NCAA Football Playoff 2014: Latest Predictions After Week 9 Standings
Remember when the 2014 college football season's preseason polls didn't include Mississippi State? Well, through nine weeks of regular-season action, the Bulldogs remain the No. 1 seed. Will they retain that position through the remaining schedule?
At this point in the season, each team in the nation is beginning to show its true colors. We have a very good idea of which contenders are for real and which simply put on a good facade for a while. As the upsets continue to pile up each week, the College Football Playoff's outlook shifts as a direct result. We should expect more adjustments before the season's over.
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So, which four teams will finish atop the rankings and earn berths in the semifinal bowl games? Based on recent performances and remaining schedules, let's predict which four squads will comprise the Top Four when the regular season comes to an end.
College Football Playoff Predictions
1. Mississippi State
The Bulldogs almost did enough to drop themselves out of contention in Week 9. Mississippi State was entrenched in a nail-biter against unranked Kentucky in a game that came down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs notched the win, but it wasn't in impressive fashion.
Quarterback Dak Prescott continues to lead this exciting offense. He wasn't entirely efficient through the air on Saturday, completing 18 of his 33 passing attempts for 216 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but he made up for it with 88 rushing yards and two more scores.
MSU Football tweeted Prescott's ongoing streak of touchdowns:
Running back Josh Robinson only seems to get more dangerous by the week. He rattled off 198 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries against the Wildcats and showed no signs of slowing down in any point of the game. His effort propelled the Bulldogs to a total of 326 yards on the ground.
This team's defense is a slight cause for concern. It allowed 390 passing yards and two touchdowns to Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles, 504 total yards of offense and 31 points. This unit will absolutely give up points to a better team, forcing Prescott and Co. to really light up the scoreboard to accumulate a win.
For now, this team's offense looks good enough to get through the regular season unscathed.
2. Florida State
The Seminoles are a perfect 7-0, and when looking at their remaining schedule—there are no ranked teams on Florida State's upcoming slate of games—it's clear they'll end the season with a blemish-free record.
Florida State wasn't overly impressive against Notre Dame in Week 8, but it did show a great amount of resilience. The Fighting Irish didn't allow any kind of running room for the Seminoles, so quarterback Jameis Winston took matters into his own hands.
Winston finished the game completing 23 of his 31 passing attempts for 273 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He was the team's only source of offense, and he was at his best when he was under the gun in the game's final quarter.
Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports tweeted Winston's excellent stats in the game's second half:
The Seminoles proved they are worthy of their No. 2 standing, and without any threatening teams residing on their regular-season schedule, that's exactly where they'll stay until the end of the season.
3. Oregon
If we know anything about the Oregon Ducks, it's this: Quarterback Marcus Mariota and the team's offense really know how to light up a scoreboard. That was the case on Saturday when the team put up 59 points in a win over California.
Mariota showed why he continues to be a coveted NFL prospect, completing 18 of his 30 passing attempts for 326 yards and throwing five touchdown passes. Royce Freeman shouldered the brunt of the workload out of the backfield, accumulating 112 yards and two touchdowns, while the speedy Byron Marshall went for 133 yards and a score on just four receptions.
Here's a look at how dominant Mariota has been this season, via ESPN College Football:
That offensive clinic netted an astounding 590 yards, proving once again why the Ducks own one of the nation's most feared offenses.
Like Mississippi State, this team's weakness resides on the defensive side of the ball. The Ducks gave up 360 yards and two scores to quarterback Jared Goff, along with 193 rushing yards and four scores to ball-carriers, en route to a 560-yard, 41-point performance by the Golden Bears offense.
Oregon's defense could get this team in trouble due to its tendency of allowing teams to stick around. However, with Utah remaining as the team's only ranked opponent for the remainder of the season, chances of the Ducks winning out are very good.
4. Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish proved they still belong in the College Football Playoff discussion despite losing to Florida State in Week 8. Notre Dame got out in front early and held at least a share of the lead until the Seminoles took over for good with just 7:39 remaining in the game.
Everett Golson may warrant some Heisman consideration following his performance against one of the nation's best teams. He accumulated 313 yards through the air and tossed all three of the team's touchdowns. With the talented Corey Robinson, William Fuller and Tarean Folston at Golson's disposal, Notre Dame's offense can be quite dynamic.
Chris B. Brown of Smart Football tweeted his thoughts on the quarterback:
The impressive aspect of this team is its balanced nature—the team's defense has played just as well this season. The Fighting Irish held the Seminoles to average a measly 1.9 yards per rush while limiting Florida State to just 323 total yards of offense.
Notre Dame's ability to get it done on both sides of the ball is the reason why this team will have no trouble winning its remaining games—including contests against Arizona State and USC—en route to an 11-1 record and No. 4 seed by the end of the season.
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