Chaos has hit all around the world of college football. No one can say for certain who is the nation’s best team and this weekend didn’t help anyone. Ole Miss was shocked by Paxton Lynch and the Memphis Tigers while people are still confused as to what happened in Ann Arbor. Florida and LSU both looked like national contenders in the Tigers’ 7-point home win. Oregon, UCLA and USC are near the bottom of the Pac-12 while Utah and Stanford sit at the top.
Luckily, the Crimson Tide have avoided most chaos so far this season. A home loss wasn’t expected but it has been dealt with in the past. However, if the first seven weeks of the season tell us anything, it’s that no one knows what will happen next. So Nick Saban and Alabama may still need a boost from the strength of schedule by the time December rolls around.
Week 1: vs. Wisconsin – Win vs. Purdue 24-7
The Badgers threw the ball more than they ran the ball (39 to 37) which doesn’t seem like a winning combination in the Big Ten but it worked on Saturday. Ogbunwale and Ingold combined for 3 rushing touchdowns on the day.
Next week: at Illinois, 2:30 pm CST, BTN
Week 2: Middle Tennessee – Win vs. Florida International 42-34
The Blue Raiders bounced back from a tough conference loss and improved to 3-4 behind the running duo of Desmond Anderson and Kamani Thomas. The two backs ran for 195 yards and five touchdowns.
Next week: at Louisiana Tech, 2:30 pm CST
Week 3: Ole Miss – Loss at Memphis 24-37
I have been high on Memphis all season but I did not see this coming. The Rebels held an early 14-0 lead but couldn’t get much offense outside of a double-pass trick play. Chad Kelly threw two interceptions and the running game averaged just 1.7 yards per carry.
Next week: Texas A&M, 6:00 pm CST, ESPN
Week 4: Louisiana Monroe – Loss vs. Appalachian State 14-59
The Warhawks gave up 650 yards of total offense and Garrett Smith threw two interceptions in the blowout loss.
Next week: at Idaho, 4:00 pm CST, ESPN3
Week 5: at Georgia – Win vs. Missouri 9-6
The Bulldogs are clearly missing Nick Chubb and it’s becoming highly doubtful that they can make it back to Atlanta. However, they are just one game back of Florida, who is lurking in two weeks, and Sony Michel is a good enough back to keep them in the race.
Next week: BYE
Week 6: Arkansas – BYE
The Razorbacks got their bye week just in time for the game that could decide the SEC West bottom dweller. Alex Collins and Brandon Allen will be leading an offense that may not need to score many points in what could be a slow, ugly game.
Next week: Auburn, 11:00 am CST, SECN
Week 7: at Texas A&M – Loss vs. Alabama 41-23
Next week: at Ole Miss, 6:00 pm CST, ESPN
Week 8: Tennessee – BYE
The Volunteers are coming to Tuscaloosa off the bye week and could be a tougher test than most people think. The Crimson Tide are worn down at the end of what many people said would the the toughest four-game stretch in the nation this season. Josh Dobbs has given the Tide trouble in the past and Alvin Kamara looks to be a key part of the upset bid in his return to Tuscaloosa.
Next week: at Alabama, 2:30 pm CST, CBS
Week 10: LSU – Win vs. Florida 35-28
Not many people saw this score line before the game started but some big plays and trickery lead to a shootout in Death Valley. Brandon Harris threw for 206 yards on 13 for 19 passing and two touchdowns while Fournette ran for another 180 and two touchdowns. LSU might be missing John Chavis but the offense is showing they are good enough to beat anybody.
Next week: Western Kentucky, 6:00 pm CST, ESPNU
Week 11: at Mississippi State – Win vs. Louisiana Tech 45-20
The Bulldogs fell in a 14-0 hole and the starters had to play the whole game this week but it wasn’t an issue for Dak Prescott. The senior threw for 347 yards and had four total touchdowns on the night. Brandon Ladarius Bryant had a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown to help put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Next week: Kentucky, 6:30 pm CST, SECN
Week 12: Charleston Southern – Win at Presbyterian 10-7
The Buccaneers are up to number 20 in the FCS Coaches’ Poll after a strong defensive performance on the road. They held Presbyterian to just 142 yards of total offense while Darius Hammond scored the game-winning touchdown on a 4-yard run with under nine minutes to go in the game.
Next week: at Garnder-Webb, 1:30 pm CST
Week 13: at Auburn – Win at Kentucky 30-24
The Tigers got a huge win off the bye week to try and get their season back on track. Sean White threw for 255 yards and the running game put up all three touchdowns in Lexington. The defense held their ground and got a sack on Kentucky’s final possession to preserve the win.
Next week: at Arkansas, 11:00 am CST, SECN
Caleb Turrentine is a contributor at Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Follow him on Twitter, @CalebTurrentine.
