(photo courtesy ESPN)
I feel like I’m staring to sound like a broken record, because once again, this past Saturday did not disappoint. The playoff picture is nowhere near getting any clearer, as all power 4 conferences are still anyone’s game.
Austin, Texas was the hotspot for the world of sports. And it put the southern hospitality on display, as the Longhorns welcomed Georgia and took the home loss 30-15. It wasn’t a pretty game for either side, with both Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers making mistakes throughout. The Bulldogs ground game and defense where their keys to victory, keeping the Dogs in SEC contention. Texas will have some work to do, as now they face some serious questions about their defense and what could become a quarterback controversy between Ewers and Arch Manning.
Iowa St and BYU remain undefeated after having to pull off late game heroics. Miami and Clemson continue their destiny to meet in the ACC championship. Indiana makes a statement over Nebraska with a 56-7 victory. The Hoosiers put themselves firmly in BIG 10 contention, along with Oregon, Penn St, and Ohio St.
After a crazy weekend of college ball, here’s my bracket entering week 9:
First Round Byes:
1. Oregon (BIG 10 Champion)
2. Georgia (SEC Champion)
3. Miami (ACC Champion)
4. BYU (BIG 12 Champion)
First Round Matchups:
12. Boise St VS 5. Texas
11. Alabama VS 6. Tennessee
10. Ohio St VS 7. Notre Dame
9. LSU VS 8. Penn St.
Games to watch this weekend:
12 Notre Dame at 24 Navy (Saturday NOON EST ABC)
Who would’ve thought that this would be a marquee matchup at this point in the season? And yet here we are. The Midshipmen have been on a tear this season, averaging 45 points per game and roughly 436 yards per game. And while the Fighting Irish have a top 10 defense in the country, they haven’t faced an offense this efficient since their week 5 victory against Louisville. While Navy has utilized its passing attack to bring them to 6-0, Notre Dame’s defense is going to be too much for them.
20 Illinois at 1 Oregon (Saturday 3:30 PM EST CBS)
Both Dillon Gabriel (OREG) and Luke Altmyer (ILL) look to make this contest a Heisman statement, as the Fighting Illini travel to Eugene to take on the red-hot Ducks. It’s no secret that the Ducks have been arguably the best offense in the nation, and they can showcase their explosiveness against an Illinois defense that ranks towards the bottom half of the BIG 10 in almost all defensive categories. Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks will take the home win, but not without a fight from the Fighting Illini.
5 Texas at 25 Vanderbilt (Saturday 4:15 PM EST SEC Network)
Much like Notre Dame and Navy, no one expected this game to be a much-anticipated matchup. Vanderbilt entered the AP poll this weekend at 25, which began with their historic upset against Alabama, and are freshly coming off victories against Kentucky and Ball St. The Longhorns of Texas are going to look to use the Commodores as a punching bag after dropping a win to Georgia last weekend. Both teams are very similar in play style, with both teams featuring predominantly quarterbacks that stay within the pocket and a powerful rushing attack. This contest will come down to the defense, more specifically the secondary, as both sides will have their hands full defending explosive play makers. While Texas should be able to leave Nashville with a victory, I wouldn’t be surprised to be talking about Vanderbilt this time next week.
8 LSU at 14 Texas A&M (Saturday 7:30 PM EST ABC/ESPN+)
If the season ended today, this would be the SEC championship game, as the Tigers and Aggies sit at one and two respectively. Both sides feature explosive talent in their offensive skill positions and have quarterbacks who are experienced and don’t turn the ball over. This will be the most competitive matchup of these four and can truly go either way. Like many games of this caliber, it will come down to who will have the ball last and makes the least mistakes throughout. While Garret Nussmeier and the Tigers have put up big numbers this year, Kyle field is known as the home of the 12th man for a reason. The Aggies should be able to take care of business in primetime and potentially enter the top 10.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcome. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Thomas Szot tszot@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu
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