Lots of good stuff around the country this week so let's get started.
1. Vols Gonna Vol. I made the mistake. I hopped on the bandwagon. I thought Tennessee was for real. And now, instead of whining about Florida dodging LSU and keeping them out of Atlanta, Tennessee has only itself to blame. Losses to A&M and Alabama you can forgive. And they were still in the driver's seat to win the division. But South Carolina? No dice Butch. This was supposed to be the year. And yeah, they've been injured. But they still have Josh Dobbs and Jaylen Hurd and Alvin Kamara and Derek Barnett. And they're probably not going to win an awful division. I don't think Butch Jones will be fired...but I'm not sure he shouldn't be.
2. Jimbo Fisher's gonna lose a game and a paycheck. Clemson beat Florida State 37-34. To be honest the game ended after I fell asleep, so I don't know exactly WHAT Jimbo was upset about, I just know it had something to do with the guys wearing the striped shirts.
3. Texas just can't stop screwing the Big 12. The Horns beat Baylor last night, 35-34 on a last-minute field goal. I don't think it probably saved Charlie Strong's job. I think that decision's probably already been made. But it made sure (along with West Virginia's loss at Oklahoma State) that the Big 12 isn't getting anywhere near the college football playoff for the second time in three years.
4. They're not a top ten team, but it's time to give Nebraska some credit. They went into Camp Randall and took Wisconsin to overtime. The Badgers missed a PAT and if Nebraska had been able to get in the end zone, it would have won the game. Didn't happen and Wisconsin survived. Before the game, I wasn't sure Nebraska was a top 25 team, much less top ten. I don't think they're top 10, but they're definitely top 25. The Huskers get Ohio State next weekend, which has suddenly looked mortal the last couple of weeks.
5. The guy who should be on anyone's coaching radar is Craig Bohl. The former North Dakota State boss is in year three at Wyoming. After starting 6-18 in his first two seasons, Bohl has the Pokes 6-2 and steaming toward the Mountain West title game following a 30-28 win over Boise State in Laramie on Saturday night. This is a unique way to score the winning points:
Yeah, I know Bohl is 58, but that dude can coach.
6. Auburn is the most bipolar program in America. Find me a team that's had more ups and downs in the last few years. They win the national title in 2010. By 2012 they're 3-9. 2013 they come back and play for another national title. By 2015 they're down to 7-6 and everybody thinks Gus Malzahn is probably getting fired. And after a win at Ole Miss last night, Auburn is 6-2 with Vandy, Alabama A&M and Georgia coming up before the Iron Bowl. The only losses are to Clemson and Texas A&M and I'll be damned if Auburn isn't right back in the discussion of being a top ten team. Which means they'll probably be 4-8 in a year or two.
7. If two former national powerhouses play in a forest and nobody's there to hear them fall, did it really happen? Notre Dame and Miami played yesterday. And nobody's really talking about it. And I love that. Along with Penn State, those two formed the holy trinity of teams I would root against every single time they played when I was growing up...unless they played each other, then I would root for a tie. For the record, Notre Dame led 20-0 then gave up 27 straight points, then came back to win 30-27. That made the Irish 3-5 on the year and gave the Canes their fourth straight loss (I seem to remember someone on here saying a few weeks ago when they were in the top 20 that they could lose a ton and there was no way they were finishing the season ranked). I'm just glad they're both irrelevant right now. I'm kind of mad at myself for writing this many words about them.
8. Here is my Heisman ballot as of today:
Lamar Jackson
That's all. That's my ballot. He won the award yesterday, regardless of what happens the rest of the year. He led Louisville to an 18-point fourth quarter capped by a 29-yard TD pass with 13 seconds left to beat upset-minded Virginia in Charlottesville. That was his Heisman moment. End the campaigns. If you vote for anyone else, you haven't been paying attention.
For the record, we do have to vote for three players. I don't know who I'll pick 2nd and 3rd at this point. It's some combo of Jabril Peppers, Deshaun Watson and whoever happens to jump out at me over the next few weeks.
9. This is the College Football Playoff picture:
Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Washington and probably Ohio State control their own destiny. If those teams win out, they're in. OSU is the only question mark. Could they beat Michigan and win the Big Ten title and not get in? I doubt it. So if four of those five go unbeaten the rest of the way, there's your playoff.
If they don't, here are the teams that are still alive to get in: Louisville, Texas A&M, Florida (the Gators would have to beat LSU and Bama), Nebraska (the Huskers would have wins over Ohio State and Michigan in this scenario). That's it. Eight teams can win it. Nobody else can short of total chaos.
10. Five games I'll watch this weekend:
San Jose State at Boise State, 9:15 Friday, ESPN2: It's Friday night and I'll be in a hotel in South Carolina and it will be on. I have no desire to actually watch it. But there are a lot of crappy games this week, so I had to pick one from Friday and this is the best one.
Washington at Cal, Time/Channel TBD: I don't think this is where the Huskies trip up. But I may watch just in case.
Florida at Arkansas, 2:30, CBS: This is a tricky one for the Gators. Coming off the UGA rivalry game, LSU looming down the road, door open to win the East. Better not overlook the Hogs.
Alabama at LSU, 7:00, CBS: If Ed Orgeron wins this game, he's going to be the permanent head coach. And this college football season will get really, really fun.
Nebraska at Ohio State, 7:00, ABC: Talked about this one above. Pretty sure the Bucks put a beating on them, but it's a good game in a week without a lot of them.
1. Vols Gonna Vol. I made the mistake. I hopped on the bandwagon. I thought Tennessee was for real. And now, instead of whining about Florida dodging LSU and keeping them out of Atlanta, Tennessee has only itself to blame. Losses to A&M and Alabama you can forgive. And they were still in the driver's seat to win the division. But South Carolina? No dice Butch. This was supposed to be the year. And yeah, they've been injured. But they still have Josh Dobbs and Jaylen Hurd and Alvin Kamara and Derek Barnett. And they're probably not going to win an awful division. I don't think Butch Jones will be fired...but I'm not sure he shouldn't be.
2. Jimbo Fisher's gonna lose a game and a paycheck. Clemson beat Florida State 37-34. To be honest the game ended after I fell asleep, so I don't know exactly WHAT Jimbo was upset about, I just know it had something to do with the guys wearing the striped shirts.
3. Texas just can't stop screwing the Big 12. The Horns beat Baylor last night, 35-34 on a last-minute field goal. I don't think it probably saved Charlie Strong's job. I think that decision's probably already been made. But it made sure (along with West Virginia's loss at Oklahoma State) that the Big 12 isn't getting anywhere near the college football playoff for the second time in three years.
4. They're not a top ten team, but it's time to give Nebraska some credit. They went into Camp Randall and took Wisconsin to overtime. The Badgers missed a PAT and if Nebraska had been able to get in the end zone, it would have won the game. Didn't happen and Wisconsin survived. Before the game, I wasn't sure Nebraska was a top 25 team, much less top ten. I don't think they're top 10, but they're definitely top 25. The Huskers get Ohio State next weekend, which has suddenly looked mortal the last couple of weeks.
5. The guy who should be on anyone's coaching radar is Craig Bohl. The former North Dakota State boss is in year three at Wyoming. After starting 6-18 in his first two seasons, Bohl has the Pokes 6-2 and steaming toward the Mountain West title game following a 30-28 win over Boise State in Laramie on Saturday night. This is a unique way to score the winning points:
Yeah, I know Bohl is 58, but that dude can coach.
6. Auburn is the most bipolar program in America. Find me a team that's had more ups and downs in the last few years. They win the national title in 2010. By 2012 they're 3-9. 2013 they come back and play for another national title. By 2015 they're down to 7-6 and everybody thinks Gus Malzahn is probably getting fired. And after a win at Ole Miss last night, Auburn is 6-2 with Vandy, Alabama A&M and Georgia coming up before the Iron Bowl. The only losses are to Clemson and Texas A&M and I'll be damned if Auburn isn't right back in the discussion of being a top ten team. Which means they'll probably be 4-8 in a year or two.
7. If two former national powerhouses play in a forest and nobody's there to hear them fall, did it really happen? Notre Dame and Miami played yesterday. And nobody's really talking about it. And I love that. Along with Penn State, those two formed the holy trinity of teams I would root against every single time they played when I was growing up...unless they played each other, then I would root for a tie. For the record, Notre Dame led 20-0 then gave up 27 straight points, then came back to win 30-27. That made the Irish 3-5 on the year and gave the Canes their fourth straight loss (I seem to remember someone on here saying a few weeks ago when they were in the top 20 that they could lose a ton and there was no way they were finishing the season ranked). I'm just glad they're both irrelevant right now. I'm kind of mad at myself for writing this many words about them.
8. Here is my Heisman ballot as of today:
Lamar Jackson
That's all. That's my ballot. He won the award yesterday, regardless of what happens the rest of the year. He led Louisville to an 18-point fourth quarter capped by a 29-yard TD pass with 13 seconds left to beat upset-minded Virginia in Charlottesville. That was his Heisman moment. End the campaigns. If you vote for anyone else, you haven't been paying attention.
For the record, we do have to vote for three players. I don't know who I'll pick 2nd and 3rd at this point. It's some combo of Jabril Peppers, Deshaun Watson and whoever happens to jump out at me over the next few weeks.
9. This is the College Football Playoff picture:
Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Washington and probably Ohio State control their own destiny. If those teams win out, they're in. OSU is the only question mark. Could they beat Michigan and win the Big Ten title and not get in? I doubt it. So if four of those five go unbeaten the rest of the way, there's your playoff.
If they don't, here are the teams that are still alive to get in: Louisville, Texas A&M, Florida (the Gators would have to beat LSU and Bama), Nebraska (the Huskers would have wins over Ohio State and Michigan in this scenario). That's it. Eight teams can win it. Nobody else can short of total chaos.
10. Five games I'll watch this weekend:
San Jose State at Boise State, 9:15 Friday, ESPN2: It's Friday night and I'll be in a hotel in South Carolina and it will be on. I have no desire to actually watch it. But there are a lot of crappy games this week, so I had to pick one from Friday and this is the best one.
Washington at Cal, Time/Channel TBD: I don't think this is where the Huskies trip up. But I may watch just in case.
Florida at Arkansas, 2:30, CBS: This is a tricky one for the Gators. Coming off the UGA rivalry game, LSU looming down the road, door open to win the East. Better not overlook the Hogs.
Alabama at LSU, 7:00, CBS: If Ed Orgeron wins this game, he's going to be the permanent head coach. And this college football season will get really, really fun.
Nebraska at Ohio State, 7:00, ABC: Talked about this one above. Pretty sure the Bucks put a beating on them, but it's a good game in a week without a lot of them.
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