John's Notebook: The Final Countdown!

The Game, an SEC upset, Texas' playoff chances, the Group of 5 emerges, and does the ACC deserve a team in the playoff?

Rivalry week brought the noise. And not just on the coaching front. Rivals relished in take downs while others were just glad to hang on. Conference title games are now set and the stage is prepared for some really upset folks across the country. Let’s go!

Ohio State and Ryan Day finally did it.

They slayed the beast. Removed the monkey from their back. And kicked the Michigan curse to the curb after five years. In a snowy Big House, the Ohio State running game capped off an undefeated regular season with a 27-9 victory.

Indiana, meanwhile, held serve against my favorite whipping post, Purdue. And now we’re set up for No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the Big Ten title game.

It may be the two best teams in the country. It’s definitely the two best quarterbacks in Fernando Mendoza vs Julian Sayin, with the Heisman Trophy on the line.

I think both teams earn a first round bye no matter what, but only one of them can be the top seed.

If this one feels big, it should, because it is. And don’t be surprised if it is just Round 1.

SEC standards and upsets.

Georgia needed help and got it after taking care of the Yellow Jackets, 16-9, in Good Ole Fashioned Hate. Alabama struggled but held on in the Iron Bowl over Auburn, 27-20. Ole Miss could only watch after ruling the Egg Bowl, 38-19, (and wouldn’t it have been interesting if Bama fell).

But to get to another Alabama vs Georgia SEC title game, Texas A&M had to do the most A&M thing of all. Find a way to lose to Texas.

Maybe it was DKR, maybe it was Bevo, or maybe it was Arch Manning going Superman, but the Aggies could not overcome the suddenly resilient Longhorns, losing 27-17.

It’s looked like A&M was running out of steam and it finally came to fruition.

They’re a good team but they hadn’t been the hunted, and that showed on Friday night. Now, A&M is still in the playoff, albeit as an at-large team, and no bye, but will have a home game.

Maybe that’s the best thing to happen to them truthfully. They avoid the SEC championship and an extra game and can rest up for the playoffs.

Texas Is Not A Playoff Team

Texas on the other, no matter how much Steve Sarkisian preaches, is not a playoff team.

And for one very simple reason. You lost to lowly Florida.

You are disqualified. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

Sorry if you don’t like it, but theme the breaks.

Final SEC thought: We’re going to get the chance to see if what the committee said prior to the season is true.

Does losing a conference championship game cost someone? Alabama is going to get a front row seat for this theory.

If in fact this statement is true, it doesn’t matter what happens on Saturday.

Bama is currently the No. 10 seed in the playoff rankings and will maybe face the No. 7 team on the road, Oregon in frosty Eugene, perhaps? But if it does cost Bama, then all hell breaks loose. Why even play in a championship game?

Round 2: Texas Tech vs. BYU

Texas Tech and BYU seemed destined to square off again. But can BYU change its fate?

They’ve been good since the ‘L’ to the Red Raiders on November 12. But Texas Tech has been magical.

Gonna say this again, I think we are all sleeping on Texas Tech. It’s right in front of our faces and we are ignoring it.

Defense wins championships and they paid for perhaps the best in the business.

They feel like this year’s Ohio State, ignored and an after thought.

With Kalani Sitake now the object of affection in Penn State’s eye, how does BYU avoid distraction? Because the target in front of them is a problem. For everyone!

The Group of Five

The Group of 5 continues to entertain.

James Madison leads the charge by just killing everyone, with an average winning margin of 20.6 points, and winning the Sun Belt seems a foregone conclusion.

And maybe most important, they keep climbing the rankings.

On the flip side, we get a great match-up in the AAC title game between Tulane and North Texas in New Orleans.

And what do all three of these teams have in common? Coaches who are leaving!

But these three are important to the playoffs because they are all currently ranked in the AP poll.

JMU leads the chances but maybe that doesn’t matter much…

Lo, the ACC

Why would that be? What am I forgetting?

Oh, that’s right, the joke that it is the ACC!

Virginia did what they were supposed to, they beat Virginia Tech, 27-7, and advanced to the ACC championship game.

But Pitt couldn’t overcome Miami, losing 38-7. All they had to do was win and they were in.

So it fell to SMU to beat coachless Cal. And they slipped up, 38-35.

And because of that loss, it screwed the top ranked ACC team, Miami.

Suddenly the five-way tiebreak comes into play — overall win percentage of your conference opponents.

And who, pray tell, emerged from the pack to challenge the Cavaliers? Well that would be 7-5 Duke! Of course! Who else would it be!

In this clown show of a conference, they deserve this! And I just became the biggest Duke fan in the world. Just to watch the chaos when the ACC realizes they don’t have a team in the playoffs.

And yes I am that petty!

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So after tonight’s playoff rankings show, I think we should know all but the final two teams that will be in.

And it will ruffle feathers. Miami, I can taste your tears already!

There will also be unending questions into the schedule teams make, the opponents they play, and if they even matter.

We’ll also see ff the old saying, “Better to lose early than late,” is still true. Even if it is your first two games.

The cries for change will ring out!

And it will be just as entertaining as it always is!