As we enter Week 10 of the college football season, teams around the country are jockeying for position as they fight to make the College Football Playoffs.
Currently, the Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) sit in the top spot in the rankings, and they will be squaring off with Missouri (4-4) this weekend.
In fact, the only matchup of top-25 teams in Week 10 pits the No. 13 Auburn Tigers (6-2) against the No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies (6-2) in an SEC West battle.
With so much attention to the play on the field, let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories off the field this week around college football.
Georgia Suspends Linebacker
While Georgia may sit atop of the rankings, that does not mean that all is well with the Bulldogs. On Thursday, it was reported by ESPN that Georgia has suspended linebacker Adam Anderson after allegations of rape have come forward against him.
While he vehemently denies the allegations, the university and the program are taking precautions until the investigation is concluded.
For Anderson, he is a big part of the Bulldogs’ top defense. He currently has 32 tackles and a team-leading five sacks.
For Georgia, their defense ranks first in points allowed per game (6.6), second in rushing yards allowed per game (76.4), and second in passing yards allowed per game (151).
The Bulldogs are the favorites to win the SEC Championship (-200) and the National Championship (-110).
Minnesota Extends Coach
Currently 21st in the country, the Minnesota Gophers tied up their head coach P.J. Fleck on Wednesday to a seven-year extension. Currently 32-21 in five seasons, Fleck has his team competing for the Big Ten title this year.
The Golden Gophers are 6-2 overall, entering Week 10 and 4-1 in the conference. That is good for first in the Big Ten West.
After beating Northwestern last week 44-14, they will welcome the Illini to town this week in a Big Ten showdown.
Despite being first in the West, Minnesota still has just the fifth-best odds of winning the Big Ten Championship at +1800. They are +30000 to win the National Championship.
Akron Fires Arth
While P.J. Fleck got an extension in Minnesota, Akron’s Tom Arth received the opposite fate. On Thursday, Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported that the college has parted ways with the former head coach.
At 2-7 this season, it is another rough year for Akron’s program. In his tenure with the Zips, Arth went just 3-24 overall and 2-17 in the conference.
Oscar Rodriguez, an associate head coach, will take over as the interim head coach.
Walker Shines For Spartans
One of the most entertaining games of Week 9’s college football slate featured a 37-33 win by the Michigan State Spartans over their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines. While the game was exciting, it was Spartans’ running back Kenneth Walker III, that stole the show.
On the day, he rushed 23 times for 197 yards and a whopping five touchdowns. He also had three receptions for 11 yards.
With the outburst last week, the former Wake Forest transfer has now rushed for 1,194 yards on 175 carries to go along with 14 touchdowns.
The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans currently sit at +1000 to win the Big Ten and +8000 to win the National Championship.
With his solid performance thus far this season, Walker is tied for the third-best odds of winning the Heisman trophy at +600.
