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It’s moving time in the SEC and Big Ten. On Saturday, Alabama dethroned LSU as the premier team in the SEC while Michigan State took a tumble, losing at Nebraska, which will have another chance at home to knock off an unbeaten Big Ten team when it plays Iowa in the season finale.
We are where we expected to be at the beginning of the season with Ohio State and Alabama leading the two conferences, right down to the loss the Crimson Tide always seems to suffer somewhere along the way.
Here’s the way the conferences rank with three weeks left in the regular season. Ohio State plays at Illinois on Saturday, followed by a home game against Michigan State and a trip to the Big House to take on Jim Harbaugh and Michigan. Alabama takes on a tough Mississippi State team with faint hopes of an SEC championship.
PLAYOFF CANDIDATES
1. Ohio State (9-0)
2. Alabama (8-1)
3. LSU (7-1)
4. Michigan State (8-1)
5. Florida (8-1)
6. Iowa (9-0)
Alabama moves up to No. 2 to replace LSU after beating the Tigers decisively. Michigan State drops a spot after a controversial loss to 3-6 Nebraska. Florida and Iowa lack stars and impressive victories, but may have easier roads to the College Football Playoffs than the teams above them.
NEXT IN LINE
7. Michigan (7-2)
8. Mississippi State (7-2)
9. Ole Miss (7-3)
10. Wisconsin (8-2)
11. Northwestern (7-2)
Any of these teams are capable of beating any team on a given day. At times, Michigan and Ole Miss have played like national title contenders. Wisconsin and Northwestern have quietly put together solid seasons. Northwestern’s opening-week victory over Stanford looks better and better.
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
12. Penn State (7-3)
13. Arkansas (5-4)
14. Tennessee (5-4)
15. Georgia (6-3)
16. Minnesota (4-5)
17. Auburn (5-4)
18. Texas A&M (6-3)
Some of these teams are hitting their stride after slow starts. Some are free-falling after reaching the top 10 in the nation. Arkansas and Tennessee are poised for late runs. Penn State is putting together an unspectacular, though solid, season.
TRAILING THE PACK
19. Indiana (4-5)
20. Illinois (5-4)
21. Nebraska (4-6)
22. Kentucky (4-5)
23. South Carolina (3-6)
24. Vanderbilt (3-6)
25. Missouri (4-5)
26. Rutgers (3-6)
27. Maryland (2-7)
28. Purdue (2-7)
Some of these teams will go to bowls, perhaps a few with 5-7 records. Each have major weaknesses. Finishing fast and making a bowl game would provide a boost of momentum for next season.
