College football hit Week 7 with nine FBS teams still perfect, but let’s be real, staying unbeaten through December? That’s a mammoth obstacle for most of them. The schedule gets brutal from here, especially after five previously-unbeaten teams like Alabama, Duke, Nebraska, North Dakota State, Pitt, and Texas all went down in Week 6. The College Football Playoff selection committee rankings are just a few weeks out, so these unblemished squads need to build their resumes, fast.
#1 Georgia Faces a Familiar Foe
The #1 team in the AP poll, Georgia, has their first projected loss coming up on November 7 against Ole Miss. Think the Bulldogs can just roll into Oxford with their fierce rushing attack and bludgeon an underperforming defense? It’s possible, sure. But this Ole Miss offense has picked up yards in chunks against Kirby Smart’s squad over their last three meetings. Remember last season’s 39-34 victory in the CFP? That’s fresh in everyone’s mind.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and his team believe this is a matchup they can absolutely win, especially if they can turn it into a game decided by explosive plays. Making Georgia’s secondary uncomfortable is their top priority, something Alabama just couldn’t do enough of in their loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday. Georgia’s had three unbeaten regular seasons under Smart and snagged national championships twice during those years. The question is, is this current top-ranked team really as good as those 2021, 2022, and 2023 squads? Ole Miss will tell us a lot.
#3 Miami: A Buzzsaw or the Real Deal?
Then there’s Miami, sitting at #3 in the AP poll, and get this: their projected first loss? The article just says, “I don’t see it.” That’s a bold statement, right? There’s a lot of chatter that the Hurricanes are gonna run into a buzzsaw when they head to South Bend next month, mainly because their schedule hasn’t exactly been murder’s row up to this point. But what if the opposite happens? What if Miami *is* the buzzsaw?
These guys rank #1 nationally in total offense and #6 in total defense. And those aren’t inflated stats; they include legit road wins over Wake Forest and Clemson. Defensively, the Hurricanes have the front-seven talent to completely shut down whatever Notre Dame throws at them. Plus, their quarterback is playing with insane efficiency this fall: an 84.2% completion rate, 15 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Unless Mario Cristobal’s squad completely stumbles in an unexpected ACC upset before that Notre Dame game next month, that South Bend clash is gonna be the single most impactful game for them.
The path for all nine of these unbeaten teams is about to get way more demanding. With the CFP committee getting ready to drop their first rankings, every single snap means something. Can Miami truly run the table, or will someone, somewhere, finally prove to be their match? It’s gonna be wild to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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