That reflects the Tar Heels’ disrespected schedule that includes two teams from the Football Championship Subdivision, North Carolina A&T and Delaware.
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Big Ten Championship: Iowa vs. Michigan State- This game is basically a playoff quarterfinal between the No. 4 team in the Hawkeyes and the No. 5 team in the Spartans. Michigan State is holding firm at number-five after beating Penn State on Saturday, while Michigan fell five spots to 15 after losing to Ohio State.
Iowa is an underdog to Michigan State, while Ohio State and Stanford are hot on their tails. Florida has lost steam over the final month of the season as a result, and after its ugly performance against Florida State it’s almost impossible to imagine the Treon Harris-led Gators knocking off Alabama. I just don’t understand how the committee can rank Northwestern a spot ahead of MI, a team that beat it 38-0. “He has the flair for providing a spark when the team needs it – with tackles for losses, sacks and blocked field goals.”ABOUT IOWA (12-0, 8-0): Junior quarterback C.J. Beathard (2,354 yards, 14 touchdowns, three interceptions) has been efficient and avoids mistakes while senior running back Jordan Canzeri (964 yards, 12 touchdowns) is running well again after a midseason ankle injury”. Wins at Baylor, Tennessee and Oklahoma State should be particularly impressive to the committee; chairman Jeff Long said Tuesday night the Sooners were a solid No. 3. Clemson has been No. 1 in all five College Football Playoff Polls so far. A win over Clemson would do wonders for North Carolina’s resume, but it’s still fair to wonder how the committee would view the Tar Heels (whether fairly or not) against a two-loss Pac-12 champ Stanford, a one-loss Ohio State, and even a one-loss Clemson team that it would have just beaten.
The Sooners locked up the Big 12 championship with a blowout victory at Oklahoma State last week.
There’s been some talk of North Carolina rocketing into the CFP rankings with a victory, but even if they upset Clemson it would stand as just their second victory over a ranked opponent and doesn’t wipe away the season-opening loss to lowly SC.
That’s not to say it shouldn’t change drastically if North Carolina beats Clemson, but right now, it makes sense. But the eye-test was not there in a game where Ohio State played its worst game of the year and maybe under Urban Meyer.
At Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the playoff hopes of No. 5 MSU and No. 4 Iowa will clash at 8:17 p.m. EST, aired on FOX. If they can overcome their myriad injuries to stun Stanford, the committee would have one less team to worry about. An Iowa win helps eliminate Michigan State entirely (two losses), but it isn’t crucial because the committee won’t have a hard time picking the Cardinal over the Hawkeyes with a loss. Now it becomes a North Carolina, Clemson, Ohio State debate. Utah is one of four teams ranked from the Pac-12 this week, with Stanford leading the conference at No. 7.
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Like Clemson, Alabama’s spot in the CFP secured with a conference title win.
