With the regular college football season coming to a close within the next month, any college football fan will be eager to see upsets, comebacks, and highlight play after highlight play as teams vie for spots in the playoffs.
To those who aren’t familiar, NCAA Division I college football is comprised of ten conferences across the country: the Power Four conferences (Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big 10, Southeastern) and the remaining six (American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac 12, Sun Belt). Playoffs are a twelve-team bracket, with the five highest-ranked conference champions receiving automatic qualifications to the playoffs. The remaining seven spots are given to the highest-ranked teams overall, and the top four teams are given automatic advancement to the quarterfinals.
One of the most highly anticipated games will be in the SEC, featuring the Tennessee Volunteers (ranked 7th) versus the Georgia Bulldogs (ranked 12th). The game will be at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on November 16th. This will be a critical conference that could potentially determine who will be going to the playoffs. Looking at Tennessee, they have had a stellar season defensively, which is likely responsible for their success. The defense has not given up more than nineteen points in any of its nine games, and the Volunteers lead the SEC in scoring defense, third-down defense, and red zone defense. However, their offense has not been as consistent. They are currently tied for 10th-best in the SEC, with only 7.5 yards per completion. Georgia has had a relatively successful, although inconsistent, season thus far. They have been dominant in many games, but have struggled to perform when the stakes are high. The Bulldogs suffered a 10-28 loss to Ole Miss and a 34-41 loss to Alabama, complicating their shot for the playoffs. With the home field advantage, however, they have an opportunity to recover. Historically, the Bulldogs have won seven out of the past eight games against Tennessee.
Within the Big 10 Conference, the most contentious match will be between the Indiana Hoosiers (1st in the Big 10 and ranked 5th overall) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (3rd in the Big 10 and ranked 2nd overall). The match will be November 23rd at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Indiana has found much success defensively, with only 13.8 points given up per game; on the other hand, Ohio State plays to their offense and is currently leading the Big 10 in offensive production. The Buckeyes boast 454.9 yards per game, 269.9 net passing yards per game, and 185 rushing yards per game. Both teams are battling for a conference title and for a spot in the playoffs, which will make for an intense matchup.
In our own region, the Wisconsin Badgers are not out of the running for playoffs, but a lack of consistency under the new head coach Luke Fickell has resulted in a current record of 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the Big 10, although with prominent victories against Purdue (52-6) and Rutgers (42-7) showing flashes of brilliance. For the remainder of the season, their Big 10 ranking demands that they finish strong in order to secure a post-season bowl game.
With conference spots and playoff opportunities on the horizon for many teams, the next few weeks will assuredly produce a plethora of action, intensity, and grit to keep any sports fan on the edge of their seat.
