College Football Random Thoughts From Around the Country: Chaos Has Begun

Last Saturday, the SEC took the spotlight with three matchups of ranked teams.

Alabama 33 Texas A&M 14 - It is pretty impressive what the Crimson Tide did to the Aggies considering the away team was coming off a bye and Alabama was playing on their eighth straight Saturday against a third consecutive ranked team. The Tide is one of only nine P5 teams to not have a week off so far this season. Arizona State, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, UCLA, Utah, and Vanderbilt are the others.

Auburn 56 Arkansas 3 - Speaking of bye weeks and Arkansas... the Hogs looked like they could've used a week off prior to facing the rested Tigers who themselves were coming off a bye. Arky QB Austin Allen was battered, beaten and bruised. As a team, Auburn ran 57 times for 543 yards and 7 TDs by five different players.

LSU 38 Ole Miss 21 - Also among the well-rested was Leonard Fournette who looked like Usain Bolt running for touchdowns of 78, 76 and 59 yards. He finished with 284 yards rushing in his first action since aggravating a bone bruise in his ankle on Sept. 24.

Penn State 24 Ohio State 21 - It does not make you lesser of a man if you call a timeout. This one was on Urban Meyer. He could not make up his mind and then rushed his field goal kicking unit onto the field and it got blocked. With two timeouts in his pocket and a lead, it might be better to get it right than to play it conservative and "save" them for later.

Louisville 54 NC State 13 - Lamar Jackson was "held" to 76 yards rushing. He had 355 yards through the air and accounted for four touchdowns.

All four of these games could easily go in the Hermione Granger category below. There is some serious smh at the bottom of the conference.

South Carolina 34 UMass 28 - Will Muschamp made a baffling move this week, taking the redshirt off freshman QB Jake Bentley. He played okay (17/26-201-2-0) against a 1-7 team but what is the purpose of burning a redshirt year of your future quarterback seven games in when you have basically no shot at a bowl game? The 'Cocks are 3-4. They would need to beat Tennessee, Florida, or Clemson to get to the post-season.

Kentucky 40 Mississippi State 38 - This is who you are now Bullies. UK kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired to notch the win.

Vanderbilt 35 Tennessee State 17 -The 'Dores were down 17-14 before reeling off the next 21 points on their FCS Nashville neighbor.

Middle Tennessee 51 Missouri 45 - This is an embarrassment to the whole league. Can we trade them for West Virginia?

SEC BOWL PROJECTIONS:

In: Alabama, TAMU, Auburn, Tennessee.

Should be in: Arky needs one win (@MSU or @Miz); Ole Miss needs three wins (Aub, GaSouthern, @TAMU, @Vandy, MSU).

Not so fast: LSU needs one win (Ala, @Ark, Fla, @TAMU); Florida needs one win (UGA, @Ark, SC, @LSU, @FSU); UGA needs two wins (Fla, @UK, Aub, UL-Laf, GaTech).

It's possible: UK needs two wins (@Miz, UGA, Austin Peay).

Longshot at best: Mizzou needs four wins (UK, @SC, Vandy, @Tenn, Arky)

NFW: MSU, SC, Vandy

Michigan 41 Illinois 8 - Although Michigan does not have the toughest of schedules, I have to admit they take care of business. They average 48.7 points per game and have given up only 49 points total all season.

Washington 41 Oregon State 17 - Same as above. Their average score is 48-15.

Nebraska 27 Purdue 14 - The 'Huskers just keep on winning. Maybe Mike Riley knew what he was doing when he left Oregon State.

West Virginia 34 TCU 10 - Do we have to talk about WVU just yet?

CIRCLING THE DRAIN

Kansas State 24 Texas 21 - The 'Horns are now 3-4 and the villagers are gathering their pitchforks and torches.

Virginia Tech 37 Miami 16 - The 'U' has lost three straight. Back to ignoring the 'Canes for the worst fanbase in America.

Cal 52 Oregon 49 (2 OT) - The Ducks suffer their fifth consecutive loss of the season. At least they have pretty uniforms. Royce Freeman rushed the ball 15 times for 10 yards.

Maryland 28 Michigan State 17 - Sparty has lost five straight. I don't revel in MSU's demise. I like Mark Dantonio and we need the Spartans to be strong to make anOSU and Michy sweat a little. Bama done ruined another team Pawwl.

SMU 38 Houston 16 - Knowing that they won't make the CFP, that they aren't going to join the Big 12, and with their head coach one foot out the door, have the Cougars checked out? At this point, they may not even with the AAC West.

Colorado 10 Stanford 5 - From CFP contender to 4-3 in the blink of an eye. And this was WITH Christian McCaffrey playing. McCaffrey was again held to under 100 yards rushing and has not scored a touchdown since September 17.

BAMA STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Southern Cal (4-3) had a bye week. Up next: Cal, Ore, @Wash, @UCLA, ND.
  
• WKU 59 Old Dominion 24 - The Hilltoppers (5-3) are one away from the magical six wins. The next four games (FAU, FIU, N.Tex, Marshall) are all very winnable.
  
• Chattanooga improves to 7-1 with a 30-13 victory over VMI. They stay at #8.
  
• Kent State (2-6) loses to Ohio.

~~~~~

ADOPT-A-TEAM

• Jacksonville State (6-1) wins 24-7 over Eastern Kentucky. They are the #2 FCS team.
  
• South Alabama (3-4) built a 21-10 lead on Troy (6-1) but could not hold back the onslaught of Brandon Silvers 395 passing yards. 15 fourth quarter points for the Trojans gave them a 28-21 win.
• Colorado is now tied with Utah for the Pac-12 South lead. The Buffs have six wins for the first time since 2007.
  
• Wyoming is now 5-2 with the defeat of Nevada. The Cowboys' Brian Hill is second in the nation in total rushing yards (1,010) and rushing yards per game (144.3).

SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS

• Army (4-3) loses to North Texas 35-18. Six wins is not looking good now.
  
• Air Force (4-3) lost their third straight. This time to Hawaii (4-4).
• Navy (5-1, 4-0) QB Will Worth accounted for five touchdowns (two passing, three rushing) and 286 yards against Memphis. The Middies lead for the AAC West crown.
  

ELIMINATED*:

All non P5 teams. Hopefully, everyone is now satisfied with the projection that Houston will not be in the CFP.

Despite losses this weekend, Texas A&M and Ohio State are still in the running for a spot in the CFP.

* crazier things

THE CONTENDERS

A way WAY too early look at the College Football Playoff (CFP) picture:

• ACC - Clemson controls their own destiny. Louisville will need some outside help.
  
• Big Ten - Ohio State goes kerplunk and Michigan picks up the mantle. Nebraska is still unbeaten. The Buckeyes still have a shot but have no room for error.
  
• Big 12 - Baylor and West Virginia remain undefeated but both have only played 6 games and have yet to face Oklahoma or Texas.
  
• PAC-12 - Washington has a big showdown with Utah on Saturday.
  
• SEC - Alabama is the leader but Texas A&M still has an outside shot. Florida will need to run the table including games @LSU, @FSU, and SEC Championship game to end the season. Good luck with that, Foley.
  
• Notre Dame

The CFP Committee will begin to produce rankings next week. Members meet in person, on Mondays and Tuesdays and release their rankings Tuesday evenings. The committee will issue its first rankings on Tuesday, November 1. My seedings of the New Year's Six are as follows:

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Washington
4. Michigan
5. Texas A&M
6. Ohio State

What does your top 6 look like?

~~~~~

Krazy Kristi's "SHUT UP!" of the Week goes to the stupid lazy pollster who put Boise at #13 just because they are undefeated. KK wants you to check out this lame schedule and tell her if you think Ole Miss or Arkansas could go 7-0 against this lineup:

@ UL-Lafayette
vs Washington State
@ Oregon State
vs Utah State
@ New Mexico
vs Colorado State
vs BYU

If the answer is "yes", shouldn't Ole Miss or Arky be ranked #13.

~~~~~

I just want to say thank you to everyone for checking on me and all the prayers all I know is how to bounce back...God Is In Control RTR!!

— Eddie Jackson (@EJackson_4) October 23, 2016

As we all know by now, senior safety/punt returner/team leader/fan favorite Eddie Jackson fractured his leg and is done for the season. :(

If you don't remember Eddie's recruitment, it was similar to Joshua Jacobs in that he was a recruit that was plucked out of obscurity late in the recruiting process. The three-star wide receiver/cornerback was getting little attention until he had an outstanding senior season and drew the attention of big time schools. In the end, Jackson chose Alabama over FSU and LSU.

Jackson was arguably the best playmaker for the Crimson Tide this season with an interception return for a touchdown and two punt returns for touchdowns. Some lucky NFL team is going to get a heck of a player.

• Clemson RB Wayne Gallman (head) has been upgraded to probable for Saturday's showdown with Florida State.
• Michigan leading rusher Chris Evans left the Illinois game and is undergoing concussion protocol.
• According to a Star Tribune quote from Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys, the Big Ten has approved Fresno State as an exception to the Power 5 scheduling rule. The Gophers have scheduled Fresno for a game in 2018 and 2019. "Otherwise we wouldn’t have done that," Claeys said. "[The Big Ten] has to approve it." That is mighty lame if true.
• Speaking of powerhouse Fresno, the school has fired head coach Tim DeRuyter. His Bulldogs went 9-4 and 11-2 in his first two seasons at the helm on the strength of quarterback Derek Carr. But fell to 6-8, 3-9 the next two seasons, and 1-7 this year. There have been rumors that Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin could be a top candidate to take over next season.

STAT OF THE DAY

Oklahoma and Texas Tech combined for an FBS-record 1,708 yards and 76 first downs in a ridiculous display. The Sooners won this garbagefest 66-59. Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed for 734 yards, 5 TD and a pick. Baker Mayfield threw for 545 and 7 TDs with no interceptions. The Sooners Joe Mixon ran for 263. None of the scoring came from the defenses or special teams. Surprisingly, there were two punts apiece by each team.

KEY & PEELE PLAYER NAME OF THE WEEK

Oklahoma DT Du'Vonta Lampkin

Honorable Mention Recruit Category: 4-star LB Bumper Pool was in Tuscaloosa this weekend. His father has indicated that his full name is Bumper James Morris Pool.

LET'S GO BOWLING!

• With six or more wins, twenty FBS teams are now bowl eligible, including Toledo, San Diego State, Troy, and South Florida.
• Ladies and Gentlemen! We have our first 7-loss teams! UMass, Bowling Green, and Fresno State are all 1-7.
• Rice, who was the last winless FBS team, finally found the win column with a 65-44 victory over the Prairie View Dawgs Home Companions. With a 1-6 record, the Owls can run the table and get to a bowl! WooHoo! Their last game of these regular season is at Stanford. BELIEVE!

HEISMAN HYPE
With the exception of TWO YEARS, the Heisman Trophy voting is basically a hype award. That being the case, we'll bring you "Who Will Win" and "Who Should Win".

• Who Will Win - That should put an end to the J.T. Barrett talk but you never know with the flapping lips out there... Deshaun Watson has a chance to make a statement vs FSU, but Lamar Jackson seems to still be getting most of the talk... Booger McFarland said it last week, and now ESPN's Edward Aschoff is joining in the chorus that Jalen Hurts deserves to be recognized as a viable Heisman candidate.
• Who Should Win - It really has been a strange year. Lamar Jackson jumped up and caught our attention early and nobody else has done anything to dissuade. But as they say, November is when the Heisman is won.
  

I never intended to make rants about TV coverage a weekly thing but CBS has been so obnoxious this year. Gary Danielson was ultra-annoying. Despite an explanation from the SEC, he kept harping on for the rest of the game about Mack Wilson's hit on Speedy Noil and how he thought it should've been targeting.

And then there is CBS's attempt to force-feed viewers the term "NOTs" as a part of football lingo for non-offensive touchdowns. It is just plain stupid. "It's a NOT!" Verne bellowed. No. Just NO. It is even dumber than the Gary's "fastball theory" which has mysteriously disappeared by the way.

Times are CT/ET.

Thursday, October 27

Virginia Tech at Pitt 6pm/7pm ESPN - A preview of who Kentucky will play in some godforsaken bowl game.
Appalachian State at Georgia Southern 6:30/7:30 ESPNU- Sun Belt showdown.
Cal at Southern Cal 9:30/10:30 ESPN - If you have no school/work/life on Friday, check this one out.

Friday, October 28
Navy at South Florida 6pm/7pm ESPN2 - Two AAC division leaders face off.
Air Force at Fresno State 9:30/10:30 ESPN2 - AIM HIGH!

Saturday, October 22

SEC:

Kentucky at Missouri * 11am/noon SECN - UK inches closer to bowl eligibility.
Florida at Georgia 2:30pm/3:30pm CBS - The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Yeah, I said it. Whatcha gonna do about it?
Samford at Mississippi State 2:30pm/3:30pm SECN- MSU really needs to win this game big and decisively.
Auburn at Ole Miss 6:15/7:15 SECN Could the Rebs fall to 3-5?!
Tennessee at South Carolina 6:15/7:15 ESPN2 - This should be a bloodbath.
New Mexico State at Texas A&M 6:30/7:30 ESPNU- Aggies licking their wounds.

* Missouri is not really SEC. They are on probation.

(Alabama, LSU, Arkansas and Vanderbilt are all off.)

DURING COMMERCIALS:

Not much A LOT worth flipping over for.

Louisville at Virginia 11am/noon ABC - Lamar will put up HUGE numbers...again.
West Virginia at Oklahoma State 11am/noon FOX - Only the second road game for WVU so far this season.
Michigan at Michigan State 11am/noon ESPN - Can Sparty get up for this game? Prolly not.
Miami at Notre Dame 2:30pm/3:30pm NBC - The loser of this game will be very sad.
Baylor at Texas 2:30pm/3:30pm ABC - Either the Bears get their first loss or Charlie Strong updates his resume.
Northwestern at Ohio State 2:30pm/3:30pm ESPN - Will the Buckeyes be PO'd or hungover?
Washington at Utah 2:30pm/3:30pm FS1 - Perhaps the last REAL challenge for UW.
Nebraska at Wisconsin 6pm/7pm ESPN - A must win for the 'Huskers with anOSU up next.
Clemson at Florida State 7pm/8pm ABC- Which FSU team will show up? Ya never know.

CAN'T SLEEP?

Stanford at Arizona 10pm/11pm FS1 - Have the Trees hit rock bottom?
New Mexico at Hawai'i 10:59/11:59 Alohavision - Insomniacs only.

#ALABAMA

A week off for ALABAMA to prepare for the home stretch: @LSU, MSU, Chatta, Aubie, etc., etc., etc.

Alabama-LSU will be on (brace yourselves) CBS at 7pm CT with Uncle You-Know-Who and Mr. ADD.

#RollTide!