College Football Playoff 2014: Outlook After Alabama, Oklahoma and Oregon Losses
Everything we thought we knew about the 2014 College Football Playoff picture is about to change.
Week 6 of the college football season began in ominous fashion when No. 2 Oregon was defeated by Arizona on Thursday. Perhaps we should have known the writing was already on the wall, because Saturday featured a bevy of enormous upsets.
The No. 12 Mississippi State Bulldogs proved they are for real, notching a win against No. 6 Texas A&M early on Saturday. Another team from the very same state would not be outdone, as No. 11 Ole Miss took down No. 3 Alabama in the afternoon. No. 25 TCU capped off the day's underdog victories after stunning No. 4 Oklahoma.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
With four of the AP Poll's top six teams losing on Saturday, we can be certain to see some big changes heading into Week 7. As we await the updated rankings, let's take a stab at predicting how the impending four-team playoff will be shaken up.
Predicted Week 7 Standings
1. Florida State
The Seminoles haven't been overwhelmingly impressive over the past several weeks, but they're in great shape to retain the nation's No. 1 ranking after their victory over Wake Forest on Saturday.
After unimpressive wins against Clemson and North Carolina State, Florida State's defense looked dominant in its 43-3 win on Saturday, limiting the Demon Deacons to just 126 total yards of offense and forcing three turnovers.
Still, while the defensive side of the ball looks improved, the offense hasn't quite lived up to its billing.
Quarterback Jameis Winston completed 23 of his 39 passing attempts for 297 yards, one touchdown and one interception against a defense he should have been able to steamroll. While Florida State's ground game produced an average of 5.2 yards per carry, Karlos Williams has been highly inconsistent.
Brian Fischer of NFL.com tweeted his thoughts about a potential slide for the Seminoles:
A difficult contest against a stout Notre Dame defense lurks on the horizon for the Seminoles. That contest will make or break the team's chances of finishing in the top four at season's end. For now, Florida State is still the clear-cut No. 1 squad in the nation.
2. Auburn
The Tigers were one of the biggest teams to benefit from Saturday's onslaught of upsets. Auburn torched several unranked teams this season, but after struggling to get past Kansas State in Week 4, it just couldn't find its way into the top four.
That's all changed after losses by the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds.
Ranked No. 5 entering Saturday, Auburn faced a difficult SEC matchup against No. 15 LSU. However, Auburn made quick work of its opponent, dispatching the Tigers from Louisiana 41-7. Any kind of a win, let alone a blowout, would have ensured Auburn jumps to No. 2 overall.
Quarterback Nick Marshall was looking good through two quarters, via Rivals.com:
While moving to No. 2 will be huge for the Tigers, maintaining that ranking will be highly difficult. In Week 7, Auburn is slated to face the surging Mississippi State Bulldogs in a very tough road contest. The Tigers follow that up with contests against South Carolina, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Georgia before facing Alabama in the final week of the season.
That could very well be the most daunting remaining schedule of any team in the nation. While the Tigers will be ranked second in the nation after Saturday, they may not stay there for long.
3. Baylor
The Bears haven't exactly played any high-quality opponents yet this season. However, the team has been very well rounded on both sides of the ball and has put on some impressive displays of football.
Ranked fourth in the nation in passing yards, first in points scored and fifth in points against, Baylor absolutely deserves to move up into the top four following Saturday's action—even if the Bears didn't put forth their best effort against Texas.
Quarterback Bryce Petty didn't look good in Week 6, completing just seven of his 22 attempts for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the team's 28-7 victory over the Longhorns. It turned out passing yards weren't needed, as the Bears racked up 279 yards on the ground.
Still, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller tweeted exactly how many points Baylor's offense put up in the first half:
Defensively, Baylor was very stout against Texas. Tyrone Swoopes was limited to 142 passing yards and was picked off twice, as the Longhorns gained a total of 334 yards and scored just one garbage-time touchdown.
The emergence of running back Shock Linwood—who rushed 28 times for 148 yards and a touchdown on Saturday—is a big boost for the Bears, as the team's ground game has been able to match its dominant aerial attack.
Baylor is deserving of the No. 3 spot for now, but the team will need better play from Petty going forward if it is to get past No. 25 TCU in Week 7.
4. UCLA
The Bruins will sneak into the top four if they are able to defeat Utah in decisive fashion on Saturday evening. While UCLA is currently undefeated, the team struggled mightily over its first three games of the season and didn't quite look like a contender.
Well, after torching Arizona State to the tune of 62-27 in Week 5, that changed in a big way.
The Bruins were very balanced on the offensive side of the ball against the Sun Devils. Quarterback Brett Hundley showed a great deal of efficiency, completing 18 of his 23 passing attempts for 355 yards and four touchdowns. As a team, UCLA rushed for 225 yards and two scores, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
Desmond Howard took a liking to that offensive performance, calling UCLA the Pac-12's new favorite, via ESPN College Football:
While that offensive display was impressive, the team's defense gave up far too many yards to the Arizona State offense.
Sun Devils quarterback Mike Bercovici completed 42 of his 68 passing attempts for 488 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, as Arizona State racked up a total of 626 yards against the Bruins. If this UCLA team is to compete with the nation's top squads, it must improve defensively.
We'll see if the team has begun to make strides against Utah on Saturday night before taking on a reeling Oregon team in Week 7.
Outside Looking In
Should any of the aforementioned teams falter in the near future, several teams are within striking distance to make their way into the top four.
Notre Dame is the most likely candidate, emerging victorious in a rain-drenched contest against No. 14 Stanford on Saturday. Michigan State has also begun to climb the ranks again. However, the Ducks' loss to Oregon is beginning to haunt them. Ole Miss and Mississippi State would follow after both notched very impressive wins against highly ranked teams in Week 6.
This season has already been full of surprises, and based on what we saw on Saturday, we're certainly in for a few more unexpected developments before the season reaches its conclusion.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
