The Couch Power 10, Week 8
- Daniel Woodiwiss
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Just last week, I mentioned it seems like almost every weekend now serves up an appetizing slate of hard-hitting games between ranked teams, big conference race deciders, and upsets. Well, one week on from that, there is even more evidence to support the theory.
A sneaky good slate yielded another day full of separation in top teams, and stumbling blocks for more than one contender. In the nighttime slate, Notre Dame bolstered their argument that they are fully "back" from their 0-2 start with a solid win over Top 20 rivals USC, while at the same time BYU took the inside lane in the Big 12 with a win in the Holy War. A day that featured 3 different Top 20 SEC clashes saw Alabama and Vanderbilt get commanding wins over Tennessee and LSU, and in the game of the weekend, Georgia outduel Ole Miss despite conceding a touchdown on each of the Rebels' drives through the first three quarters.
Elsewhere in the world of "ranked SEC," Texas and Missouri survived almighty scares in road overtime escapes at Kentucky and Auburn, respectively, as did unlikely ACC hopefuls Virginia whose late 5 points (yes, 5 points) helped them escape Washington State. Not so lucky were formerly unbeaten Texas Tech and Memphis; the latter's dark horse playoff bid took a possibly fatal blow with a shock loss at UAB, and Tech's standing as Big 12 favorites was shaken by a last-minute Arizona State touchdown in the desert.
As the carousel of chaos turns on, some things come clearer into focus. We’re officially into the back half of the season, and it’s that time of the year where my Power 10 stays to more closely resemble the actual rankings. Home stretch in sight!
Just a refresher, in case you forgot: this is not a definitive ranking on how good the teams are, 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 actually proved on the field to date. Don't be mad cuz I'm doin' me better than you doin' you:
1. Ohio State
Two things can be true at once: one, Wisconsin is flat-out bad. Like realllly bad. Like “lowest the program has been in many years” bad. But two, Ohio State’s demolition on the road of a historically competitive rival did nothing to dissuade anyone that there might be some distance between the reigning champs and everyone else in the field.
2. Indiana
Two things can be true at once: one, Michigan State is not a good team and hasn’t been in quite some time. But two, Indiana returning from their huge win at Oregon to not only avoid a trap game but also blow MSU out, lends further credence to just how for real these Hoosiers are. A suddenly resurgent UCLA team visits next, but if their momentum stalls in Bloomington it may be time to start dreaming of an all 12-0, #1 vs. #2 Big Ten championship.
3. Texas A&M
Texas A&M got an almighty scare from Arkansas, but was able to pull out the win in hostile territory to preserve their perfect record and their top ranked strength of record, per ESPN. Now comes the gauntlet that will define their season: 3 road games against ranked teams from here to Thanksgiving, starting this weekend with a trip to an LSU side desperate for a win.
4. Alabama
With every passing week, Alabama’s Week 1 result looks increasingly strange. Their lone vanquishers, Florida State, have completely fallen apart (or just been revealed as truly mediocre, depending on who you ask) and normally, that would spell problems for the perceived legitimacy of Bama’s own quality. Fortunately for the Tide, they’ve taken matters into their own hands, racking up a 4th straight win over a ranked opponent this past weekend, and this one was their most dominant yet, as a very good Tennessee team only made matters interesting for about 5 minutes of game time. Kalen De Boer’s defense seems to have found its footing, QB Ty Simpson is a Heisman frontrunner, and all of a sudden, they’re partying like it’s the 2010s over in Tuscaloosa.
5. Georgia
It’s wild, we’re over halfway through the season, and Georgia still has not put together a wire-to-wire good, complete performance. And yet, apart from the letdown against Bama, the Dawgs just keep finding ways to win, in hostile road conditions, against ranked and very good teams, whatever the challenge may be. This most recent win over an Ole Miss side that so significantly outgunned them for most of the game might have been their greatest Houdini act yet. But guess what? A win is a win is a win, and figuring out how to pull out unluckily victories time and again is a real skill.
6. Oregon
Oregon’s punishment for losing a huge game at home to Indiana was to travel across the country the following weekend to Piscataway, New Jersey. Fortunately, Dan Lanning got the response he needed from his guys as the Ducks blasted Rutgers 56-10. Oregon has passed the eye test almost every week, but with their toughest tests behind them perhaps until the potential playoff, they will need to find a way to stay sharp and keep that chip on their shoulder.
7. BYU
We’re to our next mini-tier: the slightly less gaudy unbeatens. BYU finally made a good bit of the country take notice, though, with an electric win over rivals Utah. Their first ranked win of the season coupled with Texas Tech’s upset by Arizona State puts the Cougars in pole position for the Big 12 title and a playoff spot, but they will do well to remember they were in the same position this time last year, only to drop a couple back-to-back and miss out on the postseason altogether.
8. Georgia Tech
Compared to their fellow unbeatens, Georgia Tech’s resume is bunk, especially now that Clemson has been revealed as mediocre at best. But the Yellow Jackets don’t care: they’re doing what good teams should do! They’re winning their football games! Last weekend’s game against Duke was probably their toughest test until Georgia comes to town on Black Friday, and the way the Jackets took over the game down the stretch in Durham bodes well for their ACC title and playoff prospects.
9. Ole Miss
The good news for Ole Miss is that through 3 quarters, they looked like a title contender with a completely unstoppable offense. The bad news is, that wasn’t enough to get the signature win their resumé still lacks. The offense got shut down by Georgia’s defense when it mattered most, and the Rebels’ defensive performance suggested that unit is a far cry from the quality of last year. Lane Kiffin’s crew still has top-team credentials though, and if they survive a second straight stern road test this weekend in Oklahoma, their schedule sets up very nicely for them to coast into an elusive playoff berth.
10. Vanderbilt
There’s an argument to be made that last weekend’s victory over LSU was Vanderbilt’s biggest win in recent program history. Obviously the stunner over then-#1 Alabama last season was amazing and served as the launching point for Vandy legitimacy, but between the immediate loss to Georgia State and the 3-game slide to end last season, there were enough voices that questioned whether that one was just a fluke. This year? Vandy were outmuscled by Alabama but have looked the part of a legitimate playoff team, and now have a Top 15 win to back that up, plus College Gameday and the top-ranked QB recruit coming to Nashville this weekend for their showdown against Missouri. There’s a long way to go between here and a playoff berth, but the Commodores control their own destiny, which is not something that’s been true at this point in the season… ever?
Just missed: Miami, South Florida, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Louisville, former Drake Maye target Kobe Paysour
The Playoff Picture according to The Couch:
(5) Georgia v (12) South Florida
(6) Oregon v (11) Miami
(7) BYU v (10) Vanderbilt
(8) Georgia Tech v (9) Ole Miss
ROSE BOWL: (1) Ohio State v GT/MISS winner
ORANGE BOWL: (2) Indiana v BYU/VAN winner
COTTON BOWL: (3) Texas A&M v ORE/MIA winner
SUGAR BOWL: (4) Alabama v UGA/USF winner
Comments