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College Football Week 6: Playoff Hopes, Upsets & Top 25
Photo Courtesy of NFL Media
Former Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green delivered one of the all-time one liners when he angrily exclaimed during a press conference: “They are what we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!” You can see the full meltdown here. This lesson and meltdown can apply to college football as well, where multiple teams dreaming of the playoffs or a conference championship watched their hopes go up in flames by not being ready when the ball was kicked off. Everything was in front of them and against a team they probably considered inferior, and yet so many teams blew it this week. Lack of focus hurt college football in a big way this week. Now let the debate begin over which multiple loss team should get into the playoffs and which with an inexplicable loss should stay home.
Start with the Florida Gators whose playoff dream is now likely over. John Sumrall’s reclamation project took a step forward this season but now two giant steps backwards after they were bamboozled by a mediocre at best South Carolina team whose coach is squarely on the hot seat. The Gators looked incompetent in all three phases of the game. Jadan Baugh’s Heisman hopes continue to fade. He had just 50 yards, and LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecocks ran away with the game in a dominant 3rd quarter. It doesn’t get any easier for Florida. They travel to Austin next to face the Texas Longhorns.
The aforementioned Longhorns also blew it last week and did it as the number one team in the nation. Texas just has no offensive consistency, and star quarterback Arch Manning is just not playing well enough to pull the Longhorns through. They lost in the Red River Rivalry to Oklahoma 27-24, surrendering 17 points in the fateful 4th quarter. Oregon could have gotten back in the race after an early loss to Oklahoma State but looked woefully unprepared in a loss to UCLA. Backup quarterback Dominic Raiola was the top recruit in the nation but was awful in the loss. He went 6-19 for 43 yards and two interceptions. He was replaced by the third string quarterback. What are you doing LSU? At home, they’ve looked like a national title contender, blasting both Clemson and Texas A&M. The team cannot get it together on the road though, this time falling at Kentucky in overtime on a two-point conversion. LSU drops to 4-2 and likely needs to win the SEC or run the table to make it to the playoffs.
Do Something ACC
Boy is the ACC terrible outside of Miami. Duke had an opportunity to claim a clear path to being the second best team, only to falter at Georgia Tech who is not very good. Pitt got a huge win at Virginia Tech, but lost star quarterback Mason Heintschel to a torn ACL in the process. At 5-0, they could have still been the team but promptly went out and lost at home to a reeling UNC team led by Bill Belichick. This was the first win for Belichick over a ranked team since taking over the Tar Heels. As for Virginia Tech, they followed the loss against Pitt on a missed field goal by laying an egg at Cal in a 25-20 loss. Then there is Florida State. Have they quit on Mike Norvell? FSU led 14-0 and decided to go for it on their own 2. They failed. On the very next series, Louisville ran for a 98 yard touchdown. The Cards would go on to score 35 straight points in a 44-20 victory. The Noles get Miami and Clemson in their next two games.
On this week’s rankings, I know Bama fans are upset, but that was pass interference against them late in the game, and Georgia earned that win. I was waiting for them early in the year, but now the Dawgs have proven they deserve to be number one. I’m not convinced on Indiana yet. They’ve struggled with both MAYBE good teams they’ve played (Northwestern and Nebraska). Prove it this week against Ohio State, then I will believe. If you saw UCLA at all, you would believe, but they won’t be able to get it done without star QB Nico Iamaleava. They get Wisconsin next, then end the season with Michigan and USC. Head Coach Bob Chesney has led a remarkable turnaround there and should get to a good bowl game regardless.
TOP 25 FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 12TH
GEORGIA (6-0) This includes four SEC wins, the best being at Alabama
- NOTRE DAME (6-0) Of this next group of teams, ND has the best win, easily over Wisconsin
- MIAMI (5-0) If the vote were today, Darrian Mensah would be my Heisman
- TEXAS TECH (5-0) Don’t be surprised if they struggle with Arizona State this week
- UCLA (5-0) Don’t think they can stay here with Nico Iamaleava out for the season
- BYU (5-0) They get Notre Dame this week with the winner in my top 2 next week
- INDIANA (6-0) Back to back wins over previously unbeaten Northwestern and Nebraska, but both were in doubt the whole game
- UTAH (5-0) Best wins are Arkansas, Iowa State, and Kansas. That’s not great
- TEXAS (4-1) Ohio State win is the best any one loss team has
- OHIO STATE (5-1) Win over Iowa and close loss to Texas is slightly better than what Missouri has done
- ALABAMA (5-1) To me they’re close to even with Missouri. Only team to beat Kentucky
- MISSOURI (5-1) They have a worse loss (at Mississippi State) but better wins than Ohio State
- IOWA (5-1) Impressed with how they ran over Washington
- MISSISSIPPI STATE (4-1) Only team to beat Missouri. Only loss is to Bama
- TENNESSEE (5-1) Based on the tough Texas loss
- KENTUCKY (5-1) Huge OT win over LSU propels them into rankings
- WAKE FOREST (5-1) No one has played Miami tougher
- HOUSTON (5-1) This is a dangerous team
- WISCONSIN (4-1) 4 in a row since opening loss to Notre Dame
- ARIZONA (5-1) Still have Big 12 chance with Utah and Texas Tech on schedule
- NORTHWESTERN (4-1) Beat Penn State and smoked Colorado. Loss is to Indiana
- OKLAHOMA STATE (4-1) Can’t get over the opening loss to Tulsa, even though they look much better now
- SMU (4-1) Can they help the ACC? Certainly have the QB for it
- SOUTHERN CAL (6-1) Pick up a quality win at Penn State
