The top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have certainly had some surprisingly close calls early on this season but they have found a way to win their first seven games. There is a very good chance they stay undefeated at least until their final two games of the season. The Buckeyes could have a tough time in back-to-back games against Michigan and Michigan State to close out the year and while it might not seem like it now, that schedule is a big reason why there are at least a handful of teams that are more likely to go undefeated this season. Here is a look at the four teams with the best chance to stay perfect.
Utah Utes
It might not have been pretty but Utah found a way to not only beat Arizona State but topple them by 16 points in a game where the final margin was telling of their ability to rally together and get the job done despite dealing with adversity. Utah erased an 18-14 deficit to rally back for the win and the fact that they played their best football when the pressure was highest in the fourth quarter of that game spoke volumes about the team’s character.
When you’re looking at Utah to go perfect, it starts with the fact that their schedule looks manageable the rest of the way. Neither one of USC or UCLA looks nearly as impressive as they did heading into this season and other than that, they have trips to Washington and Arizona that might give them a little bit of problems. It’s mostly a down year for the Pac-12 and Utah is the best team. A perfect schedule is more than manageable for them.
Clemson Tigers
Boston College hadn’t allowed more than 14 points in any game this season until Clemson’s DeShaun Watson torched them for 452 total yards and four touchdowns in a 34-17 win in Week 7. The sophomore quarterback has thrown for 1,410 passing yards and 14 touchdowns and the Tigers have quietly improved to 6-0 on the season. Clemson managed to pull out close wins over both Louisville and Notre Dame earlier in the year and with No. 9 Florida State the only ranked opponent left on their schedule, they have a clear path to perfection. They’ll get to host that matchup with the Seminoles and then other than that, they should be able to take care of business. Expect them to be favored in every game the rest of the way.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa’s offense made an absolute statement with 492 total yards of offense in a 40-10 win over Northwestern. After hitting their stride on that side of the football, they could be tough to stop this season. The Hawkeyes already have a pair of wins over ranked opponents in Wisconsin and Northwestern and with a favorable schedule that doesn’t feature a single Top-25 opponent the rest of the way it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Iowa go undefeated this season. The key here is they don’t have to face Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State. Three of their final five games are at home and their toughest tests will be at Indiana and at Nebraska.
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Memphis Tigers
Memphis had quietly gone 5-0 to begin the year before being stepping into the national spotlight against Ole Miss last week. The Tigers could have folded under the pressure against a quality SEC team but instead they rallied back with quarterback Paxton Lynch leading the way. Lynch threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns and Memphis came back to stun the Rebels 37-24 in a statement win. The Tigers are a legitimate threat to go undefeated in the AAC as they currently hold the third-longest winning streak in the nation (dating back to last season). They will play back-to-back games against Houston and Temple later in the year, which will be very challenging since both games are on the road. Those games will likely determine who takes the AAC but if Memphis keeps this up, they might just go undefeated.
