This week is rivalry week, and for many on the outside looking in, it’s the last chance to impress the committee before championship week. Notre Dame would have to be “unequivocally one of the four best teams in the country” as an independent, according to the committee’s stated criteria. And they certainly have the best loss, to No. 1 Clemson, of anybody in play for a playoff spot. But 10 wins and a major bowl game would be a tremendous step forward after the ignominious end to Brady Hoke’s tenure. The season-opening loss to SC looms large.
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The victor of the SEC Championship Game is in the CFP. Auburn performed well below expectations this season, and is only a shell of its former self. It turned out to be a good day for the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences. The Bedlam Series will be a statement for Oklahoma.
There is still a lot of football to be played and there are scenarios where we could see several different teams make it in the top-four. Basically, everything that Baylor and Oklahoma State are rooting for, plus a Baylor loss.
That has Big 12 observers understandably wondering whether the conference is set up for another fall from No. 3 even if Oklahoma takes care of business on Saturday. Iowa is likely to face Michigan State for a spot.
Clemson and Alabama are the only two teams that are in the top 4 in all polls and computer rankings, with Clemson getting five number 1’s and Alabama with two. They have a stout defense that has suffocated its opponents. Sure, they are an undefeated team from a Power 5 conference, but look at their schedule. This week, however, I have to call the upset. If the committee has to compare 12-1 Clemson without a conference title vs. 11-1 independent Notre Dame, well, the Tigers beat the Irish head to head.
If the worst thing that happens in the Big 12 is a one-loss Baylor or Oklahoma State winning the conference, then that one true champion would be on top of the world in this particular playoff meltdown.
All Michigan State has to do to make the Playoff is win the rest of its games and it’s in. This will be an offensive showdown, but Baylor has an extra chip on its shoulder. And its best wins have come against No. 15 Navy and No. 25 Temple. Michigan State (10-1) moved up to No. 5, while Notre Dame, after a lackluster victory over Boston College, fell out of the top 4 to No. 6. The first meeting of Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh has lost some of its juice. But Ohio State would be in the heart of the discussion. But there are plenty of other games for the Buckeyes and their fans to watch. “That’s what I think will happen”. But if Michigan State loses to Penn State, the Ohio State-Michigan victor will get its own shot at the Hawkeyes.
Klatt was also surprised Ohio State was ranked as high as it was.
Last season, Texas Christian was third in the second-to-last playoff rankings and slipped to sixth in the final rankings, behind Ohio State and Baylor. Remember when a bunch of teams were unbeaten a few weeks ago?
Heck, N.C. State moved their home game against Carolina to Chapel Hill in 1957, 1959, 1961 and 1963 because the Tar Heels had a bigger stadium.
No. 23 Mississippi State and No. 22 UCLA also are ranked again after victories. Crazy, huh? Clemson still has a tough matchup in the ACC title game against North Carolina.
There is our College Football Playoff Projections after this week.
The Irish still have some strong arguments for inclusion into the playoff, should they defeat Stanford.
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Wesley at Johns Hopkins: The Wolverines are where they belong feasting on the Division III playoffs as they have been for the last 11 years. Another Big 10 East team, will be eliminated(seemingly) by missing out on the Big 10 championship game.
