We are well into the college football season that I believe it’s safe to start ranking teams, especially in light of the College Football Playoff quickly approaching, and the two questions that will be looming for many teams: Who’s in? Who’s out?
If I were on the CFP committee, this is what my Top 12 would look like.
1 Indiana Hoosiers (7-0)
It seems the Hoosiers are headed for a Big Ten championship showdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes following another dominating performance against the Michigan State Spartans last week. With a 63-10 win against then-No.9 Illinois, and a 30-20 road win against then-No. 2 Oregon, the Hoosiers seem to be the most complete team in college football.
2 Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1)
Yes, they have the horrible Week 1 loss to Florida State, but since that game, it’s hard to argue any team has been better than Kalen DeBoers’ Tide. Coming off their fourth consecutive win against a ranked opponent, with the 37-20 win against Tennessee, don’t let the smoke get in your eyes from seeing this team is the class of the SEC.
3 Georgia Bulldogs (6-1)
Kirby Smart just keeps doing Kirby Smart things, namely, beating Lane Kiffin. The Bulldogs sport impressive wins at Tennessee (44-41) and against Ole Miss (43-35). Their lone blemish is against my No. 2 team, the Crimson Tide. The defense is letting up way too many points, but the offense has been clicking.
4 Ohio State (7-0)
Yes, the Buckeyes are undefeated, but who have they played? Their Week 1 14-7 victory against Texas looks awful in light of Texas’ season, and their 34-16 win against then-No. 17 Illinois doesn’t look half as good as Indiana’s route of the same team. Unfortunately for Ryan Day’s team, they may not face a real test until Nov. 29 when they travel to take on No. 25 Michigan. And we all know how that usually ends.
5 Texas A&M (7-0)
Another team that hasn’t really faced much competition at this point in the season, outside of a 41-40 squeeker on the road at then-No. 8 Notre Dame. Mike Elko and his team have handled the teams they’ve faced, which seems to be saying something in the current state of college football. The next few weeks will tell us all we need to know about the Aggies. They face three stiff SEC road games, beggining this week at night in the Bayou against No. 20 LSU, at Missouri, and finishing the regular season at Texas.
6 Oregon (6-1)
Granted the Penn State victory doesn’t look nearly as good as it did that Saturday night, but think about the tidal wave of coaching vacancies that win caused! Oregon has work to do, as revealed in its 30-20 loss to Indiana, and that just might be what keeps the Ducks out of the Big Ten championship game. The rest of the schedule should not pose any threats, but there could be traps against Iowa, Minnesota, USC and Washington.
Disagree? Agree? Let Brian and the rest of the Tailgators crew know what you think:
7 Georgia Tech (7-0)
The Wrambling Wreck is in the driver’s seat of the ACC. Their remaining conference schedule, all against unranked teams (Syracuse, NC State, Boston College, Pitt) should guarantee a spot to play for a guaranteed College Football Playoff spot. Mr. Everything Haynes King will be the key to the team’s post-season success.
8 BYU (7-0)
The Cougars showed they had the mettle on Saturday night, defeating No. 23 Utah. Three big games still loom on the schedule, this week against Iowa St., at Texas Tech, and at Cincinnati, which may decide which team gets to the Big XII championship game.
9 Vanderbilt (6-1)
Is there a better feel-good story than Vandy and quarterback Diego Pavia? The Commodores made history on Saturday with their 31-24 win over No. 10 LSU, their first win over the Tigers since 1990??? They also have a win over then-No. 11 South Carolina, and hung tough against Alabama. They face three ranked opponents in the next five games, so still lots to prove.
10 Ole Miss (6-1)
I like Lane Kiffin. I think he’s good for the game. But when it comes to Big Games, he’s just slightly ahead of James Franklin, formerly of Penn State. Does Kiffin’s Rebels have a signature win under him? No. And that’s why there will always be questions about the validity of his teams. But there is no denying his teams are some of the best, and he’s proven he can develop quarterbacks. Now the question, I guess, is will he be staying?
11 Miami (6-1)
Miami has three wins against ranked opponents, and for that I’m putting them in my Top 12. That being said, I still have questions about this Hurricanes team, especially on the heals for its 24-21 loss to Louisville on Friday night, which had Trap Game written all over it. The rest of their remaining schedule is Trap City, with no ranked opponents in sight. Last year Miami let their postseason chances slip through its fingers. We’ll see about this year.
12 South Florida (6-1)
The Bulls get in this parade as the Group of 5 representative and based on their wins against Boise St. and Florida, although both those wins don’t carry the same weight in late October as they did in early September. South Florida still controls its own destiny, with a showdown at Navy looming in November. Also, we’ll be hearing head coach Alex Golesh’s name coming in all of these coaching searches. Will that be too big of a distraction?
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Week 8: The SEC takes the Spotlight
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Indiana and Curt Cignetti win again! Ohio State is still No. 1 — just Sayin. And the “Fire Franklin” chants are fulfilled. Meanwhile, in the Southeastern Conference, teams are gearing up for a show-me showdown weekend between Top 25 programs. It’s Tailgators on two…hut! hut!