Here is a look at some of the latest College Football News and Notes:
We have officially made it to the home stretch of the college football season. Tuesday night, the first batch of College Football Playoff rankings will be released. With that in mind, let’s get caught up on all the important news and results of the past weekend.
Don’t You Wanna Stay?
It seems like a lot of teams don’t enjoy being ranked in the top-25 because 11 of them lost over the weekend. To be fair, three of them lost to other ranked teams, but it still led to a major shakeup in this week’s AP poll. The likes of Houston, Utah State, Fresno State, Syracuse, and Virginia all made their way into the top-25 for the first time this season. Meanwhile, both Washington and Wisconsin were bounced from the top-25 completely despite starting the season in the top-10, joining Miami and Auburn, who already had that distinction.
Hooked the Horns
The biggest upset of the weekend was Oklahoma State’s win over no. 6 Texas. The Longhorns were close to erasing a 17-point halftime deficit but couldn’t come all the way back. For Texas, the loss doesn’t take them out of the running for a Big 12 title, but it surely ends any hope of being in the CFP conversation. For OSU, the win makes them 5-3 and will likely help them avoid missing out on a bowl game. However, nothing is certain with the Cowboys just yet, as they still have Oklahoma and West Virginia on their schedule.
One Showdown Sets up the Next
Things are taking shape in the SEC East after Georgia took care of business against Florida 36-17. The Bulldogs bounced back from a terrible loss to LSU a couple weeks ago to give the Gators their second SEC loss of the season. Georgia is now set to visit Kentucky next week in a game that will likely determine the SEC East representative in the conference title game. The Wildcats, if you haven’t heard, are 7-1 and 5-1 in SEC play after beating Missouri Saturday with a touchdown on the very last play of the game.
West Coast Chaos
If anyone out there can figure out the Pac–12, we’re all ears because it’s impossible to predict who’s going to win this league. Washington, Oregon, and Stanford appeared to be arguably the three best teams in the conference not too long ago, but all three lost on Saturday and now have at least two conference losses. That now leaves Washington State as the new favorite to win the Pac-12 North.
In the South division, Utah has two conference losses while the five other teams all have exactly three losses in league play, which means all six teams are still alive for a spot in the conference championship game. Needless to say, the Pac-12 will be kept out of the CFP altogether. However, it’ll be a fascinating mess to watch unfold in November.
Seminole Chopped
Speaking of messes, the Florida State Seminoles lost 59-10 to Clemson on Saturday. The 49-point deficit makes it the largest home loss in school history. After the game, head coach Willie Taggart admitted that some of his players quit on the team during the game. He called his team mentally weak and promised that such a performance won’t be tolerated, so some lineup changes may be afoot. At 4-4, the Seminoles need two wins to make it to a bowl. However, they have to place N.C. State, Notre Dame, Boston College, and Florida in November and will probably be underdogs in all four games.
Cadet Bowling
In one of the most overlooked stories of the season, the Army Knights have clinched bowl eligibility for the third straight season after beating Eastern Michigan on Saturday. This will be the first time in program history that Army will play in a bowl game for three straight years. They are 6-2 on the season, losing only to Duke and Oklahoma, and that loss to Oklahoma was by a mere seven points. If Army can beat military rivals Air Force and Navy late in the season, the Knights also have a chance to win 10 games for the second consecutive season.
Best Served Cold
They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and on Saturday, Wake Forest running back Matt Colburn definitely got some. A few years ago, Colburn was verbally committed to Louisville, only to have his scholarship offer pulled right before signing day, as Louisville coach Bobby Petrino asked him to gray shirt. On Saturday, Colburn rushed for 243 yards and three touchdowns in Wake’s 56-35 win over Louisville while playing against several friends he made during the recruiting process who he thought would be his teammates. Petrino, meanwhile, could only sit and watch as his team lost its fifth game in a row, making a bowl game this season an utter fantasy.