It’s been a great college football season for some fans, and for others, it’s been a long season. We have reached the halfway point of the season, and there have been teams that dropped well below expectations, and teams who have surprised the country. 

The College Football Playoff picture looks about the same as it did in week one with LSU, Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson at the forefront of it. Some teams have risen up to the playoff picture that weren’t original favorites like undefeated Penn State. There have been others that have fallen, like Oklahoma and Georgia, who were both upset on the road.

In the Big Ten, Ohio State is still the obvious leader, despite head coach Ryan Day leading the Buckeyes for the first season of his career. The Buckeyes have dominated every opponent this season, with an average point differential of 40.4 points per game. They have the third best-scoring offense in the country, complimenting their top scoring defense in the country. They have three Heisman candidates with defensive end Chase Young, quarterback Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins. 

The rest of the Big Ten is in a race for second so far. Like Ohio State, Penn State is also 8-0 this season and their showdown is set for November 23rd in Columbus. The Big Ten West is led by, surprisingly, Minnesota, who has gone undefeated to this point, despite having one of the weakest strength-of-schedule ratings in the country. Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin have yet to play each other this year, and if Iowa or Wisconsin win out, they will represent the west in the Big Ten championship.

The teams that have disappointed this year are the little three in the west, Nebraska, Purdue and Northwestern. These teams had high expectations coming into the season, but have a combined record of 7-16.

The top of the SEC hasn’t changed. Top ranked Alabama and second ranked LSU will both be undefeated heading into their November 9th matchup in Tuscaloosa. Both teams have Heisman candidate quarterbacks in Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and LSU’s Joe Burrow. The Tigers have beaten three ranked teams this season, whereas Alabama has not faced a ranked opponent.

Aside from the two heavyweights, the SEC has three other teams in the top eleven. Auburn, Georgia and Florida all round out the ranked SEC teams, with the Bulldogs and Gators set to face off this weekend. 

The ACC has been well below expectations this year, with Clemson being the only ranked team in the conference, facing no ranked teams so far this season. Trevor Lawrence has led the Tigers, but has not been as effective through the midpoint, already throwing double the interceptions that he threw the entire 2018-19 season. The Pac-12 has the same dilemma, being top heavy with Oregon and Utah at the top. Barring a blowout victory when those two face off in Levi’s Stadium. 

The Big 12 has lost a lot of hope too, with Oklahoma having a 10% chance to make the playoffs following their 48-41 loss at Kansas State. Baylor is the dark horse in the southwest, as they are undefeated through seven games, with Texas and Oklahoma still remaining on their schedule. Iowa State controls their own destiny as well, as they will make the Big 12 championship if they win out. 

As the season comes down to its final two months, the playoff favorites remain the same. Just like every season though, expect a few more giants to stumble as we move down the homestretch.