The college football season is now in mid-October, which means the focus on teams and where they stand in relationship to the College Football Playoff becomes more of a point of interest. The biggest thing to realize in terms of rankings is that when you see the writers’ or coaches’ polls, they generally rank teams not in terms of what they have accomplished to this point in the season. The voters generally vote in terms of which teams have the best future chance to make the playoff. Ohio State is the highest-ranked one-loss team in the major polls, but the Buckeyes hardly have the best resume of any one-loss team. They have played a very soft schedule in their victories in 2017: Army, Rutgers, UNLV, Indiana, and Maryland.
North Carolina State has to play Notre Dame and Clemson, and if it loses just one of those two games, it will not play for the national title, so the Wolfpack are not ranked very highly in the actual polls or in the estimation of writers. However, as you will see, North Carolina State has done more good things than almost every other one-loss team. This list is based on achievements to date, not on national championship expectations.
1. Oklahoma Sooners
The Sooners suffered a terrible loss to Iowa State, but they have the best win of any one-loss team, a road victory at Ohio State. They won handily against a team which could still be the Big Ten champion. As long as Oklahoma doesn’t lose another game, it is still in excellent position to make the playoff. It needs Washington to lose once, but other than that, an Oklahoma team which finishes 12-1 will be in the playoff without any added help. The Sooners’ big concern is avoiding a second loss, but if they do manage to win the rest of their games, they are in great shape.
2. North Carolina State Wolfpack
The Wolfpack, as said above, have achieved more than most one-loss teams. They won at Florida State, which is a big deal even though the Seminoles are struggling this season. Florida State is a flawed but very talented team, and it is never easy to win on FSU’s home field. It wasn’t easy for North Carolina State, but the Wolfpack’s pass rush was able to win that game by getting lots of red-zone stops. N.C. State then beat defending Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson and Louisville in Week 6. The Wolfpack own two of the more impressive wins this season, and that should easily put them ahead of the others on this list.
3. USC Trojans
The Trojans have a solid win over Stanford. The win over Texas could grow in value, but that remains to be seen. USC’s one loss is to unbeaten Washington State, so the Trojans deserve to be in the top three. If anyone wanted to put them at No. 2, that would be debatable, but certainly allowable.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish’s loss to Georgia looks better and better, as does the win over Michigan State after the Spartans upset Michigan last week. Notre Dame’s resume is solid and improving week to week. Although many had gone sour on head coach Brian Kelley after that Georgia loss, it’s hard not to like what the Irish have done this season to this point. They could be a top-five team had they beat Georgia.
5. Virginia Tech Hokies
The Hokies’ win over West Virginia gives them more on their plate than the other teams listed below. Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech, who plays West Virginia Saturday. If Texas Tech wins that game, Oklahoma State would leapfrog Virginia Tech, but for now, it’s the Hokies in front.
As of now, the Hokies only loss on the season was to Clemson. That’s nothing to be ashamed about as the Tigers are one of the best teams in the nation – if not the best.
- Oklahoma State
- Auburn
- Ohio State
- Michigan State
- Michigan
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