Week 8 College Football Recap

Game Recaps

Miami 16 @ Virginia Tech 37 (VT -6)

• My Picks: I picked Miami for both (both wrong)

• Miami	Virginia Tech
  Brad Kaaya – 23/38, 323 yards, 2 TDs,  1 INT	Jerod Evans – 21/33, 259 yards, 2 TDs,  0 INTs, 13 carries, 98 rushing yards,  1 rushing TD
  Joseph Yearby – 9 carries, 59 yards	Travis McMillian – 18 carries, 131 yards
  Ahmmon Richards – 3 receptions, 78 yards	Sam Rogers – 2 receptions, 72 yards

• Next Week: Miami @ Notre Dame, Virginia Tech @ Pittsburgh

#10 Wisconsin 17 @ Iowa 9 (WIS -4.5)

• My Picks: I picked Wisconsin for both (both correct)
• College Gameday Picks: Des, Verne Lundquist, Lee, and Kirk all picked Wisconsin

• Wisconsin	Iowa
  Alex Hornibrook – 11/19, 197 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs Bart Houston – 4/6, 59 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs	C.J. Beathard – 17/33, 153 yards, 0 TDs,  0 INTs
  Corey Clement – 35 carries, 134 yards,  1 TD, 2 receptions, 11 receiving yards	Akrum Wadley – 10 carries, 44 yards, 7 receptions, 72 receiving yards
  Quintez Cephus – 1 reception, 57 yards	Riley McCarron – 6 receptions, 47 yards

• Next Week: Wisconsin vs Nebraska, Iowa - Bye Week

#6 Texas A&M 14 @ #1 Alabama 33 (BAMA -19)

• My Picks: I picked Texas A&M for both (both wrong)
• College Gameday Picks; Everyone picked Alabama

• Texas A&M	Alabama
  Trevor Knight – 14/31, 164 yards, 2 TDs,  1 INT, 13 carries, 24 rush yards	Jalen Hurts – 15/25, 164 yards, 2 TDs,  2 INTs, 21 carries, 93 rush yards, 1 rush TD
  Keith Ford – 15 carries, 62 yards,  1 reception, 21 receiving yards	Damien Harris – 17 carries, 128 yards
  Christian Kirk – 9 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TD	O.J. Howard – 8 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD

• Next Week: Texas A&M vs New Mexico State, Alabama - Bye Week

Memphis 28 @ #25 Navy 34 (MEM -1.5)

• My Picks: I picked Navy for both (both correct)

• Memphis	Navy
  Riley Ferguson – 25/40, 333 yards, 2 TDs,  0 INTs	Will Worth – 3/4, 85 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 31 carries, 201 rush yards, 3 rush TDs
  Doroland Dorceus – 8 carries, 41 yards	Dishan Romine – 7 carries, 92 yards
  Anthony Miller – 9 receptions, 134 yards,  1 TD	Darryl Bonner – 1 reception, 52 yards

• Next Week: Memphis vs Tulsa, Navy @ South Florida

TCU 10 @ #12 West Virginia 34 (WVU -6)

• My Picks: I picked West Virginia for both (both correct)
• College Gameday Picks: Des picked West Virginia, everyone else picked TCU

• TCU	West Virginia
  Kenny Hill – 18/31, 148 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT	Skyler Howard – 16/23, 231 yards, 4 TDs,  0 INTs
  Kyle Hicks – 15 carries, 103 yards,  3 receptions, 17 receiving yards	Rushell Shell – 24 carries, 117 yards,  2 receptions, 35 receiving yards
  Taj Williams – 2 receptions, 35 yards	Daikiel Shorts – 4 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD

• Next Week: TCU vs Texas Tech, West Virginia @ Oklahoma State

#17 Arkansas 3 @ #21 Auburn 56 (AUB -10)

• My Picks: I picked Arkansas for both (both wrong)
• College Gameday Picks: Des and Kirk picked Auburn, Lee picked Arkansas

• Arkansas	Auburn
  Austin Allen – 17/30, 187 yards, 0 TDs,  1 INT	Sean White – 6/11, 77 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 4 carries, 61 rush yards, 1 rush TD
  Rawleight Williams III – 13 carries,  22 yards, 2 receptions, 19 receiving yards	Kamryn Pettway – 27 carries, 192 yards,  2 TDs
  Keon Hatcher – 7 receptions, 81 yards	Stanton Truitt – 1 reception, 45 yards, 1 TD

• Next Week: Arkansas - Bye Week, Auburn @ Ole Miss

#2 Ohio State 21 @ Penn State 24 (OSU -19.5)

• My Picks: I picked Ohio State straight up (gladly wrong!) and Penn State against the spread (correct)
• College Gameday Picks: Des, Verne, and Lee picked Ohio State, Kirk abstained from picking since he called the game
• I watched this entire game, since Penn State is my favorite team as I grew up in Central Pennsylvania.  When Ohio State forced the safety in the third quarter to go up 21-7, I was nearly ready to give up watching.  But when Trace McSorley completed the pass to Saeed Blacknall down the sideline to give Penn State 1st and goal, I had a glimmer of hope.  Then McSorley ran a touchdown in to make the score 21-14, I thought the Nittany Lions had a chance since their defense had been doing a good job of holding Ohio State's offense all game.  A field goal made it 21-17 with 9:33 left in the fourth quarter pulled Penn State to within striking distance.  That was when Penn State's defense went to another level.  They were able to get pressure on J.T. Barrett during the remainder of the quarter, both with just a four-man rush and when sending a blitz.  Barrett was often forced to leave the pocket and find his check down receiver or had to scramble for only a few yards.  Penn State's secondary did an excellent job all game long at shutting down Ohio State's deep passing threat, so by the fourth quarter, they just had to focus on making sure that the Buckeyes weren't making first downs.  With under five minutes to go and Ohio State driving, Penn State forced a long Buckeye field goal attempt. Miscommunication, however, caused Ohio State to rush the unit onto the field and a Penn State defender got through the line, blocking the field goal, which was subsequently scooped up by Grant Haley and returned all the way for a Penn State touchdown, giving them the lead for the first time all game.  On the following drive, Ohio State was driving the field, getting to their 42 yard line before back-to-back incomplete passes put the Buckeyes in a 3rd and 10 situation. Penn State's defense, strengthened by the 100,000 plus fans surrounding them, sacked Barrett for a ten yard loss, leading to 4th and 23, with the game on the line.  After a timeout, Penn State's pass rushers once again got to Barrett, dropping him for a six yard loss, and sealing the victory for the Nittany Lions.  Being from near State College, I have experienced life as a Nittany Lion fan when they were really good and have lived through their down years from the sanctions imposed on the team.  The feeling of them pulling off a major upset is something I haven't felt since the 2005 season when they came out of nowhere and went to the Orange Bowl. That year Ohio State came into Happy Valley at 3-1 and ranked sixth but with national championship aspirations.  Penn State was 5-0 entering the matchup and was ranked 16th but were underdogs.  That game was a low-scoring affair similar to this year's game, and Penn State's defense, led by current NFLers Paul Posluszny and Tamba Hali, swarmed to the ball and got to Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith multiple times.  That win helped propel Penn State to a Big Ten Championship and an Orange Bowl victory over Florida State.  This year's upset victory has some sort of magical feeling, almost as if Penn State football is truly back.  Head coach James Franklin and the rest of the team needed this type of signature win and beating the number two team in the nation is a good place to start.  It also appears that Trace McSorley is highly talented and has the potential to be the best Penn State quarterback Penn State has had since Kerry Collins.

• Ohio State	Penn State
  J.T. Barrett – 28/43, 245 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 17 carries, 26 rush yards	Trace McSorley – 8/23, 154 yards, 1 TD,  0 INTs, 19 carries, 63 rush yards, 1 rush TD
  Mike Weber – 21 carries, 71 yards	Saquon Barkley – 12 carries, 99 yards
  Curtis Samuel – 8 receptions, 68 yards,  2 carries, 71 rush yards, 1 rush TD	Mike Gesicki – 4 receptions, 46 yards

• Next Week: Ohio State vs Northwestern, Penn State @ Purdue

#23 Ole Miss 21 @ #25 LSU (LSU -6.5)

• My Picks: I picked Ole Miss for both (both wrong)
• College Gameday Picks: All picked LSU

• Ole Miss	LSU
  Chad Kelly – 19/32, 209 yards, 1 TD,  2 INTs, 12 carries, 56 rush yards	Danny Etling – 19/28, 204 yards, 1 TD,  1 INT
  Akeem Judd – 13 carries, 39 yards, 1 TD	Leonard Fournette – 16 carries, 284 yards,  3 TDs, 3 receptions, 25 receiving yards
  Damore’ea Stringfellow – 4 receptions,  92 yards	Malachi Dupre – 5 receptions, 52 yards

• Next Week: Ole Miss vs Auburn, LSU - Bye Week

My Picks Record this Week

• Straight Up: 3-5
• Against Spread: 4-4

AP Top 25 Results

Rank	Team	Opponent	Result
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	Vs Texas A&M Aggies	W 33-14
2	Ohio State Buckeyes	@ Penn State Nittany Lions	L 21-24
3	Michigan Wolverines	Vs Illinois Fightin Illini	W 41-8
4	Clemson Tigers	Bye Week
5	Washington Huskies	Vs Oregon State Beavers	W 41-17
6	Texas A&M Aggies	@ #1 Alabama Crimson Tide	L 14-33
7	Louisville Cardinals	Vs NC State Wolfpack	W 54-13
8	Nebraska Cornhuskers	Vs Purdue Boilermakers	W 27-14
9	Baylor Bears	Bye Week
10	Wisconsin Badgers	@ Iowa Hawkeyes	W 17-9
11	Houston Cougars	@ SMU Mustangs	L 16-38
12	West Virginia Mountaineers	Vs TCU Horned Frogs	W 34-10
13	Florida State Seminoles	Bye Week
14	Boise State Broncos	Vs BYU Cougars	W 28-27
15	Florida Gators	Bye Week
16	Oklahoma Sooners	Texas Tech Red Raiders	W 66-59
17	Arkansas Razorbacks	@ #21 Auburn Tigers	L 3-56
18	Tennessee Volunteers	Bye Week
19	Utah Utes	@ UCLA Bruins	W 52-45
20	Western Michigan Broncos	Vs Eastern Michigan Eagles	W 35-14
21	Auburn Tigers	Vs #17 Arkansas Razorbacks	W 56-3
22	North Carolina Tar Heels	@ Virginia Cavaliers	W 35-14
23	Ole Miss Rebels	@ #25 LSU Tigers	L 21-38
24	Navy Midshipmen	Vs Memphis Tigers	W 42-28
25	LSU Tigers	Vs #23 Ole Miss Rebels	W 38-21

Heisman Update

1	Lou QB Lamar Jackson	(W 54-13 vs NC State) – 20/34, 355 yards, 17 carries, 76 rush yards, 4 total TDs, 0 INTs	58.3%, 2161 pass yards, 908 rush yards, 34 total TDs, 4 INTs, 159.5 rating
2	WASH QB Jake Browning	(W 41-17 vs Oregon St) – 14/28, 291 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs	68.6 %, 1709 pass yards, 30 total TDs, 2 INTs, 199.6 rating
3	CLEM QB DeShaun Watson	Bye Week	63.6%, 1950 pass yards, 279 rush yards, 21 total TDs, 8 INTs, 146.4 rating
4	OK QB Baker Mayfield	(W 66-59 vs Texas Tech) – 27/36, 545 yards, 7 TDs, 0 INTs, 2 carries, 19 rush yards	71.4%, 2348 pass yards, 123 rush yards, 26 total TDs, 5 INTs, 194.9 rating
5	OSU QB J.T. Barrett	(L 21-24 vs Penn State) – 28/43, 245 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 17 carries, 26 rush yards	63.6%, 1452 pass yards, 460 rush yards, 23 total TDs, 4 INTs, 150.8 rating
6	FSU RB Dalvin Cook	Bye Week	900 rush yards, 356 receiving yards, 8 total TDs
7	TT QB Patrick Mahomes II	(L 59-66 vs Oklahoma) – 52/88, 734 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 12 carries, 85 rush yards, 2 rush TDs	68.3%, 3313 pass yards, 237 rush yards, 35 total TDs, 6 INTs, 166.1 rating
8	MICH LB/RB Jabrill Peppers	(W 41-8 vs Illinois) – 2 tackles, 71 all-purpose yards	35 total tackles, 8 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 107 rush yards, 2 TDs, 402 return yards, 1 return TD

New AP Top 25

Rank	School	Prev. Rank	This Week’s Game
1	Alabama Crimson Tide (8-70)	1	Bye Week
2	Michigan Wolverines (7-0)	3	@ Michigan State Spartans (2-5)
3	Clemson Tigers (7-0)	4	@ #12 Florida State Seminoles (5-2)
4	Washington Huskies (7-0)	5	@ #17 Utah Utes (7-1)
5	Louisville Cardinals (6-1)	7	@ Virginia Cavaliers (2-5)
6	Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)	2	Vs Northwestern Wildcats (4-3)
7	Nebraska Corhuskers (7-0)	8	@ #11 Wisconsin Badgers (5-2)
8	Baylor Bears (6-0)	9	@ Texas Longhorns (3-4)
9	Texas A&M (6-1)	6	Vs New Mexico State Aggies (2-5)
10	West Virginia Mountaineers (6-0)	12	@ Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-2)
11	Wisconsin Badgers (5-2)	10	Vs Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-0)
12	Florida State Seminoles (5-2)	13	Vs #3 Clemson Tigers (7-0)
13	Boise State Broncos (7-0)	14	@ Wyoming Cowboys (5-2)
14	Florida Gators (5-1)	15	@ Georgia Bulldogs (4-3)
15	Auburn Tigers (5-2)	21	@ Ole Miss Rebels (3-4)
16	Oklahoma Sooners (5-2)	16	Vs Kansas Jayhawks (1-6)
17	Utah Utes (7-1)	19	Vs #4 Washington Huskies (7-0)
18	Tennessee Volunteers (5-2)	18	@ South Carolina Gamecocks (3-4)
19	LSU Tigers (5-2)	25	Bye Week
20	Western Michigan Broncos (8-0)	20	Bye Week
21	North Carolina Tar Heels (6-2)	22	Bye Week
22	Navy Midshipmen (5-1)	24	@ South Florida Bulls (6-2)
23	Colorado Buffalos (6-2)	NR	Bye Week
24	Penn State Nittany Lions (5-2)	NR	@ Purdue Boilermakers (3-4)
25	Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2)	NR	@ Pittsburgh Panthers (5-2)

Dropped From Rankings

• Houston (11)
• Arkansas (17)
• Ole Miss (23)

*all schedules, statistics, and rankings come from espn.com*