It was far from an upset weekend for the teams that have fallen into our writers’ College Football Playoff picks. In fact, each of the seven squads won handily while making the case that it belongs in college football’s top four.
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones aired it out against No. 13 Texas A&M to the tune of 435 yards and four touchdowns in the Crimson Tide’s 52-24 victory over the Aggies. Not to be outdone, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence threw for three touchdowns and over 300 yards in the Tigers’ 41-24 victory against Virginia.
Both SEC East teams with playoff aspirations showed out Saturday with big wins over conference opponents. Florida built up a 21-point second-half lead against South Carolina before winning 38-24, and Georgia passed its test against No. 7 Auburn in convincing fashion, bullying the Tigers in a 27-6 triumph. Georgia and Florida will meet Nov. 7 in Jacksonville.
In the shock of the week, the BYU Cougars land in the picks for the first time this campaign. The Cougars have put up 148 points during a 3-0 start and — now that they filled out a 10-game schedule — might have the résumé by the end of the season to crack into the playoff picture. Notre Dame also receives a vote for the first time since Week 1.
Ohio State is idle until Oct. 24 but remains a permanent fixture in the writers’ picks.
Andrea Adelson: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Florida
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Clemson, 2. Alabama, 3. Ohio State, 4. Georgia
Bill Connelly: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. BYU
Heather Dinich: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Florida
David Hale: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Florida
Sam Khan Jr.: 1. Clemson, 2. Alabama, 3. Ohio State, 4. Florida
Chris Low: 1. Alabama, 2. Ohio State, 3. Clemson, 4. Georgia
Harry Lyles Jr.: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Georgia
Ivan Maisel: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Georgia
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Georgia
Alex Scarborough: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Florida
Mark Schlabach: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Georgia
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Alabama, 2. Clemson, 3. Ohio State, 4. Georgia
Dave Wilson: 1. Clemson, 2. Alabama, 3. Ohio State, 4. Florida
