Eleven Unbeatens - who will fall this weekend?
The regular college season is “more than half over”. Last weekend provided some excitement, and now - there are eleven (11) teams with an unblemished record this season. “Spinal Tap” will follow this week’s game with particular interest.
Which team(s) will fall from the ranks of the unbeaten this weekend? Here’s the list – and their opponent this week. The unbeatens are bolded and rankings are in parentheses.
Once again – we’re guaranteed that at least one team falls from the list when Penn State and Ohio State meet in Columbus.
Georgia (1) - bye
Michigan (2) at Michigan State
Ohio State (3) hosting Penn State (7)
Florida State (4) hosting Duke (16)
Oklahoma (6) – hosting UCF
Washington (5) hosting Arizona State
North Carolina (10) hosting Virginia
Air Force (22) at Navy
James Madison (26) at Marshall (on Thursday)
Liberty (31) hosting Middle Tennessee State (on Tuesday)
Since inquiring minds want to know – specifically, who are the remaining teams for the unbeatens, here are their remaining opponents:
- Georgia: Bye, Florida (neutral), Missouri, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, and at Georgia Tech.
- Michigan: Michigan State, bye, Purdue, at Penn State, at Maryland, and Ohio State.
- Ohio State: Penn State, at Wisconsin, at Rutgers, Michigan State, Minnesota, and at Michigan.
- Penn State: at Ohio State, Indiana, at Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers, and at Michigan State.
- Florida State: Duke, at Wake Forest, at Pitt, Miami, North Alabama, and at Florida.
- Oklahoma: UCF, at Kansas, at Oklahoma State, West Virginia, at BYU, and TCU.
- Washington: Arizona State, at Stanford, at USC, Utah, at Oregon State, and Washington State.
- North Carolina: Virginia, at Georgia Tech, Campbell, Duke, at Clemson, and at NC State.
- Air Force: at Navy, at Colorado State, Army, at Hawaii, UNLV, and at Boise State.
- James Madison: at Marshall, Old Dominion, at Georgia State, UConn, Appalachian State, and at Coastal Carolina.
- Liberty: Middle Tennessee State, at Western Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, UMass, and at UTEP.
October 17th, 2023 at 11:29 AM ^
I just wanted to tell you I appreciate you and your informative post. Thank you.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:54 PM ^
Thank you - that's very kind of you to say. Go Blue!
October 17th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
So Oklahoma has a cake walk to the Big 12 title game.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Yep.
Oklahoma only had one good team on their schedule this year: Texas. The whole Big 12 is kind of a joke this year with the addition of the four new teams "promoted" from the Group of Five ranks. Oklahoma is only playing six teams who were in a Power Five conference last year and its not like the new additions suddenly got significantly better players simply by joining the Big 12.
October 17th, 2023 at 11:33 AM ^
I have a feeling that OSU is going down this week........even though I want them to beat PSU
October 17th, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
This weekend? OSU, FSU, Liberty
October 17th, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
I don't see Florida State losing.
And what the hell is Campbell?
October 17th, 2023 at 12:09 PM ^
Probably the Campbell Camels
October 17th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
Not just Camels .... Fighting Camels...
October 17th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^
Listening to BTN radio this am, they cited some mathematical prediction model that Mich was only about 25 percent to be the east rep in the BT title game, behind both OSU and PSU, I assume this was because our only likely route involves beating both of them, while either of them could get in by sweeping OR splitting the games against the other 2, and then winning the tiebreaker.
FYI, the same model had Iowa as 71 percent to be the rep in the game from the west.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:20 PM ^
A quick glance at the B1G West. With Iowa's win over Wisconsin last weekend - it seems to me that they have a two game conference lead over the rest of the Division. The remaining schedule for Iowa and Wisconsin is:
Iowa: Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, Indiana, and at Nebraska. Four of Iowa's remaining games are at home - with the lone road game being at Nebraska.
Wisconsin: at Illinois, Ohio State, at Indiana, Northwestern, Nebraska, at Minnesota. With Mordecai's (Wisconsin's QB) injury - the Badgers path to the B1G West has become much more challenging.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:49 PM ^
I'm curious about their math. We've got a 25% chance vs a 75% chance that one of those two go to the BTCG?
There's 2 likely scenarios: 1 team goes undefeated vs all 3 having one loss. Is are the hosts of the show looking ahead to the 3-way tie breaker?
What makes PSU or OSU more likely to go undefeated than us?
October 17th, 2023 at 3:48 PM ^
It's very much based on the assumption that Michigan does not win the 3 way tiebreaker. In effect we have one path- sweep, they each have two paths: sweep or split and win the tiebreaker. Right now OSU has a slight edge over PSU in the probable tiebreaker scenarios, and we have very little chance. If we want some wiggle room to make it with a loss, pull like hell for Nebraska to win as many as possible games to improve our standing against BIg Ten West (which is the tiebreaker in the event rhat PSU, OSU, and Mich all have one loss and are 1-1 among the 3 teams.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:06 PM ^
I think Penn State takes the L
Duke's got a shot but I doubt it happens.
Marshall is pretty decent this year. They've got a shot at JMU at home
October 17th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
Obviously one of OSU/PSU will lose. If I were to pick, I'd lean towards PSU losing.
Based on the remainder of the unbeatens, I can only see Florida State losing to Duke as a remote possibility.
I guess Air Force is also a possibility because it's a service academy game and really anything is possible with those.
Otherwise the unbeatens should remain that way.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Penn State and Air Force.
Anchors Aweigh!
October 17th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
Third Base will take out PSU because Frames will have a brain fart somewhere along the way that will cost them the game.
All the others stay undefeated.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
I’m way more worried about Penn St than OSU this year, due to UM playing in State College. Penn St is built to beat OSU, not UM, and I see them winning in Columbus with their secondary shutting down OSU’s passing game. I think UM will take care of business at home vs the Buckeyes, and am hopeful that our mental toughness (yes Ryan 3B Day, that is a thing and your team doesn’t have it yet) will prevail in one of the most hostile environments in college football but I’m concerned nonetheless
October 17th, 2023 at 1:07 PM ^
I think Bye takes down Georgia. They've looked vulnerable this year, and cocky teams often look past the Bye.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:22 PM ^
Based on remaining schedules, the team most likely to make it out of the regular season 12-0 has to be Oklahoma. Weren't people ready to call for Venables head after last year?
October 17th, 2023 at 1:23 PM ^
JMU alum (and lifelong UM fan) here.
The Dukes are 6-0 with what is still a mostly FCS roster, and I can't quite figure out how they're doing it. Full credit to them but they just as easily could be 4-2, and lost to Marshall by double digits last year. Short week (they play Thursday), road game....
October 17th, 2023 at 1:35 PM ^
Not us
October 17th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^
I think OSU loses and so does FSU. Everyone else stays clean for another week
October 17th, 2023 at 1:47 PM ^
I am betting $20K that Georgia will remain unbeaten this weekend.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:50 PM ^
AF isn't falling this weekend... My optimistic prediction.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:54 PM ^
Last year proved that UM is great at football and MSU is a team largely of thugs. The best way to get revenge on thugs? Use your strength -- beat them BADLY on the field. I expect nothing less.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:00 PM ^
At the risk of stating a cliche --- the PSU @ OSU game is primarily going to come down to the 2 QBs, and principally Allar.
- Drew Allar hasn't thrown an interception yet ..... in his entire college career. His yards/attempt is unremarkable and PSU's lack of "explosive plays" has become well known of late. But, avoiding INTs is still a skill (I read where PFF only had him graded out as 1 possible INT this season). Jim Knowles will surely throw some aggressive looks at him, can Allar avoid making key mistakes?
- Kyle McCord --- throw out Youngstown State & WKU, and look at his stats versus IU, ND, Maryland and Purdue. He's under 60% for an aggregate completion percentage, and only averaging 8.5 yards/attempt in those 4 games. That feels unremarkable, and that's WITH Marvin Harrison Jr! If OSU can get into the 30s point-wise, it feels like an easy OSU win, but based on McCord thus far, I think OSU is far more likely to score in the lower half of the 20s. I'm pretty convinced at this point that he's NOT a "next level" QB.
I expect OSU to score around 24. PSU can match and exceed that: but if and only if they and Allar avoid the key mistakes. Is Allar "that dude" who can do that as a still 19-year-old on the big stage in his first overly hostile environment? We'll see. I'm personally not picking the game, because I can honestly see either-or.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:25 PM ^
Just OSU or PSU among the big boys. Outside shot of FSU but I doubt Riley Leonard is ready for Duke after his high ankle sprain against ND. I guess any of three lower conference ones because frankly I know nothing about those three teams or how good they are.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:38 PM ^
psu
That's the only one to fall. If it were a home game I'd reconsider.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:59 PM ^
Obviously one of OSU or PSU. I go back and forth. I think Ohio State wins it. Penn State can't run the ball, even against bad defenses, and while they're built to stop an Ohio State passing attack and OSU can't run either, completely shutting out Marvin Harrison is unlikely.
I also think FSU is in real danger, here. I've only seen bits and pieces of FSU games, but I've seen Duke some. That's a legit team. However, it's at home for FSU, so there's no slam dunk, here.
Oklahoma should win, but I've read that they will be trying to break in some young guys to improve their chances in a CFP situation. We'll see.
I have no clue about either James Madison or Liberty; everyone else should win by double digits, especially Washington in its aim of getting Penix the Heisman.
October 17th, 2023 at 4:35 PM ^
Logically the only one to fall should be the loser in Columbus because that slate is pretty weak. Which naturally means next week there will be only 4 or 5 undefeated teams.
October 17th, 2023 at 4:50 PM ^
I think OSU beats Penn State. I hate OSU with every fiber of my being but I think they win at home.
October 17th, 2023 at 5:45 PM ^
PSU. Probably James Madison. Don't know much about Liberty or Middle TE. Mack Brown is doing amazing at at UNC.
October 17th, 2023 at 8:50 PM ^
Liberty Biberty may be first off the list. Strange scoring play by MTSU.
October 17th, 2023 at 10:16 PM ^
Looks like OSU will lose this week. Possibly FSU and Air Force.
October 17th, 2023 at 10:22 PM ^
Hilarious 13 yard punt by Liberty…and MTSU throws it right back to Liberty. Hey is the person wearing a Michigan jersey at the game on the blog?
October 18th, 2023 at 8:13 AM ^
Liberty was down 7 in the third quarter - then, scored 14 unanswered to win by 7. Tuesday night college football - that must be a challenge for fans.