Picks & Power Rankings: Playoff picture becoming more clear

The reality of the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff became even more clear this week.

Oregon sat atop the first College Football Playoff committee’s first rankings drop of the season on Tuesday evening. Ole Miss came in at No. 16, just behind Texas A&M (No. 14) and LSU (No. 15).

All in all, four teams from both the Big Ten and SEC were included the top 12. The ACC (Miami), Big 12 (BYU) and Mountain West (Boise State) were also represented in the top 12, alongside Notre Dame.

And while that stuff is fun to dive into, there’s still so much to be determined over the next month of play on the field. For instance, we’ll find out if my picks record will remain above .500. Remember, we pick games against the spread only in this space. Last week, I went 6-1 to bring my season record to 39-31.

Ole Miss vs. Georgia (2:30 p.m. / ABC)

This is certainly the one the Rebels have had circled since the offseason. And while a scenario where Ole Miss would lose this game and still have margin to get into the playoff would be ideal, there could be an advantage to having your back against the wall.

Georgia sits with just one loss, and Ole Miss has two. The Bulldogs still, conceivably, have a loss to give. The Rebels are most likely eliminated from playoff contention with their next loss.

It’s a testament to where the Ole Miss program has come since last season, where the talent discrepancy decided this matchup. This year, things like homefield advantage, turnovers and motivation are the deciding points.

Four keys to an Ole Miss win over Georgia

No. 16 Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2 SEC) hosts No. 2 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Here are four keys to a Rebels win over the Bulldogs.

My Pick: Georgia, 34-31

Mississippi State at Tennessee (6 p.m. / ESPN)

This matchup won’t provide much intrigue if you’re looking to watch a competitive game…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/picks-power-rankings-playoff-picture-020200293.html

Author : Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo

Publish date : 2024-11-09 02:02:00

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