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The eighth week of the college football season already announced well. Then Ohio State and Purdue started. It changed everything.
The Boilermakers were an annoying and fun warning choice, but the 29-point victory over Team No. 2 in the country marked the first real seismic shift in the landscape. A playoff favorite has just been shaken on the road against an unclassified opponent. What will be the consequences of this game? And what about the other declaring games involving Clemson and NC State, or Michigan and Michigan State? We had a lot of contenders and some contenders for Saturday's game.
Among these games and more, here's everything you need to get to work, during a busy day around college football.
winners
The Michigan defense: That's pretty good at least keep wolverines in any game against anyone. L & # 39; offense? He will have to do his part and in a 21-7 win over Michigan State, he was more conservative than he sometimes was. The 79-yard touchdown at Donovan Peoples-Jones? More of that, please. In any case, there is nothing fraudulent about keeping the Spartans at 94 yards with zero one-third conversion. This defense is not a joke. Certainly, Michigan has not played as much as the best quarterbacks of the Big Ten in the last two weeks. The matches against Penn State and Ohio State will have better settings. But the Michigan defense is good enough to win the Big Ten alone.
Purdue: There's a lot to remember from the amazing and impressive explosion of Purdue 49-20 on Ohio State – the first win of the program on a top-two team since 1984 – but maybe the most important to get the win is the quality of the Boilermakers were defending in the red zone. The Buckeyes made four trips in the red zone and left with just six points. Two of these trips were empty goods. Reminder: this happened against one of the most striking infractions of university football. There was no doubt that Purdue could score points and help the hit. The key was to keep Ohio State out of the end zone. And that's what happened.
Washington state: The 34 to 20 victory of the Cougars on Oregon was uneven to say the least, but it also allowed Mike Leach's team to stand out. And when they are in top form, they scored 27-0 after half a second, while keeping the Ducks at 39 yards. Yes, the air raid offense of Washington State is brutally effective when she clicks. It's a helpless feeling to be a defender and not to have an answer to what the cougars are doing. It is equally impressive to see how much the state of Washington has improved in defense over the last few years. Once again, this looks like a team capable of competing realistically with a Pac-12 North crown.
Utah: The Utes are probably the pioneers of Pac-12 South after sending USC 41-28. And yet, how Utah got to this point was extremely unlikely. The team of Kyle Whittingham scored 40 points in every game this month. The last time Utah scored at least 40 points in three consecutive games, it was in 2010, at the Mountain West Conference.
losers
Fatigue in series: One of the sub-products of College Football Playoff being such an active topic of discussion is that it is easy to take all the results and exaggerate the conversation. The hopes of the Pac-12 playoffs have been crucial for a while. The loss of Ohio State against Purdue was another great example, but for the opposite reason. In theory, could the Buckeyes still participate in the series if they win?
It's understandable. It's a discussion that has made college football more appealing. There is history too. Ohio State is a big name and a major loss against Iowa prevented them from playing last season. In addition, the first model of the selection committee's ranking will be published in two weeks. But – and I say it as a member of the party that feeds the beast – already enough. There is still a second half of the season to play and so much time to consider the options. Trying to dissect the possibilities now is an unsuccessful exercise. And if the selection committee has taught us anything, it is that there is no prerequisite to their constant mental gymnastics. In addition, the new Big Ten breed is even more convincing.
NC state: The Wolfpacks were undefeated in the lead-up to Saturday's game at Clemson. They ranked at the top of the ACC in passing and statistically had a leading defense in the conference. All of this was about to be tested against an opponent who was counting. Friends, NC State has not passed this test. The 41-7 shellacking has never been a game. NC State seemed completely overwhelmed by the moment, while it was a game as complete as Clemson played all season. The Wolfpack was a stranger who was entering week 8. We now know it.
State of Mississippi: The Bulldogs offensive crashed. For the third time in four games, Mississippi State has failed to outshine 300 meters. The passing offense is totally non-existent in a 19-3 loss to LSU. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald had as many interceptions (four) as LSU kicker, Cole Tracy, scored goals. There is no respect for Fitzgerald's arm and all the defenses must do is to load the box with nine or even ten players and set the Bulldogs to throw. The reward far outweighs the risk. Unless the passing offense does improve, losses like these will continue to be the norm.
Western Kentucky: The end of Hilltoppers' 37-34 loss to Old Dominion was a high-school football match. Both teams scored a total of 28 points in the final at 5:40. But rather than trying to tell you what happened, let Timothy Burke, the video guru, show it to you. Believe me, it's easier. Just know that it ends in absolute sorrow for western Kentucky.
Best of the rest
Oklahoma running back Kennedy Brooks: Despite the growing number of backstop injuries, the Sooners may have found their next big hit at Brooks. The rookie earned a career record of 168 yards and a touchdown in Oklahoma's 52-27 win over the TCU. It took a while for Brooks to get significant touches, but it's a distance calculator. Trey Sermon and he form a great duo.
UAB: The Blazers came from 11 to 11 to defeat North Texas 29-21, holding Mean Green's score without scoring in the second half. The victory puts UAB 6-1, making them eligible for the bowl for the second year in a row. Coach Bill Clark has led this program to a record 14-6 since his resurrection from the dead two years ago. What work he did.
Atlantic Florida: After a 31-7 loss to Marshall, the Owls are now 3-4 and two games from the summit of the US Conference East Division, where they have been chosen to win. The lane train has derailed and creating a bowl game can even prove to be a challenge.
Virginia: It is felt that the 5-2 record of the Cavaliers is being forgotten and that there are still many games to be won in the division's race schedule. coastal. The game on the road at Virginia Tech to end the regular season is huge, but the Hokies are far from safe. The Hoos in the ACC Championship game? This is a much brighter thought now than before the start of the season.
Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen: The linebacker had won the draw 14-7 against Vanderbilt and his NFL Draft shares continued to rise week by week. There are just not many players who can win in the backfield like that while covering the field. This is a rare beast.
Defensive end Auburn Marlon Davidson: The disruptive playmaker has now blocked a three-game playoff attempt with his effort in the 40-yard effort in a 31-16 win over Ole Miss.
Nebraska: We are celebrating the winners for the first time in all programs and the Cornhuskers have won this well deserved victory against Minnesota 53-28. It was always interesting sometimes – it's never easy with this team – but Nebraska has approached it a few times. Of course on them to have finished.
The best score of the day: It was a game defined by a school record 79 kicked by the Scarlet Knights. So, yes, that could only end as well. Of all the final scores with niners, eleven and other general quirks, this one is my favorite.
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