Ladies and gentlemen, the first sign that we’ve reached the point in the college football season where the games mean everything: we’ve had our first Lesticles experience.
The Mad one himself, Les Miles, pulled off another gutsy, show your stones moment in a big top 10 win over Florida. The victory solidified LSU’s spot in Four In/Four Out, and made us wonder what’s ahead in a season already full of the strange and unthinkable (hello, Michigan).
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A look at this week’s Four In/Four Out:
Four in
1. Utah: The Utes slogged their way through a cold and rainy night in Salt Lake City to pull away from a hot Arizona State team, and did so despite another bogged down night on offense. The quality wins keep piling up, even with the strange narrative that keeps knocking them down (see: Oregon isn’t good, Michigan was Week 1, Cal had five turnovers). Up next: at USC.
2. Baylor: The Bears are playing better than anyone, and are probably the best team in the nation. The only hiccup: a weak schedule thus far still raises doubt. Their two best games are win s against middle of the road Big 12 teams (Texas Tec and West Virginia). Up next: vs. Iowa State.
3. LSU: QB Brandon Harris is beginning to make plays in the passing game, though he’s far from a finished product. The reality is, if the Florida game were played anywhere else – say, the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta – there might have been a different outcome. He must throw with more consistency for LSU to reach the playoffs. Up next: Western Kentucky.
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4. Clemson: With each passing week, the confidence and swagger of this team grows stronger and stronger. Let’s not overlook the Tigers manhandling one of the game’s best defenses (Boston College) and continuing to take care of games week after week. The statement game vs. Florida State is moving closer – and so is the moment everyone buys all in. Up next: at Miami.
Four out
5. Ohio State: I’m going to need to see a lot more of JT Barrett running things before I’m sold that this team will eventually play to its potential. Barrett had his best game of the season against Penn State, and looked poised and confident for the firs time of the season. Whether Urban Meyer admits it or not, the quarterback rotation is affecting this team. Up next: at Rutgers.
6. TCU: The Horned Frogs keep winning and QB Trevone Boykin keeps rolling up outstanding performances. But one nagging thing remains: this is not last year’s TCU team; not by a long shot. The team struggles every week on defense, and at some point, it may not have Boykin there to pick up the pieces (everyone has a bad game). Up next: Bye week.
7. Michigan State: A huge, statement game win over Michigan for a program that has been stumbling all over itself for the last month. Michigan State seemingly has the same issue that Ohio State is dealing with: lack of focus. But when the games matter, the Spartans clearly have it figured out. Up next vs. Indiana.
8. Alabama: This isn’t Nick Saban’s best team by a longshot. In fact, this group is far and away his biggest challenge. They still don’t have a consistent passing game, and still make way too many mistakes. But they’re winning and more important, they’ve learned how to stay focused and grind out victories when they’re not playing well. Up next: vs. Tennessee.