SHAKE UP SATURDAY SENDS SEISMIC SHOCKWAVES

Thursday night's big upset of #3 Oregon should have told us that strange things lie ahead.

No other day in college football history has ever unfolded like last Saturday.

Within a matter of hours we witnessed 9 Top Twenty teams losing, resulting in major shifts in the polls including: #2 Alabama, #4 Oklahoma, #6 Texas A&M, #8 UCLA, #14 Stanford, #15 LSU, #16 Southern Cal, #17 Wisconsin, and #19 Nebraska.

As the smoke clears, we now have ten unbeaten teams remaining, and that number will certainly shrink over the next few Saturdays as most of these schools face each other such as TCU v Baylor, Auburn v Mississippi State, FSU v Notre Dame. (note of interest: Marshall may have the easiest path to an undefeated season thus forcing an invite to the playoffs).

Maybe it was global warming...OctoberFest...alignment of the stars?  Maybe it was just a result of scheduling in which top ranked teams happened to be playing each other. Or, perhaps, that a certain degree of parity is happening with Division I schools whom are recruiting from an ever increasing pool of gifted high school talent where kids are getting bigger, faster, stronger, with elite skill position players being developed from the first grade on.

Bump in the road but still ahead

Whatever it may be, we -- and most everyone else -- took a hit with Saturday's results.  If this were Wall Street, we'd call it a "market adjustment." In sports gaming, we simply call it a butt kicking. Ouch.

We went an ugly 3-5. No way to sugar coat it other than to say that some weeks we're hot, some weeks we're not. But in the long run, we tend to come out on top, and that's what counts. Remember, it's a long season.

So, enough whining. Let's focus on winning.  Here's your Weekend Rewind...

THE GOOD
Sometimes just surviving is good enough. And that's what Michigan State did as they survived Nebraska's monster comeback in the 4th Quarter as the Huskers scored 3 late touchdowns to send Sparty's sphincter muscle into serious spasms. The Spartans won 27-22 but will need new pants for head coach Mark Dantonio.

Auburn sent the LSU Tigers limping back to Baton Rouge after hammering them 41-7. The outcome was never in question and Brandon Harris, the newly annointed starting QB fell flat and Ant Jennings was re-inserted, but to no avail. LSU has tons of talent and they will regroup and return to winning...maybe this Saturday in Gainesville.

Mississippi State showed us once again that they are a quality team with solid coaching and a genuine Heisman candidate, Dak Prescott. The Bulldogs made a Mississippi State-ment as they knocked off their second Top Ten team in consecutive games, Texas A&M, 48-31. Big one ahead with Auburn in Starkville.

THE BAD

Katy: call us, please.

We, like most of the pundits and talking heads, missed out on the upset of Alabama. The difference: consistent quarterback play from Bo Wallace and critical turnovers by Bama. With Game Day in the Grove, the visibility of Ole Miss went thru the roof. Perhaps we should enlist Katy Perry to help with our picks?

Stanford lost as Notre Dame mounted a late comeback against the nation's top-ranked defense, and the Fighting Irish survived their first true test of the season. Looming ahead is a showdown with #1 Florida State (October 18).

Badgers sip their lattes, lick their wounds

Northwestern was another surprise as they upset Wisconsin, 20-14, despite Badger Melvin Gordon posting a career high 259 rushing yards (9.6 ypc). Wildcat safety Godwin Igwebuike won the game ball with his three huge interceptions.

Georgia Tech showed us once again how tough it is to predict the Yellow Jackets as the Bees won out over Miami, 28-17. The win pushes GT into the rankings for the first time since November 2011, the last season that they opened 6-0.

THE UGLY

Even Smokey was depressed

Like most, we fell for the notion that this was the year for Tennessee to finally beat Florida and snap a decade long losing streak. The community did its part. And the fans did their part (see the checkerboarding of Neyland). Unfortunately, the Vol offense failed to do their part, putting up a measly nine points. The good news for Florida followers: Tennessee helped you discover your next quarterback, Treon Harris, although he may be trading in his Gator uniform for an orange jump suit in the very near future (see arrest for sexual assault).

Look for our Great Eight Winning Picks this Friday.  See you then.