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Not much drama in the SEC or Big Ten in the last week. Not at the top of the standings, anyway. In the Big Ten, Michigan State held off another scare to stay unbeaten. In the SEC, reeling Texas A&M may have a quarterback controversy brewing and Ole Miss remains as a threat to shut the conference out of the College Football Playoff. But the top teams continue rolling toward a series of November showdowns.
NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDERS
Ohio State has Ezekiel Elliott and J.T. Barnett. LSU has Leonard Fournette and Brandon Harris. Both teams are loaded with playmakers on both sides of the ball. And both teams remain on a course for a heavyweight collision, perhaps in the national title game. But each has hurdles to climb. The Buckeyes still have dates with Michigan State and Michigan. The Tigers still must face Alabama and Ole Miss. Iowa and Florida, the two leaders in the weaker divisions of the two conferences, should stay on track for spots in conference championship games. Potential three-way ties in the SEC West and Big Ten East could muddy the picture for playoff contenders.
1. Ohio State
2. LSU
3. Michigan State
4. Alabama
5. Florida
6. Iowa
DIVISION TITLE CHALLENGERS
Barring collapses, these teams are headed to prestigious, warm-weather bowl games. Plus, each could play its way into Big 6 bowl games while playing spoiler for national title contenders. In the Big Ten, Michigan will finish with back-to-back games against Michigan State and Ohio State. In the SEC, Ole Miss could ruin LSU’s national title hopes and claim the West title by running the table.
7. Michigan
8. Ole Miss
9. Georgia
10. Texas A&M
11. Mississippi State
GOING BOWLING
It’s a mishmash in the middle with inconsistency the common denominator. Good arguments could be made for almost any order in ranking these teams. Teams at the top of this group are especially dangerous opponents for teams fighting for division titles.
12. Arkansas
13. Tennessee
14. Wisconsin
15. Northwestern
16. Auburn
17. Penn State
18. Kentucky
19. Indiana
20. Illinois
NO REASON TO RENT SHOES
Traditional national power Nebraska and recent national top 10 finishers Missouri and South Carolina find themselves at the bottom rung on the ladder. Nebraska, a perennial 9-win team under Bo Pelini, has lost five games by 13 points under Mike Riley. With a standout defense and horrific offense, Missouri is capable of losing low-scoring yawners to good and bad teams alike. South Carolina was bad enough to convince coach Steve Spurrier to call it quits at midseason.
21. Nebraska
22. Minnesota
23. Vanderbilt
24. Missouri
25. South Carolina
26. Rutgers
27. Maryland
28. Purdue
