The No. 5 Texas Longhorns are set to face-off against the No. 12 Clemson Tigers on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff. ESPN Analyst Rece Davis didn’t hold back in his projection for the game.
The Longhorns enter the game as an 11.5-point favorite, according to BET MGM and Davis expects Texas to advance to the next round. While he acknowledged Clemson’s momentum after their ACC Championship win over SMU, Davis believes the Tigers face a daunting challenge.
“I just don’t see how Clemson gets enough points to win,” Davis said. “Absent their defense scoring and I don’t know if their defense has shown a great propensity to shut down teams… I think Texas will have them a little bit outclassed… I expect Texas to roll. Not blow them out. That number’s 11, that feels right on the number.”
The Texas Longhorns host the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 3:00pm. The game will be broadcasted on TNT and MAX.
Rece Davis’ top 10 rankings after Week 15. He ranks Penn State lower than most!
ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Rece Davis released his top 10 college football rankings after championship weekend. Davis is an Associated Press voter and made a few changes after conference championship week ended.
The Georgia Bulldogs headed to Atlanta to face the Texas Longhorns in the SEC championship game. The game was tight the whole way through, even with Georgia losing Carson Beck to injury in the second half.
The Bulldogs had the lead and the ball with less than four minutes left to go in the fourth quarter, but backup Gunner Stockton threw an interception, and Texas kicked a field goal to sent it to overtime tied 16-16. In overtime, Texas could only muster a field goal, while Georgia’s Trevor Etienne scored the game-winning touchdown to win 22-19.
As a result, Georgia earns the No. 2 seed, a first-round bye, and a trip to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. The Bulldogs rank second on Rece Davis’ rankings. Despite the loss, the Texas Longhorns rank third on Davis’ rankings.
Davis’ rankings have some controversy to them. The Big Ten championship game featured Oregon and Penn State. While the Nittany Lions offense was good, it couldn’t keep up with the Ducks, and Penn State lost 45-37. Davis put Oregon at the top spot of the rankings, but Penn State fell to No. 7, behind Tennessee, Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Controversy is even more extreme with Rece Davis. The ACC championship game featuring Clemson and SMU was a whirlwind. Clemson built a 31-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs rattled off 17 unanswered points to tie it with 16 seconds left. Then, the Tigers returned the kickoff to the Clemson 41-yard line, and Cade Klubnik threw an 18-yard dime to set up Clemson kicker Noah Hauser for a game-winning 56-yard field goal.
Despite the ACC championship outcome, Davis didn’t vote either SMU or Clemson in the top 10. Neither did he vote Arizona State, the Big 12 champion, in the top 10 either. Instead, he voted the Miami Hurricanes at No. 10. Alabama and Ole Miss make up spots No. 11 and 12, respectively.
The schedule for bowls is officially out, so Rece Davis’ final rankings will not come out for at least another month. Georgia Bulldogs fans are hoping that they’re on top of the rankings then!
Rece Davis’ top 10 college football rankings after Week 15:
ESPN analyst Rece Davis ranks the top 10 college football teams after rivalry weekend
ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Rece Davis released his top 10 college football rankingsafter Week 14. Davis is an Associated Press voter and made a few changes after a crazy rivalry weekend fraught with upsets.
Rivalry weekend is usually full of upsets and this year’s rivalry weekend was no different. Georgia Tech (7-5) almost upset Georgia (10-2) on Friday, with the Yellow Jackets having a 17-0 halftime lead but Georgia rallied and forced overtime where UGA prevailed in eight overtime periods.
Georgia ranks third in Rece Davis’ latest rankings. The Bulldogs rise on this list because of two upsets: Ohio State (10-2) lost to Michigan (7-5) 13-10 in a chippy, intense matchup not unlike past versions of “The Game”. The Buckeyes drop to No. 7 and miss the Big Ten championship because of the Michigan loss. Ohio State is still ahead of Indiana (11-1), who is ranked No. 8.
The Miami Hurricanes (10-2) also lost to the Fran Brown-led Syracuse Orange (9-3). The Hurricanes held a 21-0 lead, but lost 42-38. As a result, the Hurricanes are outside of Davis’ top 10 and missed the ACC championship, and more than likely out of the College Football Playoff. The Boise State Broncos slide in at No. 10 after Miami’s loss.
Now, conference championship week is here. Georgia will play Texas in the SEC championship after the Longhorns swiftly defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 17-7. Oregon and Indiana will face off in the Big Ten championship. The ACC championship will feature SMU versus Clemson. The Big 12 matchup will be between Arizona State and Iowa State.
Outside of the Power Four, the Boise State versus UNLV winner in the Mountain West should have an inside track to the playoff.
Rece Davis’ top 10 college football rankings after Week 14:
Rece Davis has released his top 10 college football rankings. Where does he put Georgia?
ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Rece Davis released his top 10 after Week 13 of the college football season. Davis is an Associated Press voter and had to make numerous changes to his rankings after several top teams were upset this week.
Due to upset losses, Alabama and Ole Miss dropped out of Rece Davis’ top 10. The Crimson Tide lost to Oklahoma (6-5), and the Rebels lost to Florida (6-5). With Alabama and Ole Miss both having three losses, they need help to get back in the College Football Playoff mix. The SMU Mustangs and Miami Hurricanes, two ACC teams, are in Davis’ top 10.
The Big Ten featured a contest between Indiana and Ohio State, two teams in Rece Davis’ rankings. Fans were intrigued with this top-five matchup, but the Buckeyes made it one-sided, winning 38-15. However, Indiana remains in Rece Davis’ top 10.
This week is rivalry week, so there could be more chaos, especially with No. 3 Texas facing Texas A&M, a team ranked just outside the top 10.
Rece Davis’ top 10 college football rankings after Week 13:
ESPN College GameDay has picked the winner of Texas A&M’s tough road test vs. Auburn
Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 SEC) will face one of its toughest SEC environments of the year before taking on the Auburn Tigers (4-6, 1-5 SEC) for a Saturday night showdown with plenty of postseason implications for the Maroon & White.
Throughout the week, the Aggies have been told that this is the “trap game” of all trap games, while some in the media, including two members of ESPN’s College GameDay, have picked the Tigers to win outright.
On Saturday morning, in weekly fashion this season, the GameDay crew, made up of Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, a guest picker, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit, every picker went with the Aggies, except for Davis and Herbstreit.
While Rece Davis does not have an official pick, he agrees with Herbstreit, who believes that Auburn’s 4-6 record is somewhat mystifying, comprised of close losses that could have resulted in three or more wins.
However, Herstreit’s previous high praise of Texas A&M starting QB Marcel Reed’s dual-threat skillset will need to be considered. Just Remember that the legendary CFP analyst picked the Aggies to defeat Florida on the road in Reed’s first career start, a game that A&M won 33-20 earlier this season.
Everyone except Kirk Herbstreit picked Texas A&M to beat Auburn on College GameDay.
Texas A&M will face Auburn on the road on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Rece Davis ranks Georgia football outside of his top five in his latest CFB rankings.
ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Rece Davis released his top 10 rankings after Week 12 of the college season. Davis is an Associated Press voter and agreed with the media consensus for his top team this week. He ranked the Oregon Ducks No. 1.
Following Georgia’s 31-17 win over Tennessee, the Bulldogs are back in Davis’ top 10 rankings. UGA has wins against two top-10 teams, which is an impressive resume. Still, due to its record, it is ranked outside of the top five, at No. 6. Tennessee remains in the top 10, falling to No. 9
BYU fell out of Rece Davis’s top 10 after suffering a brutal 17-13 loss against Kansas. The worst part was BYU had three drives to get the lead back, including two that reached Kansas territory, but it failed to produce any points.
BYU’s loss along with the Tennessee-Georgia game have massive playoff implications. BYU still controls its title game path in the Big 12, but the Cougars next play the Arizona State Sun Devils, who are ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Tennessee is in jeopardy of being one of the first teams out of the College Football Playoff similar to Georgia’s situation last week. Tennessee finds itself in a crowd of two-loss teams.
Speaking of tiebreakers, Week 13 will feature a clash in the Big Ten between Indiana and Ohio State. The Hoosiers, who are No. 5 in Davis’ rankings, are undefeated. However, Ohio State is the first ranked team Indiana has faced.
Rece Davis’ top 10 college football rankings after Week 12:
Rece Davis lowers the Georgia Bulldogs in his college football rankings after the Florida game
ESPN’s “College GameDay” analyst Rece Davis released his top 10 rankings after Week 10 of the college season. Davis has a vote for the Associated Press and agreed with the media consensus for his top team this week. He ranked the Oregon Ducks No. 1.
The Georgia Bulldogs, fresh off an unimpressive 34-20 win over Florida, fell to No. 3 in Davis’ rankings. Georgia is the highest-ranked team from the SEC because of its 30-15 win over Texas, but as time goes on, that benefit of the doubt could fade away.
If Georgia keeps looking suspect against conference noncontenders as it did against Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State, it could negatively affect its ranking. Next week, UGA will be tested against Ole Miss, which was just outside of the top 10 of Rece Davis’ rankings at No. 14.
Of course, the biggest game last weekend was Ohio State-Penn State in the Big Ten. Undefeated Penn State was looking to beat the Buckeyes for the first time in a several years, but its offense couldn’t break through against Ohio State (as usual). The Nittany Lions even had several chances from inside the 5-yard line to score, but the Buckeyes buckled up, stopping Penn State and winning 20-13
A few new teams join Davis’s rankings.
Undefeated Indiana joins the list at No. 10. It continues to look impressive with the largest point differential in the Big Ten. Notre Dame, meanwhile, may simply be the beneficiary of circumstance. It was on a bye this past weekend. When Clemson and Iowa State were upset, the Fighting Irish sneaked in.
Week 11 will feature some great SEC bouts. Georgia will square off against Ole Miss, but the more consequential one is Alabama going against LSU. These teams have had up-and-down seasons. Alabama was the No. 1 team nationally after beating Georgia before falling on its face against Vanderbilt.
LSU looked like a shoo-in for the College Football Playoff before falling apart against Texas A&M. This will be a desperation matchup: The loser will almost certainly be out of the running for a berth in the SEC championship game.
Rece Davis’ top 10 college football rankings after Week 10
Where does Georgia rank in ESPN college football analyst Rece Davis’s new top 10?
This story was updated because an earlier version included inaccuracies.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” analyst Rece Davis released his top 10 rankings after Week 9 of the college season. Davis has a vote for the Associated Press and agreed with the media consensus for his top team this week. He ranked the Oregon Ducks No. 1.
The Georgia Bulldogs had a bye week, but they still have the No. 2 spot a week after a 30-15 win over the formerly No. 1 Texas Longhorns. Those Longhorns are settled in the No. 4 spot of Davis’s rankings after holding off a comeback from the Vanderbilt Commodores.
A few new teams join Davis’s rankings. BYU boasts an undefeated record and several impressive wins. It is leading the Big 12 in conference wins. Iowa State is not that far behind with an undefeated record, but it has played one less game than BYU. The Cyclones’ matchup against Kansas State in Week 14 is extremely important in the Big 12 title race.
Week 10 will feature several games with big College Football Playoff implications. Ohio State plays Penn State in a game that could effectively decide the other representative (besides Oregon) in the Big Ten championship.
Georgia plays Florida in Jacksonville for what could be a trap game. Oregon plays Michigan. The Ducks were able to bludgeon Illinois, but the defending champions still represent a test for Oregon.
Rece Davis’ top 10 college football rankings after of Week 9
Rece Davis releases his top 10 college football teams ahead of Georgia’s massive game against Texas
ESPN’s “College GameDay” analyst Rece Davis released his top 10 rankings ahead of Week 8 of the college season. Davis has a vote for the Associated Press and agreed with the media consensus for his top team this week. He ranked the Texas Longhorns No. 1.
The Georgia Bulldogs have fallen to the No. 4 spot in his rankings thanks in part to their unimpressive 41-31 victory over Mississippi State. Despite Carson Beck’s record passing yards, Beck had a brutal interception in the red zone, and the Georgia defense, especially the secondary, was a big issue.
Davis and “College GameDay” will be in town for Georgia’s game against the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, which will be televised on ABC. Georgia will need to play more consistently on both sides of the ball to give Texas its first loss of the season. UGA has shown flashes of defensive and offensive strength, but it will need both units to show up.
As for the rest of the field, last week saw battles between two top-ranked teams: No. 3 Ohio State at No. 2 Oregon. The Ohio State-Oregon game was back and forth, but Oregon pulled through with a field goal with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter. Ohio State could not get in field goal range, sealing the 32-31 win for the Ducks.
No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the USC Trojans, who missed a field goal attempt in overtime. Rece Davis is also very high on the Clemson Tigers, who are his No. 7 team.
Week 8 features Georgia at Texas, Alabama at Tennessee, LSU at Arkansas and Oklahoma State at BYU. Week 8 will be critical for the SEC championship game race.
Rece Davis’ top 10 college football rankings ahead of Week 8
Texas Longhorns are Rece Davis’ No. 1 team after their 34-3 win against the Oklahoma Sooners. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Rece Davis’ college football rankings include Georgia in the top 5 and drop Alabama significantly after the Vandy loss
ESPN’s “College GameDay” analyst Rece Davis released his top 10 rankings ahead of Week 7 of the college season. Davis has a vote for the Associated Press and agreed with the media consensus for his top team this week. He ranked the Texas Longhorns as his No. 1.
The Georgia Bulldogs rise to the No. 3 spot, but perhaps this is more due to other matchups, than Georgia’s win over Auburn. Still, Georgia will have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves this year against strong competition. The Dawgs will be playing the Texas Longhorns on Oct. 19, the Ole Miss Rebels on Nov. 9, and the Tennessee Volunteers on Nov. 16.
This past week featured several upset losses that changed the rankings of several media members, including Joel Klatt. Tennessee fell to No. 8 in Davis’ rankings after an upset loss to Arkansas. Alabama’s upset loss to Vanderbilt dropped them to No. 9 in Davis’s rankings.
Miami was almost upset against California, losing 38-18 in the fourth quarter, but Miami rattled off 21 unanswered points to win in improbable fashion and keep their undefeated season alive.
This week has the potential to shift rankings more than last week. No. 1 Texas faces No. 17 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, No. 10 Ole Miss challenges No. 12 LSU, and most importantly, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Oregon, the two kings of the Big Ten, square off in a matchup that will host ESPN’s “College GameDay”.
Rece Davis’ top 10 college football rankings ahead of Week 7
Texas Longhorns and head coach Steve Sarkisian are Rece Davis’ No. 1 team. Aaron E. Martinez/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
