While the voters love them, it’s a risk they better not try to mess with.
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Michigan State (No. 6 AP) did more than likely end Ohio State’s chances at a repeat with its 17-14 win on Saturday. It goes with the history of the program. Basically, everything that Baylor and Oklahoma State are rooting for, plus a Baylor loss.
Oklahoma State’s 45-35 loss to Baylor dropped the Cowboys from fourth to ninth and pushed Baylor to seventh.
But that’s not all for the Big 12. It’s going to be very interesting to see if they can hold off any and all challengers gunning for their playoff berths. No team has more to lose in a rivalry game than the Tigers. After slipping out last week, the Irish need a big win just as much as Stanford.
If Michigan State were to win out, if would be hard for the committee to keep them from reaching the playoff. The Sooners will play at Oklahoma State on Saturday with a chance to win the Big 12.
Michigan: Still in the running, although barely.
Michigan State plays Penn State on Saturday and Iowa is at Nebraska on Friday. This might not bode well for the Big 12, again.
There are four other matchups of teams in the CFP rankings today and Saturday and NFL Sunday brings us a prime-time showdown between the unbeaten New England Patriots and Denver Broncos.
“We will look at one more weekend of outcomes before finalizing”, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who leads the oversight committee, told the Associated Press. The committee does not seem to be hung up on the Sooners’ October loss to Texas. Stanford is fifth nationally in converting third downs (49.7 percent) while Notre Dame is eighth in defending third downs (30.4 percent allowed)…
(8) 9% selected 2014 Ohio State (Owls) based on regular season resume. The Crimson Tide will roll through War Eagle country. Still, they’re not out of it yet. “They don’t put themselves in situations to fail”. “They’ve got some really good athletes as well”.
This week’s playoff victor is Oklahoma, which moved up four spots to No. 3 after a one-point win over injury-depleted Texas Christian.
UCLA & USC: Very simple. In each of the Cardinal’s last three home games against Notre Dame, they have won by at least a touchdown. Neither team has a conference championship game.
NAVY -4, over Houston: Huge line-movement-Navy started as an underdog and now is a strong road favorite.
No. 24 Toledo is back in to represent the Mid-American Conference.
Toledo: They need to beat Western Michigan to get into the MAC championship game. “Guys play their gaps right, and it’s definitely going to be a huge challenge”.
Now we’re about to turn the lights out on them too. The Cardinal is also 10 of 11 on fourth down… McCaffrey’s athleticism makes him tough to contain as a return man, as he averages 31.27 yards on kick returns.
If you want even more chaos root for Auburn to defeat Alabama, or Bama to lose to an underwhelming Florida team in the SEC title game. Point being, just because they are 3-8 doesn’t mean that it’s a walk in the park to play them.
Nebraska: The first season under Mike Riley has been disappointing, mostly filled with close losses. If the Spartans lose, the victor of the Ohio State and MI game will vie for the Big Ten title.
Iowa would be a one-loss Big Ten champ.
From there, one Big 10 team will be eliminated, Ohio State or MI, in their game against each other.
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Baylor’s very weak nonconference schedule last season also left it susceptible to being slighted by the committee.
