Courtesy: CBS Sports
With two games remaining in the regular season before conference championship play begins, teams in the power five conferences are monitoring whether they are in or out of the top four in this year’s playoff system for college football.
While nothing is final for a few more weeks, some teams at the top have an easier road than others in terms of improving their respecitive case for the committee.
The rankings for the four-team playoff are released each Tuesday evening and when tonight’s rankings are released, here’s what they could look like:
1. Florida State
They are the only undefeated team in the top four and should be atop the rankings for several reasons.
Stylistically, the Seminoles are dreadful to watch… in the first half. The way this team has started — especially in their last three games against Miami (Fl), Virginia and Louisville — has to have made the committee cringe in terms of validating them as the best team in the country.
But here’s where they can be legitamized.
Even though the Seminoles play in the ACC — which is often viewed as a weak conference — they have defeated a tough Louisville team on the road and on a short week, a Notre Dame team in their building after being down big, a Clemson team at home with a backup quarterback and a series of come-from-behind wins like last week against the Hurricanes that shows their ability to overcome adversity and finish.
Teams that never quit and finish win national championships. That’s how they won the title last season again Auburn. When it came down to crunch time, Jameis Winston took his team and carried them on his back to the podium where he could raise the glass football.
No matter what your personal views of Winston are, his ability to deliver in the clutch can’t be denied.
2. Oregon
The most exciting offense in college football can give any defense — even talented ones like those of Florida State and Alabama — headaches with the amount of speed they possess.
Oregon’s uncanny ability to create plays in space, move fast and not turn the ball over to opponents has led to games that haven’t even been close at times.
We saw just how good this Ducks team was when they exploded offensively in the second half against Michigan State early in the season. Marcus Mariotta was the playmaker he was touted to be this season.
And then the Arizona game happened… and it turns out they are a pretty good football team as well.
Oregon also has two impressive road wins at UCLA and at Utah to add to their resume, but the key for this team is can they find a way to match their offensive output with stellar enough defense to prevent the opposition from scoring in bunches like they do.
Three of the top five teams in this projection can score at will — and that’s even without Alabama being included. But even with not as much attention to detail on the defensive side of the football, Mariotta has the experience to carry this team to the promised land.
3. Alabama
Alabama has beaten West Virginia at a neutral site game to open the season, the LSU Tigers in Death Valley two weeks ago and then top-ranked Mississippi State last week.
But the rest of their schedule isn’t full of daunting opponents and that is somewhat concerning for a team with an inconsistent quarterback.
For the most part in recent weeks, Blake Sims has managed the game, made some plays with his feet and through the air and has been a leader on this Alabama offense. When they blanked Texas A&M 59-0, he was the best player on the football field.
That’s what the quarterback is supposed to do for his team in big game situations.
Of the teams in this top four, he’s probably the least talented and that can be a detriment to Alabama. Sims has been inconsistent through the air, but his ability to scramble for yards and to create openings for receivers is similar to that of Florida State’s Winston — Sims is a bit more athletic.
Alabama has the best coach left in Nick Saban and the most experience in these kinds of situations. Not to take anything away from the defending national champions or the Ducks, but the Tide is expected to be in this spot. That road loss to Ole Miss seems like a distant memory after taking down yet another No. 1 squad under Saban’s guidance.
4. Mississippi State
They have to drop out of the top spot after receiving their first loss, but the Bulldogs fought and clawed their way to come within five of the Crimson Tide last week in Tuscaloosa.
Mississippi State has something every team in the top four has somewhat, but the boys from Starkville do it best: balance.
Dak Prescott and Josh Robinson on the ground gives this team a physicality that only Alabama possesses. And Prescott has been efficient, yet not explosive through the air.
The Bulldogs also play solid defense as most of the top SEC schools do, but they have been beneficiaries of a softer schedule. They have wins at LSU, at home against Texas A&M and Auburn. The cowbells may travel, but they will not be rocking as much when the Bulldogs take on the Rebels of Ole Miss in what possibly could be the most meaningful Egg Bowl ever.
The concern with the Bulldogs is more based on whether or not they can handle the rosters they are facing as opposed to the talent they possess themselves. In their wins, the Bulldogs have won and passed the eye test each time. That’s important to the committee.
5. TCU
The odd team out is the Horned Frogs and it isn’t due to a lack of effort on their part.
This is a team whose only loss was at Baylor in an epic 61-59 ballgame. This is also the same team whose stadium ran out of fireworks the week they played Texas Tech because they tallied 82 points and were breaking all kinds of records.
TCU has defeated West Virginia in Morgantown — no easy task — Kansas State and Oklahoma at home. But they took a dive last week on the road against the Kansas Jayhawks as they squeezed out a narrow 34-30 victory.
It’s a toss up for who could be the bottom spot between Mississippi State and TCU as both teams have the ability to score. But even though TCU’s road has been a little tougher, their defensive prowess is suspect somewhat like the Oregon.
