DISCLAIMER: I work for a national media affiliate but do not have a vote in the Associated Press poll so my opinion means virtually nothing. These rankings have nothing to do with preseason polls or last season’s results; they’re based on games that have been played this year only. The rankings will be volatile, especially early in the season.
Lot of chalk this weekend in college football which means not a lot of movement near the top of the rankings. LSU has joined Penn State and Florida as premiere open coaching destinations which could lead up to an all time offseason coaching carousel. I imagine we’re not far off from seeing screenshots of flight trackers around mid sized cities in the south. If they’re not in talks already, Ole Miss better have a Brinks truck ready for Lane Kiffin.
FSU isn’t far behind the other programs I just mentioned; I’d be surprised to see Norvell finish the season there. Coach prime probably realizes he’s topped out his potential at Colorado after that brutal Utah loss so expect him to be in the mix for the Seminoles.
It’s wild to think the Big 12 could finish regular season play with three or four ten-win teams if the teams at the top don’t completely cannibalize each other. BYU, Texas Tech, Houston, Cincinnati and Utah could all reach ten wins and have just wiped the floor with the rest of the conference.
Anyone have preseason odds for College Gameday going to Cincinatti at Utah?
Winners:
Texas was dead in the water in Starkville and came back out of nowhere to win in overtime. At 6-2, the Longhorns are still in the mix to get to the SEC title game. It helps that one of their losses was non-conference.
Lane Kiffin is going to make a lot of money this offseason. Ole Miss took care of OU on the road and sit at 7-1, ranked 7th in the country.
Byrd Ficklin put on a show against Colorado from start to finish. The true freshman gained 151 on the ground and propelled the Utes back into the top 25. His meager 45% completion rate was good for a 128.9 rating and Big 12 offensive player of the week.
BYU just can’t lose. Iowa State had them on the ropes and they utilized a defect they saw in the Cyclones’ punt return scheme to bury them. This team is going to win 11 or 12 games and be in the college football playoff.
Losers:
UNC finally almost secured the signature win of Belichick’s first and likely only season there. They went for two to win the game against a ranked Virginia team and came an inch short. South Carolina had Alabama in their crosshairs and just couldn’t pull the trigger in a game where Lanoris Sellers looked like the player scouts pegged him to be this season.
PJ Fleck is 1-8 vs Iowa throughout his Gophers tenure. If Wisconsin wasn’t so bad, there’d be a lot of talk about his job.
Oklahoma State just might never win a game again.
- Ohio State can lose to Michigan a fifth straight time and still cruise to a natty.
- Indiana looks like Ohio State without a Michigan problem. They finish with Maryland, Penn State, Wisconsin and Purdue. Two think two Big Ten teams finish 12-0 is crazy, but for one of them to be the Hoosiers?
- Texas A&M is quietly headed towards their first SEC championship game appearance. Their season finale with Texas could decide their fate while Bama or Georgia wait for them on the other side.
- Alabama is the best team not named Ohio State.
- Georgia Tech – Haynes King for Heisman? They’re 7-0 and could get a first round bye in the playoff if they can take care of Georgia down the stretch.
- Georgia’s matchup with Georgia Tech in week 13 could be the biggest game in the history of the rivalry.
- BYU plays like a team of destiny, every week getting the karmic bounces that Notre Dame fans think they should be getting.
- Vanderbilt wins even when Pavia doesn’t play all that well. They just took down Mizzou for their third ranked win of the season and could get their this weekend at Texas. If they can get a bigger stadium built quickly, they won’t be the doormat of the conference ever again.
- Oregon is really being punished for the Indiana loss. They Ducks could finish 11-1 and miss the conference championship game.
- Ole Miss needs to extend Kiffin like how IU did Cignetti. Too many good openings to lure him away from Oxford.
- Louisville
- Miami
- Texas Tech
- Virginia
- Notre Dame
- Memphis
- Tennessee
- Houston
- Cincinatti
- Texas
- Navy
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Utah
- North Texas
mitchlinsley.com 
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