The race for the College Football Playoff started back in Week 0, but with the Committee unveiling their official Top 25 rankings for the first time this week, it's never felt more in effect. This weekend only brought one game between Top 25 opponents, but several teams still in the Playoff race were truly tested.
The biggest game of the weekend took place in Lubbock, Texas, as Texas Tech sent a statement in a dominant win over BYU. There were several other top teams, like Indiana, Oregon, and Alabama who found themselves in battles late, needing to survive.
Predicting the College Football Playoff bracket after a weekend of close battles
First Round Byes:
- #4 Alabama Crimson Tide
- #3 Indiana Hoosiers
- #2 Texas A&M Aggies
- #1 Ohio State Buckeyes
First Round Matchups:
#5 Georgia Bulldogs Vs Group of 5 winner James Madison Dukes
The Georgia Bulldogs picked up another win this weekend, dismantling the Mississippi State Bulldogs in what was seen as a trap game. The Bulldogs will have a tough time moving up in the rankings unless Alabama takes another loss as they're blocked in.
Last week, Memphis was picked as the Group of 5 representative by the Playoff Committee, but they were knocked off by Tulane on Friday Night. The losses in the American are great news for James Madison, as it's no longer a guarantee that the American earns the bid into the Playoff. JMU is 8-1 with their lone loss coming against a Playoff contender in Louisville, which should give them the nod.
#6 Ole Miss Rebels Vs ACC winner Georgia Tech
The Ole Miss Rebels have looked the part of one of the Nation's best teams all season long, and this weekend, they were able to knock off the Citadel. The biggest issue for Ole Miss now is that it's almost impossible to move up in the rankings, as they're boxed in by Georgia, which knocked them off earlier in the season.
The ACC is far more chaotic, as there won't be a team ranked in the Top 12 in this league, while there's a 5-way tie atop the league. Georgia Tech will be the top-ranked team in the conference if everyone moves up accordingly compared to last weekend's rankings.
#7 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs #10 Texas Longhorns
The Texas Tech Red Raiders needed to pick up a win this weekend, and they dominated knocking BYU down a peg while only helping their push for the College Football Playoff. The Red Raiders get to finish the season with games against two of the bottom teams in the Big 12 in UCF and West Virginia which should allow them to make the Conference Championship game with ease.
While the Texas Longhorns spent the weekend on the bye, they'll move from the first team out into the Playoff with BYU suffering its first loss of the season. Texas has a massive final stretch with games against Georgia and Texas A&M which will determine if they're truly a Playoff team.
#8 Oregon Ducks Vs #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Oregon Ducks survived a real scare on the road against Iowa as Dante Moore took the team on a game-winning drive to keep this team in the Playoff hunt. The Ducks will likely move up one place as BYU suffered a loss this weekend, setting them back. Oregon could however, end up hurt by the win if the committee feels Notre Dame was more impressive.
Notre Dame continues to climb up the rankings as BYU falling this weekend will help their continued push for the Playoff. After suffering two early losses, Notre Dame has ripped off 7 wins in a row giving them every chance to make the Playoff.
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