WEEK 6 - GAMES WITH A POSSIBLE PLAYOFF PUNCH

[Jon Joseph]

Put those webbed feet up Puddles, take a break. Sitting on the porch this weekend you could be moving on up? And not be behind the 8 ball?

 

Using the AP week 5 rankings and all game times eastern.

 

Heading into week 6, 4 B1G teams remained undefeated. And 5 B1G teams are ranked in the AP top 12.

 

Michigan is playing with a verve not recently seen under Jim Harbaugh. Hats off to Harbaugh for making assistant coaching changes for the better. Including saying goodbye to long time DC, Don Brown.  Don is now the DC at Arizona. This Saturday Michigan is at an improving Nebraska team. A Cornhuskers team that gave Oklahoma all it couth handle in Norman.

 

Michigan State. The poaching of Mel Tucker from CU is paying off in year two. Mel has masterfully worked the transfer portal. This Saturday, Sparty heads to Rutgers. Another B1G team revitalized with the return of HC Greg Schiano.

 

Ohio State as Ducks fans well know has 1L. But the folks in Vegas still have the Buckeyes as odds on favorites to win the B1G title and advance to the playoff (PO.) This week the Bucks play a Maryland team that was destroyed by Iowa in its last outing.

 

But the Big Game in the B1G this week is #4 Penn State at #3, -2.5, Iowa. Iowa wins and it has a great opportunity to run the table up to the B1G Champ game. Penn State wins and it still faces games versus Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. Game time is at 4 on FX1. (BIG FOX has baseball to cover. GO Red Sox!)

 

At this point in the season I think it is safe to say that the B1G E is the best division in CFB.

 

Now, let's turn our attention to the Red River Rivalry. 2 teams off to the SEC square off for B12 supremacy when #6 Oklahoma - -3.5-  tees it up against #21 Texas. Texas did get gob-smacked at Arkansas. But in that game Sark made a change at QB that has paid off for the Longhorns. Last Saturday, unlike some folks we know, Texas defeated its B12 nemesis in Fort Worth. Won a hard fought game in front of a sold out stadium of hostile Horned Frogs fans and not in a stadium with nerd quarantine in effect.

 

The best player in this game this will not be Spencer Rattler, the OK QB from Arizona, but TX RB Bijan Robinson form Arizona. Ducks fans should be cheering on the Longhorns. A 1L Pac-12 champ Oregon will have a resume every bit as good as a 1L B12 champ Oklahoma or Texas.

 

Noon on ABC. And Game Day is coming to the city.

 

It's the PO, a/k/a the ESPN/SEC Invitational. so you cannot overlook the SEC.

 

#1 Alabama -17.5,  is at NR Texas A+M. One of the most anticipated games preseason has gone south as Jimbo's pay has gone north.  8 on CBS.

 

#2 Georgia -14 at #18 Auburn. The South's oldest rivalry will be played in front of War Eagle on The Plains. UGA QB Daniels has not been able to throw in practice this week. Bryan Harsin has to date, really come through at Auburn. Auburn was in the game in front of a White Out crowd at Penn St to the very end. And if Bo Nix can go Johnny Football like he did last week at LSU?

 

FWIW, I'm down with Auburn +14. 3:30 CBS.

 

Off radar but closer to home.

 

#22 ASU -10 vs NR Stanford. The Sun Devils shot itself in the pitch fork at #10 BYU. Nevertheless, from a PO point of view, this was a good loss. I doubt that the Cardinal will be ale to travel with the same refs who last week committed larceny on The Farm? Friday, 10:30 on ESPN.

 

NR Oregon State -3.5 at NR Washington State. The WAZZU D shut down a CAL team that put up 32 points on the Horned Frogs at TCU. Washington State has had a 4th quarter lead in every game it has lost this season.

 

Come on Beavers!  Win this game and perhaps make it into the top 25? Keep on keeping on Smitty's and the 11/20 game vs ASU in Corvallis could be huge. as could the "Civil War" game in Eugene.

 

Game time is 4 on the Pac-12 Network.

 

Lots of ball left to be played. The Ducks is still in Playoff contention. A little help from ASU and Oregon State could really help the PO cause.

[oregon112]

Nice investigation.  This is the year of chaos.  Oklahoma needs to go down, or they will win every game by a field goal.  Texas looks pretty good.

 

I was thinking that the better teams are better, but except for bama/Ga, all the lesser teams can play with the better teams - there are that many decent players out there that all teams can compete.  And with the transfer portal, even teams like the beavs can compete. 

 

I think if the Ducks get it together, the other teams will eat each other alive.  Ducks could still go to playoffs this year.   

[Charles Fischer]

Great stuff Jon!

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/7/2021 at 10:22 AM, Charles Fischer said:

Great stuff Jon!

 

Thank you Charles. 

 

Can't quibble with Oregon 112's comment. More top 25 teams have lost to unranked opponents this season than CFB has seen since the 1980s. 

 

COVID aftershock? 

 

But the Tide never seems to go out?

 

I looked up the definition of 'nemesis' and a head shot of David Shaw popped up.

[Jon Joseph]

FYI. 2nd year Michigan State coach, Mel Tucker, has Sparty at 5-0. 

 

12 starters for this MI ST team came out of the portal. 

 

NFL teams have split scouts. One group looks at college guys and the other evaluates players heading into free agency and those with trade potential.

 

Recruiting still very much matters. But someone best be keeping an eye on the portal.

[Charles Fischer]

On 10/7/2021 at 9:30 AM, Jon Joseph said:

FYI. 2nd year Michigan State coach, Mel Tucker, has Sparty at 5-0. 

 

12 starters for this MI ST team came out of the portal. 

 

Good information Jon, and boy--nobody saw that coming. 

[Jon Joseph]

OK, raise your hand if you were alive in 1962? Unfortunately, my hand is up.

 

1962 - Wisconsin vs Minnesota 

 

Before tomorrow's Penn State at Iowa game, that 1962 game was the last time 2 top 10 ranked B1G teams squared off in a game that not involve Michigan or Ohio State!

 

BTW, James Franklin is 0-9 in road games vs top 10 teams.

[Charles Fischer]

Great stuff Jon!  (and yeah...my hand is up too!)