College Football Odds and Sods: Alabama Triumphs, Avoids Messy SEC Playoff Disaster Scenario
By Ty Duffy
This may not be what Nick Saban wanted college football to become, but he’ll take it. Alabama came from behind to defeat Auburn 55-44 in the Iron Bowl, securing the SEC West crown. The oft-praised Crimson Tide defense was bailed out by Lane Kiffin’s missile command, in a game that featured 768 passing yards on 70 combined attempts. Amari Cooper had 13 catches for 223 yards and three touchdowns. DeAndrew White was the only other Bama player with more than one reception.
Alabama’s win was huge for the SEC. Mississippi State’s beatdown by Ole Miss ended their bid to be a viable playoff team. A Tide loss would have created quite the SEC sticky wicket. That would have guaranteed a two-loss SEC champion. Instead of getting two teams in, the nation’s clear best conference would have been left holding its manhood cheap, begging the committee for an SEC reprieve to get one spot.
Chaos has one more week to ensue. Florida State meets Georgia Tech, fresh off a Georgia upset, in the ACC title game. Oregon has a rematch with Arizona in the Pac 12 title game. Baylor squares off with Kansas State. Missouri could still win and, ironically, eliminate the SEC at the expense of a second Big 12 team. But, if the top three win out, the decision should come down to Baylor/TCU vs. Ohio State. That decision and the justification of it will say much about the integrity of the present playoff model.
If Baylor and TCU both win out, the committee will have a complex (or simple) choice to make. Baylor beat TCU on a football field. Somehow, that’s not carrying weight. SOS has become paramount, despite the teams playing identical conference slates. Should TCU playing one reasonable non-conference opponent Minnesota trump a direct loss? Should TCU be credited for losing head to head to Baylor, instead of West Virginia? Should the opinion that TCU has looked better trump a direct result?
The committee must also address Ohio State, who lost star QB J.T. Barrett for the season. Should players, who may have earned a playoff trip otherwise be denied because of one teammate’s injury? Especially if they beat Wisconsin, their second best win, without him?
If the playoff prioritizes opinion and conjecture over tangible on the field results, the competition resembles figure skating. The major difference would be college football’s assigned judges having a direct, vested interest in certain outcomes. Is that what we want college football to become? Is there a way to avoid it, besides moving to eight with five automatic conference bids?
Pink Slips
Bo Pelini… Things had gone stagnant in Lincoln. Though, few expected Pelini to be out on his keister on Sunday, after a 37-34 overtime win against Iowa (with a shot of breaking the four-loss barrier). The Cornhuskers finished 9-3, but the three losses – Michigan State, Wisconsin and Minnesota – were against the three good teams Nebraska played. The Blackshirts’ putrid defensive performance against Melvin Gordon was not abnormal under Pelini. It’s hard to see Nebraska returning to Tom Osborne era dominance. But, consistent quarterback play and a solid defense could go a long way in the Big Ten.
Will Muschamp… The Florida coach was already on his way out, but he added one last vintage “Will Muschamp” game for the road. The Gators played spectacular defense, intercepting Jameis Winston four times. They balanced that success with characteristic insipid offense and poor game management down the stretch. We even received another Crazy Coach Boom GIF for good measure.
Brady Hoke… The Michigan Man is still employed, as of this writing, after a 42-28 loss to Ohio State to fall to 5-7. It was a classic spirited effort from the Wolverines, with little to show for it in the end beyond sportsmanship. Their season has ended and Team 135 will be consigned to the record books, mercifully. Sadly, we won’t get much more mileage out of this butt pat GIF.
The Good
A Cardinal Win… Stanford went on the road to Top 10 UCLA and blew them out by three touchdowns. Kevin Hogan completed 16/19 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, without having Ty Montgomery available. The Bruins succumbed to the letdown, got manhandled and coughed away a Pac 12 title and outside playoff chance. Face paint harder next time?
Kicking Down The Back Door… One Big Ten coach got fired Sunday. It wasn’t Tim Beckman. The embattled Illinois coach earned a 47-33 win on the road at Northwestern. That win got the Illini to 6-6 and a bowl game and showed enough progress to save Beckman’s job. This is huge for Illinois players, who should be able to cross “spend the Holidays in a sad Detroit hotel” off the old bucket list.
The Not So Good
They are ND… Notre Dame only turned the ball over once. That’s about the only positive from the injury plagued Irish’s 49-14 “rivalry” fail against USC. Cody Kessler threw for five touchdowns in the first half before the Notre Dame offered a response. Everett Golson was benched. The fourth-straight loss capped a miserable close to the season. September Brian Van Gorder was a much happier man.
Fedora’s Freak Show… The Tar Heels won their first rivalry game against Duke and had themselves a real good time. Bowl eligibility secured, they declined to show up for the second, falling 35-7 to N.C. State. The Wolfpack ran for 388 yards on 54 carries and allowed 30 rushing yards on 28 carries. UNC is 18-16 vs. FBS teams after three seasons under Larry Fedora. But Tar Heel players did get some awesome ACC Coastal Co-Champion rings that one year.
The Story of the Hurricanes… Miami could not come through against Florida State. The Hurricanes then checked out for the season. Miami followed up its loss to Virginia with a 35-23 home defeat to a disappointing Pitt team, who will now mediocre up a bowl game. The Hurricanes have a young quarterback moving forward, but will lose multiple key contributors to the NFL. Should Al Golden have gotten more out of a talented team in his fourth season in a mediocre conference? Affirmative.
GIF of the Week
This nacho-consuming Alabama bro appeared to be oblivious. It turned out he had the precise amount of zen the moment required.
Quote of the Week
Art Briles: “I’ll fight a man with three children and a nice house any day over a man that’s living out of a car” – We’re not 100 percent sure what he meant there, after a narrow win over Texas Tech, but we’ll allow it.