#1 Alabama
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| Photo creds to Saturday Down South |
Well for one, the Tide are the only team from a power five conference with an unblemished record. But aside from that, Alabama is the best team in college football. I don't need to insult anybody's CFB intelligence, as Bama is drooled on enough by sportswriters/sportscasters everywhere, but they are the best. Nick Saban wakes up in the morning, and he pisses excellence. The Tide are a semi-pro team that is playing college football, and no team in the country has given me any reason to believe that Bama won't skate away with their 5th national title in the eight years.
#2 Ohio State
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| Photo creds to The Lantern |
When my Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes on that glorious night a month ago, I thought it would severely hinder Ohio State's playoff hopes. Nope. Instead, the Bucks are right back where they were at #2. However, not only am I tolerant of this ranking, I'm rooting for Ohio State. If Penn State beats Michigan State and Ohio State beats Michigan, boom. My Nittany Lions are in the Big 10 championship game. Crazy. Also, Ohio State losing to the Nittany Lions was probably the best thing that could have happened to Urban Meyer, as since that night, the Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 165-42 in four games. Needless to say, the Bucks are back, and they control their destiny.
#3 Michigan
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| Rowdy fans go both ways. |
Michigan is #3. There isn't a whole lot to say here. If Michigan beats Ohio State and wins the Big 10 title game, they are in. But that is a mighty big "if".
#4 Clemson
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| #42 Chirstian Wilkins is a large man (photo creds to Hartford Courant) |
Aside from Alabama, Clemson is the team that has the easiest path to the playoff. They have one regular season game remaining at 6-5 South Carolina, and that will, in all likelihood, lead to an ACC title tilt with Virginia Tech. Clemson should win both of those games, and if they do, they are in.
#5 Washington
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| When #1 John Ross turns on the Jets, it's over. (Photo creds to WTOP.Com |
I don't understand why Washington would be dead in the water as far as playoff hopes go. The Huskies are #5 in the current playoff rankings. However, they are #6 in the AP poll, behind a two-loss Wisconsin team. There is no one-loss team out there, aside from the ones I mentioned earlier, that would be deserving of the #5 spot ahead of the Huskies. Washington has taken a step back, but they are still very dangerous, and the Huskies are not done yet in their chase for a national championship.
#6 Wisconsion
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| #6 Corey Clement leads the way for the #6 team in America (photo creds to Fox Sports) |
As with Washington, don't sleep on Bucky as a playoff team. Yes, a lot has to go right. But if Wisconsin wins their regular season finale against Minnesota, (which they should), and then the Big 10 title game (which will be a little more tricky), it will be interesting to see if they will be a playoff team. Wisconsin making it to the playoff would be a remarkable feat considering the Badger's offensive shortcomings and brutal strength of schedule. A Wisconsin playoff appearance still requires a lot to go right, but it could happen.
#7 Penn State
I've heard plenty of people complain about Penn State's high ranking. The question that I have is; who in the top 15 deserves to be ahead of Penn State?
Of teams ranked 7-15, none have less than 2 losses. It is true that without that win Ohio State win, Penn State would be not be in the top ten. But guess what? They did beat Ohio State. In addition, they have defeated a Minnesota team that is 7-3, mulled the same Iowa squad that recently upset Michigan, and, according to teamrankings, the Nittany Lions have the 13th best strength of schedule in the country. Penn State has been very good, and in some cases, they've been dominant. That is why they are in the top 10.
#8 Oklahoma
Houston Cougars. Those are the two words that will end up defining Oklahoma's season. Had Oklahoma taken care of Houston in Week 1, they'd be 10-1, with their only loss being to Ohio State. Furthermore, that loss to Ohio State came in Week 3, and given that the Sooners were ranked #3 coming into the season (also important), they still would have maintained a respectable ranking after that loss. So putting it all into perspective, if Oklahoma were 10-1 with their only blemish being to the #2 team in the land, even with the weakness of the Big 12, the Sooners would be right in the thick of things. But Houston happened, and now the OU is all but finished as far as the chase for a National Title goes.
#9 Colorodo
Yes! The mighty Buffs. They are back and don't you forget it. As they proved in their win over Washington State on Saturday, CU is for real. They won't make the playoff, but Mike MacIntyre has done one hell of a job of turning this sinking ship around, and if you haven't seen the Buffalo's running back, Phillip Lindsay, look at the picture above.
#10 Oklahoma State
Central Michigan Chippewas. Those are the three words that will end up defining Oklahoma State's season. Had Oklahoma state taken care of CMU in Week 2, they'd be 10-1, with their only loss being to Baylor. Furthermore, that loss to Baylor came in Week 4, and given that the Cowboys were ranked #21 coming into the season (also necessary to point out), they still would have maintained a national ranking after the loss. So putting it all into perspective, if Oklahoma State was 10-1, even with the weakness of the Big 12, the Cowboys could be right in the thick of things. But Central Michigan happened, and now the Cowboys are finished as far as the chase of a national title goes.
Not a lot happened this week to shake up the rankings, but nonetheless, it should excite every college football fan on planet earth to see what will go down over the next few weeks. For Ohio State, Michigan and Clemson, the ball is in your court. For Penn State, Washington and Wisconsin, a lot needs to happen. For the fans, all we can do is sit back and enjoy the show.
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