1) I might as well just piss you guys off to start and then try to build back up my goodwill in the next nine thoughts. What if I told you that in the sixth week of the season College Game Day was going to be in Lawrence, KS for the undefeated Jayhawks against undefeated TCU? My goodness.
2) With those two teams at or near the top, the Big 12 standings are upside down. The league is truly ten teams that could all beat any other team on any given day.
3) How you doing down there in the basement, Sooners? Oklahoma gave up 668 yards and 8.9 yards per play to TCU and the honeymoon for Brent Venables isn't going so well. I think everyone expected a step back. I do not think anyone expected this big a step back. Oh, by the way, starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel left with a head injury and his status is unknown for next week against Texas. Oh, also, you're going to the SEC in the next couple of years.
4) It feels weird, but I'm now a USC fan. The Trojans beat Arizona State 42-25 as Caleb Williams threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns. I don't particularly like USC. But I am completely here for the absolute emotional meltdown temper tantrums Oklahoma media will throw online if they have to watch Lincoln Riley coach in the playoff while the Sooners finish 7-5.
5) The nation's most consistent team is Iowa. The Hawkeyes were shut out through three quarters, but did get two garbage time touchdowns to close within a 27-14 final of Michigan. Iowa is 122nd in scoring offense. It is 130th in total offense, exactly 0.4 yards per game ahead of Colorado State. Oh, by the way, the offensive coordinator is the head coach's son and he's not very good at his job.
6) Way to go Brent Key! Key is Georgia Tech's interim coach after the Yellow Jackets ended the Geoff Collins experiment earlier this week. The Jackets beat 24th ranked Pitt 26-24 on Saturday. It was their first win in their last nine games against Power Five competition. The last one was a 31-27 win over Duke last October 9th. In the eight losses, the (Ramblin') Wreck had been outscored 331-127. In the last four, it had been outscored 183-10. For real.
7) Let's stick with the ACC for my favorite play of the weekend. College football ineptitude is special.
8) Sometimes, when you don't play, you win. NAIA Warner College was supposed to play Webber International University in Lake Wales, FL on Saturday. The game was canceled due to the impact of Hurricane Ian. First and foremost, thoughts with everyone in Florida who is dealing with the devastation. Second, way to go Warner! You didn't lose! This comes a week after Warner lost to Stephen F. Austin 98-0 in a game that absolutely would have been in last week's ten thoughts if I wasn't throwing it together in a hurry from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. SFA could have hung 100, but they took a knee on a two-point conversion with a 98-0 lead. Warner is 0-4 this season. It has been outscored 243-32. The last win came 31-12 over Florida Memorial last October 9th. Next weekend's rematch between the teams has already been canceled, which means Warner will go more than a calendar year between victories. But they'll also go two straight weeks without a loss!
9) If the playoff were to start today, here's what it would look like:
No. 1 Georgia vs No. 4 Michigan
No. 2 Alabama vs No. 3 Ohio State
I actually think there's a chance the Tide or the Buckeyes or both could move past UGA this week in the rankings, but whatever, those will be the top four teams with Clemson fifth and USC sixth. My prediction for the playoff:
1) Georgia
2) Ohio State
3) Alabama (if Bryce Young can come back soon)
4) Oklahoma State
The top 6 teams won this week, but ten teams between No. 7 and No. 24 lost. The rankings will be shaken up. Here's my projection for what a 12 team playoff would look like right now.
Byes: Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, USC
5) Alabama vs 12) Ole Miss
6) Michigan vs 11) Oregon
7) Tennessee vs 10) Utah
8) Oklahoma State vs 9) Penn State
I could get behind playoff games in Tuscaloosa, Ann Arbor, Knoxville and Stillwater. That sounds fun. Let's do that.
10) Six games I'll watch next week besides Mizzou vs Florida:
Tennessee at LSU, 11 am, ESPN
Texas at Oklahoma, 11 am, ABC
TCU at Kansas, 11 am, FS1
Auburn at Georgia, 2:30, CBS
Utah at UCLA, 2:30, FOX
Texas A&M at Alabama, 7:00, CBS
2) With those two teams at or near the top, the Big 12 standings are upside down. The league is truly ten teams that could all beat any other team on any given day.
3) How you doing down there in the basement, Sooners? Oklahoma gave up 668 yards and 8.9 yards per play to TCU and the honeymoon for Brent Venables isn't going so well. I think everyone expected a step back. I do not think anyone expected this big a step back. Oh, by the way, starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel left with a head injury and his status is unknown for next week against Texas. Oh, also, you're going to the SEC in the next couple of years.
4) It feels weird, but I'm now a USC fan. The Trojans beat Arizona State 42-25 as Caleb Williams threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns. I don't particularly like USC. But I am completely here for the absolute emotional meltdown temper tantrums Oklahoma media will throw online if they have to watch Lincoln Riley coach in the playoff while the Sooners finish 7-5.
5) The nation's most consistent team is Iowa. The Hawkeyes were shut out through three quarters, but did get two garbage time touchdowns to close within a 27-14 final of Michigan. Iowa is 122nd in scoring offense. It is 130th in total offense, exactly 0.4 yards per game ahead of Colorado State. Oh, by the way, the offensive coordinator is the head coach's son and he's not very good at his job.
6) Way to go Brent Key! Key is Georgia Tech's interim coach after the Yellow Jackets ended the Geoff Collins experiment earlier this week. The Jackets beat 24th ranked Pitt 26-24 on Saturday. It was their first win in their last nine games against Power Five competition. The last one was a 31-27 win over Duke last October 9th. In the eight losses, the (Ramblin') Wreck had been outscored 331-127. In the last four, it had been outscored 183-10. For real.
7) Let's stick with the ACC for my favorite play of the weekend. College football ineptitude is special.
8) Sometimes, when you don't play, you win. NAIA Warner College was supposed to play Webber International University in Lake Wales, FL on Saturday. The game was canceled due to the impact of Hurricane Ian. First and foremost, thoughts with everyone in Florida who is dealing with the devastation. Second, way to go Warner! You didn't lose! This comes a week after Warner lost to Stephen F. Austin 98-0 in a game that absolutely would have been in last week's ten thoughts if I wasn't throwing it together in a hurry from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. SFA could have hung 100, but they took a knee on a two-point conversion with a 98-0 lead. Warner is 0-4 this season. It has been outscored 243-32. The last win came 31-12 over Florida Memorial last October 9th. Next weekend's rematch between the teams has already been canceled, which means Warner will go more than a calendar year between victories. But they'll also go two straight weeks without a loss!
9) If the playoff were to start today, here's what it would look like:
No. 1 Georgia vs No. 4 Michigan
No. 2 Alabama vs No. 3 Ohio State
I actually think there's a chance the Tide or the Buckeyes or both could move past UGA this week in the rankings, but whatever, those will be the top four teams with Clemson fifth and USC sixth. My prediction for the playoff:
1) Georgia
2) Ohio State
3) Alabama (if Bryce Young can come back soon)
4) Oklahoma State
The top 6 teams won this week, but ten teams between No. 7 and No. 24 lost. The rankings will be shaken up. Here's my projection for what a 12 team playoff would look like right now.
Byes: Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, USC
5) Alabama vs 12) Ole Miss
6) Michigan vs 11) Oregon
7) Tennessee vs 10) Utah
8) Oklahoma State vs 9) Penn State
I could get behind playoff games in Tuscaloosa, Ann Arbor, Knoxville and Stillwater. That sounds fun. Let's do that.
10) Six games I'll watch next week besides Mizzou vs Florida:
Tennessee at LSU, 11 am, ESPN
Texas at Oklahoma, 11 am, ABC
TCU at Kansas, 11 am, FS1
Auburn at Georgia, 2:30, CBS
Utah at UCLA, 2:30, FOX
Texas A&M at Alabama, 7:00, CBS
