2019 Couch Power 10, Week 11
It’s hard to believe but we’re coming down the stretch in the college football season. The release of the CFP rankings last night signals that it’s crunch time, for any teams that weren’t already in crunch time.
After 3 weeks of wild upsets, we finally saw the top teams hold serve instead of capitulating to 3-touchdown underdogs. It helps, of course, that the top 3 ranked teams all had a bye week, but, you know.... a win is a win. That doesn't mean that Saturday was without noteworthy action though. Georgia outlasted Florida in the de facto SEC East title game, in a showdown that was a nice appetizer to the de facto SEC West title game this weekend. And in sadder news, Georgia Southern and Memphis ended two unbeaten seasons with upsets of Appalachian State and SMU, respectively. What that means is that, for this week at least, we bid farewell to the Group of 5 representation in the Couch Power 10. We'll miss you, little buddies.
Just a reminder, as you are crying out "Daniel, your anti-SEC bias is showing!!! I mean only THREE of the top TEN?!?!": remember that 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. Clemson
1b. Alabama
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.
I've tried to see how Alabama can be ranked 2 spots ahead of Clemson in the Playoff Rankings, but I just don't see why they would be. Yes, Clemson had a narrow escape against 2021 National Champions North Carolina, but otherwise have an average margin of victory of about 789, against a harder schedule than Bama. So, Clemson retains top billing out of protest.
3. LSU
LSU, the true #1 team (#BOYCOTTTHEPLAYOFFCOMMITTEE), had a bye week to prepare for their impending doom in Alabama this coming weekend.
4. Ohio State
Ohio State, the true #2 team (#BOYCOTTTHEPLAYOFFCOMMITTEE), had a bye week to prepare for their impending doom this weekend against...Maryland?!? Oh well, at least the Penn State showdown is right around the corner.
5. Penn State
Speaking of Penn State, the Nittany Lions had a bye week (yes, them too) to prepare for their showdown-- and perhaps impending doom? --against fellow unbeaten Minnesota this weekend.
6. Oregon
Of course this USC team isn't the Trojans of yesterdecade, but they're still a talented team. Oregon's domination in the Coliseum gives real credence to the Pac-12's playoff bid this year.
7. Baylor
Baylor just barely avoided the unbeatens' upset bug by holding on to an ugly 3-point win against West Virginia. The Bears give the impression that they're just barely clinging on to a flawless record, and their schedule strength is hard to rectify. But still, wins over Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State are all aging very well.
8. Georgia
A lot of to-do was made about Georgia being the playoff committee's highest-ranked 1-loss team, despite having an objectively very bad loss (at home to South Carolina). It's a fair criticism, but wins over Notre Dame and Florida show the Bulldogs' toughness. Their defense can keep them in the game against anyone, and when Jake Fromm and the offense are clicking, it elevates them to being one of the best teams in the country. The million-dollar question is, have Fromm and co. actually (finally) turned a corner this season?
9. Utah
In somewhat overshadowed #Pac12AfterDark news, Utah quietly scored one of the more impressive and important victories of the day, with a come-from-behind win on the road against favored Washington. The Utes now control their own destiny in the Pac-12 South, and given the way the initial playoff rankings shook out, might control their own destiny in a playoff bid as well.
10. Minnesota
Minnesota had... you guessed it, a bye week! to prepare for one of the biggest games in recent program history, with #4 ranked and fellow unbeaten Penn State coming to town. The Golden Gophers no doubt feel slighted by being ranked #17 as an 8-0 Big Ten team; this weekend is their chance to prove all doubters wrong.
Just missed: Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Memphis, Boise State, Wake Forest, Sam "Heisman Howell"