Football Future-see 2015: Week Ten

Well, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee has released their first set of rankings. Just as I’ve been saying for a couple weeks now, Clemson is on top. The surprise is that neither TCU nor Baylor is in the Committee’s top four. Instead, one-loss Alabama is already crashing the party, thanks to some impressive wins after falling to Ole Miss. This week the picks feature the standard Georgia game (more on that below), two Big XII games, an ACC match-up featuring now-#1 Clemson, and the big game of the week, LSU at Alabama.

Now that the CFPSC's rankings are out, the Playoff Prediction is gone.

RECORD

Week One	9-1
Week Two	4-1
Week Three	3-2
Week Four	2-3
Week Five	2-3
Week Six	3-2
Week Seven	5-0
Week Eight	3-2
Week Nine	4-1
Week Ten	4-1
Week Eleven
Week Twelve
OVERALL	39-16	.709

The Games:

6 Baylor at Kansas State (Thursday, 7:30pm, FoxSports1)

If I’m Baylor right now, I’m feeling insulted by the Committee. They blew us off last year in leaving the Big XII out altogether, even though we won the conference outright (forget that co-champion stuff). Now they’ve dropped us down to #6, leaving us out once again, as things stand now. The good thing for Baylor is they are just now coming into the meat of their schedule. The Bears have three straight games against ranked opponents after this battle with K-State. That might make this a trap game to some, but I think Baylor finds a way to roll. The loss of their QB may just be the rallying point they need to claim to the Big XII. I like Baylor here, but I won’t be surprised if K-State finds a way to keep things close.

Final Score: Baylor 42, Kansas State 24
CORRECT: Baylor won 31-24

Kentucky at Georgia (Saturday, Noon, SEC Network)

Georgia needs to do something and fast. The season has spiraled out of control, and a disappointing and humiliating loss to Florida has done nothing to ease the pain and frustration of their fan base. The calls for the coach’s job are getting louder. Georgia should, theoretically, roll over Kentucky. They have more talent than the Wildcats ever seem to field. But this season has not been kind to the Dawgs. They’ve gone nearly nine quarters since their last touchdown. No QB can seemingly get the offense pointing in the right direction. I think they get out of the touchdown-less rut this week, but Kentucky will keep it close. Georgia wins, but unless they win by more than three TDs the unrest in Athens will grow.

Final Score: Georgia 21, Kentucky 14
CORRECT: Georgia won 27-3

16 Florida State at 1 Clemson (Saturday, 3:30pm, ABC)

Back when the season started, Clemson-FSU seemed like a big match-up. Clemson, though, has made their way to the top spot in the Committee’s initial ranking. The Tigers look like the real deal. They’ve taken down Notre Dame. They’ve scored 114 points in the last two games. They beat Miami, in Miami, by 58 points. The Seminoles, meanwhile, are coming off a rough loss to Georgia Tech, in a game they should’ve won. I like Clemson here, and I think it may get ugly. Clemson’s offense is clicking right now, and I’m not sure anyone can stop them. Tigers win.

Final Score: Clemson 35, Florida State 20
CORRECT: Clemson won 23-13

8 TCU at 14 Oklahoma State (Saturday, 3:30pm, Fox)

If I’m TCU right now, I’m feeling insulted by the Committee. They blew us off last year in leaving the Big XII out altogether. Now they’ve dropped us down to #8. TCU has a harder schedule this week than primary opponent Baylor, but both teams are focused on a Thanksgiving weekend meeting that will possibly decide the Big XII. TCU has, in my mind, the inside track in the conference, as Baylor has lost their QB. Oklahoma State is a stout offense, and should put up a heck of a fight against the Horned Frogs, but I don’t expect them to win. TCU should take care of business here, and carry on their good fight for the Big XII crown. Frogs win.

Final Score: TCU 42, Oklahoma State 30
INCORRECT: Oklahoma State won 49-29

2 LSU at 4 Alabama (Saturday, 8:00pm, CBS)

The biggest game of the weekend pits the second ranked Tigers of LSU against an Alabama team already poised to crash the undefeated-party that is the playoff. This game tends to decide the SEC West winner every season, and this game once again seems to carry that weight. An Alabama win would almost cement their spot in the playoffs, barring some catastrophic breakdown of the natural order in the SEC (we’re lookin’ at you, Ole Miss). LSU, meanwhile, is making their case for a playoff spot, and needs a big win over the Tide to lock up their own claim. If this game were in Death Valley, I would pick the Tigers. But being in Tuscaloosa, I have to lean toward Alabama. Tide wins a close one.

Final Score: Alabama 31, LSU 27
CORRECT: Alabama won 30-16

Right Wing Top Ten

Week Four of the poll features almost no changes.

NR = Not Ranked the previous Week

NC = No Change from previous week

+ = Moved Up

-  = Moved Down

Dropped Out: None

15. Michigan Wolverines (NC)

14. Florida Gators (NC)

13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-1)

12. Oklahoma State Cowboys (+1)

11. Utah Utes (NC)

10. Oklahoma Sooners NC)- Oklahoma is wanting to make a push in the Big XII.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes NC)- Anyone else realize that Iowa is still undefeated?

8. Michigan State Spartans (NC)- Sparty hasn’t been playing to their potential lately, and it has cost them in this poll.

7. Ohio State Buckeyes (NC)- Ohio State is finally playing like a top-ranked team.

6. Stanford Cardinal (NC)- Stanford might be the best team in the PAC-12., but Washington State once more made them seem mortal.

5. TCU Horned Frogs (NC)- Can TCU claim the Big XII, or will Oklahoma and Baylor still have something to say?

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (NC)- After this week either Alabama or LSU will tumble down the ranking a bit.

3. Baylor Bears (NC)- How long can Baylor stay near the top without their starting QB?

2. LSU Tigers (NC)- After this week either LSU or Alabama will tumble down the ranking a bit.

1. Clemson Tigers (NC)- Clemson had a rough sort of week against NC State, but they’re still the best team in the nation.

Thoughts on Georgia

Oh, how this season has gone off the rails for Georgia. I remember hearing that Nick Chubb had blown out his knee on the first play against Tennessee, but I didn’t realize then that it was the beginning of the downward spiral for the Dawgs. Since that time Georgia has lost to Tennessee, narrowly beaten Missouri, and been humiliated by Florida. It’s brought about the most intense pressure and scrutiny on Mark Richt that I’ve seen in years.

Richt, while a fantastic human being, and the type of coach I would want my son to play for should I be blessed with a son one of these days, is not the type of coach who brings you national championships. He’s simply too nice.

And now the calls for his head, figuratively, have started coming in louder and more frequently. The Dawgs are already at three losses on the year, meaning it would take winning out and winning their bowl match-up. That might be a problem. Georgia has not scored a touchdown since the start of the fourth quarter against Tennessee. That was October 11. It’s now November.

The offense has simply disappeared without Nick Chubb. The problems have becomes so ingrained in the public perception that talk has now shifted to recruits possibly pulling out of commitments and going elsewhere. How Georgia turns this trend around I don’t know. But they need to sort it out quickly.

Time may be running out for them.