Saturday in Review: Week 8

Well, that was quite a weekend despite the lower-than-average number of exciting games. Most games proceeded and concluded as I expected or close to my predictions. Events in the state of Florida were particularly consequential...

First, South Florida rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit to defeat the Golden Hurricane in Tulsa. The improbable comeback secured a much needed victory for the Bulls as they still seek to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2010. Meanwhile, UCF's defense held back Tulane to give the Knight's their fourth win of the season. Despite being down 10 points starting the final quarter, Florida Atlantic managed to shock Western Kentucky in Boca Raton. FIU lost, as expected, to the unbeaten Thundering Herd.

One may be hard-pressed to locate any Florida fan living
outside a mental asylum that continues to support the
employment of Will Muschamp as a head coach. Rob Foldy

The Florida Gators were the only other team from the state of Florida that managed to lose this weekend. And what a loss it was. Unfortunately, Will Muschamp's tenure at Florida will be long remembered for its collection of historic losses and colossal disappointments. The Gators' 29-point margin-of-defeat was the largest at home to an unranked opponent since a 37-6 loss to LSU in 1967. The game began with Mizzou returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown (the first touchdown Florida has allowed on a kickoff return since Ted Ginn ran one back in the '06 championship game). Unlike that night in Arizona, things would only get worse for the Gators as homecoming night dragged on. Florida went on to allow a punt return, interception return, and fumble return – all for touchdowns (the rare "Grand Slam" of touchdown returns in football). It was an embarrassing exhibition of total and complete incompetence by every member of the coaching staff excluding the defense. Surely, the death knell has rung for Jeff Driskel's career as a Florida quarterback. The quarterback's performance could be simply described as abysmal. Driskel was responsible for four of his team's six turnovers. Inexplicably, the coaches continued to send the poor quarterback onto the field long after his utter futility was blatantly apparent. It did not help that the offensive line played as poorly as they have all season. As fury envelopes the Gator fanbase, one can reasonably expect major changes in Florida's imminent future.

Unusually, the Oregon Ducks wore their school colors.
Their 45-20 victory over Washington marked their 11th
straight in the border-rivalry. Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Up in Tallahassee, the Seminoles managed to survive against the Fighting Irish in a classic battle of football titans. Like I expected, this was a meeting between two equally-matched, elite teams that came down to the final seconds. The outcome would likely have been different in any other location than Doak Campbell Stadium. It is not beyond likelihood that these two teams will meet again in the playoffs.

A few things happened outside Florida. Every SEC game was decided by at least 12 points and Florida was the only favorite to lose. Thanks to a blocked PAT and missed chip-shot, Kansas State pulled off the upset against against the Sooners in Norman. One of the preseason favorites to win it all, Oklahoma now appears to be out of contention for the national title after this second loss (an all-too-familiar tale for Sooner fans). Oregon blasted Washington, taking control of the Pac-12 North as Stanford faltered once again. West Virginia cut short Baylor's undefeated season, limiting the number of currently unbeaten teams to four (Florida State, Marshall, Mississippi, and Mississippi State). Strangely, it's now Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State (all 5-1) that are the teams to beat in the Pac-12 South.

State of Florida:

• South Florida (3-4) over Tulsa (1-6), 20-17 38-30
• UCF (4-2) over Tulane (2-5), 20-10 20-13
• Western Kentucky (2-4) over Florida Atlantic (3-4), 41-38 45-38
• #25 Marshall (7-0) over FIU (3-5), 45-24 45-13
• Florida (3-3) over Missouri (5-2), 23-13 42-13
• #2 Florida State (7-0) over #5 Notre Dame (6-1), 38-35 31-27
• Miami (4-3), BYE

Southeastern Conference:

• South Carolina (4-3) over Furman (2-5), 49-7 41-10
• #7 Alabama (6-1) over #21 Texas A&M (5-3), 24-17 59-0
• #10 Georgia (6-1) over Arkansas (3-4), 24-21 45-32
• #3 Mississippi (7-0) over Tennessee (3-4), 35-10 34-3
• LSU (6-2) over Kentucky (5-2), 38-28 41-3
• #6 Auburn (5-1), BYE
• #1 Mississippi State (6-0), BYE
• Vanderbilt (2-5), BYE

Top 25:

• #4 Baylor (6-1) over West Virginia (5-2), 49-41 41-27
• #8 Michigan State (6-1) over Indiana (3-4), 45-28 56-17
• #9 Oregon (6-1) over Washington (5-2), 45-31 45-20
• #11 Oklahoma (5-2) over #14 Kansas State (5-1), 31-28 31-30
• #12 TCU (5-1) over #15 Oklahoma State (5-2), 44-31 42-9
• #13 Ohio State (5-1) over Rutgers (5-2), 45-24 56-17
• #23 Stanford (4-3) over #17 Arizona State (5-1), 24-17 26-10
• #19 Nebraska (6-1) over Northwestern (3-4), 31-20 38-17
• #20 Utah (5-1) over Oregon State (4-2), 31-24 29-23 (OT)
• #22 USC (5-2) over Colorado (2-5), 38-24 56-28
• #24 Clemson (5-2) over Boston College (4-3), 27-23 17-13
• #16 Arizona (5-1), BYE
• #18 East Carolina (5-1), BYE

Week 8 Record: 17-5 (77%)

Season Record: 98-36 (73%)