College Football, Week 10: Look at Those Playoff Rankings

The first official College Football Playoff Top 25 is out. But you can expect a lot of changes, particularly at the top of the chart after today. Right now, Michigan is just outside the playoff bracket, but the No. 1 and 2 teams go head-to-head today, and that could very well knock one of them out. Not to mention that No. 3 Clemson is taking on Notre Dame, who has pulled off the upset before. Notre Dame is down this year, but they have really kicked it up a gear since the rough start to the season.

And then there’s the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide. They’re taking on a much-reformed No. 10 LSU Tiger squad that is at the top of their game. The odds aren’t in LSU’s favor, but even a close game could affect Alabama’s chances to move up.

Here’s a look at the must-watch games of the day.

No. 1 Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia

There was a very interesting piece over at ESPN+, with ESPN talking to more than a dozen coaches, and they seemed split on who would win today. You can make arguments both ways. For Georgia, you’ve got Stetson Bennett at quarterback, and he’s an excellent decision-maker. You also have the fairly-inhuman Brock Bowers, who does impossible things like this.

Brock Bowers is a bad dude pic.twitter.com/8Xp0goaiCq

— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) October 29, 2022

Not sure how you pull that off unless you have superpowers. But, Bennett and Bowers are taking on a Tennessee squad no one saw coming. Where they thrive on the defensive side of the ball is playing an aggressive, high-risk defense that puts an insane amount of pressure on good quarterbacks (just ask Bryce Young). But, while Georgia’s defense is no slouch, either, Tennessee has a lot of weapons on offense, as well.

No. 4 Clemson at Notre Dame

A surprise is possible, but I am not sure it’s likely. Clemson’s defense is going to be tough against a Notre Dame squad that has been inconsistent but on the rise. The Irish have to do a lot to overcome those odds. Meanwhile, Clemson’s recovering after a close one last week. When Coach Dabo Swinney pulled starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, the team came from behind to win. Is Uiagalelei better this week, or is there a more permanent shuffle coming to the Tigers’ offense? If that offense struggles again, the Irish may just surprise us.

No. 6 Alabama at No. 10 LSU

What are you willing to sacrifice to be elite?

It will soon be Saturday Night in Death Valley. pic.twitter.com/IMejJVxwBF

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) November 5, 2022

Both teams are fresh off wins and fresh off a bye week. The Alabama of today is not the Alabama from the start of the season. They are still loaded, but they are undisciplined as hell, and their fronts – offensive and defensive – have been anything but consistent. Bryce Young may be the most talented guy on the field today, but that means nothing if the offensive line can’t protect him. LSU’s Jayden Daniels has proven to be an absolute beast on the field. As soon as he masters short passes, he could be unstoppable.

No. 24 Texas at No. 13 Kansas State

Kansas. Oklahoma State. From The Booth.

⏰ 2:30 PM CT
📺 FS1
🎙️ https://t.co/jhko8RIyzG pic.twitter.com/fhmKskCePJ

— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) November 5, 2022

What happened to Texas? This is the team that almost beat Alabama, and they turn around and give up games they should have won by double digits. Meanwhile, Kansas State is absolutely thriving this year. Texas is favored to win, but I’m not convinced it’ll be dominant. The Longhorns have a 5-3 record and had last week off, but they’ve got to pull it together. The Jayhawks are going to have to get as close to immaculate as possible on the offensive side of the ball and hope that the Longhorns offense struggles through another bad second half.

No. 7 TCU vs. Texas Tech

Texas Tech has been a solid Big 12 competitor, keeping it close against Kansas State and Oklahoma State. They had an upset win over Texas and beat West Virginia. Sure, they lost to Baylor last week with a pretty subpar offensive performance, but they aren’t a bad team. TCU, meanwhile, is at the center of the conversation about teams who could end up in the playoffs, particularly if the Top 4 see some big shifts after today. The Horned Frogs are undefeated this year and are looking to keep that going as it keeps them at the top of the conference.

Top 25 Schedule