So, Week 2 of the College Football Playoff Rankings have been released, and there are some significant changes as there were some big upsets last weekwhich have shaken up the rankings so let’s recap the initial College Football Playoff top 10 teams before we go any further:
(As of November 3, 2015)
1. Clemson
2. LSU
3. Ohio State
4. Alabama
5. Notre Dame
6. Baylor
7. Michigan State
8. TCU
9. Iowa
10. Florida
My, how things change in one Saturday. Three teams that were in the top 10, saw their dreams shattered as LSU, TCU and Michigan State all lost last weekend. LSU lost to Alabama by a score of 30-16 in Tuscaloosa, as Derrick Henry ran wild on the Tigers defense carving them up for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns. Meanwhile, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, The Oklahoma State Cowboys had their way with TCU as they destroyed the Horned Frogs 49-29, all but ending their chance at redemption for missing the playoffs last year. And finally in Lincoln, Nebraska in what may have been the most controversial ending of the season.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers upset the Michigan State Spartans by a score of 39-38. This game did come with controversy at the end however, as Nebraska scored the game winning touchdown after it had appeared that WR Brandon Reilly appeared to step out of bounds, only to catch the game winning touchdown with :17 seconds left in the game. The officials went to video review and determined that Reilly was forced out of bounds so he was still a legal receiver as a result.
So, after a wild weekend, the committee had released their latest rankings as we head down the road to Glendale in January. However, I’m going to throw my own twist in starting this week. I will be releasing the 1st installment of the TalkSportsPhilly Playoff Top 10, as I will give my view on who my top 10 is, as well as my reasoning for these rankings. So with that in mind, here is the official College Football Playoff Top 10:
(As of November 10, 2015)
College Football Playoff Top 10
1. Clemson: 9-0
2. Alabama: 8-1
3.Ohio State: 9-0
4. Notre Dame: 8-1
5. Iowa: 9-0
6. Baylor: 8-0
7. Stanford: 8-1
8. Oklahoma State: 9-0
9. LSU: 7-1
10. Utah: 8-1
Right out of the gate, I see some things that catch my eye. Iowa at #5?!?! They haven’t played anybody all year, so why are they ranked that high? Oklahoma State at #8 surprises me, because I was not expecting a major jump after beating TCU by 20, but I guess the committee see things differently than I do. So with that being said, here is the 1st installment of the TalkSportsPhilly Playoff Top 10.
(As of November 10, 2015)
TalkSportsPhilly Playoff Top 10
1. Clemson(9-0): By far the best team in the country right now. Yes they struggled early on against Florida State, but Clemson did what great teams always do and they shut down the Seminoles in the 2nd half en route to winning the game, and clinching a spot in the ACC Championship game in December.
2. Alabama(8-1): As much as I HATE Alabama (And I really do hate Alabama), I have to give credit where credit is due. They beat down an LSU team that was riding high going into the game. When you an run for over 200 yards on the ground like Derrick Henry did, AND hold Leonard Fournette to just 31 yards on 19 carries, you know you played a great game. But, Alabama still has a tough road ahead of them, including a potential SEC Championship game against Florida that will determine what Alabama is really made of.
3. Notre Dame(8-1): Another team that I can’t stand, yet at the same time they continue to win. As long as they keep winning, they will continue to be in the conversation. That is unless they lose to Stanford!!!
4. Ohio State(9-0): Somehow, this team continues to find ways to win games at the last minute, which may end up hurting them in the end. That and upcoming games against BOTH Michigan State and Michigan which could have Big Ten and National Implications down the road.
5. Baylor(8-0): This is a team that really intrigues me, as they are playing with a freshman QB in Jarrett Stidham and remain undefeated. Baylor will have their own “Terrible Trio” of games coming up as they will be playing Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, AND TCU in the next 3 weeks. Could this be the end of Baylor’s season, or will the Bears be in the driver’s seat for the playoff???? Only time will tell…..
6. Stanford(8-1): Stanford has been impressive thus far this season, despite their season opening loss to Northwestern. Their Strength of Schedule (30th) is a little bit worrisome, however that loss to Northwestern is looking better and better by the week. Next up for the Cardinal, is the 1st of 3 home games to end the season against Oregon, whom Stanford has beaten in 2 of the last 3 years. Also looming, is Notre Dame in the final game of the season, which may have a massive impact on the playoff picture.
7. Oklahoma State(9-0): Wow!!! That’s all you can say about the Cowboys at this point. 2 weeks ago was one of the darkest days in the school’s recent memory, as 3 people lost their lives in a homecoming parade accident. So how does the team respond? Not only do they keep winning, but they defeated a TCU team that had playoff aspirations of their own. The Cowboys schedule does not get any easier, as their last 2 games are against Oklahoma and Baylor which will undoubtedly have Big 12 and Playoff implications.
8. Iowa(9-0): This week’s version of why are they even here?!?!?! The Hawkeyes have been beating teams impressively, however even with their 2 biggest wins coming on the road against Wisconsin and Northwestern, it just doesn’t seem like Iowa did enough to get in this position. However, with a potential Big Ten Championship game looming against presumably the Ohio State/Michigan State winner, we will see if Iowa is in fact deserving of being in the conversation for a spot in the “Final Four.”
9. Oklahoma(8-1): The Sooners have quietly been dismantling team after team this season, with their lone loss coming against Texas in “The Red River Shootout” Game. The schedule for Oklahoma in the final 3 weeks, will dictate whether or not they will even win the Big 12 and make the playoffs as they will play at Baylor, home against TCU, and then on the road against Oklahoma State in the “Bedlam Game”, which will undoubtedly put the Big 12 discussion to rest. Or it will start a whole new controversy in the process.
10. Florida(8-1): Florida is a hard team to read, because just when you think they are out of the mix, they find ways to keep themselves in. Sometimes they win convincingly, and sometimes they win very, very ugly. But, the fact is that outside of their lone loss against LSU, they just keep winning. However, they will have to start looking more impressive if they have any shot at getting to the playoff, which will include winning the SEC Championship more than likely against Alabama.
So there you have it, my Top 10. Now we look at the Bowl Projections as of the time that this article is published. Now unlike last week, I will just be projecting the teams that I think will make the playoffs, as well as the New Year’s 6 and Temple and Penn State Bowl Destinations as well. So without further adu, here is TalkSportsPhilly’s Week 2 Bowl Projections:
College Football Playoffs:
Discover Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida/December 31,2015)
#1 Clemson vs #4 Baylor
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Arlington, Texas/December 31, 2015)
#2 Alabama vs #3 Ohio State
New Year’s 6 Games:
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta, Georgia/December 31, 2015)
Florida vs Temple (Yes I’m serious…… If Temple beats Memphis in 2 weeks and Memphis beats Houston this week, I can see this scenario happening as Temple would be the highest ranked Group of 5 Champion)
Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona/January 1, 2016)
LSU vs Oklahoma State
Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual (Pasadena California January 1, 2016)
Stanford vs Michigan State
Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana/January 1,2016)
Utah vs Notre Dame
Outback Bowl (Tampa, Florida/January 1, 2016)
Penn State vs Ole Miss
So there you have my thoughts on Week 2 of the playoff rankings. As we travel down the long road to Glendale, Arizona and the crowning of a National Champion on January 11, 2016, be sure to tune into TSP every Tuesday night for a new set of rankings and projections.
Tags: Alabama, Baylor, Big 10 Championship, Bowl Projections, Clemson, College Football Playoff, Iowa, LSU, NCAA News, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio St, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Penn State, Philly Sports New, Robert Waterman, SEC Championship, Sports News Philly, Stanford, TCU, Temple, Top 10, Utah
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