Tag: Oklahoma Sooners

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The Week 12 College Football Top Ten

Photo Credit: Ty Russell/Oklahoma Sports
Photo Credit: Ty Russell/Oklahoma Sports

Relative order was restored to college football last Saturday, as there was only one top-10 defeat (Louisville) and many a blowout victory to go around. However, there is still plenty of intrigue in this week’s results just as there was a week ago; the intrigue in these results comes in what they mean for the College Football Playoff. So without further ado, here are my selections for the top ten teams in college football after week 12.

10. Washington Huskies (10-1)

You may have noticed that I dropped Washington from last week’s rankings after a home loss that week to USC. Well, after getting some help from Louisville, the Huskies emerge at number ten in this week’s rankings. I do not believe that this team deserves to make the playoff, as their out-of-conference schedule was atrocious (no, really: their best inter-conference foe was Rutgers). While they are playing well, their loss to USC ended their chances, at least in my eyes. And while the Huskies may control their own destiny in the real Playoff race, there is little to no chance you will see them in my final four. I just don’t think I can do it, especially with their strength of schedule (or lack thereof).

9. USC Trojans (8-3)

Sure, the USC Trojans are 8-3 and don’t necessarily have the resume to make the Playoff. But ask yourself this: do you really want to play the Trojans right now? Although they got off to a horrific 1-3 start, Clay Helton’s squad has bounced back with seven wins in a row, including triumphs over Colorado and Washington. Sam Darnold has been terrific since being named the starting quarterback earlier in the year, and USC could legitimately be ranked higher than this strictly based on how they have played over the past two months.

8. Western Michigan Broncos (11-0)

Weekly Western Michigan rant: this team is undefeated, has soundly defeated nearly every team it has played and boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Last week, the Broncos defeated Buffalo 38-0, a visit that was punctuated by the presence of ESPN’s College Gameday. While the Broncos are ranked 21st in this week’s rankings, I believe that they should get a bonus for going undefeated, even if their schedule isn’t overly strong. And that concludes my rant. However, I will say this: I can’t see myself putting the Broncos higher than eight. So Western Michigan is not going to break the glass ceiling, so to speak, but I do believe they should be in a New Year’s Six Bowl game.

7. Oklahoma Sooners (9-2)

Oklahoma had what was easily the most impressive performance of week 12, as the Sooners traveled to Morgantown and defeated West Virginia 56-28. Granted, Oklahoma lost two lopsided contests early in the season to Ohio State and Houston, but they, just like USC, are one of the most explosive and dangerous teams in the country right now. The team has struggled defensively at times this year, as evidenced by their allowing 579 yards to the Mountaineers on Saturday. But this is a team that you can disregard at your own risk.

6. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-2)

Week 12 was quiet on the Penn State front, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Nittany Lions took care of business against Rutgers on Saturday to move to 9-2 and set up a meeting with a 3-8 Michigan State team for a chance to go to the Big Ten title game. Penn State needs Ohio State to beat Michigan, as well, for that to happen, but their chances of making the Big Ten Championship Game and potentially playing for a spot in the final four are becoming more realistic with each victory. Penn State needs some help, but their Playoff chances do have some life.

5. Wisconsin Badgers (9-2)

A quick note: my dropping Wisconsin from four to five this week does not have anything to do with the Badgers. Their solid run continued on Saturday with a 49-20 win against Purdue, a team that is winless in Big Ten play. Rather, this move has to do with the teams above Wisconsin in the standings, and one, in particular, that I am going to get to next. In my rankings, the Badgers would control their own destiny to make college football’s final four, even with two losses. Those two losses, though, came to Ohio State and Michigan.

4. Clemson Tigers (10-1)

Last weekend, Clemson really impressed me. While a road win in November against Wake Forest may seem like an ordinary triumph, the circumstances around it are what made it so pleasantly surprising. After the Tigers lost a heartbreaker to Pitt the week before, they bounced back and absolutely dominated the Demon Deacons on Saturday. The 35-13 win, as well as the quality of Clemson’s bounce-back performance, was enough for me to push them into the top four this week. It’s not that I expected them to lose, but the Tigers had their most important test of the season last weekend and they aced it. That’s enough to put them in the Playoff if it were held today.

3. Michigan Wolverines (10-1)

Not a whole lot has changed on the Michigan front, either. Even though the Wolverines stumbled to a win against Indiana last weekend, that came under adverse weather conditions and with the team starting a backup quarterback (John O’Korn) who completed a grand total of seven passes on the day. Next up for Michigan is their annual rivalry matchup with Ohio State with a win sending them to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game next weekend. The health of starting quarterback Wilton Speight will be critical for Michigan on Saturday, as playing with O’Korn might not cut it against the Buckeyes.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1)

Speak of the devil, Ohio State comes into this weekend scarred after a 17-16 victory against Michigan State. The Spartans tried to go for two late in the game to take the lead but failed, and the Ohio State defense sealed the win with an interception on the next drive. All of that can be thrown out the window in advance of Saturday’s game; however, the performance could be construed as slightly concerning for a Buckeyes team that has been slightly inconsistent at times this season. However, I sincerely think Ohio State will be fine. A win on Saturday gets them into the Playoff.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0)

There really is nothing to see here. Alabama struggled to a 31-3 win over Chattanooga last week, but that may actually be good for them as they head into the Iron Bowl against Auburn. The Tide should be just fine, assuming they can escape the next two games without any severe injuries. Even a loss to Florida in the SEC title game would not knock them out of the top four. A loss to Auburn wouldn’t, either. After all, this is the best team in college football.

Departure: Louisville

New Addition: Washington

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The Week 11 College Football Top Ten

Photo Credit: Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Photo Credit: Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Ah, yes, there goes college football rearing its ugly head again….

That’s sarcasm, of course: this sport is as good as they come when the late stages of the season come rolling in. That was on full display again on Saturday, as the second, third, and fourth-ranked teams all went down on one day for the first time in 31 years. That means plenty of changes in this week’s rankings, and that also means new teams in the top four. So let’s get on with it; here’s my list of the top ten teams in college football after week 11.

10. USC Trojans (7-3)

Last week: NR

USC had arguably the most impressive showing of any team this past weekend, as they traveled to Seattle and easily dispatched the Washington Huskies. Redshirt Freshman quarterback Sam Darnold anchored the offense with two touchdown passes and nearly 300 yards passing; additionally, the team’s defense held the explosive Husky offense to just 13 points.  The Trojans struggled to start the season, going 1-3 and raising questions about new head coach Clay Helton’s job security. But USC is one of the ten best teams in the nation right now and would be a lot to handle for basically any team in the country. Hypothetically, they could even beat Alabama–no, never mind.

9. Oklahoma Sooners (8-2)

Last week: NR

Speaking of teams that have rebounded from slow beginnings, Oklahoma has won its last seven games after a 1-2 start. All of those seven games have come in-conference, as well, so the Sooners control their own destiny to win the Big 12. This week, they’ll be going on the road to play a very solid West Virginia team in a game that almost has Playoff implications. While the Sooners likely don’t have a realistic path to the Playoff at this point, things could get a little interesting if they win out. After all, we saw what happened last week.

8. Western Michigan Broncos (10-0)

Last week: 10

Western Michigan continues to climb up in my rankings. After starting at ten last week, the Broncos are climbing up two spots to eight this week. While they were tied in the fourth quarter last week with a 3-6 Kent State team, they were able to take care of business and score the final sixteen points en route to the victory. This shift is more of a figure of the events of last Saturday, as the Broncos continue to take care of business while other teams falter. In my rankings, P.J. Fleck’s squad would be a lock for the Group of Five berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game. They don’t have a path to the Playoff, but they do deserve their just due.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-2)

Last week: 8

Quietly, Penn State staged one of the gutsiest performances of week 11. Down ten points in the third quarter, the Nittany Lions scored 24 of the final 27 points to beat Indiana, 45-31. Granted, this team is not perfect, as Saturday’s game showed, but Penn State found a way to win, keeping their somewhat dim Playoff hopes alive. James Franklin’s team can still win the Big Ten East with an Ohio State win over Michigan to close the season, a scenario that seems all the more likely now (more on that later). If Penn State were to win the Big Ten title game, they would still have a chance to get in the Playoff. Once again, anything can happen.

6. Wisconsin Badgers (8-2)

Last week: 7

There isn’t a whole lot of news to report on the Wisconsin Badgers, and with last weekend’s happenings, that isn’t a bad thing as far as they are concerned. With a routine 48-3 thumping of the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday, the Badgers stand to benefit at least some from the carnage at the top of the standings. Sure, they lack some of the bells and whistles of the better teams in the country (including, you know, competent quarterback play) but Wisconsin is poised to find itself in a New Year’s Six Bowl and potentially beyond with a little help. That is far more than anyone could have predicted at the beginning of this season.

5. Clemson Tigers (9-1)

Last week: 3

Mini-rant time: Clemson has been dicey and, frankly, unimpressive at times this season. They’ve had close calls at home against the likes of NC State and Troy and have had six games decided by seven points or fewer. Yes, they do boast wins over Louisville, Florida State, and Auburn, but the team has taken on a 2015 Ohio State vibe, and I mean that in all honesty. So after they lost to Pittsburgh at home this week, you would think that they would drop in the rankings. And yet, many pundits seem to think that they will only drop one spot (from two to three) in the real rankings. I know, I’m only dropping them two spots, but you don’t just lose at home to a 5-4 team and escape in the top four of my rankings. Sorry. I can’t put Clemson in the top four this week.

4. Michigan Wolverines (9-1)

Last week: 2

Michigan suffered a similar fate on Saturday; the only difference between them and Clemson is that their loss to a 5-4 team came on the road at Iowa. The bigger issue for the Wolverines, though, is the health of starting quarterback Wilton Speight, who is said to have suffered a broken collarbone in his non-throwing shoulder on Saturday. Coach Jim Harbaugh has since refuted that report, but it remains to be seen whether Speight can come back to the field this season. Michigan still controls its own destiny to make the Playoff, but they may have just suffered a crippling blow to those aspirations.

3. Louisville Cardinals (9-1)

Last week: 6

Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Saturday’s carnage was the Louisville Cardinals, who did not look overly impressive themselves in a 44-12 win against Wake Forest last week. The Cardinals were losing that game 12-10 in the third quarter before their offense pulled it together in the final quarter and a half. Louisville should be in the Playoff if they win but that isn’t necessarily guaranteed, as they could still be jumped by Clemson if the Tigers win out; Clemson also has a tiebreaker over Louisville to go to the ACC title game. However, the Cardinals are in good shape with two weeks left in the regular season.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1)

Last week: 5

In reality, not all that much changed for Ohio State this weekend. They took care of business in a big way against Maryland and while they have moved from five to two in my rankings, they still need to win out to make the Playoff. It’s hard to see them getting in with two losses, but it’s fairly clear the the Buckeyes are the second-best team in the country right now. It’s probably as high as they can get this season, but the Buckeyes are in a great position to secure a Playoff berth over the next two weeks.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-0)

Last week: 1

At this rate, college football is slowly becoming a story of Alabama and everyone else. What I’m trying to say is that the Tide are just that much better than the field. There is no reason that would change after Bama’s 51-3 win over Mississippi State on Saturday. Alabama is number one until they lose. And right now, I don’t think I can see them losing anytime soon.

Departures: Washington, Auburn

New Additions: Oklahoma, USC

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Don’t Get Too Excited About Houston (Yet)

Photo Credit: Associated Press
Photo Credit: Associated Press

The first week of the college football season generally lends itself to overreactions and irrational thought. For example, after this year’s week one, Deondre Francois is the best quarterback in the country, Texas is back, and Les Miles is getting fired. So it’s easy to see where fans and pundits could get a little excited about the results of just one week of games.

And that’s where the Houston Cougars come in.

You remember Houston from a season ago as the team that crashed the New Year’s Six Bowl games, defeating Florida State 38-24 in last year’s Peach Bowl. The team came into this season as a runaway hype train, with everything from a Heisman contender at quarterback to a coach who wears UH grills on his teeth like he’s 2 Chainz. With many significant pieces coming back from a season ago, as well as the addition of five-star defensive lineman Ed Oliver, Houston appeared to be a formidable team heading into this year.

And they proved their believers right with their performance on Saturday. The week one test against Oklahoma would prove to be an outstanding victory and a validation of what the Houston Cougars could be: the team that crashes college football’s party and, perhaps, makes the College Football Playoff.

And really, Houston dominated the Sooners from start to finish on Saturday. The win was nearly cemented in the third quarter when Oklahoma kicker Austin Seibert attempted a long field goal. He not only missed the kick but he left it short. And that’s never a good idea in college football:

I think it’s safe to call that field goal return the third–greatest of its kind in the history of college football. Nonetheless, it served as the turning point in the game. The Cougars later added another touchdown to expand their lead, and only a late score from Oklahoma brought the final score to within ten points at 33-23. The win was arguably the most significant in the history of the program and elevated the Cougars to the sixth ranking in this week’s Associated Press poll. And, predictably, the hype around Houston is becoming unbearable, with many around the sport suggesting that the team has passed its biggest test on its way to the College Football Playoff.

And yet, even as Houston has climbed the polls and showed it can play with any team in the country, we still need to pump the brakes here, at least for the next few weeks.

For starters, there is every chance that the Oklahoma Sooners are not that great of a team. We have seen many examples in years past of teams that have disappointed after being ranked near the top of the polls at the beginning of the season. While Oklahoma can still make the Playoff, it is possible that this win may not look nearly as good in three months as it does now.

Another component to this discussion is that Houston’s schedule is, honestly, not that strong. Aside from a November 17 tilt against Louisville that could decide the AAC and even have Playoff implications, the Cougars’ schedule consists of matchups with teams like Lamar, UConn, SMU, and Tulane. In fact, as of right now, Louisville is the only remaining ranked team on Houston’s schedule. That could change, but if it doesn’t, the Playoff committee will have to seriously consider the strength of Houston’s slate and whether or not they deserve to be among the last four teams standing, even if they do go undefeated.

About that game with Louisville: it could be very important to the Playoff and most certainly will not be a cakewalk for the Cougars. While Houston quarterback Greg Ward could make his way to New York as a Heisman finalist, the Cardinals have their own Heisman contender in quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson accounted for eight touchdowns last week and even though he did that against Charlotte, it’s still a very impressive performance that is worth noting. While Houston’s schedule looks to be fairly easy, Louisville will be no pushover. Of course, there’s also the possibility that Houston doesn’t make it to week 12 with its Playoff hopes alive.

Yes, that is still a very real possibility. While basically everyone wants to jump to conclusions and assume that Houston is just going to run the table the rest of the way, it is possible that the Cougars won’t make it through the season without losing. Obviously, any loss would virtually end Houston’s run at a national championship, so there is little to no margin for error here.

Also, what if Ward or any of the team’s other main contributors get hurt at some point during the season? While it sounds terrible to speculate on this subject, Houston’s one loss last season (a 20-17 defeat at the hands of UConn) came with a backup quarterback (Kyle Postma) at the helm. If Postma has to step in to relieve Ward in the case of injury again this season, there is no guarantee that the Cougars will come out on the other side.

There are many reasons why Houston can run the table and make the College Football Playoff. After all, if the Cougars go undefeated, even with their somewhat weak schedule, there probably won’t be any way the committee can put three (or even four) one-loss teams ahead of them. If Houston is able to win the rest of its games, there is almost no reason to suggest they won’t be playing for a national championship.

On the other hand, New Year’s Eve, the date of the College Football Playoff semifinals, is a whole 113 days away. Many things can change between now and then, which should be a reminder that Houston (and every other team in the country) is one injury away from being a very different, and markedly worse, team.

Houston looked very good in week one and their win over Oklahoma put the nation on notice. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves: they have a long way to go if they want to make the Playoff.

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Jay Wright, Jumpman, and Jumpers: Final Four Preview

Photo Credit: Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press
Photo Credit: Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

We’ve made it; it’s time for the Final Four.

All four of the one-seeds in the big dance made it to the Elite 8; only the North Carolina Tar Heels survived and advanced to play in Houston this weekend.  The Orange of Syracuse are the lowest seeded team remaining (10) and got to the Final Four by way of a stunning comeback win over Virginia on Sunday; they trailed 54-39 with under ten minutes to play and rallied for a 68-62 win.

Villanova and Oklahoma are both 2-seeds who essentially beat chalk on their way to Houston.  With Elite 8 wins over Kansas and Oregon, respectively, both teams advanced and will play each other in the first game on Saturday.

Before we get into the previews, let’s talk a little bit about the venue we’re playing in because it will play a role in the outcomes of the games.

The stadium, then known as Reliant Stadium, served as host of the 2011 Final Four; ironically, this year’s semifinals will take place on the same date as that year’s (April 2).  The four teams remaining at the end of that season (UConn, Kentucky, Butler, VCU) combined to shoot 36.2% on three-point attempts during the regular season.

During Final Four weekend, though, the teams shot just 28.1% (36-128) from deep.  The shooting woes were bookended by Butler’s 12-64 (19%!) performance from the field in the championship game, a 53-41 loss to the Huskies.  The three games were arguably some of the worst in the history of the Final Four.  That’s not all, though.

The stadium also hosted the South Regional’s Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games last year.  The last four teams in the region were Duke, Gonzaga, UCLA, and Utah, a quartet that combined to shoot 38.9% from downtown in the regular season.  But, just like in 2011, the teams struggled from behind the line to the tune of a combined 23-86 in three games.

I get it; shooting in a dome has always been harder than shooting in an arena.  The rim is more difficult to locate at the outset (this sounds like a joke but basketball players who have shot in domes have said as much) and there are more people, A.K.A. more distractions, for a player’s eyes to wander to in the course of a jump shot.  The arrangement is unfair; the NCAA sacrifices the Final Four’s quality of play in order to fit more people into the event.  This is why every Final Four game should probably be in an arena rather than a dome, but don’t hold your breath waiting for this to happen.

With all of this being said, here is a preview of Saturday’s national semifinals.

Semifinal #1: (2) Villanova vs. (2) Oklahoma

Photo Credit: Eugene Tanner/Associated Press
Photo Credit: Eugene Tanner/Associated Press

Oklahoma and Villanova actually played each other in the regular season, with the Sooners winning a 78-55 blowout on December 7. The neutral site game was played at Pearl Harbor to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the start of the Pearl Harbor bombing and the beginning of World War II.

While the game was played on a neutral site, Oklahoma and imminent Wooden Award Winner Buddy Hield had no issue finding their stroke from deep.  The Sooners shot 14-26 from downtown; most significantly, Hield and Isaiah Cousins shot a combined 8-13 on threes in the blowout win.  The Wildcats, on the other hand, struggled mightily from behind the arc to the tune of shooting 4-32 on such attempts.

This is the main question with this game: is it more likely that a team shoots 14-26 or 4-32 from three?  Based on the fact that we’re playing in NRG Stadium, I’d say the latter; the dome arrangement does favor one team over the other.

While Nova attempted more threes in the regular season and threes account for a higher percentage of the Wildcats’ shots, the dome favors them because of their excellent defense, which has allowed just 63 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.  In the regular season, do you know how many points the team allowed per game? 63.  It’s serendipity, baby!

Holding Oklahoma to 63 will be a difficult task if only because of the fast pace both teams espouse.  The game will move up and down the floor very quickly and have a lot of excitement.  The catch?  There will be a lot of misses.

You can blame NRG Stadium and the NCAA for that.  However, with the dome on their side and their defense cracking down, I’ll take Ryan Arcidiacono, Kris Jenkins, and the Wildcats to pull the minor upset and advance to Monday night’s title game.

Villanova 71, Oklahoma 65

Semifinal #2: (10) Syracuse vs. (1) North Carolina

Photo Credit: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Syracuse shouldn’t be in the tournament. — many analysts

That was the predominant thought when Syracuse got into the NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed, thus completely bypassing the Dayton play-in games reserved for the last four teams in the field.  As for me, I agreed with those analysts: I would have put Monmouth in the dance over the Orange.  However, Syracuse made it, and what has transpired since has validated their existence in the tournament.

That being said, referring to their run as “Cinderella” would be a gross mischaracterization.  After handily defeating Dayton 70-51 in their first-round game, the team destroyed 15-seed Middle Tennessee State and rallied against 11-seed Gonzaga.

However, in the Elite 8, the Orange trailed Virginia 54-39 with under ten minutes remaining.  What happened next may not have been a miracle, but it really felt like one; the team rallied with a 25-4 run and won the game to advance to this weekend’s Final Four.

Syracuse is the underdog in this Final Four, but calling them a “cinderella” is misleading.

And academic fraud jokes aside, they match up very well with the North Carolina Tar Heels.  Carolina’s biggest weakness in the regular season was three-point shooting; the 2-3 Zone of the Orange is designed precisely to make the opponent shoot threes and keep the ball out of the paint.  With shooting already being a difficult task, the Orange defense may be able to keep the ball out of the hands of Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks, and Isaiah Hicks.

That being said, the Heels have turned their biggest weakness into a strength this March.  After shooting 32% from deep in the regular season, the team has improved to 38% from behind in the arc in the NCAA Tournament; this resurgence has been led chiefly by senior Marcus Paige.  I personally jinxed the team last week by saying they are the tournament’s most dangerous team; that’s obviously true now, considering that they are the only one-seed to make the Final Four.

Let’s not forget another thing, too: Syracuse isn’t that much better at making shots, either.  In fact, their shooting percentages are only slightly better than those of the Tar Heels.  Syracuse will try to slow this one down, though, and win the game with their defense.  And they just might pull it off.  The 2-3 Zone is difficult for even the best teams to handle; North Carolina might be the best team in America and even they aren’t immune.  It will be interesting to see if the team can get its big men the ball early in the game to spread out the zone; this is likely the biggest key to victory for both teams.

And if North Carolina can do this, they should be able to win.  If the swarming defense of the Orange is able to keep the Tar Heels far away from the basket, I don’t just believe they can win.  I think they will.  Either way, this game is probably the better of the two semifinal tilts and has the potential to be a thriller.

But my bet is on the Heels to shoot just well enough to win and advance to Monday night’s championship game.

North Carolina 69, Syracuse 66

Please let me know what I got right and wrong in the comments section!