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Welcome to Survival Saturday.
Every season, there is at least one of these, a day that makes the collective heart of the college football world beat uncontrollably from brunch to dinner.
Four teams in the top 25 won in overtime. Three other qualified teams earned wins by three points or less. It all started with Alabama’s (weak) rebound from Vanderbilt’s loss: a two-point win over South Carolina that wasn’t all that pretty. It ended with Kansas State losing a big lead and then holding on for the win in Colorado.
In between, LSU, Penn State, Illinois and Tennessee won in overtime. Our new number one Oregon defeated Ohio State by one point. Pitt remained undefeated with a two-point victory over Cal.
Of course, there were explosions too. Texas dominated Oklahoma to set up a titanic clash next week against Georgia in Austin. Clemson beat Wake Forest. And Notre Dame throttled Stanford.
At midseason, 11 teams remain undefeated. That list includes Iowa State, Army, Navy, and Indiana!
Many fan bases did not survive Saturday. Rutgers, after starting 4-0, lost a second straight game. North Carolina and Mack Brown lost for the fourth straight time. Billy Napier and Florida managed to avoid a surprise on the road to Knoxville.
Did your team survive?
Let’s go to the Top 10!
1. Oregon Ducks
This week: beat Ohio State 32-31
Next week: at Purdue (Friday)
QB Dillon Gabriel, in his sixth season and at his third school, reintroduced himself to the world of college football if anyone had forgotten about him. He tore through Ohio State’s secondary, threw for 341 yards, threw two touchdowns and ran for a game-changing 27-yard score. It has put the Ducks in the driver’s seat of the Big Ten title race and marks the best win of the season by any team thus far, just ahead of Alabama’s win over Georgia and Georgia’s win about Clemson.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
This week: beat USC 33-30 in overtime
Next week: goodbye
Who says you can’t take a bus for an hour and then fly five hours across the country and win an overtime game? That’s what the Nittany Lions did. Coming back from a 20-6 halftime deficit to take a swipe at third-year coach Lincoln Riley (the Trojans are 3-3 and a mess). The buzz you’re hearing comes from the hype surrounding the Nov. 2 game against Ohio State in Happy Valley (the Buckeyes seem susceptible, especially on defense).
3. Texas Longhorns
This week: beat Oklahoma 34-3
Next week: against Georgia
Returning QB Quinn Ewers started out rusty but finished brightly. But it was the Longhorns defense that really won this game. The Sooners had only one drive of more than 19 yards the entire game and punted a whopping six times. Steve Sarkisian has the Horns prepared for the highly anticipated home matchup against Georgia next week.
4. Miami Hurricanes
This week: goodbye
Next week: in Louisville
After a nice week off, Cam Ward and the Hurricanes return to the road with a game at Louisville next Saturday. A look at the second half of UM’s schedule reveals that there are no teams (for now) in the top 25. Collision path with Clemson in ACC championship games? Maybe.
5. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: beat Mississippi State 41-31
Next week: in Texas
Kirby Smart’s team has played some surprisingly close games. Another came Saturday against the worst team in the SEC. Remember the one-point win over Kentucky and the loss to Alabama? Bulldogs are not necessarily dominant. They should be next Saturday.
6. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: lost to Oregon 32-31
Next week: goodbye
The Buckeyes fell two spots, but remain firmly in our Top 10. After all, they took blow for blow on the road with the Ducks. But the defense needs work. Oregon picked on Ohio State’s secondary much of the night, especially cornerback Denzel Burke. They have a bye week to figure things out before hosting Nebraska. Penn State, Michigan and undefeated Indiana remain on the list. Could Ohio State miss the College Football Playoff?
7. Clemson Tigers
This week: beat Wake Forest 49-14
Next week: against Virginia
Oh look, another Clemson blowout. Since their season-opening loss to Georgia, the Tigers have won their next five games, outscoring their opponents 243-96. That’s an angry bunch. Clemson’s offense is working. Against Wake, they had a 100-yard rusher, a 100-yard receiver, and a 300-yard passer. Quarterback Cade Klubnik hasn’t thrown an interception in 10 quarters and has thrown seven touchdowns in that span.
8. Iowa State Cyclones
This week: beat West Virginia 28-16
Next week: vs. UCF
The Cyclones are 6-0 for the second time in their history, have one of the nastiest defenses in the country, and have a regular-season schedule remaining that will include only one ranked team (Kansas State). Should we talk about Matt Campbell’s team in the playoffs? QB Rocco Becht is playing as well as anyone, and ISU’s defense hasn’t allowed more than 21 points this season.
9. BYU Cougars
This week: beat Arizona 41-19
Next week: vs. Oklahoma State
In their second year in the Big 12, the Cougars are at the top of the league and are 6-0 on the season with some pretty solid wins at SMU and over Kansas State. They avoid the only other undefeated team in the Big 12 this season (Iowa State). Are we headed toward a title game between BYU and Iowa State Big 12? Maybe!
10. Notre Dame fighting the Irish
This week: beat Stanford 49-7
Next week: at Georgia Tech
Things are going according to plan for the Irish (except for that inexplicable home loss to Northern Illinois). Not even God himself (a slight delay in the second half) could prevent the Irish from overwhelming the Cardinal. Look at Notre Dame’s schedule and tell me where the Irish lose another game. They are on the way to a free place.