By Collin Stevens of The ROAR
After an exciting weekend of college football, the College Football Playoff rankings have seen some adjustments from last week. Still sitting in the driver’s seat of playoff contention is Georgia (No.1), who beat fellow Bulldogs and SEC competitors Mississippi State 45-19, improving to 10-0 on the season. Ohio State and Michigan maintain their positions at No. 2 and No. 3 with Big 10 conference wins over Indiana and Nebraska at home. Following a low-scoring, weather ridden game against Northwestern, the Buckeyes piled it on against the Hoosiers, winning 56-14. The Wolverines won in similar fashion, beating Nebraska 34-3. Both teams improved to 10-0, only marking more calendars for their rivalry showdown on Saturday, November 26th in Columbus. At No. 4 sit the undefeated TCU Horned Frogs, fresh off of a 17-10 win over Texas on the road. Star wide receiver Quentin Johnston, initially a game-time decision due to a high-ankle sprain, made his contribution to the scoreboard late in the game with a 31-yard touchdown grab. Rounding out the Top 5 in the standings is Tennessee, proving their offensive proficiency in a 66-24 beatdown against Missouri. Oregon, formerly No. 6, falls all the way to No. 12 after suffering an upset loss to Washington in a 37-34 thriller. Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. entered the game leading the nation in passing yards per game and added to his resume with an impressive 408 throwing yards to stun the Ducks. Wins by LSU (No. 6), USC (No. 7), and Alabama (No. 8) bumped all three teams up a spot in the rankings this week.
As for Clemson, a 31-16 win over a hot Louisville team cements the Tigers in the No.9 spot. Wide Receiver Antonio Williams showed out with 10 receptions for 83 yards, capping his impressive performance with a 4-yard touchdown. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was 19/27 on the day with 185 yards passing. The Clemson ground-game against the Cardinals was spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Phil Mafah and Will Shipley. Mafah led the rushing attack with 106 yards on only 10 touches, while Shipley put up his own 97-yard clinic in the backfield. The Tigers are set to take on a 5-5 Miami team in Death Valley this upcoming Saturday, Nov 19th. A win against the Hurricanes will propel Clemson into rivalry week and a match-up against South Carolina. While the Carolina program has undoubtedly transformed under the leadership of Shane Beamer, the Gamecocks come off a recent 38-6 loss to Florida and must face Tennessee this Saturday. Though Tiger fans everywhere hope that the Vols can blow out the flame of South Carolina’s spirit, there is little doubt that rivalry week will only reignite them. For now, Clemson looks to take one game at a time, seeking any opportunity to creep toward playoff contention and improve their standings.
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