Pete
Fiutak
Q: Who's the best of
the one-loss teams?
A:
Has everyone forgotten about Texas? As I keep saying, if Ohio
State is the no-brainer number one team in the nation, then it's
possible that Texas is number two. Colt McCoy is getting better and
better each week, the lines are playing great, and the defense, outside
of giving up three huge plays to Nebraska and some deep balls to Baylor,
has been terrific.
Ranking the next nine one-loss teams based on how good I think they are
at the immediate moment:
2. Florida - I know the Gators just lost to Auburn, but on a neutral
field, I'm taking the Gators against just about anyone.
3. California - The Washington game might serve as a bit of a wake-up
call. If this team is rolling, its offense is unstoppable.
4. Arkansas - I'm a believer. The running game can rumble on anyone,
while I love how the defense is progressing.
5. Auburn - Everyone loves Auburn, but the Arkansas loss is too fresh in
my mind. This seems like the type of team that can get hot and beat
anyone in the country, but the motor needs to always be running.
6. Wisconsin - The defense has been terrific and the offense is getting
better and better.
7. Tennessee - The win over Georgia doesn't appear to be that big a deal
now. A win over LSU will make me a believer.
8. Boston College - Will anyone give this team any credit and love?
While it might not be pretty, it's rock-solid.
9. Clemson - The Georgia Tech win was as impressive as they come, but
don't forget about how close the Tigers came to losing to Wake Forest. I
still want to see more.
10. Notre Dame - A great team shouldn't need miracles to beat Michigan
State or UCLA.
Richard
Cirminiello
Q: Who's the best of
the one-loss teams?
A:
Clemson. After
watching the Tigers completely humiliate a pretty good Georgia Tech
team, I’m sold that this team is one of the five best in the country.
Yeah, yeah, it’s a bit impetuous since their signature moment came just
48 hours ago, but Clemson is doing everything well these days, improving
as the season wears on and getting contributions from players, such as
LB Antonio Clay, who weren’t even starters when the season began. The
emergence of true freshman C.J. Spiller to go along with sophomore James
Davis gives the offense a devastating speed-power combo to complement
the senior leadership of QB Will Proctor. Oh, and Proctor should get
All-ACC game-breaker Chansi Stuckey back from a broken foot before the
end of the month. The defense, which just shut out All-American WR
Calvin Johnson, creates turnovers, leads the ACC in sacks and is ranked
fourth nationally, while the special teams is ably manned by K Jad Dean,
P Cole Chason and dynamic return man, Jacoby Ford. What’s not to like
about a veteran Clemson team that’s a double-overtime loss at Boston
College from being No. 4 in the BCS standings? Texas and the SEC trio
of Auburn, Florida and Tennessee are very good teams, but each is flawed
and, when compared to Clemson, is getting a little boost because they’re
name-brand programs. If the Tigers can win in Blacksburg this Thursday,
they’ll be poised to get to 11-1 before a rematch with Tech or a date
with Miami in the league title in Alltel Stadium on Dec. 2.
John
Harris
Q: Who's the best of
the one-loss teams?
A. To try
to take the guesswork out of how to quantify what ‘best’ means, I
thought about this question this way – what one loss team would I not
want to see on the opposite sideline right now? It might be a surprise,
but it’s Clemson. As you pick up your jaw up off the floor, take
note, serious note, of what Clemson did to one of the best run defenses
in the nation, Georgia Tech, last Saturday night (well, they were until
Clemson was done with them). RB James Davis went over 200 yards rushing
and true freshman RB CJ Spiller proved to a national television audience
that he might be the best, and most electrifying, freshman back in the
nation. The offensive line, even without senior guard Roman Fry, is the
best unit in the nation and QB Will Proctor has shown throughout this
season that he can carry this team when the running game slows down.
And, the offense has been without star WR Chansi Stuckey the past two
weeks – imagine what will happen if, and when, they get him back. No
defense has had success against them this year.
On defense, DE Gaines
Adams continues to take his game to a Tamba Hali level and the rest of
the defense is on swarm patrol. LB Nick Watkins and Antonio Clay have
emerged as one of the best linebacker duos in the conference, and that’s
even without injured LB Tremaine Billie and Anthony Waters. The
secondary has improved immensely from the start of the season and held
All-American WR Calvin Johnson to zero catches. Ze-ro. And, the extra
point team even had little trouble Saturday night. They need BC to lose
one down the stretch, but even if they don’t, Clemson should run the
table and make a statement in a BCS bowl game.
Matthew
Zemek
Q: Who's the best of
the one-loss teams?
A: Texas. Winning on an absolutely miserable day in
Lincoln is more impressive than the wins of all the other one-loss teams
from week eight. Texas--and especially its "Colt Hero" under center--has
undergone a mental metamorphosis since the humbling loss to Ohio State.
The poise of "the Real McCoy", combined with a stout run defense, enable
the Horns to compare quite favorably with every other one-loss team out
there. If they can avoid the gigantic mistakes they made against
Nebraska--and were still able to overcome, by the way--they will be in
the mix for Glendale without question.
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