Week 12: Play In Games Begin
OVERVIEW
November 20, 2015
Joe Broback
In a world filled with different trends, this year can be simplified to two: injuries and chaos. One is an example of misfortune, while the other is the reason why college football is great. This year has had many iconic moments, stunning plays, and head scratching games, but it all has contributed to the excitement. This week is no different as there are multiple top 25 games scheduled and surely more amazing plays to follow. How these games turn out is anyone’s guess.
As stated before, there are many trends in college football each year. From uniforms to play calls, to coaches that are on the hot seat. In college football, there seems to be a lot of change amongst this generation. Teams need to have the newest technology and the newest gear to recruit players to their school. In a generation of ever changing aspects, there are still multiple traditions that haven’t changed. The older generation will say that’s what makes college football great, and it does. But the combination of change and stability is what really makes college football what it is today. Keeping tradition, while changing some things as well. Sometimes changing things becomes a tradition (such as changing uniforms frequently). Last week we showed the new age of changing and keeping up to date on uniforms and other gear, but this week we look at some of the greatest traditions in college football. Some are traditions because of their long history, and others are traditions that will give you goosebumps.
Live Mascots
There is nothing quite like seeing a live animal as a team’s mascot. Many teams have a person in a suit to represent their school, while others keep a live animal. Colorado has Ralphie, Texas has Bevo, LSU has Mike, and Auburn has an Eagle. Incorporating them into the program adds another dimension of recruiting. These animals get special treatment (as they should), and each school incorporates them in a different way.
Army-Navy
The best game every year, hands down. Whether these teams are good or bad, this game is more than just a football game. It puts our armed forces on display and is the definition of tradition in college football. This game is so special, it has its own week. No one plays on this week besides these two teams. There are many games each year that may be more entertaining, but none of them are as consistent or important than this game.
Jump Around
It may not be the oldest tradition, but it has a crazy effect on people. Many teams play this song in their stadium, but no one jumps like the fans in Camp Randall. At the end of the third quarter, the hit by House of Pain makes fans go crazy. Team’s that travel to Wisconsin need to have the game won before the third quarter, because if they don’t, Jump Around brings the crowd right back into the game.
Enter Sandman
Maybe better than Jump Around is Metallica’s Enter Sandman. Before this song is played, one side of the stadium shouts “LET’S GO!” and the other side responds with “HOKIES!” Virginia Tech then plays this song before the team enters the stadium, and as the song reaches a pinnacle the team runs onto the field. There is an immediate response to the beginning of this song as fans go insane and start jumping. If you haven’t watched this before, be prepared for goosebumps. It’s one of the greatest sights in college football.
Helmet Stickers
This isn’t unique just to college, but it’s the last level that includes helmet stickers. Teams have unique criteria for giving out stickers (from individual performances to team victories), but each uses them well. Some teams, like Ohio State, use helmet stickers as essential parts of their helmet design, while other teams use them as accessories to the helmet.
Hand Signs
The creativity amongst college students is amazing. Students find many ways to represent their schools and hand signs is another unique example. Some signs, like Texas and Miami are unmistakable. Hand signs allow people associated with these universities to always have a part of the school with them no matter where they are. Texas and Miami may have the best two signs, while others are just as creative and easy to recognize.
Non Power 5 Playoff
*all rankings relative to this section
A huge shake up in the Non Power 5 Playoff this week. There are three new teams in this week that were on the outside last week. For as much chaos created by the Power 5, there was just as much chaos here. A few teams have already played this week (which was added into these rankings) while others will prove themselves this week.
Four In:
#1 Houston Cougars (10-0)----Things looked bleak for Houston. Memphis roared out to an early lead and knocked Greg Ward Jr. out of the game. Kyle Postma stepped in admirably and led the Cougars to a clutch win. Ward’s status is still uncertain, but Postma has eased some of those worries for the time being. UConn hosts UH this week, and should test the Cougars. After an emotional win and with Navy awaiting the week after, Houston needs to focus on the Huskies. All the distractions of being undefeated, Ward’s injury, and coach Tom Herman’s increasing popularity need to be pushed aside.
#2 Navy Midshipmen (8-1)----The triple option normally is just a gimmick which no one fears, but usually respects. This year, teams need to be afraid because of one man: Keenan Reynolds. Gameplanning against the Midshipmen is a unique and challenging task, but the elevated level of play by Reynolds and his team make Navy a scary team to beat. Their only loss was to Notre Dame (who’s currently in the playoff) and that was without Reynolds for most of the game. Reynolds hasn’t thrown the ball much (597 yards and 4 TDs through the air), but his legs have been his strength. Navy’s defense has been the X-Factor all year and is a major reason for their success. Their defense is 34th in total defense and has made life easier on Reynolds and the offense by stopping teams more frequently.
#3 Toledo Rockets (9-1)----Toledo shut down Matt Johnson. With words like that, you may need to red them twice. Johnson struggled against a Rockets defense that forced five Falcons turnovers. Bowling Green’s defense didn’t do much to help as they surrendered 44 points and let Kareem Hunt gash them all night. Toledo is back in the top four after two weeks of struggling, and they will look to finish the season strong against Western Michigan next week.
#4 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-2)----Aren’t bye weeks great? The Hilltoppers move into the top four for the first time this season by not playing. Only one problem: they may not stay here for long. The remaining schedule of FIU and Marshall doesn’t impress many, but they can stay here if they win out. Other teams have better schedules which could knock WKU out. The Brandon Doughty show continues this week, well it should, but FIU is only giving up 220 passing yards per game. Doughty will be tested, but the Panthers haven’t played anyone of Doughty’s caliber. FIU needs one more win to be bowl eligible, so this could be a tight game.
Four Out:
#5 Memphis Tigers (8-2)----The free fall continues. One week after slipping against Navy, the Tigers gave up a 20 point fourth quarter lead to Houston. While losing to the Cougars isn’t troubling, the play of their defense is. Paxton Lynch and the offense outgained Houston by nearly 100 yards, and while they committed two turnovers, the defense couldn’t prevent a comeback. No time for the Tigers to feel sorry for themselves, because they travel to play Temple.
#6 Temple Owls (8-2)----Ummmmmmmm, Temple, what happened? A team that played the fourth ranked team in the nation and competed struggled mightily against a team hovering around .500. Like Memphis, Temple needs to forget about the loss and regroup. The Tigers come to town looking to turn things around after two consecutive losses, but Temple knows the home field will be an advantage. Memphis still has a slim chance to win the West, and Temple needs a win to clinch the East so the emotions will run high in this matchup.
#7 Marshall Thundering Herd (9-2)----One thing that’s promising for Western Kentucky, is the Herd showed them how to beat FIU. Marshall didn’t do anything overly impressive in on specific category on offense, but the offense as a whole moved the ball efficiently. The Herd defense limited the Panthers to 209 yards of offense on their way to a 52-0 route. Marshall has the week off and will start preparing for their season finale against the Hilltoppers.
#8 BYU Cougars (7-3)----BYU has provided clarity as to what kind of team they actually are, but it didn’t come until late in the season. The Cougars have the ability to compete with Power 5 teams, but not the elite teams. Michigan is the one elite team they played this year, and the Wolverines stomped them. This week’s loss was puzzling though. Missouri was riding the emotions of their coach announcing he would retire, but the Cougars were at home. BYU hadn’t lost at home this season, but the Tigers handed them their first home loss this year. BYU can recover against Fresno State and will ramp up the intensity against Utah State to finish the year.
Other notables:
Bowling Green Falcons (7-3), Georgia Southern (7-2), Appalachian State Mountaineers (8-2), Arkansas State Red Wolves (7-3)
CFP PLAYOFF TEAMS
Nothing really new, just another week of chaos. Things are heating up in the playoff race and there were changes in rankings. This week, there are numerous top 25 matchups, which could lead to further changes. The list of undefeated teams is slowly decreasing, and while for some a loss doesn’t hurt too much, others that lose will be eliminated. If you haven’t been entertained the last couple weeks, check your pulse. If you want some more chaos, keep watching. There are only a few weeks left in the college football world (sad), but the entertainment value continues to rise.
Teams in the playoff:
#1 Clemson Tigers (10-0)----Just like Dabo said, it’s not a beauty pageant. The Tigers beat Syracuse, but didn’t look great doing it. After coming off an emotional win against Florida State, the Tigers hadn’t quite recovered. Clemson’s road to the playoff appears to be easy for the regular season. Where it gets interesting is in the ACC championship game. North Carolina figures to be their opponent then, and the Tar Heels are on a tear lately. Should Clemson slip up, their playoff hopes almost certainly would be erased. In a season of chaos, the Tigers shouldn’t leave anything to chance.
#2 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1)----For anyone who thinks they don’t have to pay attention to the Tide this week, keep your feelings away from Nick Saban. While no one in their right mind thinks the Tide will lose to Charleston Southern, Saban doesn’t take any team lightly. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Bama has a 99.4% chance of winning the game, but Saban focuses on the details. In 2011, Bama played Georgia Southern and came into the game averaging 30 yards of rushing per game against their defense. Georgia Southern rushed for 302 yards against the Tide. The game was never in doubt, but Saban was not happy with that statistic. So if there is anyone who thinks the Tide will look past this week, they will not be in the locker room on Saturday.
#3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-1)----Yawn. The Irish beat Wake Forest. 28-7. At home. Bored Yet? Me too. This week, ND has a home game at Fenway Park in Boston against Boston College. The weirdest part about the game is that BC is still allotted the number of tickets for an away team even though the game is obviously closer to their campus. This concept is a great one, but this choice is somewhat puzzling. Picking Fenway is a great choice, but not when the home team travels farther to the game than the visitors. Nitpicking aside, the field already looks awesome, and I’m sure the atmosphere will be just as great. BC’s defense is stingy and will give the Irish problems, but the Eagles offense has struggled to score. Notre Dame shouldn’t fall out of the top four this week, but can’t get caught looking towards next week’s game at Stanford.
#4 Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-0)----A win over a top 5 team, and they don’t get put in the top four? Come on committee. Then committee chair says they are starting to see teams from the Big 12 emerge. What Big 12 have they been watching? The Cowboys have been winning games consistently all year, but yet the committee starts to notice after they beat one team. Should the Cowboys beat Baylor this week, they have a good chance to make the committee’s top four. OSU seems to have rallied around the tragedy at their homecoming parade and used it as motivation. They quietly have remained undefeated until TCU, and a win against Baylor surely will make more noise.
Teams on the outside looking in (in no particular order):
Baylor Bears (8-1)----The Big 12 requires your team to be healthy and be experienced. One game, unfortunately, doesn’t give you the necessary experience to prepare. Jarrett Stidham is not to blame for the unlucky situation the Bears were dealt. In fact, no one is to blame at all. The football gods chose the worst time to strike the Bears with misfortune as they entered the toughest stretch of their schedule. Baylor is not out of the playoff, but they need to start by beating Oklahoma State and hoping that Oklahoma loses again. Win out, and they will give the committee something to consider. Lose once more, and they’re done.
Oklahoma Sooners (9-1)----Welcome back to the national spotlight OU. After losing to Texas, the Sooners were largely forgotten. Winning on the road against Baylor reminded everyone that they only lost once and can still compete with anyone. Up next, a TCU team rattled with injuries and may not have it’s starting quarterback this week. Baker Mayfield should be in the running for the Heisman in the weeks to come. His stats through 10 games surpass previous OU Heisman winners Sam Bradford and Jason White. Bob Stoops has his team in position to make a jump, but it won’t be easy.
Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0)----Welcome to 2015, Buckeyes! Ohio State gets is biggest two games of the year to end their season. Rest assured, there will be no looking ahead to Michigan because Michigan State will punch the Buckeyes in the mouth. A Spartans win could put them back in the conversation for the playoff because they would have control of the Big Ten West. Ohio State has not been impressive this year, but a win against MSU would be a start.
Iowa Hawkeyes (10-0)----Somehow the Hawkeyes are ranked higher than Oklahoma State in the eyes of the committee. Both teams are undefeated, but the only reason that I can think why Iowa is higher is because they have one more win over a top 25 team than the Cowboys. Everything will sort itself out, but it appears the only way Iowa makes the playoff is by winning the rest of their regular season and the Big Ten Championship game. Not an easy task, but the Hawkeyes are gritty enough to rise to the occasion.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
*all rankings are based on AP Poll
Overall Record: 25-19 Last week: 2-2
#9 Michigan State at #3 Ohio State
When I heard Connor Cook got hurt, I immediately thought of the impact that would have on this game. MSU without Cook is a completely different team, but with Cook they are dangerous. Ohio State has been in the spotlight all year, for the good and bad. Ezekiel Elliot (1425 yards and 16 TD) has been a major reason the Buckeyes are undefeated, but they need to have more than just him to win this game. JT Barrett will need to get the ball to the playmakers and he must also contribute. MSU’s defense is as stout as it’s ever been, and Cook makes a huge difference when he plays in games. The biggest question will be how his shoulder can hold up against Ohio State’s defense. Buckeye’s DE Joey Bosa has been getting recognition all year, but this could be his coming out party.
My pick: Ohio State 28 Michigan State 21
#10 Baylor at #6 Oklahoma State
Good news: Baylor can still make the playoff. Bad news: they have to play Oklahoma State. The Bears turned the ball over against Oklahoma, and the Sooners did not reciprocate that production. Weather conditions should be more ideal this weekend, but the Bears need to travel to Stillwater for the game. Baylor has lost the last 11 meetings in Stillwater by an average of 27 points. For a team that is known for putting up points in a hurry, this stat is concerning. Oklahoma State has proved they are contenders and can compete with anyone in the Big 12. Mike Gundy quickly from hot seat to hot commodity via his team’s play, but he knows Baylor is unique monster to tame. The history of losing in Stillwater is alarming, and the loss against Oklahoma was surprising. Baylor has been on the wrong end in Stillwater for a while, but the Bears are capable of creating their own chaos within the Big 12.
My pick: UPSET SPECIAL: Baylor 44 Oklahoma State 35
#18 TCU at #7 Oklahoma
This game features two teams that are on vastly different paths. TCU started the year with all of the hype and on a mission, Oklahoma started looking to turn things around. Coming into the game, TCU is trying to heal whatever key players are left, while Oklahoma is coming off a convincing win over Baylor. OU’s offense has hit its stride and can hurt teams in multiple ways. TCU’s offense is starting to look like its defense, banged up and lost. TCU star Trevone Boykin was hurt last week against Kansas, and is still uncertain if he will play. That alone will ruin any chances the Horned Frogs have of winning, but Boykin may not make much of a difference if he plays. His go to stud Josh Doctson is done playing football for the year, and Boykin can’t just lob the ball up to anyone anymore. OU’s defense will contain Boykin as much as possible, but he shouldn’t hurt them too much. TCU’s just too banged up coming into this game, and that will make a difference when you’re playing potential playoff play-in games.
My pick: Oklahoma 38 TCU 20
#20 Northwestern at #25 Wisconsin
For anyone unaware, both of these teams are in the top 25. Another fact you probably didn’t know, Wisconsin can still win the Big Ten West. While they need help, the Badgers can make things difficult by winning this week. Third in scoring defense, the Badgers are led by linebacker TJ Edwards and Michael Caputo. Most of the conversations have been about the offensive struggles and the play of Joel Stave, but the defense is the rock of the team. Northwestern started another year with promise, but tripped up in a big game once again. Still, the Wildcats are 8-2 and are looking to still make a New Year’s bowl game. It’s a long shot, but a win at Camp Randall will do wonders. Wisconsin is a different team at home, and the atmosphere will motivate the Badgers. Get ready to Jump Around.
My pick: UPSET SPECIAL: Wisconsin 21 Northwestern 17
