College Football Week 7 Recap

1. USC gives Arizona their first loss

As predicted, and as happens so often after the underdog pulls off the big upset, Arizona had a letdown the following week.  USC dominated the first half, but the Wildcats rallied late to pull within two.   However, a missed field goal with 17 seconds left gave the Trojans the win,  28 - 26.

2. Oregon and UCLA combine for 90+ points in an epic shootout

Oregon's offense did their part for this prediction, but Hundley and the Bruins were held in check for most of the game.  The Ducks showed they are still the top playoff contenders in the Pac-12 with a 42 - 30 victory.  It was a high-scoring affair, but not quite the fireworks display I was expecting.

3. TCU holds Baylor to 30 points or less

Speaking of fireworks, Baylor and TCU put on quite a show.  The Horned Frogs barely held the Bears to 30 points in the first half.  TCU surged to a 58 - 37 lead, but a fourth quarter collapse allowed Baylor to score the final 24 points in a stunning comeback win for the Bears.  Baylor is now in the driver's seat in the Big 12 and is a real contender for the playoffs after knocking off TCU, 61 - 58.

4. Georgia running back Nick Chubb runs for 150+ yards in Gurley's absence

Chubb took over as Georgia's workhorse with 38 rushes, but averaged a modest 3.8 yards per carry. The result was a total of 143 rushing yards,  just shy of my prediction.  The offense managed fine without Gurley, and the defense turned in a superb performance to give the Bulldogs an impressive 34 - 0 win over Missouri.  But if Gurley's NCAA status isn't resolved soon, the junior running back can forget about any chance at winning a Heisman this year.

5. Florida has a QB available to play on Saturday

Treon Harris was reinstated on Friday after the sexual battery complaint was withdrawn, but coaches kept him out of the game.  This left Jeff Driskel as the Gators' only option, resulting in a 30 - 27 loss to LSU.  Florida will look to rebound against Missouri next week.

Week 7 record: 2 - 3
Overall record: 13 - 22

Refs botch end of Alabama vs. Arkansas game

Alabama was facing a critical third down, clinging to a 14 - 13 lead against Arkansas with only 1:01 to play, when they were flagged for a false start.  The clock should have stayed at 1:01 until the next snap.  However, after being penalized the five yards for the false start, the referees incorrectly signaled for the clock to start running.  The result was that the next play run by the Crimson Tide was enough to drain the rest of the clock, giving Alabama the win.  Arkansas would've still needed a miracle to win, even if the clock had been managed properly and they got the ball back, but crazier things have happened.  The Razorbacks deserved that shot after outplaying the Tide for most of the game.

State of Mississippi keeps going strong

Ole Miss and Mississippi State stand alone as the last unbeaten teams in the SEC after notching double-digit wins against Texas A&M and Auburn, respectively, this week.  The win for the Bulldogs was enough to propel them to the number one spot in the rankings, while the Rebels hangs out not far behind, at third.  If both teams win out, the Nov 29 showdown between the two will effectively be a division championship game, and step one to earning a playoff bid.

College Football poised for exciting second half

The number of unbeatens dwindle, while the group of one-loss teams expands.  As I've stated before, going undefeated in a Power-5 effectively guarantees a playoff spot, but what if only one or two teams go undefeated (as I've also mentioned as a likelihood)?  If there are a bunch of one-loss teams at the end of the season, who gets the nod?  Based on what the selection committee has said about the process, it sounds like conference champions will get an advantage in this kind of scenario.  But with five major conferences, if no champion has more than one loss, who gets left out?  And what about a one-loss SEC west team that doesn't make the SEC championship?  Will the committee show them the same love the polls have up to this point and put them ahead of once-beaten teams from other conferences?  Throw in a 11 - 1 Notre Dame squad and the whole thing seems like a crap-shoot.  We still have a lot of football left, so things may work themselves out eventually.  Either way, the second half of the season should be fun to watch, as dozens of teams try to claw their way into the top four.