We’re officially through four weeks of football. What does that mean? A lot of teams are already moving in and out of the College Football Playoff Bracketology picture, and we’re starting to get a clear picture of who will be fighting for those coveted spots.
Texas
The Longhorns have the most impressive resume in the country. Despite a furious comeback, Texas escaped Neyland Stadium with a win. They have a week off before they have Oklahoma, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, LSU, Arkansas and then Texas A&M to close the year. If there’s a 3 loss team in the CFP this year, it’s Texas. That schedule is absolutely brutal.
Georgia
Dominating Oklahoma 41-13 is impressive, even if the Sooners aren’t who they were expected to be. The Bulldogs have Vanderbilt next week before the monumental clash with Alabama on Oct. 10. Georgia hasn’t really been tested this year, but Kirby Smart’s team has been dominant to start the season.
Miami (Fl)
The Hurricanes, like Georgia, haven’t been tested at all this year. The downfall for Miami is that they’re in the ACC, meaning they won’t have the gauntlet of games that other teams have. Up this week is a trip to face a struggling Clemson squad. Their victory over Wake Forest continues to shine, and they will have opportunities against solid opponents in Pitt and Virginia Tech this year. All eyes will be on South Bend on Nov. 7 when they play the Irish.
Notre Dame
Don’t get it wrong, Purdue is still in the basement of the Power 4, but they have been on the rise so far this season. Winning 49-10 on the road is impressive no matter how you say it. The Irish have controlled every game and haven’t had any issues thus far. Their schedule is light for a couple of more weeks, but in Mid October, they have the trip to Provo, and then they host Miami in November. They also have SMU on the schedule in the 2nd to last week of the year. They look poised to land in the top 12 and get a bid into the CFP.
Ohio State
Other than the collapse vs. Texas, the Buckeyes have looked like one of the best teams in the country. They throttled Illinois this weekend, winning 42-19 and forcing a defensive coordinator change in Champaign. Jeremiah Smith has taken over first place in the Heisman race after exploding this weekend as well. Now, OSU heads to Iowa City for a monumental showdown with Iowa.
Indiana
Did it look pretty? Not at all. However, Indiana beat Northwestern on Friday night to get to 4-0. People are, for some reason, extremely quick to write off the reigning national champs this season. No, Mendoza isn’t going to walk through the doors in Bloomington this year, however, their defense is damn good. They are on the road for the next two weeks before hosting Ohio State on Oct. 17
Alabama
The Tides have turned in Tuscaloosa this season, and it appears that DeBoer has gotten things figured out this year at Alabama. They’re 4-0 and their offense has scored 45 or more points in every game this year. However, their stiffest tests are ahead of them, with Mississippi State, Georgia and Tennessee in their next three.
Florida
Starting the year, Florida was on the radar, but not even ranked. Now? They’re No. 8 in the AP poll, which is exactly where I have them in the CFP race. Running back Jadan Baugh has 11 touchdowns, 83 carries, and 600 yards. Philo has been efficient at quarterback, and suddenly this Gator team looks like a national contender. The Gators are on the road at Missouri this weekend after throttling Ole Miss 52-28 this weekend.
BYU
The Cougars were on a bye this weekend, and will travel to Fort Worth this weekend to take on the 2-2 Horned Frogs. All eyes are on the matchup on Oct. 17 against Notre Dame, and BYU should continue to be undefeated headed into that one.
Texas Tech
Fresh off the huge victory over Houston, Tech dismantled Sam Houston this weekend. They travel to Colorado this weekend before their schedule gets much tougher. Will Hammond has taken over QB1 responsibilities, but will need to be more efficient, as he’s currently 80-116 for 968 yards. However, he has thrown 4 TDs and 5 INTs.
Ole Miss
What a rollercoaster of the last two weeks. Fresh off of the monumental victory over LSU, the Rebels got boat raced in Gainesville, losing 52-28. Florida is a good team, but a playoff contender cannot lose a game like that without serious repercussions. They will be off this weekend before traveling to Nashville next week.
Boise State
Boise did not disappoint in the Battle of the Broncos this weekend, beating Western Michigan 32-7 in Kalamazoo. They will now settle into their Pac-12 schedule and look to carry the momentum forward. Next up: Utah State.
Next up:
LSU: The Tigers aren’t in the playoff right now because of the loss to Ole Miss. It was between those two for the final spot, and the head-to-head gave the nod to the Rebs.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes have suddenly gotten themselves in a great spot. They’re 4-0 and just picked up a win over Michigan on the road. Their reward? Ohio State on Saturday. Win that one and they’ll jump into the top 10.
Utah: I have been higher on the Utes and the Iowa State Cyclones all season. Utah walked into Ames and dominated the competition, winning 31-17. Utah will get Kansas and Colorado before a tough stretch of Houston, Cincinnati, BYU Arizona towards the end of October.
Oregon: The good news is that Dante Moore has a concussion and no further injuries. They also get a bye this weekend. They are still in the playoff hunt, but there is minimal, if any margin for error this year.
Mississippi State: The best story in football, Kamario Taylor has thrown for 1192 yards, 14 TDs and 2 INTs. The rushing attack has gone for 871 yards this year, and suddenly the Bulldogs are gaining national notoriety. They have Alabama coming to town this weekend. Win that one and jump into the projected field!
G6 Radar:
James Madison: The Dukes have dominated this season after beating Liberty by 7 to start the year. They now have wins over Liberty and San Diego State, and the offense is rolling headed into Sun Belt play. They get Marshall this weekend. JMU will be lurking if Boise were to slip up.
North Dakota State: 4-0 on the year, and in their first season in the FBS, the Bison are looking to head to the playoffs. They will now look to continue their momentum in a matchup with Wyoming. Much like JMU, NDSU is just lurking, waiting for Boise to slip up.