Week 10 Summary
Week 10 Summary
11/10/15
Joe Broback
What a mess. An enormous mess. College football has had some crazy weeks, but this week tops them all. Four undefeated team fell this weekend, and the playoff race thickened quickly. While these new one loss teams are reeling for answers, they are not completely eliminated from contention. We saw one of the craziest plays in football extend a game that was all but over, and there were numerous plays that made our jaws drop (what’s up Vraa!).
There was much controversy on the field amongst the chaos, but there was a big controversy off the field as well. The University of Missouri has been dealing with racial tensions lately, and some players had enough. Around 30 black Missouri football players said they will not participate in football activities until changes have been made. The president of the university, Tim Wolfe, has been the center of the controversy. Students have protested against him until he resigns, and one student has gone on a hunger strike. Head coach Gary Pinkel had come out and voiced his support of his players’ decision, and while there are reports of some players not agreeing, Pinkel shows us again that he will support his team. Pinkel support Michael Sam when Sam attended the university, even before Sam came out before the NFL Draft that he was gay. Wolfe resigned yesterday amongst these allegations, so hopefully the issues will be addressed immediately. Missouri should be able to get back to practice, but will realize they fight for more than a game.
Pinkel is showing what a true coach is. He realizes that he needs to teach his players that there is more to life than football. Whether you agree with the protest or not, you can’t argue that Pinkel isn’t supportive. Missouri has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons this season (from arrests to the Maty Mauk situation), but this should shed a positive light on campus. Some of the things people are doing to the black community on this campus are childish, and people need to start opening their eyes to equality. A person’s skin does not make them any better or worse than another individual. Pinkel is showing his team and the nation that football can take a back seat to things that are more important. I would like to think I’m not alone in saying I hope this problem gets resolves quickly so football can continue on this campus. Coach of the year is usually given to the coach that turns his team around or surprises everyone with quality play on the field, but Pinkel is excelling at winning off the field as well. In a year which the Tigers don’t have much to celebrate, this should bring them together.
TRENDING UP
The Hanks Deliver----If you haven’t watched Hunter Henry’s play that saved the game, go do so now. Henry’s heads up thinking is the reason the Razorbacks are 5-4 and not 4-5. On fourth and 25 Henry caught a ball with 10 yards to the first down. While getting tackled, he chucked the ball ten yards backwards, and the ball ended up in the hands of Alex Collins who ran for the first down. No one should ever question Henry’s football IQ. In a bigger SEC game, Derrick Henry was equally impressive, but for a whole game. Henry was a key to the Tide beating LSU and his breakout game sent shivers down the nation’s spine. Watch out for Alabama (in case, for some reason, you weren’t already).
Tide Rolling----Speaking of the Tide, how did they lose to Ole Miss (a three loss team) again? The Tide are playing lights out lately, which makes many nervous as November continues. The offense is hitting their strides, and the defense continues to get better. If the Tide hadn’t lost to the Rebels, they would be atop the college rankings. Coach Nick Saban, as usual, has his team playing well at the right time.
TRENDING DOWN
Undefeated No More----Four teams (TCU, Michigan State, LSU, and Memphis) all endured their first loss this week. The common theme for each team was they could not stop the opposition from scoring. Three teams (sorry Memphis) are still in contention, but will need help from outside sources if they are to make it into the top four.
Duke----The Blue Devils had to suffer through a botched call that gave them a loss, but then they had to endure a beatdown from their rival. North Carolina has a chip on their shoulder, and put up 66 points on Duke. David Cutcliffe’s team is still searching for answers, and the Tar Heels had Duke knocked out in the first half.
PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
Jarrett Stidham, Baylor (419 yards passing, 3 TD)----Not bad for a freshman, Then again, not bad for any quarterback. The Bear’s freshman looked comfortable in his first start behind center, and lead his team to a 31-24 win. Now he just needs some help from his defense.
Corey Coleman, Baylor (216 yards receiving, 2 TD)----Nothing changed with a new quarterback, and Coleman torched Kansas State’s defense. Coleman now has 20 touchdowns, and should be given serious consideration for the Heisman. He’s the most dominant receiver on the field, and his speed and size cause nightmares for anyone covering him.
Derrick Henry, Alabama (210 yards rushing, 3 TD)----What many thought would be Leonard Fournette’s defining moment turned into Henry’s coming out party. LSU’s defense had no answer for Alabama’s back, and he made them pay. The Tide are now in control of the SEC West, but still have to play Mississippi State and Auburn.
James Washington, Oklahoma State (184 yards receiving, 3 TD)----TC who? Washington and the Cowboys torched the Horned Frogs defense on their way to 49 points. Washington seemed uncoverable all game and lead the Cowboys to a defining win. OSU should launch up the rankings and could possibly be in the top six, maybe even the top four.
Brandon Allen (442 yards passing, 6 TD)----While Hunter Henry’s play kept the game alive, Allen kept the Hogs in the game. Allen normally doesn’t get to throw the ball because they have Alex Collins behind him. His two point conversion rush won the game in overtime for Arkansas.
Gunner Kiel, Cincinnati (523 yards passing, 4 TD)----Kiel’s been putting up gaudy numbers all year, but his team isn’t letting him enjoy it. His Bearcats are now 5-4, and had Houston on the ropes. Kiel will be back next year, but he hopes that his team will be improved. If your quarterback throws for 500+ yards and 3+ scores, your team should win easily, but Cincinnati’s struggles have prevented Kiel from national attention.
GAME BALL: Allen. He had the best game of his career and probably won’t get close to throwing that many yards ever again. He was the key to Arkansas’ victory and his final rush won it for the Razorbacks.
WEEK 10 PREDICTIONS
Well, good thing Clemson showed up. Three upsets later and a disgusting 1-3 week was the result. All three upsets weren’t entirely surprising (Navy’s was probably the most shocking), and each of those teams will tell you they knew they could win. Clemson recovered from a shaky start, TCU fell and stayed behind, Memphis couldn’t stop the triple option, and Alabama rolled as usual.
My pick: Clemson 35 Florida State 21 ACTUAL: Clemson 23 Florida State 13
Two plays in many thought: here comes 2013 again. That 2013 game was a blowout from the start for the Seminoles in Death Valley. This Clemson team is different. Dalvin Cook took the second play from scrimmage 75 yards for a touchdown, and took the crowd out of the game. Clemson never got rattled and fought back to be down four at halftime. The second half belonged to the Tigers and Deshaun Watson. Watson finished with 297 yards passing and 107 yards rushing and led Clemson to numerous quality drives. Florida State’s playoff hopes were eliminated with the loss, but the real question is whether Everett Golson has seen his last snap as an FBS quarterback. Sean Maguire was given the start and while he didn’t play outstanding, he had moments that gave Seminole fans hope for the future.
My pick: TCU 56 Oklahoma State 38 ACTUAL: Oklahoma State 49 TCU 29
TCU’s defense didn’t really do anything abnormal, but the offense did. Finally the Frogs got caught in a game where the offense couldn’t keep up. While this comes as no surprise, the Frogs should be applauded for their efforts to stay undefeated this far into the season. With 15 players making their first starts on defense this year already, TCU was a long shot to stay undefeated. And while they can still make the playoff, they need help from around the nation and still have to play Baylor.
My pick: Memphis 34 Navy 20 ACTUAL: Navy 45 Memphis 20
Memphis. You had a chance. It was a small chance, but you had one! Now it’s gone. Navy’s Keenan Reynolds was held to 38 yards rushing, and the Tigers prevented him from setting a record. However, Reynolds supporting cast gashed the Tiger’s defense and eliminated them from playoff contention. Memphis still has a chance for a New Year’s Six bowl, but needs the D to shore up quickly.
My pick: LSU 21 Alabama 17 ACTUAL: Alabama 30 LSU 16
First things first. For all of the people saying Fournette is overrated and can’t play, look at the holes (or extreme lack of) he had to try and get through. Derrick Henry wouldn’t have made it through the chaos created by Bama’s defensive front. Fournette did have an off game, but that is attributed more to the offensive line more than him. Nevertheless, the Tide dominated the game from start to finish. Neither team has an easy remaining schedule, and another loss could eliminate both from contention.
