As the weeks continue to count down we get closer and closer to the National Title Game. Conference play is heating up and that means more and more teams hopes are getting crushed. This past weekend we saw the SEC get flipped on it's head. Where does that people the race for the National Title? Let's find out.
Open Road (Undefeated)
Alabama Crimson Tide
Last Week: 52- over Arkansas
Key Remaining Games: LSU, at Auburn, SEC Title Game
The train continues to roll for the Crimson Tide on their quest for a three peat. However there isn't a lot of wiggle room. The SEC is beating each up and the Tide may not be able to get to the Title game with only one loss. That makes each game extra important.
Oregon Ducks
Last Week: 62-38 over Washington State
Key Remaining Games: UCLA, at Stanford, Oregon State, Pac 12 Title Game
Another easy win for the Ducks sets up a big game against UCLA. Yeah the Bruins just lost to Stanford, but they are capable of beating Oregon and ending their National Title dreams.
Florida State Seminoles
Last Week: 51-14 over Clemson
Key Remaining Games: Miami, at Florida, ACC Title Game
Their blowout win over Clemson solidifies their chances of going to the National Title Game. Only Miami and Florida stand in their way. But they must avoid that slip up game they've had the past few seasons.
Missouri Tigers
Last Week: 36-17 over Florida
Key Remaining Games: South Carolina, Texas A&M, SEC Title Game
Week in and week out the Tigers keep proving the doubters wrong. But Missouri looks like the best team by far int he SEC East and with South Carolina and A&M struggling the Tigers could roll into the SEC Title game with a chance to go to the National Title on the line. It will be interesting to see if they can do it.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Last Week: 34-24 over Iowa
Key Remaining Games: Penn State, at Michigan, Big 10 Title Game
Their victory over Iowa was a typical Buckeye game under Urban Meyer. They tend to play down to their opponents and were tied with the Hawkeyes heading into the 4th quarter. With a weak schedule their going to need some style points if they want to jump other undefeated teams.
Baylor Bears
Last Week: 71-7 over Iowa State
Key Remaining Games: Oklahoma, Texas Tech, at Oklahoma State, Texas
More video game numbers in their win over Iowa State. It will be three weeks till the Bears are challenged and that's when they play Oklahoma. We shouldn't even have to worry about their game against Kansas.
Miami Hurricanes
Last Week: 27-23 over North Carolina
Key Remaining Games: at Florida State, Virginia Tech, ACC Title Game
It wasn't the 4th quarter comeback against North Carolina that was the biggest bullet the Hurricanes dodged this week. The great news is that they won't face any additional NCAA sanctions and will get to go bowling this year. That's good for a team that if they beat Florida State could sneak into the title game.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last Week: 37-27 over West Virginia
Key Remaining Games: at Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, at Baylor, Texas
They aren't pretty, but the Red Raiders continue to win and remain perfect. But they'll face their first true test this weekend against Oklahoma. A win there thrusts the Red Raiders from pretenders to contenders real quick.
Debris on the Road (One Loss)
Stanford Cardinal
Last Week: 24-10 over UCLA
Key Remaining Games: at Oregon State, Oregon, Pac 12 Title Game
Not only was it a good to get a win to bounce back from losing to Utah, but the Cardinal also beat undefeated UCLA and keep their title hopes alive. They'll still need to run the table against the likes of both Oregon schools and get some help from teams losing ahead of them. But the Cardinal's schedule is good enough that they should be the top one loss team remaining.
Auburn Tigers
Last Week: 45-41 over Texas A&M
Key Remaining Games: Georgia, Alabama, SEC Title Game
Coming from relatively nowhere, the Tigers win over A&M thrusts them into the discussion. Add in that only Georgia and Alabama remain on their schedule and the Tigers do have an outside shot at getting to Pasadena.
UCLA Bruins
Last Week: 10-24 loss to Stanford
Key Remaining Games: at Oregon, Washington, Pac 12 Title Game
The loss to Stanford hurts the Bruins chances of getting to the National Title, but their schedule is tough enough that finishing with only one loss can still could give them an outside shot at the National Title Game. However they'll have to knock off Oregon this week to keep their chances alive. Tall task there.
Road Closed
Clemson Tigers
Last Week: 14-51 loss to Florida State
Yeah they only have one loss, but since they lost to Florida State they'll need the Seminoles to lose two games within the division just so they can get to the ACC Title Game. That likely won't happen. So now the Tigers are the outside looking in.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Last Week: 21-23 loss to Tennessee
What was thought to be a promising season for the Gamecocks continues to go down the crapper with a horrible loss to Tennessee. Two losses this season is a not going to get it down, but especially when your losing to unranked teams.
LSU Tigers
Last Week: 24-27 loss to Mississippi
The Tigers were in the best position of any one loss team with Alabama remaining on their schedule. However losing to Mississippi ends their chances. Even if they win out and get the SEC Title. There could be multiple undefeated teams or one loss teams that would get in before the Tigers.
Texas A&M Aggies
Last Week: 41-45 loss to Auburn
It was bound to happen at some point, despite a strong effort by Johnny Manziel the Aggie defense couldn't stop Auburn and they suffered their second loss of the season. A&M has been flawed all year and just couldn't keep it going.
Louisville Cardinals
Last Week: 35-38 loss to UCF
The difference between Louisville and other one loss schools is the Cardinals schedule is so weak that they don't have the good games remaining to make up for it. That shows in them dropping all the way down the polls.
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