On the spot response to Week 8 developments on the sector (and in post-game information conferences) …
1. The great, the unhealthy and the brutal
The weekend introduced a slew of notable outcomes throughout the area. We’ll begin with a handful of victories worthy of point out, then transfer to the losses.
— Maybe the very best win of all got here on Friday evening, when Brigham Younger snatched victory away from what would have been a nasty loss to Oklahoma State.
After permitting the go-ahead landing with 73 seconds remaining, the Cougars transformed a fourth-and-seven to protect their desperation drive, then received the sport on a 35-yard catch-and-run landing cross from quarterback Jake Retzlaff to receiver Darius Lassiter.
The victory preserved BYU’s undefeated season — a season that more and more seems touched by future — and saved the Cougars tied with Iowa State atop the Huge 12.
— Colorado additionally cleared our bar with its 34-7 demolition of Arizona in Tucson.
The margin was spectacular, after all. So, too, was CU’s management of the road of scrimmage, an space that always flummoxes the Buffaloes.
The massive image counts, as properly: The victory pushed the Buffs (5-2) to the brink of a postseason berth. Win one of many ultimate 5, they usually’re bowling.
— We can not ignore UCLA’s stunning victory at Rutgers, which certified as a stupendous outcome for the Bruins provided that they have been 0-4 in Huge Ten play and hadn’t received a recreation anyplace because the ultimate day of August.
Add the cross-country journey and the early kickoff (9 a.m. Pacific), plus their start-to-finish management of the sport, and it was a next-level efficiency for coach DeShaun Foster’s beleaguered program.
Earlier than we transfer to the unhealthy losses, of which there have been a number of, a fast level of clarification: Some outcomes don’t qualify nearly as good wins or unhealthy losses.
Oregon’s blowout victory at Purdue doesn’t transfer the Hotline’s needle as a result of the Boilermakers are, properly, horrible; the identical might be mentioned of Washington State’s dominance of Hawaii.
On the different finish of our vary, Arizona State’s loss to Cincinnati got here on the street in opposition to a high quality opponent, and the Solar Devils have been with out beginning quarterback Sam Leavitt. That’s a loss, however not a nasty loss.
There have been fairly a number of of these, nonetheless.
2. Brutal losses, simply brutal
The competitors for the worst lack of the weekend got here courtesy of two California colleges — one imploded at residence, the opposite on the alternative coast.
— USC discovered a brand new and artistic method to blow a late lead and misplaced for the fourth time in 5 Huge Ten video games.
The Trojans led Maryland by 14 factors early within the fourth quarter and by six with two minutes remaining. Going through fourth-and-one, coach Lincoln Riley opted for a 41-yard yard discipline aim that will have successfully sealed the win.
However the kick was blocked and returned by Maryland to midfield. The Terrapins wanted 5 performs to attain the go-ahead landing, then repelled USC’s last-gasp drive to safe an unbelievable 29-28 victory.
The come-from-ahead loss marked the continuation of an unpleasant development: The Trojans have blown fourth quarter leads in all 4 convention losses.
They already have been eradicated from the Huge Ten race and the School Soccer Playoff chase. Now, it’s an extended slog to the end with Riley’s job efficiency beneath ridiculous scrutiny.
— However should you assume the Trojans have cornered the market on brutal losses, enable us to current … Cal.
Bear in mind the Bears, who blew a 25-point third quarter lead in opposition to Miami? Who misplaced at Pitt by two factors and at Florida State by 5?
Properly, those self same Bears labored themselves into place for a 28-yard discipline aim Saturday afternoon that will have produced a two-point lead in opposition to NC State with 94 seconds remaining.
However kicker Derek Morris’ try sailed large, and the Bears have been left with their fourth ACC loss by a mixed 9 factors. That’s proper: 4 losses by 9 factors. A group that began 3-0 and seemingly had an open street to the postseason is now left to scratch and claw for a bowl bid.
— Talking of slim roads into the postseason, Arizona was the third group with a day kickoff to undergo a nasty loss.
No less than it wasn’t an excruciating end. The 27-point defeat to Colorado was over within the first half, which is what made the outcome indisputably ugly for the Wildcats.
With an injury-ravaged secondary and an offense that’s fully out of sync, they have been no match for the Buffaloes on both aspect of scrimmage.
Arizona’s preseason rating (No. 21) looks like a decade in the past. With out three wins of their ultimate 5 video games, the Wildcats received’t even go bowling.
— The ultimate recreation of the evening featured one other unhealthy loss: Utah’s 13-7 face plant in opposition to TCU.
Yep, the Utes managed a single landing in opposition to the identical TCU protection that beforehand allowed 35 factors to UCF, 66 to SMU and 30 to Houston.
In our view, it issues not that the Utes began freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson. They need to rating greater than seven factors in opposition to the Horned Frogs, particularly at residence.
The loss extinguished Utah’s ever-so-slim likelihood of reaching the Huge 12 title recreation.
3. “Kicking tryouts on Monday”
These phrases — and plenty of others — got here straight from the mouth of pissed off Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, whose group missed two discipline targets in its 10-point loss at Cincinnati. (Each misses have been within the fourth quarter.)
It was hardly the primary time the kicking recreation has failed the Solar Devils. Over the course of seven video games, they’ve made simply 7-of-13 discipline targets.
“Our kicking game’s atrocious,” Dillingham instructed reporters after the 24-14 loss. “So, if you can kick and you’re at Arizona State, email me. We’re going to have kicking tryouts on Monday, so bring it on.”
Dillingham later took to social media to apologize for his feedback. Though he didn’t point out kicker Ian Hershey by title in his postgame feedback, the item of his criticism was clear.
However Arizona State wasn’t the one group left questioning about particular groups breakdowns.
Wayward kicks have price Cal three victories.
The Bears did not convert two discipline targets within the five-point loss at Florida State, they usually missed a 40-yarder within the two-point loss at Pitt.
Add the breakdown on Saturday, and you may draw a direct line: If the Bears had made 4 medium-range discipline targets, they’d be 6-1. As an alternative, they’re 3-4.
Oh, and we must always add USC to the checklist of groups undone by their discipline aim models. The blocked 41-yarder started the Trojans’ demise at Maryland.
4. Bowl math replace
The postseason panorama is starting to take form.
Solely 4 groups primarily based within the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones have locked up bowl berths: BYU and Oregon are 7-0 and cleared the edge earlier this month. UNLV joined them Saturday evening with its victory at Oregon State.
The fourth group? Washington State.
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The Cougars (6-1) grew to become bowl-eligible on Saturday with their 42-10 wipeout of Hawaii.
Excluding the 2020 season derailed by COVID, Washington State has reached the postseason in eight of the previous 9 years — a exceptional stretch of success contemplating the recruiting challenges posed by WSU’s geography.
And there are extra wins coming for the Cougars, who needs to be favored of their ultimate 5 video games.
Put one other manner: An 11-1 season is properly inside attain for John Mateer and Co.
In the meantime, 4 different groups from the area want one victory to clinch postseason bids: Colorado, Arizona State, Boise State and San Jose State.
5. The playoff shadow
Growth has modified the mathematics for dozens of groups that will have been eradicated from the School Soccer Playoff at this level beneath the four-team format.
However the brand new system means any group nonetheless alive within the race for the ACC, Huge 12, Huge Ten and SEC championships has a shot on the CFP.
There are 26 groups with zero or one loss in convention play throughout the ability leagues; they’re alive and properly.
The group consists of BYU and Oregon, that are undefeated, but in addition Colorado, which has one loss in Huge 12 play.
The Buffaloes have a manageable schedule by way of the stretch run: They don’t face both of the convention leaders, Iowa State and BYU.
In the event that they win out, mayhem elsewhere might open a path into the Huge 12 championship recreation, and subsequently the CFP, for Colorado.
It’s unlikely, nevertheless it’s attainable.
Beneath the previous system, the Buffs would have been eradicated.
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