Couch Power 10 + Bowl Projections, Week 7
Week 6's Power Rankings and Bowl Projections can be found here.
In a wild year, Week 7 was actually one of the tamer weekends. That doesn't mean Saturday was without its wild results, however! Clemson got the day started by almost laying a HUGE egg against NC State at home, yet miraculously survived. Elsewhere in the ACC, Virginia Tech had the inside track on the Coastal division for all of 1 week, before dropping a head-scratcher to mighty Syracuse. More importantly, the unstoppable Tar Heels got back to their winning ways with a MASSIVE victory over Miami, thanks to a defensive play, of all things! Alabama sucked the air out of Knoxville in the biggest SEC game yet. And then, in the primetime slots, Arkansas won a crazy one over Ole Miss to stay alive in the SEC West, and most significantly, J.T. Barrett led Ohio State to a back-and-forth OT win in Madison. Once again, all this action didn't render much change at the top...we'll get there. To the rankings!
1. Alabama (LW: 1)
The Tide passed their second test on Murderer's Row with even more flying colors than before, by draxxing Tennessee sklounst in Knoxville, 49-10. It is more evident than other that nobody from the East is going to top Alabama, and if A&M can't get the job done this weekend, Bama is almost certainly headed into the postseason 13-0.
2. Ohio State (LW: 4)
It took until the late 4th quarter, but the Buckeyes proved their mettle in Madison. Wisconsin was in a much-win situation, with a massive home crowd rocking behind them, and hanging on to a double-digit lead. Yet, Barrett helped Ohio State claw back and force overtime, where the Buckeye defense came up huge in a game-winning goal line stand. Thanks to a stronger schedule, they leapfrog their rivals to the North again!
3. Michigan (LW: 2)
Michigan had a bye week, to recover from their grueling opening half of the season (eyeroll). No, easy schedule aside, this does have the look of a top-tier team. Can they take advantage of Michigan State's down year and finally beat their rivals?
4. Texas A&M (LW: 5)
The Aggies also had a bye week, which could be key as they roll into Tuscaloosa next week for the de facto SEC West Championship. Goodness gracious, what a matchup this could be this weekend. We'll see if A&M are actually on the same level, or if the good start to the season has instead been a mirage.
5. Clemson (LW: 3)
Man oh man. Clemson fans hate the "Clemsoning" mantra, but games like these make you think the shoe fits. The Tigers had just seemed to be getting to the level they were last year, but Deshaun Watson and co. showed that they still have a ways to go. They were as lucky as a team can be to escape with a win against an inferior NC State team.
6. Washington (LW: 6)
The Huskies also had a bye week, and get back to it with an underwhelming Oregon State team on the docket this Saturday. UW is trending upwards, but it remains to be seen how much the Pac 12's weakness is a mark against them going forward.
7. Louisville (LW: 7)
The Cardinals had a fairly unimpressive return to action in their first game since the Clemson loss, closing out Duke in a pedestrian manner. Still, they have to be considered the best of the defeated teams so far, and in pole position for an NY6 Bowl.
8. Baylor (LW: 10)
And now comes the slew of, as I like to call them, "unproven unbeatens." There are several FBS teams that are without a blemish, but also without a signature win. I put Baylor at the front of these because, while they have had an absurdly easy schedule thus far, they have won nearly every one by a comfortable margin. What's more, they probably have the best win of the bunch (an 11-point victory over Oklahoma State).
9. West Virginia (LW: NR)
Next in the order is another Big 12 team (and Power 10 debutante), West Virginia. While the Mountaineers' scorelines haven't been overly impressive, they have probably the best schedule of this group of teams. Wins over Kansas State, BYU, Texas Tech and Mizzou have impressed, and WVU may be a legitimate conference contender.
10. Nebraska (LW: NR)
Nebraska's been hovering on the edge of the Power 10 the last couple weeks, and now finally debut thanks to fellow Big Ten West'er Wisconsin grabbing their 2nd loss. Unlike their division rivals, the Cornhuskers have yet to play a serious opponent, but wins over Oregon, Northwestern and Indiana have kept them unbeaten and their fans optimistic. The bad news? After Purdue this week, Nebraska rolls into Madison and Columbus in back-to-back weeks. Gulp.
Just missed: Wisconsin, Western Michigan, Boise State, Houston, Florida, Mack Hollins' UNC career
Bonus: New Year's Six Predictions!
Orange Bowl
Louisville vs. Nebraska
Cotton Bowl
West Virginia vs. Wisconsin
Rose Bowl
Michigan vs. Boise State
Sugar Bowl
Texas A&M vs. Baylor
PEACH BOWL (Semifinal)
Alabama vs. Washington