As we move into another week of college football, the playoff race continues to rise as teams look to prove themselves against high ranked opponents. The hunt for the perfect season and the fight for the top carries on for these top ranked opponents as some face the toughest battles this week. For others however, it is another heavyweight fight against a top 25 team.
Alabama will continue their hot streak of wins against ranked opponents as they travel to No. 14 Missouri. The Tide are coming off back-to-back wins against ranked opponents, defeating No. 5 Georgia on the road before taking revenge on No. 16 Vanderbilt at home last week. Both Alabama and Missouri are undefeated in conference play with Missouri at a perfect 5-0 on the season. Although the Tigers have yet to face a tough opponent this season, their margin of victory has shown they deserve their ranking. The question will come down to how they will pair against one of the top football powerhouses this weekend?
The hottest team in college football is none other than No. 1 Ohio State. The defending national champions have shown no signs of slowing down since their previous title and are on pace for a repeat. The Buckeyes have now outscored opponents 187-25 in their opening five games. This will be a tall task for No. 17 Illinois as they look to pull off an upset at home. Illinois has been inconsistent at times this season, putting up loads of points on offense, however also allowing teams many scores of their own. A win here for Illinois would help them skyrocket in the standings and solidify their case for the playoffs as yet another team takes their shot at upsetting the top seeded Buckeyes.
The one and only top 10 showdown of the week features No. 7 Indiana against No. 3 Oregon. Both teams have shown they have what it takes to make a run in the postseason, especially after Oregon defeated No. 3 Penn State on the road two weeks ago. After coming off this huge victory, the Ducks must come out swinging, taking no time to jump back into things after their rest week. Indiana has proven they can compete and beat top teams after they humbled No. 9 Illinois earlier this season winning 63-10. This top 10 matchup will set aside one team helping them make their case as they move up in the Big Ten conference.
The infamous “Red River Rivalry” will take place this weekend as No. 6 Oklahoma will travel to face the struggling Texas side. Texas started off as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation in the preseason poll and has since dropped out completely after just five games. The opening weekend loss to Ohio State was rough for them, and the offense has still been rocky. Following last week’s 21-29 loss to the Florida Gators in “The Swamp,” the Longhorns find themselves at 3-2 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. With their first and only SEC game being a loss last week, the march back to the top only gets steeper as Texas has an abundance of tough SEC opponents left in their schedule.
Lastly, a cross-country matchup takes place this weekend when No. 15 Michigan visits the University of Southern California. Despite USC not being ranked, they open the game as a slight favorite. Both sides are 4-1 on the season with Michigan’s loss coming in Week 2 to No. 18 Oklahoma. USC is coming off their first loss of the season after falling just short to No. 23 Illinois. Both sides are looking to boost their postseason resume and make a run for the national championship.
As we enter the halfway point to the college football season, perfection is key. Each week is crucial with every team fighting for their spot. Anything can happen in sports, so it is too early to tell who will make it and who will not. However, as we close into the final upcoming weeks, the playoff picture will be clearer.