With six top 10 teams matched up against each other, the college football landscape dramatically changed on Saturday. When the new college football playoff Rankings come out Tuesday night, there will be a new number one team and several more salivating at their playoff prospects.
The top 4 current playoff teams
1. Georgia (9-1) - Lost to 10th ranked Auburn - The Georgia Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but Auburn answered by scoring 16 points on four of their first five possessions. Georgia had a chance to cut the lead to six just before halftime, but missed a field goal.
Auburn dominated the number one ranked team in the country in the second half, outscoring them 24-10. Georgia had just 230 yards of total offense for the game. Freshman quarterback Jake Fromm threw for 184 yards and a touchdown, while Nick Chubb rushed for just 27 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.
2. Alabama (10-0) - Beat 16th ranked Mississippi State 31-24 - The Crimson Tide trailed Mississippi State 17-24 at the start of the fourth quarter. But Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts led the offense on a 10-play, 82-yard drive to tie the game. The Crimson Tide had a chance to take the lead with 2:03 left, but missed a 41-yard field goal. After a three-and-out by the Bulldogs, Hurts went 68 yards in 44 seconds and threw a 26-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith to take the lead.
Hurts accounted for 282 yards passing/rushing and two touchdowns. Damien Harris rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown.
3. Notre Dame (8-2) - Lost to 7th ranked Miami 8-41 - The Fighting Irish’s playoff dreams died in South Florida Saturday night. Offensively and defensively Notre Dame got absolutely pummeled by the Hurricanes.
Notre Dame had a total of just 261 yards on offense, and their quarterbacks combined to throw for three first-half interceptions.
4. Clemson (9-1) - Beat Florida State 31-14 - The Clemson Tigers jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half. But the Seminoles made it a game after halftime, closing the gap to 17-14 after a 60-yard trick play.
Clemson answered with a six-play 44-yard drive to extend the lead to 24-14. Tigers’ quarterback Kelly Bryant threw for 151 yards and ran for 60 more and a touchdown. Running back Travis Etienne rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
Teams on the outside looking in
5. Oklahoma (9-1) - Beat sixth-ranked TCU 38-20 - If the Big 12 is going earn a playoff berth, that team is going to come from Norman. The Sooners ran away from TCU, outscoring them 38-14 in the first half. Heisman-favorite Baker Mayfield passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns. Rodney Anderson had 151 yards rushing and 139 yards receiving, and a total of four touchdowns.
6. TCU (8-2) - Lost to fifth-ranked Oklahoma 20-38 - TCU just didn’t have it Saturday night.
They fell behind early and couldn’t rally to make it a game. The Horned Frogs never turned-the-ball over, but couldn’t string together first downs or stop the vaulted Sooners’ offense. TCU quarterback Kenny Hill threw for 270 yards.
7. Miami (9-0) - Beat third-ranked Notre Dame 41-8 - The rout started early as the Hurricanes scored 14 points in the first quarter and 13 in the second, while holding the Fighting Irish to a big zero. Miami’s defense was relentless, and the turnover chain was bestowed to three different players. Quarterback Malik Rosier threw for 137 yards and a touchdown, and Travis Homer rushed for 146 yards on 18 carries.
8. Wisconsin (10-0) - Beat 20th ranked Iowa 38-14 - The Big Ten’s last chance for a playoff berth is still alive.
The game got off to a rocky start for the Badgers as Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook threw a pick-six on the opening series. But the Wisconsin defense shut down the upset-minded Hawkeyes and led 17-7 at the half. After Hornibrook threw another pick-six at the start of the third quarter, the Badgers’ defense got in on the action by returning an Iowa fumble for a touchdown. Hornibrook passed for 135 yards, along with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Freshman running back Jonathan Taylor continued his impressive season, racking up 157 yards.
9. Washington (8-2) - Lost to Stanford 22-30 - The Pac-12’s playoff hopes were already on life support, but flat-lined after the Huskies loss to The Cardinal.
Washington took a 14-10 lead into halftime, but Stanford running back Bryce Love was just too much. He rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns against the Huskies' defense. Washington’s Jake Browning threw for 190 yards, and Myles Gaskin rushed for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
10. Auburn (8-2) - Beat first ranked Georgia - The Auburn Tigers played giant-slayer on Saturday defeating the Bulldogs. The Tigers will have a chance to do it again in two weeks against Alabama. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham and running back Kerryon Johnson both came to play. Stidham threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns, while Johnson ran for 167 yards.
