Winners
Oregon– The Ducks went into the “Horseshoe” without Justin Flowe and Kayvon Thibodeaux and beat the Ohio State Buckeyes when no one outside of Eugene, Oregon gave them a chance. Offensive coordinator Joe Moorehead’s game plan was executed perfectly by quarterback Anthony Brown. This was a statement by Oregon that they are real contenders to be in the College Football Playoff.
Iowa– Iowa didn’t just win the “Cy-Hawk” showdown, they dominated it. Spencer Petras has looked flawless, and their defense has taken another step forward. The Hawkeyes seemed like they were always in control of the number 9th ranked Cyclones, and are proving they have a serious chance to win the Big Ten.
BYU– After most of us were in bed the BYU Cougars won the “Holy War” and claimed their ownership of the Beehive Boot. BYU’s defense did a good job of limiting Charlie Brewer in the passing game. The Cougar’s offense was led by Jordan Hall who tallied 3 touchdowns. With the news of BYU joining the Big 12 and a big win over their in-state rival. There are good things on the horizon for Kalani Sitake and the BYU Cougars.
Mississippi State– After a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Conference USA member Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State has a lot of questions that needed to be answered. Quarterback Will Rogers passed for 294 yards with 2 touchdowns against NC State. The offense looked more in sync against a defense that was causing chaos against South Florida the week before. The Bulldog’s defense was sound, and is the teams strength. Mike Leach’s squad might be able to make some noise in the SEC.
Losers
Ohio State– The Buckeyes season is in no way over. They still have can win the Big Ten. Their College Football Playoff resume is hurt a bit after a shocking loss to Oregon. The Ducks are no doubt a solid football program, but it was surprising to watch Ohio State’s defense let an opponent put up points the way the Ducks did on Saturday. Ohio State’s season is not over, but for the first time in a while they have some weaknesses that can be exploited by the top tier of the Big Ten.
Florida State– After losing an emotional and hard-fought game to Notre Dame, there seemed to be a different energy around Mike Novell’s team. All of that good energy was erased after Florida State lost to FCS school Jacksonville State. The offense only scored 3 points in the second half, a totally of 17 for the entire game. Not sure what exactly is going on in Tallahassee but it seems to be one step forward and two steps back.
USC– Clay Helton’s days as the head coach of the Southern Cal Trojans are numbered. This program should be competing for Pac 12 championships every season, but they are caught in a massive funk. The latest roadblock came to a loss at home to Standford who is coming off a 24-7 loss to Kansas State. The Trojan defense looked to be the major problem, not being able to get off the field on third down. Not counting out the Trojans yet, but if they don’t improve soon, Clay Helton is as good as gone.
Texas– I gave the Longhorns some credit last week after defeating ULL, but in typical Texas fashion, they were handled soundly by Arkansas the week after. The defense could not stop a nosebleed, and the offense struggled to put together drives. The Razorbacks may be on the upswing, but there is no way Texas should be losing this game in this fashion. It will be interesting to see how Texas rebounds in their next 3 games before they go to the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma.
Washington’s Offense– I didn’t want to include Washington’s defense because I still believe they are solid, but the Huskie offense is one of the worst I’ve seen in “power 5”. Jimmy Lake needs to fire John Donovan. The offense right now is one-dimensional, and is killing the defense putting them in bad spots. We all know Jimmy Lake can coach defense, he has shown that. He needs an offensive coordinator to compliment him because right now it isn’t working.