WHAT OHIO STATE'S WIN MEANS
Clemson, down to its third quarterback after the transfer of
Kelly Bryant and injury to Trevor Lawrence, found a way to beat Syracuse thanks
to RB Travis Etienne, QB Chase Brice and a stifling defense.
NO. 1 ALABAMA 56,
LOUISIANA 14
The result in itself wasn't surprising as No. 1 Alabama
dominated Louisiana at home 56-14. Quarterback Tua
Tagovailoa kept himself in the Heisman Trophy conversation with
two more touchdowns and no interceptions, and true freshman Jaylen Waddle continued
to make a name for himself with three touchdowns (two receiving, one punt
return). But the most important development was the fact that backup
quarterback Jalen Hurts took
the field for the fifth time this season, removing the possibility once and for
all of him sitting and taking a redshirt. Hurts continuing on with the team
provides coach Nick Saban a valuable safety net in the event of an injury of
Tagovailoa, not to mention a potential weapon on offense, especially in short-yardage
situations.
NO. 2 GEORGIA 38,
TENNESSEE 12
Georgia is two weeks away from a road showdown at LSU, and
will take both positives and negatives away from Saturday's win over Tennessee.
After struggling at times with Missouri's up-tempo attack last week, Georgia
played sharper on defense, especially the front seven, in holding Tennessee
scoreless for two-and-a-half quarters. Linebackers Natrez
Patrick, Monty Rice and D'Andre
Walker flew around the field to prevent big plays and harass
quarterback Jarrett
Guarantano and Tennessee's other ball carriers. But the offense
must make strides next week against Vanderbilt after an underwhelming
performance, especially up front until the decisive drive in the fourth
quarter. Georgia didn't consistently protect quarterback Jake Fromm,
who never truly got the vertical passing game going. Despite a Tennessee rally,
the outcome never seemed in doubt Saturday, but Georgia's inability to truly
pull away should leave Coach Kirby Smart and his staff a bit unsettled. Georgia
also can't expect to put the ball on the ground so much and not pay the price.
The Bulldogs haven't seen a defense resembling LSU's in overall speed and
talent, and they'll need to improve before visiting Tiger Stadium on Oct. 13.
NO. 3 CLEMSON 27,
SYRACUSE 23
The Tigers have Travis
Etienne and their ground game to thank for pulling off the
comeback win over Syracuse. With Lawrence injured and Kelly Bryant no
longer on the team, the worst-case scenario nearly came true for the Tigers,
who trailed for most of the game. But on the decisive game-winning drive, Chase
Brice made one clutch fourth-down throw and another long run that allowed
Etienne to punch in the game-winning score. This was far from a pretty game.
Clemson had three costly turnovers and could not find a rhythm for much of it.
Just the way it did at Texas A&M, Clemson found a way to survive another
day, but there is no sugarcoating this fact: Losing Lawrence long term is not a
prospect anybody at Clemson wants to face.
NO. 4 OHIO STATE
27, NO. 9 PENN STATE 26
Ohio State's defense once again gave up big plays in its
27-26 win over Penn State. The Buckeyes gave up the longest passing play in
program history when Penn State receiver K.J. Hamler caught a 93-yard pass for
a touchdown. The defense allowed Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley to
account for 461 yards in the game with two touchdowns. That being said, Ohio
State plays Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue and Nebraska next on its schedule, which
are a combined 9-9 on the season. Those games should give Ohio State an
opportunity to right the ship before games against Michigan State and Michigan
to finish the season.
This is becoming all too familiar for Penn State against
Ohio State. For the second straight season, the Nittany Lions were unable to
hold on to a double-digit lead against the Buckeyes, and this one is likely to
sting even more. Penn State blew a 26-14 lead in the fourth quarter in a nauseating
27-26 home loss and likely blew any chance to win the Big Ten championship,
particularly when you survey the Buckeyes' remaining schedule. Trace McSorley
was fantastic for the Nittany Lions and gave them every chance to win the game,
but there will be a ton of questions in Happy Valley about that final
fourth-down call. Moreover, this is the kind of loss that could linger for a
Penn State team that simply was unable to finish the game when it had all the
momentum.
NO. 5 LSU 45, OLE
MISS 16
The Tigers took care of business at home, beating an
overmatched Ole Miss team easily to win the Magnolia Bowl and improve to 5-0.
Most impressive was the play of quarterback Joe Burrow,
who showed great touch with his passes, throwing for three touchdowns. Coach Ed
Orgeron's squad is playing with more and more confidence these days, but it
can't afford to overlook a trip to Florida next Saturday with a home date
against No. 2 Georgia the following weekend.
NO. 6 OKLAHOMA 66,
BAYLOR 33
After getting benched for the first series for being late to
a practice, Kyler Murray responded
with one of the greatest quarterbacking performances in OU history. Murray
completed 17 of 21 passes for 432 yards and six touchdowns to shatter Jason
White's single-game school passing efficiency record (348.0 to 303.3). He also
rushed for 45 yards and another touchdown. OU's win -- coupled with Texas'
victory at Kansas State -- sets up arguably the biggest Red River Showdown
since 2008, when Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy squared off in a classic shootout.
Not since 2012 have the Sooners and Longhorns entered the game both ranked in
the top 20.
NO. 8 NOTRE DAME
38, NO. 7 STANFORD 17
On the pregame flip charts distributed in the Notre Dame
Stadium press box, Ian Book's name was still listed second in the QB slot, but
with an "or" alongside teammate Brandon Wimbush. You can remove that
"or" now. Book led the Irish to a 38-17 victory over Stanford in a
top-10 showdown, with 278 yards passing, 47 yards rushing and four TD passes.
He managed to both match the considerable South Bend hype that preceded his
first start and win over those still wondering if he was ready to seize the
role of "guy who can lead Notre Dame to the College Football
Playoff." His teammates never had a doubt. Said Miles Boykin after a
144-yard, one-TD receiving night: "Ian was ready for this. We knew he
would be. Was tonight a statement to the rest of the country? I don't know. But
I hope so."
In the early going at Notre Dame, it appeared that
Stanford's MIA superstar was finally ready to get his season -- and Heisman
campaign -- in gear. But as the Cardinal return home after a 38-17 loss to
Notre Dame, questions about Bryce Love's struggles only grow louder. Love
started the contest looking like a 2017 reboot, carrying the ball on four of
the team's first five plays and breaking off a 39-yard TD run that tied the
game 7-7 late in the first quarter. Then he vanished. Again. The defending
Heisman runner-up finished the night with 73 yards and left the stadium with a
limp and bags of ice in the pockets of his sweatpants. Immediately following
the game, head coach David Shaw said, "I have no Bryce Love updates."
Stay tuned.
NO. 10 AUBURN 24,
SOUTHERN MISS 13
Auburn was able to hold off Southern Miss after a weather
delay of 2 hours, 44 minutes, but the Tigers are still waiting for their
offense to light up. Auburn's defense snagged an interception and helped the
Tigers overcome a fourth-quarter fumble, but the Tigers' offensive line
struggled throughout the game. Auburn, which entered the game No. 8 in the SEC
in scoring offense, was just 5-of-16 on third downs and held to a field goal in
the fourth quarter. Auburn is still trying to get the running game going, and
it needs to happen quickly, as the Tigers head to Mississippi State on
Saturday.
NO. 11 WASHINGTON
35, NO. 20 BYU 7
The 11th-ranked Huskies could move back into the top 10 for
the first time since their season-opening loss to Auburn, and Saturday's
shellacking of BYU showed they might be ready for it now. Washington put
together its best showing of the season, an all-around effort that featured a
near-perfect game from quarterback Jake Browning and a defense that kept the
Cougars out of the end zone until the final minute of the game. Next week at
UCLA should be a mere tune-up for a grueling four-game stretch that includes
three ranked teams (Oregon, California and Stanford) and undefeated Colorado.
It's hard to believe these are the same Cougars that
throttled then-No. 6 Wisconsin on the road two weeks ago. BYU kept it close
early but was ultimately undone by penalties, fumbles and an inability to
generate any sort of pass rush against Browning. The Cougars went from down 14
late in the second quarter to trailing by five touchdowns at the end of the
third, an unraveling that left no doubt they're not quite ready for a New
Year's Six bowl game. On the bright side, BYU likely won't face another team as
talented or deep as Washington the rest of the season.
NO. 12 WEST
VIRGINIA 42, NO. 25 TEXAS TECH 34
The Mountaineers started fast, but they have to finish
better. They emerged from Lubbock unscathed, with Big 12 title contention still
intact, but going scoreless on offense in the second half was a bit troubling.
Dana Holgorsen and Jake Spavital want to see a more mature team in how it
handles success. Holgorsen wasn't happy with how his offense finished each of the
past two games, and when the games get tougher, it's going to be more important
to finish strong.
The way the Red Raiders started was horrid, but they
finished strong. This is a good team that wasn't able to put four good quarters
together against a top-15 team. Texas Tech has to start quicker than it did
Saturday. But progress in the Red Raiders' defense is encouraging: They haven't
allowed a second-half point in conference play yet. What's concerning? The
health of quarterback Alan Bowman,
who left the game with an injury. His status is uncertain. If he can't go in
Texas Tech's next game, the play of Jett Duffey --
who finished Saturday's game and led four scoring drives in the second half --
is encouraging for Kliff Kingsbury & Co
NO. 13 UCF 45,
PITT 14
The nation's longest winning streak continues, as UCF thoroughly
thumped Pitt for its 17th straight victory. While a win over Pitt likely does
little to convince wary voters that this team is a real playoff threat, the
style points were clearly there. QB McKenzie
Milton bolstered his Heisman candidacy, too, accounting for six
touchdowns. It's the third Power 5 team UCF has played during the winning
streak, and Milton has accounted for 10 touchdowns and no turnovers.
NO. 14 MICHIGAN
20, NORTHWESTERN 17
The Wolverines spotted Northwestern 17 points in a sluggish
start and needed all but four minutes of the fourth quarter to catch up. The
defense held the Wildcats to under 30 yards of total offense in the second half
to allow for the largest comeback in the Jim Harbaugh era. At this point,
Michigan's offense is settling into an identity, but not one that inspires a
lot of confidence for the tough road ahead. The Wolverines have talented
playmakers who can put up big numbers when things are going well. They do not
have anyone or any part of the playbook that performs with enough consistency
to be reliable when the wheels aren't greased. Four ranked opponents remain on
the schedule, and any or all of them could cause problems for Michigan even if
the defense remains dominant
NO. 16 MIAMI 47,
NORTH CAROLINA 10
The turnover chain became the overriding story in Miami's
47-10 victory over North Carolina, as the Hurricanes forced six turnovers and
scored three times on defense. But there are two takeaways that cannot be
overlooked: N'Kosi Perry got
his first career start and showed off the dazzling passing ability that Coach
Mark Richt has raved about since signing the quarterback last year. Perry
showed a comfort in the offense a week ago against FIU, and that continued in
his first start. He did throw a few interceptions, but for the most part, you
can see why Richt has been so high on Perry. His passing ability makes Miami a
far different team on offense. Secondly, starting middle linebacker Shaq
Quarterman sprained his ankle, and although Richt didn't sound too concerned,
his status is one to watch with Florida State looming next week. Miami safety Jaquan
Johnson has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury,
and the Hurricanes can't afford to be without their best two players on defense
as the season moves forward.
NO. 17 KENTUCKY
24, SOUTH CAROLINA 10
Kentucky's first game as a Top 25 team in the AP poll since
2007 ensured it will be back in the rankings for another week. Not only that,
but the Wildcats are increasingly looking like the second-best team in the SEC
East -- they're at least the team best-positioned team to challenge Georgia in
the division. That said it feels too early to buy Kentucky as a serious threat
to the Bulldogs. What's not too early to consider is that this might end up as
the best Wildcats team in over three decades. A win at Texas A&M next week,
however, would really get the hype train into gear because that would make
Kentucky 5-0 with winnable games against Vanderbilt and Missouri to follow
before it hosts Georgia on Nov. 3.
NO. 18 TEXAS 19,
KANSAS STATE 14
Finally. After losing five straight games in the Little
Apple, Texas was able to scrape together enough offense without offensive
coordinator Tim Beck to win at K-State for the first time since 2002. Beck, who
was hospitalized and treated for an infection, is expected to return Sunday.
Texas didn't turn the ball over, but it had 10 penalties for 104 yards and
failed to score in the second half. Texas has now won four straight games since
losing its season opener to Maryland, the program's longest winning streak
since 2013.
NO. 19 OREGON 42,
NO. 24 CAL 24
The Ducks got the bounce-back win they needed following last
week's heartbreaking collapse against Stanford. QB Justin
Herbert didn't have his best game of the season, but it's clear
at this stage he's the Pac-12's best quarterback and a main reason why the
Ducks should feel capable of winning every game left on their schedule. There
is no game bigger than next week, when rival Washington heads to Eugene in what
promises to be one of the most pivotal games in the Pac-12 this season
Cal found its way into the Top 25 thanks in part to a sloppy
win against a BYU team that went on to pull an upset at Wisconsin. That win in
Provo was encouraging, but Cal entered the rankings more because it hadn't lost
than anything it had shown over the first three games of the season. The loss
to Oregon further indicates what has already been assumed of the Golden Bears:
They won't be a team Pac-12 opponent’s look forward to playing, but they're not
ready to be a major factor in the Pac-12 North. With that in mind, Cal is now
set to play the conference's three worst teams over the next three weeks -- at
Arizona, home against UCLA and at Oregon State -- and will expect to be 6-1
when it hosts Washington on Oct. 27.
NO. 21 MICHIGAN
STATE 31, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 20
Michigan State did exactly what it needed to -- avoid an
upset. The Spartans got off to a slow start and allowed the Chippewas back into
the game into the fourth quarter, but the 11-point deficit was too much to
overcome. Michigan State's stifling run defense held the Chippewas to 63
rushing yards -- including five in the first half -- and two scoreless quarters.
While Michigan State's defense earned the spotlight and forced two turnovers,
quarterback Brian
Lewerke accounted for two of the team's four rushing
touchdowns. Michigan State hosts Northwestern on Saturday before what will be a
season-defining stretch in October with back-to-back games against Penn State
and Michigan.
VIRGINIA TECH 31,
NO. 22 DUKE 14
The good news came well before kickoff for the Blue Devils.
QB Daniel Jones, just three weeks removed from a broken clavicle, was ready to
return. Turns out, it didn't matter much. The offense never found a rhythm,
Virginia Tech's defense utterly clamped down on the ground game, and Jones was
forced to do virtually everything. This might be par for the course in the ACC,
which has seen its share of Top-25 teams lose shortly after arrival in the
rankings, but for Duke, there's still a very winnable slate ahead
FLORIDA 13, NO. 23
MISSISSIPPI STATE 6
Well, that didn't go as expected. Mississippi State welcomed
former coach Dan Mullen back to Starkville aiming to make a statement that he
chose the wrong team. Turns out, Mullen might've known what he was doing. For
the second straight week, the Bulldogs' offense looked completely overmatched
-- Nick Fitzgerald is completing just 47 percent of his throws and averaging
4.2 yards per pass in those games -- and the Bulldogs failed to find the end
zone even once against the Gators. Once considered a legit contender in the SEC
West, it might be time to stick a fork in Mississippi State.
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