“If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?”
-Vince Lombardi
The scoreboard does not necessarily tell you who the better team was. Usually, but not always. Yes, it always tells you the winner, but sometimes the better team loses. As they say, that’s why the game isn’t played on paper.
No, the scoreboard tells you which team did what needed to be done to get the win. Not all the teams listed below have looked great, and some have not been the better team on the field each week. But these 16 have done what it takes in order to win, and thus are still undefeated.
After four weeks of game, 17 teams (14%) are left without a number in that second column. Or rather, with the best number of all, zero.
Since there’s so few teams left (and not all of them play tomorrow), I’m going to briefly highlight each game and predict a winner. Currently I’m 12-5, so this will give me a chance to get way ahead or fall way behind. Or break even.
The teams will be presented in order from worst to first.
#17 Texas A&M: Fun Fact #1: The Aggies have the number one offense in the country right now in terms of average yardage. Fun Fact #2: Arkansas, who plays them this week, does not care at all about Fun Fact #1.
Arkansas wins.
#16 ucla: The only undefeated team left in the PAC-10, thanks to two wins over horrible teams and a victory against a Tennessee team whose biggest accomplishment of the year thus far is losing to Florida. But this week the bruins play Stanford, who have one of the nation’s top QBs, top RBs, and top kick returners in spite of the fact that they all play for Stanford.
Stanford wins.
#15 Missouri: Picking the best thing that the Tigers have done so far this year is difficult, not because they are amazing at everything but because they are extremely mediocre. This week they host Nebraska, who managed to move the ball against a very good Virginia Tech defense. If the Huskers can move the ball, the Tigers won’t be able to hold them to just field goals.
Nebraska wins.
#14 Wisconsin: They beat Michigan State. But only by 8 points. But they were never really in danger of losing the game. So it’s still hard to get a bead on this team. A win over Minnesota would add another chapter to the book, but only a short Dan Brown-like chapter. We still don’t know enough about this team to say how good they are.
Wisconsin wins.
#13 Michigan: Defense wins championships, but offense wins games. If you’re not a great team, you want to be better on offense. Because even the most inept guy in a shootout against an army still has a remote chance as long as he has a gun and doesn’t run out of bullets.
Michigan is going to fall back to reality soon, and that’s not so bad because the reality is they are vastly improved over last year’s team. But that fall won’t be this week against Michigan State.
Michigan wins.
#12 LSU: Has there been a less impressive #4 team? Okay, maybe Ole Miss, but at least that was due to their high ranking based on false expectations. The Tigers have risen 7 spots based on actual results of actual games, and those results have been dreadful foreshadowing of the beatdown that is to come. As they say, a gun shown in the first act of a play must go off in the second, and LSU’s offense is going to get shot in the face this weekend against Georgia.
Georgia wins.
#11 Kansas: A touchdown victory of previously unbeaten Southern Miss was nothing spectacular, but it seemed fine at the time. Now that Southern Miss just lost to UAB, it doesn’t look so pretty. Lucky for the Jayhawks they essentially have three bye weeks in a row (a real one this week, then games against Iowa State and Colorado) before hosting Oklahoma.
#10 Houston: In a way, they DID have a letdown game against Texas Tech, but they still found a way to win. There’s no real reason they can’t go undefeated the rest of the season. Not saying they will, but they have the best shot of anyone who doesn’t play on a blue field. And UTEP certainly isn’t going to beat them.
Houston wins.
#9 TCU: You know it’s strange days when I’m giving the Horned Frogs props for beating Clemson. If they were going to drop a game before BYU, it was going to be that one. They should stay in the polls a few more weeks at least, especially after they beat SMU tomorrow.
TCU wins.
#8 South Florida: Bobby Bowden’s post-game conference expression said it better than anyone ever could. “I knew they was good, but I didn’t know they was that good.” Losing their senior starting QB didn’t slow the Bulls down one bit. Part of that is to blame on the bipolar play of the Seminoles, but the Bulls will play Cincinnati next week undefeated after killing Syracuse tomorrow.
USF wins.
#7 Cincinnati: It feels like Tony Pike has been around there longer than I’ve been misspelling their name (i. e. forever). Right now I’m not sure who will win when they play USF, but for now I don’t have to choose. I just have to say they’ll beat Miami of Ohio, easily.
Cincinnati wins.
#6 Iowa: This team is getting better each week. I think after the double blocked field goal near debacle to end the first game, the entire team has read the rule book cover to cover and used it to their advantage. If they can get their offense going a little better (and playing Arkansas State will give them the best chance to do that), they could become the team to beat in the Big 10.
Iowa wins.
#5 Boise State: All the Broncos can do it win out and let what happens happen. Their win against Oregon looks a WHOLE lot more impressive now. Even just beating Oregon would look good now, but they DOMINATED Oregon, completely shutting down their offense.
Boise won’t lose a game unless they beat themselves, and that hasn’t happened at all in the last few years. It certainly won’t happen against UC Davis tomorrow.
Boise State wins.
#4 Auburn: Where is the love for this team? Their offense is putting up just gaudy numbers. Sure, it might not be the best competition, but I’m not sure last year’s team could have gotten this kind of offensive production against the tackling sled. They face a formidable Tennessee defense this week, but if the Tigers can score above the teens, it’s probably impossible for the Volunteers to catch up to them.
Auburn wins.
#3 Texas: They have a bye this week, then they play Colorado, and then they finally play a real game. THE game, against Oklahoma. Colt McCoy has made some very non-senior mistakes in the past few games, but all of the offense the team produces more than makes up for his two or three errant throws.
#2 Florida: The Gators finally looked like the Gators against Kentucky. In the most perfectly timed bye week in the history of Tebow, they’re off this week to give him time to rest. No one in the world will be surprised when he plays against LSU, but more than just Florida fans will be wary. The thing is, Florida doesn’t need Tebow to beat LSU. Not because they’re that good (though they are) but because LSU is just not that great.
#1 Alabama: Their win over Virginia Tech just keeps looking better. And their question mark of a QB is now a giant exclamation mark. This is clearly the best all-around team in terms of production and results on the field. Honestly I think Auburn is their biggest regular season challenge at this point. One thing’s for sure, it’s certainly not Kentucky.
Alabama wins.
So if my predictions hold up, after tomorrow there will be only 13 undefeated teams left. And that’s when it starts to get real interesting.