NCAA Football Playoff 2014: Latest Predictions After Week 6 Standings
Things have changed.
After a week filled with upsets of the nation's top teams, it's hard to gauge which squads deserve to be in the second, third and fourth spots. The No. 1 Florida State Seminoles manhandled Wake Forest 43-3 on Saturday, but the teams chasing the 'Noles weren't as successful.
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On Thursday, the No. 2 Oregon Ducks were stunned by the unranked Arizona Wildcats. The weekend brought more calamity as the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide were beaten by the No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels, and No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners fell to the No. 25 TCU Horned Frogs.
It wasn't just the top-four teams that slipped. Some of the teams that could have stepped also dropped their games on Saturday. The No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies and No. 8 UCLA Bruins were upset.
What do we do now? Here's the way the top four should look now.
- Florida State Seminoles
- Auburn Tigers
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Baylor Bears
Here's a look at the current situation for the contenders.
Auburn is Back in the National Championship Picture
Quarterback Nick Marshall and the Auburn Tigers took advantage of the opportunity to rise in the rankings. Marshall sliced up the reeling LSU Tigers' defense for 326 total yards and four touchdowns on Saturday.
Auburn came in ranked fifth, but with every team besides No. 1 Florida State losing ahead of them, the Tigers are a lock to move into one of the top four spots.
The Rebels Have Earned Respect
Ole Miss' win over Alabama was huge for several reasons. It was a victory within the tough SEC West division. It came over Bama—a program Ole Miss hadn't beaten since 2003—and the Rebels proved they have a quarterback capable of rising to the occasion against an elite defense.
Coming into the game, Bo Wallace had thrown six interceptions. Against Alabama, he didn't turn the ball over once, and he led a big second-half comeback.
If Ole Miss wants to be a serious contender for a national title, Wallace must continue to take care of the ball.
Baylor or Notre Dame?
With the Texas A&M Aggies being upset by the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, the Baylor Bears are in position to step up right behind Auburn.
Behind a strong running game and a stifling defense, Baylor smashed the Texas Longhorns 28-7.
Baylor has yet to face a ranked opponent, but that will change when Bryce Petty and Co. take on TCU in Week 7. For the time being, voters may keep the Bears out of the top four because of their weak schedule.
The run against non-ranked opposition will end soon. The Bears face the Horned Frogs next week. A win would solidify a spot in the top four.
Not many expected the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to be in the running for the national championship this year, but behind Everett Golson, the Golden Domers are close to the top of the rankings. Saturday's win over the Stanford Cardinal was the biggest of the season for Notre Dame.
Golson wasn't his sharpest against Stanford, as she threw a pick and completed just 46.5 percent of his passes, but he did come up with the game-winning touchdown pass with just over a minute remaining in the game.
Notre Dame should remain outside of the top four for now, but the Irish are simply waiting on their big chance against Florida State on Oct. 18.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
