Ohio State might just be unbeatable.
If you happen to face the Buckeyes in the postseason, how exactly do you attack them? It's really hard to pinpoint any weaknesses for Ohio State after they finished the season 12-0 with a sweep of rival Michigan.
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First, it looks like having firepower that can score a lot of points against their defense isn't a violation. They are loaded with NFL talent at all three levels and are incredibly difficult to run or pass against. They can easily get to the quarterback with a four-man front while leaving some of the most talented backs in the country flying around and patrolling the rest of the field. On offense, they have two of the best wide receivers in college football and a quarterback who almost never misfires or makes careless throws. So, the running backs took a slight step back from last year, when Quinshawn Judkins and TreyVeon Henderson were drafted early in the second round. However, they can still score the ball behind a talented offensive line, as they proved time and time again against Michigan.
If I had to choose between the Buckeyes or the field to hoist the national championship trophy, I would choose Ohio State without much hesitation.
Texas A&M's defensive woes have finally caught up with them.
The Aggies seemed to have enough firepower on offense to overcome a sometimes shaky defense. Texas then proved otherwise with a 27–17 upset victory that handed Texas A&M its first loss of the season and knocked them out of the SEC championship game.
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The Aggies have been able to overcome shaky defensive play on several occasions this season. However, you can't always count on the offense to be firing on all cylinders week after week. As the competition tightens, the defense may have to improve quickly or face an early exit from the playoffs.
Texas should lobby harder to make the playoffs
The Longhorns should shout that they are right to anyone who will listen. Yes, a 9-3 record usually knocks a team out of the playoffs. However, Texas would have been 10-2 and heading for the playoffs if they had scheduled Cream Puffs instead of Ohio State in the non-conference slate. The Longhorns lost to the Buckeyes 14-7 on the road back in Week 1. Texas has definitely improved since then, and looking back, they were the only team to test the Buckeyes all season. Adding Texas to the playoff pool could help prove that the level of non-conference competition is very important, rather than creating a system where teams simply have to schedule the three easiest non-conference games they can.
Texas would have been 10-2 if it hadn't lost to Florida 4-8, so there's something to be said for how things are handled throughout the season.
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A 7-5 Duke team is a win away from a likely playoff spot.
It was a wild finale to the ACC race as nearly half the conference was occupied with the conference championship game during the final month of the season. Somehow, Duke escaped the tiebreaker scenario by traveling to Charlotte to face Virginia after Cal upset SMU on Saturday.
While Duke is 7-5, only two of its losses have come in conference play, against ranked Virginia and Georgia Tech. Their other losses came to Illinois, Tulane and UCONN in games that didn't impact the ACC race. There's also a chance Duke could win the ACC but miss the playoffs. The rule is that the top six conference champions receive an automatic bid, meaning the Blue Devils could be eliminated in favor of James Madison and the winner of the Tulane-North Texas game on Friday. However, this may all be a moot point – just two weeks ago, Duke lost to Virginia in a game in which they trailed 34-3 in the fourth quarter.
