The college football season is flying by as we have already reached week 7 of the season, and most teams will be halfway through their seasons come Sunday. We have seen a lot of shakeups at the top, including Alabama falling last week to Texas A&M. There is a clear cut number one team in the Georgia Bulldogs, but after that it is anyone’s guess as to how the final four will shake out and who will play for it all in January.
Will we see a Group of Five team finally make the College Football Playoff?
If a team from the Group of Five conferences is going to make a run at the playoff it will be the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati, led by head coach Luke Fickell and quarterback Desmond Ritter, currently ranks number three in the latest AP Poll. They have two impressive wins against Power Five teams, including a road win in South Bend against Notre Dame a couple of weeks ago. The rest of Cincinnati’s schedule should not be difficult, and they should be double digit favorites in every game they play with the exception of a tough home game at the end of the season against SMU.
Weak scheduling has been the reason why teams like Cincinnati have been unable to make it into the playoff, but with their two convincing road wins against Notre Dame and Indiana and the chaos that is the top four teams right now, the Bearcats can very much be a player for the four seed come selection Sunday if they win out and win the AAC. They play UCF this weekend who have struggled since they lost their quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, to a broken clavicle.
Who will start for Oklahoma?
The Heisman favorite coming into the season was Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler. Rattler was a highly touted recruit coming out of Phoenix, Arizona, and took over the starting role last year after Jalen Hurts went to the NFL. Rattler has not only disappointed those who bet on him to win the Heisman, but Oklahoma fans who were expecting their team to be playing in the National Championship game come January 10th in Indianapolis. Rattler has disappointed in more ways than one, having a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio and just a 71.9 QBR. Oklahoma is still undefeated on the season, but that can be attributed to the weak schedule they have faced through six weeks and backup quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams is a true freshman from Washington, DC, and he came into the Red River Rivalry last Saturday against Texas and put the team on his back, leading a remarkable 18 point comeback to help the Sooners stay perfect on the year. Oklahoma’s defense, which was touted as being one of the best in the country in the preseason, has been anything but, and they will need to rely on their offense if they want to keep winning games. Lincoln Riley has a tough decision ahead of him tomorrow night for who will be under center as the Sooners take on TCU in Norman.
Can Georgia keep rolling?
Georgia has been the best team in the country so far this season, and there is not a close second. Their defense has allowed just two offensive touchdowns through six weeks and has suffocated opponents. J.T. Daniels has been good while he has been healthy and backup quarterback Stetson Bennett has performed very well while Daniels has been sidelined. On the ground they average 4.7 YPP, led by Zamir White.
The Bulldogs welcome the number 11 team in the country into town this weekend as they will take on the surprise undefeated Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky has played very well through six weeks and has surprised many, including a win over then number 11 Florida two weeks ago at home. The Wildcats will be a test for Georgia, but Georgia’s defense should dominate again and they should come out of this game with a win. However, they need to be careful that they do not look ahead to Jacksonville two weeks from tomorrow when they take on the Florida Gators.
Four of the top-10 teams will be idle this week but the top-5 teams will all be in action, creating the possibility for more chaos. Halfway through the season every team has a lot left to prove to show why they belong in the playoff conversation, and keep an eye on what these three playoff hopefuls do on what should be another wild day of college football.
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