Let’s dive into the week that was in college football and hit all the highlights on the SoBros Network’s College Football Roundup.
*We’re going to kick this week’s column with the absolute biggest headline in the world of college football this week. The road to the Big 12 Championship is going to run through the state of Kansas now. Kansas is a football state, and the Kansas Jayhawks and the Kansas State Wildcats occupy the top two spots in the current Big 12 standings. We’re going to ignore that the Oklahoma State Cowboys are the highest ranked team in the conference, and look like the only real playoff contender of the bunch. That’s not relevant right now. What’s relevant right now is what the standings show, and what they show right now is that if anyone wants a crack at the title, they’re going to have to go through Kansas and Kansas State. Facts!
I am all in on Kansas-Kansas State deciding the Big 12. pic.twitter.com/KJoihA1APM
— Stoney Keeley (@StoneyKeeley) October 1, 2022
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Big 12, the Oklahoma Sooners are absolutely cooked. At this point, they would need something to happen that has never happened before – not only would they need to win out, but they’d also need the CFP committee to vote in a two-loss team.
*Are the Georgia Bulldogs okay? Like, what is happening there? Back-to-back games where they’re playing down….way down…to their competition? I guess the important thing is that they are still gutting out wins, but this does not look like the dominant team that rocked Oregon to start the season. They fell out of the top spot in the AP poll this weekend. Is it time for Bulldogs fans to worry?
*Speaking of, the Alabama Crimson Tide got it done after Bryce Young left the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks with a shoulder injury. It sounds like it’s not going to be anything that causes him to miss significant time, but man, how would his absence alter the trajectory of this Alabama team’s season? It already feels like there’s more parity in college football this season than there has been in a long time. Imagine if Georgia is struggling AND Alabama is without its Heisman-winning quarterback…
*Don’t look now, but the Utah Utes are sneaking back up into the CFP conversation. They’re sitting right there at #11 in the AP poll behind a bunch of teams from the SEC and Big Ten that are going to cannibalize each other (among others obviously). They go to UCLA this weekend and then host USC – if they come through this at 6-1, they’re going to be firmly back in the CFP race. They might be wise to take a page out of Arizona State’s playbook for that USC game…
Number 4 on @ASUFootball is my favorite player ever pic.twitter.com/vw0Ct4ZVaw
— UCLAKINGSHALOS (@UCLAKINGSHALOS) October 2, 2022
*I hate to say it, but I feel like that’s probably a wrap for the NC State Wolfpack. I thought they had a real shot at a playoff run because of their schedule, but this was the one game they needed. They fought hard, but ultimately, the Clemson Tigers are just a little bit better on offense than I was giving them credit for. If they continue to iron things out on that side of the ball, they could be a legitimate threat to win it all.
*Well, I owe Steven McCash some Whataburger after losing the bet, but it doesn’t mean I’m willing to concede that the Ole Miss Rebels were clearly the better team on Saturday. The Kentucky Wildcats gave that game away with three turnovers inside the red zone. Insane! In all seriousness, who had Lane Kiffin shifting gears and becoming a defensive guru on their 2022 bingo card?
* *sigh* So, what do we make of the UCLA Bruins and Syracuse Orange? I mean, hell…5-0 is 5-0, but a couple of close wins over Purdue and Virginia are about the only “quality” wins Syracuse has. UCLA has a good win over Washington, but they were nearly upset by South Alabama. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that neither team is actually that good. Is there such a thing as a phony undefeated?
*Man, how about Mike Leach just totally taking a dump on Texas A&M!?!?!
Mike Leach is a savage.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) October 2, 2022
@pooraggies @billyliucci pic.twitter.com/UPXL5VtshV
*I joked last week that the Illinois Fighting Illini was the best team in the Big Ten West, but like…here we are. They’re 4-1 and will play Minnesota in a couple of weeks. Who would have thought that that game would have such a large bearing on the Big Ten Championship!?! Bielemaball is alive and well in the Big Ten.
*Things are starting to get a little bit clearer among the Group of Five. The Cincinnati Bearcats continue to be the highest ranked…actually, they’re the only Go5 team ranked. But, they probably have the highest quality resumé so far anyway. James Madison, Coastal Carolina, and Tulane are the only other teams that even received votes in the AP poll this week. It might take a catastrophe for Cincinnati NOT to get that Cotton Bowl spot this season, though I have to say, I’m absolutely here for a James Madison or Tulane run to the New Years Six.
My Current Bowl Projections
- Fiesta Bowl: Georgia vs. Ohio State
- Peach Bowl: Alabama vs. USC
- National Championship: Alabama vs. Ohio State
- Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. Utah
- Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. Tennessee
- Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma State
- Cotton Bowl: Penn State vs. Cincinnati
If you haven’t already, be sure to go subscribe to the College Football Roundup Podcast, on which Steven McCash and myself break down all the action from the college football world and look ahead to the week to come.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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