It’s unbelievable what Tyler Huntley is doing this season. Against Washington (at Washington), Huntley made play after play. His 85.0 PFF grade and 139.6 Clean Passer Rating show this. Moreover, Huntley was incredible on third down.
Tyler Huntley on 3rd down today: 8-9, 143 yards, 1 TD, 7-10 first down conversions
3rd and 4, incomplete 3rd and 10, 31 yds 3rd and 21, 11 yds 3rd and 8, 9 yd TD pass 3rd and 6, 11 yds 3rd and 5, 2 yds 3rd and 3, 12 yd rush 3rd and 12, 41 yds 3rd and 8, 14 yds 3rd and 6, 23 yds
Even with Zack Moss averaging 3.7 yards-per-carry, it didn’t matter. Because Tyler Huntley proved he could take over a game. And he did it all on an injured leg!
Leading the Utes to a come-back win against the Huskies solidifies his position at the top of Pac-12 quarterbacks.
Tyler Huntley’s Efficiency
This 2019 season, the Pac-12 has a host of talented quarterbacks. Justin Herbert is currently projected to get drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Additionally, Jacob Eason earned praise for his NFL arm-strength and Anthony Gordon leads the FBS in passing yards and passing touchdowns. It’s an excellent year for Pac-12 quarterbacks. However, based off the metrics, it is actually Tyler Huntley that is currently the top Pac-12 quarterback.
While Tyler Huntley ranks 30th in passing yards (2,062) and 64th in passing touchdowns (11), his efficiency is off the charts! Currently, Tyler Huntley leads all Pac-12 quarterbacks in Passing Efficiency Rating (182.5), NFL Passer Rating (124.6) and ESPN’s QBR (96.0). His 182.5 Passing Efficiency Rating ranks 5th among qualified FBS quarterbacks. After watching Utah Utes games and pouring over stats, Huntley’s accuracy is phenomenal. This is NFL-level precision.
Touchdown to Interception Ratio
As said above, Huntley has just 11 passing touchdowns this season. But, he’s only thrown one interception. Additionally, Huntley carried the ball into the end zone four times. His 11-1 touchdown to interception ratio is great, especially considering his four rushing scores.
He’s not a game manager
Whether on broadcasts or Twitter, Tyler Huntley’s been labeled a “game manager”. Because of his lower counting stats (yards and touchdowns), combined with Utah’s defensive and rushing prowess, it’s an easy judgment to make. Though easy, it’s inaccurate.
Game managers don’t let the ball fly like Huntley. They keep passes short and safe. Yes, he doesn’t throw the ball as often as other college quarterbacks. But, when he does, he isn’t afraid to take shots. His 10.8 yards-per-attempt and 11.7 adjusted yards-per-attempt both rank fourth in the nation. No other Pac-12 quarterback tops him in either of those categories.
Should Tyler Huntley be in the Heisman Conversation?
So, in review, Tyler Huntley ranks higher than all other Pac-12 quarterbacks in:
Passing Efficiency Rating
NFL Passer Rating
ESPN’s QBR
Yards-Per-Attempt
Adjusted Yards-Per-Attempt
It’s time to give Tyler Huntley the reigns of the Utah Utes offense. Let him show Pac-12 and the rest of college football what he’s made of. He’s already proven that he can be efficient and productive when called upon. Huntley, even with a bum-leg, can carry his team. If he leads his team to a Pac-12 title and college football playoffs, he has to be in the conversation.
Huntley is accurate, efficient, impressive and leads a strong offense. He’s an elite college quarterback and should be treated as such.
After two months of the regular season, the first College Football Playoff rankings were revealed this past Tuesday. Let’s just say that fans of the Big Ten and SEC should be very happy.
Here’s the full #CFBPlayoff Top 25 rankings for games played through November 2.
Ohio State, LSU, Alabama, and Penn State are in the first four spots. For reference, my playoff heading into Week 11 is LSU, Ohio State, Alabama, and Clemson. The playoff rankings are guaranteed to change after this weekend because of the showdown in Tuscaloosa when No. 1 LSU plays No. 2 Alabama. Here are the Top 5 CFP storylines heading into Week 11.
If No. 1 vs. No. 2 doesn’t get your juices going, then you must be a corpse. LSU and their high powered offense travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama in one of the most important games of the year. However, the real story is the health of Tua Tagovailoa. Will his ankle hold up? If Tua has limited mobility and can’t make the plays fans are used to seeing him make, Alabama is in for a long day especially if their defense can’t contain Burrow and the fourth-ranked offense in the country.
Can Minnesota Derail Penn State’s Perfect Season?
Heading into Saturday's showdown with Penn State, #Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck says his program is "exactly where we're supposed to be." The #Gophers are young, but they've recruited & developed well & are one of the most efficient teams in teams in America https://t.co/W7YJ0TaR3A
Should we be rowing the boat with Minnesota? The Golden Gophers have been the surprise of the Big Ten with an 8-0 record. However, the committee did not show any love towards the Gophers as Minnesota ranked 17th in the first playoff ranking. That ranking reflects their lack of quality opponents and 77th ranked strength of schedule. However, that can all change with a win over Penn State on Saturday. The Nittany Lions surprised some by receiving the final playoff spot over Clemson. Penn State still has a clash with Ohio State later this month, but they can’t afford to overlook Minnesota. PJ Fleck could have the entire country rowing the boat around 3 o’clock on Saturday if Minnesota upsets Penn State.
Clemson Is Fine… If They Win Out
Clemson is the defending National Champion and owns the nation’s longest winning streak (24), but the Tigers were outside of the top four in the CFP. Tiger fans are wondering why “no one respects them.” What do you want me to tell you? The toughest game Clemson has played all season was in Week 2 against Texas A&M. Currently, A&M is 6-3 and unranked. The Tigers started off slow and accumulated few quality wins. That being said, the Tigers still have Dabo Swinney, Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and the fourth-ranked defense in the country. Clemson fans, relax. Win out and the Tigers will be in the playoff. However, lose one game and Clemson won’t be able to defend their championship.
Iowa And Wisconsin Still Fighting For The Big Ten West
Minnesota is in the driver’s seat for the Big Ten West with a 5-0 conference record. However, Iowa and Wisconsin are both alive at 3-2 in the conference. After Penn State, Minnesota plays both Iowa and Wisconsin (along with Northwestern) to wrap up the regular season. If Minnesota loses to Penn State, the winner of this week’s Iowa and Wisconsin game will control their own destiny for the chance to play in the Big Ten Championship. Expect a low scoring game at Camp Randall as Wisconsin and Iowa have the first and sixth-ranked defenses respectively.
Hypothetical Season Has Only Just Begun
College Football Playoff
The reveal of one playoff ranking has sent both teams and fans into pandemonium. The long list of hypotheticals aka “What Ifs” will dominate discussion over the next month. George broke down each team’s potential road to the playoff, but I want to focus on the biggest hypothetical in college football. Let’s say LSU, Ohio State, and Clemson all win out and win their respective conference championships. Those three teams would make the playoff, which leaves one remaining spot left. Who gets in if Alabama has one loss to LSU, Penn State has one loss to Ohio State, and Oregon has one loss to Auburn but wins the Pac-12? The answer should be Oregon, but that’s no guarantee. As we’ve seen in years past, teams with one loss have gotten into the playoff over conference champions. Nothing is written in stone.
What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 11? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow or email us immad@unafraidshow.com.
The first College Football Playoff Committee rankings were released and this is the perfect time to start the “Road to the CFB Playoff” series. I will examine every team with a realistic path to the top four and how they can get there. Every Sunday I release the College Football Top 10 Rankings As It Should Be. Nine of my top teams were there, and 1-5 were almost exactly like the committees, except mine, are ranked by three criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance.
College Football Playoff Committee Rankings Week 11
From the Top 25 teams, there are 12 teams with ANY shot to make the top four. The entire top 10 is in play plus Baylor and Minnesota. Auburn is eliminated for now because they have no path to the SEC Championship game, and would need a lot of weird things to happen. Plus they would need to beat Georgia and Alabama. The same is true of Wisconsin. They have a path to the Big Ten championship, but chaos would have to happen for them to get in the top four.
As of this week here is how it appears the CFB Playoff Top 4 will shake out.
Undefeated Big Ten Winner- Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota
Undefeated or 1 loss SEC Champion- LSU, Alabama, Georgia
Clemson
Pac-12 Champion- Oregon, Utah
Now one to each team and their path(s)
Ohio State: Win and they are in. There is no scenario where they are undefeated and/or win the Big Ten Championship with one loss and don’t get in (it would be impossible for them to lose to Rutgers or Maryland). Even if the Buckeyes lost to Penn State in a couple of weeks, they would have a strong case compared to 1-loss Alabama, Oregon, Utah. The Buckeyes could make it undefeated to the Big Ten Championship and lose to Minnesota which would send college football into a tailspin.
LSU: Win and they are in. Beat Alabama, don’t get tripped up by Ole Miss, Arkansas (LOL), or Texas A&M. Ohio State and LSU are the only teams that could lose in their conference championship games and still have a playoff case.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide have NO room for error in 2019. Their awful non-conference schedule plus only playing no ranked teams before this weekend against LSU will hurt. Even if Alabama beats LSU and goes on to the SEC Championship and loses to 1-loss Georgia, they will be out unless Ohio State, Penn State, or Clemson lose in their conference game to a 1 or more loss team.
Penn State: Win out and no one can leapfrog them. Penn State has a better resume than Alabama but the CFB Playoff committee still put them behind Bama, so is there any way the Nittany Lions get in the pot four with a loss? I do not see a scenario that doesn’t involve Ohio State losing twice and PSU winning the Big Ten Championship which is far fetched.
Clemson: There are two ways Clemson gets in; win out and they are guaranteed a playoff spot, or pray for the unlikely demise of about 3-4 teams. We won’t even go down that rabbit hole, it’s too weird.
Georgia: There is only one way Georgia gets in, winning out. They cannot afford any more losses. The CFB Rankings already rewarded them for the Florida and Notre Dame wins more than it punished them for the horrendous S. Carolina loss. Even if UGA wins the SEC Championship but loses one of their last three games to Auburn, Texas A&M, or Georgia Tech they will be left out of a playoff of undefeated Big Ten champ, Clemson, 1 l-loss Pac-12 champ.
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Oregon and Utah: The Pac-12 is very alive even though people tried to bury them early in the season. Both teams are in nearly the exact same situation. If both teams are 11-1 when they meet in the Pac-12 championship it should be a top 5 or 5 vs 6 matchup. The winner will most likely get in the playoff. Oregon will have a better shot than Utah because traditionally, the committee has leaned toward named brand teams.
Oklahoma: Lincoln Riley’s team is sitting at #9. It is much lower than most people thought, but right about where I had them in the College Football Playoff Rankings As It Should Be (CFPRAISB). They need Oregon or Utah to lose and the other win the Pac-12. In addition, they need LSU to beat Alabama. They also need to beat Baylor twice and Baylor to finish 11-2. A Clemson loss wouldn’t hurt either.
Florida: Florida needs a miracle at this point. Their last three games are Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Florida State. None of those games move the needle. They would also need Georgia to lose two games to send Florida to the SEC Championship. If that happens they would need to beat an undefeated LSU or Alabama. And… nevermind. It’s not happening.
Baylor: The Bears are in the same situation they were in in 2015 when Ohio State jumped Baylor and TCU. They don’t have the respect of the nation. The difference is that they are still undefeated. Baylor needs to dominate Texas, beat Oklahoma twice, or beat K-State in the Big 12 championship.
Minnesota: Win out and they will make the playoff. They sit at #17 right now, but if they defeat Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio State over the next five weeks they will be the #1 team in the nation. No one will have run a gauntlet like that.
This playoff top four would be a lot easier to figure out and there would be no need for expansion if teams scheduled better. Imagine a college football world where everyone scheduled 10 or 11 Power Five games. Every Saturday would be power-packed. That is part of the reason there are some who believe the traditional conference model will go away and there will be one super conference of around 30 teams that only play each other.
The way this season is shaping up, everyone may be on board with an 8 team playoff. There will be so many 1 loss teams who will be deserving of a chance to play for a championship. Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have the five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team to get automatic bids? There would still be two spots left for at-large bids. You would always get the best and most deserving teams in the tournament. That might actually cause teams to schedule better non-conference games because they would know they could still get in the CFB Playoffs with 1-2 losses. Fans would then get better games.
After nine games, it’s crystal clear that the Washington Huskies have problems. Their five and four record exemplifies that. Even worse, the Huskies are two and four in Pac-12 conference games. For fans, it feels like a lost season. Expectations were as high as College Football Playoffs but fell to hopes of any bowl appearance.
Against Cal, Washington led 19-17 with just two minutes and five seconds left. Versus Oregon, the Huskies were up 28-14 in the second half. Most recently, against Utah, UW was up 21-13 in the third quarter.
And yet, Washington lost each of these games. They collapsed. In the first halves, the Huskies look dominant as can be. Eason and company, as well as the defense, make play after play. But then, once the game is on the line, something shifts. 2019 is full of difficult and painful learning opportunities.
But, here’s the ugliest part of it all. Each of these losses came at home. They lost three games, after leading inside Husky Stadium. Even with home-field advantage (evidenced by referee favor in “Scorecasting” by Tobias Moskowitz and L. Jon Wertheim), Washington couldn’t close out games. Honestly, who wants to go to a Husky game if they keep losing at home?
Washington’s hopes for a bowl game
Thankfully, because Washington isn’t a dreadful team, they still should make a bowl game. According to experts, Washington will play in the Alamo, Holiday or Redbox Bowl.. Kyle Bonagura from ESPN predicts UW to play in the Alamo Bowl against Baylor. Also from ESPN, Mark Schlabach thinks that the Huskies will land in the Holiday Bowl versus Michigan. Joe Tansey from Bleacher Report has Washington playing against Michigan State in the Holiday Bowl. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports projects UW to face off against Indiana in the Redbox Bowl.
If nothing else, a bowl win is a great way to finish the season.
Unfortunately, Jacob Eason is a top quarterback prospect in the 2020 NFL draft. Walter Football ranks him fourth among eligible quarterbacks. Additionally, drafttek.com has Eason at 50th overall and their sixth quarterback. He’s a strong, NFL prospect. Considering the turmoil in the NFL right now with quarterbacks and the success of Gardner Minshew, Eason will get drafted early if he enters the 2020 draft.
It took too long to get Puka Nacua involved. For some reason, Chris Peterson continued to play seniors over more talented receivers. Granted, it’s easy to trust seniority over raw talent. But, according to many beat reporters and scouts, Puka Nacua turned heads in practices. Then, once inserted into games, he displayed playmaking abilities. Improper self-scouting cost Washington points.
Because the Huskies lose Aaron Fuller, Andre Baccellia, Chico McClatcher and likely Hunter Bryant this season, it will force them to play different receivers on offense. But, Nacua is just one wide receiver highlighting a larger issue. The Huskies need to prioritize talent and upside over age and safety.
Better execution on third down
On third down this season, the Huskies converted 41 of 115 opportunities (35.65-percent). Some of the most painful punts to watch were followed by game-changing drives by Cal, Oregon, and Utah. Better innovation is needed. Which, considering Washington’s two and four record in Pac-12 games, should be an obvious desire. UW knows these opponents. It shouldn’t be this difficult to game-plan against familiar opponents.
Less field goals, more touchdowns for Washington
This season, in the red zone, Washington scored 21 touchdowns and kicked 13 field goals. Against competitive teams, UW settled for safety and squandered their winning chances. Of note, the Huskies are 14 of 21 (66.67-percent) on fourth down this season. Why not go for it more often? They certainly can’t do worse than this season.
Welcome to the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 11. Overall, it was a great week for the conference. The two best teams had great performances on national television while the east coast was still awake. However, Pac-12 refs managed to steal the show and become the center of attention. The officiating is so bad that even commissioner Larry Scott who said Pac-12 referees were on par with other conferences at Pac-12 Media had to admit what we all know:
“I sit through a review every single week with David Coleman, the head of our officiating, and I can tell you there’s a significant number of mistakes every week,” Scott said according to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times.
Players and fans deserve better than to have crucial games be affected by horrendous officiating.
A few weeks ago a writer put out a parity “Pac-12 simulator” for the rest of the season that had every team finishing between 5-7 and 7-5. With the exception of Oregon and Utah, he was not far off. There is a logjam of parity and averageness below the two elite teams. Weirdly, UCLA is still alive to win the south, but that would require beating Utah.
If Oregon and Utah meet with 1-loss in the Pac-12 Championship, the winner should land a spot in the College Football Playoff Top 4.
Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games. The Pac-12 Power Rankings will available on Unafraid Show every Monday morning. Make sure you send your comments and grievances to immad@unafraidshow.com.
12. Colorado Buffaloes (3-5, 1-4)
Last Week: 14-31 (L) at UCLA
Things are continuing to spiral out of control for the Buffaloes. They have lost five straight games and six of their last seven. Colorado has only been competitive in two of the six losses. Mel Tucker’s team appears to have quit on him the same way they quit on Mike MacIntyre when they lost seven straight to close last season. Those same players are there, which means the roster and program need a complete overhaul.
The Buffaloes are recruiting a lot of junior college players which should add a lot of depth and hungry new talent for 2020. With Stanford, Washington, and Utah left on the schedule the Buffaloes might drop eight straight to finish the season.
11. Arizona Wildcats (4-5, 2-4)
Last Week: 28-56 (L) vs Oregon State
The Wildcats are a complete disaster. It is clear that this team is short on top tier playmakers on both sides of the ball. But, that is not even their biggest problem. For weeks I have noted that this team has no identity. Kevin Sumlin has continuously played quarterback shuffle between Khalil Tate and Grant Gunnell. The two quarterbacks couldn’t have more different styles of play. This causes confusion amongst the players and doesn’t allow Arizona to built offensive continuity.
Sumlin also fired his defensive coordinator Marcel Yates last week. The team proceeded to give up 56 points and 572 yards of total offense. Arizona moved into last place in the Pac-12 in total defense (481 ypg) and scoring defense (37.3 ppg).
10. Cal Golden Bears (4-4, 1-4)
Last Week: IDLE
Cal had a week off which means they are one week closer to getting their quarterback Chase Garbers back. The Bears broken offense has had a dramatic effect on their defense. Bad field position and turnovers have consistently put the defense in positions that even the ’85 Chicago Bears couldn’t defend against. Cal’s defense knows that do have any shot this week against Washington State, they must score points with a pick-six or fumble-six.
At this point, it would take nothing short of a miracle for Cal to make a bowl game.
9. Washington State Cougars (5-4, 2-4)
Last Week: IDLE
The Cougars are statistically the best offense in the Pac-12. They average 41 points per game and 521 yards per game. The floor has just fallen in on the moral of Wazzu since blowing a 32-point lead against UCLA. Mike Leach has three games to find one win to get his team to their 5th consecutive bowl game.
There is a term in the NFL called the “rookie wall”. That is when rookies have played more snaps and have been grinding for consecutive weeks than they did in college. Arizona State has hit the college version of that. Herm Edwards’s team is extremely young at key positions and it is starting to show.
They lived on the edge and won many early-season games by the hairs on their chinny chin chins. Now, as the season grows longer their focus faded and their youth is showing. This off week should revive the Sun Devils and they should perform much better against USC this week.
7. Washington Huskies (5-4, 2-4)
Last Week: 28-33 (L) vs Utah
We cannot ignore the results and allow any bias to affect the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 11. Chris Petersen is a really good coach and Washington is a talented football team. However, they are 2-4 in conference play with losses to Cal, Stanford, Oregon, and Utah. Teams are their record, and UW is a middle of the road Pac-12 team right now despite playing close games against Oregon and Utah.
Jacob Eason is such an enigma to me. In the Utah game, he made throws in the first half that prove he could be an NFL 1st round pick. Then he proceeded to throw two awful interceptions including a pix-six that turned the game in Utah’s favor.
The Huskies are a young football team on defense and should be much better next season. However, the Washington fans seem to be growing impatient with the coaching staff’s lack of signature wins.
6. Stanford Cardinal (4-4, 3-3)
Last Week: IDLE
Stanford has been extremely beaten up this season, particularly at the quarterback position. The Cardinal have been night and day depending on their quarterback situation. If the quarterback is KJ Costello or Davis Mills the team can function passing the football which then opens up their running game. Hopefully, the off week allowed the team to get healthy and they can get the six wins needed to get to a bowl game.
There is not an honest person around that could say they believed Oregon State would be second in the Pac-12 North after ten weeks of football. Jonathan Smith has far exceeded expectations in 2019. This is the same team that lost seven games by at least 21 points in 2018. Oregon State’s offense has carried them this season. The offensive combinations of Luton, Pierce, Jefferson, and Hodgins have been a nightmare for opposing defenses (except Utah). They are averaging almost 34 ppg and 431 yards per game.
Don’t sleep on DE Hamilcar Rashed for Pac-12 defensive player of the year. He leads the conference with 12 sacks.
Beavers fans who were just hunting to find winnable games on the schedule are now looking at the possibility of making a bowl game.
4. UCLA Bruins (4-5, 4-2)
Last Week: 31-14 (W) vs Colorado
This cannot be real. UCLA is #4 in the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 11. Who behind them do you put in front of a team that is 4-2 in the conference? NOBODY.
Chip Kelly has his team peaking at the right time. The Bruins even control their own destiny in the Pac-12 South. Win their last three games against Utah, USC, and Cal and they are in the Pac-12 Championship. I’m not a madman so I don’t see that happening, but just making a bowl game would be a huge victory.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is growing up in front of our eyes and is making better decisions each week. Even UCLA’s defense has improved over the last few weeks. Their defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro has lit a fire under his team and they have responded.
If UCLA does the unthinkable and wins the Pac-12 South I am going to spike the football so hard on everyone who called me crazy in the preseason.
3. USC Trojans (5-4, 4-2)
Last Week: 24-56 (L) vs Oregon
USC doesn’t feel good to me at the three spot, but who the hell else could I put here? The Trojans are playing below expectations and have a head coach that nearly everyone believes will be replaced at the end of this season. But, they are the only team to beat Utah and are 4-2 in the conference.
USC was just demolished by Oregon. It was one of the first times that Clay Helton’s team looked like their will had been broken. His players play hard for him because they like him. College football is a results-based business and the results aren’t good enough for the Trojans.
Is Utah better than Oregon? There are a ton of people in Salt Lake City and a couple of people in the national media who believe so. Kyle Whittingham has his team firing on all cylinders. They are tough, physical, and disciplined. The only knock on this team is that for the first time in a long time their kicking game is suspect.
I have said that Utah won’t be able to ride their defense and Zack Moss to the Pac-12 Championship game. I thought QB Tyler Huntley would have to have 2 special performances to get them there. But, that looks to be untrue right now. Maybe his special ability is his leadership and calming effect on the team.
Zack Moss is a workhorse. The only way to beat Utah is to stop him.
1. Oregon Ducks (8-1, 6-0)
Last Week: 56-24 (W) at USC
The Ducks had a statement game against USC for the entire nation to see. After being held scoreless in the first quarter, they went on a 56-7 scoring run. Oregon is a complete football team. When Oregon’s offense, defense, and special teams are firing at the same time, they may be one of the four best teams in the nation.
To this point, Oregon looks like the toughest team in the Pac-12. They have faced injuries to starters and overcome having a target on their back every week. Every team in the Pac-12 wants to knock the shine off the Ducks. Week 11 is an off week for the Ducks to get healthy and mentally regroup for the stretch run.
Check back every Monday for the next Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 11.
Welcome to the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 11 As it Should Be. Even though only half of the top 10 teams were in action, there was still significant movement in the rankings. The more information we have, the better more accurate the rankings get. The first edition of the CFB Playoff CommitteeTop 25 will be released on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see if they reward the named brand preseason top 5 teams or the teams with the best resumes. Rankings should be fair and unbiased, but that’s not the world we live in when preseason polls ultimately affect the final rankings.
We always think there will be chaos in college football, but it rarely happens. However, this season it is clear that nothing can be taken for granted.
The Big Ten will have just a good of a “we should have two teams in the CFB Playoff” as the SEC, even though neither should get two when Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah can play with anybody in the nation.
College Football Playoff
We now have enough information to start putting together CFB Playoff scenarios. So here is how it should shake out at this point.
Undefeated Big Ten Winner- (Ohio State/Penn State). But Minnesota could mess everything up by winning the Big Ten with one loss. Assuming that loss is to Penn State or Wisconsin, Minnesota would still have a real chance to get in.
SEC Champion- This gets a little complicated because Georgia, Alabama, and LSU could all win the conference and the winner could have 2 losses. Or you could have 1-loss Georgia beating an undefeated Alabama or LSU.
Clemson- They have no competition in the ACC so they will finish undefeated with a string of blowout victories.
Pac-12 Champion- (Oregon/Utah) If both teams finish the season 11-1 the conference championship game will featured a top 10 showdown. And both teams are playing exceptional football right now.
The way this season is shaping up, everyone may be on board with an 8 team playoff. There will be so many 1 loss teams who will be deserving of a chance to play for a championship. Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have the five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team to get automatic bids? There would still be two spots left for at-large bids. You would always get the best and most deserving teams in the tournament. That might actually cause teams to schedule better non-conference games because they would know they could still get in the CFB Playoffs with 1-2 losses. Fans would then get better games.
The Rules: No Bias, No Bull College Football Rankings
There is no more unbiased ranking out there than Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6. I get criticized from time to time by people who only want to see the college football world through the lens of the AP Poll. These rankings are not going to look like the AP Poll. Open your eyes to see a different view of evaluating the top 10. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. After the preseason rankings, only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games.
I re-rank the top 10 every Sunday from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change, sometimes drastically every week because we will have new information. So make sure to come back every Sunday. For reference, you can check College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 10.
College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 10:
Next Up: Minnesota, Florida, Michigan
10. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1)
Last Week: at IDLE
People are writing the Sooners out of the playoff, but it’s much too early, and way too many games left to do that. They still have games against TCU, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, a top 15 matchup with Baylor, and the Big 12 Championship game. There is still so much football left to be played to say a team is left for dead.
I bet Lincoln Riley took this off week to focus on his defense that was run over by Kansas State. If Oklahoma gets their defense fixed, there is no question about this team’s ability to hoist the crystal trophy.
9. Baylor Bears (7-0)
Last Week: 17-14 West Virginia
If wasn’t pretty against West Virginia, but a win is a win, especially when that win is a midweek game. Playing on Thursday nights should be reserved for Group of 5 teams instead of Power 5 schools. We still don’t know a ton about Baylor because they haven’t played a ranked team and their dominance is questionable. However, they ave jumped through all the requisite hoops in front of them and beat the team (K-State_ that beat Oklahoma.
I would be willing to bet most college football fans can’t name two players off their team. So, I’ll help out…
QB: Charlie Brewer, RBs: John Lovett, JaMycal Hasty, WR: Denzel Mims, Tyquan Thornton
8. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1)
Last Week: 24-17 (W) vs Florida
That terrible loss to South Carolina clearly woke the Bulldogs up. Georgia put on a really good showing against Florida. They struggled running the football but still managed 100 yards on the ground. Their defense put Florida’s running game in a headlock, 1.1 yards per carry. They now have the inside track to the SEC East crown and date with either Alabama or LSU in the SEC Championship. As long as UGA doesn’t get tripped up by Auburn or TAMU before then their CFB Playoff dreams will remain alive.
7. Utah (8-1)
Last Week: vs 33-28 (W) at Washington
The Utes defense is for real. After starting slowly against the Washington Huskies, the defense buckled down and slowly bled them out. They confused Jacob Eason and forced him into two terrible interceptions including a pick-six. Utah has been able to dominate games on the ground without an explosive passing attack. They do a good job of winning first down and staying in 3rd and short.
Utah does not beat themselves. They play fundamentally sound and will be a real problem for ANY opponent. Some are even arguing they are better than the Oregon Ducks.
6. Oregon Ducks (8-1)
Last Week: vs USC
Oregon put an absolute whipping on USC. Since conservative play-calling caused their week one loss to Auburn, the Ducks have steamrolled the competition. Their defense and offensive line have led the way. This is Oregon’s best team since the 2015 team that went to the CFB Championship in 2015. East coast bias will try and dismiss the Ducks, but this is a complete football team. They are one of the few teams in the nation who are tops in the nation in scoring offense and scoring defense.
People thought the the Pac-12 was out of the CFB Playoff conversation. But ten weeks into the season Oregon and Utah are squarely back in the conversation.
Check out our Pac-12 Football Podcast, Pac-12 Apostles:
Without any obvious opportunities for quality wins on the schedule, it is crucial the Clemson’s dominance remains on max. Wofford was nothing more than a SEC-like November cupcake. I for one hate these games. It is a waste of time and does a disservice to fans. Who wants to watch that besides Wofford fans and Clemson’s third-string players’ families?
Is it possible that Clemson’s defense is better than last years’ with multiple first-round draft picks? They are still one of the most dominant teams in college football.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0)
Last Week: IDLE
There is only question on the mind of every college football fan, “How healthy is Tua?”. He had a procedure to shore up an ankle injury suffered in the Tennessee game. It feels like Bama’s entire season rests on this one game against LSU. It would be hard to imagine a scenario where the Bama loses to LSU and gets in the CFB Playoff. Their non-conference schedule is terrible and their conference schedule doesn’t have Georgia or Florida on it.
It sure will be nice to see the Crimson Tide play a good team this season. Eight wins and no games against teams currently ranked in the top 25. The fact they have been #1 in the AP poll makes ZERO sense.
3. Penn State (8-0)
Last Week: IDLE
It only took eight wins and an off week for the national media to recognize all the good work Penn State has done. So many people tried to minimize their quality win against Michigan. However, the Wolverines are 7-2 with their only losses against Penn State and Wisconsin. Ohio State is the popular pick out of the Big Ten, but the Nittany Lions won’t go down without a fight.
This week they get an opportunity for another quality win as they take on undefeated Minnesota.
2. LSU (8-0)
Last Week: IDLE
Nothing can go wrong if you don’t play. LSU has been so dominant and has qualities wins this season. There is nothing any team that played this weekend could have done to knock the Tigers out of the top 2. Everything is on the line against Alabama. This feel like the first time since Cam Newton was at Auburn that people believe anyone but Bama is the best team in the SEC.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0)
Last Week: IDLE
A week off is the perfect opportunity to get on the Chase Young Heisman train. He is by far the most dominant defensive lineman in college football. The scary part is that Nick Bosa and Young were on the same DL last year. Ohio State had at Purdue last year, but at the end of the season, they were one of the four best teams in the country. This year they are leaving no doubt.
OSU has proven they are the most complete team in the country. They are dominant on offense, defense, and special teams. Plus they have multiple top 25 wins. They are the #1 team in the country.
Check back next Sunday morning for the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 11.
While the Oregon Ducks held onto the spotlight with their seventh-straight win, the Utah Utes deserve more recognition. Granted, the Utes are ranked ninth in the nation, but they still don’t get the love they deserve from Pac-12 fans. With a top defense and an effective offense, the Utah Utes are the best team in the Pac-12.
The Oregon Ducks showed weakness against Washington and Washington State
After dominating opponents for five straight weeks, Oregon slipped. Now, they didn’t lose to Washington or Washington State. But, their wins were too close for a top team.
Nevada, Montana, Stanford, Cal and Colorado: 195 Points Scored: 25 Points Allowed
Washington and Washington State: 72 Points Scored: 66 Points Allowed
Against Washington and Washington State, Oregon’s point differential dropped from Plus-175 to Plus-6. Their defense bent against Jacob Eason and Anthony Gordon.
Additionally, they also needed heroic wins against the Huskies and Cougars. In Week 8, the Oregon Ducks overcame a 14-point deficit and got the benefit of a late, no-call on the Huskies final drive. Additionally, they needed a last-second field goal to beat the Cougars. Yes, the Ducks got the wins, but it wasn’t pretty.
Additionally, Utah has PFF’s two highest graded defenders, Julian Blackmon (86) and Terrell Burgess (84). These safeties are just one reason why Utah steamrolls its opponents. Defensively, the Utah Utes have it all. Teams can’t run against them, pass against them or score against them. It’s a deadly squad ready to win a championship.
Quality and consistent on offense
With such a stifling defense, the Utah Utes only need an average offense to compete. A game-manager at quarterback would suffice. Considering that their holding opponents to 10.3 points per game, the offense doesn’t have to do much.
However, Utah’s offense is putting up 33.1 points per game with a quality, balanced, offensive system. In six of their eight games, they’ve scored at least 30 points. Their quarterback, Tyler Huntley, is having a quiet and underrated season. Currently, Huntley has 1,778 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, 229 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns and just one interception.
Additionally, per PFF, Huntley ranks first in the nation in Adjusted Completion Percentage. This metric factors out “dropped passes, throwaways, spiked balls, batted passes and passes where the QB was hit as he threw the ball.” His 86.9-percent Adjusted Completion Percentage displays his elite accuracy. Huntley’s 10.3 yards per attempt (6th in nation) and 123.4 passer rating (7th in the nation) show how underrated he is. Huntley is accurate, efficient and elite. Don’t sleep on Tyler Huntley.
Moreover, the Utah Utes utilize their powerful running back, Zack Moss. Moss, per PFF, is forcing a missed tackle on 45-percent of his rush attempts, third highest of the league. His five forced missed tackles and 65 yards after contact in their recent win display this. Moss’ 10 rushing touchdowns lead the Pac-12 and he also rolled up 728 rushing yards. Keep in mind, Utah’s benched Moss multiple times this season in blowout wins. If he played every quarter this season, he’d likely have over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. Moss is a top runner in the nation and the Utah Utes lean on him to close out games.
Move Aside Oregon, it’s time for the Utah Utes to rise
In almost every defensive metric, the Utah Utes are better than the Oregon Ducks. Additionally, quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss are efficient and productive when called upon. They have an elite defense, a strong offense, and every reason to be crowned as the Pac-12 kings.
Can Top 10 teams still beat unranked opponents? In the past three weeks, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma all fell victim to unranked opponents, jeopardizing their chances at the College Football Playoff. If I’m Clemson, Utah, and Oregon, I’m a little worried this week. Ahead of Week 10, my College Football Playoff includes:
LSU
Ohio State
Alabama
Clemson
Goodbye, Oklahoma, and hello, Clemson. I was worried about Clemson’s strength of schedule and lack of quality wins because it would be less than those of Oklahoma, Georgia, and Wisconsin if all finished undefeated. That being said, if Clemson goes undefeated, they will make the playoff.
The marquee game of Week 10 is No. 8 Georgia taking on No. 6 Florida in Jacksonville. From there, the Pac-12 has two interesting games with No. 9 Utah taking on Washington and No. 7 Oregon taking on USC. Here are the Top 5 CFP storylines heading into Week 10.
If you haven’t already, now’s the time to start taking Baylor seriously. The Bears are 7-0 and first in the Big 12 standings. The Bears are winning the close games and getting it done with their defense, which allows a conference-best 19.1 points per game. Baylor still has to play Oklahoma and Texas back-to-back, but both of those games are at home. It’s unlikely that Baylor makes the playoff but never say never.
Can Utah survive in Seattle?
Defense 😤@Utah_Football ranks top 3 in the nation in multiple stat categories:
1st in rushing defense (56.4 ypg) 2nd in first downs allowed (101) 3rd in total defense (231.0) 3rd in 3rd-down conversions (26.3%)#goutes#Pac12FBpic.twitter.com/fV3gQrvTf8
Utah has slowly but surely crept its way into the Top 10 in the AP Poll. The Utes are getting it done with their dominant defense, which is ranked third in the country. Plus, it also helps to have an offense that has scored over 30 points in six of eight games. That being said, Washington is a team you can’t look past especially with Jacob Eason under center. Two weeks ago, the Huskies held a 14-point lead over Oregon before the Ducks scored late to win do the Huskies can rise to the occasion. If Utah can survive, they should win out to end the season.
Oregon Can Make The College Football Playoff
I’ve mentioned this before, but now I actually believe it. Oregon can make the College Football Playoff. They survived last week against Washington State thanks to a last-second field goal, but a win is a win. The last couple of weeks have been full of upsets in the Top 10, which has opened the door for the Ducks. More teams are going to lose in the Top 10. Georgia vs. Florida, Alabama vs. LSU, and Ohio State vs. Penn State will all be Top 10 matchups. It’s simple math. Oregon must win out, which is not up for debate, but with teams in front of them losing, the Ducks case for the CFP will be strong. That being said, USC is no easy out. The Ducks have not won in LA since 2012 so Saturday night in the Coliseum should provide fireworks.
The AAC Goes To Primetime
Hey Memphis … THE WAIT IS OVER! WE'RE COMING TO YOUR CITY!@SMU_Football vs. @MemphisFB. See you Saturday!
Who said the AAC doesn’t have big games? It’s a huge weekend for the AAC as the undefeated SMU Mustangs go on the road to take on the 7-1 Memphis Tigers. It’s arguably the biggest day in Memphis’ football history as College GameDay will be on Beale Street. The winner of this game will take control of the American Athletic Conference West. However, the stakes are even higher as the winner of this game will be in the driver’s seat to represent the Group of Five in the New Year’s Six. Memphis is a 5.5 favorite, but I expect this game to be decided by a last-second field goal.
The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
Nine years ago, @GatorsFB defeated Georgia 34-31 in OT.
Grab your favorite drink and turn to CBS at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday because Jacksonville will be rocking when Georgia battles Florida for the SEC East. If you want a shootout, this is not the game for you as Georgia ranks seventh and Florida ranks 25th in total defense. However, this game is going to come down to quarterback play. For Kyle Trask and Jake Fromm, whoever makes fewer mistakes should come out on top. With both teams in the Top 10, a win here could catapult the winner into the Top 5, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 10? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow or email us immad@unafraidshow.com
UW Football Faces Oregon and Utah in Back-to-Back Weeks
Thought Oregon was Difficult? Well, this weekend the UW football team faces off against the 9th-ranked Utah Utes. Per Oddshark, the Utes are two-point road favorites.
What Makes Utah so Good?
Dominant Defense
Defense 😤@Utah_Football ranks top 3 in the nation in multiple stat categories:
1st in rushing defense (56.4 ypg) 2nd in first downs allowed (101) 3rd in total defense (231.0) 3rd in 3rd-down conversions (26.3%)#goutes#Pac12FBpic.twitter.com/fV3gQrvTf8
Somehow, the Utah Utes have a fantastic offense as well. Impressively, they’ve scored at least 30 points in six of their eight games. Tyler Huntley’s 10-to-1 touchdown-to-interception rate perfectly complements Utah’s dominant defense.
Additionally, Zack Moss is the perfect game-closing running back. His 6.6 yards-per-carry (on 728 total yards) and 10 touchdowns display this. Moss is the second-best running back in the Pac-12 and Utah’s offense is lucky to have him.
As noted above, Utah has a dominant defense that destroys its opponents. Moreover, they have an offense that routinely scores at least 30 points. The Huskies have to bring their A-game in order to get a victory.
Convert Third and Fourth Downs
Currently, the UW football team ranks 106th in third-down success rate. Against Oregon, this was detrimental. They converted just 3 of 13 third downs. Oregon came back from a 14-point deficit to win. If Chris Peterson wants a UW football win, he needs to create opportunities for success. Third-down play-calling may seem the most important. But, it’s the calls on first and second down that ultimately put a team in third-down success.
On top of that, the Huskies need to continue their fourth-down bravery. Last week, against Oregon, their fourth-down conversions were key to offensive success. Even though the last one didn’t work out, Washington needs to keep going for it (process-over-results).
As easy as it is to play the seniors, UW football’s been better with young players. Playing the young, talented wide receivers like Puka Nacua is a big component of success. In order to win, Chris Peterson needs to prioritize talent over age.
Pass-Pass-Pass
Last week, Jacob Eason and company displayed offensive effectiveness against a stout Oregon team. They broke Oregon’s elite defense. Granted, they didn’t win the game, but they still showed life. Eason needs to lead this team to another offensive performance. Utah’s dominant line won’t give any room to Washington’s running backs. So, it’s ultimately up to Jacob Eason to step up.
Welcome to the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 10. Aside from Oregon and Utah, it is nearly impossible to pick winners consistently from week to week in conference play. Teams who get a big win seem to get blown out the following week. It makes no sense, but that’s life in the Pac-12. The North division is all but wrapped up by Oregon while the South division is up for grabs. Even UCLA is still very alive to win the south. USC still controls its own destiny. Two teams, Oregon and Utah have a shot at landing a berth in the College Football Playoff Top 4 if things shake out in their favor. That also makes the Rose Bowl up for grabs if Oregon gets in the playoff. So, keep your eyes on Utah vs Washington this Saturday.
I would be wrong if I didn’t mention how brutal the Pac-12 refs were this weekend. Until this weekend I thought they had been better. But, they came back to full 2018 form last week. We have seen in the NFL that challenging pass interference calls is stupid and doesn’t work. But there has to be something done to train the refs to be better.
Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games. The Pac-12 Power Rankings will available on Unafraid Show every Monday morning. Make sure you send your comments and grievances to immad@unafraidshow.com.
12. Cal Golden Bears (4-4, 1-4)
Last Week: 0-35 (L) vs Utah
Things have completely fallen apart for the Golden Bears since Chase Garbers broke his collarbone. They are averaging 8 points per game over their last three games. Even the defense’s consecutive streak of holding opponents under 24 points was broken. We are watching the bottom falling out on a team that was 4-0 and had some believing they could win the Pac-12 North.
At this point, it would take nothing short of a miracle for Cal to make a bowl game.
11. Colorado Buffaloes (3-5, 1-4)
Last Week: 31-35 (L) vs USC
Colorado showed a lot more life against USC than they did against Oregon and Washington State. Their offense was efficient and Steven Montez stopped throwing interceptions. These Buffaloes have limited depth and little margin for error offensively because their defense gives up 486 yards and 35 points per game. At least Laviska Shenault had a big game and entertained the Colorado faithful.
Knowing their defense is so bad, I can’t figure out why Mel Tucker decided to punt on 4th and 4 at USC’s 38-yard line with 6 minutes left leading by four points.
10. Arizona Wildcats (4-4, 2-3)
Last Week: 31-41 (L) at Stanford
There is no more frustrating team to watch than Arizona. They have now lost three straight. Kevin Sumlin is trying to use two quarterbacks in every game, but it’s not working. QB math is not the same as real math. 1+1 =0. If you a coach says he has two QBs he really has none. The team gets divided and chooses sides, and there is bitterness and frustration that brews under the surface.
Arizona is second in the Pac-12 in total offense (492 ypg) and second to last in total defense (469 ypg).
9. Stanford Cardinal (4-4, 3-3)
Last Week: 41-31 (L) vs Arizona
What a difference a quarterback makes. The same team that looked completely inept against UCLA with Jack West under center was clicking on all cylinders against Arizona with KJ Costello. It is unbelievable to see how far the Cardinal have fallen offensively. They are 10th in Pac-12 in rushing (120 ypg) and 11th in passing (228 ypg).
Right now, the goal has to be getting to a bowl game. With Stanford’s up-and-down play who knows how their last four games (Colorado, WSU Cal, Notre Dame) will go.
8. UCLA Bruins (3-5, 3-2)
Last Week: 42-32 (W) vs Arizona State
What on earth has happened to UCLA’s defense in the last two weeks? The defense had been awful against everyone, but then had moments of domination against Stanford and Arizona State. Most fans were even calling for DC Jerry Azzinaro’s job. This has been a completely different team since their 32-point comeback at Washington State. Chip Kelly seems to have the Bruins headed in the right direction.
At the end of the ASU game, Dorian Thompson-Robinson injured his knee. Any hope UCLA has of making a bowl game may be out the window if he misses time.
7. Oregon State Beavers (3-4, 2-2)
Last Week: IDLE
By far the most improved team in the conference is Oregon State. They are no longer amongst the worst teams statistically. The Beavers had a week off and will be doing their best to play Pac-12 spoiler. They have already knocked off Cal and UCLA. OSU heads to Arizona this week.
Washington State’s loss to Oregon was a heartbreaker. There is nothing worse than to make a comeback and lose. The good news is the Cougars are back to competing on the field. Mike Leach had much higher expectations for this season than what the results have been. At Pac-12 media day, he not-so-subtly hinted that his team wasn’t getting enough respect. It has been clear that the attention WSU was getting was appropriate.
This is still one of the most dangerous teams to play in the conference.
5. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-3, 2-3)
Last Week: 32-42 (L) at UCLA
Over the last two weeks, ASU has been the worst team in the Pac-12. But they were amongst the best through the first six weeks. Their offensive woes that were present early in the season are back on full display. Herm Edwards’ young team did not mentally bounce bad well from the Utah beatdown. It feels like this team hit a wall. That is pretty normal when you play the most freshman in the conference.
This team is averaging 23 ppg on the season and giving up 21ppg. The Sun Devils margins a super thin.
Probability of Making a Bowl Game According to SP+
The Trojans have their quarterback of the present and future in Kedon Slovis. I would not be surprised if JT Daniels ends up in the transfer portal. after this season. Two of USC’s five wins (Utah, Colorado) belong to the wide receiving corps. In both games, they took over the game and were literally unstoppable. If I have said it once, I have said it 500 times, St. Brown, Vaughns, and Pittman are the best WR unit in college football.
It seems pretty unbelievable that USC controls their own destiny in the Pac-12 South despite Clay Helton being fired rumors hovering all season.
3. Washington Huskies (5-3, 2-3)
Last Week: IDLE
The Washington Huskies going to be mad and extremely focused with Utah coming to town. They feel like they let a game against Oregon slip through their fingertips. They have a chance to ruin the Utes CFB Playoff hopes and keep their Rose Bowl hopes alive. If they beat Utah and finish 9-3 and Oregon goes to the CFB Playoff, the Rose Bowl can choose between Utah and Washington. If that is not enough motivation to show up big, I don’t know what is.
2. Utah Utes (7-1, 4-1)
Last Week: 35-0 (W) vs Cal
The Utes have done mean things to ASU and Cal the last two weeks. They gave up a combined 3 points and 230 yards of total offense. Utah may be a little upset that everyone is talking about Oregon making the CFB Playoff but not mentioning them. Joel Klatt even believes they are the best team in the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 10. That may end up being the ultimate jinx because he has caped for Georgia and Wisconsin the week before they were upset too. Here is the CFB Top 10 As it Should Be.
I really like this Utah team but know their game in Seattle will be extremely difficult. All season I have said that Tyler Huntley will have to be great 2 games when the defense gives up points. This game against Washington will be that game.
Oregon is getting every team’s best shot. The entire conference is trying to derail the Ducks CFB Playoff dreams. Next man up mentality has been paramount for this team in 2019. They have either lost of had key wide receivers, tight ends, linebackers, and defensive linemen miss time. The offensive line will have to continue to dominate if the Ducks want to finish the season unscathed. Justin Herbert’s efficient and near mistake-free football has added to their success.
Now, don’t screw it up. This could end up being a very special season.
Check back every Monday for the next Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 10.
