The College Football Playoff Picture Is Set...Just Kidding We Have Absolute Chaos
We thought we had it all under control. Clemson had a cake walk to the ACC Title Game, Washington was finally in, Michigan/Ohio State was a playoff to get into the playoffs. WRONG. Oh how wrong were we? Not only did we have a top 4 team lose, we had THREE top 4 teams lose.
Truly bananaland. Before we dive into the chaos let’s just take a second to appreciate the best team in the country..
Alabama
Easily the best team in the nation. It’s laughable how much better they are than everyone else. Their defense is loaded with future NFL starters across the board and they simply don’t let up. Remember when Mississippi State upset then #4 Texas A&M two weeks ago?
Yeah I guess Bama didn’t get the upset alert memo. They don’t just beat you, they embarrass you so badly that you never want to play football again. They don’t have to show up to the SEC title game and still cruise in as the #1 overall seed this year. This is how Bama fans watched the games this week.
So let’s try and make sense of who the Crimson Tide will see at the big dance shall we?
The Losers
Clemson 9-1 (6-1 Conf)
I guess it was too easy for Clemson to run the table on their way to the ACC Title Game. Somehow, they found a way to blow this game…
Well, before their shocking loss Saturday at home to Pitt, the Tigers probably should have already suffered a loss, or three. They survived by the skin of their teeth to both Louisville and Florida State while being taken to the wire against NC State as well. They’re almost a carbon copy of Ohio State last year if you really think about it in how they’ve scooted on by while winning game after game. It was bound to catch up to them soon enough.
So How Fucked Are They? Not too bad. They still hold the tie-breaker in the Atlantic Division over Louisville because of their head-to-head win earlier in the year. Remaining on the schedule for the Tigers are Wake Forest and South Carolina. They should win those two games convincingly and thus earn a berth into the conference title game where Virginia Tech will likely be waiting. It will come down to that showdown to see if Clemson will be in this year’s playoff. The Hokies have been a little Jekyll and Hyde this year with dominant wins over UNC and Miami, but horrible losses to Syracuse and just recently to Georgia Tech. I guess we’ll have to wait and see which team shows up and determines the Tigers’ fate.
Michigan 9-1 (6-1 Conf)
I mean how do you lose that game? Plain and simple you’re an elite team, I write a blog about how great your defense is, and what do you do? You lose to Trent’s 5-4 Iowa Hawkeyes and put your season in absolute jeopardy.
Quick look inside Michigan’s locker room following the loss.
It wasn’t the defense’s fault they lost this game, it was the other side of the ball. Wilton Speight going 11 for 26 103 yards with a pick isn’t going to win you big games. Just not going to happen I don’t care how good the defense is. Dude has to pick it up if these guys are going to get in.
So How Fucked Are They? There was a good chance if Michigan was perfect in the regular season and then stumbled in the Big Ten title game then they would still get in. Not happening anymore. Michigan will have to go into Ohio State to end the year and then beat Wisconsin in the title game if they want to get in. They probably have the toughest road to get to the playoff, but at least they control their own destiny. But if Speight pulls that bullshit in Ohio State, then we’ll be talking about the Wolverines collapse rather than a title shot.
Washington 9-1 (6-1 Conf)
The Huskies controlled their own destiny. If they ran the table they were getting in. That dream ended Saturday Night as the Trojans marched in, stormed the gates, and took it to the Huskies in front of their home crowd. Jake Browning was held in check, throwing two picks, as the USC defense played their best game of the season. It was a fun run for this Washington team, but the good news is they should be right back here next year. Browning is only a Sophomore and you would think he’ll be even better in 2017.
How Fucked Are They? TOAST. Donezo. Kaput. The Huskies would have to win out and have everyone else ahead of them lose which just isn’t happening. I guess after this weekend anything is possible, but I don’t see it barring some act of God. Chris Petersen would be wise to kidnap Tim Tebow and keep him on campus for the time being.
The Winners
Ohio State 9-1 (6-1 Conf)
Must be a good feeling to have BACK TO BACK 62-3 victories late in your college football season. J.T. Barrett is a on a goddamn mission lately, just carving opposing defenses at will. Don’t fuck with this guy right now. Up next in the cross hairs? A trip to East Lansing versus the 3-7 Michigan State Spartans. Do I here three straight 62-3 victories?
How’s It Lookin? Interesting to say the least. Based off their recent victories and what teams just lost, you might see the committee bump up the Buckeyes from #5 all the way to #2. This is all nice now, but even if Ohio State takes care of business in East Lansing and at home against Michigan they still need help. Why you may ask? Motherfucking Penn State. How have we come to this?
Tiebreaker Drama: Well, Michigan really fucked OSU this past weekend. With the Wolverines losing, now there cannot be a 3-way tie, so if Ohio State wins out and Penn State wins out they will both be 8-1 in conference and Penn State has the tie breaker. Had all 3 finished 8-1 the tie breaker would have gone to Ohio State because they would all be 1-1 against each other so it would go to total record eliminating Penn State who also lost to Pitt and then they would look at the head to head between Ohio State and Michigan and Ohio State would get the tie breaker assuming they beat Michigan.
I have literally no idea, but if Ohio State beats Michigan, and Penn State wins out (Rutgers and Michigan State), the Nittany Lions will be in the Big Ten title game. With Penn State winning out a likely scenario, it will be in the committee’s hands to put a one loss Big Ten team in without being in the title game. It will be close and we’ll really see how much a title game berth means to a team’s resume. For me, it means a whole lot, but Ohio State has a great resume besides that. They’ll get in.
Wisconsin 8-2 (5-2 Conf)
Maybe the single biggest winners of this weekend were the Wisconsin Badgers. Washington’s loss opened the door big time for Wisconsin to slide in if they handle their business. Wisco has the fortunate pleasure of playing in the Big Ten West, which they currently lead with a 5-2 conference record. They would be in 4th if they were in the East. With a head-to-head victory against Nebraska a few weeks back, Wisco is in the driver’s seat to go to the Big Ten Championship Game. ESPN actually gives them the best chance to win the Big Ten…CRAZY
The Badgers go to Purdue this weekend and then close out the season home to Minnesota. They should win both of those games easily and await the winner of the East division.
How’s It Lookin? Obviously, for there to be any debate if the two-loss Badgers deserve a spot in the playoff, they need to win the Big Ten title game. That’s not an unreasonable thing to accomplish considering they were very competitive against both Michigan and OSU. Their defense had them in till the end against Michigan, and they had a 4th quarter lead against the Buckeyes. I wouldn’t put it past them to beat either of those teams in a rematch. In terms of their playoff hopes I do feel like they would have to beat either Michigan or Ohio State in that game to get in. If Penn State made it out of the East I’m not sure a Big Ten title victory over PSU would be sexy enough to the committee to put a two-loss team in.
Louisville 9-1 (7-1 Conf)
Another big fan of the Washington loss was Louisville. It seemed they were simply stuck, having no chance at playing for the ACC Title, they needed teams ahead of them in the rankings to get upset. Well, now things are looking up for the Cards. Up next, a good road match-up against the Houston Cougars. Houston has lost a bit of their flair after defeats to Navy and SMU, but you can bet your ass they’ve had this game circled on their calendar for quite a while. Safe to say I will be watching this game over the Saints Panthers on Thursday Night. Expect lots of big plays and points in this one.
How’s it Lookin? I’m expecting the committee to have the Cardinals in the playoff when they release their rankings tomorrow. With Louisville’s only loss coming to Clemson, in a game that went down to the wire, I think they’ve done plenty to solidify themselves as a legit playoff team. A convincing win against Houston on Thursday would, in my mind, lock them in the final four. Man it would be fun to see Lamar Jackson in the playoffs against Bama.
Penn State 8-2 (6-1 Conf)
How the hell is Penn State in contention for the fucking college football playoff? I was on campus for their upset win against Ohio State and their offense was abysmal in that game. I still have no idea how they won that game. But here they are, winners of their last six games, and in a very good spot to get into the Big Ten title game as mentioned before. By virtue of winning out (Rutgers and Michigan State) and Ohio State beating Michigan, the Nittany Lions would play Wisconsin. I don’t know what’s going on, but James Franklin is in way over his head having this team in contention this late in the year. Penn State is the kid in fantasy that has the third least amount of points scored, but every week they play the worst team and barely win.
How’s It Lookin? I guess it’s looking okay? If Penn State runs the table and then beats Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game they’d build themselves a legitimate case for the committee. Fuck. I just don’t see how this team gets picked to be in the final four. They would get SLAUGHTERED by Alabama. It would be an absolute blood bath. It would be such an injustice to Michigan, Ohio State, Louisville or whoever didn’t get in over them. I hope Michigan State beats these guys in the final game of the year. If you can’t tell already, I really don’t like James Franklin or anything to do with the Penn State Football Program.
The Sleeper
Oklahoma 8-2 (7-0 Conf)
Don’t look now, but the Sooners are rolling. Winners of seven straight, Oklahoma has put up no less than 34 points in any of those contests. As good as Baker Mayfield was last year, he’s been even better in this year’s campaign. He’s also turned wide receiver Dede Westbrook into an absolute weapon…
They currently lead the Big 12 with a perfect 7-0 record, but two crucial games await them to close the year. Remember, the Big 12 still won’t have a championship game until next year (so fucking stupid), so the best record will be crowned the champion. Oklahoma State currently is in the rear view mirror at 6-1, but Bedlam awaits to close out the season in Norman. Before that blockbuster match-up, Oklahoma travels to West Virginia this weekend in a tough road game.
Do They Have A Shot? If they win both of those games against top 15 opponents Oklahoma would have themselves a very good case to make the final four. They’d still likely need some other games to break their way out of their control, but there is a shot here. Before this past weekend there was very little hope. The Sooners needed something along the lines of three of the top four teams all to lose. Would never happen right?
So What Now?
This past weekend opened the door for a TON of teams that I listed: Louisville, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Penn State. Alabama is the clear-cut number one team in the country. How do I think the committee will come out tomorrow with the rankings?
Top Four
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Louisville
4. Clemson
Next Two
5. Michigan
6. Wisconsin
But this is all a formality, most of these teams control their own destiny. Also, these could flip completely if we go through another weekend like this one, and that is why college football is the absolute best.