Looking forward to a great CFB weekend
The college football season is about to get wild. There has been plenty of quality action to this point, but the real season always starts in November.
Going into the weekend, there are eight undefeated teams from power conferences sitting in the rankings. So who do those teams have to play? Let’s take a look…
No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers
No. 2 Baylor Bears at Kansas State Wildcats
No. 3 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 17 Florida State Seminoles
No. 4 LSU Tigers at No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 5 TCU Horned Frogs at No. 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys
No. 6 Michigan State Spartans at Nebraska Cornhuskers
No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes at Indiana Hoosiers
This is one of those weekends where you order a pizza, grab some drinks and don’t move from the second College Gameday comes on until the final whistle has sounded.
The headliner here is clearly the Alabama vs. LSU contest. The Crimson Tide were given up for dead earlier in the season when they lost at home to the Ole Miss Rebels. Quarterback Jake Coker looked awful on that night, and many believed Coker would hold this team back from its potential.
Instead, Coker has been improving and the defense has been rock solid. With running back Derrick Henry leading the offense, Alabama is suddenly as scary as it has ever been and now looks to make a push toward the top of the SEC West.
To do that, the Crimson Tide will need to stop Heisman Trophy front-runner Leonard Fournette. Only a sophomore, Fournette is unquestionably the best running back in the country due to an incredible, almost super-human blend of size and speed. It should be a treat to watch linebacker Reggie Ragland meet Fournette at the line of scrimmage on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Clemson will be on upset alert. The Seminoles know how to win pressure-packed games and Clemson has a long-standing tradition of losing them. Can the Tigers rise up in Death Valley to take down Everett Golson and Florida State in this ACC showdown?
In the Big 12, Oklahoma State is looking for some respect. Nobody is talking about the Cowboys as a serious contender, instead focusing on TCU and Baylor in the conference. Can Mike Gundy’s group win at home against Gary Patterson and the powerful Horned Frogs?
Al of the other unbeaten teams should stay that way. Ohio State would have to absolutely lay down to lose to Minnesota, while Baylor should be able to handle the Wildcats on a short week. However, Bill Snyder will have his boys ready. Iowa is going to absolutely pound Indiana, while the Spartans are heavy favorites to beat up on the underwhelming Cornhuskers.
