College football Week 4 overreactions: Ohio State silences doubters, Clemson has a Dabo Swinney problem

College football’s highly anticipated fourth week is officially in the books, and it lived up to the hype. Three of the six matchups between ranked teams came down to one possession, while top-15 teams like Florida State and LSU were pushed to the brink against unranked competition. 

Granted, Florida State’s unranked competition was Clemson, a team it hadn’t defeated since 2015. Coach Mike Norvell answered his biggest challenge yet with a thrilling overtime win against the ACC powerhouse, shifting the dynamics in a conference typically dominated by the Tigers. 

Notre Dame and Ohio State squared off in a game that had the big-time feel of a College Football Playoff semifinal. The Fighting Irish watched a late lead slip away when the Buckeyes rose to the moment with a go-ahead touchdown in the final seconds. The Pac-12 had another big day anchored by a thrilling contest between its two holdovers, Oregon State and Washington State. The Cougars held on for a 38-35 win in a showcase of what the other conference schools are leaving behind. 

There’s a lot to take away from such a loaded slate, so here are the biggest overreactions we could pull from an exciting weekend of action. 

Don’t question Ohio State’s physicality

Calling out Lou Holtz after beating Notre Dame was a weird move for Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, but we can chalk it up to pent up frustration. The biggest criticism Day’s tenure at Ohio State has been a perceived lack of physicality. While that may have been true in the past — particularly in losses to Michigan — the Buckeyes showed Saturday that they’re as tough as any team in the nation. 

Notre Dame’s defensive game plan was obvious: Do everything possible to take away the passing game and make Ohio State win at the line…

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