Not many questions were answered this weekend regarding the standings. Currently, Ohio State sits at the top of the East division while the Wisconsin badgers are leading the West. The Big Ten will play itself out as we continue to progress later into the season. Let’s analyze each game and check out what happened. Here we go.

Rutgers 38 at Indiana 3

The season for the Indiana Hoosiers has continued to be a disappointing one as they now are 2-8. This game was all Rutgers and the Hoosiers stood no as the Scarlett Knights took over the game due to the dominance they showed in the running game. Rutgers rushed for 218-yards and five touchdowns behind the efforts of running back Isaih Pacheco who had two rushing touchdowns. Rutgers has set themselves up for a potential bowl game appearance as they sit at 5-5. The Scarlett Knights face Penn State next week while Indiana takes on Minnesota.

No. 9 Michigan 21 at No. 23 Penn State 17

This was one of the most entertaining games in week 11, ultimately Michigan was able to escape with a victory. Michigan Quarterback Cade McNamara made the game-winning throw to tight-end Erick All as Michigan took the lead late in the fourth quarter. The stats between these two teams were similar, Michigan outgained Penn State by a total of just 29-yards. Michigan was able to neutralize Penn State’s greatest weapon in wide receiver Jahan Dotson as they limited the big-play ability from the dangerous playmaker. Next week Penn State plays Rutgers while Michigan plays Indiana.

Northwestern 7 at No. 20 Wisconsin 35

The Wisconsin Badgers are playing their best football of the year at the right time. The Badgers had this game put away by halftime as they led 21-0, Northwestern stood no shot. Wisconsin won this game on both sides of the ball; on offense, they ran for 268-yards and three touchdowns while Quarterback Graham Mertz contributed with two thrown touchdowns. Wisconsin’s defense is one of the best in the nation and they proved that by only allowing Northwestern 240-total yards, they also forced the wildcats to commit four turnovers. Wisconsin is now in first place in the west, and they are continuing trending up currently, next week the Badgers play Nebraska in another winnable football game. Northwestern will have to limit the turnovers next week to have a shot against a Purdue team that scores at a high clip.  

Purdue 31 at No. 6 Ohio State 59

The Buckeye's offense showed just how great they can be on Saturday. The Buckeyes had 45 points at halftime, this is the third time they have scored 40-plus points through two quarters. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was sensational, he threw for five touchdowns and 361-total yards. It does help Stroud when he has multiple weapons. Wide receivers Garrett Wilson returned from an injury and put up 126-yards on 10 receptions along with four total touchdowns. The Buckeyes did allow Purdue to have success through the air, Boilermaker quarterback Aidan O’Connell had 390-yards passing along with four touchdowns. Purdue’s streak of taking down top 5 opponents halted this week, in week 11 they look to get back on track versus Northwestern. The Buckeyes will face Michigan State Saturday in a game that has massive implications on the conference. 

Minnesota 22 at No. 19 Iowa 27

The stats will tell you that Minnesota should’ve won this game. The Golden Gophers had more 11 more first downs and 132 more total yards. It was the passing game for Iowa that led them to victory, with quarterback Spencer Petras still sidelined with a shoulder injury, sophomore Alex Padilla stepped up and threw for two touchdowns and 206 yards. Iowa’s defense was timely and helped seal the victory for the Hawkeyes when they forced a game-winning fumble late. Minnesota gets another opportunity to compete on Saturday against Indiana but their chances of winning the West are unrealistic. Iowa looks to continue their win streak versus Illinois in week 12. 

Maryland 21 at No. 8 Michigan State 40

The Spartans had a nice bounce-back victory on Saturday against Maryland. This game was very offensive and both quarterbacks played well. Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne had himself a day with his four touchdowns and 287-yards. Michigan State outgained the terrapins 481-451 in total yards. The Spartan's weapons couldn't be contained as Kenneth Walker III put up 143-yards and two touchdowns as well. With the victory, the Spartans still stay alive in the East, but the focus turns to Ohio State as they face the Buckeyes on Saturday. Maryland looks to try and get that sixth victory for bowl eligibility but they face Michigan in week 12 which will be a tough game for the Terrapins. 

References:  https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

Writer

-By: Justin Howard

Expectations for Mack Brown weren’t very high when he was hired for his second stint at North Carolina following the 2018 season. He had been out of coaching since 2013 and had last won a conference title in 2009 with Colt McCoy at Texas, and lost at least four games in each of his final four years. From 1988-1997, UNC went 69-46-1 under Brown with three 10-win seasons and six bowl appearances, good but nothing spectacular. 

Does this second stint have a chance to be better than his first and challenge Clemson for the ACC crown?

Everyone who watched Clemson demolish Miami 42-17 on Saturday came away with the same conclusion: Miami is nowhere near ready to challenge Clemson. The No. 7 ranking for the Hurricanes was generous, given the Hurricanes soft early schedule and lack of other conferences playing allowing the Hurricanes to shoot up the poll into the top-ten with their best win coming against a 1-3 Louisville team.

Now we look at the most recent AP poll and there is North Carolina sitting at No. 5 after a shootout win 56-45 against then-No.19 Virginia Tech. This is the first time UNC has been ranked this high since 1997 in Brown’s first stint. The Tar Heels rolled up over 656 yards of offense, produced explosive play after explosive play, and led by two touchdowns most of the way through. UNC stays undefeated and, barring an upset as the Tar Heels will be favored in every game until then, will face Notre Dame in a huge showdown on November 27. Presuming favorites win out, that will be for who plays Clemson in the ACC title game.

Is UNC up to the task of challenging Clemson? It’s a complicated answer.

In the short term? I don’t think so. I think there’s a gap between Clemson and the rest of the country right now, and yes that includes the SEC (Did you watch Alabama’s defense against Ole Miss on Saturday?). The only team to beat the Trevor Lawrence-led Tigers since Lawrence became the starter in 2018 was the 15-0 Joe Burrow-LSU Tigers in the national championship last year, a team that is talked about as one of the best to ever play.

Who was the next closest team to knocking off the Tigers? That would be North Carolina. A failed 2-pt conversion in that 21-20 nailbiter of a game in Chapel Hill was all that stood between a win for Mack Brown against the No. 1 Tigers, a loss that likely would’ve kept Clemson out of the CFP. While that result can’t be used to compare exactly where the two programs are this year, it’s a data point to look at. 

To beat this Clemson team, as LSU showed, it takes matching an absurd amount of talent across the board. Matching Trevor Lawrence with 2020 No. 1 pick Joe Burrow and 13 other draftees across the board, not even counting those expected to be drafted in the next two years (Ja’Marr Chase and Derek Stingley Jr.). That’s just how good Clemson has been.

Can we draw some similarities between LSU and current UNC? It might be a stretch, but we can try.

It starts with the QB. Sam Howell is in year two under center and is taking that second-year jump you expect from star quarterbacks. He’s completing 68 percent of his throws and is averaging over nine yards an attempt. He shredded Virginia Tech with three touchdowns and five incompletions on Saturday. As one of the top recruits in the country and the most important one to commit to the Tar Heels under Mack Brown, he’s lived up to the hype.

Michael Carter and Javonte Williams are two dynamic backfield options for Howell to hand the ball off to. The two have split carries and both average over six ypc (Carter is currently at an absurd 10.3 ypc). Out wide, Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome are two excellent options for Sam Howell to pick apart the opposing defense. The offense is explosive on all levels.

The defense is going to be something we keep our eyes on the rest of the season. After two solid performances vs Syracuse and Boston College, the Tar Heel defense was gashed by Virginia Tech to the tune of 495 yards, 260 of that on the ground. 

Realistically, North Carolina is probably not good enough yet to challenge Clemson. While that game last year was close, it was on-brand with Trevor Lawrence’s struggles to start the 2019 season. As of right now, Lawrence is playing as well as we have ever seen.

Clemson has consistently ranked above UNC in the 247Sports recruiting rankings, and would take a few more cycles at the current pace (UNC is ranked 13th in the 2020 rankings, Clemson 3rd) to even start talking about the talent levels evening out.

The November 27 game against Notre Dame will answer more questions about UNC than any game against Clemson would. I’m excited to watch Sam Howell and these weapons versus that loaded ND defense. For our sake, let’s hope both those teams stay in the top ten.

Writer

-By TJ Mathewson

Looking at the CFP Top 10: Just How Many Contenders Are There?

I wrote an article earlier in the year saying that the top tier of college football is as big as it has ever been, with so many teams all holding excellent arguments for consideration as a playoff team. Since that article, that field has been trimmed from a probably-too-optimistic Eleven to...ten? I wasn’t anticipating the rise of Minnesota since then (I don’t think anybody was), and both Georgia and Alabama have returned strong since their single loss. But just how many teams actually have a chance at making the playoff? 

The top four are each in if they win out. If LSU beats Georgia, the Bulldogs are almost certainly out, but the fact remains that all four of the top teams control their own futures. Alabama, on the other hand, is in the uncomfortable situation of likely being one of at least the top-6 teams in the country, but with an injured Tua Tagavailoa and no immediate path to the conference championship, they might not have a path in. Alabama would almost certainly be on the outside looking in if either Ohio State or LSU lose in their conference championships, as that would probably leave: 

An undefeated Clemson team that is finally clicking

A one-loss Georgia with a victory over LSU

A one-loss Big Ten Champion (probably Minnesota) with a victory over Ohio State

A one-loss LSU team with only a loss to now second-ranked Georgia

And a one-loss Ohio State that has consistently looked like the best team in college football and has only lost to the conference champion. 

One of these five would have to be left out, but there’s no way that Alabama would make it two. Their best hope is that everyone takes care of business in the top-3 and that the Pac-12 isn’t able to convince the committee that the conference champion, either Oregon or Utah, deserves to get in over Alabama.

Now that I think about it, who gets knocked out in the above scenario? Obviously, we don’t know if either LSU or Ohio State gets blown out, but it would be difficult to put either team either above the team that beat them or out of the playoff. Personally, I’d probably leave out LSU due to the fact that Ohio State has looked more complete and at this time would potentially have two or three top-10 victories to match LSU’s, but as an Ohio native, I’m also just a biiiiiit biased. Let’s just say I’m glad I don’t have to decide. 

LSU

CFP Ranking: 1

Last Week’s Ranking: 1

Week 10 Result: 58-37 win vs. Ole Miss

The top-ranked team for two straight weeks, LSU acquired the top spot from beating Alabama, who currently sits at #5. QB Joe Burrow has been phenomenal, and many people are saying that something drastic would have to happen for the season to end with anyone else taking home the Heisman trophy. The worst of the Tigers’ schedule is over, with the only team likely to be ranked left on their schedule is whoever ends up in the SEC championship. Ed Orgeron’s squad now only needs to avoid complacency for the next two weeks and they might have it wrapped up before kickoff at the conference championship. 

Ohio State

CFP Ranking: 2

Last Week’s Ranking: 2

Week 10 Result: 56-21 win vs. Ohio State

The Buckeyes are finally into the three most important weeks of their schedule, starting with a game against #8 Penn State and likely ending against #10 Minnesota. In between those two games is the biggest game for any Ohio State season, the regular-season ending matchup against #13 Michigan, who has rattled three straight wins against #16 Notre Dame, Maryland and Michigan State after struggling to begin the season. Admittedly both Penn State and Minnesota are a little bit less exciting after both teams have lost, but it’s still three straight top-15 games. If anybody was worried that Justin Fields and Co. were going to go the whole season without being tested, they should put those concerns to rest. Also of note: after an appeal of his suspension, Chase Young is going to be back against Penn State. His presence is going to be crucial as he looks to add to his 13.5 sacks on the season. 

Clemson

CFP Ranking: 3

Last Week’s Ranking: 3

Week 10 Result: 52-3 win vs. Wake Forest

Clemson dispatched the last ACC team on its regular-season schedule easily, sending a 7-3 Wake Forest team home 52-3. The defending national champs now have a bye against poor South Carolina, and then likely either Virginia Tech, Pitt or Virginia in the Conference national championship. Trevor Lawrence has rebounded nicely since a weak opening to the season, and now sports a better passer rating than he had in his freshman year. But the best player on the offense is Travis Etienne: the junior running back has over 1500 yards from scrimmage and sports a mind-blowing 8.9 yards per touch. That’s almost a full yard better than the next-best back. Does anybody want to tell me why he isn’t getting any Heisman attention? 

Georgia

CFP Ranking: 4

Last Week’s Ranking: 4

Week 10 Result: 21-14 win vs. #15 Auburn

Georgia’s lone blemish remains their uncharacteristic upset against South Carolina, making them a dangerous candidate in the SEC and playoff picture. With no ranked teams left on the schedule until the conference championship, the Bulldogs could enter the SEC championship against LSU as a one-loss team with one of the best defenses in the nation and a decent argument even with two losses. Don’t look, SEC haters: If they beat LSU with only one loss, I virtually guarantee two SEC teams going to the playoff. There’s just no team in the one-loss category that has a resume that matches up to LSU’s, and the SEC champion isn’t getting left out with one loss. One interesting note: If you had told me at the beginning of the season that two teams in the SEC had a legitimate chance at the playoff and Alabama wasn’t one of them, I would have told you were crazy. But here we are. 

Alabama

CFP Ranking: 5

Last Week’s Ranking: 5

Week 10 Result: 38-7 win vs. Mississippi State. 

That rumble you hear in the distance is the angry Crimson Tide fans at me not including Alabama in the SEC teams that can make the playoff. To be fair, I do actually think it’s possible. But their playoff chances went down dramatically when Tua Tagavailoa went down with a season-ending injury, and now the game against #15 Auburn looks much more intimidating than it did a month ago. Can the backup quarterback, Mac Jones, save their season? It remains to be seen. But if Georgia wins the SEC it becomes virtually impossible without either Ohio State or Clemson losing, as well. Even then, I have a hard time seeing Alabama getting in over Ohio State if both teams are one-loss non-champions. Hold your breath, Alabama. Things could get rough from here. 

Oregon

CFP Ranking: 6

Last Week’s Ranking: 6

Week 10 Result: 34-6 win vs. Arizona

Oregon’s biggest weakness remains their schedule: their highest-ranked opponent remains Auburn, who beat them in the first week of the season. Their only other ranked game was against #23 USC, which they won comfortably. Oregon’s best hope currently remains in the other team playing for the Pac-12 championship: #7 Utah. A win in the last week of the season against a top-10 team would do wonders for Oregon’s credibility, and might be enough to slip them into the playoff. Again, though, it likely depends on Georgia’s getting beat by LSU in the SEC championship. There’s hope for Oregon, though. 

Utah

CFP Ranking: 7

Last Week’s Ranking: 7

Week 10 Result: 49-3 win vs. UCLA

Utah has an even weaker resume than Oregon. There’s not a ranked win on their schedule currently, and the only team currently in the top-25 on their schedule is USC, who beat them 30-23. Would a victory against Oregon and a conference championship be enough to put the Utes into the playoff? It remains to be seen. The one thing Utah can and should continue to point to: In points allowed per game, yards allowed per game and yards allowed per play, Utah’s defense remains in the top-5. That’s better than Penn State, Alabama, Oregon, and LSU. Their offense is weak, but that defense from out Northwest is elite.

Penn State

CFP Ranking: 8

Last Week’s Ranking: 9

Week 10 Result: 34-27 win vs. Indiana

Penn State can revitalize their playoff run by a victory against Ohio State this week. The Nittany Lions have two top-25 wins currently, and it is very possible Indiana ends up ranked by the end of the season. Add a win against the current second-ranked team in the nation and avenge its one loss against Minnesota in the Big Ten championship? Penn State would almost definitely be in. On the other hand, beating Ohio State is looking like a more and more difficult task every week that goes by. This game will be monumental in figuring out exactly how good Penn State is, and how good Ohio State is, for that matter.

Oklahoma

CFP Ranking: 9

Last Week’s Ranking: 10

Week 10 Result: 34-31 win vs. #13 Baylor

Put simply, Oklahoma is in real trouble. The Sooners simply have too many impressive teams ahead of them, and are likely a victim of their own success with the overall “meh” response to their still-best-in-the-nation offense. As Heather Dinich points out in her article on ESPN, the Sooners don’t have another truly impressive win on their schedule, so the fact that a win against a top-15 team in Baylor failed to move them ahead of even Penn State, Utah or Oregon is a sad indictment of what the committee thinks of them. Sorry, Oklahoma fans. This might be where the non-contender section begins. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. 

Minnesota

CFP Ranking: 10

Last Week’s Ranking: 8

Week 10 Result: 19-23 loss vs. #17 Iowa

Minnesota, on the other hand, still might have a chance if they win out and beat Ohio State in the playoff, as outlined in the same article above by Dinich. The Golden Gophers likely suffered from a serious let down after the emotional win against Penn State, and P.J. Fleck’s group now has made every game an elimination game going forward. On the other hand, it’s highly possible that they wouldn’t have gotten in if their only loss was to Ohio State, anyways, so the conference championship might have always been their only path to the playoff. Is it fair? Probably not. But it’s just the way it is. Fortunately for Minnesota, they have a real opportunity at some good, old-fashioned resume padding when they play against #12 Wisconsin next week. That is, of course, assuming they beat the Badgers.

All game results, statistics and ranking information according to sports-reference.com unless otherwise noted.

-By: Alexander Spieldenner

Writer/ Interviewer