College Football is the BEST!!!
College Football is the best sport on the planet. As the old saying goes, “Any Given Saturday.” Well, that rang true the first weekend in November as seven AP Top 25 teams went down, including four of the top 11 teams lost.
As Full Press Media has written before, there is a reason why people love college football so much. There is so much drama. The highs and lows of each week. While these athletes are getting paid now, there are great stories on and off the field, but what makes it so special is they are kids playing a game they love.
Mistakes happen and lead to great games and unexpected results. Similar to what we see at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Results are never given, especially in these sports.
And as we saw in the First Weekend of November, there were a lot of unexpected results especially in the ACC and SEC.
Let’s Dive Into Week 10 and Look Ahead to Week 11.
Typical James Franklin
All eyes were on the Big Game in the Big Ten on Saturday between Ohio State and Penn State. Ultimately, the Buckeyes got the job done, defeating the Nittany Lions by a score of 20-13. The Pennsylvania kid Will Howard returned home and showed Penn State why he should have gone there and they should have taken him.
While it was a shaky start, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly got the offense cooking for Ryan Day. And in the end, it was the Buckeye's defence who has been highly criticized for getting the job done to win a crucial matchup for Ryan Day.
Entering this game, the loser’s fate was going to be sealed. Not to say the losing coach was going to get fired right away, but the seat was going to get even warmer. Ultimately, James Franklin shows he can’t finish it in the big spot. Going for it on fourth down at the goal line instead of taking points. Yes, the offensive coordinator for Penn State will be criticized for the play calling, but Franklin continues to show he can’t adjust in the big moment.
He knew Ohio St would run out the clock and elected not to save the clock and call timeouts before the two-minute timeout. Instead of taking the blame, Franklin deflected it after the game, saying there were 50/50 calls that did not go Penn State’s way.
The record speaks for itself. He can’t beat Michigan or Ohio State when it matters. Yes, he beat Ohio State, but that feels like ages ago. He does not know how to manage the big moments in the big game. Yes, Penn State will get into the playoffs, but they must look for a new coach.
Ryan Day at Ohio St is safe for now. But another loss to Michigan this season will seal his fate.
ACC and SEC Are WIDE OPEN
The ACC and SEC are wide open after another crazy weekend. Number 11 Clemson goes down to Louisville. Number 18 Pittsburgh loses to newcomer Number 20 SMU. Both games were not even close. Clemson had been cruising in ACC play after their loss to Georgia to open the season, but again, the Tigers played a bunch of nobodies, and when they got punched in the mouth again, they could not adjust.
SMU has been a great surprise because nobody thought this would be possible. The Mustangs and the Miami Hurricanes are 5-0 in the conference. Right now, that would be the title game. Both have very winnable schedules to set up this collision course. However, nothing is given especially the Hurricanes defense.
Clemson and Pittsburgh are still kicking around in the standings and have to play each other, so that will be something to watch. But again, nothing is given in college football.
Moving to the SEC, Georgia is still alive. The Bulldogs and Texas A&M, LSU, Texas, and Tennessee all have one loss. Things will shake up over the next few weeks to see who gets in the title game. But Georgia beating Texas helps them stay alive in a whacky SEC this season. The Aggies’ loss to South Carolina opened the door for the Longhorns, Bulldogs, Tigers, and Volunteers to keep a slim hope alive.
Again it is tough to play an opponent like South Carolina after coming off an emotional game like LSU. Texas A&M isn’t the first to lose. Alabama lost to Vanderbilt after beating Georgia. Georgia almost lost to Vanderbilt after beating Texas.
There are some things still to shake out moving forward in the SEC, including in Week 11 when Lane Kiffin has a chance to shake his stigma of not getting it done in the big moment against Georgia, while Alabama heads to LSU with a chance to knock the Tigers out of title contention.
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Oregon Best Team in BIG10, But Who’s Behind Them?
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are not only the best team in the BIG 10 but also the best team in the country. After a slow start to the season, the Ducks have gotten to the top of the AP Top 25 Poll and expect them to be there when the new rankings come out later today. Not to mention, they should be the number one team in the 12-team College Football Official Rankings, too.
Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks are rolling after a dominant victory over Michigan. They also had a win over Ohio State. So, we know Oregon is number one, but who is behind them?
Well, the case has to be made for the Indiana Hoosiers. Look, Curt Cignetti has gotten this team to 9-0 for the first time since 1987. Yet, they do not have the respect they deserve from the writers and, most likely, the committee. However, Kurtis Rourke is playing great for the Hoosiers. Their defense is one of the best in the conference.
They still have two more tests in Michigan and Ohio State, but there is a good chance they will get to the playoffs and maybe even the Big 10 Title Game.
Are we sold on Ohio St as the second-best team in the conference, even with one loss? They have a lot of question marks, but if they beat Indiana they are playing in the title game again.
Colorado Back in BIG 12 Title Conversation Talks
Let’s head to the Big 12. This conference never disappoints when it comes to the games or the standings. Ever since the Big 12 went to a nine game conference schedule before any of the other conferences, each game is so hard to predict.
Just look at this past Saturday. Iowa State goes down to Texas Tech. Houston defeated Kansas St. The Wildcats have two losses in the conference. Iowa State now has one loss in the conference. The BYU Cougars, who benefited from the bye week, remain undefeated. And there are the Colorado Buffaloes, also on a bye week with a loss in the conference.
With the Cyclones and Wildcats losing Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes are back in the Big 12 Title pictures. Colorado is already bowl-eligible, but they have a chance to win out and play for the Big 12 Championship. It is funny how College Football works. Just when you think a team is out, they are right back in the mix.
Colorado has to play a tough Texas Tech Raiders team on the road. Meanwhile, BYU goes to Utah, and the Cougars have been crushing opponents.
Real quick note. Shoutout to Army, who remains unbeaten at 9-0 and has yet to trail in a game this season.
So, what's the takeaway from this? The takeaway is that college football is a great sport, and nothing is ever given.