College Football Playoff 2015: Latest NCAA Predictions After Week 1 Standings
While we have only seen one week of college football so far, the first set of games causes everyone to re-evaluate what we know about the national landscape.
Obviously, it's important not to overreact to a single game. Just because a top team might struggle in a win doesn't mean there is no chance it can improve over the course of the year. On the other hand, this is the first real chance to see how the talent comes together on the field and truly understand what the strengths and weaknesses are of each squad.
Perspective will certainly change throughout the season, but here is a look at current playoff predictions along with results from the Top 25 teams in the Week 1 rankings.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| 1 | Ohio State | W, 42-24 at Virginia Tech |
| 2 | TCU | W, 23-17 at Minnesota |
| 3 | Alabama | W, 35-17 vs. Wisconsin |
| 4 | Baylor | W, 56-21 at SMU |
| 5 | Michigan State | W, 37-24 at Western Michigan |
| 6 | Auburn | W, 31-24 vs. Louisville |
| 7 | Oregon | W, 61-42 vs. Eastern Washington |
| 8 | USC | W, 55-6 vs. Arkansas State |
| 9 | Georgia | W, 51-14 vs. Louisiana Monroe |
| 10 | Florida State | W, 59-16 vs. Texas State |
| 11 | Notre Dame | W, 38-3 vs. Texas |
| 12 | Clemson | W, 49-10 vs. Wofford |
| 13 | UCLA | W, 34-16 vs. Virginia |
| 14 | LSU | Game Canceled vs. McNeese State |
| 15 | Arizona State | L, 38-17 at Texas A&M |
| 16 | Georgia Tech | W, 69-6 vs. Alcorn State |
| 17 | Ole Miss | W, 76-3 vs. Tennessee-Martin |
| 18 | Arkansas | W, 48-13 vs. UTEP |
| 19 | Oklahoma | W, 41-3 vs. Akron |
| 20 | Wisconsin | L, 35-17 vs. Alabama |
| 21 | Stanford | L, 16-6 at Northwestern |
| 22 | Arizona | W, 42-32 vs. Texas San Antonio |
| 23 | Boise State | W, 16-13 vs. Washington |
| 24 | Missouri | W, 34-3 vs. Southeast Missouri State |
| 25 | Tennessee | W, 59-30 vs. Bowling Green |
Ohio State
Virginia Tech put up a good fight for the first half, only truly falling apart once starting quarterback Michael Brewer went down with a broken collarbone. However, even a healthy quarterback couldn't help out against Ohio State's dynamic offense.
Running back and preseason Heisman candidate Ezekiel Elliott seemed to barely touch the ball in this one, but he rushed for 122 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. Cardale Jones got the start under center and did a good job of controlling the game, while backup J.T. Barrett also provided a few highlight plays in the game's final moments.
Still, the star was former quarterback Braxton Miller, who is clearly doing a good job of transitioning to receiver after finishing with both a rushing and receiving touchdown of more than 50 yards.
ESPN's Mike Greenberg provided a succinct report after the game to pair with a view of arguably the weekend's best move:
Even if the game wasn't a perfect performance, the Buckeyes are only going to get better, especially when defensive end Joey Bosa and others return to the starting lineup. Against a mediocre schedule, there is no reason this team shouldn't be undefeated going into the playoffs.
Alabama
A new year and Alabama looks just as good as it always does. The key once again was the work in the trenches, allowing the Crimson Tide to finish with a 238-40 advantage in rushing yards in their 35-17 win over Wisconsin.
Even with a new coaching staff, the Badgers were still expected to produce a quality rush attack this season. Alabama prevented this from happening thanks to a dominant effort by the defensive front seven.
On the offensive side of the ball, the next generation of stars is seemingly taking over with little hesitation. ESPN's Skip Bayless provided a quality analysis of the opening win:
Derrick Henry was the star of the game with 147 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries, showcasing a combination of size and speed that should allow him to have a big year. With quarterback Jake Coker providing plenty of poise under center, the Tide should once again be favorites in the competitive SEC.
Even with a loss and possibly two, Alabama has what it takes to make the playoff.
TCU
There certainly weren't many style points for TCU with a 23-17 win over Minnesota. Still, the most important thing is a road win over a quality opponent.
Head coach Gary Patterson was happy with the performance and believes it will be beneficial going forward, via Paul Myerberg of USA Today:
"Lot of people wanted this to be an upset. So for us to come out with a win, I'll take it a positive. If you had your perfect ballgame so everybody learns a lesson, this would be it. Because we found out it's not going to be easy. …
I'm glad we're 1-0. We can't care about where they rank us. It's like Ohio State last year, you've just got to keep getting better every week.
"
Considering how much strength of schedule is factored in by the CFP committee, this will be a game that should only look better as the year continues.
As far as the performance itself, Trevone Boykin made some mistakes and struggled with his accuracy (26-of-42, one interception), but he remains the dynamic weapon he was last season. It will only be a matter of time before the Horned Frogs are scoring 40 points per game again with insane offensive statistics.
The playoff hopes will likely come down to the final game against Baylor, which this time will be at home in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU should be able to win that and earn a spot in the postseason.
Notre Dame
Is this an overreaction to one game against a bad team? Probably, but Notre Dame is definitely in the playoff conversation after Saturday's 38-3 domination of Texas.
The big story was the play of quarterback Malik Zaire. The junior showed potential in last season's Music City Bowl victory over LSU, but not everyone expected this type of performance right out of the gate. Zaire torched the Longhorns to the tune of 19-of-22 passing for 313 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Evan Silva of Rotoworld gave high praise to the young passer:
Of course, it's not just the offense that deserves recognition for the blowout. The defense also showcased its strength, as noted by Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports:
This is a much better unit than the one that went 8-5 last year, providing the Irish with high hopes for the rest of the season even with the injury to Tarean Folston. With a schedule featuring tough but winnable games, Notre Dame could possibly survive with just one loss and still earn a spot in the four-team playoffs.
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