College football rankings: 10 best and 10 worst teams of Week 14 – LSU leads playoff hopefuls
As the race for a spot in the College Football Playoff nears its end, we dive deep into the box scores to determine the best and worst team performances of Week 14.
The 2019 college football regular season has come to a close, but the conversation surrounding the College Football Playoff is as strong as ever.
We found some clarity in Week 14 as Alabama was upset 48-45 in the Iron Bowl by Auburn. The two-loss Crimson Tide, which had been ranked No. 5 by the playoff committee, won’t sneak in again this year. Instead, depending on the outcome of various conference championship games, it’s likely either Utah, Oklahoma or Baylor will join LSU, Ohio State and Clemson in the final four.
But that’s still a crowded field. And how will the committee decide the best or most deserving team for that final spot? One way would be to dive deep into the box scores of every game all season and assign grades for each based on a variety of analytical factors.
We’ve done it all season using the CFB Winning Edge Team Performance ratings equation. Here’s how the top 10 and bottom 10 shakes out following a full weekend of rivalry games in Week 14 – as well as the best of the best and worst of the worst, from the regular season:
10 Best Team Performances of Week 14
10. Northwestern Wildcats, 93.44
The 2019 season was a nightmare for Northwestern. But the Wildcats saved their best for last – literally – by beating rival Illinois 29-10 on the road Saturday. Northwestern outgained the Illini 433-160 overall and by an average of 2.51 yards per play despite starting its third quarterback of the season and moving a defensive back to provide depth at running back. Both Andrew Marty and Coco Azema ran for more than 100 yards while the Wildcats defense held Illinois to just 14 rushing yards and 0.5 yards per carry. Pat Fitzgerald’s squad posted a 93.44 game grade in the win, which was the highest-rated performance of the season by 6.36 points. Northwestern finished the regular season with an average Team Performance rating on 78.15, which ranks No. 86 nationally.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes, 93.52
The final score was close than it likely should have been in Iowa’s 27-24 victory over Nebraska in Lincoln Friday. Neither team had much success in the passing game, but the Hawkeyes were much better both running the football and stopping the run. Iowa ran for 225 yards and 7.3 yards per attempt, and though the Hawkeyes allowed 184 yards on the ground, Iowa held the Cornhuskers to just 3.3 yards per carry. Overall, Iowa outgained the Huskers 324-284, but the Hawkeyes held an edge of 2.19 net yards per play.
8. Washington Huskies, 94.79
Washington State leads the nation with 444.3 passing yards per game and has thrown for more than 400 yards in nine of its 12 games this season. The Cougars have also averaged 8.0 yards per pass attempt, which ranks No. 39 in the country, and have thrown for more than 7.0 yards per attempt nine times. But in Friday’s Apple Cup, Washington held its rival to 308 yards, the second-fewest of the year and just 5.0 yards per pass, which represented a season-low.
The Huskies threw for just 244 yards, but quarterback Jacob Eason averaged 11.1 yards per attempt. Washington also held an edge in the rushing game, having averaged 3.4 yards per carry compared to Wazzu’s 1.6. Overall, Washington held just a 342-339 edge in total yards but outgained the Cougars by an average of 2.57 yards per play in its 31-13 victory.
7. Kentucky Wildcats, 94.92
Lynn Bowden capped what should be an All-American regular season with 284 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 45-13 Kentucky victory over rival Louisville. Bowden, who made his sixth straight start at quarterback for the Wildcats, now has 1,235 rushing yards and four touchdowns and has averaged 8.18 yards per carry.
The junior still leads the team with 30 receptions and 348 receiving yards, but still ranks third on the squad in passing, having thrown for just 330. Bowden was 1-for-2 passing for four yards against the Cardinals, but he was simply unstoppable on the ground. Still, Kentucky averaged 12.4 yards per play.
Louisville running back Javian Hawkins racked up 142 rushing yards and scored once on 22 carries, but the Kentucky defense otherwise held the Cardinals in check. The Wildcats held Louisville to 5.7 yards per pass on 19 attempts and 4.1 yards per carry. UK outgained the Cards 521-318 overall and by an incredible average of 7.86 yards per play – which was the best of any FBS team in Week 14 – and won the turnover battle 2-0.
6. Oklahoma Sooners, 95.08
Oklahoma kept its playoff hopes alive with a 34-16 road victory over Oklahoma State Saturday night. The Sooners are always dangerous offensively, and Jalen Hurts accounted for three total touchdowns – one passing, one rushing and one receiving, while averaging 10.2 yards per pass attempt on 13-for-16 passing, and chipping in 61 of OU’s 283 rushing yards.
But the story of the game was the Oklahoma defense, which held the Cowboys to 128 rushing yards and 4.4 yards per carry, and also limited star running back Chuba Hubbard to 104 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. The Sooners also forced two turnovers.
5. Baylor Bears, 95.70
Oklahoma’s opponent in the Big 12 Championship Game, Baylor, was even more dominant in its 61-6 victory over Kansas. The Bears held the Jayhawks to 3.6 yards per pass attempt and 4.1 yards per carry and forced six turnovers, including four interceptions. Baylor also allowed only three conversions on 15 opportunities on third down.
Quarterback Charlie Brewer was limited after suffering an injury in the previous game, but he completed 13 of 25 pass attempts for 182 yards and one touchdown with one interception. The lopsided score allowed Brewer to rest in the second half, and he should be close to full strength next week against the Sooners.
4. Clemson Tigers, 95.77
We may be tiring of Dabo Swinney’s “little ol’ Clemson” act, but whatever he’s doing is working. The Tigers blasted in-state rival South Carolina 38-3, and it could have been worse. The 95.77 game grade was Clemson’s second-best of the season and pushed the Tigers into the No. 2 overall spot in Team Performance.
Clemson outgained the Gamecocks 527-174 overall and by an average of 3.07 yards per play. The Tigers ran for 211 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry and held South Carolina to 69 yards on the ground and just 2.7 per attempt. Two Clemson receivers surpassed 100 receiving yards, and the Tigers threw for 316 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per attempt. South Carolina had just 105 passing yards and averaged 3.9 yards per pass.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes, 95.83
The only team with a higher average Team Performance rating than Clemson is Ohio State, whose 95.82 game grade in its 56-27 victory over Michigan was its second-best performance of the season and raised its overall score to 93.93.
The Buckeyes posted huge offensive numbers against the Wolverines, again. Quarterback Justin Fields threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 12.1 yards per attempt. J.K. Dobbins scored four times on the ground and ran for 211 yards on 31 carries. Overall, Ohio State averaged 7.49 yards per play while piling up 577 total yards.
Though the Buckeyes surrendered 305 passing yards, Ohio State held Michigan to 91 rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry. The Wolverines were also 2-for-13 on third-down opportunities and failed to convert on both fourth-down tries.
2. Wisconsin Badgers, 95.97
Wisconsin entered its regular-season finale as a slight favorite, but it’s never easy to beat a bitter rival on the road. The stakes of the game were high given the Big Ten West title on the line, and snowy weather conditions added another layer of intrigue. On the second play from scrimmage, Minnesota scored on a 51-yard touchdown pass. The Badgers also struggled to pick up big chunks of yardage on the ground as All-American running back Jonathan Taylor gained only 76 rushing yards on 18 carries, both of which were his second-lowest totals of the year.
Nevertheless, the Badgers left little doubt in what would eventually be a 38-17 victory. Wisconsin outgained the Golden Gophers 453-372 overall and by an average of 2.40 yards per play. The Badgers found success through the air as Jack Coan averaged 12.7 yards per pass on 22 attempts, and tossed two touchdown passes – a 47-yarder to Quintez Cephus and a 28-yarder to Taylor. The Badgers also held Minnesota to just 2.5 yards per carry, and after the opening touchdown, Minnesota managed 245 passing yards on 36 attempts – an average of 6.8 yards per pass.
1. LSU Tigers, 96.81
LSU has been unstoppable all season on offense, and quarterback Joe Burrow (or Burreaux, depending on which jersey he’s wearing at the time) has seemingly had the Heisman Trophy locked up for weeks. And Burrow, his incredible receiving corps, and excellent running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire combined to score 50 points against Texas A&M.
But the most promising aspect of the game for the Tigers’ national championship hopes, was the LSU defense. The Tigers have been far from dominant defensively all season but held the Aggies to just 169 total yards and 2.82 yards per play. LSU had held only two previous opponents (Georgia Southern and Utah State) to fewer than 278 total yards, and only one (Georgia Southern) had averaged less than 3.00 yards per snap.
The Tigers allowed just 97 passing yards and 2.9 yards per attempt, and also picked off A&M quarterback Kellen Mond three times. LSU also stuffed the Aggies running game and allowed 2.8 yards per carry on 26 attempts, one of which was a 15-yard run on a fake punt. In other words, the LSU defense held the Texas A&M offense to 57 rushing yards and 2.28 yards per carry.
Overall, LSU outgained the Aggies 553-169 and the Tigers held a 4.56-yard edge in net yards per play. Only Kentucky (7.86), Ohio (6.41) and Buffalo (5.35) posted better numbers on a per-play basis, and none played an opponent as talented as Texas A&M.
10 Worst Team Performances of Week 10
10. New Mexico State Aggies, 69.50
New Mexico State carried the momentum of a two-game winning streak into its finale against Liberty, but the Aggies couldn’t stop the Flames on the ground in a 49-28 loss. Two Liberty running backs combined for 314 rushing yards and five touchdowns, sealing a 10-loss season for the Aggies.
9. NC State Wolfpack, 69.07
NC State squandered any hope of reaching bowl eligibility when it lost to Georgia Tech in Week 13, and though the Wolfpack responded well in the first half of its finale against rival North Carolina, things fell apart in the third quarter of a 41-10 loss at home. It was the sixth straight loss for NC State, which was outgained 620-289 overall, lost the turnover 4-1 and was outscored 35-0 by the Tar Heels in the second half.
8. Toledo Rockets, 69.02
Like the situation at NC State, injuries and ineffectiveness doomed what could have been a promising season for Toledo. The Rockets started 4-1 and appeared poised to challenge for the MAC title, but instead lost five of their final seven games. Unlike NC State, Toledo put up no fight early, and was down 35-7 at halftime in an eventual 49-7 loss to Central Michigan.
7. Illinois Fighting Illini, 68.87
The 2019 season has been a roller coaster for Illinois, which unexpectedly earned a bowl bid despite losses to Eastern Michigan and Northwestern. With Brandon Peters sidelined due to injury, Illinois managed just 160 total yards behind second-string quarterback Matt Robinson. There was no running game to speak of as Illinois managed just 14 yards on 26 carries, an average of 0.5 per attempt.
6. Bowling Green Falcons, 68.85
Toledo’s troubles began with a 20-7 loss to Bowling Green, but the win had little impact on the Falcons’ future. Bowling Green finished 3-9 overall, including its 49-7 loss to Buffalo Friday. The Falcons were outgained 586-187 overall and by an average of 5.35 yards per snap. Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson ran for 298 yards and six touchdowns in the win.
5. UTEP Miners, 68.80
UTEP lost to Rice 30-16 Saturday to finish 1-11 for the second straight season. The Miners will take an 11-game losing streak into 2020 after squandering a 16-14 halftime lead and a 2-0 victory in the turnover battle.
4. Kansas Jayhawks, 68.55
There were several signs of progress in Les Miles’ first season, but Saturday offered a few of them. Kansas saw just how far it must climb to contend for a Big 12 championship in its 61-6 loss to Baylor. The Jayhawks surrendered 507 yards of total offense, but also committed six turnovers to set up five scoring drives of 30 yards or fewer.
3. East Carolina Pirates, 68.15
East Carolina has a few building blocks on offense, most notably quarterback Holton Ahlers and receivers C.J. Johnson and Tyler Snead. But the Pirates, who lost 49-24 to Tulsa Saturday, finished just 4-8 overall, including victories over two FCS opponents, and a 1-7 record in AAC play. The lone conference win was a 31-24 victory over Connecticut, who will play as an FBS Independent next year.
2. Old Dominion Monarchs, 67.92
Bobby Wilder built the Old Dominion football program from scratch and guided the Monarchs into FBS in 2013, and to a 10-win season in 2016. Unfortunately, ODU fell to 1-11 overall and 0-8 in Conference USA following its 38-22 loss to Charlotte (who parted ways with its program-building head coach last season and will play in its first bowl game in 2019). Wilder resigned Monday.
1. Akron Zips, 67.37
Try as it might to close the gap with idle UMass (an effort that included a 37-29 loss to the Minutemen earlier in the season), the Akron Zips held on to the No. 129 spot in overall Team Performance following a 52-3 loss to Ohio. Akron finished 0-12, but UMass was historically bad on defense. As a result, the Minutemen edged out the Zips for the honor of being the lowest-rated team in 2019.
Top 10 Teams of 2019, average Team Performance
10. Wisconsin Badgers, 89.66
9. Baylor Bears, 89.80
8. Florida Gators, 89.81
7. Utah Utes, 90.29
6. Georgia Bulldogs, 91.29
5. Oklahoma Sooners, 91.47
4. Alabama Crimson Tide, 92.10
3. LSU Tigers, 92.71
2. Clemson Tigers, 92.99
1. Ohio State Buckeyes, 93.93
Worst 10 Teams of 2019, average Team Performance
121. Texas State Bobcats, 72.43
122. South Alabama Jaguars, 72.17
123. Connecticut Huskies, 71.90
124. Bowling Green Falcons, 71.85
125. New Mexico Lobos, 71.04
126. New Mexico State Aggies, 70.56
127. Old Dominion Monarchs, 70.05
128. UTEP Miners, 69.47
129. Massachusetts Minutemen, 67.70
130. Akron Zips, 67.53
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