Playoff Rankings - Week 2

Here we go — it’s Georgia hate week, Auburn’s got a matchup against the #1 team in the country, and that only precedes a matchup against who might be the #1 team in the country in a couple weeks.

It’s a tough road, but we’ve got a team that I believe is capable of pulling it off. If Gus Malzahn can get through that stretch, then he may well be untouchable at Auburn in terms of job security.

So, how big is the upcoming game against Georgia?

It’s an official top ten tilt.

Georgia retained its top spot in the playoff rankings, and really the only crazy difference is the relative absence of the Big Ten in the upper echelon of the rundown. Wisconsin’s the only team there, but man they’ve looked fairly unimpressive against a cupcake schedule. After Ohio State lost to Iowa, the Buckeyes’ chances fell, and once Penn State’s inconsistent offense became a mainstay, the Nittany Lions were out.

This week will greatly change the rankings, since we’ve got some absolutely crazy games coming on Saturday. Let’s run it down:

• #10 Auburn vs #1 Georgia
• #2 Alabama vs #16 Mississippi State
• #3 Notre Dame vs #7 Miami
• #5 Oklahoma vs #6 TCU
• #8 Wisconsin vs #20 Iowa
• Not to mention #4 Clemson vs Florida State (who isn’t good, but talented)
• And #9 Washington vs Stanford

How does this work out for Auburn? Well, the Tigers are the nation’s highest-ranked two-loss team. They’ve got the most room for poll improvement with the possible schedule ahead.

Pretend, just pretend that we see a win over Georgia this weekend. How high does Auburn rise naturally with that win? #6? #5? I bet Auburn would jump Washington and Wisconsin (despite the Badgers’ unblemished record) anyway, but now either ND/Miami or Oklahoma/TCU will fall as well. This is the launching pad, but it comes at a cost. You just have to beat #1 Georgia. Simple, right?