We finally had one of those weekends. #3 Texas, #10 Notre Dame, #13 Washington State, and #17 Miami (FL) lost their games this past week. Texas held on to the Top 10 as they dropped to #9, but those other teams took quite a hit. This weekend, we have the classic USC vs. Notre Dame game, and #7 Washington hosts #8 Oregon in a battle of Pac-12 defectors. Both of those games are previewed below. Follow along as we guide you through all the storylines, player profiles, and game previews you need this College Football season. Enjoy!
College Football Primer Week 7 (Devy Fantasy Football)
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If you didn’t know, this season, Iowa’s Offensive Coordinator, Brian Ferentz, had his contract detail two major stipulations to keep his job: 1) Iowa must win seven games, and 2) The offense needs to score a minimum of 325 points (25 points per game). So far, the team is 5-1, with six winnable games remaining. So, term #1 should be covered. But unfortunately, the offense is not currently on pace to meet that 325-point goal. Iowa has scored 131 points, the equivalent of 21.8 points per game, over three points short of the goal. Could they make it up? Yes. But will they?
Could a performance-based contract like this become the norm in college football and all sports? Are there metrics to which coaches should be held accountable to keep their jobs? For head coaches, it is pretty simple: recruit and win. When you stop doing that, a pink slip usually comes their way. It will be interesting to see if this does become the norm. Either way, I’m sure the Hawkeyes offense knows what’s on the line, and let’s see if they pull one out for their coach.
CFP Shake-Up
After last week’s games, the CFP picture got a little fuzzy, and with a few Top 10 teams having tough matchups halfway through the year, this could spell disaster for some of them. Of course, the days of the BCS Computers telling us who will play are long gone. And with the NCAA expanding the Playoff, it allows some flexibility for teams not to have that perfect season to make it in.
If the Playoff was racked and stacked today, I believe it would go: #12 North Carolina vs. #5 Oklahoma, #11 Alabama vs. #6 Penn State, #10 USC vs. #7 Washington and #9 Texas vs. #8 Oregon. #1 Georgia, #2 Michigan, #3 Ohio State, and #4 Florida State would all be the winners of those games, respectively, with the lowest-ranked winner playing #1 Georgia.
With #7 Washington playing #8 Oregon this week, one of those teams could fall out. Notre Dame always plays USC tough, so they should be on alert, too. I know it’s halfway through the year, but seeing how everyone will eventually match up is exciting.
Player Spotlights
Quarterback
Carson Beck (JR – Georgia) | 6-4, 220
Imagine Carson Beck’s feelings when former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett said he was returning for his 6th year! Carson hung in there, and now he leads the back-to-back National Champions on their quest for a three-peat. Last week against #20 Kentucky, Beck was 28 for 35, with 389 passing yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT. He has been averaging 314 passing yards per game this season and has a TD: INT ratio of 11:3. Georgia currently ranks #8 in Total Offense, and Beck leads the fifth best passing attack in the nation. Preceding their bye in Week 8, Georgia travels to Vandy this Saturday to take on the 2-5 Commodores. Beck should be able to pad his stats in a Bulldog win.
Running Back
Trey Benson (JR – Florida State) | 6-1, 223
Benson was the 21st-ranked RB in the 2020 class, headlined by Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Tank Bigsby. After spending two seasons at Oregon, where he only got six total carries, he transferred to Florida State last season and immediately became their starting RB. Last season, he had 990 rushing yards and nine TDs. After a relatively slow start to this season, he exploded for 200 rushing yards and two TDs last week in a win vs. Virginia Tech. With the Seminoles ranked #4 in the nation, Benson will have plenty of primetime opportunities to make himself more attractive to NFL scouts, especially when the next running back on the team has half the number of touches Benson does. Florida State hosts the Syracuse Orange this weekend, with the 33rd-ranked rushing defense in the NCAA. We will see if Benson can build off last week’s big game.
Wide Receiver
Jermaine Burton (JR – Alabama) | 6-0, 194
Jermaine Burton is a two-time national champion wide receiver with Georgia. After the 2021 season, he transferred to Alabama and has not had the type of success he had as a Bulldog. You can argue that part of that is because of the shoddy QB play from the trio of Alabama QBs whom Head Coach Nick Saban has trotted out this season, but last week, Burton finally broke free and had an excellent game. In a tight win against Texas A&M, Burton had nine catches for 197 yards and two TDs. Up to that game, though, Burton only had five catches for 127 yards and one TD through the first five games of the year. Not sure if he is nursing an injury or in Saban’s doghouse, but last week’s performance will help his confidence as Arkansas comes to Tuscaloosa this weekend. The Razorbacks give up 214 passing yards per game, so we will see how involved Burton will be.
Tight End
Mason Taylor (SO – LSU) | 6-6, 255
Stop me if you have heard this: Mason Taylor is the son of former Miami Dolphins Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro Jason Taylor. Well, Mason is doing a fine job making a name for himself. Last year, he was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and was third on the Tigers in catches and receiving yards, which was also good for the most in school history by a Freshman tight end. This season, he is taking advantage of playing with Heisman-hopeful QB Jayden Daniels. Taylor is averaging four catches a game, and outside of a “dud” of a game against Grambling State, where he had one catch for zero yards, he has been averaging 40 receiving yards per game. #22 LSU gets Auburn and Bama over the next three games, so we will see if Taylor can be a game-changer and help turn LSU’s season around.
Games of the Week
#8 Oregon vs. #7 Washington (-3.5)
This will be the last time these two teams face each other as members of the Pac-12. Both of them are heading East to the Big Ten next season. Each team looks unstoppable as their QBs, both Heisman candidates, lead their teams up the rankings. Former Auburn QB Bo Nix has 1,459 passing yards, with 15 TDs and 1 INT. On the other side of the ball, former Indiana QB Michael Penix, Jr has 1,999 passing yards with 16 TDs and 2 INTs. These two gunslingers will try to help their team win on the road to a Pac-12 title and a birth in the CFP.
These teams have high-powered offenses, and when I mean that, it is literally as Oregon and Washington have the second and third best scoring offenses in the nation. The main difference between these two teams is their defenses. Oregon has a top-ranked defense, ranked sixth in the NCAA, allowing only 255 yards per game. Washington’s defense is ranked 62nd, giving up over 365 yards per game. If this game turns into a shootout, which it probably will, then Washington’s offense will not be able to waste any chances if their defense will let Bo Nix march up and down the field. I expect a tight game, and I would not mess with this spread, but the home-field advantage won’t be enough for the Huskies.
#10 USC vs. #21 Notre Dame (-2.5)
Who doesn’t remember the “Bush Push Play” in 2005 when RB Reggie Bush pushed QB Matt Leinart into the end zone to win the game for USC, which allowed them to move on to the National Championship game eventually. Even though the “push” was illegal then, it was not called; the rest is history. This season, USC has the top-scoring offense in the nation, led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner QB Caleb Williams. Williams transferred to USC from Oklahoma when his coach, Lincoln Riley, took the job. The USC QB has ridiculous numbers thus far, with 1,822 passing yards, 22 TDs, and only one INT.
Under 2nd-year head coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has had a rollercoaster of a season as of late. Wake Forest transfer QB Sam Hartman has been a welcome addition and has provided a solid, stable arm this season for the Irish. But after starting 4-0, they lost similarly as they did in the “Bush Push” game, where Ohio State, with 0:03 seconds left, pushed their RB Chip Trayanum into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. The Irish then got smoked on the road last week, losing to #25 Louisville 33-20. And that score doesn’t reflect how bad Notre Dame played, as QB Sam Hartman threw a touchdown with 1:40 left to make the score look closer.
But the voters love Notre Dame, so if they beat USC, they can easily run the table and have a shot. On the other hand, USC can’t afford a loss, especially when they play #16 Utah, #7 Washington, #8 Oregon, and #18 UCLA over the next five games. Notre Dame has shown they can play well and stay in games, but USC will be too strong and leave South Bend victorious.
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