The upsets have arrived.
Kansas made it two weeks in a row with an unranked workforce beating a prime-10 workforce, when the Jayhawks knocked No. 6 Oklahoma out of the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday to snap an 18-recreation dropping streak towards the Sooners.
OU’s loss comes per week after then-No. 10 North Carolina misplaced to Virginia at house, and three days before the primary College Football Playoff rankings are launched. Before the Tar Heels had been tripped up, there hadn’t been a prime-10 loss to an unranked workforce since Week 1.
Kansas’ upset wasn’t as beautiful at Virginia’s. These should not your older brother’s Jayhawks (6-2). Coach Lance Leipold has Kansas bowl eligible for the second 12 months in a row. That’s solely occurred one different time within the historical past of this system.
“It’s time for me to start talking about how far we’ve come,” Leipold mentioned.
In simply three seasons in Lawrence, Leipold has circled what was the worst Power Five program. The Jayhawks received 21 video games from 2010-20.
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Kansas’ subsequent large win can be persuading Leipold, who received six Division III nationwide titles as coach at Wisconsin-Whitewater and took Buffalo to 3 bowl video games, to remain put. He ought to anticipate a name from Michigan State on the very least.
The humorous factor is all of the Michigan State message board posters fantasizing concerning the faculty hiring Urban Meyer ought to really be pining for Leipold.
For Oklahoma (7-1), there have been indicators this might be coming. The Sooners’ protection has been shaky since Red River, however the offense had been adequate to masks the issues.
A sloppy efficiency opened the door to the upset and threw a twist into the Big 12 race, which now has a 5-means tie for first and is the primary Power Five convention to don’t have any unbeaten groups left.
“No excuses,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables mentioned. “We didn’t do the things it takes to win a game — a tough, tight game. But KU did.”
Suddenly, the Kansas State-Texas recreation subsequent week in Austin appears large. Both the Wildcats and seventh-ranked Longhorns romped Saturday, however Texas’ offense was low-frills towards BYU with quarterback Maalik Murphy beginning for the injured Quinn Ewers.
It additionally can be fascinating to see the place the CFP choice committee ranks Texas relative to Oklahoma. The Sooners beat the Longhorns in a thriller, nevertheless it might be argued Texas has been extra spectacular total, with that street victory towards No. 9 Alabama on the prime of the resume.
(*25*)Texas additionally blew out Kansas, for no matter that’s price.
Most of the opposite extremely ranked groups had blowouts Saturday. None extra impressively than No. 8 Oregon.
Bo Nix and the Ducks had been an excessive amount of for No. 13 Utah, which has gamely stayed within the Pac-12 race regardless of been wracked by accidents.
“That’s a tough team, but so are we,” Oregon coach Dan Lan. Then-No. 7 Washington beat the Ducks two weeks in the past in a traditional in Seattle. Still, a case might be made that Oregon has been the higher workforce total.
No. 1 Georgia crushed Florida to start what it hopes can be a closing stretch that reasserts the 2-time defending nationwide champions’ dominance. The Bulldogs are as much as 25 straight victories.
No. 2 Michigan was off, although the Wolverines are by no means out of the information as of late.
No. 3 Ohio State pulled away within the fourth quarter towards Wisconsin.
No. 4 Florida State had no difficulty with Wake Forest.
It wasn’t all straightforward. No. 5 Washington had its second straight sloppy efficiency towards a decrease-tier Pac-12 opponent and survived on the street towards Stanford.
No. 10 Penn State appeared hungover from its loss at Ohio State and wanted a late TD and security to carry off Indiana. The Nittany Lions will get an opportunity to rewrite their story towards No. 2 Michigan in a few weeks, nevertheless it’s laborious to contemplate them a playoff contender at this level.
The line for critical playoff contenders for now’s drawn at No. 9 Alabama, which hosts No. 15 LSU subsequent week in a recreation that would all however determine the SEC West.
Projecting the primary CFP prime six: Remember, the committee likes wins towards groups in its rankings, which may maintain again Georgia and Michigan somewhat.
1. Ohio State
2. Georgia
3. Michigan
4. Florida State
5. Washington
6. Texas
JUST ANOTHER ACC TEAM
North Carolina State beat Clemson 24-17 in a recreation that was broadcast on the CW and that the consequence wasn’t in in the least shocking says all you might want to know concerning the Tigers proper now.
Since Dabo Swinney complained about how Clemson followers had been getting spoiled and possibly the workforce wanted to lose a number of to empty out the bandwagon, the Tigers (4-4) have misplaced two straight.
Mission completed, coach. Clemson’s streak of 12 straight seasons with not less than 10 wins is over.
“This is a really hurt football team and staff,” Swinney instructed reporters. (*8*)
The post-mortem is virtually full on the Dabo Dynasty. The offense went stale and even bringing in a splashy coordinator rent (Garrett Riley) didn’t repair it. Not sufficient work was executed within the switch portal to compensate for a number of underachieving recruiting courses.
Nothing lasts ceaselessly.
The most damning evaluation of Clemson proper now’s the straightforward fact: The Tigers are simply one other center-of-the-pack Atlantic Coast Conference workforce.
AROUND THE COUNTRY: Ollie Gordon II had 19 carries in Oklahoma State’s first three video games. He’s run for greater than 100 yards in 5 straight since, together with an eye fixed-popping 553 on 54 carries within the final two video games. The Sooners come to Stillwater subsequent week for the final Big 12 Bedlam Game. … Northwestern knocked off Maryland to enhance 4-4 and transfer into rivalry — sure, actually — within the muddled Big Ten West. The Wildcats are a recreation behind a 4-means tie for first involving Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska, all 3-2. Give the Wildcats and interim coach David Braun credit score for salvaging a season that appears doomed after the hazing scandal that led to the firing of Pat Fitzgerald. Braun, who had by no means been a head coach, is teaching his means into critical consideration. … Though Northwestern could be sensible to verify in on Tulane’s Willie Fritz. Coming off a Cotton Bowl victory final season, the twenty second-ranked Green Wave have received six straight and are tied for first within the American Athletic Conference. The 63-12 months-outdated Fritz is lots like Leipold: a program-builder who has received at varied ranges. He’s earned a crack at a Power Five job. … Which would be the highest ranked workforce from outdoors the Power Five within the CFP rankings? Tulane must be within the working with unbeaten No. 19 Air Force, which defeated Colorado State within the snow. No. 25 James Madison (8-0) of the Sun Belt stays unbeaten however ineligible for the postseason in its second transition 12 months to the FBS, and subsequently it’s ineligible for the CFP rankings. … Miami received a second straight extra time recreation, this time towards Virginia, which could be one of the best 2-6 workforce within the nation. The Hurricanes (6-2) are bowl eligible for the primary time beneath second-12 months coach Mario Cristobal and this season would really feel lots totally different however for that Georgia Tech debacle. Miami remains to be in place to make noise within the ACC, although, with video games towards Florida State and No. 18 Louisville, which shut out No. 20 Duke, nonetheless to come back. … Some groups which have quietly righted their seasons: Iowa State (5-3) is a part of that 5-means tie for first within the Big 12;Boston College (5-3) has received 4 straight video games and is in good place to turn into bowl eligible; UTSA has received 4 straight — all in convention — since getting QB Frank Harris wholesome, and is tied for first within the American. … No. 24 Southern California snapped a two-recreation dropping streak, beating Cal in very USC-like trend. The Trojans are technically nonetheless within the thick of the Pac-12 race, however what are the probabilities this workforce can maintain up towards Washington and Oregon the following two weeks? … After getting handed one of many worst losses of his 9-12 months tenure at Pitt by No. 14 Notre Dame, coach Pat Narduzzi mentioned this: “We lost a lot of good players last year. We thought we’d replace them and we obviously didn’t do a good job with that.” An X put up of that quote bought some notable engagement from a number of present Panthers gamers. Narduzzi later took to social media to level the finger at himself.
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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and pay attention at http://www.appodcasts.com. Get alerts on the most recent AP Top 25 ballot all through the season. Sign up right here.
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AP faculty soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
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