Jeff Dantzler’s Top 12 – Bulldawg Illustrated

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Jeff Dantzler's Top 12
Jeff Dantzler

Well, here we are in the final week of the regular season and the big Thanksgiving Day weekend rivalry. The regular season is absolutely flying by. Bragging rights, playoff berths, trips to conference title games (if the teams want to go) are all up for grabs. This is a certain fact, teams that pay too much attention to things like playoffs and seeding generally don’t have to worry about it. Because they will get mad and it will no longer be a problem. The road in the SEC was doomsday for Ole Miss, Alabama and the Aggies. A reminder, this poll has a team from the SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big XII in the top four spots because the top four conference champions get the four byes to the College Football Playoff. And the no. 12th place gets a bye, presumably for the Group of Five champion. But wait! After a tough weekend for the Big XII’s top contenders, Boise jumps into the top four.

1. Oregon – The Ducks, after their comeback win at Wisconsin, had last week off. Now comes one of their old rivals as the Washington Huskies head to Eugene. The Ducks are in the playoffs and the Big Ten Championship Game. Dan Lanning has proven to be an excellent hire.

2. Texas – The Longhorns, with their 31-14 win over Kentucky and SEC chaos, have nearly achieved a CFP birth, but Atlanta still hangs in the balance. Next up, one of the biggest games ever in Longhorn and Texas A&M history … their first meeting in a long time.

3. SMU – The Mustangs improved to 10-1 on the season and took down Virginia and are now one win away from the ACC Championship Game. After an impressive road win, the Mustangs now host Cal. The only loss this season is to Brigham Young.

4. Boise State – It was close and tough, but the Broncos pulled off a great win over Wyoming – and its height – on the road in Laramie. Boise State came back and won 17-13 to make it 10-1 on the year. Oregon State takes to the Blue Turf on Friday night. The Broncos’ lone loss was by three at Oregon.

5. Ohio State – The Buckeyes turned their matchup against Indiana with a couple of big plays in the punt game. It’s back-to-back big home games as Michigan heads to the Horseshoe. If Ohio State wins, the Buckeyes are headed to the Big Ten title game.

6. Georgia – The Bulldogs pulled away from UMass to make it 9-2 on the season against the toughest program in the country. Now comes the bitter rival as the Yellow Jackets head to Athens. A win should secure a playoff spot for Georgia, but Kirby Smart and Co. can still earn an automatic bye if they can win the SEC in Atlanta on Dec. 7.

7. Tennessee – It was all Vols, bouncing back from the loss at Georgia with a 56-0 win over UTEP. Now comes much improved Vanderbilt in Nashville. There will be a lot of Orange there with a CFP berth on the line.

8. Penn State – The Nittany Lions survived a tough challenge in Minnesota to win 26-25. It’s 10-1 to Penn State. Next up is Maryland. If Penn State wins and Ohio State beats Michigan, State College figures to host a CFP game. The fake punt was the big play in Minneapolis.

9. Miami – The Hurricanes pulled away from Wake Forest and beat the Demon Deacons 42-14 in Winston Salem. Miami is knocking on the door and Cam Ward, a great QB gives the Canes a puncher’s chance every week. Be careful in Syracuse. The Carrier Dome can be tricky.

10. Notre Dame– In the biggest Irish-Army game since 1946, the Fighting Irish were very impressive. It was 49-14 Notre Dame, and a CFP berth was likely off the table. USC is next in South Bend. There’s no danger of a conference title game for the independents, and it’s a good bet they’ll host.

11. Clemson – The Tigers rolled past The Citadel, and now comes a huge challenge against arch-rival South Carolina, which is on the rise. The Gamecocks go to Death Valley. The Tigers are still very much alive in the potentially two-way CFP hunt. They want their hands full.

12. Arizona State – In one of the wildest finishes to an incredible day of college football, the Sun Devils beat Brigham Young 28-23. Who knows in the Big XII this year? Four teams have two league losses. Arizona hosts ASU. It’s been a disappointing year in Tucson, so ASU will try to cap off a great season with a road win.