Week 6 Struggles and Upsets
After last week, we all were a little bummed out after looking ahead of this week's football slate. Once again, college football never disappoints. The saying that “any given team can beat any given one on any given Saturday" still holds to be true. We had some unpredictable games play out this weekend as teams are starting to watch their playoff chances disintegrate.
Playoff Chances Crumbling
The biggest upset of the weekend happened at the Rose Bowl as UCLA was able to beat #7 Penn State. The Nittany Lions were coming off a very tough loss to Oregon and were looking to regain their confidence. The Bruins had other plans as they dominated the Lions right off the hop and got out to an astounding lead. The deficit was too much for Penn State to overcome as they ended up losing their second game in two weeks. After last week the Lions, even in a loss, still had all their goals ahead of them. They were even one of the favorites to win the National Championship. On paper, Penn State has one of the best rosters in the country and they are wildly underperforming. I believe these guys are definitely talented enough to win these types of games but it’s possible that the coaches messages are not resonating with the players. Head coach James Franklin was already on the hot seat after last week's loss and now it can cost him his job. UCLA who was 0-4 going into this game fired their head coach at the start of the week. There is no excuse for Penn State to play the Bruins close, let alone lose the game! The Lions will have to win the rest of their games to have a slim chance at the playoff. If the Lions are not able to turn this season around Penn State will most likely be looking for a new head coach at the end of the season.
At the start of the season, we all expected the Texas Longhorns to be in the conversation as the best team in the country. The current success the Longhorns have had the past couple of seasons may have influenced our opinions of them. Texas lost a lot of talented players to the NFL this past season mainly their offensive line and reliable receivers. You can definitely notice the youth of their team as they aren’t as elite as we thought they would be. The Longhorns played their first road conference game of the season this past weekend and fell short to the Florida Gators. I was not surprised, as I watched them struggle early in the season to inferior opponents. Texas has a tough schedule this year and will most likely not make the playoffs. The offensive line is struggling which makes it difficult for their running backs to get going and causes Arch Manning to struggle with timing. Texas also had fast and reliable receivers last season and replacing those players has not been an easy feat. The youth of their team just needs some time to develop and by the end of the season they will be improved.
TOP 10
Miami Hurricanes
Ohio State Buckeyes
Oregon Ducks
Texas A&M Aggies
Oklahoma Sooners
Alabama Crimson Tide
Indiana Hoosiers
Ole Miss Rebels
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Georgia
* These are my rankings based on “eye test” and performances throughout each week!
Miami Hurricanes: In my eyes they are the most deserving of the #1 spot. The Hurricanes had one of the toughest stretches of games in the country and they were able to come out undefeated. Are they the best team? Maybe, but that will be determined later on in the season. The offense with Carson Beck at the helm has looked elite. Beck is an experienced guy that has played in lots of big time matchups and he doesn’t shy away from the pressure. The defense has also been stout, mainly due to their pass rush. If the Hurricanes can keep this up they will be a shoe in for the ACC title game and a playoff berth.
Alabama Crimson Tide: Ever since the loss to Florida State, the Tide have looked like one of the best teams in the country. They were able to snap Georgia’s 33 game home win streak and then they went out and beat a top 20 Vanderbilt. They had two great performances back to back weeks and they look to be back in the playoff race. Ty Simpson has been the best quarterback in the country the last two weeks and that's why they have been successful. I was wrong to judge the Tide early in the season as teams continue to just get better throughout the season. Earlier in the year, Alabama’s schedule looked daunting but, as the season has progressed it looks more manageable. I expected the Tide to finish in the top 12 and possibly make the SEC championship and playoff.
Texas Tech Raiders: One of the most expensive rosters in the country this season and it has paid off. The Raiders might not be a top 10 team when it's all said and done, but as of right now they are deserving of that ranking. They have had a couple of great wins this season and have impressed me up to this point. Texas Tech has one of the most favorable schedules in the country as the Big 12 is a balanced conference, but they don’t have the “powerhouse” teams.
