Big Ten surprises, Pac 12 disappoints

We are just half way through the 2016 college football season. There have been numerous close finishes, and the second half of season is sure to be filled with more excitement.

Like every year, there has been plenty of surprises and disappointments. There are only 11 undefeated teams left in FBS. Based on the standings here are some close teams that are in the running to make it to college playoffs.

Surprises:

Louisville Cardinals: The Cardinals were ranked No. 19 in the country at the beginning of the season. Boy, did they surprise us all, who would have thought a sophomore quarterback named Lamar Jackson would be the Heisman favorite at the midpoint. Jackson has accounted for 30 touchdowns, 15 in the air and 15 on the ground. He also has thrown for 1806 yards with only four interceptions. The Cardinals current record is 5-1 and they are ranked No. 7 in the nation at this moment.

Washington Huskies: The Huskies were ranked No. 14 in the country at the beginning of the season. The team has been a scoring machine, led by sophomore quarterback Jack Browning. Browning has accounted for 26 touchdowns, 23 in the air and three on the ground. He has the nation’s highest passer rating with 204.9 and has only thrown two picks. The huskies are currently ranked No. five in the nation with a record of 6-0.

Big Ten Conference: No one would’ve thought the Big Ten was going to have four teams in the top 10; No. 2 The Ohio State Buckeyes, No. 4 Michigan Wolverines, No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers, No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers.

Disappointments:

Pac 12 conference: About half the conference started in the top 25 and the only teams ranked now are No. 5 Washington and No. 19 Utah. Preseason ranked No. 8 Stanford Cardinal, No. 16 UCLA Bruins, No. 20 USC Trojans and No. 24 Oregon Ducks are now all unranked. Christian McCaffrey of the cardinal was supposed to be a Heisman favorite, but poor blocking and injures has set him back from full potential. The two LA schools were the favorite for winning the Pac 12 south and their combined record is currently 7-7. The Ducks on the other hand, have their own problems, where is their defense? Oregon is allowing 41.8 points per game, 125th in the nation.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Started the year at No. 10, and that will be the only high point for this season. This was supposed to be their year with junior quarterback DeShone Kizer leading the way. However they did not start well, losing to unranked Texas 50-47 in double overtime in week one. The Fighting Irish could not overcome that defeat with back to back losses to Michigan State and Duke. With a current record of 2-5, they can only look forward to next year.

Michigan State Spartans: Yes, I just talked about Notre Dame losing to the Spartans, but that was their last win. Michigan State is currently riding a four game losing streak, with losses to Wisconsin, Indiana, BYU and Northwestern. The Spartans were ranked No. 12 in the preseason poll and now they are not even ranked in the top 25.

Enough said about the disappointments, I need to talk about the playoffs in December. It is time for my pick; for the final four teams.

Alabama Crimson Tide: They are just too good, with a current record of 7-0. Even if they finished their season with one loss, they will still get in.

Michigan Wolverines: Jim Harbaugh is one heck of a coach and he has brought Michigan’s football program back. I believe they will beat Ohio State and win out the conference.

Clemson Tigers: With one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, it’s hard to count them out. So far they are undefeated with a 7-0 record. With only one tough game left, they should be able to win out.

Washington Huskies: With only one top 25 opponent left on their schedule, they should win out. Their high-flying offense and stellar defense is too much for their opponents.

Key games coming up this weekend.

No. 6 Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama Oct. 22, 12:30 pm on CBS

No. 17 Arkansas at No. 21 Auburn Oct. 22, 3:00 pm on ESPN

No. 23 Mississippi at No.15 LSU Oct. 22, 6:00 pm on ESPN

For last week’s World of Sports read, World of Sports: USA triumphs over Europe in Ryder Cup

This writer can be reached via email: John Monke.