The Undefeated: A Look into College Football’s No Loss Teams
There remain six teams in the country who have yet to lose a football game. The ranks of the unbeaten have slimmed considerably in recent weeks after Oklahoma and Wisconsin took tumbles followed by Kansas State and Clemson. Who, out of the remaining, will…remain? Let’s take a closer look.
#13 Houston
Remaining Schedule - @UAB, @Tulane, SMU, @Tulsa
Date of First Loss – N/A
Losses at End of Season – 0
With the very best passing and scoring offense in the nation, there appears no one on Houston’s remaining schedule who should trip them up. With the possible exception of playing at Tulsa, there really is not a team that should even give them trouble. This undefeated season is nice, not really all that impressive though and will result in no BCS controversy. Case Keenum should create some Heisman controversy however if he is not selected to attend the ceremony, especially since the award is rarely given to the nation’s best player anyway. The player with the best numbers should crack the top five.
#5 Boise State
Remaining Schedule - @UNLV, TCU, @San Diego State, Wyoming, New Mexico
Date of First Loss – N/A
Losses at End of Season – 0
Much like Houston, there is not a team on Boise’s schedule that will beat them. TCU is not near the caliber team they were the past two years, especially on defense. Unlike the Cougars though, this is sure to create much BCS controversy when Boise State ends with no losses and is left out of the National Championship game yet again. This most assuredly will happen. With such a weak schedule it even seems conceivable that a one loss team from a major conference could hop the blue-turfers in the BCS rankings.
#4 Stanford
Remaining Schedule - @Oregon State, Oregon, Cal, Notre Dame
Date of First Loss – November 26th
Losses at End of Season – 1
Well USC made it close, did they not? Stanford almost joined the first paragraph of this post rather than the body with their triple overtime victory over the Trojans early Sunday morning. The Cardinal still have a tough schedule remaining, making an undefeated season unlikely. The question is who they will lose to. I see a win at home against Oregon clinching a trip to the Pac-12 title game for Stanford. However, perhaps looking ahead to future contests or taking a once proud university for granted, they get tripped up against Notre Dame on the final day of the regular season. Stanford would “settle” for a conference championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl.
#3 Oklahoma State
Remaining Schedule – Kansas State, @Texas Tech, @Iowa State, Oklahoma
Date of First Loss – November 5th
Losses at End of Season – 2
Wouldn’t it be fitting if this Big 12 screw job went around another loop? Oklahoma was undefeated until Texas Tech took them down. The following Saturday, the Sooners then ended Kansas State’s unbeaten season. And now, Kansas State is ready to play Oklahoma State, the last team with a spotless record in the conference. If Kansas State takes down the Cowboys, look for Oklahoma to do likewise in their final game, souring an otherwise tremendous Oklahoma State season and relegating them to one of the “other” bowl games.
#2 Alabama
Remaining Schedule – LSU, @Mississippi State, Georgia Southern, @Auburn
Date of First Loss – N/A
Losses at End of Season – 0
Alabama feels like the better of the two this coming Saturday. They have a better running back, more level-headed head coach, just as competent a quarterback and just as tremendous of a defense. This is really splitting hairs as Alabama and LSU almost seem like mirror images of each other however, one has to lose. Neither team is likely to lose again after this matchup but both cannot go undefeated thanks to the scheduling gods. Alabama will win next Saturday and win every game after that, cruising to the Championship game in the process.
#1 LSU
Remaining Schedule - @Alabama, Western Kentucky, @Ole Miss, Arkansas
Date of First Loss – November 5th
Losses at End of Season – 1
Whereas Alabama gives me a solid, best team in the country feeling, LSU gives off a little hesitancy. This has nothing to do with their play thus far, which has been spectacular. Maybe it is Les Miles, maybe it’s the quarterback controversy/substitution pattern, and maybe it’s the suspension of their best player last week. Assuming Tyron Mathieu plays next Saturday, there should be no talent lost but it simply feels like LSU is not quite as good as Alabama. If that is the case, they will end the season with just one loss as they are certainly quite as good as Arkansas, who they play to end the year.
