Photo Credit: cbssports.com
The last Saturday in October saw the playoff picture get a little bit blurry with a Top 10 team losing to an unranked opponent for the third straight week, but the Top 4 continued to establish themselves as the best of the best.
Games of the week
Kansas State 48, (5)Oklahoma 41
The Sooners rolled through the first two months of the season unbeaten and never really were tested. A visit to Kansas State didn’t look like it was going to change that, but the Wildcats controlled the ball and rode a solid rushing attack to pull off a shocker. KSU opened up a 25-point lead before almost blowing it, but they hung on to secure a signature win for coach Chris Klieman in his first season.
(2)LSU 23, (9)Auburn 20
LSU picked up its third Top 10 win of the season and added to its already impressive resume. The Tigers now get a week off before a showdown with Alabama with the loser of that game still having a solid chance at reaching the playoff.
Best of the rest
Texas dropped its third game of the season and fell behind in the Big 12 race. Texas Tech blocked Kansas attempt at a game-winning field goal but fumbled the ball, allowing the Jayhawks a second attempt, which was made. Michigan rebounded in a big way, clobbering Notre Dame 45-14.
Ohio State asserted its dominance on Wisconsin in a 38-7 win. Oregon and Utah both improved to 7-1 and remained in the playoff picture. Penn State and Minnesota continued their undefeated seasons before they meet in two weeks.
Storyline of the week
College Gameday goes to South Dakota
Brookings, South Dakota might not be what you think of when you picture a College Football town, but it was the site of ESPN’s weekly pregame show for a matchup between South Dakota State and North Dakota State. The decision to host Gameday at a smaller school drew a lot of criticism, but personally, I loved it. Almost every week we get an SEC school on the show, so it was nice for a change, and it gives lesser-known schools a chance to shine.
The game itself was between two Top 5 teams in the FCS (Division 1-AA) and went down to the wire with No. 1 NDSU getting a 23-16 win.
My Top 10 teams after Week 9
1. LSU (8-0)
Week 9 result: 23-20 win vs Auburn
2. Alabama(8-0)
Week 9 result: 48-7 win vs Arkansas
3. Ohio State(8-0)
Week 9 result: 38-7 win vs Wisconsin
4. Clemson(8-0)
Week 9 result: 59-7 win vs Boston College
5. Penn State(8-0)
Week 9 result: 28-7 win at Michigan State
6. Florida(7-1)
Week 9 result: Bye week
7. Oregon(7-1)
Week 9 result: 37-35 win vs Washington State
8. Utah(7-1)
Week 9 result: 35-0 win vs California
9. Georgia(6-1)
Week 9 result: Bye Week
10. Baylor(7-0)
Week 9 result: Bye Week
Players of the week
Chase Young, Ohio State defensive end
A defensive player has only won the Heisman Trophy once, but after Chase Young’s legendary season reached a new level on Saturday, voters may be taking note. Young was all over the Badgers, recording four sacks, five tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Kevin Mensah, University of Connecticut running back
In a game between 1-6 teams, it’ll take a lot to find yourself on this list, but Kevin Mensah did more than enough to help his Huskies defeat UMass, finding the end zone five times, more than he had all season combined entering the game. Mensah became the third player in UConn football history to score at least five touchdowns in a single game.
LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan running back
Mensah wasn’t the only running back from a small school that showed out on Saturday. Bellamy rushed for 178 yards and four touchdowns of his own in the Broncos win over Bowling Green.