College Football: Undefeated After Week 11

Well that was a hell of an action-packed weekend of college football.  We had two battles of unbeaten teams, with the underdog winning both.  #2 LSU laid 46 on #3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, winning 46-41 in what was the biggest win for the Bayou Bengals probably since they beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 2011 in a 1-2 match-up (and then subsequently lost in a rematch in the BCS Championship Game).

In the other unbeaten match-up, #17 Minnesota proved that it's not a fluke, knocking off #4 Penn State, 31-26, in what was certainly the Golden Gophers' biggest win of the PJ Fleck era, their first win over a Top 5 team since beating #2 Penn State in 1999, and arguably the program's most important win since the 1962 Rose Bowl.

But before we go any further, let's talk about my Hoosiers, who are ranked for the first time since 1994 (#24 AP, #25 Coaches), ending the longest unranked streak of Power Five teams.  Their reward?  A trip to Happy Valley to face a Penn State team that just lost its first game and will likely be angry.  It was fun while it lasted.

Anyway, in last night's release of the College Football Playoff rankings, and, of course, there was a lot of movement.  LSU rightfully moved from #2 to #1.  Despite beating Maryland 73-14, Ohio State slipped from #1 to #2.  Clemson jumped from #5 to #3 after a 55-10 win at NC State.  Georgia climbed from #6 to #4 after a 27-0 beating of Missouri.  #3 Alabama dropped to #5, and #4 Penn State fell to #9.

This leaves five undefeated teams left in the FBS:  #1 LSU, #2 OSU, #3 Clemson, #8 Minnesota, and #13 Baylor.  LSU and OSU have cakewalks this weekend, with games against Ole Miss and Rutgers, respectively.  However, the other three teams all face tough opponents this Saturday.  Clemson's game against Wake Forest looked sexier last week when the Demon Deacons were 7-1 and ranked #19, but a 36-17 loss to Va Tech squelched some of the luster.  Nonetheless, this is Clemson's only real test until the ACC Championship Game.  Minnesota travels to Kinnick Stadium to face #20 Iowa, in a battle for the Floyd of Rosedale.  And Baylor -- whose win at TCU was rewarded by the CFP Committee with a drop in the rankings from #12 to #13 -- is a home dog against #10 Oklahoma.

Here are the top 4 teams in the CFP ranking, along with each team's best win and worst loss, where applicable:
1.  LSU (9-0)
Best win:  at #5 Alabama (11/9; 46-41)
Worst loss:  N/A
2.  Ohio State (9-0)
Best win:  #14 Wisconsin (10/26; 38-7)
Worst loss:  N/A
3.  Clemson (10-0)
Best win:  at Texas A&M (9/7; 24-10)
Worst loss: N/A
4.  Georgia (8-1)
Best win:  #11 Florida (11/2; 24-17)
Worst loss:  South Carolina (10/12; 20-17)

Here is a breakdown of the remaining undefeated teams and each team's remaining games (rankings are CFP rankings):

#1 LSU (9-0)
11/16 – at Ole Miss (4-6)
11/23 - Arkansas (2-8)
11/30 - at Texas A&M (6-3)
12/7 – SEC championship game (Atlanta) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  12-17 (.414)
Best win:  at #5 Alabama (11/9; 46-41)

#2 Ohio State (9-0)
11/16 - at Rutgers (2-7)
11/23 - #9 Penn State (8-1)
11/30 – at #15 Michigan (7-2)
12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  17-10 (.630)
Best win:  #14 Wisconsin (10/26; 38-7)

#3 Clemson (10-0)
11/16 - Wake Forest (7-2)
11/30 – at South Carolina (4-6)
12/7 – ACC championship game (Charlotte) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  11-8 (.579)
Best win:  Texas A&M (9/7; 24-10)

#8 Minnesota (9-0)
11/16 - at #20 Iowa (6-3)
11/23 - at Northwestern (1-8)
11/30 – #14 Wisconsin (7-2)
12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  14-13 (.519)
Best win:  #9 Penn State (11/9; 31-26)

#13 Baylor (9-0)
11/16 - #10 Oklahoma (8-1)
11/23 - #19 Texas (6-3)
11/30 – at Kansas (3-6)
12/7 – Big 12 championship game (Dallas) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  17-10 (.630)
Best win:  at #22 Oklahoma State (10/19; 45-27)