ESPN's Schlabach on Unbeaten Teams Outside The Top 8

[AUChizad]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/notebook?page=notebook/onthemark095

Don't forget the seven unbeatens outside the top eight
Schlabach

By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com

Undefeated, Under The Radar

There's an undefeated college football team in Alabama with one of the most balanced offenses in the country.

Its quarterback ranks among the most efficient passers in the country, and it has a pair of running backs who are capable of running for 100 yards in the same game.

Sounds a lot like No. 3 Alabama, right?

It's No. 17 Auburn, too.

The Tigers are 5-0 under first-year coach Gene Chizik, whose December hiring was greeted with mixed reviews after his less-than-spectacular tenure at Iowa State. Auburn ranks in the top five nationally in total offense (512.8 yards per game), scoring (41.4 points per game) and rushing (253.8 yards per game).

Behind quarterback Chris Todd and tailbacks Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb, the Tigers have already scored 207 points in five games -- one fewer than they had in 12 games last season.

"At this point in the season, we've only played five games," Chizik told reporters Sunday. "At this point, [our ranking] is really somewhat insignificant. It doesn't matter where you are now, it only matters where you are at the end of November and December. Obviously, we're happy to get the recognition. I think our kids have worked really hard and our coaches have worked really hard."

After beating Tennessee 26-22 in its first road game Saturday night, Auburn faces a somewhat tougher schedule. The Tigers play at Arkansas on Saturday and still face three ranked teams: at No. 4 LSU on Oct. 24, home against No. 20 Ole Miss on Oct. 31 and home against Alabama in the annual Iron Bowl on Nov. 27.

The Tigers aren't the only undefeated team flying under the radar in college football.

Here are six more:

Iowa
Iowa: The No. 12 Hawkeyes are 5-0, but it might be a few more weeks before we really know how good they are.

After beating then-No. 5 Penn State 21-10 on the road on Sept. 26, Iowa struggled to beat Arkansas State 24-21 on Saturday. The Hawkeyes don't rank in the top 50 nationally in rushing, passing or scoring, but their pass efficiency defense and scoring defense rank in the top 10.

Iowa plays consecutive road games at Wisconsin and Michigan State and plays at No. 9 Ohio State on Nov. 14.

Kansas
Kansas: Few teams have been as explosive as the Jayhawks, who scored 34 points or more in each of their first four games. Kansas ranks No. 6 nationally in scoring (40.5 points per game), No. 6 in total offense (511.5 yards per game), No. 12 in passing (302.3) and No. 16 in rushing (209.3).

It would be a surprise if Kansas doesn't get to 6-0 -- it hosts Iowa State on Saturday and plays at Colorado on Oct. 17 -- but the back end of its schedule is brutal. The Jayhawks host No. 19 Oklahoma on Oct. 24, No. 21 Nebraska on Nov. 14, play at No. 2 Texas on Nov. 21 and play No. 24 Missouri in Kansas City on Nov. 28.

Missouri
Missouri: After losing star quarterback Chase Daniel and receiver Jeremy Maclin, the Tigers were supposed to rebuild this season.

But they're 4-0 going into Thursday night's home game against Nebraska, after beating three FBS opponents with a combined record of 3-10. After hosting the Cornhuskers, Missouri plays at No. 15 Oklahoma State on Oct. 17 and hosts Texas on Oct. 24.

Sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert has been spectacular, throwing for 1,161 yards with 11 touchdowns. He ranks No. 4 nationally in pass efficiency and hasn't thrown an interception in 131 attempts.

South Florida
South Florida: Can the No. 23 Bulls maintain this pace without star quarterback Matt Grothe?

Since losing Grothe to a season-ending knee injury, South Florida has won road games at then-No. 18 Florida State 17-7 and at Syracuse 34-20 on Saturday. Freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels has thrown four touchdowns with two interceptions in two starts.

The Bulls face their toughest Big East opponents in the next three games: home against No. 8 Cincinnati on Oct. 15, at Pittsburgh on Oct. 24 and home against West Virginia on Oct. 30.

TCU
TCU: The Horned Frogs moved to No. 10 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll and are closing the gap on No. 6 Boise State. Since BYU, Houston and Utah lost in the first five weeks of the season, TCU might have the best shot at crashing the BCS party at season's end.

TCU has already won at Virginia and Clemson and plays a more difficult schedule than Boise State the rest of the way. The Horned Frogs play at Air Force on Saturday and at No. 18 BYU on Oct. 24. They host defending Mountain West champion Utah on Nov. 14.

TCU is again winning with its defense -- it leads the country in run defense (47 yards per game) and ranks No. 7 in total defense (239.8). But the Horned Frogs also rank in the top 25 nationally in rushing (220) and scoring (34.75 points per game).

Wisconsin
Wisconsin: The Badgers are unranked after an impressive 5-0 start, and they've returned to their roots in coach Brett Bielema's fourth season.

Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in scoring (35 points per game) and rushing (217.2 yards per game), and its mammoth offensive line has allowed only two sacks in five games.

Running back John Clay had 100 rushing yards or more in three of the first five games, including 184 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-28 win at Minnesota on Saturday.

We'll know a lot more about the Badgers in two weeks; they play at No. 9 Ohio State on Saturday and host Iowa on Oct. 17.