SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 10)

There can’t be doubt in the mind of any sane person who the #1 college football team in the country is by now. #1 LSU’s victory over #4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa was a wild and exciting game. It also gave convincing evidence why LSU is #1 here again this week. Ohio State’s victory over Maryland gave convincing evidence that the Buckeyes’ greatest strength is piling up points against weak opponents. While Alabama was the only top 10 team to suffer a loss in our ranking, undefeated Minnesota stunned ineligible, unranked and undefeated Penn State. The Nittany Lions were among the top 10 in other rankings. Baylor fell off the list and Florida dropped a position even though both teams won this week.

1.      LSU (9-0) defeated #4 Alabama 46-41. The #1 team should beat the #4 team, but this remains a huge win for the Tigers.

2.      Ohio State (9-0), whose schedule is said by some to be tougher than LSU’s, mangled Maryland 73-14.

3.      Clemson (9-0) beat North Carolina State 55-10.

4.      Georgia (8-1) beat Missouri 27-0. The reason the Bulldogs are ranked so high is simple: Right now we believe Georgia would beat the teams ranked lower.

5.      Oklahoma (8-1) narrowly beat middle-of-the-road Iowa State 42-41.

6.      Alabama (8-1) lost to #1 LSU. Right now, Alabama would beat the teams ranked lower.

7.      Minnesota (9-0) defeated Penn State 31-26 in a good football game. It is the first-ever appearance in the Speedylee top 10 for the Golden Gophers. Welcome!

8.      Oregon (8-1) did not play, which looks pretty smart right now.

9.      Utah (8-1) also did not play. Maybe it’s a Pac 12 thing.

10.  Florida (7-2) dropped a position even though the Gators beat Vanderbilt 56-0 in a game that rivaled Ohio State’s win over Maryland for drama.

INELIGIBLE: Penn State.

WATCHLIST: Michigan, Auburn and Baylor. Neither Michigan nor Auburn played this week. Baylor defeated TCU 29-23.

NOTES: Each week it’s the same thing: Everyone wants to know how Slippery Rock fared. Good news: The Rock completed a perfect regular season with a 56-7 victory over Gannon. The Rock plays Kutztown in the PSAC championship game next week. Kutztown is also undefeated. … You are left to wonder how Southern California managed not to hire Ed Orgeron as fulltime head coach of the Trojans. He’s been on staff at USC twice and had a record of 6-2 as the program’s interim head coach. … Odell Haggins is in his second stint as the interim head coach at Florida State and he is undefeated in that role. The Seminoles beat Boston College Saturday to give Haggins his third win against no losses as the fill-in bossman. It was the first game since FSU fired Willie Taggert a week ago. A few years ago, Haggins directed two victories after Jimbo Fischer ditched the FSU program to coach at Texas A&M. … Lovie Smith was carried off the field by his Illinois players after the Illini became bowl-eligible with a victory over Michigan State. In his first two years at the school, the team had seven total wins, but Saturday’s win was the sixth this season.

SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 9)

Georgia’s victory over Florida was the biggest game of the weekend. Georgia did not improve in the rankings but its resume got better. Florida’s loss dropped it to #9. Most teams ranked above Georgia this week did not play and #3 Clemson did not play a meaningful game when it defeated Wofford. Oregon’s victory over Southern Cal allowed it to jump past Utah. Undefeated Baylor joined the top 10 for the first time this season. We have come to the final stretch of the season.

1.      LSU (8-0) did not play ahead of key game against 8-0 Alabama. Last three games are against Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Their combined records stand at 11-16.

2.      Ohio State (8-0) did not play ahead of key games against 3-6 Maryland and 2-6 Rutgers. Three weeks from now OSU faces a stern test in undefeated and ineligible Penn State.

3.      Clemson (9-0) defeated Wofford 59-14. Finishes regular season against North Carolina State, Wake Forest and South Carolina. Their records combine to total 15-11, only Wake Forest has a winning mark so far.

4.      Alabama (8-0) did not play ahead of key game against LSU. Finishes with Mississippi State, Western Carolina and Auburn, who combine to record of 13-14.

5.      Oklahoma (7-1) did not play. Finishes season against Iowa State, #10 Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State. Three of the four have winning records and one is even for a total of 23-10.

6.      Georgia (7-1) defeated #7 Florida 24-17 in a good game. Faces Missouri, Auburn, Texas A&M and Georgia Tech in final four games, with combined records of 20-16.

7.      Oregon (7-1) humbled USC 56-24. Final three games are against Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon State, currently combined 13-12 records.

8.      Utah (7-1) beat Washington 33-28. Finishes season with UCLA, Arizona and Colorado, who combine for record of 11-16.

9.      Florida (7-2) lost to Georgia 24-17. Finishes with Vanderbilt, Missouri and Florida State, total records of 11-14.

10.  Baylor (8-0) did not play, a clever ploy. The Bears will play their first meaningful opponent November 16 when they face #5 Oklahoma.

WATCHLIST: Auburn (7-2), Michigan (6-2). Auburn has an early-season win over #8 Oregon and losses to LSU and Florida. Michigan has a win over Notre Dame and losses to Penn State and Wisconsin.

INELIGIBLE: Penn State.

NOTES: It might not be the Game of the Century, but the LSU-Alabama game could turn out to be an elimination game for the Final Four. Great matchup of long-time rivals with a lot on the line. Schools who avoid conference play seldom have games like this one. … Auburn has defeated Oregon and yet Oregon is ranked higher here. Auburn is not playing at the same level it was early in the season. Oregon is ranked ahead of Utah based upon Oregon’s victory over Southern California Saturday. USC beat Utah earlier this season. … It seems likely that the conferences that will produce Final Four teams this season will be the SEC (which could produce 2 teams as has happened before), the 14-team Big 10 (if Ohio State wins out), the ACC (assuming Clemson wins out) or the 10-team Big 12 (if Oklahoma wins out). Either LSU or Alabama will have a loss by this time next week but we could see both in the Final Four, depending upon how the remainder of their schedules go. The Pac 12, which at least knows how many member schools it has, does not seem likely to produce a Final Four club this year. … The game of the utmost concern to many Speedylee readers was NCAA Division II Slippery Rock’s toughie against California (of Pennsylvania). The Rock nipped the Vulcans 31-28 and remained undefeated. Two games remain between the Rock and another undefeated season.

SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 8)

Eight teams in the Speedylee top 10 played this weekend and four of them lost. As a result, the rankings are very different from the week before. #2 Oklahoma was stunned by unranked Kansas State, #6 Auburn narrowly fell to #1 LSU, #9 Notre Dame lost badly to Michigan and #10 Wisconsin lost to #4 Ohio State. LSU continues to have the best resume in college football with wins over both Florida and Auburn. The Tigers face Alabama next. Utah and Oregon returned to the top 10. Auburn is, without question, the best 2-loss team in the country. This week’s rankings:

1.      LSU (8-0) beat Auburn 23-20 and has the best resume so far this season. Their next game will be against Alabama.

2.      Ohio State (8-0) won its first game of the season against a quality opponent when it beat Wisconsin 38-7. The Buckeyes jumped from fourth to second.

3.      Clemson (8-0) beat Boston College 59-7 and got leap-frogged by Ohio State.

4.      Alabama (8-0) beat Arkansas 48-7 and has next week off before the annual struggle with #1 LSU.

5.      Oklahoma (7-1) lost to Kansas State 48-41 and fell from #2. But Oklahoma is probably capable of beating any of the teams ranked above it and the Sooners still have a pathway to the Final Four, if they win out.

6.      Georgia (6-1) did not play, which was a smart move. Next week, the Bulldogs play Florida.

7.      Florida (7-1) took the week off before playing its annual brawl with Georgia.

8.      Utah (6-1) defeated California of California 35-0.

9.      Oregon (6-1) beat Washington State 37-35.

10.  Auburn (6-2) lost to top-ranked LSU in a typically tough SEC contest.

WATCHLIST: Baylor (8-0), Michigan (6-2).

INELIGIBLE: Penn State

NOTES: The only positions in the rankings that really matter are the top six, due to the NCAA Final Four tournament. The Final Four will come from the first six teams in the Playoff Committee’s rankings. … Michigan’s victory over Notre Dame was the first over a top 10-ranked opponent by the Wolverines this season. Credit Michigan: The second half of that game was probably the worst 30 minutes of football by a Notre Dame team in decades. … Despite its inconsistent play this season, Southern Cal leads the Pac 12’s Southern Division. The Trojans are tied with Utah at 4-1 in conference play but USC defeated Utah earlier this season. … The Rock is rolling. Slippery Rock defeated Clarion 41-6 in NCAA Division II play and improved to 7-0. The Rock’s next game is against California of Pennsylvania.

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.

SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 7)

Three of our top 10 teams lost Saturday, although two of them lost to other top 10 teams. Georgia’s unexpected loss to unranked South Carolina changed the landscape in both the Southeastern Conference and in the national rankings. Georgia’s fall from first gave the rankings their biggest shakeup of the season, at least so far. #2 LSU beat #6 Florida and #5 Oklahoma defeated #10 Texas. Two teams had the weekend off to further confuse things.

1.     LSU (6-0) took over the top spot with a 42-28 victory over former #6 Florida.

2.     Oklahoma (6-0) moved from #5 after beating former #10 Texas 34-27.

3.     Clemson (6-0) took care of business and beat Florida State 45-14.

4.     Alabama (6-0) beat a determined Texas A&M squad 47-28.

5.     Ohio State (5-0) had a bye date and avoided an upset.

6.     Tie: Georgia (5-1) lost to South Carolina in 2 overtimes and fell from first.

Wisconsin (6-0) posted an impressive 38-0 victory over Michigan State.

8.     Auburn (5-1) did not play this week, a clever ploy.

9.     Florida (6-1) lost to LSU 42-28.

10.  Notre Dame (5-1) defeated Southern Cal 30-27.

INELIGIBLE: Penn State

WATCHLIST: Army (3-3) lost to Western Kentucky this week but the Cadets play such hard-nosed, disciplined football that they are compelling to watch. … Utah (5-1) has been on and off the top 10 list this year and the Utes beat Oregon State 52-7. Utah’s only loss is to unpredictable Southern Cal.

NOTES: Georgia’s loss to South Carolina shows why playing in a conference is so much tougher than playing as an independent. Every team in a given conference knows each other’s players, coaches and tendencies. The rivalries make for heated games and that combination offers the chance for upsets. … LSU has wins over Florida and Texas. Oklahoma’s biggest win was this weekend. Clemson’s biggest win to date has been against Texas A&M. Alabama’s best wins this year have been over South Carolina and Texas A&M. Ohio State does not have a significant win yet, but they play Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan before the end of the season. Georgia has a win over Notre Dame and Wisconsin’s biggest win has been over Michigan. Auburn has beaten both Texas A&M and Oregon but lost to Florida. Florida has beaten Auburn but lost to LSU. Notre Dame’s most important win came this weekend against USC and their loss was against Georgia. … Division II Slippery Rock narrowly beat Indiana of Pennsylvania 45-42 to remain undefeated.

SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 6)

Speedylee’s 11-team top 10 for week 5 looked a lot like the 12-team Big 10: Too many to count. Two of our top 11 lost this week and that shuffled the rankings again. #6 Auburn lost to #9 Florida in the premier game of the week and the teams swapped places. Iowa, which was tied for 10^th, cleaned up our mathematical issue by losing to Watchlisted Michigan. The last two national champions, #3 Clemson and #4 Alabama, each showed their playoff savvy by not playing yesterday.

1.     Georgia (5-0) beat Tennessee 43-14 in a hard-hitting game between longtime rivals. This was a quality win.

2.     LSU (5-0) beat Utah State 42-6 and basically held serve.

3.     Clemson (5-0) did not play.

4.     Alabama (5-0) did not play.

5.     Oklahoma (5-0) beat Kansas 45-20, despite all the cursing.

6.     Florida (6-0) beat Auburn 24-13, a big win for the Gators.

7.     Ohio State (5-0) beat stubborn Michigan State 34-10.

8.     Wisconsin (5-0) beat Kent State 48-0.

9.     Auburn (5-1) lost to Florida. The Tigers can still earn a playoff berth, but they’ll need to win out to convince the Playoff Committee that they belong in the Final Four.

10.  Texas (6-0) beat West Virginia 42-31.

WATCHLIST: Michigan (4-1, earned a quality win over T-10 Iowa 10-3), Notre Dame (4-1, beat 1-4 Bowling Green 42-0).

Ineligible: Penn State

NOTES: As we wrote last week, there is very little to choose from among the teams in our top 6. … DII Slippery Rock rolled over MercyHurst 45-14. Senior kicker Jake Chapla became the career scoring leader at The Rock. He has kicked the most successful field goals for the school and is second in career touchdown conversion kicks. … Grinnell College, a D-III school in Iowa, has had to conclude its season after three games. The team started the season with 39 players and was down to 28 healthy players when the decision was made. The school was 3-30 since 2016. Speedylee has a great affinity for D-III sports and we extend our best regards to the players, coaches, administrators and fans of the Pioneers.

SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 5)

          Every team in the Speedylee Top 10 that played this week, won. #2 Clemson proved why playing in a conference is so much tougher than playing as an independent with its narrow victory over North Carolina. Northwestern tried to prove the same lesson to #8 Wisconsin. There was some shuffling, despite all the wins, as #2 Clemson dropped a spot and #3 LSU moved up one without playing a game. #7 Auburn swapped places with #6 Ohio State. Iowa joined the party at the Big Boys Table, moving into a 10^th place tie with Texas. Remember, for all intents and purposes, nothing outside of the top six really matters at the end of the season.

1.     Georgia (4-0) rested up for a rough second half of the season.

2.     LSU (4-0) cleverly did not play and moved up a spot.

3.     Clemson (5-0) narrowly beat North Carolina, 21-20.

4.     Alabama (5-0) beat Mississippi 59-31.

5.     Oklahoma (4-0) handled Texas Tech, 55-16. The Sooners are pounding on the Final Four door.

6.     Auburn (5-0) beat Mississippi State, 56-23.

7.     Ohio State (5-0) beat Nebraska 48-7.

8.     Wisconsin (4-0) defeated Northwestern 24-15.

9.     Florida (5-0) blanked Towson 38-0.

10.  Texas (3-1) did not play.

 Iowa (4-0) beat Middle Tennessee 48-3.

WATCHLIST: Notre Dame (3-1) beat Virginia 35-20, Utah defeated Washington State 38-13, Michigan (3-1) found someone it could beat and spanked Rutgers 52-0, Army (3-1) did not play.

NOTES: It’s one thing to win a national title. It’s another thing to defend one, as #3 Clemson is learning. … #6 Auburn has probably played the toughest schedule in the country so far this season and still has a tough row to hoe. There is very little difference between the teams in the top six. … The two QBs who played for Alabama in its national championship game victory over Georgia two seasons ago both played very well Saturday. Both are strong contenders for the Heisman Trophy this season and one of them plays for Oklahoma. … Southern Cal’s inconsistency, which can partially be explained by its rash of QB injuries, bit the Trojans this week against Washington. … Slippery Rock improved to 4-0 with its 55-14 victory over Seton Hill.

NEXT WEEK’S KEY GAMES: #6 Auburn vs. #9 Florida, #7 Ohio State vs. unranked Michigan State.

INELIGIBLE: Penn State.