Rivalry weekend did not disappoint: highest scoring game ever, a Top 4 team embarrassed, a top 3 team close call, a comeback win in the 4th after being down by 20, and various shellackings of interstate rivals.
With the exception of Michigan and Washington State, the top teams handled their rivals as expected.
Up-and-down BYU played like pros through three quarters only to let a 3rd quarter 20-point lead slip away in the 4th. (I think the 8-game losing streak is just in BYU's head now and they will struggle with Utah until they get past that).
Michigan let us all down by not blowing out Ohio State as was expected. Hand it to Urban* - he had his team ready to make a statement and that they did.
The regular season is all wrapped up with a sure surprise inside - we just don't know what it is yet. Here is my bold predictions:
*Article snippet (from Paul Newberry, AP, Aug 24, 2018):
With the exception of Michigan and Washington State, the top teams handled their rivals as expected.Up-and-down BYU played like pros through three quarters only to let a 3rd quarter 20-point lead slip away in the 4th. (I think the 8-game losing streak is just in BYU's head now and they will struggle with Utah until they get past that).
Michigan let us all down by not blowing out Ohio State as was expected. Hand it to Urban* - he had his team ready to make a statement and that they did.
The regular season is all wrapped up with a sure surprise inside - we just don't know what it is yet. Here is my bold predictions:
- Ohio State loses to Northwestern since they gave their all to Michigan.
- Oklahoma loses as well since they too are all out of gas.
- Notre dame wins - oh, wait - they don't have to play a conference championship game, they are already in at #3 so they just have more time to prepare for the playoffs.
- Clemson takes care of business with un-ranked Pitt sealing their playoff bid.
- UCF wins - again - but will not get their due respect - yet.
- Georgia gives Bama their biggest scare yet since the Citadel and Auburn exposed weaknesses, and the Dawgs pull out a close win (payback), the SEC Championship and a playoff bid ... and Bama too still makes the playoff over Ohio State - again.
One could argue that the Georgia-Alabama SEC Championship game is almost a default national championship game again (like in 2012). No one thinks Notre Dame could hang with either leaving Clemson the only worthy outlier. Controversy will reign once again.
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*Article snippet (from Paul Newberry, AP, Aug 24, 2018):
...That's right. In the world of college athletes, cut-rate tattoos are a more serious offense - two games more serious, to be exact - than a head coach looking the other way when faced with at least two allegations of an assistant beating up his wife, not to mention a whole range of disturbing acts that should've cost Smith his job.
To recap, there was an arrest for drunken driving, a recruiting trip to the strip club, failing to pay bills on time, showing up late for work or not at all, having an extramarital affair with a school secretary, checking into drug rehab, and taking sexually explicit photos of himself at the White House during a team visit.
Employee of the Year, Smith was not.
Still, [Urban] saw no reason to dole out a pink slip until about a month ago , when it was inconveniently revealed on social media that Smith was accused of violating a protective order taken out by his now ex-wife. Also coming to light was Courtney Smith saying she was abused by Zach in 2015 - allegations that she had shared with Coach Liar's wife, Shelley.
But The Ohio State University, leaving no doubt that winning championships trumps all of [Urban's] failings as a supposed leader of young men, decided that a worthy punishment would be to sit out the first three games of the season , thereby allowing him to return in plenty of time to lead the Buckeyes to another Big Ten title. ...