Playoff chances gone? week 3 recap
One week before conference play officially starts and we already got some great conference matchups. The top teams are starting to pull ahead and we now can start predicting who will be in the playoffs. The SEC and the Big 10 seem to have the highest caliber teams like usual but, some teams are surprising us this year.
Over the weekend, we saw two teams ruin their playoff chances, after just three weeks of football. The Clemson Tigers, who had a 38% chance of making the playoffs going into the year, now have a 5.4% chance after the loss to Georgia Tech. The preseason favorite to win the ACC is in trouble after dropping their second game of the season in Atlanta. One of the preseason Heisman favorites Cade Klubnik has not looked like himself as he looks uncomfortable with the football. He seems to second guess himself while in the pocket and looks indecisive when running the ball. The Tigers are also struggling on defense, what we thought would be a strength of this team, has been very disappointing. The Tigers opponents have been methodical with their drives by chewing up the clock and running the ball. The rush defense that was ranked top 10 in the country is struggling this year and it shows with the loss. The Tigers would have to win the rest of their games with their toughest opponents being Florida State and South Carolina. Even if they win out they still have a low percentage of making the playoffs this year. Another disappointing season for Dabo Swinney as he tries to get back to dominating the sport. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had arguably the toughest first two opponents to start off their season. They lost to Miami in week one but were still considered to be a playoff contender as they had a great chance of running the table. That quickly changed as the Texas A&M Aggies rolled into South Bend and beat the Irish in a high scoring back and forth affair. Both teams struggled stopping each other's offenses which isn’t very surprising for the Aggies as they had one of the worst passing defenses in the country last year. For the Irish, it is very concerning. They pride themself on great defense and since Al Golden left it has looked very spotty. Head coach Marcus Freeman, has to figure out why his team continues to struggle at the start of each season. Since he has become the head coach, Notre Dame has suffered at least one loss in September every season. Now that they are 0-2 I don’t believe that they can make the playoffs as a 10-2 team. Their toughest opponent on their schedule is USC and based off of their ranking it might not mean much to the committee.
With Clemson now out of playoff contention, the race for the ACC title is wide open. Georgia Tech has the clearest path to the championship game as they will be favored in every conference matchup for the rest of the season. The Yellow Jackets coach, Brent Key has completely turned his alma mater around. Under Key, the Yellow Jackets are 7-1 against ranked opponents. Miami and Florida State would be the favorites to win the conference but they both play each other. If Georgia Tech runs the table one of them will not make the championship. Could you imagine Georgia Tech going to the playoffs? I can, but if they lose to Georgia at the end of the year and lose in the conference championship game they would be a 10-2 team. The Yellow Jackets, depending on Clemson’s season, may not have a marquee win to hang their hats on. In my opinion, they would need to win the ACC to show the committee they belong.
This weekend showcased why the SEC has always been at the top of college football. The atmosphere, quality of players, and even the fans, this weekend was a success for the conference. The shootout in Neyland will be one of the best conference games of the season. Of course, Georgia was the team to walk away victorious. Not sure if there’s some luck, but the Bulldogs are resilient and have always figured out a way to win. There’s not a doubt in my mind that both of those teams will be in the playoffs come December. We have a candidate for best game of the year, and it’s going to be Texas A&M upsetting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Aggies have just won their first road ranked game since 2014. Mike Elko, the Aggies head coach, wins wherever he goes and it seems like this could be his year to bring them to the playoffs. Their defense still needs some development as they still get beat down the field quite a bit. I was very impressed with quarterback Marcel Reed’s development. He was able to drive his team down the field multiple times when they needed it most. The Aggies had 13 penalties and were able to overcome them and win the game. This will be a tight race in the SEC for not only the conference but the playoff rankings!
