Already, we have a Top Four team falling out of the playoff rankings! Here's who's playoff-ready and who looks like a paper tiger.
Winner: Arizona: The Wildcats finally did it! It took 20 games for Arizona to pull it off, but they beat the California Golden Bears, 10-3. Granted, it was against a depleted squad. But it's nice for the Wildcats to finally get that monkey off their backs.
Winner: Purdue: Speaking of big wins, how about the Boilermakers picking up their second Top-5 upset? They upended the #3 Michigan State Spartans, 40-29. David Bell showed up big for Purdue, getting 11 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown. Keep an eye on the junior wide receiver, for he tends to show up during big games.
Winner: Miami: Don't look now, but the Hurricanes are hitting their stride. While the ACC has been a lackluster conference this year (I'll get into that a bit later), Miami is showing life, taking down Georgia Tech, 33-30. Tyler Van Dyke had another great game, completing 22 of 34 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns. 210 of those yards went to Charleston Rambo, who had seven catches and a touchdown out of the mix. Jaylan Knighton was unstoppable on the ground as well, running the ball 32 times for 162 yards and a touchdown. Overall, it was an excellent game offensively for the Hurricanes, who are rallying around Manny Diaz.
Big Loser: ACC: It wasn't supposed to end like this. However, this is where we're at, with Clemson's offense underwhelming and North Carolina proving to be a bust. Their last hope, which was #9 Wake Forest, was upset by the Tar Heels, 58-55. That included 24 fourth-quarter points and Ty Chandler running all over the Demon Deacons. The senior running back had 213 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries, decimating Wake Forest at every turn. It was also letting North Carolina control the ball, which was aided by two Wake Forest turnovers. With the Demon Deacons' weak schedule and no other viable option for the ACC, it seems the conference is knocked out of playoff contention. While there's some hope for the conference next season, it can't just be Clemson pulling their weight.
Loser: SEC: While Georgia took care of business today, it was a down day for the conference. Alabama eked out a 20-14 win over LSU, while #13 Auburn, #17 Mississippi State, and #18 Kentucky all fell. It might not seem like much now. However, it could affect the conference should the Crimson Tide or Bulldogs lose later down the road. Speaking of Mississippi State.
Loser: This Missed Field Goal: Ouch if you're a Mississippi State fan... Here's the press conference to top it off.
Other Winners: UNLV (also got their first win!), Michigan, Travis Dye
Other Losers: California, New Mexico, Baylor
College Football Playoff Four:
Georgia
Alabama
Oregon
Ohio State
