College Football - Week 12 (Nov. 18)

[Andy]

Top 25 games

------------------------------

Mercer at (1) Alabama (12 pm, SEC Network)

The Citadel at (2) Clemson (12:20 pm, ACC Network/ESPN3)

Virginia at (3) Miami (12 pm, ABC)

(4) Oklahoma at Kansas (3:30 pm, ESPN)

(24) Michigan at (5) Wisconsin (12 pm, FOX)

UL Monroe at (6) Auburn (12 pm, ESPN2)

Kentucky at (7) Georgia (3:30 pm, CBS)

Navy at (8) Notre Dame (3:30 pm, NBC)

Illinois at (9) Ohio State (3:30 pm, ABC)

Nebraska at (10) Penn State (4 pm, FS1)

UCLA at (11) USC (8 pm, ABC)

(12) TCU at Texas Tech (12 pm, FS1)

Kansas State at (13) Oklahoma State (3:30 pm, ESPN2)

(15) UCF at Temple (12 pm, ESPNU)

(16) Mississippi State at Arkansas (12 pm, CBS)

Maryland at (17) Michigan State (4 pm, FOX)

Utah at (18) Washington (10:30 pm, ESPN)

(19) NC State at Wake Forest (7:30 pm, ESPNU)

(20) LSU at Tennessee (7 pm, ESPN)

SMU at (21) Memphis (12 pm, ESPNEWS)

California at (22) Stanford (8 pm, FOX)

Minnesota at (23) Northwestern (12 pm, BTN – Regional)

Air Force at (25) Boise State (10:15 pm, ESPN2)

 

Other nationally available games

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Ohio at Akron (7 pm Tuesday, ESPN2)

Central Michigan at Kent State (7 pm Tuesday, ESPNU)

 

Western Michigan at Northern Illinois (7 pm Wednesday, ESPN2)

Eastern Michigan at Miami (OH) (7 pm Wednesday, CBSSN)

Toledo at Bowling Green (8 pm Wednesday, ESPNU)

 

Buffalo at Ball State (7 pm Thursday, CBSSN)

Tulsa at South Florida (7:30 pm Thursday, ESPN)

 

Middle Tennessee at Western Kentucky (8 pm Friday, CBSSN)

UNLV at New Mexico (9:30 pm Friday, ESPN2)

 

Texas at West Virginia (12 pm, ESPN)

Rutgers at Indiana (12 pm, BTN – Regional)

Delaware State at Florida State (12 pm, FSN/ESPN3)

Cincinnati at East Carolina (12 pm, CBSSN)

Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech (12:20 pm, ACC Network/ESPN3)

Rice at Old Dominion (2 pm, ESPN3)

Iowa State at Baylor (2:30 pm, FSN)

Arizona State at Oregon State (3 pm, Pac-12 Network)

UMass at BYU (3 pm, BYUTV/ESPN3)

South Alabama at Georgia Southern (3 pm, ESPN3)

Texas State at Arkansas State (3 pm, ESPN3)

Western Carolina at North Carolina (3 pm, ESPN3)

Purdue at Iowa (3:30 pm, BTN)

Syracuse at Louisville (3:30 pm, ESPNU)

Georgia Tech at Duke (3:30 pm, FSN/ESPN3)

San Jose State at Colorado State (3:30 pm, CBSSN)

UAB at Florida (4 pm, SEC Network)

Wofford at South Carolina (4 pm, SEC Network - Alternate)

Houston at Tulane (4 pm, ESPNEWS)

Coastal Carolina at Idaho (5 pm, ESPN3)

New Mexico State at UL Lafayette (5 pm, ESPN3)

Texas A&M at Ole Miss (7 pm, ESPN2)

Boston College vs UConn – at Fenway Park (7 pm, CBSSN)

Arizona at Oregon (7 pm, Pac-12 Network)

Florida International at Florida Atlantic (7 pm, Stadium)

Marshall at UTSA (7 pm, Facebook)

Missouri at Vanderbilt (7:30 pm, SEC Network)

Nevada at San Diego State (10:30 pm, CBSSN)

Edited November 15, 2017 by Andy

[r_mack]

Illinois at (8) Ohio State (3:30 pm, ABC)

Oh good God

[Andy]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Virginia or Pitt beats Miami. They played their A+++++ game against ND and often what follows is a slip-up.

[biittner77]

Hot take: Alabama will maintain their number 1 ranking only if they can get past Mercer.

[UMFan83]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Virginia or Pitt beats Miami. They played their A+++++ game against ND and often what follows is a slip-up.

 

I still can't believe that performance. I don't claim to have watched a lot of Miami football this year but looking at their previous results it looks like they barely got by a few mediocre to bad teams. Miracle catch to beat GT, TD pass with 6 seconds left to beat FSU, had to make a defensive stand to hold off a 2-8 UNC team.

[Andy]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Virginia or Pitt beats Miami. They played their A+++++ game against ND and often what follows is a slip-up.

 

I still can't believe that performance. I don't claim to have watched a lot of Miami football this year but looking at their previous results it looks like they barely got by a few mediocre to bad teams. Miracle catch to beat GT, TD pass with 6 seconds left to beat FSU, had to make a defensive stand to hold off a 2-8 UNC team.

I caught a little of their games and they bore no resemblance to what happened Saturday. I thought all the GameDay guys talking about how Hurricane Irma affected them and maybe they're peaking now was a bunch of bluster, but maybe there's something to it. I suppose I shouldn't be bitter because they might represent the best chance for us not to have a Bama/Clemson/Ohio State/OU playoff for what would seem like the billionth time.

[soccer10k]

1. Bama

2. Clemson

3. Miami

4. Oklahoma

5. Wisconsin

6. Auburn

7. Georgia

8. Notre Dame

9. OSU

10. Penn St.

 

Notre Dame over OSU is interesting. It would probably take them rolling Stanford and OSU barely beating Wisconsin for them to stay there though. Auburn being at 6 tells me they're absolutely getting in if they beat Bama and Georgia again. Committee is also saying the Pac-12 has no chance of getting a spot and OU is the only Big 12 team that has a chance of making it. The SEC winner, the ACC winner and the Big 10 winner would all be in front of them and if Bama loses a close one to Georgia or Auburn, they're probably in before a 2-loss TCU/Oklahoma St.

[Andy]

The first team in that ranking (and only one besides Penn St) that's not likely in a win-and-in scenario is ND, which should (but won't) end any idea that they're advantaged in any way by not having a conference title game. OSU for sure jumps them if both teams win out.

 

Of course, if they play anything like they did Saturday in either of their last 2 games, they're more likely to lose out.

[UK]

I have the final four as...

 

Bama

Clemson

OU

Ohio State.

 

Possibility of Auburn beating Bama though and sneaking in.

[SouthSideRyan]

The first team in that ranking (and only one besides Penn St) that's not likely in a win-and-in scenario is ND, which should (but won't) end any idea that they're advantaged in any way by not having a conference title game. OSU for sure jumps them if both teams win out.

 

Of course, if they play anything like they did Saturday in either of their last 2 games, they're more likely to lose out.

 

I think everyone but Auburn needs help.

 

13-0 Wisconsin is probably a coinflip vs. 12-1 Miami and 12-1 Oklahoma.

 

12-1 Georgia vs. 12-1 Bama, 12-1 Miami, 13-0 Wisconsin for 2 spots while ND finishes 9-3...ehhhh not certain.

 

11-2 Ohio St. has no chance overtaking 12-1 Miami, 12-1 Bama, 12-1 Georgia, or 11-2 Auburn. I have a hard time seeing them getting in over 11-2 Oklahoma either. They're REALLY in trouble if Michigan beats Wisconsin.

[Flames24Rulz]

The first team in that ranking (and only one besides Penn St) that's not likely in a win-and-in scenario is ND, which should (but won't) end any idea that they're advantaged in any way by not having a conference title game. OSU for sure jumps them if both teams win out.

 

Of course, if they play anything like they did Saturday in either of their last 2 games, they're more likely to lose out.

 

I think everyone but Auburn needs help.

 

13-0 Wisconsin is probably a coinflip vs. 12-1 Miami and 12-1 Oklahoma.

 

12-1 Georgia vs. 12-1 Bama, 12-1 Miami, 13-0 Wisconsin for 2 spots while ND finishes 9-3...ehhhh not certain.

 

11-2 Ohio St. has no chance overtaking 12-1 Miami, 12-1 Bama, 12-1 Georgia, or 11-2 Auburn. I have a hard time seeing them getting in over 11-2 Oklahoma either. They're REALLY in trouble if Michigan beats Wisconsin.

 

I think Wisconsin is in really good shape if they win out. It's going to be pretty tough for the committee to pass on an undefeated P5 team, especially if they're able to add an Ohio State W to their resume.

[SouthSideRyan]

The realistic calculus for ND is really a tough needle to thread.

 

-Bama can't lose more than 1 game, so there's no way ND passes them.

-Assuming Miami beats VA and PItt, ND cannot pass them.

-Georgia being only one spot up on ND leaves a sliver of hope for ND(unjustifiably) being slotted ahead of an 11-2 Georgia.

 

So Bama wins SEC title over GA, preferrably in a blowout.

Miami wins ACC title over Clemson, again, preferrably in a blowout.

 

-Oklahoma absolutely needs to lose 1, and if they lose to WV, I think the Big 12 is done. If they lose to TCU in the Big 12 title game, I think ND sneaks by.

-2 loss Ohio State or undefeated Wisconsin will absolutely finish ahead of them. To stay ahead of Big Ten, Michigan needs to beat at least one of them. Ohio State holds all tiebreakers but a tie with just Michigan, so essentially they are in the Big Ten title game with over Illinois and MSU or PSU winning their gimme games. 3 loss Ohio State will not get ahead of ND, and I'm not sure 1 loss Wisconsin does either.

-USC and MSU winning out certainly helps.

-PSU, the Pac12, UCF, or Michigan will not pass them.

 

So their best reasonable case is getting compared to 2 loss Georgia who beat them, 2 loss Clemson, a 2 loss Big 12 champ, 3 loss Auburn, and 3 loss Ohio State for 2 spots.

[OleMissCub]

Arkansas’ AD was fired today because he didn’t want to fire Bielema. So he’s certain to be fired after next Friday’s game against Mizzou.

 

Your SEC coaching vacancies at the end of the year are likely:

 

Florida

Tennessee

Ole Miss

Arkansas

Texas A&M

Auburn - depending on the Bama game. Malzahn allegedly wants out and would likely be welcomed with open arms at Arkansas where the big money boosters wanted him instead of Bielema several years ago.

 

A few weeks ago I would have added Mizzou to that list but this last season surge for them has likely saved Odom’s job.

[SouthSideRyan]

That's pretty horrendous timing for Mississippi.

[OleMissCub]

That's pretty horrendous timing for Mississippi.

 

Indeed it is.

 

Mississippi State may be open as well. There are strong rumors that Tennessee may end up with Mullen.

 

Lots of smoke about Jimbo Fisher to A&M.

 

Charlie Strong seems to be the name most connected to Ole Miss at this point (assuming there isn’t an additional bowl ban year when the sanctions come down soon)

[NOLA]

OMC, I may not have any better info than you, but from what I hear Jeff Long from Arkansas was fired for just cause because of some stupid financial blunders with the current stadium expansion. Bielema probably doesn’t make it to the Missouri game once they are bowl ineligible after Miss State.

 

FWIW, the rumors I am hearing:

Jimbo to aTm

Arkansas offers Malzhan, then if he declines Norvell (my choice)

Mullen to Tennessee

 

Also hear Terry Don Phillips is advising the BOT at Arkansas on the next AD and they might be going for Tubberville.

[OleMissCub]

OMC, I may not have any better info than you, but from what I hear Jeff Long from Arkansas was fired for just cause because of some stupid financial blunders with the current stadium expansion. Bielema probably doesn’t make it to the Missouri game once they are bowl ineligible after Miss State.

 

FWIW, the rumors I am hearing:

Jimbo to aTm

Arkansas offers Malzhan, then if he declines Norvell (my choice)

Mullen to Tennessee

 

Also hear Terry Don Phillips is advising the BOT at Arkansas on the next AD and they might be going for Tubberville.

 

Good stuff. Look for Long to reappear as Auburn's AD.

 

I'd love Norvell for Ole Miss, but his first choice would be Arkansas.

 

My realistic choices for Ole Miss currently are

 

1. Strong

2. Norvell

3.Neal Brown

4. Venables

5. Chad Morris

[Transmogrified Tiger]

A few weeks ago I would have added Mizzou to that list but this last season surge for them has likely saved Odom’s job.

 

Odom going from the hot seat to serving as the grim reaper for 2 other coaches(and only missing McElwain by 5 days) is hilarious to me.

[OleMissCub]

Interesting rumor going around that Willie Taggert will go to Ole Miss if the impeding sanctions don’t include an additional year bowl ban. The AD at Ole Miss was the AD who hired him at WKU, so they have a tight relationship. He allegedly isn’t all that happy with the situation currently at Oregon for several reasons and wants to return back to the South to coach. Ole Miss would also pay him $2 million more than he makes now.

 

That’d be a hell of a hire if there is any truth to it.

[Andy]

Interesting rumor going around that Willie Taggert will go to Ole Miss if the impeding sanctions don’t include an additional year bowl ban. The AD at Ole Miss was the AD who hired him at WKU, so they have a tight relationship. He allegedly isn’t all that happy with the situation currently at Oregon for several reasons and wants to return back to the South to coach. Ole Miss would also pay him $2 million more than he makes now.

 

That’d be a hell of a hire if there is any truth to it.

That would be a great move for Ole Miss. Oregon looked like they were about to be right back near the top of the Pac-12 before they had a QB injury apocalypse.

[OleMissCub]

Good grief.

 

[NewUserName]

Michigan really looked in control for most of this game....then they couldn't get any pressure on a few 3rd and longs and Wisconsin is starting to role them

[UMFan83]

Michigan really looked in control for most of this game....then they couldn't get any pressure on a few 3rd and longs and Wisconsin is starting to role them

 

So annoying. Overturned TD that was BS, hanging out on the Wisconsin 40 for a couple of drives to start 3rd and only got 3 points. So many chances to legit win. It’s painful when there are 2-3 moments in games that were evenly played that don’t go your way and lead to a loss. Really want this one...still time but not looking great.

[Cubswin11]

Wisconsin just isn't very good, I really want to see them lose just because them getting in the playoffs is going to leave out a better team.

[NewUserName]

Michigan really looked in control for most of this game....then they couldn't get any pressure on a few 3rd and longs and Wisconsin is starting to role them

 

So annoying. Overturned TD that was BS, hanging out on the Wisconsin 40 for a couple of drives to start 3rd and only got 3 points. So many chances to legit win. It’s painful when there are 2-3 moments in games that were evenly played that don’t go your way and lead to a loss. Really want this one...still time but not looking great.

Not sure it was BS.....not sure it was difinitve that the one foot hit first. But if it happened to Sparty I would probably see it the same as you.