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

We had another great week of college football in week 10. The top teams in the nation got pushed, and there were some stunning upsets that all but ended the seasons of a couple teams. Check out the fallout below.

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: Clemson, Georgia Southern, Minnesota, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Dropped from the rankings: West Virginia (20), East Carolina (24)

25 (23). LSU (7-2) – IDLE

24 (21). Boise State (6-2) – IDLE

23 (12). Georgia (6-2) – The Bulldogs at times look like the best team in the nation, and then they get blown out by a horrible Florida offense. I don’t know what to make of this team anymore.

22 (NR). Iowa (6-2) – Iowa opened some eyes with their dismantling of a normally pretty solid Northwestern squad. They are the dark horse in the conference.

21 (NR). Oklahoma (6-2) – Trevor Knight and company got back on track with a huge offensive day against Iowa State. The Big 12 is insane.

20 (22). Colorado State (8-1) – This is a team that we really don’t know much about, but they keep piling up wins in a really decent Mountain West Conference. They are a program on the rise.

19 (14). Mississippi (7-2) – Ole Miss gets their first home loss of the year at the hands of Auburn. It’s hard to believe that they have lost two in a row after those magical first 7 games.

18 (18). Marshall (8-0) – IDLE

17 (17). Utah (6-2) – The Utes got a hard fought road loss at ASU. The Pac-12 South is up for grabs. They are all taking each other out.

16 (19). Duke (7-1) – Duke is rolling right now. They look better than they did last season and is clearly the 2^nd best ACC team.

15 (8). Arizona (7-2) – For the first time, the slow offensive start for the Wildcats translated into a loss. UCLA was able to just confuse and shut them down all game.

14 (25). UCLA (7-2) – I really wish I could figure this team out. They are up and down and still the most talented team in the conference.

13 (16). Nebraska (8-1) – They won a sluggish game, but that was mostly due to Abdullah getting injured early on. They get a week off for him to get right before a key matchup in Madison.

12 (13). Ohio State (7-1) – This team is really hitting its stride and is as scary as any team in the nation with JT Barrett at the helm.

11 (10). Michigan State (7-1) – IDLE

10 (15). Arizona State (7-1) – They got one of the more impressive wins of the weekend with their gutsy victory over Utah. This team, aside from a disastrous special teams effort against UCLA, looks like one of the elite teams in the nation.

9 (11). Baylor (7-1) – The Bears continue to roll all over the weak teams and battle with the good teams. I love following that conference.

8 (6). Alabama (7-1) – IDLE

7 (5). Notre Dame (7-1) – They struggled mightily against Navy, as they usually do. Some games this team just decides to go through the motions. Remember the UNC game?

6 (9). Oregon (8-1) – The Ducks were able to open it up against Stanford for the first time in a while. This team is constantly improving.

5 (7). Auburn (7-1) – Winning in Ole Miss is nothing to take lightly. They looked like one of the nation’s elite, aside from their inconsistent pass defense.

4 (4). Kansas State (7-1) – What makes this K-State team different than the previous ones is that this team really can score.

3 (3). TCU (7-1) – TCU got another very impressive road win in Morgantown. It is hard to fathom that it really only took two years for this program to take over the Big 12.

2 (2). Florida State (8-0) – They got another scare and another huge comeback. They can’t win it all if they come out like that against a decent team.

1 (1). Mississippi State (8-0) – They still deserve to be #1, despite a lackluster effort against Arkansas. They get a glorified bye next week before heading to Tuscaloosa.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. Oregon (#6) at Utah (#17), 7:00PM ESPN – Oregon is not the best road team out there, and Utah is typically very tough to beat at home. I am really intrigued by the clash of styles as well.

PREDICTION: Oregon 34-27

4. Alabama (#8) at LSU (#26), 5:00PM CBS – This matchup has become an annual thriller. Even though LSU is down, they proved that they can still take care of a top ranked team in Death Valley. Can they slow up the Tide offense?

PREDICTION: LSU 21-19

3. Ohio State (#12) at Michigan State (#11), 5:00PM ABC – Last year, in the B1G Championship Game, this game was uncompetitive. I can’t see that being the case this year. Michigan State seems incapable of losing a conference game, but this Ohio State team is frightening.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 34-30

2. Notre Dame (#7) at Arizona State (#10), 12:30PM ESPN – This is one of the marquee matchups of the season. ASU is coming in hot, and Notre Dame just nearly lost to Navy. What does that mean?

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 24-10

1. Kansas State (#4) at TCU (#3), 4:30PM FOX – This is the game that will likely decide the conference. K-State is still unbeaten in Big 12 play, and TCU has an offense that is relentless. This should be a stunner.

PREDICTION: Kansas State 23-21

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin – It is hard to get in when you are on a team that has a couple losses, but he is having a ridiculous season.

4. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State – He is actually asked to do a lot more for this Seminole squad, and he is racking up the Heisman moments once again.

3. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska – The injury should not take him out of contention. If he still comes back and carries his team to a conference title, then he should be a shoo-in nominee.

2. Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State – He had a shaky effort this week, but he is the best player on the best team. That is almost always enough to get invited.

1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon – He has been unbelievably efficient, and he finally beat Stanford. He is and should be the frontrunner.

College Football Playoff Projections

Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl: Mississippi State over Colorado State

Cotton Bowl: Baylor over Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl: TCU over Auburn

Orange Bowl: Oregon over Duke

College Football Playoff Semifinal #1 (Rose Bowl): Kansas State over Florida State

CFB Playoff Semifinal #2 (Sugar Bowl): Alabama over Notre Dame

National Championship Game: Alabama over Kansas State

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

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!