Beyond the Fort: Week 9

Ducks dominate Utes.

The most anticipated game of the weekend turned out to be a blowout. The Oregon Ducks knew after their loss to Washington that they would have to be perfect to finish the season, and they’re doing just that. The Ducks put up 390 yards of offense against a great Utah defense, and they did it in Salt Lake City, ending one of the nation’s longest home winning streaks. Utah only managed 241 yards and 6 points on the afternoon. Barring an inexplicable loss Oregon should be playing for the Pac-12 title in December.

Jayhawks pull off huge upset!

The last time the Kansas Jayhawks beat the Oklahoma Sooners for the first time since 1997 on Saturday. This back-and-forth affair featured 7 lead changes, including 3 in the fourth quarter. It was probably the best game on Saturday, so if you didn’t get a chance to watch I recommend going back and doing so. Kansas jumped out to a 14-0 lead before a weather delay. The Sooners stormed back to take a 21-17 halftime lead. Jason Bean led a comeback effort from the Jayhawks that looked like it might come up short when he threw his second interception of the fourth quarter with just under 3 minutes left in the game. Oklahoma proceeded to go 3 and out while taking just 23 seconds off the game clock. Kansas would then go 80 yards in 7 plays to take a 38-33 lead, and the Sooners were unable to score in the time that remained.

Oklahoma’s win over Texas at Red River looks more and more like a fluke with each passing week.

Arizona upsets Oregon State.

Arizona has been so close to a big win for weeks now, and the Wildcats finally got one. In week 6, Washington barely escaped Tuscon with a 31-24 win. The next week Arizona took USC to triple overtime before losing 43-41. The Wildcats dominated Washington State (who now looks pretty bad) 44-6, and now they knock off the Beavers. At the end of the first half Oregon State had the ball in the red zone and elected to not kick a field goal. The decision proved to be costly as Arizona would go on to win 27-24. Oregon State gained more yards and won the turnover battle but ended up losing anyway.

Close calls from top 10 teams.

Penn State got off to an incredibly sluggish start against Indiana on Saturday. The Nittany Lions’ problems at wide receiver continued to show. Drew Allar finished the day 20/31 for 210 yards, but 57 of those yards came on one throw to KeAndre Lambert-Smith. It’s a shame that Penn State doesn’t have the talent at wide receiver, because they’re elite at pretty much every other position. The Nittany Lions would force a safety on Indiana’s last drive, making the final score 33-24.

Washington has looked abysmal since their huge win over Oregon. The Huskies have found a way to win both of their games, but they needed a pick-six against Arizona State last week. This week a dropped pass by a wide-open Stanford receiver on fourth down ended up being the difference. They’d go on to win 42-33, but the game was much closer than the score indicated. The Huskies look vulnerable, and at this point, I don’t think there’s a chance they finish the season 12-0.

North Carolina’s defense is not fixed.

North Carolina got off to a 6-0 start, and it seemed like their defense was going to be good enough for them to compete for an ACC title. Since I put them in my top 10, the Tar Heels are 0-2 with losses to Virginia and Georgia Tech. In those two games, they’ve allowed 77 points and 1,071 yards of offense. 576 of those offensive yards have been on the ground! I think it’s safe to say that Florida State is in a class of its own in the ACC, and I have no idea who they’ll play in the ACC championship game.

Barry Sanders 2.0?

Ollie Gordon rushed for 271 yards against Cincinnati on Saturday. He ran for 282 against West Virginia last week, and he’s now run for at least 100 yards in 5 straight games. Don’t be surprised if the Pokes win the last Bedlam game next week.

Quick Hitters

#1 Georgia handled Florida 43-20.

#3 Ohio State beat Wisconsin 24-10.

#4 Florida State dominated Wake Forest 41-16.

#7 Texas handled BYU 35-6.

#12 Ole Miss handled Vanderbilt 33-7.

#18 Louisville shut out #20 Duke 23-0.

#19 Air Force beat Colorado State 30-13 in the snow.

#21 Tennessee earned a hard-fought victory at Kentucky 33-27.

#22 Tulane escaped with a 30-28 win over Rice.

#23 UCLA beat Colorado 28-16. Deion said after the game he will find a new offensive line.

#24 USC is still horrendous on defense and beat Cal 50-49.

#25 James Madison escaped with a 30-27 victory over Old Dominion.

Coach Perry’s Power Rankings: Week 9

1. Michigan: The Wolverines were on a bye and have been bogged down by a sign-stealing scandal. I can’t wait for Michigan to win the national championship and then have to vacate it in April.
2. Ohio State: This defense is special, but I don’t know if Kyle McCord is good enough at quarterback to lead this team to a national championship.
3. Florida State: The Seminoles look better every week. I’m not sure they’ll lose a regular season game, and I expect them to be a playoff team.
4. Georgia: The Bulldogs are starting to find their identity. The talent is there, and Carson Beck is getting better every week. I don’t bet on sports, but Carson Beck at +3000 to win the Heisman is one of the best odds for your money you’ll ever find.
5. Washington: The Huskies are only here at 5 because they haven’t lost yet, and they beat Oregon when they had to.
6. Oregon: I believe the Ducks would win if they played Washington this weekend. I think they’ll win out and win the Pac-12.
7. Texas: The Longhorns continue to take care of business, but with Quinn Ewers out injured I’ve got the Horns on upset alert this weekend against Kansas State!
8. Alabama: The Tide host LSU on Saturday. It’s a must-win if Saban wants to be a playoff team. I’m expecting a high-scoring game.
9. Penn State: I’m not sure how much longer this team will be in my top 10. They got the job done this week, but it was ugly.
10. Ole Miss: The Rebels are sitting at 7-1 with their only loss being to Alabama. They also managed to beat LSU in a 55-49 shootout, and they’ve got a win over Tulane. They host Texas A&M this weekend and then have to travel to #1 Georgia.