Week 7 has come and gone and we are starting to get a clear picture of who are the pretenders and who are the contenders. Numerous teams survived upset bids but Iowa was not one of them. We saw Alabama bounce back and have a strong performance and now we are off to week 8!
Superman’s time to shine! – Caleb Williams is the real deal for Oklahoma. The freshman quarterback was phenomenal in his first start for the Sooners. Williams completed 18 of 23 passes for 295 yards and four touchdowns. He added an additional 66 yards on the ground and another touchdown. Some analysts speculated TCU could be a potential upset and the Horned Frogs kept the game close for a good portion of the game. TCU only trailed by 10 at halftime but they were never able to get within one score. Williams debut helped solidify his spot as the Oklahoma starting quarterback. If Williams continues to progress and improve, the Sooners have a legitimate shot to make the College Football Playoff.
David Bell Hunts Hawkeyes – Iowa fans will be praying David Bell declares for the NFL draft after this season. Bell totaled 240 yards and a touchdown on Saturday as Purdue beat Iowa by a score of 24-7. Against Iowa, Bell has totaled 37 receptions for 558 yards and five touchdowns. Iowa struggled to contain Bell and also failed to consistently move the ball. The Hawkeyes finished with only 271 yards yesterday while averaging an atrocious 2.5 yards per carry. Iowa had leaned on their defense to force turnovers and stop opposing offenses but they failed to accomplish either yesterday. Kirk Ferentz team still has a good chance to make the Big Ten Championship but the odds of making the playoffs have diminished.
Does Georgia Even Need Offense? – The Bulldogs allowed 13 points to Kentucky on Saturday and that tied the most points scored on the Georgia defense so far this season. The Georgia offense does not scare many teams. The Bulldogs have a great stable of running backs but Stetson Bennett does not mean the definition of game changer. The Bulldogs do not need a stellar offense because their defense is only allowing 6.5 points per game. Opposing teams have a total of five touchdowns thus far. Georgia’s defense may not face a true challenge until the SEC title game presumably against Alabama.
Can Cincinnati Make The Playoff? – UCF visited Cincinnati and the game was over before the first half ended. Cincinnati has been impressive this year and the circumstances could be setting up to give the Bearcats a shot at the playoff. The Bearcats beat Notre Dame on the road which will be their marque win they will hang their hat upon. Cincinnati will face SMU in late November which should give them another chance at a win against a ranked opponent. The ACC is relying on Wake Forest, Pitt or NC State to win out in which one of the schools would have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. The Pac-12 needs Oregon to win out as every other school already has two losses. The Big Ten East should cannibalize themselves to resolve one spot in the playoffs. The SEC could be in line for one or two spots depending on how Georgia finishes the season. Cincinnati could be in the right position to make the playoffs.
Clemson is bad, and I Have No Clue Why – Clemson has been a model program for the last decade. The Tigers have won national titles and have been able to retain staff year in and year out. Dabo Swinney continues to recruit at a high level but somehow they are not a good football team this year. DJ Uiagalelei is averaging 162 passing yards per game this season which ranks 92nd in the country. Clemson ranks 115th in total offense which puts them one spot ahead of the Kansas Jayhawks. The Tigers still have a chance to win the ACC and certainly have the talent to win the conference but until we have results on the field, I will not be buying stock in Clemson this season.
The Walk-On Redshirts 