Well, that didn’t take long. The Playoff Committee’s ranking of 7-1 Texas A&M over 8-0 Washington didn’t sit well with everybody. Thanks to Mississippi State, it’s now a non-issue. The unranked Bulldogs’ upset of A&M will certainly knock them out of the top four. MSU led 28-7 when Aggies’ quarterback Trevor Knight left the game with a shoulder injury. Backup Jake Hubenak played well in relief, completing 11 of 17 pass attempts for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Things We Learned in College Week 10
Lamar Jackson wants the Heisman. Jackson was responsible for another seven touchdowns on Saturday, bringing his total to 45 (26 passing, 19 rushing) this season.
Only Jim Harbaugh would get upset after his team converted on second-and-34. The reason? The officials ruled that Michigan had been stopped at the one. Harbaugh was convinced they had scored. (Presumably he was cool with the 59-3 final score).
Ten years ago yesterday, Marshawn Lynch celebrated Cal’s upset of Washington by driving an injury cart around the field. In his honor, the Golden Bears gave out bobbleheads of Marshawn Lynch driving the injury cart. You can’t make this stuff up.
Huskies cruising
Washington’s current win streak of 12 games is (a distant) second only to Alabama’s 21 games. According to ESPN’s David Lombardi, Jake Browning is the only FBS quarterback with six TD passes in two separate games this season. I don’t see how they can’t move into the top four this week.
Baylor has now lost two straight, and they lost big to TCU. The Horned Frogs racked up 688 yards of total offense, 192 of them by running back Kyle Hicks. Hicks also scored five touchdowns in the 62-22 beatdown.
Arkansas gets their first conference victory over Florida. They last beat Florida in 1982- ten years before joining the SEC. Last night, Arkansas stopped the Gators on 10 of 11 third down attempts, and allowed 12 rushing yards. Not a typo, 12. The Razorbacks had the ball for roughly two-thirds of the game and had 466 yards of total offense. Possibly the most telling stat, however, is Arkansas’ nine penalties for 97 yards. How often do you see a team with that kind of penalty yardage win the game?
Can a 10-0 loss be a win?
More importantly, can a 10-0 loss be a point of favor with regards to Ed Orgeron losing the “interim” from his job title? I really liked how LSU’s defense played last night. Then again, it hasn’t been the defense that’s a cause for concern. The “0” in the score column tells you all you need to know about the offense. Right now, I’m in favor of giving Orgeron the job. However, LSU has a brutal stretch of games to finish the season: at Arkansas next week, the hurricane make-up game at home against Florida, and then a trip to A&M for a game Thanksgiving night. Let’s be honest- the Tigers won’t win all of those games. I’m interested in how they play, and so far, I love how they’re playing for Orgeron.
Armstrong returns to sideline after injury. Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong suffered a scary injury when his helmet slammed against the field. The medical staff immobilized him and carted him off on a stretcher; after a short visit to the hospital he returned to the Nebraska sideline in street clothes. Head coach Mike Riley told ESPN it’s too early to say anything about his status for next week. Ohio State won the game, 62-3.
Three-Way Tie Atop Big Ten West
Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin are currently deadlocked for the top spot in the conference, with identical records of 7-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Wisconsin has the head-to-head over Nebraska, and both will face the Gophers this month.
Penn State quietly keeps winning. The Nittany Lions dominated Iowa 41-14 last night. I admit, I watched Penn State need overtime to beat Minnesota and figured they weren’t that good. I was shocked when they beat Ohio State. But looking at their record, the Minnesota game was an aberration. They’ve dominated teams they should dominate, and won close ones when necessary. The only bad loss they’ve suffered was to Michigan, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. How hard must they be kicking themselves over the early loss to Pitt?
Both starting QBs injured
Syracuse-Clemson turned out to be the odd game where both signal callers need to be replaced. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson left with a bruised shoulder; it sounds as though he’ll be able to face Pitt next week. (My hunch is that he would have returned to this game, had it been competitive). The Orange’s Eric Dungey left the game in the first quarter, with no further word from the staff on the nature of his injury. Side note from this game: I love the all-purple uniforms on Clemson.
That’s it for this week. Don’t forget to check back for the LWOCFB Top 25 later today!
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