We've covered Mizzou/Kentucky from every angle (or at least will have after I do snap counts following this post). Here are my thoughts on the rest of the weekend in college football:
1) There were signs this would be a hell of a weekend
Thursday night, West Virginia drove to take the lead on Houston with a 50-yard touchdown pass on 4th and 12 with 12 seconds left. The starting QB got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his celebration, giving Houston an extra 12 yards. That helped put the Cougars in position to throw a Hail Mary, which they did and it was caught.
Mountaineer fans were screaming "KNOCK IT DOWN" as they put the lighter fluid away and waited to burn their couches for another week.
Then on Friday night, Deion Sanders and Colorado took a 29-0 lead on hapless Stanford and everyone went to bed, only for the Cardinal to come roaring back and win 46-43 in double overtime in a game which featured 796 passing yards, nine touchdown passes and only one interception (which ironically ended the game).
What a sport.
2) There may never be another final act as entertaining as the PAC-12's last season. The conference was the center of the college football universe this weekend with Oregon and Washington. Both teams were ranked in the top ten, which marked the first time since 2004 there was a PAC-12 game between top ten foes (and it wasn't even the PAC-12 then). The fact that neither coach was willing to kick a field goal basically all day just added to the fun of this one. The Ducks and Huskies put on a show worthy of the hype. In the end, Washington won 36-33 when Oregon missed a 42-yard field goal that would have forced overtime. It might not be the last time they'll meet. And if Oregon wins the rematch, two PAC-12 teams in the playoff isn't completely out of the question.
3) Not everyone was putting up crazy passing numbers. The Iowa Hawkeyes threw for 37 yards in a 15-6 win over Wisconsin. Nico Ragaini was the only Iowa wide receiver to catch a pass. He had two for 13 yards. That is noteworthy because it is two more catches for 13 more yards than Iowa wide receivers had last week (yes, they really didn't catch a single pass in the 20-14 win over Purdue).
Iowa is averaging less than 21 points per game. It will need to score 180 in its final six games (that's 30 a game) to automatically renew Brian Ferentz's contract. But the Hawkeyes are 6-1 and are now the clear leader to win the Big Ten West. They have four straight home games (Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, Illinois) before a season-ending trip to Nebraska. They should probably be 11-1. It's all so incredibly on brand.
4) Duke did a pretty good Iowa impression itself yesterday. The Blue Devils beat NC State 24-3. Backup QB Henry Belin IV completed all of four passes on the day. His final line: 4/12 for 107 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. But it was plenty good because Mike Elko's defense is a brick wall. Duke has given up 59 points in six games (fourth in the country at 9.8 per game). No team has scored more than 21 against Duke. The Devils are 5-1, 2-0 in the ACC and right in the mix for a conference title game appearance.
5) The ACC is low-key maybe the most interesting conference in college football. Florida State, North Carolina and Louisville all entered yesterday unbeaten. The Cardinals dropped from those ranks with a 38-21 loss to Pitt. FSU coasted past Syracuse and North Carolina had a big second half to beat Miami. The Heels and Noles are on a collision course for the league title game. An ACC team is almost certainly going to have to finish undefeated to make the playoff. But there are two that have a shot. If we get to the end of the year with an unbeaten ACC champ, the final year of the four-team playoff could be wildly entertaining and leave a team or two incredibly pissed off.
6) The three best defenses in the country all play in the Big Ten East. Michigan is allowing 6.7 points per game, Penn State 8.0 and Ohio State 9.7. The Buckeyes have played Notre Dame. Penn State's best win so far is either Iowa (doesn't count for your defensive stats) or West Virginia. Michigan has played a school that Lindenwood would be ashamed of thus far. None of the three have played each other, but that changes this weekend. Penn State goes to Columbus on Saturday at 11 a.m. Michigan is at Penn State on Nov 11. Michigan and Ohio State play in Ann Arbor the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Anything could happen here. All three of these teams are playoff worthy. They're not all three going to get there. Two of them could. The Big Ten has absolutely nothing after these three teams, but these three are all in the top six to eight in the country. In the last year of divisions, it's going to be an incredible race.
7) Let's come back to the SEC. Here are my thoughts on the league all in one post:
When Georgia really cares and focuses, it's still really good. It just doesn't really care and focus all that often. It really doesn't have to. The Bulldogs can win most of their games with a C effort, as they did yesterday over Vanderbilt, 38-20. The biggest story out of this one is a sprained ankle for Brock Bowers. How long is he on the shelf for and can Georgia overcome it?
Alabama beat Arkansas. The Crimson Tide really isn't close to what we've become used to. But they're winning. They'll face LSU in three weeks in what looks like the SEC West championship game. The Razorbacks aren't terrible. They're really beat up but they play hard as hell. They've lost five in a row, but the last four weeks they've played LSU, A&M, Ole Miss and Alabama, all away from home. Did Hunter Yurachek piss off the schedule makers?
It's weird seeing a Josh Heupel offense that can't throw the ball but that's what we've got. Tennessee is 89th in the country in passing yards per game and 79th in QB rating (proof that being able to throw a football through a brick wall doesn't make you a great quarterback). But the Vols are getting it done by being 6th in the country in rushing yards, 5th in yards per carry and 17th in total defense. That plus a 39-yard punt return for a TD was enough to beat Texas A&M (aka 8-4 U) 20-13 in Knoxville yesterday.
LSU just keeps rolling. 48 points behind 325 passing yards from Jayden Daniels had the Tigers coasting against Auburn. If there's a better offense in college football I haven't seen it.
Graham Mertz threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns yesterday. Yes, it's possible South Carolina has the worst defense in the history of organized football I guess, but that's not a sentence I ever thought I'd type. It doesn't seem like anybody thinks Florida is any good, but the Gators are 5-2 and 3-1 in the SEC with a week off before facing Georgia in the Cocktail Party. They can't be counted out as a factor.
8) My Heisman ballot as of today:
Michael Penix Jr., QB Washington
Jayden Daniels, QB LSU
Travis Hunter, WR/DB Colorado
9) My playoff teams as of today:
Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Penn State. That means Oklahoma is losing a game, Florida State is losing a game. It means Michigan beats Penn State and Ohio State and the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes. It means Georgia either goes unbeaten or drops one but wins the SEC. There are a million miles to go before we get there. Here are the teams that still have at least a sliver of hope to make the playoff:
Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, Duke, Texas, Iowa, USC, Oregon State, Utah, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss.
Those are all the Power Five teams with 0 or 1 loss. None of them are eliminated before they lose a second. That's 19 teams for four spots with 5 or 6 games to play. A lot of them play each other. It's gonna be a fun season.
10) Five games I'll watch next week besides Mizzou vs South Carolina:
Penn State at Ohio State, 11 am, FOX--This one's a banger
Washington State at Oregon, 2:30, ABC--I think the Ducks bounce back...but the Cougs are good enough to upset some people
Tennessee at Alabama, 2:30, CBS--The winner keeps hope alive. The loser is out of the CFP discussion and probably out of the race to win its division
Duke at Florida State, 6:30, ABC--The Blue Devils are good enough to go win this game
Utah at USC, 7:00, FOX--Again, an elimination game as far as the national conversation goes
1) There were signs this would be a hell of a weekend
Thursday night, West Virginia drove to take the lead on Houston with a 50-yard touchdown pass on 4th and 12 with 12 seconds left. The starting QB got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his celebration, giving Houston an extra 12 yards. That helped put the Cougars in position to throw a Hail Mary, which they did and it was caught.
Mountaineer fans were screaming "KNOCK IT DOWN" as they put the lighter fluid away and waited to burn their couches for another week.
Then on Friday night, Deion Sanders and Colorado took a 29-0 lead on hapless Stanford and everyone went to bed, only for the Cardinal to come roaring back and win 46-43 in double overtime in a game which featured 796 passing yards, nine touchdown passes and only one interception (which ironically ended the game).
What a sport.
2) There may never be another final act as entertaining as the PAC-12's last season. The conference was the center of the college football universe this weekend with Oregon and Washington. Both teams were ranked in the top ten, which marked the first time since 2004 there was a PAC-12 game between top ten foes (and it wasn't even the PAC-12 then). The fact that neither coach was willing to kick a field goal basically all day just added to the fun of this one. The Ducks and Huskies put on a show worthy of the hype. In the end, Washington won 36-33 when Oregon missed a 42-yard field goal that would have forced overtime. It might not be the last time they'll meet. And if Oregon wins the rematch, two PAC-12 teams in the playoff isn't completely out of the question.
3) Not everyone was putting up crazy passing numbers. The Iowa Hawkeyes threw for 37 yards in a 15-6 win over Wisconsin. Nico Ragaini was the only Iowa wide receiver to catch a pass. He had two for 13 yards. That is noteworthy because it is two more catches for 13 more yards than Iowa wide receivers had last week (yes, they really didn't catch a single pass in the 20-14 win over Purdue).
Iowa is averaging less than 21 points per game. It will need to score 180 in its final six games (that's 30 a game) to automatically renew Brian Ferentz's contract. But the Hawkeyes are 6-1 and are now the clear leader to win the Big Ten West. They have four straight home games (Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, Illinois) before a season-ending trip to Nebraska. They should probably be 11-1. It's all so incredibly on brand.
4) Duke did a pretty good Iowa impression itself yesterday. The Blue Devils beat NC State 24-3. Backup QB Henry Belin IV completed all of four passes on the day. His final line: 4/12 for 107 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. But it was plenty good because Mike Elko's defense is a brick wall. Duke has given up 59 points in six games (fourth in the country at 9.8 per game). No team has scored more than 21 against Duke. The Devils are 5-1, 2-0 in the ACC and right in the mix for a conference title game appearance.
5) The ACC is low-key maybe the most interesting conference in college football. Florida State, North Carolina and Louisville all entered yesterday unbeaten. The Cardinals dropped from those ranks with a 38-21 loss to Pitt. FSU coasted past Syracuse and North Carolina had a big second half to beat Miami. The Heels and Noles are on a collision course for the league title game. An ACC team is almost certainly going to have to finish undefeated to make the playoff. But there are two that have a shot. If we get to the end of the year with an unbeaten ACC champ, the final year of the four-team playoff could be wildly entertaining and leave a team or two incredibly pissed off.
6) The three best defenses in the country all play in the Big Ten East. Michigan is allowing 6.7 points per game, Penn State 8.0 and Ohio State 9.7. The Buckeyes have played Notre Dame. Penn State's best win so far is either Iowa (doesn't count for your defensive stats) or West Virginia. Michigan has played a school that Lindenwood would be ashamed of thus far. None of the three have played each other, but that changes this weekend. Penn State goes to Columbus on Saturday at 11 a.m. Michigan is at Penn State on Nov 11. Michigan and Ohio State play in Ann Arbor the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Anything could happen here. All three of these teams are playoff worthy. They're not all three going to get there. Two of them could. The Big Ten has absolutely nothing after these three teams, but these three are all in the top six to eight in the country. In the last year of divisions, it's going to be an incredible race.
7) Let's come back to the SEC. Here are my thoughts on the league all in one post:
When Georgia really cares and focuses, it's still really good. It just doesn't really care and focus all that often. It really doesn't have to. The Bulldogs can win most of their games with a C effort, as they did yesterday over Vanderbilt, 38-20. The biggest story out of this one is a sprained ankle for Brock Bowers. How long is he on the shelf for and can Georgia overcome it?
Alabama beat Arkansas. The Crimson Tide really isn't close to what we've become used to. But they're winning. They'll face LSU in three weeks in what looks like the SEC West championship game. The Razorbacks aren't terrible. They're really beat up but they play hard as hell. They've lost five in a row, but the last four weeks they've played LSU, A&M, Ole Miss and Alabama, all away from home. Did Hunter Yurachek piss off the schedule makers?
It's weird seeing a Josh Heupel offense that can't throw the ball but that's what we've got. Tennessee is 89th in the country in passing yards per game and 79th in QB rating (proof that being able to throw a football through a brick wall doesn't make you a great quarterback). But the Vols are getting it done by being 6th in the country in rushing yards, 5th in yards per carry and 17th in total defense. That plus a 39-yard punt return for a TD was enough to beat Texas A&M (aka 8-4 U) 20-13 in Knoxville yesterday.
LSU just keeps rolling. 48 points behind 325 passing yards from Jayden Daniels had the Tigers coasting against Auburn. If there's a better offense in college football I haven't seen it.
Graham Mertz threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns yesterday. Yes, it's possible South Carolina has the worst defense in the history of organized football I guess, but that's not a sentence I ever thought I'd type. It doesn't seem like anybody thinks Florida is any good, but the Gators are 5-2 and 3-1 in the SEC with a week off before facing Georgia in the Cocktail Party. They can't be counted out as a factor.
8) My Heisman ballot as of today:
Michael Penix Jr., QB Washington
Jayden Daniels, QB LSU
Travis Hunter, WR/DB Colorado
9) My playoff teams as of today:
Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Penn State. That means Oklahoma is losing a game, Florida State is losing a game. It means Michigan beats Penn State and Ohio State and the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes. It means Georgia either goes unbeaten or drops one but wins the SEC. There are a million miles to go before we get there. Here are the teams that still have at least a sliver of hope to make the playoff:
Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, Duke, Texas, Iowa, USC, Oregon State, Utah, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss.
Those are all the Power Five teams with 0 or 1 loss. None of them are eliminated before they lose a second. That's 19 teams for four spots with 5 or 6 games to play. A lot of them play each other. It's gonna be a fun season.
10) Five games I'll watch next week besides Mizzou vs South Carolina:
Penn State at Ohio State, 11 am, FOX--This one's a banger
Washington State at Oregon, 2:30, ABC--I think the Ducks bounce back...but the Cougs are good enough to upset some people
Tennessee at Alabama, 2:30, CBS--The winner keeps hope alive. The loser is out of the CFP discussion and probably out of the race to win its division
Duke at Florida State, 6:30, ABC--The Blue Devils are good enough to go win this game
Utah at USC, 7:00, FOX--Again, an elimination game as far as the national conversation goes
