College football week 9 is in the books. After every week fans can take away things from what happened on the field. Here are five things learned from college football week 9.
1. D.J. Uiagalelei is a Star
Clemson announced that Trevor Lawrence would be out for Clemson’s game against Boston College. That meant that freshman D.J. Uiagalelei was going to start in his place. The Tigers were still expected to win, but it made things interesting.
Boston College started off hot and went into halftime with a 28-13 lead. Clemson came roaring back in the second half, with the comeback being led by Uiagalelei. The Tigers were able to come back in win 34-28. A lot of credit needs to be given to Clemson’s defense, who pitched a shutout in the second half, but Uiagalelei shined. He finished the game 30 of 41 passing for 342 yards and two touchdowns. It has since been announced that Lawrence will miss the Tigers’ game against Notre Dame this week. Uiagalelei is going to have to step up again.
2. Ohio State is Way Ahead of the Rest of the Big Ten
Ohio State has been the best team in the Big Ten for what feels like forever. They routinely win the Big Ten Championship and make the College Football Playoff. It looks like they have distanced themselves even further from the rest of the Big Ten this season after defeating Penn State 38-25.
The Buckeyes were able to keep a safe lead for most of the game against Penn State on Saturday night. It wasn’t just their win that makes them so much better than the Big Ten. Michigan played well against Minnesota, but then fell to Michigan State. The Spartans lost to Rutgers in their first game. Minnesota isn’t quite the same as last season, as they sit at 0-2 on the season. Wisconsin is going through a COVID situation that may leave them ineligible for the Big Ten Championship. Outside of Ohio State and Wisconsin, the undefeated teams in the Big Ten are Indiana, Purdue and Northwestern. It looks like the Buckeyes have a clear path to the CFP this season.
3. The Big 12 is Out of the CFP
The Big 12 did not start the season off well with multiple teams dropping games. Already, Oklahoma and Texas have two losses. Several Big 12 teams lost to Sun Belt teams. That left Oklahoma State as the conference’s last hope to make the CFP. The hope died on Saturday when Oklahoma State lost to Texas in overtime.
The Cowboys now have one-loss on the season, which means their chances of making the CFP are minimal. At this point, the Big 12 would need Oklahoma State to win out and get a lot of help to make the CFP. If that doesn’t happen, they would need absolute chaos. It is 2020, so anything can happen, but as of now the Big 12 should not have any teams considered for the CFP.
4. Cincinnati Can Make the CFP
When one door closes, another one opens. With the Big 12 not having a viable candidate to make the playoff, Cincinnati has a real chance to sneak into the CFP. This week, the Bearcats throttled Memphis 49-10 to extend their record to 5-0. Their defense has played well and their offense seems like it is just starting to reach its potential, especially after getting wide receiver Alec Pierce back from injury.
The win over Memphis follows a big win over SMU for the Bearcats. Since there weren’t any opportunities to beat power five conference teams this year, the win over the Mustangs will help carry their case to make the CFP. SMU is ranked and has only lost to Cincinnati. If the Bearcats keep winning and SMU helps bolster their resume, Cincinnati could sneak into the CFP.
5. Jim Harbaugh is on the Hot Seat
As mentioned earlier, Michigan lost to Michigan State this week. It looked like Michigan could have a good season after they dismantled Minnesota in their season-opener, but now it looks like the Wolverines will not be an improved team this year. After the Spartans lost to Rutgers, the whole Big Ten is a mess and the Wolverines are a part of it.
Being on the hot seat is nothing new for Harbaugh. He has struggled to beat rivals, win the Big Ten and has had trouble putting Michigan with the top programs in college football. Whether Michigan can get anyone better for the job is up for debate. Harbaugh will have to pick up some big wins to save his job. A coach can only be on the hot seat for so long.
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