Oct 17, 2015; College Station, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jake Coker (14) attempts a pass during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
In a year like this one, looking ahead to the next seven weeks of the season is a dangerous proposition.
Looking back over the first seven weeks is like living in The Twilight Zone.
Before the season kicked off, could you have possibly imagined that these things would happen?
*Oregon, ranked No. 5 in preseason polls, would give up 62 in a blowout loss to Utah before losing, again at home, to Washington State – which had lost to Portland State.
*Texas would have its worst start in 60 years going 1-4, including a 50-7 humiliating loss to TCU, before demolishing undefeated Oklahoma.
*Georgia Tech, No. 16 in the preseason, would play seven games – and win only two.
*Boise State would lose seven turnovers in the first half alone in an upset loss to Utah State where it surrendered 52 points.
*Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, only 10 seconds away from upsetting arch-rival Michigan State (which, by the way, had no timeouts remaining in the game), would watch the Spartans run a botched Wolverine punt attempt in for a touchdown to lose on the last snap, joining the short list of the greatest game-ending plays ever – Auburn’s Kick-Six against Alabama, California against the Stanford Band, Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary against Miami … and now this.
*Ole Miss, which had defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa when the Crimson Tide never even had the lead, would give up 31 unanswered points in losing to Memphis. Two weeks earlier, the Rebels scored just 10 points against Florida (LSU scored 35 against the Gators).
*Speaking of Memphis, the Tigers, along with Temple, Houston and Toledo, would all be undefeated with a combined record of 24-0. All four would be ranked in the Top 25 at the same time!
*Head coaches from Illinois, Southern Cal, Maryland and North Texas would have been fired; Steve Spurrier would have resigned at South Carolina; and the starting quarterback for undefeated (at the time) Florida would have been suspended for the next 12 months
Whew! And we’re only halfway through the season.
Despite all of those things and more, looking ahead, dangerous or not, here’s what is likely to happen:
One of the three undefeated Big Ten teams – Ohio State, Michigan State or Iowa (the one getting no respect) – will end up undefeated and make the College Football Playoff Final Four.
Baylor will defeat TCU, while the league’s other undefeated team Oklahoma State (the one getting no respect), will lose two games, and the Bears will be in the Final Four.
Clemson will knock off Florida State in the battle of undefeated Atlantic Coast Conference teams and will be included in the final quartet.
Every Pac-12 team will lose at least one game, leaving the conference without a representative in the Final Four. Their fans will replace those of the Big 12 from a year ago as the ones most loudly criticizing the system.
Notre Dame will lose to Stanford or Temple – Temple! – and will be left out of the Final Four again.
Meanwhile, in the Southeastern Conference, Alabama with the home field advantage will defeat LSU; Texas A&M will lose to LSU and maybe Ole Miss; Ole Miss will lose to LSU and maybe Auburn; Alabama will win the Western Division and beat the Eastern Division champion (as might all teams from the West) and will be the last team to make it to the Final Four.
In the final game – Alabama against Baylor.
The traditional, hard-nosed, opportunistic defense supported with a powerful running game, but with quarterback inconsistency … The explosive, relentless, take-no-prisoners offense (maybe the best in modern college football history), with a defense that gives up a lot of points, but which still wins by large margins.
In a classic match-up, give the trophy to Baylor, but don’t put much on that just yet.
Strange things have been happening in The Twilight Zone.
