Ranking the 3 Worst Losses of College Football Week 11

As of now, anyway.

While this marked the seventh season since 2002 that three top-five teams lost on the same weekend, the upsets extended even deeper Saturday.

Clemson, Michigan and Washington all suffered losses during the weekend, but the committee felt the Tigers and Wolverines still deserved spots in the top four. Also, Michigan has to lose one of its remaining games against IN and Ohio State.

Whether you’re a fan of either team or not, you nearly hope neither loses another game prior to November 26. Unlike the SEC, the Big Ten is rife with top-ranked teams, four of the top eight in the latest poll to be exact and it’s going to create a problem.

Michigan’s loss to Iowa created a potential predicament for the selection committee with the Buckeyes. He said, “The only loss that Ohio State has is to a CFP top-10 team (No. 8 Penn State), so in the committee’s eyes, Ohio State is deserving of that No. 2 ranking this week”.

Wisconsin was seventh and Penn State eighth, giving the Big Ten four teams in the top 10.

Kelly-Powell picked the Wolverines over his other finalists – Oregon, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Ohio State. Louisville has one more game in ACC play, but it’s against lowly Wake Forest.

Clemson looked to have taken a serious blow to its bid to return to the title game when it lost to Pittsburgh. No. 4 Washington fell next, succumbing 26-13 to USC as 10-point favorites. The Trojans went from 20th to 13th with the victory.

Meanwhile, the Gators had fallen out of the CFP ranking following a crushing loss to Arkansas, but hung on in the AP Top 25 and found their way back into the CFP Top 25 after defeating SC.

LSU didn’t just beat the Hogs, they dominated them.

The inclusion of two teams from the same conference also may happen for the first time ever this season, another thing Hocutt said the Committee is willing to do. That Pitt loss could come back to haunt them. Clemson has the longest home winning streak in the nation and the conference wining streak is second.

“Incredible to think what a blocked field goal [against Ohio State] could do to Penn State’s season”, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said. A date with rival Washington St still looms but Washington State has a loss to an FCS team on their resume’. Wyoming is a home underdog to San Diego State this week.

Publishing a ranking every week feels too much like the committee is just trying to generate hype and discussion when really there is no need for it. It certainly wouldn’t hurt the Buckeyes if Clemson, Louisville, or Washington were to lose a game.

Washington is a distant sixth with Oklahoma and Penn State fighting (closely at that) for the No. 7 spot. Their last two games are against #14 West Virginia and #11 Oklahoma State.

Washington State, Florida, Stanfordand Texas A&Mround out the top 25. It may prove impossible to make clean choices at the end, with 10 to 12 teams still nursing reasonable chances of making a solid case.