Week 10 left the College Football Playoff picture looking anything but settled, and NBC’s Nicole Auerbach wasted no time putting together her own bracket projection after the dust settled.
Her version keeps 10 teams from the initial 12-team field, even with Kentucky taking a 34-6 beatdown at Tennessee. The Volunteers move into BYU’s No. 9 slot after the win, while Texas Tech slides in at No. 10 in place of Ole Miss.
“With so many teams picking up a third loss this weekend, it was hard to project the final at-large spots,” Auerbach wrote. “I’m sure by the time we get to season’s end, there will be a clear pecking order.”
Auerbach said she leaned on conference affiliation when sorting through the bracket, especially as the committee appeared to do last week. That helped Tennessee, Texas Tech and Kentucky all get the nod in her projection.
“I gave the edge to two-loss Tennessee (after crushing Kentucky), one-loss Texas Tech (which keeps winning, somehow), and Kentucky (falling from the No. 6 spot last week after picking up its second loss),” she said. “Again, knowing the committee’s affinity for SEC resumes, I went with Kentucky over Wake Forest for the final at-large spot.”
Kentucky is now 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the SEC, and the Wildcats need a win over Florida this weekend to keep any realistic path to staying in the bracket by December. That game kicks off Saturday at 6:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In Other News...
Floridas Oklahoma Loss Looks Even Worse After These Gators Grades
Pro Football Focus Week 10 grades only added to the sting of Floridas loss to Oklahoma, because the numbers painted a team that never really found a rhythm on either side of the ball. For the first time this season, no offensive player cracked a 70.0 grade, and only one defender topped that mark, a sign that the Gators were steady in spots but never consistently sharp enough to keep pace.
The pressure numbers told a similar story. Florida managed 17 pressures, but the team pressure grade came in at 61.2, its second-worst of the season, and quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. was noticeably more comfortable when he had a clean pocket than when the rush got home. In the secondary, cornerback Ben Hanks III had a mixed afternoon, allowing three catches on six targets while also breaking up two passes, which summed up a defense that had a few bright moments but not enough to change the outcome. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Sumrall Just Raised A Serious Concern About Floridas Offense
The latest concern around Floridas offense is less about a single bad night and more about a bigger identity problem. After the Gators managed only 15 points over their last two games, Jon Sumrall said in his postgame press conference that the unit does not have a clear identity right now and feels lost, a blunt assessment that fits what has shown up on the field.
With recent changes at quarterback and little offensive rhythm to lean on, Florida has been forced to search for footing while trying to stay afloat against tougher competition, including Oklahoma. Sumrall said the Gators need to figure out what they do best if they want to get through the next stretch, and that challenge now looks as important as any matchup on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Faces A Kentucky Test That Could Define This Stretch
Florida heads to Lexington in Week 11 with a chance to steady a season that has been uneven enough to leave the Gators at 5-4 and outside the rankings. Kentucky, meanwhile, has put together a far stronger run at 7-2 and sits 13th in the major polls, which gives this matchup a different kind of weight than the usual SEC meeting. The recent performances and the historical series backdrop only sharpen the contrast between where these teams are right now.
The betting market has already leaned toward Kentucky, adding another layer to a game Florida can use to measure itself against a surging conference rival. For the Gators, this is the kind of road test that can shape the rest of the stretch, especially with the Wildcats playing at home and carrying the better record and ranking into the week. The question now is whether Florida can turn that imbalance into motivation, or whether Kentucky keeps control of the matchup and the conversation. [Read more 🡒]