With one just one gam remaining in the regular season, it feels like little hangs in the balance. While that may be true for many teams, not all has been decided yet.

What is Undecided

Big 10 East

While the Big 10 West has been clinched by Northwestern, the Big 10 East will be decided this coming week when Michigan goes to Ohio State. While both teams did their job in winning on Saturday, neither of them did it in a very convincing fashion.

Michigan had a slow start against Indiana as they trailed 17-15 at the half. They were able to pull things together in the second half to win 31-20. Like usual, Indiana gave Michigan a game but was not able to pull off the upset. Michigan’s offense was led by Karan Higdon’s 101 rushing yards. Besides throwing an interception, Shea Patterson had a solid game. The defense was led by Devin Bush’s 11 total tackles, and Rashan Gary’s nine with 1.5 sacks. What was not very good for Michigan was that their defense had some cracks show as Indiana running back Stevie Scott ran for 139 yards against them. Defensive end Chase Winovich also was injured during the game and his status is being evaluated. It is unclear if Winovich will be able to play against Ohio State. Either way, Michigan has a good chance to win against Ohio State.

While Michigan’s day was not too great, Ohio State had just about the worst day they could have while still winning. Ohio State won 52-51 in overtime against Maryland after Maryland quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome missed a wide open receiver on a potential game winning two points conversion. Maryland as a team rushed for 340 yards, including 298 from freshman running back Anthony McFarland. Maryland just did not have much in the passing game with quarterback Kasim Hill injured (Maryland’s bad injury luck at quarterback is insane as they were down to their fifth string quarterback last year). Ohio State’s woes on defense were countered by their offensive success. This game showed that Ohio State might have the most skill position talent in the country. Dwayne Haskins threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns. JK Dobbins ran for 203 yards. Ohio State had two receivers crack 100 yards receiving as Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon had 118 and 102 receiving yards respectively. Ohio State has the talent on offense to hang with anybody, but their defense has some clear holes. Their inability to separate themselves from clearly inferior competition is still a bit concerning, but all of that will be forgotten if they can beat Michigan.

Pac 12 North

As Utah clinched the Pac 12 South on Saturday, the Pac 12 North remains undecided. While Washington State is head and shoulders above Washington in terms of their ranking, Washington can still take the division with a win in the Apple Cup at Pullman on Friday night.

Washington State took care of business quickly in their game against Arizona on Saturday. By halftime, the Cougars were ahead by a score of 55-14. Gardner Minshew threw for 473 yards and a school record seven touchdowns. His main target this game was Davontavean Martin, who had 124 receiving yards and a touchdown. Minshew’s seven touchdowns were thrown to six different receivers. On defense the Cougars also did well by holding Arizona running back JJ Taylor to just 69 rushing yards and kept him out of the end zone. As a whole, Washington State held Arizona to just 3.4 yards per carry. Washington State has proven themselves against the best the Pac 12 has to offer, and they just need to do that one more time against Washington to secure a spot in the Pac 12 Championship.

While they are 8-3, Washington’s season so far has been a bit of a disappointment. The Huskies were the preseason favorite in this conference (except by me who still got it wrong by picking Stanford) and were even considered a playoff contender by many. Their last win on Saturday against Oregon State was their largest margin of victory all season in conference play as they won 42-23. Myles Gaskin continued to be the main source of offense for the Huskies as he put up 135 rushing yards. Jake Browning put in a solid game completing 17/23 passes for 242 yards. Washington has a very talented team, but like many other teams they have struggled to separate themselves from less talented teams. Washington also went through some injury problems during the season. Winning the Apple Cup will definitely be a way for the Huskies to salvage this difficult season.

Big 12 Championship

After winning what was essentially an elimination game against Iowa State, Texas just needs a win at Kansas (definitely not a guarantee) to make the Big 12 Championship. Texas was able to control their destiny after West Virginia lost to Oklahoma State. If Texas wins, they will play the winner of next week’s matchup between Oklahoma and West Virginia. If Texas loses, Oklahoma and West Virginia will play each other two weeks in a row (I hope you understand the situation now because I really do not want to explain it again).

Texas for once had a convincing win over Iowa State on Saturday by a score of 24-10. Texas’s defense stepped up big time, holding Iowa State running back David Montgomery to just 33 yards rushing. While Hakeem Butler did have 99 receiving yards, the rest of Iowa State’s team had just 49. Texas’s defense also had six sacks and an interception. Iowa State’s lone touchdown was scored late in the game with the score decided. Sam Ehlinger completed 12/15 passes for 137 yards and had two total touchdowns. Unfortunately for Texas, Ehlinger left the game with a shoulder injury. The good news is on Monday during a press conference, head coach Tom Herman said Ehlinger should be good to go against Kansas. With Ehlinger out, Shane Buechele went a perfect 10/10 passing for 89 yards. Running back Tre Watson had one of his best games with 93 rushing yards. Lil’Jordan Humphrey led receivers with 86 receiving yards and a touchdown. This game also showed the potential Texas has in their secondary as freshmen Caden Sterns and BJ Foster had great days. While Texas’s 8-3 record is worse than many would have expected after they beat Oklahoma, making the Big 12 Championship will be a huge step in the right direction as this season is also the first winning record in the regular season since 2013 for the Longhorns. While they may not be totally back, as a fan of this team I feel quite confident right now (I while being very worried about winning against Kansas).

Oklahoma may have won against Kansas in Saturday, but it was not pretty for the Sooners. Oklahoma beat a 3-8 Kansas team 55-40 (oh how I wanted Kansas to win so Oklahoma could know what it feels like to be mercilessly taunted for losing to Kansas). Oklahoma allowed 252 rushing yards from Kansas running back Pooka Williams. Oklahoma’s defense allowed 348 rushing yards as a whole as Kansas put up 9.7 yards per carry. Oklahoma’s defense is a bit rough this season, and it really has not improved like many thought it would. Linebackers Kenneth Murray and Curtis Bolton have had their fair share of big games, but the defense has nobody that can reliably get tackles besides them. Their defense actually was not too bad until the fourth quarter where they allowed 23 points and would just not allow their offense to totally put the Jayhawks away (the worst part about Oklahoma’s defense is that those idiots who always talk about how the Big 12 never plays defense can just point to Oklahoma). Thankfully for Oklahoma, they have one of the best offenses (it is between them and Alabama in my opinion) in the country. Kyler Murray had a routine day throwing the ball, but he had 99 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Murray added that to 272 passing yards and two touchdowns. Kennedy Brooks has emerged as a star in the backfield as he put up 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Oklahoma has a good chance to win the Big 12 still, but the larger question is if they can have some things break in their favor so they can make the playoff.

West Virginia held a 31-14 lead over Oklahoma State at halftime, but they eventually crumbled as they lost to Oklahoma State 45-41 (let me just say that I did predict this). Will Grier did not have his most accurate day throwing the ball, and they relied a bit more on running back Martell Pettaway. Pettaway had 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Grier still did have 364 passing yards, but it took him 48 attempts and he only completed 56% of his passes. West Virginia just did not have an answer for Oklahoma State quarterback Taylor Cornelius. Cornelius had 444 total yards of offense and six touchdowns on the day. Oklahoma State’s offense was also complimented by running back Chuba Hubbard’s (who is also Canadian) 134 rushing yards and Dillon Stoner’s 127 receiving yards. Oklahoma State star receiver Tylan Wallace (who should be called Stylin Tylan) had just 62 receiving yards but he had two touchdowns. West Virginia just could not stop Oklahoma State’s offense that has been on fire recently. West Virginia still can make the Big 13 Championship if they win against Oklahoma this coming week. Makign the Big 12 Championship and possibly winning it will still go down as a successful season for the Mountaineers in my book.

Heisman Trophy Winner and Finalists

This season has been a unique one in quite a few ways. One of those is the fact that I feel like there has been very little discussion about the Heisman race. Well I guess I will be one of the first people to discuss here who I think should and could be finalists for the Heisman.

I just went over his game so I will not go over his stats, but Kyler Murray would get my vote for the Heisman. Oklahoma lost Baker Mayfield, the undisputed best quarterback in the country last year, and their offense looks just the same if not better. Murray is dangerous with the ball in his hands and can make plays through the air and on the ground. There is no way he should not be at least a finalist if not the Heisman winner.

While Alabama got off to a slow start and had a sloppy game last week, Tua Tagovailoa still is one of the front runners for the Heisman. Tua went 18/22 for 340 yards and three touchdowns in Alabama’s last game. On the season, Tua has completed 69.2% of his passes and thrown for 2865 yards, 31 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Alabama has an explosive offense that no team has fully stopped and it is obvious that Tua is the main cause of that.

Will Grier May have lost some of his luster as a candidate after West Virginia just lost, but I still think it is possible we see him as one of the finalists. West Virginia is having a very good season and their success is because of their high powered offense. Grier has taken advantage of that by putting up 3325 passing yards and 33 touchdowns on the season. I do not think he will win the Heisman, but Grier very well could be a finalist.

Gardner Minshew being a Heisman candidate is a surprise, but it is deserved. Minshew has completed 70.2% of his passes and leads the nation 4325 yards. The fact that Minshew throws for so many yards and is so accurate shows just how efficient he is. Minshew is also one of the main reasons for Washington State’s success this season, and is the face of this program. Minshew not being a Heisman finalist would be a travesty.

I feel like I am one of the only people who is talking about how good Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor has been playing. Taylor had 321 rushing yards including the game winner in Wisconsin’s last game, a 47-44 triple overtime victory over Purdue. On the season, Taylor has a nation leading 1869 rushing yards. Taylor is 338 yards clear of second place. This also is not just a case of someone getting an insane amount of carries. Taylor averages 7.2 yards per carry. Because this has been a down year for Wisconsin, Taylor has been overlooked in the Heisman race, but he absolutely deserves to be a finalist.

Travis Etienne is the marquee offensive player on the nations second best team, Clemson. Etienne has 1158 rushing yards on the season and 17 touchdowns. He puts up a solid 8.5 yards per per carry as well. Etienne has been Clemson’s most reliable source of offense all season and will likely be a finalist because of it.

Coaches Futures

While some coaches have already been relieved of their duties, there are some who still ha e jobs that very well may not at the end of the season.

USC head coach Clay Helton is a prime candidate to be let go at the end of the season. USC has fallen flat this season as they are 5-6. After losing four of their last five games and switching play calling duties to Helton from offensive coordinator Tee Martin, it is clear that Helton is not the guy. The thing is, I really do not know who they could replace him with. USC is in a bit of a tough spot but they clearly have the talent and name brand to contend in the Pac 12.

Auburn is 7-4, and will almost for sure be 7-5 after the Iron Bowl against Alabama. With another disappointing season, Gus Malzahn is having his job questioned. Auburn’s inconsistent play under Malzahn has been a cause for stress among fans. Thankfully for Malzahn, he has a pretty hefty buyout. If Malzahn is fried, I think Auburn should try to hire Troy head coach Neal Brown.

After leading Syracuse to an 8-3 record, Dino Babers is someone who many consider a candidate to be poached by a major program. The three losses Syracuse has are to national powers Clemson and Notre Dame, and ACC Coastal winning Pittsburgh. The one concern is that Syracuse went 4-8 in his first two seasons so it may be a concern for a team that has little patience for a rebuild.

After a 5-2 start, Texas Tech has lost four straight games and it is definitely time to question if they should keep Kliff Kingsbury if they miss a bowl. Texas Tech has always had a high powered offense, but their defense can not stop a nosebleed. This has been the case in every season of Kingsbury’s tenure. If Kingsbury is fired, expect Texas Tech to make a play for North Texas head coach Seth Littrell (who likely will get the job at North Carolina since he has been an assistant coach there before).

Iowa State has had a great turnaround in the last two seasons and the main cause for that is head coach Matt Campbell. Campbell has made Iowa State into a team to fear in the Big 12 as they have had their fair share of upset wins. Iowa State has had back to back winning seasons for the first time since 2004 and 2005. I hope Campbell stays, but it is likely he gets poached by a major program.

Some Random Thoughts

1. I do not care about SEC teams scheduling cupcake games in this time of the season. The SEC is the toughest conference in the country and this week is usually sandwiched between two tough games. Other teams in weaker conferences also schedule these games early in the season but nobody cares. I think the dislike for this likely just comes from hatred of the SEC.

2. Kansas hiring Les Miles is a great move in my opinion. Miles is an experienced coach who has the personality and ability to make Kansas a decent program. If not, it will at least be entertaining.

3. Pittsburgh clinched ACC Coastal this week after a 34-13 win over Wake Forest. While they will be a clear underdog against Clemson, I think it is hard to count them out as the Panthers upset Clemson the last time they played.

4. The Citadel, an FCS team, was tied with Alabama at halftime. This is crazy to type out. The Citadel also did not complete a pass not just in the first half but in the whole game. Alabama had a hard time stopping the triple option and made some mistakes on offense. Alabama was also pretty banged up with injuries to Tua Tagovailoa, Quinnen Williams, Damien Harris, and Alex Leatherwood. All of those players are starters and key players. Alabama did eventually pull it together and won 50-17. The highlight of the game was the guy who runs the twitter account for The Citadel throwing some shade at LSU and Mississippi State.

5. Nebraska gets another win in an ugly game against Michigan State by a score of 9-6. While Nebraska is just 4-7 on the season, they have improved and I think bright days are ahead.

6. TCU wins ugly against Baylor moving them up to 5-6 on the season. TCU also won this game with a third string quarterback. TCU and Baylor both need to win their win their final games to make a bowl.

7. Mississippi State was uncharacteristically good on offense as they put up 52 points on Arkansas.

8. Notre Dame blew out Syracuse 36-3 in a game where they clearly wanted to prove their worth to critics. Notre Dame should finish the season undefeated and it is clear they can not be taken lightly by their playoff opponent.

9. Miami snapped their losing streak as they beat Virginia Tech. Miami is now bowl eligible and it looks like they will keep Mark Richt as head coach for at least another season.

10. So Georgia Tech is good now I guess. They just beat Virginia 30-27 for their fourth straight win. It now seems like head coach Paul Johnson has cooled off his hot seat.

11. While I have already talked about USC, I need to mention that Josh Kelley had 289 rushing yards for UCLA in their win. UCLA is another team that has come on late that looks to have a bright future.

12. Clemson was down 6-0 to Duke at the end of the first quarter, then surged for 35 straight points. Clemson still looks like the second best team in the country in my opinion.

13. After Vanderbilt best Ole Miss and Tennessee lost to Missouri, their late game matchup will be a battle for bowl eligibility.

14. With College GameDay watching, UCF won convincingly over Cincinnati 38-13. UCF has faced quite a bit of criticism and they needed a big win like this to silence critics.

15. Iowa defensive end AJ Epenesa had a defensive touchdown, a sack, and a blocked punt all in back to back possessions. Iowa also dismantled Illinois 63-0.

16. Mike MacIntyre was fired from Colorado after their sixth straight loss. I feel very dumb for buying in on them when they were 5-0. Colorado needs a win at California now to make a bowl game.

17. The weirdest touchdown of the week occurred when Washington State scored one on a kickoff after that Arizona failed to field.

18. Notre Dame and Mississippi State are members of this week’s terrible uniform club.

19. Florida State won over Boston College on a late bomb from Deondre Francois to Tamorrion Terry. Florida State might actually be able to salvage a bowl from this season if they beat Florida.

20. ESPN basketball broadcaster Dan Dakich has reported that Jeff Brohm will be hired by Louisville. It is conceivable this happens, but it is just weird to hear a basketball analyst report this.

21. Joe Burrow had a very good day throwing the ball by his standards and he completed 20/28 passes for 307 yards in LSU’s 42-10 win over Rice. 6’7” receiver Spencer Sullivan led LSU with 94 receiving yards.

22. My prediction that UAB would upset Texas A&M was slightly wrong as Texas A&M took home a 41-20 win. Trayveon Williams ran wild yet again with 167 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

23. Ole Miss lost to Vanderbilt 36-29 in overtime after a very bad call kept the Rebels from tying it. Although AJ Brown has clear possession of the ball in the end zone, they ruled it not a catch because he dropped it even though he had possession of the ball for a decent amount of time in the end zone. Brown put in a herculean effort for Ole Miss with 212 receiving.

24. Colorado State lost to Utah State in pretty crushing fashion. Down 29-24, Colorado State quarterback Collin Hill launched a Hail Mary that was caught by Preston Williams for an apparent touchdown on the final play. The play was overruled because Williams had a foot out of bounds on the play before the catch. This win moves Utah State to 10-1.

25. Washington had a retirement ceremony for their live dog mascot as they introduced their new one, which is awesome.

26. This week’s cool uniform award goes to Vanderbilt, Florida State, Oregon, and Clemson.

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