The latest CFP rankings left the board with only two unbeaten teams standing: UCLA and Utah. Just as everyone expected in the preseason, right?
Missouri is still hanging around at No. 22, but the Tigers are staring at a steep climb to the playoff. That road starts Saturday afternoon at No. 1 Georgia, and the margin for error is basically gone.
Georgia continues to look like the SEC’s standard-bearer after a 42-7 road win at Ole Miss last week. That kind of performance is why the Bulldogs sit atop the rankings, and it’s also why Missouri is walking into a brutal matchup.
Out in the Big Ten, UCLA has become one of the surprise stories of the season. The Bruins are 9-0 and No. 4 in the latest CFP rankings after a 34-20 road win at Minnesota. UCLA gets Illinois at home Friday night.
The ACC picture still runs through Miami (FL), even after a 31-24 loss at Note Dame last week without Malachi Toney. The Canes still have the look of a national title contender, and they’ll try to keep it that way against an underrated Duke team on Saturday.
Utah remains the Big 12’s top team in this race. The Utes are 9-0 and No. 2 after beating BYU 28-20 in the Holy War. Their next test comes Saturday night at Arizona.
Notre Dame holds the automatic-bid spot after CJ Carr and the Irish delivered the statement win they badly needed against previously top-ranked Miami (FL). Boston College comes to South Bend on Saturday, and the schedule still looks favorable for the Irish down the stretch.
Boise State is the Group of Six automatic-bid team for now. The Broncos are 8-1 and ranked No. 24 after a 64-38 road win at Colorado State. They host Oregon State in the College Gameday game on Saturday, though quarterback Maddux Madsen is questionable.
The at-large picture is crowded, and Alabama is firmly in it after a 31-13 road win at LSU last week. The Crimson Tide have another tough one ahead at Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Texas also strengthened its case with a 34-20 road win at Mizzou, with Arch Manning and the Longhorns getting some help from the officials, somewhat kidding. Their resume remains strong, and LSU is next on Saturday night.
Tennessee jumped back into the playoff conversation with a 34-6 win over Kentucky. The Vols head to Texas A&M on Saturday in a game they can’t afford to drop.
Indiana is sitting at 8-1 and No. 9 after its bye week, and the Hoosiers get a major test at home against No. 18 USC on Saturday.
BYU is 7-2 and No. 10 after losing two of its last three, but the win over Notre Dame still keeps the Cougars in the mix. Baylor visits on Saturday, and the margin for error is thin.
Kentucky rounds out the at-large group at No. 11. The Wildcats are 7-2 despite last week’s 34-6 loss at Tennessee, and they host Florida on Saturday with another defeat not really an option.
The top four seeds in this projection are Georgia, Utah, Alabama and UCLA.
That sets up a projected bracket of Boise State at Notre Dame, BYU at Texas, Kentucky at Miami (FL), and Tennessee at Indiana.
From there, the final four picks are Georgia over Notre Dame and Alabama over Miami (FL), with Georgia beating Miami (FL) for the national championship.
In Other News...
Mizzou Gets One Huge Georgia Question And One Brutal Injury Blow
Missouri got one encouraging update and one painful setback coming out of the Texas game, with receiver Cayden Lee cleared to keep going after a knee injury and edge rusher Langden Kitchen ruled out for the rest of the season. Eli Drinkwitz said Lees knee has no structural damage, which at least keeps one piece of the offense intact as the Tigers move deeper into the stretch run.
Kitchens loss lands harder because he was part of the starting edge group and now leaves Missouri to reshuffle a defense that already has to manage the week-to-week grind of the SEC. On the other side of this matchup, Georgia is carrying its own injury uncertainty with two players on the report, including one questionable and another already done for the year, so both teams are walking into this one with more health questions than they would like. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Faces A Brutal Test At No. 1 Georgia
Missouri is walking into one of the toughest spots on its schedule with a trip to face No. 1 Georgia, a team that has looked every bit the part of a national contender on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs have paired a productive offense with one of the stingiest defenses in college football, and they also bring a long history of success in this series into Saturdays matchup.
Georgias edge has shown up in the details, from its turnover margin to the way it has limited opponents defensively, even while working through some injuries. Gunner Stockton has helped steady the offense, and linebacker Chris Cole gives the Bulldogs another impact presence on defense, leaving Missouri with a major challenge and plenty to solve if it wants to keep this one competitive. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Unbeaten Start Faces Its First Real Home Test
Missouris women have opened the regular season 3-0, and the early returns have given Kellie Harper plenty to like. The Tigers are averaging 90.0 points while allowing 65.7, and Harper has pointed to cleaner offensive execution and better ball movement since the close game against Howard as signs the group is settling in.
Now comes the first real chance to see how that start holds up at home. UT Martin and Lindenwood are next on the schedule, and both bring enough recent form and stylistic quirks to make these games more than routine tuneups, especially for a Missouri team trying to keep building rhythm while protecting its unbeaten record. [Read more 🡒]