Showing posts with label ACC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACC. Show all posts

Sunday, October 8, 2017

The Morning After - Sluggish Saturday

A few ranked teams fell while others didn't look their sharpest. Yes, the calendar flipped to October and the race to the CFB Playoff is finally heating up. Conference matchups give us a much better indicator of who the real contenders and pretenders are. Let's take a deep dive into this weekend's action!

1st Quarter
Deon Cain torched WF early for a 28-yard score.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
After getting off to a very impressive start with two touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game, Clemson's offense sputtered to the finish line. It's happened in the past where it seems the first series or two of "scripted plays," as they say, work to perfection. Then, it's as if offensive play-caller Tony Elliott scrambles to find plays that work. Usually, things begin to click and everything works out, as was the case Saturday against Wake Forest. It's still bothersome and something I hope doesn't come back to bite us later.

As for the rest of the game, the best defense in the nation did its thing again, shutting out Wake through three quarters before giving way to the backups who allowed the Demon Deacons to score. Kelly Bryant getting hurt didn't help matters offensively. Backup Zerrick Cooper looked slightly lost and ill-prepared to enter the game. Hunter Johnson showed he was ready on his first drive, going 4-for-4 with a couple passes to fellow freshman Tee Higgins and a TD toss to tight end Cannon Smith.

The win gives Clemson a 6-0 record for the third straight season. It was the 20th straight over an ACC Atlantic division foe. It was the 11th straight overall, now the nation's longest active winning streak. And it assures the Tigers a spot in the AP Top 5 for a school-record 31st consecutive poll.

Tiger fans, these are the glory days. Enjoy them while they last. And beat Syracuse.

2nd Quarter
Speaking of not being able to finish, for the second straight game, the Oklahoma Sooners raced out to a double-digit lead only to see it slip away. Against Baylor, OU saw the Bears score 24 straight to take a 34-31 lead before rallying and pulling out a 49-41 win. It was a different story at home against the Iowa State Cyclones. OU's 24-10 lead turned into a 31-24 ISU lead. OU managed to tie it, but the Cyclones scored the game-winner and prevented the Sooners from rallying again.

It was a shocking upset of the No. 3 team in the land, but The Athletic's Matt Fortuna revealed this was the seventh straight season Oklahoma has lost as a game as a double-digit favorite. In most years, the Sooners have recovered and gone on to play in New Year's Six Bowls, or at least prevent the season from flopping completely. This, however, is a new squad with a new coach.

I told several folks prior to the season that I'd be interested to see how OU responds to adversity under new leadership. Can Lincoln Riley right the ship quickly, as Bob Stoops did so many times? Sooner Nation better hope he does because it is officially Texas Week.

On a grander scale, the Big 12's Playoff hopes now fall to TCU, the remaining unbeaten in the conference. The Horned Frogs have already knocked off Oklahoma State and West Virginia, meaning OU is their last major hurdle. As proven Saturday, though, no one in the Big 12 can be overlooked.

3rd Quarter
Of course Miami-Florida State came down to the wire. This time it wasn't decided by the kicking units. Florida State drove the field and scored with 1:24 to go to take a 20-17 lead. It was the first time James Blackman has looked like a capable quarterback. The Noles apparently left too much time, as Miami went 75 yards in 1:18 and scored on a wild pitch and catch to the front corner of the end zone.

With :11 to go and the ball inside the 20, the Canes decided they had time for one shot at a touchdown. Malik Rosier placed a perfect ball over the shoulder of Darrell Langham, who barely got across the goalline before his knee touched. The play was reviewed for quite some time. Several angles showed maybe it was a TD and maybe not. In the end, the play stood as called and the Canes ended a seven-game losing streak to FSU.

The win further pushes Miami into discussion of being a team to beat in the ACC Coastal Division. Florida State, on the other hand, is now 1-3 with games against Louisville, Clemson and Florida still remaining. Because of their cancelled game due to Hurricane Irma, three more losses would put FSU's final record at 5-6. Unless the NCAA grants some kind of waiver - or they benefit from not having enough teams bowl eligible and their APR scores are high enough - the Noles would be ineligible for a bowl. Quite the fall for a team that began the season No. 3 in the AP Poll.

4th Quarter
Luke Falk is the best player only about a third of the country knows. The Washington State quarterback is lighting up the Pac-12 and running Mike Leach's offense to perfection. Falk had another impressive night in Autzen Stadium against Oregon. He threw of 282 yards and three scores to lead Wazzu to a 6-0 record for the first time since 2001.

But the big story might be the Cougs' defense. WSU has looked impressive on that side of the ball. Last week, it was USC and Heisman hopeful Sam Darnold who were shut down (327 total yards, 164 pass yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT). This week, the Ducks were held to 278 total yards and 10 points at home. Oregon was averaging over 49 points per game and nearly 540 yards per game going in.

The opponents keep lining up, the analysts keep doubting, and Wazzu keeps knocking 'em off. Slowly but surely we're finding out that we need to take Washington State seriously. With a couple Top 10 losses this week, the Cougs will move into the Top 10, giving the Pac-12 - and the state of Washington - two highly-ranked teams.

It's also conceivable that Wazzu will be 9-0 (upcoming games against Cal, Arizona, and Colorado, each hovering .500) when the Cougs host Stanford on Nov. 4. If they get past the Cardinal, two road games at Utah and the Apple Cup at Washington loom large. That Apple Cup is going to be juicy.

Overtime
As for Washington, the Huskies quite simply are the class of the Pac-12. Washington has yet to be really tested and may not be for several more weeks. Up next is a road game at Arizona State, then home dates with UCLA and Oregon before a Friday night trip to Stanford. ... The Big Ten took a couple blows this weekend. First was the OU loss to Iowa State. Wait, OU is in the Big 12. Yes, but remember the Sooner team you saw that couldn't handle Iowa State is the same one that manhandled Ohio State at the Horseshoe. Later in the night, Michigan fell victim to "little brother" Michigan State at home. The Wolverines were at least expected to compete in the East Division, but games at Penn State and at home against Ohio State are still to come. The offensive struggles finally caught up to UM and are glaring going forward. ... NC State picked up a huge win Thursday night against Louisville, essentially knocking Lamar Jackson out of the Heisman race before it ever heated up. The win also asserted the Wolfpack as the hands-down contender to knock off Clemson in the Atlantic Division. NCSU hosts the Tigers on Nov. 4 in what could turn into the de facto division title game. ... As aforementioned, TCU is now the only undefeated team remaining in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs have a slightly easy road to travel until Nov. 11 when they visit Norman. TCU will likely be the favorite in all except the OU game, and even then they might be the favorite in that one.

Tiger Tweets





















































-BtW
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Sunday, September 3, 2017

The Morning After - Winning the Opener

Welcome back to The Morning After, a Sunday staple of BENched. TMA began as a way for me to provide my thoughts on the previous day's Clemson game. It morphed into writing about the national landscape.

A new season is upon us and I'm going with a new format. There will be four quarters and an overtime, followed by "Tiger Tweets."  The first quarter will be all Clemson. The second through fourth quarters will be a look at the most important games from the weekend. Overtime will be some quick hits of the other action. Tiger Tweets will be a condensed game thread of some of my personal favorite tweets about the game.

There are still a few games to go over the holiday weekend. None should really impact the Playoff race, but a couple could turn the burner a little higher on some already hot seats.

1st Quarter
If you read my season-opening post, you know I'm high on my Tigers. It all stems from knowing Dabo Swinney loves the underdog role. With all the offensive firepower gone, pundits across the nation are hesitant to pick Clemson for a third straight Playoff run. That's understandable, but Swinney plays that chip on his shoulder better than most.

Kelly Bryant showed off his arm and his wheels
to lead Clemson in a blowout win over Kent State.
(Photo courtesy AP)
I realize Kent State is not a barometer for this team, but as Swinney mentioned during postgame this team played a relatively clean game. It was good to see Kelly Bryant lead the offense to three straight scoring drives. One of Clemson's strengths is its offensive line (returning four of five starters). Bryant had time to throw and the lanes were wide open to run through. The Tigers were very balanced and played 91 players in the game. Getting the youth playing time will pay dividends down the road. Clemson scored 56 points, gained 665 yards (312 passing, 353 rushing), all four running backs scored a rushing touchdown along with Bryant, and the passing game was on point.

Kent State managed 120 total yards and threw just five passes, completing one for one yard. I don't know why the Golden Flashes stuck to the running game against one of the best defensive front sevens in the country, but it's hard to get a read on the Tiger D when a team is voluntarily one-dimensional.

There is lots of promise for this team. The talent is there, but these next four games to close September are a different animal than what these youngsters have seen at the collegiate level. Clemson has Auburn visiting Saturday, then travels to Louisville, home vs. Boston College, and at Virginia Tech. Buckle-up, Tiger fans.

As always, one game at a time. Beat Auburn.

2nd Quarter
The GOAT (Greatest Opener of All-Time) was quite the DUD. Early on, it looked like we'd have a competitive game. But as it wore on, it was clear the Alabama was a step above Florida State. The Tide stuffed the Noles running game, holding FSU to 40 yards on the ground. Ultimately, offense and special teams blunders doomed the Seminoles. Good teams, like Alabama, take advantage of those mistakes.

Where FSU was impressive was on defense. Despite being put in terrible situations much of the second half, the Noles stiffened up and kept the deficit from growing. Alabama outgained FSU by just 19 yards. Jalen Hurts only threw 18 passes, completing 10 for 96 yards and a TD - seven of those completions and the TD were to playmaker Calvin Ridley. But Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, and Hurts combined for 39 rushes for 168 yards (4.3 yards per carry).

FSU would have had a long way to go to reach an ACC Championship this year before Deandre Francois got hurt. If his knee injury is serious, the Noles may be in rebuild mode with a young backfield. I feel bad for Francois. He's done nothing but get pounded into the ground since he put on that uniform. I hope his career isn't ruined because FSU can't block for him.

I'm also not completely sold that Alabama looks like the best team in the country just yet. In year's past, they destroyed their opening week competition. On Saturday, they struggled and were practically gifted some points off turnovers.

Still, I think both teams will be in the conversation in November.

3rd Quarter
Another team that impressed many but I'm holding back on is Michigan. The Wolverines had a hard time getting things going against a stout Florida defense. Starting QB Wilton Speight threw two pick-sixes that would have sunk Michigan against any other opponent with an offensive pulse. Lucky for the Maize and Blue, this was Florida. Quarterbacks not named Tim Tebow or Danny Wuerffel, umm, aren't good. Somehow, the Gators put up 181 passing yards, but only ran for 11.

Yes, Florida was without a lot of suspended players, including its starting running back and star wideout. However, at a place like Florida it's inexcusable not to have backups ready to fill in and take over.

On the other sideline, the stats show Michigan dominated this game. The scoreboard told me it was a nine-point game late in the fourth quarter. How do you only give up three offensive points and find yourself needing a defensive score to seal the deal? Michigan is a young squad and this win will go a long way for confidence-building. I still think Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin are above them in the Big Ten right now.

4th Quarter
I dislike preseason predictions and prognostications (despite myself picking the Playoff teams last week). I think it places expectations on teams that haven't stepped on the field yet. Then, we judge a season-opening game based on those expectations and that's simply not fair. Take USC and Sam Darnold for example. Many anointed Darnold as the Heisman favorite based on last year. They have USC pegged as the Pac-12 representative for the Playoff. Maybe that got to the Trojans heads a bit, as they were deadlocked at 28 midway through the fourth quarter with Western Michigan.

Ohio State is another example. The preseason No. 2 team and favorite to win the national championship by many, trailed 14-13 at halftime at Indiana. The Buckeyes won going away, 49-21. Despite holding the Hoosiers to 17 rushing yards, OSU allowed 420 through the air. It took the offense three quarters to hit its stride, but that happens.

Let's hold off on the hot takes for another couple weeks until we see some of these teams against better competition. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Overtime
Most of the top teams played cupcake games. However, there were some other interesting results. I'll start with South Carolina knocking off NC State. The Wolfpack doubled the Gamecocks' yardage output 504-246, but shot themselves in the foot too many times. Deebo Samuel made some huge plays for USC and Jake Bentley showed off his skillset. But once again, hold your horses. South Carolina got the win, but there are plenty of question marks. NC State took the loss, but much like a season ago, one play here or there can turn this team into a conference contender.

The conference debate was a major talking point in the offseason. The ACC finished 2016 on top, but that quickly went south. Aforementioned FSU and NC State lost to SEC schools, North Carolina lost at home to Cal, Pittsburgh needed overtime to pull out a win against Youngstown State, and Louisville squeaked by Purdue. The Big Ten had the best weekend, getting out of conference wins away from home over Florida and Texas by Michigan and Maryland, respectively. Purdue's loss to the Cards looked respectable and even Rutgers managed to hang with No. 8 Washington for a half.

Like I said, it's a marathon still. Lots can happened between now and conference championship weekend.

Tiger Tweets












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Friday, July 14, 2017

I have an SEC problem

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well folks, I'm here to tell you, I have a problem. An SEC problem.

A little background for those who don't know me. I grew up in Columbia, SC. I was raised in a house divided - Mom was a Gamecock, Dad was a Tiger. I think somewhere around sixth or seventh grade, I finally picked sides. I cut myself one day to check and sure enough, my blood runneth orange! (I really didn't cut myself).

Growing up in South Carolina, particularly Columbia, you hear all the crowing about the SEC, but never see what all the fuss is about. Gamecock fans yell "SEC! SEC! SEC!" more than any other fan base. And as it has been noted, they have an "Alabama mouth and a Vanderbilt trophy case" - and that might be demeaning to Vandy.

This talkative bunch won their first bowl game in 1995 and hadn't experienced success until Steve Spurrier came along. Before he arrived, South Carolina's overall record was sub-.500. Since he left, they've slid back into mediocrity-at-best. Clemson owns the overall series record over South Carolina 68-42-4. In my lifetime, the Tigers are 19-11-1 against the Gamecocks, including last year's 56-7 thumping. Against other SEC foes since 2011, Clemson is 6-2 with wins over LSU, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama.

I tell you all that because that's where my personal disdain for the conference began. Thanks a lot, Gamecock fans.

On a whole, since the ACC didn't decide to become a "football conference" until very recently, ACC football was always looked down upon with the exception of Florida State. Many schools were on the verge of breaking through yet never did. The addition of Miami and Virginia Tech was supposed to upgrade the conference, but the Canes took five steps backward and Virginia Tech was barely relevant nationally early on in their ACC marriage.

Thus, SEC football was the king of the south. And everyone else had to deal with it.

I despise the SEC. I loathe it. The constant "we're better than thou" attitude despite the fact that most of them aren't. The "we won seven straight national titles" when it was four teams who won, not 14. Sorry, Georgia and Tennessee and South Carolina and Kentucky and Vanderbilt and Mississippi State and Ole Miss and Arkansas and Missouri and Texas A&M, but you didn't win a championship. As for LSU (2003 and 2007) and Florida (2006 and 2008), we're going on 10 years since you last won a title.

Most of all, I hate the arrogance that fans of SEC schools have, who don't give credit to other teams and conferences. Sure, a few SEC teams have been on top and are tough to beat, but that doesn't mean the success of others should be downplayed. Nor does it mean that everyone in your conference are world beaters. That's just Alabama.

Yes, the SEC experienced unprecedented success with the seven straight championships and the 2011 rematch in the title game between LSU and Bama. But the fans haven't come down as far as the play on the field has in the past few years.

There have been three CFB Playoff years. The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 have sent two different teams each to the first three semifinal matchups. Alabama is the only SEC representative to make the Playoff (all three years). In all likelihood, the Tide will once again represent the SEC in 2017. Not so favorable for the crowd screaming "The SEC has the most depth." Seems to me that a deep conference would be represented by more than just one school in college football's ultimate prized tournament.

But wait, there's more...

SEC media bias
Yes, ESPN has agreements with pretty much every conference, including the little guys like the MAC. But which one has the ESPN invested more money in? Which one did ESPN start a TV network for?

There is a media bias for the SEC, like it or not. Pick any college football Saturday this coming season and see which games are on in primetime. More often than not, you'll find SEC games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU in prime slots (read: after 3:30 PM ET).

Oh, and guess who spent the entire week at SEC Media Days with a full crew for not one, but two different shows (SEC Now and College Football Live). The four-letter network again.

Now, I'm not saying every analyst is told to pick SEC teams for this or promote an SEC player for that. I'm saying when your company has invested more money and more time in one conference, it's going to get way more play, eye balls across the country are going to see way more SEC coverage, and people are going to fall into the trap that is watching SEC more than other games.

Switch over to Fox or FS1 a few times this season and see how varying their coverage is. You won't get SEC crammed down your throat, I promise.

"We get beat up by the brutal SEC schedule"
Ah, the old "we're not good by the end of the season because we got roughed up early on" argument. Yeah, okay. This is what you will hear when an SEC team loses in a bowl game or a late regular season rivalry matchup. It's totally contradictory to the argument when an SEC team wins those games and they boast that the SEC has depth and is strong top to bottom. Also, what's the argument for when you lose one of the first few games of the season?

Let me get this straight, if you win it's because your conference prepared you for it, but if you lose it's because it's too tough and beat you up? I guess you can spin anything to make it fit your stance.

For one, I'd love for Clemson to play an SEC schedule. Heck, I'd love to see any team play an SEC schedule. I'd also love to see LSU or Alabama or Florida or Georgia play an ACC or Big Ten schedule. Or heck, go play the wide-open spread offenses in the Big 12 week in and week out.

Recall that Texas A&M and Missouri - two former Big 12 schools - entered the SEC, with Missouri winning the SEC East twice and A&M beating big, bad Alabama on their home field. Next.

"They're built like an SEC team"
This phrase is regularly used to justify another team being great. So they're built like Missouri? Kentucky? Mississippi State? Or do you really mean they're built like Alabama? To pump up your entire conference as if all 14 teams are in the Top 5 is ridiculous.

What does this even mean anyway? That only SEC teams produce fast, physical, athletic players? I'll give you that more players are drafted in the NFL than any other conference, but that doesn't mean Michigan and Oklahoma are producing minor leaguers. The best NFL running back in the last 15 years - Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma (Big 12). The best NFL quarterback - Tom Brady, Michigan (Big Ten). The best receiver - Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech (ACC).

These things are cyclical. Twenty years ago, people wanted to be "built like" Nebraska and Florida State. When Tennessee won in 1998, nobody said they were built like a Big 12 or ACC team. Fifteen years ago, it was Miami. When LSU won in 2003, no one proclaimed the Tigers to be "built like a Big East team." Twelve years ago, USC was the darling. No one was going around when Florida won in 2006 saying, "They're built like a Pac-12 team."

So stop. Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, and several others aren't built like an SEC team. They're built like a Top 5 CFB Playoff contender.




"It Just Means More"
I'll end on this one because it's my favorite. By now you've seen or heard this moniker from coast to coast. I'm not here to argue that it doesn't mean more than it does in Austin or Norman or Eugene or Ann Arbor.

I'm here to tell you to own it. If you're going to go around beating your chest that "It Just Means More" to you in the SEC, then don't get your panties in a wad when a non-SEC team beats your beloved school and does a little MORE bragging than usual.

Whatever it is might mean more to you, but it also means more to us to beat you.

 This past season, you weren't first. You were second. You can't spell second with S-E-C. And that's a fACCt!

-BtW
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Sunday, December 4, 2016

The Morning After... Back-to-back

A short and sweet TMA today, as the final ranking for the CFB Playoff will be announced at noon ET. BENched will have a reaction piece and a look ahead to the Playoff and New Year's Six bowls.

This guy is the best player in the nation.
As Dabo Swinney said, "... And it ain't even close."
(Photo courtesy Associated Press)
1) Earlier Saturday, I texted a good buddy of mine and said I had trouble sleeping because I kept having the thought that Clemson would lose to Virginia Tech. His response was simple, "Take a deep breath and remember we have #4." How could I be so silly? Deshaun Watson (that'd be the #4 he was talking about) is the best player in football. Period. He proved it again Saturday night on another big stage, claiming the ACC Championship for the second straight year and becoming the first player ever to win consecutive ACC Championship Game MVPs. He did so with 288 passing yards, 85 rushing yards and five touchdowns (three pass, two rush). Clemson fans have had the pleasure of watching DW4 for the last three years and if we ever doubt our Tigers, we should all keep in mind that he's on our side.

2) "All we need is an opportunity. Once we get an opportunity, we're going to take full advantage of it. ... We're going to go for that natty." Clemson is rolling into the Playoff and Watson's quote tells me the Tigers have had their eyes on this prize all year long. Now that the opportunity is here - or we assume it is - the rest of the country should look out. Clemson is coming.

3) Clemson has now scored 35+ points in six straight games. The Tigers have scored 30 or more in 10  of their 13 games. ... Clemson has won a record 16 ACC Championships, breaking a previous tie with Florida State. ... The back-to-back titles are the first for Clemson in 28 years (CU won three in a row from 1986-88). ... The win was Clemson's 10th over a bowl eligible team this season - the most in the nation. The Tigers played a record 11 bowl eligible teams, going 10-1. ... The Tigers' 12-1 record is tied for the second most wins in school history. In 1981, the Tigers finished 12-0 to win the National Championship. Clemson went 14-1 in 2015, falling short in the title game.

*BENched will produce more stats in another post later this week.

4) My hat is off to Virginia Tech. The Hokies are a fun club to watch. Jerod Evans is a talented quarterback and he has some really good weapons around him. He has some things to work on, but the Hokies are scary with him back there. Bud Foster is one of the best defensive minds in the business. There wasn't much he was going to do to slow down the Tiger train, but Foster dialed up some things that confused the heck out of the Clemson offense and disrupted its rhythm. Justin Fuente has ignited a fire in Blacksburg that is going to rage on for a while. Expect a lot of Clemson-VT and FSU-VT matchups in the ACCFCG in the near future.

5) Oklahoma won Bedlam in impressive fashion, 38-20. The Cowboys scored to go ahead 17-10 with 1:42 to go before halftime. The Sooners marched down the field and scored in 1:10 to tie the game. OSU returned the ensuing kickoff near midfield. The Pokes ran one play and did not call their final timeout, instead opting to go into halftime tied. OU dominated the second half 21-3. When the game was within 11, Mike Gundy called for a run play on 3rd and long to set up a field goal to cut it to an eight-point deficit. OSU missed the field goal and Sooner running back Joe Mixon went 79 yards on the next play to ice the game. Oklahoma now leads the Bedlam series 86-18-7 and is likely headed to the Sugar Bowl to face off against Auburn. Oklahoma State is likely going to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl against either Colorado or USC.

6) The only other conference championship game that was worth watching was the Big Ten, and even it looked like a blowout early. Wisconsin jumped all over Penn State, leading 28-7 late in the second quarter. If you read BENched, you knew this nugget: Penn State is a second half team. The Nittany Lions scored just before half to cut the lead to 28-14, then outscored the Badgers 24-3 in the second half. Penn State, a two-loss team, claimed the Big Ten Championship out of the East Division. That same division has Ohio State (which its only loss is to Penn State) and Michigan (which blew out PSU 49-10 way back in September). Are the Nittany Lions Rose Bowl bound or Playoff bound? Time will tell.

7) Washington crushed Colorado 41-10 Friday night to claim the Pac-12. The Huskies seem to be a lock for the Playoff at 12-1 with the conference title. But the Huskies are holding their breath, as their strength of schedule and many other metrics are not in their favor. ... Alabama throttled Florida 54-16 to win the SEC again and finish 13-0. Florida actually looked like it was going to be in the fight early, marching down the field and scoring to go up 7-0. Two interceptions - one a pick-six - and a blocked punt for a TD gave Bama a lead despite the Tide having minus-7 yards. They did not look back.

8) It's been a really fun year and I hope you've enjoyed delving into my brain each Sunday morning. BENched will have much more on the upcoming Heisman presentation, CFB Playoff, and other Clemson thoughts and reflections. Until then, enjoy your holiday season with friends and family. Go Tigers!
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Friday, December 2, 2016

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 14 (Championship Week)

Another month of football gone. Hard to believe we've reached the end of the college football season. Championship Week presents a whole new season in itself. Plenty is on the line for all the championship games - Playoff positioning, New Year's Six Bowls, bragging rights (in Bedlam). It's time to man up or shut up. As for BENched, we've had a good, not great, season of picks. Rivalry Week pulled a fast one with several upets. But we're in the championship phase. Just like these games, this is when it counts most.

2016 BENched PTF Record
Last Week: 10-10
Game of the Week Pick: 5-4
Overall: 117-54 (.684 win %)
*Rankings below reflect the CFB Playoff Top 25

Friday

MAC Championship (Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.)
Ohio vs. No. 17 Western Michigan (Line: Western Michigan -17)
On the verge of a 13-0 season, Western Michigan is staring a New Year's Six Bowl in the face. It's right there for the taking and all that stands in its way is Ohio, which has lost four games, but all have been decided by single digits. The Broncos, on the other hand, have had one game decided by single digits. In fact, it was a single-digit win (22-21) at Northwestern to start the season. No slowing down the boats. They can row right on down to the Cotton Bowl after this one. Boat Rowers 41-24

GAME OF THE WEEK
Pac-12 Championship (Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.)
Sefo Liufau has Colorado in position for one of the best
turnarounds in college football history.
(Photo courtesy Associated Press)

No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 4 Washington (Line: Washington -7.5)
Implications in this one are larger than the Pacific Ocean. Washington knows it must win the Pac-12 to be considered for the CFB Playoff. The Huskies have had a fantastic year, but despite the 11-1 record, they are just 1-1 against the current Top 25. Colorado can creep into the conversation by knocking off No. 4. The Buffaloes are the turnaround team of the year, led by Sefo Liufau. Colorado's defense may be the best the Huskies have faced, but UW's defense is far and away the best the Buffs have seen. Huskies 27-21

Saturday

AAC Championship (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.)
Temple at No. 19 Navy (Line: Navy -3)
Navy has a chance - albeit slim - to earn a New Year's Six berth. Ironically, Navy needs the boats to stop rowing and sink.  The Midshipmen need a Western Michigan loss and to beat Temple for that conversation to begin. If the Broncos win tonight, which BENched predicts, all Navy can play for is a conference championship. That'd be tremendous for our nation's Naval Academy. Middies 34-20

 Big 12 Championship - Bedlam (Oklahoma leads 85-18-7)
No. 10 Oklahoma State at No. 9 Oklahoma (Line: Oklahoma -11)
One of the few regular season games remaining on the schedule, Bedlam figures to live up to its name. The Sooners and Cowboys will go toe-to-toe with the Big 12 title on the line for the fourth time in the last six years. Oklahoma has a dynamic offense that is unstoppable with Baker Mayfield leading the charge. Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon are a great one-two punch in the backfield, but Dede Westbrook is a sensational wide receiver. Opposite OU is Oklahoma State's high-octane offense that has recently found a running game. Both defenses are, for lack of a better word, awful. This one will have points galore. Ponies and Wagons 55-45

SEC Championship (Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga.)
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 15 Florida (Line: Alabama -24)
Unlike the matchup above, defense won't be optional in the Georgia Dome. Alabama boasts the nation's best and Florida isn't far behind. Alabama didn't allow a touchdown in four games in November. Florida has no offense, so this one shouldn't be close. Tide 33-3

ACC Championship (Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.)
No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 23 Virginia Tech (Line: Clemson -10)
Clemson has been on a tear since its loss to Pitt three weeks ago. Actually, the Tigers' offense has been on a tear since their Oct. 29 game at Florida State. In the fives game since, Clemson has scored 37, 54, 42, 35 and 56 points. Virginia Tech always has a tough defense with Bud Foster sailing that ship. And the Hokies' offense has seen an uptick with new head man Justin Fuente and quarterback Jerod Evans. But Clemson looks to be on a mission and VT won't be able to keep up the whole game. Tigers 41-17

Big Ten Championship (Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.)
No. 6 Wisconsin vs. No. 7 Penn State (Line: Wisconsin -3)
The storylines out of the Big Ten are numerous. Ohio State allegedly is a lock for the Playoff. Penn State, which beat Ohio State, could win the Big Ten and be left out of the Playoff. Wisconsin is most likely left out even if it wins. These scenarios are all barring what may or may not happen in other conferences, like the ACC and Pac-12. There's little arguing that the Big Ten is the best conference this season, but whether its champion slides into the Top 4 is a mystery. As for the game, Penn State is a second half team, so ignore whatever may happen in the first half. Wisconsin has a stout defense and will pose problems for the Nittany Lions. Expect this one to be close and low-scoring. Nittany Lions 16-9

-BtW
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Sunday, November 27, 2016

The Morning After... Another State Championship!

1) What Clemson and South Carolina fans witnessed Saturday night was complete and utter domination. One team was focused, talented and eager to put a whippin' on its rival. The other just wanted to get out of dodge as soon as possible. The Gamecocks could not match up with the Tigers man-for-man.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
2) Deshaun Watson likely finishes his career in Death Valley the way he started it. In Watson's first career home start, he threw six TD passes against North Carolina. Saturday night, he tossed six against South Carolina. The young man has had a career worthy of every award and record he's earned. I've been critical of him and I don't apologize for that. There are still flaws in his game, but at this time, it's just nitpicking at things I wish were perfect. Well, Deshaun Watson ain't perfect. Nobody is or ever will be. But Watson is as close to perfect as Clemson's ever had at the QB position.

3) A year ago, Mike Williams stood on the sidelines with a neck brace. Williams might want to get his back checked out this time as Gamecock defenders dangled off him all night. He made NFL-type catches and showed by Mel Kiper has him as the No. 1 WR in the upcoming NFL Draft. His first TD was a thing of beauty. His second was unreal. Williams carried the Carolina defender eight yards into the end zone. You have to see it to understand how awesome of a highlight that was. Williams was a man among boys.
4) Incredible defensive performance by the Tigers to boot. USC freshman QB Jake Bentley looked like he belonged in high school. He finished 7-of-17 for 41 yards and an interception. Bentley only played one half, supposedly injuring his knee. Will Muschamp said there was nothing wrong with him other than he wasn't comfortable pushing off throwing, but Muschamp didn't want to put him back in the game. The Gamecocks had 218 yards, were 4-for-14 on third downs, and had just 14 first downs (Clemson had 41). Again, there was very little South Carolina could do to find any mismatches on the field. The Tigers were just better all around.

 5) I'm going to do a little bragging here, and also set the record straight. I've heard nothing but a bunch of whiny sour grapes coming out of the mouths of Gamecocks - coaches, players and fans. You got beat. Deal with it. Stop trying to act like you didn't do any trash talking all week. Stop trying to act like you didn't rub it in during your five-game winning streak. Stop trying to act like your players are perfect little angels and Clemson's are the scum of the earth.

Clemson's players didn't say much this week and let their play on the field do the talking. They very well could have said a lot, considering they'd won two in a row in the series. After the game, a third straight win, they didn't hold back. And good for them. They're right. South Carolina has been, is, and always will be the little brother in this state. Clemson does run the state. The 56-7 thrashing makes that pretty clear. As does the 68-42-4 series record. Get over it.

6) Michigan and Ohio State might have been a good game that went to double-overtime, but color me unimpressed. It was 17-17 at the end of regulation. Neither offense looked competent. Ohio State's kicker missed two chipshot field goals. Michigan fumbled at the one-yardline and threw two costly INTs - one returned for a TD and one that set up a short TD drive. Ohio State was 3-of-16 on third downs. Michigan had 91 rushing yards (2.1 yards per rush). I realize it was a huge game with big ramifications, but neither team was impressive. The rest of the nation will tell you it was a classic - and it was - and that both teams are deserving of high rankings and praise. That's great. Just not from this guy.

7) Rivalry weekend produced a lot of thrills and upsets that no one saw coming. NC State knocked off North Carolina, Missouri over Arkansas, Air Force over Boise State, Texas Tech over Baylor, and Arizona over Arizona State ... All of those took place before Saturday. Then, there was Georgia Tech over Georgia, Kentucky over Louisville, Mississippi State over Ole Miss, Oregon State over Oregon and Vandy over Tennessee. Gotta love it.

8) The Heisman race is back open. Here are the serious contenders: Lamar Jackson, Louisville; Deshaun Watson, Clemson; Dalvin Cook, Florida State; Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma; Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma. That's it. Jackson has stumbled his past two games to allow the other contenders to close the gap. I still think he will be the winner, but it won't be as large of a margin as previously thought.

9) The ACC finished 3-1 over the SEC for the second straight season in in-state rivalries. Over the past three seasons, the ACC teams (Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Louisville) are a combined 10-2 against South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky. ... Every Power 5 conference has a championship game next weekend - four actual championship games (ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC) and one by luck (Big 12). ... The Playoff Committee ranking comes out Tuesday and I will warn everyone now: Michigan will be ranked No. 4 this week. The Committee isn't likely to drop Michigan behind Washington at this point because the overall body of work favors the Wolverines. And a double-overtime road loss to the No. 2 team in the country doesn't do much to warrant a big drop anyway. However, conference championships are not factored in this week. After this coming Saturday, they will be and that's where Michigan (and Ohio State) will likely drop if Clemson and Washington win their conferences.

10) After Virginia Tech's 52-10 over Virginia, Hokies defensive end Ken Ekanem said, "This was a statement game, to tell Clemson that we're coming." Bring it, turkeys. Beat Virginia Tech.

-BtW
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Friday, November 25, 2016

This is OUR state

67-42-4.

That is Clemson's record against South Carolina. The Tigers own a 25-game lead in a series that is the second longest running rivalry game in the country (107 straight games; trails Wisconsin-Minnesota currently at 109).

The Palmetto Bowl rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina takes a backseat to no one. Sure Alabama-Auburn or Ohio State-Michigan or OU-Texas have had more meaningful games in their series history. But the hatred between fans of the Tigers and Gamecocks is on equal footing as those rivalries.

Clemson currently owns a two-game winning streak. It comes on the heels of a South Carolina five-game streak. That was a first in the rivalry's history. 

You see, Clemson is used to beating South Carolina. The Tigers have had a four-game or more winning streak eight different times through the years. The Gamecocks have done it twice. 

Clemson's longest streak is seven (1934-40). The Tigers have had two four-game streaks since 1997. 

South Carolina's longest is the five-game streak it had from 2009-13. Prior to that, the only streak to reach four wins was from 1951-54.

USC or Carolina, as it's known throughout the state of South Carolina, won the first game of the series in 1896. That year was the fourth for USC's program and the first at Clemson. Carolina won 12-6. That's the last time the Gamecocks led the series. Clemson won four in a row and 13 of the next 16 (two SC wins and one tie). Clemson blanked South Carolina nine times in those 13 wins, allowing a total of 31 points. The Tigers reigned supreme and haven't looked back in the series.

Until the last decade, the Gamecocks were a sub-.500 program all-time. They'd won one conference title (1969 ACC Championship) and one SEC East title in 2010. They were a middling program, usually picked behind the SEC East powers (Florida, Georiga, Tennessee) and just ahead of the cellar dwellers (Vanderbilt and Kentucky). 

Clemson won the 1981 national championship and currently owns 15 ACC championships - tied for most in the league with Florida State - along with six other conference championships from previous affiliations. Of course, the Tigers played for it all again last year.

If you're from the Palmetto State, you must pick a side.
But this game means everything in the Palmetto State. Families are split. You're born into it and you don't have a choice. You're either a Tiger or a Gamecock. You live with folks on either side. You go to school with friends of both teams. You work alongside the enemy.

For 364 days a year, you're reminded about that last November encounter - or you're the one doing the reminding. Then, that 365th day comes and everything reaches fever pitch. Whether in Williams-Brice Stadium or Death Valley, fanbases on both sides converge for a day of tailgating, football ... and hate.

The moment those orange-clad fans spot garnet clothing, you'll hear a familiar refrain: "Cock-a-doodle-do! Cock-a-doodle-do! Carolina Gamecocks to hell with you!" A Gamecock fan will reply back with a "Clem-sucks!" And the back-and-forth spewing goes on all day.

Rivalry jokes are aplenty. Stories of games are recounted at annual family gatherings, such as Thanksgiving. It's all in good fun, ribbing your family members for their latest loss.

One day a year, though, it's all hate. The build-up to this week starts with quotes from players and coaches. It boils to highlight videos from previous years. Thanksgiving dinners are prepared and predictions are made at the table. Other games serve as an appetizer to ours. Saturday arrives and you could cut the tension in the air like a hot knife through butter.

We've won too much in this series and have too much riding on the line to let our feathered friends from Columbia ruin our season. That record, 67-42-4, is that way for a reason.

Rivalry? No. That's just a cute moniker because we share a backyard.

This is domination. This is our state.

Beat the Gamecocks.

-BtW
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Sunday, November 20, 2016

The Morning (er, Afternoon) After... Another Division Championship!

This TMA will be short-lived. Most Clemson fans have one thought on their minds right now: Beat South Carolina. Also, I don't want to go into too many specifics on things I liked or didn't like from the win at Wake Forest. There was a lot to like: running game/offensive line play, jumping out to 28-0 lead, red zone scoring, defense holding Wake under 200 yards, etc. And a few things not to like: minus-one turnover margin, missing two fourth down plays to stall drives, etc.

But today's TMA will focus on what color commentator Brock Huard said last night. Clemson fans, don't take this time in our history for granted. With that, let's look at all the accomplishments of this team.

(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
1) The Tigers clinched their second straight ACC Atlantic Division Championship with a 35-13 win at Wake Forest. The back-to-back division titles are a first for the program. Clemson has at least shared a division championship five of the last eight years, all under Dabo Swinney. The Tigers will play either Virginia Tech or North Carolina on Dec. 3 in Orlando for the ACC Championship.

1B) Sixth straight 10-win season, tied only with Alabama for the longest current streak in the nation. Clemson is assured at least three more games and could potentially win 13-plus games in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever.

2) Senior class tied last year's senior class with 45 wins. With three games to go, it feels like this class will break the record and set the bar even higher, as last year's class did.

3) Back-to-back 5-0 records on the road. Clemson went 5-0 last season and capped the road games with another 5-0 record this year. The 10-straight wins in true road games is second to Alabama and Oklahoma (tied, 11).

4) Clemson has outscored opponents on the road in the first quarter 70-3. Clemson led 21-0 after one frame against Wake.

5) The Tigers have recorded a sack in 41 straight games.

6) Wayne Gallman went over 3,000 yards for his career on his 42-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He's just the sixth running back in Clemson history to accomplish that feat. Gallman's 161 yards was his 16th game with over 100 yards as a Tiger. That broke the school record held previously by Raymond Priester since 1997.

7) Mike Williams went over 1,000 receiving yards for the season, matching Clemson greats Rod Gardner and Sammy Watkins as the only three receivers in school history to multiple seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.

8) Deshaun Watson is now 28-3 as Clemson's starting quarterback. His accomplishments are many, as outlined before, but his running the football opened up Clemson's offense Saturday night.

9) Two years ago, Clemson was staring down a five-game losing streak to in-state rival South Carolina, the first time in series history. On a torn ACL, little-known freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson led the Tigers to a 35-17 victory. Neither program has been the same since. South Carolina defeated Miami in the Independence Bowl to close that season at 7-6, then went 3-9 including a loss to The Citadel in 2015. The Gamecocks bounced back this year and are currently bowl eligible at 6-5. Clemson beat Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl to finish 10-3. The Tigers then went 14-0 en route to a National Championship appearance in the 2016 College Football Playoff before falling to Alabama by five points. Clemson is 10-1 and currently in the Top 4 of all the polls once again.

None of that matters when it comes to Saturday, Nov. 26 in Death Valley, Clemson, S.C. I want to beat them bad. 63-17 bad. Or worse. Dabo, don't call off the dogs in this one. Attack, attack, attack. Attack some more until the chickens are begging for mercy. Beat South Carolina.

10) Such a big game, it deserves two spots here. Beat South Carolina.
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Sunday, October 16, 2016

The Morning After... The Heart Attack on Homecoming

WARNING: If you are a Clemson fan, you may not like what you read. 

1) NC State outplayed and outcoached Clemson, with the exception of one play and one player. The play was the final offensive play for the Wolfpack. Why would you run your QB outside and backward instead of handing it off to Matt Dayes to set up the field goal? That playcall will haunt Dave Doeren for some time. The player is kicker Kyle Bambard. I feel for the kid, who was 4-of-5 kicking field goals entering the game, but went 1-for-4, including doinking a kick off the upright early in the game, having one blocked and missing the game-winner as time expired.

Aside from those two things, NC State was more physical than Clemson. For the first time in a few years, it looked as if Clemson felt it could simply walk on the field and win the game. NC State had other plans and the Tigers were stunned. I have a lot of questions about playcalling and personnel, but that could be reserved for an entire other post. Hopefully Dabo gets those things adjusted in the bye week.

2) It's hard to put blame on Deshaun Watson for this one. All he did was go 39-for-52 for 378 yards with two touchdowns through the air and added another 35 yards and a TD on the ground. His one mistake was the first play of the third quarter. Watson threw the first pick-6 of his career, which tied the game at 10 at the time. This is the second time in three games that Clemson has driven the field to get a big score before halftime and gets the ball back after the break, only to throw an interception to turn the momentum of the game. It was his only mistake, but it was costly.

 3) Turnovers continue to kill this team. Watson's pick was one thing, but the Tigers fumbled twice inside the five-yard-line and were stuffed at the goalline. Three drives that could have resulted in touchdowns would've completely changed the complexion of the game. Stop turning the ball over and this team can reach the heights it was projected to reach.

4) Positive note here: This defense is good. REAL good. NC State moved the ball extremely well and shot itself in the foot several times with penalties. But the Tigers stiffened up when they had to and allowed 10 offensive points. They picked off a quarterback that had thrown zero INTs all year. They added seven more tackles for loss and four sacks. And they refused to quit when the going got tough. That resilience resonated throughout Death Valley.
Marcus Edmond wins it for Clemson with this interception in overtime.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
4B) After all is said and done, the Tigers are 7-0 with a bye week to prep for Florida State. Clemson has won 21 straight regular season games, 20 straight at home, 24 of its last 25 games overall, 45 straight over an unranked opponent (AP Poll) and 13 straight over ACC teams. This era in Clemson history is arguably the best. Best is the Standard.

Perhaps that's why I'm a little upset. I hear all the positivity coming out of the Clemson camp, but it's hard to believe it. I don't believe we are playing to our standard...

5) I need to speak on the "storming the field" issue. Clemson has a tradition of allowing fans on the field following EVERY game. Win or lose, fans are encouraged to "Gather at the Paw" with the team to sing the Alma Mater. In big wins or close, exciting wins, Clemson students push the gate open on the Hill and hurdle the side walls to run on the field to celebrate. That's how it's been. That's how it will always be.

HOWEVER, yesterday was a storming of the field and it looked bad. Yes, the interception happened in the end zone in front of the student section. And yes, it was an exhilarating finish to a crazy game. It had to have felt incredible being in that stadium when Bambard missed the field goal and even better when Marcus Edmond came down with the pick to seal the victory. But if Clemson ever wants to be taken seriously, its fans need to act like they've been there before - students included. That may sound like a tired cliché because it is. Come on to the field and enjoy the win. Get pictures with the players and coaches. Find a player who is taking off his gloves and get those. Sing the Alma Mater with all your might. But stop acting as if we just won a championship for the first time in school history.

6) If Baker Mayfield and Dede Westbrook had the same connection of the last three weeks back in the first three weeks, we may be talking about Oklahoma as the only team with a chance to beat Alabama (more on the Tide later...). Westbrook has 574 yards and eight touchdowns since the calendar turned to October, including back-to-back games with three TD receptions. The latter of those games helped the Sooners beat down Kansas State 38-17 Saturday. Mayfield has found his go-to guy and it's helped Oklahoma get a firm grasp on the Big 12. Baylor and West Virginia may be undefeated, but OU looks like the team to beat.

7) ACC Coastal Chaos continues, but the ACC in general had a weird weekend. It started when Louisville needed a controversial roughing the kicker penalty to keep control of the game against Duke. Clemson needed overtime at home against an unranked opponent. FSU struggled with Wake Forest at home. Then there was the Coastal Division. Virginia Tech has looked like the Coastal's most complete team. The Hokies, though, were knocked off by beleaguered Syracuse, 31-17. Miami has fallen back to earth with two straight home losses. First on a blocked extra-point against FSU and now a 20-13 loss to North Carolina, who was just obliterated last week by VT.

Everyone in the Coastal Division has at least one conference loss and at least two losses overall. Miami goes to Blacksburg for a Thursday night affair this week. Pitt, which won at Virginia Saturday, still has VT, Miami and Clemson the schedule. There's a bundle of reasons to believe the Coastal champion may have three or more losses.

8) Alabama is playing in a different stratosphere. The Tide rushed for 438 yards on the road against Tennessee on their way to a 49-10 stomping of the Vols. Jalen Hurts is a weapon Nick Saban has never had at quarterback. They now have 11 non-offensive touchdowns this season. Simply, Alabama is scary.

Ohio State rallied to beat a darn good Wisconsin team on the road. The Buckeyes trailed 16-6 and couldn't get much going, but found a way in the end. JT Barrett is a natural leader and Urban Meyer's team is on its way to setting up a huge showdown with Michigan to close out the season.

9) Too much knee-jerk reaction to teams winning, losing, looking good one week or looking bad another. Time to start looking at the body of work - not what a team did yesterday and not a team's potential. We are seven weeks into this season and every team is showing pretty much exactly who they are. Take for example Ole Miss. The Rebs are 3-3. Why they were 3-2 and sitting at No. 12 is beyond me. A third loss should drop them completely from the Top 25. Don't forget to check out the Ben Ten on Monday to see where I rank the top teams in college football.

10) A bye week comes at the right time for Clemson. Rest up, heal the wounded and get ready for the trip to Tallahassee. That's the focus this week.

-BtW
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Sunday, September 25, 2016

The Morning After... A Wild, Winning Weekend!

Dabo Swinney celebrates Clemson's first win at Georgia Tech since 2003.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Football)
1) When you haven't won at Historic Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium since 2003, and you leave the 2016 game with a 19-point victory, you feel extremely great about yourself. Only, Clemson fans felt only half great. While the first half looked like what Tiger fans have come to expect - leading 23-0 at the break - the second half was ho-hum. Clemson struggled to finish. Clemson went vanilla at least on offense. Could the Tigers have been holding back with Louisville coming up next?

2) Clemson's defense looks better than I can remember, even the past two years where over 15 players have been drafted to the NFL. The Tigers have played 240 minutes of football so far this season and have had arguably 8-10 "bad" defensive minutes - the last three at Auburn, the last five vs. Troy, and the one scoring drive against Georgia Tech. Clemson has allowed five touchdowns in four games and is giving up 11 points per game.

3) Brent Venables is the second greatest thing at Clemson. Maybe the first. But the first is Deshaun Watson.

3B) Ray-Ray McCloud is emerging as a star. McCloud has been the most consistent receiver outside of Mike Williams through four games for the Tigers. He had a career-high eight catches for 101 yards at GT. He is tied with Williams to lead Clemson with 21 receptions and is 51 yards behind him in total yards.

3C) It was great to see tight end Jordan Leggett get involved. Leggett had one catch coming into Thursday, but produced four receptions and a TD. He has been a missing piece to the Tiger offense and will be needed the rest of the season.

4) How 'bout the little ole ACC? Outside of the conference games - Clemson-GT, Pitt-UNC - the conference went undefeated (8-0) on the weekend. The surprising wins were Duke knocking off Notre Dame in South Bend 38-35, Virginia beating Central Michigan 49-35, Syracuse won at UConn 31-24 and Wake Forest remaining unbeaten with a 33-28 win at Indiana. All four schools were 3-point underdogs or bigger, with Duke a 20.5-point dog to the Irish, and three of the games were on the road (UVa was home). Combined with big wins by Louisville, FSU and Virginia Tech, this was a great weekend for a conference on the rise.

5) Speaking of Louisville, the Cards romped past Marshall 59-28 in a game that wasn't that close. However, for the first time this season Lamar Jackson looked a little less like Superman. He still finished with seven touchdowns (5 passing, 2 rushing), but was 24-of-44 passing and threw an ill-advised interception. The Thundering Herd kept him in check on the ground, allowing him just 62 yards. Louisville only led 7-0 after one quarter. It was one of those games where the Cardinals dominated, but didn't necessarily look perfect doing so. The guess here is they had one eye looking toward Clemson.

6) Some of the wildness began Friday with Utah scoring with 55 seconds left to beat USC 31-27 and continued into Saturday. ... Tennessee finally got the monkey of its back by beating Florida after trailing 21-0. ... North Carolina trailed Pitt by 13 with under 10 minutes to go, but scored twice including the game-winner with two seconds on the clock. ... Les Miles' poor clock management skills bit him and LSU again. The Tigers needed a TD with no timeouts left. They failed to get out of bounds, were penalized and had a 10-second runoff, then did not have enough time to get a snap off - even though the refs initially allowed it and LSU scored the would-be go-ahead touchdown. After review, the clock was triple-zeroes and Auburn won 18-13. ... In the nightcaps, Stanford scored with under 30 seconds to go to take a three-point lead over UCLA. Keep in mind, Stanford was a 3.5-point favorite. UCLA QB Josh Rosen was sacked on the last play of the game and fumbled. Stanford ran it back for a TD to make the final score 22-13. A humongous play for Vegas betting. ... Arizona and Washington traded blows late in the fourth quarter for some amazing #Pac12AfterDark action. Zona scored with 4:50 to go to tie it at 21; Washington re-took the lead 40 seconds later; Zona scored with 27 seconds to go to send it to overtime; And the Huskies eventually won in OT, 35-28.

A wild weekend indeed.

7) There were skeptics about West Virginia and Baylor. Both undefeated, but both unproven. Until Saturday. The Mountaineers knocked off BYU in another entertaining game, 35-32. Baylor took down Oklahoma State to earn its first conference win, 35-24. The Bears and Mountaineers remain unbeaten and atop the Big 12 standings. Baylor should have little trouble next week at Iowa State. West Virginia hosts Kansas State in a tricky game, as the Wildcats are still coached by Bill Snyder which means they are vastly underrated and prime for an upset.

8) Quick hitters: Texas A&M served noticed to the rest of the SEC West that it will contend. The Aggies knocked off Arkansas 45-24. A&M goes to South Carolina before a big two-game stretch at home against Tennessee Oct. 8, then a bye week before going to Alabama Oct. 22. ... Wisconsin also served notice that it will not be overlooked in the Big Ten. Everyone thought the Big Three in the Big Ten were Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. The Badgers had none of that, demolishing the Spartans on their home field 30-6. With Iowa struggling, it looks like Wisconsin may be the best team in the West division. Nebraska may have something to say about that, though. And the Badgers head to the Big House this weekend.

 9) Top 10 on tap: Next week will produce three top-10 matchups including No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington (Friday), No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 4 Michigan, and No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson. Other big games include Oklahoma at TCU, North Carolina at No. 12 Florida State and No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia. (Note: Rankings reflect current AP Poll)

10) All eyes, though, will be on Tiger Town next weekend. ESPN's College GameDay will be on hand to kickoff the morning live from Bowman Field. The game will be broadcast in primetime on ABC with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Sam Ponder on the call. It was one year ago when Notre Dame visited Clemson on the exact same weekend (Oct. 3, 2015). Get up. Get ready. Get loud. Get CLEMSON LOUD. Beat Louisville.

-BtW
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