An Open Letter to Florida State University

On behalf of Clemson fans across the country, I'd like to thank Florida State University. First and foremost, thank you for joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.

We are better because of you. Let me explain.

In the 1980s, Clemson was the class of the league. We won five ACC championships during the decade and are proud of our program's only national title in 1981. Things were going swimmingly. Then, you came along.

You spurned the SEC, who realllllly wanted you, and decided to join a league you felt you could dominate. You were right. 

You didn't lose a conference football game until your fourth year and only lost two from 1992 through the year 2000. You won nine straight ACC titles, 12 of the first 14 you were a part of the league, and two national championships (1993 and '99).

You also woke a sleeping giant. You see, Clemson, we thought we were great. But we didn't know until you came along that we were far from being atop the college football food chain. We suffered in the 90s through three bowl-less seasons. We couldn't beat you. We lost every time.

57-0. 34-3. 48-0. 54-7. You planted your spear in our itty-bitty Tiger paws and then scalped us. 

We didn't have trouble with ACC opponents. Heck, we've got 14 ACC championships. We had the most ACC titles in the history of the conference. Now all the sudden, you come to the league and we can't win a dang thing! You now own the conference record with 15 championships. 

But like all good programs, we did something about it. We went out and hired your coach's son, Tommy Bowden. He stabilized the program and put us back on the map. He brought a new philosophy, one his father, Bobby Bowden, brought with him to FSU. 

Things plateaued with Tommy 10 years into his Tiger coaching career, but the molding of a powerhouse had taken place. Bowden visualized brand new facilities at Clemson. The athletic administration put on their hard hats and went to work. Then, Bowden and his staff knew if they were going to beat Florida State on the field, they had to beat them on the recruiting trail. Or at least try to take something away from the Noles.

Dabo Swinney, right, and Jimbo Fisher
have Clemson and FSU at the top of the ACC.
(Photo courtesy AP/Richard Shiro)

Enter Dabo Swinney. Young, charismatic, charming, passionate, confident. As a receivers coach under Tommy Bowden, Swinney wanted speed. He wanted playmakers. He wanted ... CJ Spiller. No way the fastest guy in the state of Florida would leave his home. No way would he head north to sleepy ole Clemson, South Carolina. He was destined for Florida, FSU, or Miami. 

Dabo didn't care. Dabo recruited the heck out of him. And Dabo got him. Then, he got Jacoby Ford to wear orange and purple. Then, Sammy Watkins donned the Paw, not the Spear. 

Now, Clemson's 85-man roster has 15 Sunshine State natives on it. You already know No. 8, or at least his backside. Deon Cain's blinding speed left your defensive backs in the dust on a 38-yard score Saturday. Artavis Scott leads the Tigers receiving corps. Tight end Jordan Leggett had over 100 yards receiving against you. Mackenzie Alexander, Travis Blanks and Jayron Kearse anchor one of the best defenses in the country the last two years. Another freshman playmaker, Ray-Ray McCloud hails from your backyard.

This is not to say your time is done, Seminoles. We know you're going to be there. You're a college football blue blood. But just as Alabama has LSU, Texas has Oklahoma, Florida has Georgia ... You now have Clemson to deal with. On the recruiting trail. On the field. In the polls.

Yes. Clemson is back. For the first time since 1981, we are No. 1. We have momentum and we are picking up steam. 

So thank you, Florida State. Thank you for making us realize who we were and who we could be. If not for you, we might have got caught in the past thinking we were great, when in reality we were good. You showed us what greatness was really all about. 

Now, it's our turn. As Dabo said, "The best is yet to come."

-BtW

The Morning After...

Deshaun Watson accounted for over 400 yards of offense
to lead Clemson to a 23-13 win over Florida State.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

1) Wow. What a time to be a Tiger. I couldn't help but think that yesterday's game between Clemson and Florida State was exactly why college football was created. Two championship-caliber teams going toe-to-toe and putting everything on the line for four quarters in an insane environment. In the end, the better team won. But man that was some fun football to watch. Extremely pumped for my brother, Jordan, a Clemson student, who got to be there to witness it in person.

2) Remarkably impressed with Brent Venables and Clemson's defense it's not even funny. After giving up 111 yards and at touchdown on two carries in three plays to FSU running back Dalvin Cook, the Tigers went into shutdown mode. The rest of the game, Cook had 19 carries for 83 yards, and the Noles were limited to two field goals. When it matted most, Clemson was relentlessness. Defensive leaders Shaq Lawson, BJ Goodson and Ben Boulware led the charge. They stopped Dalvin Cook twice on 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1 late in the game to preserve a lead. Then, Boulware never quit on a long pass play, raced down field, stripped the ball and Goodson recovered. I. Love. This. Defense.

3) Deshaun Watson had trouble, once again, getting started in the first half. He missed three wide open third down throws and made a mental error at the end of the half spiking the ball on third down. But once again, he found rhythm with offense in the second half. A corral of leaders from head coach to offensive coordinator to offensive linemen went to him at halftime and told him he had to get dialed in. Watson finished magnificently with nearly 300 yards passing and over 100 yards rushing He led an offense that finished with two 100-yard rushers, a 100-yard receiver, and over 500 yards for fifth straight game.

4) Amazing crowd. If you haven't been to a game at Death Valley to experience all that is Clemson football, you need to do it. At halftime, I knew we were going to win that game. We were leading in every statistical category except the scoreboard. We finished that way, too. It was a credit to the team for bringing their guts, as Dabo says, and the crowd for bringing the energy and the noise.

5) Don't look now but the Oklahoma Sooners might be the team to beat in the Big 12 - well, more on that later. OU is destroying the opposition. With a 52-16 win over Iowa State Saturday, the Sooners have now won four straight since that mind-boggling loss to Texas. In those four games, the offense has produced 55, 63, 62, and 52 points for a combined 232-50 margin of victory. The big three-game finale versus the Big 12's best remains with two of the three on road. It starts Saturday at Baylor with College GameDay in town. The Bears have won two straight by an average of 45-13. Think Bob Stoops wants this one bad?

6) Entering the week, there were 11 unbeaten teams. Just like that, only six remain. Toledo, TCU, Memphis, Michigan State and LSU fell from the ranks. It just goes to show no matter what the talk-show hosts and analysts say, the games are played on Saturday (or Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thurs ... OK, it's great to have college football nearly every day of the week!). Six teams have survived this far. How many more can survive until Dec. 6?

7) Another week, another spectacular finish, this one not immediately ending a game, but close enough. On 4th and 25 in overtime, Arkansas had one last gasp at Ole Miss. A long pass across the field resulted in the receiving player being hit almost immediately after making the catch. Instead of going down, he launched the ball backwards over his head toward the middle of the field where it was tipped, bounced, and picked up by Hog running back Alex Collins. Collins then raced to his left and down the sidelines, picking up the first down. Two plays later, Arkansas found the end zone to make it a 52-51 ballgame. The magic didn't stop there. The Hogs went for two and the win, but quarterback Brandon Allen was sacked ... Hold on, a face mask penalty gave them another chance. This time, Allen took the snap and leapt into the end zone for the two points and the 53-52 win on the road. Don't stop, college football. Please don't stop. Arkansas is at LSU next week...

8) ...And speaking of the Tigers, they ran into a hornet's nest in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Few games receive the build-up as Alabama-LSU, but this one was a one-sided affair. The Tide rolled the Tigers in a 14-point win that didn't seem that close. Leonard Fournette, LSU's foregone Heisman winner, was held to 31 yards on 19 carries. Derrick Henry, Alabama's big bruiser, topped 200 yards on the ground with three TDs. The Bama win combined with Ole Miss' loss gives the Tide complete control of the SEC West. Win out and they're back in Atlanta. Alabama has a road trip to Mississippi State next week, who is quietly 7-2 and on a four-game winning streak. Watch out for those cow bells.

9) In the only battle Saturday between unbeaten teams, Oklahoma State used deep ball to blow away TCU, 49-29, in Stillwater. The national narrative starting November was that the Cowboys were set up with the other three Big 12 contenders - TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma - having to travel to Boone Pickens Stadium. But, there was caution that OSU wasn't on the same level as those teams. Theory proven wrong. The Big 12 will go through Oklahoma, whether it's the Sooners or Cowboys. Bedlam on Nov. 28 could be, well, bedlam (seriously, these things write themselves!).

10) The team you should respect, but probably don't? That'd be North Carolina. We wrote off the Tar Heels when they fell to South Carolina in Week 1. We continue to write off that loss, as we completed Week 10 and South Carolina has just three wins. However, North Carolina is 8-1 and coming off a 66-31 win over rival Duke. UNC leads the ACC Coastal and looks to be on the road to Charlotte to face Clemson in the ACC title game. Quarterback Marquise Williams is setting all kinds of records for the Heels. That loss to the Gamecocks is now an outlier for the Tar Heels season, but unlike Alabama, the Playoff Committee will continue to use it to anchor down UNC. Unrightfully so, in this man's opinion. North Carolina is playing like a top-15 team.

11) We're going a little longer with the blog, but that's just because college football is the gift that keeps on giving. Time for some quick hitters: Notre Dame keeps on winning, which is a great thing if you're a Clemson fan. The Irish overmatched Pitt and have two lay-ups before a clash in Palo Alto with Stanford to end the season ... Florida survived Vanderbilt by the skin of their Gator teeth, 9-7, and clinched the SEC East. The Gators earned their first trip to Atlanta since 2009 ... Stanford avoided a sleepy misstep and took down Colorado 42-10. The bounce-back effort following the narrow escape against Washington State last week helps solidify the Cardinal as the team to beat in the Pac-12 ... Ohio State still looks out of sync with Cardale Jones at the helm. The Buckeyes remained undefeated, but are clearly a better team with JT Barrett behind center. We'll see what Urban Meyer does this week with Barrett coming off an alcohol-related suspension. Ezekiel Elliott is a tremendous running back and he's sure to get more of the work load if playmaker Braxton Miller is out longterm with an injury ... Good for Nebraska fans, finally getting to celebrate a last-second victory instead of suffering from last-second agony. Mike Riley needed that win more than anybody. I still don't see the Huskers getting to a bowl game - need to win their remaining two games at Rutgers and against undefeated Iowa.

12) Changing three losses from 2014 into wins in 2015 (Georgia '14/Notre Dame '15,  Georgia Tech, Florida State)? Check. Atlantic Division Champions? Check. What a time to be a Tiger, indeed. No letdowns. Beat Syracuse.

-BtW

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 10

Welcome to the beginning of the best month in college football. All the hoopla, all the showdowns, all the guts, glory, and everything else. November will certainly be remembered in 2015. The College Football Playoff Committee released its first rankings Tuesday. Of course there was controversy abound. The teams, however, will settle it on the field as we move closer and closer to the second College Football Playoff. Lots to decipher between now and then. Let's get to it, shall we?

Last week's record: 8-2

Overall: 29-7
*Rankings below are CFB Playoff Committee rankings

No. 5 Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (Line: Notre Dame -8.5)
DeShone Kizer, CJ Prosise and Will Fuller have led the Irish to strong wins since falling short at Clemson. Notre Dame since has defeated Navy, USC and Temple, the latter a comeback bid on the road against a gritty Owl team. Now, ND travels to the western side of Pennsylvania against another gritty opponent, the Pitt Panthers. Pitt's two losses are to teams with a combined 15-1 record (Iowa and UNC). The talent on the Irish sideline will be too much for Pitt to handle, although Pat Narduzzi's squad keeps it close. Notre Dame 31, Pitt 20

Duke at North Carolina (Line: North Carolina -7.5)
Duke is coming off a wild, stunning, inexplicable loss to Miami that's received enough attention already. Now, the Blue Devils must go into the house of their hated rival. The Victory Bell - and much more - is on the line in this one. The Tar Heels has been rolling since their opening weekend loss. Marquise Williams is proving to be a strong leader for Larry Fedora's offense. The Tar Heels have their sights on their first ACC Coastal Division title, but must go through Duke to get it. North Carolina 45, Duke 42

No. 11 Stanford at Colorado (Line: Stanford -16)
A tricky trip to the Rocky Mountains for Stanford here. Colorado is much better than its 4-5 record. The Buffaloes nearly knocked off UCLA last week and are playing inspired football. Stanford was sluggish int he first half at Washington State last week, but used a second half surge to upend the Cougs. Kevin Hogan needs Christian McCaffrey to be more involved this week. The early start (10 AM PST) could also affect the Cardinal, as it did in their only loss earlier this year at Northwestern. Stanford 35, Colorado 17

Vanderbilt at No. 10 Florida (Line: Florida -21)
Florida needs a win to clinch its first berth in the SEC Championship since 2009 - you know, the Tim Tebow years. The Gators' only blemish to date is a tough seven-point loss on the road at current No. 2 LSU. Treon Harris hasn't been spectacular, but with the Gators defense playing the way it is, he just has to be effective enough to put the offense in the end zone once or twice. That shouldn't be a problem in The Swamp against Vandy. Florida 32, Vanderbilt 9

No. 16 Florida State at No. 1 Clemson (Line: Clemson -11)
This one should be fun to watch. Clemson, ranked No. 1 for the first time since following the 1981 season, is playing its first game in Death Valley as the No. 1 team in the land. Deshaun Watson has the offense humming. The Tigers have scored 58 and 56 points in their last two games and gained over 500 yards in four straight games. Here comes big, bad FSU. The Noles and their talented defense have knocked off the Tigers three straight years and are the only thing standing in the way of a special season in Upstate South Carolina. Will Everett Golson or Sean Maguire start at QB? How will Dalvin Cook do against Clemson's vaunted defense? Surprise, surprise: Rain, and lots of it, is in the forecast. Clemson 30, Florida State 24

No. 9 Iowa at Indiana (Line: Iowa -7)
There are 10 unbeatens remaining in college football and Iowa has a legitimate shot at showing up to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship with a zero in the loss column. The Hawkeyes just keep doing their thing under Kirk Ferentz. They win with an ugly offense and a stout defense. Indiana, however, can play spoiler. They nearly upset Ohio State in Bloomington and trailed Michigan State by just two in the fourth quarter before the Spartans went on a 24-0 run to close the game. That was Indiana's last game and the Hoosiers had a bye week to prepare for Iowa. The upset alert siren is sounding loud. Indiana 41, Iowa 37

Arkansas at No. 18 Ole Miss (Line: Ole Miss -10.5)
LSU might be undefeated, but Ole Miss controls its destiny in the SEC West. The Rebels need to get by Arkansas, then have a bye week to prepare for LSU to visit Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Chad Kelly hasn't been as in control for the Rebs as he was to start the year. However, Ole Miss' defense has turned it around since giving up 37 points to Memphis. Arkansas will ground and pound it to try to play keep-away. Running back Alex Collins had five touchdowns a week ago against UT-Martin and quarterback Brandon Allen is slowly showing he has grasped Bret Bielema's offense. The Hogs will challenge Ole Miss, but that won't be enough to walk away with a win. Ole Miss 31, Arkansas 20

No. 8 TCU at No. 14 Oklahoma State (Line: TCU -5)
Defense optional anyone? These two offense can light up the scoreboard and the operator at Boone Pickens Stadium will have to try to keep up. This is the first of six huge games in the wild month for the Big 12. Trevone Boykin is on a mission to get to New York for the Heisman ceremony - and hopes to come back to Fort Worth with the trophy. Boykin and the Frogs looked rusty in a 23-17 season-opening win at Minnesota. Since then, TCU has averaged 52.5 points a game. Oklahoma State? Well, the Cowboys have scored 58 and 70 in their two games since a midseason bye week. Don't blink in this one. TCU 59, Oklahoma State 49 

No. 7 Michigan State at Nebraska (Line: Michigan State -6)
Is the Nebraska football program headed for some dark years? The Huskers could be on their way to a three-win season. Ouch. Michigan State is out to prove its undefeated record should be taken seriously. Quarterback Connor Cook is 31-3 as a starter for the Spartans, so walking into historic Memorial Stadium in Lincoln shouldn't faze him. Many wonder if first-year Nebraska head coach Mike Riley made a mistake changing scenery from Oregon State. After Saturday night, he might here it louder from the sea of red than he has all season. Michigan State 41, Nebraska 21

Auburn at No. 19 Texas A&M (Line: Texas A&M -7)
It's hard to figure out either of these teams, really. The Tigers were preseason darlings to win the SEC with a Heisman candidate at quarterback. That QB has been benched and Auburn is 4-4 with its only SEC win a three-point victory over Kentucky. The Aggies once again started 5-0, but lost by a combined 38 points to Alabama and Ole Miss in back-to-back weeks. They defeated South Carolina last week, but only by seven. A win by A&M could send it toward a four-game winning streak to set up a clash with LSU. An Auburn loss could mean the Tigers are hanging by a thread for bowl eligibility. Texas A&M 34, Auburn 27

No. 12 Utah at Washington (Line: Washington -1)
For the second time this season, Utah hits the road as an underdog against an unranked opponent. In the previous outing, the Utes lost to USC. Utah running back Devontae Booker should eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in this game (needs 34 to do so), which would be his second straight season going over that mark. Washington is fresh off a beatdown of Arizona, 49-3. The Huskies are playing with confidence after losing two straight to Oregon and Stanford. In fact, UW's only conference wins are against Pac-12 South foes (USC and Arizona). Vegas gets it right again. Washington 34, Utah 31

Minnesota at No. 3 Ohio State (Line: Ohio State -24)
Perhaps the only storyline in this one will be the play of Cardale Jones. The former third-stringer turned starter for the National Champion turned benched QB is now back in charge of the Buckeyes offense, thanks to an alcohol-related citation for JT Barrett. Ohio State seemed to have figured it out on offense with Barrett behind center. Can Jones keep the train rolling? Meanwhile, Minnesota started the year as a dark horse Big Ten candidate, but has since fallen back to mediocrity and lost head coach Jerry Kill due to health concerns. A heartbreaker last week against Michigan plus the road trip will be too much for the Gophers to handle. Ohio State 38, Minnesota 10

When it comes to LSU-Alabama, expect pain.
(Photo courtesy US Presswire)

No. 2 LSU at No. 4 Alabama (Line: Alabama -6.5)
It seems like every year this game gets billed as the "Game of the Century." Partly due to the two teams are just that good, and party due to the media love affair with the SEC. Les Miles always has his team up for this game. Leonard Fournette has a chance to prove he's NFL ready now against Bama's defense. On the other side, Derrick Henry is a bruiser that can likewise put on a show against a salty defense of the Tigers. This one could come down to quarterback play between Bama's Jake Coker and LSU's Brandon Harris. Let's be honest, though. This will be 3-3.5 hours of bone-crunching, trash-talking goodness. LSU 24, Alabama 20

Rapid Reax: CFB Playoff Rankings Week 1

The College Football Playoff Committee, composed of 12 highly regarded minds in the sport, released their initial rankings for the 2015 season. Atop the list are the Clemson Tigers. LSU, Ohio State and Alabama round out the Committee's Top 4. Notre Dame and Baylor are Nos. 5 and 6, respectively.

What does it all mean? Well, it means everything and nothing at the same time. Being ranked anywhere in this poll on Nov. 3 is a good thing. It means you've done enough to this point in the season to get recognized. It doesn't, however, award you a trophy.

The top 3 are not surprising to me. Clemson, LSU and Ohio State should be the top 3 teams, in any order really. The Committee giving the nod to Clemson as No. 1 is contributed to Clemson's wins to this point as well as the completeness of the offensive and defensive play by the Tigers.

This is the first time Clemson has been ranked No. 1 since following the 1981 season. Clemson finished the year No. 1 after winning the Orange Bowl (ranked No. 1 heading into the OB that year; ranked No. 11 preseason the following season). That means, Saturday will be the first time in Clemson football history that the Tigers will play a regular season game ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation. It will also be, of course, their first game as the No. 1 team in Death Valley.

Two one-loss teams, Alabama and Notre Dame, are ahead of undefeated teams Baylor, Michigan State (7), TCU (8), Iowa (9), and Oklahoma State (14) - one-loss Florida rounds out the Top 10.

I am very surprised at how low TCU is ranked. The Horned Frogs are looking more and more like a Playoff team in the last few weeks. However, the Committee has harped on strength of schedule/record and that proved true once again. TCU and Baylor both have a weaker schedule than most of the rest of the Top 10.

The Big 12 will get its chance to put a team in the Top 4 over the next month. Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma all play each other between now and Nov. 28.

Some of the Committee rankings are head-scratchers, but let's all remember this is the first ranking of the season and there is a lot of football to be played. In fact, this weekend will provide even more clarity for these rankings. Next Tuesday will be the one to watch.

-BtW

Fournette, Boykin shine bright in best way

In today's world, the good is overshadowed by the bad far too often. Terrible news outnumbers heartwarming stories 10-to-1, or so it seems.

In college football, many great stories go untold, while the likes of Jameis Winston stealing crab legs and yelling obscenities, Cam Newton's "recruitment," and Johnny Manziel's party lifestyle are at the forefront of SportsCenter's opening segment.

That's why I am extremely happy to see two of the faces of college football this year being first-class citizens on and off the field. LSU's Leonard Fournette and TCU's Trevone Boykin have provided us plenty of explosive plays, thrilling scores, and much more on the gridiron. But the way they've stood out to me is what they've done off it.

Fournette is widely regarded as the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy, given annually the the nation's top college football player. Boykin has joined Fournette near the top with his recent play.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.

That is the first line of the Heisman Trust Mission Statement. The key word out of that entire sentence is "integrity." That's where Fournette and Boykin come into play.

Leonard Fournette auctioned his jersey from LSU's
game against South Carolina to benefit flood relief
in the Gamecocks' home state.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

A devastating flood relocated South Carolina's home football game against LSU to Baton Rouge, La., the home of the Tigers. Fournette, a native of New Orleans, knows all too well the damage flooding can do thanks to the hurricanes that have rocked the Gulf Coast in the last decade. 

After the Tigers' game against the Gamecocks, Fournette announced he would auction his jersey with the proceeds going toward the flood relief in the Palmetto State. A small gesture, but a classy one. 

TCU's Trevone Boykin meets young Abby Faber
prior to TCU's game at Iowa State.
(Photo courtesy AP)

Meanwhile, Boykin befriended a young girl after the coin toss at TCU's game at Iowa State. The girl, Abby Faber, was wearing a Cyclones jersey, as she had been selected as the "Kid Captain" sponsored by a local hospital. Faber has cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair at midfield. A camera man captured the sensational photo of Boykin kneeling and talking to Faber.

Two weeks following their fateful meeting, Faber and her family were flown down to TCU's Thursday game and presented with over $30,000 raised by a student group at TCU.

I admire your spirit and determination on the football field, young men. I admire your heart and guts. I envy your athleticism.

But what I admire most about both of you is your character. You've set an extremely important example to your peers and all who watch college football. One of you may win the Heisman Trophy. One of you might win the National Championship.

Regardless of those achievements, you are already champions in my book.

-BtW

The Ben Ten - Fourth Edition

College football takes it to another level, doesn't it? Well, it will do so again this week. The College Football Playoff Committee releases its first rankings of the 2015 season Tuesday night. A plethora of intriguing games fill the slate this weekend. It certainly should be a November to remember. On to the Ben Ten rankings!

1) Ohio State (8-0)

Previously: 1
Ohio State had a bye week, but it was hardly a week off. JT Barrett, newly cemented into his starting role, was given a citation for operation a vehicle while under the influence. First, what the heck is the difference between that an a DUI/DWI? Secondly, seriously dude? Cardale Jones will be back in the saddle this week against Minnesota.

Cardale Jones takes back over the starting role
 for the Buckeyes this week with JT Barrett suspended.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

2) Clemson (8-0)

Previously: 2
Deshaun Watson is the real deal. Clemson topped 600 yards of offense against NC State, the fourth straight week the Tigers had more than 500. Watson accounted for six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing). The defense left much to be desired, giving up 41 points. The big test now comes to Death Valley in the form of the Florida State Seminoles.

3) LSU (7-0)

Previously: 3
The SEC West showdown the college football world awaits each year has arrived: LSU versus Alabama. The Tigers head to Tuscaloosa for this one with a chance to knock the Tide out of Playoff contention. 

4) Baylor (7-0)

Previously: 4
Baylor hangs on to the final Playoff spot by virtue of what it has done so far. The Bears had a bye week to prep rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham for his first start. Baylor travels to the house Bill Snyder probably actually built with his own hands. Stidham is surrounded by weapons and was a blue chip recruit. Let's see how he handles taking the reigns eight games into his career.

Playoff projection: Ohio State vs. Baylor in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic; Clemson vs. LSU in the Capital One Orange Bowl
*Note: The CFB Playoff Committee sends the No. 1 overall seed to its closest destination. Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio) is geographically closer to Arlington, Texas, than to Miami, Fla. 

5) TCU (8-0)

Previously: 5
Trevone Boykin has steadily put together a strong Heisman résumé. His performance last Thursday in a 40-10 win over West Virginia was nothing short of amazing. He gets another chance to shine on the road at Oklahoma State. It's the first of three big November tests for the Horned Frogs. It will be interesting to see how the Playoff Committee views TCU and Baylor these first two weeks. Neither has had a tantalizing schedule, so I expect Baylor to be ranked ahead. However, a win on the road over the Top-15 Cowboys could vault TCU ahead of the Bears.

6) Michigan State (8-0)

Previously: 6
The fourth team in the Top 6 to have had a bye Saturday. Michigan State has two "gimmes" with three-win Nebraska and two-win Maryland before the clash in the Horseshoe with Ohio State. Nov. 21 can't come fast enough for Sparty.

7) Notre Dame (7-1)

Previously: 7
The Irish needed another clutch performance from Deshone Kizer and they got it. Kizer led Notre Dame from behind once again to defeat upset-minded Temple on the road. Notre Dame has won three straight since its loss to Clemson. On deck is a trip to the other side of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and another NFL stadium, where the Irish visit the Pitt Panthers at Heinz Field.

8) Iowa (8-0)

Previously: 9
The Hawkeyes keep plugging along. They flew past Maryland in a game that wasn't as close as the score (31-15) indicated. It's been mentioned once or twice before, but Iowa just need to keep winning and get to the Big Ten Championship Game undefeated. There, it will have a chance to impress the committee.

9) Stanford (7-1)

Previously: 8
Good thing Kevin Hogan doesn't show any signs of panicking. Stanford, struggling to get anything going against Washington State, found a way to overcome an extremely slow start to score 27 points in the second half in a sluggish win. Hogan did most of the damage with his legs. The same couldn't be said for the Cougars kicker, who missed a potential game-winning 43-yard attempt at the buzzer. 

10) Alabama (7-1)

Previously: 10
Alabama needs to beat LSU or the Tide will just be playing consolation games the rest of the season. Should the Tide win, things in the SEC West could get wild. Alabama hasn't had two conference losses since 2010. Can they slow down Leonard Fournette? Game on.

Next three up:

Oklahoma State (8-0)

Much like Iowa, the Cowboys need to just keep winning. After falling behind 17-0 and 24-7 early at Texas Tech, Oklahoma State stormed to 70 points in a big win over the Red Raiders in Lubbock. OSU gets all three Big 12 challengers (TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma) at home over the next four weeks. The Pokes can make a loud statement by knocking off TCU this week. 

Florida (7-1)

The Gators seemed to have it easy against Georgia. The Dawgs couldn't muster anything on offense with a first-time starter taking the snaps. Florida can clinch a berth in the SEC Championship Game with a win over Vanderbilt this week. If they win out before Atlanta and get a rematch with LSU, discussion about SEC playoff berth could get lively.

Oklahoma (7-1)
The Sooners have climbed back from the depths of who knows where. Since the mind-boggling loss to Texas, Oklahoma has won three straight by an average score of 60-11. This Sooners team is who many though could make a run at the Playoff. After Iowa State this week, Oklahoma's three-week finale will tell us what we need to know about the Sooners.

-BtW

The Morning After...

1) Apparently, I needed to switch my thoughts on Clemson's previous two games. I felt like Clemson would be challenged by Miami and blow out NC State. The roles were reversed. Either way, Clemson comes away from the brief two-game road trip with two wins by a combined 114-41 to move to 8-0, 5-0 in the ACC. It sets up a huge showdown next Saturday in Clemson, as the Tigers host Florida State. A win by Clemson clinches the Tigers' third trip to the ACC Championship Game (first since 2011). A Florida State win means the Noles would control their destiny in the Atlantic Division.

2) I'm not one to place college football players on a pedestal very often. However, sometimes players come along that are truly once-in-a-lifetime players. If you have a chance to watch Deshaun Watson play, do yourself a favor and do it. This kid is incredibly talented. He might stay at Clemson all four years, or he might go to the NFL after next season. If the latter should be the case, he would only be in a Tiger uniform for at most 22 games - and that would mean Clemson playing in back-to-back national championship games. The numbers only tell a small story, but they're worth looking at:

• Watson, just a sophomore, is 12-1 as Clemson's starter. The lone loss came last year at Georgia Tech when he went down with a knee injury early in the game with Clemson winning and driving for a bigger lead at the time. 
• Three weeks ago against the No. 1 defense in the country, he passed for 420 yards and three touchdowns. This week, he was 23-30, 383 yards, five TDs through the air and ran another, equaling his six total TDs scored a year ago against North Carolina (all six in that game were passing TDs). 
• When he accomplished that feat, he became the first Clemson QB in history to throw for six scores and the first freshman in ACC history to do so.
• Perhaps the most notorious feat, Watson led Clemson to its first win over South Carolina in six tries on a torn ACL. Again, as a freshman.

Seriously, when Clemson plays FSU next week, find a way to get to a TV and watch how special this kid is. He plays with a sense of calmness and control I've never seen.

3) Clemson left a lot to be desired on the field - offensively, missing out on a chance to put the nail in NC State's coffin several times; defensively, not being able to stop NC State with a big lead. I've harped on this before and thought those demons were exorcised against Miami. The Tigers still need to find that killer instinct. Before Florida State would be preferable.

4) Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners walloped Kansas, as expected. The win doesn't do much other than prove OU has a plethora of talent and the Jayhawks do not. The best thing that could come out of yesterday for the Sooners was next week's opponent, Iowa State, shut out Texas, 24-0. With Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State following the Cyclones, there may have been a chance for the Sooners to look past Iowa State. Not anymore.

5) It was mostly status quo through the early part of Saturday. Then, the fireworks happened. Georgia Tech, off its miracle win over Florida State last week, flopped to a 27-14 loss at previously two-win Virginia. Clemson and NC State had a wild start which included two blocked PATs, a kickoff returned for touchdown, both QBs scoring TD runs, and a 13-13 game, all within the first 4:33 of the game. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State left their defenses in the locker room. The Red Raiders sprinted out to a 17-0 and 24-7 lead, but saw the Pokes race to 70 points for a 70-53 win in Lubbock. Then, night fall and all heck broke loose...

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

6) For the third straight week, a special teams blunder led to an unbelievable walk-off finish. This time, the previously de-pantsed Miami pulled off the miracle in Durham with an eight-lateral kickoff return for touchdown to beat Duke 30-27. That would be enough to go crazy about, but what ensued from the referee crew was inexplicable. There were two reviews that totaled nearly 10 minutes. It culminated with the head ref saying all the laterals were legal, there was no knee down (arguable) and they picked up a block in the back flag. If there ever was a time for a conference office to thoroughly explain that process, Monday morning would be that time.

Michigan State-Michigan: Punt Georgia Tech-Florida State: FG Miami-Duke: Kickoff What special teams walkoff play will next week bring?

— Ben Whitehead (@thebenwhitehead) November 1, 2015

Everyone needs to slow their role saying "The U is back." Hardly. Needed a miracle to beat Duke. Sad state when that means you're "back"

— Ben Whitehead (@thebenwhitehead) November 1, 2015

7) Michigan survived another wild finish, this time thanks to some stupid coaching on the part of Minnesota. With the Wolverines leading 29-26, the Gophers completed a pass, which was initially ruled a touchdown. Upon review, the ball was marked at the one-yard-line with about 17 seconds remaining. Minnesota lined up, then shifted formations. All the while, the clock kept ticking. After the play was stuffed at the goal line, Minnesota called timeout with two seconds to go and called a quarterback sneak. The Wolverines again stopped the play and reclaimed the Little Brown Jug.

8) If that wasn't enough for you, there were two more fantastic finishes. Temple showed toughness and grit, but ultimately lost to Notre Dame. The Irish used another comeback behind the clutch arm of Deshone Kizer. The Owls were a much better team than many thought. The hope here is that Temple didn't put all its eggs in this basket and continues to play like it did Saturday. 

8B) And finally, #Pac12AfterDark gave us Stanford escaping Pullman, Wash., and defeating Washington State 30-28. The Cardinal struggled mightily early on, but outscored the Cougars 20-6 to close out the game. They needed a missed field goal by Wazzu as time expired to clinch the win. Now, Stanford is in complete control of the Pac-12 North and could head into a huge finale with Notre Dame with both teams needing a win to stay alive for a potential Playoff berth.

9) Week 10 is here at last! Baylor at Kansas State (Thursday), LSU at Alabama, Florida State at Clemson, Duke at North Carolina, TCU at Oklahoma State, Notre Dame at Pitt. Also, the College Football Playoff Committee will release its first rankings Tuesday. Let the debate begin.

10) The Noles have won three straight over the Tigers, including their last visit to Death Valley. You might remember that one, a 51-14 drubbing to effectively ruin Clemson's season. Oh yeah, and it propelled Jameis Winston to Heisman status and FSU to National Champions. Time to end the streak and start one of our own. Beat Florida State.