While Ohio State slides into defeat, Florida’s Billy Napier struggles to count to 11 and Ole Miss longs for a day when games end after three quarters, Texas and Oregon enjoy the view from catbird seat, and Vanderbilt charges toward bowl eligibility.
After Week 6 went down as ‘Shocker Saturday,’ Week 7 followed up as the overtime chaser. Four games involving Top 25 teams went to overtime.
Playoff projections remain little more than guesswork.
Here’s what lingers on my mind after Week 7:
No, the Tide should reach for the concerned button, not the panic button. No. 7 Alabama is 5-1. What would its record be if Nick Saban still coached the Tide? Probably something like 5-1.
Saban lost a game in either September or October in each of his last three seasons. Two of those three teams still made the four-team playoff.
So, it’s ridiculously premature to panic about Kalen DeBoer’s tenure based on rickety performances in a loss to Vanderbilt and a 27-25 win against South Carolina.
Saban raised concerns about Alabama’s personnel in the defensive backfield before the season.
“I just think the question marks in the secondary, until those get resolved, it’s hard to sort of jump on that bandwagon,” he warned in July.
He doubled down after Alabama survived Georgia’s second-half rally in a 41-34 victory.
“Alabama’s secondary got exposed,” Saban said after that triumph, before the Tide allowed 252 passing yards to Vanderbilt, and South Carolina quarterbacks completed 75% of their passes for 242 yards against Alabama.
Saban hit the nail on the head. Alabama lost its three best defensive backs from last season’s team: All-America cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry went to the NFL, and safety Caleb Downs transferred to Ohio State.
Opponents are exploiting that back-end deficiency. Alabama also has been heavily penalized, continuing a yearslong trend.
Blue-chip cornerbacks are committed to DeBoer’s recruiting class, but the help won’t arrive in time for this year.
More teams – LSU, in particular – have the firepower to exploit Alabama’s defensive backfield issues, so consider this a lingering concern.
Alabama will go as far as quarterback Jalen Milroe can take it. He’s talented enough – see his performance against Georgia – for Alabama to reach the College Football Playoff despite other deficiencies.
SUPER SIX:Which teams can win national title from Texas to Oregon to … Alabama?!
RE-RANK:Texas edges Oregon for top spot in college football’s NCAA 1-134
The Longhorns are ranked No. 1 in both major polls, while Oregon is No. 2 after a 32-31 victory over Ohio State. The Buckeyes previously were ranked No. 2.
Did voters get this right?
That depends on your voting rationale.
If you believe the Top 25 should foremost reward teams that played and beat quality opponents, then the Ducks should be atop the poll. They beat Boise State in Week 2, and that win looks even better now,with the Broncos blasting through four consecutive opponents since. Oregon’s triumph over the Buckeyes stacks up with Alabama’s win over Georgia and Vanderbilt’s upset of Alabama as best wins of the season.
If you believe the poll should value the eye test and attempt to truly rate the nation’s best team No. 1, rather than rewarding the team with the best wins, then Texas rightfully sits in first.
The Longhorns are without weakness. Oklahoma experienced that Saturday. Texas blasted the Sooners, 34-3.
“(The Longhorns) are good in all of the right places,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said afterward. “They have explosive playmakers and have a really good defense, as well. They have a lot of experience.”
And they have not one but two good quarterbacks.
Texas won at Michigan in Week 2, so the Longhorns join Oregon with two impressive victories, albeit they have nothing to match the Ducks’ takedown of Ohio State.
I’d rank Texas No. 1, followed by Oregon, because the Longhorns consistently have performed as if they’re the nation’s strongest, most complete team.
No. 12 Iowa State and No. 13 Brigham Young are both 6-0. Texas Tech joins them with a 3-0 Big 12 record, although the Red Raiders (5-1) trail the Cyclones and Cougars for overall performance.
BYU enjoys Big 12 frontrunner status, because they have no ranked opponents left on their schedule.
BYU and Iowa State aren’t scheduled to play, so if each keeps winning, they’ll meet in the Big 12 championship game, with the chance for both to make the playoff. The Cougars and Cyclones are especially tough on defense, and both teams benefit from veteran, experienced rosters.
In this most unpredictable conference, I insert No. 17 Kansas State (5-1) alongside the top two candidates as top bets to win the Big 12. The Wildcats were woeful in a loss at BYU but otherwise have handled their business well.
BYU, with quality wins against K-State and SMU, would be best-positioned for an at-large playoff bid.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty takes this prize. This guy is a beast.
Jeanty totaled 1,248 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns in six games. Don’t think this only came against cupcake opponents. He ran for 192 yards and three scores in a 37-34 loss to Oregon. He’s projected to be the first running back selected in the NFL draft.
The second half of the season becomes more influential in Heisman balloting, and top quarterbacks will threaten to steal the spotlight, but if Jeanty keeps churning out yards while the Broncos march into the playoff, he’ll absolutely deserve to be in New York in December.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
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