Winner: Iowa’s chances to win the Big Ten West
Coming into Week 10, four teams were tied for first place in the Big Ten West at 3-2: Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Three of those teams took a loss this week with the Hawkeyes being the lone winner.
For the Cornhuskers and Badgers, they were tasked with facing teams without a conference win in Michigan State and Indiana, respectively. If those are games they can’t win, then they don’t deserve a spot in the Big Ten Championship anyways.
The Golden Gophers also lost a game they should not have, falling to an Illinois team with only one conference win before this week. It was only the Hawkeyes who took care of business against a team that they should have in Northwestern. Granted, it took a last minute field goal to win.
Iowa is now left with games against Rutgers, Nebraska and Illinois and although anything can happen in this division, the Hawkeyes now appear to be the clear favorite. It’s just a shame that this is the last season of this wacky division that never seems to be predictable.
Loser: The Sooners in their own state
For the last time for the foreseeable future, Oklahoma faced off against in-state rival Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series. The Sooners came into the matchup leading the Cowboys in all-time wins in the series, 91 to 19. However, the Cowboys got the last laugh this week.
In a game that also contained major stipulations for the Big 12 Championship, the Sooners fell 27-24 and are now on the outside looking in for their last chance at another Big 12 title.
The Cowboys will have bragging rights on the Sooners for a long time, as it is unknown when they will match up again. OSU has also set itself up for a spot in the Big 12 Championship.
Sooner fans just better stay home from work this week and avoid their Cowboy buddies at all times because they are never going to hear the end of it.
Winner: Willie Fritz
The Tulane Green Wave are 8-1, and they have coach Willie Fritz to thank for it. When Fritz came to Tulane in 2016 he had little to work with and struggled to win games. However, he has turned the metaphorical tide and turned this squad into winners.
Fritz is a serial winner with positive win percentages at Central Missouri, Sam Houston State and Georgia Southern. So, when he came to Tulane, hopes were high for what he could do to the struggling program.
After defeating USC in the Cotton Bowl last year, Fritz has proved that even with the loss of graduated starters, this program has a winning culture. Fritz will most likely receive lots of Power 5 head coaching offers this offseason.
One of them might even have the 979 area code if Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher doesn’t prove his ability to win anything meaningful. Fritz has turned it around everywhere he has gone, and he could be just the culture shift the Aggies might need.
Loser: Air Force
What had been an undefeated Air Force team at 8-0 caught its first loss of the season to the Army Black Knights. The embarrassing 23-3 loss blindsided the then-No. 25 Air Force.
The Airmen had been flying high as of late, as the program had won 13 straight games dating back to Week 8 of the 2022 season. This Air Force squadron looked like the real deal this year, but it now appears it was not ready for takeoff.
Star senior quarterback Zachary Larrier completed just nine passes while tallying two interceptions. He did not have better luck on the ground either, as he had only 45 yards on 20 carries. Without success under center, it is hard for the Air Force triple option offense to function.
It is hard to imagine how the chair force was unable to stand up this week as the walls of their facilities are painted with the phrase “Beat Army.” Now 8-1, the boys in blue will look to take out their frustrations on a lowly Hawaii Warriors team.