WEEK 11

Coming Soon

Week 10

SEVEN Top 25 matchups. #1 v. #11. #2 v. #10. #3 v. #9. Bama-LSU in Death Valley. Buckeyes-Ducks in the Shoe. A Holy War in Salt Lake City.

Was this the best weekend of college football (on paper at least) in college football history? POTUS should have declared a national holiday. Your couch deserves a day off.

And amidst it all, the top storyline shines: after 4 weeks of carnage for the #2 team in the country, the 2nd-ranked Georgia Bulldogs SURVIVED. And by survived, I mean ripped the soul out of Oxford, Mississippi. Talk about exorcising a curse. FORTY-TWO to SEVEN. On the road. Against a Top 10 team. That demon is back in the Seventh Circle of Hell.

Unfortunately, the football gods turned their attention to the top spot in Week 10, dealing #1 Miami (FL) their first defeat of the season.

In South Bend, #11 Notre Dame jumped out to a commanding 24-3 lead over the top-ranked Canes. But if your crystal ball said blowout, Cristobal said no. The Hurricanes came roaring back, cutting the deficit to 7 late and threatening to complete one of the great comebacks of the season. The Fighting Irish were forced to use a “call a friend” lifeline. Get Jesus on the line. He answered. Notre Dame 31. Miami 24.

Speaking of Jesus, let's head west for that Holy War.

In what I believe was an inexplicable 10am local time kickoff time, #3 Utah welcomed #9 BYU for one of the most consequential editions of their bitter rivalry in years. And the Utes delivered, blanking the Cougars in the 2nd half. Utah 28. BYU 20. My formerly beloved Cougars, who just 3 weeks ago were celebrating their monumental victory over #2 Notre Dame, have now lost 2 of their last 3 games. The Utes, meanwhile, remain undefeated at 9-0.

Meanwhile, in Columbus, the Ohio State Buckeyes are officially cooked. Seven days after getting embarrassed by USC, the Buckeyes welcomed #23 Oregon to town, jumped ahead 14-0, and then surrendered THIRTY-EIGHT unanswered points. Oregon 41. Ohio State 28.

It’s the first time the scarlet and gray have lost consecutive regular season games since 2011. 

Down in SEC country, two programs delivered emphatic statements.

#13 Tennessee absolutely dismantled #6 Kentucky 34-6. SIX POINTS from the 6th-ranked team in America. Neyland was ROCKING. And #5 Alabama marched into Baton Rouge as a 6-point underdog and beat #14 LSU 31-13. Lane Kiffin looking a lot like Brian Kelly these days…

Of course, this being the SEC, we still managed to squeeze in some controversy.

#7 Texas escaped #18 Missouri 34-20, aided by an officiating performance that had Mizzou fans seeing burnt orange. Missouri led 20-13 late in the third quarter before a questionable fumble ruling helped Texas extend a drive that eventually tied the game.

And while the traditional powers continue to beat the living hell out of one another, two programs have quietly emerged as the last undefeated teams standing.

Utah, as mentioned earlier.

And UCLA. Yes. UCLA.

The #8 Bruins improved to 9-0 with a 34-20 win over Minnesota. Their remaining regular-season schedule? Illinois, Michigan, and USC. Not exactly a cakewalk. But hardly a death march.

Around the rest of the OTC slate, #19 Iowa beat Northwestern 24-10, handing the Wildcats their second consecutive loss. Remember when we were asking if Northwestern was actually good? The investigation is rapidly approaching a verdict.

And Air Force knocked off Army 24-21 to claim the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Go… Air Force? Beat Army!

In OTC, we have a THREE-WAY tie atop the Week Ten leaderboard. DSS, John Cochtosin, and David's USA each posted 43 points to share the weekly crown.

Atop the overall standings, WahooWa continues to set the pace with 367 points, opening up a 12-point lead over Juan's 1st Entry and 404NoPointsFound, tied for second at 355. Kybow Picks is breathing down their necks at 354, with Circlecityandy just one point behind at 353.

And don't sleep on the pack at 351: Walla Walla JRobb, Tyler's 2nd Entry, and Back 2 Back.

Eight entries within 16 points of second place. This thing is FAR from over with 4 weeks to go.

And then there's THE. Like his likely namesake Ohio State, talk about a bed shitting. 17 points. Dead last on the week. AGAIN.

I know what you’re thinking. Does that mean Diamond Dave’s 1st Entry was NOT last? That’s correct. Davey posted a very respectable 34 points in Week 10. A pulse! Signs of life! 

Ten weeks down, and November is officially upon us. If this season has taught us anything, it's that no ranking is safe and no contender is immune.

Week 11 awaits. Only 4 weeks remain. And after what we just witnessed, I wouldn't dare predict what comes next. No rest for the weary. Think you're slick? Make that pick!

              VEGAS

#9 BYU @ #3 Utah (-4.5)

#8 UCLA (-4.5) @ Minnesota

#7 Texas (-2.5) @ #18 Missouri

#23 Oregon @ #12 Ohio State (-7.5)

#5 Alabama @ #14 LSU (-6)

#6 Kentucky @ #13 Tennessee (-6.5)

#1 Miami @ #11 Notre Dame (-7.5)

Air Force @ Army (-3)

#2 Georgia (-3.5) @ #10 Ole Miss

#19 Iowa @ Northwestern (-2.5)

WEEK 9

Reese’s is the best Halloween candy and Miami (FL) will be #1 in the first CFP rankings on Tuesday night. That’s all we know to be true in this world.

That, and #2 is cursed. Call it a death certificate.

On Halloween night, the bedeviled ranking claimed yet another victim, making it FOUR consecutive weeks.

This time, it was #2 Ohio State, falling at the hands of the unranked USC Trojans, 30-18 in a rainy, spooky LA. Yes, the same Trojans who managed a measly seven points in a loss to Wisconsin (and wait until you hear what they were up to this weekend).

And then there’s our defending champs (who just lost to the aforementioned defeated Buckeyes two weeks ago). For the second consecutive week, the Hoosiers, squarely in the GameDay spotlight, eeked out an OT survival. This time against Minnesota. 

It must have been a jump scare for IU fans following the game on Twitter (I will never call it X). My feed was littered with premature, “GOPHERS WIN” tweets, and honestly, I don’t even blame the perpetrating posters. Minnesota drilled a 60-yard FG with 19 seconds left to take the lead. But, the resilient Cignetti army answered with a 60-yarder of their own to force OT. Brutal beat for blood-caked PJ Fleck.

Meanwhile, #1 Miami nearly joined the Halloween body count, escaping North Carolina 38-35. Despite the loss, I have to wonder if Bill Belichick is starting to find his groove…

Then there's that Wisconsin tease. Last week, the Badgers beat USC 24-7. Wisconsin's response? 

And remember last week when we asked whether Northwestern was actually good? Well, the #20 Wildcats lost to Oregon 34-26. Not exactly a humiliation. But the first leg of their Oregon-Iowa-Ohio State gauntlet is officially in the loss column. Northwestern might be the candy corn of college football. Some people swear by it. The rest of us remain deeply suspicious.

Meanwhile, down south, #3 Georgia finally looked like the Bulldogs we've come to expect, dispatching #17 Florida 27-8. A convincing win. A return to form. And… a likely promotion to… #2. (Insert eyes emoji).

Around the rest of the OTC slate, #13 Texas Tech beat #22 Arizona 34-26, while South Carolina hammered Oklahoma 42-25. The Gamecocks have now beaten Tennessee and Oklahoma in consecutive weeks. Naturally, they'll probably lose to a community college next Saturday.

Clemson beat Florida State 36-24. Cockroach Dabo lives to scuttle another day. Memphis demolished Army 49-22, while Georgia Southern held Appalachian State to THREE points in a 19-3 victory. And #6 Utah dismantled Cincinnati 49-25. That marks 8 wins and 0 losses for the Utes. We’ll be watching.

In OTC, Juan's 1st Entry absolutely dominated Week Nine, posting a monstrous 48 points, a full 7 points better than the next-best entry. Number Juan on the week. And it wasn't particularly close.

Atop the overall standings, WahooWa continues to lead the pack with 328 points. But 404NoPointsFound has surged into second at 322, followed by Back 2 Back and nononsense tied for third at 321.

And get this: TWENTY-ONE competitors have now eclipsed 300 points. Nine weeks down, and this thing is WIDE open.

And then there's Diamond Dave's 1st Entry. Last week, we celebrated Dave's triumphant return to participation after a zero-point performance. Twenty-four points! Progress! Redemption! A second chance!

This week? ZERO. AGAIN.

Dave has officially relapsed.

We tried rehabilitation. We tried positive reinforcement. We even suspended our petition to have him removed from the league. Enough. TO THE GUILLOTINE.

And now, November awaits. The Halloween decorations are coming down. The candy bowls are empty. But the question looms: will the curse of #2 relinquish its stranglehold on college football? We’ll likely find out in Oxford, Mississippi where UGA will take on an Ole Miss team that pulled away from Auburn late before dismantling entirely 45-15.

Week Ten also boasts a massive showdown between Utah and BYU. Texas travels to sneaky Missouri to keep its playoff hopes alive. Ohio State looks to bounce back at home against a roller coaster Oregon squad. Bama visits Death Valley. Kentucky squares off against Rocky Top in TN. And hurricane sweeps through South Bend. Reserve a spot on your couch.

And don’t forget: Think you're slick? Make that pick!

           VEGAS

#22 Arizona @ #13 Texas Tech (-3.5)

#25 Wisconsin @ Iowa (-2.5)

Minnesota @ #4 Indiana (-20.5)

#20 Northwestern @ Oregon (-3.5)

#6 Utah (-7) @ Cincinnati

South Carolina @ Oklahoma (-3.5)

App State @ Georgia Southern (-5.5)

Clemson @ Florida State (-6)

#2 Ohio State (-6.5) @ USC

Army @ Memphis (-6.5)