College Football Top Ten as of 11-06-2023
Another week and more movement in the Top Ten as the season winds down to the final few weeks. Here is this week’s new Top Ten:
Top Ten as of 11-06-2023
#10. Ole Miss 8-1 (+30,000) - The Rebels are in the Top Ten this week but for how long? They travel to #1 Georgia this week in a make-or-break matchup. Next Up: at #1 Georgia; Last week’s Rank (Unranked)
#9. Texas 8-1 (+1500) - The Longhorns survived this week in OT against Kansas State to keep their playoff hopes alive. Next Up: at TCU; Last week’s Rank (7)
#8. Penn State 8-1 (+10,000) - The Nittany Lions will eventually have to get by Ohio State and Michigan if they harbor National Title hopes. They fell at Ohio State already, can they upset Michigan at the Big House? Next Up: at #2 Michigan; Last week’s Rank (9)
#7. Oregon 8-1 (+1000) - The Ducks blasted Cal this week in a runaway victory and will now be a huge Utah fan as they hope the Utes upset the Huskies. Oregon matches up with the falling Trojans this week. Next Up: vs.USC; Last week’s Rank (8)
#6. Alabama 8-1 (+900) - Don’t look now, the Crimson Tide are making their move as it gets late in the season. A convincing win over LSU has Alabama looking like title contenders once again. Next Up: at Kentucky; Last week’s Rank (8th)
#5. Washington 9-0 (+1100) - Washington stayed unbeaten with a big win over the Trojans on the road. The Utes at home up next as they close in on a potential playoff appearance. Next Up: vs. Utah; Last Week’s Rank (6)
#4. Florida State 9-0 (+600) - FSU avoided a letdown this week with a comfortable win over Pittsburgh on the road. The Seminoles now are up against their biggest rival with the College Football Playoffs in the balance. Next Up: vs. Miami; Last week’s Rank (4)
#3. Ohio State 9-0 (+700) - Trailing 9-7 at halftime at Rutgers sure made for some uneasy moments in Columbus but the Buckeyes’ defense took over in the second half putting them one step closer to their showdown at Michigan in two weeks. Next Up: vs. Michigan State; Last week’s Rank (3)
#2. Michigan 9-0 (+220) - The Wolverines keep rolling along, blasting Purdue at home this past week. Outside distractions don’t seem to be slowing this team down. Next up: vs. #8 Penn State; Last week’s Rank (2)
#1. Georgia 9-0 (+260) - The Bulldogs kept all their win streaks intact this week with a win over a feisty Missouri team. The Bulldogs now prep for Ole Miss at home followed by a showdown in Tennessee against the Volunteers. Next Up: vs. #10 Ole Miss; Last week’s Rank (1)
In parenthesis, the odds of winning the National Title.
Upset Watch Week 9:
Things don’t always go according to plan in college football. Each week we will look at a possible upset against one of our top ten teams. Make that two straight weeks of correctly predicting Oklahoma upset specials, with the Sooners (-5) losing outright yet again, this time to Oklahoma State.
#18 Utah (+9.5) at #5 Washington 3:30 PM on Saturday: Utah has struggled this season against ranked opponents but they have two factors that could keep this game close and help them to cover: they rarely turn the ball over and have the ability to dominate time of possession. The Huskies could be ripe for a letdown game here after upending USC on the road last week.
The One That Got Away Week 1:
Each week we will look at a game from the previous week in which defeat was snatched away from the jaws of victory with a fateful play near the end of the game. We’ve all been there, why not painfully rehash it?
#3 Ohio State at Rutgers (+18)
The lesson to learn this week is simple, don’t mess with the Buckeyes regardless of the spread. Ohio State has already burned us this season in wins over Notre Dame and Maryland. Each time, it appeared that victory was in my grasp until the Buckeyes dashed my dreams. And yet, here I was again, tempting fate and going against the Buckeyes.
For the better part of three quarters, I don’t mind telling you that I felt like a know-it-all. Ohio State looked flat and Rutgers looked energized. By halftime, the Buckeyes trailed 9-7 outright and those 18 points that they were laying in this one looked insurmountable. A 14-0 Ohio State 3rd quarter had me wondering why I dared defy this Big Ten Power. The fourth quarter beckoned and the Scarlet Knights scored quickly and, at 21-16, the 18 points vaulted me way over the top.
We all know where this is headed and yet, it still seems unreal. Ohio State added a touchdown two minutes after Rutgers and now I was going to try to sweat out the final ten minutes. The game clock was not my friend at this point but it was dwindling. Maybe this time would be different. Maybe Ohio State wouldn’t feel the need for one more score when the game was all but ov…touchdown Buckeyes. An extra point later and the inevitable had happened. I swear on Archie Griffin’s two Heisman Trophies that I won’t go against the Buckeyes again…well, unless the spread is too inviting. Final Score: #3 Ohio State 35 Rutgers (+18) 15 - Loss
*All odds courtesy of Draftkings.com
By Mark Ruelle