Clemson in the crosshairs

The slate was fairly barren last week, which naturally meant there were a couple of big upsets. Florida State’s crazy loss to Georgia Tech certainly came out of nowhere, but it was indicative of how the Seminoles had played this season. FSU was primed for defeat; it was simply a matter of when. Elsewhere, Utah and Cal both got clobbered by Pac-12 opponents with inferior records but superior pedigrees, demonstrating why people thought the L.A. schools could be special this year.

The logjam atop the Big 12 continues, though Baylor may be doomed with the loss of quarterback Seth Russell to season-ending neck surgery. It’s a shame to see the Bears robbed of their point man, without whom it’s hard to see them making a legitimate run. I still have my eye on Oklahoma, who blew that Texas game but should be undefeated.

There was a pair of wild four-overtime games, as Duke topped Virginia Tech and Arkansas outlasted Auburn. Texas A&M was fully exposed versus Ole Miss after experiencing a taste last week against Alabama, while Washington State moved to a surprising 5-2 overall (and 3-1 in conference play) with a win at Arizona.

This week the midseason doldrums continue, starting with a glut of so-so games Thursday night. USC is at Cal in a semi-meaningful meeting between mid-tier Pac-12 squads, Georgia and Florida meet with the SEC East on the line and, in a sentence I can’t believe I’m writing, Notre Dame meets Temple with both teams ranked. The nightcap should be a good one, with Stanford and WSU squaring off for first place in the North.

Playoff Poll

Utah’s reign atop my poll lasted but one sweet week, though I don’t regret putting the Utes there. They were the most deserving team until last Saturday and could still challenge for the Playoff with one loss (not that I foresee that happening).

First Tier

Ohio State/Michigan State

Clemson

LSU

TCU

We’re back here again, with the Big Ten favorites still frustratingly looking like the best teams despite not playing much like it. Baylor, minus its QB, now occupies a different position than TCU.

Second Tier

Alabama

Stanford

Baylor

I’ll pay the Bears some respect here, but I just don’t see them winning out with a freshman backup QB. Alabama and Stanford are scary.

Third Tier

Notre Dame

Utah

Florida State

Oklahoma State

Memphis/Houston/Temple

One of the Notre Dame – Temple duo will be eliminated this week, while Utah and FSU barely hang on after embarrassing defeats – Utah due to blowout, FSU due to opponent – and Oklahoma State lurks.

Pac-12 Thoughts

I wrote that I wouldn’t be surprised if UCLA beat Cal given the amount of talent on the Bruins’ roster and look what happened. For the first time since trouncing a couple of bad non-conference foes, UCLA looked like a quality team. USC did the exact same, thrashing Utah to prove that perhaps all that preseason hype was warranted.

We shouldn’t be shocked. This is what the L.A. schools do, time and time again. It’s why analysts fall in love with them and predict conference titles and national championships. Both games were at home, at night, and against teams with a decided talent gap (yes, even Utah at USC). We’ll see if they can maintain that level of play the rest of the year; history has shown they won’t.

Stanford handled Washington with relative ease, putting to bed the “Husky problem” the Cardinal seemed to have. It took until the final minute, but Colorado got that Pac-12 win, firmly securing Oregon State’s place in the league’s gutter. However, the biggest game of the week in my mind was WSU’s victory at Arizona.

The Cougars dominated the first half and should have led by a lot more, then had to hang on as the Wildcats switched QB’s and nearly made a comeback. But hang on they did, and now WSU sits at 5-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Were it not for a silly collapse against Portland State in the opener and a near-miss against Cal to open conference play, the Cougs could be in the top five. They really should be undefeated right now. I don’t know if this is a sign for the future, because the team will probably lose to Stanford this week. But it’s definitely exciting for a program that has seen precious little success in the past decade.

This week we get started on Thursday with Oregon at Arizona State. These team have had some fun games in the last several meetings, though the Sun Devils haven’t won since 2004 and the teams haven’t played the past two seasons. This will be a very interesting game, as neither side can afford another loss and both teams can give each other problems. ASU should be able to pick apart the Ducks’ poor pass defense, but UO is traditionally pretty good at stopping the kind of run-pass faux-spread stuff the Sun Devils like to run. It’s hard to imagine the Duck’s ground game getting slowed too much, so this might be a shootout.

I fear the writing is on the wall for Cal. Though the Bears are back at home, the back-to-back battles with their southern California rivals might prove too difficult a challenge to overcome. USC looked great last week and might finally be on track after a tumultuous first half of the season; Cal might have gotten exposed against UCLA. I think the Trojans will score a lot on this defense and it’ll be up to the Bears’ attack to try and keep up.

Congratulations to Colorado, but don’t expect a repeat at UCLA this week. The Buffaloes actually didn’t play all that well against the Beavers, and while the Bruins aren’t the elite unit some believed at the beginning of the year, they’re hardly Oregon State. As for the Beavs, you couldn’t have picked a worse candidate for them to play their next game against: a Utah squad angry at losing a shot at an undefeated season.

Arizona is at Washington for a battle of a couple of pretty evenly matched teams. I’m interested to see how the Wildcats respond to losing at home to Wazzu. The Huskies aren’t bad, despite their record, and are in an important show-me game after two losses following the USC upset. However, the other nightcap is the really intriguing one.

Topping Stanford would be monumental for the WSU program. It’s probably asking too much; the Cardinal have looked outstanding for a month and have a definite talent edge. There’s a reason they’re favored by two touchdowns on the road. But this Cougs team seems different, with a grittier edge than past versions that have wilted under pressure. Strange things happen on the Palouse at night. Wazzu has a shot.

Heisman Watch

At this point it seems pointless to list several candidates. The award is Leonard Fournette’s to lose, and unless the LSU running back starts to really fall off in the second half of the year, the national perception of his ability will carry him to a runaway victory. No, a receiver from Baylor is not going to win the Heisman. Stop.

Random Thoughts and Observations

It appears Iowa is going to cruise through the Big Ten West, which sounds ridiculous, but look at the standings. The Hawkeyes are 7-0, 3-0 in league play, with all three wins coming against the next three teams below them in the standings. Their remaining schedule (and overall schedule) is a joke: the bottom three teams in their own division and the bottom two in the East, which have a combined conference record of 2-15. Iowa could go 12-0 and not play a team in the top 25.

With FSU’s loss to Georgia Tech, the ACC’s playoff hopes are down to just Clemson. I doubt the committee thinks highly enough of the league to admit an ACC champion with a loss, so all eyes will be on the Tigers-Seminoles next weekend – which makes Clemson’s trip to North Carolina State this week even more of a trap game. Clemson has been known in the past for slipups like this, and Raleigh has hosted its share of upsets over the years.

2015 Stanzi Awards

It was another disappointingly slow week for the Stanzis. The saving grace was Toledo’s Philip Ely and Idaho’s Matt Linehan, who both added a second weekly award to their respective resumes as they attempt to catch up to leader Mason Rudolph of Okie State.

Week Eight Awards

Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech

Opponent: Florida State

Performance: Two INT, won by six

Philip Ely, Toledo

Opponent: Massachusetts

Performance: Three INT, won by 16

Lamar Jackson, Louisville

Opponent: Boston College

Performance: Two INT, won by three

Bart Houston, Wisconsin

Opponent: Illinois

Performance: Two INT, won by 11

Matt Linehan, Idaho

Opponent: Louisiana-Monroe

Performance: One INT, Two FUM, won by 14

2015 Standings

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State: 3

Jeremy Johnson, Auburn: 2

Matt Linehan, Idaho: 2

Mitch Leidner, Minnesota: 2

P.J. Walker, Temple: 2

Clayton Thorson, Northwestern: 2

Philip Ely, Toledo: 2

A.J. Schurr, Army: 1

Travis Wilson, Utah: 1

Hayden Moore, Cincinnati: 1

Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech: 1

Trevone Boykin, TCU: 1

Johnny McCrary, Vanderbilt: 1

Lamar Jackson, Louisville: 1

Josh Rosen, UCLA: 1

Patrick Towles, Kentucky: 1

Dane Evans, Tulsa: 1

Chad Kelly, Ole Miss: 1

Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech: 1

Matt Johns, Virginia: 1

Chris Laviano, Rutgers: 1

Jaquez Johnson, Florida Atlantic: 1

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: 1

Chase Litton, Marshall: 1

Deshaun Watson, Clemson: 1

Quinton Flowers, USF: 1

Cody Clements, South Alabama: 1

Kendall Hinton, Wake Forest: 1

Jake Coker, Alabama: 1

Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech: 1

Max Wittek: Hawai’i: 1

Maty Mauk: Missouri: 1

Michael Birdsong, Marshall: 1

Bart Houston, Wisconsin: 1

Tanner Mangum, BYU: 1

Thomas Sirk, Duke: 1

The Big 12's big mistake

I’m not sure how both TCU and Baylor managed to avoid playing any teams of substance until November again, but the Big 12 schedule-makers sure seem to be gaming the system right now. While Alabama gets a nasty SEC opener in Ole Miss, USC meets Stanford in Week Three and even Michigan and Michigan State play in early October, the Big 12 favorites keep chugging along, absentmindedly tossing patsies like Kansas and Iowa State to the side.

The question is, at what point does this hurt the Big 12? There’s no way such blatant schedule manipulation should be rewarded; the conference is weak enough as it is without fraudulently inflated records. We’ve reached Week Eight, the midpoint of the college football season, and it’s time for a total overhaul of what we know compared to what we thought we knew two months ago.

I doubt anyone was surprised with Stanford bludgeoning UCLA on Thursday night, but Boise State’s eight-turnover debacle against Utah State the next day was somewhat mind-boggling. LSU got a quality win over Florida, while Utah survived a challenge from Arizona State to remain undefeated as well.

Memphis thoroughly embarrassed Ole Miss, bringing the total of unbeaten (and overlooked) American teams to three: Houston, Temple and the Tigers. There’s an interesting subplot brewing here that might throw a wrench into the Playoff come December. Should a 13-0 AAC squad – the American expanded to 12 schools this year and plays a championship game – make the final four, particularly if that team is Memphis? With how mediocre some of the Power Five leagues have looked, it might be the right call.

With that in mind, what if Michigan State runs the table? The Spartans have been pretty unimpressive so far this season, needing a lucky bad throw to beat Oregon and an all-time screw-up to top rival Michigan this week. There’s a reason this team has dropped all the way down to seventh despite remaining unbeaten. If MSU goes 13-0 (or even 12-1, with a win over Ohio State), would the Spartans really be that deserving? The Big Ten opponents MSU will have faced aren’t much scarier than the AAC ones a team such as Memphis would have beaten. Time will tell if we need to make that decision, I suppose.

Playoff Poll

It’s time to blow it up. Ohio State hasn’t played like a top team. Neither has Michigan State, nor TCU.

First Tier

Utah

Michigan State/Ohio State

LSU

Clemson/Florida State

I don’t think the Utes are the best team in the country, but they have the best resume. Ohio State and Michigan State need to be grouped together, as only one will make the CFP anyway. LSU will probably lose to Alabama, but until then the Tigers are undefeated; Clemson and FSU are in the same boat as the Big Ten squads.

Second Tier

TCU/Baylor

Alabama

Stanford

Neither the Horned Frogs nor the Bears have beaten a single team ranked at any point this season. I doubt both will escape Norman unscathed in November. Alabama is creeping up, again, and looks like the best team in the country, again. Stanford is the best-looking team right now outside of the Crimson Tide.

Third Tier

Notre Dame

Oklahoma State

Memphis/Houston/Temple

Here’s the thing: the AAC teams won’t be typical outsiders with an unbeaten campaign. Temple throttled Penn State and gets Notre Dame soon. Memphis and Houston have to play each other AND Navy (a top-25-caliber team) still, and the Tigers knocked off Ole Miss with ease. The Rebels, as you may recall, beat Alabama.

Pac-12 Report

Oregon survives to another day (in the Pac-12 race) and another year (versus Washington)! That’s what we’re taking away from this weekend, right? No? Okay, let’s detour…

Stanford looks awesome right now. I had no delusions about UCLA actually winning on The Farm, but the flurry the Cardinal unleashed Thursday night was very impressive. USC proved it wasn’t all Sark’s fault by flopping in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame, Washington State hammered Oregon State and Arizona... needed a monster final frame to escape Boulder. Interesting.

I had expected Colorado’s best chance to get a conference win would be this upcoming week at OSU, but it nearly came early. As it is, I think the Buffaloes will win in Corvallis. CU has continued to improve week by week and finally seems ready to break that ugly losing streak. The Beavers, on the other hand, appear to be the league’s worst team. That first half against Wazzu was really bad.

There’s a truly delightful matchup Thursday evening in Pasadena, when UCLA takes on Cal in a desperation game for the Bruins. The Bears are the ranked team here (and rightfully so), but UCLA is favored for a reason. There’s a lot of talent on that squad. Even though the Bruins haven’t lived up to expectations, they’re still dangerous – and quite capable of ruining the Bears’ season.

WSU and Arizona get things started on Saturday in Tucson, a place that saw one of Mike Leach’s biggest triumphs as the head Cougar: a 24-17 win in 2013 over the favored Wildcats that helped get Wazzu to bowl eligibility. Both teams are at a turning point and could really use the win entering the second half of Pac-12 play. ‘Zona seems like the safer bet, but the Cougars are only a few plays away from being 6-0.

Utah is at USC for a game that promised a lot more in the preseason that it seems capable of delivering now. The Trojans are still favored, which isn’t surprising given the pedigree of their roster, but does anyone actually expect this team to come through? Utah has been shaky at times, yes, but SC has just been so underwhelming. And yet, despite myself, I’d take the Trojans too. I’m not sure what it is about their intoxicating talent-to-actual results ratio, but I have a hard time believing this group won’t come together at some point. Even against a team that’s actually come through on the field like Utah.

Washington – Stanford has been a marvelous matchup the past few seasons. The Huskies knocked off the Cardinal in Seattle in 2012, lost by three in Palo Alto a year later and then by seven last season at home. It’s been a tight series and could be again this year thanks to the Washington D,, which ranks first in the conference in total defense. The Cardinal should win handily, but they should have done that a few times before in recent memory, too.

Heisman Watch

Not a lot changed this week. There’s still a runaway candidate, which gives this race a similar feeling to last season.

Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

Fournette had an average performance by his standards: 180 yards, two touchdowns, against one of the nation’s best defenses.

Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU

With 400 yards and four scores against no interceptions, Boykin holds strong at second. It doesn’t help that it came against Iowa State, though.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State

Elliott rushed for 150 yards and a TD, but was upstaged by QB J.T. Barrett’s 100 yards and two scores. Give Elliott credit for holding this offense together, though.

Random Thoughts and Observations

The Big 12, suspicious scheduling aside, has hit the jackpot this year. The conference has played out exactly the way commissioners dream their league will, with a clear lower class and a clear upper class that should provide a huge boost as we enter the stretch run.

Everyone expected TCU and Baylor to be elite. The jury is still out on both schools, thanks to TCU’s inconsistency and Baylor having played nobody, but that’s not important. What matters is that both teams are undefeated and highly ranked – the perception of quality is of infinitely greater value. With both Oklahoma schools ranked as well, the conference is even better shape.

Had OU simply shown up for the Texas game, the Big 12 would have four schools 6-0 or better, all undefeated in league play, all ranked in the top 15. Now, this requires some major scheduling shenanigans – I’d love to hear an attempt at an explanation of how, exactly, NONE  of these teams have played – but it’s clearly to the league’s benefit to have three schools at the bottom all 0-3 in Big 12 play. Everyone beats up on those teams, gets free wins, and avoids playing difficult completion until later, when they’re all ranked.

It’s a formula the SEC has used to great effect in recent years, though that’s not entirely fair, because the SEC is, ultimately, a much stronger conference. The Big 12 has just figured out how to game the scheduling equation to its benefit. The problem is that the BCS no longer exists. Having two 11-1 teams cost the Big 12 a spot in the Playoff last season, and with an actual human committee deciding the Final Four, the formula may no longer work.

2015 Stanzi Awards

It was one of the quietest Stanzi weeks in memory, with just three weekly winners, but Army’s A.J. Schurr made “Schurr” his wouldn’t be a forgettable one. He threw nearly as many passes to the defense (two) as his receivers (three) in a mere eight attempts operating the Black Knights’ triple option… against FCS foe Bucknell. Congratulations, A.J.! You have the most impressive single Stanzi of the season! Temple’s P.J. Walker also completed his second Stanzi to move up on the leaderboard.

Week Seven Awards

Quinton Flowers, USF

Opponent: Connecticut

Performance: Two INT, won by eight

A.J. Schurr, Army

Opponent: Bucknell

Performance: Two INT, won by seven

P.J. Walker, Temple

Opponent: UCF

Performance: One INT (for TD), one FUM

2015 Standings

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State: 3

Jeremy Johnson, Auburn: 2

Mitch Leidner, Minnesota: 2

P.J. Walker, Temple: 2

Clayton Thorson, Northwestern: 2

A.J. Schurr, Army: 1

Travis Wilson, Utah: 1

Hayden Moore, Cincinnati: 1

Trevone Boykin, TCU: 1

Johnny McCrary, Vanderbilt: 1

Josh Rosen, UCLA: 1

Patrick Towles, Kentucky: 1

Dane Evans, Tulsa: 1

Chad Kelly, Ole Miss: 1

Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech: 1

Matt Johns, Virginia: 1

Matt Linehan, Idaho: 1

Chris Laviano, Rutgers: 1

Jaquez Johnson, Florida Atlantic: 1

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: 1

Chase Litton, Marshall: 1

Deshaun Watson, Clemson: 1

Quinton Flowers, USF: 1

Cody Clements, South Alabama: 1

Kendall Hinton, Wake Forest: 1

Jake Coker, Alabama: 1

Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech: 1

Max Wittek: Hawai’i: 1

Maty Mauk: Missouri: 1

Michael Birdsong, Marshall: 1

Tanner Mangum, BYU: 1

Thomas Sirk, Duke: 1

Philip Ely, Toledo: 1

There's so much more goodness to come.

Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles

There seem to be a few inarguable truths in college football right now. Alabama will pull in a top-five recruiting class. The Big 12 will continue to play no defense. The ACC will continue to spin its wheels. And USC… well, USC will come up short of expectations. Outside of the Pete Carroll era, it’s been that way a long time in L.A.

The Trojans’ fall from grace has been aided by unfair NCAA sanctions, to be sure, but at a certain point the excuses start to ring hollow. SC has far more talent in its two-deep than most schools, even in power conferences. I covered the program’s curious excess of ego a few weeks ago, but it’s clear with this week’s loss to Washington and subsequent firing of Steve Sarkisian that the problems run deeper. USC should be able to line up, run basic plays, and beat at least eight of its opponents each year without issue. That isn’t happening.

Would it be better, or worse, to be a program like Georgia? The Bulldogs’ hopes of accomplishing pretty much anything this season were dealt a crushing blow against Alabama two weeks ago, but turning around and losing to Tennessee? Unforgivable. UGA has similarly crumbled under some high expectations in the past several years; the difference is that at least USC was winning in the interim. Georgia seems to bounce aimlessly between mediocrity and misery, and it’s not as if the Bulldogs are exactly suffering under the NCAA’s cruel whip.

Of course, that’s not even mentioning another schizophrenic traditional power in Oklahoma, which can’t seem to ever decide whether it wants to enter rebuild mode or attempt yet another (eventually disappointing) re-envisioning. The Sooners faceplanted again versus Texas, and while that series has truly been a toss-up for the last decade, it’s pretty inexcusable given the current state of Longhorn football.

2015 is setting up to be a very odd year indeed, with a seemingly inevitable transfer of power out on the west coast, a confusing muddle in the Midwest and whatever is happening in the South. Ohio State and Michigan State continue to remain unbeaten, but unimpressively so; Michigan might actually be the best team in the Big Ten. The Pac-12 has been turned upside-down, with Stanford (which lost in Week One) and Utah the current favorites to face off the title game. Alabama was done, then the Crimson Tide were back; Ole Miss was the new SEC leader, then the Rebels were exposed; Florida looks great, but no one trusts the Gators, Texas A&M is undefeated, but might be a fraud.

Meanwhile, we continue to be gifted quality matchups all across the board. This week, it’s another potential Thursday barnburner in the Pac-12 as UCLA visits Stanford. Undefeated Toledo can move to 6-0 with a win over Eastern Michigan, West Virginia is at Baylor in a possible shootout, and ranked Iowa and Northwestern teams square off in Evanston. Ole Miss gets another test in a rematch of last season’s hard-fought win over Memphis (this time on the road), while Texas A&M gets a chance to prove its bona fides by hosting Alabama.

Michigan State has the higher ranking, but Michigan is favored in the Big House. The two highest-ranked teams meeting are Florida and LSU (in Baton Rouge), and turmoil-ridden USC travels to rival Notre Dame. Ohio State will get a sort-of challenge in Penn State, Arizona State is at Utah, and Washington has its best chance in a decade to defeat rival Oregon in Seattle.

Playoff Poll

Who knows anymore? Right now, the game is survival. Undefeated teams get precedence, but a single loss isn’t a death blow for any team with the way this season has played out.

First Tier

Ohio State

TCU

Michigan State

Utah

It remains extremely difficult to separate the teams at the top of the pack. Ohio State looked decent last week, though not truly top-caliber. TCU moves up in light of what Texas did to Oklahoma.

Second Tier

Alabama

Clemson

Baylor

I’m sticking with a holding pattern in the second group for now. Alabama remains the most dangerous one-loss squad and neither Baylor nor Clemson has any impressive victories.

Third Tier

Ole Miss

Florida

Florida State

Michigan

Florida gets the tentative nod, but the loss of quarterback Will Grier could be fatal. Michigan has come on very impressively and is rightly favored against Michigan State this weekend.

Pac-12 Report

I more or less covered my thoughts on Washington – USC in the opening. The situation with Steve Sarkisian is unfortunate, but rather than focus on the Trojans’ problems, let’s applaud UW for a gritty win. The Huskies never impressed during Chris Petersen’s first year, and this performance indicates he has the team on track to competing regularly for Pac-12 championships. The doomsday scenario the other Northwest schools envisioned upon Petersen’s hiring may be coming true.

Speaking of doomsday, how about Oregon? The Ducks blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead and lost in double overtime to a Washington State team that really deserved to beat them by more. UO is now 3-3, firmly out of the playoff picture, and most likely out of the conference race. It’s tough to imagine this team challenging for the North, outside of an undefeated run to close out the year.

Arizona clobbered Oregon State, making quick work of the Beavers' hopes for an upset. Despite a couple of rough losses, ‘Zona might be very good; we’ll have to wait and see. ASU disposed of Colorado in similar fashion and improved to 2-1 in conference play with the result. The Sun Devils might be rounding back into form just at the right time.

Finally, there was the oddity that was Cal – Utah. There’s something off about these teams – Utah’s win over Oregon certainly holds no weight now, and it’s not as if Cal has faced a murderer’s row – that doesn’t make me want to believe. It’s obviously easier to believe in the Utes after they won, but the thoroughly unconvincing victory definitely leaves us wanting. Is this really a top-five team?

This week, we get started with Thursday night’s UCLA – Stanford showdown. I get to cheat on this game because I’m late posting. Although I would have picked Stanford anyway, given how I’ve learned to never trust the Bruins, I didn’t see last night’s thrashing coming. Once again, UCLA melted in the spotlight, giving us a second L.A. school to shake our heads and roll our eyes at this season. The Cardinal currently look like the favorites not only in the North, but possibly the entire conference.

Oregon State is at Washington State for a game that the Beavers essentially must have to consider this season any kind of a success. OSU is in real danger of going winless in conference play, and facing a team on a emotional high after a double-overtime road win might be the best chance the Beavs get. WSU is the better squad by far and at home, but the Cougars have not handled success well in the Mike Leach era.

Would anyone be shocked if USC came out and won at Notre Dame following the dismissal of Sarkisian? The Trojans have drastically underachieved so far this year and were considered to be the stronger team in the preseason. The last time SC fired a head coach midseason, it won its next game. Granted, Notre Dame is pretty good. But so are the Trojans. At 1-2 in conference play, USC could really use this boost.

Arizona should keep Colorado winless in the Pac-12, as QB Anu Solomon seems healthy and ready to return the Wildcats to contender status. I like this ‘Zona squad. They got rolled by Stanford two weeks ago, but the blowout to UCLA was a fluke, exacerbated by Solomon’s injury and multiple turnovers. The Buffaloes have improved… but still not enough.

Utah gets another interesting home test from ASU, which has looked great the past two weeks after sleepwalking through September. I won’t predict a loss for the Utes, but they’d better be careful. A performance like the one we saw against Cal won’t get it done this week. The Sun Devils hammered UCLA, smoked Colorado and finally look like the team everyone expected. It’s a matchup of the top two teams in the South and it should be a good one.

Finally, there’s Oregon at Washington, in a game with more far-reaching implications than the country might think. Oregon’s roster is more talented, but that hasn’t meant very much for the Ducks in the past several weeks. The basic question is QB play: can UO find someone, anyone, who can lead the offense and make basic throws consistently? Be it Vernon Adams returning from injury, Taylor Alie providing a spark, or even (gulp) Jeff Lockie finding some heretofore-unseen ability, Oregon needs a guy who can take a modicum of pressure off the running game.

If the Ducks can’t do that, the Huskies can and will fully commit to bottling up Royce Freeman and Taj Griffin without consequence. The UW offense is pretty tepid, but the weak Oregon secondary should provide just the antidote for the Huskies’ passing woes. This game won’t be high-scoring, and Oregon should still have the ability to continue the streak, but with the way the team has looked of late, it’s not a pick I can make with confidence.

The bigger issue in the balance is whether this is another tipping point game for Pac-12. Washington’s upset of USC last week seemed to be a little foreshadowing moment, and Oregon’s collapse against WSU strengthened the idea. If the Ducks lose this game, they’ll be under .500 after September for the first time since 2004 and probably fail to make bowl game (not coincidentally, 2004 was the last time UO missed the postseason). With a win, Washington could move into a tie for second in the division with a showdown against Stanford looming, conceivably putting UW on a path to an out-of-nowhere appearance in the Pac-12 title game… in a rebuilding year. The stakes are exceptionally high in this contest, and it’s not a stretch to say the future of the Pac-12 could be altered by the outcome.

Heisman Watch

It’s time to start talking about college football’s highest honor. Not unlike the Playoff race, there are a lot of decent candidates, but few exceptional ones. Except, of course, for LSU’s Leonard Fournette, who would win in a landslide if voting were held today. Here’s who I’m considering.

Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

Fournette is the runaway favorite for a reason. He has most of the “wow” plays this season, he’s already nearly eclipsed his rushing total from 2014 and is on track to break Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record if LSU plays in the SEC championship game.

Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU

Boykin wouldn’t be here if not for his stellar performance in Big 12 play, when he’s twice rescued the Horned Frogs from near-certain defeat. He won’t put up numbers like Marcus Mariota did last year – it’s possible no one ever will – but he might do enough to beat out Fournette based on team performance.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

The Buckeye’s QB situation has been a tire fire for most of the season, so credit Elliott for keeping the offense afloat. He’s a tremendously talented back, but might have the bad luck to be playing in the same season as an all-timer (much like Boykin did last year). And for as bad as OSU’s QB’s have been at times, they’re still light-years ahead of whoever LSU is throwing on the field.

Random Thoughts and Observations

2007 is considered the template for the truly bizarre season. In that year, fifth-ranked Michigan fell at home to then-FCS member Appalachian State on opening day, which acted as a portent for the madness to come. In all, 13 unranked teams upset top-five opponents during the regular season, along with the second-ranked team going down a total of seven times AND both the No. 1 and No. 2 teams losing on the same day – twice.

That doesn’t include LSU losing twice as the top-ranked team, then still getting to play in (and win) the National Championship; the incredible Missouri – Kansas showdown between top-five (!) rivals; Hawai’i’s unbeaten run, Dennis Dixon’s injury that cost Oregon a Heisman and a shot at the BCS title; Pat White’s injury that did the same for West Virginia; Navy beating Notre Dame for the first time in 46 years, and a grand total of 59 ranked teams losing to lower-ranked or unranked opponents.

It was the most insane and unpredictable season in recent memory, and probably the strangest season of all time. 2015 can’t live up to that standard, but we’ve seen craziness this year the likes of which we haven’t seen since that wild 2007 campaign. The Pac-12 alone is a mess, and the SEC isn’t far behind. With those two leagues – still the two best in the country – in disarray, it seems likely that the second half of this season will play out in ways no one expects.

2015 Stanzi Awards

It was another quiet week for the Stanzis, but Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph announced his intention to take home the trophy with a brilliant three-pick performance versus West Virginia. Heisman hopeful Trevone Boykin also got on the board, while former Florida great Jeff Driskel made a surprise appearance.

Week Six Awards

Trevone Boykin, TCU

Opponent: Kansas State

Performance: Two INT, won by seven

Travis Wilson, Utah

Opponent: Cal

Performance: Two INT, won by six

Jake Coker, Alabama

Opponent: Arkansas

Performance: Two INT, won by 13

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

Opponent: West Virginia

Performance: Three INT, won by seven (OT)

Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech

Opponent: UTSA

Performance: Two INT, won by three

2015 Standings

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State: 3

Jeremy Johnson, Auburn: 2

Mitch Leidner, Minnesota: 2

Clayton Thorson, Northwestern: 2

Travis Wilson, Utah: 1

Hayden Moore, Cincinnati: 1

Trevone Boykin, TCU: 1

Johnny McCrary, Vanderbilt: 1

Josh Rosen, UCLA: 1

Patrick Towles, Kentucky: 1

Dane Evans, Tulsa: 1

Chad Kelly, Ole Miss: 1

Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech: 1

P.J. Walker, Temple: 1

Matt Johns, Virginia: 1

Matt Linehan, Idaho: 1

Chris Laviano, Rutgers: 1

Jaquez Johnson, Florida Atlantic: 1

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: 1

Chase Litton, Marshall: 1

Deshaun Watson, Clemson: 1

Cody Clements, South Alabama: 1

Kendall Hinton, Wake Forest: 1

Jake Coker, Alabama: 1

Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech: 1

Max Wittek: Hawai’i: 1

Maty Mauk: Missouri: 1

Michael Birdsong, Marshall: 1

Tanner Mangum, BYU: 1

Thomas Sirk, Duke: 1

Philip Ely, Toledo: 1

We’ve reached peak Stanzi season, when conference play is in full swing and QB’s just can’t help themselves from throwing killer pick after killer pick. What a time to be alive.

Dawg Days

Oh, Georgia. My sweet summer child. Somehow, we all knew it would end like this. Well, perhaps not quite like this. A 38-10 annihilation at home probably wasn’t on the minds of even the most pessimistic of Bulldogs fans. And so begins yet another round of, “If not now, when?” with UGA.

Mark Richt’s tenure has endured this turmoil seemingly in perpetuity. By all reasonable standards, Richt is a very good coach, with a strong record in what has been the nation’s toughest conference over the past decade. Amidst the savagery of the SEC, he’s won two league titles, taken another team to the brink of one and had at least one squad undone by injuries.

Yet there’s undeniably an air of unfulfilled promise in Athens. During the past 20 seasons, Tennessee and Florida have won national championships out of Georgia’s own division, while LSU, Alabama and Auburn have combined for another six. Georgia has been as good or better than three of those five programs during that time, but never able to win the big one. It felt as if 2015 might finally be the time… now, it seems UGA will need to win the East to ensure Richt keeps his job.

Week Five came through with a load of quality action, starting with Cincinnati’s nice win over Miami (FL) on Thursday evening. TCU finally looked like a contender in a napalming of Texas. Ohio State and Michigan State continued to struggle against inferior competition. New darling Ole Miss learned what it means to be the hunted, getting roundly exposed by a surprising Florida squad. Notre Dame and UCLA got more of the same, falling to Clemson and Arizona State, respectively.

In a development worth keeping an eye on, Navy dominated rival Air Force to improve to 4-0. The Midshipmen, solid as usual while playing their first-ever season in a conference, might have what it takes to run the table in the AAC. If they get by Notre Dame this week – absolutely not out of the realm of possibility – they could be looking at an undefeated year.

Poor Tennessee was all but eliminated from the SEC race with a third consecutive heartbreaking loss, this time at the hands of Arkansas. The Volunteers should have made the East a three-team chase, but are probably already stuck playing spoiler after what easily could have been a 5-0 start.

Northwestern came through in a big show-me moment, blanking Minnesota 27-0. At 5-0, the Wildcats look as if they’re ready to fulfill the hype they got a couple seasons too early. Meanwhile, surprising Iowa has also moved to 5-0 after a big road win at Wisconsin, setting up the Hawkeyes and Wildcats for a very interesting division clash the next two months.

With conference play fully underway, Week Six looks to deliver even more excitement, along with a few potential knockout blows to would-be contenders. USC needs to demonstrate its lofty preseason ranking wasn’t all hype when it hosts Washington on Thursday night. Newly ranked Iowa figures to get a challenge from quietly 4-1 Illinois, while Oklahoma and Texas meet in the often-unpredictable Red River Shootout in Dallas.

Baylor travels to Kansas in a contest that might see the Bears put up the most points anyone will score this season. That game could get really ugly. Penn State and Indiana, both 4-1, will square off in Happy Valley. Clemson has a scary hangover game with Georgia Tech’s option, while Georgia meets Tennessee in a desperation match for the SEC East rivals.

In the midday slate, there’s a big one in the Big Ten: Northwestern at Michigan, with the 5-0 Wildcats taking on the 4-1 Wolverines. I wouldn’t be shocked to see UM pull that game out. Florida is at Missouri in a potential letdown game for the Gators and in the nightcap, surprisingly undefeated Cal and Utah teams get set for a showdown in Salt Lake City. This week is going to be fun.

Playoff Poll

It’s gotten very difficult to separate the teams at the top of the list, as presumptive favorites Michigan State, Ohio State and TCU have struggled tremendously to this point. Alabama, Ole Miss and USC have already lost. Most schools have yet to play an opponent of their own caliber.

First Tier

Ohio State

Michigan State

TCU

Utah

The Spartans and Horned Frogs return, proving that sometimes it is just survival that matters. Utah maintains its position for now, facing a big test against Cal’s passing attack this week.

Second Tier

Alabama

Clemson

Baylor

The Bears and Tigers move up thanks to losses above them. Neither has been that impressive, but at least Clemson has played a couple teams with a pulse.

Third Tier

Oklahoma

Ole Miss

Florida State

The Sooners have gone under the radar but should be 6-0 after this week. Ole Miss took one on the chin, but still has the all-important ‘Bama win to its credit. I don’t trust Florida yet.

Pac-12 Report

Well, well. Welcome back, Arizona State. The Sun Devils crushed UCLA in Pasadena, showing that perhaps all that offseason hype had some substance behind it. In the process, ASU saved its season and might have given the South a whole new look. I was never sold on UCLA, but the Sun Devils were desperate.

Stanford is the clear North favorite after dominating Arizona, though Cal could still play a major role. The Golden Bears moved to 5-0 after escaping Washington State, though the Cougars could have easily won the game. Cal will have improve its pass defense to truly contend. Oregon beat Colorado in the final game of the weekend after a weather delay; the Ducks have some serious issues at quarterback to fix but still have the talent to potentially win the division.

This week figures to be more interesting, starting with the Thursday night Washington – USC tilt. The Trojans haven’t lived up to expectations yet and need to beat the Huskies impressively, which I think they will.

Oregon State is at Arizona for an interesting contest. The Wildcats are a better team, but are coming off a rough two weeks and have to deal with QB Anu Solomon’s health issues. The Beavers just got a bye. ‘Zona should still win, but OSU could make a game of it.

Oregon is favored by 17 at home against Washington State, which seems far too high given the Ducks’ awful secondary and Wazzu’s propensity to air it out. UO is a better team, but hasn’t looked like it to this point, which makes this a scary matchup.

Colorado and ASU are both 3-2, though the Buffaloes do appear to still be a year away from competing in the South. ASU was a huge disappointment until last week’s UCLA upset, so perhaps the Sun Devils have gotten things back on track. Or perhaps it was a fluke and CU will triumph in Tempe.

Finally, there’s Cal at Utah, a matchup that ought to tell us a lot about both teams. I tend to think the Bears are in a little over their heads here; the hot start could have easily included losses to WSU and Texas, and the defense has looked as porous as usual. However, it’s also quite possible the Utes got a perfect storm against Oregon – they certainly didn’t look dominant over the first few games – and are more of a top-15 squad than a top-5 outfit. Utah should win this game, but we’ll have to see how the defense fares.

Random Thoughts and Observations

I don’t want to hear how Clemson “turned a corner” versus Notre Dame. But for a failed two-point conversion, this would have been the Clemsoniest Clemsoning of them all. The Tigers were at home, up three scores in the second half, against a team with a freshman QB and a host of other injuries. The Fighting Irish had four turnovers and a massive yardage edge. How exactly was this an impressive win? Clemson is good enough to win the ACC and maybe even go undefeated, but there’s no chance this team is title-worthy.

2015 Stanzi Awards

It was a quiet week for the prestigious Stanzi, with a mere four QB’s taking home weekly awards. Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph moved into the multiple winner category, while two more SEC passers announced their intentions to be crowned the worst QB in the land.

Week Five Awards

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

Opponent: Kansas State

Performance: One INT, one FUM, won by two

Philip Ely, Toledo

Opponent: Ball State

Performance: Two INT, won by 14

Johnny McCrary, Vanderbilt

Opponent: Middle Tennessee

Performance: Two INT, won by four

Patrick Towles, Kentucky

Opponent: Eastern Kentucky

Performance: Two INT, won by seven

2015 Standings

Jeremy Johnson, Auburn: 2

Mitch Leidner, Minnesota: 2

Clayton Thorson, Northwestern: 2

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State: 2

Hayden Moore, Cincinnati: 1

Johnny McCrary, Vanderbilt: 1

Josh Rosen, UCLA: 1

Patrick Towles, Kentucky: 1

Dane Evans, Tulsa: 1

Chad Kelly, Ole Miss: 1

P.J. Walker, Temple: 1

Matt Johns, Virginia: 1

Matt Linehan, Idaho: 1

Chris Laviano, Rutgers: 1

Jaquez Johnson, Florida Atlantic: 1

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: 1

Chase Litton, Marshall: 1

Deshaun Watson, Clemson: 1

Cody Clements, South Alabama: 1

Kendall Hinton, Wake Forest: 1

Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech: 1

Max Wittek: Hawai’i: 1

Maty Mauk: Missouri: 1

Michael Birdsong, Marshall: 1

Tanner Mangum, BYU: 1

Thomas Sirk, Duke: 1

Philip Ely, Toledo: 1

It’s been a lovely, wild season so far. Who knows what the next week will bring? Can one of the Big Ten’s titans be toppled? What about the Big 12’s? It’s going to be a fascinating October.