A wild weekend of games in some cases solidified opinions of certain teams and in others, changed them.
Here’s my weekly snapshot of how I would rank my top 10 teams if I had an AP vote. I’m sure everyone will agree and rejoice in the fact I do not have one. Without further suspense, onto the rankings.
There really isn’t much separating Ohio State from Texas (who I have seventh) and that should make for a fun, topsy-turvy season where we really shouldn’t be too surprised at any results among ranked teams. The Buckeyes were lethargic against an over-matched opponent this weekend but still get full marks because of the defense and the win over Texas—despite the coin-flip nature of it. An odd week to move them to No. 1 for sure, but all of the results should force voters to re-examine everything. Ryan Day’s squad is off this week before hitting the road for three of the next four.
There’s going to be plenty of rat poison this week in South Florida as the Canes annihilated USF, who was the national darling entering the week—and just MIGHT be the most complete team in the country. Carson Beck missed five passes on the day with one coming on a tipped ball and the other coming when he was hit as he threw. If he’s not the Heisman front-runner or in the top two right now, you’re doing this all wrong. Rueben Bain has been unblockable so far. Florida will head to Miami as a dangerous underdog this week with their season teetering on the brink after another embarrassing offensive performance at LSU. DJ Lagway has now thrown six INTs in 82 passes vs FBS teams this year.
I had LSU No. 1 the last two weeks but made a little adjustment this week. The Clemson win clearly has lost some luster. It’s still a good win though, coming on the road in that atmosphere. But more worrisome is the LSU offense. They’ve really struggled in the red zone and Garrett Nussmeier has just looked a little off. Despite getting five gifts from DJ Lagway Saturday night, they could only manage 20 points. The defense looks fantastic though, and played all but three plays Saturday night without Whit Weeks. The Tigers gets a breather this week before a trip to Ole Miss.
Kirby Smart even said it post game, Georgia didn’t deserve to win that game in Knoxville Saturday—but give his guys credit for not giving up and then taking it in OT. While it’s Georgia’s best win of the season, I think there are questions to be asked about the secondary after getting shredded at times by Joey Aguilar. But on the flip side, Gunnar Stockton answered a ton of questions as to whether or not he really was THE GUY. He went 23-of-31 for 304 yards with a TD-INT ratio of 2-0 in his first SEC road start. Not too shabby. The Bulldogs have a week off to get that offensive line healthy and then get a visit from resurgent Alabama.
We learned nothing this past week from the Ducks. They went on the road, took care of business in a sleepy, early kick. They have the Civil War this week and then a trip to State College where we’ll learn a whole lot more about both teams.
Did A&M get away with a clear-as-day hold/tackle on the game-winning TD? Yes. Did they get extremely lucky the Notre Dame holder dropped the snap on the PAT, keeping the score 40-34? Yes. But give the Aggies credit. They came back from multiple double-digit deficits, racked up 488 yards and overcame 13 penalties. Marcel Reed and Mario Craver are a scary duo and get a well-deserved week off before returning home to get an Auburn team that’s coming off a tough game in Norman.
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Rightly or wrongly, Texas is going to be viewed as a disappointment so far because of the pedestrian QB play it has gotten from Arch Manning. The expectations that people in the national media and college football world were placing on Arch were ridiculous. What shouldn’t go unnoticed is how good the Longhorns defense has been, and that will give them a chance to beat anyone.
That win over Bama looks a whole lot better today as the Tide have seemingly righted the ship. The Noles have another layup this week vs. Kent State before a dangerous Friday night trip to face Virginia.
The Sooners said, “Bear, take your flat spot at Temple and shove it you know where.” OU went out and took care of an over-matched opponent from the start—something other teams this weekend did not—and left no doubt. OU welcomes old friend Jackson Arnold and a dangerous Auburn Tiger squad to Norman this week, as their run of ranked conference opponents begins.
The only reason anyone is ranking Penn State in the top five right now is because they thought the Nittany Lions would be that good in the preseason. They’ve have done little to live up to those expectations so far. James Franklin’s squad played around with their food the last two weeks with FIU and Villanova, something most teams above them haven’t done. And it’s not like they have a great win to fall back on at this point. Finishing drives will be a big focus for Penn State during the off week, as one of the two games this season that shape Penn State’s narrative comes next—Oregon in State College at night on the 27th for the White Out.
Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.
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