Couch Power 10 + Bowl Projections, Week 5

Week 4's Power 10 can be found here.

Whew. Exhale. What an incredible, roller-coaster weekend we had in College Football last week! There were four big-time games on Saturday, and every single one of them came down to the wire. Michigan fought through kicker ineptitude to cling on to a touchdown win over Wisconsin. Georgia threw a Hail Mary touchdown pass that was destined to be the game-winner...until Tennessee answered with a game-winning Hail Mary of its own. In the biggest game of the season so far, Clemson stopped Louisville on the 5-yard line. And most importantly of all, NORTH CAROLINA WON IN INCREDIBLE FASHION AGAIN, WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW. Actually, do yourselves a favor and watch all of those finishes.

After all the dust cleared, there wasn't actually too seismic of a shift in the rankings, however. Instead, this weekend showed us that we're in for some crazy conference races the rest of this season.

1. Alabama

The Tide did what it was supposed to do: rolled an easy opponent (Kentucky). They'll likely retain this top spot until they face the possibility of being beaten, which could be soon: Bama's Murderers Row starts with Arkansas this weekend.

2. Ohio State

The Bucks did what they were supposed to do: rolled an easy opponent (Rutgers). They still look like a damn good football team, but tougher tests await, beginning with a road trip to Wisconsin 10 days from now.

3. Clemson

What a win for the Tigers! After impressively throwing away the solid 18-point halftime lead they had built, they were staring at an 8-point deficit with just a few minutes left in the game. It looked like all of the preseason expectation of a Playoff return and all of the pregame hype had both been sucked out of Death Valley. Then, in the blink of an eye, Deshaun Watson and Clemson turned the deficit into a 6-point lead, and hung on to said lead by a thread, stopping Louisville on 4th down inside the 10-yard line. If they could pull this one out, there is every reason to believe Clemson could once again run the table from here on out.

4. Michigan

At long last, Michigan played an opponent worthy of being on the same field as them. (It was their 5th home game in a row, too, but I digress...) In all seriousness, this was a big hurdle overcome by the Wolverines. Their first big-time game of the season, against likely one of the best defenses they'll face all year. They were able to overcome turnovers and missed field goals to grind out a 14-7 victory over fellow Top 10'ers Wisconsin, and position themselves nicely to run the table until the all-important Ohio State game.

5. Houston

As perhaps expected, Houston has somewhat fallen off the radar nationally. While others are starting to get into more meaty contests, Houston is mired in their less than impressive conference schedule. Still, as was obvious in their dominant victory over Connecticut, they are head-and-shoulders above their conference competition, and barring an upset at Navy this weekend, should be unbeaten heading into their late-season clash with Louisville.

6. Washington

Wow. Safe to say I was wrong in declaring Washington was overrated. They didn't just beat Stanford on Friday night, they destroyed the defending Pac-12 champions, in every phase of the game. They have a potential trap game against Oregon this weekend, but if they can trip up their former rivals, they very well could be looking at an unbeaten season.

7. Louisville

Groundbreaking: the first time a one-loss team has cracked my Power 10! The Cardinals deserve no worse than this spot. They had looked like one of the best teams all season, and though they will be heartbroken over the loss to Clemson, they looked every bit their equal. They'll likely need a Clemson loss or two to crack the playoff, but they're certainly still in that top tier of teams.

8. Tennessee

Man alive, I just have no idea how this team keeps winning. Many have commented that it's 2013-14 Auburn all over again, and the comparison seems fitting. Between the comeback wins over Appalachian State, Virginia Tech, Florida and now Georgia, this squad is certainly starting to cultivate a "Team of Destiny" feel. We'll see how long they can keep it up...Texas A&M and Alabama await in ensuing weeks.

9. Texas A&M

The Aggies' win over South Carolina wasn't pretty, but their unexpected, impressive season rolls on. This defense looks to be the real deal, and the matchup (in College Station) against Tennessee this weekend will be a great barometer for the true quality of both teams.

10. Baylor

Is it strange to bump Baylor up to the Power 10 after barely escaping Iowa State with a win? Probably. But they're here for two reasons: one, teams ahead of them keep losing, and the Bears keep not losing. Two, they're starting to look like the clear team to beat in the Big 12. Given the mess that is going on in Waco right now, another Big 12 title would be a might impressive accomplishment for these guys.

Just missed: Miami, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Boise State, Nick Weiler and his Tomahawk Chop

New Year's Six Predictions

Cotton Bowl

Miami vs. Nebraska

Orange Bowl

Louisville vs. Tennessee

Rose Bowl

Michigan vs. Washington

Sugar Bowl

Texas A&M vs. Baylor

PEACH BOWL (Semifinal)

Alabama vs. Houston

FIESTA BOWL (Semifinal)

Ohio State vs. Clemson