Road to The College Football Playoff: How Each Team Gets In Week 11

College Football Playoff Rankings Week 11

The first College Football Playoff Committee rankings were released and this is the perfect time to start the “Road to the CFB Playoff” series. I will examine every team with a realistic path to the top four and how they can get there. Every Sunday I release the College Football Top 10 Rankings As It Should Be. Nine of my top teams were there, and 1-5 were almost exactly like the committees, except mine, are ranked by three criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance.

College Football Playoff Committee Rankings Week 11

College Football Playoff Rankings

From the Top 25 teams, there are 12 teams with ANY shot to make the top four. The entire top 10 is in play plus Baylor and Minnesota. Auburn is eliminated for now because they have no path to the SEC Championship game, and would need a lot of weird things to happen. Plus they would need to beat Georgia and Alabama. The same is true of Wisconsin. They have a path to the Big Ten championship, but chaos would have to happen for them to get in the top four.

As of this week here is how it appears the CFB Playoff Top 4 will shake out.

  1. Undefeated Big Ten Winner- Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota
  2. Undefeated or 1 loss SEC Champion- LSU, Alabama, Georgia
  3. Clemson
  4. Pac-12 Champion- Oregon, Utah

Now one to each team and their path(s)

Ohio State: Win and they are in. There is no scenario where they are undefeated and/or win the Big Ten Championship with one loss and don’t get in (it would be impossible for them to lose to Rutgers or Maryland). Even if the Buckeyes lost to Penn State in a couple of weeks, they would have a strong case compared to 1-loss Alabama, Oregon, Utah. The Buckeyes could make it undefeated to the Big Ten Championship and lose to Minnesota which would send college football into a tailspin.

LSU: Win and they are in. Beat Alabama, don’t get tripped up by Ole Miss, Arkansas (LOL), or Texas A&M. Ohio State and LSU are the only teams that could lose in their conference championship games and still have a playoff case.

Alabama: The Crimson Tide have NO room for error in 2019. Their awful non-conference schedule plus only playing no ranked teams before this weekend against LSU will hurt. Even if Alabama beats LSU and goes on to the SEC Championship and loses to 1-loss Georgia, they will be out unless Ohio State, Penn State, or Clemson lose in their conference game to a 1 or more loss team.

Penn State: Win out and no one can leapfrog them. Penn State has a better resume than Alabama but the CFB Playoff committee still put them behind Bama, so is there any way the Nittany Lions get in the pot four with a loss? I do not see a scenario that doesn’t involve Ohio State losing twice and PSU winning the Big Ten Championship which is far fetched.

College Football Top 10

Clemson: There are two ways Clemson gets in; win out and they are guaranteed a playoff spot, or pray for the unlikely demise of about 3-4 teams. We won’t even go down that rabbit hole, it’s too weird.

Georgia: There is only one way Georgia gets in, winning out. They cannot afford any more losses. The CFB Rankings already rewarded them for the Florida and Notre Dame wins more than it punished them for the horrendous S. Carolina loss. Even if UGA wins the SEC Championship but loses one of their last three games to Auburn, Texas A&M, or Georgia Tech they will be left out of a playoff of undefeated Big Ten champ, Clemson, 1 l-loss Pac-12 champ.

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Oregon and Utah: The Pac-12 is very alive even though people tried to bury them early in the season. Both teams are in nearly the exact same situation. If both teams are 11-1 when they meet in the Pac-12 championship it should be a top 5 or 5 vs 6 matchup. The winner will most likely get in the playoff. Oregon will have a better shot than Utah because traditionally, the committee has leaned toward named brand teams.

Oklahoma: Lincoln Riley’s team is sitting at #9. It is much lower than most people thought, but right about where I had them in the College Football Playoff Rankings As It Should Be (CFPRAISB). They need Oregon or Utah to lose and the other win the Pac-12. In addition, they need LSU to beat Alabama. They also need to beat Baylor twice and Baylor to finish 11-2. A Clemson loss wouldn’t hurt either.

Florida: Florida needs a miracle at this point. Their last three games are Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Florida State. None of those games move the needle. They would also need Georgia to lose two games to send Florida to the SEC Championship. If that happens they would need to beat an undefeated LSU or Alabama. And… nevermind. It’s not happening.

Baylor Bears College Football Playoff

Baylor: The Bears are in the same situation they were in in 2015 when Ohio State jumped Baylor and TCU. They don’t have the respect of the nation. The difference is that they are still undefeated. Baylor needs to dominate Texas, beat Oklahoma twice, or beat K-State in the Big 12 championship.

Minnesota: Win out and they will make the playoff. They sit at #17 right now, but if they defeat Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio State over the next five weeks they will be the #1 team in the nation. No one will have run a gauntlet like that.

This playoff top four would be a lot easier to figure out and there would be no need for expansion if teams scheduled better. Imagine a college football world where everyone scheduled 10 or 11 Power Five games. Every Saturday would be power-packed. That is part of the reason there are some who believe the traditional conference model will go away and there will be one super conference of around 30 teams that only play each other.

The way this season is shaping up, everyone may be on board with an 8 team playoff. There will be so many 1 loss teams who will be deserving of a chance to play for a championship. Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have the five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team to get automatic bids? There would still be two spots left for at-large bids. You would always get the best and most deserving teams in the tournament. That might actually cause teams to schedule better non-conference games because they would know they could still get in the CFB Playoffs with 1-2 losses. Fans would then get better games.

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 11 As it Should Be

Atlanta Justin Herbert Georgia Bulldogs College Football Rankings Top 10

Welcome to the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 11 As it Should Be. Even though only half of the top 10 teams were in action, there was still significant movement in the rankings. The more information we have, the better more accurate the rankings get. The first edition of the CFB Playoff CommitteeTop 25 will be released on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see if they reward the named brand preseason top 5 teams or the teams with the best resumes. Rankings should be fair and unbiased, but that’s not the world we live in when preseason polls ultimately affect the final rankings.

We always think there will be chaos in college football, but it rarely happens. However, this season it is clear that nothing can be taken for granted.

The Big Ten will have just a good of a “we should have two teams in the CFB Playoff” as the SEC, even though neither should get two when Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah can play with anybody in the nation.

College Football Playoff

We now have enough information to start putting together CFB Playoff scenarios. So here is how it should shake out at this point.

  1. Undefeated Big Ten Winner- (Ohio State/Penn State). But Minnesota could mess everything up by winning the Big Ten with one loss. Assuming that loss is to Penn State or Wisconsin, Minnesota would still have a real chance to get in.
  2. SEC Champion- This gets a little complicated because Georgia, Alabama, and LSU could all win the conference and the winner could have 2 losses. Or you could have 1-loss Georgia beating an undefeated Alabama or LSU.
  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 featured a top 10 showdown. And both teams are playing exceptional football right now.

The way this season is shaping up, everyone may be on board with an 8 team playoff. There will be so many 1 loss teams who will be deserving of a chance to play for a championship. Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have the five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team to get automatic bids? There would still be two spots left for at-large bids. You would always get the best and most deserving teams in the tournament. That might actually cause teams to schedule better non-conference games because they would know they could still get in the CFB Playoffs with 1-2 losses. Fans would then get better games.

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 10.

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 10:

Next Up: Minnesota, Florida, Michigan

10. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1)

Last Week: at IDLE

College Football Rankings

People are writing the Sooners out of the playoff, but it’s much too early, and way too many games left to do that. They still have games against TCU, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, a top 15 matchup with Baylor, and the Big 12 Championship game. There is still so much football left to be played to say a team is left for dead.

I bet Lincoln Riley took this off week to focus on his defense that was run over by Kansas State. If Oklahoma gets their defense fixed, there is no question about this team’s ability to hoist the crystal trophy.

9. Baylor Bears (7-0)

Last Week: 17-14 West Virginia

If wasn’t pretty against West Virginia, but a win is a win, especially when that win is a midweek game. Playing on Thursday nights should be reserved for Group of 5 teams instead of Power 5 schools. We still don’t know a ton about Baylor because they haven’t played a ranked team and their dominance is questionable. However, they ave jumped through all the requisite hoops in front of them and beat the team (K-State_ that beat Oklahoma.

I would be willing to bet most college football fans can’t name two players off their team. So, I’ll help out…

QB: Charlie Brewer, RBs: John Lovett, JaMycal Hasty, WR: Denzel Mims, Tyquan Thornton

8. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1)

Last Week: 24-17 (W) vs Florida

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 9

That terrible loss to South Carolina clearly woke the Bulldogs up. Georgia put on a really good showing against Florida. They struggled running the football but still managed 100 yards on the ground. Their defense put Florida’s running game in a headlock, 1.1 yards per carry. They now have the inside track to the SEC East crown and date with either Alabama or LSU in the SEC Championship. As long as UGA doesn’t get tripped up by Auburn or TAMU before then their CFB Playoff dreams will remain alive.

7. Utah (8-1)

Last Week: vs 33-28 (W) at Washington

The Utes defense is for real. After starting slowly against the Washington Huskies, the defense buckled down and slowly bled them out. They confused Jacob Eason and forced him into two terrible interceptions including a pick-six. Utah has been able to dominate games on the ground without an explosive passing attack. They do a good job of winning first down and staying in 3rd and short.

Utah does not beat themselves. They play fundamentally sound and will be a real problem for ANY opponent. Some are even arguing they are better than the Oregon Ducks.

6. Oregon Ducks (8-1)

Last Week: vs USC

Justin Herbert Oregon Football

Oregon put an absolute whipping on USC. Since conservative play-calling caused their week one loss to Auburn, the Ducks have steamrolled the competition. Their defense and offensive line have led the way. This is Oregon’s best team since the 2015 team that went to the CFB Championship in 2015. East coast bias will try and dismiss the Ducks, but this is a complete football team. They are one of the few teams in the nation who are tops in the nation in scoring offense and scoring defense.

People thought the the Pac-12 was out of the CFB Playoff conversation. But ten weeks into the season Oregon and Utah are squarely back in the conversation.

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

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5. Clemson Tigers (9-0)

Last Week: 59-14 (W) vs Wofford

Without any obvious opportunities for quality wins on the schedule, it is crucial the Clemson’s dominance remains on max. Wofford was nothing more than a SEC-like November cupcake. I for one hate these games. It is a waste of time and does a disservice to fans. Who wants to watch that besides Wofford fans and Clemson’s third-string players’ families?

Is it possible that Clemson’s defense is better than last years’ with multiple first-round draft picks? They are still one of the most dominant teams in college football.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0)

Last Week: IDLE

There is only question on the mind of every college football fan, “How healthy is Tua?”. He had a procedure to shore up an ankle injury suffered in the Tennessee game. It feels like Bama’s entire season rests on this one game against LSU. It would be hard to imagine a scenario where the Bama loses to LSU and gets in the CFB Playoff. Their non-conference schedule is terrible and their conference schedule doesn’t have Georgia or Florida on it.

It sure will be nice to see the Crimson Tide play a good team this season. Eight wins and no games against teams currently ranked in the top 25. The fact they have been #1 in the AP poll makes ZERO sense.

3. Penn State (8-0)

Last Week: IDLE

It only took eight wins and an off week for the national media to recognize all the good work Penn State has done. So many people tried to minimize their quality win against Michigan. However, the Wolverines are 7-2 with their only losses against Penn State and Wisconsin. Ohio State is the popular pick out of the Big Ten, but the Nittany Lions won’t go down without a fight.

This week they get an opportunity for another quality win as they take on undefeated Minnesota.

Penn State College Football Rankings

2. LSU (8-0)

Last Week: IDLE

Nothing can go wrong if you don’t play. LSU has been so dominant and has qualities wins this season. There is nothing any team that played this weekend could have done to knock the Tigers out of the top 2. Everything is on the line against Alabama. This feel like the first time since Cam Newton was at Auburn that people believe anyone but Bama is the best team in the SEC.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0)

Last Week: IDLE

Ohio State Top 10

A week off is the perfect opportunity to get on the Chase Young Heisman train. He is by far the most dominant defensive lineman in college football. The scary part is that Nick Bosa and Young were on the same DL last year. Ohio State had at Purdue last year, but at the end of the season, they were one of the four best teams in the country. This year they are leaving no doubt.

OSU has proven they are the most complete team in the country. They are dominant on offense, defense, and special teams. Plus they have multiple top 25 wins. They are the #1 team in the country.

Check back next Sunday morning for the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 11.

The Utah Utes are better than the Oregon Ducks

Utah Utes College Football Playoff Week 3

Don’t overlook the Utah Utes

Utah Utes logo

While the Oregon Ducks held onto the spotlight with their seventh-straight win, the Utah Utes deserve more recognition. Granted, the Utes are ranked ninth in the nation, but they still don’t get the love they deserve from Pac-12 fans. With a top defense and an effective offense, the Utah Utes are the best team in the Pac-12.

The Oregon Ducks showed weakness against Washington and Washington State

After dominating opponents for five straight weeks, Oregon slipped. Now, they didn’t lose to Washington or Washington State. But, their wins were too close for a top team.

  • Nevada, Montana, Stanford, Cal and Colorado: 195 Points Scored: 25 Points Allowed
  • Washington and Washington State: 72 Points Scored: 66 Points Allowed

Against Washington and Washington State, Oregon’s point differential dropped from Plus-175 to Plus-6. Their defense bent against Jacob Eason and Anthony Gordon.

Additionally, they also needed heroic wins against the Huskies and Cougars. In Week 8, the Oregon Ducks overcame a 14-point deficit and got the benefit of a late, no-call on the Huskies final drive. Additionally, they needed a last-second field goal to beat the Cougars. Yes, the Ducks got the wins, but it wasn’t pretty.

The Utah Utes get it done on defense

Lights out. Cal couldn’t get anything going against Utah. Similarly, most of Utah’s opponents struggle against the Utes. This season, Utah football is:

Additionally, Utah has PFF’s two highest graded defenders, Julian Blackmon (86) and Terrell Burgess (84). These safeties are just one reason why Utah steamrolls its opponents. Defensively, the Utah Utes have it all. Teams can’t run against them, pass against them or score against them. It’s a deadly squad ready to win a championship.

Quality and consistent on offense

With such a stifling defense, the Utah Utes only need an average offense to compete. A game-manager at quarterback would suffice. Considering that their holding opponents to 10.3 points per game, the offense doesn’t have to do much.

However, Utah’s offense is putting up 33.1 points per game with a quality, balanced, offensive system. In six of their eight games, they’ve scored at least 30 points. Their quarterback, Tyler Huntley, is having a quiet and underrated season. Currently, Huntley has 1,778 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, 229 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns and just one interception.

Additionally, per PFF, Huntley ranks first in the nation in Adjusted Completion Percentage. This metric factors out “dropped passes, throwaways, spiked balls, batted passes and passes where the QB was hit as he threw the ball.” His 86.9-percent Adjusted Completion Percentage displays his elite accuracy. Huntley’s 10.3 yards per attempt (6th in nation) and 123.4 passer rating (7th in the nation) show how underrated he is. Huntley is accurate, efficient and elite. Don’t sleep on Tyler Huntley.

Moreover, the Utah Utes utilize their powerful running back, Zack Moss. Moss, per PFF, is forcing a missed tackle on 45-percent of his rush attempts, third highest of the league. His five forced missed tackles and 65 yards after contact in their recent win display this. Moss’ 10 rushing touchdowns lead the Pac-12 and he also rolled up 728 rushing yards. Keep in mind, Utah’s benched Moss multiple times this season in blowout wins. If he played every quarter this season, he’d likely have over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. Moss is a top runner in the nation and the Utah Utes lean on him to close out games.

Move Aside Oregon, it’s time for the Utah Utes to rise

In almost every defensive metric, the Utah Utes are better than the Oregon Ducks. Additionally, quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss are efficient and productive when called upon. They have an elite defense, a strong offense, and every reason to be crowned as the Pac-12 kings.

Top 5 College Football Playoff Storylines Heading Into Week 10

Can Top 10 teams still beat unranked opponents? In the past three weeks, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma all fell victim to unranked opponents, jeopardizing their chances at the College Football Playoff. If I’m Clemson, Utah, and Oregon, I’m a little worried this week. Ahead of Week 10, my College Football Playoff includes:

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

Goodbye, Oklahoma, and hello, Clemson. I was worried about Clemson’s strength of schedule and lack of quality wins because it would be less than those of Oklahoma, Georgia, and Wisconsin if all finished undefeated. That being said, if Clemson goes undefeated, they will make the playoff.

The marquee game of Week 10 is No. 8 Georgia taking on No. 6 Florida in Jacksonville. From there, the Pac-12 has two interesting games with No. 9 Utah taking on Washington and No. 7 Oregon taking on USC. Here are the Top 5 CFP storylines heading into Week 10.

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Can Baylor Run The Table?

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to start taking Baylor seriously. The Bears are 7-0 and first in the Big 12 standings. The Bears are winning the close games and getting it done with their defense, which allows a conference-best 19.1 points per game. Baylor still has to play Oklahoma and Texas back-to-back, but both of those games are at home. It’s unlikely that Baylor makes the playoff but never say never.

Can Utah survive in Seattle?

Utah has slowly but surely crept its way into the Top 10 in the AP Poll. The Utes are getting it done with their dominant defense, which is ranked third in the country. Plus, it also helps to have an offense that has scored over 30 points in six of eight games. That being said, Washington is a team you can’t look past especially with Jacob Eason under center. Two weeks ago, the Huskies held a 14-point lead over Oregon before the Ducks scored late to win do the Huskies can rise to the occasion. If Utah can survive, they should win out to end the season.

Oregon Can Make The College Football Playoff

I’ve mentioned this before, but now I actually believe it. Oregon can make the College Football Playoff. They survived last week against Washington State thanks to a last-second field goal, but a win is a win. The last couple of weeks have been full of upsets in the Top 10, which has opened the door for the Ducks. More teams are going to lose in the Top 10. Georgia vs. Florida, Alabama vs. LSU, and Ohio State vs. Penn State will all be Top 10 matchups. It’s simple math. Oregon must win out, which is not up for debate, but with teams in front of them losing, the Ducks case for the CFP will be strong. That being said, USC is no easy out. The Ducks have not won in LA since 2012 so Saturday night in the Coliseum should provide fireworks.

The AAC Goes To Primetime

Who said the AAC doesn’t have big games? It’s a huge weekend for the AAC as the undefeated SMU Mustangs go on the road to take on the 7-1 Memphis Tigers. It’s arguably the biggest day in Memphis’ football history as College GameDay will be on Beale Street. The winner of this game will take control of the American Athletic Conference West. However, the stakes are even higher as the winner of this game will be in the driver’s seat to represent the Group of Five in the New Year’s Six. Memphis is a 5.5 favorite, but I expect this game to be decided by a last-second field goal.

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

Grab your favorite drink and turn to CBS at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday because Jacksonville will be rocking when Georgia battles Florida for the SEC East. If you want a shootout, this is not the game for you as Georgia ranks seventh and Florida ranks 25th in total defense. However, this game is going to come down to quarterback play. For Kyle Trask and Jake Fromm, whoever makes fewer mistakes should come out on top. With both teams in the Top 10, a win here could catapult the winner into the Top 5, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 10? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow or email us immad@unafraidshow.com

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

Penn State College Football Top 10 Rankings

For the third weekend in a row, we learn that no team in the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 9 As it Should Be is safe from upsets. First, it was Georgia, followed by Wisconsin and now Oklahoma. I will note that Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas State is a better loss than Georgia’s to South Carolina who sported a losing record. The AP poll likely won’t reflect that and we all know why. Rankings should be fair and unbiased, but that’s not the world we live in when preseason polls ultimately affect the final rankings.

We always think there will be chaos in college football, but it rarely happens. However, this season it is clear that nothing can be taken for granted.

College Football Playoff

We now have enough information to start putting together CFB Playoff scenarios. So here is how it should shake out at this point.

  1. Undefeated Big Ten Winner- (Ohio State/Penn State). But Minnesota could mess everything up by winning the Big Ten with one loss. Assuming that loss is to Penn State or Wisconsin, Minnesota would still have a real chance to get in.
  2. SEC Champion- This gets a little complicated because Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and LSU could all win the conference and the winner could have 2 losses. Or you could have 1-loss Georgia or Florida beating an undefeated Alabama or LSU.
  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 featured a top 10 showdown.

The way this season is shaping up, everyone may be on board with an 8 team playoff. There will be so many 1 loss teams who will be deserving of a chance to play for a championship. Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have the five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team to get automatic bids? There would still be two spots left for at-large bids. You would always get the best and most deserving teams in the tournament. That might actually cause teams to schedule better non-conference games because they would know they could still get in the CFB Playoffs with 1-2 losses. Fans would then get better games.

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 9.

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 10:

Next Up: Minnesota, Georgia, SMU, Michigan

Before you even ask: Auburn led Oregon for :09 of that game and Bo Nix has been awful passing the ball against any team with a pulse. Georgia has to play their way back in the mix after losing to 2-3 South Carolina at home.

10. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1)

Last Week: at 41-48 (L) Kansas State

Bad Loss to a good opponent. This is a much better loss that Georgia losing to S. Carolina The Sooners just ran out of time on their comeback against Kansas State. There are still no concerns about the Oklahoma offense even though they were stalled for much of the 2nd and 3rd quarters. However, the same cannot be said about Oklahoma’s leaky defense. At one point K-State scored on seven straight drives.

Alex Grinch had Oklahoma’s defense playing better but we should have seen this coming. They got no turnovers in the last three games and none Saturday either. Good defenses get stops and turnovers.

People are writing the Sooners out of the playoff, but it’s much too early, and way too many games left to do that.

9. Baylor Bears (7-0)

Last Week: 45-27 (W) at Oklahoma State

College Football Top 10

Baylor is a clear case of why preseason rankings matter in college football when they really shouldn’t. If any big named Power 5 conference team was 7-0 they would have so much more buzz around them. People would be talking CFB Playoff and Big 12 championship. I would be willing to bet most college football fans can’t name two players off their team. So, I’ll help out…

QB: Charlie Brewer, RBs: John Lovett, JaMycal Hasty, WR: Denzel Mims, Tyquan Thornton

8. Utah (7-1)

Last Week: vs 35-0 (W) vs Cal

Over the last two weeks, Utah has given up a total of 3 points and 230 yards of total offense. There is no more suffocating defense in college football. My question about Utah has been surrounding their offense. Can they score enough points in a shootout? Can Tyler Huntley be great passing the ball when someone stops their running game?

Since their surprising loss to USC, the Utes have been lights out. They do not have any signature wins set, but their dominance has been top tier and they have knocked down the opponents on their schedule. Things are falling into place for a top 10 showdown with Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship.

Utah Utes

7. Florida Gators (6-1)

Last Week: IDLE

This week off came at the perfect time for the Gators. They need to get a few guys healthy, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. And the Gators need to get their offense together during the first 3 quarters of the game. They are money in the 4th though!

Dan Mullens will have a chance to get his biggest win at Florida when they play Georgia this week.

6. Oregon Ducks (7-1)

Last Week: vs 37-34 (W) Washington State

Playing against the #1 offense in the nation is tough, but the Ducks passed the test. Injuries are starting to mount for the Ducks. They were without their best LB Troy Dye for the Washington State game and it showed. The Ducks offensive line is the reason this team is 7-1. If you have not watched Oregon’s left tackle Penei Sewell play please do so. He is the best OL in the country and he’s only a sophomore.

Justin Herbert’s stats aren’t eye-popping, but he is playing extremely efficiently and he’s not turning the ball over.

People thought the the Pac-12 was out of the CFB Playoff conversation. But ten weeks into the season Oregon and Utah are squarely back in the conversation.

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

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5. Clemson Tigers (8-0)

Last Week: 59-7 vs Boston College

DOMINATION. This was probably Clemson’s most complete game of the season. It was good to see Trevor Lawrence have a game without an interception. I know it was against Boston College, but Alabama played Arkansas, the same thing. Dabo Swinney knows that his team just has to make it through their rather soft schedule unscathed to get to the CFB Playoff. The only difference between the Tigers and Bama is that Clemson struggled against UNC and Bama has struggled against no one.

Without any obvious opportunities for quality wins on the schedule, it is crucial the Clemson’s dominance remains on max.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0)

Last Week: 48-7 (W) vs Arkansas

No Tua, No Problem. Mac Jones stepped in and threw three touchdown passes to help Bama cruise to victory. All eyes will be on Tua’s ankle health over the next two weeks. Will he be back for the LSU game? We do need to see Bama’s rushing game improve.

It sure will be nice to see the Crimson Tide play a good team this season. Eight wins and no games against teams currently ranked in the top 25. The fact they have been #1 in the AP poll makes ZERO sense.

3. Penn State (8-0)

Last Week: 28-7 (W) at Michigan State

Slowly but surely the Nittany Lions are getting the respect they deserve. They have knocked off Iowa, Michigan, and Michigan State in consecutive weeks. Don’t even try to say Michigan is not good. They just blew the doors off Notre Dame who took Georgia to the edge. Penn State won’t be confused with an offensive juggernaut, but they do have serious big-play potential with WR KJ Hamler.

If Penn State finishes the season undefeated they will be the most battle-tested team in the nation. They would have beaten Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, and the winner of the Big Ten West.

2. LSU (8-0)

Last Week: vs 23-20 (W) Auburn

Joe Burrow LSU

We finally have seen someone slow down LSU’s explosive offense. Joe Burrow still finished 32-42 for 321 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers just keep passing every test thrown at them. A lot of people questioned their defense, but they showed up big against Auburn. Aside from one 70 yard run that didn’t score, Auburn got nothing.

Everything is on the line for LSU against Alabama next week. Will Ed Orgeron be able to dethrone Alabama even though they were crowned preseason champions?

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0)

Last Week: vs 38-7 (W) Wisconsin

A lot of people expected the Wisconsin game to be close because of the bad weather, but I knew the Buckeyes would blow them out. This was a case of styles make fights. OSU’s high-powered offense against Wisconsin’s run the ball with ball-control style. The Buckeyes’ defense was just lights out. Chase Young is clearly the BEST defensive player in the country right now. There is no reason he shouldn’t be one of the frontrunners for the Heisman trophy. He dominated a very good offensive line with 4 sacks and 5 tackles for loss.

OSU continues to prove they are the most complete team in the country. They are dominant on offense, defense, and special teams. Plus they have multiple top 25 wins. They are the #1 team in the country.

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

Top 5 College Football Playoff Storylines Heading Into Week 9

Penn State College Football Top 10 Rankings

Am I a jinx? In my Week 7 column, I wrote about Boise State and how we need to keep an eye on them going forward. Last week, I added SMU to the mix and said the race is on between Boise State and SMU for the right to play in a New Year’s Six bowl game. For Boise State, that dream was derailed after a 28-25 loss to BYU. Apologies to all of my Bronco fans. Ahead of Week 9, my College Football Playoff includes:

  1. LSU
  2. Alabama
  3. Ohio State
  4. Oklahoma

No changes to the top four. Without a doubt, these are the four best teams in the country right now. You can make an argument for each team to be number one and I wouldn’t disagree with your rationale.

Week 9 is highlighted by two Top-15 matchups: No. 13 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 Ohio State and No. 9 Auburn vs. No. 2 LSU. Here are the Top 5 CFP storylines heading into Week 9.

Wisconsin vs. Ohio State In Potential Big Ten Championship Preview

Wisconsin, you blew it! Wisconsin suffered an inexcusable loss to Illinois, 24-23, which could be their nail in the coffin in terms of making the College Football Playoff. However, the Badgers have a gigantic opportunity to make up for their loss when they travel to Columbus on Saturday to take on the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes. Both offenses are led by Heisman hopefuls Jonathan Taylor, who leads the nation in touchdowns with 19, and Justin Fields, who is tied for second in points responsible for with 180. However, the offensive fireworks may be hindered because Wisconsin and Ohio State have the number one and number two defenses in the country respectively. No matter what happens in this game, these two teams could meet again in the Big 10 Championship.

LSU Faces Another Top 10 Opponent

Find me a team with a better resume than LSU. The Tigers defeated Texas in Austin and Florida in Baton Rouge when both opponents were ranked in the top ten. Now, the Tigers will once again have a top 10 opponent when Auburn comes to Death Valley on Saturday afternoon. If Coach O, Joe Burrow, and the boys defeat Auburn, they will be the number one ranked team in the country.

Penn State Continues To Shine Despite Brutal Schedule

Two down, three more tough games to go. Penn State survived a late comeback against Michigan to hold on 28-21, improving to 7-0. The schedule does not get any easier for the No. 6 ranked Nittany Lions. Penn State heads to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, who is coming off back-to-back blowout losses against Ohio State and Wisconsin. Their Big Ten title hopes are dead, but they would love to play spoiler against Penn State for the third straight year. The Spartans own this rivalry as of late, having beaten the Nittany Lions in five of the last six years.

Alabama’s Season Rests Upon Tua’s Ankle

Alabama will beat Arkansas this weekend no matter who lines up under center. Mac Jones will start this weekend and Taulia Tagovailoa, Tua’s little brother, will serve as his backup. Frankly, a third-string offensive lineman could play quarterback and the Tide would still win by double digits. That being said, the future of Alabama’s season will come down to Tua Tagovailoa’s ankle. The superstar quarterback will miss at least one game with a right ankle sprain. Remember that Tua sprained his left ankle last season and it affected his mobility at times. High ankle sprains are no laughing matter. Thankfully for Tide fans, Alabama has a bye week after this game before the LSU Tigers stroll into Tuscaloosa for the SEC Game of the Year. If Tua’s not healthy for the LSU game, it will be tough for the Tide to roll.

It’s Do-or-Die For Jim Harbaugh

Is this Jim Harbaugh’s last stand? After the Wolverines suffered their second loss of the season to Penn State, NFL rumors circulated, stating that Harbaugh has an exit strategy in place to leave Michigan. Harbaugh quickly denied the rumor, but can we really trust college coaches in general? Most of them are snake oil salesmen who would leave at a moment’s notice if a better job came calling, leaving the players to suffer. So if you’re asking if I believe these NFL rumors, then I would say I do. Michigan will have to look past these distractions and worry about No. 8 Notre Dame coming to the Big House for a Saturday night showdown. If Michigan loses, it could be the final nail in the coffin for Harbaugh.

What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 9? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 9 As it Should Be

Justin Fields Ohio State

In back to back weeks we have a major upset that affects the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 9 As it Should Be team. Wisconsin fell to Illinois a week after Georgia got stunned by South Carolina. UGA fell to #10 in the AP poll despite losing at home to a team with a 2-3 record. But, watch how far Wisconsin falls down the polls after losing on the road. This is the entire reason the CFB rankings As It Should Be was created. Rankings should be fair and unbiased, but that’s not the world we live in when preseason polls ultimately affect the final rankings.

The way this season is shaping up, everyone may be on board with an 8 team playoff. There will be so many 1 loss teams who will be deserving of a chance to play for a championship. Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have the five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team to get automatic bids? There would still be two spots left for at-large bids. You would always get the best and most deserving teams in the tournament. That might actually cause teams to schedule better non-conference games because they would know they could still get in the CFB Playoffs with 1-2 losses. Fans would then get better games.

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 8.

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 9:

Next Up: Auburn, Georgia, SMU, Baylor, Wisconsin

Before you even ask: Auburn led Oregon for :09 of that game and Bo Nix has been awful passing the ball against any team with a pulse. Georgia has to play their way back in the mix after losing to 2-3 South Carolina at home.

college football rankings

10. Utah (6-1)

Last Week: Arizona State

Utah has really good players, but they also have grown men playing. Behind BYU, they may have the oldest average age in college football. I have tried to doubt this team offensively but Zack Moss and Tyler Huntley just keep getting it done. The best thing Utah has going is their defense. They are physical, stout, and stingy. Through seven games they are barely giving up over 10 points per game in a conference known for scoring points.

9. Notre Dame (5-1)

Last Week: IDLE

A week off won’t hurt the Fighting Irish. Their body of work is solid so far. But they will need to be dominant to finish the season to have any chance at the CFB top 4 with one loss. Notre Dame doesn’t face another team that will be ranked for the rest of the season (maybe Virginia Tech).

8. Florida Gators (6-1)

Last Week: 38-27 (W) at South Carolina

florida gators football

If this team is nothing, they are resilient. The Florida Gators fight till the end. They are a 4th quarter team. They seem to make plays on defense and offense when it matters the most. Kyle Trask has been the best thing to happen to this team offensively. He is not the runner that we are used to seeing on Dan Mullen led teams, but he is a good passer.

This team seems to have the inside track to the SEC East right now. But a November 2nd date with Georgia will be the deciding factor.

7. Oregon Ducks (6-1)

Last Week: 35-31 (W) vs at Washington

The Ducks marched into Husky Stadium to play their biggest rival Washington and walked out with a win. Washington threw everything except the kitchen sink at the Ducks and they responded in a major way. The biggest concern for Oregon at this point is injuries. They have to keep their key players healthy if they want to finish the season 12-1 and have a legit shot at the CFB Playoff.

This is not the same Oregon team that got conservative and lost to Auburn in the second half of week one. Their defense has been one of the best in the country and they have hit their stride offensively.

6. Penn State (7-0)

Last Week: 28-21 (W) vs Michigan

college football top 10 rankings

I have mixed feelings about their win against Michigan. They jumped out early 21-0 early in the 1st half, but couldn’t put the Wolverines away. Their offense was largely ineffective after that. Their defense allowed multiple big plays as well. But at the end of the day, a win is a win. Michigan is not a great football team, but they are a good football team. A quality win for the Nittany Lions. It was very tight decision between PSU at #6 and #4 ahead of Bama and Clemson because of their schedules.

The winner of the Big Ten is 100% getting in the CFB Playoff if they are undefeated. Penn State is more than halfway home and has earned their way into the #6 spot of College Football Rankings Week 9.

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5. Clemson Tigers (7-0)

Last Week: 45-10 (W) at Louisville

The Tigers’ defense is so good, and they might be even better than last year. Good thing because Trevor Lawrence is having a real sophomore slump. He now leads the ACC in interceptions thrown. But he finished the game with a solid stat line, 20-29 233 yards, and 3TD, 2ints. This team is still dominating everyone so how can you dock them too many points. Florida and Georgia have offensive struggles too, but nobody seems to discount them for that. Weird right… SEC bias?

The only thing separating Alabama and Clemson right now is that Clemson struggled against UNC. Neither team has played anybody worth talking about.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0)

Last Week: vs 35-13 (W) at Texas A&M

Alabama has not played one team that is currently ranked in the top 25. The fact they have been #1 in the AP poll makes ZERO sense.

Alabama is vulnerable this year. This is not the same team we are accustomed to seeing. They aren’t running the ball dominantly and their defense is young and inexperienced. Tua Tagoviloa is the engine that makes this team go. His leadership, accuracy getting the ball to their talented WRs is what makes this 2019 team special. He left the Tennessee game in the second half and everything changed.

If he has to miss any time Bama could be in trouble. They should be able to get past Arkansas next week, but LSU on November 9th won’t go well.

3. Oklahoma Sooners (7-0)

Last Week: 52-14 (W) vs West Virginia

The numbers for Jalen Hurts are just getting silly at this point. He added another nearly 394 yards of total offense and 5 touchdowns. He now has 25 total touchdowns through seven games. It is hard to believe that Oklahoma’s offense is better than it was last year with Kyler Murray at QB, but they are.To make Oklahoma even more absurd, their defense is finally decent. They aren’t good yet, but are MUCH improved from the Swiss cheese defense last year.

2. LSU (7-0)

Last Week: 36-13 (W) at Miss State

College Football Rankings Week 9

LSU is destroying everyone in their way. Joe Burrow looks like not only an NFL quarterback, but he may be a franchise QB. I cannot wait to see this team play over the next three weeks against Auburn and Alabama. If they can win those two games, the path is clear to the College Football Playoff.

The only question is can their defense keep up when they get into a shootout.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0)

Last Week: 52-3 (W) at Northwestern

Ohio State chewed Northwestern up and spit them out. This team looks incredible. Their offense and defense have cut through any resistance like a hot knife through butter. Justin Fields clearly made the right move by leaving Georgia. He looks better than Jake Fromm, and his team does too.

The Buckeyes will breeze to the CFB Playoff top four if they beat Penn State on November 23rd.

Check back next Sunday morning for the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 9.

Top 5 College Football Playoff Storylines Heading Into Week 8

Mario-Cristobal

Last week, I said, “Where is the chaos?” Well, the football gods were listening because #3 Georiga lost at home to unranked South Carolina. The first domino fell in Week 7. There will be more to fall. It’s only a matter of time. Going into Week 8, my College Football Playoff includes:

  1. LSU
  2. Alabama
  3. Ohio State
  4. Oklahoma

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a new number one in my College Football Playoff rankings. To be honest, LSU should have already been number one after their win over Texas, but thanks to their second win against a top-ten opponent, moving them to the top position was a no brainer. Also, Oklahoma slides in at number four thanks to their win over Texas.

Week 8 is highlighted by Oregon traveling to Husky Stadium to take on Washington in a battle for Pac-12 supremacy. Here are the Top 5 CFP storylines heading into Week 8.

Trap Game For Ohio State

No player, coach, or team has been able to stop the Ohio State offense in 2019. The Buckeyes average 534 yards per game while scoring a total of 39 touchdowns on the season, which is tied for second in the nation. The offense may be great, but the defense is even better as the Buckeyes come into this game ranked second in the country in total defense. If the Buckeyes can get past Northwestern on Friday night in Evanston, it sets up the potential Big 10 “Game of the Year” next week when Wisconsin strolls into Columbus.

Keep An Eye On Baylor

Hats off to the Baylor Bears. This past offseason, head coach Matt Rhule was one of the final candidates in the Jets’ coaching search. Rhule didn’t get the job and returned to Baylor, which turns out to be the best thing that happened for the program. Rhule has led the Bears to an undefeated 6-0 start. With the mess that Art Briles left a few seasons ago, Rhule has done a hell of a job making the Bears relevant again. Baylor will look to remain undefeated when they travel to Stillwater to play Oklahoma State.

Boise State, SMU Look To Stay In The Race For The New Year’s Six

The race to represent the “Group of Five” in the New Year’s Six is heating up. Right now, the two teams fighting for the spot are #14 Boise State and #19 SMU. Both teams are 6-0 thanks to stellar quarterback play from freshman Hank Hank Bachmeier at Boise and Texas transfer Shane Buechele at SMU. However, Bachmeier injured his hip last week against Hawaii so he’s most likely not going to play this weekend against BYU. On the flip side, Buechele and the SMU offense are firing on all cylinders as they average close to 500 yards per game. SMU faces a tough Temple team this weekend.

For Penn State, One Down, Two To Go

It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win. Despite gaining less than 300 yards of total offense, Penn State survived a tough trip to Iowa and left Kinnick Stadium with a hard-fought 17-12 win. As I mentioned last week, Penn State was entering their “Murderer’s Row” section of their schedule. It doesn’t get any easier for the Nittany Lions as they welcome the Michigan Wolverines to Happy Valley on Saturday night. Win that game and Penn State could crack the top five in the polls.

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Battle For Pac-12 North Supremacy

Washington Huskies

Every game is a must-win, but for Oregon, this game against Washington is a must-win game to the tenth power. The Ducks travel to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies in a game that has huge implications on who will represent the Pac-12 North in the conference championship. Washington (most likely) can’t make the College Football Playoff, but Oregon still has a shot. The Ducks’ only loss on the season came Week 1 against Auburn so they still have a shot to be in the final four if they run the table. The quarterback matchup between NFL prospects, Justin Herbert and Jacob Eason, should be as good as advertised.

What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 8? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 8 As it Should Be

College Football Rankings Week 8

The Rules: No Bias, No Bull College Football Rankings

Week 7 provided us with our first major upset of a College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 8 As it Should Be team. I welcome more weekends like this. Chalk is boring. This is why I love college football. Every team is susceptible to be upset on any given Saturday. Georgia got stunned by a South Carolina team with a 2-3 record at home. They had been an en vogue pick to make the CFB Playoff. But, that ship has sailed unless they run the table and win the SEC.

The way this season is shaping up, everyone may be on board with an 8 team playoff. There will be so many 1 loss teams and Boise State who will be deserving of a chance to play for a championship. Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have the five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team to get automatic bids? There would still be two spots left for at-large bids. You would always get the best and most deserving teams in the tournament. That might actually cause teams to schedule better non-conference games because they would know they could still get in the CFB Playoffs with 1-2 losses. Fans would then get better games.

The Rules: No Bias, No BS, No Agenda

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 7.

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 8:

Next Up: Utah, Auburn, Georgia, Texas

10. Notre Dame (5-1)

Last Week: 30-27 (W) vs USC

Why is Georgia ranked behind Notre Dame even though they beat them a few weeks ago? That’s the way the cookie crumbs when you lose to a team with a losing record at home. Notre Dame has knocked down a ranked Virginia and talented USC team since. The Fighting Irish are much faster and athletic than years past. I don’t believe they are a national championship-caliber team, but they are one of the better teams in college football.

9. Penn State (6-0)

Last Week: 17-12 (W) at Iowa

Penn State has been flying under the radar all season. It is time for them to step into the light. They haven’t earned the #9 spot with their schedule so far. But, their dominance has been impressive and the ‘next up” teams all have major blemishes. The Iowa game was not their best offensive output, but their defense was firm. This team doesn’t have the big names like Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley, but they are destroying everyone in their path.

Big props to Penn State for dealing with the disrespectful letter sent to Jonathan Sutherland about his dreadlocks and tattoos.

8. Florida Gators (5-1)

Last Week: 28-42 (L) at LSU

I have gone from believing Florida was overrated with Franks at QB, to know this is a quality football team with Trask under center. As good as their defense is, they gave up too many big plays to Auburn and LSU. Dan Mullens has officially transformed the Florida Gators program. They are no longer in the SEC cellar. In fact, with Georgia’s loss to South Carolina, I now believe Florida is the best team in the SEC East.

7. Oregon Ducks (5-1)

Last Week: 45-3 (W) vs Colorado

Another week of football, another week the Oregon defense has held their opponent under 8 points. The Ducks turned a corner after the conservative play that cost them the Auburn game. This defense has only given up 52 points through 6 games. Oh, and they have a legit offense led by Justin Herbert. He has thrown a TD pass in 34 straight games. If the Ducks run the table through the Pac-12, they may sneak in the CFB Playoff top 4.

6. Wisconsin Badgers (6-0)

Last Week: vs 38-0 (W) vs Michigan State

Six games, four shutouts. That is an impressive stat, but only one of them was against a Power 5 opponent. The Badgers score high marks for dominance and they have one quality win against Michigan. The one thing holding them back is their schedule. Their non-conference schedule looks more like Alabama’s. Kent State, South Florida, and Central Michigan won’t impress anyone.

This Wisconsin team is different from the teams of the past. Jonathan Taylor is the bell cow, but the offense is not one dimensional. The rubber meets the road in two weeks when they head to Columbus to play O-H-I-O State.

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5. Oklahoma Sooners (6-0)

Last Week: 34-27 (W) vs Texas

Jalen Hurts Oklahoma College Football rankings

The Red River Rivalry did not disappoint. Oklahoma got a quality win, but the step up in competition did bother the Sooners. Jalen Hurts was not quite as sharp and had two early turnovers in the RedZone that could have blown the game open.

Everyone has questioned the Sooners defense for the last 2-3 years. Against Texas, they showed moments of being extremely stout against the run. I believe Oklahoma will eventually win the Big XII, but it will not be without 1-2 nail-bitter games.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0)

Last Week: vs 47-28 (W) at Texas A&M

This was a fairly comfortable win for the Crimson Tide. However, there are some red flags emerging with this defense. They gave up 28 points to Texas A&M who Clemson held to 10 and Auburn held to 20. Alabama’s offense is so good that they can make up for any deficiency created by playing so many freshmen on defense. This could come back to bite them in the ass down the stretch in the SEC.

I am still extremely frustrated that Bama is so good and so talented but we have to watch them play four games they could roll their helmets out and win.

3. Clemson Tigers (6-0)

Last Week: 45-14 (W) vs Florida State

This game was 21-0 before Florida State knew what hit them. Clemson heard all the noise after their 1-pt win against North Carolina. They clearly wanted to send a message to the college football world that they are still the big dog on the block. Trevor Lawrence still hasn’t looked as good as last season. He threw for three touchdowns against FSU but had a terrible interception as well. If he does get his play together, Clemson may cruise to back-to-back championships.

2. LSU (6-0)

Last Week: 42-28 (W) vs Florida

LSU had their hands full with Florida but took care of business. It is still remarkable to see how explosive and fast-paced the Tigers’ offense is. Joe Burrow is efficient, accurate, and his swagger is on max. They are averaging nearly 50 points per game, and even the best defenses in the country would be hard-pressed against LSU’s offense. On top of a fantastic offense, they boast a fast and physical defense.

The Tigers’ defense has given up 38 points to Texas, Vanderbilt, and 28 points to Florida. That’s not good and potential liability.

College Football Top 10

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)

Last Week: IDLE

Nothing happened this week that could knock Ohio State from the #1 spot. No team is playing better in all three phases of the game. Their offense, defense, and special teams has been unstoppable. I can’t wait to see how this team responds against Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Check back next Sunday morning for the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 8.

Top 5 College Football Playoff Storylines Heading Into Week 7

Lincoln Riley Oklahoma

Where is the chaos? For the most part, nothing has truly surprised me this college football season besides Michigan getting their doors blown off by Wisconsin. That and Florida playing better with a backup quarterback as opposed to their starter are the only true surprises for me. Going into Week 7, my College Football Playoff includes:

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

Just because the season lacks chaos doesn’t mean it’s been a bore. In fact, I’ve been highly entertained thanks to the play of top quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, and Joe Burrow. Luckily for me, chaos is on the horizon. The top teams have important conference matchups starting this week so as Heath Ledger said in The Dark Knight, “And here we go.” Here are the Top 5 CFP storylines heading into Week 7.

The Red River Showdown

With all due respect to their opponents, Oklahoma has not been tested all season. Lincoln Riley and the Sooner offense have scored over 45 points in all five of their wins. However, the first big test has arrived as Oklahoma faces Texas in the Red River Showdown in what could be the first of two meetings this season. Just like the Sooners, the Longhorns have a prolific offense as well, having eclipsed more than 36 points in their five games. Hurts and Sam Ehlinger will light up the scoreboard as both teams should score over 40 points. What’s the better bet, Oklahoma winning the game or Oklahoma using the “horns down” gesture? After losing to Texas last year, I’d bet on Oklahoma to win this revenge game.

Penn State Begins Their Murderers’ Row Schedule

Ohio State is the class of the Big 10, but don’t sleep on Penn State. The Nittany Lions have both a top-five scoring offense and top-five scoring defense. This might be James Franklin’s best team in Happy Valley and that includes teams with Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley. However, Penn State is about to enter the murderer’s row section of their schedule. Penn State’s next three games: at Iowa, home vs. Michigan, at Michigan State. We’ll know a lot more about Penn State after this three-game stretch. Win all three and they’ll be in the top 7. Side note, if I’m Penn State, I’d have every player run out of the tunnel with dreads this weekend to stick it to that bullshit letter.

Can Alabama Continue Its Dominance Over Texas A&M?

In a way, Johnny Football beating Alabama in 2012 was the best and the worst thing to happen for Texas A&M. Winning is awesome, but beating Nick Saban is like signing a deathwish. Since that win in 2012, Alabama has six straight victories over A&M and the Tide have scored over 33 points in five of those six wins. Tua and his quartet of receivers have not had a close game all season. The last time Alabama went to College Station, the Tide escaped with an eight-point win. Will Alabama finally be tested in the second half?

Keep An Eye On Boise State

I am not saying Boise State will make the College Football Playoff. The Broncos could go undefeated and it still won’t matter. The committee would never put Boise in the playoff this year. However, if Boise went undefeated and won a New Year’s Six bowl, it would cause an even greater discussion for an eight-team playoff. Remember when UCF went undefeated in 2017 and won a New Year’s Six game and the debate was all about how the playoff needs to expand? If Boise does the same thing, the debate for expansion would be even stronger and for college football fans, that’s a good thing.

Showdown In Death Valley

We’ve got some bad blood. You love to see it. What’s been the bigger surprise, LSU’s offense or Florida’s undefeated start? Coach O finally opened up the offense and the Tigers haven’t looked back thanks to the elite play of Joe Burrow, who leads the second-ranked offense in the nation behind Oklahoma. As surprising as LSU’s offense has been, Florida’s undefeated start has arguably been more impressive. I hate to say that a team improved because of an injury, but Florida is a better team with Kyle Trask under center. Ever since taking over for Feleipe Franks, Trask has completed over 72% of his passes for 7 TDs and 2 INTs. Trask needs to be on his game Saturday night in Death Valley as LSU currently stands as a 13 point favorite.

What are your top College Football Playoff storylines for Week 7? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.