As the first College Football Playoff rankings were released, there are currently, there are only four teams that have yet to fall. Ohio State, Indiana, and Texas A&M are the top three ranked teams respectively and BYU is right behind at number 7. Ohio State has been at the top of the poll since their win over Texas in week 1. With three games left in the year, they play one more ranked opponent in the final week of the season.
They should be heavily favored in their next two games against UCLA and Rutgers before heading to Ann Arbor for the biggest game of the year. In a rivalry like no other, the underdog will always have a chance to win. While the Buckeyes might be the favorite, high emotions and fierce animosity makes this anyone’s game. The expectation is Ohio State ending the year 12-0 but it’s never certain when they have to face the Wolverines.
Indiana, right behind Ohio State, has dominated the hardest stretch of their schedule. Their next three games feature three of the bottom four teams in the Big 10. It’s gonna take a miracle for the Hoosiers to stumble this late in the year. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is one of the best in the country and head coach Curt Cignetti has made this team a national championship contender in just his second season.
Their next test will most likely be the Buckeyes in the Big 10 championship, and then the College Football Playoffs await the Hoosiers for another run. At third in the country are the Texas A&M Aggies. With four games left to play, two of those are against ranked teams and both are on the road. This weekend, they visit the Missouri Tigers after a dominant win over LSU.
Then hosting two games against South Carolina and Samford, their final test is going to Austin, Texas to play the Longhorns. They have a good shot to end the year undefeated but it’s very possible an upset is right around the corner. Missouri has hung with some of the top teams in the country and their two losses to Alabama and Vanderbilt were decided in the final minutes of regulation. Texas began the season slow, not living up to the hype from the preseason but has since found ways to win close games and climbed back up the poll to be a top 15 team.
Finally, if there is any team to take their first loss, it’s BYU. This weekend they go to Lubbock, Texas to play number 8 Texas Tech in what could be a Big 12 championship game preview. At home, the Red Raiders are a big favorite to knock off the Cougars and jump to the top of the conference rankings. And if BYU wins this one, they play number 25 Cincinnati at the end of the year. The Cougars have one highlighted win over the number 13 Utah Utes and are trying to beat another top 15 team in the country.
