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Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks proved on Saturday night that they are the class of the PAC 12 North with their dominating victory over the Stanford Cardinal 45-16.

The Oregon Ducks just dominated from the opening whistle as they scored on their first four possessions of the game, and never looked back.

Heisman Trophy candidate Marcus Mariota was as precise as a brain surgeon on Saturday, as he led the Ducks with 258 yards passing and 85 yards on the ground.  Oregon rushed for 268 yards, and increased their record to 59-0 when rushing for over 240 yards.

Stanford came into the season as a contender for another PAC 12 title, but after suffering another devastating loss, they will be fighting just to become bowl eligible this season.

Here was the good, bad, and ugly from the game:

Good

Marcus Mariota – Oregon Ducks Quarterback Marcus Mariota was phenomenal on Saturday night as he led the Ducks offense up and down the field against the vaunted Stanford Cardinal defense.  Mariota put on a dazzling display with his ability to escape pressure, and drive the “Quack Attack” for multiple scores.  Mariota’s performance vaulted him to the top of many Heisman voter ballots as he has shown that the not only is he an athletic specimen, but also a great leader.

Oregon Offensive Line – The Ducks this season have been much maligned along the offensive line; but tonight they showed that when healthy, they are a talented group.  Stanford has been known to terrorize opposing offensive lines, and during the game barely could get any pressure on the Ducks.  Oregon will need the line to continue this outstanding play when the post season rolls around. 

Oregon Rush Attack – The statistics don’t lie, if the Ducks rush for over 240 yards as a team, they win.  Stanford was unable to bring down the Ducks top-flight runners as Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner had fantastic games.  Freeman and Tyner are bruising, straight ahead rushers that just bowled over the Cardinal.  Quarterback Marcus Mariota added another fine rushing performance with 85 yards and two touchdowns.

Devon Cajuste – One of the few bright spots for the Cardinal was the play of Wide Receiver Devon Cajuste.  The senior receiver had 5 receptions for 116 yards.  Cajuste was able to take advantage of the focus being placed on Ty Montgomery, and was able to keep the Cardinal in the game until the 4^th quarter.   

Bad

Stanford Tackling – Stanford came into the game with one of best defenses in all of college football, and left Autzen stadium a bruised and battered bunch.  Several times, Stanford had chances at the initial point of contact, but the Ducks were able to bounce off and gain more yards on every play.  Stanford was missing a few key pieces due to injury, but they were just unable to make any stops on Saturday night.

Kevin Hogan – Stanford Quarterback Kevin Hogan had a few bright spots, but his continued issues with taking care of the ball came back to bite the Cardinal on Saturday night.  Before this season, Hogan was 10-1 against top ranked opponents.   This year he is 0-3, and has not been able to lead his team at all against top opposition.  Stanford had several chances to get back into the game, but again, Hogan caused two turnovers deep in the offensive zone, and the Cardinal were unable to keep up with the Ducks.  Hogan has been highly erratic this season, and many are calling to see if Coach David Shaw will go with another man under center soon. 

Ugly

Stanford Red Zone Offense - The biggest Achilles heel for the Cardinal this season has been their conversions in the Red Zone.  The description of their Red Zone offense has gone from “ugly” to downright “atrocious”.  There is no way that a team can keep up with the likes of an Oregon offense when they trade field goals for touchdowns.  Stanford has now lost another game where they may have had a better chance if they were able to convert in the zone. 

The Irish came into the Navy contest with a clear objective: Win.

With a bid to the playoffs on the line, the Irish could not afford a loss and eliminate any chance to advance come season's end into the four team format.

Over the years, the annual contest between Navy and the Irish has become somewhat lopsided.

It was a foregone conclusion that when these two teams played, Irish fans could rest easy with the assumed victory.

Heading into the 2007 season, Notre Dame had a remarkable streak of 43 games over the Middies.

That streak would end, and start a lowly trend of losing to teams usually throttled by Notre Dame.

Navy won after 3 overtimes, 46-44, under former coach Charlie Weis. An era many fans would love to forget, Weis finished a career with losses to Syracuse and UConn as well.

Weis would lose again in 2009 to Navy, 23-21 in South Bend.

The most troubling aspect and glaring number that signaled Weis was not making the most out of his talent base was the scoring margin of those games and the trend that the gap of shear domination had dissolved.

From 2007 to 2009 the Irish had lost 2 of 3 games.

That was bad enough for many.

But the games were no longer customary boatraces or even just wins.

Notre Dame under Weis had 2 losses by 2 points, and 1 win by 6 points against the Middies:

2007: Notre Dame 44 Navy 46

2008: Notre Dame 27 Navy 21

2009: Notre Dame 21 Navy 23

The Navy loss in 07' signaled an end to what could have been deemed a sure win each season, and Weis would also ingrain thoughts in many minds that the Irish were now beatable by even lesser, inferior colleges.

No longer was Notre Dame the team many feared or felt pressured when the golden helmets came storming out of the tunnel.

Enter Brian Kelly.

Kelly's first glimpse of the service academy didn't end well, but it led to a commitment to erase the mess left by his former. Kelly would fall to Navy 35-17, but would beckon the advice of one Lou Holtz to help with the schematic possibilities needed to find success in the future.

Since that time, the Irish have yet to lose. And it's a margin of victory that has all but erased that tarnished legacy of a closed gap.

In 2 of Kelly's wins over Navy, the Irish have scored over 50 points and won by margins of 42 and 40 points.

Kelly's finer point in his short window at Notre Dame is his overwhelming ability to adjust to adversity.

The national championship was a prime example of what he could do as soon as he figured out what went wrong. After starting the first half seemingly out-coached or even out of his element-Kelly directed a team to 14-14 tie in the second half. Many could suggest absurd slants that Bama' simply let off the gas.

Whatever the scenerio, in some minds- adjustments were made.

And it's something the Irish have endured since.

The Navy game is no exception.

Kelly faced Air Force in 2013 with a tremendous outcome going against a similiar style attack.

And although the 2013 Navy result wasn't his finest moment, the Irish found a way not to lose.

Former coaches were not so lucky to stear clear of eventual losses in tight games.

And Kelly again Saturday night would have to find a way to pull one out.

The Good:

The win.

Period, end of story-sort of.

The Irish did what they needed to do for the remainder of the season and that was to win the next game after Florida State.

And don't stop there.

Win the 5 remaining games on the schedule and hope the playoff tandem looks the other way.

This 49-39 win needs to be erased right now. It will not look good come Sunday or Monday as far as perception and debate, but what does look good is there's still a '1' in the loss column and not a '2'.

This was one of those games former coaches find a way to lose.

Brian Kelly and his assistants and team pulled together and found a way after plenty of adversity again.

The Bad:

Injuries are never good, and neither are bad wins or ugly losses.

For what it's worth- everyone loves the academies.

But why a power school continues to play them in an era when bad losses and weak wins hurt your schedule outcome is mindblowing.

Not to mention the most important aspect of it all: Injuries.

This game was no exception as super walk-on Joe Schmidt is now in a boot and Jarron Jones is now hobbled.

The price of the win must be examined down the road, especially if the Irish are going to remain outside a conference for the time being.

The Ugly:

The Irish defense unable to stop Navy was almost something to expect, even after a good performance against FSU.

But this was not how many expected it to turn out.

Those that understand the option know rushing yards are going to be racked up big time.

Tonight was no exception.

In the first half alone, Navy had 144 yards.

Outside of quarterback Keenan Reynolds, 9 Middies touched the ball. Reynolds contributed just 16 of those yards, which is a good indicator that defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder schemed to stop Reynolds, who of late has put up some strong rushing statistics.

And for the night, Navy put up 336 total yards.

On the night the Middies racked up 454 total yards.

The Irish defense won't have to look far down the road to try and figure things out, because the schedule isn't letting up with Arizona State up next.

Notes:

Nyles Morgan Intro

With Schmidt out, bring on Nyles Morgan.

With yet another injection of youth,  the freshman came into the game and not only made some plays-but delivered some images most Irish faithful would easily remember of a player wearing #5 before.

Tarean Folston For The Win

On the night, Folston gained 149 yards on the ground. He also had 2 big receptions for 38 yards.

For whatever reason Greg Bryant remained on the sidelines, Folston never relinquished his position-nor was it in jeopardy Saturday night.

Time and time again, the sophomore displayed clear evidence that he is the go to back in the trio with McDaniel and Bryant.

Top 10 Still?

Did Notre Dame play like a top four team Saturday night?

No, but the playoffs didn't start Saturday night or next week either.

Will they remain in the 10 slot or move down or up?

Maybe.

But the game Saturday night would never serve up evidence to justify a top 5 ranking or any top 10 number regardless of the result.

Had the Irish won by 45 points, they would have lost style points because of the lopsided win over such an inferior team.

A loss Saturday?

No explanation needed.

Only one top 10 team fell as expected (Ole Miss) and that won't move the Irish very far.

What did help them was Georgia losing.

Had the Bulldogs won against Florida, they would have jumped the Irish after the Navy performance.

It's still a simple formula: Win the next 4 games.

Illinois came in to Columbus donning their burnt orange helmets with the all-white uniforms hoping to upset the Buckeyes in their home, much like they did in their 2007 matchup when Ohio State was ranked #1.  An upset was not the case on this cold, non-competitive, November night game.  Saturday was a day filled with many other blowouts in the conference, and it was looking like the Big Ten Football that we’ve come accustomed to as of late. 

Ohio State dominated all sides of the football against Illinois last evening, the defense forcing multiple turnovers and the offense clicking when it needed to in the 55-14 win over the Fighting Illini.  Here are the good, the bad and the ugly between Illinois and Ohio State from last evening’s game in The Shoe.

The Good - Ohio State’s Defense

Ohio State's defense has forced 20 turnovers this season, tied for the 12th-most in the nation. Last season, the Buckeyes forced 24 the entire season, which tied for 40th in the country.  This year’s dominance on defense is obvious and really shows the improvement from where last year’s team was struggling.  Sophomore pass-rushing superstar Joey Bosa recorded two sacks and added another tackle for loss last night in the 55-14 win and now has a Big Ten-best 10 sacks on the season to help this stellar Ohio State defense.  With the Buckeyes traveling to East Lansing next weekend to face their toughest opponent yet, Coach Urban Meyer hopes to keep the aggressiveness on the defensive side of the ball alive so they can come out with a win against Michigan State. 

The Bad – Illinois’ Struggling Offense 

The most lopsided loss of the season did not leave a good taste Illinois’ mouth after leaving Columbus.  The Illini offense could not get anything going – and forget about the team sticking with Reilly O’Toole and Aaron Bailey at quarterback.  This struggling team needs Wes Lunt back under center, with him expected to miss at least another 2 weeks with the leg fracture, things are not looking up for the Fighting Illini.  Hopes are not high for finishing the season strong, with games against Iowa and Penn State and at Northwestern, but if they can squeak out two wins in their last three games they can look forward to a bowl game come December.

The Ugly – J.T. Barrett’s Passing Game

Now this should be prefaced by saying that I am trying to nitpick in finding the one ugly thing about Ohio State, the team looked pretty stellar last night against Illinois - but J.T. Barrett was not his usual self that we’ve become accustomed to from the Freshman sensation.  Favoring the leg he injured last week against Penn State, it was obvious he wasn’t playing at 100%.  It’s safe to say that if this were the NFL, Ohio State would be trading Barrett in the offseason for a top O-lineman or defensive tackle and a draft pick or two when they have Braxton Miller returning for the 2015 season.  Barrett missed some open throws last night, but offensive coordinator Tom Herman said he isn’t worried.  It’s safe to say the leg injury is why some throws weren’t on point during last night’s first half, but it should not be something to worry about as the Buckeyes play Michigan State under the lights next Saturday when the College Game Day boys go to East Lansing for the biggest Big Ten matchup of the season.

Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks proved on Saturday night that they are the class of the PAC 12 North with their dominating victory over the Stanford Cardinal 45-16.

The Oregon Ducks just dominated from the opening whistle as they scored on their first four possessions of the game, and never looked back.

Heisman Trophy candidate Marcus Mariota was as precise as a brain surgeon on Saturday, as he led the Ducks with 258 yards passing and 85 yards on the ground.  Oregon rushed for 268 yards, and increased their record to 59-0 when rushing for over 240 yards.

Stanford came into the season as a contender for another PAC 12 title, but after suffering another devastating loss, they will be fighting just to become bowl eligible this season.

Here was the good, bad, and ugly from the game:

Good

Marcus Mariota – Oregon Ducks Quarterback Marcus Mariota was phenomenal on Saturday night as he led the Ducks offense up and down the field against the vaunted Stanford Cardinal defense.  Mariota put on a dazzling display with his ability to escape pressure, and drive the “Quack Attack” for multiple scores.  Mariota’s performance vaulted him to the top of many Heisman voter ballots as he has shown that the not only is he an athletic specimen, but also a great leader.

Oregon Offensive Line – The Ducks this season have been much maligned along the offensive line; but tonight they showed that when healthy, they are a talented group.  Stanford has been known to terrorize opposing offensive lines, and during the game barely could get any pressure on the Ducks.  Oregon will need the line to continue this outstanding play when the post season rolls around. 

Oregon Rush Attack – The statistics don’t lie, if the Ducks rush for over 240 yards as a team, they win.  Stanford was unable to bring down the Ducks top-flight runners as Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner had fantastic games.  Freeman and Tyner are bruising, straight ahead rushers that just bowled over the Cardinal.  Quarterback Marcus Mariota added another fine rushing performance with 85 yards and two touchdowns.

Devon Cajuste – One of the few bright spots for the Cardinal was the play of Wide Receiver Devon Cajuste.  The senior receiver had 5 receptions for 116 yards.  Cajuste was able to take advantage of the focus being placed on Ty Montgomery, and was able to keep the Cardinal in the game until the 4^th quarter.   

Bad

Stanford Tackling – Stanford came into the game with one of best defenses in all of college football, and left Autzen stadium a bruised and battered bunch.  Several times, Stanford had chances at the initial point of contact, but the Ducks were able to bounce off and gain more yards on every play.  Stanford was missing a few key pieces due to injury, but they were just unable to make any stops on Saturday night.

Kevin Hogan – Stanford Quarterback Kevin Hogan had a few bright spots, but his continued issues with taking care of the ball came back to bite the Cardinal on Saturday night.  Before this season, Hogan was 10-1 against top ranked opponents.   This year he is 0-3, and has not been able to lead his team at all against top opposition.  Stanford had several chances to get back into the game, but again, Hogan caused two turnovers deep in the offensive zone, and the Cardinal were unable to keep up with the Ducks.  Hogan has been highly erratic this season, and many are calling to see if Coach David Shaw will go with another man under center soon. 

Ugly

Stanford Red Zone Offense - The biggest Achilles heel for the Cardinal this season has been their conversions in the Red Zone.  The description of their Red Zone offense has gone from “ugly” to downright “atrocious”.  There is no way that a team can keep up with the likes of an Oregon offense when they trade field goals for touchdowns.  Stanford has now lost another game where they may have had a better chance if they were able to convert in the zone. 

The Irish came into the Navy contest with a clear objective: Win.

With a bid to the playoffs on the line, the Irish could not afford a loss and eliminate any chance to advance come season's end into the four team format.

Over the years, the annual contest between Navy and the Irish has become somewhat lopsided.

It was a foregone conclusion that when these two teams played, Irish fans could rest easy with the assumed victory.

Heading into the 2007 season, Notre Dame had a remarkable streak of 43 games over the Middies.

That streak would end, and start a lowly trend of losing to teams usually throttled by Notre Dame.

Navy won after 3 overtimes, 46-44, under former coach Charlie Weis. An era many fans would love to forget, Weis finished a career with losses to Syracuse and UConn as well.

Weis would lose again in 2009 to Navy, 23-21 in South Bend.

The most troubling aspect and glaring number that signaled Weis was not making the most out of his talent base was the scoring margin of those games and the trend that the gap of shear domination had dissolved.

From 2007 to 2009 the Irish had lost 2 of 3 games.

That was bad enough for many.

But the games were no longer customary boatraces or even just wins.

Notre Dame under Weis had 2 losses by 2 points, and 1 win by 6 points against the Middies:

2007: Notre Dame 44 Navy 46

2008: Notre Dame 27 Navy 21

2009: Notre Dame 21 Navy 23

The Navy loss in 07' signaled an end to what could have been deemed a sure win each season, and Weis would also ingrain thoughts in many minds that the Irish were now beatable by even lesser, inferior colleges.

No longer was Notre Dame the team many feared or felt pressured when the golden helmets came storming out of the tunnel.

Enter Brian Kelly.

Kelly's first glimpse of the service academy didn't end well, but it led to a commitment to erase the mess left by his former. Kelly would fall to Navy 35-17, but would beckon the advice of one Lou Holtz to help with the schematic possibilities needed to find success in the future.

Since that time, the Irish have yet to lose. And it's a margin of victory that has all but erased that tarnished legacy of a closed gap.

In 2 of Kelly's wins over Navy, the Irish have scored over 50 points and won by margins of 42 and 40 points.

Kelly's finer point in his short window at Notre Dame is his overwhelming ability to adjust to adversity.

The national championship was a prime example of what he could do as soon as he figured out what went wrong. After starting the first half seemingly out-coached or even out of his element-Kelly directed a team to 14-14 tie in the second half. Many could suggest absurd slants that Bama' simply let off the gas.

Whatever the scenerio, in some minds- adjustments were made.

And it's something the Irish have endured since.

The Navy game is no exception.

Kelly faced Air Force in 2013 with a tremendous outcome going against a similiar style attack.

And although the 2013 Navy result wasn't his finest moment, the Irish found a way not to lose.

Former coaches were not so lucky to stear clear of eventual losses in tight games.

And Kelly again Saturday night would have to find a way to pull one out.

The Good:

The win.

Period, end of story-sort of.

The Irish did what they needed to do for the remainder of the season and that was to win the next game after Florida State.

And don't stop there.

Win the 5 remaining games on the schedule and hope the playoff tandem looks the other way.

This 49-39 win needs to be erased right now. It will not look good come Sunday or Monday as far as perception and debate, but what does look good is there's still a '1' in the loss column and not a '2'.

This was one of those games former coaches find a way to lose.

Brian Kelly and his assistants and team pulled together and found a way after plenty of adversity again.

The Bad:

Injuries are never good, and neither are bad wins or ugly losses.

For what it's worth- everyone loves the academies.

But why a power school continues to play them in an era when bad losses and weak wins hurt your schedule outcome is mindblowing.

Not to mention the most important aspect of it all: Injuries.

This game was no exception as super walk-on Joe Schmidt is now in a boot and Jarron Jones is now hobbled.

The price of the win must be examined down the road, especially if the Irish are going to remain outside a conference for the time being.

The Ugly:

The Irish defense unable to stop Navy was almost something to expect, even after a good performance against FSU.

But this was not how many expected it to turn out.

Those that understand the option know rushing yards are going to be racked up big time.

Tonight was no exception.

In the first half alone, Navy had 144 yards.

Outside of quarterback Keenan Reynolds, 9 Middies touched the ball. Reynolds contributed just 16 of those yards, which is a good indicator that defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder schemed to stop Reynolds, who of late has put up some strong rushing statistics.

And for the night, Navy put up 336 total yards.

On the night the Middies racked up 454 total yards.

The Irish defense won't have to look far down the road to try and figure things out, because the schedule isn't letting up with Arizona State up next.

Notes:

Nyles Morgan Intro

With Schmidt out, bring on Nyles Morgan.

With yet another injection of youth,  the freshman came into the game and not only made some plays-but delivered some images most Irish faithful would easily remember of a player wearing #5 before.

Tarean Folston For The Win

On the night, Folston gained 149 yards on the ground. He also had 2 big receptions for 38 yards.

For whatever reason Greg Bryant remained on the sidelines, Folston never relinquished his position-nor was it in jeopardy Saturday night.

Time and time again, the sophomore displayed clear evidence that he is the go to back in the trio with McDaniel and Bryant.

Top 10 Still?

Did Notre Dame play like a top four team Saturday night?

No, but the playoffs didn't start Saturday night or next week either.

Will they remain in the 10 slot or move down or up?

Maybe.

But the game Saturday night would never serve up evidence to justify a top 5 ranking or any top 10 number regardless of the result.

Had the Irish won by 45 points, they would have lost style points because of the lopsided win over such an inferior team.

A loss Saturday?

No explanation needed.

Only one top 10 team fell as expected (Ole Miss) and that won't move the Irish very far.

What did help them was Georgia losing.

Had the Bulldogs won against Florida, they would have jumped the Irish after the Navy performance.

It's still a simple formula: Win the next 4 games.

Illinois came in to Columbus donning their burnt orange helmets with the all-white uniforms hoping to upset the Buckeyes in their home, much like they did in their 2007 matchup when Ohio State was ranked #1.  An upset was not the case on this cold, non-competitive, November night game.  Saturday was a day filled with many other blowouts in the conference, and it was looking like the Big Ten Football that we’ve come accustomed to as of late. 

Ohio State dominated all sides of the football against Illinois last evening, the defense forcing multiple turnovers and the offense clicking when it needed to in the 55-14 win over the Fighting Illini.  Here are the good, the bad and the ugly between Illinois and Ohio State from last evening’s game in The Shoe.

The Good - Ohio State’s Defense

Ohio State's defense has forced 20 turnovers this season, tied for the 12th-most in the nation. Last season, the Buckeyes forced 24 the entire season, which tied for 40th in the country.  This year’s dominance on defense is obvious and really shows the improvement from where last year’s team was struggling.  Sophomore pass-rushing superstar Joey Bosa recorded two sacks and added another tackle for loss last night in the 55-14 win and now has a Big Ten-best 10 sacks on the season to help this stellar Ohio State defense.  With the Buckeyes traveling to East Lansing next weekend to face their toughest opponent yet, Coach Urban Meyer hopes to keep the aggressiveness on the defensive side of the ball alive so they can come out with a win against Michigan State. 

The Bad – Illinois’ Struggling Offense 

The most lopsided loss of the season did not leave a good taste Illinois’ mouth after leaving Columbus.  The Illini offense could not get anything going – and forget about the team sticking with Reilly O’Toole and Aaron Bailey at quarterback.  This struggling team needs Wes Lunt back under center, with him expected to miss at least another 2 weeks with the leg fracture, things are not looking up for the Fighting Illini.  Hopes are not high for finishing the season strong, with games against Iowa and Penn State and at Northwestern, but if they can squeak out two wins in their last three games they can look forward to a bowl game come December.

The Ugly – J.T. Barrett’s Passing Game

Now this should be prefaced by saying that I am trying to nitpick in finding the one ugly thing about Ohio State, the team looked pretty stellar last night against Illinois - but J.T. Barrett was not his usual self that we’ve become accustomed to from the Freshman sensation.  Favoring the leg he injured last week against Penn State, it was obvious he wasn’t playing at 100%.  It’s safe to say that if this were the NFL, Ohio State would be trading Barrett in the offseason for a top O-lineman or defensive tackle and a draft pick or two when they have Braxton Miller returning for the 2015 season.  Barrett missed some open throws last night, but offensive coordinator Tom Herman said he isn’t worried.  It’s safe to say the leg injury is why some throws weren’t on point during last night’s first half, but it should not be something to worry about as the Buckeyes play Michigan State under the lights next Saturday when the College Game Day boys go to East Lansing for the biggest Big Ten matchup of the season.

As a kid growing up in a Gator-friendly home, it pained my father to see the gators get their butts handed to them. Steve Spurrier changed all of that, once I got into college. Urban Meyer (although many Gator Nation members do not recognize him) continued the tradition and of late the play has been so poor, fans would have done anything to see Will Muschamp walk the plank in Gainesville.

Saturday, the Gator Nation could not have been prouder of the performance,  not only by Muschamp, but from a downtrodden Florida team that needed a win in the worst way.

That win – a 38-20 victory – wasn’t only sweet, but it came against Georgia of all teams - a win that means Muschamp’s job is safe for at least one more week.

The victory also hammered a nail in Georgia’s chances of winning the SEC East and an opportunity to play in the national title playoff. For many, it is Great to Be a Gator again.

The Gators ran for over 400 yards of offense and Treon Harris allowed his offensive line and running tandem of Mack Brown and Kelvin Taylor do their jobs. Harris threw the ball only six times during the game and the defense caused the Bulldogs into turnovers and mistakes throughout the contest.

Here are the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of this contest.

THE GOOD: WHERE DO THE GATORS START?

A Win for starters. Yes, a win over a bitter rival and a coach who can take a breath for a week. Florida rushed for 418 yards Saturday. It was the Gators' most in an SEC game since 1975 and their most in any game since the days of Emmitt Smith, according to the Associated Press.

Jones and Taylor hurt the Bulldogs inside and out, finding some holes and creating others.

Freshman quarterback Treon Harris didn't do anything special aside from playing with better ball security than Jeff Driskel. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 27 yards. He also ran 31 yards. He fumbled once and had a shotgun snap sail over his head.

But with Jones and Taylor, Harris pretty much just had to stay out the way.

They two backs really got going in the second quarter, with Taylor delivering a career-long 44-yard run that set up his 2-yard plunge and Jones scoring on a 44-yard scamper down the left sideline.

Jones added a 1-yard TD run on the third play of the fourth quarter, putting Florida ahead 31-7.

That sent Georgia fans scrambling for the exits.

THE BAD: IT ALL FELL APART FOR THE BULLDOGS

Florida finished with 418 yards rushing, the program's most since gaining 466 against New Mexico in 1989 when NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith was the team's star. The total Saturday included a 21-yard scoring run by former walk-on Michael McNeely on a fake field goal that kicked off a dominant second quarter.

Georgia had no answer for stopping the run.

The Bulldogs also wasted a solid performance by Nick Chubb, who again replaced Todd Gurley in the lineup.

Chubb had a 39-yard TD run in the first quarter, longest rush allowed by Florida this season. The Gators entered Saturday as one of three teams that had not allowed a run longer than 25 yards (Georgia and Penn State are the other two).

THE UGLY: FROM A DEFENSIVE STANDPOINT

The Bulldogs controlled their own destiny in the SEC East. Now, they have to have hope and help.

The longest run allowed by Georgia this season entering today was 24 yards, done twice (Arkansas' Jonathan Williams and South Carolina's Brandon Wilds). Today against Florida, the Bulldogs have allowed a pair of 44-yard runs (Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones).

Chubb looked solid while the offense looked out of balance. This season, Nick Chubb has averaged 1.1 yards per rush on plays where he has been hit at or behind the line of scrimmage, compared with 4.0 yards per rush for Todd Gurley on such rushes.

Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks proved on Saturday night that they are the class of the PAC 12 North with their dominating victory over the Stanford Cardinal 45-16.

The Oregon Ducks just dominated from the opening whistle as they scored on their first four possessions of the game, and never looked back.

Heisman Trophy candidate Marcus Mariota was as precise as a brain surgeon on Saturday, as he led the Ducks with 258 yards passing and 85 yards on the ground.  Oregon rushed for 268 yards, and increased their record to 59-0 when rushing for over 240 yards.

Stanford came into the season as a contender for another PAC 12 title, but after suffering another devastating loss, they will be fighting just to become bowl eligible this season.

Here was the good, bad, and ugly from the game:

Good

Marcus Mariota – Oregon Ducks Quarterback Marcus Mariota was phenomenal on Saturday night as he led the Ducks offense up and down the field against the vaunted Stanford Cardinal defense.  Mariota put on a dazzling display with his ability to escape pressure, and drive the “Quack Attack” for multiple scores.  Mariota’s performance vaulted him to the top of many Heisman voter ballots as he has shown that the not only is he an athletic specimen, but also a great leader.

Oregon Offensive Line – The Ducks this season have been much maligned along the offensive line; but tonight they showed that when healthy, they are a talented group.  Stanford has been known to terrorize opposing offensive lines, and during the game barely could get any pressure on the Ducks.  Oregon will need the line to continue this outstanding play when the post season rolls around. 

Oregon Rush Attack – The statistics don’t lie, if the Ducks rush for over 240 yards as a team, they win.  Stanford was unable to bring down the Ducks top-flight runners as Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner had fantastic games.  Freeman and Tyner are bruising, straight ahead rushers that just bowled over the Cardinal.  Quarterback Marcus Mariota added another fine rushing performance with 85 yards and two touchdowns.

Devon Cajuste – One of the few bright spots for the Cardinal was the play of Wide Receiver Devon Cajuste.  The senior receiver had 5 receptions for 116 yards.  Cajuste was able to take advantage of the focus being placed on Ty Montgomery, and was able to keep the Cardinal in the game until the 4^th quarter.   

Bad

Stanford Tackling – Stanford came into the game with one of best defenses in all of college football, and left Autzen stadium a bruised and battered bunch.  Several times, Stanford had chances at the initial point of contact, but the Ducks were able to bounce off and gain more yards on every play.  Stanford was missing a few key pieces due to injury, but they were just unable to make any stops on Saturday night.

Kevin Hogan – Stanford Quarterback Kevin Hogan had a few bright spots, but his continued issues with taking care of the ball came back to bite the Cardinal on Saturday night.  Before this season, Hogan was 10-1 against top ranked opponents.   This year he is 0-3, and has not been able to lead his team at all against top opposition.  Stanford had several chances to get back into the game, but again, Hogan caused two turnovers deep in the offensive zone, and the Cardinal were unable to keep up with the Ducks.  Hogan has been highly erratic this season, and many are calling to see if Coach David Shaw will go with another man under center soon. 

Ugly

Stanford Red Zone Offense - The biggest Achilles heel for the Cardinal this season has been their conversions in the Red Zone.  The description of their Red Zone offense has gone from “ugly” to downright “atrocious”.  There is no way that a team can keep up with the likes of an Oregon offense when they trade field goals for touchdowns.  Stanford has now lost another game where they may have had a better chance if they were able to convert in the zone. 

The Irish came into the Navy contest with a clear objective: Win.

With a bid to the playoffs on the line, the Irish could not afford a loss and eliminate any chance to advance come season's end into the four team format.

Over the years, the annual contest between Navy and the Irish has become somewhat lopsided.

It was a foregone conclusion that when these two teams played, Irish fans could rest easy with the assumed victory.

Heading into the 2007 season, Notre Dame had a remarkable streak of 43 games over the Middies.

That streak would end, and start a lowly trend of losing to teams usually throttled by Notre Dame.

Navy won after 3 overtimes, 46-44, under former coach Charlie Weis. An era many fans would love to forget, Weis finished a career with losses to Syracuse and UConn as well.

Weis would lose again in 2009 to Navy, 23-21 in South Bend.

The most troubling aspect and glaring number that signaled Weis was not making the most out of his talent base was the scoring margin of those games and the trend that the gap of shear domination had dissolved.

From 2007 to 2009 the Irish had lost 2 of 3 games.

That was bad enough for many.

But the games were no longer customary boatraces or even just wins.

Notre Dame under Weis had 2 losses by 2 points, and 1 win by 6 points against the Middies:

2007: Notre Dame 44 Navy 46

2008: Notre Dame 27 Navy 21

2009: Notre Dame 21 Navy 23

The Navy loss in 07' signaled an end to what could have been deemed a sure win each season, and Weis would also ingrain thoughts in many minds that the Irish were now beatable by even lesser, inferior colleges.

No longer was Notre Dame the team many feared or felt pressured when the golden helmets came storming out of the tunnel.

Enter Brian Kelly.

Kelly's first glimpse of the service academy didn't end well, but it led to a commitment to erase the mess left by his former. Kelly would fall to Navy 35-17, but would beckon the advice of one Lou Holtz to help with the schematic possibilities needed to find success in the future.

Since that time, the Irish have yet to lose. And it's a margin of victory that has all but erased that tarnished legacy of a closed gap.

In 2 of Kelly's wins over Navy, the Irish have scored over 50 points and won by margins of 42 and 40 points.

Kelly's finer point in his short window at Notre Dame is his overwhelming ability to adjust to adversity.

The national championship was a prime example of what he could do as soon as he figured out what went wrong. After starting the first half seemingly out-coached or even out of his element-Kelly directed a team to 14-14 tie in the second half. Many could suggest absurd slants that Bama' simply let off the gas.

Whatever the scenerio, in some minds- adjustments were made.

And it's something the Irish have endured since.

The Navy game is no exception.

Kelly faced Air Force in 2013 with a tremendous outcome going against a similiar style attack.

And although the 2013 Navy result wasn't his finest moment, the Irish found a way not to lose.

Former coaches were not so lucky to stear clear of eventual losses in tight games.

And Kelly again Saturday night would have to find a way to pull one out.

The Good:

The win.

Period, end of story-sort of.

The Irish did what they needed to do for the remainder of the season and that was to win the next game after Florida State.

And don't stop there.

Win the 5 remaining games on the schedule and hope the playoff tandem looks the other way.

This 49-39 win needs to be erased right now. It will not look good come Sunday or Monday as far as perception and debate, but what does look good is there's still a '1' in the loss column and not a '2'.

This was one of those games former coaches find a way to lose.

Brian Kelly and his assistants and team pulled together and found a way after plenty of adversity again.

The Bad:

Injuries are never good, and neither are bad wins or ugly losses.

For what it's worth- everyone loves the academies.

But why a power school continues to play them in an era when bad losses and weak wins hurt your schedule outcome is mindblowing.

Not to mention the most important aspect of it all: Injuries.

This game was no exception as super walk-on Joe Schmidt is now in a boot and Jarron Jones is now hobbled.

The price of the win must be examined down the road, especially if the Irish are going to remain outside a conference for the time being.

The Ugly:

The Irish defense unable to stop Navy was almost something to expect, even after a good performance against FSU.

But this was not how many expected it to turn out.

Those that understand the option know rushing yards are going to be racked up big time.

Tonight was no exception.

In the first half alone, Navy had 144 yards.

Outside of quarterback Keenan Reynolds, 9 Middies touched the ball. Reynolds contributed just 16 of those yards, which is a good indicator that defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder schemed to stop Reynolds, who of late has put up some strong rushing statistics.

And for the night, Navy put up 336 total yards.

On the night the Middies racked up 454 total yards.

The Irish defense won't have to look far down the road to try and figure things out, because the schedule isn't letting up with Arizona State up next.

Notes:

Nyles Morgan Intro

With Schmidt out, bring on Nyles Morgan.

With yet another injection of youth,  the freshman came into the game and not only made some plays-but delivered some images most Irish faithful would easily remember of a player wearing #5 before.

Tarean Folston For The Win

On the night, Folston gained 149 yards on the ground. He also had 2 big receptions for 38 yards.

For whatever reason Greg Bryant remained on the sidelines, Folston never relinquished his position-nor was it in jeopardy Saturday night.

Time and time again, the sophomore displayed clear evidence that he is the go to back in the trio with McDaniel and Bryant.

Top 10 Still?

Did Notre Dame play like a top four team Saturday night?

No, but the playoffs didn't start Saturday night or next week either.

Will they remain in the 10 slot or move down or up?

Maybe.

But the game Saturday night would never serve up evidence to justify a top 5 ranking or any top 10 number regardless of the result.

Had the Irish won by 45 points, they would have lost style points because of the lopsided win over such an inferior team.

A loss Saturday?

No explanation needed.

Only one top 10 team fell as expected (Ole Miss) and that won't move the Irish very far.

What did help them was Georgia losing.

Had the Bulldogs won against Florida, they would have jumped the Irish after the Navy performance.

It's still a simple formula: Win the next 4 games.

Illinois came in to Columbus donning their burnt orange helmets with the all-white uniforms hoping to upset the Buckeyes in their home, much like they did in their 2007 matchup when Ohio State was ranked #1.  An upset was not the case on this cold, non-competitive, November night game.  Saturday was a day filled with many other blowouts in the conference, and it was looking like the Big Ten Football that we’ve come accustomed to as of late. 

Ohio State dominated all sides of the football against Illinois last evening, the defense forcing multiple turnovers and the offense clicking when it needed to in the 55-14 win over the Fighting Illini.  Here are the good, the bad and the ugly between Illinois and Ohio State from last evening’s game in The Shoe.

The Good - Ohio State’s Defense

Ohio State's defense has forced 20 turnovers this season, tied for the 12th-most in the nation. Last season, the Buckeyes forced 24 the entire season, which tied for 40th in the country.  This year’s dominance on defense is obvious and really shows the improvement from where last year’s team was struggling.  Sophomore pass-rushing superstar Joey Bosa recorded two sacks and added another tackle for loss last night in the 55-14 win and now has a Big Ten-best 10 sacks on the season to help this stellar Ohio State defense.  With the Buckeyes traveling to East Lansing next weekend to face their toughest opponent yet, Coach Urban Meyer hopes to keep the aggressiveness on the defensive side of the ball alive so they can come out with a win against Michigan State. 

The Bad – Illinois’ Struggling Offense 

The most lopsided loss of the season did not leave a good taste Illinois’ mouth after leaving Columbus.  The Illini offense could not get anything going – and forget about the team sticking with Reilly O’Toole and Aaron Bailey at quarterback.  This struggling team needs Wes Lunt back under center, with him expected to miss at least another 2 weeks with the leg fracture, things are not looking up for the Fighting Illini.  Hopes are not high for finishing the season strong, with games against Iowa and Penn State and at Northwestern, but if they can squeak out two wins in their last three games they can look forward to a bowl game come December.

The Ugly – J.T. Barrett’s Passing Game

Now this should be prefaced by saying that I am trying to nitpick in finding the one ugly thing about Ohio State, the team looked pretty stellar last night against Illinois - but J.T. Barrett was not his usual self that we’ve become accustomed to from the Freshman sensation.  Favoring the leg he injured last week against Penn State, it was obvious he wasn’t playing at 100%.  It’s safe to say that if this were the NFL, Ohio State would be trading Barrett in the offseason for a top O-lineman or defensive tackle and a draft pick or two when they have Braxton Miller returning for the 2015 season.  Barrett missed some open throws last night, but offensive coordinator Tom Herman said he isn’t worried.  It’s safe to say the leg injury is why some throws weren’t on point during last night’s first half, but it should not be something to worry about as the Buckeyes play Michigan State under the lights next Saturday when the College Game Day boys go to East Lansing for the biggest Big Ten matchup of the season.

As a kid growing up in a Gator-friendly home, it pained my father to see the gators get their butts handed to them. Steve Spurrier changed all of that, once I got into college. Urban Meyer (although many Gator Nation members do not recognize him) continued the tradition and of late the play has been so poor, fans would have done anything to see Will Muschamp walk the plank in Gainesville.

Saturday, the Gator Nation could not have been prouder of the performance,  not only by Muschamp, but from a downtrodden Florida team that needed a win in the worst way.

That win – a 38-20 victory – wasn’t only sweet, but it came against Georgia of all teams - a win that means Muschamp’s job is safe for at least one more week.

The victory also hammered a nail in Georgia’s chances of winning the SEC East and an opportunity to play in the national title playoff. For many, it is Great to Be a Gator again.

The Gators ran for over 400 yards of offense and Treon Harris allowed his offensive line and running tandem of Mack Brown and Kelvin Taylor do their jobs. Harris threw the ball only six times during the game and the defense caused the Bulldogs into turnovers and mistakes throughout the contest.

Here are the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of this contest.

THE GOOD: WHERE DO THE GATORS START?

A Win for starters. Yes, a win over a bitter rival and a coach who can take a breath for a week. Florida rushed for 418 yards Saturday. It was the Gators' most in an SEC game since 1975 and their most in any game since the days of Emmitt Smith, according to the Associated Press.

Jones and Taylor hurt the Bulldogs inside and out, finding some holes and creating others.

Freshman quarterback Treon Harris didn't do anything special aside from playing with better ball security than Jeff Driskel. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 27 yards. He also ran 31 yards. He fumbled once and had a shotgun snap sail over his head.

But with Jones and Taylor, Harris pretty much just had to stay out the way.

They two backs really got going in the second quarter, with Taylor delivering a career-long 44-yard run that set up his 2-yard plunge and Jones scoring on a 44-yard scamper down the left sideline.

Jones added a 1-yard TD run on the third play of the fourth quarter, putting Florida ahead 31-7.

That sent Georgia fans scrambling for the exits.

THE BAD: IT ALL FELL APART FOR THE BULLDOGS

Florida finished with 418 yards rushing, the program's most since gaining 466 against New Mexico in 1989 when NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith was the team's star. The total Saturday included a 21-yard scoring run by former walk-on Michael McNeely on a fake field goal that kicked off a dominant second quarter.

Georgia had no answer for stopping the run.

The Bulldogs also wasted a solid performance by Nick Chubb, who again replaced Todd Gurley in the lineup.

Chubb had a 39-yard TD run in the first quarter, longest rush allowed by Florida this season. The Gators entered Saturday as one of three teams that had not allowed a run longer than 25 yards (Georgia and Penn State are the other two).

THE UGLY: FROM A DEFENSIVE STANDPOINT

The Bulldogs controlled their own destiny in the SEC East. Now, they have to have hope and help.

The longest run allowed by Georgia this season entering today was 24 yards, done twice (Arkansas' Jonathan Williams and South Carolina's Brandon Wilds). Today against Florida, the Bulldogs have allowed a pair of 44-yard runs (Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones).

Chubb looked solid while the offense looked out of balance. This season, Nick Chubb has averaged 1.1 yards per rush on plays where he has been hit at or behind the line of scrimmage, compared with 4.0 yards per rush for Todd Gurley on such rushes.

Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks proved on Saturday night that they are the class of the PAC 12 North with their dominating victory over the Stanford Cardinal 45-16.

The Oregon Ducks just dominated from the opening whistle as they scored on their first four possessions of the game, and never looked back.

Heisman Trophy candidate Marcus Mariota was as precise as a brain surgeon on Saturday, as he led the Ducks with 258 yards passing and 85 yards on the ground.  Oregon rushed for 268 yards, and increased their record to 59-0 when rushing for over 240 yards.

Stanford came into the season as a contender for another PAC 12 title, but after suffering another devastating loss, they will be fighting just to become bowl eligible this season.

Here was the good, bad, and ugly from the game:

Good

Marcus Mariota – Oregon Ducks Quarterback Marcus Mariota was phenomenal on Saturday night as he led the Ducks offense up and down the field against the vaunted Stanford Cardinal defense.  Mariota put on a dazzling display with his ability to escape pressure, and drive the “Quack Attack” for multiple scores.  Mariota’s performance vaulted him to the top of many Heisman voter ballots as he has shown that the not only is he an athletic specimen, but also a great leader.

Oregon Offensive Line – The Ducks this season have been much maligned along the offensive line; but tonight they showed that when healthy, they are a talented group.  Stanford has been known to terrorize opposing offensive lines, and during the game barely could get any pressure on the Ducks.  Oregon will need the line to continue this outstanding play when the post season rolls around. 

Oregon Rush Attack – The statistics don’t lie, if the Ducks rush for over 240 yards as a team, they win.  Stanford was unable to bring down the Ducks top-flight runners as Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner had fantastic games.  Freeman and Tyner are bruising, straight ahead rushers that just bowled over the Cardinal.  Quarterback Marcus Mariota added another fine rushing performance with 85 yards and two touchdowns.

Devon Cajuste – One of the few bright spots for the Cardinal was the play of Wide Receiver Devon Cajuste.  The senior receiver had 5 receptions for 116 yards.  Cajuste was able to take advantage of the focus being placed on Ty Montgomery, and was able to keep the Cardinal in the game until the 4^th quarter.   

Bad

Stanford Tackling – Stanford came into the game with one of best defenses in all of college football, and left Autzen stadium a bruised and battered bunch.  Several times, Stanford had chances at the initial point of contact, but the Ducks were able to bounce off and gain more yards on every play.  Stanford was missing a few key pieces due to injury, but they were just unable to make any stops on Saturday night.

Kevin Hogan – Stanford Quarterback Kevin Hogan had a few bright spots, but his continued issues with taking care of the ball came back to bite the Cardinal on Saturday night.  Before this season, Hogan was 10-1 against top ranked opponents.   This year he is 0-3, and has not been able to lead his team at all against top opposition.  Stanford had several chances to get back into the game, but again, Hogan caused two turnovers deep in the offensive zone, and the Cardinal were unable to keep up with the Ducks.  Hogan has been highly erratic this season, and many are calling to see if Coach David Shaw will go with another man under center soon. 

Ugly

Stanford Red Zone Offense - The biggest Achilles heel for the Cardinal this season has been their conversions in the Red Zone.  The description of their Red Zone offense has gone from “ugly” to downright “atrocious”.  There is no way that a team can keep up with the likes of an Oregon offense when they trade field goals for touchdowns.  Stanford has now lost another game where they may have had a better chance if they were able to convert in the zone. 

The Irish came into the Navy contest with a clear objective: Win.

With a bid to the playoffs on the line, the Irish could not afford a loss and eliminate any chance to advance come season's end into the four team format.

Over the years, the annual contest between Navy and the Irish has become somewhat lopsided.

It was a foregone conclusion that when these two teams played, Irish fans could rest easy with the assumed victory.

Heading into the 2007 season, Notre Dame had a remarkable streak of 43 games over the Middies.

That streak would end, and start a lowly trend of losing to teams usually throttled by Notre Dame.

Navy won after 3 overtimes, 46-44, under former coach Charlie Weis. An era many fans would love to forget, Weis finished a career with losses to Syracuse and UConn as well.

Weis would lose again in 2009 to Navy, 23-21 in South Bend.

The most troubling aspect and glaring number that signaled Weis was not making the most out of his talent base was the scoring margin of those games and the trend that the gap of shear domination had dissolved.

From 2007 to 2009 the Irish had lost 2 of 3 games.

That was bad enough for many.

But the games were no longer customary boatraces or even just wins.

Notre Dame under Weis had 2 losses by 2 points, and 1 win by 6 points against the Middies:

2007: Notre Dame 44 Navy 46

2008: Notre Dame 27 Navy 21

2009: Notre Dame 21 Navy 23

The Navy loss in 07' signaled an end to what could have been deemed a sure win each season, and Weis would also ingrain thoughts in many minds that the Irish were now beatable by even lesser, inferior colleges.

No longer was Notre Dame the team many feared or felt pressured when the golden helmets came storming out of the tunnel.

Enter Brian Kelly.

Kelly's first glimpse of the service academy didn't end well, but it led to a commitment to erase the mess left by his former. Kelly would fall to Navy 35-17, but would beckon the advice of one Lou Holtz to help with the schematic possibilities needed to find success in the future.

Since that time, the Irish have yet to lose. And it's a margin of victory that has all but erased that tarnished legacy of a closed gap.

In 2 of Kelly's wins over Navy, the Irish have scored over 50 points and won by margins of 42 and 40 points.

Kelly's finer point in his short window at Notre Dame is his overwhelming ability to adjust to adversity.

The national championship was a prime example of what he could do as soon as he figured out what went wrong. After starting the first half seemingly out-coached or even out of his element-Kelly directed a team to 14-14 tie in the second half. Many could suggest absurd slants that Bama' simply let off the gas.

Whatever the scenerio, in some minds- adjustments were made.

And it's something the Irish have endured since.

The Navy game is no exception.

Kelly faced Air Force in 2013 with a tremendous outcome going against a similiar style attack.

And although the 2013 Navy result wasn't his finest moment, the Irish found a way not to lose.

Former coaches were not so lucky to stear clear of eventual losses in tight games.

And Kelly again Saturday night would have to find a way to pull one out.

The Good:

The win.

Period, end of story-sort of.

The Irish did what they needed to do for the remainder of the season and that was to win the next game after Florida State.

And don't stop there.

Win the 5 remaining games on the schedule and hope the playoff tandem looks the other way.

This 49-39 win needs to be erased right now. It will not look good come Sunday or Monday as far as perception and debate, but what does look good is there's still a '1' in the loss column and not a '2'.

This was one of those games former coaches find a way to lose.

Brian Kelly and his assistants and team pulled together and found a way after plenty of adversity again.

The Bad:

Injuries are never good, and neither are bad wins or ugly losses.

For what it's worth- everyone loves the academies.

But why a power school continues to play them in an era when bad losses and weak wins hurt your schedule outcome is mindblowing.

Not to mention the most important aspect of it all: Injuries.

This game was no exception as super walk-on Joe Schmidt is now in a boot and Jarron Jones is now hobbled.

The price of the win must be examined down the road, especially if the Irish are going to remain outside a conference for the time being.

The Ugly:

The Irish defense unable to stop Navy was almost something to expect, even after a good performance against FSU.

But this was not how many expected it to turn out.

Those that understand the option know rushing yards are going to be racked up big time.

Tonight was no exception.

In the first half alone, Navy had 144 yards.

Outside of quarterback Keenan Reynolds, 9 Middies touched the ball. Reynolds contributed just 16 of those yards, which is a good indicator that defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder schemed to stop Reynolds, who of late has put up some strong rushing statistics.

And for the night, Navy put up 336 total yards.

On the night the Middies racked up 454 total yards.

The Irish defense won't have to look far down the road to try and figure things out, because the schedule isn't letting up with Arizona State up next.

Notes:

Nyles Morgan Intro

With Schmidt out, bring on Nyles Morgan.

With yet another injection of youth,  the freshman came into the game and not only made some plays-but delivered some images most Irish faithful would easily remember of a player wearing #5 before.

Tarean Folston For The Win

On the night, Folston gained 149 yards on the ground. He also had 2 big receptions for 38 yards.

For whatever reason Greg Bryant remained on the sidelines, Folston never relinquished his position-nor was it in jeopardy Saturday night.

Time and time again, the sophomore displayed clear evidence that he is the go to back in the trio with McDaniel and Bryant.

Top 10 Still?

Did Notre Dame play like a top four team Saturday night?

No, but the playoffs didn't start Saturday night or next week either.

Will they remain in the 10 slot or move down or up?

Maybe.

But the game Saturday night would never serve up evidence to justify a top 5 ranking or any top 10 number regardless of the result.

Had the Irish won by 45 points, they would have lost style points because of the lopsided win over such an inferior team.

A loss Saturday?

No explanation needed.

Only one top 10 team fell as expected (Ole Miss) and that won't move the Irish very far.

What did help them was Georgia losing.

Had the Bulldogs won against Florida, they would have jumped the Irish after the Navy performance.

It's still a simple formula: Win the next 4 games.

Illinois came in to Columbus donning their burnt orange helmets with the all-white uniforms hoping to upset the Buckeyes in their home, much like they did in their 2007 matchup when Ohio State was ranked #1.  An upset was not the case on this cold, non-competitive, November night game.  Saturday was a day filled with many other blowouts in the conference, and it was looking like the Big Ten Football that we’ve come accustomed to as of late. 

Ohio State dominated all sides of the football against Illinois last evening, the defense forcing multiple turnovers and the offense clicking when it needed to in the 55-14 win over the Fighting Illini.  Here are the good, the bad and the ugly between Illinois and Ohio State from last evening’s game in The Shoe.

The Good - Ohio State’s Defense

Ohio State's defense has forced 20 turnovers this season, tied for the 12th-most in the nation. Last season, the Buckeyes forced 24 the entire season, which tied for 40th in the country.  This year’s dominance on defense is obvious and really shows the improvement from where last year’s team was struggling.  Sophomore pass-rushing superstar Joey Bosa recorded two sacks and added another tackle for loss last night in the 55-14 win and now has a Big Ten-best 10 sacks on the season to help this stellar Ohio State defense.  With the Buckeyes traveling to East Lansing next weekend to face their toughest opponent yet, Coach Urban Meyer hopes to keep the aggressiveness on the defensive side of the ball alive so they can come out with a win against Michigan State. 

The Bad – Illinois’ Struggling Offense 

The most lopsided loss of the season did not leave a good taste Illinois’ mouth after leaving Columbus.  The Illini offense could not get anything going – and forget about the team sticking with Reilly O’Toole and Aaron Bailey at quarterback.  This struggling team needs Wes Lunt back under center, with him expected to miss at least another 2 weeks with the leg fracture, things are not looking up for the Fighting Illini.  Hopes are not high for finishing the season strong, with games against Iowa and Penn State and at Northwestern, but if they can squeak out two wins in their last three games they can look forward to a bowl game come December.

The Ugly – J.T. Barrett’s Passing Game

Now this should be prefaced by saying that I am trying to nitpick in finding the one ugly thing about Ohio State, the team looked pretty stellar last night against Illinois - but J.T. Barrett was not his usual self that we’ve become accustomed to from the Freshman sensation.  Favoring the leg he injured last week against Penn State, it was obvious he wasn’t playing at 100%.  It’s safe to say that if this were the NFL, Ohio State would be trading Barrett in the offseason for a top O-lineman or defensive tackle and a draft pick or two when they have Braxton Miller returning for the 2015 season.  Barrett missed some open throws last night, but offensive coordinator Tom Herman said he isn’t worried.  It’s safe to say the leg injury is why some throws weren’t on point during last night’s first half, but it should not be something to worry about as the Buckeyes play Michigan State under the lights next Saturday when the College Game Day boys go to East Lansing for the biggest Big Ten matchup of the season.

That’s 24-0. The winning streak continues in Tallahassee.

Behind the 401 yards passing by Jameis Winston and the running of Dalvin Cook, FSU scored 35 points in the second half to win 42-31. The win kept FSU unbeaten and on the road to a date in the national title playoff.

The team had its struggles as the Cardinals defense came to play and shut FSU down in the first half. Davante Parker and Michael Dyer proved they were two weapons that could control the Seminoles defense.

Here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from this contest.

THE GOOD – THE RECOVERY OF JAMEIS WINSTON

He looked out of sync and looked hurt during the second half of the game. Jameis Winston did what he normally does in pressure situations – he delivered the goods.

FSU was a tale of two halves, scoring 35 points in the second stanza when the offense needed to turn the switch on.

Winston had 401 yards passing, three touchdowns and ran for 20 yards on a key third down play. Also, the Seminoles have found their running back in Dalvin Cook. The freshman ran for 110 yards on nine carries and scored twice.

With AP No. 2 Florida State taking on unranked Louisville tonight on ESPN (NOTE: Louisville is No. 25 in the CFP Rankings).

Teams ranked higher than their opponent in the AP Poll have a .692 win percentage (81-36) on Thursdays since 2005 including a .563 win pct on road (36-28). Over the same span, higher-ranked teams have an .813 win percentage on all other days during the regular season including a .733 win percentage on the road. * An unranked team has defeated an AP-ranked team on a Thursday during the regular season every year since 2002 including Arizona at No. 2 Oregon earlier this season * An unranked Louisville team upset No. 4 Florida State in overtime on a Thursday night the last time these teams played in 2002 (also at Louisville)

THE BAD – LOUISVILLE HAS MAD SKILL PLAYERS, TOO

Five Words – Davante Parker and Michael Dyer. Both Cardinals offensive stars will leave FSU’s defense with nightmares. You cannot teach talent like that. Dyer ran for 134 yards and two scores and exposed the Seminoles front seven. Parker proved he is one of the best receivers in the country by catching right passes for 214 yards. Will Gardner threw for 330 yards in the game. The Louisville defense was impressive, but slowed down at the end of the game. The better team won on Thursday.

THE UGLY – BITS AND PIECES

The most memorable part of the game might be Roberto Aguayo missed a field goal. This was the 24^th straight game the ‘Noles have won. The Noles looked lost when they were down 21-7 at the half. Jameis Winston had a 400-yard passing game and three touchdowns, but he also had three picks. You cannot win a national title with those stats.

Gerod Holliman had two interceptions for the Cardinals secondary.

This is the 3rd time that Florida State has been held scoreless in the 1st quarter since the start of last season. In the previous 2 instances (Duke in 2013 ACC Title and Wake Forest this season), the Seminoles went on to finish with 45 and 43 points for the game.

Dyer is the 1st player to run for 3 TDs against Florida State since NC State's Russell Wilson ran for 3 scores against the Seminoles on October 28th, 2010.

That’s 24-0. The winning streak continues in Tallahassee.

Behind the 401 yards passing by Jameis Winston and the running of Dalvin Cook, FSU scored 35 points in the second half to win 42-31. The win kept FSU unbeaten and on the road to a date in the national title playoff.

The team had its struggles as the Cardinals defense came to play and shut FSU down in the first half. Davante Parker and Michael Dyer proved they were two weapons that could control the Seminoles defense.

Here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from this contest.

THE GOOD – THE RECOVERY OF JAMEIS WINSTON

He looked out of sync and looked hurt during the second half of the game. Jameis Winston did what he normally does in pressure situations – he delivered the goods.

FSU was a tale of two halves, scoring 35 points in the second stanza when the offense needed to turn the switch on.

Winston had 401 yards passing, three touchdowns and ran for 20 yards on a key third down play. Also, the Seminoles have found their running back in Dalvin Cook. The freshman ran for 110 yards on nine carries and scored twice.

With AP No. 2 Florida State taking on unranked Louisville tonight on ESPN (NOTE: Louisville is No. 25 in the CFP Rankings).

Teams ranked higher than their opponent in the AP Poll have a .692 win percentage (81-36) on Thursdays since 2005 including a .563 win pct on road (36-28). Over the same span, higher-ranked teams have an .813 win percentage on all other days during the regular season including a .733 win percentage on the road. * An unranked team has defeated an AP-ranked team on a Thursday during the regular season every year since 2002 including Arizona at No. 2 Oregon earlier this season * An unranked Louisville team upset No. 4 Florida State in overtime on a Thursday night the last time these teams played in 2002 (also at Louisville)

THE BAD – LOUISVILLE HAS MAD SKILL PLAYERS, TOO

Five Words – Davante Parker and Michael Dyer. Both Cardinals offensive stars will leave FSU’s defense with nightmares. You cannot teach talent like that. Dyer ran for 134 yards and two scores and exposed the Seminoles front seven. Parker proved he is one of the best receivers in the country by catching right passes for 214 yards. Will Gardner threw for 330 yards in the game. The Louisville defense was impressive, but slowed down at the end of the game. The better team won on Thursday.

THE UGLY – BITS AND PIECES

The most memorable part of the game might be Roberto Aguayo missed a field goal. This was the 24^th straight game the ‘Noles have won. The Noles looked lost when they were down 21-7 at the half. Jameis Winston had a 400-yard passing game and three touchdowns, but he also had three picks. You cannot win a national title with those stats.

Gerod Holliman had two interceptions for the Cardinals secondary.

This is the 3rd time that Florida State has been held scoreless in the 1st quarter since the start of last season. In the previous 2 instances (Duke in 2013 ACC Title and Wake Forest this season), the Seminoles went on to finish with 45 and 43 points for the game.

Dyer is the 1st player to run for 3 TDs against Florida State since NC State's Russell Wilson ran for 3 scores against the Seminoles on October 28th, 2010.

That’s 24-0. The winning streak continues in Tallahassee.

Behind the 401 yards passing by Jameis Winston and the running of Dalvin Cook, FSU scored 35 points in the second half to win 42-31. The win kept FSU unbeaten and on the road to a date in the national title playoff.

The team had its struggles as the Cardinals defense came to play and shut FSU down in the first half. Davante Parker and Michael Dyer proved they were two weapons that could control the Seminoles defense.

Here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from this contest.

THE GOOD – THE RECOVERY OF JAMEIS WINSTON

He looked out of sync and looked hurt during the second half of the game. Jameis Winston did what he normally does in pressure situations – he delivered the goods.

FSU was a tale of two halves, scoring 35 points in the second stanza when the offense needed to turn the switch on.

Winston had 401 yards passing, three touchdowns and ran for 20 yards on a key third down play. Also, the Seminoles have found their running back in Dalvin Cook. The freshman ran for 110 yards on nine carries and scored twice.

With AP No. 2 Florida State taking on unranked Louisville tonight on ESPN (NOTE: Louisville is No. 25 in the CFP Rankings).

Teams ranked higher than their opponent in the AP Poll have a .692 win percentage (81-36) on Thursdays since 2005 including a .563 win pct on road (36-28). Over the same span, higher-ranked teams have an .813 win percentage on all other days during the regular season including a .733 win percentage on the road. * An unranked team has defeated an AP-ranked team on a Thursday during the regular season every year since 2002 including Arizona at No. 2 Oregon earlier this season * An unranked Louisville team upset No. 4 Florida State in overtime on a Thursday night the last time these teams played in 2002 (also at Louisville)

THE BAD – LOUISVILLE HAS MAD SKILL PLAYERS, TOO

Five Words – Davante Parker and Michael Dyer. Both Cardinals offensive stars will leave FSU’s defense with nightmares. You cannot teach talent like that. Dyer ran for 134 yards and two scores and exposed the Seminoles front seven. Parker proved he is one of the best receivers in the country by catching right passes for 214 yards. Will Gardner threw for 330 yards in the game. The Louisville defense was impressive, but slowed down at the end of the game. The better team won on Thursday.

THE UGLY – BITS AND PIECES

The most memorable part of the game might be Roberto Aguayo missed a field goal. This was the 24^th straight game the ‘Noles have won. The Noles looked lost when they were down 21-7 at the half. Jameis Winston had a 400-yard passing game and three touchdowns, but he also had three picks. You cannot win a national title with those stats.

Gerod Holliman had two interceptions for the Cardinals secondary.

This is the 3rd time that Florida State has been held scoreless in the 1st quarter since the start of last season. In the previous 2 instances (Duke in 2013 ACC Title and Wake Forest this season), the Seminoles went on to finish with 45 and 43 points for the game.

Dyer is the 1st player to run for 3 TDs against Florida State since NC State's Russell Wilson ran for 3 scores against the Seminoles on October 28th, 2010.

That’s 24-0. The winning streak continues in Tallahassee.

Behind the 401 yards passing by Jameis Winston and the running of Dalvin Cook, FSU scored 35 points in the second half to win 42-31. The win kept FSU unbeaten and on the road to a date in the national title playoff.

The team had its struggles as the Cardinals defense came to play and shut FSU down in the first half. Davante Parker and Michael Dyer proved they were two weapons that could control the Seminoles defense.

Here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from this contest.

THE GOOD – THE RECOVERY OF JAMEIS WINSTON

He looked out of sync and looked hurt during the second half of the game. Jameis Winston did what he normally does in pressure situations – he delivered the goods.

FSU was a tale of two halves, scoring 35 points in the second stanza when the offense needed to turn the switch on.

Winston had 401 yards passing, three touchdowns and ran for 20 yards on a key third down play. Also, the Seminoles have found their running back in Dalvin Cook. The freshman ran for 110 yards on nine carries and scored twice.

With AP No. 2 Florida State taking on unranked Louisville tonight on ESPN (NOTE: Louisville is No. 25 in the CFP Rankings).

Teams ranked higher than their opponent in the AP Poll have a .692 win percentage (81-36) on Thursdays since 2005 including a .563 win pct on road (36-28). Over the same span, higher-ranked teams have an .813 win percentage on all other days during the regular season including a .733 win percentage on the road. * An unranked team has defeated an AP-ranked team on a Thursday during the regular season every year since 2002 including Arizona at No. 2 Oregon earlier this season * An unranked Louisville team upset No. 4 Florida State in overtime on a Thursday night the last time these teams played in 2002 (also at Louisville)

THE BAD – LOUISVILLE HAS MAD SKILL PLAYERS, TOO

Five Words – Davante Parker and Michael Dyer. Both Cardinals offensive stars will leave FSU’s defense with nightmares. You cannot teach talent like that. Dyer ran for 134 yards and two scores and exposed the Seminoles front seven. Parker proved he is one of the best receivers in the country by catching right passes for 214 yards. Will Gardner threw for 330 yards in the game. The Louisville defense was impressive, but slowed down at the end of the game. The better team won on Thursday.

THE UGLY – BITS AND PIECES

The most memorable part of the game might be Roberto Aguayo missed a field goal. This was the 24^th straight game the ‘Noles have won. The Noles looked lost when they were down 21-7 at the half. Jameis Winston had a 400-yard passing game and three touchdowns, but he also had three picks. You cannot win a national title with those stats.

Gerod Holliman had two interceptions for the Cardinals secondary.

This is the 3rd time that Florida State has been held scoreless in the 1st quarter since the start of last season. In the previous 2 instances (Duke in 2013 ACC Title and Wake Forest this season), the Seminoles went on to finish with 45 and 43 points for the game.

Dyer is the 1st player to run for 3 TDs against Florida State since NC State's Russell Wilson ran for 3 scores against the Seminoles on October 28th, 2010.