Andy

American Championship Game (8 pm Friday, ABC) Tulane at (24) Army Mountain West Championship Game (8 pm Friday, FOX) (20) UNLV at (10) Boise State Conference USA Championship Game (8 pm Friday, CBSSN) Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington, TX (12 pm, ABC) (16) Iowa State vs (15) Arizona State MAC Championship Game in Detroit (12 pm, ESPN) Ohio vs Miami (OH) Sun Belt Championship Game (3:30 pm, ESPN) Marshall at UL Lafayette SEC Championship Game in Atlanta (4 pm, ABC) (5) Georgia vs (2) Texas Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis (8 pm, CBS) (3) Penn State vs (1) Oregon ACC Championship Game in Charlotte (8 pm, ABC) (17) Clemson vs (8) SMU Dec. 14 Navy vs (24) Army - in Landover, MD (3 pm, CBS)

Well this only lasted like an hour because IU beat Purdue 66-0 (ND only beat them 66-7, chumps)

I'm trying to imagine what September 7 Andy would've said if someone had told him that Notre Dame was going to follow up the Northern Illinois loss by dealing 10 consecutive opponents their most lopsided beatings of the season (by scoring margin anyway)

OSU still has two top 10 wins. I think it's more likely they stay ahead of my team than fall far enough to go on the road in round 1.

I went and looked it up to confirm after someone said Iowa had gotten 5 first downs in the game, and not only was it true, but Iowa also won this matchup by the same 13-10 score last year. Of course they did.

It won't be, but I'd love it if yesterday's Georgia game was a tipping point towards fans being done with conference employed officials in games where the conference has a clear financial incentive for one outcome. There were some very suspicious and very pivotal decisions last night that overwhelmingly favored Georgia, which had to win to remain in at-large position.

They are currently the 2nd team out. It's not at all impossible. However, with Clemson (the first team out) and S Carolina (just a few spots back) playing each other, the winner of that game could be in a better position than Bama. It'd be quite the needle to thread.

I suspect the ACC is now getting 2 teams in unless some carnage occurs. (Which it may still.) The Clemson/IU debate, if it happens, will be quite interesting. S Carolina would be Clemson's most impressive win, and by a decent margin. But then again, IU hasn't beaten anyone more likely than not to finish better than .500.

The numbers geeks have Ohio State the best team in the country by a pretty significant margin. Something called SP+ would establish them as 4-point neutral field favorites over anyone else. Then again, the same metric has Ole Miss #2, so do with it what you will.

This is the first year in a very, very long time that if you told me to pick 2 teams that could win the national title, I wouldn't be stunned if someone outside those 2 ended up actually winning it. I think Ohio State is the best team (advanced numbers agree) and Georgia still (maybe irrationally) scares me enough to have them 2nd, but there are probably 3-5 others (including somewhat quietly unbeaten and #1 Oregon) that if they got hot and caught some matchup luck could pull it off.

You're far from the only one. Every article I read with a projected bracket has at least one person expressing their shock that the likes of SMU would be seeded #3 ahead of a 1-loss Ohio State or Oregon. The format definitely is an adjustment. The funny (not really) thing about it is it's probably only going to last 2 years, because a new contract takes effect for the 2026 season and it's an open secret the B1G and SEC are going to rig the format for themselves (more auto-bids for themselves, expanding it to 14 and guaranteeing themselves the only 2 byes, etc.)

Losing by 3 to the Chiefs is the most fun I've had watching Carolina in like 5 years. Bryce Young actually looked really good.

Top 25 games Washington at (1) Oregon (7:30 pm, NBC) Michigan at (2) Ohio State (12 pm, FOX) (3) Texas at (20) Texas A&M (7:30 pm, ABC) Maryland at (4) Penn State (3:30 pm, BTN - Regional) (5) Notre Dame at USC (3:30 pm, CBS) (6) Miami at Syracuse (3:30 pm, ESPN) Georgia Tech at (7) Georgia (7:30 pm Friday, ABC) (8) Tennessee at Vanderbilt (12 pm, ABC) California at (9) SMU (3:30 pm, ESPN2) Purdue at (10) Indiana (7 pm, FS1) Oregon State at (11) Boise State (12 pm Friday, FOX) (15) South Carolina at (12) Clemson (12 pm, ESPN) Auburn at (13) Alabama (3:30 pm, ABC) Mississippi State at (14) Ole Miss (3:30 pm Friday, ABC) (16) Arizona State at Arizona (3:30 pm, FOX) Memphis at (17) Tulane (7:30 pm Thursday, ESPN) (24) Kansas State at (18) Iowa State (7:30 pm, FOX) Houston at (19) BYU (10:15 pm, ESPN) Arkansas at (21) Missouri (3:30 pm, SEC Network) Nevada at (22) UNLV (8 pm, CBSSN) (23) Illinois at Northwestern - at Wrigley Field (12 pm, BTN) Oklahoma State at (25) Colorado (12 pm Friday, ABC) Other nationally available games Tuesday Toledo at Akron (7 pm, ESPN2) Kent State at Buffalo (7 pm, ESPN+) Friday Minnesota at Wisconsin (12 pm, CBS) Navy at East Carolina (12 pm, ESPN2) Miami (OH) at Bowling Green (12 pm, ESPNU) Ball State at Ohio (12 pm, CBSSN) Utah State at Colorado State (3:30 pm, FS1) Liberty at Sam Houston (3:30 pm, CBSSN) Texas State at South Alabama (3:30 pm, ESPN+) Stanford at San Jose State (4 pm, CBS) Nebraska at Iowa (7:30 pm, NBC) Utah at UCF (8 pm, FOX) Saturday TV Kansas at Baylor (12 pm, ESPN2) West Virginia at Texas Tech (12 pm, FS1) UL Lafayette at UL Monroe (12 pm, ESPNU) Louisville at Kentucky (12 pm, SEC Network) Duke at Wake Forest (12 pm, ACC Network) UTSA at Army (12 pm, CBSSN) Pittsburgh at Boston College (3 pm, CW) Rutgers at Michigan State (3:30 pm, FS1) Fresno State at UCLA (3:30 pm, BTN - Regional) NC State at North Carolina (3:30 pm, ACC Network) Central Michigan at Northern Illinois (3:30 pm, CBSSN) Jacksonville State at Western Kentucky (4 pm, ESPNU) Wyoming at Washington State (6:30 pm, CW) Oklahoma at LSU (7 pm, ESPN) Florida at Florida State (7 pm, ESPN2) Marshall at James Madison (8 pm, ESPNU) Virginia at Virginia Tech (8 pm, ACC Network) Air Force at San Diego State (10:30 pm, FS1) Saturday Streaming (all ESPN+) North Texas at Temple (12 pm) UConn at UMass (12 pm) Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan (1:30 pm) Coastal Carolina at Georgia State (2 pm) Middle Tennessee at FIU (2 pm) Southern Miss at Troy (2 pm) South Florida at Rice (2 pm) Old Dominion at Arkansas State (3 pm) Florida Atlantic at Tulsa (3:30 pm) UAB at Charlotte (3:30 pm) Kennesaw State at Louisiana Tech (4 pm) UTEP at New Mexico State (4 pm) Appalachian State at Georgia Southern (6 pm) TCU at Cincinnati (6 pm)

My favorite current subplot is Boise State maybe possibly getting the #4 seed and first-round bye as the 4th highest ranked conference champion. The Big 12 champ simply isn't going to be good enough to justify being ahead of Boise after both BYU and Colorado lost. Arizona State winning out would be the closest, but if they don't...? Had Army beaten Notre Dame and gone on to win the AAC, there'd be a real chance of the Big 12 just not getting a team in.

As you so helpfully noted, Notre Dame's schedule is even worse than Penn State's. If they haven't passed them yet, they're not going to unless PSU loses next week.

I was thinking this stuff before a few SEC teams faceplanted today, and it's possible the #11 seed is going to be more like an SMU than a Georgia. In that case I'm prepared to tweak my take. I'm lost on what Notre Dame has to do with this but I don't think they're going to be passing Penn State or Texas, which is what they'd have to do to be ranked #4.

Clemson probably has a case if they can beat South Carolina. But yeah, it's pretty wild out there. IU fans didn't even have time to worry if they were gonna get bounced out of the CFP before Ole Miss lost, and then 2 more teams lost too. Funny what happens when the GOAT coach is no longer around.

Based on I think Penn State, who is all but locked into #6 now after escaping Minnesota, is going to lose to #11 and the ACC champion is going to be who the winner of that game plays in round 2. All due credit to James Franklin for that fake punt call, though. I thought it might be coming but still takes some cojones to call for it.

What kind of odds can I get on the #11 seed (regardless of who it is) making the final 4?

I had them at 24 in the original post for this week - that was their AP rank. I always switch them to the CFP rankings after they come out.

Illinois wasn't ranked in the CFP rankings last week, so they moved up.

I don't think it will ultimately hold up, but this week's rankings put Boise State into position to get the #4 seed and first-round bye. Would be hilarious if the G5 gets a bye after all these years of crapping on them. What's even more wild is that if Army were to beat ranked ND and Tulane in the next few weeks and get to 12-0, there's a nonzero chance the Big 12 could be left out of the playoff entirely. Army and Boise could be automatic bids 4 and 5.

Ron isn't winning any awards, but he has tremendous rapport with Pat and is a perfectly fine color guy. Really glad this booth is staying together.

Top 25 games (5) Indiana at (2) Ohio State (12 pm, FOX) Kentucky at (3) Texas (3:30 pm, ABC) (4) Penn State at Minnesota (3:30 pm, CBS) (19) Army vs (6) Notre Dame - at Yankee Stadium (7 pm, NBC) (7) Alabama at Oklahoma (7:30 pm, ABC) Wake Forest at (8) Miami (12 pm, ESPN) (9) Ole Miss at Florida (12 pm, ABC) UMass at (10) Georgia (12:45 pm, SEC Network) UTEP at (11) Tennessee (1 pm, ESPN+) (12) Boise State at Wyoming (7 pm, CBSSN) (13) SMU at Virginia (12 pm, ESPN2) (14) BYU at (21) Arizona State (3:30 pm, ESPN) (15) Texas A&M at Auburn (7:30 pm, ESPN) (16) Colorado at Kansas - in Kansas City (3:30 pm, FOX) The Citadel at (17) Clemson (3:30 pm, CW) Wofford at (18) South Carolina (4 pm, ESPN+) (22) Iowa State at Utah (7:30 pm, FOX) (23) Missouri at Mississippi State (4:15 pm, SEC Network) (24) UNLV at San Jose State (10 pm Friday, FS1) (25) Illinois at Rutgers (12 pm, Peacock) Other nationally available games Tuesday Akron at Kent State (7 pm, CBSSN) Western Michigan at Central Michigan (7:30 pm, ESPN2) Northern Illinois at Miami (OH) (8 pm, ESPN) Wednesday Ohio at Toledo (7 pm, ESPN2) Buffalo at Eastern Michigan (7 pm, ESPNU) Thursday NC State at Georgia Tech (7:30 pm, ESPN) Friday Temple at UTSA (7 pm, ESPN2) Purdue at Michigan State (8 pm, FOX) Saturday TV North Carolina at Boston College (12 pm, CW) Iowa at Maryland (12 pm, BTN) UConn at Syracuse (12 pm, ACC Network) Sam Houston at Jacksonville State (12 pm, CBSSN) Northwestern at Michigan (3:30 pm, FS1) Wisconsin at Nebraska (3:30 pm, BTN) UCF at West Virginia (3:30 pm, ESPNU) Stanford at California (3:30 pm, ACC Network) San Diego State at Utah State (3:30 pm, CBSSN) Pittsburgh at Louisville (4 pm, ESPN2) Washington State at Oregon State (7 pm, CW) Baylor at Houston (7 pm, FS1) Marshall at Old Dominion (7:30 pm, ESPNU) Vanderbilt at LSU (7:45 pm, SEC Network) Cincinnati at Kansas State (8 pm, ESPN2) Virginia Tech at Duke (8 pm, ACC Network) USC at UCLA (10:30 pm, NBC) Air Force at Nevada (10:30 pm, FS1) Colorado State at Fresno State (10:30 pm, CBSSN) Saturday Streaming (all ESPN+) Western Kentucky at Liberty (1 pm) Charleston Southern at Florida State (1:30 pm) Bowling Green at Ball State (2 pm) Rice at UAB (2 pm) James Madison at Appalachian State (2:30 pm) New Mexico State at Middle Tennessee (2:30 pm) Arizona at TCU (3 pm) Charlotte at Florida Atlantic (3 pm) FIU at Kennesaw State (3 pm) UL Monroe at Arkansas State (3 pm) South Alabama at Southern Miss (3 pm) East Carolina at North Texas (3:30 pm) Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina (3:30 pm) Texas Tech at Oklahoma State (3:30 pm) Tulsa at South Florida (3:30 pm) Louisiana Tech at Arkansas (4 pm) Troy at UL Lafayette (5 pm) Georgia State at Texas State (7 pm)

It looks like it'll be the Texas vs A&M winner against Alabama, from what I was seeing last night Bama would win the "conference opponent SOS" tiebreaker in the current logjam. I suspect Bama is probably safe if they were to lose an SEC CG (Texas would be too), but it depends on who else is in the pool. The committee chairman said teams won't be "unduly" hit for losing a title game, though that could mean almost anything.