College Football Week 10 Recap

My week 10 predictions looked pretty good... or so I thought:

1. Florida State upsets top-ranked Clemson

Clemson finally got over the hump and took down the reigning three-time ACC champions, Florida State.  As a result, they won the Atlantic division and clinched a berth in the conference championship game.  The 23 - 13 win solidified their spot at the top of the rankings as well.  Maybe these Tigers won't have a letdown after all?

2. Alabama holds Fournette under 100 rushing yards

The LSU running back looked unstoppable in the Tigers' seven wins before Saturday's clash with the Crimson Tide.  But against Alabama, Fournette looked pedestrian.  He tallied only 31 yards on 19 carries as LSU fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, losing 30 - 16 to Alabama.

3. Ohio State's defense continues dominance on 3rd down, with conversion rate under 30% for Minnesota

The Silver Bullets dominated, but a late surge by the Gophers ultimately kept this prediction from materializing, as Minnesota converted 7 of 19 third downs, or 36.8%.  Overall, it was still a brilliant defensive performance, which included a pick-six by Vonn Bell that provided a spark in a previously scoreless deadlock.  The Buckeyes' offense was inconsistent, though, and it's now more apparent than ever that Barrett is the right QB for the job.  It's a shame that the quarterback battle has progressed this way, though, as so many fans have forgotten or chosen not to acknowledge everything Jones has done for this team.  Even with his struggles this year, he's done enough to win every game he's started in, including a 28 - 14 victory over the Gophers on Saturday night.

4. Hoosiers knock off undefeated Iowa

Indiana kept it close, but in the end they came up short once again against a superior opponent.  The Hawkeyes remain undefeated with the 35 - 27 win and now look ahead to a potentially tricky night match-up with a decent Minnesota team.

5. I get all of these predictions wrong

So close...

Week 10 record: 1 - 4
Overall record: 12 - 38

Only six unbeatens remain, with lots of one-loss teams waiting in the wings

With LSU, Michigan State, TCU, Memphis, and Toledo all losing in week 10, we're down to just six teams with perfect records.  Houston is the last unbeaten from the group of five, but likely won't get enough help to reach the playoffs even if the Cougars win out.  And of the five undefeated Power 5 teams, at least two are guaranteed to lose before season's end because some will play each other.  That means one or more one-loss teams will be in the playoffs.  Right now the obvious first choice is Alabama, if they win out and claim another SEC title.  But if they lose or if there are more upsets that allow other one-loss teams in, who's next?  There are a slew of candidates out there, many with compelling arguments to be included.  The winner of Notre Dame - Stanford could definitely be in the mix, or maybe even Utah, Florida, or Oklahoma if one of those teams wins out in impressive fashion.  There's still a lot of football left to be played, but right now it's hard to guess who might get in, other than the remaining unbeatens.

Nebraska's luck turns around; Michigan State's luck runs out

Anyone who has payed attention to the Cornhuskers' season knows they're a better team than their record indicates.  Five of their six losses were by 5 points or less, and four of those games were decided in the final seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime.  The Spartans, on the other hand, have been on the right side of all of their close games this season - until now.  Michigan State held a 12 point lead with less than two minutes to play, but a wild finish saw Nebraska score twice to win it, including a controversial call on the winning touchdown.  The officials ruled that Brandon Reilly was pushed out of bounds before coming back onto the field to catch the game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds left.  I still don't see it, but the officials, and the Big Ten, have stuck with the original call.  As a result, Cornhuskers ruined Michigan State's shot at a perfect season, as they beat the Spartans 39 - 38.

How 'bout them Hogs?

Arkansas trailed Ole Miss 52 - 45 in overtime, facing a daunting 4th-and-25 with the game on the line.  What happened next was unbelievable:

I imagine that Alabama fans have to be drawing hearts around pictures of Bert after that wild finish, which erased the tie-breaker that Ole Miss held over the Tide.  We already know that the win put Bert in the mood.