Football
Magnolia State Dominance – College Football Week 7
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
I am still recovering from the sixth week of the college football season. Last weekend is what makes games so special and turns up the energy level for the remainder of the season. Five of the top eight in the AP poll lost, while 11 of the 25 ranked teams lost in total. It was a week that truly shook up the playoff picture and proved that no one is safe in the current football landscape.
What We Learned From Last Week:
Everyone Loves an Underdog
It started last Thursday night when the Arizona stormed into Autzen Stadium on the Oregon campus and dismantled the Ducks for the second year in a row. Although not completely surprising when you look at how Oregon’s depleted offensive line and porous defense had played in the game previous against Washington State, it was still a shock for a team in Oregon who believed it was the year to finally get their first national championship. Five other teams the AP Top 8 also lost last week including Alabama, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and UCLA. There is still so much football to be played, but no other time since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936 have five of the top eight teams lost in the same weekend. There is a now a mighty list of one-loss teams, which makes this march towards the college football playoff even more interesting.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
SEC West = Wild Wild West
Plainly put, the SEC West is absolutely ridiculous. Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State currently sit atop the dominant SEC West and all are ranked in the AP Top 3. Whoever makes it to Atlanta will certainly have proven themselves before arriving. Considering that Alabama is now fifth in the division clearly paints the picture of how competitive that division is. But if you ask Phyllis from Mulga, AL, the Tide is nowhere close to being out of it.
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
In It to Win It
The game doesn’t end till the clock shows zeros. There were some amazing finishes this weekend, including Kentucky’s late 4th-quarter surge over favored South Carolina and Arizona State’s last second hail mary in the Collesium to trump Southern Cal. This season has produced some crazy games and gave us even more reasons this weekend to never give up your seat and watch the game through to the final whistle. I will admit, when Kentucky was down 38-24, I thought the Gamecocks would stroll out of Lexington with a win. It wasn’t to be, as a key late turnover by South Carolina sealed their fate, and the Wildcats won 45-38. Arizona State pulled off a miraculous hail mary and scored two touchdowns in the final 2:43 to win 38-34.
Michigan State almost lost a huge 27-3 lead at home, and Washington State missed a 19-yard field goal with :19 seconds that would have beaten Cal. College Football was at its finest during Week 6.
Stat of The Week:
Connor Halliday was 49 of 70 for 734 yards and 6 touchdowns in Washington State’s 1-point loss against Cal. Holliday set the NCAA single game passing mark in the process.
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
What We Are Looking Forward To:
Hail State or War Eagle?
The #2 team in the land plays #3 in a huge match-up for the second weekend in October. ESPN’s College Gameday returns for the second week in a row to the state of Mississippi, this time in Starkville, for undoubtedly the biggest game of the Dan Mullen era. Junior Bulldog QB, Dak Prescott, has been sensational all year long, and his leadership will need to be there for Saturday’s game against the Tigers. Auburn QB Nick Marshall as been equally as good this year in leading the Tigers to an unbeaten record. Just writing this makes me want Saturday to be here already.
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Lone Star Showdown
A week ago this game was just a blip on the radar, but following the Horned Frogs victory over Oklahoma, the battle for Big 12 supremacy will take place Saturday afternoon in Waco. Can’t say the last time that the two best teams in Texas resided in Waco and Fort Worth.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Hotty Toddy Pays a Visit to College Station
Ole Miss looks to keep it rolling, and Texas A&M will look to bounce back from its drubbing at the hands of Mississippi State. There clearly isn’t a moment to rest for either team, as once again each finds itself preparing for a quite formidable foe. Despite what a win can mean to Ole Miss in the SEC West race, a loss by the Aggies would most certainly eliminate them from contention for the division title. Aggie quarterback Kenny Hill most certainly has to be better than he was a week ago in Starkville, otherwise it will be a long day for the folks in College Station.
Upset Pick of The Week:
North Carolina will shock Notre Dame in South Bend. The Tar Heels have been a disappointment all year, and Notre Dame isn’t as good as their record might indicate. The boys from Chapel Hill steal one from the Irish late.
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
