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Last week was the first real shakeup among the top ranked teams as they start to finally play each other. Not the big matchups of last week but still a few key games.
A quick look at where teams stand after last week.
Penn State - fell to 9 in the playoff ranking. A significant fall for a close road loss to a top 10 team, but the Minnesota loss doesn;t actually change anything for PSU. With Ohio State on the schedule, if they were to beat them and then win the Big 10, they would be a lock for the playoff. I doubt that will happen. They still have a shot at the Rose Bowl or another New Year's 6 or whatever the hell they call them now.
Alabama - with the loss to LSU, they are likely not playing in the SEC championship. The only ranked opponent they have left is 12 Auburn. If they beat Auburn, that would be their only win against a currently ranked opponent on the season. Bama does seem to be out of the playoff hunt unless there are multiple losses by other teams. The Pac 12 champ Oregon/Utah will have a better resume. The big 12 champ Baylor/Oklahoma, will have a better resume or at least an equal resume. This Bama team with a weak schedule should not be able to get in ahead of a conference champ. Nearly all number crunchers agree with this. Bama needs LSU to fall flat, Clemson to suffer a huge upset, or the Pac 12 and Big 12 champs to end up with 2 losses. Not likely.
Clemson - it was meaningless for them to be 5 last week with Bama vs LSU and Ohio state and Penn State still to play. Clemson just wins out in the weak ACC and they are in.
Pac 12 are in good shape. Oregon and Utah both with 1 loss and both in the top 10. They both have 3 easy games left before they meet in the Pac Championship. Unless one of them lays a an egg, the winner is headed to the playoff.
Big 12 - seemed left for dead but with Baylor still undefeated, they have some life. I think Oklahoma beats Baylor and end up Big 12 Champ with 1 loss. They will have a better resume than Bama, but not as good as LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, or the Pac 12 Champ. They need somebody to lose.
On to the games
Game of the Week
Indiana at 9 Penn State - 12:00 on ABC
Did you know Indiana is 7-2? Those 2 losses are to the only 2 ranked teams they've played. Too bad one of the losses wasn't to South Carolina, they might be ranked. How does Penn state react after a disappointing loss last week and with Ohio State next on their schedule (after a bye)? Minnesota has a huge OL that was able to handle PSU's front. Indiana doesn't have that. I think Penn State has a good bounce back at home and handles business
4 Georgia at 12 Auburn 3:30 CBS
last hurdle for Georgia before they get blown out by LSU in the SEC Champ game. Auburn is tough to figure. They are good but not great. Bo Nix seems to be going backwards somewhat. Bama fans need an Auburn win here if they are to have any shot at all at the playoff. An Auburn loss drops them down the rankings and further hurts Bama strength of schedule. Georgia is tough to figure as well. They always come up short in big spots.
8 Minnesota at 20 Iowa 4:00 FOX
Big win for Minn last week. It was coming off a BYE and they had some new wrinkles installed for Penn State and hit them with some big plays. Penn State's defense is about risk and pressure. Minn caught them being over aggressive and gashed them for multiple big plays. Iowa is the opposite. They are big and tough to move and will make you earn it. This could be a 10-7 game.
10 Oklahoma at 13 Baylor 7:30 ABC
Baylor just keeps winning close games. Matt Ruhle has done an amazing job to take over a team in Texas where he has no ties. That's tough as Charlie Strong discovered. He building something in Waco but they don'tr have enough athletes yet. Oklahoma should be too much for them and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
MIchigan State at 15 Michigan 12:00 Fox
a rivalry game that could be good in theory but Mich State sucks so this is probably a beatdown.
A quick look at where teams stand after last week.
Penn State - fell to 9 in the playoff ranking. A significant fall for a close road loss to a top 10 team, but the Minnesota loss doesn;t actually change anything for PSU. With Ohio State on the schedule, if they were to beat them and then win the Big 10, they would be a lock for the playoff. I doubt that will happen. They still have a shot at the Rose Bowl or another New Year's 6 or whatever the hell they call them now.
Alabama - with the loss to LSU, they are likely not playing in the SEC championship. The only ranked opponent they have left is 12 Auburn. If they beat Auburn, that would be their only win against a currently ranked opponent on the season. Bama does seem to be out of the playoff hunt unless there are multiple losses by other teams. The Pac 12 champ Oregon/Utah will have a better resume. The big 12 champ Baylor/Oklahoma, will have a better resume or at least an equal resume. This Bama team with a weak schedule should not be able to get in ahead of a conference champ. Nearly all number crunchers agree with this. Bama needs LSU to fall flat, Clemson to suffer a huge upset, or the Pac 12 and Big 12 champs to end up with 2 losses. Not likely.
Clemson - it was meaningless for them to be 5 last week with Bama vs LSU and Ohio state and Penn State still to play. Clemson just wins out in the weak ACC and they are in.
Pac 12 are in good shape. Oregon and Utah both with 1 loss and both in the top 10. They both have 3 easy games left before they meet in the Pac Championship. Unless one of them lays a an egg, the winner is headed to the playoff.
Big 12 - seemed left for dead but with Baylor still undefeated, they have some life. I think Oklahoma beats Baylor and end up Big 12 Champ with 1 loss. They will have a better resume than Bama, but not as good as LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, or the Pac 12 Champ. They need somebody to lose.
On to the games
Game of the Week
Indiana at 9 Penn State - 12:00 on ABC
Did you know Indiana is 7-2? Those 2 losses are to the only 2 ranked teams they've played. Too bad one of the losses wasn't to South Carolina, they might be ranked. How does Penn state react after a disappointing loss last week and with Ohio State next on their schedule (after a bye)? Minnesota has a huge OL that was able to handle PSU's front. Indiana doesn't have that. I think Penn State has a good bounce back at home and handles business
4 Georgia at 12 Auburn 3:30 CBS
last hurdle for Georgia before they get blown out by LSU in the SEC Champ game. Auburn is tough to figure. They are good but not great. Bo Nix seems to be going backwards somewhat. Bama fans need an Auburn win here if they are to have any shot at all at the playoff. An Auburn loss drops them down the rankings and further hurts Bama strength of schedule. Georgia is tough to figure as well. They always come up short in big spots.
8 Minnesota at 20 Iowa 4:00 FOX
Big win for Minn last week. It was coming off a BYE and they had some new wrinkles installed for Penn State and hit them with some big plays. Penn State's defense is about risk and pressure. Minn caught them being over aggressive and gashed them for multiple big plays. Iowa is the opposite. They are big and tough to move and will make you earn it. This could be a 10-7 game.
10 Oklahoma at 13 Baylor 7:30 ABC
Baylor just keeps winning close games. Matt Ruhle has done an amazing job to take over a team in Texas where he has no ties. That's tough as Charlie Strong discovered. He building something in Waco but they don'tr have enough athletes yet. Oklahoma should be too much for them and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
MIchigan State at 15 Michigan 12:00 Fox
a rivalry game that could be good in theory but Mich State sucks so this is probably a beatdown.
