CFB: Week 9 Preview
Top-10 Rankings:
1. Alabama (8-0, 100)
2. Clemson (7-0, 94)
3. Notre Dame (7-0, 94)
4. LSU (7-1, 87)
5. Michigan (7-1, 84)
6. Texas (6-1, 80)
7. Oklahoma (6-1, 72)
8. UCF (7-0, 52)
9. Georgia (6-1, 38)
10. Florida (6-1, 33)
Review: No. 5 Michigan (+2) is our biggest riser of the week, following a 21-7 win over Michigan State. It was the first ranked victory on the road for the Wolverines since 2006. It was also the second consecutive win over a ranked opponent, after beating Wisconsin last weekend. Jim Harbaugh's club is now in prime position to take the Big Ten title and possibly a College Football Playoff berth. Meanwhile, their biggest rival Ohio State (-9) has fallen after their 49-20 defeat against Purdue. The Buckeyes looked lost on the field and failed to reach the end zone until the fourth quarter. Those two will meet on November 24th. Florida (+1) and Georgia (+1) both jump up a spot prior to their matchup. The Bulldogs are seven-point favorites.
Weekly Standings:
Caleb Henderson: 30-10
Charles Post: 32-8
Chinedum Wejinya: 32-8
Tyler Taylor: 26-14
Consensus Picks:
No. 2 Clemson @ Florida State
Iowa @ Penn State
Baylor @ West Virginia
Washington State @ Stanford
No. 10 Florida @ No. 9 Georgia
Review: No. 2 Clemson is coming off of their 41-7 win over NC State, and they now head to the road for a rivalry matchup with Florida State. The Seminoles are just 4-3 on the season, but seem to be getting a bit better. In the Big Ten, Iowa travels to Penn State with a shot at getting revenge for last years last second loss. West Virginia hosts Baylor, with an eye on getting back on track following their first loss of the season to Iowa State. Out West, the Pac-12 North continues to face off. Washington State, off their upset over Oregon, will try and keep it going against Stanford. And the biggest matchup of the weekend, is a top-10 bout between rivals: No. 9 Georgia and No. 10 Florida. We'll take Clemson, Penn State, West Virginia, Stanford, and Georgia.
Heisman Standings:
1. Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama, 20)
2. Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State, 11)
3. Kyler Murray (Oklahoma, 10)
4. Ed Oliver (Houston, 4)
5. Travis Etienne (Clemson, 4)
Review: QB Tua Tagovailoa has now been on top of our leaderboard for two straight months, and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. He scored a perfect 20/20 this past week, going for 306 yards on 65.5 percent passing and four touchdowns, with no interceptions. QB Dwayne Haskins lost his first game as a starter this past weekend, but he did throw for 470 yards and two scores (with one pick) which will keep him in the Heisman discussion. One slot behind him is QB Kyler Murray, who totaled 213 passing yards and four touches. DL Ed Oliver joins the rankings, after five tackles and a sack versus Navy, getting Houston their fourth straight win. RB Travis Etienne rounds of the top five following three touchdowns against NC State.
College Football Playoff Picks (Week 1):
Photo Credit: Sporting News.