We're six weeks into the season – the halfway point for more than half of the 120 FBS teams – and there are just 13 unbeaten teams.
Every team in the Big East, MAC, Sun Belt and WAC as well as the independent ranks has at least one loss. Conference USA, the Mountain West and the Pac-12 have just one unbeaten team each. The Big Ten and Big 12 have three unbeaten teams each, followed by the SEC and the ACC with two each.
(As for the other side of the coin, there are just three winless teams: UAB , Florida Atlantic and New Mexico .)
Here's a look at the 13 unbeatens and the likelihood they remain unbeaten.
The buzz : They play Oct. 29 in Atlanta, so that's a loss for one of them. And beyond that, it's hard to imagine either of these teams going unbeaten. Tech's run defense isn't that good, and the Yellow Jackets (6-0) are surrendering 24.2 points per game. The lack of a consistent passing attack also hurts; yes, the Jackets can hit the big play, but there is no way QB Tevin Washington can string together completions when he must. As for Clemson (6-0), the Tigers have been surprisingly good, thanks to a high-powered offense overseen by coordinator-on-the-rise Chad Morris . But history is working against the Tigers, who always seem to lose one or two games each season they have no business losing. Plus, they play at Georgia Tech and South Carolina and also have games against North Carolina and Wake Forest remaining. The run defense has had issues, and that could hurt down the line.
The buzz : Illinois plays Michigan and Wisconsin, but the Badgers and Wolverines don't meet – at least not in the regular season. Illinois is one of the nation's most intriguing stories, given that its three best players turned pro a year early following last season. QB Nathan Scheelhaase has made strides as a passer, senior WR A.J. Jenkins has become a big-play guy after not doing much of anything earlier in his career and the defense has some playmakers. Illinois (6-0) has played just once on the road, though, and that was against woeful Indiana. The Illini have to play Penn State , Michigan and Wisconsin back-to-back-to-back in late October/early November, with the Penn State game on the road. The Illini also have Ohio State this weekend. Michigan's defense has made big strides, but this remains a team whose success depends on QB Denard Robinson . The Wolverines (6-0) play just their second road game of the season this weekend, against Michigan State . The Spartans handed the Wolverines their first loss last season, and you know "little brother" wants to beat up on "big brother" for the fourth season in a row. Michigan also has to travel to Illinois and Iowa and gets Nebraska and Ohio State to finish out the regular season. Wisconsin (5-0) has been even better than expected with QB Russell Wilson , who has provided incredible balance for the offense. The defense isn't elite, but can anyone in the Big Ten take advantage? The Badgers have a tough two-game road trip late this month with Michigan State and Ohio State, then close out the regular season with a road game against Illinois and a home game against Penn State. The Big Ten title game would follow, likely against either Michigan, Michigan State or Nebraska.
The teams : Kansas State , Oklahoma , Oklahoma State
The buzz : Kansas State has a solid defense, but it is doing it with mirrors on offense; the passing attack is one of the weakest in the nation. The Wildcats (5-0) have beaten one team ( Baylor ) that currently has a winning record, though they also own wins over Miami and Missouri . They have played just one road game thus far and play three of their next four on the road, including visits to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State; the one home game in that stretch is against Oklahoma. As for the Sooners (5-0) and Cowboys (5-0), they meet Dec. 3 in what could end up being the de facto Big 12 championship game. Four of Oklahoma State's remaining games are on the road, though the showdown with OU is in Stillwater. OU also has four road games remaining. Its defense looks to be better than Oklahoma State's, which could end up being the difference this season. OU has finished a regular season unbeaten twice under Bob Stoops , in 2000, when it won the national title, and in 2004, when it was mauled in the BCS championship game by USC.
The buzz : The defense is mediocre, at best, but the offense is explosive and ranks first overall and fifth in scoring. Houston (6-0) had just one Big Six foe on its schedule, and it dispatched UCLA in the season opener. Three of the next four games are against C-USA bottom-feeders (Rice, UAB and Tulane ) and the other in that stretch is against an under-.500 Marshall team. Thus, Houston almost certainly will be 10-0 when it heads into the final two weeks of the season – vs. SMU on Nov. 19 and at Tulsa on Nov. 26. SMU is the team that could get the Cougars; the Mustangs are good on offense and solid – especially for C-USA – on defense. If Houston does finish unbeaten, its weak schedule means it will have no shot at the BCS title game, but a BCS bid would be likely.
The buzz : In their first season in a new league, the Broncos are seeking their fourth unbeaten record in the past six regular seasons. The Broncos (5-0) have three tough games left – with "tough" being a relative term. They play Air Force on Oct. 22, TCU on Nov. 12 and San Diego State on Nov. 19, with only SDSU on the road. Those three teams have lost a combined six games, and it would be a shock if Boise lost to any of them. The biggest question for Boise: Do they have a shot at playing for the national title if they're unbeaten? The answer, as usual, depends on how many other unbeatens there are.
The buzz : As long as the Cardinal (5-0) have QB Andrew Luck , they're a threat to beat anybody. And they haven't missed former coach Jim Harbaugh yet, though I imagine if he still were in charge, they might've scored 60 on Colorado on Saturday. The defense lost its leader when LB Shayne Skov was injured last month; he will miss the rest of the season. The lack of a true go-to receiver eventually could make a difference, too. And there is some tough sledding to get through, as the schedule definitely is back-loaded; there are games remaining against Washington , USC , Oregon , California and Notre Dame . Yes, it's hard to go against Luck, but this team has a few flaws that eventually are going to hurt.
The buzz : This season's "Game of the Century" will occur Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa, when the Tide (6-0) play host to the Tigers (6-0). Realistically, unless the Tide or Tigers self-destruct and commit four or five turnovers in a game, that is the only contest either should lose. The winner of that showdown can proceed to New Orleans for the national title game. The home-field advantage could be the tipping point.
But by the next time KU scored, Oklahoma State had scored on eight consecutive possessions and was leading 56-7. The carnage ended with a 70-28 Cowboys victory.
That was the case in the first half, when Oklahoma State scored on all eight possessions. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy pulled most of his starters in the second quarter, after the Cowboys had built a 49-7 lead. Oklahoma State's final first-half TD, which made it 56-7 at halftime, was on a pass from backup quarterback Clint Chelf , who threw two TD passes on the day.
In all, eight Oklahoma State players scored. Oklahoma State rang up 600 yards of offense, 27 first downs and was 8-of-12 on third-down conversions. The Cowboys did punt four times, all in the second half. They scored TDs on their other 10 possessions.
Kansas has played four FBS opponents this season and allowed at least 42 points to all of them (KU is 1-3 in those contests). In those four games, the Jayhawks have allowed 2,360 yards (590.0 yards per game) and 31 TDs. Last season, 18 teams allowed fewer TDs -- for the whole season.
In its past 12 games against FBS foes, Kansas is surrendering 46.5 points per game.
KU's secondary has been egregiously bad this season. The Jayhawks have allowed 16 TD passes, with just one pick, and opposing quarterbacks have completed 73.3 percent of their passes.
The flipside: Kansas' offense has been good. KU is averaging 459.8 yards and 34.6 points per game. The offense has turned it over nine times, which isn't that bad. But the defense has forced a nation's-low two turnovers, leading to a minus-7 turnover margin.
Gill is in his second season, but you have to wonder about his job security. There looks to be just one more potentially winnable game on the schedule, and that's a road game against Iowa State . The Cyclones beat the Jayhawks by 12 last season in Lawrence, Kan. In addition, Kansas has lost 11 in a row on the road.
You want to know why you can't take Tennessee seriously as a SEC East title contender? In their two games against league competition ( Florida and Georgia ), the Vols have rushed for minus-29 yards. Yes, minus-29 . They had minus-20 in losing to Georgia on Saturday and had minus-9 when they lost to Florida on Sept. 17. What has to really turn coach Derek Dooley 's stomach is that the next two games are against -- gulp -- LSU and Alabama .
Michigan QB Denard Robinson did his best to keep the Wolverines' game at Northwestern an exciting one. Well, for one half, at least. Robinson ran for 48 yards and threw two TD passes in the first half, but he also tossed three picks and Northwestern led 24-14 at the break. In the second half, Robinson rushed for two TDs and was interception-free as the Wolverines pulled away for a 42-24 win.
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