With the first 10 weeks in college football behind us, we proceed to the final three of the regular season. With the change in last season’s playoff bracket, 12 teams look to solidify their spot as another week is upon us in college football. As the weeks grow longer, the list of undefeated programs grows shorter. With only four teams showing zeros in the loss column, each will look to continue their dominance and claim their spot on top.
One of those dominant programs is Texas A&M, as they claimed a monumental win on the road last week against No. 20 LSU. This sealed the Aggies eighth straight win of the season and second against a ranked opponent. Both ranked wins came on the road, as they defeated No. 8 Notre Dame earlier this season in a high-scoring shootout. The Aggies’ success has been led by sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, whose thrown for almost 2,000 yards on the season with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. With this success in the pocket, it is no surprise the Aggies find themselves as the No. 3 ranked team in the country.
Texas A&M will have a tough one this weekend for a fan favorite matchup as they take on No. 19 Missouri on the road. The Tigers are coming off a rest week after suffering their second loss of the season in a close fight to No. 10 Vanderbilt. Missouri has shown strength throughout the season, however, only falling to ranked schools. The problem lies in their inability to close out tight games. They showed it a few weeks ago when they defeated Auburn in double overtime but have struggled to do so against top squads. This game will come down to who wants it more and who will be able to perform best under pressure.
The other notable game of the week comes from No. 8 ranked BYU, who takes on No. 9 Texas Tech. Despite BYU being one of four undefeated teams left, they open this game on the road as underdogs. With both squads coming from the Big 12, the only common team they both have faced is Utah, who they were both able to defeat. Otherwise, both programs have shown clear dominance throughout the conference with a combined record of 16-1 against opponents this season. Texas Tech is known for their offense, averaging 43.6 points per game. This offense paired with a roaring crowd at home is the reason they open as double-digit favorites.
With those two games being the only top 25 matchups, we jump to the big conferences and the possibilities for upsets. Although Georgia has been one of the most dominant college football programs in the past few years, they find themselves against a scrappy Mississippi State side. Despite Mississippi State’s 5-4 record on the season, they have shown they can keep it close with top programs. Defeating No. 12 Arizona State earlier in the season, along with going into overtime against No. 15 Tennessee and No. 22 Texas. Although they ended up losing those overtime games, Mississippi State kept it close; something the Georgia Bulldogs are trying to prevent. Georgia has continued their winning ways despite their close loss to Alabama earlier this year with a much-needed win over No. 5 Ole Miss and dominant performances over other SEC schools. They will be on the road as they take on Mississippi State, although they are still the favorites in this battle to see which Bulldog is on top.
With the playoffs right around the corner and tensions running high, college football fans should be in for a treat this weekend. Not only are playoff spots on the line, but undefeated records for history books. When the lights go out this Saturday night, the country’s top programs will solidify their statement — or lose their shot at glory.