This week saw quite a few teams establish themselves as either contenders or pretenders in their conference. In this article, I will look at how these conference contenders did last week and review the title race in each Power Five conference.

SEC

I think it looks like Alabama and LSU are still the clear best two teams in the SEC if not the country.

It was not pretty, but Alabama remained undefeated with a 35-13 win over Tennessee. The big news for the Crimson Tide was that Tua Tagovailoa left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. Mac Jones went in and did enough to keep Tennessee at an arm’s reach. Tennessee trimmed it to 21-13 but Alabama immediately answered with a 10 play drive that resulted in a touchdown. It looks as though Tagovailoa might not play against Arkansas next week, but should be ready to go for their big matchup with LSU in two weeks. Alabama had a solid defensive performance as they allowed less than five yards per pass and had seven tackles for loss. The top performers were linebacker Terrell Lewis who had two sacks and cornerback Trevon Diggs who returned a fumble 100 yards for a touchdown. Alabama looks like the best team in the country still, but it is not as though they are far and away the best. LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma are nipping at their heels and they can not slip up.

LSU took care of business against Mississippi State as they brought home a 36-13 win. Joe Burrow has another strong showing, completing 25/32 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns. Justin Jefferson again was his main target with 89 receiving yards. On defense, Kristian Fulton and Jacoby Stevens each had an interception while Grant Delpit led the team with 11 tackles. The Tigers are clearly a top tier team this season and an argument exists (I do not necessarily believe this, but it is far from a ridiculous claim) that they are the best team in the country. If LSU can improve a bit defensively, they could hold the title of best team in the country. That title will likely be decided when the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa in two weeks to play Alabama in a game reminiscent of their “Game of the Century” in 2011 (except both teams are entirely different in terms of identity).

In the SEC East, it looks line Georgia and Florida are on a collision course.

Georgia grinded out a sloppy win against Kentucky where it was raining through the whole game. D’Andre Swift came up big with 179 rushing yards and they allowed just 17 passing yards the whole game (they also finally beat a backup quarterback). It was a bit ugly, but Georgia had a decisive 21-0 victory and have lived to see another day. The same goes for Florida as they beat South Carolina 38-27. The Gators were run on a bit, but they allowed less than five yards per pass. Kyle Trask kept up his solid play as he threw for four touchdowns. Florida and Georgia are the clear top two in the SEC East and their matchup in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Patty will almost for sure decide the SEC East. Whether or not Florida or Georgia can hang with LSU or Alabama in an SEC Championship is a bit up in the air. Florida hung with LSU for a bit, and I think they could keep it close in an SEC Championship, but I still would like to see them step it up a bit.

Big 10

The Big 10 joins the SEC as another conference with one division that is demonstrably better than the other. The Big 10 East has consistently been the better division and that looks to hold true yet again as they have two of the top six teams in the country in Ohio State and Penn State.

It really became a two team race in the Big 10 East when Penn State took down Michigan last week. While they did allow Michigan back into the game, the Nittany Lions came out on top 28-21 in a game where Michigan had the ball on the goal line and were a dropped pass away from tying it up with two minutes left. While it was not an all out shutdown, Michigan had to fight and claw for every yard that they gained. Sean Clifford threw three touchdowns and relied quite a bit on KJ Hamler who caught six of Penn State’s 14 complete passes and was on the receiving end of 108 of their 182 total passing yards. Penn State is turning into more and more of a well-rounded team and I think they are only going to get better as the season goes on. I still am very impressed with Penn State’s defensive front, but they still do well defending the pass. While they did struggle a bit against Michigan, the Nittany Lions seem to have found a run game. It was a bit questionable as to why Noah Cain did not get more than five carries against Michigan. Cain seems to have separated himself as Penn State’s lead back and I think the idea of splitting carries is not a good one. Still, Penn State is very versatile and should not be counted out as a playoff contender.

Ohio State completely laid waste to Northwestern in their Friday night matchup in Evanston. The Buckeyes were dominant in all facets of the game and never saw their win probability dip below 94%. Ohio State had four drives where they scored in three or fewer plays. Justin Fields was solid as per usual and JK Dobbins was a one man wrecking crew on the ground. This Buckeyes team is chock full of talent and elite athletes. I think they will face a test against Wisconsin this week, but they look to be a top tier team and should get a win.

Ohio State and Penn State play in Columbus in a month. Ohio State looks better right now, but Penn State has made some strides. The winner of that game will nearly certainly rake home the division and conference crown.

While Ohio State and Penn State look line the two best teams in the conference, the Big 10 West is no slouch either. Minnesota is now 7-0 after beating down on Rutgers. The Golden Gophers might not have had a very tough strength of schedule but they are one of 10 remaining undefeated teams. Minnesota has a very balanced offense led by running back Rodney Smith and the strong receiver duo of Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman. Quarterback Tanner Morgan also has completed 66% of his passes for 1,623 yards on 10.7 yards per attempt. Minnesota has a lot of weapons at their disposal on offense and have used all of them to beat teams. On defense, Minnesota is led by cornerback Antoine Winfield Jr. who has four interceptions already, and a strong group of linebackers. The Golden Gophers face off against Maryland on Saturday and then have a bye week before Penn State comes down to Minneapolis. If they beat Penn State, (and of course Maryland first) Minnesota will throw themselves into the conversation of a playoff contenders. This is a very talented team that will be one to watch toward the end of the season.

Wisconsin looked like they would be the clear favorite in the Big 10 West last week but then they lost to Illinois, a consistent cellar dweller in the Big 10. The Badgers went ahead 23-14 with slightly less than 10 minutes to play and stopped Illinois inside their own territory with eight minutes left but then fumbled on their ensuing drive and allowed Illinois to score on their next two drives. Jonathan Taylor did run for 132 yards but his fumble issues came back when he had a crucial fumble on a drive that if Wisconsin scored, could have forced Illinois to score two touchdowns to win. Jack Coan was not perfect at quarterback and he did not take very many downfield shots, but Wisconsin has typically managed to still find success despite that. The Badgers did let Illinois drive on them at the end of the game, which is a bit concerning. It looks as though Wisconsin was looking ahead to their matchup with Ohio State next week and Illinois just came to play. If Wisconsin can beat Ohio State on Saturday, I think they will be back in the mix but they almost for sure need to win out to make the Big 10 Championship and definitely need to win out to be considered at all for the playoff.

ACC

The story of the ACC from last season still rings true. Clemson might not be as dominant as they were last season, they still look to be head and shoulders above the rest of the conference. The Tigers are now 7-0 after their 45-10 win over Louisville. What is a bit worrisome is that Trevor Lawrence has not been quite as good as advertised. Lawrence was widely considered to be the best quarterback in the country before the season, but he has fallen short of that. While he is on pace to top his passing yards from last season, his completion percentage has dipped from 65% to 63% and his yards per attempt has slightly dropped. He also has already thrown eight interceptions and he only threw four last season. I think a likely cause is just that he is more confident in his arm and is more willing to take risks, but I worry it could cost Clemson a game come playoff time if he continues this habit. One good thing for Clemson is that Travis Etienne is still a beast in the run game. Etienne ran for 192 yards against Louisville and has topped 125 yards the last two games. Clemson should be on cruise control for most of this season, but they still have a couple of potential slip ups with Wake Forest and a rivalry game against South Carolina still left to play.

In the Coastal division, it still looks a bit up in the air, but I think Virginia and Pittsburgh are beginning to separate themselves as the top two teams. Virginia is 3-1 in ACC play, while Pittsburgh is 2-1. Duke, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina are a bit behind at 2-2, but not totally out of reach.

One big shift this week was Miami effectively eliminating themselves as they lost to Georgia Tech 28-21 in overtime (this means by the transitive property that The Citadel is better than Miami). Miami allowed 141 rushing yards from Georgia Tech’s Jordan Mason and a 41 yard passing touchdown on a fake punt. Miami’s strong front seven failed to show up against an offensive line they should have absolutely dominated. On offense, the Hurricanes as N’Kosi Perry is not doing much and Jarren Williams still looks a bit banged up but is cleared for Saturday.

Virginia beat Duke 48-14 last week in a game where they forced five turnovers (all of which resulted in Virginia getting the ball in Duke territory) and ran a kickoff back for a touchdown. The Cavaliers also found a pulse in the run game, which was quite beneficial. What is very concerning for Virginia is that cornerback Bryce Hall is out for the season with an ankle injury. This news broke before the Duke game, but it will be tough to overcome as Hall was a preseason All-American and led the country in pass deflections last season. The defense will take a huge hit and will need to step up. Virginia holds the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh they are in good position to win the division, but they still have quite a few obstacles in their way as they have to play at North Carolina and have the Commonwealth Cup against Virginia Tech to round out the season. I think the Cavaliers are the best team in the Coastal division, but the division title is far from being in the bag.

Pittsburgh had a bye last week and currently sits at second in the Coastal division. They still have some tougher matchups ahead, but I trust Pittsburgh of all teams to pull off something wacky. Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Duke are also still there and ready to capitalize on a mistake from Pittsburgh or Virginia.

Big 12

The Big 12 is currently in a bit of a three team race, but it looks as though two teams have clearly separated themselves at least for the time being.

Oklahoma took down West Virginia 52-14 to move to 7-0 on the season. Jalen Hurts had another monster game as he threw for 316 yards while completing 16/17 attempts and had five total touchdowns. Oklahoma also had nine tackles for loss defensively and allowed less than two yards per rushing attempt. Oklahoma still has to go to Baylor and make the trip to Stillwater for the Bedlam game on rivalry weekend, but I think they are very clearly set up for the Big 12 Championship.

Baylor moved up to 7-0 last week with a 45-27 win over Oklahoma State. The Bears were led by 146 rushing yards from JaMycal Hasty and 312 passing yards from Charlie Brewer on 17 attempts. Baylor is in good position to make a run at the Big 12 Championship as they play both Oklahoma and Texas at home. The Bears have clearly established themselves as a contender and it will be interesting how they do the rest of the season.

Texas had a bit of a tough time last week as they needed a field goal as time expired to beat Kansas 50-48. The Longhorns were beaten down by Kansas’s offense as Kansas quarterback Carter Stanley threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns and Pooka Williams Jr. ran for 190 yards. Texas’s defensive issues are becoming more and more concerning. The Longhorns have some glaring issues at cornerback and also have struggled to get a consistent pass rush. Part of it is due to injuries at key spots and a lot of attrition from last season, but it is still worrisome to allow 48 points to Kansas. Sam Ehlinger had a strong showing, throwing for 399 yards and running for another 91. Texas has the talent to beat anybody in the Big 12, but they can not afford another slip up. The Longhorns have to play at Baylor in a month and that game will likely decide who the second participant in the Big 12 Championship will be.

Pac 12

Of all the Power Five conferences, the Pac 12 has the most definite leaders in each division.

The Pac 12 South is a bit interesting as both Utah and USC are 3-1 in Pac 12 play. USC blew out Arizona 41-14. While the Trojans are technically in the lead for the division, they have to play Oregon and Arizona State and also are a bit beat up with injuries at the moment.

Utah is set up pretty well after they beat Arizona State 21-3 on Saturday. The Utes allowed just 25 passing yards and 136 total yards on just 2.6 yards per play. Their defense was all-engulfing and ever allowed easy yards. Tyler Huntley had a solid showing at quarterback before going down with an injury. The good news is he expects to play against Cal this week. Another big moment in the game was Zack Moss broke Utah’s all-time rushing record. The Utes are not technically in the lead for their division, but I think if they win out, the Pac 12 South title will be theirs. Their game at Washington a week from Saturday will be a big game and it will be huge for the Utes to win.

Oregon has borderline clinched the Pac 12 North after an exciting win over Washington in a game I was lucky enough to attend. The Ducks trailed by 14 in the second half before pulling ahead and winning 35-31. Justin Herbert had a strong game and came out victorious in a duel of quarterbacks with Washington’s Jacob Eason. Oregon’s offensive line had a dominant performance as Herbert always had time to throw and the ground game had an easy jumping off point. Linebacker Troy Dye deserves a shoutout as well for playing the game with a broken thumb and having a solid showing. Oregon now leads the Pac 12 North and should not have to sweat it too much. Also for those at home who are curious, Oregon State is second in the Pac 12 North right now. Yes the same Oregon State who went 2-10 last season.

Some Random Thoughts

1. UCLA beat Stanford last Thursday and seriously what is the Pac 12? This conference is so unpredictable and it is so fun to watch when you do not have a dog in the race.

2. Iowa State is 5-2 after a nice win over Texas Tech on Saturday. The Cyclones dominated Texas Tech on the ground as Breece Hall ran for 183 yards. If Iowa State can find a reliable rushing attack, they will be scary (I am petrified of Texas’s trip to Ames in November).

3. Boston College had a nice win over North Carolina State in Saturday. The Eagles are currently on their third string quarterback but AJ Dillon provided more than enough support as he ran for 223 yards.

4. Kansas State is quietly 4-2 after their win over TCU. The Wildcats look to be ahead of schedule on their rebuild and I am excited to see what Chris Klieman can do.

5. Even though they lost, TCU quarterback Max Duggan’s 46 yard touchdown run is an early contender for best run of the season.

6. SMU is still undefeated after a win over Temple. Shane Buechele threw for 457 yards and 253 of those were to Reggie Roberson Jr. who added three touchdowns.

7. Virginia Tech beat North Carolina 43-41 in a staggering six overtimes. This was the first use of the new rule where teams just attempt a single two point conversion for their overtime possessions after the fifth overtime. Virginia Tech’s Quincy Patterson did quite well in relief at quarterback and I think the Hokies have a bit of a quarterback controversy with Patterson, Hendon Hooker, and Ryan Willis.

8. There were also some nice defensive performances in this game as North Carolina’s Chazz Surratt had an impressive 18 tackles and Virginia Tech’s Rayshard Ashby had 17 of his own.

9. Just when I thought they were fully dead in the water, Vanderbilt pulled a very nice upset win over Missouri. I thought Missouri could quietly contend in the SEC East but that no longer looks like the case.

10. Washington State finally righted the ship and ended their three game skid in emphatic fashion with a 41-10 win over Colorado.

11. Washington State running back Max Borghi entered rarefied air as he ran for 105 yards in a pass heavy Washington State offense.

12. Memphis running Kenneth Gainwell had this week’s most impressive stat line as he ran for over 100 yards and had over 200 receiving yards in Memphis’s blow out win over Tulane.

13. Ole Miss needs to stick with John Rhys Plumlee at quarterback as I think he is showing some serious potential.

14. Oklahoma’s Sooner Schooner fell after it went into the field to celebrate a touchdown. I find this funny and will absolutely refuse to acknowledge the fact that I am just looking for a way to laugh at Oklahoma after they beat my Texas Longhorns.

15. A late attempted comeback was not enough for Boise State as they lost to BYU and are no longer undefeated. The injury to quarterback Hank Bachmeier has to be a leading cause for this.

16. College GameDay is to Brookings, South Dakota this week for a matchup of two of the top three FCS teams in South Dakota State and North Dakota State. I have to say that I think it is an awesome move and I love it when College GameDay goes to a smaller school.

17. Ohio’s onside kick strategy of kicking the ball off of someone’s head and recovering it off of the bounce is amazing in that they actually attempted it and even more amazing because it worked. I hope more teams try this.

18. Oklahoma State’s turnover problems are going to continue to plague this vastly talented team. The Cowboys need to figure out these issues soon.

19. Oregon State had a surprisingly strong defensive performance as they had nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss in their 24-17 win over Cal.

20. Jarrett Guarantano’s decision to not only call an audible at the goal line but not tell anybody about that audible was horrendously dumb. It is even dumber when you realize the side he ran to on his improvised quarterback sneak had a guard pulling so he just ran straight into a wall of Alabama’s defenders except this also gets worse because he fumbled the ball and it was returned for a touchdown. Tennessee could have trimmed Alabama’s lead to 28-20 and instead they were behind 35-13. I fully understand why Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt looked like he was going to have an aneurysm after that play.

21. This week’s cool uniform award goes to Texas, Texas Tech, Northwestern, and Rutgers (yes I actually really liked these).

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