NCAAF

• Ohio State 21, Northwestern 7
  • Yes, the weather was atrocious for this contest, but it’s hard to blame the weather too much when the Buckeyes consistently struggled to control the line of scrimmage, especially early on. That’s a bad sign for a team competing for a national championship. Fortunately for Ohio State, the team has significantly more talent than Northwestern, so it didn’t matter too much in the end. C.J. Stroud wasn’t at his best in this game (10-26 for 76 yards), but he should be the Heisman frontrunner at this point, especially after Georgia’s defense exposed Hendon Hooker and the Tennessee offense.
• TCU 34, Texas Tech 24
  • This game wasn’t super frightening late for TCU, but it feels as if the Horned Frogs are playing with fire, and I think they’ll get burned next week in Austin. Regardless, the Horned Frogs continue to find a way, and they won this one without any production from star wide receiver Quentin Johnston.
  • It seems year after year, Texas Tech has a respectable team, but is unable to find a way to register a respectable win-loss record. At 4-5, the Red Raiders are walking down that path again. At the very least, Tech did a nice job of stifling Max Duggan and the TCU offense yesterday, thanks in part to the continued excellent play of Tyree Wilson, who has seven sacks in 2022.
• North Carolina 31, Virginia 28
  • North Carolina isn’t very good — it entered this contest ranked 37th in SP+, but somehow, some way, the Tar Heels are 8-1. Thank Drake Maye for that, as the connection between Maye and Josh Downs, who’s finally back to producing like he should be, is awesome. If North Carolina can win at Wake Forest next week, 11-1 is wholly realistic, but Tar Heel fans shouldn’t get their playoff hopes up.
• Tulane 27, Tulsa 13
  • After ten weeks, it’s completely acceptable to start thinking about Tulane as the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six representative. The Green Wave are 8-1, and will have ample opportunity to boost their resume down the stretch, with games versus UCF, SMU, and Cincinnati. We’ll learn a lot about Tulane over the next few weeks.
• Kentucky 21, Missouri 17
  • This game was better for Will Levis, who went 13-19 for 170 yards and three touchdowns, although I’d still prefer to see Mark Stoops and his coaching staff give Levis more throwing opportunities, especially on early downs.
• Florida 41, Texas A&M 24
  • Anthony Richardson played to his potential yesterday, which makes Florida a dangerous team. This is a team, after all, that took down a solid Utah squad in Week 1. There’s certainly a path for the Gators to finish 8-4, which would register as a successful inaugural season for Billy Napier.
  • Texas A&M, as it stands currently, is a joke. 3-6 is insanely unacceptable for a program that began the year ranked No. 6, and there aren’t exactly a ton of good signs that things will turn around any time soon for Jimbo Fisher’s program. Quarterback play has been messy all year, and many of the team’s hyped freshman haven’t had a substantial impact on winning. This might not be the case, but there should be a mass exodus of transfers, especially of former five-stars, out of College Station this offseason.
• Minnesota 20, Nebraska 13
  • Minnesota is quite dangerous when it rides Mohamed Ibrahim, who had 128 yards with two scores on 32 carries in this contest.
• Iowa 24, Purdue 3
  • Iowa receives WAY too much disrespect as a program, and it showed yesterday. There’s quite a few teams across the country the Hawkeyes are capable of manhandling, as the team had the nation’s No. 3 defense in the country entering yesterday, per SP+.
  • As I mentioned, Iowa’s defense is excellent, so it made things difficult for the Purdue offense. Therefore, Charlie Jones, despite catching 11 balls for 104 yards, was unable to exact revenge on his former team.
• Wisconsin 23, Maryland 10
  • Since firing Paul Chryst, the Badgers have somewhat gotten back to being their normal selves, which is a good sign for the program moving forward. Nick Herbig is a big reason for that, as the linebacker has eight sacks in 2022 after recording two yesterday.
  • It feels nearly impossible to project how Maryland’s offense will fare on a week-to-week basis. In this game, Taulia Tagovailoa registered a dreadful 12.9 QBR. The Terrapins’ odds of upsetting Penn State or Ohio State in its next two games appear bleak, at best.
• Georgia Tech 28, Virginia Tech 27
  • Virginia Tech, a once proud program, is in uncharted waters. The team is having perhaps its worst campaign since 1992, when the Hokies finished 2-8. Frank Beamer isn’t walking through the door, so the program will have to dig deep to find a way out of this mess.
• Temple 52, South Florida 28
  • This result was quite surprising, but E.J Warner is really coming along at quarterback for the Owls. Warner went 27-36 for 344 yards and two touchdowns in this contest.
• Baylor 38, Oklahoma 35
  • Both of these programs have fallen pretty far, at least for 2022, as this game wasn’t even on television — it aired on ESPN+. Baylor found a way, though, even with Blake Shapen struggling mightily to the tune of a 18.4 QBR. The Bears will finish with three consecutive ranked opponents, which is just life in a deep Big 12 this season.
  • Oklahoma’s offense is fine. The Sooners actually outgained the Bears yesterday, racking up nearly 500 yards of offense, but early returns on Brent Venables’ defense have been mediocre, and that’s being kind. Venables deserves time, though, so we’ll see what Oklahoma’s stop unit looks like in 2023 or 2024, but a 5-4 start surely has fans restless in Norman.
• Georgia 27, Tennessee 13
  • At this juncture, it’s pretty clear the Bulldogs have an on/off switch, which isn’t uncommon for defending champions. Stetson Bennett has been consistently good in 2022, as the numbers may not show it, but has taken a decent leap as a player. Impossible is the best word to describe Kirby Smart’s task of replacing his 2021 defense, but guys like Malaki Starks, Kelee Ringo, and Javon Bullard have stepped up in a big way for the Bulldogs. Those three have been aided by Jalen Carter, who may be the best NFL interior defensive line prospect since Ndamukong Suh in 2010. At 9-0, barring an unforeseen slip up, the Bulldogs are a virtual lock for the College Football Playoff.
  • I wasn’t sure if Tennessee would be able to continue torching opposing defenses, and clearly I have my answer. The Volunteers displayed a clear lack of aggressiveness, and quite frankly, ability, against the Bulldogs in this game. Now, Tennessee needs to root for some help, as it may have trouble securing a playoff spot as an 11-1 team. To make matters worse, Alabama lost yesterday, weaking Tennessee’s resume. Contrary to popular belief, the Vols have just two ranked wins — not five, and might be in need of some style points down the stretch versus Missouri, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
• Oregon 49, Colorado 10
  • After getting bludgeoned by Georgia in Week 1, Oregon has been eviscerating opponents, and actually has a somewhat clear path to a playoff spot. I can’t imagine a 12-1 Oregon team not qualifying. Bo Nix has been a revelation for the Ducks, as clearly the Auburn program was holding him back.
• Penn State 45, Indiana 14
  • I guess we know what 2022 Penn State is? A team good enough, at 7-2, to take care of business against lesser competition, but not quite good enough to take down the likes of Ohio State and Michigan. That’s fine in a vacuum, but James Franklin needs to get over the hump at some point and build a monster of a team, or his tenure in State College will be viewed mostly as middling.
• Michigan State 23, Illinois 15
  • Illinois, a 16-point favorite for this game, was obviously a fraud. This was an undermanned Spartan team, as well, and the Illini were unable to take advantage. The Big Ten West race is suddenly interesting, as Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota are all lurking behind Illinois at 3-3 in conference play.
• Pittsburgh 19, Syracuse 9
  • How the mighty have fallen. After a sparkling 6-0 start, the Orange have dropped three straight, and things won’t exactly get easier, either, as Syracuse has Florida State and Wake Forest on the docket the next two games. Pittsburgh’s defense can be pretty stout at times, despite ranking 81st in defense in SP+, and that unit did an awesome job of limiting Sean Tucker to just 19 yards on 10 attempts.
• UCF 35, Memphis 28
  • UCF has a good thing going, just in time for its transition to the Big 12 in 2023. Mikey Keene is an interesting player at quarterback. as he went 22-28 for 219 yards, three touchdowns, and one pick yesterday afternoon.
  • Memphis, on the other hand, is stuck in a rut at 4-5. The Tigers’ offense is still fairly explosive, but is certainly in a down year, The goal, obviously, is to not let a down year turn into a down period for the program.
• Washington State 52, Stanford 14
  • How in the world did Stanford beat Notre Dame? The Cardinal are abysmal, as Tanner McKee’s NFL prospects are just about the only thing worth following for this team. With that said, David Shaw is a good and well-respected coach, so I wouldn’t rule out him fielding a solid team in 2023.
• Iowa State 31, West Virginia 14
  • I whiffed on this game, taking the points with West Virginia +7. I didn’t think Iowa State was good enough to pull past anyone in the Big 12 by more than a touchdown, but I sure overestimated this Mountaineer squad. West Virginia is simply awful on defense.
• UTSA 44, UAB 38
  • Frank Harris is so good, and a big reason why UTSA sits at 7-2. Harris went 22-31 for 285 yards and four touchdowns yesterday.
• Liberty 21, Arkansas 19
  • This is a bad look for Arkansas, dropping this game as a 14.5-point favorite, but Hugh Freeze absolutely has things rolling in Lynchburg. Durrell Johnson has had a good year for the Flames, and he continued that in this game, recording two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss against the SEC West cellar-dweller.
• Cincinnati 20, Navy 10
  • Navy is tough to play against and consistently throws even good opponents off their games, but it’s safe to say the Bearcats haven’t exactly put together tons of inspiring performances this year. Tyler Scott and Ivan Pace are awesome players though, and Cincinnati is surely looking forward to getting a crack at Tulane at Nippert Stadium on Black Friday, a game in which I think the Bearcats will win. This program is just too prideful.
• Troy 23, Louisiana 17
  • Troy deserves a lot of credit for the season it’s had, as the Trojans sit at 7-2. Even better, the Trojans’ final three games are super winnable, so 10 wins may be in the cards for Troy.
• LSU 32, Alabama 31
  • Brian Kelly has gotten LSU back on the map faster than I imagined, and his ballsy call to go for two in overtime was awesome, and the right decision, even it it failed. Jayden Daniels was even better than his numbers indicated yesterday, as the signal-caller went 22-32 for 182 yards and two scores, while rushing for 95 yards an additional touchdown. A two-loss team has never made the College Football Playoff, but LSU has a chance to put an end to that streak. The Tigers’ final three regular season games should be borderline cake walks, and if the Tigers take down Georgia in Atlanta, they’d be at the forefront of the conversation for the playoff’s third or fourth spot.
  • Alabama is somewhat fortunate to have only two losses, as it was close to faltering versus both Texas and Texas A&M, as well. Bryce Young hasn’t at all been the problem for Nick Saban’s team, but his lack of weaponry, outside of Jahmyr Gibbs, has. The Crimson Tide doesn’t have a weak set of receivers, but this team doesn’t exactly roster Jerry Jeudy, Jameson Williams, Julio Jones, or DeVonta Smith, to be fair. Alabama’s playoff hopes are now dim, to put it nicely, as the Tide needs loads of help that it probably won’t receive. Nick Saban’s program will be just fine moving forward, though, as it continues to recruit superbly.
• BYU 31, Boise State 28
  • I had a feeling BYU, a 9.5-point underdog yesterday, wasn’t dead in the water. Jaren Hall is a good signal-caller, and the Cougars have a capable offense.
• SMU 77, Houston 63
  • This game was wild, and had shades of the battle between Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes in 2016. In this particular contest, Tanner Mordecai tossed nine touchdowns, securing enough breathing room for the Mustangs to prevail.
• Notre Dame 35, Clemson 14
  • On paper, Clemson has a great and physical defense, but that didn’t matter to Notre Dame, who rushed for 263 yards last night. Drew Pyne didn’t even need to do much for the Fighting Irish, as he threw for a measly 85 yards. Notre Dame is better than its 6-3 record, and despite losing to Marshall and Stanford, should be ranked come Tuesday night.
  • Even though the Tigers have a path to being a 12-1 conference champion, their playoff hopes seem bleak. Quarterback play of late has been terrible for Clemson, and tons of talent on defense is being wasted because of it. Recruiting has slowed down a tad for Clemson, so it’ll be interesting to see if Dabo Swinney can ever get his program back on top again. The glory years may be over for the Tigers.
• Michigan 52, Rutgers 17
  • Michigan is physical, dominant, and consistent, so I was extremely surprised Rutgers led this game at half, as most of my attention was directed toward the World Series, the Alabama-LSU game, and the Clemson-Notre Dame game. Unsurprisingly, Michigan asserted itself in the second half, quelling my concerns. The offensive line is key for the Wolverines, but stopping Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards out of the backfield is a brutal task for opponents.
• Mississippi State 39, Auburn 33
  • The Bulldogs almost blew this game, as Mike Leach’s tendency to pass, pass, and pass came back to bite Mississippi State. I’m a fan of the air raid, so I can’t fault Leach too much.
  • Cadillac Williams serving as Auburn’s interim head coach sure makes me feel old, as his 2005 Draft was one of the first draft’s I followed. That draft featured offensive skill position players as the first five picks, with Alex Smith, Ronnie Brown, Braylon Edwards, the late Cedric Benson, and Williams going one through five that Saturday.
• Louisville 34, James Madison 10
  • James Madison, ever since being ranked No. 25, has been absolutely exposed, dropping three consecutive contests.
• Florida State 45, Miami 3
  • Miami… The Hurricanes had a loaded list of visiting recruits, who surely reconsidered their interest in the Hurricanes following this debacle. Oregon is 8-1 following the departure of Mario Cristobal, and Miami is just 4-5 in his first year at the helm. That certainly makes you think.
• USC 41, California 35
  • Utah may have done us all a favor by taking down USC, because no fan outside of Los Angeles should want to see this team in the playoff. Any team with a solid amount of talent and physicality would blast the Trojans. Beating California 41-35 is nothing to smirk about, and I’ve got a feeling USC, if it doesn’t fall to UCLA, will receive its second loss at the hands of Notre Dame on November 26th.
• My Top Six
  1. Georgia (9-0)
  2. Ohio State (9-0)
  3. Michigan (9-0)
  4. TCU (9-0)
  
  5. Tennessee (8-1)
  6. Oregon (8-1)