Week 14 Power Rankings

Sad news for all of you devoted readers: we all had the same Top 10 so there will be no others receiving votes section in the blog this week. Please take whatever time you need to mourn this.

1. Oregon Ducks - The nation’s top ranked team had the week off after their scare in Madison the week prior. They now face Washington, looking to cap off an undefeated regular season. This one smells just like every other game Oregon has had against a .500 team so far this year - meaning I’ll see you after they win by 21. With a spot in the Big 10 championship game locked up, a rematch with Ohio State is likely. A year ago, Dan Lanning experienced the short end of the stick twice against Washington. Can he be the one to play spoiler this time around by doing the same thing to the Buckeyes this year?

2. Ohio State Buckeyes - Another slow start this past weekend against Indiana, but after the early jitters got out of the way, it was all Buckeyes. Curt Cignetti had conceded the game and was willing to let Ohio State run the clock out, but Ryan Day decided to punch one in on the closing seconds to bring this one to a final of 38-15. Luckily for Indiana, multiple other teams pissed down their leg last week so they’re likely still a shoe in to the playoff. I wish the best for the Hoosiers but it has just been quite the unpredictable season that will have multiple unfamiliar faces in the postseason mix. As for Ohio State, they take on Michigan to round off the regular season in what shouldn’t be a competitive game. Remember it’s rivalry week so not everything will pan out according to plan. 

3. Texas Longhorns - In what was a boring midday game, Texas took care of Kentucky to continue the pathetic season for Stoops. Each of the Longhorns 6 wins in conference play are against teams in the bottom 7 of the conference. They continue to get the job done, but there is a lot of unknown about this team’s ceiling. Sark and the boys are taking a quick trip over to College Station this weekend to renew the long-time rivalry between UT and A&M. Even after the tough loss the Aggies took this past weekend, all eyes will be on this one in what is hoped to be a thriller. The key matchup here: can A&M slow down what will presumably be an up-tempo Longhorn offense on Saturday? Home field has proven to be a massive advantage this season, but the looming question is will A&M know they’re in a football game before the 2nd quarter?

4. Penn State Nittany Lions - Narrowly escaping against Minnesota, Penn State keeps their hopes of a home playoff game alive. Better yet, remember how I just said “not everything will pan out according to plan” on rivalry week? Should Ohio State lose, the Nittany Lions still have a shot to win the Big 10. They host a crippled Maryland team to round out their season and will continue to sit pretty, high atop the standings. My only concern is, if Ohio State wins before PSU's game begins, will that affect how they play? Probably not, Maryland football has been a dumpster fire this season. Pain!

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Copy and paste. That’s exactly what Marcus Freeman did from the Navy game against Army this past week. The troops were never ready for serious, meaningful combat on the football field - a true shame. Notre Dame’s average margin of victory has been 30.3 points per game and they look to ride that momentum in the season finale against USC. This one should be sneaky good and I expect the Trojans to put up a fight here. Not that I am saying Notre Dame should earn a first round bye, but I think it’s dumb that we automatically give the top 4 seeds to conference champions. Automatic bids are already something to tread lightly on, so maybe we should rethink giving them an automatic bye as well. 

6. Georgia Bulldogs - Oddly enough, their game with UMass was one I kept up with more than I originally planned to. Guess that’s what happens when it’s 31-21early in the 2nd half. Like any other team on this list, there are flaws and they can certainly get taken down on any given Saturday. This game did an excellent job of reminding me that the playoff will be as unpredictable as it gets and I look forward to that. Look out though! That’s two straight weeks without an interception for Carson Beck. Maybe that means things are going poorly in his relationship? The Bulldogs open as massive 19 point favorites this weekend against Georgia Tech; does Haynes King have enough in the tank for one final hoo-rah?

7. Miami Hurricanes - Glass half full, you held a team not named Florida State to under 28 points! It’s simple: you beat Syracuse next week, you’re in the ACC championship over Clemson because of your record against common opponents. Then again, easier said than done. Fran Brown has done a heck of a job in year one for the Orange and there is no reason to think they can’t upset Miami. The line might sit 10.5 points in favor of the Hurricanes, but be sure to keep your eyes on this one. Outside of the Pitt game, Kyle McCord has put up respectable numbers and has the ability to hand The U their second loss of the season. "You want us to watch Syracuse football, Zac?" Crazier things have happened in the final week of the season, folks.

8. SMU Mustangs - If the Cowboys can’t win games, someone in Dallas has to take care of business. All eyes have been on Oregon having a shot to win their new conference in year one, but a meeting with Cal is all that stands in SMU’s way of competing to do the same. The conference schedule proved to be favorable for the Mustangs but what a story this season has been. Such high hopes with Preston Stone under center, but you have done this all with your (initially) backup quarterback. Is there a world where they make the playoffs with a conference championship loss? Who knows, but I do know I’ll be going if they get blessed with hosting a game. This is your homework to prove you read… text me “RSVP” to confirm you’ll be there with me if it happens. If you don't have my number, I still love you.

9. Tennessee Volunteers - In what drew everyone’s attention Saturday was the showdown between the Vols and UTEP. I can’t believe this one got out of hand and finished at 56-0! On a serious note, this one went as planned and wasn’t even worth checking the ESPN app for a score update. They now head to Nashville to finish off their season in what is possibly a do-or-die game to make the playoffs. Then again, the committee certainly loves them so it’s hard to see them dropping out with a loss. Has the magic vanished or do the Commodores have it in them for one more spoiler this season?

10. Boise State Broncos - It’s not often that you see a team beat 2-9 Wyoming team by 4 and jump into the Top 10 rankings, but 2024 has proven to be that kind of year. Unless we get some video game type numbers in the final weeks, we probably won’t see Barry Sanders single-season record broken, but Ashton Jeanty is certainly on pace for 30+ touchdowns. Can they finish strong and secure the 4 seed over the Big 12 champion? Something else to watch is the Tulane vs Memphis game on Thursday. Should the Green Wave take care of business, they may find themselves in the playoff as the at-large bid over Boise if a couple things go their way

• Zac Bryan, still not over season 4 episode 12 of Dexter