Slimmest of margins change landscape
Saturday was not for the faint of heart. A dozen ranked teams were involved in games decided by 10 points or less, including six in the top 10: Alabama, Iowa, Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan and BYU. Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Wake Forest found themselves in games decided in the final seconds.
Jimbo Fisher was right. Many scoffed at Fisher for his brash offseason prediction that his Texas A&M team would beat Alabama, but who’s laughing now after the Aggies handed the then-top-ranked Crimson Tide their first loss in 20 games. Texas A&M outplayed the Tide in about every phase, and Fisher becomes the first former Nick Saban assistant to beat his former mentor in 24 straight tries.
Caleb Williams is Oklahoma’s best hope for a playoff run. Oklahoma turned to the Williams to replace a struggling Spencer Rattler and the true freshman quarterback guided the Sooners to a thrilling second-half comeback over Texas in the Red River Showdown. OU’s offense has scuffled through under Rattler, a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, but looked potent under the dual-threat Williams
Iowa has a championship defense and enough offense to contend for a title. Iowa isn’t the sexy pick in the College Football Playoff race but the Hawkeyes have a good enough defense to contend for a national title. Iowa is opportunistic and leads the nation in takeaways (20) including 16 interceptions, which is good news considering the Hawkeyes rank near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in offense (120).
Here comes the Big Ten. With so much made about the strength of the SEC, it’s the Big Ten that enters the halfway point with five teams ranked in the top 10, including Iowa in the top three. Ohio State’s resurgence coupled with Michigan and Michigan State’s stellar start along with a solid Penn State team as the conference positioned to land at least one team in the playoff, if not two.
Ed Orgeron’s seat is heating up at LSU. Orgeron was the toast of the college football world after guiding LSU to a 15-0 mark and a national championship in 2019, but since then the Tigers are 8-8 and facing the harsh reality of finishing last in the SEC West. Another subpar season coupled with off-the-field issues could be enough to force LSU athletics director Scott Woodward to make a move.
The Heisman Trophy is Matt Corral’s to lose. The Ole Miss quarterback has separated himself from a crowded field of contenders after combining for 381 yards and four total touchdowns in leading the Rebels past Arkansas. The junior has combined for 1,752 yards and 20 touchdowns without throwing an interception and remains on track, while others like Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and Georgia J.T. Daniels have struggled.
Cincinnati’s playoff path opens. It couldn’t have worked out better for Cincinnati, who after demolishing Temple Friday to remain undefeated, watched Alabama and Penn State lose, helping the Bearcats climb in the latest rankings. BYU’s loss to Boise State means Cincinnati remains the best hope for a Group of Five team to qualify for one of the playoff semifinals spots.
North Carolina can’t seem to figure out Florida State. For the second straight season, North Carolina entered its game against Florida State as double-digit favorites and once again the Tar Heels came away losers. Jordan Travis combined for 266 yards and five touchdowns in leading the Seminoles to their second straight win over UNC as FSU won back-to-back games for the first time since 2019.
UMass isn’t the worst team in college football. UMass defeated UConn to snap its 16-game losing streak dating back to Sept. 28, 2019. The streak was the longest in college football at the time. Arizona now holds that distinction after its loss to UCLA extended its losing streak to 17. The Wildcats haven’t won since Oct. 5, 2019.