CFB Week 10

I know this probably isn't news because they're 2-7, but goodness gracious Tulsa's defense is terrible.

Memphis' first scoring drive included two huge pass plays where there wasn't a defender in the frame as the receiver prepared to catch the ball.

UPDATE: Memphis' second scoring drive ended with a 59-yard touchdown on a simple WR screen.

 

A nice, evenly spread out slate of games this Saturday.

I think the Penn State/Michigan State game will be a bellwether for the type of season PSU will have the rest of the way. If they're going to suffer a letdown coming off of the OSU loss, MSU is not the team they probably want to face. They're physical, they're probably not going to beat themselves, and they're going to try to drag PSU down into a slow, plodding game that they don't want to play.

VT and Miami is probably the game I'm most interested to see. For starters, VT is probably the least talked about one-loss team in the country, although given how thoroughly they were beaten by Clemson (outing them as a good but not great team), I suppose I can understand why. Miami, meanwhile, seems determined to turn every game, regardless of the quality of opponent, into a nail biter that comes down to the final possession.

 

Gus is gonna choke against A&M and get fired and it's gonna be beautiful.

 

I'd bet 100 bucks Gus Malzahn chokes away this game.

 

Not if A&M finishes off drives like that one that just died at the goal line. Just awful execution down there, ending with a pass at the feet and a yard in front of a receiver who was double-covered.

 

Kelly Bryant is overthrowing everything early. His early season form looks like a thing of the past. NC State has a good chance at the upset.

 

lol aggies

 

I had a feeling that Iowa State might be ripe for an upset today against a pretty talented West Virginia team. It's not that they're overrated or that they're not talented. Clearly, they've earned the praise and they're a much more talented, organized bunch than we're used to seeing at ISU, but it kind of feels like they've just been playing over their heads for much of the season. Still a long way to go, but wouldn't shock me to see the Mountaineers win that one relatively handily.

Iowa is apparently all about putting scares into the best teams in the Big Ten this season. Nearing halftime and they've already given Ohio State all they can handle. And as I type, things might have gotten a little tougher for OSU, as Nick Bosa just got hit with a targeting penalty, removing him from the game. Iowa was already moving the ball pretty well and that will make a bit easier on them.

 

The silver lining for those Aggies out there who want to see Sumlin fired is that this loss will make it much easier to justify. They're looking at a 7-5 record, and just about everyone around the program has made it very clear that that won't cut it.

Honestly, it might be one of those breakups that works for both sides. A&M has stagnated as a program, and they've tried just about everything other than a head coaching change at this point.

For Sumlin, he's proven enough as a head coach that he's going to get another shot, and with all of the jobs that are going to come up this offseason, this looks like as good a chance as any to find a good landing spot. I'd be interested to see what he could do at UCLA. One thing that you can't argue with is Sumlin's ability to recruit and create excitement among recruits and players, and that kind of seems like the thing that UCLA is missing the most.

They've had some good teams under Mora, including back-to-back ten-wins seasons in 2013 and 2014, including a top-ten finish in the final poll in the latter season, but you probably wouldn't guess that considering the palpable "meh" feeling around the program, at least from a distance.

Of course, there might also be mutual interest at Arizona State if Todd Graham is let go. You may remember that Sumlin and ASU flirted with each other back in 2012 before he took the A&M job.

 

Iowa now up 45-17 and with a 3rd INT by Barrett.

Agreed on ISU but looks like there defense has settled down after giving up a quick 20 points.

 

So much for Ohio State repeating 2014 and taking an early loss before storming back and getting into the CFP.

I thought Iowa would play them close, but I never would have guessed that they'd run them off the field.

 

Annnnnd down goes Penn State.

The Big Ten's doomsday scenario is suddenly now very much in play. Wisconsin waltzes to an East division title, loses badly to the West division champion, and there are just enough one-loss teams to keep the league out of the CFP altogether.