Joel Klatt
Head college football analyst
Rivalry week really came to fruition in college football.
There were a lot of exciting finishes over the weekend. Of course, Michigan's upset wins State of Ohio was the main act. That was a huge win for Sherrone Moore to cap off an exciting two weeks for the program after a largely disappointing season. But Michigan remained confident in its process, as the coaching staff told us on a call last week that if it was a one-score game late, it felt good about its chances of winning that game.
Of course, there was the Michigan-OSU fight at the end, which was just one of many heated moments that took place on Saturday. If you want to hear my detailed thoughts on “The Game” and the battles that broke out in college football this weekend, listen to the most recent episode of my podcast, “The Joel Klatt Show.”
With rivalry week in the books, the regular competition has also ended. With conference championship weekend just a few days away, I believe eight teams have already secured a spot in the College Football Playoff. Here are my top 10 teams, including all eight teams I think have secured a spot.
1. Oregon (Last week: 1)
File: 12-0
Result week 14: Defeated Washington 49-21
Oregon continued to play the role of a team viewed as the undisputed No. 1 team in the country. Much has been made of quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Oregon's offense, but the team totaled 10 sacks in Saturday's win over Washington. Oregon still needs to beat Penn State in the Big Ten title game to get a first-round bye, but the Ducks have been comfortably in the CFP for a while.
2. Texas (Last week: 3)
File: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated Texas A&M 17-7
I don't think the score in Texas' win was indicative of how that game went. Texas was a lot better than what a 17-7 final would indicate. Texas A&M's only points came from a tipped pick of six. That Texas defense is dominant. At its best, I think Texas is probably my pick to win the national championship. At its best, Texas might be better than anyone, even though it's tough to go against Oregon and I still think Ohio State is very good.
Texas and Alabama in Joel Klatts' CFP photo
3. Penn State (Last week: 4)
File: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated Maryland, 44-7
Ohio State's loss gives Penn State a chance to play for the Big Ten title. Penn State hammered the Terrapins, scoring points late, much to the dismay of Maryland coach Mike Locksley. I agree with James Franklin and when your 2's and 3's are in play, they deserve the opportunity to play hard. But now there is a possible path for Penn State to finish with the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP.
Maryland Terrapins vs. No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions
4. Our Lady (Last week: 6)
File: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated USC, 49-35
Notre Dame has quietly been a very good team. If the Irish could throw it a little better, I would be very high on Notre Dame. I was a little surprised that USC was able to move the ball as well as it did against Notre Dame's defense, which ranks third in the nation in scoring and 10th in yards allowed. But Notre Dame's offense has been buzzing lately, scoring at least 49 points in five of the past seven games.
5. Georgia (Last week: 5)
File: 10-2
Result week 14: Defeated Georgia Tech, 44-42 (8 OT)
Georgia is in the CFP regardless of what happens in the SEC title game. It's just not one of my favorites to win the national championship after watching that game against Georgia Tech. There have been too many instances this season with Georgia where things haven't looked very good, at least compared to what they have been in the past and compared to other title contenders. Georgia survived that game on Friday. (By the way, Tech, go for two at the end of the first overtime.)
Carson Beck threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns in Georgia's comeback win over Georgia Tech. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
6. Tennessee (Last week: 7)
File: 10-2
Result week 14: Defeated Vanderbilt, 36-23
Tennessee fans and I seem to have a tenuous relationship, but I'm glad you guys are going to the CFP. You might also have secured a home game in the first round after Saturday's win over Vandy, when Nico Iamaleava threw four touchdowns after falling into an early hole.
7. State of Ohio (Last week: 2)
File: 10-2
Result week 14: Lost to Michigan, 13-10
There will be a lot of talk about Saturday's loss to Michigan. Michigan's defensive line dominated that game and Michigan's ground attack delivered the final blow, having rushed the ball for 394 yards on 6.7 yards per carry over the past four fourth quarters of “The Game”. Michigan knew it had to make it a one-score game and that it could win in that style.
Ryan Day fell to 1-4 against Michigan and has lost his past four games. This man is an incredible coach. He is 65-6 against everyone else. This game was his downfall, and I think it's because it was played on Michigan's terms. It felt like Ohio State made the decision to let Saturday's game play out the way it did. I kept thinking to myself, “When does the tempo come? When does the perimeter game come?” It never really came to fruition. I don't think Ohio State trusted Will Howard much with the way he played, and I think it trusted its own defense a lot.
Michigan stuns Ohio State 13-10 in Columbus
This loss is going to hurt a lot of. Yet Ohio State is still going strong, and there isn't a great team in America. Ohio State already saw Oregon and lost by a point on the road. Ohio State still has a very clear path to winning a national championship. I know it was an emotional loss. I completely understand that, but if this team can fix just a few of the problems from Saturday's loss, it could very well win the national championship.
Day and OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles already adjusted well after the Oregon loss as the defense was better later in the year. Now Day has to make those adjustments with the offense. Ohio State found out Saturday that it can't be dragged into a street fight if it's fouled. It should play along the perimeter. That offensive line isn't good enough to win a street fight. They can't be a running team and win. It has to be a passing team, which means it has to trust Howard and, in turn, he has to play better.
8. Indiana (Last week: 9)
File: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated Purdue, 66-0
I think Indiana is in the CFP. When you look at everything that has happened and the Hoosiers' resume, you realize this is not a bubble team. They dominated Purdue after that loss to Ohio State. With Saturday's win, Indiana has 11 wins with an average of 33 points per game. Only one of the wins was by less than 14 points, and that was against Michigan. That win looks better now after Saturday's upset of Michigan, doesn't it?
If you still have doubts about the strength of Indiana's schedule, it doesn't look as bad as people might expect. It's 65th, which isn't great, but a few other CFP teams or contenders have strong schedules around that point. SMU's schedule is 75th, Miami's (Fla.) is 55th and Notre Dame's is 57th.
Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers highlights
9. SMU (Last week: 10)
File: 11-1
Result week 14: Defeated Cal, 38-6
If SMU loses to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, it would be a bubble team. It would be interesting to see whether or not the committee would punish SMU for losing that match. If the season were to end now, SMU would likely hold a CFP spot. Can that extra play actually knock out the Mustangs? That's fascinating. SMU had another 30-point showing on Saturday. It ranks fifth in the nation in scoring (39.2 points per game).
10. Alabama (Last week: not ranked)
File: 9-3
Result week 14: Defeated Auburn, 28-14
I think Alabama is a bubble team. However, and I don't like this, but here's what I think will happen: Alabama will be the last team in the CFP. You can argue all you want that Ole Miss should be in there. I really believe that given the way the committee has treated Indiana and SMU at times, that brand name could be the deciding factor. The path of least resistance can lift Alabama into the CFP. This is just a prediction, but I think Alabama will pull it off even if SMU loses on Saturday.
Joel Klatt is FOX Sports' chief football analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.'Follow him @joelklat And subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
Get more out of college football Follow your favorites for information about games, news and more
