Looking at the CFB AP Top 10: Changes Are Coming
Looking at the CFB AP Top 10: Changes Are Coming
The next few weeks are going to be really fun.
The beginning of every college football season usually follows a pretty standard pattern: a few preseason top-10 teams play each other, a couple of ranked teams play here and there, but for the most part we see the Alabamas, Clemsons, and Ohio States beat up on the Bowling Greens of the world. It’s a nice opportunity for teams to ease into their seasons and find out what needs to be fixed before a top opponent comes to town.
Fortunately for us, though, that part of the season is over. Just this week, Ohio State plays Wisconsin, Florida plays Georgia and LSU plays Auburn. Three top-15 games in one week! The next few weeks should be equally exciting, as we have Alabama-LSU, Ohio State-Penn State and Georgia-Auburn coming up in the next few weeks. It’s time for these contenders to prove exactly how good they are, and we get to witness it. As the great Terrell Owens once said: “Get your popcorn ready.”
Now, this inevitably will lead to some new names popping up around here in the coming weeks. I recommend we all welcome them, offer them a drink and then wait to see how they handle the pressure. What’s the worst that can happen?
Some old names will probably be back, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wisconsin finds itself back in the top-10 in a few weeks. If it beats Ohio State it’ll be back next week. Either way, changes are coming. Be prepared.
Alright, I know this is a shorter episode of the creatively-named “Looking at the CFB AP Top 10,” but I’m currently writing from Munich, Germany and have to get out of my hotel room in 30 minutes. The life of a student abroad isn’t always easy. Have a great Saturday, everybody, I’ll get back to you soon.
Alabama
AP Poll Ranking: 1
Last Week’s Ranking: 1
Week Six Result: 35-13 win vs. Tennessee
Change: N/A
Analysis: Alabama suffered a crucial injury when Tua Tagavailoa suffered a high ankle sprain and had to have surgery. He’s estimated to miss one to two weeks, which means that he might not be available for the Tide’s game against #2 LSU. This is a huge loss, and will be an important factor going forward.
LSU
AP Poll Ranking: 2
Last Week’s Ranking: 2
Week Six Result: 36-13 win vs. Mississippi State
Change: N/A
Analysis: LSU, meanwhile, could be salivating at the thought of playing a Tua-less Alabama. But first they have to take care of business this week: They play #9 Auburn, a team that would immediately put themselves back into the playoff discussion with a win. If LSU is able to fend off the desperate war-eagle, we could have the biggest game of the regular season next week.
Ohio State
AP Poll Ranking: 3
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
Week Six Result: 52-3 win vs. Northwestern
Change: +4
Analysis: That sigh you heard at the end of the LSU analysis was the collective feeling of Ohio State fans, realizing that their game against Wisconsin is not only no longer a top-10 matchup, but not even be against the top two Big Ten teams. Much of the remaining criticism left to levy against the Buckeyes is their lack of ranked wins, and this game was supposed to validate all the hype. It theoretically still could. But some of the shine wore off with Illinois’ upset of the Badgers last week. Keep your heads up, Buckeyes. Penn State is coming soon.
Clemson
AP Poll Ranking: 4
Last Week’s Ranking: 3
Week Six Result: 45-10 win vs. Louisville
Change: -1
Analysis: Remember when I said that Clemson was going to be in the top spot until December? Well, obviously that didn’t happen, partially due to the fact that they don’t have a single top-10 opponent on their schedule. Every mistake is amplified, and there’s not really an opportunity for the Tigers to prove how good they are against a similarly-talented opponent. That means that basically every game is a lose-lose for Clemson: Either they play like they’re supposed to and blow out their opponent, or they’re a disappointment. But as long as Dabo Swinney’s squad keeps winning, they’ll be in the playoff. And that’s ultimately the goal.
Oklahoma
AP Poll Ranking: 5
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
Week Six Result: 52-14 win vs. West Virginia
Change: N/A
Analysis: What is there to say about Oklahoma at this point? They’re the best Big 12 team by a decent margin, have the top offense in the nation in yards per play, and don’t have a top-10 opponent on their schedule. One thing to note, though: Baylor, ranked at #14 this week, is currently undefeated. If the Bears keep winning that could turn out to be the best game of the season in terms of ranking. Keep an eye on it.
Penn State
AP Poll Ranking: 6
Last Week’s Ranking: 7
Week Six Result: 28-21 win vs. #19 Michigan
Change: +1
Analysis: The nation’s quietest top-10 team, the Nittany Lions have been almost entirely overshadowed by the Buckeyes and Badgers, but with Wisconsin’s loss to Illinois are set firmly as the top candidate to beat Ohio State later in the season. Penn State has a really good defense, and just fought off #19 Michigan, who is quickly seeing their supposed dream season turn into a nightmare. Can Penn State take down the top team in the Big Ten? It happened as recently as 2016. Just don’t bring up that year around their fans.
On that note, have I ever mentioned how much I hate the “four best teams” standard? No? Maybe another time.
Florida
AP Poll Ranking: 7
Last Week’s Ranking: 9
Week Six Result: 38-27 win vs. South Carolina
Change: +2
Analysis: Florida plays Georgia this week, and the loser is probably out of playoff contention. Kyle Trask has had an admirable season for his situation, but this game against Georgia will likely be a new level of difficulty. Can the Gators keep up their exciting season? They seem to be catching the Bulldogs at the perfect time: Georgia has lost to South Carolina and had a weak game against Kentucky in consecutive weeks. Keep an eye on this one.
Notre Dame
AP Poll Ranking: 8
Last Week’s Ranking: 8
Week Six Result: N/A
Change: N/A
Analysis: Can the Irish still make the playoff with one loss? It’s probably unlikely. The highest-ranked opponent they have left on their schedule is #19 Michigan, who could finish this season outside of the top-25. Other than that, there isn’t another ranked team on the schedule, and Notre Dame has to constantly battle the issue of missing a conference championship on their resume. A lot of chaos would probably be necessary for them to be put into the playoff conversation in earnest. But hey, this is college football. Why not?
Auburn
AP Poll Ranking: 9
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
Week Six Result: 51-10 win vs. Arkansas
Change: +2
Analysis: Auburn is back in the Top-10, only to face #2 LSU this week. They definitely have a shot, they are a top-10 team for a reason. But...this may also be a short visit to the Top-10. It’s really, really hard to beat the #2 team in the nation. The one thing Auburn can hope for, though, is that LSU might be looking ahead to Alabama next week. I wouldn’t bet on it, but it’s possible.
Georgia
AP Poll Ranking: 10
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
Week Six Result: 21-0 win vs. Kentucky
Change: N/A
Analysis: Georgia didn’t score a point against Kentucky until the second half, and Jake Fromm threw for exactly 35 passing yards. No, I didn’t miss a zero. And now they play #7 Florida? Yikes. Here’s hoping Kirby Smart can figure out the problem, and fast.
All game results, poll rankings, statistics and injury information courtesy of sports-reference.com
-By: Alexander Spieldenner
Instagram: alex_spieldenner
Twitter: @aspieldenner