College Football Week 10 Takeaways: An Epic QB Duel, Clemson is back, Coach Prime can’t coach, Bama not dead yet and much more

Week 10 Takeaways

1) A Quarterback showdown lives up to the hype

On Saturday night, the PAC 12 conference presented one of its finest displays of quarterback play this season. Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams played out two opposite styles of passing – Penix using efficient pocket passing while Williams harnessing all his physical prowess for maximum pace.

Penix had all of the answers against USC’s coverage looks. When USC tried to drop eight and cut away vertical throws, Penix took his time checking down or extending plays until receivers pried open a throwing window. When facing man coverage or being blitzed, he knew there would be mismatches to punish and did just that!

Williams ran from pressure all night long yet still managed to amass over 300 yards and three touchdowns with an almost 80 per cent completion rate. His constant ad-libbing allowed open receivers to form, making each moment manageable despite any impending pressure.

These are the top two quarterbacks in College Football and could very well go 1-2 in next years draft. On Saturday night they both looked capable of being Franchise Quarterbacks.

Caleb Williams vs. Michael Penix Jr. Highlights | Washington at USC | 2023 College Football Season

2) Dabo and Clemson make a statement

After their head coach engaged a fan on a call-in show regarding their struggles, the Clemson Tigers found their stride again with an upset home win against No. 15 Notre Dame by scoring a 31-23 win. Phil Mafah ran for a career-high 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns; Sam Hartman was picked off three times, including an interception for a pick six; four stops were recorded in the fourth quarter to seal it all for Clemson to put away their opponent for good.

The Clemson defense dominated the second half, and Dabo let everybody know he’s not done yet.

3) OLE Miss is a Playoff contender

Lane Kiffin took great pleasure this week in taking direct shots at Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M, calling their 5-3 Aggie team “the most talented 5-3 squad ever”. To back up his statement, he and his team posted a 38-35 win to hand the Aggies their ninth consecutive road loss.

Kiffin was thrilled that transfer receiver Tre Harris delivered 11 catches for 213 yards and one touchdown and that Kiffin bested Texas A&M in recruiting Harris. Additionally, Fisher enjoyed picking up his third victory against him since becoming head coach. Though Texas A&M put up an admirable effort, losing close games has become the story of their season, will Jimbo survive after this season?

As for OLE MISS, the Rebels have Georgia up next, a win in that game puts them firmly in the playoff conversation.

4) Colorado is a mess; Coach Prime can’t coach

You are playing musical chairs with coaches, making horrible in-game adjustments and decisions. Down 7-3 inside your ten-year line as the clock is winding down to end, the half seems to be the time to get the half over. Not Coach Prime, but that’s what happens when you play daddy ball in college. His son is a good quarterback if you like kids who hold onto the ball too long and can’t read a defense.

Coach Prime has talked about getting new linemen to replace the guys he just picked; a good coach would not whine in the press and blame the players; he would do his job and coach them until they get better. But that’s not what Coach Prime is all about.

Many people will say this season is a success coming off one win last season, but with better coaching, this team would still be above .500. This has all the feel of a Pee Wee football team.

5) Alabama is not dead yet

Milroe has shown incredible progress during his time with Alabama, from losing to Texas to being benched against USF and, for most of September, appearing helpless without a quarterback – yet on Saturday, Milroe amassed 374 yards and four touchdowns in an incredible 42-28 win against LSU! Who could have predicted such success for such a player? Do I think Milroe is good enough to take them to the playoffs? That answer would on any other team be a no, but with Coach Saban there, don’t be surprised is Milroe continues to improve.

6) Bedlam goes out with a bang

Saturday’s final showdown in this rivalry came with stakes unlike anything before: both teams were ranked in the top 25, and both had conference championship aspirations. Plus both featured legitimate star performers on either team – yet what mattered more than records or rankings or championship implications was this: who stays the winner now, next year and forever. With this rivalry having no more scheduled games, little brother Oklahoma State may own these bragging rights for a while.

7) Ohio State did not look like the number-one team in the country

Last week, Ohio State was honored by being chosen to lead off the inaugural playoff rankings despite their offensive struggles and repeat offensive miscues. While one could argue Ohio State had faced quality opponents but still managed to come away victorious in Saturday’s matchup, Kyle McCord was often disoriented during long stretches, relying almost exclusively on Marvin Harrison Jr. when entering red zone play; additionally, they finished below 400 yards for five times this season compared with only four times during previous four seasons combined. The Buckeyes offense leaves gigantic questions about this teams ability to compete with the best teams in the country.