I don't know how anyone could have watched Clemson yesterday and thought, "now that's a top 4 team". The fact is, they lost that game. It came down to a field goal that should have been made, and it wasn't. I'm sorry, but they don't belong in the top 4 with all the other undefeated teams who haven't had games like that.Winners and losers: Picking the playoff at the midway point of the season
Picking the playoff at the midway point of the season
No. 1 Alabama: Alabama is an easy choice for the No. 1 seed, especially after Saturday’s dominating 40-19 win over Tennessee. The quarterback position was a question mark for the Tide entering the season, but true freshman Jalen Hurts has played at a high level and has used a bevy of playmakers to his advantage.
On the other side, the Tide defense is one of the best, if not the best, in the nation. Alabama scored on both an interception and punt return in the win over the Vols, giving it a whopping 11 non-offensive touchdowns so far this season. That’s a ridiculous number.
The Tide can beat you in so many ways, and already has wins against four ranked teams — USC, Ole Miss, Arkansas and now Tennessee. At 7-0, Alabama has its toughest matchup of the season coming next weekend at home against Texas A&M, which is also undefeated at 6-0. But for now, the defending national champion Tide look like a shoo-in for another College Football Playoff appearance.
No. 2 Ohio State: Remember when this Ohio State team was supposed to be too young to contend? So far, that’s hardly the case. With J.T. Barrett at quarterback, you’re going to be in every game you play. That was on display Saturday night in Madison when Barrett engineered a big comeback win over the eighth-ranked Badgers to keep the Buckeyes unbeaten.
Ohio State’s offense can just run you over, but when things break down, Barrett’s scrambling ability will always keep the chains moving. The defense has playmakers all over the field and has one of the best turnover margins in the country. The offense has an assortment of speed and big play threats, too. OSU put up more than 45 points four times already, including a whopping 77 against Bowling Green.
Through seven weeks, the Buckeyes, especially with road wins over Oklahoma and Wisconsin, look like the best team in the Big Ten, which puts them into the playoff field.
No. 3 Washington: The preseason hype for Washington was immense. So far, the Huskies have lived up to that billing. While their early-season schedule was hardly challenging, the last two performances from the Huskies have been completely dominating. Stanford and Oregon are having down years, sure, but Washington made those two look like FCS programs in 44-6 (over Stanford) and 70-21 (over Oregon) wins in consecutive weeks.
With sophomore Jake Browning at quarterback and that defense playing at such a high level, UW (6-0) looks like a team that can just smother its opponents on a weekly basis. At running back, Myles Gaskin can wear you down with power just as well as he can hit a big play. Plus, John Ross and Dante Pettis are playing at All-Pac-12 levels at receiver.
We already knew the defense would be good after its 2015 performance, and the 2016 version has been even better, ranking No. 17 in total defense entering the week.
No. 4 Clemson: Clemson hasn’t been as consistent as it should be, but the Tigers are still one of the four best teams in the country at this point. The Tigers barely escaped a solid N.C. State team Saturday thanks to a missed field goal as time expired in regulation. Clemson then was able to pull out the victory in overtime thanks to a Deshaun Watson touchdown pass and a Marcus Edmond interception.
But, hey: a win is a win, and Clemson is 7-0 and atop the ACC. Clemson is the only undefeated team in the ACC and has a win over another Top 10 team — ACC foe Louisville. The Tigers emerged victorious against Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals 42-36 in what was probably the game of the year so far.
Just missed the cut:
No. 5 Michigan: Michigan fans won’t be happy to see the rival Buckeyes in the field and the Wolverines on the outside looking in, but for now that’s where it’s at in our eyes. Michigan is 6-0 just like OSU is, but hasn’t had a single road test yet. Five of Michigan’s six games have been at home. It’s lone road game was at… Rutgers. Yeah, Michigan still has a lot to prove.
No. 6 Texas A&M: We certainly didn’t expect the Aggies to be in this position halfway through the year. At 6-0, A&M can jump right into the Top 4 by beating top-ranked Alabama on the road next weekend. Even with a loss to the Tide, things could play out well for the Aggies that would keep them in the mix as the season progresses. Wins over Arkansas and Tennessee especially look good on a playoff resume.
Agreed ^^
The article is just wrong when it says, "but hey, a win is a win". We now have humans in place that should be able to look at that game fairly and not just categorize it as a win. Clemson struggled with an unranked team, at home, and should have lost. They got a gift from god and remain undefeated, but not by their own hands...by the hands of kicker.
I'm curious as to how the CU vs FSU game turns out. That game is a tossup imo.
I think they might do better given they have a bye week before hand. So plenty of time to prepare for what should be their only remaining test.
