Something interesting I have noticed about this season is that there are quite a few teams with impressive records that still are left with doubt on whether or not they actually are a good team. Whether it be because of their strength of schedule or inability to put games away, many teams have struggled to earn the respect of fans and AP poll voters. I think some of those teams finally proved or solidified themselves this week.

Florida

Florida went into their matchup with Auburn last week with a 5-0 record, but still left many people skeptical as they struggled to put away weaker opponents like Miami and Kentucky. I think the Gators came into this game looking to prove themselves and they did just that with a 24-13 win over Auburn to shoot up to 6-0 on the season.

To start things off, while his statistical performance was not eye popping, I was quite impressed with Kyle Trask at quarterback. Trask left the game in the second quarter with what was diagnosed later as a sprained ligament in his knee. Nine minutes of game time later, Trask returned to the game dawning a knee brace and had a solid game, throwing for 234 yards and two touchdowns. His three lost fumbles are a rough statistic to see but I still think Florida has themselves a solid quarterback for this season who really showed some grit by returning to the game while going against a daunting Auburn defensive front. Lamical Perine proved to be a problem for Auburn’s defense as he ran for 130 yards on the day. Perine also had the biggest play of the game as he cut loose for an 88 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that really sucked the wind out of Auburn. Freddie Swain led all receivers with 146 receiving yards including a 64 yard touchdown on Florida’s second offensive play. Florida ripped off their fair share of big plays that swung momentum their way in terms of big gains on offense and interceptions on defense. Florida picked off Auburn quarterback Bo Nix three times, one of which was when Auburn was down just 17-13 and had the ball in the red zone.

Florida really showed the college football world what they are made of on Saturday as they beat down on what I consider to be a very good Auburn team. Their matchup this weekend with LSU will be interesting.

Ohio State

I do not know if there is a team in college football that has impressed me this season as much as Ohio State has. With that said, the Buckeyes lacked a win over a ranked team until their 34-10 win over Michigan State. While everyone with eyes should have seen Ohio State is elite, this win has left even less doubt.

While he did finally commit a turnover, Justin Fields has looked very impressive so far this season. Fields is an elite athlete who also has the arm talent to punish opposing defenses. When he was coming out of high school, I heard people compare him to a taller Russell Wilson. While I thought that comparison was setting the bar a bit too high, I now understand where that came from. Fields has 18 passing touchdowns and another eight on the ground. He has established himself well as a passer as he has thrown for 1,298 yards while completing 69.5% of his passes on 9.2 yards per attempt. JK Dobbins had a monster game against Michigan State as he ran for 172 yards on the day. Binjimen Victor looks like Ohio State’s best receiver, but KJ Hill and Chris Olave are also solid options.

On defense, the Buckeyes are loaded with talent and look like they have fixed many of the issues they had last season. They stifled Michigan State’s run game, allowing just 2.5 yards per rush. The Buckeyes had nine tackles for loss on the day last week. Safety Jordan Fuller had a big game, leading the team with seven tackles and picked off a pass. Chase Young is an absolute monster at defensive end and will never be easy to go against. Malik Harrison and Baron Browning lead a very deep linebacking corps. Damon Arnette and Jeffery Okudah have continued Ohio State’s tradition of having an elite secondary. The talent on this defense is going to be overwhelming for any opponent. I think Ohio State is a playoff caliber team and could very well end up winning the National Championship this season.

Minnesota

Minnesota was a team that I predicted to surprise people before this season. I began to be concerned about that when they struggled to beat FCS foe South Dakota State in their first game. Well Minnesota is now 5-0 on the season after a 40-17 win over Illinois last week. While four of their five wins are by seven points or less, there are only 16 undefeated teams left in the country and the Golden Gophers are one of them.

What has been very impressive about Minnesota to me is their offensive versatility. They have won games with an elite passing attack and win against Illinois last week with an amazing game on the ground. Minnesota is a rare team who has both a running back who averages over 100 rushing yards per game and a receiver who averages over 100 receiving yards per game. On Saturday, Rodney Smith ran for 211 yards while Shannon Brooks ran for 111. The duo also ran for eight yards per carry. While they put on a running clinic last week, their matchup with Purdue two weeks ago, Tanner Morgan completed 21/22 passes for 396 yards and Rashod Bateman hauled in six catches for 177 yards. Defensively, Minnesota bottled up a solid running back in Reggie Corbin, and allowed just four yards per pass. Illinois might not be a great opponent, but it was still a good defensive performance. I think Minnesota will be a dangerous team in the Big 10 for the rest of the season and could very well end up with nine wins.

SMU

There are three teams in the country that are already bowl eligible. SMU is one of those teams after they beat Tulsa last week to improve to 6-0 and have put themselves in the top 25 for the first time since their football program was given the death penalty in 1987.

The Mustangs were behind 30-9 to Tulsa at the start of the fourth quarter last week but battled back to send the game to overtime. From there, the game was back and forth until SMU pulled out a 43-37 win in triple overtime. While they did need triple overtime to beat a 2-3 Tulsa squad, I was impressed by the comeback and it proved to me that SMU can take over a game quickly. Tulsa’s win probability reached as high as 95.6% with five minutes left in the game. SMU’s drive chart for the second half is definitely a sight to behold. Their last three drives in regulation were all at least 10 plays, took at least three minutes of game time, and were all at least 73 yards. SMU converted four fourth downs on those drives and also were the beneficiary of quite a few penalties on Tulsa. The Mustangs marched down the field and never looked shaken by their large deficit.

Shane Buechele had a solid day at quarterback and did well when it mattered. Xavier Jones ran for 121 yards and ran for one of the fourth down conversions in the fourth quarter as well as some other big runs. James Proche is looking like an elite receiver as he had 11 catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the Mustangs picked off three passes and deflected another seven. Ar’Mani Johnson has two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown.

SMU is showing the they are a true AAC contender and might even be a darkhorse to represent the G5 in the NY6 Bowls (the race to be the G5 representative is also a super interesting one this season).

Cincinnati

Cincinnati went 11-2 last season under head coach Luke Fickell and finished the season ranked. Going into 2019, the Bearcats were the recipient of a bit of hype, but that dwindled after they were blown out at Ohio State. After their win over UCF on Friday night, I have to say that Cincinnati could be the best non Power Five team in the country.

Cincinnati’s offense has definitely seen improvements. Quarterback Desmond Ridder might not be perfect but his numbers have improved from 2018 in the passing game while still remaining effective as a dual threat. Michael Warren is still effective on the ground as well as he has 395 rushing yards so far this season. Defensively is still where the Bearcats shine. On average, their opponents complete just 51% of their passes. They also allow just 3.4 yards per rush. Safety Darrick Forest leads the team with 42 tackles. Defensive ends Michael Pitts and Bryan Wright are the best pass rushers as they each have three sacks and six and 5.5 tackles for loss respectively. This Cincinnati team is very complete and can beat teams in multiple different ways. The AAC will be an interesting conference to watch this season and Cincinnati could be bringing home that conference title.

Pac 12’s Parity

The Pac 12’s tradition of cannibalizing itself looks to go on another season as they are the only Power Five conference that does not have an undefeated team. Most teams have played just two conference games, but only two teams in the Pac 12 are even undefeated in conference play.

The big upset for the conference this week was Stanford’s 23-13 win over Washington. Stanford quarterback Davis Mills looked much improved from the start of the season as he completed 21/30 passes for 293 yards. Cameron Scarlett is looking to carry on Stanford’s tradition of having great running backs as he ran for 151 yards. Stanford’s pass defense also showed up big time. Washington quarterback Jacob Eason completed less than 50% of his passes Kyu Blu Kelly (awesome name) had an interception and Paulson Adebo deflected four passes. Just when I basically chalked up this season as a rough one for Stanford, they really came to play this game and have me confident in them again.

If I asked you to guess who was leading the Pac 12 South right now, who would you guess? If you guessed Arizona, you are right but also definitely a liar because they were not one of my first three guesses. After a loss to Hawaii in their season opener, Arizona has ripped off four straight wins after winning a back and forth game over Colorado last week. Khalil Tate is back in top form as he has at least 325 all purpose yards in three out of the four games he has played in. His passing numbers have greatly increased and he is using his athleticism to his advantage like he did in 2017 and is one of the most exciting players in the country. Their race with Utah, USC, and Arizona State in the Pac 12 South will be interesting.

Some Random Thoughts

1. The blackout that happened during Temple and East Carolina’s matchup was definitely an interesting thing to see. Also Temple is another AAC contender to watch for as the Owls are 4-1.

2. Michigan’s win over Iowa was a win but it was quite ugly. Their offense was more than a bit ugly, but they did win the turnover battle, committing just one turnover to Iowa’s three. They also wreaked havoc in the pass rush. Michigan had eight sacks and 13 tackles for loss, and allowed just one rushing yard. I really hope Michigan can find some answers on offense because it will be disappointing if they waste this defense.

3. Tulane took down Army and looks like a legitimately good team. Tulane’s spread option offense is a very tough scheme to prepare for and I think Willie Fritz has done a very good job with the Green Wave.

4. Texas Tech took down Oklahoma State 45-35 in what was a nice win for the Red Raiders that was filled with great individual performances. Jett Duffey threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns while adding another one on the ground. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks had an unbelievable performance with 19 tackles, three sacks, and four tackles for loss. Texas Tech was a team I predicted to surprise people this season and it looks like that prediction could still come true. Douglas Coleman also had a nice day, picking off two passes.

5. Speaking of that game, Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard already had 1,000 rushing yards this season, which is an extremely impressive accomplishment through six games.

6. Jonathan Taylor ran for his 10th straight 100-yard game. The Wisconsin running back should be the top contender for the Heisman at the moment, and I hope he gets the recognition he deserves.

7. Sean Clifford had a big day for Penn State, throwing for 264 yards and three touchdowns, adding another one on the ground in their 35-7 win over Purdue. The emergence of Noah Cain at running back has also been a big help for the Nittany Lions as their offense now has balanced out. Their defense also had a very impressive showing as they held Purdue to -19 rushing yards. Shaka Toney had three sacks while Yetur Gross-Matos added two. Penn State had 10 sacks as a team.

8. Joe Burrow had a nice day for LSU in their 42-6 win over Utah State. Borrow threw for 344 yards and five touchdowns while running for another.

9. TCU got blown out by Iowa State in a game where it seems like the underdog has won the last three matchups (Iowa State this season and 2017, and TCU in 2018). Max Duggan actually had a good game at quarterback, but TCU got bottled up on the ground.

10. Jarren Williams after throwing three first quarter interceptions in Miami’s loss to Virginia Tech. N’Kosi Perry did well after being put in. Perry looked much better than he did last season and he is now starting this week as Williams is banged up.

11. D’Shawn Jamison’s interception in Texas’s win over Virginia Tech is an early candidate for catch of the year.

12. Adding on to that game, Roschon Johnson has become a contributor for Texas in an unexpected way. Johnson was listed as Texas’s third string quarterback going into the season but has shifted to running back after injuries at the position. Johnson had a big game last week with 121 rushing yards.

13. Adding on even more, Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi’s receiving touchdown was another great thing to see, just like any big man touchdown is. This game in general was awesome to see Texas win as a nice revenge spot for the Longhorns.

14. Louisville already has won more games this season than they did in 2018 after beating Boston College 41-39 in a shootout.

15. Baylor is 5-0 after a win over their 31-12 win over Kansas State. Matt Rhule has done a great job as head coach in Waco.

16. Bo Nix had a freshman mistakes filled game in Auburn’s loss to Florida, but it is a guarantee that every true freshman has two or three games like this every season.

17. Artavis Pierce looks like the new guy at running back for Oregon State as he ran for 119 yards in their 48-31 win over UCLA. Also Isaiah Hodgins is one of the most underrated receivers in the country. If the Beavers could just be kind of bad instead of terrible on defense, they could be a bowl team.

18. Tennessee kept it interesting at first but collapsed in their loss to Georgia. True freshman Brian Maurer did have a nice debut at quarterback for the Volunteers.

19. I feel bad for Cal’s as they did quite well against Oregon, but their offense can not get anything done without Chase Garbers. The Golden Bears lost 17-7.

20. John Rhys Plumlee is a dude for Ole Miss. Plumlee completed 10/18 passes for 99 yards and ran for 165 yards in Ole Miss’s 31-6 win over Vanderbilt. Plumlee, a true freshman, will be someone to watch as Ole Miss is in the thick of SEC play.

21. Oregon running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio tackling a fan who rushed the field was definitely one of the weirdest things I have seen this season.

22. Pittsburgh blowing a 26-3 lead against Duke before coming back and winning 33-30 on a last minute touchdown seems extremely typical for Pittsburgh.

23. Boise State is now 5-0 and ranked 14th in the polls. The Broncos look like the current favorite to be the G5 representative in the NY6 Bowls.

24. Ball State beat NIU for the Bronze Stalk trophy for the first time since 2008.

25. Khalil Herbert’s decision to transfer from Kansas has stirred up some criticism, but I feel that it was a fully understandable decision. Herbert has established himself as a solid running back for the Jayhawks but has lost the lead back role to an even better player in Pooka Williams. I think Herbert could be a contributor on a good team and he likely wants to play for a team that is 8-32 over his tome with them.

26. Rutgers is now down to their third string quarterback after McLane Carter has decided to retire due to injuries and Artur Sitkowski has elected to redshirt the rest of the season. Sitkowski’s decision is understandable but it does not paint him as a very good teammate as he is essentially quitting on the season. This leaves Johnny Langan as the starter for the Scarlet Knights. Langan actually played for interim head coach Nunzio Campanile in high school as Campanile was his head coach before leaving to take the running backs coach position with Rutgers. Langan signed with Boston College but transferred after his freshman season in 2018 because the coaching staff at Boston College wanted him to switch to tight end.

27. Sand Diego State had three interceptions on three straight defensive plays in their 24-10 win over Colorado State. What is arguably even more impressive is that Luq Barcoo was the one who intercepted all three passes.

28. This week’s cool uniform award goes to Florida, (this throwback needs to be worn more often) Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State.

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