Oregon validated itself as college football’s top team in the polls entering November after obliterating Illinois 38-9 on Saturday at Autzen Stadium. However, Oregon is not the favorite at college football sportsbooks to win the national championship, even after dominating a ranked Big Ten foe to reach the end of October with a perfect record.
That distinction belongs to Georgia, which was off in Week 9. But the gap is closing as the Ducks continue to steadily improve. Flash back to the beginning of the season, and it’s obvious how much stronger Oregon is now. In Week 1, the Ducks earned a ‘D’ for their 24-14 win over FCS foe Idaho. In Week 2, their close victory over Boise State was only good for a B+.
But Oregon has now logged three straight ‘A’ grades on our report card. The first one came from a 32-31 win over Ohio State, then came a 35-0 squashing of Purdue. Finally, this past week’s drama-free win against Illinois was more evidence of how dominant coach Dan Lanning’s team has become.
On a week that saw other national title contenders such as Ohio State and Texas struggle as heavy betting favorites against league foes, it was the Ducks who looked the part of a true championship team. As we reflect on a fantastic weekend of college football, here are the grades for all teams with national title odds of +4000 or better at FanDuel.
Bye weeks: Georgia (+360), Clemson (+1400), Tennessee (+1500)
Ohio State
Grade: D
Title odds: +400
Ohio State’s offense stammered and sputtered for much of a 21-17 win over Nebraska. The Buckeyes were 25.5-point favorites but needed a couple of late stops to survive against a Cornhuskers team that was annihilated by Indiana last week. The Buckeyes’ inability to run the football was concerning, as was their 1 for 10 mark on third downs. For a team with national title aspirations, this was about as bad as a win could be.
Oregon
Grade: A
Title odds: +450
Oregon scored five touchdowns on its first six possessions while building an insurmountable first half lead in a 38-9 win over Illinois. The Ducks never allowed Illinois any real hope, holding the Illini to 1 of 5 on third downs in the first half. The level of ruthless ease in the beatdown was an illustration of why Oregon is a deserving No. 1 in the polls entering November.
Texas
Grade: C
Title odds: +650
Texas looked utterly dominant for a stretch in the first half of its 27-24 win over Vanderbilt. But it didn’t last, as the Longhorns were penalized 10 times for 108 yards while struggling to put the Commodores away. It’s true that both Quinn Ewers’ interceptions can be explained away as tipped passes, but it’s harder to excuse the four sacks Texas allowed. The Longhorns will need cleaner performances if they want to climb back up the odds sheet.
Grade: A-
Title odds: +1200
Penn State overcame an injury to starting quarterback Drew Allar and a 10-7 halftime deficit in a 28-13 win at Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions were strong defensively, per usual, and coaxed enough from their offense to reach 7-0 entering a seismic showdown with Ohio State next week. It’s rarely flashy with this team, but Penn State is right where it wants to be entering November.
Grade: A-
Title odds: +1600
Miami dispatched rival Florida State 36-14 to snap a three-game losing streak in the series. The Hurricanes wore FSU down with 230 yards rushing, and their defense was stifling. FSU quarterbacks completed just 11 of 32 passes for 115 yards, and the ‘Noles were just 3 of 13 on third downs. Miami quarterback Cam Ward was merely good instead of being absolutely spectacular, but that’s all the ‘Canes needed to remain unbeaten.
Grade: B+
Title odds: +1800
Alabama’s offense struggled early in a 34-0 win over a wounded Missouri team. Eventually, the Crimson Tide wore down the Tigers on the ground in the second half. Defensively, the Crimson Tide didn’t allow Missouri into the red zone until the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. You didn’t watch this game and think “all Bama’s problems are solved!” But it was a strong result nonetheless.
Grade: A
Title odds: +2200
Texas A&M trailed 17-7 at one point before taking total command in a 38-23 win over LSU. The Aggies picked off LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier three times in the second half as their defense rose to the occasion of a top-15 SEC battle. Offensively, Texas A&M averaged 4.9 yards per carry against LSU and got a spark from backup quarterback Marcel Reed while notching a huge victory for the program’s College Football Playoff hopes.
Grade: A
Title odds: +3000
Notre Dame ran all over Navy on its way to a 51-14 victory. The Fighting Irish averaged 6.6 yards per rush and got touchdown runs from Jeremiyah Love, Riley Leonard and Kedren Young. Had the Midshipmen not committed six turnovers, perhaps Notre Dame would have been pushed a bit more. But regardless of how it happened, any 37-point win over a ranked foe probably deserves an ‘A’ at this point in the season.
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