The slate in week eight doesn’t look great, but you know how it goes with seemingly dull weekends: They provide the upsets which ambush you and leave you muttering, “I KNEW I should have seen it coming,” even though you were merely exercising logic.
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It’s Friday, which means that it’s time for me to give you my thoughts, observations, and things to watch out for this week’s action on the gridiron. Here’s what I’m keeping an eye on this weekend.
- This week’s Clunker of the Week award has to go to the schedule itself. It’s sad that there’s only one game which features two ranked opponents. Perhaps, it’s time that the college football’s governing body should start reading Matt Zemek’s “Ideal College Football Schedule” series. He certainly added some ideas to spice up a relatively dull week 8 docket … even though it does include winless Wagner against BYU.
- I can’t remember a time when the No. 3 team in the country was an underdog against a 3-3 squad.
- Nor do I recall a 3-4 team as a favorite over a ranked 6-1 squad.
- Yet, that’s the beauty of college football: We don’t know whether Team A is truly better than Team B until they settle the issue on the gridiron.
- However, there will be a duel between Heisman Trophy-caliber players this weekend when Western Kentucky faces LSU. While it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that Leonard Fournette will be a finalist, Hilltopper QB Brandon Doughty certainly belongs in that conversation. One of top triggermen in the country, Doughty ranks in the top 10 in virtually every statistical category, including passing yards per game (3rd), passing touchdowns (3rd), yards per attempt (2nd), and completion percentage (1st). It’ll be interesting to see how he fares against a Tiger secondary that’s only allowed its opponents to complete 46% of their passes on third down.
- Of course, that matchup might not materialize due to a fierce Bayou Bengal pass rush which averages 2.83 sacks per game. It’s hard to complete a pass if you’re buried in the grass.
- Be sure to watch Friday night’s Memphis-Tulsa game. The quarterback battle between Paxton Lynch (71% completion rate, 13/1 TD-to-INT ratio) and Dane Evans (354.5 ypg) will be worth the price of admission, and quite possibly the best individual showdown of the season.
- Even with both teams coming off painful losses, Texas A&M-Ole Miss is an important game in the national championship picture. While the Aggies need Alabama to lose in order to win the West, the Rebels will represent the West in the conference championship game if they take care of business the rest of the way.
- The most intriguing position battle in this game is the A&M pass rush against the Mississippi offensive line. The Aggies rank eighth nationally in sacks per game, averaging 3.33 per contest. It’ll be interesting to see how the Rebels — which have allowed eight sacks against ranked opponents this season — rebound from a generally poor performance against Memphis.
- Don’t forget that Ole Miss played these recent contests without the services of Laremy Tunsil, who many NFL scouts believe is the top offensive tackle in football.
- If — and it seems like a big if against Myles Garrett — the Rebels can keep Kelly upright, they have to like their chances to win the contest. Quarterback Chad Kelly has been one of the most effective passers in the nation this season, ranking 11th nationally with 319.1 yards per game. He’s been especially dangerous on first down, completing 67.3% of his passes for 1,104 yards — the fourth highest total in the nation.
- On the other hand, A&M signal caller Kyle Allen has played extremely well away from College Station this year, completing 36 of 54 passes for 556 yards and 4 touchdowns in two neutral-site games this year. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares against a Rebel secondary that’s among the best in the nation again this year, picking off 10 passes in 7 games, including the only pick Paxton Lynch has thrown this season.
- Yes, USC is good enough to beat Utah and shake up week eight. Regardless of what their record says, the Trojans are still one of the most talented teams in the Pac-12. With all of that talent at their disposal, they’re capable of beating anyone — including the Utes, who have the most impressive body of work in college football right now.
- Working in USC’s favor, the last seven Trojan head coaches won their first game in the L.A. Coliseum. Saturday’s tilt is interim coach Clay Helton’s Coliseum debut.
- In addition, Utah hasn’t beaten the Trojans in the Coliseum since 1916 (seven trips to L.A. during that span).
- On the other hand, the Utes are 16-2 in games when they’re ranked in the AP Top 10.
- The key to victory for USC is to avoid turnovers. The Trojans are minus-3 in turnover margin in their last two games, which were both losses. They’ll have to do a better job of protecting the football against the Utah D, which is second in the country with 19 turnovers gained.
- Look for Utah to establish the running game with Devonate Booker (130.5 yards per game) against the Trojan defense, which has allowed 204 yards per game (4.87 ypc) in two games against ranked foes this year.
- Although it hasn’t received much attention, Clemson-Miami will be one of the top games of week eight. If the ‘Canes can keep up with three-time defending conference champion Florida State, there’s no reason to think they can’t give the Tigers a run for their money.
- It’s imperative that Miami run the ball effectively to avoid third and long. As well as quarterback Brad Kaaya has played this year, he’s completing only 37.9% of his passes on third and longer than seven.
- Running the ball against Clemson will be a tall task, as the Tiger D is 11th in the nation in yards per carry, allowing just 2.98 yards per attempt.
- The matchup on the other side of the ball is equally entertaining. It’ll be fun to watch Deshaun Watson — who’s much more talented than his numbers presently show — go up against a Hurricane secondary that’s seventh in the country in interceptions, with 11.
- The upset special for week eight is Texas Tech over Oklahoma. The Red Raiders are the “Rodney Dangerfield” of college football this year, getting absolutely no respect on a national level. However, they’ve already beaten Arkansas this season and nearly upset TCU. Tech will come out fired up to beat the Sooners — something it has done just once in the last five years — behind a stellar effort from its high-octane offense, which ranks third in the nation in scoring and second in passing.
