51 win against Old Dominion. Leading the way for them was quarterback Brandon Doughty, who threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns.
Heisman Watch:
First, let's give some love to some of the guys who missed out on the list, including Nick Marshall, who led Auburn to a 42-35 win over South Carolina. Now, the guys who dropped off the list: Kevin White (who had only 27 receiving yards on Saturday) and Bo Wallace (who threw three picks in a loss to LSU). And now, the updated Heisman watch.
10. Shane Carden, East Carolina- Carden didn't have a perfect game against Connecticut on Thursday, but he did throw for 445 yards and two touchdowns. He still has a shot at making it to New York, especially if ECU keeps winning.
9. Trevone Boykin, TCU- Boykin makes his debut on our list after throwing for an amazing seven touchdowns against Texas Tech and ran for 28 yards as his Horned Frogs accumulated 82 points in a romp.
8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall- Cato stays at #8 after a good, but not great, effort against Florida Atlantic. Marshall is still undefeated and ranked #23, and if they continue this streak, Cato's Heisman candidacy can only strengthen.
7. Amari Cooper, Alabama- Cooper dropped off the rankings on Week 8, but makes a return after a great showing against Tennessee. The WR had nine catches for 224 yards and two scores. It is hard for a wide receiver to win the Heisman. The last receiver to win the award was Desmond Howard in '91.
6. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- The OSU quarterback didn't have a great showing against Penn State (he accounted for three scores and two interceptions) but he did lead them to a win in a closely contested game.
5. Everett Golson, Notre Dame- The senior QB was out of action this week, but he returns on Saturday to play Navy. Golson will need a great game to continue his Heisman bid, a loss will send him spiraling down the rankings.
4. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska- Abdullah accounted for 341 all-purpose yards, setting a new Nebraska record. The senior running back has accounted for nineteen total touchdowns this season and has been a big reason Nebraska is ranked #15 in the CFP.
3. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin- Wisconsin may be unranked, but Melvin Gordon is still putting up great numbers. He accounted for 134 yards and three touchdowns, helping propel Wisconsin to a 52-7 win over Maryland.
2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon- The Ducks QB had a great game against California. He went 18 for 30, threw for 326 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for 36 yards. While he did throw his first interception of the season, he led his team to an impressive victory.
1. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- His team may still be undefeated and ranked #1, but Prescott is losing his grip after an up-and-down game against Kentucky. He passed for one score and had one pick while his Bulldogs barely won against Kentucky.
Games to Watch Next Week:
Notre Dame beat Navy 43 times straight before the Midshipmen righted the ship (ha). They have won three of the last seven meetings and could throw a wrench into Notre Dame's playoff dreams. The Fighting Irish are expected to win, but don't expect Navy to go down without a fight.
The biggest game is no doubt #4 Auburn visiting #7 Ole Miss. Both of these teams already have one loss, and another loss would almost definitely end playoff dreams. Ole Miss is expected to win, but don't expect the defending SEC champions to lose easily.
One of only two games between ranked Pac-12 teams is between #14 Arizona and #25 UCLA. Both of these teams are still in contention for the conference title, so the loser will most likely be dropped from the Pac-12 race.
#24 Duke is #1 in the ACC Coastal Division and has a great shot at meeting Florida State for the ACC Championship game. However, they have yet to clinch the division. What will help them do that is a win on Saturday against Pittsburgh, who is better than their 4-4 record suggests.
The best Big 12 game of the week will be between #10 Texas Christian University and #20 West Virginia. Both of these teams have dynamic offenses that are capable of putting up big points on the scoreboard.
This has the potential to be a great week, as there are some excellent games on the slate. Be sure to tune in and check out some of the games.
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