11. Alabama Crimson Tide at 6. Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State rebounded from an emotional loss to Ohio State with a thumping of Washington as they led 28-0 at the half and won 35-6. The Nittany Lions, as frustrated as some fans might be with James Franklin, are still in a great position. They are 8-1 and were given an initial ranking of six in the first release by the selection committee. If they can finish with wins over Purdue, Minnesota, and Maryland, the Nittany Lions will almost certainly be hosting a playoff game. This projection has Penn State welcoming the Alabama Crimson Tide to Happy Valley. What to do with the two-loss jumble in the SEC? Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Ole Miss all have two losses. Georgia lost to Alabama and Ole Miss but had a huge win over Texas. Alabama has beaten Georgia, LSU, and Missouri but lost to Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Ole Miss has an ugly home loss to Kentucky and a loss to LSU but blowout wins over South Carolina, Arkansas, and a big win over Georgia. In short, it’s a big mess, and no one knows how the selection committee will unwind things. For this projection, Ole Miss beats Florida and Mississippi State to close the season at 10-2, and Alabama finishes with wins over Mercer, Oklahoma, and Auburn. They both squeak into the field with the Crimson Tide at No. 11 because Ole Miss beat Georgia more handily. Alabama hammered LSU on the road as Jalen Milroe ran for four touchdowns and looked very healthy, something that could not be said before the Tide's bye week.
Week 13: Penn State (-28.5) at Purdue
