We head to the third week of November and every win is so vital in the race for those coveted 12 playoff spots. Texas, Ole Miss and Alabama stole the show in the SEC. As for the Big Ten, there are a quartet of teams that are either undefeated or once beaten. A reminder, a team representing each of the four major conferences gets a spot in the top four. When the playoffs are announced, they’ll get the byes. Same for the highest ranked Group of Five winner.
1. Oregon – The Ducks of Dan Lanning are having a remarkable season. Oregon is now a perfect 10-0 after beating Maryland this past Saturday. Now it’s off to Wisconsin. It will be cold and Camp Randall will be loud, but the Ducks have a lot of firepower.
2. Texas – The Longhorns, coming off an open date, flexed their muscles against the Gators and posted an impressive victory, improving to 8-1. They could have their hands full Saturday against Arkansas. This is one of the most talented teams in America.
3. BYU – The Holy War versus Utah was an instant classic, and Brigham Young pulled out a 22-21 victory. Now the Cougars take on Kansas in another Big XII battle. It’s the 40-year anniversary of BYU’s 1984 national title, and the Cougars are having a great year.
4. SMU – This could be the best Mustang team since the glory days in the early 1980s with Eric Dickerson and Craig James. As a member of the ACC, they are in the mix for a spot in the playoffs. The only loss is to BYU. Boston College heads to Dallas Saturday.
5. Ohio State – It was a Buckeyes runaway against struggling Purdue, as Ohio State improved to 8-1. The Buckeyes are heavily favored again this weekend, as they take on Northwestern at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Ohio State has a whole bunch of talent.
6. Tennessee – The Volunteers beat Mississippi State to make it 8-1 on the year, and are now headed to Athens. A win would be a huge step towards punching a playoff ticket and date in the SEC Championship Game. Tennessee’s D Line is stout.
7. Indiana – It was a tremendous victory for Indiana, as the Hoosiers took down Michigan 20-15 in Bloomington to make it 10-0 on the season. They can savor this one with an open date, then it is off to the Horseshoe to take on Ohio State in a huge game.
8. Ole Miss – The Rebels picked up one of the biggest wins in school history, defeating then second ranked Georgia 28-10 in Oxford to improve to 8-2. Ole Miss is off this week and then heads to Gainesville to take on the Gators. Jaxson Dart is a superb quarterback.
9. Alabama – The Crimson Tide are humming right along. Alabama dominated LSU in Baton Rouge and will be heavily favored the rest of the way. Jalen Milroe is some kind of talent. Mercer heads to T-town before Bama closes at Oklahoma and then hosts Auburn.
10. Penn State – It was just what the doctor ordered, as the Nittany Lions beat Washington in Happy Valley. Penn State is squarely in the playoff picture, and should take care of struggling Purdue Saturday. The Big Ten race is really tight up top.
11. Georgia – The Bulldogs lost for just the fourth time in the last 57 games, as Ole Miss beat Georgia 28-10 in Oxford. Kirby Smart has done amazing things at Georgia. The Dogs need a win over Tennessee in Athens Saturday night to keep CFP hopes alive.
12. Boise State – The Broncos had one of their toughest tests this past week, but survived with a 28-21 win over Nevada. Next up for the talented Broncos is a trip south to California, where they’ll take on San Jose State. Boise’s only loss is to Oregon.