1. Here come the…..Blue Devils????
No I’m not talking basketball, it’s still football season and don’t look now but Duke is sitting at the top of the ACC Atlantic division. Their remaining schedule is very favorable. Next up Wake Forest and the UNC Tar Heels neither of which have winning records. Duke controls their own destiny and to win their last two ACC games sends them to the ACC Championship Game. The surprise of the Blue Devil begs two questions.
-When was the last time a UNC-Duke football game ever mattered on a national level?
-Is this the revenge of the Nerds? Northwestern, Stanford, Vanderbilt, & now Duke have seen on the field success in the past few seasons.
2. Seriously, what is going on in the Pac-12?
For the second straight week the top ranked Pac-12 has been knocked off on the road. It has been a wild ride so far with the Pac-12. Oregon’s Rose Bowl hopes are once again alive and the Pac-12 North is wide open.
3. Growing pains for the new big 12 additions.
It’s not easy moving up. TCU & WVU both left their respective conferences’ fresh off BCS wins for a bigger TV network payout and a stronger conference schedule. The results have been well below the expectations of Mountaineers and Horned Frogs faithful. Last season WVU & TCU compiled a losing conference record and neither won their bowl game. Hoping for a rebound this season both programs have seen a steady decline each compiling a measly 2-6 Big 12 record with their loses to Kansas and Kansas State on Saturday. Neither team will be going bowling this year.
To add insult to injury these two schools are struggling in basketball as well. Last year TCU finished last and WVU placed 7th in the 10 team Big 12. That trend only looks to continue this season, as their basketball teams are a combined 1-3. TCU took a loss to their former Southwestern Conference rival SMU and West Virginia lost to their former Big East foe Virginia Tech. The 2013-2014 season looks to only further the collapse of WVU’s once very strong football-basketball program and put their athletic program as well as TCU’s in a state of disarray.
4. The Arizona State loss hurt the Big Ten a lot more than we thought.
The controversial ending only gets worse and worse for the Badgers as the season progresses. Had that game ended with a Wisconsin field goal the Badgers would be sitting as a 1-loss team (only loss to #3 Ohio State) and in the top ten. The victory over Wisconsin by Ohio State would have solidified their strength of schedule.
5. Two schools get long overdue conference wins
Colorado hasn’t won a Pac-12 matchup since September 22, 2012 with a 1-point win over Washington State on a last second play. The Buffs finally broke their 14 game losing streak with a victory over UCLA.
Talking about bad streaks, 14 games is just a drop in the bucket for the Kansas Jayhawks who before their matchup today with WVU were sitting on a 27 game conference losing streak. The Jayhawks last win came on November 6, 2010 against none other than Colorado. Fans stormed the field and the goal posts were taken down, an act that’s normally frowned upon when the victory is over a team with a losing record. However the Jayhawks get a free pass here.
6. Miami & Northwestern can’t snap their losing streaks.
Expectations were high heading into the season for Northwestern. Many speculated that this was their year with a favorable Big Ten slate that saw home games with Ohio State and Michigan. The Wildcats started off strong with a preseason ranking and 4 wins. However since Big Ten play started Northwestern has had 6 straight losses and for the first time in 5 years it looks like Northwestern will not be going bowling. Not even their Maryland-like uniforms could save their season as they fell in triple overtime to Michigan.
Meanwhile for Miami they started the season overlooked and facing the NCAA’s decision on punishments for the Shapiro scandal. The Canes didn’t see their first ranking until a victory of then #12 Florida and were ranked as high as #7 going into the Florida State game and were already being penciled in for winning the Atlantic Division and a berth in the ACC championship game. However Miami was blown out in the FSU game and has lost the next 2 games after that letting their division title slip away from them
7. Auburn survives on a miracle pass
There’s no way to explain it, you just have to see it for yourselves
8. Alabama keeps on winning
Alabama is an incredible 35-2 in the last 3 seasons and is looking primed for a showdown with #7 Auburn.
9. Florida State & Baylor dominate (as usual)
The Seminoles put a beatdown on the Syracuse Orange winning by a score of 59-0. If that’s not impressive enough for you the Noles have outscored their opponents 118-6 in their last two matchups, 322-51 in their last six matchups, and 527-111 on the season. Their average margin of victory? 41.6 points.
The Baylor Bears dominate Texas Tech. So far this season they have piled up a score of 551-157 against their opponents. What makes this team so impressive is that in only 9 games this season, they have scored 69 or more points five different times. Their average margin of victory? 43.7 points.
10. You can’t make this stuff up
Virginia State has been declared ineligible by the CIAA for the NCAA Division II playoffs after Winston-Salem State’s quarterback was seriously beaten during a bathroom fight by Virginia State players. The incident occurred during a pre-championship luncheon for the CIAA championship. Winston-Salem State starting running back Lamont Daniel Britt is charged with assault. Both teams are 9-1 and were in position for playoff berths.
Like what you read? follow us on Twitter: @sportspolitco or email us: sportspolitico@gmail.com