You got to love college football, right?
We are seven weeks into the collegiate football season, and, to me, it hasn’t been a disappointing season thus far. Some may say at some moments ‘Yeah, that was expected.’, or you maybe that person that has said ‘What just happened here?’, or you maybe that person that has said both of those things. I’m that person that has said both.
The regular season is halfway through, and it looks like it’s going to get even more interesting as the season progresses. I have watched much of the college football season, and it has kept me very interested in the majority of what has transpired throughout the nation. Based on what has happened and what my prediction was earlier this year of who was going to the playoffs and who was going to win the title, I may just have to throw that prediction out the window.
Here is what I have learned after seven weeks of college football.
I don’t believe the AP Voters watch college football.
#5. LSU (I’d say they should be higher)
#4.TCU (TCU should be #5)
#3. Utah (I’ll go with that)
#2. Baylor (I’d go with that, too)
#1. Ohio State (<facepalm> you completely lost me here)
There is no way in the world that you are going to tell me that the AP Voters have watched a lick of Ohio State football this year. Sure, they are undefeated. Sure, they are the defending national champions, but that is the only reason you are saying they are #1. They haven’t impressed me or the majority of the college football nation what so ever (except for Buckeyes fans).
OSU hasn’t done anything that could grab my attention. They had one good game against Hawaii, and that is all. With all the talent and the cupcake schedule they have, all of their games should have been blowouts. They have been mediocre at best. They don’t even deserve to be in the Top 10 at this point. I’m just not convinced they are worthy of a top seeding.
When Playoff Committee deliberations start in a few short weeks, I hope they see what everybody else is seeing. If not, then we might as well just go back to the days of when computers determined who is the two best teams in the nation.
The SEC is schizophrenic.
There is no doubt that LSU has proven to be the top dog in the SEC. But I wasn’t saying that last week, or the week before, or the week before.
In these last 7 weeks, I have changed my mind as to whom is the best team in the SEC. In my way-too-early prediction, I had Auburn going all the way to the national title game. I believe I can go ahead and scrap that prediction. Then I believed that Ole Miss was the team to beat in the SEC with a huge win in Tuscaloosa, which is a next to impossible task to do. The following week had me second guessing that when they were almost upset by Vanderbilt the following in Oxford. Not taking anything from Vanderbilt. They have improved dramatically since last season, but it should not have been that close. Then they head on down to Gainesville and just got flat-out embarrassed, and they became even more embarrassed when Memphis upset them last weekend.
At this point, LSU is the team to beat in the SEC. They have stayed consistent all season long. Alabama is a close second for sure. Alabama certainly started off well, then got beat by Ole Miss. The following week they seem a bit rattled, but not so much. Then they go to Athens and dominated. If Alabama can keep playing like they did against Georgia, we may see a tight race in the SEC.
Who knows what will happen with the SEC? I’m not sure if I’m going to get the good, the bad, or the ugly when it comes to the top teams. As long as LSU keeps playing the way they are playing, expect them to be the team to represent the SEC in the playoffs.
TCU has everything to lose.
From injuries to suspensions to request for personal leave, TCU has taken quite a few punches to the chin, and Gary Patterson’s program seems to be in a bit of a turmoil in just five weeks.
The Horned Frogs have lost seven defensive starters during their first five games with linebacker Sammy Douglas, safety Kenny Iloka, defensive end James McFarland, and cornerback Ranthony Texada injured and out for the season. Additionally, linebacker Mike Freeze requested personal leave and is no longer in the program.
Let us not forget those two bonehead players that got arrested and suspended for assaulting and robbing a student of “thirty Keystone Light beers”. To Mike Tuaua and Andres Petties-Wilson; if you are ever in a situation again where you need $10-$15 to get a case of Keystone Light, feel free to get in touch with me. I will gladly Venmo you the money to pay for it. Whoops! I can’t do that. Shape up, you two.
But let’s get back on track here. TCU: You have all the makings in the world to become national champions. I know that injuries happen, but you now have players on your team that have made their very first start this season unexpectedly that need to step up and be the man.
With Big 12 conference play now up and running, you can not just rely on your offense at all times. You must have players on defense that have to step up and make the big play when it is time to make the key defensive stops and to make those key turnovers. Your defense is looking great, but not as great that it has to be in the Big 12 conference.
As long as they don’t have anymore players that go on to join “The Keystone Light Mafia”, expect TCU to be talked about all year long and staying in contention for a national title this year.
I had no idea a BCS-like formula was still being used.
Yeah, really. The BCS is still drawing up computer statistics and making rankings.
The artist formally known as the Bowl Championship Series is now called the College Football Computer Composite. The formula is still the same as it was the last time it was used, but it pretty much seems meaningless. Maybe the rankings will have some influence on the Playoff Committee.
The CFCC came out with their rankings earlier in the week, and it’s top 5 is far different from the AP rankings. Here’s what the CFCC had to say.
1. LSU (No. 5)
2. Utah (No. 3)
3. Ohio State (No. 1)
4. Michigan State (No. 7)
5. Alabama (No. 8)
I’d take out Ohio State and Michigan State out of the top 5, but I do find it interesting that LSU is at #1 when they were #11 the week prior to this week according to the CFCC. Other than OSU and MSU, I’d say it looks pretty good for the time being.
Here is my new College Football Playoff and champion prediction.
These predictions seem meaningless and silly. I’ll level with you: they are meaningless and silly to do. But it’s what as sports journalist do. It’s not because we have to (we do kind of have to), but we do them because it’s fun and it also makes things more interesting and more exciting.
Here is what I’m looking at here after seven weeks.
#4 Baylor
#3 TCU
#2 Utah
#1 LSU
Obviously those predictions can change on any given Saturday. Let’s be honest, there really isn’t a solid prediction that I’m ready to set in stone. Every top team I have watched throughout this season hasn’t really been that consistent except for maybe Baylor, but they are getting into the back end of their season, which isn’t going to be a gimme for them. Many have probably said ‘But Baylor hasn’t played anyone’. That maybe true, but their upcoming games, to me, will even that out, and we’ll see how great of a team Baylor can be.
The next seven weeks are going to be very interesting. We’ve already seen a handful of surprises to the point where college football fans and media have second guessed ourselves as to whom is going to win it all. I’m not convinced at this point that there is a team out there that is a shoe-in for the playoffs and to win the title.
Keep the surprises coming. Everyone loves surprises.
