And then there were four! Two more teams fell from the ranks of the undefeated last week, leaving us the final four undefeated teams. Two of these teams play each other, so the most undefeated teams that we could possibly have this year is three. How will they fare this week? Let’s take a look!
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Florida State(7-0) IDLE: The Seminoles get some extra rest before a Thursday night tilt against the Cardinals in Louisville.
Marshall(7-0) vs. Florida Atlantic: The Owls have been mostly good this year, but they don’t have the defense to pressure Cato into making mistakes. This looks like another easy win for Marshall.
Mississippi(7-0) at LSU: Death Valley at night is never fun, but LSU is not the team that they have been in recent years. They are young and mistake-prone. That said, they could all decide to click at any given time much like they did against Kentucky last week. Still, I think Ole Miss might have the nation’s best defense. I won’t pick against that against an inconsistent offense.
Mississippi State(6-0) at Kentucky: Two of the four unbeatens head on the road in the SEC, so I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of an upset. That said, the Wildcats got blown out by LSU last week. This has the looks of an easy win for the Bulldogs.
ONE LOSS HOPEFULS:
The chances of two major-conference powers going undefeated is unlikely, so there should be at least two one loss teams in the inaugural playoff. It’s time to start keeping track of those who have an outside shot as well.
Oregon(6-1) at California: The Ducks loss to Arizona looks bad, but they have a win against Michigan State and blew out UCLA. That said, the only ranked team left on their schedule is Utah and whoever wins the Pac 12 South. They need help. However, if they keep blowing people out, it might be enough depending on how badly the SEC beats up on each other.
Arizona State(5-1) at Washington: The loss to UCLA was ugly even before the Bruins went belly-up because they got blasted in that game. That said, the Sun Devils have a great chance at crawling back into this. They play three more ranked teams, and one more if they manage to win the Pac 12 South. Their next three weeks (at Washington, vs. Utah, vs. Notre Dame) could vault them into the top ten if they win all of them.
Georgia(6-1) IDLE: The South Carolina loss looks worse by the week, but the Bulldogs have been nothing short of dominant in October. The only ranked team left on their schedule is Auburn and whoever wins the SEC West. If they beat Auburn, they are right in the thick of things.
Alabama(6-1) at Tennessee: The loss to Ole Miss in Oxford might be the best loss of any one loss team. They destroyed A&M, and if they have found their groove, look out. They finish the season with three ranked teams in four games, and that doesn’t count a possible SEC Championship game matchup.
Auburn(5-1) vs. South Carolina: They had the toughest preseason schedule, and that was before we knew just how good the Mississippi teams were. They still have three top ten teams left, so it’s safe to say they control their own destiny.
Notre Dame(6-1) IDLE: The Irish have a tough schedule this year. They still face two more ranked teams, and a Louisville team that could be dangerous. Their near-miss against Florida State helps them more than if they had been blown out. That said, without the possible benefit of a conference championship game, they might not be able to get in.
Kansas State(5-1) vs. Texas: I am no longer convinced that the Big 12(10) will get a team in. I doubt anyone makes it out of this conference with only one loss. That said, if Kansas State wins out, they are in. They at least had the stones to play a good non-conference team, even if they did lose.
Nebraska(6-1) vs. Rutgers: The only reason that Nebraska even has an outside shot is because they have what is pretty much a cakewalk into the Big Ten(14) Championship game. Even if they win that, it might not be enough. Their weak division and weaker OOC schedule will hurt.
Michigan State(6-1) vs. Michigan: Their only loss is at Oregon, and they still look like the best team in the conference, but the gap is closing.
Ohio State(5-1) at Penn State: The Virginia Tech loss could really cost them. Especially if someone other than Nebraska wins the West.
We have a big week ahead on Fantasy CPR! I will have my picks against the spread, for whatever that is worth. I will also have my picks for the ESPN College Challenge and ESPN College Pick Em games. Chris Brent will also have his FanDuel lineup for week 8 of the NFL season, so stay tuned!
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