Week 6 college football action is in the books, so we decided to fire up the Tuesday Tweetbag to tackle the burning topics on your mind this season about everything from top pro prospects to the best teams in the sport.
Feel free to submit your questions to @BryanDFischer on Twitter each Monday or early Tuesday morning to get them answered every week. Without further ado, let the smorgasbord of questions commence.
I lean toward Ole Miss being slightly better than Mississippi State despite the latter rolling over Texas A&M at home last week. I've watched a little more of the Rebels' games and really love the talent they have on the defensive side of the ball, a key distinction they have over their Egg Bowl rivals. Ole Miss is high in the rankings in just about every defensive category, including total defense (5th), scoring defense (2nd) and pass-efficiency defense (2nd). And with Hugh Freeze's squad having the more difficult schedule, it's not hard to give them the edge.
I do trust the Bulldogs' offense a little more, however. Dak Prescott is a legitimate Heisman candidate right now and has improved by leaps and bounds as a passer during his time in Starkville. I like the situations Dan Mullen is putting him in to make plays, and routing A&M without his top receiver was impressive. I'm not totally sold on the team's defense, but it looked phenomenal against the Aggies. It's a close contest -- they are tied in the AP poll for a reason -- but I would put Ole Miss ahead of MSU.
I wouldn't say Arizona had a fluke win over Oregon considering they beat the Ducks up in just about every phase of the game. That said, I would think the outcome would be different if Marcus Mariota had a healthy offensive line against the Wildcats.
I could certainly see the Arizona making a run toward the Pac-12 Championship Game. They miss Stanford and the most physical team on their schedule is probably Utah, which would be later in the season. Their 3-3-5 defense under Jeff Casteel is made to match up well against Pac-12 offenses, and they will probably have the edge in every remaining game outside of their trip to UCLA. I've been pretty impressed with what I've seen from freshman QB Anu Solomon, and Rich Rodriguez does a terrific job game planning and calling plays to exploit weaknesses in the defense. If the Bruins lose to the Ducks this week, Arizona would be up in the South by two games over the favorite and would have a real chance at making it to Santa Clara in December.
I wouldn't say Al Golden's seat is hot at Miami, but it's starting to get a little toasty. The fan base is restless, if they even show up to games at all, and the team has played uneven ever since Larry Coker was let go years ago. I do think Golden does a good job building programs, but it seems like he's been putting out fires ever since he arrived in South Florida.
As far as fixing the team, it starts with talent. The Canes don't have enough of it to build the depth they need in the ACC, and they don't have the elite-caliber guys they used to get regularly. Sure, they'll get a guy here or there (like the fantastic Duke Johnson), but they are fewer and far between than programs like Florida State. Add in bad turnovers on offense and mistakes on defense that lead to big plays, and "The U" is struggling. I think the Hurricanes can build around Brad Kaaya at quarterback and Johnson, but they need more guys to step up. 2015 could be make or break for Golden at Miami.
I don't see it either, but there was a lot of overreaction to last week's losses in the conference with the two teams considered elite -- Oregon and UCLA -- both falling before their matchup this week. Add in Stanford falling at Notre Dame again, and there's some concern out west over where the conference is in the playoff race.
First off, there's a lot of football left to be played. If the Ducks or the Bruins right the ship and run the table the rest of the way, I'd think they're in for sure as the College Football Playoff selection committee can look at the Arizona or Utah losses as an anomaly thanks to offensive line injuries. You also have to keep in mind that a one-loss SEC, Big Ten and even Big 12 champion looks more likely than ever. It won't be easy work for the committee, but I think a one-loss champ will be difficult to leave out. Two? Well, then Larry Scott's league will start to need some help from elsewhere.
What a difference a week makes. There were columnists thinking Lane Kiffin could be Nick Saban's successor at Alabama after the Florida game, and now he's the scapegoat after close loss to Ole Miss.
Listen, Kiffin's personality makes it tough for him to be the CEO of program. That's not the role he's in at Alabama, and I think him being in Tuscaloosa is mutually beneficial for him and Saban. His offense isn't the defining issue of the Crimson Tide, they controlled the tempo for most of the game against a very good Ole Miss defense and he's turned Amari Cooper into a Heisman candidate despite a first-time starter at quarterback. Losses on the road in the SEC happen -- even Alabama isn't immune to that. I doubt that matters much to Tide fans after Saturday, however.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
