Week 11 College Football Recap: November Chaos

Well, that just happened. Three of the top four teams in the CFP rankings got upended in the same day, leaving just Alabama and Western Michigan with a zero in the loss column. But the playoffs were already cut and dry, right? Yeah, people fall into the same trap every season. No one goes undefeated. There will never be five unbeaten conference champs. It was a crazy Saturday, and it was so crazy that the rankings are basically going to look the way they did going in. I love November.

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: Florida, New Mexico, Toledo

Dropped from the rankings: North Carolina (19), Texas A&M (21), Wyoming (23), Virginia Tech (24)

25 (NR). Houston (8-2) – The Cougars are stumbling along, setting up one of the most anticipated games of the season, which is this Thursday night against Top 5 ranked Louisville.

24 (NR). Florida State (7-3) – They have probably had the toughest schedule in the nation outside of Wisconsin, and when they are on, they are really tough to beat.

23 (8). Auburn (7-3) – A loss to Georgia is a bit of an embarrassment. They needed that game to have the Iron Bowl mean something. Now, Alabama has clinched a spot in the SEC Championship.

22 (NR). Stanford (7-3) – Their three losses are to top 11 teams, and now that they are getting healthy, they are starting to look like themselves again.

21 (NR). Troy (8-1) – Their lone loss is at Clemson. They haven’t really beaten anyone, but they are still a solid squad.

20 (20). LSU (6-3) – The Tigers definitely rebounded after getting shut out at home last week. Arkansas ran into a buzz saw.

19 (25). Oklahoma State (8-2)* – The Pokes are sitting there with two losses, but that “loss” to Central Michigan shouldn’t be held against them. They are every bit as good as the other teams in the conference, but their loss to Baylor looks a little worse now.

18 (18). Nebraska (8-2) – They played their equal in Minnesota and it came down to the wire. No surprises there.

17 (14). Utah (8-2) – Utah looked sluggish for a little while before opening it up in the second half and blowing out ASU.

16 (17). Boise State (9-1) – Boise is remaining quiet in the MWC, and with another upset of Wyoming, they will sneak into the championship game, setting up a likely 11-1 vs 11-1 matchup against SDSU. Watch out Western Michigan. This team has a win over Washington State on their resume.

15 (15). Penn State (8-2) – They should have lost to Indiana, but they did something that too many teams this week didn’t do. They found a way to get out with a win.

14 (22). USC (7-3) – Their win over Washington in Seattle is one of the most impressive wins of the year. Sam Darnold is an absolute stud.

13 (12). West Virginia (8-1) – After their loss, everyone has written them off. I am not too convinced that they aren’t still one of the better, most complete teams in the country.

12 (13). Oklahoma (8-2) – The Sooners are right in position to make some noise in the CFP after losing two of their first three. Amazing how that works. This sport isn’t predictable or anything.

11 (16). Colorado (8-2) – The Buffs are legit. They still control their own destiny in the South.

10 (10) San Diego State (9-1) – The Aztecs are having a magical season, especially their star RB Donnel Pumphrey. If not for that strange loss to South Alabama, they would be getting a lot more national respect.

9 (11). Washington State (8-2) – The Cougars have had just as impressive of a rebound as Oklahoma. After losing to Eastern Washington and Boise State, they have rattled off eight straight wins. They could be a playoff team.

8 (5). Clemson (9-1) – Losing at home to Pitt finally exposed what we already knew about Clemson. They are fraudulent. They are 2014 Florida State. Thank you, James Conner.

7 (9). Western Michigan (10-0) – They keep winning, but for the first time all year, they looked stale early in the game.

6 (3). Michigan (9-1) – The lost at Iowa, which is not an easy place to play, but it still looked ugly. They could hardly move the ball at all.

5 (2). Washington (9-1) – Not only did they lose to USC, but they were outmatched for most of the game. It was a humbling loss for the Huskies.

4 (7). Louisville (9-1) – They were terrible for about 35 minutes against Wake Forest. Then they rattled off 44 in a row to make it look good.

3 (6). Wisconsin (8-2) – They are absolutely worthy of the playoffs. Their schedule was absolutely ridiculous, and barring an upset from Minnesota in the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe, they will be sitting pretty.

2 (4). Ohio State (9-1) – The Buckeyes had back-to-back 62-3 wins. Pretty sure that has never happened before.

1 (1). Alabama (10-0) – They are number one. No doubt.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. San Diego State (#10) at Wyoming, 12:30PM CBS Sports – This is one of the most interesting matchups in the MWC. It is a battle of teams that are definitely committed to running the ball, and they are both unbelievably good at it. This should be an entertaining, under-the-radar game.

PREDICTION: San Diego State 28-27

4. Florida at LSU (#20), 10:00AM SEC Network – If LSU wants to keep dreams alive to play in the New Years Six bowl, then they need to take advantage of the venue change and win this game.

PREDICTION: LSU 17-0

3. Oklahoma (#12) at West Virginia (#13), 5:00PM ABC – The Sooners are rolling, and the Mountaineers have the best defense in the conference. This is going to be a war.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 24-22

2. Washington State (#9) at Colorado (#11), TBD – This is one of the biggest games of the year in the Pac-12. The Cougars are the best road team in the conference, and Colorado is the scariest team that no one wants to play.

PREDICTION: Washington State 49-41

1. Louisville (#4) at Houston (#25), THU 5:00PM ESPN – Houston has the talent to make Louisville suffer for their lackluster starts recently. If Greg Ward is healthy…

PREDICTION: Houston 38-34

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. Zach Terrell, QB, Western Michigan – If his team continues to win, he is going to be hard to deny a trip to New York with the season he is having.

4. Jake Browning, QB, Washington – It was a bump in the road for Browning. He will be better for it though. His numbers still are as impressive as anyone in the nation.

3. Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State – He is going to be the most decorated runner in college football history.

2. Jabrill Peppers, LB, Michigan – Harbaugh is still doing everything he can to ensure his placement here.

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville – He made it look good. Having a flair for the dramatic, like Johnny Manziel, is good enough to win.

College Football Playoff Projections

Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl: Louisville over Michigan

Rose Bowl: Ohio State over USC

Fiesta Bowl: Washington State over Oklahoma

Sugar Bowl: LSU over Western Michigan

College Football Playoff Semifinal #1 (Orange Bowl): Alabama over Washington

CFB Playoff Semifinal #2 (Cotton Bowl): Wisconsin over Clemson

National Championship Game: Alabama over Wisconsin

What did you think of week 11’s craziness? Comment below…

Week 4 College Football Recap: Trap Game Saturday

This week brought us some really interesting games that probably shouldn’t have been that interesting. With 3 top 10 matchups next week, it would be easy for teams to peek ahead and lay an egg. Washington and Stanford were guilty of this, but the other squads took care of business early (Michigan, Wisconsin, Louisville, Louisville). Next week has one of the most intriguing slates in years. We are even lucky enough to get one of the top 10 matchups on Friday night. I can’t wait. Here’s my breakdown of week 4 in college football…

 

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: Arizona State, Arkansas, Colorado, South Florida

Dropped from the rankings: Oklahoma State (16), Georgia (17), LSU (19), South Florida (20), California (22), Army (24)

25 (NR). West Virginia (3-0) – They survived a test at home by a desperate BYU squad. Their offense is great, but this is not a vintage WV defense.

24 (NR). Tennessee (4-0) – The Vols came storming back at home to beat their rival Florida. It was a terrible football game, but the Vols improved to the most unimpressive 4-0 of any team.

23 (23). North Dakota State (3-0) – IDLE

22 (NR). TCU (3-1) – Their only loss to Arkansas is looking ok, even though they had that game won before choking it away by poor clock management. They are going to be a tough out in the Big 12.

21 (NR). Miami (3-0) – I am not buying in completely, but there are just not enough deserving teams to fill out a top 25.

20 (NR). Mississippi (2-2) – The Rebels showed their merit by annihilating Georgia. The loss to Florida State still stings, but they showed something putting up 40+ points on Alabama.

19 (NR). Western Michigan (4-0) – They have two wins over the Big Ten, and they just took out the best team in the Sun Belt. They are going to sneak up on national rankings as the weeks tick toward December.

18 (9).  Michigan State (2-1) – Their win over Notre Dame looks less impressive, and they got rolled by Wisconsin. They need a new option at QB if they want to compete in the Big Ten East.

16 (21). Florida State (3-1) – The Noles looked like a different team playing a tricky road game at South Florida. They romped the Bulls almost as bad as they got romped the previous week at Louisville.

15 (18). Nebraska (4-0) – The Huskers won a road game against their budding rival Northwestern in an ugly game filled with mistakes on both sides.

14 (13). San Diego State (3-0) – IDLE

13 (14). Boise State (3-0) – Boise won in Corvallis, which isn’t really a difficult test, but it is their second win over a Pac-12 team this season.

12 (15). Utah (4-0) – The Utes looked shaky against USC, but they have a winning mentality that is going to be tough to shake. They are the best team in the Pac-12 South.

11 (11). Baylor (4-0) – The Bears faced their first good team of the year in Oklahoma State, and the team looks like the best team in the conference after a decisive win.

10 (10). Clemson (4-0) – The definition of a trap game was Clemson heading to GT, where they have struggled over the years. They passed the test by dominating the first half.

9 (7). Stanford (3-0) – Stanford struggled for 3 quarters against an average UCLA before taking over.

8 (6). Washington (4-0) – The first real opponent that the Huskies have played turned into an overtime nail-biter. Arizona typically wins those games, but UW survives to take on Stanford on Friday night under the lights.

7 (8). Texas A&M (4-0) – The Aggies are a scary team right now. Trevor Knight appears to be the best fit for the Sumlin system that he has ever had.

6 (5). Houston (4-0) – The Cougars won by one of the most lopsided scores of the year. It was Texas State, though. Their strength of schedule is going to cause them to keep falling until they play Louisville.

5 (12). Wisconsin (4-0) – The Badgers looked like a different team than the one that struggled with Georgia State a week ago. Hornibrook is definitely a better option at QB than Houston.

4 (3). Alabama (4-0) – Bama beat up on Nick Saban’s alma mater Kent State on Saturday. Impressive? Meh…

3 (2). Ohio State (3-0) – IDLE

2 (4). Michigan (4-0) – Penn State was a trendy pick to give Michigan a fight, the Wolverines ended the game early and look every bit of a national title contender.

1 (1). Louisville (4-0) – The Cardinals did nothing to lose their spot at the top of the rankings after destroying Marshall on the road.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. Western Michigan (#19) at Central Michigan, 4:00PM CBSSN – The battle of the two best directional schools will likely be a shootout. Both are good teams, even though CMU had an embarrassing loss to Virginia on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Western Michigan 41-24

4. Kansas State at West Virginia (#25), 12:30PM ESPNU – This is not the sexiest matchup, but Kansas State is a tough team taking on an unbeaten team in the conference. It is an intriguing game nonetheless.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 31-27

3. Wisconsin (#5) at Michigan (#2), 12:30PM TBD – Wisconsin is highly ranked because they do have two top 10 wins, but neither of them are really as impressive anymore. I don’t think they have much of a chance in Ann Arbor, but I’ll be watching.

PREDICTION: Michigan 28-7

2. Stanford (#9) at Washington (#8), FRI 6:00PM ESPN – This has become a mini rivalry over the years, but this is the most consequential game between them in decades. It will likely be a defensive struggle. I don’t usually like these types of matchups during the week, but I’ll take it.

PREDICTION: Washington 17-9

1. Louisville (#1) at Clemson (#10), 5:00PM ABC – Can Louisville win a big road game? Can DeShaun Watson perform like the preseason Heisman favorite he was supposed to be? I can’t wait for this game.

PREDICTION: Clemson 23-21

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. Seth Russell, QB, Baylor – His stats are going to continue to impress all year long. If healthy, he will be invited to NY.

4. JT Barrett, QB, Ohio State – He is the technician and only veteran on the most surprising offense in the nation.

3. Jabrill Peppers, LB/CB/S, Michigan – He is being groomed to be Charles Woodson, and he is having just as good of a season as the former Heisman winner did.

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford – He isn’t having quite the season as last year just yet, but his numbers are still just as impressive as any player not named…

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville – He is the most dynamic player in the nation by a mile. His rise to Heisman frontrunner can only be compared to Geno Smith. That didn’t end well, but I would be lying if I said he wasn’t the best at this point.

College Football Playoff Projections

Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl: Utah over San Diego State

Rose Bowl: Stanford over Wisconsin

Fiesta Bowl: Louisville over Baylor

Sugar Bowl: Houston over Texas A&M

College Football Playoff Semifinal #1 (Orange Bowl): Michigan over Washington

CFB Playoff Semifinal #2 (Cotton Bowl): Alabama over Clemson

National Championship Game: Michigan over Alabama

What did you think of this weekend? Rankings? Heisman predictions? Let me know below!

Week 7 College Football Recap: Rankings, Heisman, BCS Projections

So, this was the most eventful week of the season so far. I may have jumped the gun a bit on Baylor, but one of the great equalizers in college football is the revenge factor. Last year, Baylor ended K-State’s BCS Title run, and the Wildcats nearly returned the favor on Saturday. Washington proved that they can go blow-for-blow with Oregon, but a couple of late scores and miscues turned the score into a lopsided venture. Marcus Mariota was really the only difference between the teams talent-wise. Oklahoma had a very Sooner-like embarrassing upset loss in the middle of the season. Stanford got stunned in Utah. A few others struggled to avoid bad losses on the road. Check out the aftermath below!

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: East Carolina, Michigan, Northwestern, Oregon State, UCF

Dropped from the rankings: Michigan (19), Northwestern (20), Florida (24)

25 (NR). Michigan State (5-1) – With how bad their offense has been, there is no way that I thought they could be 5-1. You have to commend D’Antonio, though. He is one of the best in the business.

24 (NR). Houston (5-0) – They have not lost yet, but their conference is just terrible. They may have a battle of unbeatens in Louisville November 16^th.

23 (13). Oklahoma (5-1) – The Sooners had another classic confusing loss in a season that was so promising. I love it.

22 (23). Northern Illinois (6-0) – The Huskies continue to win in unimpressive fashion. Wins are wins, though…

21 (22). Nebraska (5-1) – Blowing out Purdue is nothing special, but they seemed to have really shored up that defense that got torched early in the year.

20 (21). Oklahoma State (4-1) – IDLE. Next week: vs TCU.

19 (12). Georgia (4-2) – Their injuries finally caught up to them. They still deserve a ton of credit for taking down most of the teams throughout the toughest part of their schedule.

18 (NR). Missouri (6-0) – They got it done against Georgia in their first test of the season. Their starting QB is also now out for the year. This will probably be their peak ranking this season.

17 (25). Virginia Tech (6-1) – Looking at their wins, none of them are overly impressive. Looking at who they lost to and how, it is clear that they deserve a bit more respect.

16 (18). South Carolina (5-1) – The Cocks obliterated Arkansas on the road. This team, more than any I can remember, wins in different ways each week. I don’t understand them.

15 (9). Washington (4-2) – They suffered a painful loss against Oregon with everyone in the country watching. They are still a fine team, but they may still be a year or two away from really competing for a Rose Bowl in the nation’s toughest conference.

14 (17). Fresno State (5-0) – IDLE. Next week: vs UNLV.

13 (16). Texas Tech (6-0) – They won with a different quarterback, which seemed to reignite the offensive attack. They are going to be a tough out.

12 (15). Miami (5-0) – IDLE. Next week: at North Carolina.

11 (4). Stanford (5-1) – I knew that Utah would give them all they could handle, but I didn’t think they could actually pull it off. There is no shame in losing that game, but their title hopes are all but gone. This seems similar to their loss in Seattle last year.

10 (14). Texas A&M (4-1) – The Aggies took the best shot in a road test against desperate Ole Miss. Johnny Football came up big again, this time in the running game. That offense is so ridiculously dynamic…

9 (11). LSU (6-1) – LSU continues to impress after a sluggish win over Florida.

8 (10). Louisville (6-0) – I told you that those Thursday games are always a little weird. Rutgers nearly pulled off the stunner when Louisville finally had the national stage. They are going to get every AAC team’s best shot week in and week out. I am not sure if they are good enough to withstand it.

7 (8). UCLA (5-0) – The Bruins looked strong against the putrid California defense. No one is talking about their championship hopes, but they are right there in the running with Oregon in the Pac-12.

6 (7). Ohio State (6-0) – IDLE. Next week: vs Iowa.

5 (6). Florida State (5-0) – IDLE. Next week: at Clemson.

4 (5). Clemson (6-0) – BC gave both Florida State and Clemson tough tests leading up to their long-awaited matchup next week. Clemson was able to get by…barely.

3 (2). Baylor (5-0) – The Bears had to gut out a victory against an inspired team on the road. The long touchdowns will not be available against everyone, but if this offense withstood this test, then they might not lose at all.

2 (3). Alabama (6-0) – Alabama had another cruising win in the weak part of the SEC. They finally opened it up on offense, though. They are looking unbelievably strong.

1 (1). Oregon (6-0) – The Ducks look absolutely unstoppable. I can only think of a few teams in the nation that could possibly upset them, unless they just have an off day and turn it over. That doesn’t seem likely at this point, however.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. Auburn at Texas A&M (#10), 12:30PM CBS – We really don’t know too much about Auburn just yet. Can they show up on the road against the toughest offense in the conference? My pick: Texas A&M

4. UCF at Louisville (#8), Friday 5:00PM ESPN – UCF has proven that they are a viable opponent, and Louisville has the national stage once again. Can they survive their toughest test of the season so far? My pick: Louisville

3. BYU at Houston (#24), 12:30PM ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU – BYU has the talent and offense to upset anyone. Houston will receive their first true test of the year. I am intrigued by this one. My pick: BYU

2. UCLA (#7) at Stanford (#11), 12:30PM ESPN2 – This will be a battle. Stanford cannot afford a second loss in conference. UCLA has been rolling, especially on the road. This should be a tremendous game. My pick: UCLA

1. Florida State (#5) at Clemson (#4), 5:00PM ABC – Obviously, this is the biggest game of the week and one of the biggest of the season. They both withstood BC’s inspired upset-minded efforts leading into next week. Who takes the next step toward the BCS Title Game? My pick: Florida State

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA – Hundley may be the top quarterback taken in the draft whenever he comes out. When they finally get a big game next weekend, the nation will take notice of this phenomenal talent.

4. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson – He has another huge game next weekend to show the nation that he is the best QB in the country. Can he keep up the pace in that unique offense?

3. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State – He had the week off, but playing against the senior Boyd on the road next week will really show if he has a real chance to win this.

2. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M – If he can take his team to a one-loss season the way they have been going, then he needs to be right there at the top of everyone’s ballot once again.

1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon – The early season favorite normally cannot keep up the pace all year, but he is the exception, I suspect. He is clearly the best player on whatever field he steps onto.

BCS Projections

Rose Bowl – UCLA over Ohio State

Orange Bowl – Clemson over Louisville

Sugar Bowl – Alabama over Fresno State

Fiesta Bowl – Baylor over LSU

BCS Championship Game – Oregon over Florida State

What did you think of this weekend? Rankings? Heisman predictions? Let me know below!