When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union during World War II, Winston Churchill referenced an ancient Sanskrit proverb, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
On a much smaller scale Week 10 of the College Football season invokes the same sentiment. With a Saturday off Duck fans watched as No. 10 Miami fell out of bed against unranked SMU, No. 9 Vanderbilt lost on the road to Texas, and No. 8 Georgia Tech dropped a road game at NC State, 48-36.
Georgia needed a blown replay review to escape 24-20 against 3-5 Florida, and Notre Dame found themselves in a 12-10 game at 1-7 Boston College before pulling away with two late touchdowns.
The losses and close calls strengthen Oregon's hold on a playoff berth. Suddenly 10-2 looks pretty solid, and an 11-1 finish would guarantee a home playoff game and a seed in the 5-8 range.
In the NIL/transfer portal era, parity and carnage are the order of the day. Dan Lanning remains exceptional among college coaches with a record of 24-0 against unranked teams. He wins the games he's supposed to win, so far, in an era when the margins are smaller than ever.
November 8th his young team travels to Kinnick Stadium for a 12:30 p.m. PT matchup against 6-2 Iowa, as yet unranked but decidedly dangerous. Kirk Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker scheme up one of college football's best defenses.
The Hawkeyes eat up clock and constrict opponents with discipline and toughness. They're voracious on special teams and stingy in the secondary, allowing only four touchdown passes all season while picking off nine.
They beat Minnesota 41-3 with a Pick Six and a punt return TD. They took Indiana to the last minute of the fourth quarter in a 20-15 loss. The opening line of Oregon -6.5 seems fantastical.