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 11 College Football Recap: Rankings, Heisman, Playoff Projections

It was a weekend of upsets and top teams underwhelming in trap games. It is going to set up a highly entertaining and intriguing final few weeks. Check out the Week 11 rundown below:

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: BYU, Florida State, Temple

Dropped from the rankings: Temple (18), UCLA (24)

25 (20). Memphis (8-2) – They blew a big lead to Houston, but there is no shame in that. Houston is elite on both sides of the ball.

24 (NR). Toledo (8-1) – IDLE

23 (23). Wisconsin (8-2) – IDLE

22 (11). Utah (8-2) – Arizona came in reeling, and Utah still got tripped up. The Utes have got to find consistency on the road if they want to ever take the Pac-12 Conference.

21 (13). LSU (7-2) – LSU got absolutely manhandled by Arkansas, which is sort of pathetic. Supposedly the Tigers were fraudulent. Never could have guessed that…sarcasm…

20 (NR). Oregon (7-3) – The Ducks with Vernon Adams look like a team that could contend for the conference title. It’s hard to justify their defensive woes, but beating Stanford on in Palo Alto is a big deal.

19 (21). USC (7-3) – They struggled for three quarters against Colorado, but they still got it done. Clay Helton might be the answer at head coach.

18 (6). Stanford (8-2) – Oregon came to play, and Stanford looked a step slow against them for the first time in about 5 years. This Stanford defense has been overrated all year.

17 (25). Northwestern (8-2) – The Wildcats just keep plugging away. Their two big losses seem like head-scratching outliers at this point.

16 (19). Michigan (8-2) – They survived at Indiana in double overtime. The biggest take away from that game is that the Hoosiers exposed a flaw in the Wolverine run defense that had previously been impenetrable.

15 (14). TCU (9-1) – The Frogs lost Boykin to injury, but you still can’t only beat Kansas by 6. That is inexcusable.

14 (22). Washington State (7-3) – At this point, the Cougars might be playing the best ball in the country. Everyone is slow to take them seriously because they lost to Portland State, but their offense is for real, and it travels well. They are a scary team.

13 (16). Navy (8-1) – Navy’s offense is playing as well as they ever had under Keenan Reynolds, who set the all time rushing TD record on Saturday. It might be the best option attack of this millennium.

12 (15). Michigan State (9-1) – The Spartans understandably slugged around against a weaker opponent on Saturday. Their season will be defined by if they can take down Ohio State or not.

11 (12). Florida (9-1) – The Gators are one of the teams that just hangs around and piles up wins. I really cannot get a read on them.

10 (17). North Carolina (9-1) – North Carolina is the most forgotten team in the nation. Their offense is crushing souls, and the Gene Chizek defense has performed well. Take away the fluke opening loss to South Carolina, and this team has an argument for the top 4.

9 (10). Iowa (10-0) – You simply cannot continue to play like that and get respect. Not all undefeated seasons are equal.

8 (4). Baylor (9-1) – The Bears got taken out by an inspired and feisty Sooner club. No shame in Baylor losing that game, but I fear that the committee will see it differently.

7 (3). Oklahoma State (10-0) – When are teams going to stop underestimating Iowa State playing at home? The Cowboys almost had their second season-ending loss in Ames in 4 years.

6 (8). Oklahoma (9-1) – The Sooners are the best team going right now, but you can’t overlook a loss to Texas. Rivalry game, yes, but still inexcusable.

5 (7). Ohio State (10-0) – The Buckeyes looked decent, and their defense looked like an NFL squad. They are going to be tough to beat, but Barrett looked a bit lost after his suspension.

4 (9). Houston (10-0) – This is a bit too high for them, I admit. There is just no one else deserving. Houston has another couple chances to shine down the stretch. We will see if the committee responds.

3 (5). Alabama (9-1) – No surprise that they hammered Mississippi State. Happens every year.

2 (2). Notre Dame (9-1) – They struggled with a bad Wake Forest squad, but it was a predictable trap game.

1 (1). Clemson (10-0) – The defense for Clemson continues to get exposed, but they are the only team deserving of this spot.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. Northwestern (#17) at Wisconsin (#23), 12:30PM TBD – There are a bunch of ranked games this week. This will be an ugly defensive struggle, a classic Big Ten matchup.

PREDICTION: Northwestern 17-14

4. USC (#19) at Oregon (#20), 12:30PM ESPN – A month ago, this would have been a snoozer. Now, both teams are rolling. This will be an offensive show.

PREDICTION: USC 48-41

3. TCU (#15) at Oklahoma (#6), 5:00PM ABC – TCU coming off a pathetic showing lessens this game a bit, but the Frogs have been good on the road.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 41-31

2. Baylor (#8) at Oklahoma State (#7), TBD – Oklahoma State is going to decide the Big 12 with everyone traveling to Stillwater. Can Baylor rebound?

PREDICTION: Baylor 34-28

1. Michigan State (#12) at Ohio State (#5), 12:30PM ABC – This has been the game on everyone’s radar since week one. Sparty tripped up in Lincoln, which makes this game an elimination game for the Big Ten. Who takes advantage? If Connor Cook plays, I like Michigan State.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 28-24 with Cook / Ohio State 38-21 without Cook

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma – In the “year of the running back”, quarterbacks are starting to come to the forefront. Mayfield looked like an animal against Baylor. He might have knocked Corey Coleman out of the running, and he may well be the frontrunner if they win out.

4. Luke Falk, QB, Washington State – Falk continues to be ice on the road. His numbers are mind-boggling, and he hits about 15 different receivers per game.

3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State – Elliott cannot be held under 100 yards. He is the most talented and still somehow underutilized back in the nation.

2. Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama – He has separated himself from the rest of the SEC backs. He will probably win this, but he is about the 5^th most talented back in the nation. He just has an NFL line ensuring that he won’t be touched until the second level.

1. DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson – Watson is Clemson. Clemson is #1. Watson is #1.

College Football Playoff Projections

Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl: Oklahoma State over North Carolina

Rose Bowl: USC over Michigan State

Fiesta Bowl: Baylor over Clemson

Sugar Bowl: Houston over Alabama

College Football Playoff Semifinal #1 (Orange Bowl): Florida over Notre Dame

CFB Playoff Semifinal #2 (Cotton Bowl): Oklahoma over Iowa

National Championship Game: Oklahoma over Florida

Those bowl projections are assuming a few results, most notable UNC over Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, Michigan State over Ohio State, Florida over Clemson, Stanford over Notre Dame, and Oklahoma winning out. What do you think? Who are your top 4? Your Heisman top 5? Comment.

Week 11 College Football Recap: Rankings, Heisman, BCS Projections

We finally have a bit of chaos! Number one Alabama, who was being referred to as the best team in years, went down at home to a freshman quarterback and a pretty mediocre defense. Oregon’s rushing offense was slowed for a half. Kansas State struggled to score with a gimpy Colin Kelin. Notre Dame is still winning ugly. I can’t wait to see how all this plays out over the next three weeks! Football in November…the games we remember (thanks for that College Football Final). Check out the latest updates:

Top 25

Others receiving votes: Kent State, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Utah State, Wisconsin

Dropped from the rankings: Mississippi State (22), Toledo (24)

25. (NR) Boise State (8-2) – This team is only getting better. Don’t count on them losing again this year.

24. (20) Texas (8-2) – The Longhorn offense is getting it together. I still have my doubts, but I just have a bad feeling about them playing K-State. It could ruin one of the coolest runs in recent memory.

23. (23) Rutgers (8-1) – This is probably the most productive defense in all of college football. I can’t wait for them to play Louisville.

22. (25) Washington (6-4) – They continue to break hearts at home. Finally getting their stud sophomore Austin Seferian-Jenkins involved has given the offense the boost it needed.

21. (21) USC (7-3) – They have a couple of the best skill position players in the nation. Too bad they can’t play defense. Oh wait…yeah Marqise Lee might do that too.

20. (19) Oklahoma (7-2) – Their two losses are not the issue. It is how inconsistent the offense is and how bad the defense is at times. An at-large bid for the Sooners is almost assured, but they won’t deserve it.

19. (NR) South Carolina (8-2) – This team showed me something playing without their star and emotional leader. They may be able to snag an at-large bid if they can beat Clemson.

18. (18) Nebraska (8-2) – A couple double digit second half comebacks may seem lucky, but when a team does it 4 times in 6 games in conference, it speaks to something much bigger. This is the best second half team in the nation not located in Eugene. Maybe this is the only team that could hold up against that Quack Attack down the stretch.

17. (17) UCLA (8-2) – They just keep plugging away. If they beat the USC, then I nominate Jim Mora for 2^nd place for Coach of the Year (behind Snyder, of course). The sudden UCLA turnaround has been amazing.

16. (14) Louisiana Tech (9-1) – Struggling with Texas State? Really? How did this team almost beat Texas A&M? Oh yeah. SEC defenses are overrated.

15. (15) Northern Illinois (9-1) – They are now officially the best non-AQ team. I would like to see what they would do to Iowa in a rematch of that fluke opening season loss.

14. (8) Louisville (9-1) – Getting beat at Syracuse is not too embarrassing, but the way the Cardinals got manhandled was shocking. Bridgewater and company will get it together for the stretch run.

13. (11) Florida (9-1) – They just keep getting worse. You should have lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, Gator fans. Maybe that will teach all you SEC teams to schedule a “cakewalk” in the middle of conference games. That’s four in the last two weeks that the SEC has avoided embarrassment.

12. (16) LSU (8-2) – I don’t really understand this team, but they can really run the ball. The two losses aren’t going to do them any favors, but they could make an argument of being the most deserving two-loss team of an at-large bid.

11. (9) Oregon State (7-2) – They are maybe the most balanced and physical team in the Pac. They can beat Oregon. It probably won’t happen, but they can do it if they play their game.

10. (10) Clemson (9-1) – They continue to plug away putting up staggering numbers offensively. An at-large bid is almost assured, but they still have that in-state rivalry game to close the year…

9. (7) Georgia (9-1) – Yeah, I realize they dropped after shutting out a rival team on the road, but they just aren’t balanced enough and have not played a good defensive game against an offense that is worth anything.

8. (13) Texas A&M (8-2) – That win against the Tide was beautiful and satisfying. Manziel is putting up quite the freshman season on the road. No one will want to play this team the rest of the year.

7. (12) Stanford (8-2) – They just continue to win. That game against Oregon State might have been the best game of the weekend. They have a chance to basically clinch the division next week against the top-ranked Ducks.

6. (6) Florida State (9-1) – They escaped with a win on a short week. If they weren’t in the ACC, we might be talking about the top-ranked one-loss team.

5. (1) Alabama (9-1) – They are no longer untouchable. I thought their offense was better than that. Sorry about all the hype, and that was coming from someone who hates the SEC as much as the next guy.

4. (5) Ohio State (10-0) – The bye week will prove to be beneficial for this team, who is certainly looking forward to that inevitable season-ending matchup with their archrival. That game smells like an upset this year. Maybe Wisconsin can catch them off guard next week as well.

3. (4) Notre Dame (10-0) – They continue their winning ways, but it is never pretty. Their freshman QB is maturing each week. They are going to be tough to prepare for in whatever BCS game they get into.

2. (3) Oregon (10-0) – The second half was insane, but the first half was telling. A team with a rush defense can stop this attack. Cal sucks, but they hung in there. Check back with me next week after the Ducks play the best rush defense in America and see if that 40+ point streak is still alive. A small part of me wants them to just win it all this year so Chip Kelly can bolt to the NFL so Oregon can return to where it belongs: the cellar of the Pac and beneath the foot of UW.

1. (2) Kansas State (10-0) – They are clearly deserving of this spot seeing what they have done on the field so far. Every week it is, “We will know more about K-State after this week.” And each week is a dominant win. When is everyone going to just throw out what it looks like and call this team the best?

Heisman Trophy Watch

10. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson – He is having a monster year, even against the vaunted Florida State defense. He has almost no shot at getting enough votes, but he has to be getting close to getting this kind of recognition. Next year, he will be a preseason favorite for sure.

9. Matt Barkley, QB, USC – He may not have the wins, but he has the signature moments and career records that define the award sometimes.

8. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon – If not for another freshman QB, he might be the story of college football. His maturity and statistics continue to impress anyone who gets to watch him play.

7. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama – His first loss came along with his first two picks of the season. After the Heisman moment last week, he came up short. Only if he has a huge last few weeks and his team gets in line for the BCS title game will he regain his status.

6. Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon – When he got injured, it showed his value to this offense. If he plays the last few games with comparable numbers, then he is a lock for an invite to the ceremony.

5. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M – He has his signature win, but he is still a freshman. If Adrian Peterson couldn’t win the Heisman he deserved during his first year, then Manziel certainly cannot. Am I the only one who thinks he has a resemblance to Taylor Martinez as a freshman?

4. Marqise Lee, WR, USC – This guy is insane. He may be the best receiver that has ever played at SC, and he is just a sophomore. Look for a third-straight back-to-back Biletnikoff winner next year, after that never happening before in its history.

3. Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State – Take Miller out of that offense, and I am not sure that the Buckeyes don’t have 2 or 3 losses at this point. His numbers will get him a bunch of votes, since that is basically what this trophy is all about nowadays.

2. Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame – He continues to make plays on defense. He will be invited to New York.

1. Colin Klein, QB, Kansas State – His injuries may hurt his numbers, but it is clear what he means to this team (everything).

BCS Projections

Rose Bowl – Nebraska (Big Ten) over Notre Dame (At-large)

Orange Bowl – Florida State (ACC) over Rutgers (Big East)

Sugar Bowl – Alabama (SEC) over Clemson (At-large)

Fiesta Bowl – Florida (At-large) over Oklahoma (At-large)

BCS Title Game – Oregon (Pac-12) over Kansas State (Big 12)

What do you think? Give me your rankings in the comments! Look us up on Facebook!