We head into the final weekend of October with some tremendous races shaping up around the country. All five of the power conferences have at least one undefeated team. Ohio State got the biggest win of the week, and Oklahoma survived a scare from UCF.
1. Florida State – The Seminoles played a dominant fourth quarter against Duke, outscoring the Blue Devils 21-0 in the final period to win 38-20 in Tallahassee. It’s an early kickoff this coming Saturday at Wake Forest.
2. Ohio State – The Buckeyes got a high caliber win over Penn State, downing the Nittany Lions 20-12 in the Horseshoe. Ohio State is 7-0 and off to Wisconsin. The Buckeyes are playing excellent defense. They are talented at running back and wide receiver.
3. Georgia – The 7-0 Bulldogs were off this past Saturday, and now tangle with the Gators in Jacksonville. Georgia will have to do it without All-American Brock Bowers for a while. The Bulldogs have won five of the last six in the series. Florida was also off last week.
4. Michigan – The Wolverines jumped all over Michigan State and rolled to a 49-0 victory. They are off this week, and then take on Purdue. Michigan has a lot of talent and a very strong running game. J.J. McCarthy has taken a big jump at quarterback.
5. Washington – The Huskies had a scare against Arizona State, but a pick saved the day and they escaped 15-7. Washington hits the road this week to take on Stanford and then a tough stretch of November games awaits. They are the lone unbeaten in the PAC-12.
6. Oklahoma – It was scary for Oklahoma this past week, but the Sooners held off UCF for a 31-29 win. Oklahoma is 7-0 and off to Kansas Saturday. Oklahoma is clicking offensively. The Sooners quickly got back to form after a down season last year.
7. Texas – The Longhorns beat Houston 31-24. It was a good bounce back following the heartbreaking loss to Oklahoma and the open date. Texas hosts Brigham Young Saturday for a tough test in Austin. The ‘Horns have a lot of talent on offense.
8. Alabama – The Crimson Tide dominated the second half in a 34-20 victory over Tennessee. Alabama was down 20-7 at the half, and then turned it on. Bama is hot. The Crimson Tide is off this week, and then it’s the big LSU battle in Tuscaloosa.
9. Oregon – The Ducks were a little shaky early against Washington State, but rallied to take care of the Cougars 38-24. Next up is a huge showdown against Utah in Salt Lake City. This one has major implications in the PAC-12.
10. Missouri – The Tigers put a 34-12 beatdown on South Carolina to make it 7-1 on the season. Missouri has an excellent line of scrimmage and Tigers can score. Mizzou is off this Saturday, and then heads to Georgia for a huge showdown.
11. Ole Miss – The Rebels won an SEC battle with Auburn 28-21 on the Plains to make it 6-1 on the season. Vanderbilt heads to Oxford Saturday. Ole Miss has a lot of firepower and juice in the backfield and the defense is getting better.
12. Air Force – The Flying Falcons took down Navy 17-6 and they are perfect on the season. Air Force is always tough, and this appears to be a premier year for the program. They are 7-0 and off to Colorado State, dreaming of a major bowl bid.