Saturday had college football fans surprised, in aww, worrying and cheering from all of the different outcomes. The drama factor was in affect once again and the elite separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Here’s what we learned from Saturday.
Kyler Murray Should Be First Pro Two-Sport Athlete Who Plays Quarterback
Murray was drafted 9th overall by the Oakland A’s as a power-hitting out fielder. Although he’s guaranteed to play for the A’s, he might want to consider playing on Sundays as well. The junior quarterback was benched as a starter Saturday because of showing up to practice late. He came off the bench and gashed the Baylor Bears for 432 yards going 17-21 with six touchdowns.
Murray showed that NFL teams should try to sway him into becoming a two-sport athlete as a pro. Although his small stature stands a mere 5’10” and only weighing 195 pounds, his pinpoint accuracy with his ability to run makes him irresistible. With the performance he gave the Sooners on Saturday, he might be looking at a second signing bonus to play on Sundays.
It’s Ok To Second Guess Yourself
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney might be having that moment where you replay a decision over and over in your head and wishing you changed it. After making the decision to go with freshman Trevor Lawrence as his starter for the rest of the season, Kelly Bryant, the dual threat senior said he is going to transfer from Clemson.
On Saturday, Lawrence struggled to move the ball against an unranked Syracuse Orange team and was down 13-7 when he was forced out of the game after suffering a concussion while scrambling for yardage. Clemson continued to struggle but eventually won the game behind backup Chase Brice. The problem is, does he trust Brice from here on out or does he trust Lawrence after the lackluster performance? Either or, if Swinney was more patient, he would have realized that Lawrence great performances were against weak defenses and not elite or even good teams.
It’s Ok To Third Guess Yourself
Maybe the biggest game of the year so far took place when #9 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions hosted #4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions held Heisman hopeful quarterback Dwayne Haskins in check for most of the game. Meanwhile, Penn State’s quarterback Trace McSorely had the game of his life throwing for 286 yards with two touchdowns and rushing for an astounding 175 yards which set a school record with 461 total yards..
With Ohio State up 27-26 on a fourth-and-five to keep the drive alive on Ohio State’s 45-yard line. After two timeouts by head coach James Franklin, he decided to call a running back draw play. Franklin went with the so called “genius play call” instead of going with the sure, “keep it in your best players’s hands” call. This play call might haunt him until next year or maybe the rest of his career. McSorely is a senior, and this might be his best chance of getting to the playoffs. Let’s hope not.
Shaw “Can’t Get Right”, Ian Book Might be The Chosen One.
Stanford Cardinals’ head coach David Shaw has been trying to get to the playoffs for years but it seems like 1-2 key losses against power teams has prevent him from his goal. This might be Shaw’s best team considering that the offense is more balanced than his usual teams. Yet they couldn’t get past Notre Dame Irish on Saturday. With an easy schedule ahead of him, he will need some help to get to the playoffs. Shaw is searching for that signature win that can highlight his career.
Quarterback Ian Book was part of the reason Shaw was resisted. In his second start, Book threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Book showed poise and proved that big games doesn’t rattle him. Also senior Dexter Williams added 161 yards on the ground. This was his first game of the season after serving his four-game suspension by the team. Book’s skill-set along with his confidence coupled with this tough defense can propel this team to the playoffs.
