Week 11 Summary
Week 11 Summary
11/17/15
Joe Broback
DUCKS TAKING FLIGHT
This is what college football is all about. Thinking you know something but realizing you know nothing. I can’t say for sure what team will win because each team has its ups and downs. There was a shakeup in the Power and Non Power 5 groups which brought clarity, but also questions. Some teams put on impressive performances (I see you Bama) while others disappointed or failed to impress. The Pac 12 had a major shakeup, but none was bigger than Oregon beating Stanford as the Ducks went into Palo Alto and stunned the Cardinal.
A big reason for the Ducks success has been the play (and health) of quarterback Vernon Adams. For those who scoff at the idea that Adams makes a difference, let me explain. To begin, in games that Adams has played the majority of the snaps (6 games), Oregon is 5-1 and was one play away from being 6-0. Yes they didn’t make that play happen, but Adams was also playing with an injured index finger on his throwing hand. That aside, Oregon is 2-2 when he hasn’t played more than two quarters. Now many will look at the stats and point out that the defense is still terrible and they would be correct. The Ducks gain more yards with Adams behind center, but also give up more on defense than when he isn’t. But think about this, when’s the last time anyone said “I’m pumped to watch Oregon’s defense punish opposing offenses?” When it comes to putting up points, Adams has a significant impact on the game. With him playing, the Ducks average 43 points a game and give up 35. Without him, they score 40 and give up 41. There has always been a bend but don’t break mentality when it comes to Oregon’s defense, but this year’s defense seems to bend more than in year’s past. You would be foolish to say Adams doesn’t make an impact on the team.
Oregon’s not going to play in the playoff this year and no one feels sorry for them. In a world of what-ifs, it’s hard not to ignore Oregon’s case for what could have been. It’s just too bad the season got out of control with his injury and lack of defensive talent. All that being said, whoever gets the Ducks in the postseason is in trouble. The Ducks are starting to outshine teams with more than just their uniforms.
ITS ALL ABOUT THE J’S
No not Jordans, however the Jumpman is coming to college football next year (Michigan signed a contract with brand Jordan). There is intrigue with every teams uniforms. Some change their uni’s every week while others have had the same look for years. I can’t believe I’ve gone this far without talking about jerseys, but this will be a quick summary of what we’ve seen so far. It’s hard to rank teams based on uniforms (because everyone has a different opinion), but here’s my take on where I think these teams are ranked. There will be three categories: the top 5 teams that change constantly, the top 5 teams that don’t change (or don’t change too often), and the bottom 5.
Top 5 Changers
1. Oregon----People can hate all they want, the Ducks will always have an advantage over the nation because Nike is so close. Not only do they change up their look every Saturday, they aren’t afraid to change things not made by Nike either. Their helmets have changed more than anyone (color, design, and logo) and now they’re getting warmup and travel suits for games. Anyone that says they don’t like those perks is simply jealous and kidding themselves.
2. Baylor----Baylor changes their uniforms just as much as the Ducks, but they don’t change their helmet as much as the Ducks. The BU can be found on every Bears helmet (except the throwbacks) which is why they are runner up. Both Oregon and Baylor utilize their school colors as well as mixing in black white and grey as much as possible.
3. Boise State----If this was a contest of turf color, Boise State would win in a heartbeat. They also are in this list because they change their J’s up frequently. For those people with OCD, the Broncos helmets will give you headaches. They include the Bronco logo on one side which looks terrific, but they put a number on the other side, causing imbalance. Overall, it’s still a great look and Boise has multiple colors that they utilize.
4. TCU----It’s amazing how many combinations you can make with purple. TCU utilizes black, grey, and white in all parts of their jerseys. They added an interesting texture this year which takes some getting used to, but the purple still pops out when you look at it. Throw in the fact that they switch up the color combos every week, and they’re deserving of the top 5.
5. Memphis----The last two weeks haven’t ended how they wanted, but they still looked good playing. This could be Nike University part 2 if the success continues, as Nike is heavily involved in the Tigers program. They’re helmets change frequently utilizing a Cincinnati Bengals look sometimes (stripes) while also using the block ‘M’ and chrome. Royal blue is easing the put with black, grey, and white so it’s easy for multiple switches.
Top 5 Classics
1. Texas----Easily the one uniform that I can pick out and identify. In my opinion, the best jersey because they don’t change. The white helmets with the burnt orange logo is tough to beat. Even during a down year, the jerseys are still the best and have been that way for years.
2. Alabama----The numbers on the helmets used to bother me, but now I love it. The top 5 teams just scream classic because they don’t change. Bama hasn’t changed their look even a little, while some of these teams make slight changes to their uniforms. In an age of constantly changing the look, the Tide have stayed the same.
3. Notre Dame----I don’t know who came up with the bright gold helmets, but it was a great subtle (well not really, maybe small) change to ND’s look. They have used a couple different looks over the years, but the base jersey has not. The blue and gold play and dress like champions every week.
4. Michigan----The Wolverines have added blue and white pants to their look over the last two years, and the change looks good. However, they should stick to the yellow pants that make their uniforms a classic look. Coach Jim Harbaugh also added helmet stickers to throw it back to the past when they had them, and that adds to the classic look.
5. North Carolina----They switch things up, but the look is still a classic. The powder blue and white combination is unmistakable from anyone else. If they bring back the black uniforms, they will move to the changers, but they seem to have ditched that look for now.
Bottom 5
1. Bowling Green----Put brown with anything and it looks terrible, to be honest. The Cleveland Browns know this, and Bowling Green apparently doesn’t care. The Orange looks great on the Falcons, but the brown mixed in just ruins the jerseys.
2. Wyoming----When your main color is brown, it’s just highly disappointing. Throw in the fact that your team is terrible, and everything gets worse. The Cowboys have some yellow and white combinations that look good actually, but there is always some brown that ruins it.
3. Idaho----I don’t know why they are this high, but their uniforms are just boring. Black and gold should look better (and they’re sponsored by Nike), but the Vandals just seem to not excite anyone. Their team is bad, but the uniforms just don’t seem to add any excitement.
4. Western Michigan----The Broncos have embraced the brown, and it doesn’t look great. The reason they are fourth is because they make a few combinations look good (because there is minimal brown), but the brown is just bad. Throw in gold too and, well, I don’t really need to say much more.
5. Maryland----I know the designs have importance to the school, but what is going on with the Terrapins uniforms? The color combinations don’t look bad but when you have white, black, yellow and red all on one helmet, you provide headaches. It’s tough to look at Maryland’s uniforms and there is too much going on. Hopefully none of these teams get too good, because then we have to watch them frequently on live television…..gross.
TRENDING UP
Hawkeyes Deliver----Iowa had the game under control the whole game….well that’s what they will say. Minnesota kept making comebacks to keep Hawkeye fans on edge as they pursued their first 10-0 start in school history. The Gophers did everything they could to prevent that, but couldn’t stop Iowa’s run game. Games against Purdue and Nebraska remain for Iowa and they must win both games to guaranty they will be in the championship game (Wisconsin is only a game behind them in the West). Could Iowa make the top four this week? We will see what the committee thinks.
Hog Wild----What a great two weeks to be a Razorback. A week after pulling off one of the most stunning finishes you will ever see, Arkansas pulled off a stunning upset over LSU. The Tigers were still reeling after a loss to Alabama and the Hogs got them at the right time. The win made Arkansas bowl eligible and gave Alabama more wiggle room for the SEC West lead.
TRENDING DOWN
Pac 12 Playoff Hopes----With losses by Stanford (to Oregon) and Utah (to Arizona), the Pac 12 appears to have lost any chance of putting a team in the playoff this year. Both teams mentioned had one loss and were the best options for this conference of having a chance, but now those chances seem to be erased.
Big 12 Playoff Chances----Oklahoma and Oklahoma State still have a chance to get in the playoff (and you can’t technically eliminate Baylor or TCU yet), but there is much cause for concern. This conference is showing that they should be more concerned about eliminating themselves. Could this be the year that two Power 5 conferences are left out of the playoff?
PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
Derrick Henry, Alabama (204 yards rushing, 2 TD)----The Tide hushed any talk that they would lose on the road. While the defense kept Dak Prescott in check, Henry gashed the Mississippi State defense. Due to Bama’s loss to Ole Miss, Henry was left out of many Heisman conversations. After the last two weeks, he’s not only back in those talks but he’s on top of the Heisman list.
LeShun Daniels Jr., Iowa (195 yards rushing, 3 TD)----Iowa’s identity on offense is running the ball, and they have a plethora of backs to choose from. Daniels was the latest to shine for the Hawkeyes, and they need all three of his scores to beat Minnesota. His 51 yard scamper was the difference to give Iowa their first 10-0 start in school history.
Mayfield, Perine, Shepard, Oklahoma----All three were pivotal in the Sooner’s upset of undefeated Baylor. Largely forgotten, OU has thrust themselves back into the playoff conversation with the win. The loss to Texas is still puzzling, but all will be forgotten if they win out. That daunting task will be difficult for the Sooner’s to complete as they still have to play TCU and Oklahoma State.
Keenan Reynolds, Navy (81 yards passing, 1 TD; 137 yards rushing, 4 TD)----It was only a matter of time before he did it. Reynolds broke the NCAA record for career rushing touchdowns, and his team rolled over SMU. His passing yards may not have been impressive (2/9 passing), but his running ability was superb against a Mustangs team that looked lost against the triple option.
DeAndre Washington, Texas Tech (248 yards rushing 3 TD)----Anyone that has followed college football this year will look twice before they realize this name doesn’t say Patrick Mahomes. The Red Raiders are known for airing the ball out and eliminating their own run game, but this week Washington showed what he’s capable of doing. Mahomes still had a stellar day, but Washington was the star.
Jared Goff, Cal (453 yards passing, 6 TD)----If only Goff played on a team that could play better defense. Cal’s defense is the reason Goff isn’t being talked about more this year. Goff got back to his usual self against a porous Oregon State defense on his way to completing passes to 12 (yes that’s double digits) different receivers.
GAME BALL: Reynolds. It doesn’t happen often when someone break a career record with players leaving for the NFL draft and redshirting. Reynolds added four scores to increase his career rushing touchdown total to 81 to put him in sole possession of first place. What Reynolds has done is astounding, but the best part is his team only has one loss and is looking to make a New Year’s Bowl.
WEEK 11 PREDICTIONS
My pick: Memphis 44 Houston 38 ACTUAL: Houston 35 Memphis 34
Memphis had everything going for them. They were up 20-7 at halftime, and Houston’s star (Greg Ward Jr.) was injured and out of the game. Going into the final quarter, Memphis still had the lead (27-14) and scored early to go up 20 points. Then the Cougars rattled off 21 points to take a one point lead that they did not let go. The Tigers defense showed, once again, that they cannot win a game for their team. Houston relied on backup Kyle Postma for most of the game, and Postma responded by throwing and running for a touchdown. While it’s still unclear if Ward will be able to play, Postma showed that he is a capable backup. UConn on the road next week for the Cougars shouldn’t be too difficult, but they can’t get caught looking ahead to when Navy comes to visit. As for Memphis, what once was a playoff dream has turned south quickly, and they get Temple on the road next week.
My pick: Oregon 42 Stanford 28 ACTUAL: Oregon 38 Stanford 36
Is it bias if you’re right? Oregon stunned Stanford on the road, and eliminated the Cardinal while doing so. As I stated before, Vernon Adams is making a huge impact on the Ducks’ offense and he was clutch again Saturday. Stanford still had a chance to tie the game with little time left, but their two point conversion pass from Kevin Hogan to Austin Hooper was knocked down by Joe Walker. Oregon still has a chance to win the Pac 12 North, but will need some help (Stanford needs to lose to Cal for it to happen). The Cardinal must now settle for trying to ruin Notre Dame’s playoff hopes in two weeks. Oregon had struggled at the beginning of the season, but both sides of the ball are coming together. A big game remains against USC and so does a rivalry game against Oregon State, but the Ducks are flying high and taking one week at a time.
My pick: Alabama 35 Mississippi State 17 ACTUAL: Alabama 31 Mississippi State 6
It’s scary how well Alabama is playing lately. One could argue they are the top team in the nation, but that loss to Ole Miss keeps getting in the way. As long as Derrick Henry is in the backfield, the Tide will be in good hands. Henry torched MSU’s defense for another 200 yard rushing game and almost certainly cemented the Tide’s name in the playoff. Bama’s only real test left will be Auburn, but the Tigers are having a down year. As for Mississippi State, they won’t be in the playoff, but they still have two big games against Arkansas and rival Ole Miss to finish their season. You can bet Dak Prescott will be playing hard in his final two regular season games of his career.
My pick: Baylor 49 Oklahoma 38 ACTUAL: Oklahoma 44 Baylor 34
I guess it was only a matter of time before Baylor ran out of answers. The Bears committed three turnovers, two on throws by Jarrett Stidham, and were handed their first loss of the season. While Stidham didn’t play poorly, the turnovers proved to be costly against a rising Sooners team. Baker Mayfield was pushed out of the spotlight after the loss against Texas, but has stormed back into the picture (with help from his teammates). Oklahoma is back in the playoff conversation, but the road will not be easy. The Big 12 may its biggest enemy when it comes to the playoff conversation. The top four teams are all capable of beating each other, which will present problems if there isn’t an undefeated champion. How things turn out remains to be seen, but the two teams with the best shot right now are the Sooners and Oklahoma State. Strength of schedule has been a knock on the Big 12, but there biggest enemy may just turn out to be themselves.
