As week seven comes to an end, there is more than enough to talk about. I mean, where do we even start?
Michigan State beat Michigan with probably the craziest ending we have ever seen in college football, leaving the Wolverines in complete shock. Alabama and Louisiana State University are primed as the Southeastern Conference heavy weights after both disposed of fellow top 10 teams Texas A&M and Florida.
Several teams also remain undefeated, such as Memphis and Iowa, which would record big wins over the weekend. At this point, the committee’s decision for which school should be in the playoffs will only get harder in the weeks to come.
Hey over here
Seven weeks into the season and still a host of teams are without a lose.
Of course, some of theses teams were expected to be here, such as Ohio State, TCU, Clemson, etc. But others have completely come out of nowhere and are now seeking attention from the committee to get into this year’s playoffs.
Iowa has taken everyone by surprise and is now undefeated, leading the West division in the Big Ten. Not to mention they have an extremely soft schedule that doesn’t include Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State, with a large possibility that the Hawkeyes could end up in the Big Ten final.
Elsewhere, the American Athletic Conference also has three — that’s right three — teams without a loss. Temple, Houston and Memphis are all three ranked.
Granted, not all three can stay undefeated, but one of these teams could emerge as the dark horse non-Power Five that gets one of the six coveted New Year’s bowls.
Each team has a win against a Power Five team: Houston beat Louisville on the road, Temple beat Penn State, and Memphis beat a ranked Ole Miss.
What makes things better for these teams is they don’t play each other until November, which gives them plenty of time to improve their resumes and slide up in the rankings.
Mark your calendar
LSU and Alabama are known for many things: being SEC heavy weights, dominating recruiting and playing some classic games against each other.
If things stay the way they are, when both these teams clash should not only feature a Nov. 7 GameDay in Tuscaloosa, but another great game between two SEC powerhouses.
This game will no doubt determine who wins the SEC West, but maybe even the SEC as a whole. Both teams have survived a brutal game of musical chairs during which ranked SEC teams fell one after another.
LSU and Alabama are now the two top teams standing in the SEC. The Tigers have yet to record a loss, giving them a little wiggle room before this massive game.
A loss would not be good for the Tigers, but it’s not a death sentence.
After the Crimson Tide lost, many thought its playoff hopes were dashed. But the team has stormed back and now looks more like the title contender we thought they would be at the start of the season. However, one more loss will destroy Alabama’s playoff hope entirely.
Make sure those schedules are clear and get ready for another classic matchup that should no doubt be one of the games of the year.
Contenders emerge
As we pass midway through the season, it has become very clear who will be competing for the Pac-12 Conference title.
The Stanford Cardinal, the California Golden Bears and the Utah Utes are the clear-cut favorites to win the conference title. All three of those schools won this weekend, with Stanford destroying UCLA and ending the Bruins’ hopes of winning the Pac-12.
Utah defeated Arizona State as it march on for a spot in this year’s playoff. The school’s next game is against USC and is likely the last challenge the Utes will face, giving a clear indication of just how soft its schedule will be in the final weeks.
Cal has also been successful and must now keep up the good forum before its rival Stanford comes to town Nov. 21, with the winner likely receiving the Pac-12 North title.
As the season slowly starts to come to a close, these are the teams to keep an eye on.
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