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.

SNL 41.4 Review - Donald Trump, Sia

Original Airdate - 11/7/15

Saturday Night Live has always been willing to be controversial.  They have always been willing to be a political platform.  They have always been willing to allow political candidates to make cameos on their show in the middle of campaigns, including Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton several times (including this year already).  They also have always been willing to allow political figures to host the show during a down time, including Ralph Nader in the show's earlier years, as well as John McCain and Al Gore after each lost presidential bids.  This week brought about a first in SNL history.  Lorne Michaels brought in a presidential candidate in the middle of a campaign to host the show.  This was not just your typical presidential candidate; it was Donald Trump, possibly the most polarizing presidential candidate in quite some time.  Trump has hosted before, but the circumstances are much different this time.  I was curious to see how far the writers were going to be willing to go with one of the best sources of material this year on set.  The good thing is they really didn't hold back.  The bad thing is Donald Trump isn't very funny.

Cold Opening

With SNL's last episode, they discovered a gold mine of comedy by bringing in Larry David to play Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.  They have decided to cash in on this as much as possible.  This week was a Democratic forum involving McKinnon's Hilary and David's Sanders.  This hasn't stopped being funny yet, and I hope it never does.

Monologue

What do you do for a presidential candidate that is a walking punchline to a joke?  Mimic him.  Taran Killam has put together a pretty good Donald Trump impression, but the best one is done by sophomore SNL announcer and longtime castmember Darrell Hammond.  So which one should they use?  Both!  It was actually scary to see just how much of a caricature Trump is when you see him next to impressions.  Add in Larry David's paid outburst at the end, and they successfully addressed almost every elephant in the room.

Weekend Update

Of all the places to have fun at the host's expense, Weekend Update would be the place.  Along with another one of Leslie Jones's rants, this Update was stolen by the by the first appearance in awhile by everyone's favorite Drunk Uncle.  This time, Drunk Uncle was very happy as the inebriated, racist, nostalgic, blubbering idiot is the biggest supporter of Mr. Trump.  While Trump made his appearance on the show to help promote his presidential campaign, he seemed to be okay with them ripping his political stances.  I guess if you are as controversial as Trump, you embrace all attention, positive or negative.

Best Sketch

As far as the sketches went, there was very little worth remembering.  Many of the sketches fell flat as the writers struggled with how to incorporate Trump into comedy without him just being himself.  Usually I write about the funniest sketch of the episode, but this one was the most interesting.  They gave a snapshot of the White House in 2018 with President Donald Trump.  I am not really sure what the purpose of this sketch was as they claimed everything Trump said he would do as president came true.  Trump had to think this would help his candidacy for president, but instead his actual policy stances became the punchlines of the sketch as you could hear the whole audience realize just how unrealistic his ideas are.  The sketch also made fun of his wife and how ridiculous it would be to have her as First Lady, as Cecily Strong's impression became a focal point.  The most telling point of the sketch was when Trump's actual daughter made a cameo.  Usually, cameos are met with applause and fanfare as the crowd realizes who just stepped on stage (see Larry David above).  When Ivanka Trump stepped on stage, she had a very intentional pause of applause, but there was nothing.  The crowd was silent.  The SNL crowd is never silent.  A sketch meant to have some fun at Trump's expense forced the audience to stop and reflect on just how silly a Trump presidency could be.  This parody just looked a little too much like a reality to get the laughs and may have single-handedly forced this hosting gig to backfire.

Worst Sketch

After having some fun letting Donald be Donald, they decided to test out his acting chops in the second half of the episode.  The result was some of the least inspiring sketches in some time.  Some worked okay, like when Trump was a sleezy record producer (again, a little too close to home).  The worst of these was a night club band doing their band introductions, and one member of the band was upset by his spotlight-hogging companions.  This jealous band member was Trump, who played the laser harp.  Yep, that was the premise, and yep, it was as bad as it sounds.  It could have been okay if Trump could actually act.  Instead, his acting made it even worse.

Dark Horse Sketch

I can't believe Donald let this sketch run during his episode.  I know he is priding himself as being a non-politician, but at some point you have to show you have some sort of moral compass and integrity.  On the other hand, I'm glad it ran because it was the best sketch of the night outside of the cold opening.  These sketches are always funny, but when the porn stars come out to make a campaign commercial for Donald Tramp, I can't imagine ever topping that.  Also, we had yet another Trump impression, this time from Bobby Moynihan.

Grade

This is an episode that really fell flat for the majority of the time.  It just wasn't funny.  Add in the odd musical performances of Sia, and I really don't know what to do with this episode.  However, that does not change the fact that this was a very important episode.  A presidential candidate, in the middle of his campaign, hosted Saturday Night Live.  I really don't know how I feel about this.  I guess only time will tell how America feels about this.  I will say the most interesting part of the episode was that something meant to promote his presidency really might have had the opposite effect.  It wasn't funny, but it sure was interesting and groundbreaking.

***C***

View the full episode here:

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

Alabama knocks out LSU, Navy shocks Memphis, Arkansas throws a lateral 25 yard lateral on 4th and 25 to win on overtime, and Nebraska takes down Michigan State in a controversial miracle. Just another week in college football. Check out the rundown below:

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: Bowling Green, Boise State, BYU, Florida State, Mississippi State, Toledo

Dropped from the rankings: Toledo (18), Mississippi (20), Florida State (21), Appalachian State (23), Marshall (25)

25 (NR). Northwestern (7-2) – The Wildcats return to the top 25 for the first time since their ugly two-game skid. They continue to surprise each week.

24 (NR). UCLA (7-2) – This is probably the most forgotten team in the nation. They are beginning to get healthy, and they control their own destiny in the South.

23 (NR). Wisconsin (8-2) – When you start to look at a team whose only losses are to an unbeaten team and arguably the best team in the nation, you start to take notice. They are the quietest team in the Big 10.

22 (NR). Washington State (6-3) – Take out the opening loss to Portland State, and this team is one of the scariest teams in the country. In the past, they couldn’t defend. This team has some fight on D.

21 (NR). USC (6-3) – The Trojans are one of the most talented teams in the country, and while they have some bad losses, they are piling up impressive wins.

20 (12). Memphis (8-1) – They got handled by Navy, which was pretty shocking. But then again, their win against Ole Miss isn’t all that impressive anymore.

19 (15). Michigan (7-2) – Sparty losing doesn’t help their cause. They are a tough out, but other teams are rising around them.

18 (22). Temple (8-1) – The Owls have the benefit of being in the weaker side of the AAC, so expect them to meet Houston in the biggest conference title game in AAC history.

17 (19). North Carolina (8-1) – Other than the strange opening loss to South Carolina, the Tar Heels have done nothing but impress. Why is no one talking about them?

16 (24). Navy (7-1) – They lost ugly to Notre Dame, but taking out Memphis the way they did really proved something to the nation.

15 (7). Michigan State (8-1) – Losing to an unranked team by giving up 39 points? It was a team that is better than their record, but the flaws in Sparty’s system were exposed.

14 (8). TCU (8-1) – TCU was playing with fire early in the year, and all of that was finally exposed against an inspired and tough Oklahoma State squad.

13 (3). LSU (7-1) – They were never really in the game against Alabama. LSU really hadn’t won any impressive games, but losing the way they did was surprising.

12 (14). Florida (8-1) – Even though they nearly got beat by the worst Power 5 team by far, their defense is still stout enough to cruise through the SEC East.

11 (17). Utah (8-1) – Winning in Seattle is no easy task, especially for a program that has never beaten that team. The Utes seemed to be forgotten after USC trounced them, but they still seem to control their own destiny for the playoff.

10 (13). Iowa (9-0) – Iowa continues to win and win ugly. They are going to need to look good in the Big 10 Championship to even secure one of the big bowl games.

9 (9). Houston (9-0) – This is easily the best team outside of the Power 5. They had a lackluster game, but they are close to complete.

8 (10). Oklahoma (8-1) – This is probably the most talented defense in the Big 12, which puts them as the odds-on favorite to take the conference (out of the playoff).

7 (2). Ohio State (9-0) – I think we have all had enough of watching this team struggle through every weak team and still be ranked in the top 5.

6 (5). Stanford (8-1) – Stanford is the one team in the country where you cannot pinpoint a single flaw. Losing to Northwestern is still going to hold them back until everyone has a loss.

5 (6). Alabama (8-1) – The Tide rolled all over LSU, which was not exactly shocking. Their loss is looking worse and worse every week, though.

4 (1). Baylor (8-0) – Their true freshman replacement QB looked good, but the team almost folded in the end against K-State. I am not sure I see this team losing anyway.

3 (16). Oklahoma State (9-0) – Hammering TCU the way they did was the best win of the year in the Big 12 by far. No one knows what to expect from them, but having everyone tough at home in the final month is huge.

2 (11). Notre Dame (8-1) – They took out a really solid Pitt team, and their loss to Clemson is looking more impressive than ever.

1 (4). Clemson (9-0) – I honestly think Notre Dame is the better team, but it is hard to rank them above an unbeaten team who beat them. Clemson deserves this spot after their impressive game against their nemesis Florida State.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. Oregon at Stanford (#6), 4:30PM FOX – This is always an entertaining game, and these teams love to trade heartbreakers. Is this year different? I suspect not.

PREDICTION: Oregon 34-28

4. Washington State (#22) at UCLA (#24), 7:45PM ESPN – The Cougars seem to still be underestimated even though they pass every test. Here is yet another one.

PREDICTION: Washington State 38-35

3. Alabama (#5) at Mississippi State, 12:30PM CBS – Mississippi State has quietly put together a nice season, and while them beating Alabama is rare, they get them at home and are coming off of a strong stretch in October. It won’t be good enough.

PREDICTION: Alabama 31-13

2. Memphis (#20) at Houston (#9), 4:00PM ESPN2 – This is the biggest game this conference has ever had. The hope for the future reputation of the conference rests with Tom Herman’s squad. I think they get it done at home.

PREDICTION: Houston 35-23

1. Oklahoma (#8) at Baylor (#4), 5:00PM ABC – This is going to be a battle. Can the true freshman put up the monster numbers needed to take down a semi-legit defense?

PREDICTION: Baylor 42-34

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Ohio State – I feel like he needs to be unbeaten to get invited over someone like DeShaun Watson, but as of right now, he is carrying that team.

4. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford – He is the best all-purpose player in years. I find it hard to imagine him not getting an invite.

3. Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor – He might be Baylor’s best receiver ever, and this might be the biggest landslide Bilenikoff voting of all time.

2. Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama – His numbers are becoming as impressive as anyone in the nation. This is an insane year for running backs.

1. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU – Yeah, he lost and it was bad. He still is averaging over 150 yards per game in the SEC. Unless he has a repeat performance, he will be the frontrunner still.

College Football Playoff Projections

Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl: LSU over Oklahoma State

Rose Bowl: Stanford over Iowa

Fiesta Bowl: Houston over Baylor

Sugar Bowl: Utah over Florida

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

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

National Championship Game: Ohio State over Notre Dame

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

SNL 41.3 Review - Tracy Morgan, Demi Lovato

Original Airdate - 10/17/15

When the first batch of hosts for this season of Saturday Night Live was announced, everybody circled this date on their calendar as it marked the first hosting gig for SNL alum Tracy Morgan.  It was much bigger than that though.  It also was his first working appearance since a car crash last year that almost took his life.  This was to be the triumphal return of one of the show's most beloved characters.  It didn't disappoint.

Cold Opening

The show started with what could turn out to be the best sketch of the season.  The Democratic Debate was the topic of the day, which always has the potential to be a highlight thanks to Kate McKinnon's Hilary Clinton.  What made this sketch so good is who filled out the rest of the panel.  Alec Baldwin portrayed the overly-confident and annoyed Jim Webb, and in what may be the best casting decision the show has had (at least since Tina Fey became Sarah Palin), Larry David was brought in to play Bernie Sanders.  It was perfect.  All of a sudden, McKinnon's Clinton was the boring sidekick, which many think is the case in the real campaign.  Either way, this made for a classic sketch that will be replayed for years to come.

Monologue

Now the moment everyone was waiting for.  Tracy Morgan took the stage.  There was a group of people who really wanted to welcome him back in a special way.  So they recreated a scene in 30 Rock, complete with Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Krakowski.  It was a great way to welcome back Morgan and start the show off as the celebration it was meant to be.

Weekend Update

Colin and Michael had their first hiccup this week.  When you work in comedy, every now and then a joke won't work.  However, these two had a bit that flamed out so impressively that it left the hosts chuckling to themselves, which is funny because they were the only ones laughing.  As far as the guests to the Update desk go, you can't pass up an opportunity to have Tina Fey visit when she is in the building.  The second guest was Michael's neighbor Willy, who gets better and better each time he shows up.

Best Sketch

I have two best sketches to showcase here.  First is an old classic Tracy Morgan sketch everyone knew would be coming back, but everybody was excited to see.  Brian Fellow's Safari Planet is possibly Tracy's most beloved sketch, and to see it back brought a collective smile to SNL fans everywhere.  The other best sketch brought a new definition to Family Feud as the two families competing had recently separated.

Worst Sketch

Every sketch in this episode had its moments.  Tracy Morgan has a tendency to do that.  However, this sketch was just a little too weird.  It was like the start to a classic Broadway musical, as everyone sings their good mornings to each other.  However, it starts to go very wrong as someone doesn't quite get it.  It's funny, but just a little too much.

Dark Horse Sketch

Again, here are two sketches; one from Tracy's past and one new one.  Astronaut Jones was the epitome of a Dark Horse Sketch, as it was just weird enough to be original and hilarious.  The other sketch seeks the answer to a very simple question, "Where is Jackie Chan at right now?"

Grade

As I said, this episode was more of a celebration that Tracy Morgan is back and ready to make us laugh again.  He definitely did that in this episode as he brought back some highlights of the past and found new ways also.  It is episodes like this that make you sad certain cast members had to move on.  The only thing that would have made this episode better would have been a Christmas song brought to us by Tracy, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and Horatio Sans.  Oh well, maybe next time.

***A***

View the full episode here:

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,

SNL 41.2 Review - Amy Schumer, The Weeknd

Original Airdate - 10/10/15

This summer, Amy Schumer went from having a cult following in the comedy world to being a household name after the debut of her movie Trainwreck.  It is always great to see a hard working comedic talent finally get their due, especially considering it means we can see people like Amy Schumer (or Louis CK or Sarah Silverman) host Saturday Night Live.  Although the episode was fairly average overall, Schumer brought an energy that will definitely warrant an encore hosting gig.

Cold Opening

One of my favorite sketches this current cast pulls out is their "Fox & Friends" parody.  This is because they make this so ridiculous and so cartoonish to shed light on just how crazy some of these TV personalities can sound.  The best part of each of these sketches is the list of errors.  It is worth pausing or slowing down so you can read them all.

Monologue

I have always said the best monologues come from those used to giving monologues.  The writers are able to take the night off for this one particular segment as the host can just work through some of their standard material.  When that material has unique style of someone like Amy Schumer, it truly becomes a highlight of the night.

Weekend Update

This is now officially the best part of every episode.  Jost and Che are on a great roll as their unique chemistry produces memorable joke after memorable joke.  Their debate about guns to open Update was something they hadn't done before, but something they should continue to do.  The more they are able to play off each other like that, the better it all gets.  I used to watch Update to see which characters would pop up as the guests.  Now I get disappointed when the guests appear because it interrupts the momentum the hosts had going.  This Update brought about a new guest in Update researcher Solomon, who was okay, and repeat guest Mrs. Santini, who is getting more and more ridiculous.  I am glad they only had two this time though, so we could see more from Colin and Michael.  On another note, I hope the "Weeknd Update" becomes a regular occurrence.

Best Sketch

For as good as these pieces of the episode were, the regular sketches were a little bland.  The best of them was probably this sketch about an over-zealous flight attendant crew that forgot one little detail upon take off.  Amy Schumer and Vanessa Bayer have great chemistry together as is shown here.

Worst Sketch

Amy Schumer's brand of comedy lives in the awkward and controversial.  When you live in this realm, some lines work and some don't.  This one, although not terrible, really didn't hit.  An over-zealous actor adlibs and butchers a Lincoln reenactment.  It teetered on the edge of irreverent and unnecessary, which is probably right where Schumer wanted it.

Dark Horse Sketch

This sketch was definitely awkward, but what made it work was the fact that everyone knows a person like this.  A baby shower gets interrupted by the uninvited guest that takes a simple mistake as a personal attack.  Again, Amy Schumer loves to live in the awkward, and this is a sketch that worked much more than the last one.

Grade

It was about time Amy Schumer got a chance to host.  Although it didn't go as well as it could have, it definitely showed why she has finally worked her way up the ranks.  She is unique, controversial, and hilarious.  I compare her hosting gig a lot to when Louis CK hosted for the first time.  It was a little rough, but there was potential.  Her brand of comedy certainly brought a breath of fresh air to the episode that is worth bringing back at some point in the near future.

***B-***

View the full episode here:

SNL 41.1 Review - Miley Cyrus

Original Airdate - 10/3/15

Last season, I lost track of my reviews and missed keeping everyone updated on the entire second half of the 40th season of Saturday Night Live.  This doesn't mean there wasn't any quality.  The show really started to find its new groove with the new cast as several started to emerge as potential new stars.  I am hoping to get this new 41st season off to a good start with my reviews.  This will be especially good after seeing just how good this season started.

Cold Opening

What was the biggest story of the summer?  There is only one name that comes to mind: Trump.  There was only one direction to go with the first sketch of the new season.  Taran Killam dawns the orange rug now, taking the reins from Darrell Hammond.  He may not be as good as the former castmember now announcer at SNL, but he is pretty good nonetheless.  With the show's top talent impersonating the biggest character in the upcoming presidential race, we could be in store for quite the memorable set of political sketches ahead.  This also marked the first of many times Killam and Cecily Strong were paired together this episode.  They have the potential of being SNL's new power couple a la Jimmy and Tina or Seth and Amy.

Monologue

Miley Cyrus has been quite the popular host throughout the years.  No matter how crazy she has been, she always seems to put on a good show at 30 Rock.  Her ridiculousness may have gotten a little out of hand, as Miley came out for her monologue dressed in a dress of flowers.  Once you get over the crazy get-up, you hear a song complete with a "15 minutes of fame" summer headline montage.  It actually turned out to be quite the perfect start to the show as it highlighted the host as well as everything the show wishes it could have commented on over the summer if it had been writing live shows.

Weekend Update

The Weekend Update team of Jost and Che developed into quite the formidable tandem by the end of last season.  It is now the highlight of every show as it was in the days of Fallon and Fey.  Of the three guests at the Update desk this episode, two of the worked and one didn't.  The first one was the dud, as Kyle Mooney brought the Pope to the desk to talk about his recent visit to the USA.  It was made up for with Pete Davidson and Leslie Jones stopping by to give their unique perspectives.  I could listen to them do this every week.

Best Sketch

Political figures love to make cameos on SNL during a political season push.  This sketch was much more than a cameo, as Kate McKinnon brings her Hilary Clinton to life as she drowns her sorrows at the bar and commiserates with the local barkeep played by none other than Hilary Clinton herself.  They discuss her political stances, as well as critiquing them at the same time.  It was a sketch that could go down as one of those timeless pieces of political satire that Saturday Night Live has been known for creating.

Worst Sketch

Stuff always seems to get weird after Weekend Update.  Although some of them are pretty funny, this one was just weird.  A group of girls are out to lunch, when they realize they are sitting at the diner and even the exact table that Meg Ryan filmed her famous scene from When Harry Met Sally... at.  So they take turns reenacting the scene.  Then comes Leslie Jones, who shouts to the heavens loads of gibberish that makes no sense but is supposed to be funny.  Leslie is great in her routines, but is still working on perfecting her sketches.  The one saving grace from this sketch is watching Vanessa Bayer make fun of the fact that she can't impersonate anyone as she tries (if you can call it that) to do a Billy Crystal impression.

Dark Horse Sketch

This was the first time Miley Cyrus had hosted in two seasons.  The last time she hosted was only the second episode for Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, and a host of others.  Kyle has become known for his quirky brand of comedy, and all that started with Miley's last hosting gig.  This episode brought back that sketch as Kyle complains to his buddies about how into him Miley Cyrus is.  They obviously don't see the problem.  The first time around, no one really knew what to do with this sketch.  Now that we know what Kyle is all about, it is always nice to see his sketches pop up at the end of episodes.  It was also good to see the return of the sketch that started it all.

Grade

No matter how crazy Miley Cyrus gets, she does know how to host the show.  Lorne Michaels always seems to be able to take these media dumpster fires and showcase their talent in a way no one saw coming.  I don't usually care for Miley Cyrus, but she could host SNL anytime.

***B+***

Watch the full episode here: