Showing posts with label Stanford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stanford. Show all posts

Sunday, September 10, 2017

The Morning After - Putting the D back in Death Valley

Saturday started with overtime amidst the corn between Iowa-Iowa State and finished with triple-OT on the Palouse between Washington State-Boise State. What a great day of college football that gave us a small sample of what to expect this season. Chaos. Fun. And more of those "WOW" moments.

1st Quarter
Clemson's defense stuffed Auburn's ground game,
holding the SEC Tigers to 42 yards.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
If you needed proof that Clemson is more like Alabama than anyone else, I hope you watched the Tigers sack Auburn. Eleven times. Clemson's defense is elite and it is what will carry Clemson all season. I mentioned during preseason that Clemson wouldn't win a lot of 35-31 type games, but more on the 17-14 side. Here we are. Clemson gets two quarterback rushing touchdowns and allows 117 yards to Auburn in a 14-6 slobber-knocker. Kelly Bryant has his work cut out for him, but FSU aside, there won't be a better defense he faces all year. By the team the Noles come to Death Valley mid-November, it's believable that Bryant and the Clemson offense could be humming.

As for Clemson's D, this marks the third game in the last four it hasn't allowed a touchdown dating to the 31-0 shutout of Ohio State in last season's Fiesta Bowl. Austin Bryant isn't a household name like Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, or Christian Wilkins, but he racked up four of Clemson's 11 sacks. Tre Lamar isn't Kendall Joseph or Dorian O'Daniel, but his impact was felt. As was K'Von Wallace's who filled in for the injured starter Van Smith. It's been a next man up mentality for the past few years. The difference is Clemson is recruiting more talented players every year.

The Tigers now face the defending Heisman Trophy winner in Lamar Jackson. This defense against that guy? Get your popcorn ready. Beat Louisville.

2nd Quarter
Oklahoma made THE statement win of the weekend over THE Ohio State University. Baker Mayfield was terrific at the Horseshoe and made it well-known that he was not pleased with his team's performance a year ago in this game. Mayfield finished 27-35 for 386 yards and three touchdowns, adding his name to the top of the early season Heisman contenders. What impressed me most about this game, though, was Oklahoma's defense. The Sooners showed out and proved a lot of folks wrong, including me. I don't think JT Barrett is a good quarterback and the Buckeyes have plenty of issues on offense, but OU has had defensive issues for several seasons. Saturday night in Columbus, they looked like a Playoff-caliber unit.

I was also extremely impressed with the adjustments Lincoln Riley made at halftime. This game was 3-3 at the intermission and OU was moving the ball between the 20s. They couldn't find a way to get points, though. That changed after Ohio State scored to make it 10-3 early in the third quarter. OU went on a 28-6 run the rest of the game. In-game adjustments define championship teams. Riley passed his first big test against the great Urban Meyer. The Sooners will likely be favored the rest of the way now and that Nov. 4 date in Stillwater is going to be must-see TV.

3rd Quarter
Despite a big day on the ground from Stanford's Bryce Love (17 carries, 160 yards and a TD), USC dominated the Cardinal to solidify its status atop the polls and the Pac-12. Quarterback Sam Darnold had a big day in the win. He went 21-26 for 316 yards and four TD passes. The Trojans also found a running game with two rushers going over 100 yards - Stephen Carr 11 carries for 119; Ronald Jones 23 for 116 and two scores. USC was 10-for-12 on third downs and amassed 623 yards of offense. This was the USC team that won its final nine games of 2016 and could very well be on its way to an undefeated season if it continues to play like that the rest of the way. That's a scary team out in LA.

4th Quarter
Freshman quarterback Jake Fromm out-performed expectations for Georgia on the road at Notre Dame. Fromm did just enough to give the Bulldogs a win in South Bend (or was it North Athens? Sheesh, there was a lot of red and black). He passed for 141 yards and a touchdown, but still looked like a freshman at times playing in a big road game. He turned the ball over twice, but overcame the mistakes to lead UGA down the field when it needed it most. As for Notre Dame, Brian Kelly could be on the final leg. Notre Dame isn't showing any signs of being an elite team and Kelly is showing his true colors in his press conference. Not a good look for the prestigious Catholic university.

Overtime
South Carolina's Deebo Samuel was at it again with another kick return for a score and two more rushing TDs as the Gamecocks continue to impress early on. South Carolina could very well be 4-0 heading into a late-September matchup at Texas A&M. The way the Aggies are looking, that could put Will Muschamp's team one win from bowl eligibility before October arrives. ... If anyone is going to give Oklahoma and Oklahoma State trouble in the Big 12, it'll be a team in purple. TCU and Kansas State look like that next tier of teams ready to contend with the big boys. The Horned Frogs struggled to put away Arkansas, but ended up with a 21-point win on the road. K-State has scored 55 points in back-to-back games against weak competition, but the Wildcats may be for real. We'll find out more when they travel to Vanderbilt this weekend. ... Oregon held on for a big win over Nebraska, 42-35, after leading 42-14 at halftime. The Ducks went into prevent offense mode for much of the second half. Nebraska tried to do its best Josh Rosen/UCLA impression, but came up short. That's a big win for Willie Taggart early in his Oregon career. ... Penn State absolutely dominated in-state rival Pitt. And then head coach James Franklin dominated Pitt in the postgame, saying Pitt's win against PSU last year was like their Super Bowl, but this was more like PSU beating Akron. Savage. ... It's clear that the rich keep getting richer - Alabama, Clemson, USC, Oklahoma, Penn State, etc. But the poor are getting poorer, as far as Power 5 bottom feeders go.

ACC - Syracuse lost to Middle Tennessee State; Virginia lost to Indiana
Big 12 - Kansas lost to Central Michigan; Baylor lost to UTSA
Big Ten - Rutgers lost to Eastern Michigan
Pac-12 - Arizona lost to Houston; Oregon State lost to Minnesota (48-14)
SEC - No losses, but Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M struggled with Eastern Kentucky, UT-Martin, and Nicholls, respectively.

When it comes to the "top to bottom" argument, there's not a P5 conference out there that can win that. 

Tiger Tweets
























-BtW
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Friday, September 8, 2017

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 2

Time for some more predictions! This weekend packs a big punch with great action all day and late into the night. Pour a cup or two of coffee and expect to be up late Saturday night. On with the picks!

2017 Record
Overall: 17-2 (.895 win %)
Game of the Week Pick: 1-0
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

AP Top 10
Fresno State at 1 Alabama
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN2
Alabama -43.5
Alabama gets a chance to work on its offense with Fresno State in town. What will be interesting is if Jalen Hurts continues to struggle throwing the ball. Freshman Tua Tagovailoa impressed during the spring game and will likely get his first chance at live action on Saturday. Could quarterback controversy begin brewing in Tuscaloosa? Tide 48-0

GAME OF THE WEEK
The QB battle between Baker Mayfield and JT Barrett
is a dandy in the marquee game of the weekend.
5 Oklahoma at 2 Ohio State
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, ABC
Ohio State -7.5
After getting thumped by the Buckeyes a season ago, the Sooners visit Ohio State with revenge on their minds. This is an intriguing coaching matchup with first-year coach Lincoln Riley against veteran Urban Meyer. Baker Mayfield looked terrific in the opener. Oklahoma appeared to find a few answers to who will step up at running back and wide receiver. Abdul Adams was shifty and quick out of the backfield. Jeff Badet and Mark Andrews are go-to targets for Mayfield. The question is, does OU have an answer for the nasty defensive front for the Buckeyes? The advantage lies with Ohio State's defense. I trust Mayfield more than JT Barrett, even on the road. But I believe the Sooners are behind on the defensive side. Barrett has plenty of speed around him and it will be tough for OU to keep up with the talented Buckeyes. Bucks 37-27

13 Auburn at 3 Clemson
Saturday, 7 pm ET, ESPN
Clemson -5
Kelly Bryant and Jarrett Stidham each get their first real test as new starters. Stidham has the tougher challenge going on the road in a night game at Death Valley. Both defenses are elite. Clemson will try to use its speed and chaotic backfield against a stout Auburn defensive front. Auburn has a more straight forward running game with Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway. However, Johnson suffered a hamstring injury last week and likely won't play, while Pettway was suspended and will get his first action of the season at Clemson. He'll be fired up, no doubt. But so will the Clemson defense, Clemson offense, and Clemson crowd. ACC Tigers 24-17

Pittsburgh at 4 Penn State
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ABC
Penn State -21.5
The Nittany Lions are on a mission to prove many of the doubters wrong. The loss to Pittsburgh a season ago kept Penn State out of the College Football Playoff. Despite the weapons returning on offense, many have Penn State behind Ohio State in the Big Ten East. Before getting to the Buckeyes, PSU needs to avenge this loss. With Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley leading the way in front of a raucous sold out, white out Happy Valley, Penn State gets it done big. Lions 44-17

14 Stanford at 6 USC
Saturday, 8:30 pm ET, Fox
USC -5.5
I've been back and forth on this one, mostly because of how good Stanford looked two weeks ago in the opener and how mediocre USC looked last week against Western Michigan. Bryce Love filled in the shoes left by Christian McCaffrey extremely well, rushing for 180 yards and a score on just 13 carries. Stanford had two weeks to prepare for this one and USC dropped in the polls after it struggled. However, this is destined to be an early Heisman campaign type game for Trojan quarterback Sam Darnold. If USC was simply keeping it vanilla last week and still scored 49 points, then watch out. Trojans 38-35

Montana at 7 Washington
Saturday, 8 pm ET, Pac-12
No Line 
Well, there's not much to say about this. Washington needed a big second half to put away Rutgers (yes, that Rutgers!). But the Huskies and Jake Browning are fine. For now. Huskies 55-10

Cincinnati at 8 Michigan
Saturday, Noon ET, ABC
Michigan -34
Wilton Speight nearly cost himself his starting job and Michigan the game last week against Florida. Speight was able to redeem himself and led the Wolverines to a big win over the Gators to open the season. Michigan steps back this week and should roll over a Cincy team that struggled with Austin Peay. Wolverines 52-6

Florida Atlantic at 9 Wisconsin
Saturday, Noon ET, Big Ten
Wisconsin -33
The Badgers looked good against Utah State. Scary good. Another ho-hum game means another big Wisconsin win. The only reason to tune in is to see Lane Kiffin exploding on the sidelines for the Owls. Badgers 49-13

10 Florida State - OFF
The Noles' game against Louisiana-Monroe was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. Other games throughout the state and affecting teams from Florida have also been cancelled. BENched sends his thoughts and prayers to the people of the state of Florida as they brace for one of the worst storms to hit the US.

Must Watch
17 Louisville at North Carolina
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN
Louisville -9.5
Lamar Jackson totaled 485 yards in a close win over Purdue and all he did was "hurt" his Heisman stock. Sheesh, people. The guy is electric. It's just a shame the team he has around him is just OK. Meanwhile, North Carolina lost at home to Cal, despite the Bears playing in the morning hours Pacific Time - I guess they didn't have an issue with their body clocks like Stanford did a few years back. I think this line might be a little too close and Jackson puts on another show ahead of Louisville's showdown with Clemson next week. Cards 41-24

 23 TCU at Arkansas
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, CBS
TCU -3
These two produced a epic finish last year with TCU storming back to force overtime, but the Hogs escaping Ft. Worth with a double-OT win. Now, the scene flips to Fayetteville. Kenny Hill threw four TDs and the TCU offense showed some major firepower, albeit against Jackson State. Likewise, the Razorbacks sleep-walked through their win over Florida A&M. BENched expects a shootout with the team with the ball last getting the victory. Frogs 47-42

 Nebraska at Oregon
Saturday, 4:30 pm, Fox
Oregon -13.5
Oregon couldn't get out of its own way in Lincoln last year, failing several two-point conversions en route to a three-point loss. Under new leadership, the Ducks won't be quite as finesse in these type of games. Nebraska nearly coughed up its win last week against Arkansas State. Autzen Stadium is no easy place to play and Royce Freeman is eager to put his own name into the hat for early-season Heisman candidates. Ducks 40-27

 15 Georgia at 24 Notre Dame
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, NBC
Notre Dame -5.5
A fun one in South Bend as two historic teams face off for just the second time ever. The Dawgs will go with freshman Jake Fromm to lead the charge. Fromm steps in for the injured Jacob Eason. The youngster looked sharp in UGA's win over Appalachian State. Going on the road in the hallowed Notre Dame Stadium is a little different, though. The Irish will counter with a first-year starter themselves. Brian Kelly has given redshirt sophomore Brandon Wimbush the nod. Notre Dame crushed Temple to open the season. At home, under the lights, this one goes to ND. Irish 31-24

Utah at BYU
Saturday, 10:15 pm ET, ESPN2
Utah -2.5
The Holy War. One of the more underrated rivalries in football. BYU hasn't come close to looking good this season. The Cougars needed all four quarters to put away Portland State and then were blanked by LSU, 27-0. The Utes, meanwhile, have a quarterback in Tyler Huntley who took over for Troy Williams - last season's starter. Huntley's dual-threat ability will cause problems for many teams this year, starting with BYU. It's a late one, but this game tends to go down to the wire. You'll be happy you stayed up for the finish. Utes 23-20

 Keep An Eye On
Iowa at Iowa State
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN2
Iowa -3
Crazy things happen at Jack Trice Stadium. If you're looking for a little rivalry action early on Saturday, this one will do it. Iowa trounced the Cyclones last year. Can ISU turn the tables? Hawkeyes 34-28

 Wake Forest at Boston College
Saturday, 1 pm ET, ESPN3
Even
No, this one isn't exciting. In fact, it's not even on TV! You'll have to pull up ESPN3 to find it. But the Deacs and Eagles generally produce close games and the winner will have some kind of momentum going in conference play. Remember, Wake Forest was in the division hunt mid-November last year. Deacons 20-14

 South Carolina at Missouri
Saturday, 7 pm ET, ESPN2
Missouri -2.5
There could be points. Lots and lots of points in the battle of Columbias. Missouri and Drew Lock have already hung 70 on the board. South Carolina and Jake Bentley are on the upswing and took down NC State, scoring 35 points despite going against a tough defensive front. In between Ohio State-Oklahoma and Clemson-Auburn, check this one out. Gamecocks 48-44

Boise State at 20 Washington State
Saturday, 10:30 pm ET, ESPN
Washington State -10
Any chance to get to watch the pirate himself is great. Mike Leach has Washington State as a legit Top 25 program. Quarterback Luke Falk is the real deal. Wazzu will be out for revenge after falling on the blue turf last year. Cougs 37-31

-BtW
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Friday, September 30, 2016

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 5

BENched is back to its winning ways after an 11-2 week. There's another exciting weekend on tap with three top 10 games and a new feature on PTF - the GAME OF THE WEEK will be highlighted in this weekly post. This week it involves Clemson, so yours truly hasn't slept a wink. On to the picks!

2016 BENched PTF Record
Last Week: 11-2
Overall: 37-14 (.725 win %)
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

Friday

 No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington (Line: Washington -3.5)
Stanford pulled out a win at UCLA by the skin of its teeth. This may be Chris Peterson's best chance to bring Washington back to prominence. The Huskies gotta go through the reigning conference champs and All-World All-Purpose King Christian McCaffrey. Huskies 26-23

Saturday

 No. 14 Miami at Georgia Tech (Line: Miami -7)
BENched wonders if anyone in Atlanta cares to tell Paul Johnson that it is 2016 and only the service academies still run the triple-option offense. No? Suits me - and Brent Venables - just fine. Former Georgia coach and current head Cane Mark Richt is something like 78-2 against Georgia Tech. Canes 41-17

 No. 22 Texas at Oklahoma State (Line: Oklahoma State -2.5)
The road team has won seven straight in this series. Yet somehow Oklahoma State, the home team, is favored to win. C'mon, Vegas. You're better than that! Horns 34-30

North Carolina at No. 12 Florida State (Line: Florida State -11)
Wonder if UNC's receivers will show up wearing robes again - and nothing underneath! No one would want to sleep on them anymore ... HA! Sometimes I make myself laugh. You know who doesn't? Future LSU head coach Jimbo Fisher. Noles 49-34

No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia (Line: Tennessee -3)
How is Georgia still ranked? I mean, are the voters even watching the Dawgs? If not for a 35-point second half last week, we'd be talking about Tennessee being the most overrated team ... again. Also, how did UT give up 28 points to Florida? Mind-boggling. Vols 27-13

 No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 4 Michigan (Line: Michigan -11)
Big one at the Big House. Wisconsin has already beaten LSU on a not-so-neutral field and manhandled Sparty in East Lansing. A second straight trip to the mitten state might not be so kind. The Speight kid's alright. Jabrill Peppers - better than alright. Big Blue 35-24

Wake Forest at NC State (Line: NC State -11)
Undefeated Wake Forest. I'll let that sink in because it probably won't last long. Although, NC State did lose to East Carolina who got beat by offensively-challenged South Carolina and had its pirate ship blown apart at Virginia Tech. Devil Pastors 24-17

Kansas State at West Virginia (Line: West Virginia -3)
"Country roads take me home to the place I belong..." Any excuse to sing that song is a good one. Also, there's this: How do you know the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia? Because if it had been invented anywhere else it'd be called the TEETHbrush! I'll be here all week. I really wanna pick the SnyderCats in this one, but... One-toothers 31-27

 Oklahoma at No. 21 TCU (Line: Oklahoma -3.5)
September was rough for the Sooners, but hey, they've had the best week of practice ever, according to sources. TCU led SMU 6-3 at halftime last week and for much of the year hasn't looked like a contender. Of course, neither has OU. Ponies and Wagons 52-44

Memphis at Ole Miss (Line: Ole Miss -14.5)
Revenge of the ner ... umm, Mississippians are not nerds. I'll need to come up with a different angle for that. Memphis laid it on the Rebels last year. No chance that happens again. Not nerds 47-20

Missouri at LSU (Line: LSU -13)
The turf at Tiger Stadium gets to live its life without fear! No more grass-eating Les Miles on the sidelines. Ed Orgeron takes over and has vowed to change up the offense. There's talent on the LSU sidelines including that Leonard Fournette guy. Bayou Bengals 35-17

 GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson (Line: Louisville -2)
I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. Am I really gonna do this? Cards 37-33 **BENCHED ENTERS WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM**
Clemson needs to figure out how to stop this guy from attending the volleyball match Friday night.
Oh, and how to stop the guy in the football uniform on the field Saturday night.
(Photo courtesy Charleston Gazette-Mail)
Arizona State at USC (Line: USC -10)
Before I go off the grid, one more pick. Arizona State is 4-0. USC is 1-3. Vegas has USC by 10. DID THEY TURN OFF THE OXYGEN IN THOSE CASINOS? Pitchforks 41-30
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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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Friday, September 16, 2016

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 3

New format, same idea. No need to delve into too many details on every team. Hey, I never claimed to be an expert. 

 Big week on tap as the top three teams in the rankings are all on the road at a ranked opponent. Will we find out a lot on this "Shakeup Saturday?"

2016 BENched PTF Record
Last Week: 10-3
Overall: 19-6 (.760 win %)
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

Saturday

No. 25 Miami at Appalachian State (Line: Miami -3.5)
What a fun atmosphere it will be in Boone, N.C. I'm reluctant to do this, but give me Miami. Canes 26-20

 No. 2 Florida State at No. 10 Louisville (Line: Florida State - 1)
FSU's defense took a hit and will miss Derwin James. That Lamar Jackson kid is something special. Call me a Bird-liever. Cards 31-27
Louisville QB Lamar Jackson is a can't miss act right now.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

South Carolina State at No. 5 Clemson (No Line)
Deshaun Watson and Clemson's offense has to get on a roll soon, right? RIGHT?! Tigers 56-10

 No. 22 Oregon at Nebraska (Line: Nebraska -3.5)
Interesting B1G-Pac-12 battle in Lincoln. Oregon looks fast (again) and Nebraska looks improved. The difference in this one? Rolls Royce Freeman. Ducks 41-28

Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State (Line: Oklahoma State -4.5)
OSU got #MACtioned last week. How will they respond? Meanwhile, one of the best stories in the land is the return of James Conner. Pitt looked solid last week against Penn State. Can they take their show on the road? Panthers 34-27

No. 1 Alabama at No. 19 Ole Miss (Line: Alabama -11)
Surely, Bama won't lose for a third time to the Rebs. Jalen Hurts brings a new dynamic to Lane Kiffin's offense. Chad Kelly won't be the best QB on the field. Tide 49-24

No. 17 Texas A&M at Auburn (Line: Auburn -3.5)
The only answer we'll get out of this one is which coach has the seat warmer turned up another notch afterward. Tigers 33-24

Mississippi State at No. 20 LSU (Line: LSU -14)
Looks like LSU has something that resembles a quarterback in the Etling kid. Mississippi State won't have enough cowbell for Leonard Fournette. Tigers 23-7

No. 12 Michigan State at No. 18 Notre Dame (Line: Notre Dame -7.5)
Sparty has played one game and per usual, looked simplistic in it. DeShone Kizer is the real deal for Notre Dame. Irish 37-20

No. 3 Ohio State at No. 14 Oklahoma (Line: Ohio State -1)
Should be a Top 4 match-up and could be a high-scoring affair on the plains. This is the first test of the season for JT Barrett and company. Typically, Big Game Bob shows up in September against the big boys. Sooners 38-35

USC at No. 7 Stanford (Line: Stanford -9)
David Shaw is perhaps the most underrated coach in America. Oh, and Stanford has that McCaffrey guy. Trees 44-17

UCLA at BYU (Line: UCLA -3)
BYU suffered a tough loss to Utah last week, so their psyche will be tested. Josh Rosen probably should just keep his mouth shut and play football. He's pretty good when he does. Bruins 28-24

No. 11 Texas at Cal (Line: Texas -7)
"Texas is back, folks!" All due respect to Joe Tessitore, I would've only believed it if he said, "Texas is back, y'all!" But Texas does look like it is back. Or at least on the way back. Shane Buechele is purdy darn good. Let's just see him perform on the road. Horns 45-31

 -BtW
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Friday, September 2, 2016

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 1

Welcome back, College Football. It's so good to see you again!

Cal knocked off Hawai'i 51-31 in Australia to get the season started a week ago. There were more teams in action last night as Tennessee thwarted an Appalachian State upset with a come-from-behind overtime win, South Carolina stunned Vanderbilt, and Minnesota topped Oregon State in a Big Ten/Pac-12 battle, among other games Thursday.

For those new to the blog, every Friday will be my #PTF, or Prediction Time Friday. On occasion, I'll make picks a day early with some intriguing Thursday night games (i.e. - Sept. 22 when Clemson visits Georgia Tech), but the opening weekend to 2016 is all about Friday through Monday.

I had a decent record picking games in 2015, but I'm looking to build on that this season. With very little to go off of, and plenty of exciting matchups, it will be tough to get off to a good start. But I'll give it my best! Here's the run down on what's being hailed as the best opening weekend in college football ever.

2015 BENched PTF Record (includes bowl picks): 87-38 (.696 win %)
*Rankings below are the AP Top 25

Friday

 Kansas State at No. 8 Stanford (Line: Stanford -14.5)
Bill Snyder's Wildcats head to NoCal to open the season. The trip sounds great minus the whole having to deal with Christian McCaffrey thing. Although the Cardinal will be breaking in a new quarterback, the all-purpose king of college football McCaffrey will lead Stanford to a big win.
Stanford 41, Kansas State 13

Colorado State vs. Colorado (Line: Colorado -8.5) - at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo.
Rocky Mountain Showdown
Nothing like an in-state rivalry to get the season started. The upstart Buffaloes may be a surprise team in college football this year. The two have alternated wins for five years, with Colorado winning a 27-24 overtime thriller in 2015. CSU may be in the running for a Big 12 expansion spot, but don't think they are quite ready for Power 5 football.
Colorado 27, Colorado State 14

Saturday

 Georgia Tech vs. Boston College (Line: Georgia Tech -3) - at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland
Set your alarm clocks and grab a pint of Guinness! It'll be top o' the morning stateside when the Yellow Jackets and Eagles kickoff from Ireland (7:30 am EDT). This is one of the only conference tilts on the schedule in Week 1. Georgia Tech is looking to rebound from a dismal 3-9 season and should do so as it returns dynamic quarterback Justin Thomas. BC is simply searching for an ACC win after going 0-8 in 2015. We know BC's defense will be stout, but can Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles provide a spark to the Eagles' offense?
Georgia Tech 30, Boston College 17

No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Houston (Line: Oklahoma -11.5) - at NRG Stadium in Houston
Coming off a New Year's Six bowl victory in the Peach Bowl against Florida State to cap a 13-win season, the Houston Cougars are looking to solidify themselves among college football's top programs in 2016. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. returns as one of the premier playmakers to lead UH's offense. On the flip side, the Sooners return a loaded backfield with Baker Mayfield, Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. There might not be a better offensive backfield trio in the country. Oklahoma got a taste of the CFB Playoff last season and is hungry to get back.
Oklahoma 44, Houston 34

 No. 5 LSU vs. Wisconsin (Line: LSU -11) - at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc.
Will Leonard Fournette do the Lambeau Leap? Not if Les Miles has anything to do with it. The Hat laid down the law on the touchdown celebration, which is sad really. LSU is going to score a lot of touchdowns.
LSU 35, Wisconsin 17

 No. 16 UCLA at Texas A&M (Line: Texas A&M -3)
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen made waves earlier this week when asked about the crowd noise at Kyle Field. Rosen was asked about playing in front of 100,000 people and he simply said after 50,000 the noise is all the same. Don't expect the farmers to greet the "Rosen One" with their usual "Howdy!" This game was already interesting as UCLA is a Pac-12 South favorite and the Aggies will get their first glimpse of OU transfer Trevor Knight behind center. It will be hot, humid and extremely loud in College Station.
Texas A&M 31, UCLA 27

Mitch Trubisky leads North Carolina into the Bulldogs' backyard
for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Georgia.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)
No. 18 Georgia vs. No 22 North Carolina (Line: Georgia -2.5) - at Georgia Dome in Atlanta
Heralded junior QB Mitch Trubisky gets his first start in a Tar Heel uniform. All he did in a secondary role last season was complete 40-of-47 passes (85.1%) for 555 yards and six touchdowns with no picks. All the playmakers are back for the Heels, but it won't be the offense that is the problem. Remember the last time out for the UNC defense - Baylor rushed for 645 yards in the bowl game. Nick Chubb should be licking his chops. The Georgia Dome will be rocking as the Bulldogs make the hour trip from Athens, along with their faithful who filled up Sanford Stadium to the tune of 93,000 for the Red and Black Spring Game. New top Dawg Kirby Smart named Greyson Lambert his starting signal-caller. Buckle up for this one. It has potential to be the best game of the weekend.
Georgia 38, North Carolina 37

 No. 20 USC vs. No. 1 Alabama (Line: Alabama -11.5) - at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
The history of - and between - these two schools should not be overlooked. USC thumped Alabama 42-21 in Tuscaloosa in 1970. Then-head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant had not recruited black athletes, whereas the Trojans were integrated and running back Sam Cunningham tore up the Tide defense. Bryant changed his ways the next season. A brief history lesson there, but Saturday night in Arlington won't be very historical. Nick Saban and the reigning champion Crimson Tide start an entirely new offensive backfield, but may have the best defense in football once again. This will be the fifth season Saban begins the year with a first-year starting quarterback. The previous four resulted in a combined 52-4 record with three national titles. I can't see this one being close.
Alabama 42, USC 14

 No. 2 Clemson at Auburn (Line: Clemson -7.5)
Probably the nation's most talked about team this offseason was the Clemson Tigers. Offensively, it's been discussed ad nauseam that the ACC Tigers return virtually everyone including Heisman front-runner Deshaun Watson. There are some question marks on defense, but most think this team will develop quickly and make another run at the Playoff. Auburn, however, is soul searching after back-to-back sub-par seasons by SEC standards. Gus Malzahn enters on the hot seat. A big home loss to open the season could turn up the flames quickly.
Clemson 44, Auburn 24

BYU vs. Arizona (Line: BYU -1) - at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Heartbreak hit Tucson this summer when Arizona lost a senior offensive lineman who was found dead one morning. Certainly his teammates will be playing with heavy hearts, and BENched would like to send its condolences to the Wildcat Family. On the field, we know Rich Rod's offense will be fast and BYU will see what it can get out of Taysom Hill. The oft-injured, sixth-year quarterback has been brilliant in his career when he's remained healthy. Should be a nice night-cap to the full day of games, if you can stay up late for it.
BYU 34, Arizona 31

 Sunday

 No. 10 Notre Dame at Texas (Line: Notre Dame -3.5)
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly seemingly will implement a two-quarterback system with DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire splitting duties. The Irish hope someone steps up to provide some consistency. At Texas, Charlie Strong joins Malzahn as a coach on the hot seat to start the year. Another sub-.500 record and Strong will be searching for a new job. Will his job security lie in the hands of a true freshman quarterback in Shane Buechele? More than likely, yes. He's sort of Colt McCoy 2.0. But how much of Colt and not Case McCoy he is remains to be seen. Don't be surprised if the Horns pull off the upset.
Notre Dame 27, Texas 21

 Monday

 No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Florida State (Line: Florida State -4.5) - at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Labor Day Night closes out the weekend with a bang. Ole Miss is in all kinds of hot water with the NCAA, something Florida State knows a little bit about. Chad Kelly proclaimed himself as the best quarterback in college football at SEC Media Days. The Rebels will need someone to step up on offense because his trusty go-to receiver Laquon Treadwell is in the NFL and Ole Miss lost the majority of its offensive line. Kelly could be running for his life against a talented FSU front. The Noles have a redshirt freshman quarterback - not unlike 2013 - as Deandre Francois has been named the starter. Luckily for Francois, he has one of the nation's best backs to hand the ball of to in Dalvin Cook. Could be wrong here, but the belief is the Rebels' time has passed.
Florida State 28, Ole Miss 24

-BtW
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Sunday, December 6, 2015

The Morning After... A Championship!

1) Man, what a time to be a Tiger! Clemson completed an undefeated season 13-0, winning 13 games for the first time in school history. Dabo Swinney won the ACC Championship for the second time in five years (2011) and the win came during his 100th game as a Clemson head coach. He has a 74-26 record. The Tigers will head to the Playoff as the No. 1 team in the nation and the ONLY undefeated team in college football. Clemson has a Heisman hopeful, a young and extremely talented team, a top 10 defense, wins over four teams with 10 wins or more - three of which are in the latest Top 10 of the Playoff Rankings - and another top 10-15 recruiting class on the horizon. Clemson is making history right before our eyes. What a time to be a Tiger, indeed.

2) I'll get right to the controversial call and nip it in the bud. I've seen all kinds of explanations as to why the referee called offsides. "The players head was crossing the 35-yard-line when the ball was kicked." "They lined up a player outside the 9-yard-hash mark when the whistle was blown to put the ball in play." Look, I don't know all the rules regarding kickoffs. All I know is the call on the field happened and Clemson was the beneficiary of it. The flag came out immediately, not after UNC recovered the ball. The ref either saw, or thought he saw something. Was it wrong? Probably. Does it mean the Tar Heels would have gone down the field, scored, converted a two-point conversion, taken the game to overtime and won? I don't know.

What I do know is this...

3) Clemson had 608 yards of offense, UNC had 382. Clemson ran 98 plays, UNC ran 67. First downs: Clem-33, UNC-21. Time of possession: Clem-38:56, UNC 21:04. Third down conversions: Clem-9 of 18 (50%), UNC-5 of 14 (37%). Rushing yards: Clem-319, UNC 142. Clemson had two 100-yard rushers, UNC had zero (leading rusher Elijah Hood 81 yards). Clemson had two sacks and eight QB hurries, UNC had zero sacks and one QB hurry.

My point is, Clemson dominated the game. The scoreboard reflects an 8-point win, but the Tigers were the better team on the field. They had the better quarterback, running back, offensive line, defensive line, wide receivers ... When Clemson stopped making stupid mistakes and stopped beating itself in the second half, it pulled away. Clemson led 35-16, 42-23, and 45-30 until the final two-minutes of the game. (More on this in a moment). Over the course of a season, teams get lucky bounces and breaks, or unlucky in some cases. It doesn't change an outcome. Clemson has been on the wrong side of these calls plenty of times in the past. It's about damn time some of them go our way.
4) Time and time again, Clemson has built a big lead and let it slip away late. Remember being up 21-3 on Notre Dame entering the fourth quarter, only to win 24-22? Remember a 31-17 lead at Syracuse entering the fourth, only to have the game in single digits and win by 10? Remember the 28-10 lead evaporated against South Carolina down to 28-25, up by 37-25, to a final of 37-32...against a three-win team? Other cases at Louisville and NC State come to mind. And then last night.

The takeaway: Yes, Clemson has given up big leads late, but the Tigers have found ways to win.

Deshaun Watson does the "Heisman pose" with the ACC Championship Football Trophy.
Watson was named the championship game's MVP.
(Photo courtesy Anderson Independent Mail)
5) What else can you say about Deshaun Watson? The sophomore - I REPEAT, HE'S A SOPHOMORE! - is the best quarterback in the country. In a championship setting against a defense all the pundits said would give the Tigers fits, Watson accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing), threw for 289 yards, ran for another 131, led the offense to 608 yards - a ninth straight game of over 500 yards. He set an ACC Championship Game record for total yards. He has been in control of this offense since Day 1 and there is no one else I'd want leading my team.
6) Speaking of the Heisman, it looks like it will be Watson, Alabama's Derrick Henry, Stanford's Christian McCaffrey, and maybe Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield. The thing that hurt Mayfield (and the Sooners in the Playoff Committee's minds for that matter) was OU didn't play Saturday. Watson, Henry and McCaffrey were on full display Saturday and all three made a statement to the voters. McCaffrey had over 460 all-purpose yards and ran, passed and caught a TD in the Cardinal's 41-22 Pac-12 title game win. Henry was a workhorse for Bama, getting 44 carries, but only gaining 189 yards and scoring one TD, as the Tide rolled Florida 29-15. Any of the four could win the Heisman and there'd be little controversy, but my vote goes to ... Watson, duh!
7) Alabama relied on Henry to wear down Florida, as he has done with many other opponents all season. However, Alabama has yet to play a complete team on its schedule, perhaps outside of Ole Miss ... which the Tide lost. Alabama is SEC Champions, but this is a really down year for the SEC. Clemson has three wins over teams currently in the Playoff Top 10. Alabama has three wins over teams in the current Top 25 total. Oklahoma has four Top 25 wins. Michigan State has four. I question the Committee keeping Bama second. I'll hang up and listen.

8) Michigan State now has three last-minute wins over Top 20 opponents, plus a three-point win over Oregon. The Spartans deserve to be in the Top 4, that much is true. But, there is no way you can tell me MSU should be any higher than fourth.

9) On that note, here's how I would rank the Top 4 today - 1) Clemson 2) Oklahoma 3) Alabama 4) Michigan State. I'm guessing it won't look like this. Bama will likely be second and because of some bogus "we don't want Alabama to play in the Cotton Bowl against OU" conspiracy, I'm guessing Michigan State will be third and they'll send OU to Miami against Clemson. Those who don't know - my wife is an OU grad. We've already been through this a season ago when the Tigers and Sooners squared off in the Russell Athletic Bowl. It's no fun.

10) 13-0. ACC Champs. Undisputed No. 1 in the country. 16 straight wins. Playoff Bound. CU in Miami!
-BtW
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Friday, December 4, 2015

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Championship Week

Are we really at the final weekend of the season? Man, where did this fall go? Four of the Power 5 conferences host their championship games this weekend, while the other (Big 12) has already had its title decided. There's a lot on the line this weekend for multiple teams. How will it shake out and who after the weekend is headed to the College Football Playoff?

Last week's record: 12-7
Overall: 69-29 (.704 win %)
*Rankings below are CFB Playoff Committee rankings

Friday
MAC - Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois - At Detroit (Line: Bowling Green -12)
One last round of #MACtion. Northern Illinois backed its way into the title game after losing at Ohio to close the season then saw Toledo fall. Bowling Green is tied for fourth in the country at 44 points per game. There will probably be a lot of points scored ... it is #MACtion after all. The Falcons will score more. Bowling Green 47, Northern Illinois 30

Saturday
AAC - No. 22 Temple at No. 19 Houston (Line: Houston -6)
Tom Herman agreed to remain Houston's head coach and that alone is enough reason to believe the Cougars will roll in this one. Temple hasn't been the same since its loss to Notre Dame. The Owls are still a very good team, but they must travel for this one. Houston steamrolled past Navy last week and will carry that momentum into this one on its way to a New Year's Six Bowl. Houston 37, Temple 27

Conference USA - Southern Miss at Western Kentucky (Line: Western Kentucky -7.5)
Jeff Brohm has been another candidate for several head coach openings, but the Hilltoppers' coach said he's committed to WKU. Both teams missed out on chances to pull the upset against Power 5 teams earlier in the year. Aside from Southern Miss' flop at Marshall, both teams have dominated conference play. It could be another shootout. Western Kentucky 52, Southern Miss 49

SEC - No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 18 Florida - At Atlanta (Line: Alabama -18)
When Alabama and Florida get together for the SEC Championship Game, it just feels right. The Tide and Gators have met eight times with the conference crown on the line. The only real intrigue in this one is whether Florida's defense can slow down Derrick Henry for four quarters. No one has been able to do so, yet. But none of the defenses Alabama has faced compare to the Gators. Florida's inept offense won't be able to do much against Bama's D. This one should be over early. Alabama 35, Florida 7

Mountain West - Air Force at San Diego State (Line: San Diego State -6.5)
It's great to see one of the Service Academies with a chance to shine on a big stage. Troy Calhoun and the Falcons head west where the upstart Aztecs. SDSU reeled off eight straight wins to close out the regular season. Air Force won five in a row before losing at New Mexico last Saturday. Air Force's option offense will cause problems for San Diego State, which hasn't seen anything like it all season. Should be a good game that many will miss due to the final three games of the day. Air Force 34, San Diego State 31

Pac-12 - No. 7 Stanford vs. No. 20 USC - At Santa Clara (Line: Stanford -4.5)
Stanford defeated USC way back in September, 41-31, and the two teams went in opposite directions for a while. The Cardinal won their next six and have an outside shot at a Playoff berth. The Trojans lost two of their next three and found themselves with an interim coach (Clay Helton), who has now had the interim tag removed. Southern Cal clawed back to win the Pac-12 South over rival UCLA last week and not many are giving them a chance in Stanford's back yard. Christian McCaffrey is the best player on the field and that will be the difference. Stanford 28, USC 24

Big Ten - No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 5 Michigan State - At Indianapolis (Line: Michigan State -3.5)
A de facto play-in game for the College Football Playoff, the Big Ten Championship Game has plenty of intrigue. Can Iowa stay undefeated, or will Michigan State punch its ticket to the Playoff? Will the winner look impressive enough to move into the No. 3 spot. Spartan QB Connor Cook is the reason MSU is here and the senior leader looks to claim his second Big Ten Championship. Although the Hawkeyes are undefeated, they haven't been tested like the Spartans have. Michigan State 31, Iowa 17

Dabo Swinney can lead Clemson to an ACC title
and a Playoff berth with a win against North Carolina.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)
ACC - No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 10 North Carolina - At Charlotte (Line: Clemson -5)
Perhaps the game of the weekend goes to the ACC. All the questions and build-up to this one have the Playoff Committee on edge. A Clemson win and they can rest easy. A Tar Heel win and the Playoff unveiling set for noon Sunday may have to be pushed back several hours - or days - to allow the Committee enough time to decipher the Top 4. The two quarterbacks in this game have received all the spotlight, and rightfully so. Clemson's Deshaun Watson is up for Heisman consideration and Marquise Williams has been nothing short of spectacular for 11 straight games for the Heels. But the defenses will be the key and that's where the Tigers have the advantage. UNC hasn't seen a defense like Clemson's all season. The Tigers have a few bumps and bruises, but they'll be ready to slow down the Tar Heel attack. Should be a dandy and might turn into a shootout. Clemson 41, North Carolina 34

-BtW
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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Rapid Reax: CFB Playoff Rankings - Week 5

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers top the College Football
Playoff Rankings for the fifth straight week.
(Photo courtesy The AP)
Not much changed at the top, as all the schools in the top five won over the weekend. Clemson holds onto the No. 1 spot for the fifth straight week. The Tigers have been at the top for all of the weekly rankings this season. Alabama remained No. 2 with Oklahoma and Iowa staying put at 3 and 4.

However, I'm surprised the Committee continues to value Alabama's schedule more than Oklahoma's. In this week's rankings, the Tide have wins over No. 21 LSU and No. 25 Tennessee. The Sooners have wins against No. 11 TCU, No. 12 Baylor, No. 17 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Tennessee.

I realize Oklahoma's loss is bad - very, very bad - and Alabama's loss is to the team currently ranked No. 13. But the Committee has said over and over that they value a team's wins more than the losses. If true, Oklahoma has three wins better than any of Alabama's and two more than the Tide over currently ranked teams. Plus, in the spirit of comparing games against common opponents, Oklahoma has a seven-point road win at Tennessee, while Alabama has a five-point home win over the Vols.

In my non-expert opinion, Oklahoma has looked much better than Alabama and has better wins more recently to back it up, which includes a 35-point beatdown over rival Oklahoma State (previously ranked No. 11) on the road. I guess Alabama's reputation weighs heavier than actual metrics and resumes.

Beyond the Top 4, Michigan State is fifth, which is irrelevant at this point because the Spartans and Hawkeyes battle for the Big Ten Championship this weekend with the winner all but certain to be in the final Top 4. Whether the winner jumps to the No. 3 spot or higher will be worth keeping an eye on Sunday when the final rankings are released.

Ohio State is sixth, followed by Stanford, Notre Dame, Florida State and North Carolina rounding out the Top 10. Speculation has run rampant as to what the Committee would do with the Tar Heels should they beat No. 1 Clemson in the ACC Championship Game this weekend. The Heels' schedule is one of the weakest in the country, but UNC would have one of the longest win streaks to that point and have arguably the best win of the season - over the top-ranked Tigers.

I'd hate to be a Committee member if that happened. You'd be arguing potential ACC Champ UNC vs. one-loss non-champ Ohio State vs. potential Pac-12 Champ but two-loss Stanford vs. one-loss non-champ Clemson (who the Committee had No. 1 in every poll). You could even throw the Big Ten title game loser - two-loss Michigan State, who beat OSU, or one-loss Iowa - into the debate as well. The guess here is Stanford would get the boost by being a conference champion, but honestly, that's throwing a dart at the wall.

One week left before the final poll. Remember, the final rankings will be released at Noon ET this Sunday.

Here's the CFB Playoff Top 10
1) Clemson
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Iowa
5) Michigan State
6) Ohio State
7) Stanford
8) Notre Dame
9) Florida State
10) North Carolina

-BtW
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Monday, November 30, 2015

The Ben Ten - Eighth Edition

Editor's Note: The Ben Ten is my attempt to put together the Top 10 teams (plus three) as of right now. Each week, I play the role of solo Playoff Committee member and submit my own ballot.

It was status quo for the Top 4 after a closer-than-expected rivalry weekend. Behind that, multiple changes. Championship Weekend is upon us, so let's see how they stack up at the top before the final rankings are released next week.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers are locked in to the top spot again.
(Photo courtesy TigerNet.com)
1) Clemson (12-0)
Previously: 1
Clemson closed out the regular season with a second consecutive win over in-state rival South Carolina. Deshaun Watson was healthy all year and because of that, the Tigers are 12-0 for the first time since 1981. Clemson faces surging North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game Saturday night in Charlotte.

2) Iowa (12-0)
Previously: 2
The Hawkeyes are the only other unbeaten team in the FBS, having secured their 12th win with a 28-20 victory at Nebraska. Iowa has quality wins on its schedule, but not a signature one. That could come against Michigan State in the Big Ten title game this weekend in Indianapolis.

3) Oklahoma (11-1)
Previously: 3
Baker Mayfield has the Sooners offense rolling. Behind the ground attack of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, Oklahoma has reeled off seven impressive wins in a row, the latter three coming against ranked teams Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State - two of which were on the road. Oklahoma is the outright Big 12 champion and awaits the final CFB Playoff Poll to find out its fate.

4) Alabama (11-1)
Previously: 4
Alabama survived its trip to the Plains for the Iron Bowl. The Tide have a wrecking ball at running back in Derrick Henry and he gashed Auburn's defense to the tune of 271 yards on 46 carries. Now, Alabama faces Florida for the SEC championship in Atlanta. The Gators are coming off a 27-2 defeat at home at the hands of Florida State. 

Playoff projection: Clemson vs. Alabama in the Capital One Orange Bowl;  Iowa vs. Oklahoma in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
*NOTE: The CFB Playoff Committee factors in many variables and does its best to send the No. 1 overall seed to its closest destination. Clemson is geographically closer to Miami, Fla., than to Arlington, Texas.


5) Michigan State (11-1)
Previously: 7
The Spartans emphatically defeated Penn State, 55-16, to clinch the Big Ten East Division and a matchup with Iowa in Indy. Connor Cook looked healthy over the weekend and that gives MSU a big advantage in the B1G Championship. Michigan State has wins over Oregon, Michigan and Ohio State, and would solidify its place in the Top 4 by knocking off currently undefeated Iowa.

6) North Carolina (11-1)
Previously: 8
Outside of Clemson and Iowa, there's only one team with 10-plus wins in a row ... that'd be North Carolina, which has 11 straight wins. The Tar Heels went up 35-7 in the first quarter over rival NC State on their way to a 45-34 win. UNC finished conference play 8-0 and set up one of the most intriguing championship games of the weekend against No. 1 Clemson. Can the Heels reach the Playoff with a win?

7) Ohio State (11-1)
Previously: 10
After looking offensively challenged against Michigan State, the Buckeyes bounced back and looked most dominant at Michigan in a 42-13 victory. The only question with this team is, where was that all year? Had the Buckeyes been that impressive, there'd be no questioning their ranking - and they might not have fallen to Michigan State. What could have been...

8) Stanford (10-2)
Previously: NR
Kevin Hogan and the Cardinal went blow-for-blow with Notre Dame and got in the last punch to knock off the Irish, 38-36. The win boosted Stanford's chances to reach the Playoff, should there be chaos at the top. In the Pac-12 Championship, Stanford will face four-loss USC, a team it beat way back in September, 41-31.

9) Florida State (10-2)
Previously: NR
Florida State's Dalvin Cook might be the most underrated running back in college. Cook carried the ball 26 times for 183 yards and two scores in helping FSU defeat the Gators in front of the largest crowd ever at The Swamp, 27-2. The Noles await the final poll for their destination - likely a NY6 Bowl.

10) Notre Dame (10-2)
Previously: 5
The Irish claim to fame right now? Two road losses to Top 10 teams by two points each. Notre Dame had its six-game winning streak snapped with a heart-breaking loss at Stanford and now has lost by two points to the Cardinal and Clemson. The problem is, other than a home win against USC, that's about all ND has to crow about. Still, the Irish are in a good position and will probably end up in the Fiesta Bowl

Next three up:
TCU (10-2)
In the cold and driving rain, TCU found a way in double OT to take down Baylor and come away 1-2 in its big November games. The Horned Frogs positioned themselves to grab a top-tier bowl game, but losing star receiver Josh Doctson (for the season) and quarterback Trevone Boykin (missed 1.5 games) ended championship hopes for Gary Patterson's squad.

 Baylor (9-2)
Like TCU, the Bears went 1-2 during their three-game swoon against the Big 12's best. And like TCU, it was injuries that did Baylor wrong. Quarterback Seth Russell was sorely missed in losses to OU and TCU. Baylor still has one game to play, a home game against Texas, to try to reach double-digit wins for the fourth time in the last five seasons. It appears the Bears would be headed to the Sugar Bowl, but that is not certain.
 
Oregon (9-3)
The Ducks have to be wondering what this season could've been if Vernon Adams Jr. stayed healthy. Oregon has won six straight since his return to the lineup and the offense looks lethal, almost like when Heisman winner Marcus Mariota led the Ducks. Oregon could land in the Alamo Bowl against one of the Big 12 powers.

Dropped out:
Baylor (6) and Oklahoma State (9)

-BtW



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Sunday, November 29, 2015

The Morning After...

Deshaun Watson helped Clemson complete an undefeated regular season
by knocking off in-state rival South Carolina, 37-32.
(Photo courtesy TheClemsonInsider.com)
1) State champs. Again. Another 365 days of bragging rights for the Clemson faithful (actually 366 because next year is Leap Year - you're welcome!). It doesn't matter if it's by one or 50. A win over your arch-rival is never disappointing. It's even better when it's on their home field. I hope South Carolina fans enjoyed their little five-year run. We've taken back our state. Some call it a rivalry. We call it domination. 67-42-4.

2) Turnovers have become a theme for Clemson lately, and not in a good way. Three fumbles yesterday by the top three offensive players nearly cost the Tigers dearly. When Dabo Swinney tells the media the "coach-speak" saying of "We can't beat ourselves," this is what he means. Had Clemson not turned it over and had the Tigers scored on just two of those three drives, this would've been a blow out instead of coming down to the final few minutes. Dabo said postgame, "When we win the turnover margin, we're going to kill somebody." He's right.

3) Disappointed in the defensive effort. After poor performances against NC State and Syracuse, Brent Venables lit into the defense and the unit responded with a solid showing against Wake Forest. However, they backtracked against South Carolina, allowing over 400 yards and the most points the Gamecocks scored all season. Big chunk plays continue to be an issue. With high-flying North Carolina on deck, those need to get corrected immediately. Or, it could be a long night in Charlotte.

4) Deshaun Watson probably won't win the Heisman Trophy this year, but he deserves to be in New York City when they hand out the hardware. I get that Derrick Henry has been a beast for Alabama and his best games have come when the Tide have played on a national stage. I get that Baker Mayfield - more on him in a minute - has been a human highlight reel week in and week out. But Watson, a sophomore, has played with poise when it mattered most and shown Tiger fans and the rest of the country how to lead a team desperate not to fall back into the days of "Clemsoning." All preseason the narrative was Clemson would have a chance IF Watson remained healthy. Well, he's been healthy for all 12 games. And Clemson has a chance to do something special. To think he's only 17 games into his career - just over a season and half, officially as a starter - and he's 16-1 in those games is remarkable. Did I mention he's only a sophomore?

5) Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners blasted the Oklahoma State Cowboys. A 30-point second quarter was all OU needed in a 58-23 Bedlam Bombardment. Mayfield finished with just 180 yards passing and 77 yards rushing, but accounted for three TDs. Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, the Sooners' two-headed monster at running back, ran wild with 267 yards and four TDs combined. The win clinched the outright Big 12 title for Oklahoma, its ninth - all under Bob Stoops. It very well may have clinched a berth in the College Football Playoff. The final rankings are Dec. 6 and the Sooners, who are finished playing games for now, are sure to be in the Top 4.

5B) I'm just gonna leave this right here... This is Oklahoma State.

6) Rivalry week lived up to its billing. There were many close calls, a few upsets, smiles and tears, and trophies both remaining on the same sideline and being taken away to their new homes. In-state battles provided those living within its borders a chance to gleam for the next year. Border clashes provided state teams and their fans the right to crow to their neighboring brethren. No other sport on the planet comes close to college football and the rivalries created between friends, neighbors and families. To the victors, enjoy the spoils. To the, um, losers, there's always next year.

7) There were three games over the weekend that provided even more clarity for the playoff picture. No. 7 Baylor fell to No. 19 TCU Friday night, knocking the Bears out of contention. That meant the winner between No. 3 OU and No. 11 OSU would clinch the Big 12 and have the conference's best chance at cracking the Top 4. OU did that and should be in Dallas or Miami New Year's Eve. The third was No. 9 Stanford hosting No. 6 Notre Dame.

The game lived up to its billing and was a lot of fun to watch. Back-and-forth all game, the Irish looked to secure the victory with a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining to go ahead 36-35. Kevin Hogan marched the Cardinal down the field to set up a game-winning field goal as time expired for the 38-36 win. Notre Dame has now lost on the road to two Top 10 teams by two points each. What the Irish lack is a signature win. Brian Kelly deserves a ton of credit for managing an injury-plagued roster and giving the Irish a chance to win every game. Still, Notre Dame likely ends up in a New Year's Six Bowl. Meanwhile, Stanford takes on USC, which beat crosstown rival UCLA, in the Pac-12 title game and hopes for chaos in the ACC, Big Ten and SEC.

8) Ohio State bounced back from its loss to Michigan State by trouncing rival Michigan in the Big House. The Buckeyes somehow are still in the hunt for a Playoff berth if chaos does take place. With Nos. 6 and 7 falling, it's very likely OSU moves to sixth with the loser of the Big Ten championship (Michigan State vs. Iowa) falling behind the Buckeyes in the final poll. That means Ohio State would need at least one upset in the ACC or SEC title games, maybe both. If Clemson and Alabama win, the Top 4 will be set - Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Iowa/Michigan State.

9) Quick hitters: Speaking of Sparty, MSU thrashed Penn State 55-16 en route to clinching the Big Ten East Division, setting up the matchup with Iowa next week. ... Florida's offense was MIA in a 27-2 loss to Florida State. The Seminoles could move up into the Top 10 with several teams ahead of them losing. Florida now must figure out a way to score against Alabama, or the SEC Championship will be a one-sided affair. ... Houston and Temple will duke it out for the AAC Championship next weekend. The unranked Cougars knocked off Navy 52-31, while No. 25 Temple defeated UConn 27-3. The winner potentially will be the highest ranked Group of 5 team and will earn a NY6 Bowl berth.  ... Les Miles was going to be fired. Then, he wasn't. Then, he probably was. And sometime during a 19-7 win over Texas A&M, the powers that be decided he wasn't, though, they didn't say anything and Miles was carried off the field on the shoulders of LSU players. He sang the alma mater on SEC Network, then answered the sideline reporter's questions about what that game meant to him. Then, he found out before the postgame press conference that he would continue to be LSU's coach for the foreseeable future. A non-story story because why not?

10) The Tigers are on the doorstep of history. A chance at 13 wins, something no Clemson team has every accomplished. The Tar Heels are riding an 11-game winning streak and look to spruce up their résumé with a win over the top-ranked team. The ACC Championship Game means something for the first time and it will be an epic battle. Beat North Carolina.


-BtW
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Friday, November 27, 2015

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 13

We've arrived at Rivalry Week. After going 22-8 the past two weeks, I'm feeling some confidence as we enter the home stretch before bowl season. This week should be fun. Tons of great games, ranked matchups, and sure-to-be upsets with rivalries taking the stage. The slate is filled with both in-state and cross-border rivalry games (rivalry nicknames in italics below), so many more to choose from than normal. I'll give it my best!

Last week's record: 12-3
Overall: 57-22 (.722 win %)
*Rankings below are CFB Playoff Committee rankings

Friday
No. 15 Navy at Houston (Line: Navy -4)
No rivalry to speak of here, but an important game nonetheless. The first of several winner-take-all battles this weekend takes place in Houston. Navy, whose only loss is to Notre Dame, will earn its first trip to the AAC Championship Game with a win. Houston suffered a major setback with its loss at UConn last week, but can also clinch the AAC West title with a win. Keenan Reynolds has perfected the art of the triple-option offense and has the Midshipmen eyeing a unprecedented New Year's Six Bowl appearance. Navy 38, Houston 27

No. 4 Iowa at Nebraska (Line: Iowa -2)
Battle for the Heroes Trophy (Series: Nebraska leads 29-13-3)
Nebraska has won three of the four matchups since the Huskers joined the Big Ten, including an overtime thriller at Iowa a year ago. Iowa hopes to keep its perfect season alive and remain in contention for a Playoff berth. A loss in Lincoln would be tough to overcome (or would it Michigan State?). The Huskers could be the only team to knock off both the Hawkeyes and Spartans. Meh, maybe not. Iowa 35, Nebraska 20

No. 20 Washington State at Washington (Line: Washington -7)
The Apple Cup (Series: Washington leads 69-32-6)
This one has surprise written all over it, as the Cougars are 8-3 and poised for a 10-win season if they can beat Washington and win a bowl game. The game, however, is in Seattle and the Huskies are looking to becoming bowl eligible. WSU QB Luke Falk is questionable after suffering a concussion a week ago. Still, Mike Leach's teams love to sling it and UW has been flaky this season (flaky enough to give head coach Chris Petersen a two-year extension Thursday). Washington State 38, Washington 34

 Oregon State at No. 17 Oregon (Line: Oregon -36)
The Civil War (Series: Oregon leads 62-46-10)
The Ducks have looked much improved since the return of Vernon Adams Jr., winning five in a row to climb back into the rankings. Oregon knocked off Stanford two weeks ago and blew out USC last week. The line on this one is all you need to know. Oregon 62, Oregon State 17

No. 7 Baylor at No. 19 TCU (Line: TCU -1.5)
The Revivalry (Series: Baylor leads 52-51-7)
This one was circled on Big 12 calendars throughout Texas. And then Seth Russell went down. So did Trevone Boykin. And Josh Doctson. And both teams have lost (TCU twice). Baylor needs this more than the Frogs to keep its conference hopes alive. The Bears have won each of the past two meetings by three points, including last year's 61-58 barn-burner. Both teams have gone to their third-string quarterbacks, but Chris Johnson looks more like Cardale Jones. We'll see how good Boykin is in his return. Baylor 41, TCU 27

 Saturday
No. 1 Clemson at South Carolina (Line: Clemson -17)
The Palmetto Bowl (Series: Clemson leads 66-42-4)
On paper, this shouldn't be close. Clemson is one of the most balanced, dominant teams in the game. Meanwhile, South Carolina's only win since Steve Spurrier left is over Vanderbilt. However, the Gamecocks' four losses sans Spurrier have all been by 10 points or less. They're a feisty bunch, but facing a Heisman hopeful QB and a team determined to not let anyone get in its way is a monumental task. It's a rivalry game. It's at South Carolina. This will be Shawn Elliott's last game as SC's head coach. Throw out the record books. Yada yada. Closer than the experts think. Clemson 40, South Carolina 24

Georgia at Georgia Tech (Line: Georgia -4)
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate (Series; Georgia leads 64-40-5)
Another in-state rivalry game that on paper looks like a mismatch. But Georgia Tech's triple option offense evens the scales a bit. Mark Richt could very well be coaching for his job in this one. After the season the Dawgs have had, losing a second straight game to the Yellow Jackets might be the end of a pretty good run at UGA for Richt. Georgia 34, Georgia Tech 28

Louisville at Kentucky (Line: Louisville -4.5)
The Governor's Cup (Series: Kentucky leads 14-13)
These two Bluegrass State schools are more known for their battle on the hardwood, but the fierce rivalry extends to the gridiron. Louisville is currently riding a four-game winning streak in the series. The Cats won four in a row prior to that, and the Cards won four in a row before that. Which Louisville team will show up Saturday? And can Kentucky get to bowl eligibility under Mark Stoops? Louisville 24, Kentucky 14

No. 8 Ohio State at No. 10 Michigan (Line: Ohio State -1)
The Game (Series: Michigan leads 58-46-6)
Ohio State had its 23-game winning streak snapped last week - and then all hell broke loose in the Buckeyes locker room. Now, they head to the Big House. Yikes. Michigan has won four in a row to keep its Big Ten East Division hopes alive. The Wolverines are perhaps the most complete team Ohio State will face this season. And we saw what Michigan State did to them last week. I'll take the coach who's smashing Buckeye nuts on Bo Schembechler's grave. Michigan 20, Ohio State 17

Virginia Tech at Virginia (Line: Virginia Tech -3.5)
The Commonwealth Cup (Series: VT leads 54-37-5)
Virginia Tech has won 11 in a row in this series and looks to send Frank Beamer out with one more win over the Cavaliers. Beamer is 19-9 against UVA. The Hokies are favored, but Virginia played its best game a week ago in a win over Duke. Sometimes you just have to go with history and history tells us this game belongs to Beamer. Virginia Tech 21, Virginia 10

Penn State at No. 5 Michigan State (Line: Michigan State -11)
Battle for the Land Grant Trophy (Series: Tied 14-14-1)
My how the Big Ten world turned with one kick. Ohio State was the defending champs and headed toward another College Football Playoff. Then, Sparty happened. Michigan State has defeated Michigan and Ohio State on the road and led for exactly 0:00 of game time. Don't expect the Spartans to get tripped up. MSU is on its way to Indianapolis and Mark Dantonio can proclaim he has the best program in the Big Ten. Michigan State 31, Penn State 13

No. 14 North Carolina at NC State (Line: North Carolina -5.5)
Carolina-State Game (Series: North Carolina leads 65-33-6)
North Carolina isn't getting a lot of respect for myriad reasons. But the Heels have looked as good as anyone in the country and Gene Chizik has done a 180 with the defense. Look out. NC State is much better than its 7-4 record. Remember, too, the Wolfpack dropkicked UNC last year, 35-7. This one's in Raleigh and the Pack can spoil a great season for the baby blues. NC State 38, North Carolina 35

No. 2 Alabama at Auburn (Line: Alabama -14.5)
The Iron Bowl (Series: Alabama leads 43-35-1)
Two years ago was the "Kick 6." Auburn went on to play for a national title and it appeared the tide (pun intended) had turned in the SEC West. Then, Alabama dropped 55 points on the Tigers last year and now Auburn limps in with a 6-5 record. Derrick Henry is a beast and Alabama's defense has been great against some mediocre offenses. But the Tide, in my eyes, aren't as other-worldly as everyone proclaims. Alabama 33, Auburn 26

No. 22 UCLA at USC (Line: USC -3)
The Crosstown Rivalry (Series: USC leads 44-31-7)
Figure these two teams out. UCLA starts the year 4-0 and looks like it could be a factor. Then, the Bruins went 4-3 with losses to Arizona State at home and at Stanford and Washington State. USC, on the other hand, lost early to Stanford, then Washington, then Notre Dame before reeling off four straight wins including a stunner against Utah. The Trojans, though, were blown out by Oregon last week, so who knows with these two teams. It's at USC, but the Bruins have won three in a row and none have been close. UCLA 41, USC 28

 No. 18 Ole Miss at No. 21 Mississippi State (Line: Ole Miss -1)
The Egg Bowl (Series: Ole Miss leads 62-43-6)
Aside from running into a brick wall against Alabama, Mississippi State has been on a roll on offense and Dak Prescott is at the center of it all. He's playing his final game in Starkville and is looking to atone for the upset that took place a season ago. Chad Kelly and Ole Miss picked up momentum with their win over LSU last week. The cowbells will be ringing loud in what could be another classic Egg Bowl. Mississippi State 43, Ole Miss 42

No. 13 Florida State at No. 12 Florida (Line: Florida State -2.5)
The Florida Cup (Florida leads 34-23-2)
FSU has won four of the last five in this series and goes up against an offensively-challenged Gator team in The Swamp. In two of its past three games, Florida needed a last-minute field goal to beat Vanderbilt, 9-7, and was taken to overtime by Florida Atlantic before prevailing 20-14. Dalvin Cook can up his Heisman candidacy with a solid game against the Gators' vaunted defense. Jim McElwain tried to light a fire under his team by calling them out for a lack of emotion. There will be plenty of that flowing in this one. Florida State 24, Florida 13

Texas A&M at LSU (Line: LSU -5.5)
(Series: LSU leads 30-20-3)
Could this be Les Miles' last game at Tiger Stadium? Who would've thought that before this season? Well, Miles has a way of getting the best out of his players when their backs are against the wall and questions are abound. Add in that the Aggies only wins since Oct. 17 are against South Carolina, Western Carolina and Vanderbilt, and it's easy to see Texas A&M is a fraud despite its 8-3 record. Leonard Fournette should have a big game. LSU 38, Texas A&M 20

No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 9 Stanford (Line: Stanford -4)
The Legends Trophy (Series: Notre Dame leads 19-10)
The game everyone has waited for to finally see whether Notre Dame is worth a darn or not. We know they barely lost to Clemson, but that's been about all the Irish can proclaim to this point. Stanford has been led by Heisman contender Christian McCaffrey, who looks the part of the best all-around football player. A win here and next week in the Pac-12 title game over UCLA or USC at the very least puts the Cardinal back in the conversation for a Playoff. They just need chaos to ensue ahead of them. Stanford 35, Notre Dame 28

When it comes to OU-OSU, expect, well, bedlam.
(Photo courtesy tvnooz.com)
No. 3 Oklahoma at No. 11 Oklahoma State (Line: Oklahoma -7)
Bedlam (Series: Oklahoma leads 84-18-7)
Four of the past five Bedlam games have produced some of the wackiest results. I guess that's why they call it Bedlam. The Sooners jumped into the Playoff Top 4 in this week's rankings and can solidify their spot with a third straight win over a ranked opponent (second on the road). OSU was exposed by Baylor last week and simply does not have a running game. The weather is expected to be cold and wet, possibly freezing rain/sleet/who knows what else. That bodes well for the Crimson and Cream machine of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. Oklahoma 27, Oklahoma State 21
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