Written by Dalton Cohea on September 28, 2020
Four weeks in and college football has been nothing short of insanity.
Week 1 we saw #5 Notre Dame play #2 Ohio State very well in a 21-10 loss. This can't be classified as fraudulent since it was the #2 Buckeyes.
What was fraudulent week 1 was #7 Utah going into The Swamp, and getting beat 28-25 by the unranked Florida Gators. Utah has crawled their way back to 3-1, but to come out as the #7 team in the country and lose game 1 is not a great look. It also does not help Utah's case that Florida later loss at home vs Kentucky, and on the road at Tennessee.
Week 2 gifted us with 2 top 10 losers (#6 Texas A&M and #8 Notre Dame).
Now, #8 Notre Dame had already lost week 1 against the #2 Ohio State Buckeyes. That loss was expected, but to lose 26-21 to Marshall was unexpected. The Fighting Irish were a 20.5 point favorite over Marshall. This loss could go down as arguably the most exposing loss of the 2022 college football season.
Currently the only argument for a more fraudulent, exposing loss this year is #6 Texas A&M falling 17-14 to App State. A&M, an 18 point favorite here, could never get anything going offensively, having just 186 total yards. Texas A&M has now gotten wins over #13 Miami and #10 Arkansas. Even though the Aggies are fighting their way back to the top, this loss to App State was nothing short of embarrassing.
Week 3 did not give us a top 10 loser, but it was pretty close.
By week 3 Michigan State was 2-0 with wins over Western Michigan and Akron, and somehow ranked #11. Michigan State traveled to Washington week 3 as a 3.5 point underdog, rightfully so. Michael Penix Jr., Washington QB, would go on to throw for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns to knock off #11 Michigan State.
Week 4 also provided us 2 top 10 losers (#6 Oklahoma and #10 Arkansas).
#10 Arkansas losing to #23 Texas A&M is not too fraudulent, but it was a complete choke job the way they loss. KJ Jefferson fumbled on the goal line, Arkansas' D gave up 200 rushing yards, and the kicker doinked a game winner off the top of the goal post. Arkansas has Alabama in Fayetteville this Saturday and can easily go from #10 to 3-2, barely in the top 25.
Oklahoma is always in the playoff talk early in the year, and usually that talk lasts the entire year. Kansas State had other plans for OU's season this year. Although Dillon Gabriel for Oklahoma played an unbelievable ball game, the #6 Sooners came up short in a 41-34 loss to Kansas State. Adrian Martinez threw for 234 yards and rushed for 148 yards, tallying 5 total touchdowns against the Sooners Saturday.
As week 5 approaches, let's take a look at some top 10 teams that have a chance at getting exposed.
First up, the #7 Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky travels to Oxford this weekend and is actually a 6.5 point underdog. The Wildcats already have a nice road win at The Swamp this year, can they pull out another one Saturday?
Next up is a crazy one that seems impossible, but you just never know in college football.
#2 Alabama goes to Fayetteville this weekend, and despite being a 16.5 point favorite there are some questions. Bryce Young struggled severely on the road last year, and also struggled at Texas this year. The Texas A&M loss may have taken a little air out of the balloon for Arkansas fans, but look for Fayetteville to be rocking Saturday.
Lastly, we have a rematch of last year's Big 12 title game.
#9 Oklahoma State is doing their best to make a case for a playoff birth. Sitting at 3-0, win number four would be a big one as they travel to #16 Baylor. Oklahoma State is in the same boat as Kentucky, they will be a 2 point underdog on the road this weekend.
One top 10 team is guaranteed to lose as #5 Clemson hosts #10 NC State. If either team loses badly then throw them in the fraudulent boat, other than that it just goes down as a tough loss.
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