Spread Offense 11/2/17: College Football Week 10 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


WEEK 10 TOP TEN

10. Wisconsin (last week: 10)
9. Oklahoma State (last week: NR)
8. Penn State (last week: 2)
7. Miami (last week: 6)
6. Oklahoma (last week: 9)
5. Notre Dame (last week: 8)
4. Clemson (last week: 7)
3. Ohio State (last week: 5)
2. Georgia (last week: 2)
1. Alabama (last week: 1)

Two of the top 5 teams went down last Saturday, and as the first college football playoff ranking of the season are released this week, my top 4 is who I currently would have in.

While the SEC isn’t what it used to be, the conference does account for the top 2 teams in the country now as Georgia jumps up to 2nd after a dominating win over Florida coupled with a Penn State loss. Penn State was well on their way to making a statement against Ohio State, but a big 4th quarter comeback by the Buckeyes lead to a thrilling 39-38 OSU win, catapulting the Buckeyes up to #3 while dropping Penn State to #9. And Iowa State’s victory over TCU moved the needle for 2 teams in the top 10, 1 obviously being TCU who fell out of the top 10 after the loss. The other being Oklahoma, who lost earlier in the season to Iowa State, who at the time we all thought the Cyclones were average at best. Well that Iowa State team is now 6-2 and tied for the Big 12 conference lead, so maybe that loss to them wasn’t such a terrible loss overall, although the way they lost was somewhat unacceptable(up 24-13 at halftime and at home.) Knowing what we know now about ISU, Oklahoma gets a slight bump in the rankings since they really don’t have a "bad loss" after all.

I typically hate the "pat me on the back" kind of fan, so naturally I’m going to do that here. Leading up to their game against USC, I ranked Notre Dame at #9 (AP/coaches poll had them #13) and said that it’s time to start believing in this team. Well after a beat down of USC followed by another beat down of #14 North Carolina, looks like the rest of the country is joining me in buying in to this Notre Dame team. They’re good and should definitely be a team to watch going forward this season.

Wisconsin yet again remains at #10, their 24-10 win over a 2-6 Illinois team just wasn’t enough to convince me to move them up at all.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
4. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
3. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
2. Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Saquon Barkley all but had the Heisman trophy wrapped up after the 1st quarter against Ohio State. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and followed it soon after with a 36 yard touchdown run. After that though, he was stuffed all game and finished with just 44 yards on 21 carries in which 9 of those 21 carries went for negative yards and he also only had 4 receptions for 23 yards. His 2.1 YPC looks bad especially since OSU came back and won the game, take away his lone touchdown run and that’s 20 carries for 8 yards even so he became a non-factor in a game that his team needed him the most.

Josh Adams on the other hand, closed the gap big time with his 202 yard performance against North Carolina State. The Notre Dame RB carried the ball 27 times with a 7.4 YPC and helped the Fighting Irish overwhelm the #14 ranked Wolfpack. He’s right there in discussion now for the Heisman and may very well take over as the favorite with Wake Forest, Miami, and Stanford left on their schedule.

Bryce Love’s best case for the Heisman might have came last Thursday, in a game that he didn’t play in. Without him, the Cardinal struggled against Oregon State and needed a costly turnover by the Beavers to pull out the win, 15-14. In his absence, Stanford looks like a middle of the road team, not the #21 ranked team that could win the Pac-12 North division.

And J.T. Barrett makes his way on the list after an incredible performance against Penn State. Barrett has been playing excellent ever since the Oklahoma loss, but it was against lesser competition so he really needed to show it against a top team before he could be considered a Heisman candidate. 33-39 for 328 yards and 4 TD’s against Penn State, he completed his final 16 passes, went 13-13 with 3 TD’s in the 4th quarter alone, which included the game winning TD pass with under 2 minutes left in the game.
With Barkley’s stumbling and Adams and Barrett on the rise, this Heisman trophy is wide open for the taking now.




#7 Penn State at #24 Michigan State - 12:00 PM

A meeting between two teams coming off very emotional losses last Saturday. Penn State traveled to Columbus in attempts to put their stamp down on Big Ten dominance, got up 35-20 in the 4th and then a big comeback by the Buckeyes happened which ended in a 39-38 Penn State loss. Michigan State was at Northwestern hoping to remain unbeaten in conference play, the game went into triple OT where MSU needed a touchdown to match Northwestern but an interception sealed the deal for the Wildcats and MSU suffered it's first conference loss. This game will be about how each team bounces back from that loss, could see both teams firing on all cylinders in a rage or could see them have the "hangover" effect, or one of each which will make for a lopsided game. Penn State just needs to stick with what they have been doing, which is getting the ball to Saquon Barkley while mixing in some read option QB runs and an occasional deep pass. Michigan State needs to find some offense, they only scored 14 points on 5 turnovers against Michigan, 10 points against Indiana and 17 points in regulation against Northwestern. Their defense is stellar but even the best defense will give up 14+ points to Penn State so they'll need to be able to answer those scores if they want a shot at this.

PREDICTION: Penn State 27-14


#21 Stanford at #25 Washington State - 3:30 PM

This game has a lot of variables going into it. The main variable is Stanford RB Bryce Love and if he's playing this week. Love sat out last week with an ankle injury and the Cardinal offense looked bad without him. The Heisman candidate is their main key to success on offense, so him being able to not only play but be effective will be huge for Stanford in getting a win here. The other variable is Washington State QB Luke Falk, who was benched last week due to his poor performance as the Cougars lost 58-37 to Arizona. Falk was once a Heisman candidate as well, but has been off ever since their loss to Cal and head coach Mike Leach saw enough last week to finally bench him. This can either motivate him to get back to playing like he was earlier in the season or could rattle his confidence and make him play just as bad, if not worse. This game really is a wait and see type game, a lot of factors will be going into this one to see which team will be able to get the win.

PREDICTION: Stanford 37-20


#4 Clemson at #20 North Carolina State - 3:30 PM

Clemson had a nice bounce back game against Georgia Tech, the Tigers defeated the Yellow Jackets in their first game back since suffering their first loss of the season. Their defensive line looked as good as ever, stifling the GT triple option running attack and controlling the tempo all game. They'll need that again this week as they go up against a NC State offense that's capable of putting a lot of points up on the board. The Wolfpack have a balanced offense, led by QB Ryan Finley and RB Nyheim Hines, they'll look to chip away at the Clemson defense with sustaining drives and tiring the defense out. Also, look for NC State DE Bradley Chubb to be all over QB Kelly Bryant, getting pressure and disrupting the Clemson QB will be a priority for one of the best defensive ends in the country. This is going to be a close game, they mimic each other in a lot of ways but Clemson may just have a little more talent here. The homefield advantage could even things out though, NC State will be building momentum off of that and looking to get a big win here in front of the home crowd.

PREDICTION: Clemson 27-21


#5 Oklahoma at #11 Oklahoma State - 4:00 PM

Get ready, because it is time for the Bedlam game. This matchup here is as even as it gets, both teams averaging close to the same amount of points, total yards, rushing yards and passing yards while on defense they are similar in points allowed and passing yards allowed (Oklahoma State has a slightly bigger edge in rushing defense.) The Sooners put together a complete game last week after struggling the previous 4 weeks and beat Texas Tech 49-27. If that teams shows up then it could be bad news for Oklahoma State, but the Sooners also struggled to beat Baylor, Texas and Kansas State while losing to Iowa State so it's a toss up on how the Sooners will play. Oklahoma State has also been up and down this season, they are capable of putting up a lot of points but also have some games where their offense just isn't clicking. 2 weeks ago against Texas for example, after beating Texas Tech 41-34 they were barely able to score on the Longhorns and squeaked out a 13-10 victory. So both teams are a bit of a wildcard here, we could have a shootout on our hands or see a defensive game while the offenses struggle. Both teams have the Big 12 championship and a playoff spot well within reach, the loser of this game though will all but be eliminated from playoff contention and will need help reaching the Big 12 championship game.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 38-33


#13 Virginia Tech at #10 Miami - 8:00 PM

The battle for the top spot in the ACC Coastal division is right here. Miami has struggled to score points in their last 4 games, escaping with a win in every one of those 4 games. Their struggle started right around the time that RB Mark Walton went down with a season ending injury and the offense shifted to QB Malik Rosier. While Rosier throws for a lot of yards, his inaccuracy tends to kill drives, as he is over 50% completion percentage in just 2 of his last 4 games and is just 56% on the season. He'll need to be a lot more fluid and sustain drives if Miami wants to win this one, that may be a tough task though as the Hurricanes face a Virginia Tech team that only allows 11.5 points per game. If Virginia Tech can continue their dominance on defense and get their normal offensive output then that should be enough to take this win back home. The offense, led by QB Josh Jackson, loves spreading it out and playing fast so expect them to put up 24+ points in this game, leaving the onus on Miami to score with them. The Hokies have bounced back after losing to Clemson, they've won their last 3 and look to build off that here to take over the division lead.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 31-17


#19 LSU at #2 Alabama - 8:00 PM

Here's a game that always tends to be a big time defensive slugfest. Alabama may be playing with a chip on their shoulder now that the college football playoff rankings were revealed and they came in at #2 instead of their assumed spot at #1. The main thing for the Crimson Tide in this is to control the line of scrimmage and not turn the ball over, if they accomplish both of those things they should cruise to a victory. LSU needs to find some offense here, RB Derrius Guice will be keyed on so the Tigers will need QB Danny Etling to get the passing game going in order to open things up on offense. LSU's front 4, which includes projected top 10 pick Arden Key, will need to win the battle in the trenches and not let RB's Damien Harris and Bo Scarborough run all over them. If they can stop the run and put it in the arm of QB Jalen Hurts then they have a chance at forcing some turnovers and controlling time of possession.

PREDICTION: Alabama 27-6

Spread Offense 10/27/17: College Football Week 9 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


WEEK 9 TOP TEN

10. Wisconsin (last week: 10)
9. Oklahoma (last week: 8)
8. Notre Dame (last week: 9)
7. Clemson (last week: 7)
6. Miami (last week: 6)
5. Ohio State (last week: 5)
4. TCU (last week: 4)
3. Georgia (last week: 3)
2. Penn State (last week: 2)
1. Alabama (last week: 1)

After a week in which we saw 7 teams in the top 25 lose to unranked teams, including 4 teams in the top 10, this past Saturday went chalk. The only movement in my top 25 is a flip flop of Notre Dame and Oklahoma after the Fighting Irish put on a dominating performance against USC while Oklahoma needed a last minute touchdown to beat Kansas State.

The rest did what they were supposed to do and took care of business. Penn State extracted revenge on Michigan after their 49-10 loss to the Wolverines last season to the tune of 42-13. Alabama remained dominant while once again letting Tennessee know just how far away they are to becoming competitive rivals again. TCU did what every team does to Kansas and Miami held off Syracuse, who was looking for their 2nd straight big upset.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
4. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
3. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Much like my top 10 ballot, there's not much change to this list. The only thing different from last week is that reigning Heisman winner Lamar Jackson has fallen out of the top 5 and has been replaced by RB Josh Adams. The Notre Dame RB ran all over USC last Saturday, gaining 191 yards on the ground with 3 TD's. On the season, Adams has 967 yards on only 105 carries(9.2 YPC) with 8 touchdowns.

1-4 holds steady, as Saquon Barkley furthered himself as the clear cut favorite after an 108 yard, 2 touchdown game against Michigan.


WEEK 9 PREVIEW


#11 Oklahoma State at #22 West Virginia - 12:00 PM

2 of the nation's best passing attacks will be on display in this game, as both Oklahoma State and West Virginia love to air it out. OKSU's QB Mason Rudolph has thrown for 2,650 yards and 19 touchdowns in their 7 games this season and he will look to have a lot of success against a WVU defense that gives up 460 total yards a game. But while West Virginia gives up more total yards per game, Oklahoma State gives up more passing yards per game as the Cowboys give up just under 400 yards through the air. That's where the Mountaineers offense could find their big advantage, QB Will Grier has over 2,400 yards passing this season with 24 touchdowns. This game may come down to whoever has the ball last, but expect a lot of passing and a lot of scoring in this game.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 44-34


#3 Georgia vs Florida - 3:30 PM

The world's largest outdoor cocktail party takes place annually in Jacksonville, FL. For Florida, they are hoping the "throw out the records in a rivalry game" cliché hold true here, because on paper this seems like a big mismatch. Florida is still struggling on offense, the Gators have only scored 17 points in each of their last 2 games, both resulting in a close loss. Georgia on the other hand, has been putting up 40+ points consistently this season and are a bit more rested as they had a bye last weekend. The Bulldogs know that scoring 20 points or more will result in a win, unless Florida can find an offense, so look for Georgia to stay aggressive to get the lead and protect the lead by not turning the ball over once they have it as they may be the only way that the Gators have a chance to pull this one off.

PREDICTION: Georgia 31-13


#14 North Carolina State at #9 Notre Dame - 3:30 PM

Two of the hottest teams in the country right here, with Notre Dame currently on a 5 game win streak and North Carolina State winning their last 6. Notre Dame's bread and butter has been the run game, RB Josh Adams is putting himself in Heisman discussion and QB Brandon Wimbush adds some running ability on option plays. North Carolina State has a bit more balanced of an offense, QB Ryan Finley rarely turns the ball over and RB Nyheim Hines has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last 3 games. The determining factor in this game could come down to the trenches, where a couple of potential top 10 NFL picks will be facing off. Notre Dame OT Matt McGlichey may be the best offensive lineman in the country, as many project him to be the first OL selected in the draft. NC State's DE Bradley Chubb will be a tough task though as he too is a top NFL prospect and can disrupt both the run and pass game. North Carolina State will need a balanced offense with no turnovers and for Bradley Chubb to be a difference maker in order to win here while Notre Dame needs to continue to run the football effectively in order to win.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 31-20


#2 Penn State at #6 Ohio State - 3:30 PM

This will be the game of the week right here as a battle for Big Ten East division along with a playoff spot hangs in the balance. The Ohio State Buckeyes have seemed to turn it around after their lopsided loss to Oklahoma in week 2, putting up 50+ points in 4 of the last 5 games. There is still skepticism out there though as they have not played a ranked team so their offensive output may be due to competition, this will be the big test to see if the offense is for real or just fool's gold. Penn State goes as RB Saquon Barkley goes, as the Heisman frontrunner commands full attention from the opposition and even then, he's usually not contained. QB Trace McSorley can beat the defense with his legs as well as he is a real good decision maker when it comes to the option run. He can also pull back make plays with his arm, with TE Mike Gesicki and WR DaeSean Hamilton being his main targets. Ohio State's defensive front 7 will be a huge factor here, they will need to keep containment on Barkley and McSorley while making sure they do not give up the big play. Two evenly matched teams with a ton at stake here, doesn't get much bigger than this for a regular season game.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 26-24

Buckeyes Preview 10/26/17: Penn State Nittany Lions @ Ohio State

By Jason Disantis, @JasonInCLE


The sixth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes entered their off-week firing on all cylinders and playing some of their best and most complete football of the year. The 6-1 Buckeyes have gone unscathed in Big Ten play and find themselves staring down the barrel of the toughest part of their schedule. With three ranked Big Ten opponents looming over the next five games, including this weekends showdown against No.2 Penn State, we’ll see if the Buckeyes have truly progressed since their loss to Oklahoma and preview their biggest Big Ten battle. Here are some of the biggest questions going into the final stretch of the 2017 Buckeye season:


Has J.T. Barrett and the Buckeye offense actually gotten better?

The Buckeyes have averaged 57 points per contest over their last four games. In that span J.T. Barrett has thrown five touchdowns twice, ran for three, and has 19 total scores. He is completing 71% of his passes and has zero turnovers. Barrett has even played himself back into some Heisman talk with his recent play.

But to really answer the question we must look past the numbers.

One of the biggest criticisms earlier in the year of J.T. Barrett was he didn’t look like he progressed from last year. There was no growth.

The most obvious factor for J.T.’s early struggles was a new offensive coordinator bringing a new offense to the Buckeyes. Kevin Wilson’s offense is highlighted by two components that the Buckeye’s weren’t very good at last year; tempo and big plays.

Last year Kevin Wilson’s Indiana offense threw 52 pass plays of 20 yards or more. The Buckeyes had only 33. The Buckeyes still aren’t hitting the long ball the way they want, but J.T. is getting better. Through seven games this year Barrett has completed nine passes of 20 yards or more for four touchdowns. The most encouraging part of those numbers is that four of the nine passes came last week against Nebraska.

Perhaps the most noticeable improvement in Barrett’s game is his confidence in himself, and his teammates.

One of my biggest criticisms of Barrett early in this year was his inability to give his guys a chance to make a play. Barrett looked like he was hesitant in his throws and reads. Only throwing to guys that were obviously wide-open and missing badly on throws to contested receivers.

Over the past couple games Barrett has taken advantage of the skill set and physicality of his wideouts. He is leading guys open, making crisp back shoulder throws, and tossing jump balls to his 6'4" playmaker Binjimen Victor. Fifteen different players have recorded a catch for the Buckeyes this season, nine of which have caught a touchdown.

Ohio State center Billy Price has seen the improvement and believes it’s legit.

“Right now, the offense as a whole is clicking the best it’s been in years. It’s clicking at the right moment.”

Much of Barrett’s improvement can’t be seen in the box score. He has put up big numbers ever since he was named the starter and own’s almost every relevant passing record at Ohio State. With his recent play he’s even started to sneak his name into Heisman consideration. This weekend will be his biggest test and will give Buckeye fans and the nation a good look at what type of J.T. Barrett we can expect going forward.


How much is the Buckeye secondary benefiting from weak passing attacks?

Losing three first-round defensive backs has proven to be a bigger hit than many Buckeye fans envisioned. There was no doubt to how great the Buckeye secondary was last year but replacing them with talents like Denzel Ward, Damon Arnette, and Kendall Sheffield gave many fans comfort as 2017 season approached.

Perhaps we expected too much too soon.

The beginning of the year was rough for the Buckeye secondary. In the first two games of the year the Buckeye secondary gave up a total of 806 yards and six touchdowns through the air while allowing a 67% completion percentage.

Since then the Buckeyes have allowed a quarterback to throw for over 100 yards just once and have two games with less than 20 passing yards allowed. But the competition also changed for Ohio State.

The very next game after Oklahoma threw for 386 yards against them the Buckeyes played an Army team that runs a triple option and only attempted eight passes going 2-8 for 19 yards. Add to that games against a passing attack led by a third-string quarterback for Maryland, a Rutgers quarterback with twice as many interceptions than touchdowns, and current interception leader in the Big Ten; Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee, and you have a stretch of games that has allowed your secondary to gain some confidence and get comfortable with each other in the defensive backfield.

Bottom line is we just don’t know if the Buckeyes have improved or if the poor competition has inflated their recent numbers. But we’ll find out come Saturday when the Big Ten leader in passing yards, Trace McSorley, brings the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions to Columbus.

Penn State travel to Ohio State 6-0 including last week’s beatdown of No.19 Michigan, 42-13, where Heisman front-runner Saquon Barkley continued to display the all-around skill set that will make him one of the top picks in the NFL draft next year.

Statistically these teams are very similar. Ohio State and Penn State rank 1-2 in the Big Ten in scoring, total offense, and passing.

As mentioned McSorley is the Big Ten passing leader but J.T. Barrett is only 41 yards behind him. Although McSorley has the edge in passing yard Barrett has 7 more passing touchdowns, and has only thrown one interception this year compared to McSorley’s five. Barrett also is a more prolific runner although McSorley is a very capable runner and is coming off his most impressive rushing game of the year with 76 yards and three rushing touchdowns against Michigan.

Despite some impressive quarterback play the heart and soul of the Penn State offense is Saquon Barkley. Barkley can do it all out of the backfield for the Nittany Lions amassing 757 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and another 448 yards and three touchdowns receiving.

The Buckeye’s will undoubtedly see Barkley all over the field as Penn State can use their 230-pound bell-cow inside, off-tackle, or running wheel routes down the sideline. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is well-aware of the task of defending the nation’s leader in all-purpose yardage.

“No question, he’s the best all-purpose guy we’ve probably faced in probably, maybe my career,” Meyer said. “I’d be careful to say this, but he’s as good an all-purpose running back we’ve seen. And that’s 30 years.”

The Buckeye defense is also well-aware of how great Barkley is and the task they have in trying to contain him.

When asked about Barkley, Ohio State linebacker put it about as well as you can saying, “The dudes a monster. I’m very excited to go against him because he can do it all. Pass block, run routes, run the ball, jump over you, run through you.”



The Buckeyes got an extra week of preparation for Barkley as they are coming off a bye-week. Meyer is 20-1 coming out of a bye-week, his only loss happened in his first-year coaching, 2001, at Bowling Green State. He is 5-0 against Top 25 opponents.

Last year Penn State stunned the No.2 Buckeyes in overtime 13-6. That loss kept the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten championship game but didn’t derail their trip to the College Football Playoff. Revenge is definitely a motivator and when coach Meyer was asked about he didn’t shy away, "

They Buckeyes know the magnitude of this game. The Big Ten and National Championship implications. Someone will be on the path to the College Football Playoff after this game while the other will be praying for teams to fall for a chance to somehow find a way back in. With an early loss to Oklahoma the margin of error is much less for the Buckeyes.

“We still have that feeling in our gut of losing,” Billy Price said. “Since week two, we’ve been trying to get better defensively, offensively and on special teams. We’ve just been building it up every week, so when we go out there Saturday we’ll be ready to play.”



What: No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions
When: Saturday October 28, 2017 at 3:30 PM ET
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Watch: FOX
Spread: Ohio State -6
Over/Under: 55
Money Line: OSU -245, Penn St +210

Spread Offense 10/18/17: College Football Week 8 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Upsets galore was the trend for week 7, and my new top 10 ballot reflects those changes.

WEEK 8 TOP TEN

10. Wisconsin (last week: 10)
9. Notre Dame (last week: NR)
8. Oklahoma (last week: NR)
7. Clemson (last week: 1)
6. Miami (last week: 9)
5. Ohio State (last week: 7)
4. TCU (last week: 5)
3. Georgia (last week: 4)
2. Penn State (last week: 3)
1. Alabama (last week: 2)

The upsets started on Friday night, where both Clemson and Washington State went down to unranked teams. Clemson lost QB Kelly Bryant in the 2nd quarter and the Syracuse Orange played well out there and pulled off a huge upset. Clemson fell from the #1 spot in my top 10 ballot to #7, thanks to some other upsets along with giving them the benefit of the doubt due to Bryant's injury. Then, the Washington State Cougars were not only beat, but humiliated, by the Cal Golden Bears. Top 10 teams do get upset, it happens, but losing 37-3 to an unranked team is unforgivable and fell out of my top 10. The Cougars' rival, the Washington Huskies, also fell ill with the upset bug. The Huskies looked bad against the Arizona State Sun Devils and lost a sloppy game, 13-7. And just like their in-state rival, they also fell out of my top 10.

I still do not want to move Wisconsin from that 10 spot, it's not only that they haven't played a good team but they haven't blown a team out like other schools have been doing. If they were blowing the doors off these teams then I could start buying into them, but 33-24 against Northwestern, 38-17 against Nebraska and 17-9 against Purdue isn't doing much to sway my opinion.

For the 2nd week in a row, 2 new teams are in my top 10. Oklahoma makes an appearance again after a big win against rival Texas, stabilizing themselves after a rough couple of weeks. And I'm starting to buy Notre Dame, who makes an appearance at #9 this week. A 1 point loss to Georgia(who is ranked #3) is all that is separating them from currently being undefeated, they have convincingly won all of their other games and that includes a 38-18 road win at Michigan State.

Alabama takes back the #1 spot, where many felt they rightfully belonged in the 1st place.



HEISMAN WATCH

5. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
4. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
3. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Right now, this seems like a 3 player race for the Heisman. Lamar Jackson's Heisman run is on life support now as it appears he won't be going back to back with trophy wins. And Jonathan Taylor has popped up on my Heisman watch list after his 2nd straight 200 yard performance. Wisconsin will hit the bulk of the schedule soon so his campaign will be defined by that stretch.

Baker Mayfield pops back up to 3 after a big game against Texas, also helping his campaign are the struggles of Lamar Jackson and Luke Falk last week. RB Bryce Love had yet another big game, rushing for 147 yards and 2 scores in a 49-7 win over Oregon. Penn State was off last weekend, but Barkley has Michigan this week followed by Ohio State, 2 huge games for him to stake his claim to the Heisman trophy.



WEEK 8 PREVIEW


#20 UCF at Navy - 3:30 PM

Week 8 doesn't have quite the slate of good games that we normally hope for, but this game is a nice appetizer before the 2 huge night games

Central Florida is not having any problems on offense or defense this season, averaging 50 points per game while only giving up just under 17 points per game. QB McKenzie Milton has been impressive this season, his 15 TD's and his 70% completion percentage currently has him as the 2nd highest rated QB in the nation as far as passing efficiency goes. The Golden Knights also add a balanced running attack to go along with their passing game, averaging 225 yards a game on the ground. Navy is looking to bounce back after their first loss of the season last week, a 30-27 loss to Memphis in a game where they turned the ball over 5 times.

Navy always offers some unique challenges, their triple option is tough to defend and the Midshipmen average just under 400 rushing yards per game. The key will be for UCF to get them out of their comfort zone and force them to pass, 3rd down and long situations and getting on the scoreboard early and building a lead will do it. Easier said than done though, QB Zach Abey already has over 1,000 rushing yards on the season and Navy will turn to him to keep the offense going and get a big win here.

PREDICTION: UCF 38-20


#19 Michigan at #2 Penn State - 7:30 PM

Saquon Barkley vs. the Michigan defense.

That's what this game comes down to, Barkley is a Heisman candidate that accounts for 38% of Penn State's offense. He is both their leading rusher and receiver and Penn State goes as he goes. Michigan though, doesn't allow many yards, especially on the ground, and they are possibly the best defense in the country. They only allow 85 rushing yards and 138 passing yards a game and the most points that they've given up in a game has been 20. Michigan will especially need the defense to show up due to their struggling offense, they will need to turn to the run game heavily in this game in order to score some points. If Barkley does break loose a bit though and Penn State has some success against the stingy Michigan defense, then Michigan will be put in a tough spot due to their issues at QB and it will be made into an even tougher game for them to win. The "white out" at Beaver Stadium will be in full effect as they have not forgotten the 49-10 loss that Michigan handed them last year, while Michigan looks to make a huge statement on the road and keep their sights set on a Big Ten championship.

PREDICTION: Michigan 24-23


#11 USC at #13 Notre Dame - 7:30 PM

A big rivalry here takes place Saturday night, with the USC Trojans heading to South Bend, IN to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. On paper, this looks about as even as it gets, both teams are similar in points per game, points allowed per game, total yards for per game and total yards against per game. USC continues to escape games this season, as was the case last week as they defeated Utah, 28-27. They have turnover issues which is the cause of these close games, including a loss to Washington State, and they are facing a Notre Dame team that is good enough to where they can't afford to play a sloppy game. Notre Dame has won 4 straight since their 1 point loss to Georgia, and each game has not been a contest even. The Irish may not have a big passing game, only 7 passing touchdowns in 6 games, but their rushing attack(which includes QB Brandon Wimbush) has been getting it done. Wimbush and RB Josh Adams have combined for nearly 1,200 rushing yards and 13 TD's, this is something that USC needs to contain in order to pull off a big road win. If Notre Dame can keep their running game going though along with pressuring USC QB Sam Darnold and getting some turnovers then this will be a statement win for them.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 30-27

Spread Offense 9/21/17: College Football Week 4 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Week 3 is in the books and we definitely learned a lot about some teams, and my top 10 ballot shows those lessons.


WEEK 4 TOP TEN

10. Ohio State (last week: NR)
9. Michigan (last week: 8)
8. Washington (last week: 7)
7. Oklahoma State (last week: 10)
6. Georgia (last week: 6)
5. USC (last week: 2 )
4. Oklahoma (last week 4)
3. Penn State (last week: 3)
2. Alabama (last week: 1)
1. Clemson (last week: 5)

There is a new #1, and the defending champs rightfully deserve the top spot. I had my reservations about Clemson this season, figuring that a young, inexperienced QB would haunt them with Auburn followed by Louisville in weeks 2 and 3 since it usually takes a few weeks to really get comfortable in there. But after shutting down Auburn in week 2, Clemson went to Louisville on Saturday night and absolutely destroyed the Cardinals. That defensive front is no joke and their offense hasn't missed a beat from last season. They are the defending champs and what's scary is that they are better this season than they were last season.

USC dropped from 2 to 5 because once again, you just can't trust this team. They went from struggling against Western Michigan to blowing the doors off of Stanford(who just lost to San Diego State so that win doesn't look so great now) to needing OT to beat a Texas team that had 51 points put up on them by Maryland in week 1. If they continue to be this Jekyll and Hyde team then eventually it'll show up at the worst time and they will lose.

Oklahoma State might have a very good defense, which is not good for opposing teams considering they always have one of the top offenses in the country. They are putting up a lot of points and not giving up many, they could be the best team in the Big 12 when it's all said and done.

WEEK 4 HEISMAN WATCH

5. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
4. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
2. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

We also have a new current leader for the Heisman trophy, Baker Mayfield has been excellent this season which includes a win at Ohio State in which he ripped their secondary to shreds. Coming right behind him is Sam Darnold, who had another great game and the team needed everything from him in order to remain undefeated.

Lamar Jackson slides from 1st to 3rd now after a less than stellar performance (to say the least) against Clemson. Jackson was bottled up for the most part as the Clemson defense made him look very human last Saturday night. He only completed 50% of his passes and had 3.4 yards a carry when running the ball, he did have 3 TD passes but 2 of those came when the game was way out of reach (Clemson won 47-21.) Still plenty of time for Jackson to climb back to the top, but a blowout loss like this is definitely a setback for the reigning Heisman trophy winner.


WEEK 4 PREVIEW


#16 TCU at #6 Oklahoma State - 3:30 PM

Oklahoma State has been rolling this season, putting up points in bunches while showing that they can also get stops on defense. QB Mason Rudolph has been leading this team and they are now looking down the road to a Big 12 title and possible playoff berth with the way they have been playing. Their first test comes to Stillwater this Saturday as QB Kenny Hill and the TCU Horned Frogs also look to remain undefeated and pull off a big upset here. TCU looks like a "surprise" team this season, as they were not ranked at the beginning but after 3 straight wins everyone seems to be buying in. Oklahoma State will put up points, but if TCU can slow them down a bit along with being able to break OKSU's defense then they have a chance to pull off the upset. That will be a tough task though, Oklahoma State will be ready and it will take a mistake free game in order for the Horned Frogs to come away with a win.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 44-21


#17 Mississippi State at #11 Georgia - 7:00 PM

The team with the best offense and defense in the SEC currently is, shockingly enough, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. MSU put everyone on notice with a 37-7 thrashing of LSU last Saturday, and now has another big test in front of them. With a top ranked defense though and a QB in Nick Fitzgerald leading the team, MSU looks like they will be ready for any and all comers. Georgia will again start freshman QB Jake Fromm as QB Jacob Eason is just getting back to practice, so look for UGA to utilize their run game and generate their offense from there. Georgia's defensive line will also be the key here, DL Trenton Thompson is one of the best in the country and the Georgia line will look to rattle MSU's Fitzgerald and shut down a team that is currently averaging over 40 points per game. The battle of the Bulldogs and the battle of undefeated teams, should be a stellar game between the hedges.

Prediction: Georgia 27-23


#4 Penn State at Iowa - 7:30 PM

Penn State is another team that has just been rolling so far and looks to be in the playoff mix all season. RB Saquon Barkley has been leading the way for the Nittany Lions, leading the team in both rushing and receiving, and is definitely a Heisman candidate. QB Trace McSorley also brings a lot of talent to the table and is more than just a game manager, while the defense has been excellent so far this season. But do not let the fact that Iowa is unranked fool you, this team is pretty talented and has upset on their mind. Iowa QB Nate Stanley has already thrown 10 touchdowns in their first 3 games while only being intercepted once, and distributes the ball well with 6 different players catching touchdown passes. The biggest factor may end up being the home crowd, where Iowa is always a hostile environment. Ask Ohio State, ask Michigan, ask plenty of other top schools and they can tell you how humbling of an experience that Kinnick Stadium can be. A big crowd on a Saturday night could swing momentum real quick, and Penn State will need to jump out to a lead and control the game in order to take that crowd out of it.

Prediction: Penn State 30-17

Spread Offense 12.2.16: Buy or Sell The Potential College Playoff Teams #CFBPlayoff

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

The college football rankings are set to be announced this Sunday. Before then though, we have a weekend of conference championships, some of which could have a major impact on the final rankings and determine who is in or out.

Here, we will take a look at each potential playoff team and give the reasons why we should buy stock in them making the playoffs, along with why would should sell stock in them making the playoffs. There are more than a few teams that have cases to be made, even if they need a little help still, so let's examine them here.

1. Alabama

WHY TO BUY: Alabama is the only undefeated team left in all of the power 5 conferences, and it would take some of epic meltdown in the SEC title game in order for them to not make the playoffs. They don't have to just lose, but lose by an incredible amount along with having some key injuries that could shift the committee's opinion. There's no such thing as a guarantee, but Alabama making the playoffs regardless of the outcome in the SEC title game is as close to a guarantee as there is.

WHY TO SELL: At this point, if someone sells stock in Alabama being a playoff team, then they need to be investigated for insider trading. They must know that some investigation has been launched about Alabama playing with ineligible players this season so they are going to be forced to forfeit their wins and the committee won't want that black cloud in the playoffs. That's the type of scenario that people who sell stock would have to be hoping for, so just play it safe and don't sell.

2. Ohio State

WHY TO BUY: Ohio State is currently ranked #2 and has the best overall resume as far as strength of schedule, wins over top 25 teams and wins over top 10 teams are concerned. Even though they will not be playing for their conference championship, a drop from #2 to #5 seems highly unlikely. No team has ever made the playoffs without winning their conference so there's still some doubt, but it's a pretty safe bet here that the Buckeyes will be in the playoffs.

WHY TO SELL: We are unsure how much emphasis the committee will put on a conference championship, so there's a glimmer of a chance that Ohio State will be penalized for not winning the Big Ten and the committee will overlook them because of it. There's also the big issue of the committee having to decide between them and Penn State if the Nittany Lions win the conference. Ohio State only has 1 loss while Penn State has 2, but a conference title plus being the head to head winner(PSU beat OSU this season) could make up for that 1 loss. To sell stock in OSU, you would have to buy into conference titles being very meaningful to the committee and that Penn State is going to win the Big Ten title on Saturday.

3. Clemson

WHY TO BUY: This one is pretty clear cut, buy stock in Clemson making the playoffs as long as you think that they will beat Virginia Tech on Saturday and win the ACC title. If they do, then they are an absolute lock for the playoffs and could jump to #2 even.

WHY TO SELL: Unsure about Clemson beating Virginia Tech? Thinking that an upset is about to occur? Then selling here is a good idea. If Clemson wins then they are in, but if Clemson loses then they are all but out of it. They would need Washington to also lose their conference title, then be at the mercy of the playoff committee and they choose between the B1G conference winner, Michigan, and Colorado(who would have beaten Washington in Pac-12 title) and even possibly the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State winner for the final 2 entries. There's still a chance to make it if they lose, but they would need a few dominos to fall their way, so if an upset is brewing here then sell stock in Clemson.

4. Washington

WHY TO BUY: This is just like Clemson, win their conference and they are in. The Huskies are sitting at #4 so they seem the most susceptible to be replaced, but they only have 1 loss while all teams behind them have 2 or more. That means that if Washington wins, then they would have to be replaced with a team with 1 more loss than they do, highly unlikely especially since they will be toting a conference title.

WHY TO SELL: This is even easier than Clemson's "sell" scenario, if they lose to Colorado then they are not making the playoffs. The committee doesn't tend to care much for the Pac-12 this season, as shown when Washington, who was undefeated at the time, was originally ranked #5 while a 1 loss Texas A&M team was at #4 when the first batch of playoff ranking came out a 5 weeks ago. Washington loses and they won't have the backdoor scenario that Clemson does, the Pac-12 champ(Colorado) will have a better shot at making it than the Huskies would at that point. So if you really think Colorado will pull this one out then sell all the stock you have of Washington.

5. Michigan

WHY TO BUY: 1 slip up by either Clemson or Washington and the Wolverines might be back in it. It's still risky even if that happens since that loss to Iowa may haunt them here, but they have an excellent case to make the playoffs especially if Washington loses. If the Huskies go down, then Michigan has the head to head win over Colorado and whoever wins the B1G(Wisconsin or Penn State) and all teams in the running would have 2 losses. It would appear in that case that Michigan could slide in to that 4th seed and make the playoffs.

WHY TO SELL: There seems to be a very good chance that championship week goes chalk and Clemson and Washington both win, then the final 4 of Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Washington is all but finalized. The other scenario is the B1G champ, namely Wisconsin, could hop over Michigan even if either Clemson or Washington lose. The main gripe will be that the Wolverines have beaten both competitors in the B1G title game, but the champ gaining a conference title and top 10 win to add to their resume could vault them over. Usually that 5 seed is first in line if one of the top 4 does falter, but losing 2 of their last 3 games puts Michigan in a spot where they could also get leapfrogged. This really is a 50/50 scenario on whether to buy or sell here, safe call is to sell but it isn't much of a gamble to buy here.

6. Wisconsin

WHY TO BUY: Here is where that pendulum swings from"mostly buying" to "likely selling", especially here with Wisconsin. They first would need to beat Penn State on Saturday. Next, they would need Clemson and/or Washington to lose. Then, they would still hope for the committee to choose them over Michigan since they aren't going to choose 3 teams from one conference(Ohio State would already be in.) In order to buy stock,  you have to feel fairly confident that all 3 take place, and all 3 are high risks so buy with extreme caution.

WHY TO SELL: Because the 3 events that need to take place for them to make the playoffs is a long shot. It will be a struggle to beat Penn State even, let alone banking on Clemson or Washington to get upset in their conference title game. Then if the Badgers pass those 2 phases, jumping up over a team that beat them in the regular season is also a fairly big risk.  I can see a reason to hold onto some stock just incase this happens since it would be a pretty big payout, but the smart play here is to sell stock in Wisconsin.

7. Penn State

WHY TO BUY: Though the Nittany Lions are sitting 3 spots away from the final playoff spot, they actually have a decent case if they can take care of Wisconsin on Saturday. Penn State would need to win along with Washington and Clemson winning as well. This opens the debate between them and Ohio State, who Penn State beat this season. They may need to do some politicking in order really drive their point across, but a 2 loss B1G champion could end up in the 4th spot over a 1 loss team due to the head to head result. Again, not knowing what the committee truly looks for when mapping out which teams should make the playoffs, but a win along with some help from Clemson and Washington could push PSU into the final playoff spot.

WHY TO SELL: Penn State is currently the underdog against Wisconsin, though it's a slim margin. But if they do not beat Wisconsin then they have no shot at the playoffs, so if you believe that the Badgers will win then go ahead and sell here. The Nittany Lions' overall body of work could be an issue for them as well even if they do win the Big Ten championship. Penn State has a win over Ohio State, but that is their only win against top 25 teams and they actually have a losing overall record against the top 25(1-2.) So while they could argue about their championship and head to head win over Ohio State, the Buckeyes overall have a much better body of work which would lead many to believe that they will get in over Penn State.

8. Colorado

WHY TO BUY: Only reason to buy stock in Colorado being a playoff team is if you enjoy rooting for extreme chaos to occur, because that's what it would take for the Buffaloes to make it. Colorado would need to beat Washington in the Pac-12 title game, would need Clemson to take an L in the ACC title game, and would need the B1G championship game to look like a complete dumpster fire and then they may have a shot as long as they don't get jumped by the winner of the Big 12 or even a Clemson team that lost to not fall behind them. The odds are stacked against them for sure, and they may be better off just playing spoiler to Washington's season rather than aim for the playoffs.

WHY TO SELL: Colorado would need somewhat of a miracle to make the playoffs, and it's never a good idea to hold onto stock that is based on the premise of a miracle. Everything could go Colorado's way this weekend and they still may not find themselves higher than 6th, let alone all the way up to 4th.

9. Oklahoma

WHY TO BUY: You're buying here because you think the scenario laid out in Colorado's path to the playoff will happen, but believe that the Sooners will jump them. Washington and Clemson both lose and the B1G title game is an unwatchable mess, all with the assumption that Oklahoma will beat Oklahoma State this weekend as well. And if you are curious why the Big Ten needs to have a terrible title game in order for either CU or OU to get in, it's because the committee will not take 3 Big Ten teams in the final 4 and neither team wants to compare/contrast resumes with Michigan. So if the B1G title game is poorly played, then Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan all get in and Oklahoma may have a better resume than Clemson, Colorado and B1G champ. Again, this is what needs to fall into place and we are talking a complete crapshoot even if it does happen.

WHY TO SELL: Needing to beat a top 10 team along with banking on the outcomes of 2 heavy favorites to both lose and then cross fingers that Oklahoma's resume somehow is well received enough to jump from 9th to 4th is comparable to playing Russian roulette with all 6 bullets in the chamber. There's a reason why Oklahoma is still sitting at 9th even though they are riding an 8 game winning streak and is undefeated in conference play, that should be telltale on how the committee views the Sooners' body of work.

10. Oklahoma State

WHY TO BUY: Mike Gundy already has a famous speech from a postgame press conference where he reminded everyone how old he was and why he doesn't read the newspaper. If Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma, then Gundy will need to deliver another memorable speech that resonates loudly with the committee to the point that they are willing to erase an Oklahoma State loss from existence. Buying stock here means to buy into the Cowboys winning and Gundy then reminding the entire world that they lost 1 game on a play that shouldn't have occurred, that Oklahoma State won the game and due to a referee blunder, the opposing team(Central Michigan) was undeservedly awarded one untimed down in which they managed an improbable hail mary lateral for the game winning touchdown. If that game is called correctly then Oklahoma State is now 11-1 on the season and deserves to be right there with Ohio State, Clemson and Washington as the 1 loss teams in playoff discussion. They also would need Clemson or Washington to lose and flipping a loss into a win in the minds' of the committee is a tough sell, but if you buy stock in them as a playoff team then you're buying Mike Gundy's ability to sell water to a camel.

WHY TO SELL: When a team is given less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs based on computer generated analysis that combs through every possible outcome this weekend, it's best to sell their playoff stock.

Buckeyes Preview 10.21.16: Ohio State @ Penn State

By Jason Disantis, @JasonInCLE

The #2 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) are coming off of their biggest win of the season after going into Camp Randall last Saturday night and beating the then #8 Wisconsin Badgers in overtime. That game was a tale of two half's as the young Buckeyes were physically dominated in the first two quarters of that game.  Going into halftime Wisconsin had the better of Ohio State by the tune of 16-6.

The adjustments the Ohio State coaching staff made at half time were obvious and imperative as the Buckeyes fought their way back to take the game to overtime and eventually come out victorious.  After being down at the half the Buckeyes outscored the Badgers 24-7 the rest of the way.

"We did get outplayed.  I wouldn't say we got out-toughed.  They didn't out-effort us.  They had some very good stuff.  Very good team, very good coaches, and you keep swinging", Meyer said.

The Buckeyes will find themselves again on the road under the lights in a nationally televised game as they travel to Beaver Stadium Saturday night to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten).  The students of Penn State will be putting on a "white out" which is one of the great images and atmospheres in college sports.  Penn State is coming off of an extra week of preparation and a two game win streak.  The Nittany Lions gave Maryland their first loss of the year as Saquan Barkley ran for over 200 yards and quarterback Trace McSorley threw for two touchdowns.

Despite that win streak Penn State is giving up over 28 points and over 200 yards on the ground.  The Nittany Lions have had one game against a ranked opponent and it ended in a 49-10 curb stomping from Michigan.

Once again the Buckeyes relied on the arm and feet of J.T. Barrett to continue their trek towards the Big Ten championship.  The offensive player of the week for the Big Ten led the Buckeyes in passing and rushing totaling 318 yards and three touchdowns.  J.T. also set a new Ohio State career record for total touchdowns, passing former Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller.

Despite not being ranked Penn State is a team on its way to a bowl birth and always provides a tough atmosphere on a Saturday night.  Ohio State will look to put a complete game together against the Nittany Lions and try to get their offense back in rhythm.  The Buckeyes would like nothing more than to see Mike Weber or Curtis Samuel lead them in rushing as oppose to J.T. Barrett.  The less punishment he has to take now the healthier he will be for some of the greater challenges down the road.

With every victory comes vital experience and a lesson learned, especially when they are on the road in a hostile setting.  These young Buckeyes get a chance to grow a little more come Saturday night.


What:  Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
When:  Saturday October 22, 2016 at 8:00 PM ET
Where:  Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
Watch:  ABC
Line:  OSU -20, O/U 58

Spread Offense, College Football Week 8: The Long October Stretch

The Long October Stretch
By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Think of the college football season as a long family road trip for a vacation.
September is the excitement that you have just left home and are on the road. It's a long trip but the fact that there's 2,000 miles of road between you and the destination doesn't matter right now, the anticipation of what's to come makes it so exciting.

October doesn't necessarily have that "are we there yet?" feel, but not quite a "100 miles to destination" feel either. It's still fun seeing things outside of the window and stopping at places that you don't see back home, but it's also that long stretch of knowing how far you still are to being close to arriving at your destination.

November is that "we are within reach" feeling, you are so close you can almost see it. The name of your place is popping up on road signs on how many miles to get there and you continuously countdown the miles to making your final stop.

December and early January are arriving at your vacation. Time to have fun, time to enjoy everything, time to not think about the ending and just let loose and try to not think about driving back home as it'll be over before you know it.

Don't get me wrong, October has some great games. But we're also waiting on November just as much as we are paying attention to the games in this month. This week becomes that segue though, as we really start to ramp it up going forward. That said, here are the big games to watch in week 8.

SATURDAY OCT. 22ND

Fast forwarding through the noon games to get to the 3:30 SEC on CBS game here, with the #6 Texas A&M Aggies at the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. In a battle of unbeaten, The Aggies look to crack the code here against a team that looks near unstoppable. The Aggies will need a big game from QB Trevor Knight, dual-threat QB's are the ones that seem to give Alabama issues and if he is on his game then they can move the ball and try to pull off the upset. The Aggies also need to not turn the ball over though and help the Tide out, Alabama has a tough defense that leads the country in defensive touchdowns.

Texas A&M must make Alabama's offense earn all of the points and cannot allow them to score defensively or on special teams. For Alabama, it's business as usual. Their defense has been stellar as we've all come to expect, but their offense has really ramped up this season and they have been putting some ranked teams away with ease. Shutting down A&M's one man wrecking crew on defense, Myles Garrett, will help the Tide's offense continue their output as they look to gain control of the SEC West with this win here.

At 6pm, we have another SEC showdown. #17 Arkansas will be on the road to face the #21 Auburn Tigers. Arkansas is coming off a big win against Ole Miss while Auburn has strung together 3 straight wins after starting the season at 1-2. Arkansas will look to QB Austin Allen and their 2 RB's(Williams, Whaley) in order to find success against an Auburn defense that is only giving up 16 points a game. Auburn's offense has put up big numbers against much weaker opponents but has struggled against ranked teams this season. They put up 13 against Clemson, 16 against Texas A&M and 18 against LSU (in a win) so far, so they will need to perform better against Arkansas in order to get this win. Arkansas' defense though has been getting gashed this season, averaging nearly 28 points given up per game so this is definitely an opportunity for Auburn to break through here and score some points.

Then in the 8pm nightcap, the Penn State Nittany Lions welcome the #2 Ohio State Buckeyes to Happy Valley. In order for PSU to win this, they must get some kind of offense going and will need a big boost from the home crowd. Their defense will also need to play exceptionally better than they have and force some turnovers, currently giving up 28.5 points per game. Ball control may be the key, Wisconsin was able to bleed out a lot of the 1st half and maintain a lead through halftime against Ohio State by using time of possession to their advantage. For Ohio State, it may be time to get the ball spread around so QB J.T. Barrett doesn't have to run the ball 21 times like he did last week (and 26 times the week before that.) RB Mike Weber and H-back Curtis Samuel should provide some relief to Barrett in the running game as PSU is giving up over 200 yards rushing a game. On paper, this looks like Ohio State coasting to a victory, but the "white out" at Beaver Stadium will provide an edge to Penn State and that would have to be the big difference maker in order for the Nittany Lions to pull off this upset.