Walk-On Redshirts Power 20 – Week 14

Notables

Notre Dame

Surely this will piss a lot of people off. The Irish take the top spot after decimating a top 25 team in Army on a neutral field this past week, 49-14. The sole loss for the Irish against Northern Illinois cost them plenty of points, but wins over multiple (at the time) top 25 opponents and a general wide margin of victory in wins is the driving force for this spot. Notre Dame finishes the season with USC, but the lack of a conference championship will likely catapult them out of this spot in just a few weeks.

Ohio State/Oregon

Ohio State bumps up to #2 this week after beating #5 Indiana at home, while Oregon lost two spots on a bye week. The difference between these two in points comes entirely down to margin of victory, as Oregon scored 10 bonus points in the win over top five Ohio State, while Ohio State gained 30 for mauling the Hoosiers on Saturday. The winner of the Big Ten Championship in a few weeks will almost certainly become the #1 team heading into postseason play.

Arizona State

The Sun Devils remarkable turn around this season continued with a top 15 win over BYU on Saturday. Now inside the top ten on the ratings, they’ll look to hold onto that spot with arch rival Arizona next week before a likely Big 12 Championship game appearance. The job alumnus Kenny Dillingham has done to transform a team that was dealing with NCAA scandal should make him a top candidate for Coach of the Year, and a potential playoff birth means America will continue to learn about Cam Skattebo, one of the more entertaining playmakers in college football.

State of South Carolina

Heading into a big in-state rivalry game this week, both Clemson and South Carolina remain in the Power 20 with wins over FCS opponents (though, I remain of the belief that should be illegal this late in the season). The winner stands a chance at breaking into the top ten, and on the surface (depending on Miami/Syracuse) this is potentially a playoff elimination game. With the way the SEC cannibalized itself this weekend, the winner of this game stands a much better chance at securing an at-large bid.