College Football Week 8 Recap

1. Texas A&M knocks Alabama out of playoff contention

So... yeah.  This one was quite clearly a bust.  Alabama silenced critics by absolutely crushing Texas A&M, 59 - 0.  If Alabama wins out, they will still be in good position to make the playoff, depending on how the rest of the SEC West shakes out.  They still have upcoming games against LSU, Mississippi State, and Auburn, though, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

2. Florida State embarrasses Notre Dame with 20+ point victory

I was right that the Seminoles wouldn't lose, but way off about how close it would be.  Notre Dame held the lead for much of the night, matching up quite evenly with Florida State in all phases of the game.  It wasn't until halfway through the fourth quarter that the defending national champs finally took the lead.  It would prove to be the winning score, as Notre Dame fell short on their final drive.  The Irish had what appeared to be the go-ahead touchdown on fourth-and-goal with seconds remaining but a controversial offensive pass-interference call erased the score and ultimately ended Notre Dame's upset bid.  Florida State barely survived, 31 - 27.

3. Rutgers' Leonte Carroo has 100+ receiving yards against Ohio State

Carroo had exactly 100 receiving yards on five catches, but in general, Rutgers did not consistently move the ball, as predicted.  Ohio State continued their offensive dominance as they cruised to a 56 - 17 victory.  Things get considerably more difficult as the Buckeyes travel to Penn State to take on the Nittany Lions in a hostile night game environment.

4. Northwestern mixes up the Big Ten West race with win over Nebraska

This one started close, with the Wildcats holding a 3-point lead at halftime.  But a second half dominated by the Cornhuskers ruined this prediction.  Nebraska still controls their own destiny in the West, with the most important games coming at the end of the season, against Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.  But for now, the Cornhuskers look the part of division champ, after a 38 - 17 win over Northwestern.

5. New evidence comes to light that shows Ben Affleck is not Batman

So, it turns out that Ben Affleck is PLAYING Batman in the movie Batman v Superman.  I guess I would have discovered this had I actually read the article I linked to in my prediction (crazy, right?).  Either way, this prediction was accurate.  The part about Michigan State beating Indiana was good too, as the Spartans posted a 56 - 17 win over the Hoosiers.

Week 8 record: 2 - 3
Overall record: 15 - 25

Baylor falls to West Virginia, only four unbeatens remain

Looks like I was a week early on the Baylor upset prediction, as West Virginia was the team to hold the Bears under 30 points.  The Mountaineers surprised everyone with a 41 - 27 victory.  Baylor's defeat, combined with Notre Dame's loss, means only four teams are still undefeated.  Things are starting to get interesting - will anyone survive this season without a loss?

Dark horse Heisman candidate in Columbus?

No, I'm not talking about Braxton Miller in 2015.  Ohio State's J.T. Barrett may have struggled early on, but since the loss to Virginia Tech he's looked about as good, if not better, than any other quarterback in the country.  Barrett holds the highest total QBR (quarterback rating) since week 3, has four straight games with 4 or more touchdowns, while leading the offense to 50+ points and over 500 yards in each of those contests.  He's currently on pace to post season stats similar to those earned by Manziel and Winston in their respective Heisman seasons.  The biggest question on the minds of fans and critics alike, is whether his numbers are due to facing weak defenses or if he really is that improved.  A good measuring stick comes up next against a Penn State team ranked 6th nationally in scoring defense.  Then the real test will arrive a couple weeks later against a very tough Michigan State squad.  If Barrett has a big day against the Nittany Lions he will officially enter the conversation.  If he posts similar stats in a win over the Spartans, he will be right in the mix as a top-five contender.

Like father, like son?

Joe Montana's son, Nick Montana, had Tulane lined up as precious seconds ticked off the clock in the first half against UCF.  Montana opted to spike the ball to stop the clock.  What he didn't realize was the previous third-down conversion had failed, meaning the Green Wave were already facing fourth down before the spike.  Oops.  The knights went on to win by a touchdown.