The Houston Dream Dies

National Overview

It was an entertaining, if predictable, Week Six. The powers did mostly as expected, with each team in the top five picking up a blowout win. Houston was the outlier, as the six-ranked Cougars saw their Playoff dreams dashed at Navy. Other than that game, and Miami (FL)'s all-too-familiar flop against Florida State, it was business as usual.

Again, we're left with the question of who can beat Alabama when it counts. The Crimson Tide were as sloppy as they've been in the Saban era on Saturday night, turning the ball over three times, yet they still methodically built a 25-point lead and cruised to a 49-30 victory over a not-bad Arkansas team on the road. What's it going to take to truly challenge Bama?

Staying in that vein, it will be interesting to see what happens when Michigan finally gets to face a real, live football team. I'm not convinced at all that Wisconsin is that good (alleged "quality" wins: LSU and Michigan State), and the Wolverines' schedule over the next month is embarrassingly soft. Fortunately, we've already seen MSU and Iowa exposed, so UM's trips to those opponents will provide at least a small amount of clarity on the issue.

Contrast Michigan's schedule with that of Ohio State's, which is jarringly different despite the teams playing in the same division. The Buckeyes travel to Wisconsin this weekend for a contest that should answer once and for all whether the Badgers (and therefore, the Wolverines) are legit. OSU also draws Nebraska in November, another game that should serve as a legitimacy test for the conference.

While the Big Ten basks in the glow of boasting four top-10 teams - deserved or not - the Big 12 and Pac-12 languish. The leagues got an unexpected infusion of hope this week with Houston's loss opening the door for another major-conference champion in the Playoff, but there's still a long way to go before we get to that point. The Pac-12 was an absolute disaster in the late-night slate, while the Big 12 continues to look like a conference without a direction or clear leader.

In Week Seven, we get started with Clemson hosting a potentially dangerous North Carolina State team, while the Big 12 desperately needs West Virginia to stay undefeated at Texas Tech. The big game in the midday slot is Alabama at cross-division rival Tennessee (should be another Tide win), but keep an eye on some other games at the same time: Western Michigan travels to Akron for a big MAC showdown (don't laugh!); Nebraska is on the road against a potent Indiana squad, and North Carolina - Miami could decide the ACC Coastal.

In the afternoon there's a juicy second-tier SEC West matchup in Ole Miss - Arkansas, followed by Stanford at Notre Dame in the Disappointment Bowl. In primetime we get the huge Big Ten showdown between Ohio State and Wisconsin, but there's also a Pac-12 contest to watch, as Arizona State and Colorado face off in Boulder for a game with far more South implications than anyone would have predicted before this year began.

Playoff Poll

There's a new team in here following Houston's early demise, but it might not be the one you expect. Based on current resume, however, it's the only real choice.

First Tier

Alabama
Ohio State
Clemson
Texas A&M

Bama continues to rule as god-king of the college football universe until further notice. I expect Ohio State to beat Wisconsin by double digits, but the Buckeye's current resume is already better than Michigan's, which didn't include a road game until last week. Clemson has seemingly emerged from its early-season stumbles to take command of the ACC. Texas A&M has beaten five Power Conference teams, including two still ranked, and should have blown out Tennessee.

Second Tier

Michigan
Washington
Tennessee

The Wolverines get the slight nod over the Huskies because Wisconsin is still ranked. Washington's claim to legitimacy is, unfortunately, now based on a blowout of an unranked Stanford team. That doesn't mean much, and the Pac-12's continued struggles could hurt UW as the season goes along. Tennessee appeared to finally get its comeuppance against A&M after stealing wins against Appalachian State and Georgia, but I'm keeping them here for one more week, because a stunning upset of Alabama would completely turn on the tables on this season yet again.

Third Tier

Louisville
Wisconsin
Florida

The Cardinals are in a tough spot, as they need Clemson to lose twice to have any chance at the ACC title and thus a spot in the Playoff. Wisconsin seems like an unlikely candidate at this point, but perhaps the Badgers will surprise me against Ohio State. Florida is a sleeper to keep an eye on; with Tennessee potentially losing its second league game to Alabama this week, the door would be open for the Gators to win out (doable) and sneak into the Playoff.

Pac-12 Report

Yikes. Week Six couldn't have gone much worse. Washington fans certainly won't think so, which is fair; snapping a 12-year losing streak to your hated rival will do that. But the results this week portend some long-term ramifications for the conference that aren't pretty.

For starters, there's the obvious problem of having the team Washington just beat lose again, in significantly worse fashion. The score was closer against Washington State, but a closer look at the two contests shows that not only were the games remarkably similar, but that Stanford has more to answer for against Wazzu.

Stanford was at home in this game. The Cardinal had an extra day off. WSU was unranked. The Cougars put up six touchdowns (to Washington's five) and actually allowed just three legitimate points to the Stanford offense, as one Cardinal TD came on a pick-six and the other was against WSU's backups as time expired (more on that later). It's one thing to lose the time of possession battle to UW, but to Wazzu? Ugh.

Colorado sadly came up a little short against USC, opening the door for a lot of crazy stuff to happen in the South, but the result proved that the Buffaloes really can compete with the talent around the conference. Utah flexed its muscle in a comeback win over Arizona that looked ugly early, and the Utes have to be considered the front-runner in the South at this point. However, that doesn't mean much with how poor the rest of the conference looks.

It was fun for Oregon State to get a Pac-12 win over Cal, but the game was shamefully devoid of any defense and will hurt the league. Likewise, Arizona State got an important win over UCLA, but the rash of injuries and sloppiness from the Bruins suggest the better team lost. The conference is beating up on itself, but not in an impressive way. No viewers who turned in late at night from around the country will be convinced this is a great league.

Which brings us to Washington, and the current state of the Pac-12 in terms of Playoff worthiness. Oregon's defense is dreadful, and the team overall is not very good outside of the skill positions. UW can't help that. But look at the Huskies' schedule. Washington picked a trio of weak non-conference foes, assuming (as most people did) that the Pac-12 season would be a rugged battle of attrition. There should have been no need for an eye-opening victory over a Baylor or a Wisconsin.

Unfortunately, Washington has now completed the first half of its schedule at 6-0 but has no quality wins. Stanford and Oregon were expected to be at least ranked, if not in the top 10 or 15. Neither win means anything at this point. The Huskies do travel to Utah (hovering at the bottom of the rankings) later this month, and it's possible ASU and WSU could be ranked when the Huskies play them in November, but the pickings here are pretty slim. Anything less than a perfect record and the Committee won't hesitate to axe the Huskies in favor of another major-conference champion. I think Washington could go an unprecedented 9-0 in the Pac-12 and fail to play a single top-15 team, which does not bode well for Playoff success.

Oregon, Cal and Washington take this week off, which leaves us with a funky blend of divisional games, cross-division showdowns and one non-conference matchup. After every team in the league played a division rival in Week Six, it's a little underwhelming.

USC heads to Arizona in the first game of the day, looking to send the Wildcats to 0-4 and essentially end all hope of a bowl in Tucson. The Trojans should win after seeming to figure some things out defensively against Colorado, but Zona's option presents a different kind of challenge, so don't count the Cats out. SC's history means it does not deserve the benefit of trust in this situation.

From there we head to Corvallis, where long-suffering Oregon State will be riding high after ending a 12-game losing streak of its own. The first league win in the Gary Andersen era will likely be greeted with a dose of reality from Utah, however, as the Utes look to solidify their hold on the South division. Now, OSU may have found a magic formula on offense, but it's more likely Cal's D is just really bad. Utah, on the other hand, has a good defense, and will win as long as quarterback Troy Williams stays away from the turnovers that have plagued him.

In the afternoon Stanford heads to South Bend to take on Notre Dame in a series that has been excellent the past few years but will be underwhelming in 2016. The teams have combined for five wins and six losses already after both started the season ranked in the top 10, while the respective offenses have ground to a plodding halt. It's hard to imagine we'll see much scoring here, and the Cardinal have a proud history of embarrassing the conference in these games, but we'll see.

Arizona State - Colorado, on the other hand, has a chance to be a real firecracker. We've seen ASU score, but they've yet to play any real defense (other than against a severely hobbled UCLA team). Colorado is quite good offensively, very efficient and deceptively explosive. However, it's the Buffs' D that should carry them to victory here, as CU has quietly built a very respectable unit that ranks in the top 25.

The nightcap is UCLA at Washington State, where the Cougars have a chance to rebound from an 0-2 start to move to 4-2 with a 3-0 conference record. The Bruins remain dangerous, but it's tough to pick them in this game knowing QB Josh Rosen might not play. Wazzu has gotten back on track after those early struggles and is rolling offensively, even on the ground. I like the Cougs to emerge as a real challenger to Washington for North supremacy.

Heisman Watch

It's finally time to talk about the award for the top player in college football, and the conversation at this point in 2016 could not have gone more sideways. Multiple preseason favorites have lost games, been injured, or not lived up to expectations. With half the season (roughly) gone, we have to look at what players have done to this point. Here are our most deserving halfway point nominees:

J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State

Barrett is my current front-runner by a slim margin. He's thrown 15 TD's against three interceptions and added four scores on the ground with a respectable five yards per carry. He doesn't have the explosiveness of some other candidates, but if Ohio State runs the table he'll almost certainly win.

Jake Browning, QB, Washington

I don't know if Browning is really THIS good or if he's been aided by the schedule, but you can't argue with a 23 TD's and just two picks. He leads the nation in passing TD's (and passing efficiency) despite playing in a balanced, non-spread attack, and Washington wouldn't be where it is without him.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

Jackson's 28 total TD's are awesome, and he's a dynamite rusher playing in an offense well-suited to utilize his running skills. His passing is erratic, but most of Louisville's opponents won't be able to captilize on that.

Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

Watson is in some ways a more restrained, more efficient version of Jackson. He should be the front-runner at this point, but there's no denying his play has slipped since last year: Watson has already thrown 7 INT's and has not yet rushed for a score.

Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama

It seems unlikely with a true freshman, but Hurts has thrown just two picks, completed nearly 64 percent of his passes and rushed for five TD's. He's certainly not the reason for Bama's success, but if enough things fall right he could be in New York as the most talented QB of the Saban era.

Random Thoughts and Observations

Stanford was pitiful on offense Saturday night, managing just one field goal for most of the game. The Cardinal pulled running back Christian McCaffrey midway through the third quarter, and though the onetime Heisman candidate didn't look right he also hadn't had any impact on the contest to that point anyway. It was a surprising performance from the Washington State defense, which was not expected to control the game in the same way Washington's D did the previous week.

It's understandable that Stanford would want to get a score late in the game to provide some confidence heading into next week. What isn't respectable - or defensible - is how the Cardinal did it. Using timeouts to prolong a garbage-time drive against an opponent's backups is eyeroll-worthy as it is, but then Stanford made the outrageously bush-league decision to stop the game with one second left, trailing 42-10, in order to throw a TD pass as time expired. It was an awful look, and it won't fool anyone who watched the game and saw the Cardinal get thrashed.

2016 Stanzi Awards

What a weekend! Week Six might go down as the greatest in Stanzi history. Six players garnered individual awards, along with a record three Double Stanzis all in one day. Included in the madness was the best performance we've seen to date this season, as TCU's Kenny Hill turned the ball over four times, only to be outdone by Kansas' Ryan Willis, who did the same, in the Horned Frogs' one-point win. It was a glorious week to behold.

Week Six Awards

Justice Hansen, Arkansas State
Opponent: Georgia Southern
Performance: Two INT, one FUM, won by one

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Opponent: Texas
Performance: Two INT, won by five

Sam Darnold, USC
Opponent: Colorado
Performance: One INT, two FUM, won by four

Bryant Shirreffs, Connecticut
Opponent: Cincinnati
Performance: Two INT, won by 11

David Blough, Purdue
Opponent: Illinois
Performance: Two INT, won by three in overtime

Darrell Garretson, Oregon State
Opponent: California
Performance: Two INT (one for TD), won by three in OT

DOUBLE STANZI ALERT

Trevor Knight, Texas A&M
Opponent: Tennessee
Performance: Two INT, won by seven in double OT

Josh Dobbs, Tennessee
Opponent: Texas A&M
Performance: Two INT, one FUM, lost by seven in double OT

DOUBLE STANZI ALERT

Kenny Hill, TCU
Opponent: Kansas
Performance: Three INT, one FUM, won by one

Ryan Willis, Kansas
Opponent: TCU
Performance: Three INT, one FUM, lost by one

DOUBLE STANZI ALERT

C.J. Beathard, Iowa
Opponent: Minnesota
Performance: Two INT, won by seven

Mitch Leidner, Minnesota
Opponent: Iowa
Performance: Two INT, lost by seven

2016 Standings

Deshaun Watson, Clemson: 2
Trevor Knight, Texas A&M: 2
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: 2
Kenny Hill, TCU: 1
Dallas Davis, South Alabama: 1
Todd Porter, Easter Michigan: 1
Ikaika Woolsey, Hawai'i: 1
Sam Darnold, USC: 1
Troy Williams, Utah: 1
Justice Hansen, Arkansas State: 1
Darrell Gerretson, Oregon State: 1
Tra'von Chapman, Akron: 1
Mitch Leidner, Minnesota: 1
Tyler Rogers, New Mexico State: 1
Alex McGough, Florida International: 1
Ross Trail, Cincinnati: 1
Steven Montez, Colorado: 1
Brett Rypien, Boise State: 1
Nick Mullins, Southern Miss: 1
Bart Houston, Wisconsin: 1
Tyler Jones, Texas State: 1
Ben Hicks, SMU: 1
Bryant Shirreffs, Connecticut: 1
Austin Allen, Arkansas: 1
Josh Dobbs, Tennessee: 1
James Knapke, Bowling Green: 1
David Blough, Purdue: 1
Anthony Jennings, Louisiana-Lafayette: 1
Riley Neal, Ball State: 1


In even more exciting news, we now have three players, all high-profile, sharing the season lead with two Stanzis apiece! Take a bow, Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield and Trevor Knight! With this kind of bounty, who knows what Week Seven holds in store for us?