PRESS PICKS (Week 8): Halfway point provides unbeaten teams with playoff promise

STAFF REPORT

Halfway point of the college football season leaves us with 15 teams still undefeated.

How many will be that way after Thanksgiving?

A couple of those will be off the list this week since there are games featuring two undefeated teams.

But this is uncharted waters for some - James Madison in its first FBS season, Ole Miss to name a couple- and for those like Tennessee, USC and UCLA, a chance for revival.

But what does it really mean? Probably nothing. Sure, if the Vols beat Alabama, there will be a cry so great on Rocky Top that if the Big Orange isn’t No. 1 in the country, the second Civil War will begin very shortly.

It’s nice to see USC and UCLA play relevant games again but it could all crash in the next few weeks. The Trojans are underdogs at Utah this week. Next week, UCLA travels to Oregon, which has improved since the embarrassment in the opener to Georgia.

Expectations are on the rise at Oklahoma State but history proves, the Pokes usually don’t get it done.

It’s not bad tidings when predictions say these teams will not make the final playoff top 6. If these teams lose, they probably don’t have the street cred to push through with one loss. Only Georgia, Clemson and Alabama will get the benefit of the doubt.

It should make the second half of the season more interesting, even if the expected teams end up in the playoffs.

But, who knows? A UT-USC championship has a nice ring to it.

More shakeups this week. Doug Amos holds on to the the top with Tim Gayle holds to second with Graham Dunn and Wesley Lyle joining him.

2022 Overall Standings (Last Week)

1. Doug Amos 82-28 (12-3) .745

2. Tim Gayle 81-29 (12-3) .736

Graham Dunn 81-29 (14-1) .737

Wesley Lyle 81-29 (13-2) .737

5. Mike Peacock 80-30 (11-4) .727

6. Michael Butler 79-31 (12-3).718

7. Rick Hendrick 76-34 (11-4) .690

8. Rosie Langello 72-38 (9-6) .665

9. Barry McKnight 67-43 (10-5) .609

Doug Amos (ESPN The Ticket & Fox 20)
82-28 (12-3) .745

G.W. Carver vs. Sidney Lanier - Carver
Smiths Station at Jeff Davis (Sat.) - Jeff Davis
Pike Road at Stanhope Elmore - Pike Road
Elmore County at Valley - Valley
Alabama at Tennessee - Tennessee
Auburn at Ole Miss – Ole Miss
Arkansas at BYU- BYU
LSU at Florida – Florida
Miss St at Kentucky - Miss St
Clemson at Florida St - Clemson
NC State at Syracuse - Syracuse
Kansas at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Oklahoma St at TCU - TCU
Penn St at Michigan - Michigan
Southern Cal at Utah - Utah

Tim Gayle (River Region Sports & Montgomery Independent)
81-29 (12-3) .736

G.W. Carver vs. Sidney Lanier - Carver
Smiths Station at Jeff Davis (Sat.) - Smiths Station
Pike Road at Stanhope Elmore - Pike Road
Elmore County at Valley - Valley
Alabama at Tennessee - Alabama
Auburn at Ole Miss – Ole Miss
Arkansas at BYU- Arkansas
LSU at Florida – Florida
Miss St at Kentucky - Miss St
Clemson at Florida St - Clemson
NC State at Syracuse - Syracuse
Kansas at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Oklahoma St at TCU - TCU
Penn St at Michigan - Michigan
Southern Cal at Utah - Southern Cal

Graham Dunn (River Region Sports)
81-29 (14-1) .737

G.W. Carver vs. Sidney Lanier - Carver
Smiths Station at Jeff Davis (Sat.) - Jeff Davis
Pike Road at Stanhope Elmore - Pike Road
Elmore County at Valley - Valley
Alabama at Tennessee - Alabama
Auburn at Ole Miss – Ole Miss
Arkansas at BYU- Arkansas
LSU at Florida – Florida
Miss St at Kentucky - Kentucky
Clemson at Florida St - Clemson
NC State at Syracuse - NC State
Kansas at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Oklahoma St at TCU - Oklahoma St
Penn St at Michigan - Penn St
Southern Cal at Utah - Southern Cal

Wesley Lyle (River Region Sports & al.com)
81-29 (13-2) .737

Mike Peacock (River Region Sports)
80-30 (11-4) .727

G.W. Carver vs. Sidney Lanier - Carver
Smiths Station at Jeff Davis (Sat.) - Smiths Station
Pike Road at Stanhope Elmore - Pike Road
Elmore County at Valley - Valley
Alabama at Tennessee - Alabama
Auburn at Ole Miss – Ole Miss
Arkansas at BYU- BYU
LSU at Florida – LSU
Miss St at Kentucky - Miss St
Clemson at Florida St - Clemson
NC State at Syracuse - NC State
Kansas at Oklahoma - Kansas
Oklahoma St at TCU - Oklahoma St
Penn St at Michigan - Michigan
Southern Cal at Utah - Southern Cal

Michael Butler (WTLS 106.9&94.7 FM/1300 AM/Tallassee Times)
79-31 (12-3).718

G.W. Carver vs. Sidney Lanier - Carver
Smiths Station at Jeff Davis (Sat.) - Jeff Davis
Pike Road at Stanhope Elmore - Pike Road
Elmore County at Valley - Valley
Alabama at Tennessee - Tennessee
Auburn at Ole Miss – Ole Miss
Arkansas at BYU- Arkansas
LSU at Florida – Florida
Miss St at Kentucky - Miss St
Clemson at Florida St - Clemson
NC State at Syracuse - Syracuse
Kansas at Oklahoma - Kansas
Oklahoma St at TCU - Oklahoma St
Penn St at Michigan - Michigan
Southern Cal at Utah - Southern Cal

Rick Hendrick (WXFS 95.1 The Fox/PA for Montgomery Biscuits)
76-34 (11-4) .690

G.W. Carver vs. Sidney Lanier - Carver
Smiths Station at Jeff Davis (Sat.) - Jeff Davis
Pike Road at Stanhope Elmore - Stanhope Elmore
Elmore County at Valley - Valley
Alabama at Tennessee - Alabama
Auburn at Ole Miss – Ole Miss
Arkansas at BYU- Arkansas
LSU at Florida – Florida
Miss St at Kentucky - Miss St
Clemson at Florida St - Clemson
NC State at Syracuse - Syracuse
Kansas at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Oklahoma St at TCU - TCU
Penn St at Michigan - Michigan
Southern Cal at Utah - Utah

Rosie Langello (Sports Director - WSFA Ch. 12)
72-38 (9-6) .665

G.W. Carver vs. Sidney Lanier - Carver
Smiths Station at Jeff Davis (Sat.) - Jeff Davis
Pike Road at Stanhope Elmore - Pike Road
Elmore County at Valley - Elmore Co
Alabama at Tennessee - Alabama
Auburn at Ole Miss – Arkansas
Arkansas at BYU- Arkansas
LSU at Florida – Florida
Miss St at Kentucky - Miss St
Clemson at Florida St - Clemson
NC State at Syracuse - NC State
Kansas at Oklahoma - Kansas
Oklahoma St at TCU - TCU
Penn St at Michigan - Michigan
Southern Cal at Utah - Southern Cal

Barry McKnight (SportsRadio 740 /Voice of Troy Trojans)
67-43 (10-5) .609

G.W. Carver vs. Sidney Lanier - Carver
Smiths Station at Jeff Davis (Sat.) - Jeff Davis
Pike Road at Stanhope Elmore - Pike Road
Elmore County at Valley - Valley
Alabama at Tennessee - Tennessee
Auburn at Ole Miss – Ole Miss
Arkansas at BYU- Arkansas
LSU at Florida – LSU
Miss St at Kentucky - Miss St
Clemson at Florida St - Clemson
NC State at Syracuse - NC State
Kansas at Oklahoma - Kansas
Oklahoma St at TCU - Oklahoma St
Penn St at Michigan - Michigan
Southern Cal at Utah - Southern Cal

High School, CollegeGraham DunnOctober 12, 2022G.W. Carver HS, Early Signing Day, Pike Road HS, Stanhope Elmore HS, Elmore county HS, Jeff Davis HS, Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers