50 Things We Learned from College Football Week 9

It was a great week of college football. Two undefeateds went down, conference standings became muddled in some parts of the country, clearer in others, and we witnessed the game of the year in primetime.

In case you missed any of the action, here are 50 things we learned from this past week of football.

A Week Before the Game of the Century, We Got the Game of the Year

Having College Gameday come to the Coliseum, and having the game hyped as a matchup between Luck and Barkley was like the equivalent of pouring lighter fluid on a pile of oily rags. Then, throughout the entire first half, it felt like someone was dangling a match over the pile, just waiting to throw it down.

In the second half, they did.  And the result was exactly what you expected.

USC came out and ran the ball extremely well in the second half.  As a result, they put up 14 quick points to take a 20-10 lead.

Stanford responded with 14 of their own in the third quarter, one a pass from Luck, one a run.

A Luck pick-six with three minutes left gave USC the lead.  Then, to no one's surprise, Luck led the Cardinal down the field on a 10-play, 76 yard drive in 2:30.

The game quickly proceeded into the third overtime, where USC fumbled on the five-yard line to lose 56-48.

It was a shame that one team had to lose the game.  It's even worse that it happened in that manner. 

This was football at its best.  It was low-scoring in the first half, high-scoring in the second, well-coached, and well-played.

You Can Get Screwed by Your Own Clock-Keeper

Before we got to OT in the USC-Stanford game, we had some controversy.

USC began their final play at the Stanford 40-yard line with nine seconds left.  They ran a screen to Robert Woods, who reversed the entire field to get as much yardage as possible, an then was tackled near the sideline.

At first, he was ruled down out-of-bounds, with zero seconds left.  Upon review, however, it was shown that his knee was down, in-bounds, with one second left.

Coach Lane Kiffin talked to the ref and said that he wanted to call a time-out immediately upon the reversal of the call.  A time-out would give USC a 50-yard attempt to win the game.

Oddly, the ref ruled Woods down in-bounds, but with zero seconds left.

We can go through the entire game and dissect every penalty, but it should be noted that Stanford's final drive was aided by a 15-yard personal foul call that wasn't a personal foul.  Without the call, Stanford would have faced a fourth down.

After the game, Kiffin said he was "very disappointed in the officials."

The Pac-12 does benefit more from Stanford winning than USC.  USC is ineligible for a bowl.  Stanford, on the other hand, is still in the National Title picture, and a win last night kept it possible that two teams from the Pac-12 make a BCS game (Stanford and Oregon).  If Stanford loses, the Pac-12 loses a title contender, and loses its chance to get two teams to the BCS.

I'm just saying.....

There's a New Touchdown Leader in College Football, and His Name Is Case Keenum

Keenum needed five touchdowns against Rice to break the record for career passing touchdowns.  He had a good chance, as he was going up against the 115th ranked passing defense. 

He came out and threw nine. Nine!

That gives Keenum 139 on his career, putting him ahead of Graham Harrell with 134.

Keenum also threw for 534 yards, which means he is just 267 yards away from breaking the all-time Passing Record, surpassing Timmy Chang's mark of 17,072 yards. 

I don't care who you play.  534 yards, and nine touchdowns is impressive.

A Top 5, Undefeated Team Can Lose with Little-to-No Publicity

Maybe it was because everyone was wrapped up in the USC-Stanford game, but Clemson losing seems to have gone unnoticed.

I can't remember another time where a top five, undefeated team lost this late into the season, and it was barely news-worthy.

Clemson turned the ball over four times, and were held to less than 100 yards rushing.  Meanwhile, GT re-discovered their rushing attack, and ran the ball for 383 yards. QB Tevin Washington (pictured) led the way with 176 rush yards.

Clemson vs Wake Will Play for Division in Two Weeks

As a result of Clemson's loss, they are only one game ahead of Wake Forest in the ACC Atlantic Division. The two square off in two weeks, in Death Valley.

A win by Clemson would give them the division championship. A win by Wake would put them in first place, with only a home game against Maryland to follow.  They would own the tie-breaker with Clemson and FSU (and anyone else in their division).

Virginia Controls Their Own Destiny in the Other ACC Division

There's a long way to go, but the Cavaliers are playing solid football, and are in control of their own destiny in the Coastal Division.

Despite Craig James and Jesse Palmer's best efforts to will a win for Miami on Thursday night, Virginia soundly defeated the Hurricanes (the final score wasn't a good indication).

Virginia has now beaten Miami and Georgia Tech this season. They are 2-2, and therefore still have four ACC games to go, including their finale at home against Virginia Tech.

Oklahoma State's Defense Is Much Better Than Advertised

The typical thought with Oklahoma State is "great offense, terrible defense."  That isn't very true.

Their defense is a lot better than people give them credit for.  Is it as good as Alabama or LSU?  No.  But it isn't awful like it once was.

This team makes plays when it counts, and improves as the game goes on. They allowed 14 points to an Arizona team that averages 30. They shutout Texas A&M in the second half.  They held Baylor to a field goal through three quarters, forcing five turnovers along the way.

People can argue that they allow a lot of yards, but we have to remember that they play better offenses, and that they are so prolific on offense themselves, that their opponents are on the field more often—Oklahoma State is 112th in the nation in time of possession.

Oklahoma Is Also Susceptible to the Run

Last week, Oklahoma was shredded through the air by Texas Tech, and as a result they lost their first game. 

The popular theory was that they would matchup better with Kansas State because Kansas State was a running team, and Oklahoma was a good rush defense.

Turns out that wasn't quite true. Kansas State was able to run the ball early against Oklahoma. They were unable to be persistent with the running game in the second half because Oklahoma held such a large lead.

Texas A&M Is Not the 16th Best Team

Maybe we didn't learn this this weekend.  After all, many were shocked that Texas A&M was ranked so highly entering this week.

Texas A&M blew another game, meaning they have now lost three games in which they led in the second half (two of those in the fourth quarter).

Mizzou scored fourteen points in the fourth quarter to complete a comeback and force OT.  Going into OT, despite having all the momentum, Texas A&M allowed Mizzou to promptly score. 

This is a recurring theme with the Aggies.  They travel to Oklahoma and Kansas State the next two weeks.

Kansas State Cannot Afford to Fall Too Far Behind Anyone

Many claim that KSU QB Collin Klein is a dual-threat quarterback due to his propensity to run the football. While he is a fantastic runner, he may only be a single-threat QB, as his passing game is nearly non-existent.

KSU ranks 113th in passing yards. Against Oklahoma, despite losing the entire second half, they totaled 58 pass yards.

I like Klein, I like Kansas State, I think they're one of the better stories of the year...but, it just isn't their M.O.  Klein has thrown the ball more than 20 times just twice this season.  They are a running football team, and they can't afford to fall behind too far (you could argue that no team could afford this, but that's another story).

There's a Huge Game in the Rose Bowl Next Week

Next week, the Sun Devils travel to Pasadena to take on the Bruins.  If ASU wins, they will lock up the Pac-12 south championship, which has to be the earliest anyone has ever won a division title.

If UCLA wins, however, they will be in first place in the division! This may be hard to believe, especially if you watched the UCLA-Arizona game that was on Thursday night a few weeks ago, but it's true.

UCLA would still have to travel to Colorado and the Coliseum, and would host Utah.  A win on Saturday would also make the Bruins 5-4, and just one win away from bowl eligibility.  They couldn't fire Neuheisel then, could they?

Penn State May Be the Worst 8-1 Team Ever

Penn State is 8-1, with their biggest win coming against......Iowa?  Illinois?

This past week they beat Illinois despite turning the ball over three times and being shutout in the first three quarters.

They still have to play Ohio State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin....but, they are in total control of the division.  They're 5-0, while a whole host of teams are 2-2. 

Penn State is 101st in the nation in scoring.  And they're 8-1.

Nebraska's Defense Has Some Life Still

Many wrote the Huskers off after a blowout loss in Madison, and a near-loss to the Buckeyes in Lincoln.

While they may not eventually win the division, Nebraska's defense breathed some life into the team yesterday with their dominant performance over MSU.

The Huskers held the Spartans to just 187 yards and three points (which came aided off of a Nebraska turnover).  They were aggressive with their corners, and had MSU blanketed all day.  You could tell right away that there was no way MSU was going to put together a threatening drive.

The Big Ten Legends Division Is Up for Grabs

Michigan State could have created some separation for themselves this past weekend. Instead, they came out flat, and were unable to move the ball the entire game against Nebraska.

Now, there are three teams at 3-1 in the division; Michigan State, Michigan, and Nebraska, while Iowa sits at 2-2 behind the trio.

MSU has beaten Michigan, and lost to Nebraska.  Nebraska plays in the Big House on November 19th.

Iowa has yet to play any of the three teams ahead of them, so they can play their way back into the race.  That is despite what happened yesterday.............

Iowa Is Not the Sleeper Everyone Thought They Were

Iowa started to get mentioned as a potential sleeper this past week.  They were 5-2, 2-1 in the Big Ten, and some thought they were playing good football.

This weekend, they rolled into Minnesota and suffered one of the worst losses of any team this season. They were only 14.5 point favorites, so the loss isn't the biggest upset of the season, but considering the way Minnesota has been playing, this was a bad loss.

Now, Iowa is a mediocre 5-3.  Their best win is either Pitt or Northwestern.  They lost to Iowa State, were held to three against Penn State, and suffered the loss in Minneapolis.

As previously mentioned, they still have to play the three best teams in the division.  This could be the best or worst thing.

Kirk Cousins Is Not a Big Game Quarterback

Just one week after completing a Hail Mary to upset the Badgers, Cousins looked shaky in Lincoln.  He threw for only 86 yards.

He was barely a factor against Michigan, completing just over half of his passes, while MSU elected to mostly run.

Last year he turned the ball over three times in the teams' only loss (to Iowa).

The Big Ten Isn't Very Good

If you've read the previous few slides, this should be pretty obvious to you. 

In just two weeks, Wisconsin went from a national title contender to a team that will struggle to win their division. 

Penn State and Illinois played a sloppy, poor football game, while Michigan State came out flat after scoring big victories the previous two weeks.

Iowa lost to Minnesota, and Indiana continues to be a disappointment. Last year the Hoosiers were 5-7. This year, 1-8. 

The Georgia Defense Has Improved

I was skeptical about the new UGA defense, and early on against Florida, it seemed like they were over hyped.  I was wrong, however; they are legit.

They held the Gators to 20 points (seven of which came on a kick return), and just three points in the second half. On the day, Florida had -19 rushing yards.

UGA has allowed less than 28 points in each of their last six games.  Four of those games, they've held the opponent under 13.  As a result, they're 6-2, and are hoping for South Carolina to slip up against Florida, or at Arkansas.

The Georgia Win Should Help Boise, Right?

No one is rooting harder for the Bulldogs than the Boise faithful. The opening week win in Atlanta remains Boise's signature win.

If Georgia ends up winning the SEC East, and finishes around 9-3, 10-2, it would be very difficult to ignore the fact that Boise dominated the game, right?

Boise detractors and haters were getting ready to discredit the win over Georgia should Florida have won yesterday.  Well, Georgia was impressive, so we have to give Boise credit.  It works both ways.

James Franklin Should Win SEC Coach of the Year

What Franklin is doing in his inaugural season at Vanderbilt is astounding.  They started 3-0, hung with Alabama for a half, and then lost two heartbreakers to Georgia and Arkansas.

Yesterday was an especially difficult loss.  They outplayed and were beating the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks the entire game.  A fumble heading into the endzone was returned for a TD, tying the game and completing a 15-point swing.

Then, faced with a first and ten from the Arkansas fourteen-yard line, Vanderbilt failed to put the ball in the end-zone, and ultimately missed a chip shot field goal.

I fell in love with Franklin over the way he responded to their loss to UGA. So often we try to define what makes a good coach, a good leader, a good teammate, etc, and we often say that there is an intangible quality that the greats share. 

I don't know what Franklin has, but just listen to his press conference, and tell me that you wouldn't want to play for him.  He's a winner, and if I had a son, I would be thrilled if he could play for someone like Franklin.

Brian Kelly Won't Be the Head Coach of Notre Dame in 2015

I pick this date because that way he can have his tenure ended in the publishing of Gray's Sports Almanac from Back to the Future II.

In all seriousness though, I want to talk about what Kelly does off the field.

He is not the most PR friendly person in the world.  While the fact that he tells it like it is could be an admirable quality, it will rub people the wrong way eventually. 

Also, 'telling it like it is' is one thing, throwing half of the team under the bus is another.  This past week Kelly pulled 'the Rich Rodriguez,' and stated that there was a difference between the players he recruited, and the players that were already at Notre Dame when he arrived.  He apologized to his players behind closed doors, but it was clear that he offended many of them.

This isn't the first incident of BK throwing his players under the bus.  Earlier in the same week, he said that he and the coaches prepared the players well for Notre Dame, and they just didn't execute well.

And if you think this is unique to Notre Dame, it isn't.  In one particular game at Cincinnati, the Bearcats kicker missed a long field goal right before the half.  When asked by the sideline reporter what the decision process was, Kelly replied: "Well, I was just telling him that if he couldn't make it don't attempt it, he's just trying to get on the field. A young kid, he'll learn."

That type of behavior is totally unacceptable. Period. That doesn't even include the fact that coaches usually know how far their kicker can kick it down to the millimeter, and BK shouldn't have been swayed or persuaded by the kicker.

You can get away with a lot of these things when you're winning.  So far, BK hasn't lived up to the lofty expectations Irish fans had for him (right or wrong). As a result, there could be some grumblings in regards to the performance on the field.  When that occurs, all of these off-the-field incidents will be remembered.

I just want to ask one question. Given the two anecdotes of the last two slides; Franklin's press conference, and Kelly's language, which coach would you rather play for?

No One Is Going to Beat Boise State

This might have been apparent prior to this week, but the performance of Boise's toughest remaining opponents just reinforces it.

TCU jumped out to an early 14-0 lead thanks to some BYU turnovers, and then won by 10.  They were out-gained 354-283, and their defense is not as impressive as years past. They travel to Boise on November 12.

The team that may have the smallest point spread against the Broncos is the San Diego State Aztecs.  They host Boise Nov. 19. 

The Aztecs are struggling in Mountain West play so far, which includes a home loss to Wyoming this past week.  They gave up 30 first half points to the Cowboys (and then zero in the second half) en route to a 30-27 defeat.

Wyoming may actually be the third best team in the Mountain West. We'll find out, as they host TCU this weekend.

Wyoming travels to Boise on Thanksgiving weekend.

Duke Can Hang with Just About Anybody

Duke is a team that is always going to provide a threat to their opponent.  They can throw the ball, they're historically an underdog and have "nothing to lose," and their defense isn't awful.

While this hasn't translated into a winning season for the Blue Devils, consider that they lost to Virginia Tech by four this past weekend, 14-10. They came back against Wake Forest, only to fall short 24-23. Early in the season, they were only down 10 to Stanford.

In short, Duke isn't going to make a bowl game this year (losing to Richmond really hurt), but they are a team that can put up a fight against anyone.

The Justin Worley Situation Is Not Getting Handled Well

Unfortunately, the Vols have had to call on true Freshman Justin Worley to lead their offense.  Sort of.

Tyler Bray was playing great before he was injured.  Matt Simms came in, and did not perform as well.  As a result, Coach Derek Dooley stated he would start the highly-touted freshman Worley, which would burn his red shirt status.  Already not a good start, having to burn a red shirt nine weeks into the season.

So Worley started at home against South Carolina—not the easiest team to make a debut against.  He did not play well, going 10-for-26 with two interceptions.

As a result, he was replaced...by Simms.

I don't understand the idea of calling on a guy, burning his redshirt, knowing he won't be fantastic, etc, just to sub him out in the game. I understand that Tennessee was still in the game, and as a coach, you have to play the players that give you the best chance to win.  But, if that's Simms, why did Worley start in the first place?

Tennessee finishes with Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky.  Theres a chance to play Worley and build some confidence in him.  Even still, what happens next year when Bray is healthy?

You Can Put the Game on Chris Polk's Shoulders, and He'll Deliver

Everyone jumped on the Washington bandwagon a couple of weeks ago, and then promptly jumped off after they were beat soundly by Stanford.

Here's the truth.  Washington is still a good, solid team.  Much of that comes from their RB Chris Polk. 

Polk rushed 34 times for 144 yards, and caught four passes for 100 yards. Combined, he scored five touchdowns.

This wasn't a blowout the entire game either.  Washington was down 10-0 after the first, and were up only 14-13 at the half.

Then, Polk exploded for four of his five touchdowns in the second half. 

QB Keith Price struggled early, turning the ball over three times, but Polk was there to pick him, and the rest of the team up.  He made sure that the loss to Stanford did not make them lose another game against Arizona. That's what leaders do.

Southern Miss Continues to Quietly Dominate Opponents

Southern Mississippi went into El Paso and soundly defeated the Miners this past weekend.  While that on its own may not be Earth-shattering, realize that Southern Miss is now 7-1, and hasn't lost since an early upset to Marshall.

Austin Davis continued his recent successes.  The Senior QB threw three touchdowns this past weekend, giving him a 7-1 TD-INT ratio in the last three games.

S. Miss has now beaten Virginia, Rice, Navy, and SMU.  The upcoming game against ECU (in Greenville) will go a long way in determining the C-USA East champion.

Ronnie Hillman Continues to Be the Most Under-Appreciated Man in America

This past week, SDSU RB Ronnie Hillman totaled 301 all-purpose yards, and three touchdowns in a loss to Wyoming. Unfortunately, that last part of the sentence has overshadowed all the great things Hillman has done.

Hillman has now rushed for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. His yardage total is second in the nation, behind Virginia Tech's David Wilson. Hillman is on pace to eclipse last seasons' mark of 1,532.

Unfortunately, Hillman plays on an under-publicized team.  It's too bad, because he has been an integral part of the Aztecs' turnaround.  Last year SDSU went to their first bowl game in 11 years, and they are primed to get back to another one this year.

If Hillman were on a BCS team, he'd be a household name.

LaMichael James Is a Tough Dude

Many have questioned Oregon's offense in the past...calling it smoke and mirrors, mickey-mouse, etc. The main criticism is that when they play tough, physical teams, they will lose (like they did vs. Auburn last year, and LSU this year).

That may or may not be true. But one cannot question the toughness of LaMichael James. 

Just three weeks after suffering a gruesome elbow injury on national television, James played against Wazzu.

He only rushed 53 yards, his lowest total of the year, but anyone who saw the injury he suffered would consider his play incredible.

I'm sure he has bigger things in mind, as well.  While he may not have been totally necessary to beat an improved Wazzu team, Oregon is traveling to Washington next week, and then Stanford the following week.  He realizes that he's needed for both games, and wanted to get back into the game as quick as possible.  He's also a competitor, and wants to play. I applaud James' effort.

Even at 90%, Jeff Demps Is Faster Than 99% of the World

Jeff Demps was reportedly not 100 percent against Georgia.  I believe it, because he got caught from behind on a pass play early in the game.

Still, Demps was a factor. Moments later, Demps returned a kick-off 99 yards for a touchdown. CBS put a clock on him. Even in pads, carrying a football, not at 100 percent, and not running a straight line (he veered slightly), Demps covered the 99 yards in 11 seconds flat.

Wow.

If I were a Gator fan, I'd be wondering why he doesn't get more touches. He only has 47 rushes and 11 receptions on the season.  Get him the ball!

Ohio State Is a Different Team with Herron in the Lineup

And by different, I certainly mean better.

Without Herron, OSU was a mediocre 3-3 with losses to Miami, and a 10-7 loss to Michigan State.

With him, they're 2-0. They've beaten Illinois on the road, and Wisconsin at home.

Herron has rushed for 274 yards in two games, and completely changes OSU's offensive strategy. Now, there is less pressure on Freshman Braxton Miller, they can run the ball effectively, and can control the clock better (they held the ball for 35 minutes against Wisconsin).

OSU is definitely a dangerous team going forward.

USC Continues to Get Better Every Week

USC opened the season with lackluster wins over Minnesota and Utah. They destroyed Syracuse (which is looking better now), and then played poorly against Arizona State. Then, the defense looked average at best in a 48-41 win over Arizona.

Since then, they've been on a tear. 

They allowed nine points in a road win at Cal. They shocked everyone with a win in South Bend. Then, they pushed Stanford to the brink in one of the best executed games of the year.

No one knows where USC will finish; they still have a difficult schedule going forward. Still, any other 6-2 team that beat ND and played with Stanford would be getting more publicity than USC.  They're literally under-ranked because in one poll, they can't be ranked (which makes no sense).

If they keep improving, and if they get their key pieces to return next season (Barkley), they can reclaim the top spot in the Pac-12.

South Carolina Is Going to Continue to Struggle Without Lattimore

South Carolina is an intriguing team. On one hand, they're 7-1 and control their own destiny in the SEC East.  On the other hand, they lost their starting QB and RB, the latter of which is an All-American.

Since Lattimore went down, South Carolina has put up just 14 points in each contest. Granted, both games were on the road, and the Gamecocks won both games, but fans have to be apprehensive about their team going forward.

They've only averaged 303 yards per game since Lattimore went down (this counting game against Mississippi State, where he was injured).

Pitt Is in Trouble Without Ray Graham

Pitt responded to two straight losses well by beating UConn on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a Pyrrhic victory.

Star running back Ray Graham was lost for the season Wednesday night. Now, Pitt is 4-4 with no identity or offensive firepower. Additionally, they are the most sacked team in the nation.

They finish the season with Cincinnati, at Louisville, at West Virginia, and Syracuse. Its a bleak forecast, but its possible Pitt misses out on a bowl.

Bowl Eligibility

This past weekend, the following teams won their sixth game:  Washington, Arkansas State, Auburn, Arizona State, West Virginia, UNC, Georgia, and TCU.  As a result, all are bowl eligible.

While Auburn is the defending champion, many felt they would fall to a losing record.  They've proven those people wrong.

Georgia won six games all of last season. Now, they're 6-2 after starting 0-2, and Mark Richt looks safe as UGA coach after all.

While Arizona State was predicted to win the Pac12-South, they finished with six wins and were bowl ineligible last season. Therefore, it is an accomplishment that they are headed to a bowl for the first time since 2007. 

And Steve Sarkisian has the Huskies bowl eligible for the second straight year.  Not bad, considering that UW was 0-12 in 2008!

Bowl Ineligibility

Unfortunately, the following teams lost their seventh game this season, making them ineligible for a bowl: UAB, Akron, Tulane, Buffalo, and Memphis.

Expectations for these teams varied, as have their strengths of schedule.  The one constant is that all have struggled early and often this season.

Florida Has a Lot of Problems

Optimists wanted to blame Florida's midseason struggles on the loss of QB John Brantley. Losing Brantley didn't help things in Gainesville, but it turns out that his absence wasn't the only problem.

Brantley returned against UGA this past week and didn't look 100 percent.  He finished 12-for-34 for 245 yards.

Everyone around him was ineffective, however, especially the offensive line.  As mentioned earlier, Florida finished with -19 yards rushing, and were sacked six times!

UGA dominated the other line of scrimmage as well.  The Dawgs were able to rush for 185 yards, and were able to hold the ball for 37:40.

Those stats are indicative of problems that extend beyond just Brantley or whomever else lines up under center.

Thankfully, Florida matches up against Furman in three weeks, otherwise the Gators would be on the verge of a below-500 record.

Maryland Has Continued to Disappoint

Remember about two months ago?  Maryland opened up on national television on a Monday night...they sported funky uniforms, and beat the Hurricanes? Remember that?

Since then, they've won one game, against FCS Towson.

Offensive Coordinator Gary Crowton has come under fire for his play-calling, and coach Randy Edsall has faced similar criticisms for his choice of QB.

Maryland held their own against then-undefeated GT, and then-undefeated Clemson.  Both efforts were admirable.

This past week, a home loss to Boston College was a different story. 

The Terps forced four turnovers and ran for 197 yards, but it wasn't enough. It was BC's first win against an FBS opponent this season.

With all due respect to Randy Edsall, the firing of Ralph Friedgen, a coach who had just won the ACC Coach of the year award, seems more and more mysterious with each passing day.

The Big 12 Just Might Be the Best Conference

If it isn't, it's second best.

The Big 12 lost Nebraska and Colorado this past offseason. The latter was addition by subtraction, as the Buffaloes are suffering through a rebuilding year.

Overall, the SEC and Big 12 hold the top three spots in the poll.  When we consider Oklahoma, we realize that maybe OU and Oklahoma State are on par with LSU and Alabama (or aren't far behind).

After that, the Big 12 may be deeper. Kansas State, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Baylor are all quality teams. Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas are quality in the SEC.  After that, it's up for grabs.

At the bottom, I feel that Iowa State can beat Ole Miss, Kentucky, and maybe even Tennessee.  It's possible that the SEC is more top-heavy, while the Big 12 is deeper.

They are by far the best two conferences in the nation.

Stanford Is Still the Most Complete Team

I was criticized for saying Stanford was the most complete team in another article's commentary section. I stand by that statement.

Stanford certainly didn't play bad defense this past weekend. Both teams played perfect offense.

Stanford can run the ball, and they definitely can throw. They aren't weak on defense either.

After winning every game by 26 points plus this season, Stanford needed every point and inch they could muster this past week int he Coliseum.  But...they got it.

This isn't to say Stanford is as good as LSU, Alabama, or Okie State.  Overall, however, they have less weak spots than those teams.

The Reign of Troy Is Just About over

No, not the guys in Southern California.

We're talking about the Troy Trojans of Troy, Alabama.

After winning five straight outright or tied conference championships, the reign is just about over.

After a 23-20 loss at FIU, Troy fell to 1-3 in the Sun Belt.

Four straight wins would put them at 5-3. Unfortunately, Troy lost to La-Lafayette, who is currently 5-1 in the Sun Belt.  The Cajuns would need to win one more game to snap Troy's streak. If Troy wins out, La-Lafayette loses out, and current leader Arkansas State were to go 1-3 down the stretch, then Troy would finish tied.

As you could guess, that is all very unlikely.  Most likely, Troy is done as Conference champ.

Navy Will Finish at 500 or Below for First Time Since 2002

It has been a tough year for Navy. The Midshipmen are allowing 33.5 points per game, 104th in the nation, and have just two wins. One of those wins was against FCS Delaware.

Although they have been competitive against South Carolina, Air Force, and ECU, they haven't won since September 10th. This past weekend, they fell to ND, 56-14, a team they had beaten three of the past four years.

As a result, they will need to win out to be 6-6 and claim bowl eligibility. Not an easy task with SMU, Troy, SJSU, and Army still on the docket.

The Louisville West Virginia Game Next Week Is Huge

Louisville has quietly played decent football. Their offense isn't the greatest show on turf, but their defense is great.

Now, next week, they travel to Morgantown to take on the Mountaineers. Each team has one loss in the Big East, and each team is trailing Cincinnati in the standings.

It figures to be bigger for Louisville, as they've already lost to Cincinnati.  That said, whichever team loses will find themselves two games back in the Big East.

Cincinnati hosts WV November 12.

Michigan Figures to Have Their Best Season Since 2007

This may come as odd to many, but...Michigan has not won more than seven games since 2007.

Additionally, Michigan won four conference games last season, and five in 2009. They have three so far this season, with games at Iowa, at Illinois, Nebraska, and Ohio State left.  They have the potential to finish as good as 11-1.

Regardless of how they finish, they've matched their highest win total from the last three years (they won seven last year). Either Hoke is a great coach, or the guys that Rich-Rod recruited aren't so bad after all.

UNC Is the Best Team in the State of North Carolina

Wins over Wake Forest (last week) and ECU prove that. No matter what happens when they travel to Raleigh next week, they are the best team in the state.

They have nice victories against WF, Virginia, and Rutgers, but have close losses to GT, Miami, and a blowout loss to Clemson.

They could easily go 2-1 down the stretch and finish 8-4. That would be a very successful first season for Coach Everett Withers.

Mizzou Can Win a Close Game

Mizzou suffered through some bad luck this year. First, they missed a field goal at the end of regulation against ASU (after a Pinkel double-ice) and subsequently lost in OT. Then, they fell to Oklahoma by 10, and Kansas State by seven.

They had three wins coming into the past weekend.  They were by 11, 69, and 35.

Certainly, close games didn't appear to be their forte.  That changed this past weekend as they went into College Station and beat Texas A&M...in a close game.

Mizzou had to come from behind in this one; they were down 28-17 at the half. Then, they missed another field goal at the end of regulation, but were able to win in overtime on the road.

Give credit to Mizzou's perseverance. Now, they are in a position to win six games and make a bowl. Once they get there, I can't imagine there being a more battle-tested team. 

SMU Still Isn't There Yet

A lot of people want to buy in on SMU. With their bounce-back from the death penalty of twenty years ago, combined with June Jones' spread offense, they're a likeabale team.  They just aren't there yet.

After starting 5-1, SMU has dropped two in a row. This past weekend they fell on the road to Tulsa. Make no mistake about it, Tulsa is a good football team. But, if SMU wants to make major bowls and win conference titles, they have to win games like this.

They never really had a chance in this game either. They fell behind 24-0, and were held to just 265 yards, their lowest of the season.

Texas Tech May Not Finish with a Winning Record

Seems hard to believe, no? After all, Tech came into the weekend ranked and had just upset the Sooners in Norman.

Its true though. They travel to Texas, then host Oklahoma State, travel to Mizzou, and then play Baylor in Cowboy Stadium. They may not be favored in any of those games.

Tech is anemic. On one hand, they beat Oklahoma on the road and snapped the Sooners' long standing home win streak. On the other hand, they lost to Iowa State at home by 34.

This past weekend, they scored seven points and totaled just 290 yards. Against OU, they scored 41 and totaled 572.

Figure that one out.

Washington State Will Continue to Compete in Pac-12 Play

One has to be impressed with the Cougars.  A punchline the last couple of seasons, Wazzu came out and was impressive early in the season.

They started 3-2 but led in the fourth quarter in all five games. Then, they lost to Stanford, and played poorly against Oregon State.

Many would expect the Cougars to fold and revert to old ways. After all, even if they finished with three wins, it would be a successful season.

They didn't rest on their laurels though. Instead, they went to Oregon and played the Ducks close to even for the first half. While they eventually lost to the Ducks, they outgained the defending Pac-12 champions...in Eugene, which is widely considered one of the tougher places to play in the nation.

Not enough could be said about the effort from the Cougars this season. They may only have three wins, and will most likely miss out on a bowl, but they will continue to compete this season.  Don't be surprised if they pull an upset in the last month.

Oregon State Won't Go Bowling

This may have been obvious to people prior to this week, but Oregon State had won 2 of 3, and seemed to have some momentum. They would have needed to pull an upset or two along the way, but six wins was possible.

But after an awful performance in Utah they're all but dead. They're 2-6 with games against Stanford, Cal, Washington, and Oregon left on the slate.

It's been a disappointing season for the Beavers. The team usually starts slow and finishes strong, but they were unable to live up to that stereotype this season. As a result, they will be home for the holidays for the second straight season, and Mike Riley, who is a great coach, may be in jeopardy of losing his job. Whoever snags him would find a good coach.

Football Can Be Awesome Even Without a "Game of the Century"

This past weekend was a friendly reminder of why college football is awesome. It doesn't matter who is playing, if there are highly ranked teams playing, if "Games of the Century" are occurring, or if predicted blowouts are on the slate.

College football will always surprise, and it will always produce great games.  That's what happens when you put teams of 18-22 year-olds on the field, surround them by 90,000 rabid, screaming people, and tell the players to fight for everything they've worked so hard for.

I'm probably preaching to the choir, because if you're still reading this, I'm sure you agree.  Still, college football likes to remind us of this every once in a while.  Tune in every week, all day, and you won't be disappointed.