Photo Courtesy: CNN
If there was any weekend to watch some college football, this was the weekend. The most stunning and entertaining being in Nashville, where Vanderbilt upset then first ranked Alabama 40-35. That is just the tip of the iceberg, with there being plenty of upsets that occurred all over the nation. Staying in the SEC, Arkansas defeated Tennessee at home, and Texas A&M made a statement over Missouri. The SEC has quickly become the most competitive conference in the country, and it will certainly be interesting to see how it plays out.
But that’s not the only conference that got a massive shakeup. In the BIG 10, both USC and Michigan lost to Minnesota and Washington respectively. Indiana also became one of two teams to now be bowl eligible, currently at 6-0. While Ohio St is currently the favorite, they will certainly be met by a handful of challengers.
For the first time since 1945, both Army and Navy are 5-0. While both teams still have a long way to go to find themselves in playoff contention. They join Boise St, led by Heisman frontrunner Ashton Jeanty, as the best group of five teams to get into the playoffs.
With all that being said, here’s my projected bracket entering the much-anticipated weekend.
First round byes (projected conference champions):
1. Texas (SEC Champion)
2. Ohio St (BIG 10 Champion)
3. Miami (ACC Champion)
4. Iowa St (BIG 12 Champion)
First round matchups:
12. Boise St vs 5. Oregon
11. Clemson vs 6. Notre Dame
10. Georgia vs 7. Ole Miss
9. Penn St vs 8. Alabama
Games to watch this weekend:
1 Texas at 18 Oklahoma (Saturday 3:30 PM EST ABC/ESPN+)
The Red River Rivalry never disappoints, and if last weekend was any indication, the Longhorns could potentially be on upset watch. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is expected to make his return, despite Arch Manning’s impressive play. They go into a Cotton Bowl stadium to face a Sooners team coming off a bye week. Like its predecessors, this one will be back and forth, and will be dictated by who has the ball last. Give me horns up, and the Longhorns taking victory down in Dallas.
4 Penn St at USC (Saturday 3:30 PM EST CBS)
The Trojans are coming off a road loss to Minnesota, and they’ll be hungry for victory at home, welcoming the red hot Nittany Lions of Penn St. This one featured two prolific signal callers in Drew Allar (PSU) and Miller Moss (USC), both capable of launching the ball down field and escaping pressure. I’m giving the edge to Penn St, as their defense has been one of the best in the country, only allowing 11.4 points per game.
2 Ohio St at 3 Oregon (Saturday 7:30 PM EST NBC)
This has been one of the most anticipated matchups this season. Both the Buckeyes and Ducks are 5-0, with two victories in BIG 10 play. Oregon began the season with less offensive firepower than expected but have quickly regained their form since their victory over rivals Oregon St. Visiting Ohio St will be their toughest test, as the Ohio St defense is arguably the best in the nation, allowing only 6.8 points per game and 202.4 yards per game. This one will be electric, and the Buckeyes will get a win on the road in primetime.
9 Ole Miss at 13 LSU (Saturday 7:30 PM EST ABC/ESPN+)
Death Valley will be rocking, as the Tigers look to upset the visiting Rebels of Ole Miss. Jaxson Dart looks to add to his Heisman campaign by getting a win in one of, if not the most difficult places to play, and that’s the advantage LSU needs to use. While they’ve been efficient on offense, they haven’t played a quality defense since their loss to USC back in week one. This one can truly go either way, and it will go to Dart and the Rebels.
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