Some interesting results among the conference championships shook up the lower portion of the Top 25. Nebraska faced the biggest upset, being completely blown away by Wisconsin. That's kind of how the Badgers work. They struggle against an opponent, even lose, in the first meeting, but learn enough during that game to beat them the second time. Unfortunately, I think Nebraska would have done better against Stanford. While Wisconsin battled Oregon to the bitter end last year, I think Stanford has this Rose Bowl sewn up.
Bowl predictions will be provided in two different posts yet to come, but my picks for the FCS Championship appears at the end of this column.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) [1]
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) [2]
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) [3]
4. Oregon Ducks (11-1) [4]
5. Georgia Bulldogs (11-2) [5] : Impressive game despite loss. They stayed at Number Five
6. Kansas State Wildcats (11-1) [6] : Struggled early against Texas, but took command in the second half
7. Florida Gators (11-1) [7]
8. Texas A&M Aggies (10-2) [8]
9. Florida State Seminoles (11-2) [9] : Too close against Georgia Tech
10. LSU Tigers (10-2) [10]
11. Stanford Cardinal (11-2) [12]
12. South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2) [11]
13. Clemson Tigers (10-2) [13]
14. Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) [14]
15. Northern Illinois Huskies (12-1) [15]
16. Boise State Broncos (10-2) [16]
17. Utah State Aggies (10-2) [17]
18. UCLA Bruins (9-4) [17] : Close loss to Stanford
19. San Jose State Spartans (10-2) [21] : Beneficiaries of losses by Nebraska and Kent State
20. Fresno State Bulldogs (9-3) [22]
21. Kent State Golden Flashes (11-2) [20]
22. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3) [24] : UCF's loss helped them
23. Michigan Wolverines (8-4) [NR]
24. USC Trojans (7-5) [25]
25. Oregon State Beavers (9-3) [NR] : Although their point spread didn't count, the win advanced them over losses by UCF and Nebraska
On the Edge: This week, it is led by two conference winners: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (10-3), Louisville Cardinals (10-2), Northwestern Wildcats (9-3), Penn State Nittany Lions (8-4), Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-3), Texas Longhorns (8-4), Wisconsin Badgers (8-5), North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4), Cincinnati Bearcats (9-3), BYU Cougars (7-5), Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-5)
Dropped: Nebraska Cornhuskers [#19], UCF Golden Knights [#23]
FCS Quarterfinals
Mostly all of the home teams won last week, which is unusual for the FCS Playoffs. More unusual, I think that streak will continue, as the top teams are very strong. I will make picks all the way to the National Championship, providing alternative matchups based on upsets.
#5 Georgia Southern Eagles at #4 Old Dominion Monarchs: Have to favor the one-loss Monarchs here. Yes, Georgia Southern has the experience, but Old Dominion has the offense. They scored 63 points against Coastal Carolina. Granted, Coastal's defense is not on the same level as Georgia Southern, so expect less scoring, but I still think the Monarchs will advance. OLD DOMINION by 13
#6 Sam Houston State Bearkats at #3 Montana State Bobcats: Sam Houston scraped by Cal Poly, eliminating my upset pick, but I think Montana State's defense will hold them back. MONTANA STATE by ten
Illinois State Redbirds at #2 Eastern Washington Eagles: Half of the remaining teams come from the Missouri Valley and Big Sky conferences, and here is a game where those conferences battle each other. The Redbirds shocked Appalachian State in overtime by blocking the PAT that would have forced a second overtime period. I don't think this game will get into overtime. The Eagles are the stronger team, and they protect their players and the ball too much to let this one slip through their fingers. It may be close, though. EASTERN WASHINGTON by six
Wofford Terriers at #1 North Dakota State Bison: The two most dominant defenses of the playoffs face off, and it should be a fierce battle. Wofford has been in this situation before, so they have some idea how to win playoff games. North Dakota State has the talent, but can they continue to perform? The Missouri Valley was a tough conference this season and North Dakota came within three points of going unbeaten, so I have to favor them. NORTH DAKOTA STATE by four
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