Contender or Pretender?

It's simply remarkable how everything you thought you knew about football can change so drastically after only a month. Now is the time to toss out preseason picks and build new predictions for the landscape of college football. After four weeks of action, let's try to label which teams are contenders and which are pretenders.

There were several statements made throughout the country Saturday, but none louder than the resounding surge of a rising Michigan team in its blowout win of No. 22 BYU. Since losing their opening game against Utah, the Michigan Wolverines have looked sharp on both sides of the ball against strong opponents. The Wolverines put BYU away early, coasting to a 31-0 decimation of a team many thought to be playoff worthy. Under one of the best coaches in the nation, how far could Michigan go? While it may be a bit early to throw them in the playoff, the Wolverines are certainly contenders and a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten. Top ranked Ohio State and Michigan State have shown signs of weakness, but they are also contenders.

            
                             This image is provided by Ben Glicksman.

Why might Michigan's close loss to Utah actually look good on their resume? The Wolverines weren't the only team to send a message this weekend, as Utah dismantled the fabled Oregon Ducks by a whopping score of 62 to 20! Dominating the game from start to finish, this win puts undefeated Utah right in the playoff mix, and it's exactly why I have them labeled as a contender.

Staying in the PAC 12 Conference, let's take a look at how some other teams are faring in league play. Arizona will unfortunately be making the pretenders list, as the Wildcats gave up 56 points in their crushing loss to No. 9 UCLA, but let's focus more on UCLA's win than Arizona's loss. The Bruins have looked strong all season, rolling past tough non-conference teams on their way to a 4-0 record. With another impressive win over a ranked opponent, I definitely have UCLA as a contender.

            
                           This picture is compliments of Casey Sapio.

We will learn much more about the SEC in the coming weeks as league competition develops, but for now it's safe to label a few of these teams. Auburn, despite holding high hopes at the start of the season, is without a doubt a pretender; the tigers have now lost two weeks in a row. Ole Miss and LSU make the cut for contenders, as both teams have looked complete on offense and defense in wins over top opponents. This week's matchup of No. 8 Georgia and No. 13 Alabama will tell us a lot about these teams, and I'm picking Alabama to bounce back with an upset over the Bulldogs.

In the Big 12 Conference, No. 3 TCU has looked shaky defensively, and I am just barely naming them a contender after their narrow escape on Saturday against Texas Tech. Meanwhile, No. 5 Baylor has looked unbeatable all year, but they haven't played any tough teams yet, so they also fall at the bottom of the contenders list.

The final team to make the cut is Notre Dame, who will face a huge road test against No. 12 Clemson this week. I still don't see Clemson as a playoff team, and as a pretender, I predict they will lose to the Fighting Irish Saturday night in a very fun game.

            
                            This picture is courtesy of Matt Cashore.

Watch Penn State (unfortunately still a pretender) win against Army this weekend, and stay tuned for other big games and upsets across the country!