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

College football doesn’t get more exciting than that Michigan-Michigan State game. The absolutely shocking, absurd, and amazing ending had Jim Harbaugh almost weeping in his khakis. This week also showed us that a team is capable of turning the ball over 7 times in the first half. Way to go Boise. Oh, and Baylor was held to just 62 points. Just another week in college football!

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: Arizona, Duke, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Marshall, Western Kentucky

Dropped from the rankings: Boise State (16), UCLA (17), Northwestern (18), Arizona State (24)

25 (20). Mississippi (5-2) – Everyone made their loss out to be some big upset, but they were playing on the road in the non-conference in the middle of the season against a borderline elite offense. They were going to lose, and they lost their best player to an injury because they decided to keep playing their DT at RB with a 2 touchdown lead. This team can’t get out of its own way.

24 (NR). North Carolina (5-1) – Their resume is looking stronger each week. This team can really score. Their only loss was an ugly season opener to South Carolina by 4 points.

23 (NR). California (5-1) – IDLE

22 (22). Florida State (6-0) – I cannot buy into this team. They have some real players, but they can’t take over a game. They are the weakest of the unbeatens.

21 (NR). Pittsburgh (5-1) – Pitt has quietly moved up the rankings in the ACC. Their sole loss was against Iowa, which is looking more reasonable with each passing week.

20 (NR). Temple (6-0) – The only time the Owls have appeared to struggle with anyone this year was against Cincinnati. They have one of the most underrated defenses in the land.

19 (21). Houston (6-0) – Any other year, this would be the slam dunk Group of 5 choice. They are dominant in every way. Tom Herman is going to get a great job next year.

18 (23). Toledo (6-0) – Toledo continues to ride the momentum of beating Arkansas to just dismantle every team that steps in their way.

17 (25). Memphis (6-0) – The American Conference is the 4^th best conference in America. Memphis appears to have one of the best offenses in the country, and their defense actually showed up in their whipping of Ole Miss as well.

16 (9). Florida (6-1) – The Gators performed admirably after Will Grier was suspended for a year due to PEDs. Losing in Death Valley is no shame, but their potential going forward looks a little bleak.

15 (6). Texas A&M (5-1) – They simply cannot win big SEC games at home. They rallied in the second half, but Alabama put them away by running the ball down their throat.

14 (3). Michigan (5-2) – There really are no words for their loss. They lead for the entire game...until the last play.

13 (13). Oklahoma State (6-0) – IDLE

12 (15). Iowa (7-0) – Iowa exposed Northwestern on Saturday. Iowa hasn’t really played anyone, and they won’t play anyone. But they are undefeated.

11 (19). Oklahoma (5-1) – Their 55-0 win on the road in Manhattan just shows how much of a fluke losing to Texas was. They played angry, and they took it out on Bill Snyder’s overmatched squad.

10 (14). Notre Dame (6-1) – The Irish looked pretty good against an inspired and upset-minded USC team. They are just going to quietly move along with one-loss until they play Stanford.

9 (11). Alabama (6-1) – They had a mightily impressive win on the road. Their loss to Ole Miss seems less and less like a great loss.

8 (4). TCU (7-0) – TCU simply has no defense. You cannot give up points to Iowa State, especially not 21 in the first quarter.

7 (5). Clemson (6-0) – Clemson struggled a bit with Boston College, which is surprising considering how much they struggle to put any points on the board. They are still one of the best teams out there, and they are probably not going to lose in the regular season.

6 (12). Stanford (5-1) – They are maybe the best team playing right now. That offense has really gotten going. It is just hard to justify their loss to Northwestern given what we now know about both teams.

5 (10). Michigan State (7-0) – Yeah, they won with a lucky last play. They played way better than I thought they were going to, though. Connor Cook is a big game QB.

4 (6). LSU (6-0) – They won differently this week. Fournette did not exactly go off, but Brandon Harris played a strong game at quarterback and proved that this is the team to beat in the SEC.

3 (8). Ohio State (7-0) – The Buckeyes have finally figured it out. Cardale Jones is the starter, and JT Barrett is the red zone guy. They will not lose in the regular season if they keep that up.

2 (2). Utah (6-0) – I was impressed with Utah taking down a pesky, talented, and upset-minded Arizona State squad. They are going to be a force, but they are now the hunted. I would be surprised if they can get through conference play unscathed.

1 (1). Baylor (6-0) – They could drop 50 points on any defense. They can actually stop some people too…not well, but they aren’t giving up 40 points to anybody outside of maybe Oklahoma or TCU. They probably shouldn’t lose, but then again last year I thought the same thing before they got a 14 point loss on the road. This team just seems different.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. Western Kentucky at LSU (#4), 4:00PM ESPNU – You know it is a weak slate of games when I am looking for a potentially closer than expected game. WKU can score, and those midseason non-conference mid major games for SEC teams don’t always go as planned.

PREDICTION: LSU 41-27

4. Washington State at Arizona, 1:00PM TBD – The Cougars have been great since getting beat by Portland State to start the year. Arizona has been struggling. This could be a great game, and Gameday said that they will likely be in Pullman on Halloween night if WSU gets past the Cats.

PREDICTION: Washington State 31-28

3. California (#23) at UCLA, THU 6:00PM ESPN – UCLA is still one of the most talented teams out there. They have never been a traditionally good home team. California had a week off after the heartbreaker in Salt Lake. I like this matchup.

PREDICTION: UCLA 24-16

2. Utah (#2) at USC, 4:30PM FOX – I am not sure what else could go wrong for USC. Utah rolls into town, not having exactly been most impressive in recent weeks. Upset?

PREDICTION: USC 35-28

1. Texas A&M (#15) at Mississippi (#25), 4:00PM ESPN – The only matchup of ranked teams has a couple teams coming off tough losses. Ole Miss at home is tough to beat, but A&M can travel.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 34-20

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State – He is the best player on the team, maybe the best player in the ACC. He is single-handedly keeping the team unbeaten when they are not asking the QB to do much of anything.

4. Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU – He might not be having the statistical year he had a year ago, but he is still dominant and scoring touchdowns at will.

3. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford – He is setting all-purpose records in Palo Alto. His emergence alone has ensured that Stanford will no longer struggle to score. He is a gamebreaker.

2. Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor – He is being put in the same sentence as two-time Biletnikoff winners Justin Blackmon and Michael Crabtree. His first half season has been absolutely unreal.

1. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU – He is the best player in the country. The entire defense keys on him, and he still drops 125. He is unstoppable. Only an injury will prevent him from taking the trophy.

College Football Playoff Projections

Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl: Michigan State over Memphis

Rose Bowl: Utah over Iowa

Fiesta Bowl: Toledo over TCU

Sugar Bowl: Alabama over Florida State

College Football Playoff Semifinal #1 (Orange Bowl): Ohio State over Stanford

CFB Playoff Semifinal #2 (Cotton Bowl): Baylor over LSU

National Championship Game: Baylor over Ohio State

There you have it! Comment below and give me your take on that Michigan-Michigan State finish, which is, for my money, the craziest walk-off win I have ever seen,

Week 10 College Football Recap: Rankings, Heisman, BCS Projections

After a week hiatus/vacation in Las Vegas, I am back with my Week 10 Recap! If not for Virginia Tech’s stunning loss to Duke, my Cornhuskers laying an egg on the road, and my nemesis Missouri missing a chip shot, I would have come home way ahead. Anyway, check out my reactions to what transpired the last couple of weeks:

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: Arizona, Ball State, BYU, Notre Dame, Texas

Dropped from the rankings: Notre Dame (24), BYU (25)

25 (NR). Houston (7-1) – This offense is for real. They had a bit of a hiccup on a short week against South Florida, but they got it done. Their stretch run begins now.

24 (NR). Arizona State (6-2) – When the Sun Devils are at their best, they are maybe the best team in the division.

23 (21). LSU (7-2) – IDLE. Next week: at Alabama.

22 (20). Texas Tech (7-2) – They had a tough loss to an inspired and hard-to-prepare-for Oklahoma State team. They are still a great offense and one that no one really wants to face. I can’t wait to see the chess match shootout when the Red Raiders play Baylor.

21 (23). Michigan State (8-1) – So, they can lose to Notre Dame and almost shut out Michigan? They can have no offense and now score 30 per game? This is a team I cannot get a read on. We will see how they handle the pressure in Nebraska following their bye next week.

20 (22). Wisconsin (6-2) – The Badgers look really strong right now. If there was a rematch with the Buckeyes, my money might be on this team.

19 (19). Oklahoma (7-1) – IDLE. Next week: at Baylor.

18 (16). UCLA (6-2) – They appeared to be sleepwalking for part of the game against a putrid Colorado team. They had better show up in Arizona next week if they want to win the South.

17 (17). Northern Illinois (9-0) – They do not have any decent teams left on their schedule. Jordan Lynch is a freak, though. They are fun to watch.

16 (18). Oklahoma State (7-1) – They had a big time win in Lubbock. They still control their own destiny in that strange Big 12.

15 (15). Louisville (7-1) – IDLE. Next week: at Connecticut.

14 (14). UCF (6-1) – IDLE. Next week: vs Houston.

13 (13). South Carolina (7-2) – This team is so confusing. They had another nice win yesterday and a huge win last week against Missouri after an embarrassing loss to Tennessee. They are a good team, though…I think?

12 (12). Texas A&M (7-2) – The Aggies got a mini-bye week with UTEP going to College Station. They took care of business early.

11 (10). Fresno State (8-0) – Their defense has been exposed the past few weeks. They have the offensive talent to score on nearly anyone, but without a solid defense, I cannot see them actually upsetting anyone.

10 (8). Miami (7-1) – They performed about as well as could be expected against one of the true class teams in the nation. It was still disappointing to see how horribly they handled pressure, though. They will, in all likelihood, get another shot at the Noles in the ACC Title Game.

9 (11). Missouri (8-1) – The Tigers had another dominating win over the weekend. Their only loss was not in regulation. How did this team get so good so fast?

8 (9). Auburn (8-1) – Not that it really matters (since voters will not move them off the 1-line if they keep winning), but Alabama has got to be the biggest Auburn fans out there now. Bama has such an easy schedule that they need the Iron Bowl to mean something. This is a tough-minded and sneaky great team.

7 (7). Clemson (8-1) – The offense finally opened it up again to show what they are really capable of. They are absolutely in the driver’s seat to go to a BCS bowl if they can avoid an upset against in-state rival South Carolina to close the season.

6 (6). Stanford (7-1) – IDLE. Next week: vs Oregon.

5 (5). Ohio State (9-0) – The Buckeyes have stopped playing down to their competition, finally. They are looking like a team that is good enough to beat an Alabama or Oregon. They have very few tough games left. They have a tricky rivalry game against a weaker Michigan squad and potentially a shot at the nation’s best defense (Sparty) in the B1G Title Game.

4 (3). Baylor (7-0) – IDLE. Next week: vs Oklahoma.

3 (4). Florida State (8-0) – They now have perhaps the two most impressive wins of the season, after hammering unbeaten Clemson and Miami teams. They look like an NFL team against the ACC. It is such a shame that they, Ohio State, and Baylor will not have a shot at the BCS Championship. That stupid 4-team “solution” wouldn’t even work this year. HOLIDAY MADNESS, anyone?

2 (2). Alabama (8-0) – IDLE. Next week: vs LSU.

1 (1). Oregon (8-0) – IDLE. Next week: at Stanford.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. BYU at Wisconsin (#20), 12:30PM ESPN – If you like smash-mouth football, then this is the game of the weekend. The rushing attacks of these two teams are as good as there is in the country. I love this matchup. And is it just me, or is BYU a lot better Independent than expected? PREDICTION: Wisconsin 31-24

4. Houston (#25) at UCF (#14), 4:00PM ESPN2 – The AAC is going to be entertaining from now until the end of the season. This is the start of the terrific matchups. PREDICTION: UCF 44-38

3. LSU (#23) at Alabama (#2), 5:00PM CBS – This is always one of the best games of the year. I have been calling for this upset for weeks, but now I just cannot go through with it. It will be a close one, and if there is an SEC team with a shot at taking down the beast, it is LSU. PREDICTION: Alabama 31-23

2. Oklahoma (#19) at Baylor (#4), THURSDAY 4:30PM FS1 – This is going to be the first real test of how good that Baylor offense is. Oklahoma is not elite, but they are Oklahoma. This should be quite a show. Thursday is going to be amazing. PREDICTION: Baylor 42-31

1. Oregon (#1) at Stanford (#6), THURSDAY 6:00PM ESPN – How did the 2^nd most anticipated game of the year (behind Bama-A&M) get stuck on a Thursday night? This is the one everyone wants to see and the real test for Oregon, if there is any team that really can test them. PREDICTION: Oregon 38-34

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama – At some point, this guy it going to get his due. He is not Greg McElroy or Jason White or Danny Wuerffel. He is an NFL-level talent and the reason why his team keeps winning.

4. Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois – His rushing stats are just ridiculous. His passing is improving. He is like a better version of 2012 Heisman finalist Colin Klein, but with speed.

3. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M – He just effortlessly dominates games every week. His stats are even more impressive than his Heisman campaign last year.

2. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State – He had some bad decisions and throws for the first time this year in his rivalry game win over Miami. He responded well and will be in the spotlight until the 2015 NFL Draft.

1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon – He is still clearly the best player in the nation. He is polished and virtually unstoppable. That Stanford game is looming and bigger than ever.

BCS Projections

Rose Bowl – Stanford over Ohio State

Orange Bowl – Florida State over UCF

Sugar Bowl – Auburn over Clemson

Fiesta Bowl – Baylor over Fresno State

BCS Championship Game – Oregon over Alabama

What did you think of the past couple weeks? Did you see the Hail Mary to end the Nebraska-Northwestern game (video below)? Who would you put in the BCS Championship Game as of right now? Will any of the top 5 lose? Let me know!