Dom’s Overrated and Underrated College Football Teams – Week 9

Now into week nine of college football, we can now transparently see the teams that are for real and the teams that seem like they should be good, but are actually subpar at best. Out of the many options I had, I decided to pick two very different teams, that had very different expectation s this year. USC was slated to be one of, if not the best team in the Pac-12, but have not at all like the team they were projected as. Meanwhile, Michigan State who have struggled in years past, have had a great season, and have already exceeded expectations, and even upset their rival Michigan.

Overrated: USC Trojans (6-2)

Win vs Western Michigan 49-31

Win vs Stanford 42-24

Win vs Texas 27-24

Win vs Cal 30-20

Loss vs Washington State 30-27

Win vs Oregon State 38-10

Win vs Utah 28-27

Loss vs Notre Dame 49-14

Next game: USC vs Arizona State (4-3)

Before the college football season kicked off, many analysts, including myself, believed that star quarterback for the Trojans, Sam Darnold, was going to be in the running for the Heisman and had a good chance at landing the top quarterback spot in the 2018 draft. Unfortunately, he’s done the exact opposite this year, going 183 for 288 with 2,292 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. The turnovers from Darnold have cost USC points and affected the season as a whole. The only part of the offense that has worked is the run game, which is led by featured back Ronald Jones II. Jones II has been a force to be reckoned with, as he rushed for 672 yards, 8 touchdowns, and has been averaging 5.9 yards a carry. The defense has played a big part in actually keeping their team in many of the games, as they’ve only allowed 30 points in two games and have mentally and physically crushed teams. Their upcoming opponent, Arizona State, is decent this year. Their good defense and explosive offense could give the Trojans a run for their money.

Underrated: Michigan State (6-1)

Win vs Bowling Green 35-10

Win vs Western Michigan 28-14

Loss vs Notre Dame 38-18

Win vs Iowa 17-10

Win vs Michigan 14-10

Win vs Minnesota 30-27

Win vs Indiana 17-9

Next game: Michigan State vs Northwestern (4-3)

If you told me earlier in the season that Michigan State would upset the Wolverines and have a 6-1 record, I would have thought you were crazy. No one, including myself, thought Michigan State would have such a great record in the middle of the season, especially since for the past couple of years, they have been mediocre at best. Michigan State’s defense has shown much improvement from the year prior, as they now can get good pressure on the quarterback, and has great coverage corners and safeties, along with an amazing young core of linebackers that are all over the field. This defense is still very young, and will only get better over time. The offense is led by star running back, LJ Scott, who has rushed for 495 yards and 4 touchdowns, but he’s also played a crucial part in the pass game, as he’s caught 9 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Recently, Scott was arrested on a charge for driving with a suspended license, and it is unknown if he will face any discipline. If he does miss sometime, this could be a big blow to an offense that needs him. The upcoming game is going to be a tough one, as Northwestern always plays tough and puts up a fight, but I believe the Spartans will continue their hot streak, as their team is just playing to good right now to be upset.

Written by Domenic Buccini