Immediate response to Week 8 developments on the sector …
1. USC gonna USC
If that was, actually, USC’s ultimate go to to Notre Dame — and let’s all hope the faculties discover a strategy to lengthen the storied collection — the Trojans went out in becoming type.
With a 34-24 loss: Their seven consecutive defeat in South Bend.
With a horrible working sport: They averaged simply 2.3 yards per carry.
With an terrible run protection: Notre Dame bulldozed for 306 yards.
It was a completely predictable efficiency from a crew whose head coach, Lincoln Riley, has not discovered from years of errors.
You don’t beat good groups on the highway, in South Bend or throughout the Huge Ten, with second-rate play on the line of scrimmage — with out having the ability to run the ball or cease the run in key conditions.
The perfect instance Saturday night got here with USC trailing by 10 factors halfway by way of the fourth quarter. Dealing with fourth-and-1 close to midfield, a scenario that screamed for a brute-force working play between the tackles — even a quarterback sneak would have sufficed — the Trojans tried a cross to the perimeter that fell incomplete.
Any probability to salvage a victory splattered on the turf, as effectively.
It couldn’t have been extra on-brand for Riley or a higher present for the Irish, who dominated the road of scrimmage as they’ve so usually in opposition to USC in recent times.
Notre Dame’s victory has main penalties for USC (5-2), the Huge Ten and all the facility conferences.
With a 5-2 file and delicate ending schedule, the Irish are positioned for a 10-win season that seemingly will lead to one other School Soccer Playoff berth.
However as a result of Notre Dame competes as an Unbiased, it qualifies as one in all seven at-large members.
If the Irish are invited, solely six berths can be found for non-champions from the ACC, Huge 12, Huge Ten and SEC.
Everybody wanted the Trojans to win to knock out Notre Dame. However as is commonly the case with Riley’s groups, they weren’t robust sufficient the place it mattered most.
2. Extra highway woes for UW
USC wasn’t the one crew to ship an on-brand efficiency. Washington did precisely that in its Huge Midday date at Michigan.
The Huskies began effectively sufficient in opposition to the unranked Wolverines however weren’t aggressive within the second half of a 24-7 loss within the Huge Home.
It was their sixth Huge Ten sport within the jap half of the nation for the reason that begin of final season. They’ve misplaced 5. (The one win got here a number of weeks in the past at Maryland.)
What’s extra, the Huskies have did not cowl the purpose unfold in all six — that’s not straightforward to do, of us.
Washington (5-2) has a manageable stretch upcoming and shouldn’t have any hassle securing a bowl berth. However the loss in Ann Arbor successfully extinguishes any probability of competing for a CFP at-large bid.
The issue is pretty easy to dissect: Opposing defenses have loaded the road of scrimmage to comprise tailback Jonah Coleman and dare quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to win video games by way of the air.
Towards the less-talented opponents, Williams has been terrific.
Washington is averaging 46 factors in its 5 wins (Colorado State, UC Davis, Washington State, Maryland and Rutgers).
Within the two losses, to Ohio State and Michigan, the Huskies have scored 13 factors.
That’s 13 complete factors.
UW received’t face an elite protection till the season finale in opposition to Oregon.
3. One other ASU thriller
The early afternoon broadcast window produced two staples of the season: A riveting Huge 12 sport and a last-minute thriller involving Arizona State.
The Solar Devils led undefeated Texas Tech by 12 with roughly 4 minutes remaining, however the Purple Raiders ripped off 15 factors in a flash to seize a 22-19 lead, then had been one defensive play away from sealing the victory.
However as they’ve accomplished so usually, ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt teamed with receiver Jordyn Tyson for a last-minute escape — a 33-yard catch-and-run that gave the Solar Devils possession simply outdoors the Purple Zone.
A subsequent cross interference penalty on Texas Tech arrange the Solar Devils’ successful landing win 34 seconds left.
The 26-22 victory was the fourth ASU sport this season determined by 4 factors or much less. The Devils have received three (Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech) and misplaced one (Mississippi State).
The Hotline is admittedly skeptical by nature, but it surely’s troublesome to think about ASU (5-2) will proceed successful shut video games at this fee. Too many breaks should fall proper.
And keep in mind: When ASU marched by way of the Huge 12 final season, solely three of its 9 video games had been determined by 5 factors or much less. The present tempo of late escapes can’t be maintained … proper?
4. Holy lore
Few outcomes in faculty soccer are as predictable as the ultimate margin within the Holy Warfare. Whatever the id of the victor, the bitter rivalry is ridiculously aggressive.
BYU’s 24-21 victory on Saturday marked the13th event previously twenty years that the sport was determined by a landing or much less.
It was additionally BYU’s third consecutive victory over Utah, a feat the Cougars hadn’t achieved for the reason that early Nineteen Nineties.
The Utes had loads of probabilities and out-gained BYU by greater than 100 yards. However they dedicated two turnovers and 12 penalties whereas the Cougars had zero and 5.
Additionally, Utes coach Kyle Whittingham eschewed discipline objectives thrice in favor of fourth-down makes an attempt, and the Utes had been stopped every time. (Whittingham attributed the repeated fourth-down tries to the “analytics.”)
These 9 factors might have come in useful.
The victory left the Cougars (7-0) tied for first place within the Huge 12, together with Cincinnati. And should you predicted that uncommon pairing could be atop the convention on the halfway level, take into account enjoying the Powerball lottery.
Utah’s scenario isn’t hopeless, however assistance is required contemplating the Utes (5-2) have head-to-head losses to 2 groups (BYU and Texas Tech) which can be forward of them within the standings.
The Cougars won’t maintain their floor — the upcoming schedule is unforgiving — however the Utes don’t have any margin for error. They need to run the desk to have any shot at securing a spot within the Huge 12 title sport.
Given the modest downfield risk posed by Utah quarterback Devon Dampier and the aerial sport, successful out appears unlikely.
5. Rinse, wash, repeat
Though their performances didn’t match neatly into any type of bigger developments, UCLA, Arizona and Washington State all adopted plots which have develop into acquainted lately.
— The Bruins received their third consecutive sport beneath interim coach Tim Skipper, turning a 68-yard drive within the ultimate minute right into a game-winning discipline aim.
Remarkably, UCLA (3-4/3-1) is a part of a seven-team tie for third place within the Huge Ten — the identical tier occupied by Oregon and USC. It received’t final, nevertheless. The Bruins go to Indiana subsequent weekend, then enterprise to Ohio State in November. They usually end with Washington and USC.
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Skipper has accomplished stellar work stabilizing this system. However a bowl berth stays unlikely.
— Arizona absorbed one other gut-punch loss. One week after shedding at dwelling to BYU in time beyond regulation, the Wildcats had been crushed by a walk-off discipline aim in Houston.
The 31-28 loss was extremely entertaining and largely rooted in errors. The Wildcats couldn’t cease Houston’s working sport (232 yards) and had been known as for an inexcusable sideline interference penalty throughout a essential stretch.
In addition they had been on the flawed finish of two huge officiating gaffes — one in all which ought to immediate a public clarification from the Huge 12 workplace, in our view: The failure to name an unlawful movement penalty on Houston on the game-winning drive when a working again was clearly shifting ahead on the time of the snap. (The dearth of a penalty left Fox guidelines analyst Mike Pereira dumbfounded.)
The underside line? Coach Brent Brennan and his workers should make optimum use of the bye week earlier than the Wildcats (4-3) head to Boulder. Their path into the postseason is changing into more and more slender.
— The Hotline didn’t suppose Washington State might muster one other momentous effort — not enjoying within the jap half of the nation, in opposition to a Energy 4 opponent, for the second consecutive week.
However the Cougars pushed Virginia to the restrict in a 22-20 loss that adopted a three-point defeat at Mississippi.
Yep, Washington State’s two finest performances of the season got here in probably the most unlikely of circumstances. The Cougars (3-4) misplaced each, by a mixed rating of 46-41. But when they replicate the trouble, particularly on protection, the Cougars ought to safe three extra wins and a bowl berth.
That’s not the result we anticipated from WSU.
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