Conference championship week has ended, and bowl season is fast approaching. The Voice conducted our final FBS poll today before the final College Football Selection releases this evening. Here are the results:
1. Oregon (13-0)
Points: 90 (6)
The undisputed #1 seed. Oregon is the only undefeated team in college football this season, and they’re the team to beat come playoff time. They beat Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten Championship Saturday to cap off an impressive season.
2. Georgia (11-2)
Points: 80
Georgia knocked off Texas 22-19 in the SEC Championship Saturday night, their second win over the Longhorns this season. It’s been a confusing season for the SEC, but Georgia has emerged above the fray to earn the second overall seed.
3. Notre Dame (11-1)
Points: 68
The Fighting Irish have come a long way since losing to Northern Illinois earlier this year. Notre Dame did not play last week, but they haven’t lost a game since Sept. 7, and they’re carrying that momentum into the postseason.
4. Penn State (11-2)
Points: 60
Penn State lost to Oregon 45-37 in the Big Ten Championship Saturday, but losing a one-score game to the best team in the country is the textbook definition of a strong loss (Just ask Ohio State and Boise State).
5. Texas (11-2)
Points: 59
Texas lost to Georgia in the SEC Championship, their second loss to the Bulldogs all season. Sure, Texas is coming out of the SEC only losing to Georgia, one of the best teams in the country. But considering that their best win of the season is against Texas A&M, it’s hard to say how well they will fare in the College Football Playoff.
6. Ohio State (10-2)
Points: 58
The Buckeyes missed out on a rematch with Oregon in the Big Ten Championship after a Rivalry Week loss to the Michigan Wolverines. That loss is a stain on the Buckeyes’ record, and it raised serious questions about their coaching and quarterback play. If they can’t find answers, head coach Ryan Day may end up looking for a new job (I heard Purdue might be looking).
7. Indiana (11-1)
Points: 52
Indiana only has one loss so far this season, a 38-15 shellacking against Ohio State. Unfortunately for the Hoosier faithful (including the author), Indiana is set for a rematch against the Buckeyes according to the Voice poll. Maybe the second time’s the charm?
8. Tennessee (10-2)
Points: 47
Our third SEC school was also idle last week. Tennessee has a chance to show that the SEC can field multiple strong teams in the playoff field.
8. Arizona State (11-2)
Points: 47
Arizona State dominated Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 Championship to give themselves a chance to get a top-4 seed and a first-round bye. One of the biggest surprise teams this year, the Sun Devils only have one loss and they could be a team to watch out for.
10. Boise State (12-1)
Points: 46
Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty has turned Boise State football into must-watch television. He put in yet another dominant performance against UNLV in the Mountain West Championship game, putting the Broncos in a good spot for a first-round bye.
11. SMU (11-2)
Points: 33
SMU lost to Clemson 34-31 in the ACC Championship on Saturday. We decided not to drop the Mustangs out of the Playoff based on the loss, but they did drop from the 8-seed to the 11-seed in our poll. The Selection Committee kept SMU in the playoff, but also moved Clemson in at the expense of Alabama.
12. South Carolina (9-3)
Points: 21
South Carolina is the last team in the Voice playoff picture. They lost to Alabama by two points earlier this year, but looking holistically at teams’ record, the Gamecocks have a strong case for the playoffs this year. And perhaps the enduring influence of Sports Editor emeritus Jo Stephens had something to do with our votes…
13. Clemson (10-3)
Points: 19
Clemson won the ACC Championship, but our voters decided that it wasn’t enough for them to make the playoffs this year. It will be interesting to see how conference championship games affect the final selection for a team that was on the outside looking in last week.
14. Alabama (9-3)
Points: 15
The Crimson Tide missing the College Football Playoffs would have been news in past years, but it’s even more surprising that they couldn’t make the playoffs when there are twelve spots available. Unfortunately, losing to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma was hard for our voters to overlook.
15. Miami (FL) (10-2)
Points: 14
Miami’s hopes of making the playoff were dashed by a loss to Syracuse last week that knocked the Hurricanes out of the ACC Championship game. To make things worse, it doesn’t look like star quarterback Cam Ward has much hope of winning the Heisman this year.
Also Receiving Votes: Ole Miss 7, Army 3, BYU 1
PLAYOFF PICTURE
No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Notre Dame
Winner plays No. 4 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl
No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State
Winner plays No. 3 Arizona State in the Peach Bowl
No. 10 Tennessee at No. 7 Texas
Winner plays No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl
No. 9 Indiana at No. 8 Ohio State
Winner plays No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl
First Three Out: Alabama, Miami (FL), Ole Miss
