To keep season hopes alive, West Virginia, Notre Dame, and Iowa State can’t stumble this Saturday.
1. Alabama [10-0]: Despite the 24-0 win over Mississippi State, the Tide looked beatable against the Bulldogs. With Tua getting banged up, one has to wonder what would happen if ‘Bama faced a team that could play defense like MSU but had a bit more capability offensively … like Georgia, for example?
2. Clemson [10-0]: Clemson absolutely dominated BC in the season’s largest test. The Tigers allowed 113 yards of total offense and no offensive TDs. With the win, this team now has a 92% chance of making the playoff.
3. Notre Dame [10-0]: The Irish managed to get the ‘W’ in dominant fashion and without Ian Book at QB. But I think Book needs to play and play well for ND to beat an explosive Syracuse squad. The marquee game will be played Saturday afternoon in Yankee Stadium.
4-T. Michigan [9-1]: It looks like 2016 all over again when Michigan and Ohio State squared off for a spot in the CFP. No team plays better defense than the Wolverines (though Clemson is a really close 2nd).
4-T. Georgia [9-1] (+1): By easily taking care of Auburn, UGA looks like a CFP contender. For the year, the Bulldogs are 3rd in offensive efficiency and 9th in scoring defense.
6. Oklahoma [9-1]: The Sooners escaped ‘Bedlam.’ The win sets up a showdown with WVU in a must-see game in Morgantown on Friday night, November 23. Kyler Murray continues to dominate, leading the nation in passing efficiency.
7. West Virginia [8-1]: Last Saturday’s blasting of TCU was a statement game for the Mountaineers. Will Grier and an electric corps of receivers will likely have three more chances (v. OSU and OU, twice) to impress the committee. To achieve that dream, though, WVU can’t stumble at OSU on Saturday.
8. Washington State [9-1]: Wazzou did what it was supposed to do against depleted Colorado. Gardner Minshew continues to impress. He’s 5th in completion percentage nationally and 6th in points responsible for.
9. Ohio State [9-1] (+2): The defense seems to have found a rhythm. The stop-crew forced 3 turnovers and only allowing 12 first downs against Michigan State. And against the nation’s top rushing defense, Mike Weber ran for over 100 yards.
10. LSU [8-2] (-1): With a lackluster performance against Arkansas, LSU’s offensive flaws were exposed. A better-than-average resume and elite defense keep them in the top 10, but these Tigers look quite beatable.
11. Syracuse [8-2] (+5): Once an ACC afterthought, SU is now a team nobody wants to play. The Orange is in prime position for an NY6 bowl–if they win out. That’s a tall order with ND up next.
12. Central Florida [9-0] (-2): U, C, and F represent three letters eliminated from the CFP list. Last Saturday’s unimpressive win over 2-8 Navy sealed that deal. The offense is good, but the defense isn’t stopping anyone.
13. Utah State [9-1] (+1): With Fresno State falling, the Aggies are likely to be the Mountain West’s last hope for an ‘NY6’ appearance. Even though the Aggies lead the nation in scoring offense and are 3rd in scoring margin, they’ll be tested at Boise State on Nov. 24 in the regular season finale.
14. Texas [7-3] (+5): I wasn’t expecting for UT to walk out of Lubbock with a win (all those injuries), but they did just that. Should OU lose to West Virginia, the ‘Horns will still have a chance to win the conference.
15. Iowa State [6-3] (+3): Suprise! ISU is also alive in the Big XII race. That’s right, once-lowly Iowa State. This team continues to impress, thanks to a solid defense and a rejuvenated offense led by Brock Purdy. But for the party to continue, on Saturday the Cyclones will need to get past Texas.
16. Washington [7-3] (+5): Despite WSU’s surge, the Huskies still remain the favorites to win the Pac-12. It’s because UDub has a superior defense and a more balanced offense.
17. Penn State [7-3] (+6): An impressive win over Wisconsin has put the Lions back on track, salvaging a season that was on the brink. With games against Rutgers and Maryland remaining, 10 wins looks doable. Still, though, this team has underperformed big time.
18. Kentucky [7-3] (-6): Ouch! Some of us had a sinking feeling that UK would fall to Tennessee. But I (for one) wasn’t expecting the game to turn out so badly for the ‘Cats. Yes, UK’s resume is solid, but can this team beat anybody right now?
19. Florida [7-3] (+1): Mullen’s Gators are breathing a sigh of relief after eeking out a way-too-close win over the Gamecocks. Though the home scare is a bit concerning, the remaining schedule is uber-friendly.
20. Northwestern [6-4] (NR): Say hello to your Big Ten West champs! Who would have thought? These Cardiac ‘Cats lost all three of their non-conference games, including a home loss to AKRON, yet played one-possession games v. Michigan and Notre Dame. Unimpressive statistically, Fitzgerald’s squad is resilient.
21. Cincinnati [9-1] (NR): Cincy impressed last Saturday with a double-digit win over USF. That win sets up a ranked-team showdown against UCF. With a stout defense that’s 7th in scoring, 6th in yards allowed, and top-15 in both passing and rushing defense, the Bearcats will be UCF’s biggest challenge of the year … by far.
22. Boston College [7-3] (-7): The offense stagnated against Clemson, but the Eagles deserve credit for their defensive play. They limited CU to 27 points and kept Etienne under 80 yards. The challenge now — Anthony Brown’s injury is troublesome.
23. Mississippi State [6-4] (-6): Though the offense had its usual troubles against ‘Bama, the game was much closer than the final score suggests. The ‘Dawgs held ‘Bama to season-lows in yardage (about half of what LSU allowed) and scoring.
24. Utah [7-3]: The Utes beat Oregon to stay alive in the Pac-12 race. But, just like BC, the team must deal with injuries. For the Utes, that involves injuries to Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss.
25. UAB [9-1] (NR): How incredible is to find a team that was supposed to be closed down in the Top 25! A thrilling overtime win v. Southern Miss catapults the Blazers into the rankings. Defense is leading the way–ranked 4th nationally in points allowed and 3rd in yards allowed. The problem for this team is its one-dimensional passing offense.
Others Receiving Votes: Army, Boise State, Fresno State, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Arizona State
NOTE: Cover photo, courtesy, Irish Football Rant.
