They were the best of times (for some teams), they were the worst of times (for others). Some teams smartly played BYE this week. It’s always good to regroup and just kinda watch other teams trip all over themselves all week.
Good Things
Kansas
What has gotten into these guys? Two straight wins over FBS opponents, all while playing good defense? Maybe something weird happened on the way to the funeral. I’m not one for hyperbole, but freshman running-back Pooka Williams is the best RB in college football. He’s averaging a cool 8.8 yards per carry and straight up dominating for the Jayhawks.
It’s been fun to rag on Kansas over the years for sure, but it’s even more fun to watch a team circle the wagon and start to play good football again. Hopefully they can keep it up and end up being one of the best stories in college football this year.
Texas
I’m still not sold on Texas being all that great. A 37-14 win over USC is impressive though. Texas had looked the opposite of good the two previous weeks, but hopefully for the Longhorns, they can build on this. However, I wouldn’t be too upset if they didn’t.
Oklahoma State
The Pokes absolutely demolished a pretty good Boise State team. I had honestly thought that Boise was gonna come in and make it pretty close, maybe even win. Oklahoma State’s now 3-0 and could make some serious noise in a Big XII that I think is pretty weak. Bring on Bedlam.
LSU
The Tigahs rallied late to top Auburn on the road. That’s two wins over top ten teams in three weeks. Ed Orgeron could be up to something with Joe Burrow under center. SEC on CBS will never be the same without Uncle Verne. But it’s still my favorite thing to do at 3:30 every Saturday.
Syracuse
Hell. Yes. ‘Cuse. Syracuse hadn’t beaten Florida State in like a million years. That all changed in the Carrier Dome on Saturday. A 30-7 demolition of the reeling Seminoles had the place rocking. I love when the little guy gets a win against a powerhouse, but when it’s an absolute ass-kicking like this? I love it. Absolutely love it.
Not Good Things
Rutgers
I’m not gonna get into this. They’re awful.
This pretty much sums up Rutgers football.
Northwestern
It seems like every time there’s expectations for a NW squad they flop all season. After a 39-34 loss to Akron, it looks like NW will be fighting for their bowl-eligible lives. A bowl does not seem likely.
Hurricanes
UCF was denied an easy win against hapless UNC. West Virginia and NC State should have been an awesome showdown, but nah. South Carolina should have played host to Marshall. Hurricane Florence took some of the most intriguing matchups right off the schedule. Keep those affected by the storm in your thoughts and prayers.
Also, Miami sucks. Easily in my bottom-5 Hurricanes right now.
The Big Ten
Ohio State won, but that wasn’t enough to offset an embarrassing day for the conference otherwise. Michigan State wisely sat out of participating in football this week. A lot of Big Ten teams have big questions that need answering. Urban Meyer returns next week just in time for Tulane’s big win in Columbus. It’ll be a spectacular event.