Was traveling Sunday and honestly just forgot to post. So here you go:
1. Bama/LSU was a joy to watch. Look, 55-45 can be entertaining. But so can 10-0. That was just a slugfest with NFL athletes all over the field. I mean, if you didn't like watching that, I question how big a football fan you are. It's like a 1-0 game where the winning team finally scratches across the game winner in the bottom of the 8th on two bloop singles and a sac bunt. And Jalen Hurts probably won't end up with a seat at the Heisman ceremony...but maybe he should.
2. Aggies, meet Karma. Texas A&M was inexplicably ranked fourth in the first college football playoff rankings. That will end tonight after the Ags lost against Mississippi State. Many people are going to sell this as proof that the SEC is incredibly deep, "Look even the 10th best team in our league can beat the second." I think the reality is that it proves the SEC isn't nearly as good as it is in most years. There is one elite team, one pretty good team (LSU) and a couple good, but not great, teams (Auburn, A&M).
3. And then there's the SEC East. Arkansas 31, Florida 10. The Razorbacks might win the East. At least five West teams would (Bama, LSU, Auburn, A&M, Ole Miss before the Chad Kelly injury). The East is awful. It might not be as bad as the Big 12 North was for a few years...but it's not a whole lot better. The East is now 1-13 against the West.
4. I've seen Nebraska in a lot of 62-3 games...but I've only seen them in two where they had the three. A few years ago, the Huskers lost 70-10 in Lubbock. This past weekend they lost 62-3 to Ohio State. And I've got to admit, while I'm no Urban/Buckeye fan, it was a little bit enjoyable nonetheless (all except the part where Tommy Armstrong looked like he might be very severely injured).
5. The most enjoyable beatdown was in Waco though. TCU 62, Baylor 22. And Gary Patterson would have scored more if he could have. Nice move wearing the all black uniforms to protest Art Briles being fired, Baylor. HOW IN THE HELL DOES THAT HAPPEN? Yeah, I know admins at Baylor have said they didn't know and now they're kind of distancing themselves from that supposedly being the reason, but whatever. I ask again HOW IN THE HELL DOES THAT HAPPEN? I asked someone from Mizzou yesterday if anybody has sent Mack Rhoades a text and just said, "Seriously? That's where you wanted to leave for?" To their knowledge, no one has.
6. kansas lost its 18th consecutive conference game. Better hope they lose to Iowa State this weekend, Tiger fans. Because I heard yesterday (I haven't done the independent research on this to confirm it) that Mizzou's 11-game bender in SEC play is the second longest in the country. That's not a title you want to hold.
7. We're four games from the biggest game in Apple Cup history. Washington beat Cal 66-27 and has home games against USC and Arizona State. Washington State beat Arizona 69-7 and hosts Cal and then goes to Colorado. If both teams win both, they'll be in the top 15 and Washington will have a CFP bid on the line. Mike Leach should probably be the national coach of the year. Unless Chris Petersen is.
8. The following teams control their own destiny in the CFP
Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Washington, Ohio State
That's it. Everyone else needs help. Here are the teams that could still make it if they get that help:
Louisville, Auburn, West Virginia (that one's borderline, but they still play Oklahoma and Baylor, so they've got a chance to make some statements).
The following teams COULD get there, but it would take multiple upsets and borderline chaos:
Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Penn State (this one would take mass chaos)
9. My Heisman ballot as of today:
Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Corey Davis, Western Michigan (Davis won't get nearly enough votes, but he has 61 catches for 1011 yards and 14 touchdowns with four games to play before ballots are due and I may very well give him my third place vote)
Other players who merit consideration for a 2nd or 3rd place vote: Jalen Hurts, Alabama/Jabril Peppers, Michigan/Jake Browning, Washington
10. Five games I'll watch this weekend:
South Carolina at Florida, 11 am, CBS--The Muschamp Bowl. You know the Gamecocks want to win this one for Coach Boom
Kentucky at Tennessee--11 am, SECN--Winner keeps hope alive to go to Atlanta
West Virginia at Texas--11 am, ???--Can't find the channel listing, so maybe I won't watch. And it's not an exciting game. But I like seeing the Longhorns lose
USC at Washington--630 pm, Fox--The Trojans have the talent to shock the Huskies and really shake up the playoff
Michigan at Iowa--7 pm, ABC--Logic says this won't be close. It might not be. Call it a hunch.
1. Bama/LSU was a joy to watch. Look, 55-45 can be entertaining. But so can 10-0. That was just a slugfest with NFL athletes all over the field. I mean, if you didn't like watching that, I question how big a football fan you are. It's like a 1-0 game where the winning team finally scratches across the game winner in the bottom of the 8th on two bloop singles and a sac bunt. And Jalen Hurts probably won't end up with a seat at the Heisman ceremony...but maybe he should.
2. Aggies, meet Karma. Texas A&M was inexplicably ranked fourth in the first college football playoff rankings. That will end tonight after the Ags lost against Mississippi State. Many people are going to sell this as proof that the SEC is incredibly deep, "Look even the 10th best team in our league can beat the second." I think the reality is that it proves the SEC isn't nearly as good as it is in most years. There is one elite team, one pretty good team (LSU) and a couple good, but not great, teams (Auburn, A&M).
3. And then there's the SEC East. Arkansas 31, Florida 10. The Razorbacks might win the East. At least five West teams would (Bama, LSU, Auburn, A&M, Ole Miss before the Chad Kelly injury). The East is awful. It might not be as bad as the Big 12 North was for a few years...but it's not a whole lot better. The East is now 1-13 against the West.
4. I've seen Nebraska in a lot of 62-3 games...but I've only seen them in two where they had the three. A few years ago, the Huskers lost 70-10 in Lubbock. This past weekend they lost 62-3 to Ohio State. And I've got to admit, while I'm no Urban/Buckeye fan, it was a little bit enjoyable nonetheless (all except the part where Tommy Armstrong looked like he might be very severely injured).
5. The most enjoyable beatdown was in Waco though. TCU 62, Baylor 22. And Gary Patterson would have scored more if he could have. Nice move wearing the all black uniforms to protest Art Briles being fired, Baylor. HOW IN THE HELL DOES THAT HAPPEN? Yeah, I know admins at Baylor have said they didn't know and now they're kind of distancing themselves from that supposedly being the reason, but whatever. I ask again HOW IN THE HELL DOES THAT HAPPEN? I asked someone from Mizzou yesterday if anybody has sent Mack Rhoades a text and just said, "Seriously? That's where you wanted to leave for?" To their knowledge, no one has.
6. kansas lost its 18th consecutive conference game. Better hope they lose to Iowa State this weekend, Tiger fans. Because I heard yesterday (I haven't done the independent research on this to confirm it) that Mizzou's 11-game bender in SEC play is the second longest in the country. That's not a title you want to hold.
7. We're four games from the biggest game in Apple Cup history. Washington beat Cal 66-27 and has home games against USC and Arizona State. Washington State beat Arizona 69-7 and hosts Cal and then goes to Colorado. If both teams win both, they'll be in the top 15 and Washington will have a CFP bid on the line. Mike Leach should probably be the national coach of the year. Unless Chris Petersen is.
8. The following teams control their own destiny in the CFP
Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Washington, Ohio State
That's it. Everyone else needs help. Here are the teams that could still make it if they get that help:
Louisville, Auburn, West Virginia (that one's borderline, but they still play Oklahoma and Baylor, so they've got a chance to make some statements).
The following teams COULD get there, but it would take multiple upsets and borderline chaos:
Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Penn State (this one would take mass chaos)
9. My Heisman ballot as of today:
Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Corey Davis, Western Michigan (Davis won't get nearly enough votes, but he has 61 catches for 1011 yards and 14 touchdowns with four games to play before ballots are due and I may very well give him my third place vote)
Other players who merit consideration for a 2nd or 3rd place vote: Jalen Hurts, Alabama/Jabril Peppers, Michigan/Jake Browning, Washington
10. Five games I'll watch this weekend:
South Carolina at Florida, 11 am, CBS--The Muschamp Bowl. You know the Gamecocks want to win this one for Coach Boom
Kentucky at Tennessee--11 am, SECN--Winner keeps hope alive to go to Atlanta
West Virginia at Texas--11 am, ???--Can't find the channel listing, so maybe I won't watch. And it's not an exciting game. But I like seeing the Longhorns lose
USC at Washington--630 pm, Fox--The Trojans have the talent to shock the Huskies and really shake up the playoff
Michigan at Iowa--7 pm, ABC--Logic says this won't be close. It might not be. Call it a hunch.
