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!