Week 7 felt like a pivotal week in the college football season, with eye-opening results all over the country that will impact the College Football Playoff picture
Some teams established themselves as contenders and others fell out of the picture with brutal losses (talking to you, Florida State). There was plenty of action across the SEC, with big games up and down the slate that eliminated teams like Auburn and revived others, like Texas.
Most teams are now at the halfway point with six games under their belt, but who is in the pole position to make the College Football Playoff and who still has work to do? Let's take a look at how things could play out by the time December rolls around.
1. Ohio State (6-0)
Saturday was business as usual for the Buckeyes, who picked up a quality road win over Illinois in convincing fashion, 34-16. Ryan Day and company are still a bit limited on offense, even if the running game has improved as Bo Jackson has started to get more touches.
At this point, it’s hard to see anyone making inroads on this defense. It is clearly the best unit in the country and has the potential to be an all-time group, and it has an NFL mind leading it in Matt Patricia. The Buckeyes should roll through the rest of their schedule until a trip to Michigan to close the regular season, and they are our pick out of the Big Ten.
2. Miami (5-0)
Miami has a great case to be in the top spot here thanks to a quartet of quality wins against Notre Dame, South Florida, Florida and Florida State on the road. Carson Beck is playing good football, the Hurricanes have dangerous weapons on the perimeter, and this Miami defense is one of the most fearsome units in the country.
Now, Miami should be able to roll through the rest of the regular season. Who will it see in the ACC Championship Game? Duke? Georgia Tech? Virginia? Someone else?
3. Alabama (5-1)
Kalen DeBoer and company have recovered from the early-season hiccup against Florida State and are now humming on both sides of the ball, and the Tide are the pick out of the SEC for the foreseeable future. After grinding out a road win against Missouri, Alabama’s toughest remaining games – against Tennessee, LSU and Oklahoma – are all in Tuscaloosa.
Ty Simpson is leading what might be the best passing attack in the country, and the junior quarterback is sneaking into the Heisman Trophy discussion as a result. The return of Jam Miller has given Alabama some more juice on the ground as well, making this offense one of the most reliable units in the best conference in the nation.
4. Indiana (6-0)
The biggest winner of Week 7 was Indiana, as Curt Cignetti finally got a signature win to go with his unthinkable success in his brief Hoosiers tenure. Indiana went on the road to Eugene and dominated Oregon at the line of scrimmage in an excellent 30-20 win.
Now, with that win over the Ducks and a 63-10 drubbing of Illinois on the resume, Cignetti and company are past the meat of their schedule. A road test against Penn State – if the Nittany Lions are back on their feet by then – looms, but for now the Hoosiers and Ohio State are on a collision course for a Big Ten title game that could decide the No. 1 seed.
5. Texas Tech (6-0)
The rest of the Big 12 has been playing a different sport as Texas Tech this season, as the Red Raiders continue to comfortably dispatch everyone on their schedule. Unfortunately, with the top of the Big Ten looking so strong, 13-0 may not be enough to get a bye out of a weak Big 12.
Still, Joey McGuire and company would get a date with the Group of Five champion here, which shouldn’t be much trouble. Texas Tech’s biggest test left will come in Week 8 on the road against Arizona State.
6. Oregon (5-1)
Oregon slipped up on Saturday, and it was out-physicaled by Indiana in a game that very well may decide the second spot in Indianapolis at the end of the season. The Ducks are still a very good team and should finish 11-1, but its conference title hopes are looking bleak now.
Still, Dan Lanning will take his team over anyone else, and Oregon should still have a chance to prove it when December and January roll around.
7. Ole Miss (6-0)
Placing the SEC teams is the hardest part of this exercise because a lot of them all still play each other. Ole Miss is still undefeated, has a win over LSU and has about an easy of a remaining schedule as the SEC will give you, so Lane Kiffin and company top the best of the rest after Alabama.
Was a 24-21 win over Washington State at home convincing? No. Was it concerning? Yes. But I’m willing to hand-wave it as a letdown game with a road date in Athens on the horizon. Let’s re-evaluate the Rebels in a week’s time; Saturday will tell us a lot about this team’s viability as a contender.
8. Georgia (5-1)
It took an extra timeout, a lot of clapping and one of the closest touchdown/fumble calls you’ll see, but Georgia got out of a Jordan-Hare night game with a hard-fought win over a talented Auburn squad. Kirby Smart and company made a statement with a final drive that lasted nearly nine minutes to put the game away.
The Bulldogs are also out of tough road games; they get Ole Miss and Texas at home before a neutral-site game against Georgia Tech to end the regular season. Get through all of those, and they may get a chance for revenge against Alabama in Atlanta.
9. Texas A&M (6-0)
If you haven’t tuned in to see Texas A&M play this year, you need to. Mike Elko is leading an explosive offense with one of the best groups of weapons in the nation, and Marcel Reed is a walking explosive play at quarterback.
Texas A&M already has a great road win against Notre Dame, and it will have to prove its mettle away from the friendly confines of Kyle Field later in the year against LSU, Missouri and Texas. One win out of those three games should be enough to get the Aggies in, assuming there is no funny business on the rest of the schedule.
10. Notre Dame (4-2)
Everyone was excited to bury Notre Dame after its 0-2 start, both losses on the last play of the game against Miami and Texas A&M. But Marcus Freeman and company are alive and kicking, and the path to 10-2 is clear as day.
There is one test left for the Irish: a Week 8 home game against a red-hot USC team coming off of one of its best performances under Lincoln Riley. If they can get through that, the Irish should coast to the CFP.
11. Texas (4-2)
Don’t look now, but Steve Sarkisian and Texas may have found something against Oklahoma in a win on Saturday that saved their season. The Longhorns’ defense played its best game of the season by forcing a lot of pressure on John Mateer, forcing the Heisman candidate into three interceptions.
Quintrevion Wisner has emerged as the feature back, and some of his plays in space helped unlock the running game and keep the chains moving for this offense. Arch Manning played within himself and extended plays when needed as Sarkisian went back to more of his designer concepts that helped Quinn Ewers be successful over the years. That can be a formula for Texas to be very dangerous down the stretch and into the CFP.
12. South Florida (5-1)
South Florida is still the pick over Memphis at the moment, but that should be a great battle to watch down the stretch of the season. The Bulls have an impressive win at Florida and routed North Texas on the road on Friday night.
The Bulls do have to play Memphis and Navy on the road, but they look like the best Group of Five team at the moment. Until proven otherwise, they will occupy the final CFP spot.
Next Out: Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Tennessee
Quarterfinal predictions
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Texas A&M
Orange Bowl: No. 2 Miami vs. No. 10 Notre Dame
Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 6 Oregon
Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5 Texas Tech
Semifinal predictions
Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Indiana
Peach Bowl: No. 2 Miami vs. No. 6 Oregon
National Championship prediction
No. 2 Miami over No. 1 Ohio State
