Week 3 has come and gone. Now, we’re looking at big shakeups in the projected College Football Playoff Bracketology and things are starting to come into focus. One major shift to monitor is how many bids the Big 12, and ACC can grab this year. Right now, we are projecting two Big 12 teams and one ACC team. However, there are multiple Big Ten, ACC, and SEC teams vying for those spots as well.
Texas: The Longhorns hold the best win in the country and now have a Week 3 has come and gone. Now, we’re looking at big shakeups in the projected College Football Playoff bracket and things are starting to come into focus. One major shift to monitor is how many bids the Big 12, and ACC can grab this year. Right now, we are projecting two Big 12 teams and one ACC team. However, there are multiple Big Ten, ACC, and SEC teams vying for those spots as well.
GRAPHIC
Texas: The Longhorns hold the best win in the country and now have a monumental matchup against Tennessee. How will Arch handle Neyland Stadium for the first time ever? Can Tennessee’s rushing game keep them in it? Tennessee would jump up into the CFP bracket with a win this weekend.
Georgia: They have played strong competition; however, they’ve looked extremely good while doing so. The offense is humming, averaging 59 points per game, throwing for 285 yards per outing, and rushing for 253 yards per contest. However, the real competition will start this week. The Bulldogs host Oklahoma on Saturday between the Hedges before getting Vanderbilt on Oct. 3 and then Alabama on Oct. 10. In all likelihood, that matchup will be two undefeated squads and a top 5 clash.
Ole Miss: The Lane Kiffin bowl was a success by all accounts. First, no one got injured and no fights broke out to overshadow the on-field product. The actual game was great, ending with Ole Miss getting a 32-24 lead and holding Leavitt and co. out of the endzone at the end of the game. The Rebels now have two top tier wins (Louisville and LSU), and have a trip to Florida this weekend. For LSU, things don’t get easier now, as the Tigers get an angry Texas A&M team coming into Baton Rouge for a matchup that will be critical in deciding both team’s seasons.
Miami: The Hurricanes jumped IU, but Ole Miss jumped both this week. That’s not a slight on Miami, but just acknowledgement that they haven’t done much this year either. Their schedule has been weak to this point, with their best win coming Friday @ Wake Forest. While their schedule has been extremely light, they look the part of a national contender. They get Central Michigan, @ Clemson, and vs. Florida State in their next three. I don’t expect any of those three to give much resistance to the Hurricanes who should be undefeated headed into a matchup with Pitt on 10/24.
Indiana: Much like Georgia, the Hoosiers haven’t played anyone of note, but have won as they needed to. The reason I don’t have IU as high as some would like is I’m not sold on Hoover. He has looked shaky at times and has missed a handful of receivers. Their schedule gets into Big Ten play with an upstart Northwestern team this weekend.
Notre Dame: The Irish have 2 Power 4 wins, both over Big Ten teams. However, both of those teams are towards the bottom of the conference. An in-state rivalry with Purdue is their next game, and while Purdue has improved, they won’t compete with the Irish. After that, a trip to North Carolina, and a home matchup with Stanford stand between Notre Dame and their first real test in Provo, UT against BYU on Oct. 17. Both teams will likely be undefeated heading into that one.
Ohio State: With the Buckeye loss to Texas, It’s very difficult to get OSU higher than they are right now. They’ve looked amazing for 11/12 quarters this year, and that trend will likely continue as they host Illinois this weekend. After that, however, they will head to Iowa on 10/3 in what could be a game with massive playoff implications. The Hawkeyes are in Michigan this weekend, and are just on the outside looking in of the CFP picture right now.
Alabama: The Tide are 3-0, and their best win is Kentucky. The Cats just picked up a monumental win over Texas A&M in College Station this weekend, elevating the win for Bama. On top of that, Bama dispatched Florida State 50-36. After allowing 21 first half points, the defense allowed an immediate touchdown to open the 2nd half. However, after that it was all Bama. They got out to a 43-28 lead before FSU brought it back to 43-36 and then Bama shut the door with a 20 yard touchdown. FSU is not a pushover, but also should not have pushed Alabama like that. Norvell always gets up for Bama, and I’ll just say that, combined with the weather, made this weird. Alabama’s schedule now gets insane. They get South Carolina next week at home, but then have @ Mississippi State, vs. UGA, @ Tennessee, vs. A&M and @ LSU over the next 5 weeks.
BYU: The Cougars are the team I believe is the best in the Big 12. The problem is they haven’t been tested much at all. They are on a bye this week before getting TCU on Oct. 3, Iowa State on Oct. 9 and then the showdown with Notre Dame after. We’ll know much more about the Cougars in a month’s time. For now though, Bachmeier looks the part of a Heisman contender so far, however, will need to be a bit more accurate (44-62) as the year progresses.
USC: This year’s Trojan team appears to have a defense with a pulse! Last year, USC’s achilles heel was the defense. Are they world beaters? Absolutely not, but they’ve been good enough to put the team in good spots. However, they’ve also played absolutely no one. They gave up 35 points this weekend to Rutgers. I still have defensive concerns, but there’s at least a semblance of hope. This weekend will be the first test as the Trojans get Oregon in LA. The Ducks come into this one with a must win attitude. If they lose here, being 2-2 would mean they have to win out. For USC, this is their chance to announce they’re a contender this year. Maiava has thrown for 1,173 yards this year, 12 TDs, and just 1 INT. He looks primed to lead this team to the top of the country.
Texas Tech: Friday night’s game was absolutely electric, and the Tech team showed me something I wasn’t sure they had in them. After surrendering an early lead, the Raiders turned things around to squeak out a victory vs. a dangerous Houston squad. Will Hammond has officially been named QB1 after Castellanos threw his INT on his lone pass this weekend. Dickey and Williams have created a formidable duo in the backfield. Both had a TD and they combined for 23 carries and 127 yards. The Raiders get Sam Houston this weekend before diving into Big 12 play for the rest of the season.
Boise State: Right now, I have Boise in here as they have the win over Memphis. However, you could argue for North Dakota State, USF, Tulsa, or Western Michigan and I can understand it. Boise struggled last night with South Dakota before putting them away. What many people don’t understand is just how good the top tier of the FCS is. South Dakota is that top tier. This week’s battle with WMU will shed a significant light onto both Broncos paths this season.
I’ve mentioned several other teams, notably LSU, Iowa, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. All 4 of those are close to the CFP picture, as are Penn State, Louisville, Utah and Florida. Those 8 make up the 13-20 spots on my current top 25, and will be teams to keep an eye on as the season progresses. In the G6, North Dakota State, Tulsa, USF, and Western Michigan are all in the picture currently. This weekend’s WMU/Boise State matchup is one of the biggest of the weekend in regards to CFP Bracketology.