Imagine for a second that the ACC champion misses the College Football Playoff.
Let that sink in.
Cal's upset of SMU on Saturday led to the ACC title game with 7-5 Duke winning the five-team tiebreaker and ahead of Miami 10-2, Georgia Tech 9-3, Pitt 8-4 and SMU 8-4. The Blue Devils, who have three non-conference losses, will face Virginia for the right to hold the trophy high and May be get into the CFP field. We focus on the possible.
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The 12-team playoffs feature seven overall teams and five automatic qualifying matches assigned to five teams. highest rating conference champions. Five AQ is often misunderstood as being for the four major league champions plus the highest ranked non-power league champion. But that's not true.
So, back to Duke. If the 8-5 Blue Devils win the ACC title, it would pave the way for the second-ranked non-power league champion (like James Madison) to beat Duke into the playoffs.
The ACC isn't looking too hot these days. (David Madison/Getty Images)
(David Madison via Getty Images)
James Madison, if it had beaten Troy at home to win the Sun Belt, would have had a path to the playoffs as the fifth-ranked champion. JMU is 11-1 and ranked No. 20 in last week's AP poll. The Duke didn't even get any votes. Neither team finished in the CFP top 25. The American champion (Tulane vs. North Texas) will likely compete as the highest ranked champion in the non-power league.
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Of course, all of this is moot if Virginia beats Duke 10-2 in Charlotte. But what's wild about all this: Miami, 10-2, stays home and is out of the ACC Championship Game due to stupid tiebreakers. For the second year in a row, the Hurricanes may be watching from the sidelines.
Anyway, enough about all this, it's time to move on to the Top 10!
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: 27-9 win over Michigan.
Next week: vs. Indiana (Big Ten Championship Game)
A 35-yard touchdown pass from Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith on fourth down highlighted the Buckeyes' stunning victory in the Big House and put them on top. Ohio State's dominant win on the road and on the snow in Ann Arbor is good enough to leapfrog the Hoosiers, who have held our top spot for more than a month.
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Best wins: 27-9 at Michigan.
2. Indiana Hoosiers
This week: Beats Purdue 56-3
Next week: vs. Ohio State (Big Ten Championship Game)
The fact that the Hoosiers fell behind doesn't mean much going into the next game. They will have a chance to prove on the field who is better between them and the Buckeyes. The two programs have been No. 1 and No. 2 in the country for much of this season. Now it's time to see who will make the playoffs as the top seed.
Best win: 30-20 at Oregon.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: Beat Georgia Tech 16-9.
Next week: vs. Alabama (SEC Championship Game)
The Bulldogs produced just 260 yards of offense against the Yellow Jackets, a far cry from their average this season. It was another example of how Kirby Smart's team can win in many different ways. And now the Bulldogs are playing for the league title for the fifth year in a row and securing themselves, if they haven't already, a first-round bye in the playoffs.
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Best win: 43-35 vs. Ole Miss.
4. Ole Miss Rebels
This week: A 38-19 win over Mississippi State.
Lane Kiffin drama aside, the Rebels are coming off their best season in school history and have proven that they are true national title contenders. Trinidad Chambliss, the former Division II quarterback turned Heisman hopeful, is one of the best stories of the season overshadowed by the Kiffin saga.
Best win: 34–26 at Oklahoma
5. Texas A&M Aggies
This week: Lost to Texas 27-17.
The Aggies' magical unbeaten streak may have come to an end in Austin, but that doesn't mean all hope is lost. Texas A&M won't be playing for the conference championship, but maybe that's not such a bad thing? The Aggies can now play a playoff game in College Station and get some much-needed rest next week. It's not all bad.
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Best win: 41-40 at Notre Dame.
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders
This week: 49-0 win over West Virginia.
Next week: vs. BYU (Big 12 Championship Game)
The Red Raiders survived a cold day in Morgantown to finish arguably the best regular season in school history and head to Arlington for the league title game next week. Win this and Texas Tech has an argument to even get a first-round bye in the playoffs. Lose and take a risk on a disturbing show on the day of selection.
Best win: 34–10 over Utah
7. Oregon Ducks
This week: 26-14 win over Washington.
The Ducks didn't have the explosive offensive day we're accustomed to, but they did pull off an impressive road win over their hated rival. This will go a long way to cementing their position as playoff hosts this season, something they failed to do last year. Is this Dan Lanning's revenge a year after leaving Ohio State early last season?
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Best win: 42-27 over USC.
8. Oklahoma Sooners
This week: Beat LSU 17-13.
That's a good thing for Oklahoma's tough defense because the offense is a real mess and that could come back to haunt the Sooners come playoff time. Either way, they survived the Tigers' scare and will be ready to host a playoff game. Can QB John Mateer recover in three weeks? He threw three picks on Saturday.
Best win: 23-21 at Alabama.
9. Notre Dame Fighting the Irish
This week: Beat Stanford XX-XX
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Best win: 34-24 over USC.
10. BYU Cougars
This week: Beat UCF 41-21
Next week: vs. Texas Tech (Big 12 Championship Game)
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QB Bear Bachmeier threw just four passes incomplete and averaged 14 yards per completion in the rout of the Knights. The Cougars need to beat the Red Raiders next weekend to secure a playoff spot, something they lacked last season as a big bubble team.
Best win: 26-14 at Cincinnati.
Fallen: Nobody
