The College Football Playoff rankings received another substantial shake up last week when Georgia and Notre Dame were beaten up by Auburn and Miami last week. Even Alabama struggled with Mississippi State before eventually pulling away with a late victory. The Crimson Tide get a much easier matchup this week (at home to Mercer) but the rest of the top 25 features some intriguing college football matchups that will be worth tuning in to watch. Here is a look at four ranked teams on upset alert this week.
No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 18 Michigan
Saturday, 12:00 PM ET
The only college football matchup of the week featuring two top 25 teams is an obvious choice for the top billing here. Despite all of the hype, Michigan has failed to live up to expectations in big games against Big Ten opponents under head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines will have their hands full again this week against an undefeated Wisconsin team. However, they are definitely capable of pushing the Badgers to the limit. Brandon Peters has helped spark a Michigan offense that has scored at least 33 points in three straight games. It will be tough to hit that mark against a tough Wisconsin defense this week. However, if the Wolverines play to their potential on both sides of the football they should be able to put the Badgers on upset alert in Week 12.
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. Navy
Saturday, 3:30 PM ET
Notre Dame is coming off a brutal loss to Miami and will need to bounce back in a hurry in order to avoid a letdown this week. The Midshipmen haven’t exactly dominated but they did win when these teams met a year ago. They will be motivated for what should be their most important game of the season.
The Fighting Irish are in an interesting spot: get the offense going early, get ahead with Brandon Wimbush under center and last week’s loss is probably forgotten. But remember that they benched Wimbush in the middle of the game last week. If he comes out and struggles again, they may have some mind games to deal with.
The Fighting Irish can’t afford to let a hangover linger following the loss to the Hurricanes. Yes, they very likely are eliminated from the College Football Playoff. However, a nice bowl game is still in play. If they play like they’re disappointed on missing out, they’ll be in for a dogfight. Notre Dame might win at home but this game could end up being closer than most expect it to be.
No. 12 TCU @ Texas Tech
Saturday, 12:00 PM ET
TCU controls its own destiny in the Big 12 heading into this weekend. After such a shoddy effort last week, it only makes sense that we put them on upset alert. The Horned Frogs have to travel to take on Texas Tech after dropping each of their last two games on the road. The rivalry between these teams has been incredibly competitive since TCU arrived in the Big 12 in 2012. The Red Raiders are capable of scoring points in bunches. On top of that, the Horned Frogs have to be at least slightly cautious as quarterback Kenny Hill is now questionable with an undisclosed injury. The Red Raiders season has been a disaster but this would be a nice feather in their cap. The Horned Frogs have to be on upset alert this weekend.
No. 22 Stanford vs. California
Saturday, 8:00 PM ET
Stanford’s upset win over Washington put Stanford back in the Pac-12 title hunt. Now they need to take care of business at home versus a Cal side that is coming off a strong performance in last week’s win over Oregon State. Russ Bowers threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover in last week’s win over the Beavers and if he protects the football this week then the Golden Bears could have a shot at pushing the Cardinal to the limit. Stanford should be able to win this game at home but crazier things have happened in the Pac-12 this season.
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