The Undefeated - before Week 8

[SWC75]

It’s time I got going with my annual fall series on undefeated teams in contention for the very real four team playoff for the national championship and the fictional Pesci Bowl and Ty-Dee Bowl. The latter two are my inventions. The national championship playoff will likely again be between Power Five level teams, (Notre Dame included). The Pesci Bowl is named after the vertically challenged but feisty actor Joe Pesci and is a single game between the two best non-Power Five conference teams. The Ty-dee bowl, named after a toilet cleaning product, is a battle between the two worst FBS teams in the country.

I’ll start with the undefeated, (and for the Ty-dee Bowl, winless) teams and when there are no longer enough of them to fill out the above fields, I’ll include the one loss, (or one win), teams.

National Playoff Contenders

ALABAMA 7-0 (375-106) #1 in both the writer’s and coaches’ poll (1/1)
Sat 10/20 at Tennessee 3-3 (160-152)
Bye
Sat 11/3 at Louisiana State 6-1 (224-118) ranked 5/5
Sat 11/10 Mississippi State 4-2 (186-76) ranked 22/-
Sat 11/17 The Citadel (FCS) 1-4 (137-158)
Sat 11/24 Auburn 4-3 (196-116)

Comments: Alabama may seem invincible but they’ve bene ‘vinced’ in ever season of this decade. The last time they ran the table to the national title was Saban’s first there in 2009. They’ve twice won all their regular season games but lost in the SEC title game on the “kick six” to Auburn in 2013 and lost to Clemson in the 2016 title game. The best chance for them to get vinced in this regular season would seem to be at LSU on 11/3.

OHIO STATE 7-0 (324-134) ranked 2/2
Sat 10/20 at Purdue 3-3 (201-139)
Bye
Sat 11/3 Nebraska 0-6 (149-230)
Sat 11/10 at Michigan State 4-2 (157-134) ranked 24/-
Sat 11/17 at Maryland 4-2 (190-140)
Sat 11/24 Michigan 6-1 (267-108) ranked 6/7

Comments: The Buckeyes won’t have Joey Bosa but they do have road games at 4-2 Michigan State and Maryland and a home game against Michigan. Then there will be the Big Ten title game, probably against Iowa. But they will be favored to win all those games.

CLEMSON 6-0 (253-87) 3/3
Sat 10/20 North Carolina State 5-0 (165-84) ranked 16/15
Sat 10/27 at Florida State 3-3 (138-151)
Sat 11/3 Louisville 2-5 (143-234)
Sat 11/10 at Boston College 5-2 (277-182)
Sat 11/17 Duke 5-1 (192-106)
Sat 11/24 South Carolina 3-3 (173-155)

Comments: The Tigers have a big one vs. under-rated NC State this weekend. Florida State could get feisty and that trip to BC could be a problem. Duke is pretty good. Miami, Virginia or Virginia Tech await in the ACC title game. There’s a lot of opportunities to slip up there, which doesn’t mean they will.

NOTRE DAME 7-0 (228-131) ranked 4/4
Bye
Sat 10/27 Navy 2-4 (168-191)
Sat 11/3 at Northwestern 3-3 (152-157)
Sat 11/10 Florida State 3-3 (138-151)
Sat 11/17 in NYC Syracuse 4-2 (258-151)
Sat 11/24 at Southern California 4-2 (154-151)

Comments: Now that they have the right quarterback, the Irish will be tough to beat. SU will try in Yankee Stadium and the Trojans will have a shot at them on the west coast. There will be no conference title game and if the committee has a chance to get Notre Dame into the playoff with any credibility, they will be there.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 5-0 (165-84) ranked 16/15
Sat 10/20 at Clemson 6-0 (253-87) ranked 3/3
Sat 10/27 at Syracuse 4-2 (258-151)
Sat 11/3 Florida State 3-3 (138-151)
Thu 11/8 Wake Forest 3-3 (194-221)
Sat 11/17 at Louisville 2-5 (143-234)
Sat 11/24 at North Carolina 1-4 (103-169)
Sat 12/1 East Carolina 2-4 (140-193)

Comments: if they beat Clemson, they’ve got a real shot to g undefeated all the way into the playoff. If they don’t they will become irrelevant in a hurry.



Pesci Bowl Contenders

CENTRAL FLORIDA 6-0 (274-117) ranked 10/9
Sat 10/20 at East Carolina 2-4 (140-193)
Bye
Thu 11/1 Temple 4-3 (220-154)
Sat 11/10 Navy 2-4 (168-191)
Sat 11/17 Cincinnati 6-0 (230-82) ranked 20/21
Fri 11/23 South Florida 6-0 (211-150) ranked 21/20

Comments: All three of the Pesci Bowl contenders are in the same league and in the same division. They all play each other. The smoke won’t clear until they have done so.

SOUTH FLORIDA 6-0 (211-150) ranked 21/20
Sat 10/20 Connecticut 1-5 (122-322)
Sat 10/27 at Houston 5-1 (292-168)
Sat 11/3 Tulane 2-4 (150-181)
Sat 11/10 at Cincinnati 6-0 (230-82) ranked 20/21
Sat 11/17 at Temple 4-3 (220-154)
Fri 11/23 Central Florida 6-0 (274-117) ranked 10/9

Comments: Houston and temple could spoil the party.

CINCINNATI 6-0 (230-82) ranked 20/21
Sat 10/20 at Temple 4-3 (220-154)
Sat 10/27 at Southern Methodist 2-4 (169-238)
Sat 11/3 Navy 2-4 (168-191)
Sat 11/10 South Florida 6-0 (211-150) ranked 21/20
Sat 11/17 at Central Florida 6-0 (274-117) ranked 10/9
Fri 11/23 East Carolina 2-4 (140-193)

Comments: If they get past Temple, it will be all about the Florida teams.


Ty-Dee Bowl Contenders

NEBRASKA 0-6 (149-230)
Sat 10/20 Minnesota 3-3 (153-147)
Sat 10/27 Bethune-Cookman (FCS) 4-3 (240-213)
Sat 11/3 Ohio State 7-0 (324-134) ranked 2/2
Sat 11/10 Illinois 3-3 (153-189)
Sat 11/17 Michigan State 4-2 (157-134)
Fri 11/23 at Iowa 5-1 (191-99) ranked 19/22

Comments: The guy who scheduled Bethune-Cookman had plenty of foresight. Minnesota and Illinois will be toss-ups.

SAN JOSE STATE 0-6 (134-248)
Sat 10/20 at San Diego State 5-1 (129-116)
Sat 10/27 Nevada-Las Vegas 2-4 (181-220)
Sat 11/3 at Wyoming 2-5 (108-180)
Sat 11/10 at Utah State 5-1 (310-143)
Sat 11/17 Nevada-Reno 3-4 (221-235)
Sat 11/24 at Fresno State 5-1 (228-81)

Comments: UNLV and Wyoming appear to be the Spartans’ best shot at a win.

TEXAS-EL PASO 0-6 (99-190)
Sat 10/20 at Louisiana Tech 4-2 (172-139)
Sat 10/27 Alabama-Birmingham 5-1 (205-85)
Sat 11/3 at Rice (1-6 (136-274)
Sat 11/10 Middle Tennessee State 3-3 (155-193)
Sat 11/17 at Western Kentucky 1-5 (107-165)
Sat 11/24 Southern Mississippi 2-3 (135-104)

Comments: UTEP is so bad they lost to New Mexico State. Both used to be good and exiting teams back in the 60’s but since 1970, they have bene the two worst programs in the country, (save for Buffalo, who didn’t even have a team most of that time): I-A Winning Percentage 1970-2017
They are looking forward to Rice and Western Kentucky. The Miners were 0-12 last year and it could happen again.

 

[RandomGuy]

Love it.

 

[SmilinBob]

SU played 1 and then plays 2 of those undefeated teams.

USF, UCF and Cincy...that would be pretty cool if they remain undefeated until they start knocking each other off.