Run the Gauntlet

Since the last post, seven Top 10 teams have been upset, the official playoff rankings have been released, and an entire conference has been eliminated from contention. Only a couple weeks of the regular season remain, and the stage for the college football playoff will soon be set. Who will be the final four, and who will win it all?

Last week, the Pac 12 Conference was eliminated from playoff contention, as No. 7 Stanford and No. 10 Utah both lost in close games. Stanford rallied at home against an unranked Oregon team, but they fell 3 yards short after a failed 2-point conversion in the final seconds. Utah simply ran out of gas, stumbling to the feisty Arizona wildcats in 2 overtimes.

            
                                 This photo is courtesy of Kelly Cox.

Elsewhere in the country, LSU (originally ranked second in the committee's first poll), has lost in back-to-back weeks. After a tough road loss to a surging Alabama team, the Tigers came home to be greeted by a hungry Arkansas team that ran away with a 31-14 win. LSU is officially out, leaving just two SEC teams in the hunt: Alabama and Florida. Both one-loss teams will meet in December for the SEC Championship, with the winner likely advancing to the playoff.

The Big 12 Conference is in chaos currently, as its top four teams are all playing each other in November. Midway through the month, only Oklahoma State remains undefeated, but the one-loss Oklahoma Sooners are on the rise and poised to make a playoff run. After a win at No. 6 Baylor, the twelfth ranked Sooners could vault into the playoff if they beat both Oklahoma State and TCU.

            
                          This picture is compliments of David Ubben.

The Big Ten is about to get very interesting, as No. 3 Ohio State must run through both Michigan State and Michigan in its final two games. Furthermore, an undefeated Iowa squad has run under the radar to the No. 5 spot in the nation, setting up a winner-take-all showdown in the Big Ten Championship.

How will it all end? Allow me to give my official predictions for the top four.

       1. Clemson- The undefeated Tigers will win the ACC Championship over UNC and finish as the undisputed No. 1 team.

       2. Alabama- The Tide will slide past Florida to win the SEC and enter the playoff as the hottest team in the country.

       3. Ohio State- After nail-biting victories over Michigan State and Michigan, the Buckeyes will barely edge Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, capping off a perfect season.

       4. Oklahoma- After beating ranked opponents in the final three weeks, Oklahoma will shock the world by winning the Big 12 and leaping into the playoff. The Sooners may need help to get here, including a Notre Dame loss to Stanford.

I believe Clemson will defeat Oklahoma in one of the best games of the year; this should be a fun one to watch. Alabama will run away from the Buckeyes, avenging last year's playoff loss to Ohio State; this game may get ugly. In the National Championship, Alabama will simply outmatch Clemson due to its daunting defense and tough running game. I predict the Crimson Tide will win it all.

            
                                    This image is provided by ESPN.

As for Penn State, the Nittany Lions have a chance to spice things up in the Big Ten with wins over Michigan and Michigan State, so let's go Blue and White!

What a Finish!

6 seconds remained on the clock. Duke's quarterback had just sealed the win for the Blue Devils, running into the endzone for a 27-24 lead over Miami. Short of some kickoff return miracle, it was all over for the Hurricanes. A minute later, the game's final play would leave the Duke sideline speechless, but not even this crazy finish was uncharacteristic of the sport. This is college football; anything can happen.

On the last play of the game, Duke kicked the ball to Miami, who needed nothing short of a touchdown. Scrambling around the field, the Miami players kept the ball in play by lateraling it to each other a total of eight times, and they eventually found the endzone on one of the wildest finishes of the century. After a 9 minute official review, the referees declared the entire play was legal, and Miami had won the game.

             
                               This image is courtesy of Grant Shorin.

The event resulted in an instant controversy, as multiple block in the back penalties were missed, and the knee of a Miami player with possession of the ball appeared to touch the ground. Either way, the ending was inspiring, heartbreaking, and undeniably fun to watch. What does this game mean for the face of the college football playoff? It likely has no impact at all, as neither team posed as a serious contender, but what a finish!

Indeed, this week had little effect on the playoff picture, as most of the top teams were able to slide past their opponents unscathed. No. 9 Notre Dame was able to fend off No. 21 Temple, handing the Owls their first loss of the year. Temple played valiantly for four quarters, but the Irish were able to score a late touchdown for a 24-20 victory.

             
                               This photo is compliments of Mel Evans.

While the college football landscape changed little this past week, next weekend will showcase an abundance of marquee matchups that will alter the course of the season. In the Atlantic Coast Conference, the league's top contenders duel as No. 3 Clemson hosts No. 17 Florida State. If Clemson can escape the Seminoles, they'll be a shoe in for the playoff, and I'm predicting they earn a close victory.

A battle of undefeated teams in the Big 12 Conference will be a great opportunity for the nation to learn more about No. 5 TCU and No. 12 Oklahoma State. While neither team has played a very hard schedule yet, the winner will grab the fast track to the playoff. I think TCU's defense will struggle against the Cowboys, but I'm still picking them to win by a point. I'm guessing over 100 points are scored in this affair, and I feel TCU will find a way to come out on top.

             
                         This picture is compliments of Anthony Dwyer.

In the biggest showdown of the week, No. 4 LSU travels to Tuscaloosa to face the seventh ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. In a battle of the SEC's best, I think star LSU running back Leonard Fournette will come up short against the Tide. Alabama continues to build momentum, and I think a victory Saturday will vault them into playoff position, so watch out!

Be sure to keep an eye on Penn State as they travel to Northwestern this weekend. After a blowout win over Illinois, this game may be a trap for the Nittany Lions. I don't think it's going to be pretty, but I'm still predicting a Penn State victory!

Oh What a Mess

And then there were 12. The list of undefeated teams in college football continues to shrink each week, and this Saturday featured two top ten upsets. Just when things were starting to clear up along the west coast, the Pacific 12 Conference got flipped upside down once again.

The Pac 12 may be one of the strongest conferences in the nation, but you wouldn't think so by observing the Top 25 rankings. The conference's incredible depth has only hurt its playoff chances, as individual teams are struggling to separate from the pack and rise as national elites. With so many teams playing at a high level, it has made it very difficult for a single program to remain unscathed throughout the entire regular season. What has resulted is a jumbled mess of strong football teams that consistently beat themselves up and tear each other down.

             
                       This photograph is compliments of Gary Vasquez.

In fact, the sole remaining undefeated team in the Pac 12, No. 3 Utah, suffered an end to its perfect season with a  brutal loss to USC. The unranked Trojans dominated most aspects of the game, earning a 42-24 victory over a Utah squad which now faces an uphill battle to reach the playoff. USC, with a record of 4-3, may be capable of beating a large number of teams currently in the Top 25, but they struggle to even be mediocre in a conference packed with talented and hard-hitting football programs.

From the disarrayed wreckage of the Pac 12, one team is beginning to stand out. Stanford, after beginning its season with a head-scratching loss to Northwestern, has looked dominant against every opponent up to date, earning a record of 6-1. Could Stanford be the last hope of the Pac 12? Also, it will be fascinating to see how the playoff committee judges this conference when their first official rankings are released next week.

             
                                 This image is courtesy of John Cahill.

In other action across the nation, No. 9 Florida State's perfect season was ended when Georgia Tech pulled off a miraculous upset. The Yellow Jackets fought hard to remain close the entire game, and a shocking final play won them the victory. With Florida State being knocked from the list of undefeated teams, Clemson may be the only remaining program from the Atlantic Coast Conference with the chance of a playoff berth.

While this upcoming week offers few key matchups, be sure to keep an eye on Philadelphia as No. 21 Temple hosts No. 9 Notre Dame. The Temple Owls (who happen to be Nittany Lion slayers!) are surprisingly 6-0, compliments of stellar defensive play throughout the coarse of the season thus far. Will the underdog's defense come up big against a Fighting Irish squad many still believe to be playoff worthy? While I'm impressed with Temple's heart, I have serious questions about how they match up against Notre Dame, and I'm predicting a strong Irish victory.

             
                               This picture is provided by Alex Callos.

Also, make sure you stay tuned for Penn State's big home game against Illinois! The Nittany Lions should carry momentum from last week's narrow win over Maryland, and I'm predicting a blue and white victory!

One for the Ages

Michigan fans were grinning ear to ear as the Wolverines were winding down the clock to cap off an impressive win over state rival Michigan State. After controlling the lead for the entire game, the Wolverines just needed to execute one final punt with ten seconds left to ice the victory. Fans were preparing to leave after watching their home team win a hard-fought battle against an undefeated opponent. What followed on the final play will burn as a scar in the hearts of Michigan fans for an eternity. If you were wondering how Showdown Saturday played out in college football, Week 7 certainly exceeded the hype.

On the final play of regulation, the Michigan punter dropped and regained the ball, attempted to kick it in a flurry of Spartan players, and essentially handed the ball and the victory to Michigan State. The Spartans recovered the botched punt and successfully returned it to the endzone for a game-winning, heartbreaking, and utterly shocking finale that left over 100,000 fans speechless. Michigan, who looked so good for 59 minutes and 50 seconds, forfeited the game 27-23 in one of the most bizarre and miraculous plays in recent history.

             
                                  This image is compliments of ESPN.

What does this means for the college football landscape? After the dust settled, Michigan fans soon realized that their surging team would most likely be eliminated from the playoff, as indeed they probably are. With two losses, the Wolverines need to play flawlessly the rest of the year, and it still won't be enough if the teams in front of them don't lose. On the other hand, Michigan State is in prime position to make a playoff run; this sets the stage for a glorious battle between the Spartans and Ohio State late in the season.

Speaking of the Buckeyes, Ohio State finally looked like the No. 1 team in the country Saturday night; it only makes sense that they would get their act together just in time to play Penn State. The Buckeyes struggled early with Cardale Jones at quarterback, but after making a switch to backup J.T. Barrett, they looked unstoppable. Penn State pulled close at several points in the game thanks to the tremendous efforts of freshman running back Saquon Barkley, but it simply wasn't enough. J.T. Barrett brought the read-option dynamic to his offense, and the Nittany Lions couldn't handle the running quarterback.

             
                             This picture is provided by Paul Vernon.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Iowa remained perfect with a monstrous 40-10 victory over Northwestern. The Hawkeyes have an easy schedule before them; keep an eye on them for a sneaky playoff run!

Turning to the SEC, No. 10 Alabama earned another convincing win over No. 9 Texas A&M. The Tide ran the ball all over the Aggies, and their defense scored three times off three interceptions! No. 6 LSU used a trick play to defeat No. 8 Florida 35-28 in a very close matchup. Alabama and LSU seem to be the two strongest teams in the conference at this point.

Next week should be far less hectic in the world of football, but watch out for a couple keys games. Although I'm predicting a win for the Utes, No. 3 Utah may struggle on the road against a feisty USC squad. Also, be sure to check out Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss; I'm predicting A&M bounces back with a victory.

            
                                This image is courtesy of Dahlelama.

Watch Penn State recover from its loss with a win over Maryland on Saturday! It should be a fun game!

The Calm Before the Storm

Batten down the hatches; a storm is coming. The world of college football will soon be turned upside-down. While this past Saturday had few top 25 matchups to offer, the upcoming weekend will boast an enormous number of season-defining games, each of which will have severe playoff implications. Which teams will rise to the challenge and snatch the inside track to the postseason?

While last Saturday featured very few marquee matchups, there are a couple of games that still played a large role in the playoff picture. In the highly anticipated duel between No. 13 Northwestern and No. 18 Michigan, the Wolverines proved yet again why they belong among the nation's elites. Michigan trounced the Wildcats 38 to nothing, pulling away early with three first quarter touchdowns. The Wolverines dominated every level of the game, scoring on offense, defense, and even special teams!

             
                                This picture is courtesy of Jake Ryan.
                         

Michigan was not the only team to impress Saturday night, as Utah remained unbeaten with a close victory over California, handing the Bears their first loss of the season. The Utah defense forced six turnovers throughout the game, earning five interceptions off a veteran quarterback. Utah is now the only undefeated team from the Pac 12 Conference; they may be the conference's last chance at a playoff bid.

While these games were important pieces to solving the postseason puzzle, this upcoming weekend will host a variety of matchups that will reshape the college football landscape. Iowa and Northwestern kick off the action in a game of Big Ten powerhouses; Iowa could vault themselves into the playoff hunt with a victory. I'm predicting that the Iowa Hawkeyes remain undefeated with a fourth quarter comeback.

Staying in the Big Ten, Michigan will be in the spotlight again as they look to upset No. 7 Michigan State. Featuring two of the conference's finest teams, the loser of this game will most likely fall from the race. Riding their momentum from previous weeks, I'm picking the Wolverines to win yet again by two touchdowns. Watch for Michigan's defense to carry them past the Spartans and knock Michigan State off the list of undefeated teams.

             
                            This photo is compliments of Jeremy Rogers.

Turning to the Southeastern Conference, two games will feature battles between top ten teams. No. 10 Alabama will be looking to build its resume with a win over No. 9 Texas A&M, but the Crimson Tide may struggle against the Aggies' high-powered offense. Nonetheless, I'm predicting Alabama will rely on its running game to pull away in the fourth quarter and earn the victory. A little farther east, No. 6 LSU will be hosting No. 8 Florida in a showdown of teams with flawless records. Keep an eye on star running back Leonard Fournette; he will put his team on his back and lead the LSU Tigers to a huge win over Florida.

Last but not least, our own Nittany Lions will enter the national spotlight in an epic showdown with the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes! Emotions will be high in this rivalry game between two teams that know each other all two well. Penn State's defense should keep them in the game, and rather than jinxing our own Nittany Lions, I'm picking Penn State to pull off the upset over No. 1 Ohio State!

             
                                This image is provided by Bryan Benner.

Upset Central

Be honest. Did you see that coming? Week 5 was a wild roller coaster of upsets and crazy finishes, as half of the top eight teams in the nation fell from the undefeated ranks. Which schools were lucky enough to slide past their underdogs with victories, and which teams forfeited their perfect records on Saturday?

Hello Crimson Tide! After dropping its SEC opener against Ole Miss, the Alabama Crimson Tide came back with a vengeance in its obliteration of No. 8 Georgia. Alabama looked unbeatable in every facet of the game, and they certainly reminded the world of football that they are still a force to be reckoned with. The undefeated Bulldogs were favored in this highly anticipated matchup, but that didn't seem to matter as Alabama cruised to a 38-10 victory, kicking off upset week with a statement.

            
                              This image is provided by Daniel Shirey.

Georgia wasn't the only SEC powerhouse to collapse on Saturday, as the No. 3 Ole Miss Rebels fell by an identical score of 38-10! The Florida Gators came out swinging against Ole Miss, and they used their speed to hand the Rebels their first loss of the season. On the road, Ole Miss appeared lost and confused as the Gators flew right by them. Could this be the beginning of a shift in power that finally puts Florida back on the map?

Numbers 3 and 8 weren't the only top ten teams to collapse this weekend, as teams ranked sixth and seventh also suffered defeat Saturday night. No. 6 Notre Dame fought for its life against No. 12 Clemson, but despite an incredible fourth quarter comeback, the Irish fell short by a score of 24-22. After scoring a touchdown with only seven seconds lefts, Clemson was able to hold off a potential game-tying two point conversion to seal the victory. No. 7 UCLA wasn't even able to keep it close in their loss, as Arizona State put the hammer down on the Bruins for a 38-23 upset. UCLA, many experts' pick to reach the championship, will need to regroup and settle down if they are to climb back into the playoff hunt.

            
                       This picture is compliments of Richard Mackson.

Elsewhere in the nation, the top two teams from the Big Ten came dangerously close to tarnishing their perfect records. No. 1 Ohio State needed every inch of Ezekial Elliot's 274 yard rushing performance to slip past an upset-craving Indiana squad. Indiana squandered a golden opportunity to tie the game late, but they couldn't pull it off as the Buckeyes survived by a score of 34-27. No. 2 Michigan State fell asleep at the wheel and nearly allowed a feisty Purdue team to erase a 24 point deficit! Purdue also came up short on its final drive, and the Spartans were able to breathe easy with a 24-21 escape.

Two games this upcoming week stand out among the rest, so be sure to watch these battles on Saturday. No. 23 California travels to No. 5 Utah to try and pull of another huge upset; I'm predicting they run out of gas in the second half, and Utah pulls away with the victory. Also, keep an eye on the Big Ten matchup between No. 13 Northwestern and No. 18 Michigan. Both teams are riding high tides of momentum, and it should be a tight game to the finish. I'm predicting Michigan steals the win in dramatic fashion.

            
                            This photo is courtesy of Patrick Mansell.

Get ready for homecoming as Penn State takes the field against Indiana. It should be a great game in front of thousands of fans, so cheer on your Nittany Lions to the victory!

Contender or Pretender?

It's simply remarkable how everything you thought you knew about football can change so drastically after only a month. Now is the time to toss out preseason picks and build new predictions for the landscape of college football. After four weeks of action, let's try to label which teams are contenders and which are pretenders.

There were several statements made throughout the country Saturday, but none louder than the resounding surge of a rising Michigan team in its blowout win of No. 22 BYU. Since losing their opening game against Utah, the Michigan Wolverines have looked sharp on both sides of the ball against strong opponents. The Wolverines put BYU away early, coasting to a 31-0 decimation of a team many thought to be playoff worthy. Under one of the best coaches in the nation, how far could Michigan go? While it may be a bit early to throw them in the playoff, the Wolverines are certainly contenders and a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten. Top ranked Ohio State and Michigan State have shown signs of weakness, but they are also contenders.

            
                             This image is provided by Ben Glicksman.

Why might Michigan's close loss to Utah actually look good on their resume? The Wolverines weren't the only team to send a message this weekend, as Utah dismantled the fabled Oregon Ducks by a whopping score of 62 to 20! Dominating the game from start to finish, this win puts undefeated Utah right in the playoff mix, and it's exactly why I have them labeled as a contender.

Staying in the PAC 12 Conference, let's take a look at how some other teams are faring in league play. Arizona will unfortunately be making the pretenders list, as the Wildcats gave up 56 points in their crushing loss to No. 9 UCLA, but let's focus more on UCLA's win than Arizona's loss. The Bruins have looked strong all season, rolling past tough non-conference teams on their way to a 4-0 record. With another impressive win over a ranked opponent, I definitely have UCLA as a contender.

            
                           This picture is compliments of Casey Sapio.

We will learn much more about the SEC in the coming weeks as league competition develops, but for now it's safe to label a few of these teams. Auburn, despite holding high hopes at the start of the season, is without a doubt a pretender; the tigers have now lost two weeks in a row. Ole Miss and LSU make the cut for contenders, as both teams have looked complete on offense and defense in wins over top opponents. This week's matchup of No. 8 Georgia and No. 13 Alabama will tell us a lot about these teams, and I'm picking Alabama to bounce back with an upset over the Bulldogs.

In the Big 12 Conference, No. 3 TCU has looked shaky defensively, and I am just barely naming them a contender after their narrow escape on Saturday against Texas Tech. Meanwhile, No. 5 Baylor has looked unbeatable all year, but they haven't played any tough teams yet, so they also fall at the bottom of the contenders list.

The final team to make the cut is Notre Dame, who will face a huge road test against No. 12 Clemson this week. I still don't see Clemson as a playoff team, and as a pretender, I predict they will lose to the Fighting Irish Saturday night in a very fun game.

            
                            This picture is courtesy of Matt Cashore.

Watch Penn State (unfortunately still a pretender) win against Army this weekend, and stay tuned for other big games and upsets across the country!