Yesterday’s slate of games was perceived to be pretty weak, with lots of chalk expected.
And then the games kicked off, and you had the latest example of why the games are played.
Week 6 Quick Hits
Vanderbilt 40 Alabama 35 – There is no real shame in losing an SEC road game, but seeing #1 go down to Vanderbilt is still a surprise. The Commodores had 54 rushing attempts, and held The Tide to 84 yards rushing. Understand ‘Bama was probably still riding the high of beating Georgia, but a reminder what can happen when there isn’t full focus.
Ohio State 35 Iowa 7 – The Buckeyes have yet to be pushed at all this year. That should change next week at Oregon.
Oregon 31 Michigan State 10 – Jordan James with 166 yards rushing for the Ducks.
Syracuse 44 UNLV 41 – An OT win for the Orange. Missed opportunity the Running Rebels, as they’ll fall out of the Top 25. Syracuse was 11 of 18 on 3rd.
Arkansas 19 Tennessee 14 – The Volunteers were up to 4th in the Country, with two ranked games (Alabama, and at Georgia) left on the schedule. Same thing with Bama, no real shame in losing an SEC road game, but it lowered the Vols margin of error for making the CFP. Arkansas held the ball for 35 minutes.
Georgia 31 Auburn 13 – Bounce back win for Georgia against a bad Auburn team.
Penn State 27 UCLA 11 – The Bruins are 0-3 in their new conference. Penn State improved to 5-0 overall. The Nittany Lions have two ranked teams (at USC, and Ohio State) still on their schedule.
Miami 39 California 38 – The Hurricanes came back from 25 points down to escape with the win. A lot of people will be down on Miami after their close game with Virginia Tech last week, and needing the big come back vs. the Golden Bears, and that’s fair. But the flip side is Miami found ways to win both games. Louisville is the only ranked team remaining on their schedule.
Texas A&M 41 Missouri 10 – The Aggies moved to 5-1 overall, an 3-0 in the SEC. Their lone loss being to Notre Dame in the season opener. 6 sacks for the A&M defense.
Washington 27 Michigan 17 – Washington won the National Title rematch with a 13-0 4th Quarter at Ann Arbor. Michigan ran the ball effectively, but they simply can not pass the ball. Huskies improved to 4-2, 2-1 in what’s supposed to be a rebuilding year.
Minnesota 24 USC 17 – That’s a disappointing loss for the Trojans. Minnesota won the 4th 14-0. 3 turnovers for USC, who fell to 1-2 in Big Ten play. I think USC is now in a position they’d have to win out to reach the playoff.
Ole Miss 27 South Carolina 3 – Unlike Alabama and Tennessee; Ole Miss took care of business on the road. Three Ole Miss WR’s with at least 72 yards.
Clemson 29 Florida State 13 – The Tigers have played at a high level since their season opener loss vs Georgia. The Seminoles fell to 1-5.
Iowa State 43 Baylor 21 – The Cyclones moved to 5-0 overall, and 2-0 in league play. Their last two games of the year are Utah, and home for Kansas State.
Boise State 62 Utah State 30 – The Broncos at-least 56 points three times now. They’ve also allowed at-least 30 points three times. Another big game for RB Ashton Jeanty (186 yards, 13 carries).
SMU 34 Louisville 27 – Louisville loses a back-and-forth swing game. SMU gets an important road W, and improves to 5-1 overall, and 2-0 in their new conference. SMU does not have a ranked team left on their schedule, and they won’t face Clemson or Miami in the regular season.
Indiana 41 Northwestern 24 – 380 yards and 3 TD’s for Kurtis Rourke. The Hoosiers are 6-0 overall, and now 3-0 in league play.
UL Monroe 21 James Madison 19 – The Dukes outgained UL Monroe by nearly 150 yards, and won the turnover battle – but their turnover was a Pick 6, and they had 11 penalties.
Week 7 Games Of Note
Coastal Carolina at James Madison – Fun Sun Belt game, both teams 4-1.
Memphis at South Florida – Both Army and Navy are 5-0 in the AAC. Memphis is 4-1, and can’t afford to fall further behind.
Clemson at Wake Forest – The Demon Deacons aren’t particularly good; and Clemson is rightfully a big favorite.
Washington at Iowa – Iowa is typically a tough place to play. Washington was at Michigan yesterday. How do they handle a second straight road game?
Texas vs. Oklahoma in Dallas – Red River Shootout, now as members of the SEC. Oklahoma is a 14.5 point dog. Their only loss so far is a 10 point game to Tennessee.
Penn State at USC – The Trojans probably need to win out. ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor gives USC a 51.6% chance of winning.
Arizona at BYU – BYU is 5-0 overall, 2-0 in the BIg 12. Arizona got ripped at K-State, came back the following week to win at Utah, and then lost 28-22 to Texas Tech.
Florida at Tennessee – The Gators have won 3 of their last 4, but I’d expect Tennessee to look motivated after dropping their game yesterday at Arkansas.
Ole Miss at LSU – 5-1 Ole Miss travels to 4-1 LSU. Night game at Death Valley typically doesn’t go well for the opposition. ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor is giving Ole Miss a 67.8% chance of the road win.
Ohio State at Oregon – The 5-0 Ducks welcome the 5-0 Buckeyes. First clash of these teams as Conference foes. Ohio State is a 3.5 point favorite, and ESPN’s Match-up Predictor gives Ohio State a 64.1% chance to win.
Iowa State at West Virginia – The Mountaineers have won their last two games (Kansas, at Oklahoma State). This could be a game where Iowa State gets bit.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.