Inside College Football: Oregon’s Justin Herbert Could Decide the Pac-12 North

Week 6 Rewind

Top-25 Takeaways

19 Texas vs. 7 Oklahoma

What might be remembered as the most exciting Red River Showdown in the long history of the storied rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma came down to the game-winning heroics from Longhorns kicker Cam Dicker. If that’s not what college football is all about, I don’t know what is. Also, don’t bet against Longhorns head coach Tom Herman when his team is the underdog unless you want to lose your gas money for the week.

 

5 LSU vs. 22 Florida

The Gators’ defense finally exposed LSU QB Joe Burrow in Saturday’s 27-19 upset win, with Burrow throwing a costly pair of interceptions, including a devastating pick-six, in the fourth quarter. Florida Head Coach Dan Mullen survived the bumpy honeymoon and now has the Gators playing inspired football with a favorable schedule remaining.

 

6 Notre Dame vs. 24 Virginia Tech

The Fighting Irish came out of halftime with a narrow 17-16 lead over the Hokies and proceeded to run away with a 45-23 victory. Virginia Tech fed off the rowdy crowd at Lane Stadium early and often, but injuries and untimely missed tackles ultimately cost them. Considering that Notre Dame doesn’t have a single ranked opponent on their schedule for the remainder of the season, could this be the year that Brian Kelly reaches the College Football Playoff?

 

Week 7 Fast Forward

Upset Alert

7 Washington vs. 17 Oregon (+3.5)

Whoever comes out on top of this heated rivalry game will not only earn bragging rights, but also be in the driver’s seat to win the Pac-12 North. And if Oregon wants to end their two-game losing streak to the Huskies, QB Justin Herbert has to shine against a talented Washington secondary that has multiple players who are primed for the NFL.

The fact that Herbert played well against a (then) top-ten opponent in Week 4’s 38-31 loss to Stanford bodes well for the Ducks’ chances at handing Washington a crushing loss that would surely end their College Football Playoff aspirations.

PREDICTION: Herbert guides the Ducks to a 31-24 win, proving once again why he’s the top QB prospect heading into the 2019 NFL Draft.

 

Coach’s Corner

After LSU’s dominating 33-17 win over Miami in Week 1, there were many questions for Miami Head Coach Mark Richt.

1.) Were the 2017 Hurricanes a flash in the pan?

2.) Can you win the big games with Malik Rosier at QB?

3.) Is this defense capable of creating momentum-changing plays worthy of the Turnover Chain?

Richt’s Hurricanes weathered the storm, and we now have answers to those questions.

1.) Not at all. While this year’s team hasn’t looked as dominant early on as their predecessors did, they’re still on pace to have another 10-win season.

2.) You can’t. Richt realized that Rosier couldn’t be trusted to consistently run the offense and turned to freshman N’Kosi Perry, who has shown promise with his ability to make plays.

3.) While the Turnover Chain has lost some of its luster, the ‘Canes defense is currently sixth in the nation with 14 takeaways.

Richt deserves serious credit for keeping his team focused after suffering that embarrassing defeat to the Tigers on a national stage in their season opener. Instead of allowing his team — who at the time had lost four straight games going back to the 2017 season — to fall apart, he made sure the Hurricanes kept their composure and kept their eyes on the prize.

Because of that, Miami will likely win the ACC Coastal Division for a second consecutive season and get another shot at the ACC Championship.

 

Tweet of the Week

 

Must-See Matchups

2 Georgia vs. 13 LSU

A week after their aforementioned loss to Florida, will Ed Orgeron have LSU prepared for an SEC showdown with a loaded Georgia squad that seems destined for a National Championship rematch with No. 1 Alabama? He should, but a win depends on – as it has all season – Joe Burrow’s play. Expect the signal-caller to get off to a hot start in front of the home crowd, but settle down late as the Bulldogs coast to a ‘W’ in the second half.

 

15 Wisconsin vs. 12 Michigan

After an underwhelming loss to Notre Dame in Week 1, Jim Harbaugh has quietly led his Wolverines to a 5-1 record. If Harbaugh wants to get over the hump and reach his first Big Ten Championship Game as head coach of his alma mater, Michigan has to win this one. In order to do so, their defense must contain Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor, who’s averaging 6.7 yards per carry and already has eight touchdowns on the year. Stopping Taylor forces Badgers QB Alex Hornibrook to step up against Michigan’s defense, which is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in total yardage and passing yards allowed. Wolverines fans have to like their team’s chances after thinking about that one-sided matchup.

 

19 Colorado vs. USC

While Colorado currently sits at 5-0, they’re in danger of losing their first game of the year when they head to LA to take on unranked USC. Fresh off a bye week, freshman QB JT Daniels should have the Trojans offense firing on all cylinders Saturday as USC attempts to improve to 13-0 all-time against Colorado AND 19-0 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum under head coach Clay Helton.