Another weekend of college football is almost here- that means it’s time for Week Seven Midweek Musings. I promise this column will not be as SEC-focused after this week, since we can start adding more teams to the action.
Tennessee
It’s been a roller-coaster ride in Knoxville this season. Two conference wins, including a big one against Mizzou, were followed by two losses, including a thumping by Kentucky. And after three interception-free games, quarterback Jarrett Guarantano threw back-to-back pick-sixes and was replaced by J.T. Shrout… who handed off once and then threw another interception. The first five Vols’ possessions of the game ended thus:
- Punt
- Fumble
- Pick-six
- Pick-six
- Interception
Things don’t get any easier for the Vols, as Alabama rolls into town this weekend. After that, they face a resurgent Arkansas team (on the road, no less) followed by Texas A&M. Buckle up, Vol fans.
Alabama
Speaking of Alabama, the Tide is making a habit of letting teams hang around… for a half, anyway. Their biggest halftime lead this season was 28-3 over Missouri in the first game. A week later, they led the Aggies 35-14, in an eventual 52-24 win. It’s the last two games that might give ‘Bama fans cause for concern. Against Ole Miss, the teams were knotted at 21 at the break, and Georgia actually led 24-20 going into the second half.
Granted, Alabama has pulled away and won each of those games by margins of 15 and 17 points. In an ordinary season, I’d be wondering if anyone on their schedule (LSU? Auburn?) could capitalize on this penchant. I don’t see any opponents on the remaining slate of games who should frighten the Tide, but it’s 2020, so who knows?
Auburn-South Carolina
I have two takeaways from this game. One is that sophomore quarterback Bo Nix looks to have regressed this season. After throwing six interceptions last season, he’s thrown four already this year. His completion percentage is down as well, although he is on pace for far more passing attempts.
Especially in college football, where there’s so much turnover from season to season, it’s hard to blame the quarterback entirely. And if quarterbacks tend to make the most drastic progress between their freshman and sophomore years, the uncertain offseason and lack of normal training camps have probably hit sophomore QBs especially hard.
My other takeaway from this game is that I don’t know how SC fans can stand that rooster noise they play when the opponent has a third down. The first few times I heard it, I chuckled. By the third quarter, I was ready to hunt down the rooster and personally deliver him to Colonel Sanders.
For more takes on this game, our David Knight has you covered here.
Clemson
I feel like it’s time I mention the #1-ranked team in this column, but there’s only so much to say about a team that outscores opponents 242-60 through five games. While quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw his first interception in nearly a calendar year, it certainly didn’t hurt the team. Dabo Sweeney even put Will Spiers in at quarterback for a few snaps in the 73-7 romp over Georgia Tech.
Spiers is not the backup quarterback, by the way. He’s the punter.
Highlight of the Week
Last week we had a big man touchdown. This week we have a big man diving interception.
Schedule Changes:
Knock on wood, so far there aren’t any!
Looking Ahead
Among my Week Seven Midweek Musings is that we could see a significant shakeup in the rankings this week as the Big Ten starts to play. There are currently five non-Power Five schools in the AP Top 25, all of them undefeated: #9 Cincinnati, #12 BYU, #16 SMU, #22 Marshall, and #25 Coastal Carolina. There are also five Big Ten teams currently ranked despite not having played yet: #5 Ohio State, #8 Penn State, #15 Wisconsin, #18 Michigan, and #21 Minnesota. Some possible changes:
- Assuming Iowa beats Purdue, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them move into the Top 25 as well.
- Michigan and Minnesota play each other. If the game is lopsided, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the loser drop out.
- Cincinnati and SMU play each other as well, so one or the other will likely drop at least a few spots. Of course, depending on what teams around them in the rankings do, it’s possible both could drop.
- #4 Georgia is one of several SEC teams not playing this weekend. Big wins by #5 Ohio State over Nebraska or (more likely) #6 Oklahoma State over #17 Iowa State could push the Bulldogs down a spot or two.
And while we’re on the topic of the Big Ten, has it really been ten years since the Rufus-Brutus fracas?
Those are my Week Seven Midweek Musings. Congrats, Big Ten fans- you made it!
