Like clockwork, every year the debate about where teams should rank begins the minute the first set of rankings from the College Football Playoff selection committee are released.

Nobody is surprised that the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs debuted at No. 1 in the rankings.

After that, well that’s an entirely different story.

Alabama debuted at No. 2 when the playoff rankings were released on Tuesday.

While it didn’t take long for that ranking to be questioned, the reality is that the Crimson Tide still have their work cut out for them to prove they belong the rest of the way, beginning against LSU (4-4) on Saturday night.

Alabama (7-1) finds itself in a scenario in which if they win out from here, they will meet Georgia in the SEC championship game.

That game could very well be a playoff elimination game for the Tide, so they cannot afford any slipups in the month of November.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs (8-0) will look to continue their historic season when Missouri (4-4) comes to Athens, Ga., this weekend. Missouri has the worst run defence in the NCAA, so it could be another long day for the Tigers in Week 10.

Keep an eye out for Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis in this game. The 6-foot-6, 340-pound Davis is getting some love as a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate and can currently be found at 100-to-1 odds.

Davis has been the anchor of what could be the most dominant defence that we have ever seen, and he could be in line for another big game on Saturday.

Here are my top plays for this weekend’s NCAA football action.

 

Missouri Tigers at No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs

Spread: Georgia -39

Total: 59.5

While we know how dominant the Bulldogs defence is, the same cannot be said about their offence. Although they are by no means bad, Georgia’s offence has scored more than 40 points in a game just once this year, and that was against SEC doormat Vanderbilt, who are 2-7. As for the Tigers, they have the worst run defence in the FBS, giving up 283.9 yards per game, so Georgia should be able to run the ball on them with ease, which suits their offensive identity. However, this will eat up a lot of time on the clock. On offence, the Tigers are pretty good, averaging 454 yards per game. If they can just get to 10 points in this game, against a Georgia offence that wants to run the football, I think they have a real shot at covering the number, even if it’s in garbage time. Mizzou is also a crazy 0-8 ATS this season. The law of averages dictates that they are due for a cover, and I’ll take my chances getting a massive 39 points in this spot.

The Pick: Missouri +39

 

Tulsa Golden Hurricane at No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats 

Spread: Cincinnati -22.5

Total: 54.5

No team had to be more disappointed by Tuesday’s playoff rankings than Cincinnati. If there was ever a chance for a non-Power 5 school to get into the playoffs, it seemed like this would be the year. Despite that, unbeaten Cincinnati came in at No. 6. Now the Bearcats (8-0) have to hope for a little chaos and not only keep winning, but win big. Cincinnati has cruised the last two games with wins over Navy and Tulane, and I think the disrespect in the rankings will have this team motivated come Saturday afternoon. Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder is another guy who is in contention to get at least an invite to New York for the Heisman ceremony, and I think he leads Cincinnati to a blowout win here over the (3-5) Golden Hurricane.

The Pick: Cincinnati -22.5

 

No. 22 Iowa Hawkeyes at Northwestern Wildcats

Spread: Iowa -12

Total: 40.5

After a historic season in 2020, this is a down year for Northwestern. The Wildcats are 1-4 in the Big Ten, with all of those losses coming via blowout. Northwestern has scored a total of 21 points over the last two weeks, and this week they are going up against a tough Iowa defence. The Hawkeyes overachieved from the outset with the 6-0 start, but have since dropped two in a row. I think this is a spot where Iowa bounces back against a weak Northwestern offence that is scoring under 20 points per game. Also for familiarity sake, keep an eye on freshman Iowa wide receiver Arland Bruce IV, who is the son of former CFL star wide receiver Arland Bruce III.

The Pick: Iowa -12

 

LSU Tigers at No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide

Spread: Alabama -28.5

Total: 66.5

Alabama got a generous ranking this week, coming in at No. 2. Still, they will be motivated to prove the committee was right about them and this is a good opponent to make that come to fruition. LSU entered this season with high hopes, but those have fully evaporated. Head coach Ed Orgeron is a lame duck and they have been ravaged by injuries on both sides of the football. The Tigers defence can’t stop anybody, and Alabama should have every opportunity to pour it on them. On the flip side, LSU does have the potential to put up some points on offence, and the Tide defence hasn’t exactly been a lockdown unit this season. Alabama’s defensive woes make me a little hesitant to lay the 28.5 points, so I will just play the over and hope for a 50-21 type final.

The Pick: Over 66.5

 

San Jose State Spartans at Nevada Wolf Pack

Spread: Nevada -10

Total: 54.5

The Spartans (5-4) were one of the surprise teams last year, finishing 7-1 with their lone loss coming in a bowl game. However, an injury to veteran quarterback Nick Starkel prevented any opportunity to build off the momentum from last season. The offence has really slowed down with Nick Nash taking over at quarterback, including being held to 13 points in a double-overtime loss to San Diego State a few weeks back. On the other hand, Nevada (6-2) has the best quarterback in the conference in Carson Strong, and will look to give all they’ve got here and stay alive in the Mountain West race. Starkel did warm up last week and there is a chance he plays this week after missing five games. Regardless, I like the Wolf Pack to roll here against a banged-up Starkel or a healthy Nash. 

The Pick: Nevada – 10