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Welcome to the real world, Alabama.
The real world is one where your team doesn’t blow away everyone else and advance to the College Football Playoffs every season. The real world is being without Nick Saban (he now works for ESPN). The real world is having two losses in its first seven games (that happened only once with Saban: his first season in 2007).
The real world can be a tough place. Get ready.
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 affect our Top 10, the collective college football world is wondering: What’s going on in Tuscaloosa?
First-year coach Kalen DeBoer has big problems to iron out before back-to-back games against ranked teams Missouri (home) and LSU (road). The Tide plays undisciplined football and makes silly mistakes (15 penalties on Saturday). These are things that we are not used to from them.
Welcome to the real world.
Let’s look at some other real world events, shall we? And no, I’m not talking about the presidential elections.
I’m talking about a pair of Big 12 teams, BYU and Iowa State, that need incredible final runs and winners to stay undefeated. I’m talking about undefeated Indiana. And Army and Navy undefeated. Miami also escaped again and is now 7-0.
Saturday, as it usually does, brought some wild moments. Like Missouri quarterback Brady Cook returning from a midgame hospital visit to lead the Tigers to a comeback win over Auburn. Or how about the A series of outlandish events unfolded in Austin during Georgia’s dominant 30-15 victory. about Texas?
There was a lot of misery for some fans. At Maryland, Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans lost 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 consecutive losses to Texas and South Carolina). And Michigan suffered a third loss in seven games to destroy any playoff chances.
This week’s Top 10 is perhaps the hardest to choose yet. A large number of teams with only one loss are competing to remain in the classification or to surpass it. Someone has to be left out! Sorry to: LSU, Texas A&M, Illinois, Kansas State, Tennessee and Missouri. Maybe next time!
1. Oregon Ducks
This week: beat Purdue 35-0
Next week: against Illinois
All the ingredients were there for the old trap game: a long road trip for a Friday night start against a last-place denizen after an emotional victory in a top-five matchup. And still, the ducks rolled. In fact, Dan Lanning’s team earned its first road shutout in more than 30 years.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
This week: goodbye
Next week: in Wisconsin
Is it time for Penn State-Ohio State yet? No, it’s not the time. The Nittany Lions can’t overlook a Badgers team that is playing better football as of late. James Franklin might have his best team in his 11 years in State College. But the obstacle 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 those this year. That’s the good news. The bad news is that one (Ohio State) is 9-1 against Franklin over the last decade.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: beat Texas 30-15
Next week: goodbye
Look, we get it. A team with just one loss is ranked ahead of all these other undefeated teams. But Georgia’s resume (wins over Clemson and Texas) and schedule (12th nationally) stand alone among the top 10 teams. The Bulldogs are a terror on defense and have enough offensive weapons to score on anyone. Be attentive.
4. Miami Hurricanes
This week: beat Louisville
Next week: against Florida State
Hurricane defense is sometimes completely exploited. And when we say “sometimes,” we mean many times. But Miami has something that few others have: Cam Ward. The transfer QB is putting up Heisman-type digits. He has thrown for at least 300 yards in every game this season and has at least three touchdowns in all but one.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: goodbye
Next week: against Nebraska
The Buckeyes had a much-needed bye week after the nail-biting loss at Oregon last Saturday night. Their final six-game stretch of the year features three ranked opponents. Don’t worry, owners of one of the most expensive rosters in football, the Buckeyes have enough talent to win them all, claim the conference title and still, with a loss, earn a bye in the first round of the playoff extended. Or they could stumble a few more times, miss the playoffs and then watch their fans burn it down in Columbus.
6. Clemson Tigers
This week: beat Virginia 48-31
Next week: goodbye
QB Cade Klubnik’s last three games: 73 of 108 for 922 yards, eight touchdowns and a pick. He has been the driving force that has led the Tigers to six consecutive double-digit victories since that season-opening loss to Georgia in Atlanta. The Tigers play only one ranked team in the regular season: a matchup at Pitt on Nov. 16.
7. Indiana Hoosiers
This week: beat Nebraska 56-7
Next week: against Washington
The Hoosiers are a football school! At least lately. Indiana has scored at least 41 points in six consecutive games. The path is there for first-year coach Curt Cignetti to lead this team to the College Football Playoff. They should be the favorite in all of their remaining games except the trip to Ohio State on Nov. 23.
8. BYU Cougars
This week: beat 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 has three road games over the next month (UCF, Utah, Arizona State) that could very well make or break the season.
9. Notre Dame fighting the Irish
This week: beat Georgia Tech 31-13
Next week: vs. Navy (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
It’s not always pretty for the Irish, but they’ve won their fifth straight game and are playing one of the best defenses in the country. They have allowed 13 points or fewer in four of those wins. The game against undefeated Navy at Metlife Stadium looms large.
10. Iowa State Cyclones
This week: beat UCF 38-35
Next week: goodbye
If you still don’t know who Rocco Becht is, do a little research and you’ll find out quickly. The Iowa State quarterback threw for 274 and ran for 97 on Saturday, including driving the Cyclones down the field for the game-winning 80-yard touchdown.
abandoned: Texas (3)
