2019 Couch Power 10, Week 6
When I wrote last week, I talked about how anticlimactic the upcoming weekend would be. Turns out, I was only partially right.
In terms of the actual results, sure, the needle barely moved. There were only 2 games between ranked teams, and in each one, the home and favored side won. The College Gameday Good Luck Charm ran out; the crew witnessed their first bust of the season, as Ohio State positively shellacked an unranked Nebraska team in primetime. Only two ranked teams lost to unranked teams, and in one of those instances, the ranked team wasn't even favored.
But that wasn't the whole story. In many ways, Saturday became the day of the near-upset. Virginia led Notre Dame at halftime. Arkansas and Indiana led Texas A&M and Michigan State, respecitvely, late in the 4th quarter. Boston College took unbeaten Wake Forest to the wire. Most notably of all, of course, Clemson came within 2 yards of losing to North Carolina. Yes, THE University of North Carolina. The favorite team of yours truly. And I was, painfully, in attendance, watching with a sinking heart as future Heisman winner Sam Howell was tackled short on the Heels' 2-point conversion to win the game. A win would have thrown a wrench in the entire college football season. So close.
Yet, as they say, close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and Nick Jonas singles featuring Tove Lo.
Just a reminder, as you are preparing to shout "Daniel, you spent more time talking about freaking North Carolina than you did [your favorite undefeated team], what the fat hell?!?!?" , this is not a statement on who I think have the most talent and quality, or on who I think will be/deserves to be in the playoff at the end of the year. Rather, it's more of a "What if preseason rankings and bigwig bias didn't predetermine the top teams" kind of thing, an ideal ranking of the country's teams based on what they've proved on the field.
1a. Alabama
1b. Clemson
That being said, the Saban-Dabo Rule dictates that until Clemson and Alabama lose and/or give us reeeeeeeeally good reason to drop them from the joint top spot, we're keeping them here. Why? Because drawing from every year since 2014, we're working off the assumption that it doesn't really matter how these teams look during the regular season. Alabama and Clemson will make the playoff, and one of them will win the title.
Something finally happened in Week 5 to change the status of these two teams with regards to their rankings against each other. Though Clemson was able to hang on for an ugly win, which is what champions do, UNC exposed a number of flaws that the 2019 iteration of the Tigers will have to account for.
3. Auburn
Meanwhile, due in no small part to the Tigers playing in a conference which features 5 undefeated Top 10 teams, people continue to sleep on Auburn. Name any team that has accomplished a more impressive feat than notching road wins against Oregon and Texas A&M, and now a 43-point win over Mississippi State. I'll wait.
4. Wisconsin
Wisconsin turned in their worst performance of the season to date against Northwestern. But when your worst performance to date involves forcing 3 turnovers and rushing for 130 yards against a team ranked in the preseason, you're doing alright.
5. LSU
LSU was off this week, probably to give Joe Burrow's arm a rest from throwing 20 firebombs a game.
6. Georgia
Georgia was off this week, probably to give Jake Fromm's arm a rest from throwing 10 firebombs a game.
7. Ohio State
Primetime pressure against a once-ranked opponent in a raucuous road environment? First semi-test passed with flying colors. Going off just the eye test, Ohio State have been far and away this year's #1 team. But I think we're all waiting to see how the Buckeyes match up against some real competition. (Sorry, Nebraska.)
8. Oklahoma
Oklahoma returned from their bye week to dismantle Texas Tech. At the rate Jalen Hurts is playing, the Sooners are going to have 3 straight Heisman winners. But I think we're all waiting to see how OU matches up against some real competition. (Sorry, Tech.)
9. SMU
I must confess, when UCF lost, I moved too quickly to name their Group of 5 heir. Amidst my sadness, I grasped blindly for Boise State, the only other known quantity amidst ranked non-power conference teams at that time. But take a gander at SMU's resume and tell me you're not impressed: the Mustangs have a road win over then-ranked TCU, as well as comfortable victories over likely bowl teams Arkansas State and North Texas.
10. Wake Forest
Gone is now-beaten California from the Couch Power 10, and filling their "surprisingly successful Power 5 school that is more revered in the world of academia than sports" void is 5-0 Wake Forest! Sure, the Demon Deacons had a scare from Boston College, but BC might legitimately be better than all but two of their remaining opponents. You remember that Tar Heel team that came thisclose to ending Clemson's 20-game winning streak? That Tar Heel team's first loss of the season came when this Wake side bossed them around the field for 3 quarters.
Just missed: Boise State, Iowa, Florida, Penn State, Appalachian State, future Dick Butkus Award winner Chazz Surratt