What We Learned During College Football Week 10: Buckeyes Roll, Texas Rising

We’re through 10 weeks of the college football season, and the stage is close to being set for the playoffs. The top of the Big 10 continues to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, while the top of the SEC continues to grind out big wins in conference play. Let’s get into the biggest takeaways from this past week.

Ohio State and Indiana Stand at the Top of College Football

For the first time since a week one game against Texas, Ohio State dealt with a bit of adversity, playing a close first half with Penn State. Then Ryan Day remembered he had the best quarterback and receivers in the country, and they dominated the Nittany Lions in the second half. Julian Sayin is playing at a level that no other quarterback in the country can match. If the offense continues to play like they did in this one, I don’t know how anyone can beat the Buckeyes.

Speaking of elite quarterback play, the Hoosiers went on the road to take on Maryland, and they didn’t even need a big game from Mendoza to dominate a gritty Terapins squad. Curt Cignetti had Malik Washington seeing double all day, confusing him with coverages, picking him off twice. Ohio State’s defense gets all the love in the Big 10, but Indiana deserves a lot more attention than they’re getting. These two seem like they’re on a collision course to play for the conference title in Indianapolis here soon.

Texas is Back in the Mix for the SEC

After close losses to Ohio State and Florida, most of the country seemed to write off the Longhorns. Good thing, Sark, didn’t write back, as Texas had their most impressive win of the season, knocking off a top-10 Vanderbilt team. Maybe Vandy was a little overrated, but scoring 34 on a tough Vanderbilt defense should give Texas fans some confidence that they can pull off a miracle close to their season with Georgia and Texas A&M waiting for them here soon.

Down in Jacksonville, Georgia, continues to avoid the big loss, pulling off another 4th quarter comeback against Florida. I have no idea how Kirby Smart continues to do it. Georgia won’t go down easy, but they still have some massive games against Texas and Georgia Tech. Additionally, Mississippi State has played most of the conference closely, so they may be seeking a signature win to secure a bowl game invitation.

Tennessee’s playoff hopes ended disappointingly against an Oklahoma team that looked dead in the water going into this game. Turnovers, missed field goals, and defensive woes have been problems for the Vols all season, and we saw all of those again in this one. When Joey Aguilar has been clicking this year, Tennessee has looked like a team deserving of a playoff spot; however, the sloppiness has been a massive Achilles' heel all year long.

The Playoff Picture Looks Very Murky in the Big 12 and ACC

After losses from Georgia Tech and Miami this week, the ACC can kiss the idea of two playoff teams goodbye. I’m not sure what happens to Mario Cristobal when the calendar flips to November, but he seems to forget how to coach. For Georgia Tech, they had been playing with fire all season long, and it finally caught them against a desperate NC State team.

With how Pitt has been playing since moving Mason Heintschel to starter, could they be the new favorite in the ACC? They’ve got a gauntlet ahead of them with Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, and Miami all in a row to close out the season. If they come out of this stretch unscathed, they will easily be the cream of the crop in the conference.

In the Big 12, BYU and Texas Tech must be ecstatic with the ACC cannibalizing each other, as they both have a shot at making it into the playoffs, and I think they would deserve it. Both of these offenses have numerous question marks, but they can play elite defense, which gives them a shot against everyone in the country. Houston and Cincinnati suffered tough losses this week, so the favorites in the conference might have more breathing room than they had before. They might not have the talent of the Big 10 or SEC, but man, the Big 12 might be the best watch in the country.