Sunday, May 5, 2024

College football Week 10 overreactions: Ohio State isn’t No. 1 material, Florida won’t go bowling this season



College football Week 10 was once particular, due largely to a major time slot that may simply go down in historical past. Washington confronted USC at about the similar time that Alabama duked it out towards LSU. Those two video games featured elite quarterback duels due to USC’s Caleb Williams and Washington’s Michael Penix, at the side of LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. The Crimson Tide signal-caller particularly seems to be raising his sport on the proper time with the crew’s attractions now set on a go back to the SEC Championship Game … and possibly the College Football Playoff. 

Oh, and the video games completely dominated. Washington and USC scored a mixed 94 issues, with the Huskies pulling away in any case for a 52-42 win. LSU and Alabama traded frame blows till Daniels left the sport early within the fourth quarter with an obvious concussion, permitting the Crimson Tide to take company keep watch over of the SEC West with their 42-28 triumph. 

- Advertisement -

That adopted a day window wherein Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff hopes had been obliterated in a 27-24 loss to No. 22 Oklahoma State. It was once a becoming finish to Bedlam if that was once certainly the ultimate installment in one in all school football’s maximum heralded rivalries. 

With such a lot of particular moments on one of the crucial extra memorable Saturdays in contemporary historical past, there may be masses to overreact to from school football’s tenth week of motion. 

Billy Napier won’t take Florida bowling in Year 2

Billy Napier’s Florida tenure appears like a boat slowly taking up water. There could also be glimmers of hope — like a win towards Tennessee or at the recruiting path — the place it kind of feels like he’s going to be capable of bail sufficient water to stay issues afloat. But then any other leak springs up, like Saturday’s loss to Arkansas. This in order that occurs to be the largest leak to this point, and it could end up to be one that is virtually not possible to fix this season. A house loss to the Razorbacks, which entered Saturday winless within the SEC and with a 2-6 report total, is nearly unforgivable. 

- Advertisement -

Now, the Gators need to get no less than one win of their last 3 video games to achieve bowl eligibility — however that reach features a pair of highway contests towards LSU and Missouri and a house tilt towards playoff hopeful Florida State. With that on faucet, a bowl sport turns out out of succeed in. Florida won’t fireplace Napier this yr — and it mustn’t. The Gators are killing it at the recruiting path in the end and there may be the potential of a turnaround in 2024. Napier isn’t sitting on a at ease seat, despite the fact that. 

Ollie Gordon is school football’s MVP

Oklahoma State operating again Ollie Gordon isn’t a well-kept secret anymore. The maximum exceptional participant in school football all over the month of October got here up large once more in a 27-24 win towards Oklahoma, sporting the ball 33 occasions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He was once the one Oklahoma State rusher to achieve sure yardage in the second one part — this even supposing he suffered an ankle harm on the finish of the 1st part that obviously him for the remainder of the sport. Thanks to Gordon, the Cowboys now have an implausible shot at making the Big 12 Championship Game. 

Gordon has reached 100 yards speeding in each and every one in all Oklahoma State’s Big 12 video games. In truth, he hasn’t rushed for fewer than 100 yards since a 33-7 loss to South Alabama on Sept. 16 — a end result this is increasingly bewildering because the weeks go via. The Cowboys are 5-1 since centering their offense round Gordon. Their Big 12 hopes and surprising resurgence actually run via him. No different person participant is creating a equivalent affect. 

- Advertisement -

Jeff Lebby can not conceal anymore

USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and (soon-to-be former) Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz have absorbed many of the flak as “college football’s worst assistant coaches” this season, and for just right reason why. While Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s on-field shortcomings have not been as egregious or widespread, he unquestionably merits the similar stage of ire. He’s the explanation that Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff hopes totally crumbled within the span of 2 weeks in losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State. 

It can all actually be summed up in Bedlam’s ultimate play: Facing a fourth-and-5 from Oklahoma’s 46-yard line, Lebby drew up a 3-yard out path to huge receiver Drake Stoops. It was once a one-read throw for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and Stoops was once stopped wanting the first-down marker. 

Stoops is the crew’s main receiver, a veteran participant and a security blanket for moments like those. He will have to know to run previous the sticks, however it is usually incumbent upon Lebby to place him able to take action. The play backfired. The end result? Heading to the SEC with a loss within the ultimate scheduled Bedlam sport. 

Ohio State isn’t the No. 1 crew

Disclaimer: Ohio State is a superb football crew. Ohio State is a College Football Playoff-caliber crew. But it doesn’t matter what the committee’s ratings may recommend, the Buckeyes don’t seem to be the most efficient crew in school football presently. 

Ideally, school football’s very best crew is whole. Ohio State isn’t. Surprisingly, it is the offense preserving issues again right here. The offensive line has been below-average after dropping 3 starters and quarterback Kyle McCord hasn’t been in a position to lift the ones round him and canopy up for lackluster O-line play. 

The Buckeyes produced one offensive landing within the first 42 mins of Saturday’s win towards Rutgers; a robust protection saved issues from spiraling out of keep watch over. The résumé was once — and nonetheless roughly is — Ohio State’s declare to the No. 1 spot, however the eye take a look at displays it is a quite susceptible selection for the top-ranked crew. 

(*1*)

More articles

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Latest article