Anyway, before we get to the NFL games and before I become a millionaire on Fan Duel, it's time to reflect back on all the madness that went down on College Football Saturday. With some huge match-ups to look forward to with playoff implications (Stanford/USC, Alabama/Ole Miss), this definitely wasn't the week you wanted to miss when it comes to college football. The good news is, if you missed anything....it's all recapped right here for you, absolutely free.
Who's your daddy now?
That probably wasn't the best thing to say in that spot.....
Let's just act like it never happened, OK?
Anyway.............
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE WAITING FOR?
LETTTTTTTTT'S GET READY TO FUMBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBLEEEEEEEEEEEE...........
Top 25 Scoreboard:
(A recap of all the action involving the top 25 teams in college football)
(1) Ohio State (3-0): 20 Northern Illinois (2-1): 13
Some people are worried about the Buckeyes following this close game against a MAC team. Personally, I'm not too worried. Ohio State is still the most talented team in college football, they just have a tendency to play down to their competition during the regular season. Not only that, but Northern Illinois have been one of the best teams in college football record-wise over the last few years (they are 57-13 over the last 5 seasons). So like I said. Some people seem eager to dump their Ohio State stock following this game. Go ahead and send that shit right over here. I'll gladly pick it up and display it proudly.
(2) Michigan State (3-0): 35 Air Force (2-1): 21
There were some concerns that the Michigan State Spartans would suffer a letdown this week. Following a huge win against Oregon last week, the Spartans had to step onto the field and play a very good Air Force team. Now, I know Air Force isn't a "power house" program or anything, however they can be a difficult team for some teams to face due to the offense that they run. Air Force runs a triple option offense, which basically means they are going to run the ball down your throat and they dare you to stop it. Well, the Spartans were definitely game this week as they stomped a mud hole in the Falcons and they continue to look like the best team in college football. Is this finally the year that Michigan State and Mark D'Antonio take the next step and get the Spartans over that hump? Sure looks that way.
(3) Alabama (2-1): 37 (12) Ole Miss (3-0): 43
If you missed this game, I apologize. It was easily the best game on paper this week and it definitely met all expectations that were placed on it before hand. When these two teams met on the football field last year, it was a fantastic game. The sequel may have been even better. For the second straight season, Hugh Freeze and the Ole Miss Rebels take down the Alabama Crimson Tide and are now in position to take the SEC West crown. The Rebels took out Alabama using a combination of QB Chad Kelly (who threw for 341 yards and 3 TD's) and a very stout defense that came up with some huge turnovers to seal the deal. There is good news and bad news for Ole Miss fans though. The good news is, you beat Bama. Congrats. That's difficult. The bad news is, the schedule doesn't get any easier but as of right now, Ole Miss looks and smells like a playoff team to me. Watch out SEC.
(5) TCU (3-0): 56 SMU (1-2): 37
Can TCU play someone who's worth a damn yet? I mean, I just have no idea how good this team is because they haven't really played anyone yet. That will change next week when the Horned Frogs meet up with a team that is shockingly on fire right now. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are coming off a huge upset over Arkansas and are licking their chops at the thought of getting some revenge on TCU. The Horned Frogs put up 80+ points on Texas Tech last year and Kliff Kingsbury and his boys have to be ready to extract some revenge. That could quietly be one of the best games of the week next week.
Can TCU play someone who's worth a damn yet? I mean, I just have no idea how good this team is because they haven't really played anyone yet. That will change next week when the Horned Frogs meet up with a team that is shockingly on fire right now. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are coming off a huge upset over Arkansas and are licking their chops at the thought of getting some revenge on TCU. The Horned Frogs put up 80+ points on Texas Tech last year and Kliff Kingsbury and his boys have to be ready to extract some revenge. That could quietly be one of the best games of the week next week.
(6) UCLA (3-0): 24 (17) BYU (2-1): 23
What a game. I think both these teams are extremely talented and I would pay money to see them face off again. That's how much I enjoyed this game. I don't think the BYU Cougars are getting enough respect right now. BYU and freshman QB Taylor Mangum are very underrated and I don't know why more people aren't talking about them. We are just three weeks into the season and BYU has already beat Nebraska, Boise State, and almost sucker punched UCLA at home. BYU is GOOD people. Don't be shocked if these guys run the table the rest of the way and the playoff committee loves them. As for UCLA, their own freshman QB Josh Rosen apparently doesn't walk on water and is a human being after all. Rosen's play finally came back down to Earth and UCLA got a swift reminder that they need to play their asses off in every single game to get over that hump they've been stuck on since Jim Mora arrived in town. I still think they are the most talented team in the PAC-12, but I say that with extreme hesitation.
(7) Florida State (3-0): 14 Boston College (2-1): 0
The Seminoles survived a very tough test from a good Boston College team this weekend. A lot of people were down on FSU this year, but this team looks like they have the talent and ability to make another playoff run if everything goes as planned. Boston College is no cake walk. They are actually one of the best coached teams in the ACC and the last few seasons they've been able to stand in the middle of the ring and go toe-to-toe with the kings of the conference and hold their own. This was an impressive win for the Seminoles, who will need to bank on their defense to get them back to the CFP. If they continue to play like this, there's no reason they shouldn't make a second straight appearance.
(8) Notre Dame (3-0): 30 Georgia Tech (2-1): 22
This was a close one for the Fighting Irish. Just like the Air Force team I wrote about earlier, Georgia Tech is one of those teams that will give you fits because of the offense they run. They're going to run the ball down your throat. You know it. They know it. It's up to you to stop it. Notre Dame was very much up to that challenge though. The Fighting Irish's defense looked extremely stout in the first three quarters of this game. The Yellow Jackets made it much closer than it had to be in the fourth quarter, but Notre Dame is a potential playoff team for a reason. They are extremely talented on both sides of the ball. The Irish got a huge game out of running back C.J. Prosise and were able to recover a clutch onside kick to seal the deal and escape with the victory. Big win for Notre Dame.
(9) Georgia (3-0): 52 South Carolina (1-2): 20
Georgia is a good football team. South Carolina is not a very good football team. Is this Steve Spurrier's last season as head coach of the Gamecocks? Something tells me it probably should be. I love the ol' ball coach, but something's wrong in Columbia, South Carolina and it needs fixing immediately.
(10) USC (2-1): 31 Stanford (2-1): 41
I can't help but say "I TOLD YOU SO" when it comes to USC. I don't know why so many people were drinking the USC "Kool-Aid" heading into this season. Yes, they are an extremely talented team but anyone who follows football knows that you need a good head coach in the college game that will not only help recruit excellent players, but will develop them as well. Steve Sarkisian is an excellent recruiter. He's one of the best in the game. However, as far as being an "in-game coach" and getting the best out of his players on a consistent basis, he's failed miserably. His whole tenure up in Washington, he was churning out NFL player after NFL player (the Huskies had THREE first-round draft picks in the NFL Draft last year that were recruited by Sarkisian) but the on-the-field results weren't adding up. Why? Because Sarkisian was constantly getting out-coached by guys like David Shaw, Mark Helfrich, Chip Kelly, etc. The fact that USC has so many elite players on defense and they allowed Stanford's horrible offense to put up 41 points, that concerns me as a USC fan. Is it too soon to put Sarkisian on the "hot seat'? Maybe. But If I'm a USC fan, I'm worried about the future and if the program will ever get back to the "elite" level they were at during the Pete Carroll days. On the other hand, this was a huge win for a Stanford program that had been dragging it's feet in the mud to start the season out.
(11) Clemson (3-0): 20 Louisville (0-3): 17
Clemson got a hell of a fight from Louisville, but the Tigers are a more talented team and also have one of the best players in the Nation leading them (Deshaun Watson). This was an extremely close game, and Louisville should continue to hold their head up high. When your QB gets sacked five times and you only muster up a pathetic 19 rushing yards and you are STILL in the game, that's the sign of a good team. Clemson definitely has some issues and a lot of things they still need to iron out before their big match-up against Florida State, but they are definitely talented enough to win the conference.
(13) Oklahoma (3-0): 52 Tulsa (2-1): 38
(14) Auburn (2-1): 21 (16) LSU (2-0): 45
Are we done with Auburn yet? After hiring Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator this off-season, expectations were huge this year for the Tigers. I mean, their main weakness last season was their defense and considering Muschamp is a defensive genius, things should get turned around right away....right? Wrong! Auburn is garbage. After struggling to beat a Louisville team that is now 0-3 and struggling to beat a FBS school last week, the wheels finally fell off as Auburn got man-handled by a much better LSU team. We can all stop talking about Auburn and focusing on teams that actually have a shot at making the playoffs. Like LSU. After two huge back-to-back wins over Mississippi State and Auburn, LSU finds themselves in the thick of the SEC West division race with Ole Miss. Something tells me that's exactly where Les Miles and company expected to be at this point in the season.
(15) Oregon (2-1): 61 Georgia State (1-2): 28
When your third string QB is making runs like this.........
........the other team is going to have an extremely long day.
(18) Arizona (3-0): 77 Northern Arizona (-): 13
(19) Missouri (3-0): 9 UConn (2-1): 6
Let's play a game. It's called "Who am I"?
I'm an SEC team.
I'm undefeated.
I'm not very good.
I just barely beat a horrible UConn team by 3 points after only scoring 9 points total all game.
I'm probably going to get destroyed when I start playing conference games.
Answer?
I'am.........
(20) Utah (3-0): 45 Fresno State (1-2): 24
Utah is one of the most underrated teams in the PAC-12. The Utes have been sneakingly good since entering the conference and just haven't gotten the kind of respect they deserve. Next week, they have a huge opportunity to take the conference by storm. The Utes will go into Oregon (they are 0-2 against the Ducks since joining the PAC-12) with a legit chance to knock off one of the big boys in the conference and let the world know that they mean business. Utah gave Oregon a hell of a fight last season and probably should have won that game if it wasn't for a few bonehead moves. Watch these guys next weekend. The Ducks are definitely on "UPSET ALERT".
(21) Kansas State (3-0): 39 Louisiana Tech (1-2): 33
I probably have Kansas State ranked higher than they should be. I'm a big fan of Bill Snyder and what he's been able to achieve with this program though. I think the Wildcats have the talent and the leadership to run the table in the BIG-12 and after the bye week next week, I'm going to be proven right or wrong. The Wildcats schedule is about to get much more difficult. After the bye, they have to go to Oklahoma State and then play back-to-back home games against TCU and Oklahoma. If K-State can survive that rough 3 game patch and come out unscathed....don't say I didn't tell you so. K-State won the BIG-12 a few years back with a sneaky good "under the radar" team and they could potentially have another one on their hands this year.
(22) Texas A&M (3-0): 44 Nevada (1-2): 27
Texas A&M?
(23) Northwestern (3-0): 19 Duke (2-1): 10
Northwestern? Are they really this good?
(25) Tennessee (2-1): 55 Western Carolina (-): 10
You know who's having a much better week this week?
These two......
The Seminoles survived a very tough test from a good Boston College team this weekend. A lot of people were down on FSU this year, but this team looks like they have the talent and ability to make another playoff run if everything goes as planned. Boston College is no cake walk. They are actually one of the best coached teams in the ACC and the last few seasons they've been able to stand in the middle of the ring and go toe-to-toe with the kings of the conference and hold their own. This was an impressive win for the Seminoles, who will need to bank on their defense to get them back to the CFP. If they continue to play like this, there's no reason they shouldn't make a second straight appearance.
(8) Notre Dame (3-0): 30 Georgia Tech (2-1): 22
This was a close one for the Fighting Irish. Just like the Air Force team I wrote about earlier, Georgia Tech is one of those teams that will give you fits because of the offense they run. They're going to run the ball down your throat. You know it. They know it. It's up to you to stop it. Notre Dame was very much up to that challenge though. The Fighting Irish's defense looked extremely stout in the first three quarters of this game. The Yellow Jackets made it much closer than it had to be in the fourth quarter, but Notre Dame is a potential playoff team for a reason. They are extremely talented on both sides of the ball. The Irish got a huge game out of running back C.J. Prosise and were able to recover a clutch onside kick to seal the deal and escape with the victory. Big win for Notre Dame.
(9) Georgia (3-0): 52 South Carolina (1-2): 20
Georgia is a good football team. South Carolina is not a very good football team. Is this Steve Spurrier's last season as head coach of the Gamecocks? Something tells me it probably should be. I love the ol' ball coach, but something's wrong in Columbia, South Carolina and it needs fixing immediately.
(10) USC (2-1): 31 Stanford (2-1): 41
I can't help but say "I TOLD YOU SO" when it comes to USC. I don't know why so many people were drinking the USC "Kool-Aid" heading into this season. Yes, they are an extremely talented team but anyone who follows football knows that you need a good head coach in the college game that will not only help recruit excellent players, but will develop them as well. Steve Sarkisian is an excellent recruiter. He's one of the best in the game. However, as far as being an "in-game coach" and getting the best out of his players on a consistent basis, he's failed miserably. His whole tenure up in Washington, he was churning out NFL player after NFL player (the Huskies had THREE first-round draft picks in the NFL Draft last year that were recruited by Sarkisian) but the on-the-field results weren't adding up. Why? Because Sarkisian was constantly getting out-coached by guys like David Shaw, Mark Helfrich, Chip Kelly, etc. The fact that USC has so many elite players on defense and they allowed Stanford's horrible offense to put up 41 points, that concerns me as a USC fan. Is it too soon to put Sarkisian on the "hot seat'? Maybe. But If I'm a USC fan, I'm worried about the future and if the program will ever get back to the "elite" level they were at during the Pete Carroll days. On the other hand, this was a huge win for a Stanford program that had been dragging it's feet in the mud to start the season out.
(11) Clemson (3-0): 20 Louisville (0-3): 17
Clemson got a hell of a fight from Louisville, but the Tigers are a more talented team and also have one of the best players in the Nation leading them (Deshaun Watson). This was an extremely close game, and Louisville should continue to hold their head up high. When your QB gets sacked five times and you only muster up a pathetic 19 rushing yards and you are STILL in the game, that's the sign of a good team. Clemson definitely has some issues and a lot of things they still need to iron out before their big match-up against Florida State, but they are definitely talented enough to win the conference.
(13) Oklahoma (3-0): 52 Tulsa (2-1): 38
(14) Auburn (2-1): 21 (16) LSU (2-0): 45
Are we done with Auburn yet? After hiring Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator this off-season, expectations were huge this year for the Tigers. I mean, their main weakness last season was their defense and considering Muschamp is a defensive genius, things should get turned around right away....right? Wrong! Auburn is garbage. After struggling to beat a Louisville team that is now 0-3 and struggling to beat a FBS school last week, the wheels finally fell off as Auburn got man-handled by a much better LSU team. We can all stop talking about Auburn and focusing on teams that actually have a shot at making the playoffs. Like LSU. After two huge back-to-back wins over Mississippi State and Auburn, LSU finds themselves in the thick of the SEC West division race with Ole Miss. Something tells me that's exactly where Les Miles and company expected to be at this point in the season.
(15) Oregon (2-1): 61 Georgia State (1-2): 28
When your third string QB is making runs like this.........
(18) Arizona (3-0): 77 Northern Arizona (-): 13
(19) Missouri (3-0): 9 UConn (2-1): 6
Let's play a game. It's called "Who am I"?
I'm an SEC team.
I'm undefeated.
I'm not very good.
I just barely beat a horrible UConn team by 3 points after only scoring 9 points total all game.
I'm probably going to get destroyed when I start playing conference games.
Answer?
I'am.........
(20) Utah (3-0): 45 Fresno State (1-2): 24
Utah is one of the most underrated teams in the PAC-12. The Utes have been sneakingly good since entering the conference and just haven't gotten the kind of respect they deserve. Next week, they have a huge opportunity to take the conference by storm. The Utes will go into Oregon (they are 0-2 against the Ducks since joining the PAC-12) with a legit chance to knock off one of the big boys in the conference and let the world know that they mean business. Utah gave Oregon a hell of a fight last season and probably should have won that game if it wasn't for a few bonehead moves. Watch these guys next weekend. The Ducks are definitely on "UPSET ALERT".
(21) Kansas State (3-0): 39 Louisiana Tech (1-2): 33
I probably have Kansas State ranked higher than they should be. I'm a big fan of Bill Snyder and what he's been able to achieve with this program though. I think the Wildcats have the talent and the leadership to run the table in the BIG-12 and after the bye week next week, I'm going to be proven right or wrong. The Wildcats schedule is about to get much more difficult. After the bye, they have to go to Oklahoma State and then play back-to-back home games against TCU and Oklahoma. If K-State can survive that rough 3 game patch and come out unscathed....don't say I didn't tell you so. K-State won the BIG-12 a few years back with a sneaky good "under the radar" team and they could potentially have another one on their hands this year.
(22) Texas A&M (3-0): 44 Nevada (1-2): 27
Texas A&M?
(23) Northwestern (3-0): 19 Duke (2-1): 10
Northwestern? Are they really this good?
(25) Tennessee (2-1): 55 Western Carolina (-): 10
You know who's having a much better week this week?
These two......
Upsets Of The Week
(There are upsets every week in college football. These are the best upsets for this week)
-Stanford Cardinals over USC Trojans
Can this really be called an upset? While USC definitely has a more talented roster, Stanford has been the better team the last few seasons. Coaching has a lot to do with that of course. If you read my recap of this game earlier, you will know that I'm not a big fan of Steve Sarkisian as a head coach and that's why the USC loss to Stanford doesn't surprise me at all. USC fans want to go back to the days of where you saw "USC" on your schedule and you trembled in fear. As long as Sark is the head man in Los Angeles, I don't think that's going to happen. Prove me wrong Steve.
-Ole Miss Rebels over Alabama Crimson Tide
Much like the Stanford/USC game, this one wasn't THAT big of an upset. Ole Miss and Alabama are probably closer than you think on a talent level and Huge Freeze is a very good coach. Not only that, but Ole Miss beat Alabama last season. However, this year was supposed to be different. A lot of experts didn't have Ole Miss as a top SEC West team (I had Ole Miss going 10-2 and contending for the SEC West crown personally) and this was a home game for the Crimson Tide so things were supposed to be different. Not so fast my friend! Ole Miss showed everyone why they shouldn't be overlooked and that they are definitely talented enough to not only get into the playoffs, but eventually win the whole shebang.
Heisman Contenders
(Here are my current leaders for the Heisman trophy, in no particular order)
Will Fuller (WR) Notre Dame
Chad Kelly (QB) Ole Miss
Baker Mayfield (QB) Oklahoma
Trevone Boykin (QB) TCU
Nick Chubb (RB) Georgia
Paul Perkins (RB) UCLA
Jordan Howard (RB) Indiana
Leonard Fournette (RB) LSU
Will Fuller (WR) Notre Dame
Chad Kelly (QB) Ole Miss
Baker Mayfield (QB) Oklahoma
Trevone Boykin (QB) TCU
Nick Chubb (RB) Georgia
Paul Perkins (RB) UCLA
Jordan Howard (RB) Indiana
Top 25
(Here is my top 25 as it stands right now)
19. Northwestern Wildcats (3-0)
20. Missouri Tigers (3-0)
21. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0)
22. BYU Cougars (2-1)
23. Tennessee Volunteers (2-1)
24. Stanford Cardinal (2-1)
25. USC Trojans (2-1)
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0)
2. Michigan State Spartans (3-0)
3. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0)
4. UCLA Bruins (3-0)
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0)
6. TCU Horned Frogs (3-0)
2. Michigan State Spartans (3-0)
3. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0)
4. UCLA Bruins (3-0)
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0)
6. TCU Horned Frogs (3-0)
7. Florida State Seminoles (3-0)
8. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0)
9. Baylor Bears (2-0)
9. Baylor Bears (2-0)
10. Clemson Tigers (3-0)
11. Oklahoma Sooners (3-0)
12. LSU Tigers (2-0)
13. Oregon Ducks (2-1)
14. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-1)
11. Oklahoma Sooners (3-0)
12. LSU Tigers (2-0)
13. Oregon Ducks (2-1)
14. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-1)
15. Arizona Wildcats (3-0)
16. Utah Utes (3-0)
17. Kansas State Wildcats (3-0)
18. Texas A&M Aggies (3-0)
19. Northwestern Wildcats (3-0)
20. Missouri Tigers (3-0)
21. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0)
22. BYU Cougars (2-1)
23. Tennessee Volunteers (2-1)
24. Stanford Cardinal (2-1)
25. USC Trojans (2-1)
And that's it for week two! I hope to see everybody back here next week. Same bat time. Same bat channel.
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