CFP Plus: Chaos reigns, but will it last?
Another week of mayhem in college football, with the Top 10 getting rocked with some upsets and some surprises, which is part of CFB;s DNA.
First, the bad news for Alabama fans this morning.
.You aren't done with road challenges in the SEC race.
Now for the good news.
Losing the 52-49 thriller to Tennessee on Saturday night was a loss from which the Tide can recover enough to make it back into CFB's Final Four.]
Alabama's loss was against an SEC East team, not West, which means the Tide can still sweep through the schedule, win the SEC West title, win the SEC title game and be in prime position for a Final Four berth.
The Bama loss was only part of the wildest day in college football this season.
Alabama, USC and TCU all were Top 10 teams that were beaten as well as previously unbeaten Penn State and Oklahoma State suffering their first losses of the season.
If you add the drama being created in the Major League baseball playoffs, you had the season's best sports feast.
Let's look at how the CFB Playoff picture comes into view on a conference by conference basis.
ACC
Clemson continues to win, without getting a lot or respect. Coach Dabo Swinney's team took care of Florida State 34-28;
The Tigers' should settle the matter next week when surprisingly unbeaten Syracuse comes to Clemson. The winner is obviously the front runner, but if Clemson wins, the Tigers still look solid for a Final Four bid if they are unbeaten and win the ACC title.
The best Syracuse can do (barring other upsets) is get a bid to the Orange Bowl.
Big Ten
Looks like Michigan-Ohio State winner is a lock for a Final Four bid, if it is unbeaten. Surprise team of week in Big Ten West is Illinois. Ohio State continues to be heavy favorite, Michigan ran over Penn State on Saturday and is for real.
SEC.
Georgia is front runner in SEC East, but faces a three game stretch which includes long time rival Florida and then back to back games against Tennessee (in Athens) and at Miss. State.
Alabama can survive its loss to Tennessee, but must deal with back to back road games at LSU and at Ole Miss in November.
Could be another Alabama-Georgia stare down..
Big 12
Wild wild west time each week in this conference. TCU is lone unbeaten team, which was highlighted by Saturday's wild 43-40 (double OT) win Ok State ,but you want to take odds on the Fogs being unbeaten for the remainder of the season, with road games remaining against West Virginia, Texas and Baylor?
Pac 12
See Big 12. UCLA is lone remaining unbeaten, but must deal with a road game next week in Oregon. Utah's 43-42 last minute come-from-behind win over USC just muddied the waters some more. Final Four berth for an unbeaten UCLA looks like a long shot.
Group of 5
If I had to pick a front-runner right now, I would say Cincinnati as a once beaten AAC champ looks like a solid pick.
Colorado
Interim Buffalo head coach:Mike Sanford won his debut with 20-13 upset of Cal on Saturdday, continuing a trend set by Wisconsin, Georgia Tech and Arizona State in which Interim Coaches won their debut games.
Who's Hot
Illinois.
The Illini, picked to finish last in the Big Ten West won their fifth straight game and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2019 with a 2614 win over Minnesota and improved their record to 6-1.
Who's Not
USC defense. A prime reason for USC's first loss of the season was not difficult to pinpoint. The Trojans allowed a season high of 562 yards by the Utah offense, which is hardly a defense which can win national championships.
And it has been six years since USC defeated a ranked victory on the road.
Defensive units anywhere
Does anyone play defense anymore.
Consider some of these scores from the weekend's games.
Utah 43, USC 42.
Washington 49, Arizona 39
Concord 68, Charleston (WV) 60
LSU 45, Florida 35
Ole Miss 48, Auburn 34
North Carolina 38, Duke 35
Tennessee 52, Alabama 49
Maryland 38, Indiana 33
Purdue 43, Nebraska 37
TCU 43, Oklahoma State 40 (2 OT)
Oklahoma 52, Kansas 42.
West Virginia 43, Baylor 40
Alabama
It's not losing 52-49 to Tennessee which hurt the Tide. It was the sloppiness, the break downs on defense which has characterized Alabama's play for most of the season.
Notre Dame
The Irish dropped to 3-3 after losing at home to Stanford on Saturday. Any chance for a New Year's Six bowl game is now gone for the Irish, who must deal with Syracuse and USC on the road and Clemson at home. Reaching .500 might be in jeopardy..
Say What
(Scores and news items which drew our attention)
Tennessee had not beaten a Top 10 team since 2006...In a 41-17 win over Penn State on Saturday, the unbeaten Wolverines rushed for .418 yards against a team which had averaged less than 80 rushing yards per game in total defense....In a 55-0 win over Vanderbilt, Georgia QB Stetson Bennett threw his first TD pass in four weeks....
Play it Forward (Games of Note next week)
Syracuse at Clemson--Winner ACC front runner
UCLA at Oregon--Winner Pac-12 front runner
Mississippi at LSU--First of a series of challenges for Ole Miss in SEC West