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Kentucky beat Florida for the first time in 11,620 days, Colorado won in Nebraska for the first time since 2004 and Kansas won on the road for the first time since 2009 – but the top 10 teams in the poll Associated Press, all won.
Each. Unique. A.
Pre-season favorites for the college football playoffs, also the first to win their respective leagues or divisions, remained in the status quo, but lessons were learned from each game. Here is a closer look at the position of each program in the top 10:
1. Alabama
The Tide has been a semifinalist of the playoffs in each of the past four seasons and has given every indication to continue this trend this year – at full throttle. After a 57-7 win over Arkansas State, Alabama have now edged out their top two opponents 108-21. Fourteen of the last 16 semi-finalists ranked in the top 10 in the national rankings, including the last eight years. Will Nick Saban keep running Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts? It does not seem to matter. They are both winners. ESPN's Football Power Index promotes Alabama in each of its remaining games, but keep in mind that Alabama does not face any ranked opponents before the selection committee gets to meet for the first time and the first ranking is unveiled on October 30th. at number 11 LSU of November 3rd. Another thing to consider: the selection committee compares the common opponents. Both Alabama and Clemson will have played in Louisville and Texas A & M. It will be interesting to see if these games come into the debate, especially if Clemson is in the bubble because of a troubled ACC.
2. Clemson
The Tigers desperately needed to beat Texas A & M because of the awesome little that the rest of the ACC had so far examined. Clemson was able to overcome his defeat against Syracuse last year and his defeat against Pitt in 2016 because there had been many victories against other opponents on the roster to make up for those losses. This year? Clemson might not play a single team during the regular season. That means the Tigers have to win and seem to do it. The 16 semi-finalists had an average of 4.1 wins against AP opponents in the regular season. How Texas A & M fares could change the Tigers' perception of victory, but since it was a night game on the road in one of the most ruthless places in sport, the committee selection with the non-conference calendars of other potential Power 5 conference champions.
Clemson stood up to Texas A & M to keep his spot in the playoff race. Alabama is a no-brainer. Has Ohio State done enough to make our experts among the top four?
Kansas won a road game for the first time since 2009. Kentucky ended a run of 31 defeats in Florida. Alabama and Georgia continued to roll and Khalil Tate and UNC continued to fall.
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3. Georgia
There seems to be no one in SEC East able to challenge Georgia, especially after Georgia dominated South Carolina, and considering that Kentucky beat Florida. It does not look like an instinctive reaction. It looked like reality. The question is whether Georgia can win at LSU on 13 October and beat Auburn on 10 November. With a non-conference schedule including Austin Peay, Middle Tennessee and UMass, she has to make the most of these SEC West crossovers. If Georgia can get the upper hand but lose close to Alabama or Auburn at the SEC championship, the committee could consider two teams from the SEC (again).
4. Ohio State
The Buckeyes were among the top four, but against Oregon State and Rutgers. It's only Saturday that the match against number 16 TCU at AT & T stadium in Arlington will be truly tested. This is the third and final match of the suspension of coach Urban Meyer, and the ESPN REIT still gives the Buckeyes a 80.6% chance of winning without him. The Buckeyes remain the team to beat in the Big Ten East. Still, Ohio State has to go to Michigan State and Penn State to win it.
5. Wisconsin
Behind a brand-name racing game led by Jonathan Taylor and an outstanding offensive line, Wisconsin defeated western Kentucky and New Mexico. The problem? It is west of Kentucky. And New Mexico. BYU tracking. Once again, the best in the Big Ten West will have to deal with scheduling issues for what should be another match in the Big Ten Championship, but the difference this year is that the Badgers have to go to Michigan and Penn State. they are not favored by the REIT to win.
6. Oklahoma
Wait, Kyler Murray is even better in another sport? Instead of going straight to Oakland A, the Sooners' new quarterback scored five touchdowns in the UCLA win. So yes, OR can still fight for the playoff without Baker Mayfield. There are things worth believing after just two weeks of play, and Murray's ability to change the game is one of them. The status of Sooners star Rodney Anderson's running back is uncertain after leaving the game with a leg injury. The UA will travel to Iowa State this weekend for their first road match, but it is likely to be 6-0 before its second road trip of the season on October 20th at TCU.
7. Auburn
The Tigers remained focused after their significant win over Washington on week 1 and did not anticipate Saturday's game against the 11 th LSU. They took care of business against an Alabama state team, which was outclassed, and also saved many new and young players time. Now, Auburn must play his second top 15 in three weeks. Auburn is not going to be easy against SEC West's opponents, but the victory over Washington gave the Tigers a margin of error. They must, however, save it for November's trips to Georgia and Alabama.
8. Our Lady
The jury still failed to convince the Irish – largely because it's hard to say how good Michigan is and the victory over Ball State was not really convincing. There were times when the protection of the offensive line broke down and the defense left too much play. Quarterback Brandon Wimbush threw three interceptions and finished with 17-yard yards – the first time in his career he had negative rushing yards. Our Lady is right where she should be at 2-0, but to be taken seriously in the playoff race, she must first leave no doubt over the next two weeks to say it's better than Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. Then, he must win two consecutive games against opponents who should still be ranked at Stanford and Virginia Tech. Only then will we begin to know whether the Irish have remained in power this year.
9. Washington
The Huskies were able to rebound from their devastating defeat against Auburn with a convincing 45-3 win over North Dakota, and they learned this weekend that Stanford would be their biggest challenger in the Pac-12 race. The Huskies should not face Stanford before November 3, but it seems likely that Washington will have to come on the board to qualify as the Pac-12 conference champion. The loss to Auburn certainly did not eliminate the Huskies, but it put tremendous pressure on them to finish in force.
10. Stanford
It was an important victory for Stanford and should propel the Cardinal to a 3-0 start in Oregon on September 22 (assuming Stanford beat UC Davis this week). The more Stanford and Washington win, the better it is for the Pac-12. And do not forget Bryce Love. After running for only 29 yards against San Diego State last week, Love rushed for 136 yards against USC. Thirteen of the 16 semi-finalists in the playoffs have been named to the Heisman Trophy Top 10 this season.
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