Last Week’s Recap
Most of what I predicted followed through. We saw Alabama finally get exposed and fall to the Tennessee Volunteers in Neyland Stadium 52-49. As a tradition, fans are allowed to storm the field post-game, and they did so by not only joyously celebrating, but deciding to take down one of the goalposts, lift it out of the stadium and throw it in the nearby river. That’s the spirit! But in all seriousness, Tennessee had a dominating first half of football to take the lead 28-7, and even with a resurgence of offense from the Alabama Crimson Tide after the break, Hendon Hooker and company found enough to muster up a tight one-on their turf with Hooker throwing for 385 and 5 touchdowns.
Bryce Young still looked amazing coming off an injury, and I think this will be used as fuel to help the Alabama Crimson Tide propel back up into the rankings. Tennessee still has tough matchups in Kentucky this week, where I think they win, and then Georgia later in the season, which will be their biggest test. Alabama has Ole Miss later in the year, which will also be an interesting match.
Upset City
Lincoln Riley and company were handed their first loss to the Utah Utes by one point last week, which as that Utah defense continually proves to overwhelm offenses on the West Coast, helped them take down USC and almost beat 9th-ranked UCLA the week before that. The big discussion, and the team everyone seems to overlook, is the TCU Horned Frogs out in Fort Worth Texas. This team is hot! One reporter said when commenting on the Frogs mascot that when the Frog gets mad enough it shoots blood from its eyes. And man do they carve up defenses.
Last week, they battled formerly 8th-ranked Oklahoma State, where they rattled the Texas product Spencer Sanders forcing a crucial interception late in the fourth to help them rally. In overtime, Max Duggan completed a great throw to his go-to star receiver Quentin Johnson, and once again, they stay undefeated. With their current schedule ahead, facing Kansas State led by Adrian Martinez, I think they win against another ranked opponent and keep climbing. And Max Duggan is a story in itself. A senior who originally lost his starting job going into the season with new coach Sonny Dykes, has now thrown 16 touchdowns in his five starts since taking back over after Chandler Morris sprained his left knee in the season opener. He not only has an arm but an ability to run out of the pocket frequently and stay mobile for the offense in which I believe he stands as a Heisman contender. With TCU now ranked 8th, their highest ranking since 2017, watch those Horned Frogs sneak their way up a few more spots in the following weeks.
Who’s the Head of the Pack?
When we actually talk Heisman runner-ups, put respect on CJ Stroud’s name. He’s currently leading in the throwing department for 24 touchdowns paired with over 1,700 yards and has the highest QBR in college football with a 94.4 rating. My question is, have the Buckeyes faced any difficult opponents? Notre Dame being your hardest match may not be a solid enough resume to win the college football playoff.
Am I knocking them? Absolutely not; I just want to see how they match up with Georgia, Michigan, Clemson, Tennessee, Alabama, and teams of that caliber. I’ll conclude for now that Georgia looks like they’re on the path to repeat. With a beat down on Oregon 49-3 to start the season, along with other games that were nowhere near close for the opposing teams, if they win versus Tennessee on November 5th that will only make my take more concrete.
