Ten Takeaways: Week Eight

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1. Texas is a rollercoaster - for better or worse

Texas' 34-27 win over No. 7 Ole Miss was the perfect encapsulation of what they are. Their first half was the version that made them so hyped coming into the season. The Longhorns built a 24-3 halftime lead by stifling Ole Miss' offense (3.9 yards per play, two turnovers) and gashing the Rebels with chunk plays. Arch Manning had his usual head-scratching interception, but also scored on the ground, and threw this beauty to Ryan Wingo:

Their second half was the same mixed bag they've shown us all season. A 24-3 lead became 24-17 in less than ten minutes thanks to a strip-sack returned for a touchdown, a quick three-and-out, and a ten-play Rebels TD drive that saw just one third down. In the third quarter alone, the Longhorns had just 19 yards, a turnover, went 1-5 on third downs, and committed five penalties for 45 yards. I don't think I'm on an island in saying I thought Texas was cooked at the start of the fourth when the Rebels tied it at 24, then Manning made this awful decision:

To Texas' credit, they not only responded, but finally got major contributions in an area they've been dying for that led them to the win. A run game that's been wholly unimpressive all season ripped off 121 yards on 10 attempts, boosted by two long gains from Raleek Brown. His 47 and 28-yard pickups on Texas' two scoring drives were probably the difference between them winning or losing. Being able to count on the run game even after left tackle Trevor Goosby's season-ending injury in the first quarter is an encouraging sign. Whether they can build on that the rest of the season likely determines their ceiling.

Ultimately, I think the Longhorns are just a chaotic team. Arch Manning spends the majority of each game looking like a middle-tier SEC quarterback, then has four/five plays sprinkled in that make every NFL Draft analyst say, "Look, I told you so! ELITE!" They have talent all over the field, but a high-priced portal add can't complete a routine catch. They dominate for large stretches (Ohio State second half, Ole Miss first half), while looking helpless in others (Ohio State first half, second half of Oklahoma and Florida). Steve Sarkisian oscillates between being a genius and a doofus. They have the game seemingly won, then give up an onside kick and have to barely hang on. They're 11-49 (22%) on third down in SEC play, and finally broke the 30-point barrier in their fifth try against power four competition. I think the chaos is just in their nature at this point.

Texas is a team perfectly built for the "EMBRACE DEBATE!" sports take era. They're constantly in the spotlight. The guy who runs the program has been a walking sound bite all season, and every week has brought some new kind of drama - whether it's on or off the field. You can simultaneously make a convincing case that they're contenders, or that they stink. As college football leans more and more into becoming NFL Jr., it only feels natural that the Longhorns are its Dallas Cowboys.

Before I forget: I hated Pete Golding's decision to kick a 58-yard field goal with 6:21 left. You're down seven, and have a star QB who's bailed you out constantly in these situations since last year. I understand that kicker Lucas Carneiro's been awesome from distance, but that was a spot where they should've kept the offense out.

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2. Lincoln Riley is finished at USC

Lincoln Riley ended last season saying that USC was finally entering their championship "window" heading into his fifth season. The Trojans' 24-7 loss at Wisconsin is surely indisputable evidence to even Riley's strongest supporters of the non-existence of said window, right?

I don't think there's much to break down about the game itself. USC's seven points were the fewest by any Riley team in his 126 games as a head coach, and they lost in the same way Riley's teams always do against physical opponents. Wisconsin dominated the Trojans up front, holding them to just 40 non-sack rushing yards (-17 with sacks). Fresh off a bye, USC's offense only crossed the Wisconsin 35 three times! It didn't even matter that the Badgers only gained 200 total yards. Two 75-yard touchdown drives sandwiching halftime were more than enough to get the job done.

In the Big 12, it was Iowa State and Kansas State feeding Riley's OU squads knuckle sandwiches. For the two seasons he coached in the Pac 12, Utah put him in a headlock three times. Now in the Big Ten, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (among others) have all used similar formulas. The trucks running Riley's teams over are the same make and model. The only differences are the license plate numbers and the states they belong to. Beyond the physicality aspect, this is just a poorly-coached team:

Whether he gets fired or there's some sort of mutual separation here, Riley's time in Los Angeles is up sometime in the next month.

3. The Big 12 race is heating up

I've been saying it for a few years now: for what the Big 12 might lack in having a true national championship contender, it makes up for in being the most entertaining conference each week. Here's how I feel about the six teams I think can win it:

Utah (7-0, 4-0 in Big 12)

If we're picking all six at their best, I'm taking Utah. Their offense is dynamic with QB Devon Dampier operating it, and their 21-13 win over Houston reassured me about their defense after some hiccups against Kansas and Colorado. The next three weeks (at Cincinnati, BYU, at Arizona) will go a long way in showing where they stand as national contenders.

BYU (6-1, 3-1)

I hate to drop such a lukewarm take, but traveling 2,000+ miles for a 12:30 road game in Orlando after a highly emotional win against Notre Dame should've been a more obvious letdown spot, in hindsight. That was a wonky game that could've gone either way (especially at the end), so I'm not going to let it cloud my judgement of what I still think is a clear playoff team. That win over the Irish will hold a lot of weight down the stretch.

Arizona (6-1, 3-1)

Arizona has been outstanding since losing at BYU in week two. Iowa State is at least competent enough that the Wildcats' 39-3 blowout win was an off-the-radar result that caught my eye. I think they beat Texas Tech this week and enter the national conversation.

Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1)

Tech's incomplete play all season finally cost them in a 37-24 loss at Cincinnati. They settled for five field goals (four makes), and their only touchdowns came from a pick-six (on an iffy non-targeting call), and a garbage-time score in the final minute. Their defense isn't close to the level they were at last year to carry an offense that malfunctions as much as this one does. I think they drop at least two more games.

Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1)

As concerning as it is giving up 24 points to Colorado in the first half, scoring 34 unanswered in the second half shows exactly what Oklahoma State is when they have it cooking. Outside of Texas Tech in a couple weeks, they should be able to outscore any of their problems in their final five games (at Iowa State, at Kansas State, at Arizona State, Kansas).

Houston (6-2, 3-2)

The Cougs have been right there on the road in losses to Texas Tech and Utah. Their defense is in the same category as Oklahoma State's, and I wish they had more of a run game to complement what Conner Weigman can do through the air. They play none of the five teams I just talked about down the stretch, so they could sneak back near the top if they take care of business amongst the November chaos.

4. Player of the Week: Rice QB Gael Ochoa

Rice-Florida Atlantic was my favorite game of the day. The two combined for 100 points and 1,069 yards of offense as FAU held on for a 51-49 win. Ochoa stole the show in a loss, running for 259 yards and four TD on just 12 carries, while also throwing a 71-yard score on one of his two completions:

5. Oregon's messy season continues