Dante Moore vs. Penn State
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The College Football season is officially heading into the sixth week of the season and the Top 25 is an absolute mess, resulting from the chaos created by rising underdogs and faltering powerhouses.
We know we are a few weeks behind in our first official poll release but better late than never, eh?
No. 1 – Oregon Ducks
While the lights were bright and the Beaver Stadium rocking the iconic “White-Out,” Dante Moore was shining himself.
The sophomore signal-caller completed 29 of 39 passes for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Nittany Lions, without giving an interception.
Moore played extremely calm in the pocket, showing off his precision and accuracy on the biggest stage so far this season.
After Penn State clawed back in the game to send the game to overtime, Moore answered with his own series of clutch plays to send it to a second overtime. On the ensuing snap of that second overtime, he threw a touchdown to Gary Bryant Jr. to seal the deal for the Ducks.
His outing against Penn State proved why he is one of the top quarterbacks in the game right now and why Oregon could be THE team to beat.
No. 2 – Miami Hurricanes
Idle.
The Canes were off this past week but have looked stellar so far this season. They head to Tallahassee on Saturday night to renew their rivalry with the Seminoles in a high-stakes matchup that could hurt or help either team’s playoff odds.
No. 3 – Ohio State Buckeyes
O-H-N-O.
The Buckeyes struggled during the first half of their road game at Washington, managing to only score once after Julian Sayin delivered an 18-yard dart to Jeremiah Smith to take the lead in the second quarter with 1:08 left in the half.
The second half was a lot more smooth, with Sayin and freshman phenom Bo Jackson being the stars of the show.
Sayin finished the game completing 22 of 28 passes for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jackson added 17 carries for 80 yards to lead all Buckeyes in the rushing category.
Caden curry and Kayden McDonald held it down defensively for OSU as they each racked in 2+ sacks and 3+ TFLs.
If Ohio State is going to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, they need to be more dominant out the gate or else a slow start might catch up with them…
No. 4 – Oklahoma Sooners
Idle.
Brent Venables’ squad was off this week but will look to win big against Kent State on Saturday.
John Mateer is the top story for the Sooners as he is sidelined for the next month following a successful hand surgery. Mateer suffered a break in his throwing hand during the first quarter against Auburn on September 20th.
How O.K. will fare against their next few opponents will have to rely on how the running game is and how backup QB Michael Hawkins will perform.
No. 5 – Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies are off to their best start since 2016, when they started 6-0. They are on an early tear so far this season, beating Notre Dame on the road last week and Auburn at home this week.
The defense for A&M was the talk of the night as they held Jackson Arnold to 125 passing yards and the Tiger rushing core to 52 yards on the ground.
Dayon Hayes, Taurean York, Cashius Howell, Daymion Sanford, and DJ Hicks all sacked Arnold once with York adding two TFLs.
No. 6 – Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels busted out the gate on Saturday and beat Brian Kelly’s “National Championship Contending” LSU Tigers 24-19.
QB Trinidad Chambliss looked spectacular against the Tigers, throwing 314 yards on 23 of 39 attempts with one touchdown and an interception. Chambliss added 71 yards on the ground along with Kewan Lacy’s 87 yards on 23 carries.
No. 7 – Indiana Hoosiers
The Hoosiers took on a pissed-off Iowa team that is looking to bring anyone down with them.
Trailing 13-10 with less than 10 minutes left in the game, Indiana got a 44-yard field goal from Nico Radicic and took the lead with a 49-yard touchdown from Elijah Sarratt.
In incredible fashion, the Hoosiers gave up a late safety but held on to win 20-15, starting 5-0 for the first time in consecutive seasons since 1967 and 1910.
No. 8 – Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide washed over the Georgia Bulldogs to reel in a 24-21 win on the road in Athens.
Ty Simpson picked apart the Bulldogs’ secondary and threw 276 yards on 24 completions and two touchdowns. Isaiah Horton caught 5 balls for 65 yards and a score and Germie Bernard caught 5 balls as well for 35 yards and a score.
Deontae Lawson forced a fumble on Nate Frazier, which proved to be a costly turnover for the Dawgs.
The Tide never trailed and handed UGA their first home loss since 2019.
Bama will host Vanderbilt on Saturday in a matchup that could be almost as chaotic as last season’s matchup.
No. 9 – Penn State Nittany Lions
James Franklin is 4-21 against AP Top 10 teams following Saturday’s loss to Oregon…
Definitely not where you want to be as the head coach of a team that wants to contend for a National Championship.
Drew Allar looked bottom-of-the-barrel against the Ducks, completing 14 of 25 passes for 137 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Kaytron Allen led the flatlining Nittany Lion offense with 54 yards on 12 carries, gathering a touchdown on the way.
Penn State is definitely better than this considering the talent they have but this was a rough outing against a powerful Oregon team. If PSU wants to contend, they need to tighten up on offense and shut down the run on defense.
No. 10 – Texas Tech Red Raiders
Idle
No. 11 – Texas Longhorns
Idle
No. 12 – Iowa State Cyclones
The Cyclones are 5-0 heading into a trap game against Cincinnati. But they are clicking on all cylinders right now and pending Saturday’s result, could be the team to beat in the Big 12 this year.
Rocco Becht, even while throwing an interception, looked great against Arizona. The signal caller went 14-for-20 with 243 yards, while also adding 3 touchdowns on the ground.
Receiver Chase Sowell had a monster day for the ‘Clones, racking up 146 yards on only 4 receptions.
Only thing holding back ISU right now is inconsistency on offense. If they perform well against Cincy and get things down pat, they could become lethal going into the second half of the season.
No. 13 – Vanderbilt Commodores
Vandy is tied for first in the SEC for the first time since God knows when.
They took on Utah State at home and shredded the Aggies 55-35 to move to 5-0 on the season.
Diego Pavia is a sneaky Heisman dark horse candidate after racking up 321 yards on 26-of-34 passing. He found Junior Sherrill six times for three touchdowns and 91 yards. Richie Hoskins and Eli Stowers both picked up a touchdown, combining for 138 yards. Pavia added 79 yards on the ground, finding the endzone once.
SEC, beware because this ain’t your dad’s Vanderbilt team.
The Dores take on Alabama on Saturday in Tuscaloosa in a showdown that could shake up the race for the SEC Championship.
No. 14 – Georgia Bulldogs
Stat to know: 33 games unbeaten at Sanford Stadium. That was until the Tide rolled in and beat the Dawgs in another classic thriller between the two rivals.
Georgia NEVER held a lead against Alabama, falling behind early at halftime down 24-14.
Stock in Gunnar Stockton fell as the quarterback threw 13-for-20 with 130 yards and a tuddy.
Chauncey Bowens was the only player that really gave Georgia a chance, rushing for 119 yards on 12 carries.
The Bulldog defensive core was atrocious, allowing 280 passing yards and 117 rushing yards.
Georgia has a pivotal game against Kentucky on Saturday that is must win in order to help keep them in contention for the playoffs.
No. 15 – Louisiana State University Tigers
Garrett Nussmeier looked like a deer in headlights against Ole Miss, throwing 197 yards on 21 completions. He also threw an interception.
LSU could only muster 57 yards on 22 total carries and a touchdown against an overpowering Ole Miss defense.
Total meltdown on Brian Kelly’s behalf.
No. 16 – Tennessee Volunteers
The Vols’ season has been very… interesting.
Joey Aguilar has played anything but lights out, racking up 1,459 yards on the season with a 13:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
He continued to show his arm strength though, garnering 335 yards on 24 completions with a touchdown and a pair of INTs.
DeSean Bishop led the running attack with 72 yards and a touchdown.
Despite a stagnant offense, the Volunteers’ defense overwhelmed Mississippi State in their comeback to force, and win, overtime.
Caleb Herring sacked Blake Shapen 1.5 times, Tyre West added 2 sacks, and the rest of the defensive core added 2 more to shut down Shapen. The Vols’ D added 11 TFLs, a pick-six, and a fumble recovery.
Tennessee might be not look stellar but they are getting it done and winning, the best two things you can do in the the sport.
No. 17 – Mizzou Tigers
Not a whole lot to say since the Tigers took on a winless UMass team.
Beau Pribula threw for 241 yards on an impressive 26-of-29 completions. Ahmed Hardy added 130 yards with 3 touchdowns and Missouri beat the brakes off UMass 42-6.
No. 18 – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Jackets had no business in almost losing to Wake Forest in overtime. If they are looking to compete with Virginia, Miami, and Florida State for the ACC Championship, they need to look the part.
That win against Clemson isn’t doing them much justice anymore…
No. 19 – Florida State Seminoles
Either FSU played a really good Virginia team or is finally settling into the season. A 2OT loss for the Noles is pretty discouraging after winning huge against Alabama and punking E. Texas A&M 77-3 and Kent State 66-10.
They host Miami in a huge matchup on Saturday that could decide their fate going into the second half of the season.
No. 20 – Virginia Cavaliers
No. 21 – BYU Cougars
No. 22 – Illinois Illini
No. 23 – Michigan Wolverines
No. 24 – Arizona State Sun Devils
No. 25 – Memphis Tigers
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