Tuesday November 5th figures to be an interesting night, as the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first set of ranking will be revealed (is something else happening that night?).
Let’s review Week 9, and preview Week 10.
Week 9 Quick Hits
Pittsburgh 41 Syracuse 19 – The Panthers improved to 7-0 overall, and 3-0 in the ACC. Pittsburgh has a trip to SMU this week, which we will preview below, and Clemson on the remaining schedule. These represent opportunities to further their profile. In this game, Pittsburgh won despite having just 217 total yards, and holding the ball for only 19 minutes. Syracuse helped as Kyle McCord was picked 5 times!
Boise State 29 UNLV 24 – The Broncos won the Mountain West game, improving to 6-1, 3-0 in league play. Boise struggled on 3rd down going 3 of 15, but were 4 of 4 on 4th.
Oregon 38 Illinois 9 – Three more TD’s for Dillon Gabriel, as Ducks outclassed the Fighting Illini. 527 total yards for Oregon, including 229 on the ground.
Penn State 28 Wisconsin 13 – The Nittany Lions outscored Wisconsin 14-0 in the 4th to extend their lead, but QB Drew Allar injured his knee and was forced to leave at the end of the first half.
Ohio State 21 Nebraska 17 – Maybe the Buckeyes were caught looking ahead to their game vs. Penn State? The Cornhuskers were coming off a 56-7 beating the week before from Indiana. Maybe they played with a bit more pride vs Ohio State? Maybe Ohio State just wasn’t focused after losing to Oregon, and with the Nittany Lions looming? Regardless, this being a game was surprising. Ohio State was just 1 of 10 on 3rd down, and only had 285 total yards. They also were limited to 64 rushing yards on 31 attempts. Give Nebraska credit their outing, but tilt an eyebrow a bit to Ohio State.
Texas 27 Vanderbilt 24 – Obviously knew Vanderbilt beat Alabama earlier this year, and entered this game having won their last 3 overall, but I didn’t anticipate this being a close game. Figured Texas would be up for this game after being embarrassed against Georgia. Texas did hold the Commodores to 269 yards, and were able to create 3 turnovers. Quinn Ewers did have a solid game, but was picked twice.
Miami 36 Florida State 14 – Another win for undefeated Miami, while the Seminoles fell to 1-7. Obviously didn’t expect FSU to win here given what we’ve seen from them this year, but it’s still remarkable to see the Seminoles are 1-7.
Texas A&M 38 LSU 23 – LSU had a 10 point half time lead, and lost. The first time that’s happened since 2005. The Aggies are now 7-1 overall, and 5-0 in the SEC. Their lone loss being the opener against Notre Dame. Aggies starting QB Conner Weigman was pulled for Marcel Reed in the 2nd half, and Reed made a difference with 9 rushing attempts for 62 yards, and 3 TD’s. A&M finished with 242 rushing yards. The Aggies remaining schedule is @ South Carolina, New Mexico State, @ Auburn, and home vs. Texas. If they win out, their certainly making the Playoff. If they beat South Carolina, New Mexico State, and Auburn; and their game with Texas is competitive; they’re going to be a tough decision for the selection committee.
BYU 37 UCF 24 – The Cougars are now 8-0 overall, and 5-0 in the Big 12. They are favored in all four of their remaining games @ Utah, Kansas, @ Arizona State, and Houston. Against the Knights, the Cougars held possession for 40 minutes, and averaged 9.5 yards per pass attempt.
Notre Dame 51 Navy 14 – The Fighting Irish improved to 7-1, and delivered the Midshipmen their first loss. Notre Dame’s remaining schedule is Florida State, Virginia, Army, and at USC. Army is undefeated but that game figures to be similar to this win over Navy. A motivated USC team could beat Notre Dame, but it would be a surprise. The Irish’s win at Texas A&M looks better each week. Unfortunately ND’s loss vs. Northern Illinois (4-4 overall, 1-3 in the MAC) looks worse every week. There is no margin for error with Notre Dame. Win out, and they’ll make the playoff. Lose and they’re out.
Indiana 31 Washington 17 – Curt Cignetti’s magical start at Indiana continues, as the Hoosiers are now 8-0 overall, and 5-0 in the Big Ten. They’ve won every game by double digits. Their remaining schedule is at Michigan State, Michigan, @ Ohio State, and Purdue. They are highly favored against the Spartans, Wolverines, and Boilermakers. They’re expected to lose at Ohio State. If they’re 11-1, 8-1 with a competitive game against the Buckeyes, is Indiana making the Playoff? Against Washington, Indiana had 3 sacks, and 2 picks. They didn’t run for a ton of yards (188), but they were committed to running the ball with 52 attempts.
Alabama 34 Missouri 0 – The Crimson Tide dominated a Top 25 team on both sides of the ball. Bama’s defense held Missouri to 3 of 13 on 3rd down, and limited the Tigers to 239 total yards. The remaining Alabama schedule is @ LSU, Mercer, @ Oklahoma, and Auburn.
Kansas State 29 Kansas 27 – The Wildcats need a FG with 1:51 left to win, but they were able to beat the Jayhawks for the 16th time in a row. Okay, it’s a rivalry game (even if it’s one sided); but Kansas is now 2-6 overall, and 1-4 in the Big 12 – as such, you would have liked to have seen K-State control this game more than they did; if they’re a legitimate playoff contender. That said, K-State is now 7-1 overall, and 4-1 in league play. Their remaining slate is @ Houston, Arizona State, Cincinnati, and @ Iowa State. They are highly favored against the Cougars, Wildcats, and Bearcats; and it’s basically a near pick’em game vs. Iowa State. Win their next three games, and their game vs. the Cyclones basically becomes a play-in game.
Ole Miss 26 Oklahoma 14 – The Rebels overcame a 14-10 half-time deficit, and improved to 6-2 overall. The ABC telecast said the Rebels have a 70% plus chance of making the playoffs if they win out. Their remaining schedule is Arkansas, Georgia, @ Florida, and Mississippi State. They are actually favored in each game, including vs. Georgia. Against Oklahoma they averaged 10.4 yards per pass attempt. Four different Rebels had at-least 54 yards receiving. The real story from yesterday is that Ole Miss had 10 sacks!
SMU 28 Duke 27 – A one point OT win for the Mustangs against a solid Duke team. SMU is now 7-1 overall, and 4-0 in the ACC. Their loss was 18-15 vs. BYU. Their remaining schedule is Pitt this week, Boston College, @ Virginia, and California. They are significant favorites in each game. Against Duke, SMU had 469 yards, including 211 rushing. SMU turned the ball over 6 times, while Duke had 0 turnovers, and SMU still found a way to win.
Week 10 Games Of Note
Ohio State at Penn State – #4 at #3. ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor gives Ohio State a 61% of getting the road win.
Duke at Miami – Would expect the Hurricanes to win, but curious to see how they look vs. the Blue Devils.
Oregon at Michigan – The Ducks travel to Ann Arbor to face the defending National Champion.
Florida vs. Georgia – The Gators have won 3 of their last 4. Can they make this game competitive?
Texas Tech at Iowa State – The Red Raiders have lost their last two.
Kansas State at Houston – The Wildcats can’t afford to slip up. The Cougars have won 2 of their last 3.
Louisville at Clemson – The Tigers host 5-3, 3-2 Louisville. The Cardinals losses (@ Notre Dame, SMU, Miami) have all been competitive games.
Texas A&M at South Carolina – The Gamecocks are coming off a bye. They beat up Oklahoma in their previous game, and went to the wire with Alabama the week prior to that. ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor gives A&M a 54% chance of winning.
Kentucky at Tennessee – Kentucky had the close win vs. Ole Miss, and the close loss to Georgia; but they’re now 1-5 in SEC play and have lost 3 in a row. Tennessee should win comfortably.
Pittsburgh at SMU – SMU given a 70.1% chance of winning, and beating undefeated Pittsburgh.
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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.