Run the Gauntlet

Since the last post, seven Top 10 teams have been upset, the official playoff rankings have been released, and an entire conference has been eliminated from contention. Only a couple weeks of the regular season remain, and the stage for the college football playoff will soon be set. Who will be the final four, and who will win it all?

Last week, the Pac 12 Conference was eliminated from playoff contention, as No. 7 Stanford and No. 10 Utah both lost in close games. Stanford rallied at home against an unranked Oregon team, but they fell 3 yards short after a failed 2-point conversion in the final seconds. Utah simply ran out of gas, stumbling to the feisty Arizona wildcats in 2 overtimes.

            
                                 This photo is courtesy of Kelly Cox.

Elsewhere in the country, LSU (originally ranked second in the committee's first poll), has lost in back-to-back weeks. After a tough road loss to a surging Alabama team, the Tigers came home to be greeted by a hungry Arkansas team that ran away with a 31-14 win. LSU is officially out, leaving just two SEC teams in the hunt: Alabama and Florida. Both one-loss teams will meet in December for the SEC Championship, with the winner likely advancing to the playoff.

The Big 12 Conference is in chaos currently, as its top four teams are all playing each other in November. Midway through the month, only Oklahoma State remains undefeated, but the one-loss Oklahoma Sooners are on the rise and poised to make a playoff run. After a win at No. 6 Baylor, the twelfth ranked Sooners could vault into the playoff if they beat both Oklahoma State and TCU.

            
                          This picture is compliments of David Ubben.

The Big Ten is about to get very interesting, as No. 3 Ohio State must run through both Michigan State and Michigan in its final two games. Furthermore, an undefeated Iowa squad has run under the radar to the No. 5 spot in the nation, setting up a winner-take-all showdown in the Big Ten Championship.

How will it all end? Allow me to give my official predictions for the top four.

       1. Clemson- The undefeated Tigers will win the ACC Championship over UNC and finish as the undisputed No. 1 team.

       2. Alabama- The Tide will slide past Florida to win the SEC and enter the playoff as the hottest team in the country.

       3. Ohio State- After nail-biting victories over Michigan State and Michigan, the Buckeyes will barely edge Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, capping off a perfect season.

       4. Oklahoma- After beating ranked opponents in the final three weeks, Oklahoma will shock the world by winning the Big 12 and leaping into the playoff. The Sooners may need help to get here, including a Notre Dame loss to Stanford.

I believe Clemson will defeat Oklahoma in one of the best games of the year; this should be a fun one to watch. Alabama will run away from the Buckeyes, avenging last year's playoff loss to Ohio State; this game may get ugly. In the National Championship, Alabama will simply outmatch Clemson due to its daunting defense and tough running game. I predict the Crimson Tide will win it all.

            
                                    This image is provided by ESPN.

As for Penn State, the Nittany Lions have a chance to spice things up in the Big Ten with wins over Michigan and Michigan State, so let's go Blue and White!

What a Finish!

6 seconds remained on the clock. Duke's quarterback had just sealed the win for the Blue Devils, running into the endzone for a 27-24 lead over Miami. Short of some kickoff return miracle, it was all over for the Hurricanes. A minute later, the game's final play would leave the Duke sideline speechless, but not even this crazy finish was uncharacteristic of the sport. This is college football; anything can happen.

On the last play of the game, Duke kicked the ball to Miami, who needed nothing short of a touchdown. Scrambling around the field, the Miami players kept the ball in play by lateraling it to each other a total of eight times, and they eventually found the endzone on one of the wildest finishes of the century. After a 9 minute official review, the referees declared the entire play was legal, and Miami had won the game.

             
                               This image is courtesy of Grant Shorin.

The event resulted in an instant controversy, as multiple block in the back penalties were missed, and the knee of a Miami player with possession of the ball appeared to touch the ground. Either way, the ending was inspiring, heartbreaking, and undeniably fun to watch. What does this game mean for the face of the college football playoff? It likely has no impact at all, as neither team posed as a serious contender, but what a finish!

Indeed, this week had little effect on the playoff picture, as most of the top teams were able to slide past their opponents unscathed. No. 9 Notre Dame was able to fend off No. 21 Temple, handing the Owls their first loss of the year. Temple played valiantly for four quarters, but the Irish were able to score a late touchdown for a 24-20 victory.

             
                               This photo is compliments of Mel Evans.

While the college football landscape changed little this past week, next weekend will showcase an abundance of marquee matchups that will alter the course of the season. In the Atlantic Coast Conference, the league's top contenders duel as No. 3 Clemson hosts No. 17 Florida State. If Clemson can escape the Seminoles, they'll be a shoe in for the playoff, and I'm predicting they earn a close victory.

A battle of undefeated teams in the Big 12 Conference will be a great opportunity for the nation to learn more about No. 5 TCU and No. 12 Oklahoma State. While neither team has played a very hard schedule yet, the winner will grab the fast track to the playoff. I think TCU's defense will struggle against the Cowboys, but I'm still picking them to win by a point. I'm guessing over 100 points are scored in this affair, and I feel TCU will find a way to come out on top.

             
                         This picture is compliments of Anthony Dwyer.

In the biggest showdown of the week, No. 4 LSU travels to Tuscaloosa to face the seventh ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. In a battle of the SEC's best, I think star LSU running back Leonard Fournette will come up short against the Tide. Alabama continues to build momentum, and I think a victory Saturday will vault them into playoff position, so watch out!

Be sure to keep an eye on Penn State as they travel to Northwestern this weekend. After a blowout win over Illinois, this game may be a trap for the Nittany Lions. I don't think it's going to be pretty, but I'm still predicting a Penn State victory!