1
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Oregon
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Life’s good if you’re a Duck. Oregon sat at home and got a much-needed rest after eight straight weeks and watched two top-five Big Ten opponents clash. They still don’t know if they’ll face Ohio State again, this time in the Big Ten Championship Game, but it appears destined at this point. The Ducks clinched a spot in the Big Ten title game nine days ago, though the conference’s mathematicians needed an additional 72 hours last week to figure that out thanks to complicated (and confusing) tiebreaker scenarios.
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—
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11-0
|
2
|
Ohio State
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Ohio State proved why it may have the best defense in the country after slowing and downright demolishing Indiana’s explosive offense in a 38-15 beatdown. Ryan Day entered the season 2-6 against top-five teams but is 2-1 against them this fall, with his only blemish being the one-point loss at Oregon. The Buckeyes can clinch a rematch against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game with a win this week against Michigan. You can bet the Bucks will be out for blood following a three-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
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—
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10-1
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3
|
Notre Dame
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Might Notre Dame be playing the best football in the country? The Irish drilled Army 49-14 to stretch their win streak to nine games. They’re outsourcing opponents by an average of 33 points during this winning streak, which started after that early season loss to Northern Illinois. Notre Dame has won six straight games against ranked opponents for the first time in 31 years. Running back Jeremiyah Love continues his fantastic pace, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns Saturday. Listen, Army is good. The Black Knights were undefeated and had beaten every opponent by double digits. A win this week at USC will secure home-field advantage for Notre Dame in the playoff.
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2
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10-1
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4
|
Texas
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Texas knocked off Kentucky 31-14 to set up perhaps the biggest game in Texas-Texas A&M history this week. A spot in the SEC Championship Game and a rematch with Georgia is on the line for the Longhorns. There’s no use in identifying the good and bad from the win against Kentucky. The Longhorns scored 21 points in the first half for the eighth time this season, tying Oregon for the most occurrences this season. The most important story to follow is what Texas does at quarterback. Quinn Ewers injured his ankle and appeared to be hobbled in the second half against the Wildcats. How healthy will he be against the Aggies?
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—
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10-1
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5
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Penn State
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It was gut-check time for Penn State on the road, and the Nittany Lions delivered once again with a 26-25 squeaker against Minnesota. Penn State converted a fake punt and another fourth down on the final possession to secure the win. It was a gutsy call for the fake punt, and James Franklin deserves a lot of credit for taking a chance in a one-point game from Minnesota’s side of the field. A playoff spot was on the line, and the usually conservative Franklin rolled the dice. Penn State was clutch in the late moments of road games at USC and Wisconsin, but this performance was perhaps the best.
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1
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10-1
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6
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Georgia
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Georgia played around, missed tackles and allowed UMass – which just fired coach Don Brown – to hang around too long Saturday. The Bulldogs pulled away for the 59-21 win, but the listless performance on defense was an eye-opener. They allowed 226 rushing yards, the most in a game since giving up 275 against LSU in 2018. How in the heck does UMass pile up that many yards on the ground against one of the nation’s better units? The committee loves the Bulldogs, and their strength of schedule is fantastic, but this team is frustrating to watch week to week. Georgia can look like the best team in the country on any week, but something is lacking on defense.
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3
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9-2
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7
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Indiana
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Indiana just isn’t ready for the big time, but it’s still a primetime player. The Hoosiers gifted Ohio State 14 points with two gaffes on special teams after going up 7-0 on the road, and the offense managed only 81 yards on their final 10 possessions. Indiana’s defense was impressive with a fourth-down stop and another turnover in the red zone while limiting the Buckeyes to 326 yards. The Hoosiers should still have an opening to reach the CFP after a trio of SEC teams in the rankings lost on the road, but that’s up to the unpredictable playoff committee.
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4
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10-1
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8
|
SMU
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What SMU is doing this season is unprecedented. The Mustangs clinched a spot in the ACC title game and remained undefeated in the conference with a 33-7 win at Virginia. No team has ever started better than 1-0 in a power conference after moving from a Group of Five conference, and yet here is SMU sitting at 7-0 in the ACC with a 16-game winning streak in conference games stretching back to its time in the AAC. SMU got more good news Saturday amidst the chaos, and it appears the ACC could get two teams in the playoff. There’s no time for quarterback Kevin Jennings (career-high 323 passing yards against Virginia) and coach Rhett Lashlee to celebrate with Cal coming up and an ACC title game against Miami or Clemson on the horizon.
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2
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10-1
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9
|
Tennessee
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It was a great Saturday to be a Vol. Ole Miss’ loss at Florida provided some light and potentially a path to the CFP for the Vols, especially if Georgia keeps winning. Tennessee dispatched UTEP 56-0, but that wasn’t the story for the Vols, who might still need help to get into the postseason field. Traveling to Vanderbilt this week is no cakewalk, either, but if the committee considers Texas’ win in Nashville earlier this season as a resume builder, the same should be said for Tennessee, right?
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2
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9-2
|
10
|
Boise State
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Boise State probably doesn’t beat Wyoming without Ashton Jeanty. The star running back was banged up in the third quarter but returned to lead the Broncos to a 17-13 comeback win against the two-win Cowboys. He picked up 15-plus yards on three runs on the final scoring drive. Jeanty, who finished with 169 yards on 19 carries, has scored on seven runs of 60-plus yards this season, the most by a player since 2017, and has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in 11 straight Mountain West games, a conference record. The Broncos’ only loss this season is a three-point setback at No. 1 Oregon.
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2
|
10-1
|
11
|
Miami (FL)
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Miami again needed an offensive explosion in the fourth quarter to seal a victory against a mid-tier ACC opponent. The Hurricanes scored 22 points to pull away for a 42-14 win against Wake Forest. Cam Ward broke Bernie Kosar’s school records for passing yards and completions in a single season as well. The Hurricanes, who have flirted with disaster all season in one-possession games, can clinch a spot in the ACC title game with a win this week against Syracuse.
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4
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10-1
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12
|
Arizona State
|
Cam Skattebo is a one-man wrecking crew in the red zone. The running back scored three touchdowns in the first half to build a 21-0 lead, but the Sun Devils had to hold on – and clear the field of fans – as a Hail Mary attempt by BYU fell 2 yards short to end a 28-21 win against the slumping Cougars. The Sun Devils are in a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12 with two losses, and though the tiebreaker scenarios are seemingly endless, the Sun Devils are in a great position to reach the conference title game with a win this week against Arizona.
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7
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9-2
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13
|
Clemson
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Clemson is still hanging on in the ACC title race but need Miami to lose next week at Syracuse. The Tigers dispatched The Citadel 51-14 Saturday, and this week they face South Carolina in a hugely underrated rivalry game. It holds low-stakes playoff hopes for Clemson, though the Tigers need to reach the ACC title game and win to reach the playoff because the ACC appears to be a one-bid league. Either way, the Palmetto Bowl will be fun with nationally ranked South Carolina surging into the final week of the season.
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5
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9-2
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14
|
South Carolina
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Believe it or not, South Carolina is alive in the CFP race. The Gamecocks have won three straight games against ranked teams, and a win this week against rival Clemson would put them in position to be the SEC’s fourth team in the field as a three-loss team. The SEC looks like it may get three teams in the field, but that can change. Again, it’s not likely, but it’s possible South Carolina reaches the CFP thanks to what happened in Week 13, especially with three top-15 SEC teams falling.
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6
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8-3
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15
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Alabama
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Alabama practically eliminated itself from CFP consideration with a 24-3 loss at Oklahoma. The loss is the program’s largest against an unranked opponent since 1998. We could list the incredible superlatives that will conjure comparisons between Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer, but we’ll pause that discussion and instead focus on what went wrong for the Tide. Simply put, they couldn’t run the ball against the Sooners’ vaunted defense (70 yards) and Jalen Milroe was corralled and forced to beat the Sooners through the air, and that’s the blueprint to beat the Tide (and always has been with Milroe at quarterback, no matter the head coach). Next up is the Iron Bowl. Losing is not an option for a first-year coach in that rivalry.
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8
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8-3
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16
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Ole Miss
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Ole Miss spent all that money only to fall short (again) of reaching the ultimate goal of a CFP berth. Jaxson Dart was dreadfully bad down the stretch, throwing two interceptions in the biggest moments of the game late in The Swamp and Florida held on for a 24-17 win. The Rebels didn’t score on three possessions inside the red zone, including two stops on fourth-and-1. Lane Kiffin only has himself to blame for falling short again, even with the best roster the Rebels’ NIL collective could buy. Maybe next year.
|
8
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8-3
|
17
|
Tulane
|
Tulane has quickly emerged as Boise State’s greatest challenger to snag the fifth automatic berth among conference champions. Much has to happen (Boise State needs to lose) ahead of the Green Wave, but first-year coach Jon Sumrall has them rolling into the AAC title game against Army. They really needed Army to remain undefeated heading into the conference championship game, but it’s still possible to get in the field. First up is a great matchup against Memphis on Thanksgiving Day.
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4
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9-2
|
18
|
BYU
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BYU is still alive in the Big 12 title race after suffering back-to-back losses. The Cougars seemed destined to reach the conference title game after starting 9-0, but the close calls prompted questions about their viability down the stretch. Then came the losses to Kansas and Arizona State. The Cougars were 2 yards away on a crazy Hail Mary after Arizona State cleared the field of fans who prematurely rushed the field to celebrate. BYU couldn’t run the ball (season-low 94 yards) and Jake Retzlaff threw two interceptions. Still, BYU is alive in the four-way tie for first place in the Big 12.
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2
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9-2
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19
|
Iowa State
|
Iowa State held off Utah to pick up its ninth win, tying for the most in program history. The Utes missed a game-tying field goal after the Cyclones scored the go-ahead touchdown with 91 seconds remaining. Utah scored 15 points on defense and special teams (pixk six and blocked punt returned for touchdown) to keep it close. The Cyclones and Arizona State are in the best position to advance to the Big 12 title game, but the tiebreakers are confusing.
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3
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9-2
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20
|
Illinois
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Note to self: Never try to freeze a kicker on a 58-yard field goal. Rutgers tried to do just that, and though Illinois missed the field goal, the timeout provided the Illini an opportunity to regroup and rethink their strategy. Bret Bielema opted to put his offense back on the field on fourth-and-13, and Luke Altmyer connected with Pat Bryant for a 40-yard touchdown catch with 4 seconds remaining to pull of a 38-31 win. Illinois’ 8-3 record is its best since 2007. The Illini will be favored against Northwestern.
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3
|
8-3
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21
|
Texas A&M
|
Texas A&M pushed itself out of the picture for an at-large berth in the playoff, but the Aggies are still alive in the SEC championship hunt after a 43-41 loss in four overtimes at Auburn. That’s the good news. The Aggies have struggled lately on the road with a blowout loss at South Carolina, and they staggered out of the gate before rallying from a 21-0 deficit against Auburn. Even so, there’s more good news: The Aggies host Texas with a spot in the SEC Championship Game on the line. Every goal is still attainable.
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8
|
8-3
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22
|
Colorado
|
We believed. Colorado’s defense was playing so much better since a Week 2 loss at Nebraska, but then Kansas turned on the buzzsaw Saturday and couldn’t be stopped on the ground. Devin Neal was fantastic, rushing for a career-high 207 yards and the Buffaloes’ defense never forced a punt as the Jayhawks hogged the ball and owned time of possession (40 minutes, 11 seconds) while chewing up 520 yards. The Buffs are still alive in the Big 12 title chase … but they need help.
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5
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8-3
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23
|
Duke
|
The ACC picked up some much-needed respect this week as a result of the SEC’s struggles and the ACC’s favorites winning their games. We’ve been high on Duke most of the season. Blue Devils receiver Eli Pancol scored on two touchdowns of 75-plus yards on the first two possessions, and the team held off a Virginia Tech rally to win 31-28. Maalik Murphy also broke the school record for touchdown passes in a season with 25.
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1
|
8-3
|
24
|
UNLV
|
UNLV played through an unusual rainstorm and pulled away late in a 27-16 win at San Jose State. Incredibly, it was the first win for UNLV at SJSU since 1993. UNLV’s defense held the nation’s leading receiver, Nick Nash, to only once catch for 9 yards. Barry Odom improved to 18-7 at UNLV, tying the school record for fastest to 18 wins since joining Division I in 1978. More importantly, the Rebels are still alive in the Mountain West title race heading into the final week of the season.
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1
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9-2
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25
|
Army West Point
|
We won’t punish Army for its first loss, a blowout against Notre Dame, by dropping the Black Knights completely out of the rankings. After all, they had defeated every opponent by double digits before running into a matchup nightmare to snap its 13-game winning streak. Remember, the Black Knights have already secured a spot in the AAC Championship Game. Quarterback Bryson Daily finished with 139 yards on 39 carries and scored Army’s two touchdowns against the Irish.
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11
|
9-1
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