Well it's November, it's the month everything gets sorted out, the CFP committee will have it's first rankings out Tues and we have big games every weekend. Not all of them impact the CFP for sure but they impact the Conference standings and the Conference Championship games. Friday Night: 2 games unimportant in the CFP scheme of things but big in the who gets to the Donference Championship Games. Va.Tech @ Boston College Va.Tech inspite of not being very good has a path to the ACC Coastal Title and the ACC Championshp game. But they must beat the fading BC Eagles who have now lost 4 in a row. Utah @ Stanford Utes sit on top of the Pac12 South but have to keep winning, Stanford is out of it in the North having lost 3 in row. Utes really need to win out. Saturday: 1. Georgia vs Missouri Dawgs are healthy and should roll the Tigers. The big question continues to be JT Daniels, is he ready. If he is does he replace Stetson Bennett, or will Kriby Smart stick with Bennett who has played better than he did last year and is more mobile than JT. 2. Cincinnati vs Tulsa Bearcats should have no problem with Tulsa, they just aren't very good, but they have not exactly killed their last 2 "not very good" Opponents in Navy and Tulane. If they are to hang on to a top 4 rating they really need to beat their ACC schedule by a lot of points. 3. Alabama vs LSU Eddie O says they don't have but 60 healthy players and that he can't really practice with so few players. That's not good, I doubt if Nick is shedding any tears for him. I won't be shocked if Alabama lays an epic beat down on a LSU team that has a coach with one foot out the door and health issues. 4. Oklahoma has the weekend off. 5. Michigan State @ Purdue Spartans can't let down now, they are in great shape and on a roll. Purdue doesn't have a running game, so they will have to throw the ball a lot to get a win vs Sparty. I doubt they can do that. Kenneth Walker is now on the Heisman radar, I hope he doesn't pay attention and just keeps on Truckin' like he has been all year instead of trying to hard to impress voters. 6. Ohio State @ Nebraska As AJ noted is this the game that seals the fate of Scott Frost? I don't know about that, Nebraska has been in all their games this year, their biggest loss was by 8 points to Illinois, they could have won all those games but they keep shooting themselves in the foot. Now I do think Ohio State will win handily but it just seems that Frost needs that full 5 years to get the Huskers straightened out. 7. Oregon @ Washington A huge rivalry game for these two teams. Ducks are the only hope the Pac 12 has to make the CFP, so they must keep winning. Washington is not having a good season and are 4-4, but you know they will play their best vs the Ducks. 8. Notre Dame vs Navy This is a game that many (not all) Irish fans hate every year. Partly due to the fact that the blocking scheme that the service academies use goes at your DL's lower leg and knees and tend to put them at more risk for injuries. But also their offense is unique and you have to for 1 game really change up they way you prepare on defense. We should win, but my concern is we have worn down on defense and we didn't tackle well vs UNC. That's a big problem vs the Navy attack. They aren't having a good year, but they gave Cincinnati a scare and beat Tulsa this past weekend. Of course much will be made about the Irish playing them but Fr. Hesburgh made a commitment to this due to Navy supporting ND during WWII when without that support ND would have closed their doors. 9. Michigan vs IU Wolverines get the closest thing to an open date that their Big 10 schedule provides. IU just is not the same team that they were in 2020, even the QB who was awesome before his injury hasn't played well this year. They are 0-5 in the Big 10 this year. 10. Wake Forrest @ UNC The Deacons are 3 point underdogs to UNC at Chapel Hill even though they are ranked in the top 10 and UNC isn't ranked, Wake is 8-0 and UNC is 4-4. Not sure how that computes. One thing is for sure that this is likely to be a shootout. Wake has an excellent QB/offense with Sam Hartman, and UNC is also very dangerous on offense. Neither have great defenses. Might end up being a very entertaining game if you love offense! 11. Oklahoma State @ WVU Cowboys are winning more with defense than offense which is 180 degrees from the typical Mike Gundy team. West Virginia coming off a big win vs Iowa State last weekend. State in a pretty good position if they can win out to the OU game. West Virgina just playing for bowl position and pride. OSU must win out though, going to Morgantown though is never easy. 12. Auburn @ 13. A&M This is a huge game for both teams. That big win at home last weekend vs Ole Miss has put Auburn square in the middle of the SEC West race, win out and they are going to the SEC Championship game. Bo Nix has been improving all year in his play on the road. This will be a very tough test for the Tigers going to Colllege Station. The Aggies with 2 losses have no shot at the title game. But Auburn has surprisingly never lost in College Station, 4 trips and 4 wins. Very big game for both teams. 18. Kentucky vs Tenn Kentucky was cruising till that upset loss to Miss State, Tenn has been having a pretty good season, I'm sure Vol fans might not agree since they have lost 4 games. But they have shown some offense with Hooker at QB. Both are playing for pride, Tenn used to own Kentucky so you know the Wildcats want to beat the Vols in the worst way and will likely put that loss to Miss State behind them quickly. Clemson @ Louisville Clemson slowly starting to show a little offensive life and need badly to go on the road and continue to improve. They can maybe climb back into the top 25 if they win out and I imagine Dabo thinks about that all the time. Texas @ Iowa State That loss last weekend to WVU ended any hope of a B12 championship game appearance. Texas also out of that, for Texas this is a must win game for the pscyhe of the team. Lose here and we might lose out. I wonder what Sark is going to do at QB. I wonder how they are going to stop falling apart on defense in the 2nd half. Iowa State is a veteran team, well coached. It's going to be tough to win in Ames. #20 Houston @ USF Cougars are on the rise, they realisitically have a shot at running the table and facing Cincinnati in the AAC Championship game. They could be a real threat to the Bearcats if that happens. Florida @ South Carolina It wasn't that long ago that this game was a big game. Holtz and Spurrier had the Gamecocks rolling for awhile and this game was competitive and exciting. This should be a welcome relief for the Gators this weekend after facing Georgia. Baylor @ TCU Baylor has a shot at the B12 Championship game but they have to win this game, they are tied with Oklahoma State. Both have yet to play OU so 2 losses might find you still in the B12 Championship game. I imagine TCU might not have their hearts in this game, or maybe they win one for Patterson. I'd also note that Dave Aranda has done an excellent job taking over for Matt Rhule. 1
Is this the Coup'd grace for C-USA? According to a report Monday from Brett McMurphy, the MAC is close to adding Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. Simply put, this would be a death blow to Conference USA -- or at least the idea of C-USA as a viable FBS conference. The membership, at 14 just a few weeks ago, would be down to three: Florida International, Louisiana Tech and UTEP. What do those three have in common, other than none of the nine other FBS conferences wanting them? Report: MAC could land death blow to Conference USA
OK here is an odd tidbit. Wake Forest plays North Carolina in a nonconference game next Saturday. You read that right. In an effort to play each other more often, the programs scheduled a home-and-home nonconference series several years ago. This is the second in the series, at North Carolina. -- Andrea Adelson
After a 7 week unexpected period of euphoria, things seem to be getting back to normal for Michigan fans although I think these two guys are from the Walverine family tree as this looks like it was filmed in the downriver Detroit area. ( Why I also think Walvie vs alum—poster would be framed in teak if alum; alum would not have a pool stick or know how to use it as a weapon; cap the guy is wearing is not made by Nike or New Era or 47; alum would have put the grill away before f**king November or at least put a cover on it.)
I do hope the kid is OK. Had to have been terrifying for the child and those with him, on one of the best days of the year for kids, to be attacked by a wild animal.
Banks wife/girlfriend ..it's not clear which she is...claims the following. A weird story, and what ever the truth is I hope the kid is ok which it sounds like he is OK. Dani commented on the matter via Twitter before later deleting her account. She appeared to confirm the story and denied responsibility. Instead, she blamed the child for not following the house rules. “I had a haunted house on one side gated off/ he had no permission to go pass (sic) the gate i had no idea he went in my back yard. neither did i know anything about a bite ! Until a doctor of neighborhood told me the treat a small bite. No parent have contacted me about it !” she wrote. “People lie so much it’s ridiculous !” she wrote. “Stop believing everything u (sic) hear ! And more of what u (sic) see ! SMH!” She responded to a question on Twitter about the allegation. “No one was viciously attack this a lie , a whole lie ! She was not apart of any haunted house , the kid did not have permission to be on the other side of my property !” “A 11 /12 year old child should know better then (sic) to enter someone yard without permission and old enough to also follow the rules . The rules were when u get to the gate turn around and come back out for candy every other parent and child did so !”
The big story tonight will be what the committee does with Cincinnati. I think Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State will be the three, will the committee put in Oklahoma in over Cincinnati? I know that I would expect Oklahoma would be favored over Cincinnati on a neutral field or even in Cincinnati? But the Bearcats have sort of captured the media's attention. I think Michigan State would be favored over them as well. No other Group of 5 team has ever been ranked this high by the AP/Coaches in the CFP era. Even back in 2017 when UCF was a darling they never got higher than #12 in the regular season rankings. They did finish at #6 after beating Auburn in the bowl.
I think that Alabama should be #5 or 6. If they win out they will meet Georgia in the SECCG and either play themselves in or out. I think Ohio State is in the same spot as Alabama. Assuming they meet Michigan State in the championship game they will either play themselves in or out. So if the committee leaves Alabama and Ohio State out of the top 4 it should sort itself out.
A&M may not control their own destiny, but they do control half of it. Of the four teams ahead of them in the SECW, they have yet to play Auburn and Miss. An A&M win over Auburn would give Auburn their second loss with A&M holding the tiebreak. An A&M win over Ole Miss would give Ole Miss their third loss. Bama of course is the lynchpin in the equation, with the only real questionmark right now Auburn. Though not likely, I'm pretty sure kp wouldn't guarantee a win in the Iron Bowl, ever. So if the unthinkable happens, that would be Bama's second loss, and put A&M in the thick of things. MsSU holds the tiebreak over A&M, but still has Ark, Auburn, and Ole Miss, two possible losses (one likely?). IF A&M wins out AND Bama loses ONLY the Iron Bowl: - If MsSU loses any of their remaining three, A&M wins the SECW - If MsSU wins out, a 3-way tie with A&M and Bama results. (Ole Miss would pick up their 4th loss, Auburn their 3rd loss). Each of them is 1-1 against the others and 3-1 against common opponents (LSU, Ark, Aub, Miss). It becomes a little less certain in the next tiebreak, but COULD put Bama out if "head to head against the team within the division with the best overall Conference record" which would end up being Auburn in this scenario, who beat Bama. Then head-to-head MsSU means MsSU wins the SECW. :O Interested in the remaining tie breaks? - #4 all are 2-0 against the SECE - #5 / #6 there are no common non-divisional teams - #7 best cumulative conf winning percent of non-divisional opponents (Bama: Tenn and UF are currently 4-7, A&M: Mizzou and SCAR are currently 2-7, UK and Vandy are currently 4-7) which would knock A&M out, then head-to-head makes Bama champion if it gets to this point. If Auburn wins out, Auburn wins the SECW. Of course, if Bama wins out, Bama wins the SECW.
kp - either ranked in the top 4 or not, Bama will have the potential to play themselves in / out in the SECCG. The only reason fans of the SEC should care where Bama comes in ranked, is the potential hit for UGA losing in the SECCG. Is there a significant difference losing to #4 Bama vs. a #6 Bama? Probably not, but it would be a consideration.
Kesley, I have always maintained that a 2 loss team should not.be in a 4 team playoff. My point above was that both Alabama and Ohio State will have arguments to be in the final 4 only if they beat 2 undefeated teams already in. I am ambivalent about Cincinnati. Their strength of schedule is pretty poor. Now if both Alabama and Ohio State win out, what happens then?
Which is why the game this weekend is a must win for both teams. For Auburn as you note they control their own destiny..win out and they are in ...A&M needs some help.
MSU and OSU cannot meet in a championship game since they are in the same division, the B10 East. Right now there are 3 teams in the East that have a fighting chance to make the playoffs-OSU, Sparty, and M. One of those team will have to run the table & beat the West champ ( likely Minn or Wisky ) to make the playoffs but that is not guaranteed if one-loss Oregon runs the table as their road win in Columbus could sway the committee. Lot of things still waiting to be shaken out.
One thing for sure, the four teams in the 1st ranking are unlikely to be the final 4 teams. Stuff happens in November. Some of the drama will take place if undefeated UGA loses to 1 loss Alabama by a point in the SECCG when they are down 2 and Kick a FG to win the game by 1 as the clock runs out. SECCG winner 1 loss Alabama will be a lock, what about 1 loss Georgia? What if OU and Cincinnati finish undefeated and so does Michigan State? Which undefeated team loses out to the 1 loss Georgia squad? Of course the chances of that happening are almost nil. I have a feeling that Mich State will not finish the season undefeated. They don't call them the Spoilermakers for no reason...Purdue is waiting in the bushes to upset the apple cart! Could this be the year that Michigan finds a way to beat Ohio State? I also think OU is going to lose a game in November. And then what to do about a 1 loss Oregon? That 1 loss though was to a bad Stanford team, will that trump their great win at Columbus? Lot of drama left to go!