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1.) LSU
Head coach Ed Orgeron said it best. Nobody is going to celebrate LSU’s win over Arkansas this past weekend, because the Razorbacks haven’t beaten anybody in a long time. The Tigers cruised to an easy 56-20 win, and now look ahead to their regular season finale against Texas A&M.
2.) Ohio State
The Buckeyes are now right on the tail of LSU in terms of resume after Ohio State defeated Penn State by a final score of 28-17. The Buckeyes started fast, building a 21-0 lead before facing some third quarter adversity which let the Nittany Lions back in the game. Ohio State looked mortal for the first time all season, but never truly lost control of the game, and claimed a Top 10 win. Up next is a road trip to hated rival Michigan.
3.) Clemson
Clemson enjoyed a bye on Saturday, giving them an extra week to prepare for rival South Carolina in their season finale. With the way the Tigers have been playing of late, there shouldn’t be too much drama against the Gamecocks, but I’m sure coach Dabo Swinney will show his team film from South Carolina’s upset win over Georgia to be sure the Tigers don’t overlook their rivals.
4.) Georgia
The Bulldogs were challenged by Texas A&M this past weekend, but Georgia’s defense remained one of the most stout in the country in a 19-13 victory. Georgia’s offense hasn’t been explosive all season, but it’s done enough to get the Bulldogs to the SEC Championship game and within reach of a playoff spot. Before that, Georgia will likely cream rival Georgia Tech this weekend in the game dubbed “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate”.
5.) Minnesota
The Golden Gophers bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 38-22 win at Northwestern on Saturday. The outcome was closer than it probably should have been, but that’s somewhat understandable given what’s next on Minnesota’s schedule. The Gophers will host rival Wisconsin this coming Saturday, and ESPN’s College Gameday will be in Minneapolis for pregame festivities. The winner of that game will claim the Big Ten West division and earn the right to play Ohio State for the conference crown.
6.) Oklahoma
Oklahoma is making this very difficult. The Sooners have lost only once, to an average Kansas State team, but have not played well in any game following that loss. On Saturday, the Sooners defeated TCU by a score of 28-24 – their third straight win by less than a five points. Oklahoma’s earlier win over Baylor gives them one marquee victory this season, but Texas’ disastrous finish has hurt the Sooners’ overall resume. Oklahoma looked like one of the best teams in the country during the first half of the season, but their play these past four weeks makes them ripe for an upset as they travel to Stillwater to face rival Oklahoma State in the “Bedlam” game.
7.) Alabama
The Crimson Tide played Western Carolina. Alabama won 66-3, I think. I gave this game the mental effort it deserved, which was none. I understand most of the SEC plays these ridiculous games against FCS opponents right before their rivalry games – it’s certainly not only Alabama that does this – but the conference should get slammed for it. (I’m looking at you too Clemson for playing Wofford a couple weeks ago). These games need to go away for good. The Crimson Tide plays rival Auburn this week.
8.) Utah
The Utes won this past Saturday, but end up as one of the weekend’s big losers regardless. Utah defeated Arizona on the road convincingly, 35-7, but Oregon’s loss to Arizona State hurts the Utes chances of reaching the College Football Playoff. Utah needs a signature win – their best to date is against rival BYU (7-4) – and Oregon now likely won’t be in the Top 10 when they play the Utes for the Pac-12 championship. The Utes are a victim of their poor conference, and that continues this week when they host Colorado in their season finale.
9.) Florida
Even with two losses, Florida has a solid argument of being ranked ahead of Utah one spot above. The Gators’ win over Auburn is far better than any win Utah has, and Florida’s two losses came against my No. 1 and No. 4 teams in the country. I’m holding the Gators back for now, but they’re close to climbing. Florida will host rival Florida State this weekend.
10.) Penn State
The Nittany Lions looked over-matched in Columbus from kickoff to the early goings of the third quarter, but after forcing three turnovers, Penn State scrapped its way back into the game. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough as the Nittany Lions fell by a score of 28-17. Penn State played the Buckeyes tougher than any other team has this season, and deserves some respect for that. The Nittany Lions will reach 10 wins when they defeat Rutgers this coming weekend, and then will likely find themselves in a New Year’s Six bowl.
11.) Baylor
Blowing a 25-point lead to Oklahoma two weeks ago must still sting, but the Bears showed no sign of it in a dominant 24-10 win over rival Texas this past weekend. Baylor controlled the game from start to finish, and proved that despite not having that signature win on their resume, this is still a good football team. The Bears will get a second shot at the Sooners in the Big 12 championship game, but first they travel to Kansas to end their regular season.
12.) Wisconsin
After being upset by Illinois and getting drubbed by Ohio State, Wisconsin needed to win out and get some help in order to win the Big Ten West. Iowa provided that help by upsetting Minnesota two weeks ago, and now the Badgers have their shot at the rival Golden Gophers with the division title on the line. Wisconsin defeated Purdue on Saturday, 45-24, and carries some momentum into the “Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe”. Minnesota reclaimed the trophy last season for the first time in 14 years, but the Badgers will provide the Gophers with a real challenge.
13.) Michigan
Few teams in America are as hot as Michigan right now. The Wolverines entered what has traditionally been a trap game against Indiana, and walked out with a commanding 39-14 victory. Michigan is playing its best football at the best time. It’s hard to say it will be enough to beat Ohio State, but if nothing else, the Wolverines look like a team capable of throwing a few punches in “The Game”. A win would be a real boost for Jim Harbaugh’s program, but another loss to the hated Buckeyes will put a damper on a positive finish to the season.
14.) Notre Dame
The Irish have bounced back from their loss to Michigan in a strong way, and have now won three consecutive games by at least 30 points for the first time since the late ‘80s. Notre Dame travels to Stanford this weekend with a good chance to reach the 10-win plateau for the third straight season.
15.) Auburn
The Tigers defeated their FCS cupcake opponent, Samford, this past weekend by a score of 52-0. I gave my thoughts on games like these earlier, (see No. 7 Alabama). Auburn gets back to playing real football this weekend when it hosts the rival Crimson Tide. The SEC West division has already been won by LSU, but this remains a big game regardless. Alabama still has playoff aspirations, while Auburn would love to be the team that guarantees the Tide miss the playoff for the first time since its inception.
16.) Oregon
A devastating loss for the Ducks and the Pac-12 conference. Oregon didn’t survive its trip to the desert, falling to Arizona State by a score of 31-28. The loss eliminates the Ducks from playoff consideration, though a berth in the Rose Bowl is still on the table for Oregon if they beat Utah in the Pac-12 championship. The Ducks probably don’t want to think about that consolation prize right now, but it’s their reality. Perhaps a win over rival Oregon State this weekend could ease some of the pain of this past Saturday’s defeat.
17.) Memphis
The Tigers continue to look like the best Group of Five team in the country to me. Their latest victim was South Florida, whom Memphis dominated to the tune of 49-10. The Tigers are one win away from clinching the American’s East division, but that win will be tough to come by as Memphis hosts Cincinnati this coming Saturday. Should the Tigers beat the Bearcats, the two teams will play again the following week in the American championship game. If Memphis loses this week, that opens the door for Navy to win the East division.
18.) Boise State
The Broncos are on their third starting quarterback of the season, but continue to roll anyway. On Saturday, Boise State crushed Utah State by a score of 56-21 to clinch the Mountain division of the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos travel to Colorado State this coming weekend, and then will battle Hawaii for the conference championship. Should they win both of those games, Boise State will remain in contention for the Group of Five’s bowl berth into the New Year’s Six.
19.) Iowa
Iowa avoided a letdown coming off their upset win over Minnesota, taking care of Illinois at home by a score of 19-10. All-in-all, it’s been a solid year for the Hawkeyes, who have a chance to reach nine wins when they travel to Nebraska this coming weekend. Iowa’s three losses have come against teams all ranked in the Top 15.
20.) Cincinnati
Another week, another survival by the Bearcats. At one time, Cincinnati looked like the best Group of Five team in the country, but they’ve flirted with being upset in three of the last four weeks, winning by three points or less in those games. This week, the Bearcats defeated Temple by a score of 15-13, but the margin of victory was provided by a defensive two-point conversion following a Temple touchdown. Cincinnati has already clinched a spot in the American Championship game, but will need to play much better this week if they are to survive their road trip to Memphis.
21.) Oklahoma State
The Cowboys have been up and down throughout the season, but they’ve quietly put together a four-game winning streak to build momentum heading into “Bedlam”. Oklahoma State has lost four in a row to their hated rival Oklahoma, but the Sooners appear ripe for an upset. The Cowboys get to play host in this year’s rendition of Bedlam, and Oklahoma limps into Stillwater after narrowly surviving each of the last three weeks. Oklahoma State would love nothing more than to kill the Sooners’ playoff dreams.
22.) Appalachian State
Another week, another win for the Mountaineers, who have now reached 10 victories on the season for the third time since joining the ranks of the Football Bowl Subdivision five years ago. Appalachian State doesn’t get a whole lot of respect due to competing in the Sun Belt Conference, but this is one of the more impressive Group of Five programs we have in the country. The Mountaineers likely won’t earn the Group of Five’s bid for the New Year’s Six, but might get a shot at a Power 5 opponent come bowl season regardless. First, Appalachian State will travel to Troy for their regular season finale.
23.) Navy
The Midshipmen reenter my rankings this week after overcoming a 21-10 deficit to knock off SMU, 35-28. With the win, Navy remains in contention for the American’s East division. If Memphis loses to Cincinnati this Friday, and the Midshipmen defeat Houston on Saturday, Navy will play Cincinnati for the American championship.
24.) Virginia Tech
The Hokies were pretty bad at the start of the season, stumbling out of the gate to a 2-2 record. But since then, Virginia Tech has won six of its past seven games, with the lone loss coming by one point on the road at Notre Dame. The Hokies last three wins have come by an average of 30.7 points per game. Virginia Tech is playing goof football right now, and they carry that momentum into their rivalry matchup at Virginia this weekend.
25.) SMU
After a storybook opening to the season, the Mustangs have lost some of their mojo in recent weeks. SMU won its first eight games, but have now lost two of their last three following Saturday’s 35-28 defeat at the hands of Navy. Still, the Mustangs have a chance to reach ten wins when they host Tulane this coming Saturday. SMU hasn’t won ten games in a season since 1984, two years before the NCAA issued the Mustangs the two-year “Death Penalty”.