Top 5 College Football Playoff Storylines Heading Into Week 15

College Football Rankings Week 8

After 14 weeks, the College Football Playoff comes down to the conference championships. By my calculations, seven teams can make the College Football Playoff: No. 1 Ohio State, No 2. LSU, No. 3 Clemson, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Utah, No. 6 Oklahoma, and No. 7 Baylor*. All of these teams will be in action this weekend in their respective championship games.

For comparison, my College Football Playoff includes:

  1. LSU
  2. Ohio State
  3. Clemson
  4. Georgia

I still don’t agree with the committee’s decision to switch LSU and Ohio State since LSU never lost, but that should change this weekend if LSU beats Georgia. In Week 15, all eyes will be on the Pac-12 Championship, SEC Championship, Big 12 Championship, and the Big Ten Championship. Here are the top five CFP storylines heading into the weekend.

Will Ohio State Or LSU Make The Playoff If They Lose?

If Ohio State and LSU win their respective conference championships, they’ll make the College Football Playoff. That’s an obvious fact. However, what happens if Ohio State or LSU lose? Do both teams have strong enough cases to still make the Playoff? Truthfully, I’ve watched enough football this year to confidently say that Ohio State and LSU are two of the four best teams in the country. Between Ohio State’s domination and LSU’s wins against top-10 teams, their resumes are extremely strong and better than those of Utah, Oklahoma, and Baylor. In terms of which team can afford a loss more, it’s Ohio State since they’re currently at 1. To drop from 1 to 5 would be drastic for the Buckeyes if they lost to Wisconsin. I don’t have the same conviction for LSU if they lose to Georgia and either Utah, Oklahoma, or Baylor wins. However, if Ohio State and LSU win, then there’s nothing to worry about.

Is Ohio State Making A Case For Best Team Ever?

I’m jealous of Joel Klatt for tweeting this before me, but we’re both on the same page. This year’s Ohio State team is on track to become one of the best teams of all time. Besides the 11-point victory over Penn State, Ohio State has won every other game by at least 24 points. Furthermore, the Buckeyes are fifth in total offense and first in total defense. Ohio State has the stud quarterback in Justin Fields, the workhorse running back in J.K. Dobbins, and the best player in college football, Chase Young. If Ohio State rolls through No. 8 Wisconsin, Clemson, and LSU on the way to a National Championship, then the Buckeyes will go down as one of the best teams of all time.

Utah Needs To Put Pressure On The Committee With A Dominant Win

For the fifth-ranked team in the nation, Utah has gone fairly under-the-radar because of their lack of television presence on the East Coast. Make no mistake about it, the Utes are for real. Utah’s defense punches teams in the mouth and never backs off. Since their only loss to USC back in September, the Utes defense has given up 15 or more points once. Although Utah sits just outside of the playoff, I’m not convinced they have a “win and in.” Conventional wisdom says Utah gets in if Ohio State, LSU, and Clemson win and Georgia loses. However, Utah still needs to make a statement against Oregon and dominate from start to finish. Utah must silence its critics and put pressure on the committee to choose the Utes for the playoff.

Does The Big 12 Have Any Chance Of Making The Playoff?

To answer the question, yes, the Big 12 has a chance to make the playoff. Both Oklahoma and Baylor sit at 11-1. The winner would be 12-1 with a Power 5 conference championship. The only problem is both teams need Utah to lose in order to surpass them in the rankings. If Ohio State, LSU, and Clemson win and then Georgia and Utah lose, the Big 12 champion should make the playoff. I’m calling my shot. That’s exactly what’s going to happen. The top 3 teams will win, Georgia and Utah will lose, and Oklahoma will beat Baylor. Oklahoma is going to be the fourth playoff team. Bank on it.

Is Clemson Out Of The Playoff If They Lose To Virginia?

Yes. Next question. I like Clemson and believe they are one of the four best teams in the country. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Clemson wins the whole thing. But if Clemson loses to Virginia in the ACC Championship, the Tigers don’t deserve to make the playoff. Clemson has the No. 85 strength of schedule and the worst loss in the Power 5 title games. Clemson must (and will) win on Saturday.

Bonus: Georgia Can Spoil The Party

Failing to write a paragraph about Georgia was not my intention. The Bulldogs are a good football team with impressive wins over No. 15 Notre Dame, No. 9 Florida, and No. 11 Auburn. The Bulldogs will keep it close against LSU. If the Bulldogs can force Burrow to make mistakes, Georgia could be representing the SEC in the playoff.

Also, how weird is it to see Alabama outside the top-10?

What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 15? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow, or email us at immad@unafraidshow.com.

*Rankings used in this article are from the latest College Football Playoff Rankings.

The Best Pac-12 NFL Players: Week 13’s Performers from Each School

Defensive and Special Teams Touchdowns Highlight Pac-12 NFL Upside

In this week’s edition, we were graced with incredible play. Vita Vea impressed last week, but week 13 was a treat for football fans! Trick plays, blocked kicks, and unbelievable defensive plays highlight the Pac-12 NFL Players Week 13.

The Big List of Pac-12 NFL Performers, College by College

Arizona

Dane Cruikshank – Tennessee Titans

With 5 minutes remaining in a tied game, the Indianapolis Colts lined up to take the lead. That field goal would give them a 20-17 lead over the Titans. However, Dane Cruikshank thwarted their plans.

Although Cruikshank is primarily a special teams player, he’s made his mark. Players dream of blocking a single kick, let alone two in one season. For his special teams efforts, he climbs to the top of Arizona’s Pac-12 NFL bests.

Arizona State

Matt Haack – Miami Dolphins

Obviously, this wasn’t the best play in NFL history. But, it made for an insane highlight and contributed to a huge upset. How are these Miami Dolphins 3-and-9 and beating teams like the Philadelphia Eagles?

With this touchdown pass, Matt Haack and Jason Sanders etched their names in the record books. This was the first time in NFL history that a pure punter completed a touchdown pass to a kicker. Unbelievable!

Cal

Cameron Jordan – New Orleans Saints

Cameron Jordan is a wrecking ball. His four sacks against the Atlanta Falcons tied a Saints record for sacks in a game. Wayne Martin, in 1997, was the last Saints player to accomplish this feat.

After this monster performance, Jordan set his career-best in sacks (13.5). His 87.3 PFF grade is creeping up to elite once again. If he continues his dominance, he’ll decisively be Cal’s 2019 best Pac-12 NFL player.

Colorado

Jimmy Smith – Baltimore Ravens

Against the San Francisco 49ers, Jimmy Smith allowed just 3 receptions for 38 scoreless yards on 6 targets. It was another shut-down game for him.

Since returning from injury, Smith is playing at an exceptional level. His plus-33.7 Coverage Rating and 52-percent Catch Rate Allowed are exactly what the Ravens needed. Combined with the current form of Marcus Peters and you’ve got a Super Bowl secondary.

Oregon

DeForest Buckner – San Francisco 49ers

In a potential Super Bowl preview, DeForest Buckner and the 49ers held Lamar Jackson’s Ravens to just 20 points. In the game, Buckner played 83-percent of snaps and totaled six tackles. 

Also, Buckner got the credit for one sack against Lamar Jackson. As everyone is aware, Jackson is the most elusive quarterback in the league. Getting him down is always worth recognition. Great performance by this Pac-12 NFL player.

Oregon State

Jordan Poyer – Buffalo Bills

On Thanksgiving Day, the Buffalo Bills feasted on the Dallas Cowboys. Their defense held the Cowboys to just 15 points. Although he ended up compiling 355 yards and two touchdowns, he did so on 49 attempts. In addition, the Bills sacked Prescott four times and intercepted him once.

At AT&T Stadium, Jordan Poyer did his regular thing. He totaled five tackles, including stuffing one run. His 73.0 PFF grade displays his contribution to pass and run defense.

Stanford

Richard Sherman – San Francisco 49ers

Right now, Richard Sherman is playing incredible football. At age 31, his form is perfect as he and the San Francisco 49ers vie for the NFC West.

Against Baltimore Ravens, Sherman not only locked down coverage but tallied seven tackles. His tackling will always be an underrated aspect of his game. Even though Richard Sherman is credited with 20 receptions allowed, he only let receivers gain 105 yards. Unreal. His close-down ability and tackling is most impressive.

Also, of note is Richard Sherman’s off-the-field work.

UCLA

Fabian Moreau – Washington Redskins

Since Josh Norman’s injury, Fabian Moreau has played exceptionally. Moving him from the slot corner to outside corner was a great move. 

In his last two games, Moreau has three interceptions. He’s exactly the type of developmental player Washington needs for their future.

USC

Robert Woods – Los Angeles Rams

After starting off the season slow, Robert Woods is heating up during the Rams playoff push. His last three games include:

  • 7 receptions for 95 yards
  • 6 receptions for 97 yards
  • 13 receptions for 172 yards

Against Arizona, Woods torched the coverage. He now has 835 yards and looks to surpass 1,000 yards for the second time in his career.

Utah

Marcus Williams – New Orleans Saints

Although Star Lotolelei got his first career interception, Marcus Williams still remains the best Pac-12 NFL player out of Utah. On the season, he’s allowed just 9 receptions on 17 targets, while also intercepting four passes. 

Additionally, Williams is a sure-tackler. He managed seven tackles against the Atlanta Falcons. His 91.0 PFF grade displays an elite safety and the Saints are lucky to have him.

Washington

Taylor Rapp – Los Angeles Rams

He could. Go. All. The. Way!

Welcome to the big leagues Taylor Rapp! In a dominant win against Arizona, Rapp earned his first career interception and touchdown. He now totals 47 tackles, 7 pass break-ups, 4 stuffed runs, and one pick-six. Rapp has a bright future ahead of him.

Washington State

Gardner Minshew – Jacksonville Jaguars

The mustache is back! In everyone’s best interest, Gardner Minshew is once again the starting quarterback of the Jaguars. After Nick Foles committed his third turnover in three drives, the crowd chanted “We want Minshew.”

While Minshew couldn’t lift the Jaguars to a victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he’ll look to beat the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend.

Miss Week 12’s Top Pac-12 NFL Performances?

https://unafraidshow.com/the-best-pac-12-nfl-players-week-12s-performers-from-each-school/

True-Freshman Jayden Daniels is the Future of Pac-12 Football

Arizona State University Recruits Jayden Daniels

On December 13th, 2018, Arizona State’s Christmas present came early. Jayden Daniels, ASU’s highest-rated recruit in 247sports history, committed. The four-star recruit out of San Bernardino was their future.

But, this August, Daniels didn’t wait to impress. As a true freshman, he won the starting job. Herm Edwards put his confidence in Daniels and he hasn’t disappointed. Jayden Daniels is impressive.

Jayden Daniels’ Dual-Threat Ability

After committing to ASU, fans quickly realized that Jayden Daniels was dangerous. In his senior year at Cajon High School, Daniels averaged:

  • 322.5 passing yards-per-game
  • 4.3 passing touchdowns-per-game
  • 109.7 rushing yards-per-game
  • 1.14 rushing touchdowns-per-game

Once he hit the Pac-12, he quickly displayed his elusive abilities. Right away, he was dodging collegiate defenders and taking the ball himself.

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https://twitter.com/YotesGlendale/status/1201005289165639680

As every NFL fan knows, Lamar Jackson is the NFL-MVP front-runner. Due to his elite rushing ability, he’s on a historic run. Intelligently, John Harbaugh and the Ravens leaned into Jackson’s dual-threat ability. Which is so smart. It maximized their chance to win. If Daniels continues to progress, he can hope for a Jackson-like career arch.

Willingness to Throw Downfield

Remember, Jayden Daniels is a true-freshman. Even so, Daniels is playing aggressive and confident football. His 8.9 Yards-Per-Attempt ranks 13th in the nation. Stunningly, his 9.7 Adjusted-Yards-Per-Attempt ranks 10th. The only Pac-12 quarterback to best him in both is Tyler Huntley, who is still playing like the best quarterback in the conference.

https://twitter.com/YotesGlendale/status/1198439302343979010

Protecting the Football

In the 2019 season, Jayden Daniels threw the ball 310 times. Though he’s been aggressive, Daniels only has two interceptions this season. He’s taken care of the ball. How many young quarterbacks can’t say the same? His 153.5 (No. 19 in the nation) Passing Efficiency Rating displays his secure, yet effective passing style.

Jayden Daniels Upsets Oregon to Show Ceiling

Somehow, against the No.6-ranked Oregon Ducks, Jayden Daniels led the Sun Devils to a win. He threw for 408 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, he hit Brandon Aiyuk for an 81-yard bomb to seal the victory.

Against Oregon, Daniels showed up in a big way. And Oregon’s defense is great. His Sun Devils put up 31 points. Additionally, Daniels didn’t throw a single interception. Oregon also only sacked him twice. His 206.8 Passing Efficiency Rating against Oregon shows Daniels’ massive upside. Not only did he beat Oregon, he destroyed their playoff hopes. That dagger to Aiyuk was fantastic for him. But, it was devastating to the Ducks.

As an 18-year-old, he’s already proved himself. Very few players bring his raw talent. In future years, get ready for an explosive campaign from Daniels.

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 15 As it Should Be

Welcome to the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 15 As it Should Be. I believe this season makes the best case for CFB Playoff expansion. The seasons when there are a bunch of 1-loss teams that don’t get in are compelling. However, in 2019, the teams from #4-10 can beat anybody on any given Saturday. Imagine a national championship tournament where there are upsets and the occasional “Cinderella” story like March Madness. Television ratings and bowl game interest would be significantly higher. The New Years Six Bowls would have no top NFL Draft picks sitting out. There would be so much more money flowing that the NCAA wouldn’t have to share with the players (who actually generate the revenue).

Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have an 8-team playoff? The five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 teams would get automatic bids. The two remaining spots would be at-large bids.

College Football Playoff

After two sets of CFB Playoff Committee rankings, we have more information to put playoff scenarios together. So here is how it should shake out at this point. Check back here on Tuesday for the Road to the Playoff series where we examine every team’s path to the top 4.

  1. Ohio State– The only thing that could mess up Ohio State’s season if 2-loss Wisconsin wins the Big Ten Championship.
  2. SEC Champion- LSU and Georgia will play in the SEC championship. The conference could make a case for two teams if 1-loss UGA beats LSU.
  3. Clemson– Just don’t lose. Dabo Swinney knows the committee would love to throw them out with a loss to Virginia.
  4. Utah– Utah will get in if they can beat Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship and LSU beats Georgia in the SEC Championship.
  5. Oklahoma/Baylor– The winner of the Big XII championship will have first dibs on a playoff spot if Utah loses to Oregon.

The Rules: No Bias, No Bull College Football Rankings

There is no more unbiased ranking out there than Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6. I get criticized from time to time by people who only want to see the college football world through the lens of the AP Poll. These rankings are not going to look like the AP Poll. Open your eyes to see a different view of evaluating the top 10. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. After the preseason rankings, only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games.

I re-rank the top 10 every Sunday from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change, sometimes drastically every week because we will have new information. So make sure to come back every Sunday. For reference, you can check College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 14.

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 15:

Next Up: Wisconsin, Penn State, Minnesota, Alabama,

Alabama has not earned top 10 status. They have only played two top 25 teams and lost to them both. And they have ZERO quality wins and didn’t play Georgia or Florida. So, while they only have two losses, and are a crazy talented team, nothing about their resume says they 100% would beat any team on this list.

10. Oregon Ducks (10-2)

Last Week: 24-10 (W) vs Oregon State

Johnny Johnson III Oregon Ducks wide receiver 2019

A win is a win. Weirdly the Ducks offense has been inconsistent over the last three games. They have been stout defensively in two of the three so they were able to win those two games. Their dreams of the CFB Playoff are dead for 2019, but their Rose Bowl dreams are still alive. However, they are six-point underdogs heading into the Pac-12 Championship.

9. Auburn (9-3)

Last Week: 48-45 (W) vs Alabama

The only thing holding Auburn back all year has been Bo Nix. There is still hope for his future, but they have won more in spite of him more than because of him. The Tigers defense has been top tier all year despite the offense continuously putting them in bad spots against good teams. If Auburn had either true freshman QB Kedon Slovis (USC) or Jayden Daniels (ASU) they would be undefeated or at the very least in the top four.

A lot of Auburn fans are always calling for Gus Malzahn’s job but he and Dabo Swinney are the only two coaches to beat Nick Saban two of the last three times they faced him. The best part is that he outsmarted Nick Saban last week.

8. Florida (10-2)

Last Week: 40-17 (W) vs Florida State

Slow and steady is winning the race for Florida. Dan Mullen has Florida back as a top 10 team. No one expected this team to be in the conversation for a national championship, but they will absolutely be in 2020. They also won the state of Florida. The Gators knocked off Miami and destroyed Florida State in the same season. Recruiting should be fun with all those bragging rights.

7. Baylor (11-1)

Last Week: 61-6 (W) Kansas

Baylor Bears

I really believed Baylor would finish 10-2 like Minnesota, but they have shown they are in it for the long haul. When you look at their CFB Playoff resume, their non-conference schedule leaves a lot to be desired ( SFA, UTSA, Rice). But if an 11-1 Alabama without a conference championship would have been in the conversation, why not Baylor and a Big XII Championship?

Name brands mean a lot in college football. It is hard for people outside of Waco, Tx to wrap their minds around the fact that Baylor may be one of the four best teams.

6. Oklahoma Sooners (11-1)

Last Week: 34-16 (W) at Oklahoma State

Oklahoma finally has a dominating performance against a good team. Better late than never, but never late is better. It might just be at the right time to impress the CFB Playoff committee. A dominating performance against Baylor in the Big XII championship might provide the Sooners the momentum to leapfrog Utah and Georgia if they lose the SEC Championship.

Lincoln Riley has the Sooners peaking at the right time. The only thing I’m sad about this season is that we won’t get to see Jalen Hurts and Tua play against each other. It would have been far and away the most-watched college football game this season.

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5. Utah (11-1)

Last Week: 45-15 (W) vs Colorado

Utah has crushed every team in their path since their loss to USC. No team has been able to withstand the defensive onslaught that the Utes bring. They are physical, tough, and well-coached. If Utah makes it to the top four, whoever they play will underestimate them and be in for a rude awakening.

Tyler Huntley may be having the best season of any quarterback in the Pac-12. Some are even arguing they are better than the Oregon Ducks. If you haven’t watched Utah play, Florida would be a really good comparison except UF has more explosive wide receivers.

4. Georgia Bulldogs (11-1)

Last Week: 52-7 (W) at Georgia Tech

Georgia Bulldogs College Football Rankings Top 10

UGA made Georgia Tech look more like a November cupcake game than a rivalry game. The Bulldogs got the win but suffered major damage in the process. D’Andre Swift was injured, Lawrence Cager is out, and George Pickens is suspended for the first half of the SEC Championship for fighting.

Not only does Georgia have to win to make the playoff, but they also have to do so short-handed. If they win, where do you seed them? Could LSU and Georgia play in the first round of the playoff, or could LSU get bounced out?

3. Clemson Tigers (12-0)

Last Week: 38-3 (W) at South Carolina

Clemson is ready and they are mad. Dabo timing was perfect for his rallying cry to his team. They feel like underdogs and like everyone is waiting for them to fail. In reality, Clemson has won 27 straight games. In past years the committee would have ranked them #1 because they were the reigning champs who hadn’t lost. I love that they are basing the rankings on this season and week to week like the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 15 As it Should Be.

I have long believed that the two best teams in the country are Ohio State and Clemson. But, if the best team didn’t earn their spot, they don’t get it.

2. LSU (12-0)

Last Week: 50-7 (W) vs Texas A&M

Joe Burrow Joe Burreaux LSU Ap Poll

Joe Burrow, or should I call him Joe Burreaux? The man has cemented himself an LSU legend. He is the QB who turned the tide on Alabama, reshaped LSU’s offense, and will win the Heisman trophy. The Tigers’ defense clearly heard all the chirping from the outside about the amount of 30-point games they have surrendered. They put a hurting on Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher’s team didn’t even look like they belonged on the same field. Had Ohio State not crushed a much better football team than LSU, the top spot would have been different.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0)

Last Week: 56-27 (W) at Michigan

The Ohio State faithful were nervous they had suffered the same fate as Alabama when Justin Fields went down grabbing his knee. But, then he rose from the ashes like a phoenix and threw a pinpoint touchdown pass. JK Dobbins looks unstoppable running the football. The pass rush is spectacular and deserving of all the praise and attention they receive. Now, they cannot let it slip against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game.

They deserve the #1 spot of the College Football Top 10 Rankings As It Should Be.

Check back next Sunday morning for the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 14.

2019 Apple Cup Full Breakdown: WSU Fizzles and UW Dominates

WSU Started Out Hot

Even though the Apple Cup was in Seattle, the Washington State Cougars began with a bang. They took the ball 81 yards down the field on a patient, 13-play drive. Capping the drive off with a Max Borghi one-yard touchdown, WSU looked great.

Then, the Cougars defense sacked Jacob Eason on his first offensive play. They held strong and forced the Huskies to a three-and-out on their first possession. Ball goes back to the Cougs and they’re already leading 7-0.

The stage was set for a WSU upset in the Apple Cup. Anthony Gordon looked comfortable, patient and was willing to take what the defense gave him. Mike Leach schemed up open looks and it was perfect weather for the Air Raid offense. 41 degrees, sunny and no wind.

But, everything changed after that.

Anthony Gordon’s Dreadful Apple Cup Performance

Although Gordon’s 103.0 Passing Efficiency Rating against Utah in Week 5 was poor, that was at least against an elite defense and the Pac-12’s best team. But, even though the Washington Huskies played exceptionally well, they are no Utah. Somehow, the Huskies held Gordon to 308 yards and zero touchdowns on 62 attempts, while intercepting two of his passes. So why did Gordon struggle so much in this Apple Cup?

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Offensive Line Issues

Up until the Apple Cup, Washington State ranked first in the FBS in Sack Rate, per footballoutsiders. Their 2.1-percent Sack Rate was phenomenal. Keeping Anthony Gordon upright was standard procedure. Just 13 sacks on 585 attempts. Their line was top-notch.

However, against the Huskies, they fell apart. Washington consistently pressured Gordon and sacked him five times. In just one game, they accounted for 28-percent of all sacks against WSU this season. Joe Tryon, Edeguan Ulofoshio and Ryan Bowman took Gordon down for negative-45 yards and a forced fumble on their five sacks.

Even more impressive, they delivered back-to-back sacks on the Cougars fourth drive. After starting out leading 7-0 and playing with a lead, Gordon’s fourth drive was a nightmare. Down 10-14, sacked twice in a row and throwing from his own end zone on 3rd-and-27. The Huskies manhandled WSU’s line time and time again.

UW’s Secondary

Even after a poor Apple Cup showing, Anthony Gordon still leads the FBS in passing yards (5,228) and touchdowns (45). In fact, his 5,228 passing yards is almost 1,000 yards better than Joe Burrow’s second-ranked 4,366 yards. Yet, against UW, he couldn’t get anything going after their opening drive.

Check-Down King

Call it preparation, home-field advantage or the Chris Petersen edge. Whatever it is, the Cougars consistently fail in the Apple Cup. In Peterson’s own words. the Cougars “run the same offense every week.” Because of this, preparation was simple and all the Huskies needed to do was execute their game-plan.

In their game plan, they often dropped eight into coverage and only rushed three. UW’s secondary gave up nothing deep and forced Gordon to check passes down. It was a rare occasion to see even an attempt, let alone a reception downfield. Instead, Max Borghi led the team with 12 receptions. Then, when Gordon actually tried to make something happen, he threw into a sea of defenders.

Offensively, the Cougars came into the Apple Cup with all the counting stats. But, UW matched up in perfection. They covered downfield, gave their defensive line time to get to Gordon, forced everything short and kept Gordon fearful of taking shots.

Jacob Eason Let’s it Fly in the Apple Cup

Unlike Anthony Gordon, Jacob Eason and the Huskies were willing to take chances downfield. And it paid off in spectacular fashion.

Though Jacob Eason started off the game with a sack, a deep incompletion and a three-and-out, he kept his gunslinger attitude. He took advantage of Terrell Bynum’s speed and hit him for 57-yards on their first touchdown drive.

More importantly, Eason and the Huskies maintained their confidence, even with more issues. Remember that Eason started off the game with a three-and-out, missing on a deep shot. Then, in the second quarter, he overthrew a wide-open Hunter Bryant and was then bailed out on a deep overthrow because of a penalty. Aside from his earlier 57-yard connection with Bynum, it appeared that Eason’s inaccuracy was hurting the Huskies. But, they continued to put faith in Eason and their receivers.

Again and again, it paid dividends. While the Cougars lacked downfield threats or ability, the Huskies took advantage of their Apple Cup matchup. Not only that, but UW finally utilized their talent properly. Hunter Bryant led the team in receptions and yards, which completely makes sense given his talent.

But, unlike prior games where Aaron Fuller and Chico McClatcher took up targets and space, sophomores Terrell Bynum and Cade Otton got involved. Their combined 6 receptions for 123 yards and one touchdown were huge. They made play after play, getting first downs, yards after the catch, or making difficult catches.

The Huskies Won the Apple Cup by Sticking with Their Gunslinger

It took Anthony Gordon 62 attempts to reach 308 passing yards. On the opposite sideline, Eason threw just 22 times, but compiled 244 yards and led his team to four touchdowns. The Huskies leaned into Eason’s gunslinging style and schemed up ways to get his receivers one-on-one matchups downfield. Even though Eason missed some throws and Bryant and Bynum dropped passes, they stuck with it.

Unlike this, the Cougars collapsed and failed to adjust. Gordon was afraid to throw it deep and continued to dump it off to his safety valves. His passes routinely traveled to the short-middle or the flats.

If Mike Leach ever wants to win an Apple Cup, he needs to make adjustments and have a backup plan. It was clear that he didn’t have that on Friday.

Top 5 College Football Playoff Storylines Heading Into Week 14

After three months, the college football regular season comes down to one final week. No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 LSU, and No. 3 Clemson all control their own destiny. You could say that No. 4 Georgia also controls their own destiny as well since they will play LSU in the SEC Championship. However, teams like No. 5 Alabama, No. 6. Utah, and No. 7 Oklahoma will need some help to move up in the College Football Playoff rankings.

This past Tuesday, the committee revealed their latest playoff rankings*. The top five remain the same, but a string of one-loss teams sit at 6-9.

For comparison, my College Football Playoff after Week 13 includes:

  1. LSU
  2. Ohio State
  3. Clemson
  4. Georgia

I don’t believe in moving a team back after a win so LSU is still my number one. That doesn’t mean they’re better than Ohio State, but LSU has better quality wins so they’re still my top team. The regular season comes to an end with rivalry weekend. The marquee games include Ohio State taking on Michigan and Alabama traveling to Auburn. Here are the Top 5 CFP storylines heading into Week 14.

Can Ohio State Complete A Dominant Regular Season?

This year’s Ohio State team is approaching all-time great territory. Before the Penn State game, the Buckeyes had won every game by at least 24 points. Last week was easily Ohio State’s worst game of the season and they still won by double digits. Now, Justin Fields (who may be injured), Chase Young, and co. must go to the Big House and take on a hot Michigan team. If Ohio State goes to Michigan and dominates the Wolverines, the Buckeyes will move into the top 10 of the greatest college teams of all time.

Can LSU reclaim the top spot?

Last weekend, LSU destroyed Arkansas by 36 points and yet Ohio State surpassed the Tigers in the rankings. Neither Ohio State nor LSU wants to play Clemson, who will be the third seed if both the Buckeyes and Tigers win out. So both teams still want to impress the committee these final two weeks. Ohio State has the upper hand this week because beating Michigan on the road will go farther than LSU beating Texas A&M in Baton Rouge. That being said, if LSU knocks off Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, then the Tigers could catapult past the Buckeyes back to number one. Keep an eye on LSU this weekend to see if they run up the score to gain style points with the committee.

Utah Has A Path To The College Football Playoff

Simply put, Utah is the real deal. The Utes have the third-ranked defense in the country have allowed 7 points or less in five out of six games. Utah should get past Colorado this weekend and enter the Pac-12 Championship game at 11-1. Oregon’s loss hurt’s Utah’s resume, but it’s not a deal-breaker. Can Utah jump Alabama in the standings if the Utes are 12-1 with a Pac-12 Championship and the Tide are 11-1 with no conference title? The answer should be yes, but I’m not convinced it will happen. What Utah needs to do is dominate Colorado and then blow out Oregon in order to convince the committee they belong in the playoff.

Wisconsin And Minnesota Play For A Spot In The Big Ten Championship

The Big Ten West comes down to the last game of the regular season as No. 12 Wisconsin plays No. 8 Minnesota for the Paul Bunyan Axe. Last year, Minnesota defeated Wisconsin for the first time since 2003. This year, the stakes are even higher as the Gophers still have a fighter’s chance to make the playoff. Expect a low scoring game with an emphasis on ball control as both teams rank in the top five for time of possession.

Who Will Be The Top Group Of Five Team To End The Season?

The teams who will play in the New Year’s Six is starting to take shape, but which team will be from the Group of Five? Currently, the highest-ranked Group of Five team is No. 18 Memphis. After that comes No. 19 Cincinnati. Fittingly, Cincinnatti plays Memphis on Friday night with huge AAC implications on the line. If Memphis wins, they will play Cincinnatti at home for the AAC Championship next week. If Cincinnatti wins, then the game will be in Cincinnatti against either Navy if the Midshipmen win against Houston. If Navy loses, then Memphis will face Cincinnati in the title game. Tune in for Round 1 on Friday.

Bonus Storyline: Alabama Is Still Alive

Do not count out the Crimson Tide just yet. Alabama is more than alive for the playoff. The Tide are ranked fifth in the country and are on the outside looking in. If they get past Auburn in the Iron Bowl, they will have to sit and wait for the conference championships to finish. I’m not so sure that Utah, Oklahoma, Minnesota, or Baylor can pass the Tide in the rankings. We will know more after this weekend.

What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 14? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow, or email us at immad@unafraidshow.com.

*Rankings used in this article are from the latest College Football Playoff Rankings.

James Wiseman Decision and the NIL Compensation Timeline Proves NCAA is not Rushing to Change

NCAA Name Image Likeness James Wiseman

The NCAA has done it again! The billion-dollar non-profit organization demonstrated twice last week that it’s primary objective is protecting the sham of amateurism. First, the NCAA proved that it will be dedicated to protecting their self proclaimed noble objective even when it makes no sense and hurts it’s beloved “student-athletes”. The NCAA’s ruling in the James Wiseman case does exactly that. It makes no sense and is harmful to James Wiseman. Secondly, the NCAA demonstrated that they have no intention of allowing college athletes to “benefit” from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) anytime soon when they released their NIL compensation timeline. In their announcement, the NCAA reaffirmed that any college athlete NIL compensation will be consistent with the current “collegiate model.”

The James Wiseman Ruling

Chase Young James Wiseman

The NCAA ruled that potential number one NBA draft pick, James Wiseman, will serve a 12 game suspension and donate $11,500 to charity for a transaction that transpired between Wiseman’s mother and Penny Hardaway. When Wiseman was in high school Penny Hardaway gave his mother $11,500 for moving expenses. At the time, Wiseman was unaware of the transaction between Hardaway and his mother. Hardaway was not Wiseman’s coach although he later became Wiseman’s high school and college coach. Even though Wiseman did not have anything to do with the moving expenses Hardaway gave to his mother, the NCAA decided that he should be punished anyway. How does this make sense?

The answer is that it does not make common sense, it only makes NCAA sense. Per the NCAA’s rules, it is reasonable for Wiseman to serve a 12 game suspension for something he did not do. It is reasonable to require a “student-athlete” to pay what amounts to an $11,500 fine to a charity for an “impermissible benefit”. This is reasonable from an NCAA perspective because no college athlete is allowed to receive any benefit that is not NCAA approved. From a common-sense perspective, this punishment is completely irrational. A rational person would wonder why is Wiseman being punished? He did not do anything wrong. A rational person would also ask where is a “student-athlete” supposed to get that kind of money?

How Can James Wiseman get the Money Without Violating the NCAA’s Rules?

Wiseman’s sport does not allow him enough time to work to earn that kind of money. Perhaps, his family or a close friend could loan it to him. No, that will not work because that is not permissible, just ask Chase Young. Perhaps, random people could donate the money to Wiseman through GoFundMe like ESPN analyst Jay Williams called for people to do.

This seems like a plausible way for Wiseman to get the money. People who feel that Wiseman has been wronged could offer a helping hand. There is only one problem with this approach. Wiseman would not be able to accept the money because accepting the money would likely result in another NCAA violation. Really, what is Wiseman to do to pay this excessive fine that the NCAA has placed on him all in the name “amateurism”?

The NCAA’s NIL Compensation Timeline is a Stalling Tactic​

In addition to the James Wiseman decision, the NCAA showed its resistance to change when it released it’s NIL timeline. When the NCAA released its very lengthy NIL compensation timeline it became clear that the NCAA is stalling. Per the timeline, the NCAA will not vote on the issue until January 2021. This should come as no surprise. Afterall the NCAA is only addressing the issue after being forced to.

NCAA Name Image Likeness NIL Pay college athletes

The NCAA was Forced to Address NIL Compensation

The NCAA formed a working group to address issues surrounding college athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation. They were forced to address the issue under pressure from several state legislatures that introduced bills seeking to allow college athlete NIL compensation. The NCAA also faced pressure from Congress as Congressman Mark Walker introduced the Student-Athlete Equity Act. In October, California became the first state to allow college athlete NIL compensation when Governor Newsom signed the Fair Pay to Play Act into law. In October, the NCAA released the findings of the NIL working group. However, the NCAA is not going down without a fight.

When the working group’s findings were released, it became clear that the NCAA is still trying to retain as much power as possible. It has also become clear that the NCAA is going to give college athletes as little rights as possible. The NCAA is dedicated to retaining the current “collegiate model”. The findings did not provide much clarity on the NCAA’s stance on the issue. In fact, it only led to more questions. It seemed like a stalling tactic to slow the momentum of the progress of the NIL compensation movement. The timeline proves that it is a stalling tactic. However, their tactics are not working as Florida is considering legislation that could allow college athletes to profit from their NIL as early as July 2020.

Wiseman’s Decision and the NCAA’s NIL Compensation Timeline Demonstrates that the NCAA will not Change

The NCAA’s decision in Wiseman’s case and the NIL compensation timeline proves that the NCAA is not genuine in making meaningful changes in college sports. The NCAA is only willing to take half measures. The NCAA only wants to give the appearance of change. Their primary concern is retaining control of their billion-dollar cash cow. The NCAA remains dedicated to their cause, even when it is so clearly wrong. Their decision in the James Wiseman case is clearly wrong. The NCAA’s primary motive is showing that they are still in control and dedicated to preserving amateurism at all cost. Once again, the NCAA has proven that some sort of legislation is necessary to push the college athletes’ rights movement forward.

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 14 As it Should Be

College Football Top 10 Rankings

Welcome to the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 14 As it Should Be. Firstly, the SEC November cupcake scheduling is so ridiculous. In November, teams are competing for playoff spots and New Years Six Bowl games while SEC schools are playing East Tenn, Western Carolina, UT-Martin, Abilene Christian, New Mexico St., and Western Carolina. To make it even worse, their fans co-sign it which makes ZERO sense to me. Why do they want to waste their time or money watching that? When a team stacks a November cupcake on top of a poor schedule, there’s no way they should be in the CFB Playoff.

There is always a huge debate surrounding the CFB Playoffs. Should the four best teams be in or the four most deserving teams? I would argue those are one in the same. The best teams are the ones that jump through all the obstacles in their way. Teams should get what they earn. If you schedule poorly in the non-conference, don’t win your conference, and only have one ranked win then you should NOT be in the top four. The amount of talent on your team, who your coach is, and your playoff history should have no bearing the rankings.

Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have an 8-team playoff? The five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team would get automatic bids. The two remaining spots would be at-large bids.

Rankings should be fair and unbiased, but that’s not the world we live in when preseason polls ultimately affect the final rankings.

I always talk about how big of an advantage playing eight conference games is for the ACC and SEC. In addition to the math that forces more losses within the conference, there is a grinding element to playing nine conference games. Injuries mount during the season and have a huge impact on a team’s record. Imagine if Alabama were playing Missouri, Miss St (again), or Florida this weekend instead of Western Carolina. All the injuries they have would affect the outcome. This is what happens in the Big Ten, Pac-12, and Big-12.

College Football Playoff

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 14 As it Should Be

After two sets of CFB Playoff Committee rankings, we have more information to put playoff scenarios together. So here is how it should shake out at this point. Check back here on Tuesday for the Road to the Playoff series where we examine every team’s path to the top 4.

  1. SEC Champion- LSU and Georgia will play in the SEC championship. The conference could make a case for two teams if 1-loss UGA beats LSU.
  2. Undefeated or 1-loss Big Ten Winner– (Ohio State/Minnesota): The only thing that could mess up the Big Ten selection is if 2-loss Wisconsin wins the Big Ten Championship. But if Minnesota beats OSU in the Big Ten Championship they will have a case for two teams as well.
  3. Clemson– They have no competition in the ACC so they will finish undefeated with a string of blowout victories.
  4. Utah– Oregon hurt the Pac-12’s chances by messing up the battle of 1-loss top six teams in the Pac-12 championship. But Utah will get real consideration if they can beat Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship.
  5. Oklahoma– Everybody canceled Oklahoma when they lost to K-State but three weeks later they are right back in the playoff mix. Beat OKSt and Baylor in the Big-12 Championship and have Georgia and Utah lose and they may be in.

The Rules: No Bias, No Bull College Football Rankings

There is no more unbiased ranking out there than Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6. I get criticized from time to time by people who only want to see the college football world through the lens of the AP Poll. These rankings are not going to look like the AP Poll. Open your eyes to see a different view of evaluating the top 10. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. After the preseason rankings, only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games.

I re-rank the top 10 every Sunday from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change, sometimes drastically every week because we will have new information. So make sure to come back every Sunday. For reference, you can check College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 12.

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 13:

Next Up: Baylor, Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Auburn

10. Oregon Ducks (9-2)

Last Week: 28-31 (L) at Arizona State

College Football

Horrible loss for Oregon, but still not worse than the loss Georgia suffered against South Carolina. Arizona State is going to a bowl game. Justin Herbert played awful and for the first time all season, the Ducks defense gave up big plays. After being down 24-7 in the fourth quarter, Oregon fought back and showed why they are a top tier college football team. Justin Herbert has easily the worst two interceptions of his career.

Their dreams of the CFB Playoff are dead for 2019, but their Rose Bowl dreams are still alive. However, going through Utah will NOT be easy.

9. Penn State (9-2)

Last Week: 17-28 (L) at Ohio State

It wasn’t pretty against Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions did put up a good fight. It’s hard to knock Penn State for an 11-point road loss to the best team in college football. There was a point in the 3rd quarter game where they were down one score with the football. The team was largely ineffective on drop-back passes because Chase Young had set up a campsite in the PSU backfield. However, after QB Sean Clifford went down with an injury, Will Levis stepped in an played well. Some of the Penn State fans and media wonder if he should be the starter for the remainder of the season.

This is still a very good football team, just not one of the top four. However, if there were an 8 team playoff, PSU would warrant serious consideration.

8. Minnesota (10-1)

Last Week: 38-22 (W) at Northwestern

Good thing we have the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 14 As it Should Be. It is inexplicable how the committee ranked Penn State in front of Minnesota last week. Minnesota literally beat them two weeks before. It would be different if the game had been played in September and there was a lot more information in between.

The Golden Gophers still control their own playoff destiny. Wins against Wisconsin this weekend and Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship with absolutely land them in the top four.

7. Oklahoma Sooners (10-1)

Last Week: 28-24 (W) vs TCU

This week Oklahoma remembered how to play football in the first half. Jalen Hurts didn’t pass the ball particularly well (11-21, 145 yds), but his legs more than made up for it (173 yds 2 TD).

A lot of people thought Oklahoma and the Big 12 were completely out of the playoffs but chaos is striking. If the Sooners can beat ranked Oklahoma State and Baylor in the next two weeks, Alabama loses to Auburn, and Oregon beat Utah in the Pac-12 Championship the path is clear.

Check out our Pac-12 Football Podcast, Pac-12 Apostles:

Listen on any Podcast Platform: Anchor // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // PocketCasts // Google Play // Stitcher // RadioPublic

6. Utah (10-1)

Last Week: 35-7 (W) vs Arizona

Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 8

No team in the country is beating down opponents like Utah. This team is NASTY on defense. They are the boa constrictor that wraps around a team and just squeezes every bit of life out of them. It’s time to stop sleeping on Utah. No one is giving them the respect they deserve except the College Football Rankings Top 10 As It Should Be. They haven’t received 1/10 of the coverage as any team in the top 15. Whoever they play in the bowl game will be in for a rude awakening. Their defense has only allowed over 13 points three times this season and has held six opponents to single digits.

Tyler Huntley may be having the best season of any quarterback in the Pac-12. Some are even arguing they are better than the Oregon Ducks. If you haven’t watched Utah play, Florida would be a really good comparison except UF has more explosive wide receivers.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1)

Last Week: 66-3 (W) vs Western Carolina

There was nothing to be learned about Alabama or gained from playing Western Carolina. It was a glorified bye week for the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban could have scheduled an intrasquad scrimmage that was more competitive. Mac Jones replaced Tua and averaged 27.5 yards per completion. Most of them were short passes that the army of 1st round receivers turned into big plays.

Good thing they schedule that “November Cupcake” game to get healthy before Iron Bowl. When will SEC fans grow tired of wasting their time and season ticket money on games like this?

4. Georgia Bulldogs (10-1)

Last Week: 19-13 (W) vs Texas A&M

Georgia Bulldogs College Football Rankings Top 10

The Bulldogs pulled out a close one against Texas A&M. It was not pretty but ultimately any win against a solid opponent in a good win. They are fully battle-tested and will give LSU a run for their money in the SEC Championship. At this point, there is no other team that could have an argument to be ahead of UGA. For their last trick, they must beat Georgia Tech this weekend.

Ultimately, Georgia’s undoing will be the same thing that has plagued them every year under Kirby Smart. They are too conservative. They won’t be able to run their way to an SEC championship or CFB Playoff Championship. Jake Fromm will have to show is elite and not just a game manager. The best teams won’t allow them to run the football at the level they are accustomed too. And the best opponents will score enough points to make the Bulldogs throw the ball more than 30 times.

3. Clemson Tigers (11-0)

Last Week: IDLE

Dabo Swinney had another week off to fine-tune his well-oiled machine. Everything I have seen this season tells me Clemson and Ohio State are in a class of their own. LSU is an elite team, but their defense is not up to the job of beating either one of them.

There is no way South Carolina, who beat Georgia, stays within three touchdowns of Clemson this weekend. This team just feels like a veteran NBA team that coasts throughout the regular season but starts getting prepared for a championship push late in the season.

As a college football fan, I’m hoping Clemson and Ohio State is not one of the semi-final matchups in the CFB Playoff. It would suck for the two teams I believe are the best to play each other first. Wouldn’t Ohio State vs Clemson be a helluva national championship game?

2. LSU (11-0)

Last Week: 56-20 (W) vs Arkansas

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 3 As it Should Be

Not only did LSU beat Alabama, but they scheduled better too. No November cupcake for the Tigers. Even though Arkansas is awful, it was still an SEC opponent. Joe Burrow added another 300+ yard, three touchdown performance to his Heisman Trophy campaign. At this point, why would anyone else even be invited to the ceremony? Tua is hurt, Chase Young missed two games, Justin Herbert was awful last weekend. There is no one else who could possibly win.

Coach O has a very tough job in front of him now. It is national championship or bust for LSU now. So, he has to find a way to keep his team focused and away from reading their headlines. Any stumble from here on out will ruin their great season.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0)

Last Week: 28-17 (W) vs Penn State

The Buckeyes check all the boxes: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance.

The most complete team in college football is back the #1 team in college football. Ohio State actually helped Penn State stay in the ball game with three lost fumbles. Justin Fields only threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns but there were a couple throws he made that NFL scouts were salivating over. After watching this season Fields is clearly better than Jake Fromm at Georgia. Chase Young came back from his suspension against Penn State and was still the best player on the field.

No matter who you can a fan of, an honest man can’t tell you he’s seen a better team than O-H-I-O State in 2019?

They deserve the #1 spot of the College Football Top 10 Rankings As It Should Be.

Check back next Sunday morning for the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 14.

Top 5 College Football Playoff Storylines Heading Into Week 13

What a difference a week makes in the race for the College Football Playoff. Last week, I declared No. 15 Auburn the most important team in the country. After their loss to No. 4 Georgia, Auburn is still the most important team in the country. Auburn’s loss hurt No. 6 Oregon’s and No. 5 Alabama’s (who has bigger problems) resume, but it strengthed No. 4 Georgia’s body of work.

This past Tuesday, the committee revealed their latest playoff rankings*. The top 6 remained the same as a week ago.

For comparison, my College Football Playoff includes:

  1. LSU
  2. Ohio State
  3. Clemson
  4. Oregon

This weekend is highlighted by the “Big Ten Game of The Year,” No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 2 Ohio State. Can Penn State get back into the top 5 or will Ohio State surpass LSU for the top overall seed? Here are the Top 5 CFP storylines heading into Week 13.

Who Will Take Control Of The Big Ten East?

Penn State is the 8th ranked team in the playoff rankings. The Nittany Lions are no slouch. That being said, do you want to know the line for Saturday’s game? Penn State is an 18.5 point underdog against Ohio State. EIGHTEEN AND A HALF POINT UNDERDOG! Is Penn State not as good as we think or is Ohio State a lot better than we think? I’m leaning towards the Buckeyes being a superior team. Plus, Ohio State will welcome back top prospect Chase Young. Despite Penn State having a loss, if they beat Ohio State, the Nittany Lions will be in the driver’s seat of the Big Ten Championship. If Ohio State wins, the Buckeyes will play in the conference title game.

Life Without Tua

Tua Tagovailoa / Getty/Wesley Hitt

Tua Tagovailoa suffering a season-ending hip injury not only sucks for Alabama fans, but for college football fans in general. It’s a devastating blow for college football. That being said, all hope is not lost. The Crimson Tide are still one of the nation’s top teams even with backup quarterback Mac Jones under center. Alabama plays the little sisters’ of the poor (Western Carolina) on Saturday before traveling to Auburn next week. Don’t count out Alabama for the playoff just yet.

Bounce Back Game For Minnesota

I’m going to sit here and say No. 10 Minnesota was a fraudulent team. That’s not the case. Iowa is a tough place to play. Just ask Ohio State and Michigan how hard it is to win at Kinnick Stadium. There are no moral victories in losses, but Minnesota proved to me that they’re capable of being a force in the Big Ten West for years to come. That being said, their magical season is intact. If they defeat Northwestern on Saturday, the Gophers will have a winner-take-all game next week against No. 12 Wisconsin. Will the boat row into Wisconsin with only one blemish?

Can Baylor Ever Recover?

Move over, Atlanta Falcons. There’s a new member of the “28-3” club. Last Saturday night, Baylor was about to change the trajectory of its program. Up 28-3 in the second quarter and 31-10 at halftime, the Bears were in cruise control. Then, Jalen Hurts and the Sooners took over and mounted an improbable comeback, capped off by a field goal with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter to win, 34-31. I can’t even put into words how devastating of a loss that was for Baylor. However, their season is not over. They can still clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship with a win over Texas on Saturday. To add fuel to the fire, Oklahoma will most likely be their opponent in the conference title. Revenge game, anyone?

State Of The Pac-12

Oregon and No. 7 Utah are both 9-1 and sit atop of the Pac-12 North and Pac-12 South respectively. Both teams hit the road this weekend as Oregon plays Arizona State and Utah takes on Arizona. If both are 11-1 heading into the Pac-12 Championship, the winner of that game should make the College Football Playoff. The keyword is “should.” If you’re 100% convinced that the winner of the Pac-12 title game will make the playoff, then you haven’t followed college football the past five seasons. If Alabama is sitting at 11-1 at the end of the season, you’re crazy if you don’t think the committee will consider putting the Tide in. To be honest, the committee probably wants to put in Alabama over a Pac-12 champion. It’s a harsh reality, but it’s the truth. It’s not fair, but neither is life.

What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 13? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow, or email us at immad@unafraidshow.com.

*Rankings used in this article are from the latest College Football Playoff Rankings.

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 13 As it Should Be

College Football Top 10

Welcome to the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 13 As it Should Be. Every year there is always talk about the potential for chaos. This season looks like it might just happen. What happens if Georgia beats LSU in the SEC championship, Minnesota beats Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, Oregon dominates Utah in the Pac-12 championship, Oklahoma finishes 12-1, and Alabama looks good with Mac Jones at QB? How can the committee possibly figure out who the four best/most deserving teams are?

Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have an 8-team playoff? The five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team would get automatic bids. The two remaining spots would be at-large bids.

Rankings should be fair and unbiased, but that’s not the world we live in when preseason polls ultimately affect the final rankings.

I always talk about how big of an advantage playing eight conference games is for the ACC and SEC. In addition to the math that forces more losses within the conference, there is a grinding element to playing nine conference games. Injuries mount during the season and have a huge impact on a team’s record. Imagine if Alabama were playing Missouri, Miss St (again), or Florida this weekend instead of Western Carolina. All the injuries they have would affect the outcome. This is what happens in the Big Ten, Pac-12, and Big-12.

College Football Playoff

After two sets of CFB Playoff Committee rankings, we have more information to put playoff scenarios together. So here is how it should shake out at this point. Check back here on Tuesday for the Road to the Playoff series where we examine every team’s path to the top 4.

  1. SEC Champion- LSU and Georgia have the inside track to play in the SEC championship. The conference could make a case for two teams if 1-loss UGA beats LSU.
  2. Undefeated or 1-loss Big Ten Winner– (Ohio State/Minnesota/Penn State): The only thing that could mess up the Big Ten selection is if 2-loss Wisconsin wins the Big Ten Championship.
  3. Clemson– They have no competition in the ACC so they will finish undefeated with a string of blowout victories.
  4. Pac-12 Champion– (Oregon/Utah) If both teams finish the season 11-1 the conference championship game will feature a top 10 showdown. And both teams are playing exceptional football right now.

The Big 12 is in trouble. Oklahoma can’t play offense or defense in the first-half for the last three weeks and there are no signature wins possible to jump other teams.

The Rules: No Bias, No Bull College Football Rankings

There is no more unbiased ranking out there than Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6. I get criticized from time to time by people who only want to see the college football world through the lens of the AP Poll. These rankings are not going to look like the AP Poll. Open your eyes to see a different view of evaluating the top 10. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. After the preseason rankings, only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games.

I re-rank the top 10 every Sunday from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change, sometimes drastically every week because we will have new information. So make sure to come back every Sunday. For reference, you can check College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 12.

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 13:

Next Up: Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Auburn

10. Penn State (9-1)

Last Week: 34-27 (W) vs Indiana

College Football Penn State

James Franklin’s team bounced back from the Minnesota loss with a win, but they got ZERO style points. Indiana is a good football team at 7-3, but Ohio State beat them 52-10. They received low marks for dominance but got a solid win. The Nittany Lions are just too limited offensively to compete for a national championship. Sean Clifford has only thrown for over 200 yards once in the last five games. That just won’t cut it against the elite teams.

Everything is on the line for Penn State this week at Ohio State. Might they shock the world?

It’s hard to move up the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 13 As it Should Be when you have a dog fight against an unranked team, everyone who was looked at as better dominated, and the team that beat you lost a close game against a ranked team.

9. Minnesota (9-1)

Last Week: 19-23 (L) at Iowa

Playing against Iowa’s defense will make any offense look like a shell of itself. The Golden Gophers found themselves down 20-3 before they could get their feet underneath them. This game felt like the complete opposite of their game against Penn State. Iowa jumped out big, Minnesota came roaring back but didn’t have enough in the tank to get it done.

Minnesota has games against Northwestern and Wisconsin left. Both have turned into must-wins if they are to keep their CFB Playoff hopes alive.

8. Oklahoma Sooners (9-1)

Last Week: 34-31 (W) vs Baylor

Top 5 College Football Playoff Storylines Heading Into Week 3

Oklahoma forgot how to start football games. The Sooners have nine lives. I wish Oklahoma had a difference mascot so I could call them the “cardiac cats”. For the second week in a row, the Sooners have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. There is a finite number of times you can successfully execute big second-half comebacks. Two Saturdays ago, they barely outlasted Iowa State. Last Saturday they broke Baylor fans’ hearts after coming back from a 31-3 hole.

If it weren’t for UCLA coming back from a 32-point late 3rd quarter deficit to win, OU’s comeback would have been by far the best of the year.

Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch are playing with fire with their defense. Over the last three weeks, second-half Oklahoma looks like a playoff team. First-half Oklahoma shouldn’t even be a top 25 team.

Check out our Pac-12 Football Podcast, Pac-12 Apostles:

Listen on any Podcast Platform: Anchor // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // PocketCasts // Google Play // Stitcher // RadioPublic

7. Utah (9-1)

Last Week: 49-3 (W) vs UCLA

Every college football analyst in the country is sleeping on Utah. No one is giving them the respect they deserve except the College Football Rankings Top 10 As It Should Be. They haven’t received 1/10 of the coverage as even Minnesota who doesn’t get a lot. Whoever they play in the bowl game will be in for a rude awakening. Their defense has only allowed over 13 points three times this season and has held five opponents to single digits.

Tyler Huntley may be having the best season of any quarterback in the Pac-12. Some are even arguing they are better than the Oregon Ducks. If you haven’t watched Utah play, Florida would be a really good comparison except UF has more explosive wide receivers.

6. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1)

Last Week: 38-7 (W) at Mississippi State

I believe Bama is better than UGA and maybe Oregon, but how would I know? They have only played one good team, LSU, and they lost to them. Don’t even start with that “close game” nonsense. North Carolina played a close game with Clemon. Those two teams aren’t even in the same stratosphere.

Alabama won the game but it feels like they lost the war. Went Tua Tagovailoa was laying on the ground it was evident that this injury was not like his ankle injury. This was extremely serious. It turns out he has a dislocated hip. The injury is similar to the one that ended Bo Jackson’s career.

There were at least three other Alabama players who were injured in the game and didn’t return. Good thing they schedule that “November Cupcake” game to get healthy before Iron Bowl.

It will be interesting to see how Bama plays with Mac Jones at quarterback. Can they keep up the momentum to be in the final top four?

5. Georgia Bulldogs (9-1)

Last Week: 21-14 (W) at Auburn

Ultimately, Georgia’s undoing will be the same thing that has plagued them every year under Kirby Smart. They are too conservative. They won’t be able to run their way to an SEC championship or CFB Playoff Championship. Jake Fromm will have to show is elite and not just a game manager. The best teams won’t allow them to run the football at the level they are accustomed too. And the best opponents will score enough points to make the Bulldogs throw the ball more than 30 times.

It is difficult to look past UGA’s loss to South Carolina. It is inexplicable. And the committee has a president for holding a top team out of the top four with an awful loss (see Ohio State 2018). I know this is a new committee, which clearly believes that two quality wins is greater than an ugly loss at home.

4. Oregon Ducks (9-1)

Last Week: 34-6 (W) vs Arizona

Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 5

The bar for Oregon is set extremely high. They didn’t allow a touchdown and under 300 yards of total offense to a team averaging over 32 ppg and 400+ yards. When a team covers a 27.5 point spread without allowing a TD against a conference opponent and fans say you played “just ok” the team has arrived. The Ducks are still as physical and nasty as they were at the beginning of the season.

This team dominated Auburn only to have conservative play-calling keep the game within striking range which ultimately got them beat.

Oregon fans, players, and coaching staff know they are playing for style points even more than they are playing for wins. They need to be able to pass the media’s “eye test” to generate enough momentum to power through the SEC Alabama, or two-loss team to the playoff hype train.

3. Clemson Tigers (10-0)

Last Week: 52-3 (W) vs Wake Forest

Maybe Clemson is like Roy Jones. Remember he said, “They say I don’t fight nobody, I just make them look like nobody, y’all must have forgot”. Wake Forest was the #19 ranked team a week ago and Dabo’s crew blew the doors off them.

This season feels a lot like last year for Clemson. They started out the season slow, had a scare, then demolished everyone in their wake including Alabama. I’m hoping Clemson and Ohio State is not one of the semi-final matchups in the CFB Playoff. It would suck for the two teams I believe are the best to play each other first. Wouldn’t Ohio State vs Clemson be a helluva national championship game?

This game was over after Clemson scored 28 points int he first quarter. How is the ACC so bad?

Clemson doesn’t have any obvious opportunities for quality wins on the schedule, so it is crucial they finish the season undefeated.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0)

Last Week: 56-21 (W) at Rutgers

The Buckeyes look like the most complete team in college football. But, there was nothing to be learned in a game the 2nd string could have won. If they put together dominating performances against Penn State and Michigan over the next two weeks, they may creep back into the #1 spot. SEC fans will say no way, but sometimes fans won’t let common sense get in the way of their argument.

No matter who you can a fan of, can you honestly say you have seen a better team than O-H-I-O State? And they get Chase Young back from his suspension this week. If OSU puts together a dominating performance against Penn State, they may move back into the #1 spot of the College Football Top 10 Rankings As It Should Be.

1. LSU (10-0)

Last Week: 58-37 (W) at Ole Miss

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 3 As it Should Be

Joe Burrow and company were like a hot knife through butter. A lot of people will tell you they aren’t concerned about their defense but I am. They aren’t Oklahoma bad, but they do give up a lot of points. I don’t want to hear about “garbage time” points. Those are the same players that have to go in when injuries happen or players get tired.

LSU has earned the #1 spot in the College Football Top 10 As It Should Be, but I don’t think they are the best team in the country. Ohio State is. It is impossible to deny the Tigers’ body of work up to this point.

Check back next Sunday morning for the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 13.