College football winners, losers, overreactions in Week 8: Pitt is the ACC favorite, abolish the new OT rules

A number of of the highest packages in school soccer had comparatively manageable matchups in Week 8 prematurely of what may very well be a monstrous remaining weekend in October. However, like so usually on this sport, issues did not fairly keep to script. There are only a few “down” weekends school soccer and Saturday was no exception. 

The craziness began within the midday slate. Kansas practically pulled off the upset of the century in opposition to No. 3 Oklahoma, holding on to a lead heading into the fourth quarter earlier than the Sooners finally accomplished the comeback. No. 2 Cincinnati wanted a late interception to place away 1-6 Navy. No. 4 Alabama took a shot proper to the top within the first quarter in opposition to Tennessee earlier than pulling away with a large fourth quarter. And eventually, Illinois shocked No. 7 Penn State in 9 — 9! — overtimes to fully shake up the Large Ten East image. 

Solely 4 AP Prime 25 groups misplaced – down from seven per week in the past – however the upsets stored what has been one of many wackiest season in college football historical past alive. Listed below are winners, losers and overreactions from one other large day of motion. 

Winners

Pitt: Clemson won’t be “Clemson” this season, however the Tigers have nonetheless gained the final six ACC championships. All of the stress was on No. 23 Pitt to show it belongs within the AP Prime 25 and brought significantly as the brand new favourite within the ACC. The Panthers handed with flying colours in a 27-17 win. Pitt outgained Clemson by greater than 150 yards and bought one other nice sport from quarterback Kenny Pickett, who threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns within the win. The Panthers protection put a lot stress on Clemson QB D.J. Uiagalelei that coach Dabo Swinney benched him following his second interception. Pitt — sure, Pitt — is formally the ACC frontrunner. And Pickett is staking his declare as a bona fide Heisman contender. 

Iowa State: The Cyclones have been left for lifeless after shedding to No. 11 Iowa and No. 20 Baylor, however edging No. 8 Oklahoma State out of the blue vaults them again into the Large 12 Championship Sport dialog. Matt Campbell’s staff have remained within the high 15 of most analytical methods, whilst public notion has shifted, however a win over the Cowboys’ aggressive protection proves they are going to be aggressive down the stretch. There are 4 Large 12 groups with no multiple convention loss: Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. With a lot soccer left, the primary convention championship since 1912 is properly inside attain. 

Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman: The Demon Deacons’ 70-56 win in opposition to Army bought method uncontrolled, however the electrical Hartman was greater than as much as the problem. The skilled sophomore dealt at each stage of the sphere, making the best reads beneath and taking the highest off of the protection when he wanted to. Hartman completed the sport finishing 23-of-29 passes for 458 yards and 5 touchdowns within the win, together with a speeding rating for good measure. Wake Forest has quite a lot of nice gamers on its first 7-0 staff since 1944. Hartman’s progress has supplied the pivotal piece that has Dave Clawson’s program poised to make historical past. 

Losers

Penn State: Illinois got here into its matchup with the Nittany Lions ranked No. 101 within the CBS 130 — 30 spots behind Northern Illinois. The Illini had misplaced its 4 video games in opposition to Energy 5 opponents by a mean of two touchdowns, to not point out a house loss to UTSA. On Saturday, that staff traveled to Blissful Valley and handed the No. 7 staff a 20-18 defeat after a FBS-record nine overtimes. Penn State flew near the solar in one-score wins over Auburn and Wisconsin, however mustering simply 227 yards in opposition to the No. 84 protection based on SP+ is nightmare gasoline for a program that hoped to earn its first playoff journey simply weeks in the past. These desires are lifeless. Now, all Penn State can hope for in James Franklin’s eighth season is enjoying spoiler. 

Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente: When the Hokies beat North Carolina in its season opener, it appeared like Fuente lastly could have turned a nook. After Virginia Tech blew a nine-point lead in opposition to Syracuse within the remaining 2:28 to lose 41-36 — the Orange’s go-ahead landing got here with lower than a minute left — the Fuente period is all however formally coming to a detailed. The Hokies have misplaced three in a row and there are not any alternatives to get a signature win on the remaining schedule. Final yr’s staff snapped a bowl streak final season that dated all the best way again to 1992, which can be the final time this program missed the postseason in consecutive years. 

TCU: The Horned Frogs have slowly however steadily fallen in the direction of the underside half of the Large 12, however shedding at residence by double-digits to a West Virginia staff with one FBS win — in opposition to Virginia Tech, of all groups — seems like all-time low. Gary Patterson’s once-proud protection gave up 7.0 yards per play in opposition to one of many worst offenses within the Large 12 and the Frogs are formally only a Kansas loss away from being within the convention cellar. With a lot offensive manufacturing returning, there was hope that TCU may push its method into the highest group. As a substitute, with a number of ranked video games remaining on the schedule, this system may very well be headed in the direction of its worst season beneath Patterson. 

Oklahoma would not have ‘It’

There’s one thing to be stated for surviving and advancing. Taking place to the wire and needing among the most unusual guidelines within the ebook to cement a win over Kansas – Kansas! — is one thing else solely. The Jayhawks have been so dreadful as of late that their win over Texas stays a meme greater than 5 years later. 

If the sport was a sequence of unlucky occasions spiraling downhill right into a once-in-a-lifetime school soccer reminiscence, that is one factor. Kansas was higher. It completed with extra yards, was extra environment friendly on third down and averaged greater than eight performs per drive. 

Oklahoma emerged victorious, however groups that may win nationwide championships do not go down by a number of scores in opposition to Kansas. They do not wait practically 48 minutes to take a lead in opposition to the Jayhawks or look so horrible {that a} downtrodden program decides to open the gates so anyone can see the spectacle for free. Oklahoma would possibly nonetheless win the Large 12 and make the playoff, but when that is what the Sooners are, they’ve zero likelihood as soon as they get there. 

Abolish the brand new additional time guidelines

I used to be on the sideline of the seven-overtime masterpiece between LSU and Texas A&M a 2018. It was a heavyweight prize battle for the ages that includes 14 back-and-forth additional time possessions and 146 whole factors. 

For some cause, the NCAA checked out that masterpiece and determined it was too pure for this world. As a substitute, the it instituted new guidelines successfully neutering OT and turning it into bizarro penalty kicks with every staff making an attempt two-point conversions. That was on full show within the Illinois-Penn State sport. 

Technically, the sport went 9 overtimes. As a substitute of haymakers, Illinois and Penn State’s putrid offenses blew bubbles at one another. The primary 10 two-point conversions failed, an embarrassing show. Illinois lastly emerged victorious with a move to Casey Washington ending the sport at 20-18 in 9-OT. We have been all worse for watching it.