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Week Four CFB Key Games for Alabama football fans

By Ronald Evans

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 27: A general view is seen during the College Football Sydney Cup match between Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal) and Rice University (Rice Owls) at Allianz Stadium on August 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 27: A general view is seen during the College Football Sydney Cup match between Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal) and Rice University (Rice Owls) at Allianz Stadium on August 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) /
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Alabama football clamped down its hold on No. 1 in both CFB polls. Let’s check out how other teams did in week 4, in the SEC and nationally.

There were a few surprises in week four of college football. Alabama football remaining No. 1 in both polls was not one of them. Not that the polls matter as much as in the past. For the top teams, every CFB season is defined by the CFB Playoff ranking.

The first 2017 rankings will not be released until Halloween. We will skip the opportunity for a bad analogy. The CFB Playoff committee ranks 25 teams and determines the post-season fate of 12 teams through two playoff contests and four other ‘Big Six’ bowl games. During the six-week interval until the first rankings are published we will add to the innumerable iterations of speculation.

As in all else, we cannot know where we are going until we know where we are. So, let’s run down CFB week four. Except for a few SEC teams, we will only look at Power Five schools with a chance to make the CFB Playoff.

Atlantic Coast Conference

The ACC has five undefeated teams: Clemson and Wake Forest in the Atlantic Division; Duke, Miami and Virginia Tech in the Coastal Division. Miami has only been able to play two games. The others are 4-0.

Best Bet for the CFB Playoff – Clemson

Big 12 Conference

After TCU’s upset win over Oklahoma State on Saturday, the Big 12 has three undefeated teams: Oklahoma (4-0); TCU (4-0); and Texas Tech (3-0). It is hard to gauge the ‘no defense’ league but we give the Cowboys a better chance of climbing back into the Big 12 mix than we do the Red Raiders being relevant in November.

Best Bets for the CFB Playoff – Oklahoma and TCU

Big Ten Conference

Michigan (4-0), Penn State (4-0), Minnesota (3-0) and Wisconsin (3-0) are the league leaders. The Wolverines may have lost the starting QB to injury Saturday. One-loss Ohio State is still a factor.

Best Bets for the CFB Playoff – Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State

Pac 12 Conference

Washington (4-0) and Washington State (4-0) lead the North Division. USC (4-0) and Utah (4-0) lead the South Division. The best guess is this is a two-horse race rather a four-horse one.

Best Bets for the CFB Playoff – USC and Washington

Southeastern Conference

The nation has been calling our league, Alabama football, and the also-rans. The latest spin is Georgia can challenge Alabama football for SEC supremacy. Conjecture abounds over how ‘bad’ the other teams are – well except for Missouri, of which there is no debate. The Missou Tigers managed to make the Auburn Tigers look potent after the Mercer Bears had done just the opposite in Auburn.

Alabama football fans need to follow Nick Saban’s perspective and remember winning a SEC Championship is a big deal. So let’s look at the complete standings for the SEC.

SEC EAST

Florida (2-1 overall) 2-0

Georgia (4-0 overall) 1-0

Kentucky (3-1 overall) 1-1

South Carolina (3-1 overall) 1-1

Tennessee (3-1 overall) 0-1

Vanderbilt (3-1 overall) 0-1

Missouri (1-3 overall) 0-2

SEC West

Alabama (4-0 overall) 1-0

Auburn (3-1 overall) 1-0

Texas A&M (3-1) 1-0

Ole Miss (2-1) 0-0

Mississippi State (3-1 overall) 1-1

LSU (3-1 overall) 0-1

Arkansas (1-2 overall) 0-1

Best Bets for the CFB Playoff – Alabama and Georgia

Biggest Surprises in Week Four

  • Who would have thought a 0-2 FSU team would have a must-win game in week five against undefeated Wake Forest.
  • Maybe, and it remains a big maybe – Kevin Sumlin may not be a ‘dead man walking’
  • Tennessee may not have reached bottom. How much lower can the Vols go after beating a now 0-5, U Mass team, 17-13 in Knoxville? The Minutemen had already lost to Coastal Carolina and Old Dominion this season.
  • Never jump to conclusions based on a small sample BUT, Mississippi State dismantled LSU and then got destroyed by Georgia, How bad is LSU? They are either very bad or Georgia is very good.

Biggest ‘Not a Surprise’ in Week Four

  • A team called out Alabama football and was punished for it.

Next: 30 Great Tide Players who were 3-Star Recruits

It is a big week for Alabama football. It is time to hammer another nail into the Rebels-Black Bears coffin. We will run down all the latest information during Ole Miss week.

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