Why there’s no such thing as a feel-good win in Indiana football.
Indiana football linebacker Isaiah Jones shared why coach Curt Cinetti was looking for a smiling face on the sideline during the 56-6 win over UCLA.
You don’t see much change near the top of the US LBM Coaches poll after the best teams in the bowl division hold serve, but in Alabama’s case there was little change.
While the Crimson Tide struggled to beat South Carolina, Texas A&M put together an incredible third quarter to remain the SEC’s only undefeated team despite trailing LSU at halftime.
Other top teams such as Indiana University and Georgia Tech also won their conferences and are inching closer to making the College Football Playoff.
The only debate might be at No. 10 between Brigham Young and Vanderbilt. The Commodores, ranked 12th last week, claim to move up in the standings with a 17-10 win over Missouri State.
Heading into November, here’s what the top of the US LBM Coaches Poll looks like.
1. Ohio State (7-0)
Ohio State is scheduled to play five games in November, starting with Saturday’s home game against Penn State, but it will no longer be a winner-take-all matchup as expected during the preseason. I hope the Buckeyes will go into the showdown with Michigan with an undefeated lead to finish the regular season.
2. Indiana (8-0)
Indiana has now won three games by 50 points or more, including two in the Big Ten (Illinois and UCLA). Defensively, the Hoosiers allowed just 201 yards and forced three turnovers, eliminating the Bruins.
3. Texas A&M (8-0)
Trailing 18-14 to LSU at halftime, the Aggies scored the first 35 points of the second half, but the Tigers scored with little time remaining. A&M is 8-0 for the first time since 1992 and looks like the most complete team in the conference.
4. Alabama (7-1)
Alabama looked like it was going to suffer an upset loss against South Carolina, but it rallied in the closing stages, scoring the game-winning touchdown and two-point try with 2 minutes, 19 seconds left, and took the lead for good with a 25-yard touchdown run with 34 seconds left. The 29-22 run came after defeating four top-ranked opponents in a row and ahead of games against LSU and Oklahoma.
5. Georgia (7-1)
Georgia State next travels south to face Florida State in Jacksonville, which has won four straight in the series and seven of nine overall since Kirby Smart arrived in 2016. Did the Week 9 bye help the Bulldogs fix their slow start? Let’s see on Saturday.
6. Oregon State (7-1)
Backup QB Brock Thomas replaced injured Dante Moore in Oregon State’s 21-7 win against Wisconsin. The Ducks held the Badgers’ miserable offense to 194 yards, but the offense itself was unimpressive.
7. Georgia Tech (8-0)
Tech dominated Syracuse 41-16 and featured a great game from Haynes King, perhaps the least-known player in college football. King threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for 91 yards and scoring two more on 7.6 yards per carry.
8. Mississippi State (7-1)
The offense wasn’t exactly great, but 87 plays eventually wore Oklahoma down and helped the Rebels take control of the fourth quarter in a 34-26 win. Like probably every other team in the Power 4, this team has a clear path to the playoffs and is currently one of the easiest teams to get into the field.
9. Miami (6-1)
Miami forced Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbranson to complete five of his first six attempts for 31 yards and a touchdown, but gave up 19 passing yards and two interceptions in a 42-7 victory. In more good news, Carson Beck played clean football a week after throwing four picks in a loss against Louisville.
10. Brigham Young (8-0)
Vanderbilt will likely inch closer to BYU after defeating Missouri State. But the Cougars crawled out of an early hole and were rewarded with a 41-27 win at Iowa State. This is the third time this season that the Cougars have won on the road despite trailing by multiple points.
