College Football: Undefeated After Week 10

Well, fair readers, we've reached the point in the college football season where the College Football Playoff rankings have been revealed.

But before we get to these pretenders, let's talk about my Hoosiers.  It's no secret that my alma mater is arguably the least successful Power Five conference football team ever.  We have two -- TWO -- nine-win seasons in our history, and the last one was during the Johnson administration (Lyndon, not Andrew, to be clear).  But currently, the Hoosiers are 7-2, which guarantees their first winning season since 2007.  They're off to their best start since 1993 and have won four Big Ten games in a row for the first time since that same season, a season I fondly remember as the nearest miss the Hoosiers had to going to the Rose Bowl since 1967 -- and a season I also don't so fondly remember because we lost the Independence Bowl to Virginia Tech, 45-20, which represented the downturn of the Bill Mallory era at IU at the same time as the rise of the Frank Beamer era at Va Tech.  We were two touchdowns from winning the Big Ten.  Clearly, I don't think IU is going to win the Big Ten this year.  Hell, here are three more fucking teams in the league than there were in 1993 -- though we have beaten all of them.  Bottom line, we are 7-2 (or better) for the 5th time ever (1993, 1987, 1967, 1945, 1905) and have won four Big Ten games in a row for the 5th time ever (1993, 1987, 1967, 1958, 1945).  For a program with as much futility as IU, this is all pretty significant.  And this weekend, we have a bye, giving us an extra week to prepare for our trip to Happy Valley a week from Saturday.

But anyway, unsurprisingly, Ohio State sits at the top of the initial CFP rankings.  They have killed pretty much everyone.  LSU is #2, Alabama is #3, and Penn State -- a school that sanctioned child rape for decades -- is #4.

There are seven undefeated teams left in the FBS:  OSU, LSU, Penn State, Alabama, Clemson, Baylor, and Minnesota.  Looking at the remaining games, none of these teams has a cakewalk.  At least two undefeated teams will lose this weekend, as LSU and Alabama are squaring off, as are Penn State and Minnesota.  

It's not out of the question that all seven will lose before the end of the regular season. Here's why:
-#1 Ohio State has dominated this year, with two 24-point wins being their "closest" games.  However, the Buckeyes finish the Big Ten regular season with #4 Penn State at home and then at #14 Michigan.  And then if they win those, they will likely face #17 Minnesota, #13 Wisconsin, or #18 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game.  While Buckeyes fans may scoff at any of those teams, keep in mind that in the eight previous Big Ten Championship games, the lower-ranked team has won six times.
-#2 LSU plays at #3 Alabama this weekend, likely knocking the other out of contention for an SEC title game berth.  LSU has a slightly easier schedule going forward, as Alabama -- who has only played two teams this season that currently have winning records -- has to play at #11 Auburn in the Iron Bowl to finish the regular season.  And whichever one of them wins the SEC West will likely have to play #6 Georgia or #10 Florida in the SEC Championship Game.
-#4 Penn State has the hardest road to remaining undefeated, as the Nittany Lions play at #17 Minnesota (8-0), Indiana (7-2), and at Ohio State (8-0) over the next three weeks.  On November 24, they could just as easily be 8-3 as they could be 11-0.
-Defending champ #5 Clemson has played a pretty weak schedule so far (hence being left out of the top four in the first rankings), and their only real challenge on the way to the ACC Championship game is #19 Wake Forest at home next weekend.  The Tigers seem primed to take one of the top four CFP spots after all is said and done.
-#12 Baylor kind of got the shaft on its ranking, but the Bears still have to play #9 Oklahoma.
-Finally, #17 Minnesota got no respect from the CFP Committee, thanks to a pretty weak schedule thus far, but with #4 Penn State, #18 Iowa, and #13 Wisconsin still on the slate, the Golden Gophers have three chances to prove their worth and potentially clinch their first-ever berth in the Big Ten Championship game (and first conference or division title since sharing the Big Ten title with Indiana and Purdue in 1967).

Here are the top 4 teams in the CFP ranking, along with each team's best win and worst loss, where applicable:
1.  Ohio State (8-0)
Best win:  #13 Wisconsin (10/26; 38-7)
Worst loss:  N/A
2.  LSU (8-0)
Best win:  #10 Florida (10/12; 42-28)
Worst loss:  N/A
3.  Alabama (8-0)
Best win:  at Texas A&M (10/12; 47-28)
Worst loss: N/A
4.  Penn State (8-0)
Best win:  #14 Michigan (10/19; 28-21)
Worst loss:  N/A

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

#1 Ohio State (8-0)
11/9 - Maryland (3-6)
11/16 - at Rutgers (2-7)
11/23 - #4 Penn State (8-0)
11/30 – at #14 Michigan (7-2)
12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  20-15 (.571)
Best win:  #13 Wisconsin (10/26; 38-7)

#2 LSU (8-0)
11/9 – at #3 Alabama (8-0)
11/16 – at Ole Miss (3-6)
11/23 - Arkansas (2-7)
11/30 - at Texas A&M (6-3)
12/7 – SEC championship game (Atlanta) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  19-16 (.543)
Best win:  #10 Florida (10/12; 42-28)

#3 Alabama (8-0)
11/9 – #2 LSU (8-0)
11/16 – at Mississippi State (4-5)
11/23 - Western Carolina (FCS) (2-7)
11/30 - at #11 Auburn (7-2)
12/7 – SEC championship game (Atlanta) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  21-14 (.600)
Best win:  at Texas A&M (10/12; 47-28)

#4 Penn State (8-0)
11/9 - at #17 Minnesota (8-0)
11/16 - Indiana (7-2)
11/23 - at #1 Ohio State (8-0)
11/30 – Rutgers (2-7)
12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  25-9 (.735)
Best win:  #14 Michigan (10/19; 28-21)

#5 Clemson (9-0)
11/9 - at NC State (4-4)
11/16 - #19 Wake Forest (7-1)
11/30 – at South Carolina (4-5)
12/7 – ACC championship game (Charlotte) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  15-10 (.600)
Best win:  Texas A&M (9/7; 24-10)

#12 Baylor (8-0)
11/9 - at TCU (4-4)
11/16 - #9 Oklahoma (7-1)
11/23 - Texas (5-3)
11/30 – at Kansas (3-6)
12/7 – Big 12 championship game (Dallas) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  19-14 (.576)
Best win:  at #16 Kansas State (10/5; 31-12)

#17 Minnesota (8-0)
11/9 - #4 Penn State (8-0)
11/16 - at #18 Iowa (6-2)
11/23 - at Northwestern (1-7)
11/30 – #13 Wisconsin (6-2)
12/7 – Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis) - TBD
Remaining opponents' combined record:  21-11 (.636)
Best win:  Illinois (10/5; 40-17)