Week nine got off to a surprising start when Clemson fans got the word on Thursday that star quarterback Trevor Lawrence would not be available for the matchup with Boston College.
Even with that and a horrible start by the No. 1 team in the nation, the Tigers were still able to make the largest comeback in Death Valley history in the 34-28 win over the Eagles. There were some others in the top 25 weren’t so lucky though.
The Good:
Texas A&M: The Aggies Kellen Mond went 21-26 for 260 yards and 3 TDs as they took down a much improved Arkansas team. Texas A&M’s lead grew to 42-17 before allowing the Razorbacks to get two fourth quarter TDs that resulted in 42-31 final before getting ready to head to Columbia for a matchup with the Gamecocks next Saturday night.
Alabama: Mac Jones continues to impress this season and Saturday night was no different. Jones went 24-31 for 291 yards and 4 TDs against Mississippi St on Saturday night. That much maligned Bama defense held Mike Leach’s Bulldogs scoreless and was dominant throughout the game. The No. 2 ranked Crimson Tide head into a bye week at 6-0 and looked good in the process.
Coastal Carolina: This team continues to prove why they are the second best team in the State of South Carolina. That’s right Gamecock fans. The Chants took Georgia State to the woodshed, winning 55-0 and moving up to No. 15 in the country.
The Bad:
Oklahoma State: All the Cowboys had to do was continue to win and they would be the representative for the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff. Then Texas came along and Oklahoma State did everything they could to give away the game. They finally got it done, losing in overtime 41-34. Sorry Big-12, no playoff for you in 2020.
Kansas State: The Wildcats entered the contest with West Virginia ranked 16th in the Top-25 and five point favorites but someone forgot to tell West Virginia. The Mountaineers dominated Kansas St, winning 37-10. This entire conference is a disaster.
The Ugly:
North Carolina: The Tarheels entered their game with 1-4 Virginia ranked at 15th and looked far from what they were thought to be for most of the game. They were outscored in every quarter but the fourth when they tried to come back before falling short 44-41. North Carolina has now lost to Florida State and Virginia, two teams that just aren’t very good.
LSU: No other reigning national champion has been under .500 after the first five game of the following season. Until now. Even worse is that Auburn dominated this team in a 48-11 win. Many were expecting a better game after the Tigers seemed to have found a quarterback against South Carolina, but hey, it was UofSC.
Michigan: Coach Harbaugh and his Michigan Wolverines went into the game against rival Michigan State ranked No. 13 in the country and were a three TD favorite over the Spartans. Unsurprisingly, they lost. Harbaugh is now 48-19 overall in his six years as the head coach at Michigan but only 3-8 against the Wolverines two biggest rivals, Ohio State and Michigan State. Oh, and none of those three wins have come against Ohio State.
