Week 13 College Football Recap: Rankings, Heisman, BCS Projections

After another week hiatus (and attending a horribly frustrating self-inflicted Nebraska loss to Michigan State), I return with my Week 13 Recap. The top two offenses in the nation get smashed on the road. A couple teams put up 80 on weak opponents. Florida is going to finish the year with four wins after an amazing loss to Georgia Southern, who didn’t even complete a pass. I love college football. Check out the fallout below and the carnage that happened to the BCS and Heisman projections…

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: East Carolina, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Texas

Dropped from the rankings: Minnesota (21)

25 (NR). Washington (7-4) – This is not just because the team put up 69 points at the one place in the Pac-12 that weird stuff happens, but their only losses are to top 20 teams, only one of which got out of hand. They are still among the most talented teams in the nation and could put on quite a show in the closing weeks of the year.

24 (25). Oklahoma (9-2) – The Sooners are still hanging onto a top 25 ranking. There is not really anything that the team is great at. They are just Oklahoma and get their wins. Their two losses were both blowouts, though.

23 (23). USC (8-3) – This USC team is confusing. If Pat Haden and company have not seen enough from Orgeron to know that he should coach the Trojans next year, then he should be fired.

22 (22). Duke (9-2) – It just feels weird to have Duke on this list two weeks in a row and not have it be a joke. Who is feeling better going into the Duke-UNC game next week? The 9-2 team or the team that scored 80 points in the game’s first 45 minutes?

21 (14). Texas A&M (8-3) – It appears that Johnny Football’s kryptonite is LSU’s defense. They just cannot win the big games in conference. They can upset teams and blow out teams, but when they need a win, pressure gets to them.

20 (12). UCLA (8-3) – Jim Mora suffered his first loss at home as head coach of the Bruins. It was an ugly one too, with a third consecutive Pac-12 South title on the line.

19 (24). LSU (8-3) – The Tigers are still holding strong and are clearly the best 3-loss team out there. They have the wins to make them a top 10 team, but that loss to Mississippi still confuses me.

18 (17). South Carolina (9-2) – This team just somehow keeps slugging along. You look at the record and the conference, and you think they are a stout team. They are not. Their league is weak, and they are…sort of average. I do not understand the Cocks.

17 (18). Northern Illinois (11-0) – This is one of the toughest cases in the nation. Jordan Lynch looks like he could beat anyone, but we saw last year in the BCS that they actually cannot. They are unbeaten, though. Let’s just hope that the BCS doesn’t take both the Huskies and Fresno State and pit them against each other a la 2010 Fiesta Bowl.

16 (16). Louisville (10-1) – The Cardinals seems to have the exact same format to every game they play. They are probably a lot better than this ranking, but we just do not have the evidence to prove that. I wish they were in the ACC this year.

15 (15). UCF (9-1) – After a near disaster and minor miracle against Temple, UCF got back to what they are best at. I would be surprised if they lose again this year.

14 (19). Michigan State (10-1) – The Spartans have taken care of business in every game this year, except against Notre Dame. That and Oklahoma State’s loss in Morgantown are two of the most confusing losses in recent memory.

13 (20). Arizona State (9-2) – The Sun Devils are hot, and I would not at all be shocked to see them take out Stanford in the Pac-12 Title Game.

12 (13). Fresno State (10-0) – You gotta love Fresno State and Derek Carr. They are just pure offense. I want to see them take on the big boys in a BCS game.

11 (5). Oregon (9-2) – I guess motivation is everything with Oregon. “We want Bama.” “Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl…been there, done that.” The Duck players are idiots. Have fun in the Sun Bowl.

10 (11). Stanford (9-2) – After that loss to USC, Stanford puts up 63 points in the Big Game against one of the worst defenses in college football history. Nice.

9 (10). Wisconsin (9-2) – This is appearing to be one of the toughest teams out there. The wins against run-based and physical BYU and Minnesota are as impressive as anything they have done this year.

8 (3). Baylor (9-1) – I do not think anyone saw that coming. Oklahoma State is talented and definitely good enough to win the conference, but completely shutting them down like that is shocking. There were injuries that played a part, no doubt. But that was a complete shellacking.

7 (9). Missouri (10-1) – This is exactly the type of team that Alabama does not want to see in the SEC Championship Game. I think they are better with Maty Mauk in there too. They might want to think about making him the permanent starter, but no way will they do that with their Senior Day coming up against the Aggies.

6 (8). Auburn (10-1) – It is amazing how much a miracle last second touchdown can change the outlook of a season. They are playing for perhaps a BCS Championship Game berth next week against the Crimson Tide.

5 (7). Clemson (10-1) – This team was riding a similar wave last year into the Palmetto Bowl, and they disappointed. I cannot see that happening again.

4 (6). Oklahoma State (10-1) – The Cowboys are one of the most balanced and scary offenses out there. Beating Baylor the way they did is one of the two or three most impressive wins of the year in all of college football. The Big 12 just cannot get an unbeaten team…Oklahoma State losing in Ames, K-State losing at Baylor, and now Baylor losing in Stillwater. I loved that conference…

3 (4). Ohio State (11-0) – Urban Meyer is in such a frustrating spot right now. Can one of the premiere college football programs out there have back-to-back undefeated seasons and not even get a chance at a national title? Yeah, the BCS will be missed…sure…

2 (2). Alabama (11-0) – The Iron Bowl is going to be quite a show. I can’t wait to see that scene.

1 (1). Florida State (11-0) – As long as Winston stays eligible, this team will not lose again. They just need to stay focused against a horrible Florida team and presumably Duke, and they will get their shot at Bama.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. Minnesota at Michigan State (#14), 9:00AM BTN – This will be a physical and ugly game in probably terrible conditions. Can Sparty avoid looking ahead to Ohio State? PREDICTION: Michigan State 20-13

4. Notre Dame at Stanford (#10), 4:00PM FOX – Notre Dame has beaten Michigan State and Arizona State this year, so they are more than capable of pulling an upset. Stanford has to have a bit of revenge on its mind after the overtime controversial loss last season. This could be a classic. PREDICTION: Stanford 31-28

3. UCLA (#20) at USC (#23), 5:00PM ABC – The Battle for LA may not have any real implications as far as the conference goes, but this will not be the beatdown that it was a season ago. Both teams are playing at or near their best at this point in time, making for a highly entertaining matchup. PREDICTION: USC 41-35

2. Clemson (#5) at South Carolina (#18), 4:00PM ESPN2 – South Carolina prevailed last season, but Clemson still only has that one loss. I bet they want this game even more than whatever BCS game they end up in. PREDICTION: Clemson21-10

1. Alabama (#2) at Auburn (#6), 12:30PM CBS – If you do not want to watch this, then you obviously are not a college football fan. This is going to be one of the most interesting games of the season. There is always something strange that happens in this game. Last year was an absolute raping, but that will not happen to this Auburn team. There is something a little quirky about them. I think they got a shot. PREDICTION: Alabama 24-16

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama – He is one of the most successful QBs in recent memory. If there is an award for a career, then it is his. They might just do that with Winston’s investigation going on.

4. Andre Williams, RB, Boston College – Williams is the first player in conference history to rush for 2000 yards in a season, and many people forget the tough games BC gave Florida State and Clemson. He is the real deal.

3. Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois – Lynch absolutely should be invited to the ceremony. He is the most exciting player in the nation, and he puts the team on his back just like Colin Klein, Tim Tebow, and other great dual threat QBs before him. His numbers are staggering, as well.

2. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson – Boyd seemed to be out of it earlier, but now with Mariota and Manziel faltering, he is right there as the best senior QB in the nation and in the driver’s seat to secure at least an invite.

1. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State – Cam Newton still won despite his controversy. Winston, barring a terrible upset in the next couple weeks, will be the winner.

BCS Projections

Rose Bowl – Ohio State over Stanford

Orange Bowl – Baylor over Clemson

Sugar Bowl – UCF over Missouri

Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma State over Fresno State

BCS Championship Game – Florida State over Alabama

What did you think of this weekend? Rankings? Heisman predictions? Let me know below!

Week 8 College Football Recap: Rankings, Heisman, BCS Projections

This Saturday gave us some incredible games. There were a string of upsets, taking teams from the ranks of the unbeaten. The best 1-loss teams all struggled or lost as well. We had Jordan Lynch set the QB rushing record with over 300 yards on the ground. We had a game last over 4 hours and one team snap the ball 114 times in a non-overtime affair. We saw Washington State’s Conner Halliday throw the ball an FBS record 89 times in a 24 point loss at Oregon. It is stuff like thisthat makes me hate the Ducks so much. The first BCS Rankings of the season (it’s final season!!!) come out today. Check out my projections and top 25 and such below:

NOTE: There will not be an official write-up next Sunday. I will be taking my talents to Las Vegas, but I will have MY TOP 25updated at some point before the games start the following week.

Top 25 Poll

Others receiving votes: Ball State, BYU, Houston, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington

Dropped from the rankings: Washington (15), South Carolina (16), Georgia (19), Oklahoma (23), Houston (24)

25 (NR). Oregon State (6-1) – Since that loss to Eastern Washington to start the year, this has been one of the best offenses in the country. I do not know too many out-of-state offenses that can keep up.

24 (NR). Arizona State (5-2) – They had an impressive stomping of a now dejected and unraveling Washington team. They continue to give glimpses of being a real threat, but then they go and screw it up the next week.

23 (25). Michigan State (6-1) – They had one of the ugliest and most uneventful wins that any team has had this year. How are they 6-1 with that putrid offense?

22 (21). Nebraska (5-1) – IDLE. Next week: at Minnesota

21 (22). Northern Illinois (7-0) – They keep winning and giving up huge numbers to terrible teams. They aren’t crashing the BCS party with Fresno still undefeated, but they are fun to watch.

20 (NR). Wisconsin (5-2) – Without that strange ending against Arizona State, this team would probably be in good position for a BCS berth.

19 (8). Louisville (6-1) – I am so glad that we no longer have to worry about a potential AAC team sneaking into the title game…

18 (NR). UCF (5-1) – In what was one of the more entertaining games of the season, UCF pulled off a stunner. Everyone seems to forget that they were leading for the majority of their sole loss to South Carolina too.

17 (10). Texas A&M (4-2) – They just flat-out have ZERO defense. Johnny Football can do only so much…

16 (9). LSU (6-2) –Mississippi finally got the big win after a few weeks of disappointment. They always play LSU tough. The Tigers are still one of the better teams in the conference.

15 (NR). Auburn (6-1) – The Tigers pulled off an impressive win against the Aggies. Malzahn definitely has the offense going, but they are going to need some sort of defense to really compete with the rest of the West.

14 (17). Virginia Tech (6-1) – IDLE. Next week: vs Duke

13 (20). Oklahoma State (5-1) – This is one of those teams that I cannot really get a read on. They lose to West Virginia, and then they look strong again. They bench their starting QBs in the middle of games. I don’t know.

12 (4). Clemson (6-1) – Clemson is going to have to lick their wounds after that thrashing they took at home by FSU. They have a tricky game at Maryland coming up.

11 (14). Fresno State (6-0) – This offense seems like it will not even be slowed down this season. They are a juggernaut in a slightly down MWC.

10 (7). UCLA (5-1) – The Bruins were beyond disappointing against Stanford. They are going to have to get right back on the horse with Oregon looming.

9 (18). Missouri (7-0) – I hate Missouri. They are going to coast through a banged-up SEC schedule, and they do not even have to play LSU or Alabama. Disgusting.

8 (12). Miami (6-0) – The Hurricanes avoided an ugly loss on Thursday night to keep our hopes of another undefeated matchup in a couple weeks in Tallahassee.

7 (13). Texas Tech (7-0) – I do not really get this team. They never look good. Somehow they just keep trucking along with a confidence that they should not have.

6 (11). Stanford (6-1) – The Cardinal just outplayed and overwhelmed UCLA. That loss at Utah is going to look more and more confusing as the season goes along.

5 (6). Ohio State (7-0) – The Buckeyes at times look like the preseason #2 that they are, and then they look as stale and bored as any team I have come across. But they keep winning…

4 (5). Florida State (6-0) – With the most impressive win of the season, the road team just smashed the hopes of Clemson early. This team looks like a National Championship team. But guess who is next week…NC State. Last year’s upset special. The maturity of their phenomenal freshman QB will be tested.

3 (3). Baylor (6-0) – Another week, another 70+ point outing. Ho-hum…

2 (2). Alabama (7-0) – The Tide defense has finally calmed down, and now they are just murdering the competition. How does that taste Bielema?!

1 (1). Oregon (7-0) – They had another huge offensive showing, while their starters only played a couple quarters. They are going to be fresh for UCLA next weekend.

Top 5 Games for Next Weekend

5. Boise State at BYU, Friday 5:00PM ESPN – This is going to be another offensive explosion game. Neither team can stop anyone. The offenses are potent. This should be quite a show in Provo. MY PICK: BYU 43, Boise State 35

4. Texas Tech (#7) at Oklahoma, 12:30PM FOX – This will be Texas Tech’s biggest test of the year. We are probably going to keep saying that each week as they hit the meat of their Big 12 schedule. MY PICK: Texas Tech 28, Oklahoma 23

3. South Carolina at Missouri (#9), 4:00PM ESPN2 – South Carolina has been able to squeak out ugly wins each week up until yesterday. Playing in front of a hostile crowd in Missouri will be quite a scene. Not sure which direction this one goes… MY PICK: South Carolina 21, Missouri 20

2. UCLA (#10) at Oregon (#1), 4:00PM ESPN – If UCLA had beaten Stanford, then this would be one of the best games of the year. Instead, it is just an solid top 10 matchup on paper. MY PICK: Oregon 42, UCLA 28

1. Stanford (#6) at Oregon State (#25), 7:30PM ESPN – If you want to see an incredible offense (with shaky defense) against an incredible defense (with shaky offense), then look no further than this game. It was a hard-fought battle last year. This is one of the most intriguing games in recent weeks. MY PICK: Stanford 34, Oregon State 27

Heisman Trophy Watch

5. Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State – He has had an absolutely ridiculous season. Everyone knows they are going to pass, and you just cannot stop it.

4. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M – He is the best player in the conference that everyone hails as the best. He is going to get the votes.

3. Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois – He is going to have the stats that will look overwhelming to any voter. How can you leave this guy off the ballot?

2. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State – He is looking like RGIII in his Heisman year. This kid has it all. Next year, son.

1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon – Unless his team somehow trips up this season, he is going to run away with this award.

BCS Projections

Rose Bowl – Stanford over Ohio State

Orange Bowl – UCF over Clemson

Sugar Bowl – Alabama over Fresno State

Fiesta Bowl – Baylor over LSU

BCS Championship Game – Oregon over Florida State

What did you think of this crazy weekend? Which upset was the best? Which player had the most absurd offensive day? How do you think the BCS Rankings will shake out? Let me know!