What to watch, Week 8: Will outside distractions be too much for Florida State?
After two crazy weeks where ranked teams were losing left and right, we finally come down to Earth a little bit this week with an exciting, but less pressure-packed slate of games. Here’s what to watch in Week 8:
Game of the week:
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Florida State, 8 p.m. ET
The anticipation for this game has been marred somewhat by all of the off-field issues surrounding Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, still, this is a game that could decide whether the Seminoles are part of the inaugural playoff. FSU needs this win more than Notre Dame because the rest of its schedule isn’t nearly as strong as some of the other teams in the playoff mix. The Seminoles defense, which has been mediocre compared to last year, will have to be on the top of its game against Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson, who will try to make this contest his signature Heisman moment.
Game to watch:
No. 14 Kansas State at No. 11 Oklahoma, 12 p.m. ET
Kansas State has faded into the shadows since its loss to Auburn, but that game has nothing to do with the Wildcats prospects in the Big 12. KSU is still one of the undefeated teams remaining in the conference and a win against Oklahoma could knock the Sooners out of championship contention. Oklahoma has struggled the past couple weeks. Quarterback Trevor Knight, who had such a hot start to the season, has cooled as he’s faced better defenses. Moreover, Kansas State’s defense has had an extra week to prepare for Oklahoma’s high-powered offense. These two teams got into a shootout last season and it will probably be much of the same this year. One note: Kansas State’s win in Norman two years ago is the only home loss against a ranked opponent for the Sooners during Bob Stoops’ tenure.
Also check out…
No. 4 Baylor at West Virginia, 12 p.m. ET
Two years ago, West Virginia defeated Baylor 70-63 in Morgantown, the highest-scoring game in Big 12 history. Expect more of the same in this contest, especially since both teams are riding high after come-from-behind victories that ended with game-winning field goals. While West Virginia is in the hunt for a bowl game, Baylor is trying to hold on to the top spot in the Big 12 and one of the top spots in the national rankings. Quarterback Bryce Petty had what many believe was his Heisman moment last week when he led the Bears back from 21 points down against TCU with just 11 minutes remaining. But he’ll need to continue to put up gaudy numbers if he wants to stay in the Heisman hunt and keep his team in the playoff hunt.
Don’t waste your time with:
No. 21 Texas A&M at No. 7 Alabama, 3:30 p.m. ET
OK, OK, OK. Before everyone tells me I’m dumb for saying we shouldn’t waste our time with a game between ranked teams, hear me out. Have you watched either of these teams in the past two weeks? It’s been excruciating. Texas A&M QB Kenny Hill has been a turnover machine and Alabama has made more mistakes on special teams than I think I’ve seen them make in the past three seasons combined. These are not good football teams right now. Still, this game might be worth a watch if you want to see one teams reach its breaking point. Texas A&M has never lost three consecutive games under coach Kevin Sumlin and Alabama hasn’t had two losses by mid-October since 2007. Alabama’s defense is still one of the strongest in the country and it will have its hands full against an A&M offense that still ranks in the top 10. As for Alabama’s offense, well, if it can’t wake up against a pretty bad A&M defense, there are going to be a lot of questions in Tuscaloosa.
Keep an eye on:
Everett Golson, QB, Notre Dame
Against Stanford two weeks ago, Golson converted a fourth-and-11 from the 23 for a touchdown to give his Irish a 17-14 win. As of right now, that’s his signature moment. But a win against Florida State this weekend might be his Heisman moment. Florida State is certainly not the best defensive team the Irish have faced this season, but it’s considered the best overall team. Golson, who missed all of last season after violating Notre Dame’s academic rules, has come back with a vengeance and has emerged as a legit Heisman contender. He will be the best quarterback the Seminoles have faced this season and tough challenge. Golson, who is completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 1,683 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions, has already lived up to expectations. A win against Florida State would surpass them.
Upset alert:
No. 10 Georgia at Arkansas, 4 p.m. ET
There weren’t many games that had upset potential this weekend and even this one is a little iffy. The only reason it’s out here is because Georgia had such an emotional win against Missouri last week following the suspension of running back Todd Gurley that might be a difficult act to follow. Arkansas was a blocked extra point away from tying and possibly beating Alabama. The Razorbacks are right on the cusp of getting their first SEC win under coach Bret Bielema and snapping 15 consecutive SEC game losing streak, the longest streak in the conference. Beating Georgia will not be an easy feat, especially since the Bulldogs are good at stopping the run and Arkansas is a run-first offense, but the game is at home and the Razorbacks could win on emotion alone.
– – – – – – –
Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook
