The top five teams in the college football power rankings remain the same after they all had off last weekend, but things should get crazy over the next few weeks. This is where we see each team ahead of tonight’s initial release of the 2019 College Football Playoff Rankings.
1. Clemson Tigers (9-0) | Last week: 1
Clemson has scored 59 points in each of the previous two weeks, and they are outscoring opponents 208-45 (average of 52-11.3) in their four games since barely edging out North Carolina at the end of September. We’ll see what the Committee does with the Tigers, but it’s an easy argument to make for them being ranked in the top spot tonight.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) | Last week: 2
Tua Tagovailoa is expected to play for Alabama in this weekend’s highly anticipated matchup against LSU, but he’s unlikely to be at full strength after last month’s ankle injury. The Crimson Tide have dominated every opponent they’ve faced this season, so Saturday should undoubtedly be their biggest challenge yet. If Bama is ranked behind their SEC rival in the CFP Rankings, look for them to use that as motivation.
3. LSU Tigers (8-0) | Last week: 3
LSU has an obvious case for being No. 1 or No. 2 given their success this season, but the resume is slightly weaker after Texas has fallen off throughout the year (though winning in Austin early in the season is still very impressive). A win in Tuscaloosa this Saturday afternoon would make the Tigers a lock for the pole position next week. For those that missed it, a great video of head coach Ed Orgeron talking to a couple of stud Auburn defenders (Marlon Davidson and Big Kat Bryant) was released last week:
https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1189349833485758470?s=20
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0) | Last week: 4
There’s a chance Ohio State is ranked No. 1 in tonight’s rankings, as they’ve arguably been the most impressive team in the nation through the first couple of months. The Buckeyes boast the country’s top scoring defense (7.9 points per game) and third best scoring offense (48.3 points per game).
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-0) | Last week: 5
With the No. 2 scoring defense (9.6 points per game) and an undefeated mark, Penn State should be a lock for a top-five ranking. Considering the power of the four teams ahead of them, the Nittany Lions at No. 5 is probably the best bet of any ranking for tonight. After a week off, Penn State will face another unbeaten Big Ten team when they go to Minnesota.
6. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) | Last week: 6
Florida was able to score 14 fourth-quarter points to make it a seven-point game, but Georgia was in firm control for the entire contest. Georgia shut down Florida’s rushing attack, holding the Gators to 1.1 yards per carry in the victory. And Jake Fromm was exceptional on third down, helping the Bulldogs convert on 12-of-18 third down attempts.
7. Oregon Ducks (8-1) | Last week: 8 (+1)
Oregon had a scare when Justin Herbert briefly went down with what appeared to be a knee injury, but thankfully the senior quarterback was OK and helped lead his team to a rout of USC. The Ducks started off slow and fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, but they outscored the Trojans 56-14 over the final three quarters, and the defense was able to get pressure and force three interceptions.
8. Baylor Bears (8-0) | Last week: 9 (+1)
They aren’t earning style points every week with their wins, but Baylor continues to rack up victories and deserves serious consideration for a top-ten spot in the initial CFP Rankings. It’ll be interesting to see where the Committee puts the Bears, but Matt Rhule’s squad needs to keep taking it one game at a time with an upcoming stretch against TCU, Oklahoma, and Texas.
9. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) | Last week: 10 (+1)
Oklahoma is another interesting team, and we’ll see if they are ranked ahead of an unbeaten Big 12 school because of their high-powered offense and success over the past few seasons. Coming off the bye with extra time to think about their loss to Kansas State, the Sooners should be ready for this Saturday night versus Iowa State.
10. Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-0) | Last week: NR
Florida, Utah, and Auburn are among the teams with a case for the No. 10 spot, but undefeated Minnesota deserves it with the way they’ve been playing. The Gophers were able to start the year 4-0 after four one-possession victories, but they’ve routed each of their last four opponents in Big Ten contests. Snow is in the forecast for this Saturday’s huge game against Penn State.
Snow? Yes please.