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| (Adam Lau/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP) |
The question for everyone: What happens now? The answer: Week three.
The Good:
Oklahoma
In the game of the week (sorry MSU/Oregon) the Sooners battled back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Tennessee Volunteers in Neyland Stadium in front of 105,000 fans in double overtime. Led by junior QB Baker Mayfield with three passing TD's and one rushing (despite two INT's) Oklahoma sealed the game when junior CB Zack Sanchez intercepted Vol's QB Josh Dobbs. If Bob Stoops wishes to return to the top of the conference his teams practically dominated since the turn of the 21st century, the Sooners are going to have to start stronger and hope Mayfield continues to perform. Oklahoma gets Tulsa and West Virginia at home before heading to Dallas for the Red River Shootout against a Texas team in-flux to say the least. The good news is Oklahoma doesn't have another ranked team on the schedule until late November. The bad news is that it then faces current #5 Baylor away, #3 TCU at home and #25 Oklahoma St. away to end the season.
Michigan State
The Spartans won the heavyweight fight of September with a convincing win over a very talented Oregon Ducks team. After surrendering an early touchdown, Sparty scored 14 unanswered points and held off the Ducks permanently from midway through the third quarter. Despite giving up more yards and first downs, MSU won the turnover and time of possession battles. The defense, which has become the hallmark of head coach Mark Dantonio's tenure in East Lansing played tough in all the right situations while giving up over 380 yards and 24 plus points in consecutive weeks. Michigan State gets Air Force and Central Michigan at home before their Big 10 conference schedule begins in October versus Purdue.
Tanner Mangum
A week after the BYU freshmen QB became a national sensation by replacing injured Cougar QB Taysom Hill and hurling a 42-yard Hail Mary to beat Nebraska in Lincoln, Mangum threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns in a win over then #25 Boise State ending the Broncos hopes of busting the CFB Playoff bracket. In his first collegiate start, Mangum's first TD pass was an 84-yard bomb on the third offensive play from scrimmage. His second was a 35-yard strike on 4th down with 45 seconds left in the game. BYU picked off the ensuing offensive play and returned it for a touchdown to ice the game. Mangum is playing well/exceeding expectations and riding a wave of good vibes but the Provo faithfull will have to hope it's one hell of a wave to carry the Cougars into Pasadena to play #10 UCLA and their own freshmen star QB the "Rosen One" Josh Rosen and to Ann Arbor the following week to play Michigan in the Big House.
DeShone Kizer
The week two edition of Tanner Mangum, the Notre Dame sophomore backup QB came into the game after starter Malik Zaire was lost to a season ending ankle injury late in the third quarter. The Fighting Irish lost a 12-0 lead by halftime and a 26-14 lead after Virginia scored to take a 27-26 lead with two minutes left in the game. Kizer moved the Irish into Virginia territory and on 4th down threw a 39-yard TD to junior WR Will Fuller with 12 seconds on clock. Kizer will need to grow up quick and get lots of help from his defense if Notre Dame is going to stay afloat in a season where they've already lost their starting RB and QB. The first test will be a trial-by-fire home game against #14 Georgia Tech and their potent option attack.
The Bad:
Bret Bielema
If you could summarize Razorback head coach Bret Bielema's time in Fayetteville in a single word, it would probably be "karma." During his first season, his wife started a twitter war with the entire state of Wisconsin by tweeting the word "Karma" after a tough Badgers loss. Arkansas would go winless in SEC play that year and the twitter-verse never let Bielema forget it. Last week, the coach decided to take a shot at Ohio State's strength of schedule:
“Ohio State’s ranked No. 1 and they have one game remaining on their schedule that has anybody ranked right now — Michigan State. We’re going to play eight straight opponents that are ranked.”
While the statement was technically true, it might have benefited the head coach to focus on his team and the task at hand instead of looking into other team's futures. Arkansas promptly lost to Toledo 16-12. If the Razorbacks somehow manage to come out of the insanely tough SEC West on top, you can bet that loss will not go unnoticed by the Playoff Committee.
Louisville
The Cardinals had a fairly impressive first season in the ACC last year. Looking to build upon that success, Bobby Petrino and company opened the 2015 campaign in the Georgia Dome against then #6 Auburn. The Cardinals staged a valiant second half comeback but ultimately lost 31-24. A loss that looks even worse after week two. (more on that below) The Cardinals followed that performance with a loss to Houston over the weekend. The only two winless teams in the ACC are Louisville and Virginia. The Cavaliers opened the season on the road against #13 UCLA and at home versus #9 Notre Dame and the Cavs came closer to winning than Louisville has all season. With Clemson coming to town on Thursday night the only September win for the Cardinals might be Samford and at this point, that might even be a stretch.
The Ugly:
Howard and Stephen F. Austin
No, not brothers but two schools who should have stayed on the bus this weekend. The Bison and the Lumberjacks lost by a combined total of 146-7 to Boston College and TCU respectively. I don't think anyone was expecting Boston College to score 100 points in the first two weeks of the season but whoever was in charge of SFA scheduling should have known better than to lineup against the Horned Frogs after they've had a week to get the kinks out.
Rutgers
In the last eleven days, the Rutgers University football team has dismissed seven players. Offenses have included home invasion and assault. Head coach Kyle Flood has even been accused of attempting to coerce a university professor into giving a player favorable grades. Then on Saturday, after the Scarlet Knights lost 37-34 to Washington State, senior WR Leonte Carroo allegedly assaulted a woman by slamming her to the concrete outside the stadium. Rutgers has suffered several athletic missteps on and off the field for the last couple of years and this is certainly another terrible mark on a school that prides itself on being "the birthplace of college football."
Which is Worse?
For years, winning wasn't everything, it was the only thing. Win and you were in. Then after a few seasons of multiple undefeated teams at the top of the BCS rankings, pollsters were forced to answer the question, who won better? So, for the last couple seasons of the BCS era a few colleges around the country were beginning to forgo the usual opening weekend fare of "preseason games" against Directional Tech or Sisters of the Blind University in favor of more marquee match-ups. This was an attempt to boost their computer rankings with a higher Strength of Schedule rating and sway BCS pollsters with what was termed "style points."
Now the CFB Playoff Committee has made winning and looking good while doing it an absolute necessity. Last season they selected a #6 Ohio State team over #5 Baylor and #4 TCU based on the merits of a tougher schedule and a conference title game. Apart from increasing the likelihood of better in-season non-conference match-ups across the country the committee now has the opportunity to answer the oft argued question: Which is worse, a bad win or a tough loss?
This week, the Associated Press gave their two-cents worth by dropping the #7 Oregon Ducks five spots to #12 for their 31-28 loss to then #5 Michigan State and dropping #6 Auburn TWELVE spots to #18 for their 27-20 overtime WIN against FCS Jacksonville State. The same weekend that saw #9 Notre Dame, after losing it's starting RB and QB scrape out a win against a Virginia team that has won 23 games in six years, promoted to the #8 team in the country. It's true, a top ten team should never have to squeeze out a victory over a lower division school, but I believe the AP has set a precedent with this demotion of Auburn even after an albeit scary win. Which begs the question, with one playoff spot remaining, if the Tigers and the Ducks win the rest of their regular season games as well as their conference titles, which one does the committee choose?
Interesting...
#14 Georgia Tech vs #8 Notre Dame
As stated above, the Irish are starting a backup RB and a sophomore QB is making his first start. For the Yellow Jackets, it's their first true test of the season. Can the Irish keep pace with the vaunted Tech option attack? How will the Yellow Jackets fare on the road in a hostile environment?
#15 Ole Miss vs #2 Alabama
Ole Miss has scored 70-plus points in back to back games...against UT-Martin and Fresno St. Alabama handled Wisconsin in week one and Middle Tennessee State in week two. Are the Rebels really that high powered? Have the Crimson Tide gotten over last year's loss?
#19 BYU vs #10 UCLA
After two upsets in two weeks the Cougars find themselves ranked and in Pasadena to take on perhaps the most talented Bruins team of the Jim Mora Jr. era. Can BYU catch lightening for a third week in the Rose Bowl? Are Josh Rosen and UCLA a serious threat for the CFB Playoffs?
(My) Playoff Picture
#1 Ohio State
After a shaky first half which saw Cardale Jones replaced by J.T. Barrett. Jones reentered the game in the second half and the defending champs pulled away.
#2 Alabama
The Tide have looked utterly professional the first two weeks of the season.
#3 Michigan State
The Spartans convincingly beat a top ten opponent.
#4 TCU
The Horned Frogs and Baylor seem destined to vie for this spot. TCU takes it this week because Baylor continues to give up too many points to lowly competition.
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