So lets recap real quick, LSU, FSU and Georgia all have two things in common, the first being that they were all upset ( while I may still argue a 5 losing to a 6 isn't really an upset but it is what it is) and secondly I called them all. Could have made myself a nice little chunk of change parlaying the three money lines, but that is neither here nor there. I got a little off track but big shake ups in My Top 10. So let's get this started.
Top 10 College Football Rankings:
1. Alabama - 'Bama rolled again this week..........oh wait they didn't play, well with the way this past weekend went a bye may have been a good thing. They got to sit home, rest up and prepare for SEC conference play. I'm sure coach Saban has his team staying focused and they will show Mizzu what SEC defense looks like. It's a little different than the stellar defense of the Big 12, ha. As crazy as it would be to see another top team upset, there is not a chance Coach Saban coming off a bye, will allow his team to lose to the Tigers. 'Bama rolls again.
2. Oregon - Another week, another set of fresh unis, Oregon hands down wins best dressed team in the nation. That being said, the Ducks happen to be playing some damn good football. The Huskies came into Eugene and found out what it was like to be in a track meet with no sprinters. The Ducks dominated and the Washington never had a chance. They dropped 21 points in the first and kept pouring it on averaging 52 points a game through their first 6 games. The defense also looks much improved. The Ducks have a bye this week, before traveling to Sun Devil Stadium next week to take on ASU in a little Thursday night college football.
3. South Carolina - The Old Ball Coach has his team playing great football, huge win taking down number 5 Georgia Bulldogs. South Carolina was up 21 points before Georgia even knew what hit them. The Gamecocks flat out dominated the Bulldogs on all aspects of the game. While I said for South Carolina to have a chance they needed a big performance from their defense and quarterback Connor Shaw, both kind of held true. The defense pitched a shutout till just under 2 minutes in the 4th and Shaw was on point completing 6 of his 10 passes for 162 and 2 tds. I was more impressed with the fact that he rushed for 78 yards and a touch. The Gamecocks come back with another tough game this week at LSU, and the Tigers are going to be trying to rebound after losing last week. This is a tough game for SC and I wouldn't be shocked if they lose this one in the Bayou, but I am sticking with the Old Ball Coach in a tight game.
4. West Virginia - The Mountaineers are going to be an exciting team to watch for the remainder of the season. If you have not watched Geno Smith yet you are missing out on an electric college football player. Smith had his worst game of the year having 10 incompletions and only 4 touchdowns. He has yet to throw a pick yet in his 204 passes. He had some help on offense this week with his running back Andrew Buie going off for 207 yards and 2 touches. While this game lacked any semblance of defense, it was sure fun to watch. The Mountaineers head to Lubbock, Texas to take on Texas Tech. The Red Raiders don't have the fire power to keep up with the Mountaineers, nor the defense to stop them, WVU wins another one.
5. Florida - The Gators upset the LSU Tigers in Gainsville last week (I predicted it, just reiterating). It was a tight game but like the week before against Townson, LSU's offense did not look very good. The Tigers only managed 2 field goals, maybe I am underestimating the Gators defense, but I know that LSU's offense has looked bad. Either way the Gators won and in an impressive manner. They go to Vandy this week and should stomp them, Vandy stinks, no let down for the Gators this week.
6. Notre Dame - The Irish beat down Miami allowing them to only score a first quarter field goal. The defense looked stellar again against a team that can score a little bit. Notre Dame could have had a little let down as they take on the smart kids from Stanford this week. They have looked good this season defensively and the offense finally seems to be catching up. The Irish have another big test in South Bend this week, but I am going to give the nod to the Golden Domers.
7. Ohio State - The Buckeyes impressed me last week, putting up 63 points against a pretty good Nebraska team. The Buckeye running game looked impressive and the defense looked ok. Ohio State looks like they are starting to grasp Urban Myer's offense. They don't have a real solid quarterback, but while Braxton Miller doesn't look great throwing the ball, the 186 yards he had on the ground was kind of impressive. The Buckeyes take on Indiana this week and the Hoosiers don't stand a chance.
8. USC - The Trojans have returned to my top 10, after a Thursday night win against the Utes. Barkley and running back Silas Redd led the team that was down 2 touchdowns early to a big win over Pac-12 foe. Barkley looked impressive again and while I still think no one is catching Geno Smith, I feel Barkley is one of the few players who has a slight chance. The Trojans travel up to Washington this week, who were thrashed by the Ducks last week, but there won't be any sort of rebound for the Huskies this week. The Trojans need to continue to win in order to try and track down Oregon. They win handily.
9. Kansas State - The Wildcats are one of the few teams in the Big 12 that play any sort of defense. They have taken down Oklahoma this season and beat up on in state rival, the Kansas Jayhawks, last week. They have also put up some points too averaging just over 43 a game. Kansas State needs to stay focused this week as they are sitting in a trap game scenario as they take on Iowa State, before their showdown next week with against offensive juggernaut WVU. With that said, I still don't see K-State dropping this one. They win and set their eyes on the Mountaineers of West Virginia.
10. Oregon State - I'm going back to the Pac-12 for my last team in the top 10. The Beavers struggled to score a whole lot of points last week against the Cougars. Oregon State managed only 19 points but was able to hold Wazzu to only 2 field goals. The Beavers also have quality wins over Wisconsin, UCLA and Arizona. They take on BYU this week, who also struggled to score last week against Utah State. However the BYU defense is third in points against so the Beavers may again struggle this week to score, but I still see them putting up enough points to take down the Cougars. The Beavers squeak out a tight game.
It seems like the strength of college football is starting to move a little, while the SEC has been the powerhouse conference lately, I feel it is not as dominant this year. The Pac-12 is looking like the dominant conference this season just having more overall balance than the SEC this season. Games to keep an eye on this weekend WVU vs Texas Tech ( awesome offensive game everyone needs to watch Geno Smith), South Carolina vs LSU (should be a good game but I think the Gamecocks continue the winning streak), Notre Dame vs Stanford ( tough spot for the "smart kids" against a stifling defense), and finally the Red River Shootout Texas vs Oklahoma (these games are always fun to watch,it's a good rivalry). There you have it another week in the books, there shouldn't be any crazy upsets this weekend, but I guess you never know.
-Brett DeFalco
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