We're barreling closer to September, meaning the 2018 college football season and the race for the fifth installment of the College Football Playoff.
Most playoff picks are chalky, and Sporting News is no different. We have Alabama vs. Clemson in the CFP championship game on Jan. 7, 2018, in Santa Clara, Calif. There's a monopoly at the top, but there are a handful of teams that could shake up the playoff race in September. We're not talking about the usual suspects. Here are a few off-the-radar teams that could mix it up if they pull off one big statement game.
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Iowa
Who can challenge Wisconsin in the Big Ten West? It might be the Hawkeyes, who get the Badgers at Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 29. Yes, Wisconsin has won the past three meetings there, but the margin of victory has been a total of 11 points. Iowa has the more favorable crossover schedule, and a victory there would open up that side of the division. The Hawkeyes get Northwestern and Nebraska at Kinnick, too.
South Carolina
Here's a safe bet. Temperatures will be sweltering on the afternoon of Sept. 8 when Georgia rolls into Williams-Brice Stadium for a very early and very interesting SEC East showdown that will set the tenor for the division race. That would set up Will Muschamp for a huge season with quarterback Jake Bentley. The Gamecocks’ toughest crossover game is Texas A&M, and the season finale at Clemson could be bigger than ever. We've already said that once.
TCU
The Horned Frogs aren't exactly a sleeper, but opinions vary on where they should be ranked in the Top 25. They can solidify with a victory against Ohio State at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 15 in the same way Oklahoma did in 2017. TCU plays at Texas the following week before wrapping up the week against Iowa State, a game that should have their full attention. TCU went undefeated in September last year. If they do it this year, then a lot more people will notice.
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UCF
The Knights aren’t going away until they lose, and it comes down to a three-week stretch against North Carolina, FAU and Pitt. If UCF can get through that without a loss — and it’s negotiable — then that will make the back half of the American Athletic Conference schedule that much more interesting against Memphis, Navy and USF.
Utah
The Pac-12 South is wide open, and the Utes are off the radar heading into the season despite being the only team from the conference to win a bowl game last season. How would Kyle Whittingham get some attention? Crossover games against Washington and Washington State on Sept. 15 and Sept. 29. Utah gets the Huskies at home and a bye week to prepare for the trip to Pullman.
Virginia Tech
We’ll say it. If the Hokies can go into Tallahassee and knock of Florida State on Labor Day, then Justin Fuente will have an undefeated team when Notre Dame rolls into Blacksburg on Oct. 6. The back half of the schedule features home games against Miami and Virginia, too. You’ll find Virginia Tech in the teens in most preseason rankings. The opener is the game that gets them in the top 10.
