mollyfamwatThe national championship is officially in the bag for Alabama, but that doesn’t mean games are finished. Tune in to college football this week and see if your favorite school can make a run at the conference title.
College football week 10 is the upcoming tenth week of the college football season. Read more in detail here: college football week 10.
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The games this week will be teams’ last chance to make an impact on the College Football Playoff committee before the first set of rankings are released.
A lot of teams are still vying for one of the top four positions, but no game this weekend is more important than the one between Michigan and Michigan State. The Wolverines are rated No. 6 while the Spartans are ranked No. 8. This is just the sixth time these two teams have met in the AP top 10 and the first time since 1964.
The game is significant enough for both programs on its own, but when playoff implications are factored in, the outcome becomes much more significant.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said, “It’s one of those, it’s elimination attitude, playoff focus at this point.” “If you win this game, your prospects will improve.”
Both teams are 7-0 for the first time in the poll era, and the players and coaches aren’t pretending that this is just another game. It has significance for the rivalry in terms of who gets to keep the Paul Bunyan trophy and bragging rights, but it might also be a launching pad into unusual territory.
Under Jim Harbaugh, Michigan has never made it to the Big Ten title game or the playoffs. The players understand that they must increase their energy, attention, and preparation without losing sight of what brought them to this stage in the first place.
“It’s a concern when you modify your preparation throughout the season,” Michigan linebacker Josh Ross said. “Every week, we’ve been preparing properly, and this week is no exception. We’re playing an in-state opponent, but we’ll approach it the same way. Elevate it, yes, but at the end of the day, it’s about us having a solid week of preparation and approaching it well, like we have every week this season.”
Ross was raised in Michigan and has spent his whole life immersed in this rivalry, so he knows the stakes.
Mel Tucker and the Spartans rebuilt their team this summer with transfers, and they’ll be playing with fresh faces and first-timers in this rivalry.
Tucker believes that this will not inhibit the new players and will have no effect on the ultimate result, in part because he taught his squad about the rivalry’s history, but also because it is naturally engrained in the players throughout the year.
“I believe so in this sort of rivalry because it’s right in your face and it’s not just today, it’s every single day since I’ve been here, Feb. 12, 2020,” Tucker said. “There hasn’t been a day when someone hasn’t remarked anything about this game to me.”
In situations like this, Tucker feels that execution wins out, and both teams are hoping that their preparation and execution will get them through this week and into the top four of the first playoff rankings. Tom VanHaaren (Tom VanHaaren)
No. 1 Georgia takes on Florida at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Coach Kirby Smart hasn’t said whether JT Daniels or Stetson Bennett will start at quarterback for the No. 1 Bulldogs against Florida on Saturday.
And, if anybody was wondering whether the Gators would attempt to go without a quarterback against the top-ranked defense in the FBS, coach Dan Mullen reaffirmed on Wednesday that a quarterback would be used. He just refused to tell who it was.
“On Saturday, we’ll play a quarterback,” Mullen said.
As two teams prepare to meet for their annual rivalry game at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, neither coach is prepared to say anything. Georgia will want to revenge a 44-28 defeat to Florida last season, while Florida will try to sabotage Georgia’s effort for a flawless regular season and a CFP berth.
Bennett has led the Bulldogs to three consecutive victory against ranked opponents after starting last season’s game against the Gators and injuring his right shoulder. Because of a lat injury, Daniels hasn’t played since the first quarter of a 62-0 win against Vanderbilt on Sept. 25.
Daniels, a former USC transfer who started three of the first four games, has thrown more in practice, according to Smart. Smart isn’t revealing his hand any further.
Mullen isn’t speaking much about his quarterbacks, either. Emory Jones has started every game this season, but in a 49-42 defeat at LSU on Oct. 16, freshman Anthony Richardson led the Gators to four consecutive touchdowns in the second half.
With either quarterback, Smart isn’t sure how much his team’s defensive strategy changes.
Smart said, “They don’t hold back.” “They may feel like there are distinctions I’m not aware of, but when you look at the quarterback reels, both quarterbacks run plays in each game.” With one person or the other, they don’t run quarterback draw, dropback throw, zone read, or speed option. They both transport the majority of shipments. He may restrict one guy’s packages in comparison to the other, but the games are called in such a manner that the plays are extremely comparable.
“They’re physically different, both fantastic athletes, and both challenging people to defend in terms of 53 yards of sideline and an additional hat in the run game.” Schlabach, Mark
No. 4 Oklahoma at Texas Tech (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App): After blowing a 14-point second-half lead against Kansas State in another disappointing conference defeat, Texas Tech dismissed head coach Matt Wells this week. In the meanwhile, veteran Tech and TCU assistant Sonny Cumbie will get his first taste of running his own show, starting with a trip to Norman this week to play No. 4 Oklahoma.
The Sooners, on the other hand, sounded like they were going through their own crisis this week if you didn’t know any better.
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On Tuesday, OU coach Lincoln Riley told reporters, “We feel like there are a lot of older, seasoned players on this team right now that need to be at their best and this club needs them to be better.” “And we’ve been quite clear about that.”
The difference is that the Red Raiders have gone 7-16 in conference games in the last three seasons, while the Sooners have gone 20-3 in that time, including 5-0 this season on their way to an 8-0 overall record and 16 consecutive victories. However, when the Sooners behind Kansas at halftime, as they did last week, a new level of scrutiny is unavoidable.
OU has won six Big 12 crowns in a row, but it is on the defensive over its recent performances. In the eyes of the playoff selection committee, it would have to fight off comparisons to the 2014 Florida State squad, which was able to get into the tournament despite being unbeaten despite winning seven games by less than a touchdown. In a semifinal playoff game, the Seminoles were blasted away 59-20 by Oregon.
After sustaining a knee injury against Nebraska, the Sooners may anticipate Jalen Redmond, the defensive lineman who led the team in sacks and tackles for loss in 2019 before redshirting last season, to return. Any and all reinforcements are critical, since the Sooners have suffered terribly on defense since the second half of the Texas game. They are also missing vital components at corner and safety.
Riley is certain that Tech will be ecstatic to play for Cumbie. Before becoming Tech coaches, the two Red Raiders grads were members of the same QB room as students. However, he believes that earning a team’s best chance is a given for the Sooners, and that their greatest football is yet to come.
Riley said, “I’ve been around long enough to know that if you keep winning, things tend to sort themselves out.” “We have a total of eight victories. We have the country’s longest winning streak. There are no clouds in the sky. Don’t dismiss us just yet.” Dave Wilson is an author.
No. 7 Oregon vs. Colorado (3:30 p.m. ET, Fox): The game between No. 7 Oregon and 2-5 Colorado on Saturday is either an opportunity or a trap, depending on how you look at it. The Ducks (6-1) have been on a tightrope the last two weeks, winning close games over Cal and UCLA after falling to Stanford. Their reality is as follows: If they lose their second game, they may forget about the playoffs; if they keep winning close games against weaker opponents, they can begin to question their postseason chances. Defeating the Buffs at home would surely accomplish that.
Of course, all Mario Cristobal and the rest of the club have to do now is keep winning, and there’s something to be said about a team that can keep winning. In his Monday press conference, Cristobal complimented his team’s tenacity before accepting responsibility for Anthony Brown’s late-game interception against UCLA that almost lost Oregon the game.
“We’d want that playcall back,” Cristobal expressed his desire. “We weren’t happy with the toss, either. It wasn’t a good play, and it wasn’t the call we were hoping for.”
Even though the Ducks avoided making that error, it served as a reminder that the margins are thinner than ever, particularly for clubs battling for playoff places. Beating the Buffs comfortably would go a great way toward impressing the committee, and it would put them in command of their postseason fate for the remainder of the season. What Oregon has been missing in style points recently (apart from Kayvon Thibodeaux, of course) it made up for in its early-season triumph against Ohio State in Columbus. It’s one of the Ducks’ greatest victories of the season, but how many more close calls can they take before the shine fades? Paolo Uggetti (Paolo Uggetti)
Duke vs. Wake Forest (4 p.m. ET, ACC Network): Duke vs. Wake Forest (4 p.m. ET, ACC Network): No. 13 Wake Forest (7-0) must adjust to a new reality as the Atlantic Division’s only unbeaten team heading into its last five games: playing as a favorite to make it to the ACC title game.
“We’re not shocked by the success,” quarterback Sam Hartman told ESPN.com this week. “But one thing we’re adapting to is that we’re the target of everyone we’re going to play for the rest of the year.” “Everyone is bringing their A-game. We’re not this insignificant Wake Forest that no one takes seriously enough.”
Wake Forest is a double-digit favorite against in-state rival Duke after a spectacular offensive performance against Army, in which Hartman passed for five touchdowns and 458 yards in a 70-56 win.
If Wake Forest wins on Saturday, one of the most interesting concerns heading into the rankings will be where the selection committee positions an unbeaten ACC team that isn’t Clemson. For his part, Hartman claimed that no one on his team was aware that the initial committee rankings would be released on Tuesday.
That makes sense, given Wake Forest’s sole appearance in the CFP selection committee rankings, which came in at No. 19 in 2019. This is an unusual circumstance, but one that Wake Forest players predicted before the season even started.
During offseason exercises, Hartman noticed a new vibe throughout the club, and “a sense around this team that there was something unique developing.”
Jaquarii Roberson, a receiver, adding, “We want to keep pushing until we reach the pinnacle. We want to keep moving forward. We don’t want to accept anything less than the best. I’m certain that our team will continue to improve on a daily basis. It’s a thrilling prospect. It is, in fact.” Andrea Adelson’s remark
7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App, No. 20 Penn State vs. No. 5 Ohio State: Because to Ohio State’s shaky start on defense, playcaller Kerry Coombs was replaced by Matt Barnes, but the whole defensive staff was responsible for the product and fixing the problems.
Barnes told ESPN, “It’s not OK to lose here at Ohio State.” “We all had to take a good look at ourselves and make some harsh choices and have some difficult talks about how we should proceed. Everyone concerned has accepted responsibility and made a concerted effort to put their egos aside.”
The Buckeyes have improved since their first three games, when Minnesota and Oregon each rushed for over 200 yards and Tulsa threw for 428 yards. Ohio State has allowed 44 total points and 259.5 yards per game in the four games since, although against lesser opposition.
Coaches, according to Barnes, should constantly assess their schemes, how they are executed, and people, particularly when things aren’t going well. The coaches immediately determined that the players aren’t the issue — “We have the greatest players at Ohio State,” Barnes said — and instead worked on schematic changes that players could understand and execute. Ohio State has a strong defensive rotation, particularly at linebacker and in the secondary.
Barnes, who had been working with Ohio State’s secondary before the playcalling transition, stated, “In some areas, we’ve gotten simpler, but at least we’ve created the impression of diversity.” “It’s not like we’re all in the same image.”
The matchup on Saturday pairs Ohio State’s defensive strength — stopping the run — against Penn State’s offensive weakness. In last week’s nine-overtime defeat to Illinois, PSU was 100th in the country in running (118.9 yards per game) and only had 62 rush yards.
Coach James Franklin expects starting quarterback Sean Clifford to be fully healthy on Saturday, but PSU will need to find some yardage against an Ohio State defense that has allowed just 76 rush yards in four games.
Franklin said, “We have to be more physical up front.” “To repeat the whistle and create space, we need to produce more push and play. Then it’s up to our running backs to make a decision and go downhill. We also need to keep people honest with our perimeter throwing games so that the box doesn’t become too crowded.” Adam Rittenberg’s remark
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