Football Future-see 2013: Week Ten

RECORD

Week 1	8-2
Week 2	4-1
Week 3	4-1
Week 4	5-0
Week 5	5-0
Week 6	3-2
Week 7	2-3
Week 8	1-4
Week 9	4-1
Week 10	4-1
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Total	40-15	.727

So after three terrible weeks (which happened to coincide with helping a co-worker with NFL Confidence picks), I’ve rebounded with a 4-1 week (while not helping said coworker with said Picks). It’s nice to get back on track, as there were few upsets last week to really disrupt the apple cart. Sometimes I can pick an upset pretty well (as I did with Oklahoma taking down Texas Tech), but I wouldn’t have ever predicted Mizzou and South Carolina going double-OT and Mizzou losing on a missed field goal.

So who’s up this week? Well, for one, Georgia returns to the slate, as does Florida. Missouri is still on the list, as they look to lock up the SEC East. We’ve got a Big Ten battle in Michigan, and Big XII battle in Lubbock, and an epic ACC clash coming to us from Tallahassee. Should be fun.

As an aside, two new features debut on this edition of Football Future-see. After the Top Ten, I’ll give you my playoff selection, if the playoffs began today. I’ll also give you my first round of in-season bowl projections.

Tennessee at 9 Missouri ( 7:00pm, ESPN/ESPN2) .....CORRECT

Missouri still has all their goals open to them, and nothing is really out of reach for the Tigers yet. Losing in double-OT to South Carolina is nothing to be ashamed of, though letting the Gamecocks come back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter might be cause for concern. Tennessee just took a “whuppin” at Alabama and will be looking to blow off some steam. Columbia might not be the place to do that, though. Tigers win and solidify their spot in the SEC East.

Final Score: Missouri 34, Tennessee 24

21 Michigan at 22 Michigan State (3:30pm, ABC).....CORRECT

A Big Ten clash from the lovely campus of Michigan State. The Spartans have a defense that, at times, can play better than anyone in the nation. Their offense, though sputters. (They’re basically the Florida of the Big Ten.) Michigan, meanwhile, is still on the road to returning to national prominence. The winner of this game gets a boatload of in-state bragging rights, but likely little else. Ohio State has the run of the Big Ten this year and it’s possible the conference only gets one team into the BCS. Michigan QB Devin Gardner has been rather inconsistent lately. He’ll need to sort out his issues if the Wolverines hope to win this one. This game is likely a coin-flip, given the close rankings, but I think the Michigan State defense steps up against their cross-state rival.

Final Score: Michigan State 24, Michigan 21

Georgia vs Florida (in Jacksonville) (3:30pm, CBS).....CORRECT

At the beginning of this season, there was no one who would have predicted this game would feature two 4-3 teams who are perhaps the most banged-up teams in the nation. Georgia, though, is finally getting a little bit of hope, as stud RB Todd Gurley has returned to practice after suffering a high-ankle sprain against LSU. If he plays on Saturday, that gives Georgia a huge boost of confidence and offensive production. QB Aaron Murray has told the media that Gurley is “beautiful” in practice. Florida, meanwhile, is hurting on both sides of the ball and it doesn’t look to be getting better. The Gators will throw everything they have at Georgia, as that’s what you do in a rivalry game, but a Gurley-infused Bulldog offense will likely be too much for Florida.

Final Score: Georgia 35, Florida 28

18 Oklahoma State at 15 Texas Tech (7:00pm, FOX).....INCORRECT

Texas Tech will definitely be out for revenge against any school from the state of Oklahoma. The Red Raiders play host to the Cowboys of Oklahoma State in what could be an old-fashioned Big XII shootout. Oklahoma State, a team many thought would make a run at the Big XII championship (I picked Oklahoma, but I also said Baylor would return to the cellar), is making amends for a loss to West Virginia and Texas Tech now has a blemished record thanks to last week’s loss in Norman. I really think Texas Tech gets back on track.

Final Score: Texas Tech 38, Oklahoma State 34

7 Miami at 3 Florida State (8:00pm, ABC).....CORRECT

Oh, the Miami fans are chirping. You’d think Miami had locked themselves into a guaranteed BCS bowl berth already, when in reality they barely scraped by Wake Forest and their signature win is a game in which they were dominated on both sides of the ball by Florida, but the Gators self-destructed, handing Miami a win. I’m not saying the Hurricanes aren’t a good team. They are. But they’re about to run into a buzzsaw named Florida State. The Seminoles own one of the most impressive wins on the season (beating Clemson 51-14) and they’ve really showed no signs of slowing down. The Seminoles have played two ranked teams on the year (Miami’s only played one), and FSU is 2-0 in those two games, winning by a combined score of 114-14. Florida State will win this game. I’d like to think it will be a close game, but the more I look at things, the more I think FSU will really run away with it in the second half.

Final Score: Florida State 45, Miami 24

The Right Wing Top Ten (RWT10)

Week Four of the Right Wing Top Ten. Not a whole lot of chaos last week, so not a lot of change in the RWT10.

In this week: Auburn

Out this week: Texas Tech

10. Missouri Tigers

A heart-breaker in Double-OT pushed Missouri back to #10, but all their goals for the conference are still in front of them.

9. Auburn Tigers

Auburn jumps to #9 in the RWT10, but this may be short lived. I figure Missouri will move back in front of Auburn soon.

8. Clemson Tigers

Clemson regained some swagger by trouncing Maryland, but they’re still on the outside looking in on an ACC BCS berth at the moment, thanks to Miami and FSU. Of course, Clemson’s BCS hopes will change by the end of Saturday night.

7. Stanford Cardinal

Stanford has two weeks to prepare for #2 Oregon to come to Palo Alto.

6. Miami Hurricanes

Miami really struggled with a team that the Hurricanes were favored to beat by 24 points. Letting Wake Forest hang around, and frankly nearly win, doesn’t speak well for the upcoming clash with the Seminoles.

5. Baylor Bears

Baylor may have the most explosive offense in football. As much as I hate high scoring games, I’d really like to see them play Oregon. The biggest knock on Baylor is their schedule, but that’s about to work itself out.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

I still hate putting the Buckeyes this high, as the mediocrity of the B1G is still really becoming apparent.

3. Florida State Seminoles

FSU has a chance to really put a stamp on this season, if they can crush Miami this week. They’ll need all the help they can get to leapfrog Alabama or Oregon.

2. Oregon Ducks

The Ducks played a slow first half against UCLA before pouring it on. They get a week off in preparation for visiting Stanford.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama holds on to the top spot by virtue of whipping Tennessee, although I actually questions Nick Saban’s choices in that game (leaving AJ McCarron in the game with a 42-10 lead in the 4th Quarter).

If the Playoff began today…

This is how I see the playoff shaping up, if it were to start today. By season’s end, I think as many as three or four teams will have better claim than Ohio State, even if the Buckeyes go undefeated.

#1	Alabama	vs	#4	Ohio State
#2	Oregon	vs	#3	Florida State

Bowl Projections

Here’s how I envision the bowl picture shaking out. These bowl projections account mainly for the BCS and mostly bowls associated with the SEC.

BCS National Championship Game: Alabama (BCS #1 / SEC Champ) vs Oregon (BCS #2 / PAC12 Champ)

Rose Bowl: Ohio State (Big Ten Champ) vs Stanford (BCS at-large)

Fiesta Bowl: Fresno State (BCS at-large) vs Baylor (Big XII Champ)

Sugar Bowl: Missouri (BCS at-large) vs Clemson (BCS at-large)

Orange Bowl: Florida State (ACC Champ) vs Central Florida (AAC Champ)

Capital One Bowl: LSU vs Michigan State

Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma vs Auburn

Gator Bowl: Minnesota vs South Carolina

Outback Bowl: Georgia vs Michigan

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Texas A&M vs Miami

Mixed Bag of Sport: Baseball and F1 and High School Football (Bullying?)

Baseball

Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann is a man without a contract. In baseball terms, he’s a free agent. He can sign with any team he so chooses, so long as they offer him a contract. Some people think he’ll sign back with the Braves. One of the most prevalent rumors I’ve heard has McCann departing for the faraway confines of Fenway Park and putting on a Red Sox uniform next year.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he signs with an American League club. After all, he could probably get a 6-10 year deal with one of them, knowing that the last half of the deal would see him slotted into the Designated Hitter role.

And that’s why I really can’t believe the National League still shuns the DH. Don’t get me wrong, I despise the Designated Hitter. I think if you play a position in the field you should also have to bat, but that’s just me. American League fans have loved the DH for the last few years. Offensive production is typically higher in the American League. The sluggers of the National League are heading to the AL at a brisk pace. A central figure in National League offense, Albert Pujols, decided playing for the Cardinals wasn’t enough. He took a massive deal to sign with the identity-crisis-riddled Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (in Orange County, California, United States, North America, Earth…you get the picture). He took the deal because, as I just wrote, he only has to play first base some of the time. He can DH the rest of the time, thus prolonging his career.

Until the National League accepts that the Designated Hitter is just part of the game, they’ll continue to see the sluggers leave. So I propose an over-all change to the DH rule. This would affect both leagues. You have a DH that stays in the game as long as the starting pitcher stays in. Once you change the starter, the DH has to change as well. Rosters could be expanded a bit to account for using multiple pitchers. Or, perhaps just make a starting pitcher DH and then a bullpen DH. I’m flexible on the details.

Formula 1

Red Bull’s “B-Team,” Toro Rosso, has announced just who will replace Daniel Ricciardo, who is leaving to partner with (soon-to-be-crowned) quadruple World Champion Sebastian Vettel. Filling Ricciardo’s seat will be Russian teenager Daniil Kvyat. It’s a surprising move for the team, given that other, more prominent, drivers were originally tipped to land the race seat. Kvyat brings a good pedigree with him. He’s currently doing very well in the Formula 3 European Championship. He’s also 2nd in the title picture in the GP3 series with only one race to go.

Toro Rosso has a history of supporting younger, up-and-coming drivers. Sebastian Vettel drove for the team in 2008, garnering their only win to date, a rain-soaked affair at Monza. They’ve since used Sebastian Bourdais, Sebastien Buemi, Sebastian the Lobster from the Little Mermaid (okay, that might be a joke), Daniel Ricciardo, and Jean-Eric Vergne.

High School Football & Bullying

High School football is a big deal, especially in Texas, where it is a religion unto itself. However, some people aren't looking at it that way. Aledo High School, one of the powerhouse programs of the state, recently defeated much smaller Fort Worth Western Hills High School by the score of 91-0. A parent of one of the players for Fort Worth Western Hills has filed a complaint against the head coach of Aledo for "bullying."

Just how much of a bully was he? He had his starters out after just 21 plays. His team threw only ten passes in the game. One running back scored four touchdowns on four carries. Both teams played with a running clock in the second half and the halftime score was 56-0. The argument that Aledo run up the score is understandable. The idea of bullying is not. The way I see it, the parent who filed this complaint is probably one of those parents who thinks everyone who merely participates should get a trophy.

I struggle with this, because, while I don't like any team running up the score simply to run up the score***, what do you tell your players? In my opinion, it's almost more insulting for a winning team to either start taking knees early in the third or fourth quarter, or to run ahead a couple yards and just fall down. You're basically telling the other team "you guys are so bad, we're going to tackle ourselves to help you out." Meanwhile, you're telling your second, third, and fourth string players who rarely get to play to simply not try.

High school is supposed to be a time to teach kids how the real world works and to prepare them for how to deal. Apparently, according to this parent, someone being better than you should not be respected for being better, but should rather be thought of as a bully. The simple truth here is that Aledo just outclasses Western Hills with facilities, players, and budget. Someone in Texas thought scheduling these two schools would be a good idea...it wasn't.

***The notable case of a school running up the score just to run up the score occurred in 1916, when Georgia Tech beat tiny Cumberland College (Lebanon, TN) by the lopsided score of 222-0. If you want to take it as such, this was a case of bullying. Cumberland had to piece together a volunteer team to play Georgia Tech because the college had disbanded the football program the year prior. Georgia Tech head coach John Heisman would not let Cumberland out of their contract. See, Heisman was a bitter man who was holding a grudge against Cumberland because, the year before, Cumberland has run up the score in baseball, using a team that may or may not have utilized "ringer," professional baseball players. Cumberland's intramural squad faced off against Georgia Tech and the Engineers scored 63, 63, 54, and 42 in the standard four quarters of play.

Football Future-see 2013: Week Nine

RECORD

Week 1	8-2
Week 2	4-1
Week 3	4-1
Week 4	5-0
Week 5	5-0
Week 6	3-2
Week 7	2-3
Week 8	1-4
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Total	32-13	.711

3-2, 2-3, 1-4. Those are my records for the last three weeks. I can pinpoint the exact moment this downward trend in college picks began. It all started a little over three weeks ago, when a colleague at work asked if I would lend him a hand with some confidence picks for an NFL pool he’s in with some friends. I agreed to help him out, and since that moment, my college picks have suffered. Granted, it’s hard to predict something like what we saw last weekend. If ever there was an upheaval Saturday, that was it. Half of the AP Top Ten lost. All in all, numbers 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 20, and 22 lost.

If the trend continues, I’ll miss on every game this week. So what’s our slate? Note that I’m now using the BCS rankings instead of the AP Poll. Georgia is off this week before the big game with Florida, who is also off, and both teams are coming off a loss. We’ve got two ranked PAC-12 match-ups, a ranked Big XII match-up, a ranked SEC match-up, and then an SEC rivalry game in Tuscaloosa. The SEC, as it typically does, is in the process of cannibalizing itself. The conference that is supposedly “top-heavy” is showing great depth and parity. Of course, sports writers outside the southeast are taking the opportunity to disparage the conference. Apparently, being top-heavy is bad, but also having depth is bad. Unfortunately, the SEC can’t be a single good team and a pack of also-rans (I’m looking at you two, Big Ten [with its twelve teams soon to be fourteen] and American Athletic Conference). Let’s hope for a rebound.

12 UCLA at 3 Oregon (7:00pm, ESPN)

And so Oregon now has a chip on their shoulder. The Ducks were vaulted by Florida State in the first release of the BCS Poll. Of course, FSU may own the most impressive victory of the year in beating Clemson 51-14 at Death Valley (the only game I got right last week). Now Oregon hosts a UCLA team recently removed from the top ten. The Bruins will be out to prove they still belong. But you don’t prove that at Eugene at night. Sorry, UCLA, but Oregon wins going away. Marcus Mariota may even put a stamp on his spot in the Heisman hierarchy. College Gameday will be in Eugene; the second time in the last three weeks that the ESPN team has traveled to the West Coast.

Final Score: Oregon 49, UCLA 31

10 Texas Tech at 15 Oklahoma (3:30pm, FOX)

This may end up being the game of the week. Oklahoma is better than their result against Texas proved. Texas Tech is quietly putting together a great season. The game is in Norman, which should play to the Sooners advantage. The Big XII, while not dominating at the sharp end of the polls, is really showing good depth. This game should provide a classic display of that depth. Look for Oklahoma to score the “upset” (as TTU is ranked higher), though it should be close.

Final Score: Oklahoma 33, Texas Tech 31

21 South Carolina at 5 Missouri (7:00pm, ESPN2)

Missouri is the real deal. I figured they would be exposed once they entered October. Instead, they’ve beaten Georgia and Florida, and now face South Carolina. A win Saturday should pretty much lock up the East for the Tigers, in just their second season of SEC play. Texas A&M, who came in at the same time but plays in the West, is not as close to the SEC Championship Game as Mizzou. Last season, their first in SEC play, the Tigers were simply not ready for the style of “old man football” that required four quarters of hard play. Their conditioning was not up to par and their season suffered for it. This year, though, they’ve figured out what it takes to play four quarters of SEC football, and they’re ruling the East because of it. South Carolina is a tough team, though. The biggest problem for the SEC East this season has been attrition. Everyone is banged up…except Missouri, right? Wrong. Their starting QB, James Franklin, is out with a separated shoulder. Without their starting QB they still hung 36 on the best defense in the SEC East in Florida. Tigers win; Gamecocks see what remains of their hopes evaporate.

Final Score: Missouri 38, South Carolina 28

6 Stanford at 25 Oregon State (10:30pm, ESPN)

Stanford is a team I still can’t figure out. Their front seven is good enough to slow anyone down. They beat Arizona State and Washington, but then lost to Utah, who is 4-3 on the year. The Cardinal is averaging over 34 points per game while giving up just 20 on average. They just beat UCLA, now travel to Oregon State, and their next game is a home tilt with Oregon. The Cardinal can’t get caught looking ahead, and I don’t think they will, since they have a bye week in between. Stanford wins, but Oregon State may keep it close until late.

Final Score: Stanford 30, Oregon State 20

Tennessee at 1 Alabama (3:30pm, CBS)

The Vols have been up and down all year. A heart-breaking loss in OT to Georgia was followed up by a last-second field goal win over South Carolina. But they now have to play Alabama. The Crimson Tide is still arguably the best team in college football. I figure Alabama lets Tennessee hang around for a quarter or so before effectively closing the door. The predicted score below is closer than I think the game will actually be.

Final Score: Alabama 37, Tennessee 17

The Right Wing Top Ten (RWT10)

Week Three of the Right Wing Top Ten. The chaos and upheaval of last Saturday has caused massive changes to the RWT10. South Carolina, UCLA, Texas A&M, and LSU all fall from the poll, replaced by Missouri, Baylor, Stanford, and Texas Tech. Over one-third of the AP Top 25 lost last week, and many of those losses were in the top 11 spots. You don’t get upsets like that without really turning the polls on their heads.

In this week: Missouri, Baylor, Stanford, Texas Tech

Out this week: South Carolina, UCLA, Texas A&M, LSU

10. Clemson Tigers

Clemson still has only one loss, but, man, is it a bad one…

9. Stanford Cardinal

Stanford re-cracks the Top Ten thanks to a win over former top ten member UCLA.

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders are quietly having quite the season in Lubbock.

7. Miami Hurricanes

The NCAA just released their sanctions on Miami (amounting to a slap on the wrist given the self-imposed sanctions already in place). Now the ‘Canes can focus on football.

6. Baylor Bears

Baylor may have the most explosive offense in football. As much as I hate high scoring games, I’d really like to see them play Oregon.

5. Missouri Tigers

These Tigers are for real. Missouri may have locked up the SEC East in just their second year in the league.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

I still hate putting the Buckeyes this high, as the mediocrity of the B1G is still really becoming apparent.

3. Florida State Seminoles

The ‘Noles crushed Clemson…I mean, crushed them. Now FSU has its sights set on reaching the BCS National Championship Game. To do that, in my eyes, it has to prove a better resume than either Oregon or Alabama.

2. Oregon Ducks

The Ducks reach number two in my poll, although the current BCS ranking has them 3rd. Look for that little oversight to provide incentive to an already dangerous offense.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama is still making the case that they’re the best team in college football.

Football Future-see 2013: Week Eight

RECORD

Week 1	8-2
Week 2	4-1
Week 3	4-1
Week 4	5-0
Week 5	5-0
Week 6	3-2
Week 7	2-3
Week 8	1-4
Week 9
Week 10
Total	32-13	.711

The Great Crash of 2013 continues.

That hurt. Man, did that hurt. I haven’t been under .500 for a week since Week 14 of 2012. But Northwestern not showing up in Madison, going with the heart over the head in Athens, and a Texas team that suddenly remembered how to play football all cost me three wins. Oregon won 45-24…I predicted a Ducks win of 42-20, and LSU stymied Florida. I’m beginning to wonder if anyone can even survive the SEC East. The rate of attrition is staggering. Georgia has lost three wide receivers (two for the year, one may be back in late November), two running backs (one is primed to return, the other is out for the year), and a punter (concussion on what might or might not have been a cheap shot). Florida is down several starters on both sides of the ball. South Carolina lost QB Connor Shaw for a short time. Now Missouri is going to be without star QB James Franklin for the next 3-5 weeks. And it’s a darn good bet that one of those four teams will represent the East in the SEC Championship Game. Assuming they all survive…

(As an aside, if Georgia somehow manages to get back to Atlanta, then it’s a safe assumption they will also make a bowl game against a ranked team. If that happens, Georgia will have potentially played as many as eight ranked teams in one season. So the idea that the SEC doesn’t play tough enough schedules starts to sound ludicrous.)

So what’s on deck, this week? Four games matching Top 25 opponents and the obligatory UGA pick. Among the Top 25s, we have an ACC match-up, a PAC-12 match-up, and two SEC games.

5 Florida State at 3 Clemson (8:00pm, ABC).....CORRECT

The game of the week. Also the second time in two months that College GameDay has been to Clemson. The Tigers are coming off a relatively weak performance in a win over Boston College, and Dabo Swinney’s squad will undoubtedly be looking to make their case as the possible top team in the nation. But Florida State is playing some of the best football of anyone in the game. Freshman QB Jameis Winston is a beast. Another 8pm start time, another visit from GameDay, and you have to figure another raucous crowd welcoming in the visiting team. But I think FSU can do what Georgia came just short of doing. Florida State wins a close one. I’m actually more interested in seeing is Lee Corso picks FSU, simply because of this:

Final Score: Florida State 28, Clemson 26

22 Florida at 14 Missouri (12:21pm, ESPN 3).....INCORRECT

Missouri just notched arguably their biggest win since joining the SEC, knocking off Georgia between the hedges. But it was a costly win, as they’ll now be without QB James Franklin for over a month. The Gators are even more injury-riddled than Missouri, though. It seems like Florida loses someone to injury every week. This war of attrition will eventually allow one team to separate from the pack in the East. It’ll be a tough test for the Gator to travel into Columbia, considering their recent loss in Baton Rouge. But I think the combination of a hungry Florida team and a QB-lacking Missouri team spells upset. Plus, just imagine the chaos a Florida win would bring to the SEC East.

Final Score: Florida 21, Missouri 17

15 Georgia at Vanderbilt (12:00pm, CBS).....INCORRECT

Will Todd Gurley be back on the field for the Dawgs? If so, then it may prove the catalyst that boosts the Georgia offense. Frankly, the team is sputtering, but that’s what a massively difficult schedule (the four ranked opponents they’ve played this year are currently ranked #3, #6, #11, and #14) and a hailstorm of injuries (see introduction) will do. Vanderbilt is not playing up to their recent levels, either, though. The Commodores gave up 51 to Missouri and is currently giving up an average of 42 points per loss. The three wins Vandy has notched this year have come against Austin Peay, Massachusetts, and Alabama-Birmingham. And life doesn’t get easier for the ‘Dores, as Texas A&M welcomes Vandy to College Station next week. If UGA QB Aaron Murray has Gurley backing him up Saturday, expect Georgia to get back on the winning track. The Dawgs next have a bye week and then travel to Jacksonville for the yearly battle with Florida.

Final Score: Georgia 31, Vanderbilt 17

24 Auburn at 7 Texas A&M (3:30pm, CBS).....INCORRECT

Auburn coming in at #24 allowed the SEC to set a record by getting eight teams in the AP Top 25. That’s right, better than 30% of the AP Poll comes from the same conference and the balance is evident: four from the West, four from the East. But remember, Big XII coaches have told us the SEC is top-heavy and the top-to-bottom depth is not as good as other conferences. I expect Auburn to bring their A-Game against the Flying Johnny Footballs, but the Aggies will simply be too much for them to contain. Auburn may even have the lead at halftime, but I look for Johnny Manziel to make things happen for the Aggie offense. A&M win.

Final Score: Texas A&M 35, Auburn 24

9 UCLA at 13 Stanford (3:30pm, ABC/ESPN 2).....INCORRECT

What to make of Stanford? The Cardinal has, quite possibly, the best front seven in the nation on defense. So a staggering loss to unranked Utah is confounding. And there’s not much time to recover, as an even tougher test, in the form of a rolling UCLA squad, is coming to Palo Alto. Can Stanford get back to their winning ways? Or is this the beginning of the end for David Shaw’s Cardinal team in 2013? UCLA is averaging nearly 46 points per game. Stanford is giving up just over 22 per game. UCLA has already beaten Utah, and Utah beat Stanford. Now, I don’t like applying the transitive property to football, because teams match up differently against other teams. But I kinda get the sense that UCLA knows they can stamp their mark on the PAC-12 with a win here.

Final Score: UCLA 34, Stanford 28

The Right Wing Top Ten

Week Two of the Right Wing Top Ten.

In this week: South Carolina, UCLA

Out this week: Georgia, Stanford

10. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks re-crack the Top Ten thanks to a solid one-loss record, but more tests await, like a game against Florida and the yearly battle with Clemson.

8. UCLA Bruins

The Bruins have been fairly impressive out of the PAC-12.

9. Miami Hurricanes

Miami has a win over Florida and has run well in the ACC so far, beating Georgia Tech, for one.

7. Texas A&M Aggies

I’ll be honest; the Aggies are only here because they have an impressive single-loss resume in the SEC West. Earn it from the point forward, Aggies.

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

I hate putting the Buckeyes this high, as the mediocrity of the B1G is really becoming apparent.

5. Louisiana State Tigers

LSU has knocked off Florida and only lost to Georgia by 3. That’s a good resume, but a November tussle with Alabama will tell us all we need to know about these Tigers.

4. Florida State Seminoles

The game against Clemson looms larger and larger. Jameis Winston will have the Noles ready for the raucous environment that is Death Valley.

3. Oregon Ducks

Nothing against you Oregon, but we’ll know a lot more about you over the next few weeks. It’s not your fault Clemson currently has the more impressive resume.

2. Clemson Tigers

Clemson gets their biggest test of the year (sorry, Georgia) when a hungry #5 (AP) FSU rolls into Death Valley Saturday. That game could be a de facto semi-final for the National Championship.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

I’m going to leave Alabama as the #1 team, given they are defending National Champions and are unbeaten. They still have LSU in November, but they’ve already topped Texas A&M and shut out Ole Miss