Undefeated After Week 3

There will be no Tuesday Top Ten this week. Deal with it.

Well, Week 3 of this young college football season is in the books, and I am pleasantly surprised no that my Hoosiers are 3-0, but that they won a road game so convincingly (a 38-21 victory over Akron). Sure, you may think that's no big deal, since it's a MAC opponent, but let me remind you that IU lost at home last year to two MAC opponents, and IU has been to one bowl game in the past 15 years, so excuse me if I'll take a victory any way I can get it.

We are now down to 27 FBS teams that are undefeated, 15 of which are in the AP Top 25. A maximum of ten teams, however, will be able to finish the season undefeated. The Big Ten is the only league that has a chance at two undefeated teams.

One thing I find interesting is that the top five traditional basketball powers are thus far undefeated on the football field (IU, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, and UNC). Sure, that's bound to end at some point (perhaps even this weekend), but nice work nonetheless.

Here is a conference-by-conference breakdown of the undefeated teams, with the number of possible undefeated teams in parentheses:

ACC (1)
-Miami
-North Carolina

They play each other, so only one can finish undefeated.

Big 12 (1)
North
-Kansas
-Missouri
South
-Texas
-Texas A&M

Texas plays all three other teams, and Kansas and Missouri play each other. Thus, even if either Mizzou or KU and Texas A&M were to go undefeated, they would meet in the Big 12 championship game, so only one can finish undefeated.

Big East (1)
-Cincinnati
-Pittsburgh
-South Florida

Everyone plays each other, so only one can possibly emerge undefeated.

Big Ten (2)
-Indiana
-Iowa
-Michigan
-Penn State
-Wisconsin

IU, Iowa, and Michigan all play each of the other four teams. Penn State and Wisconsin do not play each other. Thus, both Wisconsin and Penn State can run the table.

Conference USA (1)
-Southern Miss
-Houston

They play each other, so there can only be one of them that finishes undefeated.

Mountain West (1)
-Colorado State
-TCU

They play each other, so there can only be one of them that finishes undefeated.

Pac-10 (1)
-Arizona State
-Cal
-UCLA

They all play each other, so there can only be one of them that finishes undefeated.

SEC (1)
East
-Florida
-Kentucky
West
-Alabama
-Auburn
-LSU
-Mississippi

If Florida wins out, that means that Kentucky and LSU are not undefeated.
If Kentucky wins out, that means that Florida, Auburn, and Alabama are not undefeated.
If Alabama wins out, that means that Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, and Kentucky are not undefeated.
If Auburn wins out, that means that Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, and Kentucky are not undefeated.
If LSU wins out, that means that Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, and Auburn are not undefeated.
If Ole Miss wins out, that means that Auburn, LSU, and Alabama are not undefeated.

Also, because the winner of the East faces the winner of the West in the SEC championship game, there can be only one undefeated SEC team.

WAC (1)
-Boise State

Boise State is the only undefeated team that will not play any other undefeated teams for the remainder of the regular season.

After this weekend, the number of undefeated teams will drop by at least four. Below are the games over the remainder of the season that pit two currently undefeated teams against each other.

September 26
Southern Miss at Kansas
Indiana at Michigan
Iowa at Penn State
Florida at Kentucky

October 3
Alabama at Kentucky

October 10
Michigan at Iowa
Florida at LSU
Alabama at Ole Miss

October 15
Cincinnati at South Florida

October 17
Iowa at Wisconsin
Colorado State at TCU
Cal at UCLA
Kentucky at Auburn

October 24
South Florida at Pittsburgh
Missouri at Texas
Penn State at Michigan
Auburn at LSU

October 31
Indiana at Iowa
Southern Miss at Houston
Cal at Arizona State
Ole Miss at Auburn

November 7
Wisconsin at Indiana
LSU at Alabama

November 14
Miami at North Carolina
Indiana at Penn State
Michigan at Wisconsin

November 21
Kansas at Texas
UCLA at Arizona State
LSU at Ole Miss

November 26
Texas at Texas A&M

November 27
Alabama at Auburn

November 28
Miami at South Florida
Missouri at Kansas

December 5
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

Because I love college football, and I am especially geeked up about who will finish this season undefeated (if anyone) given that this year is wide open, I will likely update this every week.