I am convinced that few of the 11 teams ahead of UGA would only have two losses with UGA's schedule. I think the CFP is vastly underrating what it has taken to play UGA's schedule.
I thought I would do a deep dive into what those 11 teams have faced so far. I knew UGA had the hardest schedule, but the results really are a startling contrast as to caliber of opponents and home field for big games
Below is overall schedule and the four hardest games for the top 9 teams. I will add the other 2 soon. (Hopefully, the formatting works.)
#9 Miami (9-1)
Opponent Record
Florida 4-5
Florida A&M 5-4
Ball State 3-7
South Florida 4-5
Virginia Tech 5-5
California 5-4
Louisville 6-3
FSU 1-9
Duke 7-3
Georgia Tech 6-4
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#19 Louisville (6-3), away, W 52-45
Duke (7-3), at home, W 53-31
Georgia Tech (6-4), away, L 28-23
California (5-4), away, W 39-38
(Miami has not played a team with less than three losses. Miami has one win over a currently ranked opponent.)
#8 Notre Dame (8-1)
Opponent Record
Texas A&M 7-2
N. Illinois 5-4
Purdue 1-8
Miami, OH 5-4
Louisville 6-3
Stanford 2-7
Georgia Tech 6-4
Navy 7-2
Florida State 1-9
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#15 Texas A&M (7-2), away, W 23-13
#19 Louisville (6-3), home, W 31-24
Georgia Tech (6-3), away, W 31-13
Navy (7-2), at home, W 51-14
(Notre Dame has actually played some team with winning records. Not great teams, but better than most)
#7 Tennessee (8-1)
Opponent Record
Chattanooga 6-4
NC State 5-5
Kent State 0-9
Oklahoma 5-5
Arkansas 5-4
Florida 4-5
Alabama 7-2
Kentucky 3-6
Miss. State 2-8
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#10 Bama (8-1), home, W 24-17
Arkansas (5-4), away, L 19-14
N.C. State (5-5), at home, W 51-10
Oklahoma (5-5), away, 25-15
(They have only played two Power 4 opponents with 4 or less losses. Tenn. is 1-1 in those games, although it was Bama.)
#6 BYU (9-0)
Opponent Record
S.. Illinois 3-7
SMU 8-1
Wyoming 2-7
Kansas State 7-2
Baylor 5-4
Arizona 3-6
Oklahoma State 3-7
UCF 4-6
Utah 4-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#14 SMU (8-1) away, W 18-15
#16 Kansas State (7-2), at home, W 38-9
Baylor (5-4), away, W 34-28
Utah (4-5) away, W 22-21
(They have only played two opponents with less than 4 losses.)
#5 Indiana (10-0)
Opponent Record
FIU 3-6
W.Illinois 3-7
UCLA 4-5
Charlotte 3-6
Maryland 4-5
Northwestern 4-5
Nebraska 5-4
Washington 5-5
Michigan State 4-5
Michigan 5-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record) --Results
Nebraska (5-4) at home, W 56-7
Washington (5-5) at home, . W 31-17
Michigan (5-5) at home, W 20-15
UCLA (4-5) at UCLA, W. 42-13
(They have only played one opponent all year that has less than 5 losses. Indiana has not played a game against a currently ranked opponent.)
#4 PSU (8-1)
Opponent Record
WVU 5-4
Bowling Green 6-4
Kent State 0-9
Illinois 6-3
UCLA 4-5
USC 4-5
Wisconsin 5-4
Ohio State 8-1
Washington 4-5
Michigan 5-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#2Ohio State (8-1) at home, Lost (20-13)
Illinois (6-3) at home, W 21-7
Wisconsin (5-4), away, W 28-7
WVU (5-4) away, W 34-12
(They lost to the only opponent that they have played this year with less than 3 losses. Penn State does not have a win against a currently ranked opponent.)
#3 Texas (8-1)
Opponent Record
Colorado State 6-3
Michigan 5-5
UTSA 0-9
UL Monroe 5-4
Miss. State 2-8
Oklahoma 5-5
UGA 7-2
Vandy 6-4
Florida 4-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#12 UGA (7-2) at home, Lost (30-15)
Vandy, (6-4) away, W 27-24
Michigan (5-5), away, W 31-12
Oklahoma (5-5) at home, W 34-3
(They lost to the only Power 4 opponent that they have played this year who has less than 4 losses. Texas does not have a win over a currently ranked opponent. )
#2 Ohio State (8-1)
Opponent Record
Akron 2-7
W. Michigan 5-5
Marshall 6-3
Michigan State 4-5
Iowa 6-4
Oregon 10-0
Nebraska 5-4
Penn State 8-1
Purdue 1-8
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#1 Oregon, away, L 32-31
#4 PSU, away, W 20-13
Iowa (6-4), at home, W 35-7
Nebraska (5-4), at home, W 21-17
(They have only played two Power 4 opponents who have less than 4 losses. They went 1-1 in those games.)
#1 Oregon (10-0)
Opponent Record
Idaho 7-3
Boise State 8-1
Oregon State 4-5
UCLA 4-5
Michigan State 4-5
Ohio State 8-1
Purdue 1-8
Illinois 6-3
Michigan 5-5
Maryland 4-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#2 Ohio State (8-1) at home, W 32-31
#13 Boise State (8-1), at home, W 37-34
Illinois (6-3), at home, W 38-9
Michigan (5-5) away, W 38-17
(Nice wins. However, all three of their biggest games were at home).
I thought I would do a deep dive into what those 11 teams have faced so far. I knew UGA had the hardest schedule, but the results really are a startling contrast as to caliber of opponents and home field for big games
Below is overall schedule and the four hardest games for the top 9 teams. I will add the other 2 soon. (Hopefully, the formatting works.)
#9 Miami (9-1)
Opponent Record
Florida 4-5
Florida A&M 5-4
Ball State 3-7
South Florida 4-5
Virginia Tech 5-5
California 5-4
Louisville 6-3
FSU 1-9
Duke 7-3
Georgia Tech 6-4
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#19 Louisville (6-3), away, W 52-45
Duke (7-3), at home, W 53-31
Georgia Tech (6-4), away, L 28-23
California (5-4), away, W 39-38
(Miami has not played a team with less than three losses. Miami has one win over a currently ranked opponent.)
#8 Notre Dame (8-1)
Opponent Record
Texas A&M 7-2
N. Illinois 5-4
Purdue 1-8
Miami, OH 5-4
Louisville 6-3
Stanford 2-7
Georgia Tech 6-4
Navy 7-2
Florida State 1-9
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#15 Texas A&M (7-2), away, W 23-13
#19 Louisville (6-3), home, W 31-24
Georgia Tech (6-3), away, W 31-13
Navy (7-2), at home, W 51-14
(Notre Dame has actually played some team with winning records. Not great teams, but better than most)
#7 Tennessee (8-1)
Opponent Record
Chattanooga 6-4
NC State 5-5
Kent State 0-9
Oklahoma 5-5
Arkansas 5-4
Florida 4-5
Alabama 7-2
Kentucky 3-6
Miss. State 2-8
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#10 Bama (8-1), home, W 24-17
Arkansas (5-4), away, L 19-14
N.C. State (5-5), at home, W 51-10
Oklahoma (5-5), away, 25-15
(They have only played two Power 4 opponents with 4 or less losses. Tenn. is 1-1 in those games, although it was Bama.)
#6 BYU (9-0)
Opponent Record
S.. Illinois 3-7
SMU 8-1
Wyoming 2-7
Kansas State 7-2
Baylor 5-4
Arizona 3-6
Oklahoma State 3-7
UCF 4-6
Utah 4-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#14 SMU (8-1) away, W 18-15
#16 Kansas State (7-2), at home, W 38-9
Baylor (5-4), away, W 34-28
Utah (4-5) away, W 22-21
(They have only played two opponents with less than 4 losses.)
#5 Indiana (10-0)
Opponent Record
FIU 3-6
W.Illinois 3-7
UCLA 4-5
Charlotte 3-6
Maryland 4-5
Northwestern 4-5
Nebraska 5-4
Washington 5-5
Michigan State 4-5
Michigan 5-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record) --Results
Nebraska (5-4) at home, W 56-7
Washington (5-5) at home, . W 31-17
Michigan (5-5) at home, W 20-15
UCLA (4-5) at UCLA, W. 42-13
(They have only played one opponent all year that has less than 5 losses. Indiana has not played a game against a currently ranked opponent.)
#4 PSU (8-1)
Opponent Record
WVU 5-4
Bowling Green 6-4
Kent State 0-9
Illinois 6-3
UCLA 4-5
USC 4-5
Wisconsin 5-4
Ohio State 8-1
Washington 4-5
Michigan 5-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#2Ohio State (8-1) at home, Lost (20-13)
Illinois (6-3) at home, W 21-7
Wisconsin (5-4), away, W 28-7
WVU (5-4) away, W 34-12
(They lost to the only opponent that they have played this year with less than 3 losses. Penn State does not have a win against a currently ranked opponent.)
#3 Texas (8-1)
Opponent Record
Colorado State 6-3
Michigan 5-5
UTSA 0-9
UL Monroe 5-4
Miss. State 2-8
Oklahoma 5-5
UGA 7-2
Vandy 6-4
Florida 4-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#12 UGA (7-2) at home, Lost (30-15)
Vandy, (6-4) away, W 27-24
Michigan (5-5), away, W 31-12
Oklahoma (5-5) at home, W 34-3
(They lost to the only Power 4 opponent that they have played this year who has less than 4 losses. Texas does not have a win over a currently ranked opponent. )
#2 Ohio State (8-1)
Opponent Record
Akron 2-7
W. Michigan 5-5
Marshall 6-3
Michigan State 4-5
Iowa 6-4
Oregon 10-0
Nebraska 5-4
Penn State 8-1
Purdue 1-8
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#1 Oregon, away, L 32-31
#4 PSU, away, W 20-13
Iowa (6-4), at home, W 35-7
Nebraska (5-4), at home, W 21-17
(They have only played two Power 4 opponents who have less than 4 losses. They went 1-1 in those games.)
#1 Oregon (10-0)
Opponent Record
Idaho 7-3
Boise State 8-1
Oregon State 4-5
UCLA 4-5
Michigan State 4-5
Ohio State 8-1
Purdue 1-8
Illinois 6-3
Michigan 5-5
Maryland 4-5
4 Hardest Opponents (based on current rank/record)-Results
#2 Ohio State (8-1) at home, W 32-31
#13 Boise State (8-1), at home, W 37-34
Illinois (6-3), at home, W 38-9
Michigan (5-5) away, W 38-17
(Nice wins. However, all three of their biggest games were at home).
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