College Football Chaos: Texas, LSU & Oregon Are in SERIOUS Trouble
Heading into Week 6, the college football schedule looked underwhelming compared to what we had seen in previous weeks. However, it turned out to be anything but that. We saw shocking upsets, close finishes, and incredible individual performances that shook up the college football landscape. With playoff favorites seemingly falling every week, the rest of the season is becoming harder and harder to predict. This could be shaping up to be one of the most exciting college football seasons in recent memory, as the so-called “top teams” are finding out they have a lot more competition than they originally thought. I wouldn’t want to be an AP voter this year!
SEC Upsets
The trend continues in the SEC, as the conference’s top contenders keep falling week after week. Known as the deepest conference in college football, the SEC has lived up to that reputation over the past few weeks. Playoff favorites are getting knocked off left and right, and it’s starting to look like the teams with the most manageable schedules will have the best chance of making it through. Going undefeated in the SEC now seems nearly impossible, as talent is spread throughout the entire conference. There are no longer any easy wins, and every week brings another opportunity for a top team to go down.
Two of the most talented teams in the SEC, Texas and LSU, both fell short against unranked opponents this past weekend. The Texas Longhorns suffered a heartbreaking loss to their rival, the Oklahoma Sooners, on a last-second field goal. While anything can happen in a rivalry game, this loss feels inexcusable for a team that was once ranked No. 1 in the country. Oklahoma entered the season with playoff expectations but has shown major weaknesses that have caused the Sooners to fall out of the rankings entirely. Despite Oklahoma having an elite defense, Texas should have had enough talent to win this game. Instead, the loss raises a serious question: How good are the Longhorns?
Texas still has one of the most impressive wins in the country, mounting a 20-point comeback to defeat Ohio State. However, outside of that fourth-quarter comeback, the Longhorns' offense has looked average at best. Arch Manning continues to struggle with many of the same issues we saw last season, and he will need to become much more consistent if Texas wants to compete for a playoff spot.The Longhorns still have a brutal stretch of games ahead, and their win over Ohio State will certainly help their playoff résumé. However, after falling to Oklahoma, their margin for error has become much smaller. If Manning and the offense can't turn things around quickly, Texas could find itself on the outside looking in come playoff time once again.
The LSU Tigers may have just watched their playoff hopes slip away after falling to the Kentucky Wildcats in overtime. Kentucky entered the matchup unranked, but many around the country believe the Wildcats deserve more respect. They have been one of the biggest surprises in the SEC this season, already knocking off multiple ranked opponents. If Kentucky can keep playing at this level, the Wildcats could find themselves in the playoff conversation, although their remaining schedule won't make things easy.
LSU entered the season as one of the most talented and experienced teams in the country, with expectations of competing for a national championship. Now, with two losses on their résumé, the Tigers have almost no room for error. Their biggest issue has been on defense, where giving up big plays has continued to hurt them in crucial moments. That is especially concerning considering some of the talented offenses they still have left to face. Lane Kiffin has his work cut out for him if LSU wants to turn its season around. An SEC Championship now seems out of reach, and the Tigers will likely need to win out to have any realistic shot at making the College Football Playoff. With the talent on this roster, LSU should be performing much better than it has. The question now is whether Kiffin can get this team back on track before it's too late.
Big 10 Upset
Only one true Big Ten contender fell this weekend, as the Oregon Ducks suffered a surprising loss to the UCLA Bruins. However, UCLA is proving to be the real deal, remaining undefeated with several impressive performances already this season. The Bruins have quickly gone from an overlooked team to a legitimate threat in the conference. Looking ahead, UCLA has one of the more favorable remaining schedules in the Big Ten, with only one ranked opponent left to face: the USC Trojans. Based on what we've seen so far, the Bruins are in a great position to make a serious run at a Big Ten Championship and potentially earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. If they can keep playing at this level, UCLA could end up being one of the biggest surprises in college football this season.
The Oregon Ducks are in serious trouble. After losing their highly touted starting quarterback, Dante Moore, and suffering two devastating losses, their season is quickly slipping away. Oregon entered the year as one of the most talented teams in the country, returning a majority of its production from last season. This was supposed to be the year the Ducks finally made a serious run at a National Championship.However, losing both coordinators from last season has hurt Oregon much more than many expected. Both sides of the ball have struggled to find consistency, and those issues have been the biggest story of their season so far. For a team that entered the year with championship expectations, the Ducks have been one of the biggest disappointments in college football.Oregon still has opportunities to turn things around, but winning out seems to be its only realistic option. Even then, with two losses already on its résumé, there is no guarantee the Ducks will make the College Football Playoff.
The top contenders in the Big Ten are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the conference: Ohio State, Indiana, UCLA, and USC. However, with how unpredictable this season has been, nothing would surprise me at this point. Most of these teams still have to face each other, which will give us a much better idea of who the true favorites are. It's still too early to predict how the conference standings will shake out, but one thing is certain: the race for the Big Ten title is shaping up to be one of the closest and most exciting in college football.
Biased Baller Top 10 Week 6
Georgia Bulldogs
Miami Hurricanes
Alabama Crimson Tide
Ohio State Buckeyes
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Indiana Hoosiers
BYU Cougars
Ole Miss Rebels
Texas Longhorns
Utah Utes
