2017 e-Systems College Football Pool – Week 7 Results

“Looking at this week’s games…well, this week’s games don’t look great on paper.” – Me, last week’s email

“…no game is an absolute gimme” – Also me, last week’s email

No team was safe this past week, as seven – count ‘em, seven – top-25 teams were upset by unranked opponents this past week. It started with a Friday that featured two top-ten teams (Clemson and Washington State) losing road matchups, ended with Arizona State holding a Washington team that was averaging 43 points per game to seven, and in between had two other teams lose leads of 20 (Auburn, at LSU) and 18 (Texas Tech, at West Virginia).  Several other games between ranked and unranked were very close to joining the chaos.  Miami beat Georgia Tech 25-24 on a last-second field goal after a juggling catch on fourth-and-10 went for twenty-eight yards. Indiana took Michigan to overtime before succumbing, 27-20. Utah pulled within one against USC with seconds to go, then went for two and the win, only to be stopped short of the goal line as the Trojans prevailed 28-27.  And in the Red River rivalry, Texas gave Oklahoma everything they wanted before finally falling short, 29-24.  It made for a wild weekend overall.

Now that the dust has settled, there are eight undefeated teams left in FBS football. Let’s take a quick look at each:

#1 Alabama has been its typical dominating self on D, as the Tide ranks #1 in rush defense, #7 in pass efficiency defense, #4 in total defense, and #2 in scoring defense. But Bama also has solid offensive rankings: #9 in rushing offense, #15 in total offense, and #9 in scoring offense; also, despite two turnovers in their last game, they still are tied for the national lead (with Miami, NC State, and Wake Forest) with only three all season.

#2 Penn State has its highest ranking in the AP Poll since 1999.  The Nittany Lions are known for Saquon Barkley, but their defense is also to be feared. They’re currently #1 in the nation in scoring defense, only allowing nine points per game, third in the country in pass efficiency defense, and third in the country in takeaways.

#3 Georgia is 7-0 for the first time since 2005, and again, the numbers are eye-popping on defense. The Bulldogs are fifth in rushing defense, third in total defense, and fourth in scoring defense. They’re one of only five teams in the country to have scored every time their offense has been in the red zone. They also have perhaps the best-looking non-conference win in the country, with a 20-19 win over #13 Notre Dame in South Bend.

#4 TCU doesn’t have quite the defensive prowess the top three do, but remember that the Horned Frogs play in the offense-happy Big Twelve. TCU is 17^th in scoring defense; the next-best Big Twelve team is Kansas State, at 39^th. They’re also really good at keeping the ball; their 3^rd-down conversion percentage of 56.7% leads the nation.

#5 Wisconsin is old-school – run the ball, possess the ball, stop the run. The Badgers are third in the country in time of possession, due in large part to their 3^rd-down conversion percentage of 54.1%, also good for third nationally, and their fourth-ranked rushing defense.  They’re also the only FBS team in any conference to have at least a two-game lead in their division at this point in the season (they’re 3-0 in the Big Ten West, and own a tiebreaker win over 2-2 Nebraska).

#8 Miami is taking care of the ball. The Hurricanes have not lost a fumble all year, one of only three teams to do so (Iowa State and SMU are the others). As mentioned above, they’re tied for the national lead with only three turnovers all season. They’re also aggressive on defense, as they rank fifth in the country in sacks (3.4 per game) and third in tackles for loss (8.6 per game).

#16 South Florida are a bunch of ballhawks. They lead the nation in interceptions, with 15 so far, and turnover margin, at +2.17 turnovers per game. That contributes heavily to their second-ranked pass efficiency defense. But don’t forget about their rushing defense either; it’s ranked third in the county.

#20 UCF is the only team in the country to average 50 points per game at this point in the season (50.6). They are fifth in total offense, second in team passing efficiency and completion percentage, and fourth in turnover margin. But their special teams help the offense dramatically; the Knights are second in the country in punt return average at 22.50 yards per return.

In small-school news, Jacksonville State are kings of the OVC, and has the record to prove it! The Alabama school won its 27^th consecutive conference game in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 41-25 win over Eastern Kentucky. The Gamecocks have captured the last three OVC titles, have not lost a regular season game against a non-FBS opponent in 36 games, and currently hold the longest active conference winning streak in all of Division I football, FBS or FCS.  The Gamecocks are 6-1 this year; their only loss came against Georgia Tech. They are currently ranked #3 in the FCS, behind only defending FCS national champion James Madison and perennial power North Dakota State.  While another conference championship is nice, you couldn’t fault John Grass and company for setting their sights higher; Jacksonville State has not won a national title since 1992 and would like another chance at the brass ring after losing in the national title game against North Dakota State in 2015.

Congratulations to WarTiger91, who wins week 7 (their second weekly win!) with 196 points! AllySun and Paul Herron tied for second place with 195 points, and Noles was next with 193.

Standings after seven weeks:

This weekend features several big mid-season rivalry games such as Tennessee at Alabama, LSU at Ole Miss, and USC at Notre Dame. While some of these games look like mismatches, heed the warnings of this past week! Pick wisely and well! The first game this week is Memphis at Houston, Thursday, October 19 @ 8 PM ET, so make sure to get your picks in by then!