3 weeks ago
5
Forget everything you thought you knew successful August.
At the midpoint of the season, Penn State has 3 losses, Clemson has 3 losses, Texas is trying to claw its mode backmost into the playoff conversation, and undefeated Indiana is ... a apical 5 team?!
"This showed the state we're a existent team," Indiana backmost Fernando Mendoza told reporters aft the Hoosiers' 30-20 triumph astatine Oregon. "We're not conscionable a one-hit wonder."
Separation has started to occur, existent playoff contenders person begun to look done connection wins, and the conflict for No. 1 is ongoing. Alabama has made a lawsuit for the enactment committee's apical one-loss team, Notre Dame has battled backmost aft an 0-2 commencement to presumption itself arsenic the apical two-loss team.
The jockeying for apical seeds, first-round byes and first-round location games continues, but Week 7's apical 12 prediction is simply a snapshot of who's got the aboriginal borderline if the ranking were released halfway done the season.
Projecting the apical 12
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)
Why they could beryllium here: The Buckeyes present person 2 awesome roadworthy wins, adding Saturday's 34-16 triumph astatine Illinois to the Sept. 27 triumph astatine Washington. The Buckeyes person defeated 3 consecutive Big Ten opponents who are each astatine .500 oregon better, including 2 connected the road. Miami has 1 roadworthy triumph and hasn't near its location authorities yet. Ohio State's defence has been 1 of the champion successful the country, and backmost Julian Sayin has been 1 of the nation's astir efficient, mistake-free quarterbacks. The Buckeyes are a implicit team, ranked successful the apical 10 successful some violative and antiaircraft ratio -- a historical trait of the enactment committee's past playoff teams. The 70-0 triumph against FCS Grambling, though, impacts immoderate of that. Ohio State's nonconference triumph against Texas volition proceed to beryllium invaluable wrong the committee gathering room, arsenic the Longhorns' triumph against rival Oklahoma bolsters their accidental to beryllium a CFP Top 25 team.
Why they could beryllium lower: Indiana conscionable earned the champion triumph successful the country, and Miami inactive has 1 of the champion wide résumés. The Canes were connected a bye, but got different boost connected Friday nighttime erstwhile South Florida hammered antecedently undefeated North Texas, 63-36. Some committee members would reason that Miami's triumph against Notre Dame is amended than Ohio State's triumph against Texas.
Need to know: Ohio State has much than a 50% accidental to triumph each of its remaining games, according to ESPN Analytics.
Toughest remaining game: Nov. 29 astatine Michigan. The Buckeyes are trying to debar a 5th consecutive nonaccomplishment to their rivals.
2. Miami Hurricanes (5-0)
Why they could beryllium here: The enactment committee typically doesn't determination teams astir if they don't play, unless it happens arsenic a effect of shuffling astir them. Ohio State's triumph astatine Illinois strengthened its résumé, and the Buckeyes were besides helped by Texas beating Oklahoma. It didn't assistance the Canes that Florida State picked up their 3rd loss, this 1 to an unranked Pitt team. Miami's wide assemblage of work, though, is inactive worthy of information for the apical spot. South Florida's 63-36 lopsided triumph connected Friday nighttime against antecedently undefeated North Texas further enhanced the Canes' 49-12 drubbing of the Bulls connected Sept. 13. What's truly separating Miami from Ohio State, though, is the season-opening triumph against Notre Dame, which has played its mode backmost into the apical 25 aft winning 4 stra...
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