Moving the Chains: Takeaways from College Football Week 10

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I received this from a fan whom I’ll call ‘Jeff’ because that’s how he ended his note:

‘Please let Scott Ludwig know we have another football team in this state.

 Although we are not having a very good season.’

I assume, ‘Jeff,’ that you’re referring to Georgia Tech.  So I’ll say two nice things about the Yellow Jackets who, or so I’m told, once fielded fairly decent football teams:  (1) they scored 32 touchdowns in a game that was nearly as bloody as World War I which was about the time it was played, and (2) in 1990 they shared a National Championship with Colorado because – well, because nobody else would.  (The Buffs were given a highly controversial ‘fifth down’ by the officials that allowed them to beat Missouri and remain undefeated.  Look it up.)

I’m kidding, ’Jeff.’  But since you brought it up: Louisville – 44, Georgia Tech – 17.  The Yellow Jackets are now 2 – 7 and firmly entrenched in last place in the ACC. 

You’re welcome, ‘Jeff.’ 

Every Top Ten team in action (with the exception of #4 Indiana, who was idle, and #8 UCLA, who played unranked Minnesota) faced a ranked opponent in a weekend that was sure to shake up the polls and serve as playoff elimination games for some of the losing teams.     

For the first time in the history of the Holy War, Utah and BYU were both ranked in the Top Ten when they met: at #4 and #8, respectively.  Utah, for the 8^th time in 9 games, scored a touchdown on their opening drive, added another on their next, and jumped out to a quick 14 – 0 lead in the first 5 minutes (Act I) in a game that started much too early: 10 a.m. local time.  BYU took over for the next 25 minutes (Act II) and scored 20 unanswered points to take a 20 – 14 halftime lead.  Then Utah dominated the final 30 minutes (Act III), scoring two TD’s while holding BYU scoreless.  Utah improved to 9 – 0 with their 28 – 20 win.        

#7 Texas and #18 Missouri were tied four different times through the first three quarters – at 7, 10, 13, and 20 – in a game that was tightly contested until Texas took the lead for the first time with an Arch Manning TD pass with five minutes left in the fourth quarter.  Then, after recovering a Missouri fumble, the Longhorns added another TD to make the final score 34 – 20 in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.  For Missouri, now 6 – 3, the loss likely eliminated them from playoff consideration.      

#8 UCLA kept its perfect season (9 – 0) intact with a 34 – 20 win over Minnesota.  In a winning performance, Bruins quarterback Ty Dieffenbach completed just 8 passes (in 16 attempts) for an almost inconceivable 303 yards – thanks mainly to a pair of 75-yard TD’s to Aidan Mizell, the first coming 9 seconds after Minnesota tied the game at 17 early in the fourth quarter.  The second came just 3 seconds after a Minnesota field goal.  

#14 LSU had 27 first downs, 457 total yards, and held the ball for 33 minutes in their game against #5 Alabama.  The Crimson Tide, in comparison, had just 13 first downs and 285 total yards – and controlled the ball for only 27 minutes.  Also, late in the third quarter LSU led 13 – 10.  So it makes perfect sense that the winning team was … Alabama?   LSU didn’t help themselves by turning the ball over twice (Alabama had none) and failing on all four of their fourth down conversions.  LSU coach Lane Kiffin should be embarrassed that the stadium was virtually empty – in a game in Death Valley at night, no less – just midway through the fourth quarter.  With their third loss of the season, LSU can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.  

Surprisingly, neither Ohio State or Oregon were ranked in the Top Ten when they met in Columbus.  The #12 Buckeyes had a 14 – 0 lead after the first quarter before taking their foot off the gas and watching the #23 Ducks put up 38 unanswered points – 21 of them within a 3:14 minute window between the end of the first half and the beginning of the third quarter.  Final score: Oregon – 41, Ohio State – 28.  Both teams now have three losses and are longshots to make the playoffs at this point in the season.  Heisman frontrunner Jeremiah Smith caught 7 passes for 133 yards and one TD in a losing effort.  

#2 Georgia obliterated #10 Ole Miss in Oxford, 42 – 7.  They’ll be the #1 team in the country when the polls are released this week, even if top-ranked Miami beats Notre Dame by a thousand points.

Speaking of obliterated: #16 Tennessee – 34, #6 Kentucky – 6.  The Wildcats have been dodging bullets all season; the Vols made sure it didn’t happen again.    

Well, Miami didn’t win by a 1,000 points.  In fact, they didn’t even win.

I was anxious for the Miami – Notre Dame game to find out if, as I’ve been saying for years,  #11 Notre Dame would once again fall on its face playing a team that wasn’t Army or Rice.  Or, as I mentioned last week, if my sneaking suspicion that #1 Miami was about to implode would prove to be correct.   

In the first 30 minutes of the game, Miami was reduced from a category 5 hurricane to a tropical storm.  However, the Hurricanes came storming (sorry) back in the second half to make a game of it.  Ironically, I had my two theories backwards: Miami fell on its face – and in the second half Notre Dame came perilously close to imploding.  Final score: Irish – 31, Hurricanes – 24.      

One of Miami’s two Heisman contenders, QB Darian Mensah, completed 24 passes in 43 attempts for 276 yards and 3 Td’s and threw his second interception of the year.  Statistically it was Mensah’s worst outing of the year, and doing it in a losing effort may have cleared the path for Jeremiah Smith to win the Heisman.

The other Miami Heisman contender, Malachi Toney, was injured and didn’t play.  A word of wisdom for the Miami’s #1: even though you may well be the most versatile and explosive player in college football, you can’t win the Heisman if you’re not playing – even if you’re hurt.  If you don’t believe me, just look at how many Heisman votes the equally versatile and explosive player, Percy Harvin of the University of Florida who coincidentally also wore #1, received a generation ago. 

#16 Wake Forest (now 8 – 1 overall and 5 – 1 in the ACC) took on Merrimack, which I found surprising.  Not that Wake Forest was playing Merrimack, but because I thought it was a steam frigate in the Civil War.  In the first half alone, the Demon Deacons piled up 25 first downs, 546 yards, and 49 points before easing up in the second half to coast in for an easy 77 – 0 win. 

Incidentally, Wake Forest may be on a collision course to meet Miami (for the second time: they lost 33 – 20 earlier this season) in the ACC championship and a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. 

One last thing, and it’s a message for the University of Florida’s Athletic Director:

Scheduling the team Urban Meyer beat in 2008 for his second National Championship with the Gators on the same day he was inducted into Florida’s Ring of Honor may not have been the brightest idea you ever had.  Oklahoma – 23, Florida – 7.