The Most Likely First Loss for Every Undefeated Team

Alabama Crimson Tide 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 10/27 vs Mississippi State (7-0), 11/3 at LSU (7-1), 11/10 vs Texas A&M (5-2)

Most Likely First Loss: 11/3 at LSU

On November 3rd, the Tide travel to Baton Rouge to play LSU under the lights and LSU is almost impossible to beat at home at night. If somebody is going to beat this Alabama team during the regular season, the most likely suspect is Les Miles and his Tigers despite the troubles they’ve had on offense this season.

 

Florida Gators 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 10/27 vs Georgia (6-1), 11/24 at FSU (7-1)

Most Likely First Loss: 11/24 at FSU

Florida looks like they have three sure wins left against Missouri, Louisiana and Jacksonville State. That leaves Georgia and Florida State as the teams with a shot to beat Florida. Last year, both teams beat the Gators but the Seminoles have a two game win streak over the Gators and it’s more likely they will win than a Georgia team that looks a bit out of sorts at the moment.

 

Kansas State Wildcats 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 10/27 vs Texas Tech (6-1); 11/3 vs Oklahoma State (4-2), 11/10 at TCU (5-2), 11/17 at Baylor (3-3), 12/1 vs Texas (5-2)

Most Likely First Loss: 10/27 vs Texas Tech

Kansas State has gotten past the two toughest games on their schedule (at Oklahoma and at West Virginia) but they still have one of the toughest schedules in the nation remaining. When you look at the schedule, the easiest game looks to be Baylor. The Wildcats have two games left against top 25 opponents but Oklahoma State and TCU are also on the fringe of the Top 25. The way the Texas Tech Red Raiders have been playing, that looks like the most likely spot Kansas State could slip up but with this schedule it could honestly be any of the remaining games.

 

Louisville Cardinals 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 10/26 vs Cincinnati (5-1), 11/13 vs Temple (3-3), 11/10 at Syracuse, 11/29 at Rutgers (7-0)

Most Likely First Loss: 10/26 vs Cincinnati

Last year the Cardinals tripped on the road at Cincy. This year they host the Bearcats and popular opinion should have the Cardinals holding court. A couple of things tell me the Bearcats have more than a good chance of winning. Louisville has been living on the edge for weeks. They have seven wins and the last five have come by ten points or less. On the other hand, Cincy is coming off of a bad loss to Toledo and will want to come out and make a statement. If Louisville gets past Cincy, they could very likely be undefeated going into the Rutgers game at the end of the season.

 

Mississippi State Bulldogs 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 10/27 at Alabama (7-0), 11/3 vs Texas A&M (5-2), 11/10 at LSU (7-1)

Most Likely First Loss: 10/27 at Alabama

As it stands right now, the Bulldogs have only two victories over teams that currently have winning records and both of those teams play in the Sun Belt (Troy and Middle Tennessee). The competition is about to get ratcheted way up and even if Mississippi State is greatly improved over last year, they are going to have their hands full when they travel to play the #1 team in the country.

 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 10/27 at Oklahoma (5-1), 11/24 at USC (6-1)

Most Likely First Loss: 10/27 at Oklahoma

With back-to-back wins at Texas Tech and versus Texas in the “Red River Rivalry” (in addition to a destruction of Charlie Weis and his schematic advantage last week), the Sooners might be playing as well as anybody in the Nation right now. So far this season, Notre Dame has not played what I would consider to be a good offensive football team. Statistically the best offense they’ve played is Purdue (48th in the Nation in scoring). Oklahoma is fifth in the Nation in scoring. Notre Dame has a very good defense but playing against an elite offense and also playing on the road could spell the end of the Irish being unbeaten.

 

Ohio State Buckeyes 8-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 10/27 at Penn State (5-2), 11/17 at Wisconsin (6-2), 11/24 vs Michigan (5-2)

Most Likely First Loss: 10/27 at Penn State

Braxton Miller got knocked out of last weeks game and it’s not known at this time whether he will be playing this weekend. Even if he is, the trip to Happy Valley will be a tough one. Bill O’Brien has this Penn State team playing as well as any team in the Big Ten with back to back wins over Northwestern and at Iowa.

 

Ohio Bobcats 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 11/7 vs Bowling Green (5-3), 11/14 at Ball State (5-3), 11/23 at Kent State (6-1)

Most Likely First Loss: 11/14 at Ball State

Ohio got a break from the schedule makers this season by not having to play NIU or Toledo. The Bobcats might be the team most likely to go undefeated this season in college football. Last year, the Bobcats slipped up at home against Ball State. This year they have to go on the road and play a Cardinals team that has wins over Indiana and USF.

 

Oregon Ducks 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 11/3 at USC (6-1), 11/17 vs Stanford (5-2), 11/24 at Oregon State (6-0)

Most Likely First Loss: 11/3 at USC

Last year, the Ducks fell to USC at home by three points. This year they have to go on the road to take on the Trojans. If the Ducks can get past this one they have a great shot at going undefeated.

 

Oregon State Beavers 8-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 10/27 at Washington (3-4), 11/3 vs Arizona State (5-2), 11/10 at Stanford (5-2), 11/24 vs Oregon (7-0)

Most Likely First Loss: 11/10 at Stanford

Oregon State has played a tough schedule so far (vs Wisconsin, at UCLA, at BYU) but they have quite a few tough ones remaining. This is a different Oregon State team than it was last year but last year they did get rolled by Stanford at home and this year they have to go to Palo Alto where Stanford is undefeated so far this season including a win over USC.

 

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 7-0

Toughest Remaining Games: 11/17 at Cincinnati (5-1), 11/24 at Pitt (3-4), 11/29 vs Louisville (7-0)

Most Likely First Loss: 11/29 vs Louisville

Rutgers doesn’t exactly play a who’s who over the next few weeks as they play Kent State (who isn’t bad) and Army but the last three weeks of the year should be interesting. The Scarlet Knights have two road games and then have to play against Louisville (who beat them last season) on a short week at the end of November.

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