Welcome to the real world, Alabama.
The real world is one in which your team doesn’t steamroll all the others and advance to the College Football Playoff every season. The real world is without Nick Saban (he now works for ESPN). The real world has two losses in your first seven games (that happened only once under Saban: his first season in 2007).
The real world can be a hard place. Brace yourself.
The Tide’s 24-17 loss at Tennessee is a devastating blow to Bama’s conference title and playoff chances in the first year of the expanded postseason. And while the result didn’t directly impact our Top 10, the collective college football world is left wondering: What’s going on in Tuscaloosa?
First-year coach Kalen DeBoer has major issues to solve for back-to-back games against ranked teams Missouri (home) and LSU (road). The Tide play undisciplined football and make stupid mistakes (15 penalties on Saturday). These are things we are not used to from them.
Welcome to the real world.
Let’s look at other real world events, shall we? And no, I’m not talking about the presidential election.
I’m talking about a pair of Big 12 teams, BYU and Iowa State, that need incredible, game-winning finishes to stay undefeated. I’m talking about undefeated Indiana. And undefeated army and navy. Miami also escaped again and is now 7-0.
Saturday, as is often the case, delivered some wild moments. Like Missouri quarterback Brady Cook returning from a mid-game hospital visit to lead the Tigers to a comeback win over spiraling Auburn. Or how about the crazy series of events that unfolded in Austin during Georgia’s dominant 30-15 win over Texas?
There was enough misery for a few fan bases. At Maryland, Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans dropped a third straight game and a fourth in five games (they blew a third lead in the fourth quarter). In Oklahoma, the Sooners are epically bad on offense (they’ve scored a combined 12 points in back-to-back losses to Texas and South Carolina). And Michigan dropped a third loss in seven games, ending any playoff chances.
This week’s Top 10 might be the hardest to choose yet. A large number of one-loss teams are fighting to stay in the rankings or crack the rankings. Someone needs to be left out! Sorry for: LSU, Texas A&M, Illinois, Kansas State, Tennessee and Missouri. Maybe next time!
1. Oregon ducks
This week: Beat Purdue 35-0
Next week: vs. Illinois
All the ingredients were there for the old kicking game: a long road trip before a Friday night kickoff against a bottom-dweller after an emotional win in a top-five matchup. And yet the Ducks rolled. In fact, Dan Lanning’s team got its first road shutout in more than 30 years.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
This week: Goodbye
Next week: in Wisconsin
Is it Penn State-Ohio State time yet?! No, it’s not time. The Nittany Lions can’t look past a Badgers team that has been playing better football lately. James Franklin may have his best all-around team in his 11 years at State College. But the hurdle has always been Ohio State and Michigan. Free from the prison that was the Big Ten East Division, Penn State only has to play one of them this year. That’s the good news. The bad news is that one (Ohio State) was 9-1 against Franklin over the past decade.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: Defeated Texas 30-15
Next week: See you later
Look, we get it. A team with one loss has an advantage over all these other undefeated players. But Georgia’s resume (wins over Clemson and Texas) and strong schedule (12th nationally) rank alone among the top 10 teams. The Bulldogs are a terror to defenses and have enough offensive weapons to score on anyone. Watch out.
4. Miami Hurricanes
This week: beat Louisville
Next week: vs. Florida State
The Hurricanes defense is completely exploited at times. And when we say ‘sometimes’, we mean very often. But Miami has something that few do: Cam Ward. The transfer QB is posting Heisman-type numbers. He has thrown for at least 300 yards in every game this season and has at least three TDs in all but one game.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: Goodbye
Next week: vs. Nebraska
The Buckeyes got a much-needed week of rest after the heartbreaking loss at Oregon last Saturday night. Their final six games of the year feature three ranked opponents. Don’t worry, owners of one of the most expensive rosters in football, the Buckeyes are talented enough to win them all, claim the conference title and still, if lost, get a first-round bye from the extended play-off. Or they could stumble a few more times, miss the playoff, and then watch their fans burn it all down in Columbus.
6. Clemson Tigers
This week: Defeated Virginia 48-31
Next week: See you later
QB Cade Klubnik’s last three games: 73 for 108 for 922 yards, eight touchdowns and one pick. He has been the engine that has propelled the Tigers to six straight double-digit wins since the season-opening loss to Georgia in Atlanta. The Tigers will play just one ranked team in the regular season: a battle against Pitt on Nov. 16.
7. Indiana Hoosiers
This week: Defeated Nebraska 56-7
Next week: vs. Washington
The Hoosiers are a football school! At least lately. Indiana has scored at least 41 points in six straight games. The stage is set for first-year coach Curt Cignetti to lead this team to the College Football Playoff. They should be favored in all their remaining games except for a trip to Ohio State on November 23.
8. BYU Cougars
This week: defeated Oklahoma State 38-35
Next week: at UCF
The Cougars survived a real scare from the Pokes on Friday night in Provo, needing a 35-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left from QB Jake Retzlaff. Coach Kalani Sitake’s team has won three games by one score so far this year. BYU gets three road games in the next month (UCF, Utah, Arizona State) that could very well make or break the season.
9. Notre Dame fights the Irish
This week: defeated Georgia Tech 31-13
Next week: vs. Navy (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Things aren’t always pretty for the Irish, but they have won for the fifth time in a row and are playing against the best defenses in the country. They have allowed thirteen or fewer points in four of those wins. The match against undefeated Navy at Metlife Stadium looms.
10. Cyclones in the state of Iowa
This week: beat UCF 38-35
Next week: See you later
If you don’t know who Rocco Becht is yet, do some research and you’ll soon find out. The Iowa State quarterback threw for 274 and ran for 97 Saturday, including marching the Cyclones down the field for the game-winning 80-yard touchdown drive.
Dropped out: Texas (3)
