Week 8
OVERVIEW
October 23, 2015
Joe Broback
A UNIQUE JOURNEY TO STARDOM
When a quarterback hears he’s being moved to wide receiver, it usually means he won’t throw a ball unless it’s for a trick play. Trevone Boykin got that message the summer of 2013. Starter Casey Pachall returned from a suspension for drugs and would be taking the reins while Boykin doubled as receiver and backup quarterback. Pachall struggled and Boykin play both position frequently and the Frogs finished the season 4-8 (2-7 in the Big 12).
Head Coach Gary Patterson went on the hot seat immediately after the season and many wondered if the move from the Mountain West to the Big 12 was a smart decision. Boykin was wondering if he would get a chance to start. With transfers (Kenny Hill and Matt Joeckl from Texas A&M) and new recruits coming in, Boykin was motivated to prove himself. 2014 was an important year for Boykin and Patterson because one bad year from either of them meant Patterson would be let go and Boykin would never play quarterback again. Patterson’s teams have been known more as defensive-minded teams with the offense putting up enough points to win. In 2014, the offense did more than enough to win behind Boykin’s 3901 yards passing with 33 touchdowns passing and 707 yards rushing with 8 more scores. TCU’s only loss was to Baylor last year and it was hardly the offenses’ fault. TCU scored 58 points and lost due to a furious 21 point comeback by the Bears, and proved the offense wasn’t the issue.
That one loss ended up hurting Frogs as they were snubbed from the playoff in favor of eventual champion Ohio State. This adversity motivated TCU for their bowl game against an unsuspecting Ole Miss team. Boykin had a rough game throwing three interceptions, but at that point his leadership helped his team dominate that game from start to finish. Patterson was off the seat quickly during the season, and people talked about how great of a coach he is and what jobs he could be leaving TCU for. He knows Boykin is a big part of the revival in Fort Worth. This year, people are doubting the other side of the ball. Make no mistake, Boykin has their back and will put up points. Patterson prides himself on having an elite defense, and if Boykin and the offense can keep up the pace, the defense will follow suit. Nevertheless, Boykin’s journey has been a winding path, but he leads his team towards the playoff. The doubt that he came in to last year has been silenced, and those same people are now raving about their Heisman candidate.
The offense has carried the team and Boykin is putting up monster numbers and has Fort Worth buzzing since the bowl game. The scene on campus hasn’t been felt since the frogs were in the Mountain West. Now their team and star has a chance to make history, but the defense needs to pull their own weight. Boykin brought a team from the cellar of the Big 12 and will do anything to get his team to the top of the country.
Too bad he can’t play both ways.
Group of Five Playoff
*all rankings relative to this section
The top eight teams looks a little different this week with a stunning win by Memphis and Utah State (over Boise State). The Broncos went from third to out of the rankings completely, and Cincinnati joined them after the Bearcats fell to BYU. New to the top eight this week are three teams: Western Kentucky, Marshall, and Bowling Green. The fight for these four spots (figuratively) is just as intense as the College Football Playoff, and it will only heat up more in the next two months.
Four In:
#1 Memphis Tigers (6-0)----Memphis commanded the top spot in these rankings by stunning Ole Miss at home 37-24. The Tigers’ defense finally showed it can make timely stops, and combining that with an efficient offense, Memphis deserves the top spot. Paxton Lynch is showing why NFL scouts are loving his arm, and his composure has improved greatly. Down 14-0, Lynch helped his team score 31 unanswered points against the Rebels.
#2 Toledo Rockets (6-0)----Maybe the Rockets’ offense was tired of hearing how the defense was carrying the team. Maybe the defense needed a break. Either way, the Rockets were impressive in a blowout win over Eastern Michigan. Phillip Ely threw for 327 yards and 4 scores to lead Toledo to a 6-0 record (first time since 1997). UMass awaits this week but the real test comes after that when Northern Illinois comes to town. Toledo’s defense is one of the best, but the next team below might be just above them.
#3 Temple Owls (6-0)----Temple struggled to pull away from UCF, but figured out how to in the fourth quarter. The Owls are going to rely on their defense to beat teams, and their offense will put up just enough points to win. That combination may come back to haunt them in the coming weeks. The Owls only give up under 15 points a game, but they will be tested against East Carolina and Notre Dame in the next two weeks.
#4 Houston Cougars (6-0)----Even if the Cougars were struggling to win games this year, Tom Herman’s value as a playcaller would still be evident. Ohio State has struggled mightily without Herman, but Houston has excelled. Herman elevated an offense averaging just under 30 points a game to averaging 45 ppg (11th in the nation). Herman’s name will pop up on rumor boards for job openings, but right now the Cougars are just happy he’s with them.
Four Out:
#5 BYU Cougars (5-2)----The Cougars gave Cincinnati their third loss of the season, while keeping their New Year’s Bowl hopes alive. The two losses hurt, but those losses were to two Power 5 teams (UCLA and Michigan). Tanner Mangum has kept the offensive production steady in place of injured Taysom Hill, and the defense is forcing turnovers to give the ball back to the offense. BYU can compete with any of the top four teams, and one loss by any of these teams will have them replaced by the Cougars.
#6 Western Kentucky (6-1)----Welcome to the Brandon Doughty show which is supported by everyone else on the team. Doughty is the iconic figure on campus for the Hilltoppers (the senior has already thrown for 2709 yards and 24 touchdowns). Western Kentucky will go as far as Doughty takes them, but a loss seems imminent this week against LSU. Either way, the Hilltoppers are on a crash course with Marshall to end the season (sound familiar?).
#7 Marshall Thundering Herd (6-1)----Before the season, this team was left for dead without Rakeem Cato and Tommy Shuler. The Herd has moved on from both and shown they can still play quality football. Marshall started off the year with a win over Purdue thanks to three forced turnovers (2 INT’s for touchdowns) by Tiquan Lang to launch the 2015 campaign. Since then, the Herd have quietly amassed a 6-1 record thanks to a defense ranked 19th in points against at 17.4 per game. Last year, Cato and Shuler carried the team, but this year’s team is relying on balance to win.
#8 Bowling Green Falcons (5-2)----The Falcons offense, led by QB Matt Johnson, is leading the nation in passing yards and is tied for 15th in scoring offense. The reason why they have two losses is because their defense can’t stop anyone (ranked 100th in scoring defense). Tennessee and Memphis, the opponents in the two losses, scored 103 points on the Falcons. Bowling Green has two tough tests left on their schedule, and they better hope Johnson and the offense can put up numbers the other teams can’t match.
Other notables:
Georgia Southern (5-1), Navy Midshipmen (4-1), Ohio (5-2), Utah State Aggies (4-2)
CFP PLAYOFF TEAMS
These four will fluctuate every week because it’s so hard to determine who is deserving and who isn’t. Some teams have made it easy to put in (Baylor) while others cut it close (TCU) and some make it hard to justify they are elite (Ohio State). While the Buckeyes bounced back this week after playing very mediocre football for a month and a half, they still have a long ways to go to get in the playoff. The SEC may play itself out of playoff contention with teams losing and then beating undefeated teams (Alabama). Will one team from that conference finally prove it is the best and make the playoff? The best bets are LSU and Bama, so only time will tell.
Teams in the playoff:
#1 Baylor Bears (6-0)----There isn’t a team in the Big 12 that can stop the Bears. The offense showed it can put up points whenever it wants, and no team has figured out a way to stop them or slow them down. The Bears remaining schedule includes one team in the top 25 in scoring defense (Oklahoma at 24th), but includes Iowa State (t-95th), Kansas State (87th), Oklahoma State (t-31st), TCU (69th), and Texas (103rd). Given the Bears are averaging almost 64 points per game (that’s almost 14 more per game than the next team), it will be tough for any team to keep them under 40.
#2 TCU Horned Frogs (7-0)----TCU’s offense is the aforementioned second place scoring offense team at 50.1 points per game. The Frogs defense is giving up 26 points per game. If you take away the games against two struggling teams Stephen F. Austin and Texas, those numbers go to 46 per game for the offense and 34 per game against the defense. TCU will not make the playoff this year if they continue this trend. Minus Kansas (120th in scoring offense), the Frogs still have to play teams that can put up points quickly in West Virginia (30th ), Oklahoma State (20th), Oklahoma (13th), and Baylor (1st). That’s not a schedule you want to have with a struggling defense.
#3 Utah Utes (6-0)----For as much credit as the Utes’ defense gets, the offense doesn’t get nearly enough credit. With Travis Wilson and Devontae Booker in the backfield, the Utes cause problems for defenses. Booker is a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy and third year starter Wilson makes timely throws to take pressure off Booker. The defense showed what it’s capable of under the spotlight by picking off Cal QB Jared Goff 5 times and holding the Bears to 24 points.
#4 Clemson Tigers (6-0)----Clemson may be the most underrated team in the nation this year, and they went relatively unnoticed until the game against Notre Dame. The Tigers have vaulted their names into the playoff conversation, but they know the game against Florida State will ultimately decide their fate. The loss of WR Mike Williams hurt, but Clemson’s depth and talent has picked up the slack on offense.
Teams on the outside looking in:
LSU Tigers (6-0)----The Tigers added to their resume by beating the Gators who were without their starting quarterback. Leonard Fournette again had a spectacular performance, and Brandon Harris showed he can take pressure off Fournette. For the first time this season, Harris threw the ball effectively and made timely throws to help the Tigers. Les Miles gave the SEC something to think about by pulling off another trick play at a crucial point in the game.
Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1)----It seems pretty cliché to say watch out for the Tide, but anyone who ignores those warnings is foolish. The Tide rolled over Texas A&M. Bama is making things difficult for everyone in the SEC by giving teams their first loss. Is LSU next in two weeks?
Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0)----Welcome to the season Ohio State. The Buckeyes finally looked like the favorite in a game against Penn State. J.T. Barrett has been named the starter (for now) with the struggles of former starter Cardale Jones. The Buckeyes have looked like a completely different team with Barrett at the helm, but we will see if that makes a difference.
Michigan State Spartans (7-0)----The Spartans can thank the football gods for the win this week. One play gave them the win (a botched punt by Michigan). Michigan State is lucky to be undefeated, but should still be undefeated when they play Ohio State in late November.
GAMES OF THE WEEK/PICKEM
*all rankings are based on AP Poll
Overall Record: 16-12 Last week: 3-1
#6 Clemson at Miami
Another prime example of a game that had so much promise to begin the season but fell off because of one team. Miami has been on a roller coaster this season, and Clemson has been solid. Clemson’s defense is the rock of the team as the 10th best defense in the nation. Miami will look to pass the ball with sophomore QB Brad Kaaya and their 19th rated pass offense. The only problem is they will have to throw against the 12th best passing defense, which means they may have to resort to the run. Considering Miami only averages 136 yards per game on the ground, Kaaya will be unloading passes quite frequently. The Hurricanes gave Florida State’s defense a test, but Clemson’s is a whole different animal to tame.
My pick: Clemson 38 Miami 21
#9 Florida State at Georgia Tech
Remember when Georgia Tech was supposed to win the ACC Coastal Division? Now they’re sitting last and haven’t won a conference game. Make no mistake, the Yellow Jackets can still play and compete with anyone. The triple option gave Florida State fits last season in the ACC Championship Game. Yellow Jackets QB Justin Thomas has struggled this year, but he can help turn the season around with a win over the Seminoles. Florida State has struggled offensively, but seemed to get most of the kinks out lately. Jimbo Fisher knows not to look ahead to their rival, Clemson, so the Seminoles will be focused on Georgia Tech.
My pick: Florida State 42 Georgia Tech 28
#3 Utah at USC
Just like the first game, this one had promise, then USC had a free fall into disaster. The Trojans lost their head coach and have lost three of their last four games. Utah doesn’t feel one bit sorry for them and are looking to dominate this game at the Coliseum. Plan for a healthy dose of Devontae Booker against the 66th ranked Trojan rush defense. If Cody Kessler can figure out how to beat the Utah defense, the turmoil will slow down, but the Trojans have dug too big of a hole.
My pick: Utah 34 USC 14
#15 Texas A&M at #24 Ole Miss
Both teams are coming off frustrating losses. Both got upset (technically for A&M) and are looking to bounce back. Ole Miss may be without two way star Robert Nkemdiche with a concussion, and that may cause problems with the Aggies’ athletes on the field. Kyle Allen looks to recover from a three pick-six performance against Alabama. The Rebels come back home for this contest, which should help their cause. All-American Laremy Tunsil returns this week to face Aggies DE Myles Garrett, and he will need to shake off the rust quickly. If Nkemdiche plays, Ole Miss will be ready, but if he’s out, this game could get ugly. Assuming Nkemdiche is back and adding more confusion to an already messy SEC, the Rebels will bounce back in a big way.
My pick: UPSET SPECIAL: Ole Miss 42 Texas A&M
