Game of the Week: Auburn
35, Ole Miss 31
7
lead changes took place during this epic matchup between two giant SEC powers,
in the first true elimination game of the College Football Playoff system.
While everyone will point to the Ole Miss/Alabama game as Ole Miss’s “Game of
the Year”, Ole Miss put together their finest performance of the year, but
suffered the biggest heartbreak. If it was not for too bizarre fumbles inside
the 5 yard-line, Ole Miss would have came away victorious. Bo Wallace had his
best game of the year, throwing for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns while running
for 61 yards and a touchdown. Wallace had an excellent bounce back game from
last week’s debacle against LSU. But it was Laquon Treadwell was the real story
in this game with his 10 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Treadwell
blocked incredibly well throughout the first half to set up several scores, but
in the 2nd half he made big play after big play. The biggest play
that was not meant to be took place right at the 1 yard line, when his leg
locked under a Tiger defender and unfortunately broke causing the fumble and
Auburn to win the game. If Treadwell had not broke his leg, Ole Miss probably
would have won, and Treadwell would be looking at a first-round draft grade.
One of the most unfortunate plays of the year.
As
for Auburn, they may have the most dominating offenses in all of college
football. That Ole Miss defense had not let up more than 20 points all year
long, and that Auburn offense made plays when it needed too all night long.
Quarterback Nick Marshall utilized his weapons extremely well last night
as Auburn once again rushed for
more than 250 yards, but the real story was skill and big play ability of wide
receivers Sammie Coates and D’haquille Williams who caught a combined 8 balls
for 193 yards and a touchdown. Auburn proved in this one that they will be
incredibly tough to beat down the stretch and perhaps the only way to beat them
is in a shootout.
Ole
Miss unfortunately ran out of bullets.
Player of the Week: Marcus
Mariota, QB, Oregon (19-30, 258 yards 2 TDs, 98 rushing yards, 2 TDs)
While
this was not the most statistically impressive game Mariota has posted all
year, Mariota earns the honor by taking care of what Oregon has been unable to
take care in the previous three seasons. The defeat of Stanford was a big
moment for the Oregon Ducks this year as they were able to climb over the
preverbal hump and defeat their rival. Mariota from start to finish was the
best player in the game, whenever Stanford sniffed to make this game closer,
Mariota was there to put them away. There is little doubt that Oregon will win
out the remaining games on their schedule, which includes the PAC-12 title game
and make the playoff. There is even a smaller doubt that Mariota will be the
first quarterback taken in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Disappointment of the
Week: The Fate of the Georgia Bulldogs
Everything
was in line for the Georgia Bulldogs leading up to this game. New broke at the
end of the week that All-American Todd Gurley would be back in time to play
Auburn on Nov. 15th. Florida head coach Wil Muschamp was on the path
to “Coach on the Hot Seat”, which I was looking forward to because I’m tired of
putting Brady Hoke there. Lastly, Florida had not beaten Georgia since the Tim
Tebow years!
But
Florida had two running backs, Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones who ran for 190+
yards. In total Florida would run for 418 yards on the ground and only pass six
times for 27 yards. This one-sided attack proved to be devastating for the
Dawgs as Florida got up early, and the Dawgs could never catch back up.
Georgia’s
chance at the playoff is over.
Game to Watch: Kansas
State @ TCU, TBA
As
Ole Miss and Auburn was the elimination game this week, Kansas State and TCU
will be the elimination game next week. The remaining Big 12 contenders will
battle with two very different offensive concepts, but both are very potent.
Both look to move up this week in the College Football rankings (TCU 4th,
Kansas State 6th) and this game will have a Big 12 championship game
feel to it. But mark my words, the lack of a true Big 12 title game will
continue to hurt the winner of this matchup.
Coach on the Hot
Seat: Brady Hoke, Michigan
The
A.D. was fired! Could that mean….????
Playoff Prediction:
|
1. Florida State
|
2. Oregon
|
3. Alabama
|
4. Mississippi State
|
1. Florida State: Florida
State really struggled against Louisville, and for the first time they won in
spite of Jameis Winston. Florida State should not have another scare again
until the playoff.
2. Oregon: After
finally defeating Stanford for the first time in 3 years, Oregon has their eyes
firmly set on the playoffs. Oregon is ranked second because of the unstable condition
the SEC West is in, and if Oregon can continue to roll the competition the
committee is going to eventually give them the nod at number 2.
3. Alabama: If
Alabama had to travel to Auburn on the last game of the year, chances are they
would not make the playoff. But after the nature of last’s year classic game,
it seems the pendulum would swing back in the Tide’s favor. However the only
way the Alabama/Auburn game can have any significance for the Tide, they need
to defeat their rival LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, which will make for the “Game
of the Year” the following week when they host Mississippi State.
4. Mississippi State:
Since their win against Auburn two weeks ago, the Mississippi State Bulldogs
have lost some of its luster edging Kentucky 45-31 in a very close game, then
nearly escaping the lowly Arkansas Razorbacks this week. In their defense the
program has never received this notoriety before, and its players and coaches
seem to learning and adjusting as quickly as they can. A tune-up game against
UT Martin should settle them down but then they have the matchup in Tuscaloosa
against the Tide. If Mississippi State loses they still can find a way in the
playoff if they were to win out. Which is what I’m thinking will happen.
Don’t Count Them Out
Yet: Ohio State & Notre Dame
If
Ohio State is able to win against Michigan State (which is going to
happen…heard it here first!) it will be interesting to see how high the
committee ranks the Buckeyes. But if Ohio State wins out in the Big 10,
including the Big 10 title game against a Nebraska team who just keeps winning
it may be impossible to keep out Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes. If you are a Ohio
State fan you need to root for Nebraska as much as you do Ohio State.
Notre
Dame should have lost to Navy last night, because that’s what Notre Dame
typically does. But there have been a handful of instances like that with Notre
Dame this year…but they don’t lose. The loss to Florida State crushed the hopes
of Irish fans but not the hopes for making the playoffs. A lot can happen in
the next four weeks, but if Notre Dame wins out, it will be hard to ignore that
their only loss came on the last play, on what some say (Irish fans) was a controversial
call.
2015 NFL Mock Draft
|
Pick
|
Team
|
Player
|
College
|
Position
|
|
1
|
Jacksonville
|
Randy Gregory
|
Nebraska
|
DE/OLB
|
|
2
|
Tampa Bay
|
Marcus Mariota
|
Oregon
|
QB
|
|
3
|
Oakland
|
Leonard Williams
|
USC
|
DE
|
|
4
|
New York J
|
Amari Cooper
|
Alabama
|
WR
|
|
5
|
Minnesota
|
Andrus Peat
|
Stanford
|
OT
|
|
6
|
Washington
|
Cedric Ogbuhei
|
Texas A&M
|
OT
|
|
7
|
St. Louis
|
DeVante Parker
|
Louisville
|
WR
|
|
8
|
Houston
|
Brandon Scherff
|
Iowa
|
OT/G
|
|
9
|
Tennessee
|
Jameis Winston
|
Florida State
|
QB
|
|
10
|
Atlanta
|
Todd Gurley
|
Georgia
|
RB
|
|
11
|
Cleveland
|
Shilique Calhoun
|
Michigan State
|
DE/OLB
|
|
12
|
Miami
|
Landon Collins
|
Alabama
|
S
|
|
13
|
Pittsburgh
|
Mario Edwards
|
Florida State
|
DT
|
|
14
|
New Orleans
|
Vic Beasley
|
Clemson
|
DE/OLB
|
|
15
|
Cleveland (from Buffalo)
|
Sammy Coates
|
Auburn
|
WR
|
|
16
|
Arizona
|
Markus Golden
|
Missouri
|
DE/OLB
|
|
17
|
New York G
|
La’el Collins
|
LSU
|
OT/G
|
|
18
|
Chicago
|
Dante Fowler
|
Florida
|
DE
|
|
19
|
Kansas City
|
Jalen Strong
|
USC
|
WR
|
|
20
|
Carolina
|
Devin Funchess
|
Michigan
|
WR/TE
|
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