It’s our week 10 college football preview. As we enter November, the great teams are starting to separate from the good teams. In a weekend full of huge matchups with College Football Playoff implications, Alex and Jake break down the 4 biggest games of the weekend.
Alex’s Picks
#9 Oklahoma at #22 Oklahoma St
Wanna hear a chaotic story? The first game between these two schools was held in 1904 and had such bad winds that a punt went backward and ball rolled down the hill into a frozen creek and the players jumped in because it was still a live ball(somehow) and Oklahoma recovered it and got a TD, they went on to win 75-0.
That’s Bedlam. Oklahoma leaves for the SEC next season leading to the 118th matchup between these two storied programs and the last Bedlam game we may see. The series has been defined by dominance on the part of Oklahoma. All-time the series is in their favor 91-19-7.
They head to Stillwater as 6-point favorites and looking to bounce back after a disastrous loss to Kansas last week.
Oklahoma
Brett Venables seemed to have figured everything out; dominant offense and defense, a win over Texas in Red River and a possible CFP appearance on the horizon but then it all fell apart last week.
The Sooners took a trip to Lawrence, Kansas as heavy favorites to take on the 5-2 Jayhawks, and came away with their first loss after a back-and-forth game that ended 38-33. Now the season is not all of a sudden over for the Sooners, they still can win out, have a Big-12 title berth and an outside shot at the CFP.
They will need to perfect the rest in order to accomplish these goals. QB Dillon Gabriel has been great this season and will likely be First Team All-Big 12, as he leads the conference in passing yards and TDs while being second in completion percentage (Jalen Daniels is first but has only played 3 games).
He also has 8 TD on the ground and can take over any game on the ground, like he did against Texas. He’s led them to having the 4th ranked offense in CFB by ppg. They also have the 24th-ranked defense in the country, with their ranking getting hurt after they let 38 up to Kansas.
If Dillon Gabriel can put the team on his back like we have seen him do they will be able to take down the Cowboys.
Oklahoma St.
Gundy always finds a way to get the Cowboys going, no matter how the season starts or looks, Ok St is always a good opponent.
This season is no different as they sit at 6-2 and a part of a five-team tie in the Big-12 for first place. After early season mishaps against Southern Alabama (lost 33-7) and at Iowa St (lost 34-27) they have rebounded and a ranked win against #23 Kansas and a 6-2 Kansas St team.
The big story for this season has been their RB Ollie Gordon II leads the nation in rushing yards and has 10 TDs on the ground with 1 through the air as well. If he can be effective on the ground and he has been against the Big-12 so far (averaging 8 ypc and has 8TD), then they can keep the ball away from Gabriel and the high scoring Oklahoma offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, LBs Nickolas Martin and Collin Oliver have combined for 9 sacks and 4 forced fumbles, they will look to disrupt the game and will be all over the field. The Oklahoma St offense and defense are not ranked as elite of their rivals, they sit at 47th for offense and 57th for defense.
Oklahoma St pulls off the upset!
Two of the most decorated programs in the Pac-12, USC has the most conference championships all time with 37, while Washington is tied for 2nd with 17.
The last few seasons why they have had success and winning seasons, neither has won the conference title with USCs last being in 2017 and Washington being in 2018. Overall the two schools have faced 85 times with USC having the edge, 51-30-4.
The last ten matchups have been much more even, with USC still having the lead 6-4, with Washington having the most recent win in 2019. The Huskies are ranked #5 in the first CFP rankings and are the only undefeated remaining in the Pac-12.
They head to the Colosseum as 3-point favorites this weekend.
Washington
Michael Penix Jr has defied all odds at QB; he is injury-prone, he played at Indiana and is left-handed. Despite the world being against him, he has found himself in the middle of the Heisman race and on a team contending for the national championship.
He leads the nation in passing yards and has the 2nd most TDs, he is averaging an insane 368 yards a game! He has been the most elite passer in CFB this year, and if the season ended right now he’s the Heisman winner.
He has led them to having the 9th best offense in the country and against a floundering USC defense, I expect them to jump up a few spots. The Huskies defense is tied for 2nd in the Pac-12 with 9 Ints but is dead last in sacks with only 10. Getting to the QB has been a major struggle and as the season progresses getting that extra pressure will help them greatly.
This week they face off against Caleb Williams who has been sacked 24 times this year, with 9 of them coming in their two losses. Getting him uncomfortable will be the main goal. Their defense is ranked 34th in the country.
USC
The Trojans’ hopes of making the CFP were destroyed much earlier this year after picking up consecutive losses to Notre Dame and Utah.
They have the 109th-ranked defense in CFB this year. There are only 128 teams in FBS. For a Power 5 program, that is just embarrassing, and honestly, why would defensive recruits want to go there? (Money, but still)
The presumptive #1 overall pick QB Caleb Williams has still played well this season but at times has looked disinterested and has been turnover-prone. He still is an elite dual-threat player, having 34 Total TDs and the second-most passing yards in the nation.
He has been good enough to lead the Trojans to the 2nd best scoring offense in the country but with a defense that bad it doesn’t really matter. Their schedule does not get any easier either, going to #6 Oregon on 11/11 and facing off against #19 UCLA to end the season.
I think realistically they go 8-4 and have a middle-tier bowl game this season. Better luck next year, Lincoln Riley.
Washington wins and covers
Jake’s Picks
LSU and Alabama have had some classics in the past, especially since Nick Saban took over the Crimsom Tide. This week, they will meet in Tuscaloosa, with the SEC division lead on the line. Alabama leads the serious 55-27-5. Huge stakes, let’s break it all down.
Jalen Milroe will need to outduel Jayden Daniels, who has done everything for LSU’s offense this year and makes jaw-dropping plays.
The LSU defense has been susceptible to big plays and the defensive backfield has been hampered by injuries and illness all year long. Milroe has struggled with consistency, but the deep ball has been working and Jermaine Burton is a legitimate threat and one of the best WR’s in the country.
If Milroe can avoid turnovers and keep the chains moving, LSU will have a hard time getting off of the field and keeping up with this offense.
On the flip side, Jayden Daniels tortured LSU next year. He’s grown as a passer and has always been an outstanding athlete, but he’s been doing EVERYTHING for the offense. Can he keep that up in the hostile environment of a night game in Tuscaloosa? I don’t think so.
Alabama 23, LSU 17
The Bulldogs debuted at #2, behind the Ohio State Buckeyes in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.
The committee stated that it was due to OSU’s strength of victory, with wins over Notre Dame and Penn State on their resume.
Well, Georgia will have the chance at some big wins over the next few weeks. A stretch of Mizzou, Ole Miss and @Tennessee will give the Bulldogs ample opportunity to boost their resume and regain the #1 ranking in the land.
Mizzou is dangerous though. They have had an electric offense all year long. Their lone loss was against LSU in a 49-39 shootout, but they are averaging 33.9 PPG and QB Brady Cook has been effective through the air and on the ground.
Will they be able to move the ball against the vaunted Georgia defense?
And has Carson Beck turned a corner? He seems to have. He’s looked more efficient and comfortable in the past couple of weeks, especially after a couple of scares earlier in the season. This stretch will define Beck’s season, but I think the Bulldogs, even without stud Brock Bowers, are a level ahead of Mizzou and will get through their first test. Ole Miss and Tennessee will present bigger issues in the following weeks.
Georgia 31, Mizzou 21