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We have reached the final 10. Except for a chaos that would make the 2007 season less safe, there are 10 FBS teams that have real chances, if not a very slim, to qualify for the playoffs of college football. Let's see what each team needs to do to create the support.
ACC
Clemson (9-0)
Remaining games: at Boston College, against Duke, against South Carolina, against to be determined in the ACC championship (if qualified).
How to enter: The Tigers just need to continue to win and they will be part of the first two seeds. It does not appear that anyone in ACC can slow down Clemson now that he has reached playoff mode. This week's trip to Boston College does not match the profile of Clemson's random losses under CCA in the last two years. Syracuse (2017) and Pittsburgh (16) were not considered threats. The Orange did not make a fuss last year and the Panthers were 5-4 when they headed for Clemson. BC is still vying for the ACC title and could potentially knock Clemson out of the ACC game by beating the Tigers. Conversely, Clemson could win the Atlantic by beating the Eagles. So, do not expect Clemson players to think it will be easy.
Big 12
Oklahoma (8-1)
Remaining parties: against the state of Oklahoma, against Kansas, West Virginia, against the TBD in the Big 12 Championship (if qualified).
How to enter: The Sooners have the clearest way to the title of the Big 12, but this path may require them to beat West Virginia twice in eight days. Here's how it does not happen. The Iowa State wins, including a win over Texas that would put the Longhorns on their third conference loss. Assuming that Oklahoma and West Virginia have won their previous two games, this would give a scenario in which the Sooners could choose their opponent for the title match based on the result of their Black Friday match at Morgantown. (This also assumes that the state of Iowa beats the state of Kansas the day after Black Friday.) The Sooners would automatically choose the Cyclones in this scenario, as they would thus keep their hopes of participating in the playoffs.
It will be interesting to see what will happen if three places are occupied and if a Big 12 champion of a defeat (either Oklahoma or West Virginia) is paired with a Big Ten champion of a loss (Michigan or the United States). Ohio State) and / or a loss of the state of Washington with a Pac-12 title.
In this scenario, Michigan, a defeat, will probably be honored if the Wolverines win the Big Ten. If Ohio State appears as a Big Ten champion to a defeat, the Big 12 champion will have an excellent argument. Oklahoma would probably get the stain. It would be curious to see what the committee would do with a team from West Virginia whose best off-conference game (at NC State) was canceled by a hurricane. But it would be a team from West Virginia that has just defeated Oklahoma twice in eight days.
West Virginia (7-1)
Remaining games: vs. TCU, Oklahoma State, vs. Oklahoma, vs. TBD in the Big 12 Championship (if qualified).
How to enter: I've covered most mountain scenarios in the Oklahoma section, but the bottom line is that they need to keep winning. They may win a rematch against Iowa State or Texas in the Big 12 title match if they win their last three games. That would force Oklahoma to lose to Oklahoma State or Kansas. (So, Oklahoma State.) Texas or Iowa State should also win. If this game's opponent for the title is the Cyclones, a chance to avenge their only defeat could be attractive to the Mountaineers. But given the Iowa's thoroughness in ending the West Virginia attack, mountain people may no longer want to see the state of Iowa.
Big Ten
Michigan (8-1)
Remaining games: Rutgers vs Indiana, Ohio State, and determine in Big Ten Championship (if qualified).
How to enter: The Wolverines should be there when they win their next four games. We must not be ashamed of a loss of one point to Notre Dame at the opening game of the season. A Michigan (12-1) with a Big Ten title would offer an impressive number of victories against winning teams. That seems like a key move for the committee, and if Michigan were 12-1, the following opponents should have a record of wins for the season: SMU (the Mustangs are 4-5, but come from beat Houston and get closer to UConn, Memphis and Tulsa.), Northwestern (maybe twice), Wisconsin (maybe twice), Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State. Add Purdue if the boilermakers leave the Big Ten West instead of Northwestern or Wisconsin.
State of Ohio (8-1)
Remaining games: at Michigan State, Maryland, vs Michigan, vs TBD at the Big Ten Championship (if qualified).
How to enter: The Buckeyes should be able to enter if they win, but their 29-point defeat at Purdue could become a problem if they tie for fourth place against a team that has no decisive defeat. CV. (For the moment, what comes closest to the teams on this list is Georgia's 20-point loss to LSU.)
Here is the thing about this loss. If Ohio State has not solved the defensive problems that contributed to its loss, the Buckeyes will probably not win the rest of their regular season games. Michigan State or Michigan (or both) will beat them. So, a 12-1 state of Ohio, which will have better defense because the Buckeyes can not reach 12-1 without one, would probably also be able to compete with the No. 1 seed that any other potential for a single loss Power 5 champion If the No. 1 is Alabama, the choice of No. 4 does not matter.
Pac-12
Washington State (8-1)
Remaining games: in Colorado, against Arizona, against Washington, against the TBD in the Pac-12 championship (if qualified).
How to enter: The Cougars, who play in the weakest Power 5 conference with a busy schedule outside of the conference, would need help. They would need Our Lady to lose, and probably twice. Let's say that Notre Dame loses to Syracuse, but beats the state of Florida and USC. Would a 12-1 from Washington State with a loss to USC outweigh an 11-1 Notre Dame with wins in Michigan and USC?
Washington State would probably also need the Big 12 to produce a two-game champion. Given the operation of this league's league game, it's a distinct possibility. Of course, for all of this to count, the Cougars should also win the Apple Cup. They have not done it since 2012, but they should be favored this time.
SECOND
Alabama (9-0)
Remaining games: against the state of Mississippi, against the Citadel, against Auburn, against Georgia in the SEC championship.
How to enter: It's the simplest of them all. Just continue to annihilate everyone.
But Alabama could probably also enter even if he was not unbeaten. If the Tide lost against Mississippi State or Auburn, they could defeat Georgia in Atlanta and qualify for the playoffs as a lost SEC champion. And if Alabama wins in the regular season and loses a Georgia-defeat classic, it's possible the two players in the SEC playoff game will qualify for the playoffs. No loser of the title of the conference title has ever participated in the playoffs, but the committee would have a hard time dropping the tide in this scenario to the benefit of another team at a loss.
Georgia (8-1)
Remaining games: against Auburn, against Massachusetts, against Georgia Tech, against Alabama in the SEC championship.
How to enter: The Bulldogs can win by winning their next four games. But this team is not as good as the one that won the national title last year. Georgia will have to grow a lot in the coming weeks if the Bulldogs hope to stay with Alabama in Atlanta.
Last year, Georgia made its biggest strides at the end of November. So that's possible, but it still seems unlikely against a better Alabama team than the Bulldogs faced last year.
freelance
Our Lady (9-0)
Remaining parties: against the State of Florida, against Syracuse in New York, at the USC.
How to enter: The Irish are present if they remain undefeated.
What's interesting is what happens if they lose. If they deliver a close game to Syracuse at Yankee Stadium in their last losing game, this defeat could occur against a 10-2 or 9-3 team. How would the committee treat a 12-1 Big Ten champion in Michigan with a loss to Notre Dame against Notre Dame 11-1? What about a 12-1 Ohio State that also has a win against Michigan, but also has a 29-point loss to Purdue?
Most players in the five major leagues are fighting against the Irish because their admission to the playoffs would allow money to come out of the pocket of at least two leagues. But if they get into the game, it could cause enough screaming for some Power 5 leagues to look more seriously at playing in the playoffs at eight.
Group of five
UCF (8-0)
Remaining parts: vs. Marine, vs. Cincinnati, South Florida, vs. TBD at the US Track and Field Championships (if qualified).
How to enter: SI Eric's college football editor, Eric Single, wanted me to put on a kind of ultimate chaos scenario that would put a Boston College two-game losing streak in the playoffs. But if such a scenario arises, the committee should simply place an undefeated UCF at # 4. (Assuming the UCF is undefeated. Obviously, any defeat removes the Knights.)
If this kind of softer chaos happened, UCF would probably be playing in Alabama in the ultimate game. Each question would get an answer.
What should happen? A Big 12 champion with two or three losses. A Pac-12 champion with two or three defeats. The West champion winning the Big Ten title. This scenario should produce a playoff support that looks like this:
No. 1 Alabama vs. 4. UCF in the Cotton Bowl
No. 2 Clemson vs No. 3 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl
All the things that I have described above are possible. Too bad the committee did not have the courage to do it if everything came true.
Random ranking
The song n ° 1 on the Display panel Hot 100 20 years ago this week was 'Kokomo' from The Beach Boys. (From the film deliciously '80 Cocktail.) Here are the top 10 Beach Boys songs, none of which are "Kokomo".
1. "God only knows"
2. "It would not be good"
3. "Good vibrations"
4. "Barbara Ann"
5. 'Surfin' USA '
6. "Help me, Rhonda"
7. "I'm moving"
8. "Sloop John B"
9. "In my room"
10. "Fun, Fun, Fun"
Planned playoff
1. Alabama (9-0)
Last week: 1
Latest game: Beat LSU, 29-0
Next game: Saturday vs. Mississippi State
Nick Saban thanks everyone outside the Alabama fan base for their feelings BAMA IS NOT PLAYED NOBODY. This allowed him to more easily motivate his LSU turbo-charged demolition machine. Everyone in Starkville would appreciate that you stop saying that now.
2. Clemson (9-0)
Last week: 3
Last match: Beat Louisville, 77-16
Next game: Saturday at Boston College
College GameDay arrives at Chestnut Hill in November. The question is whether the home team can fight against a Clemson team that seems to have ended up having escaped from Syracuse last month. Since that match, Clemson has won his last four games with a combined score of 240-36. Let's hope the Eagles will organize a better fight.
3. Our Lady (9-0)
Last week: 2
Last match: Beat Northwestern, 31-21
Next game: Saturday vs. Florida State
A Seminoles tour seemed to be a rather frightening prospect for the Irish who were fighting in August. This is no longer the case. The state of Florida should fight to block the Irish defense line. The real drama will come from the fact that the last three opponents of Notre Dame will be in season mode when they will face the Irish.
4. Michigan (8-1)
Last week: 5
Last game: Beat Penn State, 42-7
Next game: Saturday at Rutgers
The Wolverines look like the Big Ten's best team by a decent margin after crashing Penn State. They also look like Big Ten's safest bet to play in the playoffs. Obviously, Michigan should beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011 to achieve this. So we will retain any extra poison for the rat until the Wolverines prove that they can do it.
Big Ugly of the week
This week's honor goes to defensive forward Quinnen Williams, the Alabama redshirt, who totally dominated LSU on Saturday with 10 tackles (3.5 for the loss, 2.5 of those bags). "He has improved every game," said Deionte Thompson of Alabama's security. "It's just a blessing to have it up there causing havoc."
That's what makes Alabama so different from other programs. The idea that a team could pass Da Ron Payne in the first round seems impossible, but that's what Alabama did. The tide will probably lose Williams after this season, but there is probably another first player waiting for his turn. "We just keep producing them," said Thompson.
Three and out
1. Unsurprisingly, David Beaty was fired Sunday against Kansas after being threatened from 6 to 39 years in almost four seasons. Beaty and his team will finish the regular season with the Jayhawks.
The writing was on the wall for Beaty when Kansas fired his sporting director Sheahon Zenger and replaced him with his former sports director from Arkansas, Jeff Long. Long's mandate was to improve the football program.
Despite the record, the next coach should inherit a better situation than Beaty. Charlie Weis had bombed the program with mediocre recruiting in colleges, leaving the Jayhawks about half of their available scholarships. The next coach will have a lot of work to do, but the depth should not be as serious.
Kansas and Maryland are both open jobs in the Power 5 so far, but there should be some more in the coming weeks.
2. Florida coach Dan Mullen had a lot of heat this weekend for the following quote after the 38-17 loss to the Gators in Missouri.
It's probably not the best thing to say after being smoked by Missouri at Homecoming. According to most companies, customer spending increases as the product improves.
In all fairness to Mullen, he at makes the product to Florida better. The Gators' lineup is still not as good as his record, it's a sign that Mullen and his team are doing what they've been hired for. But Mullen has been in Starkville for eight years. So he probably does not fully understand the underlying boredom caused by seven or eight years of producing a product that Florida fans consider unacceptable. The empty seats have been well deserved and the Mullen Gators will have to earn money by recovering the butts in the seats.
On Saturday, Mullen eliminated quarterback Feleipe Franks after Franks racked up 9 of 22 for 84 yards. He replaced Franks with Kyle Trask, who had 10 yards out of 18 for a total of 126 yards with a touchdown. He did not appeal to rookie Emory Jones – the player that all fans are eager to see – because the plan is redshirt Jones.
Jones can play in two other games and always redshirt. Common sense suggests that these two games would be against Florida State and in the bowl game, but that does not mean that Jones will start one or the other. Florida will likely play against South Carolina and Idaho using a combination of Franks and Trask, and it is highly likely that one of these two players will face the State of Florida in a match that the Gators have to win for recruitment purposes.
After Saturday's loss, Mullen left the door open for a new starter (Trask). But he also did not shut the door on Franks. "We'll see how they behave this week," said Mullen. "If there is a radical change, we will do it."
3. Pop quiz, hot shots: Name the only South Pac-12 team to have full control of its division title. [We’ll pause now to let you consult the standings and the various tiebreaker scenarios.]
Still need a clue? Here you are.
This is true. After a 38-20 victory over Utah, Herm Edwards and his Sun Devils from Arizona State can win the South by winning the last few matches (vs. UCLA, Oregon, Arizona). At 4-3 in Pac-12, Utah, USC and Arizona have more wins than 3-3 Arizona State. But the Sun Devils beat the Utes and Trojans face to face and face the Wildcats for the Territorial Cup on November 24th in their regular season finale.
The Pac-12 makes no sense, so the idea of any team that closes the season with five consecutive conference wins – as Arizona State would – seems to be moving forward. The Trojans have the easiest way to 6-3 in the league, the remaining conference matches against Cal and UCLA, but because of the face-to-face meeting, they are eliminated if Arizona State or Utah finishes 6-3.
What does Andy eat?
At one point each week of my SiriusXM show with cohort Jason Horowitz (Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 4 pm ET on Channel 84), we have an unofficial segment called Jason that tries to get Andy to worry about coastal region of ACC. It usually goes like this. Jason tries to talk to Duke, Virginia or Pittsburgh, and I remind him that some teams finishing 5 to 3 at the ACC game will eventually get off the heel of Clemson's boot.
On Sunday, Morgan Moriarty of SBNation attempted to record the aggressive mediocrity of the coastline. Of course, Saturday was a sad day in this division. North Carolina's loss to Georgia Tech resulted in the Tar Heels' fifth defeat at the conference and eliminated the possibility of the 4-4 coastal quantum singularity that would open a portal to another dimension.
What is Andy Manger?
When I learned that I had been eliminated because a team suddenly became less interesting (losing) and moved to the Alabama-LSU game. An avalanche of texts ensues between me and my fellow football writers. Hotel rates in Baton Rouge were outrageous, and none of us wanted to charge our businesses a huge bill when reasonably reasonable rates were available at one hour from New Orleans. Oh, and that also meant we had to spend a Friday in New Orleans.
At first, the texts touted the very low rates in the warehouse district. The restaurants and bars were an easy walk, and the night would probably not end before sunrise. Then the tone changed. I finally accepted the fact that I am now old when I sent this text to another writer.
I'm staying at Metairie. I'm going to bed after dinner.
The text I received, from a writer with a child who sleeps less than me, said: I will stay at this hotel.
Three of us have taken this route. But I decided that if I were to be the old man and sleep after dinner the night before covering an Alabama-LSU match, there was a requirement: this dinner was to be epic. And that was.
Toups' Meatery is located in the booming neighborhood of New Orleans, in the center of the city, and I would probably never have found that if I had stuck to the usual places closer to the Mississippi. As its name indicates, it exists to make carnivores vibrate. I had trouble with the menu, because I wanted everything. And although I'll have to come back to try the fried quail or lamb's neck, one of the appetizers featured a huge menu strip in one shot.
The Meatery board was filled with homemade pastrami, pork-head cheese, homemade spicy sausages and grilled pineapple. A metal cup filled with pork cracklins accompanied this dish. It is not the glorified pork rinds that I wrote about last week. These were juicy and freshly grilled pieces of skin and fat that sizzled every time a bite opened a pocket of melt. I would have been content with a meal of these and a Manhattan of Toups. This cocktail uses the traditional Manhattan recipe, but with bourbon aged in Tabasco sauce casks. This gives the drink a hot shot before the refrigerated liquid slips into the throat.
I've probably hit the Meatery board – and the plate of gherkins, with its spicy dill and its marinated beets perfect – too strong, because I had no luck when my dish arrived. I ordered the double cut pork chop. The descriptor fails to capture the majesty of this piece of pig. It's more like a roast pork ribs. It has a thickness of about five inches and three ribs that hold all this meat. Each edge was gloriously charred and the marbling made sure that each bite oozed with juice. Usually, this portion of pork is too thin to cook a large piece and make it moist. Through sourcing ingredients, technique or (most likely) a combination of both, Chef Issac Toups has solved this dilemma. The result is a dish that makes people scream What is it? as he goes through their table.
I did not finish this pork chop. I ate the rest for breakfast. Andy, younger, would have polite, then would have spent hours overloaded waddling through bars and drinking late into the night. Not this old man, though. I fell asleep to Arizona's victory over Colorado. After this meal, the ultimate nap was the perfect dessert.
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