Football, interrupted

At least we’ll always have 7-0, Missouri. The Tigers have suffered some tough losses in their history, but Saturday's came in the cruelest fashion imaginable, as their championship dreams were dashed by a single gut-wrenching “THUNK” against the left upright. The 27-24 loss to South Carolina, combined with Texas Tech’s thrilling loss to Oklahoma, managed to keep the weekend respectably watchable, but it was close. There were a whole lot of awful games played Saturday, lowlighted by Duke and Virginia Tech’s eight-interception slog to infamy. Take a cue from The Simpsons: burn that game tape.

There was some early drama when Miami (FL) looked likely to fall, but the Hurricanes scraped out another close win just in time to get plastered by Florida State next week. Duke’s upset was more embarrassing than exciting. UCLA hung around at Oregon but was clearly outmatched. All of the other top contenders dismissed chances of an upset quite early, contributing to the overall dull day. Two late games – Stanford at Oregon State and Fresno State at San Diego State – were good, but in both the higher-ranked team eventually prevailed. The best contest of the week might have been Thursday, when Middle Tennessee topped Marshall 51-49 on a touchdown pass as time expired.

Just because there was little excitement doesn’t mean questions weren’t answered, though. Texas Tech faced its best opponent of the year and lost – but actually won over more people with a strong showing in Norman. Nebraska wilted on the road at Minnesota, demonstrating that the Big Ten really isn’t that good. We all know by now what happened to Mizzou, who was shown to be exactly what most people thought they were – good but not elite. And Virginia Tech… well, the Hokies proved once again that while defense wins championships, you need to field a semi-competent offense to win games.

A number of question marks surrounding lesser teams also saw some resolution. For example: the important issue of Boise State’s competence. How good were the Broncos? As BYU showed Friday night, not very. What about Northwestern, whose quality on which Ohio State and Wisconsin both heavily rely? The Wildcats lost their fourth straight after starting 4-0. Michigan State’s awesome defensive numbers faced a road test at Illinois – and somehow came away looking even better after allowing a mere 128 yards. Finally, how would Oregon State’s Sean Mannion look after lighting up every defense he’d seen to this point? Stanford made him decidedly more ordinary.

Next week: it doesn’t get much better from a matchup perspective. There’s a VERY interesting Thursday contest between Arizona State and Wazzu (more on that in a bit) and a decent USC – Oregon State game Friday. After that, we’ve got a neutered World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (or whatever the politically correct name for Florida – Georgia is these days), the Navy – Notre Dame “rivalry,” the Disappointment Bowl (Northwestern at Nebraska) and a couple of really horrendous Big 12 games. There is some potential with two ranked teams in Michigan – Michigan State, but the only great matchup is Oklahoma State – Texas Tech. Let’s be honest, no one expects Miami (FL) at Florida State to be close.

Top 25

It was slightly easier – though still difficult – to rank everyone after a couple new upsets knocked some teams out completely and devalued several schedules. The rotating battle for the top spot between Alabama, Oregon and Florida State continues, while Ohio State put forth its first truly impressive effort of the season to close the gap a little. After that, it gets trickier. Read on for the rest of the rankings.

1) Florida State

Virginia Tech’s loss hurt Alabama, but the Crimson Tide actually inched closer to the Seminoles this week thanks to Clemson’s shaky performance at Maryland. As impressive as FSU was against NCSU, the schedule does them no favors from here on out – and that includes Miami this week, who is vastly overrated. The ‘Noles have to keep winning and winning big to justify this ranking. I think they will Saturday night. Even if they win out, it probably won’t be enough if the Tide and Ducks do the same. Which would only give the BCS one more chance to hurt us on the way out the door.

2) Alabama

Alabama proved they too can annihilate Tennessee, so… take that, Oregon? In all seriousness, the Crimson Tide’s schedule has been something of a joke since the win at Texas A&M (and I’m including Ole Miss in that assessment). With a bye before facing LSU, they won’t get a chance to improve it until the second week of November. As the SEC’s last stand against a horde of challengers looking to end the conference’s title streak, this team must continue to play exceptional defense, something that has vanished from the league this season. LSU is no pushover.

3) Oregon

The Ducks got easily the best win of the weekend but failed to move up. This is a matter of consistency. Despite what the rankings and pundits have said about UCLA, I know what I’ve been watching the past few weeks. The Bruins are pretenders. I’ve said it since the Utah game. Oregon proved it Saturday, snuffing out an utterly inept UCLA offense and road-grading their talented defensive front into oblivion. Impressive it may have been, but a win against an elite team it was not. The Ducks will stay here pending the result of the Stanford game. Win that and we’ll revisit the matter.

4) Ohio State

No, Penn State’s no world-beater, but the Nittany Lions aren’t as terrible as OSU made them look. After Northwestern’s free-fall the Buckeyes badly needed an eye-popping final score to impress pollsters and they got one. This is important only if two of the three squads ahead of OSU lose, but the history of the BCS tells us that’s more likely than not. If more than two teams finish unbeaten the Buckeyes will be left out, as they should, but all they can do at this point is play the teams on their schedule. Considering the caliber of competition it would very surprising to see them lose.

5) Stanford

A road win over a decent team in Oregon State moves the Cardinal back into the top five. The Beavers aren’t brilliant but they’re miles better than anyone Baylor has played. Clemson’s struggles in victory also made this an easy choice. Next up is Oregon. Both teams get a long layoff before the Thursday matchup in Palo Alto, so Stanford will need to work on several things. Quarterback Kevin Hogan was again average in Corvallis. To beat the Ducks, he needs to return to his form in last year’s game, when he aggravated the UO defense with his running and passing. Eight completions won’t cut it.

6) Clemson

I’m starting to have some doubts about Clemson, who hasn’t played a great game in nearly a month and hasn’t looked good against a quality opponent since the opener with Georgia. That win still has power, but its resonance will fade as the season moves along. The Tigers took a long time to put Maryland away, which should be an FSU hangover but very well could be a sign of something more. It’s hard to tell when a team gets its confidence shattered like Clemson did last week. Fortunately, this squad doesn’t face the more difficult ACC schedule of the ‘Noles and should be able right the ship in the coming games.

7) LSU

I take absolutely no stock in the close halftime score with Furman. I’ve been watching LSU for a long time and the Tigers do this every year: in a mid-to-late-season game against a mid-major/FCS opponent, they mess around for two (or three) quarters and eventually drop 30 straight to win going away. This was just the 2013 version. After playing nine straight weeks to open the season this team deserves a break. They get an official one this week before traveling to Alabama. Can they win that game? Absolutely. Will they? Not if Zach Mettenberger plays the way he did in the last game that mattered (Ole Miss).

8) Oklahoma

OU bounced back from that bizarre thrashing at the hands of Texas and still has a prime chance at taking the Big 12. The Sooners technically don’t control their own destiny because UT is undefeated, but come on. Nobody expects the Longhorns to run the table. The conference somehow managed to schedule all the games matching contenders in the back third of the year, so November is going to see some fireworks. Next up for OU: undefeated Baylor on (next) Thursday night. Both teams have a lot at stake, but Oklahoma is the only one of the two that’s been battle-tested.

9) Missouri

This still feels high for the Tigers, but how can you punish them for being the better team for the first 50 minutes? It took an unthinkable meltdown for Mizzou to suffer its initial loss, complete with blown coverages and fluky errors. This team still controls its own destiny in the SEC East, though I’ll be honest, I don’t expect a win over A&M in the finale. That means every Tigers fan is secretly rooting for a South Carolina loss… which might not happen. With just two conference games to play, Florida is the only real obstacle for the Gamecocks. And how much of an obstacle is that?

10) Baylor

As I said several weeks ago, it would take a miracle to prevent Baylor from reaching 7-0. They did, though it was close against Kansas State. That’s the problem; the Wildcats are the only one of the Bears’ opponents even approaching “competent,” which doesn’t instill confidence. I do think Baylor is good, as they’ve been doing what good teams should do against bad competition: blow them out. But the parade of clowns this team has trotted out to get plastered every week pales in comparison to the better teams in the Big 12. Baylor doesn’t deserve to be ranked in the top five, or really even the top 10. If they can get by Oklahoma and OSU, that will change.

11) Auburn

A blowout of FAU doesn’t tell us much and nothing else that happened in the SEC was interesting enough to shake the standings. Auburn gets to rise a little based on nothing more than a team-by-team comparison, which is ultimately how a lot of subjective ranking gets resolved. There’s also the “improvement” angle – even ignoring the walkover of the Owls, the Tigers have looked markedly better than they did in the close win over WSU to start the year. Part of that is a series of defenses that don’t comprise a murderer’s row, true, but you have to give this team a little credit.

12) Texas Tech

I expected TTU to lose at some point, so perhaps it’s better to get it out of the way on the road. Shootouts with Baylor and Oklahoma State remain, so there’s plenty of time to regain the Big 12 lead and make a trip to the BCS. Coming back home will help, but Okie State is waiting so the Red Raiders better be ready. I don’t think there’s any reason they can’t win this mess of a conference. However, a lack of success historically – Tech has never won the Big 12 – naturally makes me hesitant to pick them to complete that run.

13) Miami (FL)

Let’s get right down to it. Does anyone else expect FSU to smoke this team? I was high on Miami early after the win over Florida, but the Gators’ semi-collapse and the Hurricanes’ general mediocrity have made short work of that. After back-to-back escapes against very average competition, I’d guess upwards of 90 percent of the country thinks seventh is a vastly inflated ranking for Miami. On the road against the Seminoles, it’s hard to see how they have a shot. The offense has struggled mightily the past couple weeks and the defense hasn’t seen anyone like Jameis Winston all year.

14) Oklahoma State

After a gangbusters start against Iowa State the Cowboys suddenly found themselves in a tight game midway through the third quarter. Not to worry, though; OSU rattled off 24 straight to blow the game open again and stay alive for a Big 12 title. Now, the fact that ISU managed to score 27 should probably be a red flag, but Okie State has never really been about defense. This week’s duel with Texas Tech in Lubbock ought to be quite entertaining, as neither squad can afford another conference loss. OSU is probably more talented, but I’m very nervous about their shaky QB situation.

15) South Carolina

Welcome back, Carolina. It only took two months, but you finally decided to show up for the 2013 season. That may seem like a strange way to look at this team, but it’s really the most accurate. The Gamecocks sleepwalked through losses to Georgia and Tennessee and even wins against North Carolina, UCF and Kentucky. Will this team finally start playing like it wants to win an SEC title? QB Connor Shaw’s fourth-quarter/OT relief effort at Mizzou was one of the gutsiest performances I’ve seen in a long time. If that doesn’t inspire this squad, nothing will.

16) UCF

It seems only fitting that the team who handed the Knights their only blemish (by three) should sit one spot above them. UCF leapt back into the national consciousness after that comeback victory at Louisville and made sure there was no doubt by manhandling hapless Connecticut Saturday. If this squad gets past Houston in the next AAC game, look out. It’s quite possible they could be playing in a BCS bowl. The Cougars are no pushover, but their strength is offense and UCF allows less than 20 points per game. With an extra week to get ready for the stretch run, the Knights are in great position.

17) Louisville

The fact that there are even two AAC teams ranked this season should be enough to make the conference giddy, but the shine was taken off the league’s BCS bid when Louisville went down. Like it or not, the Cardinals were the AAC’s shining star and sexiest pick. It’s less impressive when a first-year school that started FBS football in 1996 comes in and blows everyone’s doors off. Still, Louisville did its part Saturday, trouncing USF to crawl closer to UCF in the hope of a backdoor conference title. To be honest, an at-large bid is more likely, but who in their right mind would select a second AAC team?

18) Texas A&M

A&M predictably crushed Vandy, which continues the Aggies’ trend this season of destroying all the bad teams they play and struggling with the good ones. I’m still not sure if this team is much good – how long can they ride that close loss to Alabama, anyway? The best win was a squeaker over Ole Miss when the Rebels let A&M off the hook. With UTEP and lowly Mississippi State on the docket this team isn’t about to lose but that still says nothing about them. We won’t really know until the final two games with LSU and Missouri.

19) UCLA

You can say the Bruins “played Oregon close,” but at some point the spin becomes a little sad. The only team that had any business being on the same field as Oregon in Eugene was Oregon. Aside from some early success with inside runs UCLA could do nothing offensively. The defense played well and dropped a few cheap shots that should have been flagged, but once UO adjusted it got scorched, too. It was a poor effort by a team I’ve been saying for weeks isn’t close to great. For the Bruins to turn this around and contend for the Pac-12 title they’ll need a lot more than what they showed Saturday.

20) Wisconsin

The Badgers had a bye after clobbering Illinois and now get one of their two remaining road games at Iowa (the other is Minnesota). BYU no longer looks like a gimme, but I’m still fairly confident this team can make the push to finish 10-2. Joel Stave hasn’t made anyone forget Russell Wilson at QB, but he’s been a lot better than what Bucky trotted out last year. Melvin Gordon probably doesn’t get enough respect as one of the nation’s top five running backs and the defense is allowing a very respectable 17 points a game. How costly might that ASU officiating snafu be?

21) Michigan State

I know they haven’t played any good offenses, but… how can you not respect this D? The Spartans are giving up only 215 yards per game. That’s nearly 30 yards better than the second-best team! They’re so good they allow the terrible MSU offense time to plod down the field and score a couple times a game – which is usually enough to win. During Saturday’s stomping of Illinois, the announcers showed the stat that nearly half of all drives against the Spartans in 2013 end in a three-and-out. That’s amazing. I can’t wait to see them in action against Michigan’s Devin Gardner.

22) Fresno State

The mid-major duo remained static this week as several AQ-squads notched decent wins. Fresno survived by less than the skin of its teeth, blocking a game-winning field goal attempt as time expired and shutting down San Diego State in OT. It was a gut-check type of game several high-ranked potential BCS busters have lost over the years. Still, it doesn’t mean the Bulldogs are ready for prime time; rather, it showed they still have a ways to go to think about getting to and then actually competing in the BCS. As it stands now, Fresno looks more likely to get blown out a la Hawai’i and NIU.

23) Northern Illinois

Another week, another directional Michigan down… obviously, I’m not too impressed with the Huskies. That’s the problem you have when your best opponent is Iowa and you nearly lose to an FCS school. The Huskies remain a high-scoring, up-tempo lot, but the memory of the Orange Bowl stall out is still too relevant to afford this team any true respect. I’m all for the underdog, but you have to do something that 30 AQ-conference teams couldn’t if you want a modicum of credibility. Fresno got theirs with victories over Rutgers and Boise State. Unimpressive as those wins are, they’re better than any NIU can boast.

24) Michigan

Do I really have Michigan ranked? What’s going on here? The fact that the Wolverines got a bye before facing rival MSU can only help. Given that the game’s in East Lansing, though, I’d say it’s a wash. UM’s train wreck potential against the Spartans’ fearsome defense is off the charts this week, so you should tune it for that alone. With that said, it’s not as if Michigan doesn’t have a chance. It could turn out that MSU’s numbers were the result of a weak schedule. The Spartans’ ugly offense could make this close. You never know.

25) Notre Dame

Wins over Arizona State and Michigan State keep the Fighting Irish in the top 25 and in outside contention for a BCS bowl. Losses to Michigan and Oklahoma hurt the cause, although Michigan certainly isn’t terrible. I’d say ND’s biggest threat is itself; the team has looked quite good at times this season but just inept at others. They’re not overly impressive on either side of the ball but scrap out close games and beat bad teams. You could do a lot worse than Tommy Rees at QB and the young skill players have looked pretty good in recent weeks.

Pac-12 Report

Clearly, Travis Wilson’s finger is giving him trouble. But 19-3? Come on, Utah. At this rate the Utes won’t even qualify for a bowl. That is not what the conference needs from the team who gave Stanford its first loss. USC, on the other hand, keeps nobly battling through roster decimation and is alive in the South. The NCAA’s decision to deny the Trojans sanction relief is devastating and cruel based on that alone, but how about when you factor in the Miami ruling? More on that later.

So, Oregon’s really good, in case you didn’t know. As with the Washington game, the Ducks look like they were pushed, but in reality they were anything but. UO racked up another gigantic yardage advantage and could have easily beat UCLA by 40 if not for several sloppy mistakes. The Bruins’ two TD drives traveled a total of 66 yards and required 13 plays. They gained 94 yards in the second half and had 64 yards passing in the entire game. UCLA’s longest play traveled 14 yards. Quite frankly, this was an embarrassment to the conference. It was clear the high ranking was a lie when Stanford took this team to the woodshed, but an offensive performance that inept was stunning.

The thing was, Oregon didn’t do anything crazy. The Ducks kept guys back in coverage and allowed UCLA some decent interior runs in the first half. As soon as the Bruins tried to pass the game was over. It was like a repeat of the Fiesta Bowl against Kansas State, when the Wildcats’ offense got exposed – except worse. Defensively, UCLA did a little better, but even the halftime and third-quarter scores were deceptive. Oregon fumbled on the five and turned the ball over on downs in UCLA territory, errors the Bruins did not force. UCLA didn’t look like they belonged in the same stratosphere as the Ducks. Even though I wasn’t expecting much from the visitors, this was shameful.

Arizona put up a decent performance against Colorado befitting a mid-tier Pac-12 team. The Buffaloes gave a game effort for two-plus quarters, but ultimately succumbed to the Wildcats’ superior athletes. It was still a heartening job for CU, who last year saw ‘Zona run roughshod over them. Colorado’s slim chance at a bowl is now gone, but baby steps are acceptable. Meanwhile, Arizona has quietly crept to 2-2 in conference play and 5-2 overall. B.J. Denker is still not a good passer, but he showed enough improvement the last two games that he’s no longer an embarrassment. With a win over Cal this week the Wildcats will become bowl-eligible and the rest of the schedule doesn’t look quite as daunting as it once did.

I’d like to end with Stanford – OSU, so here’s a quick recap of the Cal – Washington game: Cal gave up a ton of points again. Cal did not score very many points again. UW picked the perfect team to end their skid against. Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, this is starting to look suspiciously like an 0-9 season in league play. That does help the conference overall because almost everyone gets one more win, but ouch. You thought it was bad at the end of the Tedford era? I haven’t seen Cal look this terrible since Tom Holmoe. They might be historically bad.

Enough with the depressing stuff. Stanford beat Oregon State 20-12 Saturday night and the Cardinal looked both far superior and eminently equal to the Beavers in this game. In short, it was exactly what I expected. How is this possible? Let me explain.

There is zero doubt – none – that Stanford is a better team than Oregon State. While the Beavers were piling up wins over Cal, WSU and Colorado, the Cardinal were cutting their teeth on Washington, Utah and UCLA. OSU’s winning streak had more to do with the quality of their competition than the Beavs “figuring everything out.” Stanford knew that Oregon State knew the Beavers had no chance of running the ball, so they mercilessly pressured Sean Mannion while keeping the entire coverage slanted to Brandin Cooks. Both players had subpar nights against the only good defense they’ve seen all year. Stanford also erased the cheap yards OSU loves to pick up on their myriad screen passes by simply letting their superior athletes fly up from anywhere in the back seven.

And yet there’s a reason OSU had the ball inside the 10 with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Despite Stanford’s excellence in several areas and their obvious physical advantages, the Cardinal could never quite shake the Beavers. Oregon State dominated time of possession (strange against Stanford) and had moderate success dinking and dunking down the field. The Beavers sold out to stop the run, banking on Kevin Hogan inability to beat them downfield (or anywhere). The strategy worked, as Hogan completed just eight of 18 passes. And so against the odds, OSU found themselves on the doorstep with less than a minute left… only to join the excruciating ranks of teams in the past few years who have said, “HOW did we lose to Stanford?”

The truth is probably that Stanford just isn’t that good. Great athletes, scary defense, but the offense is even worse than last season. Looking ahead, there is no way they should be able to beat Oregon, who is clearly the better team. But as I always say, the better team doesn’t always win, and this isn’t about being the better team anyway. Oregon was the better team last year. Stanford won the game. The Cardinal have been specifically designed to attack the Ducks. Their offense is designed to chew clock and keep UO off the field. Their defense is based on winning the one-on-one matchups Oregon likes to exploit. It’s not about which team is better overall. It’s about which team plays better for three hours on one day.

With both Oregon and Stanford off this week the Pac-12 will take a bit of a backseat nationally (especially after two top-25 showdowns in the state of Oregon last week). There’s still potential for a lot of good football out west if things break right. First up is the Thursday night matchup of Arizona State at WSU. This is a fascinating series. ASU is no doubt the better team, but beware the Sun Devils in Pullman. Maybe it’s the weather shock, maybe it’s the long trip, but ASU does not play well at Washington State. The scores from the last decade between these two are telling:

In Tempe

46-7 ASU (2012)

42-0 ASU (2010)

31-0 ASU (2008)

47-14 ASU (2006)

45-28 ASU (2004)

In Pullman

37-27 WSU (2011)

27-14 ASU (2009)

23-20 ASU (2007)

27-24 ASU (2005)

Wazzu only won one game, but keep in mind that those Cougars teams the past five seasons were among the worst the conference has ever seen, if not the worst, period. The Sun Devils have a lot of trouble on the road in this series. When I made my preseason predictions I marked this as a WSU upset. It’s a crucial contest for both teams as the Cougs need wins to reach bowl eligibility and ASU has to stay afloat in the South race. I’m not going to call for the upset flat-out this week, but at the very least ASU is on upset alert.

The Friday matchup is no less interesting as USC visits its personal house of horrors at Oregon State. The state of Oregon has not been kind to the Trojans of late; only a three-point win at Oregon in 2011 keeps them from being winless at the Ducks’ and Beavers’ stadiums since 2005. Twice in the last decade (2006 and 2008) USC had championship seasons derailed in Corvallis and the last visit in 2010 (and last meeting between the teams) was an absolute disgrace (Again! Why not?!) as the 20^th-ranked Trojans were blown out 36-7 by a Beavers squad that finished 5-7. OSU is currently favored by five and that probably isn’t enough. Despite getting somewhat exposed by Stanford, the Beavs should be able to handle whatever meager offensive threat SC can muster. The Trojans’ battered roster has fought well recently but this is too much to ask.

Arizona at Cal is a game that deserves little write-up. The Wildcats will abuse poor Cal’s defense with their read-option game en route to something like 400 yards rushing. The Golden Bears will toss the ball around a bunch and pick up a decent amount of yards but very few points. That’s how it’s gone for Cal in every conference game this year. I don’t see much changing this week, as ‘Zona can get to bowl eligibility with a win and Cal has very little to play for at this point. And at the nice new Memorial Stadium, too. Pity.

UCLA could have gone the way of Washington after suffering spankings of differing severity from the Pac-12’s top dogs, but fortunately for the Bruins they get to come home and face Colorado rather than anyone capable of beating them. The Buffaloes put up a nice fight against Arizona last week but are probably overmatched in this game. Unless UCLA is even more overrated than we thought, they’ll pound the ball down Colorado’s throat and Brett Hundley will look like a competent QB for the first time in weeks. The Buffs might be able to hang around for a half, but they just don’t have the firepower on offense or athleticism on D to match the Bruins.

Heisman Watch

Same deal. Same two guys. No one else need apply.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Random Thoughts and Observations

I thought the “punishment” handed down to Miami (FL) was fair, not because the Hurricanes weren’t clearly in the wrong, but because the NCAA took far too long to make its case and ultimately botched it on several levels. Miami should have been docked several scholarships and hit with a bowl ban – in 2010. But after three years and a pair of self-imposed bowl-bans from the school (one of which kept the ‘Canes out of the 2012 ACC title game), it was time to move on. There would have been no value in a death sentence, literal or otherwise, at this point.

Of course, USC is rightfully furious over the decision. The NCAA’s sanctions against the Trojans seemed reasonable at the time they were handed down, but that was before Ohio State got off with a single-year bowl ban and Oregon and Miami escaped with slaps on the wrist. How can you possibly justify a two-year bowl ban and ten scholarships a year now? There’s no way. Then, to add further insult to injury, the NCAA granted Penn State “relief” from its sanctions after a single year of good behavior. That decision was shaky in itself – one year of playing nice erases a decade of corruption? – but the coup de grace was how the NCAA immediately turned around and denied USC relief, despite the Trojans’ petitioning on behalf of player safety. The organization’s actions at this point can only be viewed as a vendetta against the USC program and confirmation that recent rule changes for “safety concerns” are a sham.

I’ve heard a lot of talk in the past month about Heisman candidates. Everyone has someone on their list who “isn’t getting enough credit.” For the most part, this pontificating is cheap ratings-grabbing. The reason most players aren’t higher on Heisman lists is because there are exactly two guys who deserve to be in the discussion at this point. Alabama’s A.J. McCarron and Oregon State’s Sean Mannion are perfect examples. It’s laughable when pundits say these players are being “disrespected.” They’re both getting EXACTLY the level of respect they deserve – as good but not elite players.

Mannion had his moment Saturday against Stanford. He didn’t perform. He wasn’t bad, but he couldn’t match his season averages. That’s because Stanford was the first top-75 defense OSU has played this season. It’s not surprising Mannion’s production dipped. McCarron’s situation is a little more nebulous because he hasn’t lost yet. But anyone who watches football knows the difference between a QB who carries his team and a QB that doesn’t. There’s zero pressure on McCarron to perform. He plays with a host of future draft picks, unlike Mannion. That doesn’t mean he isn’t good, because he is. So is Mannion, but neither is a transcendent player and attempts to pump them up to be so cheapen the discussion.

Logan Thomas was oh-so-close to moving back into a tie for first with his second Stanzi, but the Hokies’ triggerman couldn’t pull out the win despite his four interceptions. On a related note, this is why Stanzis are a big deal – it’s really hard to win when you turn the ball over all the time. Still, Thomas’ loss was our gain, as he and Duke QB Anthony Boone combined for a hilarious eight interceptions in the third straight Double Stanzi game this season. Winners and standings follow.

Anthony Boone, Duke

Opponent: Virginia Tech

Performance: Four INT, led clock-killing drive to end game

Devin Powell, Tulane

Opponent: Tulsa

Performance: Two INT, threw game-winning TD pass

2013 Stanzi Awards

Devin Gardner, Michigan: 2

Keith Wenning, Ball State: 2

Anthony Boone, Duke: 1

Stephen Morris, Miami (FL): 1

Taysom Hill, BYU: 1

Connor Wood, Colorado: 1

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech: 1

Braxton Miller, Ohio State: 1

Corey Robinson, Troy: 1

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M: 1

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State: 1

Jake Heaps, Kansas: 1

Gary Nova, Rutgers: 1

Trevone Boykin, TCU: 1

Brett Hundley, UCLA: 1

Devin Powell, Tulane: 1

Connor Halliday, WSU: 1

A.J. Doyle, Massachusetts: 1

Justin Worley, Tennessee: 1

Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion: 1

Terrel Hunt, Syracuse: 1

After nine weeks, the Devins lead the pack with a total of three Stanzis, with the Connors and Keiths tied at two and everyone else at one. I don’t know how I feel about that.

On a play-calling note, Oregon State coach Mike Riley was predictably lambasted by second-guessers who said his decision to go for it on five fourth downs (converting only once) was the reason the Beavers lost to Stanford. That’s ridiculous. Of OSU’s four failed conversion attempts, three could have instead been field goals (the last was the incompletion that ended the game). They were, in order, a fourth-and-three from the Stanford 18, a fourth-and-one from the Stanford 34 and a fourth-and-five from the Stanford 35. Oregon State would have needed all three of those to be successful field goals to win the game and two would have been from more than 50 yards. The chances of going three-for-three are not good.

Moreover, the Beavers should have been able to convert those short-yardage downs. OSU averages more than six yards per play on the season and averaged about four yards per play in this game. That means at least two of the three conversions was more likely than not to work. Riley’s decision to go for it multiple times, far from hurting his team, actually showed confidence in his offense. He was playing to win the game and didn’t want to settle for long field goals. Every team should want a coach like that.

Next week: nothing very definite gets decided. Oregon, Alabama, LSU, Baylor, Stanford and Oklahoma are all idle. That’s six of the top thirteen teams in the BCS. Unless there are some upsets, this could be the season’s nadir. 

The BCS returns! And other sad news

Chaos reigns! It was a week of absolute madness in the top 25 and nowhere more so than the SEC. Four ranked SEC teams went down, highlighted by LSU’s stunning loss at Ole Miss late in the evening. The rest of the conference – except Alabama, of course – went the same way. Tennessee also won on a last-second field goal over South Carolina, Georgia coughed up a late lead at Vandy and Auburn topped Texas A&M in a wild Saturday for the nation’s flagship league. This wasn’t just a case of the SEC beating itself up again. Georgia, South Carolina and Texas A&M were all eliminated from the national championship race and essentially knocked out of their respective divisional races as well.

In the end, it was Missouri – Mizzou! – who calmly dispatched an impotent Florida squad to climb to 3-0 in the East, with a near-insurmountable two-game lead in the division standings. Even with five games to play, at this point it would take a collapse to keep the Tigers out of the SEC Championship. Alabama is still the favorite in the West, so nothing has changed there, but now the Crimson Tide have some room for error (provided they don’t simply win out). With a win over A&M in hand and LSU’s second conference loss, ‘Bama is sitting pretty.

The upsets weren’t limited to the SEC, though. Before the weekend even began Louisville’s slim championship aspirations were dashed by a resilient UCF team. The Knights not only put the all-important black mark on the Cardinals’ resume, they took the lead in the American Athletic Conference and set themselves up to potentially snatch the league’s BCS bid. I predicted this might happen! Which is good, because on the whole my predictions were decidedly hit-or-miss this weekend.

I did very well with the biggest games of the weekend. UCLA was indeed overrated, as Stanford proved. FSU went into Clemson and rocked the Tigers, which should put the Seminoles at the top of the polls but won’t. Texas A&M was also finally felled by its terrible defense, which I said would happen soon. However, the lesser games had some very surprising results, including Washington’s awful loss to ASU and Florida’s weak showing against Missouri. The Gators lost RB Matt Jones for the season during the week, but with the way they played on defense they would have lost anyway.

It’s hard to know how the crazy week will be reflected in the polls. When so many ranked teams lose the voters (understandably) have a difficult time keeping up and often submit strange or contradicting ballots. Consider: where should Clemson be ranked? The Tigers were embarrassed at home by Florida State and should drop at least a few spots, but LSU, Texas A&M, South Carolina, UCLA and Lousville all lost. How far should Clemson fall? It’s a quandary, to be sure.

Next week’s slate is surprisingly bare for the middle of the season. UCLA’s trip to Oregon lost its luster when the Bruins went down in ugly fashion to Stanford. South Carolina at Mizzou would have been a big game in the SEC East, but then the Gamecocks lost to Tennessee. The Clemson – Maryland game suffered the same fate when both teams lost this Saturday. Texas Tech and Oklahoma will meet in a key Big 12 matchup, but that conference has been so bad this season it won’t garner much national attention. The most watchable contest might end up being Stanford at Oregon State, where the sneaky Beavers have moved to 4-0 in the Pac-12 and will be playing for first place in the North. Still, if that’s the best game of the week…

Top 25

The top 25 was, as I said, very difficult to work out this week. At this point in the season the transitive property no longer applies, as too many teams have beaten each other in circular fashion. Trying to untangle this mess is extremely frustrating and the results of my effort to do so demonstrate that. There are several teams in places I don’t like, but they have to be there because so many other teams just lost. I don’t think there’s a real top-10 team in the Big 12 or Big Ten outside of Ohio State, whose credentials are shaky at best. Unfortunately, winning trumps everything, so squads with weak schedules are currently being rewarded for beating nobodies.

1) Florida State

I don’t understand how any self-respecting voter could not have FSU first after the firebombing of Clemson. Of course everyone still respects what Alabama can do, that’s not the point. Texas A&M’s loss was only a small contributing factor to ‘Bama’s fall. How is what the Seminoles did not stunning? Clemson – a very good team – had absolutely no chance. FSU overwhelmed them from the opening snap. That was one of the most impressive victories I’ve ever seen and it was certainly far and away the best win of the 2013 season. FSU should be ranked first this week.

2) Alabama

Not to sniff at 52-0, but we know what Arkansas is capable of… not much. The Ole Miss win is now a little better, but since it came at the expense of LSU, who 'Bama must also play, that’s really a wash. Texas A&M’s loss is more damaging given that most of Alabama’s cred (this year) was built on that win. The Tide still play in the SEC, so there are opportunities to return to the top spot, but at this moment FSU’s giant win at Clemson is more impressive than anything ‘Bama has accomplished. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Seminoles are the best team. They just deserve the ranking more.

3) Oregon

Done in by a somewhat disappointing showing against WSU and Washington’s horrid loss at ASU, the Ducks will nevertheless get a chance to buoy their ranking with consecutive games against UCLA and Stanford. Win both and UO will likely be back in the top two. Win both impressively and they might even wind up on top. But first: Wazzu passes a lot, but that’s still no excuse for the amount of yards Oregon allowed. A week after an exceptional showing against Washington’s offense, the Ducks were less than stellar against the Cougars. That will need to change when UCLA comes to town. The Bruins aren’t as good as UO, but it’s safe to say they’re a lot better than WSU.

4) Ohio State

In the four spot somewhat by default is Ohio State. The Buckeyes escaped with another lackluster win over a mediocre team in Iowa, yet retain a high ranking because there’s really no one to knock them out of it. The other undefeateds have bigger question marks than OSU and all the rest of the (presumably) superior teams have at least one loss. It will be fascinating to see who this squad gets in the Big Ten title game, even though there’s still probably nobody capable of beating them in the conference. I’m rooting for Michigan State – I’d love to see the Buckeyes face the Spartans’ outstanding defense. It would also provide a bit of legitimacy for a team that right now has very little.

5) Missouri

And here we reach our first hair-puller. Is Mizzou the fifth-best team in college football? I really, really doubt it. The only wins that matter (over Georgia and Florida) were marred by injuries and a terrible opposing offense on the road, respectively. However, the fact remains that they were wins. As fortuitous as the Tigers’ run might have been they’re still 7-0 and now completely in the driver’s seat for the East crown. It doesn’t even matter if the team beats South Carolina this week, as they’ll still have a cushion, but they probably will. A year after looking outclassed in their new surroundings, Mizzou is one win away from an amazing reversal.

6) Stanford

I believe there’s no doubt UCLA is overrated and Utah’s defeat at Arizona didn’t do anything to help the Cardinal’s cause. But here’s what I know about Stanford: this team is endlessly scrappy and annoying, plays great defense and (usually) avoids any mistakes. I can’t see them losing to anyone other than the teams above them on this list and with a single close loss they have to move back up the rankings. Anyone who has seen Stanford play the past few years knows that despite often looking like a complete mess they won’t go away quietly. They’ll probably hurt the Pac-12 again by taking out multiple teams with a chance to go to a bowl or, in Oregon’s case, the BCS Championship.

7) Clemson

Clemson… deserves to fall further than this. Undoubtedly. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. As with Stanford, looking down this list, I don’t see anyone I’m confident could beat this team. Now, I predicted FSU would win, but I wasn’t expecting anything like that. Clemson, despite my vote of confidence here, is clearly not quite on the same level as the top contenders. But that’s a tiny, elite group and there’s no shame in ending up one tier lower. The Tigers still have a quality defense, a highly explosive offense and an upper-echelon quarterback in Tajh Boyd who merely had a bad game Saturday. Don’t feel bad for Clemson. They’re not going to just disappear.

8) Miami (FL)

The Hurricanes had their requisite close call and now must work on shaping up ahead of their game with Florida State. The road ahead is about as tough as it gets for an ACC team: along with the Seminoles, the ‘Canes face Virginia Tech in a game that will decide the Coastal Division. Efforts like the four-turnover, fourth-quarter comeback the team had versus North Carolina won’t cut it against the league’s better squads. I’ll be honest, losing WR Phillip Dorsett is probably going to K.O. Miami’s already-slim title chances. But they’ll get a chance to prove me wrong.

9) Baylor

I can’t describe how much it bothers me to have not one, but two Big 12 teams in the top 10. The conference is a disaster this team and it’s highly likely no team deserves a BCS bid. As I said before, though, teams have to be rewarded at least a little for winning. Neither Baylor nor Texas Tech has a single quality win between them, but if I’m right they’ll lose to someone along the way and renounce all right to a top ranking. The problem is, of course, the Big 12. The Bears might actually be the league’s best team. How the mighty have fallen.

10) Texas Tech

After a second close call in two weeks against an opponent of, let’s say "questionable" quality, the Red Raiders are officially in the danger zone. A road test against Oklahoma this week will tell a lot about these guys, or at least it should have, until OU got gored by Texas. Up until recently I would have predicted a comfortable Sooners’ win. They're still the more talented team. However, getting embarrassed by Texas in 2013 loses you all benefit of the doubt. I could believe TTU going into Norman and winning to keep this magical streak alive… or I could believe a repeat of the 2008 massacre.

11) Virginia Tech

VaTech took a week off to prepare for mighty Duke, so here’s hoping the Hokies win by more than 10, something they haven’t managed against a single FBS opponent thus far. I’ve been over this team’s limitations many times and it’s probably not necessary to re-hash. The sticking point is defense; in this age truly elite defenses are at a premium and VT has one. Regardless of how high or low the offense gets, Tech has the luxury of falling back on a unit that can actually win games. When comparing great offenses to great defenses, the defense is always going to get more credit. From me at least.

12) LSU

If you see the Georgia game for what it really was – a one-possession game against a great team – LSU is still basically a one-loss team. That’s a strange way to look at it, I know, but it’s also the fairest way to evaluate the Tigers against teams that have played much easier schedules to this point. LSU is still a very good team, just one that – like Clemson – played very poorly Saturday. I can’t see the Oklahoma schools beating LSU and the Tigers HAVE to be ranked ahead of the Auburn team they soundly beat. That probably inflates their position a little, but with games against Alabama and Texas A&M remaining it doesn’t matter much.

13) Oklahoma

For about 20 minutes of game action Saturday, Oklahoma looked as if it might drop out of the rankings entirely. A loss to Kansas, even on the road, would have unquestionably been the most shocking development of the week. Fortunately the Sooners regrouped and managed to win fairly comfortably, but… eesh. I would hope the flat performance was due to not taking the Jayhawks seriously. If not, and OU is only two touchdowns better than Kansas, the rest of the season might be very depressing. I refuse to believe that’s the case. With Texas Tech in town this week, Oklahoma has a chance to make a statement.

14) Oklahoma State

It wasn’t a blowout win over TCU, but it was a dominant one, despite the relatively close (24-10) margin. OSU now gets imploding Iowa State before a rebound game with Big 12 leader Texas Tech. This puts the Cowboys in a great position, because even if Tech beats OU they’ll likely be more tired from playing a grueling road game. What’s less promising is the QB situation. Okie State has now yo-yoed from Clint Chelf to J.W. Walsh and back and needs to pick a firm starter. The old adage “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none” isn’t completely true, but it applies here. OSU needs to pick a guy and stick with him.

15) UCLA

The Bruins deserve to move down more, but would you really take Auburn over UCLA? I don’t see that at all. This squad still has a legit win at Nebraska on the resume and, despite being exposed at Stanford, shouldn’t be punished too much for losing to a top-10 team. It’s clear what UCLA’s strengths and weaknesses are at this point, which makes it easier to predict how they’d fare against other ranked teams. I’ll delve more into that in the Pac-12 section. For now, bid farewell to Brett Hundley’s Heisman campaign and any outside shot at the national championship.

16) Auburn

I hesitated moving Auburn up too far, because this is not a truly great team. The Tigers were soundly beaten by LSU and only have one impressive win. It came this week at Texas A&M. Was it a quality win? Yes, on the road, absolutely. But – I feel as though this needs to be harped on – the win was FAR more about matchups than overall quality. We know A&M has a great offense and a terrible defense. That makes them dangerous, but not a serious contender. Auburn simply matched up well against that awful D. Good job, but it doesn’t make the Tigers great either.

17) UCF

Here’s the thing about UCF: I really like the Knights. They’re the AAC front-runner for a reason, and unlike Louisville actually got a decent win out of conference at Penn State. With the comeback against the Cardinals, UCF announced itself as the team to beat to get that all-important BCS bid. Even though South Carolina lost, that close game should further boost this squad’s reputation. However… with the schedule the rest of the way, it’s hard to see the Knights rising much higher in the polls. The AAC giveth, and the AAC taketh away – the same league that offers a cushy-soft sked will also significantly damage a team’s ranking.

18) Louisville

Even though I thought Louisville was overrated it hurt to drop the Cardinals this far. I keep flashing back to the promise of that Sugar Bowl win, when it seemed anything was possible for this group. The worst part of Thursday’s loss was that the ‘Ville went down to the one team who could actually finish ahead of them in conference play by season’s end. That’s the danger when you play in a league like the AAC, though. The margin for error is always razor-thin. Louisville had been walking a fine line with unimpressive victories in recent weeks and now must pray for a pair of UCF losses to get back to the BCS.

19) Texas A&M

I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. A&M played with fire one too many times and Auburn finally got them. As I said at the beginning of the season, you can’t just outscore everyone. It’s not sustainable in the long run and you will eventually lose. The problem for this team has been that the defense is so poor it essentially allows every opponent in the game. Auburn has a weaker offense than the Aggies, but you’d never know that watching aTm’s defenders grasping at air and watching ball carriers fly by. This team will still be a tough out, but just like last year, they’ve been eliminated from the SEC race by midseason.

20) Wisconsin

If a seven-point loss at Ohio State is the worst thing you can say about this team (because I’m not counting the ASU debacle), Wisconsin is in pretty good shape. The Badgers have beat up on all the patsies they’ve played and took advantage of their only other big conference showdown by demolishing and exposing Northwestern. I doubt they could play with some of the top teams in the rankings, but there’s nobody near that level in the Big Ten. As I’ve said before, a 10-win finish is definitely in play. I don’t know if this team would deserve a BCS bid, but it could happen.

21) South Carolina

Carolina’s unimpressive play this season finally bit them, as the Tennessee loss will almost assuredly cost the Gamecocks the East. Considering what’s happened to Georgia, this might go down as one of the biggest blown opportunities in program history. SC gets one final chance this week at Mizzou and will need to win and hope the Tigers lose again (most likely to Texas A&M in the finale). They’ll also need to win out themselves. The fact that it came to this should embarrass these players. Carolina is flawed, but they should have been better than this.

22) Oregon State

It’s difficult to evaluate Oregon State because the Beavers have looked so good rolling to six straight wins after the flop in the opener. To the undiscerning eye, the offensive success probably seems as if it will never end. But there are so many concerns, starting with the nonexistent running game and ending with the atrocious schedule. As cool a story as it would be for Beavs to bounce back from the Eastern Washington loss with a Rose Bowl run, here are the facts: OSU is 4-0 in the Pac-12 and has played the four worst teams in the conference. Starting with Stanford this week, it’s about to get a lot tougher.

23) Fresno State

Well done, Fresno State. That’s two weeks in a row you’ve held an opponent to 14 points. That kind of defensive effort is going to be crucial in scoring points with the voters who will get you into the BCS. And make no mistake, it’ll have to be the human voters, because the computers will never fall for that schedule. I do like Fresno, but I’m skeptical about how good they really are, as seen by their place here. An undefeated season would likely result in a BCS trip, so if you like such things keep rooting for Derek Carr and Co. It would be fitting to see the original feared mid-major finally make it in the final year of the old system.

24) Northern Illinois

Congrats to QB Jordan Lynch on that rushing record, but I’m still not taking this team seriously. They deserved to go to the Orange Bowl last year with the way everything fell, but once there the Huskies were squarely put in their place by FSU. I have a hard time believing it’ll be any different if NIU sneaks back in this season. Honestly, the team hasn’t been as good in 2013 anyway, as last year’s blowouts have been replaced by a series of decent but hardly impressive victories. In the MAC, we need a little more than that to work with.

25) Michigan State

Oh, MSU. We have a fun relationship, you and I. The Spartans are probably the most unwatchable team in the country, fielding an offense than can generously be described as plodding and a defense as rock-solid as it is boring. Even Virginia Tech is good for a goofy turnover once in a while. Michigan State is content to play each game seemingly between the 30-yard lines and win games with scores like 14-0 and 21-6. I say the same thing for this team I did about the Hokies, though: you can never count out a team with an elite defense. MSU is a sleeper.

Pac-12 Report

Good for Colorado to dominate Charleston Southern after I predicted the decision to schedule the undefeated FCS could come back to bite the Buffaloes. CU, thankfully, was the much better team and seemed rejuvenated with freshman Sefo Liufau making his first start at QB. There’s a total of three games left for the Buffs in which they won’t be completely overmatched: Arizona, Cal and Utah. The first two are at home. I don’t expect it to happen, but with some luck Colorado could sneak to six wins in 2013. Four or five would be great. A .500 record would be fantastic.

The other game not matching two Pac-12 schools was USC at Notre Dame. It was every bit as ugly as the two teams have been individually at times this season. The Fighting Irish lost QB Tommy Rees and struggled to move the ball, while the Trojans scored 10 points early and never threatened again. The honeymoon for interim coach Ed Orgeron is now over. USC’s weaknesses were on full display in South Bend and while Notre Dame isn’t terrible, there are certainly harder games on the Trojans’ schedule.

Speaking of weaknesses, let’s talk about UCLA. It’s patently clear how the Bruins operate now. Their offense is pretty good but lacks any explosive playmakers at running back or receiver. Brett Hundley, while talented, isn’t good enough to win games by himself. That was a dream matchup for Stanford’s defense, which has a great front seven but is vulnerable in the secondary. The same can be said for UCLA’s D, which has some impressive players at the linebacker positions but a very leaky defensive backfield. It’s no wonder the Stanford – UCLA game unfolded the way it did, as both teams consistently ran plays into the strength of the opposing team and didn’t have the weapons to threaten anywhere else. UCLA isn’t bad, but the Bruins aren’t on Stanford’s level.

The Oregon schools did what was expected on offense, though the Ducks gave up a ton of passing yards. Washington State threw and threw and threw, which set an NCAA record for attempts in a game but was largely ineffective outside of two big spurts. However, when the clock read zeroes UO had still surrendered more than 500 yards through the air. It’s true that they grabbed four INT’s and the game was out of reach, but it’s still frustrating for a team with championship aspirations to allow so much defensively. OSU had no such problems with Cal, though the Beavers probably kept the offense in a little too long.

The shocker of the day was Washington getting annihilated in the desert. ASU isn’t bad, but to this point in the season UW was unquestionably the better squad. That got turned upside down Saturday, as the Sun Devils scored 29 straight after an early TD and held the vaunted Husky offense to 212 total yards, including an unbelievable negative five on the ground. Washington couldn’t stop ASU at all and never really threatened. What happened?

First, QB Keith Price was banged up, which didn’t help. Second, ASU’s supposed biggest strength – the D-line – showed why, embarrassing the UW front and eliminating the run threat entirely. From there, it was simply a matter of how the Husky defense would handle the Sun Devils’ attack, and they broke. Perhaps it was a matter of exhaustion after a pair of brutal games with top-10 teams, but I think that’s an excuse. This looked to me to be the kind of game Washington was supposed to be past having: the utter meltdown against a team the Huskies should beat. Last year it was Arizona in Tucson, now this. Very disappointing all around.

Less surprising but still somewhat a head-scratcher was Arizona’s 34-25 win over Utah. The Utes were significantly outgained and lost QB Travis Wilson late in the first half, but still had many opportunities to win the game against a very flawed ‘Zona squad. Particularly after beating Stanford the week before, this performance was unimpressive. The late TD that sealed the game wasn’t that bad, but the sequence of events that led to that point were bizarre. Trailing 28-24 with less than four minutes to play, Utah’s Kyle Wittingham elected to kick a field goal on fourth-and-four from the Arizona 23. This absurdly conservative decision immediately backfired when Andy Phillips missed the attempt. You have to think that decision cost the Utes the game.

This week we’re back to solely intra-conference matchups, although WSU and ASU are sitting out. Utah and USC is the first game up, a rematch of the very first game the Utes played as a member of the Pac-12 in 2011. They acquitted themselves well in L.A. that day but lost. This version of the South rivalry is anyone’s guess after the Trojans’ recent bipolar act. The same SC team that solidly beat Arizona (who Utah just lost to) looked toothless against Notre Dame. As usual the question is, which USC team will show up? Utah is much the same after a rough game in Tucson. Wilson’s availability will be key, as will Trojans’ WR Marqise Lee’s.

UCLA at Oregon will have GameDay on hand, but let’s be honest: no one expects UCLA to win this game. If the Bruins had topped Stanford it might have been questionable, but at this point UO is pretty much universally viewed as the undisputed king of the conference. The loss to the Cardinal exposed some issues with the UCLA offense and their young secondary. With that said, an Oregon win isn’t a foregone conclusion here. UCLA has the exact thing known to give the Ducks fits – a powerful, athletic front seven. I think Oregon will struggle to run against this team, who will force QB Marcus Mariota to beat them. He can take advantage of the Bruin secondary, but he might face some heavy pressure for the first time all year. Defensively, it’s less frightening for UO, as UCLA isn’t really capable of challenging Oregon through the air. At the same time, Hundley probably won’t play two bad games in a row unless he’s forced into it. The Ducks are better, but they have to take care of business here.

Arizona and Colorado are only separated by one win, but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks the Wildcats will have much trouble in Boulder this week. Even I, an out-and-out ‘Zona hater, don’t think the Buffaloes will win. Arizona scored a minor upset (in my mind) by beating Utah this week, but the Utes coughed that game up as much as UA won it. That doesn’t really factor into the call this week. It’s more a matter of Colorado still being a below-average team, despite their encouraging blowout last week. As I said earlier, this is one of the few contests left for CU in which they won’t be completely outclassed… but they still won’t be able to slow down the ‘Cats’ Ka’Deem Carey.

Oregon State plays yet another late game this week, but this time the Beavers don’t get Wazzu or Cal to kick around. Stanford rolls into town with a ton on the line. As much as it seems OSU should be overwhelmed by the higher-ranked Cardinal, I’m not sure I can realistically call for it. I’ve been over the Beavs’ flaws several times – and there are many – but let’s be honest, Stanford hasn’t exactly blown anyone away this season. Until last week against UCLA, they were probably one of the most underwhelming good teams in all of college football. So how will this matchup play out?

Obviously the Cardinal have a fantastic front seven, but OSU never runs the ball. The Beavers’ O-line isn’t great so there will be pressure, but I think they will have the advantage in the passing game. Stanford hasn’t been in a shootout all year and we have no idea how they would respond to finding themselves in that situation. It’s tempting to say the Cardinal will just grind out a couple hundred yards and control the clock, but with their inconsistent play you can never predict how this team will perform. Eventually, the squad with the superior talent level should win out, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see OSU give Stanford a lot of trouble.

The nightcap (an 8:00 start time? Really?) features reeling Washington hosting even-more-reeling Cal. The Huskies looked shell-shocked against ASU, but hopefully that was the lingering effect of playing Stanford and Oregon back-to-back and not a symptom of something worse. If UW loses this week Steve Sarkisian should be fired immediately, but that won’t happen. Cal is far inferior to Washington on a good day and the Golden Bears aren’t close to full strength. Coming home and regrouping should set UW on the right track. Cal will give up another 40+ points, as they have in nearly every game. Unless the Huskies do the same, this will be another big loss for the Bears.

Heisman Watch

We’re down to two players. Unless someone makes a tremendous late-season run, only two guys have any business being in New York.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Mariota had his first two turnovers of the season (both fumbles) but still has the most impressive resume to this point.

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Mariota has the stats but Winston has the big win, which is generally one of the requirements for a Heisman winner.

Random Thoughts and Observations

The on-field product was exceptional Saturday. It should have been apparent the weekend would be special from the morning studio shows, when the legendary Keith Jackson returned to talk with Fox Sports 1 and Bill Murray made for a memorable GameDay on ESPN. Jackson’s appearance – a rarity from the retired play-by-play man – was a real treat; for the uninitiated, the crew’s reverence in hosting Jackson was a sign of just how much he means to the sport. No announcer is more closely associated with a sport than Jackson is with college football, thanks to his incredible 64-year career. Generations of fans grew up with “The Voice of College Football” and it was special to have him in studio again.

The selection committee for the College Football Playoff was announced last week to a strange amount of vitriol. Members were assailed for their alleged regional biases and lack of football knowledge. No one felt the heat more than former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who was attacked for being a woman, a former Bush cabinet member, an Alabama native, a Stanford grad and not knowing anything about the sport. I assume her place of birth was also questioned. It was a little bizarre to see such a high level of anger directed at the committee before they’ve had any impact on the game and at Rice in particular. It’s doubtful Rice, who is apparently a big football fan, knows any less about the sport than any of the other members. The reaction feels more like thinly veiled sexism than anything else. The only reservation I have is if she, and the rest of the committee members, were chosen as impressive names to gloss over the fact that the playoff is still a closed-door process designed to benefit the same power schools.

Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti’s fiery postgame comments directed at Washington State and coach Mike Leach were surprising, though not completely unexpected given Aliotti’s previous comments regarding officiating in the Pac-12. Despite a large amount of negative responses, Aliotti was correct on both counts. Pac-12 refs are among the worst in the nation. Mocking reactions like this of CBS Sports demonstrate a child's comprehension of the issue. This article (which, unlike the others, actually references real coaches, not just the writer's experience) has it right: generally, when a team with a huge lead pulls its starters, the losing team does the same or at least replaces its best players. That’s not in question at all, as it’s much smarter to not risk injury in a meaningless contest. It doesn’t matter that WSU was passing – that’s what they do – but at the very least QB Connor Halliday should have left the game after he threw his fourth interception. However, given that Oregon had the win well in hand, Aliotti was probably better off not saying anything.

It was quiet on the Stanzi front after last week’s explosion, but the big headline was the second Double Stanzi in as many Saturdays! This time it was BYU’s Taysom Hill (don’t know how he hasn’t gotten one yet) and Houston’s John O’Korn who stank it up, throwing three picks apiece in the comedy of errors that was the Cougars’ 47-46 win. The winners and standings are below.

Stephen Morris, Miami (FL)

Opponent: North Carolina

Performance: Four INT, led two fourth-quarter TD drives

Taysom Hill, BYU

Opponent: Houston

Performance: Three INT (one for TD, one in end zone), took safety, threw game-winning TD pass

2013 Stanzi Awards

Devin Gardner, Michigan: 2

Keith Wenning, Ball State: 2

Stephen Morris, Miami (FL): 1

Taysom Hill, BYU: 1

Connor Wood, Colorado: 1

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech: 1

Braxton Miller, Ohio State: 1

Corey Robinson, Troy: 1

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M: 1

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State: 1

Jake Heaps, Kansas: 1

Gary Nova, Rutgers: 1

Trevone Boykin, TCU: 1

Brett Hundley, UCLA: 1

Connor Halliday, WSU: 1

A.J. Doyle, Massachusetts: 1

Justin Worley, Tennessee: 1

Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion: 1

Terrel Hunt, Syracuse: 1

Washington’s free-fall went from bad to worse when, hours after a throttling at the hands of Arizona State, the program lost former coach Don James to cancer. James, whose name is legendary in the Northwest, guided the Huskies for 18 seasons and won six Pac-10 championships, four Rose Bowls, two Coach of the Year honors and a share of the 1991 national title. Even more impressive than his 71 percent winning percentage, though, was his character. James is not only spoken of in reverential terms as a mentor, he also brought Warren Moon to Washington as the Huskies’ first black quarterback. Along with John McKay, James was probably one of the two most important coaches in the history of the conference.

The initial BCS rankings came out and yes, Florida State is ranked ahead of Oregon. That's not surprising at all given what happened at Clemson. The Seminoles have better wins than the Ducks. If Oregon wins out they will play for the national title, as will Alabama. The perceived strength of the SEC and Pac-12 trumps all, because two-thirds of the BCS formula is human polls. The computers will also like UO more with wins over UCLA and Stanford. Florida State's remaining schedule, while decent, doesn't compare. Ohio State, despite what their strangely confident fans seem to think, will be left far behind barring losses to two of the top three teams. It's that simple.

Next week: the games aren’t particularly promising. The first watchable contest is Texas Tech at Oklahoma. It’s possible Tennessee at Alabama could be interesting. The two best matchups are South Carolina – Mizzou and UCLA – Oregon, so of course those games are at the same time to ensure maximum viewer frustration. Other that that, Stanford at Oregon State provides the only real intrigue on paper. We’re going to need an out-of-nowhere upset by an unranked team to make this weekend worth watching. But this is college football, so that will assuredly happen.

The Double Stanzi! They said it couldn't be done!

We finally got the upsets everyone knew were coming. They just didn’t come from where we expected. LSU versus Florida? No problem. Oregon at Washington? No chance. Instead, a week ahead of a big showdown with UCLA, Stanford stumbled at Utah, while Georgia finally succumbed to its injury woes against Missouri. The rest of the top teams managed to win, though some in very dicey situations. Clemson was nearly caught looking ahead to Florida State by Boston College, while Texas A&M needed a whole lot of Ole Miss incompetence to escape Oxford.

While we were robbed of an eventual undefeated Oregon – Stanford pairing late in the year, we still get a classic dual this week in FSU at Clemson, which should be absolutely fantastic. The last two games between the Atlantic Division rivals have been barnburners and this one figures to be no exception. Playmakers abound on both sides, but the biggest matchup to watch is the one between the two quarterbacks. Jameis Winston and Tajh Boyd are dual-threat studs, future high draft picks and current Heisman short-listers. Death Valley will be rocking with the 8:00 p.m. (local) kick-off. This could be the game of the year.

Oregon notched the most impressive win of the weekend, on the road in a raucous Husky Stadium. Against the best squad Washington has fielded since the 2000 Rose Bowl year, UO never trailed and controlled the game nearly from start to finish. The Ducks had an answer for everything the Huskies did on both sides of the ball, racking up a 631-376 yardage edge despite playing without star RB De’Anthony Thomas. UW has clearly improved, but they’re still not in Oregon’s league.

The nation’s top team, Alabama, had another easy week with Kentucky. The rest of the SEC was more interesting, as LSU outclassed Florida, Texas A&M outlasted Ole Miss and Mizzou out-injured Georgia. Poor UGA. The Bulldogs are very good but have simply had no luck at all in 2013 and it caught up to them this week. You knew eventually the team would break down, but it was surprising to see it happen at home against the Tigers. Missouri is decent but hardly great and it’s hard to shake the feeling that with just a few of its crippled warriors back Georgia would have won the game.

Of course, Mizzou can hardly celebrate themselves after losing QB James Franklin for the season. In the ultimate twist of cruel fate, the Tigers finally got the validating SEC win they’d been seeking but saw their leader go down in the same game. I’ve moved the team into my rankings, but without Franklin it’s hard to imagine they’ll keep winning (next two opponents: Florida and South Carolina). The SEC East is wide open and it still might come down to whether Georgia can hold off the injury bug for a few more key contests.

The other big upset of the weekend was Utah’s win over Stanford. The Utes had been knocking on the door for a couple of weeks and were finally rewarded Saturday. However, even though Stanford is the more talented team, it’s hard to gauge how big of an upset this really is. The Cardinal looked pedestrian in several games this season and should have lost last week to Washington. In a Pac-12 North that features potentially five bowl teams, ‘Furd is in a tough spot after dropping this game (which, it’s worth noting, they still could have won despite being outplayed). Utah may prove to be a player in the South Division yet.

Among the other noteworthy games, USC was impressive in holding off Arizona’s late rally to win their first game post-Kiffin. As many commentators have noted, the Trojans just looked to be having FUN again as they demonstrated an ability to move the ball and play some solid defense (until the fourth quarter). This still isn’t a great team, but it’s one that, like Texas, may prove to be more tricky at the end of the season. Speaking of the Longhorns…

Texas is 3-0 in the Big 12. All those predictions of a Big 12 Championship could actually turn out to be completely accurate, which is crazy considering where this team was a few games ago. I didn’t include the Red River Rivalry in my earlier recapping because the Big 12 is less relevant on the national scene right now, but UT blowing out Oklahoma was absolutely stunning. I wasn’t under the impression that OU was some kind of powerhouse, but I certainly thought they’d have enough to handle a defense-less squad like the Longhorns. Instead, Texas did what every opponent of Oklahoma’s SHOULD do this year: force the Sooners to the air, where Blake Bell is barely competent. Nicely done, Mack. That’ll stave off the firing talk for another, oh, three games.

The rankings took another shakeup this week as Clemson’s second poor showing in a win this year cost them. The two most dominant teams have been Oregon and Florida State, but neither could quite unseat the two-time champs. Louisville’s middling win over Rutgers significantly hurt the Cardinals, while Wisconsin moved back into the rankings (to stay, if you look at the schedule) and the Baylor/Mizzou combo finally made it on the board. For now.

Top 25

1) Alabama

It’s telling that despite a 6-0 start that includes wins over Virginia Tech and Texas A&M (now the best two wins of any of the top teams) Alabama is still being questioned. It’s easy to get caught up in the flash of Oregon’s big win at Washington and Florida State’s annihilation of Maryland, but ‘Bama has still only allowed 11 points a game and won five of six games by at least 25. True, the schedule has been lacking since the trip to College Station and the offense has been a little less than stellar. This team still gets the benefit of the doubt until someone unseats them.

2) Oregon

The Ducks’ scorched the previously stingy Husky D and, outside of a 194-yard third quarter, completely shut down the new and improved UW offense. With Stanford’s loss, it appears the Pac-12 is truly Oregon’s to lose, but beware: in both of the past two seasons UO stumbled down the stretch – at home, no less – when it seemed a perfect conference record was in hand. The league has continued to rise to the Ducks’ level, so even with the potential Heisman winner leading the way this will not be an easy road. The second half of the schedule is a lot tougher.

3) FSU

Clemson’s little stumble against Boston College was worrisome (although considering how close the Eagles played FSU, perhaps BC is just good), which is why I’m currently predicting a Seminoles win in Clemson this week. Additionally, outside of the tremendous win over Georgia, Florida State has been the better team this year. My respect for Jameis Winston cannot be overstated – he should be no lower than second in any Heisman poll – and the ‘Noles are hitting opponents hard with an impressively balanced attack. They also got a week off to prepare for the Tigers.

4) Clemson

Clemson beat Georgia at full strength, a feat that may not get the respect it deserves if the Bulldogs’ injuries cause them to slide out of the SEC race. However, it’s also true that since opening week this team has not always looked great. Saturday’s close shave marked the second time Clemson nearly fell to a vastly inferior team. Even if the Tigers were looking ahead, it raises concerns about their focus. You don’t see that kind of slip-up from Oregon or Alabama. The heavyweight showdown this week will answer a lot of questions, though if Clemson wins they should be back at number one.

5) LSU

I had LSU eighth last week and after another quality win I’m prepared to move them in front of an undefeated Ohio State team that hasn’t played anyone as good as the best two (maybe three) teams on the Tigers' schedule. At the very least, dominating Florida is more impressive than close wins over Northwestern and Wisconsin. The offense continues to churn out yards and points, which makes up for the fact that the defense hasn’t been up to its usual standard. With just two threatening games left on the schedule (‘Bama and A&M), LSU is still in position to snag a spot in the SEC Championship.

6) Ohio State

After taking out the only two difficult teams on their schedule, the Buckeyes sat back this week to assess their handiwork. It wasn’t pretty, as Wisconsin destroyed the Northwestern team OSU had just barely beaten. The good news was the Buckeyes already had a win over Wisconsin; the bad news was Michigan losing to Penn State. That loss might prove to be Ohio State’s undoing, given the perception of how weak the Big Ten is this season. 12-0 is very possible, but it might come at the expense of one or even zero ranked teams. As talented as this squad is I see it as a cut below the top tier.

7) South Carolina

The Gamecocks obliterated Arkansas, righting a whole lot of tepid play the past month and setting up a fun showdown with Missouri in Columbia in late October (provided they can get past Tennessee this weekend). This is a quality team, but you can see the margin of error is smaller for them than it is for, say, Alabama or LSU. Of course, it’s also important to remember how the schedule gods paid Carolina back this season, which, coupled with Georgia’s injuries, could still lead the Gamecocks back to the top of the East. If they knock off Mizzou, the last four games are at home. I like those odds.

8) Texas A&M

We know what the offense can do. It’s the defense that, well, look at what I said last week. I didn’t expect Ole Miss to be the team that came out of nowhere to trip up the Aggies, yet it probably should have been, save for some atrocious clock management by the Rebels. Fortunately for A&M Johnny Manziel’s knee seems fine and they now get four straight home games, three against bad teams, to build on that record. The problem is that even weak foes can make a game of it against the sieve that is aTm’s D. At some point the offense is going to wear out from carrying so much of the load.

9) Louisville

With a chance to make a statement against Rutgers on the national stage the Cardinals fell flat Thursday. It’s nice to get four gift interceptions and hold a conference rival to ten points, but three of the Scarlet Knights’ previous four FBS opponents had scored the same or better against them. In fact, at 27 points per game allowed, the 24-10 loss actually lowered Rutger’s defensive average. UCF next week is the only team remaining for Louisville worth anything at all, so they’d better be prepared to do something special. Right now it would take two losses by every other BCS team to get the Cardinals to the title game.

10) Miami (FL)

The Hurricanes took the week off, though odds are they won’t need the rest to beat foundering North Carolina. Collisions with Florida State and Virginia Tech are still three weeks out, so right now all this team has to do is stay the course to ensure a run at the division crown. I will say this: Florida’s proved to be no great shakes, so the ‘Canes might be outclassed by the top teams in the improved ACC. For now they maintain their spot, but the schedule hasn’t really been that difficult (just one road game to this point). November will tell us how good Miami really is.

11) UCLA

Even in the 27-point win over Cal I found plenty upon which UCLA could improve. We know by now the Bears are awful; everyone scores on them. Comparatively speaking, though, the Bruins’ offense wasn’t great on Saturday. UCLA settled for way too many field goals and finished with fewer points than any other FBS team has against Cal. Now, this was offset by the fact that Utah, who nearly beat UCLA last week, knocked off Stanford. That buys the Bruins a break for the time being. However, with a road trip to Palo Alto this week, they won’t be able to celebrate for long.

12) Stanford

Well, you can’t say the writing wasn’t on the wall. Stanford, not an overwhelmingly dominant team at the best of times, ran out of luck against Utah. The Cardinal played a very un-Stanford-like game, getting beat at the line and looking a step slow. Make no mistake, the Utes did a nice job, but Stanford is the better team and didn’t play like it. They’d better figure some things out – UCLA comes to town this week, with a better offense than that of Utah. I expect a much more focused effort from the defense, though the fate of the very average offense is anyone’s guess.

13) Georgia

It’s just one of those seasons for Georgia, whose title hopes have been dashed in a tidal wave of snapped bones and shredded ligaments. The defense wasn’t going to be great even if things broke right this year and isn’t capable of stepping up to relieve the pressure on the undermanned offense. We can probably count on a few more shootouts this season. Though it’s entirely possible Aaron Murray can pull out most of them, the only one that matters is the early November date with Florida. Win, and UGA will likely still make an improbable run to the SEC Championship.

14) Texas Tech

I’m more than a little nervous after TTU gave up 35 to 1-4 Iowa State, but the Red Raiders survived to move to 3-0 in the wild Big 12 and still have West Virginia on the sked to iron things out before going to Oklahoma. Of course, the Sooners might not be that good, so maybe WVU (in Morgantown) is the bigger threat here. Or maybe it’s Oklahoma State, or Baylor, or possibly even Texas, lurking at the very end. This league has gotten too crazy to predict, so for now, I’ll stick with what I know: Tech is tied for the Big 12 lead a third of the way through the conference season.

15) Virginia Tech

Pittsburgh never seriously threatened, so the 10-point win is a little better than it looks. Really, that’s an accurate descriptor for this whole team, which has some offensive… issues… but plays good enough defense to usually make up for that. Sometimes ya gotta win ugly. With five straight victories by 10 points or fewer, no one can attest to that more than VaTech. Against a high-caliber opponent I’m pretty sure these guys would be toast, but guess what? There aren’t any on the schedule. Miami (FL) is the only ranked foe left and I’m not even sure the ‘Canes are that good.

16) Nebraska

The Cornhuskers did what they had to – beat down inferior teams like Illinois and Purdue. The upcoming opposition gets more difficult, but with an embarrassing eight home games it’s hard to see how Nebraska doesn’t squeeze at least eight or nine wins out of this schedule. I tend to think the Blackshirts’ defensive issues have only been hidden by the bad teams they’ve played the past couple of weeks, but in the Big Ten this team honestly isn’t likely to see that many offensive juggernauts. With Taylor Martinez on the mend, Nebraska is still very much in the mix for the Legends title.

17) Oklahoma State

OSU got a week off and now faces reeling TCU and Iowa State before a huge showdown in Lubbock with Texas Tech. However, if the Cowboys can notch those first two wins they’ll be in prime position to take down the Red Raiders, as TTU has to play at Oklahoma the week prior. I’ve been unable to get a good read on Okie State despite watching them several times; they look like BCS material one game, then average the next. In the 2013 Big 12, that might be enough. All they have to do is be good on the right days. That includes versus TCU this week.

18) Washington

If you believe, as I do, that Oregon is one of the best teams in the country (and possibly the best, period) Washington can’t be faulted for losing to the Ducks at home, even by multiple scores. I didn’t see anything in the game that shocked me. Oregon is just better. That doesn’t mean UW is bad, or even average. The back half of the schedule is easier, save two games. One is at Arizona State next week (the other is at UCLA). The Huskies are the better team and should win, but strange things have been known to happen in the desert. As long as this team is looking forward, not back, they should be okay.

19) Florida

The fact that Florida is still holding opponents to 13 points a game with an offense averaging less than 200 yards rushing AND passing is phenomenal. That’s what makes them worthy of a spot in the top 25. It’s obvious by now what the Gators are: a team that fights like mad to stay in games and has to because its offense is horrendous. That isn’t the same thing as being a bad team overall, though, and it definitely doesn’t mean UF is out of the SEC race. Mizzou is up next and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Florida win on the road and open this division up again.

20) Wisconsin

Yow. I called a Wisconsin win, but I can’t take credit for that one – I was expecting a two-score game, tops. Instead, Wisky flat-out embarrassed Northwestern, rolling up 527 yards (and allowing a mere 241) while holding the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game. The Wildcats have been unceremoniously booted from the Big Ten race. The Badgers, meanwhile, are still in it, but not really, given that they would need TWO Ohio State losses to make the conference championship game. However, with an incredibly winnable final six games, 10-2 is a distinct possibility.

21) Baylor

I’ll say this for Baylor: they got a win against a non-garbage opponent. Sadly, “non-garbage” is about is kind as I can get for Kansas State, who currently sits at 2-4 and 0-3 in the Big 12. The Bears saw their dominant offense held to less than 450 yards by a defense not ranked in the top 50 and needed two fourth-quarter scores to pull out the win. Iowa State and Kansas are bad enough that I’m still predicting a 7-0 start, but when the schedule gets real Baylor is going to have some problems. Despite what you may think, some Big 12 teams CAN play D.

22) Oklahoma

Don’t be fooled by this ranking: OU was spanked by a seemingly inferior Texas team from start to finish and deserves to fall out of the top 25 based on Saturday’s performance. That is, if you take for granted that UT is bad, which I don’t really think is the case. I think it’s much more likely the Longhorns simply had a couple of terrible games earlier in the year and were shamed into playing up to their talent level. Oklahoma will still be a factor in the Big 12 race and has earned a ranking based on their previous body of work. Unfortunately, like Texas before them, they had a complete meltdown this game.

23) Missouri

You can only play the team in front of you that day, so credit Missouri for capitalizing on Georgia’s… weaknesses and winning in Athens. Still, it’s hard to be overly excited about the win considering UGA significantly outgained the Tigers and had four turnovers to Mizzou’s zero. I’d be skeptical of the win even if James Franklin hadn’t been injured, and by the way, he’s out for the year (again). This is a top-15 team with a backup QB? Voters moving this team up eleven spots is one of the all-time overreactions in poll history. Florida is an extremely tough out this week.

24) Fresno State

Fresno will beat UNLV this week without incident, don’t let the records tell you otherwise. As I’ve said before, though, much of this team’s fate will come down to the defense. It’s terrible, even when playing bad teams. The Bulldogs will not be able to finish in the top 16 (required for BCS eligibility) if they can’t convince both the voters and the computers they have a reasonably good defense. This week would be a great time to start holding teams to fewer points and looking big-picture. The difference between 55-40 and 42-10 is huge; if Fresno can dial down the scoring a little to help out their own D it would be very helpful.

25) Oregon State

No, Sean Mannion is not one of the best QB’s in the nation and no, Brandin Cooks is not the best receiver in the nation. But what they are is good. Good enough to beat the middling competition OSU has faced to this point and certainly good enough to tear poor Cal a new one this week. Can you imagine this passing attack against the Bears’ last-ranked defense? This might not be suitable for children. Of course, the schedule gets MUCH harder after this, but give the Beavers credit for doing what they should have done – mostly – against inferior opposition. Seriously, though, can Storm Woods get some help?

Pac-12 Report

Not a bad week in the Pac-12 entertainment-wise, although it was not particularly successful in the way of advancing the conference’s best interests. Oregon beating Washington convincingly was nice and kept the Ducks in the title chase, but you know what’s better than one team capable of winning it all? That’s right, two! Stanford gave us a dud at Rice-Eccles, though, so we’re realistically down to UO or bust for the Pac-12. That’s got to be a tough one for some fans to swallow.

Long-term the Utah win was more harmful than helpful to the conference at large. The same cannot be said of USC’s win over Arizona Thursday night. That was both a short-term victory to get the team believing again and a long-term win for the Trojans and the Pac-12. It’s no secret that a good SC team makes for a stronger league and that’s exactly what the Trojans were, jumping out to a 38-17 lead before conceding two scores to make the game closer than it needed to be. The Trojans played fast, loose and aggressive – hardly hallmarks of the Lane Kiffin era – looking like the clearly superior team. We still have a lot of football to be played. I’d bet USC will play some kind of role in determining the South champion yet.

All three of the night games ended up as blowouts, though Oregon State didn’t pull away until late. Arizona State predictably squashed Colorado early. There isn’t much to talk about there. UCLA was never really in trouble against Cal, but the Bruins failed to pull away when they should have. They’ll need a better effort against Stanford. OSU and WSU played a tight, back-and-forth game for three quarters that abruptly ended on four consecutive Cougars turnovers, all of which the Beavers cashed in. That swing made the score look a little more lopsided than the game was, but I don’t think there’s any doubt the Beavs were the better team.

Now, about Stanford… I kept jumping back to the Cardinal – Utes matchup expecting a Stanford run. Some kind of long drive that crushed Utah’s spirits, or a big turnover to swing momentum, perhaps. I thought they had it on the opening possession of the second half when Travis Wilson made his only mistake, a pick in the red zone. Surely Stanford would tie the game (21-14 Utah at that point) and take control, right? It never happened. The reality is this: after the Cardinal scored on their opening possession and ran Utah’s kickoff back following the tying score, they only put points on the board one more time. Even that was a likely incompletion out of bounds in the fourth quarter with the Utes up 13. The offense simply wasn’t there for Stanford.

That’s nothing new if you’ve watched this team at all over the past two seasons. Stanford generally grinds things out and gets enough good play from its defense to win games. When they lose the turnover battle (as they did against Utah, with two fumbles) they have a hard time winning. Where would the Cardinal be without WR Ty Montgomery this year? He not only has two kickoff return TD’s in two weeks, he’s the offense’s only decent playmaker, with more than twice as many catches as the next closest player. Kevin Hogan has proved to be more game manager than star – which is fine if the defense and ground game are rolling. But he, and the rest of the Stanford team, will need to find last season’s spark to challenge for a Pac-12 title.

That’s not to take anything away from Utah, who played a marvelous game, particularly on defense The Utes held Stanford to just 143 rushing yards, denying the Cardinal the ammunition for their devastating play-action fakes. The semi-no-huddle Utah employs also gave Stanford problems, as defenders looked a step slower than usual. It’s obvious that frustrating close losses to OSU and UCLA to start the conference season pushed this team over the top in an emotional (and unusual) third consecutive home Pac-12 contest. The next two weeks the Utes visit South rivals Arizona and USC, so we’ll see if they can continue to be a factor in the division race.

Finally, there’s that Oregon – Washington game (side note: don’t call this the “Border War.” That’s Kansas – Missouri. Not every rivalry needs a nickname). First, the positives for UW. The Huskies are better this season than any other in the Sarkisian era. Past Washington teams would have folded against this Oregon squad. Keith Price is the best QB they’ve had in Seattle since Marques Tuiasosopo and, more importantly, the defense is no longer a liability. In fact, it’s actually pretty good. Offensively, the decision to copycat the spread trend seems to have been a great one; UW’s playmakers, while not on the level of Oregon’s, are better than the Ducks’ defense made them look.

However, what Saturday’s result showed was more or less what I expected from both teams. Despite clear improvement on offense, the Huskies still don’t have the horses to keep up with Oregon’s relentless pace. Against an exceptional defense, Washington was hemmed in by UO's superior secondary and forced to settle for short throws and a steady diet of runs. RB Bishop Sankey proved his mettle with a thoroughbred-esque effort, but there’s only a handful of teams Oregon can’t eventually force to the air and UW isn’t one of them. Defensively, the Dawgs had neither the front-line talent nor the depth to stop UO from eventually pulling away. Like many good units before them, they held tight for a half, then got gassed.

For Washington, it means an end to any realistic shot at the Pac-12 championship. For Oregon, it means the run is just beginning. The Ducks proved to have a better offense and defense than most analysts suggested heading into the game, though UW did have success with the power run. That’s the formula that’s worked against this team in the past and while it didn’t result in a win this week, that doesn’t mean it can’t in the future. UO also had some tackling issues that will need to be cleaned up. On the positive side (other than the win, obviously), Oregon did a great job through the air on both offense and defense. The Ducks had two receivers reach 100 yards and held the Huskies to 182 yards passing a week after looking shaky against Colorado. With a massive yardage edge and timely big plays, Oregon gave a fine performance overall.

All 12 conference teams are in action again this week, although this time there are a pair of non-league games. First, there’s Colorado, who scheduled Charleston Southern as a replacement for the flooded-out Fresno State contest. When I saw this announcement I just had to shake my head. Why, why, why would CU pick THIS team? The Buccaneers are 7-0 and ranked 24^th in the FCS poll. They could very possibly come into Boulder and beat the Buffaloes. For a squad as desperate as Colorado is for a win, this is potentially disastrous. I hope they don’t regret the decision to play this game.

The other non-conference game is USC at Notre Dame in the annual matchup of two disappointing teams. It’s very hard to know what to make of this game or the Trojans and Fighting Irish in general. We know Notre Dame isn’t that good – they lost to Michigan and Oklahoma and nearly went down to Purdue. Then again, the Irish did manage to beat both Michigan State’s great defense and Arizona State’s great offense. Notre Dame this year seems to be an amorphous jack-of-all-trades, capable of playing with most opponents but also always close to defeat. And which USC team will show up? The one embarrassed by WSU’s defense and ASU’s offense, or the one looking like a squad on the rebound after a coaching change? I could believe either side winning close or in a blowout.

The three games I feel reasonably comfortable picking is the trio of night matchups: Utah at Arizona, Washington State at Oregon and Oregon State at Cal. Arizona’s not horrible, but after watching Utah finally break through this week it’s hard to go against the Utes, even in Tucson. Zona has one of the nation’s best rushing attacks but is inept passing and won’t be able to simply run the ball down Utah’s throat all game. Although statistically the Wildcats have the superior defense the numbers are deceptive, as the Utes’ have come against one of the nation’s toughest schedules to date. Arizona has lost both games it played against moderately competent teams. The visitors should take this one.

Wazzu shouldn’t have lost to Oregon State by four scores, but that’s the risk you run when you play a style as aggressive as the one Mike Leach favors. Expect more of the same this week against the Ducks, who boast a stronger secondary (and overall defense) than the Beavers and get the benefit of playing at home. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cougars’ defense hang in there for a quarter or two; this unit is much improved and wasn’t to blame for the avalanche of poor field position the WSU offense put them in last week. Oregon will win the game handily, but Wazzu will put some points up.

Oregon State has to play a red-eye game for the second straight week on the road. Fortunately for the Beavs, it’s against Cal, so there’s not too much to be worried about. I have sneaking suspicion Sean Mannion’s school-record performance against Wazzu is going to last for all of one week, as this game matches the country’s number one passing attack with its worst scoring defense. Something’s gotta give. It’s not OSU. With their own strong passing game the Bears could conceivably keep this close into the fourth quarter like WSU did, but you have to remember that Cal’s defense is so much worse than the Cougars’. Oregon State should have this in hand fairly quickly.

The two afternoon games are the ones you need to keep an eye on. UCLA versus Stanford should make for great viewing, but don’t sleep on Washington at ASU. Arizona State is the only unranked team of the four and with a win, the Sun Devils would assuredly leap back into the top 25. So first, to Palo Alto. Stanford is rightfully bemoaning the missed opportunities they had that would have stolen a second straight conference win. However, with the way this team plays, such a slip-up was inevitable. By margin of close games, Stanford was the luckiest team in the country last year. Eventually that luck was going to run out. Back at home against a UCLA team I’m pretty sure is very overrated, though, I’m going with the Cardinal.

UCLA is tricky because of what the Bruins’ final scores have looked like. When you’re routinely putting up 35+ and holding opponents to less than 20 everyone thinks you’re world-beaters. But have you actually seen this team play? The scoring has dipped since entering conference play and the offensive line, while adequate to this point, is going to get devoured by a quality front seven (hello, Stanford). The skill players are also far less imposing than last year, when the likes of Joe Fauria and Johnathan Franklin roamed the sideline. The catalyst has been the excellent Brett Hundley, but as good as he is he won’t win games by himself in this league. While the defensive front has been stout, the secondary is highly questionable. Any QB worth his salt – remember, this is the Pac-12 – is going to have a field day with them.

Washington at ASU is more difficult to pick. The Huskies and Sun Devils are both significantly better at home and Tempe isn’t an easy place to play under any circumstances. With a 3:00 p.m. local kickoff and the forecast in the 80’s, the job gets even harder. I don’t think there’s any doubt UW is the better team. After all, the Huskies just went toe-to-toe with the two best teams in the conference and didn’t get embarrassed. However, as I’ve said before, the better team doesn’t always win, something ASU knows all about. The Sun Devils should have beaten Notre Dame and probably should have lost to Wisconsin this year. So how will this play out?

It’s fair to say U-Dub will be focused and angry after losing to the Cardinal and Ducks. What’s more, this is essentially the season for this team – lose three straight in league play and you can say goodbye to a quality bowl. With Oregon State and UCLA still on the schedule, Washington simply cannot afford to lose this game. ASU’s position is much more enviable: at 2-1, with Stanford already out of the way and no Oregon on the menu, the Sun Devils can lose this game and still control their destiny in the South. In fact, by winning out ASU would almost be assured of a spot in the Pac-12 Championship, unless you think UCLA is going to beat both Stanford AND Oregon on the road. Safe to say, there’s a lot more riding on this for the Dawgs.

In the end, I think UW is simply the better team. ASU scores more, but the offenses are basically a push and Washington’s defense is far better. After facing Oregon’s spread last week, ASU should feel like the JV. It’s not a lock by any means, but the Huskies are due to finally break through with a big road win. They’ve had home success under Sarkisian, now it’s time for it to extend out of Seattle. This team has a toughness we’ve not seen out of Washington squads in recent years and I’ll take UW in this game.

Heisman Watch

We’re still only halfway through the season, so it feels wrong to be tossing names out who may fizzle by year’s end. Still… here are the best candidates thus far for college football’s top honor. Keep an eye on the ACC showdown. It may end up deciding a league, a national title AND a Heisman.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Mariota delivered in the first test for Oregon in 2013. His numbers are superb, but he makes out even better on the eye test.

Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

Don’t pin Clemson’s anemic effort against Boston College on him. Boyd went 30-44 for 344 yards and didn’t throw a pick.

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Winston has completed 90 of his first 123 collegiate pass attempts (73 percent) with 17 TD’s and just two INT’s.

  

Random Thoughts and Observations

Given that we’ve now seen a wonderful seven weeks of football, it seemed fitting to go back and evaluate how accurate my big predictions or smaller feelings about the season have been. Some of these are still a work in progress, but I’ll look for as many as possible. I’ll start with my worst predictions and work up to the best ones.

My biggest miscalculation was assuming that FSU would be in (slight) rebuild mode with the loss of QB E.J. Manuel. I thought the Seminoles would be in for a rough time with a first-year player behind center. That clearly hasn’t been the case, as Jameis Winston has taken the country by storm. I also missed out on UCLA and Utah. I predicted both teams would be worse to some degree and said USC would win the Pac-12 South. That may still come true (and UCLA still could be overrated), but right now it seems less likely.

Staying in the Pac-12, I had Oregon State and Washington flipped. I expected OSU to pick up where they left off last year and they haven’t; UW has been the clear leader of the conference’s second-tier. It’s not a huge error considering I had the Beavers third and the Huskies fourth (in the division), but I was off. I had similar luck with LSU, whom I proclaimed a cut below the truly elite teams in the country. Once again I was close: LSU definitely IS an elite team, but their defense is not, which is what I thought would cost them a shot at the BCS title.

I said Stanford would be a good but not elite squad, which as of last weekend seems to be true. However, there’s still a lot of games left and the Cardinal may prove me wrong. My strangest call was picking Texas to win the Big 12 but lose multiple games. A few weeks ago the Longhorns looked ready to fire their coach and collapse. After the Red River upset, they’re leading the conference at 3-0. Who cares about those losses to Ole Miss and BYU now?!

Finally, my best call was that Florida would not be a contender. They wouldn’t have been even with Jeff Driskel still at QB, as the offense has been just atrocious. The Gators are ranked outside the top 100 in passing and are only in the middle of the pack in rushing. If not for their continued superb defense, this team would be in real trouble. My skepticism of the preseason top-15 ranking has been validated.

Whilst scouring the internet for fan reactions to Saturday’s results (always an important exercise to understand how teams are REALLY viewed), I came across many Washington fans whose position was that, because Stanford had lost to Utah, their close loss to the Cardinal the week before was invalidated. This is the kind of incorrect logic that is all too common in football. Teams don’t have a numerical value of quality that is the end-all in determining whether they win or lose. If that was the case Alabama would never lose. Matchups are far more important than people seem to realize. They explain why Oregon could beat Washington by 21 when Stanford beat them by three, or how Auburn could score 30 on Ole Miss when Alabama scored only 25. Auburn’s not better than Alabama. We know that.

What’s more, games don’t happen in a vacuum week-to-week. Washington’s close loss the week before exposed weaknesses in the Cardinal’s game and more than likely gave Utah’s coaches ideas for how to best attack Stanford. It’s no surprise the Utes capitalized on the same issues UW did. They had the benefit of a home crowd and useful game film to draw from. To assume Washington is a fraud because the team they softened up lost the next week is a fallacy. Stanford is better than both Washington and Utah, but not so much that they couldn’t have lost to either of them. That’s what we’ve seen the last couple of Saturdays. Stanford’s loss does not mean Washington is a bad team or that UW got “exposed” by affiliation. That argument doesn't bear out.

I apologize for teasing this in the headline and saving it for last, but the Stanzis were flying hot and fast this week! Week Seven had the most individual Stanzis in a single week to date as well as a sighting of the rare, nigh-impossible Double Stanzi! To clarify: a Double Stanzi doesn’t mean both QB’s get one, as the rules clearly state a player must win the game to be eligible. What it does signify is a contest in which both QB’s play poorly enough to be awarded a Stanzi, even though only one can win. That was the case when the Wolverines’ Devin Gardner (Two INT’s, one FUM) and the Nittany Lions’ Christian Hackenberg (Two INT) went toe-to-toe in Happy Valley. What a day for college football! I think I can die happy now. Here are all this week’s winners.

Trevone Boykin, TCU

Opponent: Kansas

Performance: Two INT (one for TD), led FG drive to put game out of reach

A.J. Doyle, Massachusetts

Opponent: Miami (OH)

Performance: Two INT, threw game-winning TD

Keith Wenning, Ball State

Opponent: Kent State

Performance: Two INT (one on goal line, one returned to 1-yard line), threw game-winning TD

Terrel Hunt, Syracuse

Opponent: North Carolina State

Performance: Two INT, led two fourth-quarter TD drives

Corey Robinson, Troy

Opponent: Georgia State

Performance: Two INT (one on goal line, one in red zone), threw game-winning TD

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

Opponent: Michigan

Performance: Two INT, led tying drive to send game to OT, this

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M

Opponent: Ole Miss

Performance: One INT (in end zone), one FUM, led game-winning FG drive

2013 Stanzi Awards

Devin Gardner, Michigan: 2

Keith Wenning, Ball State: 2

Connor Wood, Colorado: 1

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech: 1

Braxton Miller, Ohio State: 1

Corey Robinson, Troy: 1

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M: 1

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State: 1

Jake Heaps, Kansas: 1

Gary Nova, Rutgers: 1

Trevone Boykin, TCU: 1

Brett Hundley, UCLA: 1

Connor Halliday, WSU: 1

A.J. Doyle, Massachusetts: 1

Justin Worley, Tennessee: 1

Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion: 1

Terrel Hunt, Syracuse: 1

Keith Wenning of Ball State has made his move! Gardner was oh-so-close to taking the lead again with his third award, but was turned back thanks to the determined effort of Hackenberg. I can’t wait to see what next week brings.

Speaking of, here’s what to watch: UCF – Louisville (Friday), Minnesota – Northwestern, Texas Tech – West Virginia, Florida – Mizzou, UCLA – Stanford, Indiana – Michigan, Auburn – Texas A&M, Washington – ASU, USC – Notre Dame and of course, Florida State – Clemson. That'll be a doozy.