Trevor Lawrence remains atop the Heisman Trophy watch list, but Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is closing the gap. And in Week 8, a familiar name is ready to join the race...
College Football Rankings 2020: Overview of Week 7 Standings for NCAA's Top 25
Oct 17, 2020
Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) pulls in a pass over Mississippi defensive back A.J. Finley (21) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Alabama won 63-48. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
The top of the college football rankings will be significantly altered over the next few weeks.
Starting with Week 7's clash between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs, there are a few matchups that will reshape the list of potential national championship contenders.
Alabama and Georgia enter Saturday as the respective No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the AP Top 25, and it could be the first of three top-10 matchups in the next four weeks.
The No. 1 Clemson Tigers are building up to their November 7 clash with the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Both ACC teams play three unranked sides in the buildup to the clash at Notre Dame Stadium, and the Fighting Irish could be in the top three as early as Sunday.
Saturday will be the final chance for Notre Dame, the North Carolina Tar Heels and others to build cushions over the top Big Ten teams in the polls.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have seen a few programs jump over them at No. 6, but they could be in the top three by November 1 if they beat the Penn State Nittany Lions on October 31.
Week 7 AP Top 25
1. Clemson (4-0)
2. Alabama (3-0)
3. Georgia (3-0)
4. Notre Dame (3-0)
5. North Carolina (3-0)
6. Ohio State
7. Oklahoma State (3-0)
8. Cincinnati (3-0)
9. Penn State
10. Florida (2-1)
11. Texas A&M (2-1)
12. Oregon
13. Miami (3-1)
14. BYU (5-0)
15. Auburn (2-1)
16. Wisconsin
17. SMU (5-0)
18. Tennessee (2-1)
19. Michigan
20. Iowa State (3-1)
21. Louisiana (3-1)
22. Kansas State (3-1)
23. Virginia Tech (2-1)
24. Minnesota
25. USC
Depending on how the Alabama-Georgia game plays out, the winner could steal first-place votes away from Clemson.
The Tigers received 59 of the 62 first-place votes in the AP poll ahead of Week 7. Alabama had two, and Georgia took the other.
The Crimson Tide enter with an edge over the Bulldogs since they have won the teams' past three meetings and are playing on home soil Saturday.
Although Alabama's defense did not look great in its 63-48 win over Ole Miss in Week 6, its offense bailed it out by producing its second straight 50-point performance.
Mac Jones and Co. are expected to face a tougher test against a Georgia defense that conceded a combined 37 points in its first three contests. That total would have been smaller if the Tennessee Volunteers did not score a defensive touchdown in the first quarter of Week 6.
If Alabama's offense—with two potential first-round picks at wide receiver in Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith—breaks down Georgia's defense, it could move closer to Clemson in poll points. The same could be said about Georgia if Stetson Bennett IV picks apart the deficiencies in the Alabama secondary that allowed Matt Corral to throw for 379 yards last time out.
Clemson will likely remain atop the Top 25 since it is expected to run through the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Dabo Swinney's side outscored its first four opponents 169-53 and is coming off a domination of the Miami Hurricanes on home soil.
Travis Etienne was a menace to the Georgia Tech defense in the 2019 season opener, as he ran for 205 yards in a 52-14 victory.
If Clemson continues to play at its high level, it should still receive a majority of the first-place votes over the winner of the SEC's biggest clash of the season.
There may not be much movement beneath the top three since Notre Dame and North Carolina are the only other top-10 teams in action. Ohio State and Penn State start the Big Ten season in Week 8, while Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and Florida all had their games postponed.
The BYU Cougars may be the week's largest gainer in the polls since they knocked off the Houston Cougars Friday night.
That may also apply to the SMU Mustangs, who could break into the top 15 at 5-0 after downing the Tulane Green Wave in overtime Friday.
The 2020 Heisman Trophy race is reaching an odd landmark. Several candidates for college football's most prestigious award are nearing their fifth appearance of the season, so their respective margins for error are thinning...
College Football Rankings 2020: Week 7 Polls, Schedule and Standings Predictions
Oct 12, 2020
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones looks for a receiver against Michigan during the second half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
One of the most anticipated games of the college football season will give us an insight into which team may be the best College Football Playoff contender out of the SEC.
No. 2 Alabama hosts No. 3 Georgia Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium in a game that should take over the national spotlight. This will also be the first time the the two teams have met in the regular season since 2015.
The winner of the SEC showdown will be viewed as the top contender to Clemson in the Top 25 rankings and will gain a massive advantage in the playoff discussion.
Although no other ranked programs face each other in the upcoming week, seven Top 25 sides have to go on the road, and some may have tougher challenges on their hands than expected.
Week 7 Schedule
All Times ET.
Wednesday, October 14
Coastal Carolina at No. 21 Louisiana (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Friday, October 16
No. 17 SMU at Tulane (6 p.m., ESPN)
No. 15 BYU at Houston (9 p.m., ESPN)
Saturday, October 17
No. 1 Clemson at Georgia Tech (Noon, ABC)
No. 8 Cincinnati at Tulsa (Noon, ESPN2)
Pittsburgh at No. 13 Miami (Noon, ACC Network)
No. 14 Auburn at South Carolina (Noon, ESPN)
Louisville at No. 4 Notre Dame (2:30 p.m., NBC)
LSU at No. 10 Florida (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
No. 11 Texas A&M at Mississippi State (4 p.m., SEC Network)
No. 5 North Carolina at Florida State (7 p.m., ESPN)
No. 3 Georgia at No. 2 Alabama (8 p.m., CBS)
Boston College at No. 23 Virginia Tech (8 p.m., ACC Network)
Predictions
Alabama Handles Georgia At Home, Tests Clemson For No. 1 Spot
Since the two best teams in the SEC last met in regular-season play, Alabama have taken wins over Georgia in the 2018 National Championship Game and SEC Championship Game the following season.
Saturday's clash is expected to be as close as the last two meetings, but the Crimson Tide could have the advantage on offense.
Nick Saban's side is coming off back-to-back 50-point performances against Texas A&M and Ole Miss, with Mac Jones throwing for over 400 passing yards in both victories.
The high volume of passing plays in those games should have handed the quarterback plenty of confidence to deal from the pocket to Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and others.
Waddle and Smith are over 300 receiving yards, while breakout star John Metchie hauled in 11 catches for 298 yards.
Alabama also has a stable of running backs to rely on, led by Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr. Even if the former is out of the game for a few plays, the Crimson Tide could threaten the Bulldogs with the latter, Trey Sanders or one of the wide receivers on a gimmick running play.
Georgia's offense has displayed the ability to pull away from teams while its defense takes over. It beat Auburn and Tennessee by a combined 71-27.
While Kirby Smart's team deserves credit for beating Top 25 teams in back-to-back games, the Tigers and Volunteers have proved they are not on the level of Georgia or Alabama.
Containing the Crimson Tide will be a much harder task for the Georgia defense since it has to deal with a larger stable of playmakers.
The Bulldogs have allowed 38.3 rushing yards per game, but have conceded 230.6 total yards per game, a total that could be inflated by Alabama's production.
Georgia's defense may turn the contest into a low-scoring affair, but its offense does not have the abundance of game-changing players that Alabama possesses. Wide receiver George Pickens may be the only Bulldogs star to match the dynamism of Waddle and Smith.
If Alabama impresses while defeating Georgia, it could challenge Clemson for the No. 1 spot since the Tigers have played a weaker schedule in the ACC.
Dabo Swinney's side is coming off a win over Miami, but that is the team's only victory over a ranked foe. Alabama would have two wins over a pair of Top 15 teams in its first four games.
If anything, the Crimson Tide could give voters a tougher decision on their ballots than the first few weeks, when Clemson gained the majority of first-place votes.
North Carolina Faces Trouble At Florida State
On paper, North Carolina's trip to Florida State does not seem too threatening.
The Seminoles enter the matchup at 1-3 with their only victory coming against FCS program Jacksonville State, who they struggled with in the first half.
Although it has a pair of double-digit defeats to ranked sides, Florida State displayed more fight against Notre Dame in Week 6 than anyone expected.
Mike Norvell's team put up 26 points in the road loss and looked decent with Jordan Travis heading the offense. The quarterback threw for 204 yards and led the team in rushing yards with 96.
Now that Florida State finally has a decent performance to build on, it could test a program with a growing target on its back.
North Carolina moved up to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 after losses by Miami and Florida and is coming off a 56-45 home win over Virginia Tech.
Saturday's trip to Doak Campbell Stadium begins a stretch of five games against unranked teams for the Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels may not lose in Tallahassee, Florida, but they might get a stiffer test than expected with Florida State looking to show its improvements on a national stage.
Just as they did in Week 6, the Seminoles are capable of hanging around for a half or longer, which could cause North Carolina to get a bit tight offensively.
Mack Brown's team should still come home with a win, but its performance may lead voters to reconsider its position above Ohio State in the rankings.
Mac Jones Dazzles with 435 Yards, 4 TDs as No. 2 Alabama Beats No. 13 Texas A&M
Oct 3, 2020
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws a pass against Western Carolina during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The Alabama Crimson Tide proved yet again they're one of best teams in the country with a 52-24 win over the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday.
Mac Jones was the star of the show for No. 2 Alabama, throwing four touchdown passes, including three that went for more than 60 yards. John Metchie III scored the first two touchdowns of his career in what became a blowout during the Tide's first home game of the season in front of a limited crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
It was a complete effort to knock off the No. 13 team in the Associated Press poll, giving Alabama its first resume-building win of 2020.
Kellen Mond recorded three touchdown passes, but Texas A&M still suffered its eighth straight loss to its SEC West rival.
Notable Performances
Mac Jones, QB, ALA: 20-of-27, 435 passing yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
The Crimson Tide might have lost several key players from last season to the NFL, but it still boasts one of the top attacks in the nation behind Jones.
He had 435 passing yards on just 27 attempts, turning heads on the first drive with a 78-yard touchdown toss to Metchie, which featured a beautiful deep ball:
There were some question marks about Jones heading into the season since he is replacing Tua Tagovailoa, but there will be few doubters after just two games.
Najee Harris also provided plenty of help, totaling 69 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns.
Even with limited touches, his work as a runner and receiver makes him an elite NFL prospect:
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 3, 2020
With 2 rush TD in the first half, Najee Harris now has 5 rush TD on the season.
The only Alabama players with more rush TD through the team's first 2 games over the last 25 seasons are Shaun Alexander (8) in 1998 and Derrick Henry (6) in 2015. pic.twitter.com/GDG9zYGjp3
I think @MoveTheSticks nailed it with his Matt Forte comp for Najee Harris.
Both have size, cutting ability, patience, toughness and outstanding receiving skills. Forte had a little more home run ability but Harris can create as well.
The Tide made some mistakes, including a bad interception by Jones, but 544 yards with only about 22 minutes of possession showed they will be difficult to stop.
Few Big Plays Not Enough to Keep Texas A&M Competitive
The Aggies showed great resolve in the first half, overcoming a 14-0 deficit with huge plays.
This is clearly a talented team that could win a lot of games, but you need to be near perfect to beat Alabama on the road, and that wasn't the case Saturday.
What's Next?
The schedule remains difficult for Texas A&M, which will host No. 3 Florida next Saturday. Alabama will go on the road to face Ole Miss.
Mississippi State's upset of LSU highlighted the opening weekend of the 2020 SEC season, yet several other surprises popped up, even if the favorites mostly backed up their billing...
College Football Rankings 2020: Latest Standings and Predictions for Week 5
Sep 28, 2020
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix warms up before the start of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 in Auburn, Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
The Week 5 college football slate might be a little lean when it comes to Top 25 matchups—just two—but that doesn't mean we'll be short on good games. The SEC, which registered eight teams in the AP Top 25 and three of the top four ranked teams, will feature both ranked showdowns.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Ohio State (No. 6), Penn State (No. 10), Wisconsin (No. 19) and Michigan (No. 23) re-entered the rankings after the Big Ten officially announced that it would reverse course and play this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oklahoma, which gave up a 21-point lead and lost a 38-35 heartbreaker to Kansas State, dropped all the way from No. 3 to No. 16. Meanwhile, LSU, which couldn't slow down Mike Leach's high-flying Mississippi State (yes, you read that right), fell 14 spots all the way down to No. 20.
We're breaking down the Top 25 tilts, but keep an eye on Memphis-SMU, Boston College-North Carolina, and Ole Miss-Kentucky as a couple of intriguing matchups you might've otherwise missed.
After easily dispatching Missouri 38-19 on Saturday, No. 2 Alabama will get what should be a substantially tougher challenge when it welcomes No. 13 Texas A&M to Tuscaloosa for the prime-time afternoon game on CBS. Quarterback Mac Jones was no Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts against Mizzou, but he was efficient and effective getting the ball to the Tide's numerous playmakers. The Aggies come in off of a puzzling 17-12 win over lowly Vanderbilt, in which A&M's defense played well, but the ballyhooed offense led by Kellen Mond was pedestrian.
Alabama's first-string defense was dominant in the first half against Missouri, holding the Tigers to just 112 yards and a field goal. Mond and Co. should have more success than that, but they'll have to do a lot more than they did against Vandy to keep this competitive.
Prediction: Alabama 38, Texas A&M 17
No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 7 Auburn
This has all the makings of the weekend's best matchup—potentially by a large margin. Both Auburn and Georgia struggled with inferior opponents early on Saturday, but each came away with a decisive victory to set up a showdown between two of the three teams chasing Alabama in the SEC this season.
While the Tigers have the quarterback position all sewn up with Bo Nix (233 yards, 3 TDs) under center, Georgia is still in the middle of a quarterback battle. The Bulldogs offense was supposed to be helmed by grad transfer Jamie Newman, but he opted out of the season to prepare for the NFL draft. USC transfer J.T. Daniels got an immediate eligibility waiver, but he is still rehabbing from an ACL injury suffered last season. That leaves D'Wan Mathis, who started Saturday's game against Arkansas, and Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on who finished it.
Mathis is a much bigger dual threat, but he struggled mightily against a pretty porous Arkansas defense, completing only 8-of17 passes and throwing an interception. Bennett, who likely had no dreams of playing this season just a few weeks ago, completed 20 of 29 pass attempts for 211 yards and two touchdowns.
Overall, Georgia still has more talent across the board, including on its vaunted defense, but good quarterback play—or a lack thereof—might be the deciding factor in this one.
Prediction: Auburn 31, Georgia 20
Follow Keegan on Twitter @ByKeeganPope.
Mac Jones, No. 2 Alabama Cruise to Easy Season-Opening Win vs. Missouri
Sep 26, 2020
Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, center, pulls down a reception between Missouri's Tyree Gillespie, right, and Ishmael Burdine, left, during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
No. 2 Alabama scored the game's first 21 points and led 28-3 at halftime en route to a 38-19road win over Missouri on Saturday at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field in an SEC battle in Columbia.
The trio of Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, running back Najee Harris and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle proved too strong for the Tigers defense.
Harris scored on a pair of one-yard touchdown rushes and an eight-yard run. Jones found Waddle for 18- and 23-yard touchdown passes.
Missouri trailed 35-3 in the third quarter before scoring 16 points down the stretch on a Harrison Mevis 37-yard field goal, a 54-yard Tyler Badie touchdown reception and a Connor Bazelak seven-yard touchdown run, the latter of which came with no time remaining in regulation.
The game marked the 2020 season opener for both teams as well as Eliah Drinkwitz's first game as the Tigers' head coach.
Notable Performances
Alabama QB Mac Jones: 18-of-24, 249 passing yards, 2 TD
The Alabama wide receiver corps featured a pair of future first-round NFL draft picks in Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy last season, and DeVonta Smith may very well join them next April.
Junior wideout Waddle didn't see as many opportunities as those three last year, but Ruggs' and Jeudy's departures for the NFL made room for him on the field this season.
Waddle dominated in his first opportunity as a featured player on Alabama's offense thanks to eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
His efforts played a key role in Alabama storming to a 28-3 halftime lead thanks to his two touchdown catches, the first of which came from 18 yards out and gave the Crimson Tide a 13-0 edge:
Waddle has a bright future ahead of him, and Dane Brugler of The Athletic thinks very highly of his NFL draft prospects:
#Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle pretty much doing whatever he wants vs. the Missouri defense. He enters the season as my WR2 prospect (behind only LSU's Ja'Marr Chase).
Waddle tonight: 7/121/2 and it's not halftime yet.
At the very least, watching Waddle is quite exciting, with Marq Burnett of the Nashville Business Journal wondering if anyone has fit that adjective best more than this wideout during head coach Nick Saban's Alabama era:
Honestly not even hyperbole: has there been a skill player more exciting than Jaylen Waddle during the Nick Saban era? (Key word is exciting)
Ultimately, Waddle passed his first test in a featured role, and his efforts should go a long way toward determining whether Alabama can get back onto the College Football Playoff national championship perch.
What's Next?
Alabama will host No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Tuscaloosa's Bryant-Denny Stadium. Missouri will visit No. 16 Tennessee in Knoxville's Neyland Stadium on Saturday at noon.
The 2020 regular season will have a different look and feel, but the destination is still the same. Every team is hoping its journey ends with a trip to the College Football Playoff...
Mac Jones Named Alabama QB; Started 4 Games in 2019 in Place of Tua Tagovailoa
Sep 21, 2020
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones looks for a receiver against Michigan during the second half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The Alabama Crimson Tide have named Mac Jones the starting quarterback over freshman 5-star prospect Bryce Young.
"Mac has had a really good camp," head coach Nick Saban said, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN. "Really played well in the last scrimmage. Did a good job of taking the leadership role. I think he's playing with a lot of confidence."
Jones, a redshirt junior, started four games last season in relief of the injured Tua Tagovailoa, going 3-1 as the starter. In total, he threw for 1,503 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions, completing 68.8 percent of his passes.
He'll be without two of his top targets from a year ago, however, with Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III now in the NFL. DeVonta Smith (68 receptions for 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns) does return, though, and last season's All-SEC first-team selection will be the focal point of the passing attack.
Jones' experience surely played a key factor in him locking down the starting gig.
"I think obviously the more knowledge and experience you get from playing, the mistakes that you make and the good plays that you make all help you develop confidence and increase your chances of playing with consistency by making better choices and decisions," Sabantold reporters. "I think that shows in Mac's play, and we're very confident that he can do a good job for us."
Smith also praised Jones:
"He understands the importance of being a starting quarterback and the things he has to do. He's come a very long way, and I'm excited for him.
"... I believe in Mac the same way I believed in Tua. As far as him being a leader, just when we come to the sideline after we take our reps and the things we talk about and what didn't go right on the play or what we could have done better, that lets me know that he's in for it and he's ready to lead the team."
The Crimson Tide will be looking to return to the College Football Playoff after missing it last year for the first time since its inception. How Jones plays in his first full year as the starter will go a long way to determining whether they do.
Alabama opens the season Saturday at Missouri at 7 p.m. ET.
