American-Statesman columnists Kirk Bohls and Cedric Golden weigh in on notable topics from this week in college football.
1. Will Texas blow out Baylor for its first easy Big 12 win of the season?
Bohls: No, because Texas doesn’t do blowouts. Of Tom Herman’s 27 victories in four years, 12 have been by a touchdown or less. And five of the other 15 came in games against outmatched Kansas or Group of Five opponents. Both teams have had questionable offensive line play, but I expect the desperate Longhorns to come out swinging — if not singing — and maintain that intensity for a much-needed 38-28 win.
Golden: The Horns aren’t really built to blow out any team east of El Paso, but Baylor is an interesting matchup because the Bears haven’t played a lot of football. Texas should have a healthy dose of desperation, but I don’t see it being a piece of cake. Give me Texas in a 37-28 win that will be much tighter than that score would indicate.
2. Will most UT players stay for "The Eyes of Texas" on Saturday?
Bohls: I’m betting no more than half stay on the field. As for the band, I’m not sure the band director is long for his job, and I’d instruct any band members who do not want to play the school’s alma mater to be excused from the band for good but told the school will honor their scholarships. Guess we’ll see how far the administration’s patience is stretched. President Jay Hartzell and the Board of Regents have said UT is keeping "The Eyes," but if the band won’t play it and the team won’t acknowledge it, are you really keeping it?
Golden: We’re about to find out if the Horns are ready to put "The Eyes" on the back burner and get back to fixing their problems on the field. I expect many more will be out there. The controversy has taken on a life of its own and one can sense the players are tired of the subject. Expect most of the Horns to stick around, but I don’t see very many singing or putting their horns up.
3. Pick a Top 25 upset.
Bohls: In a series that is almost always close, Pittsburgh will stun No. 3 but offensively challenged Notre Dame 24-21 with a late field goal. The Panthers are at home, have the nation’s top-ranked rush defense (61.5 yards a game) against the run-heavy Irish and average almost five sacks a game behind defensive ends Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver.
Golden: Minnesota is one of the most overlooked programs in the country and coach P.J. Fleck will have the Golden Gophers ready to take out the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines.
4. If Oklahoma State falls to Iowa State, will the Big 12 be shut out of the CFP?
Bohls: Absolutely. The league’s only hope rests with an undefeated (3-0) Cowboys team, which hasn’t played since Oct. 3. No one-loss Big 12 champion will get a playoff invite. OSU has one of the nation’s top third-down defenses (16%) and best scoring defenses (9 points per game) although it hasn’t been tested that much by Tulsa, West Virginia and Kansas. Put the potent Cowboys down for a tough 31-28 win over the Cyclones that could go either way.
Golden: Yes. I just don’t see anyone beating Clemson, Alabama or Ohio State. That leaves one spot open and a one-loss Big 12 team that’s not Oklahoma or Texas won’t get that last slot over a one-loss SEC runner-up or an unbeaten Pac-12 champ.
5. Which three coaches have done poor jobs this season (outside of Austin)?
Bohls: Mike Leach has to be at the top of that undesirable list at Mississippi State, Ed Orgeron is getting payback for last year’s perfect run at LSU and Jeremy Pruitt apparently hasn’t turned the corner at Tennessee. All have benched their starting quarterbacks. It’s an SEC pity party.
Golden: USC’s Clay Helton would have already walked the green mile had the season started on time. The Trojans are 13-12 over the last two years. Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason is working on his seventh straight losing season (27-50 overall), and former Texas assistant Will Muschamp hasn’t met expectations with a 28-27 mark in four-plus seasons at South Carolina.
6. Which Big Ten team will fall flat, and which will challenge Ohio State?
Bohls: Michigan State is breaking in a new head coach in Mel Tucker and a new right tackle after a senior opted out, only four defensive starters are back and a taxing schedule takes the Spartans to Michigan and Iowa in the first three weeks and concludes with Ohio State and Penn State.
On the other side, even without injured running back Journey Brown and linebacker Micah Parsons, who opted out, Penn State should be the biggest test for the Buckeyes with an experienced Sean Clifford poised to go over 3,000 career passing yards and stud tight end Pat Freiermuth among 14 returning starters.
Golden: I don’t see great things happening for Scott Frost in Nebraska. There’s uncertainty at quarterback and problems elsewhere. The Huskers are 9-15 over the last two years.
And Penn State is always there in case the Buckeyes slip up. Despite a lot of new faces on his coaching staff and on the field, coach James Franklin is 42-11 over the last four seasons.
7. Which team has really been exposed this season?
Bohls: Syracuse may be the worst team in the FBS, off to a 1-4 start and the first-ever ACC victim for Liberty. They’re starting 13 players for the first time in their careers — six of them freshmen — and allowing 485 yards a game.
Golden: Texas. The Horns haven’t stopped anybody, choked away a chance to beat TCU and let a great chance for a conference title get away with that loss to a very beatable Oklahoma team.
8. What under-the-radar player has impressed you the most?
Bohls: I’ve fallen in love with Grayson McCall, the Coastal Carolina redshirt freshman quarterback who has completed 67% of his passes in three career starts, has produced 14 scores in 14 red-zone trips — 13 of them touchdowns — and has the Chanticleers undefeated.
Golden: Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller wasn’t getting the carries early in the season, but coach Jimbo Fisher has smartly gotten the ball to his most reliable offensive player. Spiller has rushed for 430 yards and is averaging 6.7 yards per carry.
9. Who’s the best tight end in college football?
Bohls: I’ll take Florida’s Kyle Pitts. The guy’s a grown man at 6-foot-5, 224 pounds, is averaging 16 yards a catch with seven touchdowns in three games and has already been touted as a Heisman prospect by analyst Joel Klatt.
Golden: He hasn’t played a game yet, but Cal’s Jake Tonges (6-5, 230) will have a huge role this season in new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s pro-style offense after averaging 20.2 yards on 13 catches last season.
10. What team outside the Top 10 has the best shot at still making the CFP?
Bohls: I’ll take the Oregon Ducks because they can beat the watered-down Pac-12. The 13th-ranked team has a new quarterback and offensive line but a talented secondary, extraordinary nose tackle and strong linebackers, including two new five-star recruits. They bypass USC and catch Stanford and Washington at home.
Golden: Oregon. The Ducks are playing only six games and the league is weak, so the chance to run the table is great. USC is the only other Pac-12 team that’s ranked and the Ducks won’t see them until a possible meeting in the conference title game.
The Link LonkOctober 24, 2020 at 06:24AM
https://www.statesman.com/sports/20201023/bohls-golden-finally-easy-big-12-win-for-texas-not-so-fast
Bohls, Golden: Finally, an easy Big 12 win for Texas? Not so fast - Austin American-Statesman
https://news.google.com/search?q=easy&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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