Big Ten Blackout: Iowa and Michigan State pull off upsets
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FINAL THOUGHTS FROM WEEK 10
Iowa pulled off one of the most stunning games ever, and not just because it was an upset. The odds of the Hawkeyes winning this past week were pretty low, but the odds of them blowing out the Buckeyes were almost nonexistent. Someone forgot to tell their players. Upsets are shocking by themselves, but the way that Iowa obliterated Ohio State makes this game one of the most stunning games you will ever watch in college football. The atmosphere was electric, the run game was cruising behind Akrum Wadley, and the defense made life miserable for JT Barrett and the Buckeyes offense.
The Pac-12 is going to get left out of the playoff......or are they? This conference was supposed to be the conference that got left out of the playoff, but it's beginning to look like other conferences have just as many issues. The ACC appears to be find with 8-1 Clemson and 8-0 Miami. The Big 12 has two 8-1 teams in Oklahoma and TCU, but we've seen that anyone can win in that conference. Wisconsin is the only team that is undefeated or doesn't have more than one loss in the Big Ten, but their schedule is less than intimidating. Last, the SEC has two undefeated teams in Alabama and Georgia. At this point, would we see two teams from one conference make it in? It looks like that might be what happens.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Iowa---When you destroy Ohio State, everyone on your team deserves to be players of the week.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Oklahoma's beginning to make a habit of playing one of these games a year. Last year, it was against Texas Tech, and this year it was on the road against the Cowboys. Oklahoma State couldn't find an answer for Baker Mayfield or Marquise Brown. Brown had 265 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday, but the home team still had a chance to tie the game late. Oklahoma State was driving and inside Oklahoma territory, but a Mason Rudolph pass sailed too far on fourth down.
UCF played arguably their worst game of the season, and they still put up 615 yards. That's terrifying. SMU's defense scored a touchdown, but still couldn't get enough stops for their offense. 24 points was never going to be enough against the Knights, but it almost was on Saturday. UCF moves to 8-0 now on the season, and passed their most difficult test until the end of the year.
Miami must have been sick of hearing all of the negativity surrounding their team and ranking, because they took it out on the Hokies. After a few weeks of winning, but struggling to do so, the Hurricanes left no doubt Saturday night. Turnovers were an issue for both teams, but it affected Virginia Tech more. Travis Homer continues to help fans forget that Mark Walton is out for the year, and will need to continue that if they want a shot at the playoff.
Khalil Tate had 161 yards rushing, but it takes more than one player to win a game. Even though the offense didn't look awful, the defense didn't have an answer for Ronald Jones II or USC's offense. Jones finished with 194 yards and three touchdowns, and two of his scores came late in the game. USC did what it could to contain Tate, and even forced three turnovers by the Wildcats quarterback. USC's playoff hopes may not be great, but this was a good win for a team that had been struggling as of late.
