The Obstructed NCAA Top 5: Week 3
Well, I was way off on my assessment that this week was going to be a "meh" week with the football games. In fact, it was better than last week as we had some great games come down to the wire. We had big surprises, major stunners, and we are starting to see a few things clearer in the world of college football. So let's begin!
TOP 5 WINNERS
1. CLEMSON: The defending-I mean attacking national champions showed why they are still the team to beat in the ACC and in the college football world. The defense, while still stout, many believed was very thin this year with the losses. However, it was proven wrong yesterday as the Tigers pretty much went after Lamar Jackson like most defenses with a stout defensive line had, frustrating the quarterback for most of the game. The Tigers also showed the offense is clicking at this point and with Florida State losing Francois among other things, the Tigers could have a smooth sail directly into the ACC Championship. Again, it is early, but I like how this team has played.
2. MISSISSIPPI STATE: 2014 anybody? The Bulldogs throttled an LSU team on both sides of the ball like I've never seen a team throttle LSU in recent memory (including Alabama). And it just looks like everything is clicking in Starkville for sure. Next week is another big week with a road trip to Georgia. Battle test for both teams here.
3. OKLAHOMA STATE: I wasn't surprised they won. I wasn't surprised they won big. But I was surprised on how they won big. They just looked like men among boys on the Panthers defense, who should have been their strength. But Oklahoma State is going to make plenty of noise before Bedlam and make things interesting in the top 10 for a good while.
4. WISCONSIN: Yeah, BYU looks to be VERY down this year. But winning in Provo 40-6 is nothing to sneeze at, ever. They can run it with the best of them and can play with the best of them. Can an argument be made they could be the Big Ten's best team right now? Penn State would have an argument with it (and rightfully so) but right now you have to figure the Badgers are better than Michigan or Ohio State.
5. VANDERBILT: Not only you win agianst a ranked team out of the conference for the first time in over 70 years but you do it with great defense on a team that is from an offensive-minded conference with a good offense. Derek Mason is showing he is a legit coach and has the pieces to be a defensive force in the SEC. Next week, they stack up with Alabama in a game that may be closer than what many may think.
TOP 5 LOSERS:
1. LOUISVILLE: I don't want to hear how Lamar Jackson still had 300+ yards and 2 TD's in the loss especially since most of it was in junk time as the game was over by that point. Clemson rocked him over and over while he succumbed to a more physical defense than what he's seen so far in this season with North Carolina and Purdue. But to say he is to blame for everything is wrong. That defense Louisville has is horrible. Todd Grantham is down at Mississippi State now and is missed tremendously in Louisville. I said the Cardinals were not going to factor in the ACC Atlantic this year before the season started and last night was a key reason why.
2. LSU: I got into a friendly Twitter debate about LSU's issues last night and it really has carried over from the Les Miles Era to the Ed Orgeron Era: lack of on-field player discipline. It is what has kept the Tigers from being on the same level as the Tide over the last 5 years. And last night it showed tremendously in the 37-7 beatdown of them. Orgeron may have his hands full at Baton Rouge with this. And like in other major programs like LSU, Nebraska, Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, etc. a game like that does not stand with the boosters.
3. TENNESSEE: Speaking of things not being pleasing to the boosters.....oh, Butch Butch Butch. The Volunteers loss to Florida is solely on him. You do not do some of the nonsensical things like Butch did yesterday and expect to win, even when Tennessee did outplay Florida. His decisions to pass on first-and-goal at the 1 was beyond dumb (and got no points from that thanks to an interception). His decision to pass on 3rd and short and in FG territory was dumb as it got them a holding penalty, setting them back and then a sack which gave his kicker no chance to make it. His "saving up" Kelly in key spots and not using him was also mind-boggling. And then whatever that defense was to end the game. To his credit, he took the blame. But here is the thing: enough of the little catch-phrases like "Champions of Life" or "brick by brick." Enough of the dumb garbage can. It is not winning Tennessee more games. And the talent Tennessee has, should be netting SEC Championship appearances, not finishing 4th or 5th in the SEC East (or this year maybe 6th when all is said & done). Fans don't care. Boosters don't care and while the kids may care, they are not the one giving you your paycheck technically. And that paycheck may stop coming in Knoxville soon.
4. KANSAS STATE: While Oklahoma's win over Ohio State restored credibility back to the Big 12 last week, Kansas State knocked some of it back down with the loss against Vanderbilt. Granted, Vandy is not the Vandy of 2014 or 2015....or the pre-Franklin years where Vanderbilt was just putrid. The Commodores are a defensively sound team as it has shown under Mason, but let's face it, even the talent at Kansas State should be greater than the talent at Vanderbilt. And you should not be scoring only 7 points to them, especially when the offense was supposed to be far better this year than at any point than last year. The Wildcats really dropped the ball on this one as I was expecting them to be a sleeper this season not just for the Big 12 but nationally.
5. UCLA: Unless you are an Aggies fan, the 44-10 comeback is now a distant memory. UCLA has been exposed as having a defense that is beyond subpar both against the run and the pass. It showed against Memphis. While there is nothing WRONG losing with Memphis at the Liberty Bowl, UCLA should have won this game. And it also exposes Josh Rosen as a QB who still needs maturation on how he throws the ball. He threw too many junk passes that were intercepted or should have been intercepted. He has to play smarter. And right now Sam Darnold is a cut above him despite his own interception issues (more of it is trying to thread the needle for Darnold by the way, so it is a little different).
TOP 5 QUESTIONS NOBODY WILL ASK:
1. WHO IS THE BEST TEAM IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL TO THIS POINT? Clemson, closely followed by Oklahoma. Alabama is having major struggles right now (more on that in a few) and we haven't seen much in the way of competition with Penn State either. But the Tigers are clicking on all parts of the game right now. Offense, defense, etc. Oklahoma, not far behind. And I wouldn't be bothered if somebody said Oklahoma was the best in the nation because I think it is THAT close between the Tigers and Sooners right now. But it is only Week 3.
2. CAN ALABAMA BE HAD IN THE SEC THIS YEAR? Yes! Mississippi State's dominance of LSU makes me think that November tilt in Starkville is going to be deciding the SEC West winner, not the Iron Bowl. But Bama is having their struggles while the SEC schools named the Bulldogs may have that shot at taking the crown in 2017. For me, next week against Vanderbilt will be a very interesting one for the Tide. If they get off to a slow start and have Vanderbilt take a lead at any point in the 2nd half, more alarms will go off. But let's face it. Alabama's offense is about what you have expected over the year. Pretty good, but not great by any means but it is the defense that is lagging. Injuries to the linebackers and the defensive line is not getting any push to rush the QB which means one of the best secondaries is looking like chump change, to Colorado State. Nothing against Bobo, but this was the same Rams squad who scored only 3 points to the Colorado Buffaloes. So there are problems in Tuscaloosa right now.
3. IS THERE A "BEST CONFERENCE" RIGHT NOW? No. All the conferences right now have had some big wins (Oklahoma over Ohio State, Alabama over Florida State, Clemson over Auburn, Maryland over Texas, etc.) and have had some stinging losses. But I think that's good. there is now some parity among the conferences which is needed and no longer just the SEC or the ACC or the Big Ten. Some argue the Big Ten is kings right now, but took a blow thanks to Nebraska losing to Northern Illinois.
4. IS OKLAHOMA STATE LEGIT? Yes. I think their offense may be better than Oklahoma's but what I still give an advantage to Oklahoma over is the Sooners defense. But Bedlam will be a hotly contested war this year. And maybe the rematch in December....
5. WHICH HEAD COACH IS ON THE HOTTEST SEAT? Kevin Sumlin still. Yeah, the Aggies won their last 2 games since the implosion loss to UCLA but both times the game was close to what we consider cupcakes of Nicholls State and Louisiana-Lafayette. Each time the Aggies got booed off their own field. The conference play is coming in and honestly the Aggies look to be the worst team in the SEC West, which has holes all over right now. But, if you want somebody who is getting a hotter seat than Sumlin it is Mike Riley at Nebraska. Normally I give coaches a 4 year window to turn things around for a program and this is Riley's third. But like places of Alabama, Ohio State, USC, etc. if you aren't winning consistently at Nebraska, you are not a quality head coach. And in this case losing to Northern Illinois is unacceptable for any Cornhusker fan. I'd say if Riley doesn't get to a bowl game this year he is gone.
That's it for this week.
-Fan in the Obstructed Seat
