No. 7 Michigan State (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) at No. 12 Michigan (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) (2:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN): Michigan has a chance to show it belongs in the Top 10, which would be another step in an incredible turnaround for the Wolverines.
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Who’s in the College Football Playoff puzzle and discussion? If they can, the Gators should be considered one of the top four teams in the country.
TCU is fortunate to be on this list of undefeated teams right now.
We kick of judgement week in Palo Alto, CA on Thursday night.
#17 UCLA at #18 Stanford (-7) – Both teams have caused significant physical and emotional anguish for me and both angrily tossed me off their bandwagons, even though I purchased a ticket.
The Stanford Cardinal also face the UCLA Bruins in an intriguing match up.
Here’s every undefeated FBS college football team as of October 11. The road to a ideal season gets much more rockier from here, though, as Texas A&M faces tougher conference foes in the next part of its schedule.
There are two other match ups featuring College football’s Treat 16 teams. Had A&M pegged for last in the SEC West at the start of the year but this unbeaten group of Aggies are the real deal.
Well, well, well… look who’s in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West – the SEC East of the Big Ten, for those of you who aren’t keen on your Big Ten divisions (read: everybody). Alabama knows what it needs to do to get to the playoff – win out and get another Ole Miss SEC loss – so a loss to at Texas A&M this Saturday all but ends any shot at a repeat trip into the post-season. This would be a playoff team if the season ended today, but I have my doubts that they can finish the season undefeated. Next game vs. Arizona State. Both teams happen to have the biggest games of their season this weekend.
The Spartans however come into Saturday with a less encouraging narrative. Can’t go away from a Utah team on a roll, coming off wins at Oregon and holding on against Cal last week. Michigan State’s running back duo of talented freshmen LJ Scott and Madre London has been punishing.
Now Michigan State has to travel to Ann Arbor to face a Michigan team that’s playing as well as any in the country, and though MSU has won six of the past seven in the in-state rivalry, the coaching advantage the Spartans enjoyed the past four years is gone. Take the State out of that if Michigan pulls off the win this weekend. 2. Michigan is improved, but their blinding confidence is arrogant.
My kiss of death seems to be getting the best of one team each week, and this time around it was the Sooners. George O’Leary announced this week he was resigning as the Knights’ interim athletic director, but he’s still the coach of an 0-6 program that suffered a home loss to FCS Furman and an embarrassing loss to UConn. Much like the LSU-Florida matchup, this seems like a contrast in MOs: Georgia can score with just about anybody, while Missouri’s defense is stingy.
RB Leonard Fournette, sophomore, LSU: Last week, 20 carries for 158 yards and one touchdown in 45-24 win against South Carolina. The lone victory for LSU came in 2007 at Tigers Stadium.
How I see it: Surprisingly, no changes this week, but don’t expect the status quo to last long.
No. 8 Florida (6-0) did not play.
Player in the spotlight: Florida QB Treon Harris. Nevertheless, the Gators will rely on Harris and a stout defense to take care of the Tigers in Baton Rouge.
Three upset alerts jump off this Saturday’s schedule, and they cover three conferences. The Gators have been one of the biggest surprises of the season and are a front-runner to win the SEC, but can they keep up their success without Grier? While national eyes may be on bigger games this week, keep this in the peripheral, it could be quite the shocker with a few wrong bounces for the Bears.
Upset watch: Ole Miss at Memphis. They are now a favorite to win their next game. Nonetheless, this game could be a good padding to their resume.
No. 8 Florida (6-2, 4-0 SEC) at No. 6 LSU (5-0, 3-0 SEC) (6 p.m. Saturday, ESPN): This game was supposed to be a typical knock-down fight between two teams with all-star talent on defense. The Pac-12 “after dark” has been known to create serious shakeups and a shakeup is definitely possible with this matchup.
Memphis (5-0) gets a chance to score the biggest victory of the season for a non-Power Five team against a Power Five team when the Tigers host No. 13 Mississippi (5-1). Next game vs. Iowa State.
Florida? Not relevent since Urban Meyer left town.
Florida State did as Florida State does and beat another middling opponent by a close margin, this time against Miami. Penn State’s defense will be the best the Buckeyes have faced.
Outlook: Temple’s biggest test will come when No. 14 Notre Dame comes to town on Halloween, and if it can find a way to outlast the Fighting Irish, the Owls have a legitimate shot at cracking the Top-25 and finishing out the season without a loss. Knocking off Ohio State could be the kind of wrench nobody saw coming.
Northwestern and Iowa is another Big Ten game to watch due to its Big Ten Championship implications.
Iowa might be the most intriguing among the undefeated teams. They were graced with a schedule so favorable that the Hawkeyes missed Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Florida. It’s still the team that beat the team that beat Alabama. Northwestern, still a ranked ball club, has plenty to play for though and is still in good position to compete for a spot in Indianapolis with a win.
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How I see it: The Buckeyes appear to have found something with their two-quarterback red-zone rodeo, but will the final bronco ride of Michigan State and Michigan lead to a bum steer?
