College Football Top 25- Week 8

Another week, another correct prediction for the Saloon. The Crimson Tide steamrolled Mississippi State following their shocking loss to Texas A&M, solidifying their position in the top 4. Further supporting Bama’s claim for CFP contention is Iowa’s shocking loss to Purdue, dropping them 10 spots in our poll. I can’t say I predicted the Boilermakers to be the team that took Iowa down, but if you have been reading every week, you know that I have been very critical of the Hawkeye offense. Quarterback Spencer Petras had one of the worst performances of his career, as he went for just 195 yards passing, 0 TDs, and 4 INTs. That is really ugly. The Iowa offensive line also allowed four sacks and did an awful job run blocking. This is a Purdue team that was really nothing special, but the previously stout Iowa defense was abysmal in this contest, allowing Purdue receiver Demetress Bell to have a career day with 11 receptions for 240 yards and a touchdown. You have to wonder if this takes Iowa out of the race for the playoff. They are not going to get the benefit of the doubt that a 1 loss Alabama team will get. Even if they win out and win the Big 10, I think it will be close. I could easily see Georgia, Alabama, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma in the playoffs ahead of Iowa, even if they have the title.

Speaking of Oklahoma, what a turnaround. After starting QB Spencer Rattler has struggled all season long, he was finally benched in favor of Caleb Williams, the 5-star freshman who came in last week and led the comeback to beat Texas. After going 18/23 for 295 yards, 4 TDs, and 0 INTs this week against TCU, I doubt we will ever see Spencer Rattler throw a pass in an Oklahoma uniform again. In fact, reports are circling that Rattler might be looking at entering his name in the transfer portal, which would make him the most high-profile player to do so since Justin Fields left Georgia for Ohio State. I will be fascinated to see who takes him on, as his character concerns are a massive issue. He was known to belittle teammates in high school, and reports are he struggled to be a leader at Oklahoma. In fact, he was apparently the only Sooner player not to celebrate Caleb Williams’ first touchdown. It will be interesting to see what coach thinks they can take on the challenge of figuring out how to put Rattler back on the right track. As for this Oklahoma team, they just went back to being serious contenders for a national championship. I’d like to see some more improvement from their defense, but Williams plays the Lincoln Riley quarterback position so well that they might just be able to outscore everybody. If you counted out the Sooners, it’s time to give them back your respect.

As much as I now love Oklahoma, they aren’t the only Big 12 team looking to be the last one standing. Oklahoma State has been quietly climbing up the rankings, coming in this week at 8 in the AP Poll and 9 in the Saloon Takes poll. Head Coach Mike Gundy is one of the most underrated coaches in the country, and he has an incredible team in his 16th season at Oklahoma State. This is a team that uses the running game to set up their pass game. Running back Jaylen Warren carried the ball 33 times for 193 yards against Texas this week, good for 5.8 yards per carry. This allowed quarterback Spencer Sanders to air out the ball to his deep receiving core. Seven different Cowboy players caught a pass in this contest, as Sanders loves to share the ball around this offense. What I love the most about this team is their grit. They were down 24-16 going into the 4th quarter on the road and they were able to push through and score 16 unanswered points in one of the most hostile environments in football. This was an incredibly impressive feat, and one that showed this team has the capability of making it to the playoffs. In the end this will come down to Bedlam, Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State, the last week of the season, a historic rivalry with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line. As if that isn’t enough excitement, with Oklahoma leaving for the SEC, this might be the last time this historic series is played. You can count on Oklahoma State being ready to play that one.

There are some newcomers into the top 25, but at this point in the season, I don’t see any of them pushing up for a playoff spot. Regardless, it is great to see a team like UTSA get their respect. I love seeing Group of 5 teams in the top 25 on a national stage. They have absolutely zero chance of making it in the top 4, but they should get a good bowl to play in. As far as this upcoming week goes, be sure to watch two top 10 teams on upset alert. I think UCLA will beat Oregon at home this week, while Oklahoma State will barely escape with a win against Iowa State. Both of these games should be close the whole way, so be sure to watch as the playoff picture really starts to take hold this weekend. Next week’s blog will start my weekly top 4 breakdowns, as well as who I still think has a chance and who is already out. These next few weeks are going to be exciting, so be sure to check back next week when I break it all down!