SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 7)

       Another week of changes for the Top 10 was brought about by the loss of a game for one school and the injury to another school’s starting quarterback. Heavily-favored Wisconsin, formerly tied for #6, lost to Illinois and that forced changes in the second five. The high ankle sprain Alabama passer Tua Tagovailoa suffered last night will likely put him out of action for at least one game and that changed things for the formerly #4 Crimson Tide. Ohio State moved into the Final Four this week, bumping Alabama down a spot. In truth, Ohio State has not played a high-quality opponent yet this season – that will change shortly – but the Buckeyes pass the Speedylee Eye Test.

            The Speedylee College Football Rankings are meant to show how we see the college football landscape each week and as a prediction of how the College Football Playoff Committee will act at the end of the season. At the end of the season, just before the committee announces the Final Four, we issue one set of rankings as we see them and another for how we think the will act. This week:

1.      LSU (7-0) defeated Mississippi State 36-13. LSU hosts Auburn next week.

2.      Oklahoma (7-0) beat West Virginia 52-14 and plays Kansas State next week.

3.      Clemson (7-0) beat Louisville 45-10. Clemson hosts Boston College next.

4.      Ohio State (6-0) beat Northwestern 52-3 and hosts a big game vs Wisconsin next week.

5.      Alabama (7-0) survived the Tennessee challenge despite losing Tagovialoa and hosts Arkansas next week.

6.      Auburn (6-1) beat Arkansas 51-10 and plays a big game at LSU next week.

7.      Georgia (6-1) beat Kentucky 21-0. The game was tied 0-0 at halftime. Georgia is off next week.

8.      Florida (7-1) beat a determined South Carolina 38-27 and does not play next week.

9.      Notre Dame (5-1) took the week off to prepare for next week’s game at Michigan.

10.  Wisconsin (6-1) lost a trap game to Illinois 24-23 and plays at Ohio State next week.

WATCHLIST: Utah (5-1) beat Arizona State 21-3, hosts California next week. Oregon (5-1) defeated Washington 35-31 and hosts Washington State next week.

INELIGIBLE: Penn State.

NOTES: This is the second straight season Alabama’s Tagovialoa has lost game time due to an ankle problem. … With Tagovialoa injured, Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts is the unquestioned leader in the Heisman Trophy race. … Michigan had to play an excellent, though ineligible, Penn State team this week and then plays Notre Dame next week. Notre Dame scheduled this week off in order to prepare for Michigan. Notre Dame (5-1) is always popular with the networks and probably has a pathway to the Final Four. … Despite each of them already losing a game, Auburn, Georgia, Florida and Wisconsin all likely still have pathways available to reach the Final Four. The pathway begins and ends with winning out from here on and at least one other top team losing between now and then. … NCAA Division II’s Slippery Rock (6-0) remained unbeaten with a 41-30 victory over Edinboro this week. The Rock’s home game against Clarion next weekend will appear on ESPN 3. Check your local listings.