While Long told of vigorous debates in the committee room over Clemson or Alabama for No. 1 – Clemson has held it for all five weeks of the rankings – and over Iowa or Michigan State for No. 4, he did not note the same doubt around Oklahoma at No. 3 and cited the Sooners’ four victories over current Top 25 teams.
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For the record, the top five didn’t change from a week ago with Michigan State checking in at No. 5.
Clemson (12-0) is still No. 1, followed by Alabama (11-1), Oklahoma (11-1) and Iowa (12-0). Ohio State versus Notre Dame has a chance, hype-wise, to be one of the best non-BCS/playoff bowl match ups of the last ten years.
But nothing could have been further from the truth, CFP committee chairman Jeff Long said Tuesday. Clemson has to be careful with North Carolina as they’re red-hot right now. Many people already have the thought that Michigan State should be ahead of Iowa due to their schedule but the Hawkeyes haven’t lost a game yet and shouldn’t be downgraded because of that fact. With a dominating win over the Cowboys in the Bedlam game to clinch the Big 12 title, Oklahoma is likely the first team of 2015 to lock up a spot in the top four. A poor early season slate of lesser squads hurts the Buckeyes, who didn’t face a ranked opponent until they hosted the Spartans.
“First and foremost we wanted to be East Champions, and we were able to get that done”, linebacker Darien Harris said. The Big 12 doesn’t play a championship game and the Sooners have locked up the league title.
The Pac-12 championship probably has no more on the line than a Rose Bowl berth, but as “consolation prizes” go, it doesn’t get any better than that.
That’s not on the Spartans’ minds, though.
While this one will be close, I like Clemson winning by a final score of 45-38 and moving on to the College Football Playoffs which will be decided on Sunday, Dec. 6. “The No. 1 team will determine where we go”, he said. “We are going to be just as hungry, just as those seniors were, especially for us guys sitting up here, knowing that each game is coming down to our last game wearing the green and white”.
The Nebraska loss seemed to dispel any chances for Mark Dantonio’s team, but this squad turned it around to contain Ohio State’s offensive arsenal on the road.
If Stanford loses, the Buckeyes get a shot to repeat as playoff champs.
There was a time when Ohio State’s nonconference schedule this season was North Carolina in week one, Northern Illinois in week two and at Virginia Tech in week three.
I’ll not name the source or even hint at it, other than to say I trust them, they are very familiar with the process and I know they know what they are talking about.
After a win at North Carolina State, UNC is now set to take on the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship on Saturday. However, it the Tar Heels win the ACC championship, that’ll mean they’ll have beaten the undefeated No. 1 team in the country. The Crimson Tide and the Gators are 1-2 in the SEC in rushing defense and Auburn is in the bottom tier.
Perusing the stats, Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard is usually asked to throw 20-something times per game and his numbers are OK, particularly his 14-3 on touchdown passes vs. interceptions.
But Iowa and Michigan State would rather just win Saturday and not have to worry about those scenarios. These photos are from a since deleted tweet from Ohio State Wide Receiver Michael Thomas pleading his case for inclusion in the playoff.
#24 Southern California vs. #8 Stanford (-4.5) – Can Stanford get up for another huge game following the thrilling win over Notre Dame last week?
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Florida State, meanwhile, just beat No. 18 Florida. Baylor 9-213. Ole Miss 9-314.
