I did nothing except watch college football yesterday, so this should be my most informed and best effort. Here we go:
1. I kept thinking LSU/A&M was going to end and I could go to bed and then it just kept not ending. Wildly entertaining football game. LSU got hosed on the last pass interference call, no question. I also thought they got hosed on the 4th and 18 call in regulation. But it turns out I just trusted technology when I shouldn't have:
Also, because the game wasn't entertaining enough, some idiot from A&M tried to fight a former NFL running back who works for LSU now
2. The question everyone has today is what does this do to Mizzou's bowl destination? I posted some of the updated national projections, which are all over the place.
Here are the factors that will impact Mizzou:
How many teams are in the NY6 from the SEC? It's either three or four. Bama and Georgia are getting in. LSU and Florida could. One will. Not sure both will. If only one does, the other goes to the Citrus and it pushes everyone else in the league down a bowl slot. If both get in, the Citrus probably takes Kentucky and we go from there and nothing changed this weekend.
Where does A&M go? The Aggies objectively have a better resume than Mizzou. Could they go all the way up to the Citrus? If not, do they get the Outback? Or are they slotted in the Texas Bowl anyway because that's what makes the most sense for travel?
Are Auburn/Mississippi State good draws? MSU has a very similar resume to Mizzou. Auburn's is worse. I could see Auburn being the SEC team that really slides because they were preseason top 10 and ended up 7-5 and their fans hate the season and hate the coach and might not travel ANYWHERE. So they could go all the way down to the Liberty or even the Independence Bowl simply because their fans aren't going to care. With MSU, I don't know what their draw is. But they played in the Taxslayer Bowl last year. I don't think they go there.
I think the Outback is unlikely for Mizzou at this point. I think MSU and even A&M are more likely there, or Kentucky if LSU or Florida slides out of the NY6 bowls. I think it's the Taxslayer or the Music City with Liberty being possible but less likely.
My guesses:
Playoff: Bama
Sugar: Georgia
Peach: LSU or Florida
Citrus: Florida or LSU
Outback: Kentucky
Taxslayer: Missouri
Music City: Mississippi State
Texas: Texas A&M
Liberty: Auburn or Vandy
Independence: Vandy or Auburn
3. Good for Notre Dame, I guess. I don't think the Irish are a great team and I think Clemson will boat race them, but at least with ND in, the college football playoff has ONE different team from last year. I'm tired of seeing some combo of Bama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Ohio State every year.
4. I'm not a UCF fan, but I hate what happened to McKenzie Milton. I refuse to link videos of gruesome injuries, or even watch them, but Milton's knee got wrecked against South Florida. He's been one of the best and most exciting players in college football the last two seasons and you just hate to see somebody who's been so good get hurt (you hate to see anybody get hurt, but you know what I mean). I don't think UCF belonged in the playoff with Milton. Without him, you just can't even talk about it.
5. It was a really strange feeling finding myself rooting for Ohio State yesterday. I despise Urban Meyer and I don't want them to win anything. But I also despise Jim Harbaugh and I don't want them to win anything either. Ohio State winning gave the B1G a better chance of getting left out of the playoff, so that's what I rooted for. If Northwestern can pull a stunner next week, the B1G is out. If OSU wins, it gets very interesting. Let's assume Bama beats Georgia and Oklahoma beats Texas. It will be the Buckeyes or the Sooners. Oklahoma has a better loss (Texas vs Purdue) but Ohio State has better wins (Michigan, Penn State vs West Virginia). Oklahoma has the best offense maybe in the history of college football, but they can't stop anyone at all (I think Bama could score 80 on them). Ohio State just seems to play to the level of competition. I'm not sure either answer would be wrong. But what I'll be rooting for is Georgia to beat Alabama because one-loss Bama would get in over either one of them.
6. Who was college football's biggest disappointment? There are three contenders:
Wisconsin went from preseason No. 4 to 7-5 with a 37-15 loss to Minnesota
Michigan State went preseason No. 11 to 7-5 with a 9-6 loss to Nebraska and a 14-10 win over Rutgers and an offense that makes my eyes bleed
Auburn went from preseason No. 9 to 7-5 and a loss to Tennessee
7. It's officially coaching carousel season:
North Carolina fired Larry Fedora
The big story to watch is Jeff Brohm and Louisville. I think he stays at Purdue.
Where does Colorado turn? I think they should hire Matt Wells from Utah State
Is USC going to keep Clay Helton? It seems that way.
Will Auburn keep Gus Malzahn? Florida State and Willie Taggart?
What's the domino effect of some of these other moves?
Going to be a fun 48 hours or so.
8. My Heisman ballot
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
I don't know and it doesn't matter
9. The playoff if it started today:
1) Alabama vs 4) Georgia
2) Clemson vs 3) Notre Dame
Obviously Georgia and Alabama play this week so this is going to change. Ohio State and Oklahoma are the only other schools with any real shot. It gets interesting if the following things all happen:
Bama beats Georgia
Northwestern beats Ohio State
Texas beats Oklahoma
In that case, either Georgia gets in anyway or UCF actually gets a shot. But all three of those things have to happen or the four spot is UGA, OU or OSU
10. Games to watch this week:
Utah at Washington, 7pm Friday, FOX: Pac 12 title on the line. I don't really care, but I'll watch I guess. Winner gets an access bowl. Washington State probably gets one too.
Texas at Oklahoma, 11am Saturday, ABC: Big 12 title on the line. OU has a chance at the playoff with a win. Big 12 is left out if the Horns win
Alabama vs Georgia, 3 pm, CBS: SEC title on the line. If Bama wins, it's the 1 seed. If UGA wins, the Bulldogs are the 2 seed and Bama is the 4 IMO
Clemson at Pitt, 7 pm, ABC: ACC title on the line. If Pitt can pull an all time shocker Clemson might fall out of the playoff
Northwestern at Ohio State, 7 pm, FOX: B1G title on the line. Go Cats.
1. I kept thinking LSU/A&M was going to end and I could go to bed and then it just kept not ending. Wildly entertaining football game. LSU got hosed on the last pass interference call, no question. I also thought they got hosed on the 4th and 18 call in regulation. But it turns out I just trusted technology when I shouldn't have:
Also, because the game wasn't entertaining enough, some idiot from A&M tried to fight a former NFL running back who works for LSU now
2. The question everyone has today is what does this do to Mizzou's bowl destination? I posted some of the updated national projections, which are all over the place.
Here are the factors that will impact Mizzou:
How many teams are in the NY6 from the SEC? It's either three or four. Bama and Georgia are getting in. LSU and Florida could. One will. Not sure both will. If only one does, the other goes to the Citrus and it pushes everyone else in the league down a bowl slot. If both get in, the Citrus probably takes Kentucky and we go from there and nothing changed this weekend.
Where does A&M go? The Aggies objectively have a better resume than Mizzou. Could they go all the way up to the Citrus? If not, do they get the Outback? Or are they slotted in the Texas Bowl anyway because that's what makes the most sense for travel?
Are Auburn/Mississippi State good draws? MSU has a very similar resume to Mizzou. Auburn's is worse. I could see Auburn being the SEC team that really slides because they were preseason top 10 and ended up 7-5 and their fans hate the season and hate the coach and might not travel ANYWHERE. So they could go all the way down to the Liberty or even the Independence Bowl simply because their fans aren't going to care. With MSU, I don't know what their draw is. But they played in the Taxslayer Bowl last year. I don't think they go there.
I think the Outback is unlikely for Mizzou at this point. I think MSU and even A&M are more likely there, or Kentucky if LSU or Florida slides out of the NY6 bowls. I think it's the Taxslayer or the Music City with Liberty being possible but less likely.
My guesses:
Playoff: Bama
Sugar: Georgia
Peach: LSU or Florida
Citrus: Florida or LSU
Outback: Kentucky
Taxslayer: Missouri
Music City: Mississippi State
Texas: Texas A&M
Liberty: Auburn or Vandy
Independence: Vandy or Auburn
3. Good for Notre Dame, I guess. I don't think the Irish are a great team and I think Clemson will boat race them, but at least with ND in, the college football playoff has ONE different team from last year. I'm tired of seeing some combo of Bama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Ohio State every year.
4. I'm not a UCF fan, but I hate what happened to McKenzie Milton. I refuse to link videos of gruesome injuries, or even watch them, but Milton's knee got wrecked against South Florida. He's been one of the best and most exciting players in college football the last two seasons and you just hate to see somebody who's been so good get hurt (you hate to see anybody get hurt, but you know what I mean). I don't think UCF belonged in the playoff with Milton. Without him, you just can't even talk about it.
5. It was a really strange feeling finding myself rooting for Ohio State yesterday. I despise Urban Meyer and I don't want them to win anything. But I also despise Jim Harbaugh and I don't want them to win anything either. Ohio State winning gave the B1G a better chance of getting left out of the playoff, so that's what I rooted for. If Northwestern can pull a stunner next week, the B1G is out. If OSU wins, it gets very interesting. Let's assume Bama beats Georgia and Oklahoma beats Texas. It will be the Buckeyes or the Sooners. Oklahoma has a better loss (Texas vs Purdue) but Ohio State has better wins (Michigan, Penn State vs West Virginia). Oklahoma has the best offense maybe in the history of college football, but they can't stop anyone at all (I think Bama could score 80 on them). Ohio State just seems to play to the level of competition. I'm not sure either answer would be wrong. But what I'll be rooting for is Georgia to beat Alabama because one-loss Bama would get in over either one of them.
6. Who was college football's biggest disappointment? There are three contenders:
Wisconsin went from preseason No. 4 to 7-5 with a 37-15 loss to Minnesota
Michigan State went preseason No. 11 to 7-5 with a 9-6 loss to Nebraska and a 14-10 win over Rutgers and an offense that makes my eyes bleed
Auburn went from preseason No. 9 to 7-5 and a loss to Tennessee
7. It's officially coaching carousel season:
North Carolina fired Larry Fedora
The big story to watch is Jeff Brohm and Louisville. I think he stays at Purdue.
Where does Colorado turn? I think they should hire Matt Wells from Utah State
Is USC going to keep Clay Helton? It seems that way.
Will Auburn keep Gus Malzahn? Florida State and Willie Taggart?
What's the domino effect of some of these other moves?
Going to be a fun 48 hours or so.
8. My Heisman ballot
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
I don't know and it doesn't matter
9. The playoff if it started today:
1) Alabama vs 4) Georgia
2) Clemson vs 3) Notre Dame
Obviously Georgia and Alabama play this week so this is going to change. Ohio State and Oklahoma are the only other schools with any real shot. It gets interesting if the following things all happen:
Bama beats Georgia
Northwestern beats Ohio State
Texas beats Oklahoma
In that case, either Georgia gets in anyway or UCF actually gets a shot. But all three of those things have to happen or the four spot is UGA, OU or OSU
10. Games to watch this week:
Utah at Washington, 7pm Friday, FOX: Pac 12 title on the line. I don't really care, but I'll watch I guess. Winner gets an access bowl. Washington State probably gets one too.
Texas at Oklahoma, 11am Saturday, ABC: Big 12 title on the line. OU has a chance at the playoff with a win. Big 12 is left out if the Horns win
Alabama vs Georgia, 3 pm, CBS: SEC title on the line. If Bama wins, it's the 1 seed. If UGA wins, the Bulldogs are the 2 seed and Bama is the 4 IMO
Clemson at Pitt, 7 pm, ABC: ACC title on the line. If Pitt can pull an all time shocker Clemson might fall out of the playoff
Northwestern at Ohio State, 7 pm, FOX: B1G title on the line. Go Cats.
