College Football's Month of Mayhem Setting Up Fantastic Road to Playoff
Few have been spared. The nature of an unpredictable sport in the midst of an unpredictable season has been nothing short of madness—regulated, sequenced carnage that's building toward something even larger. And this week, the destruction was delivered by unfamiliar faces.
There are two names that sum up the current exasperating state of college football brilliantly: Michael Geiger and Chris Johnson.
Before Saturday, these were young men with jerseys on a sideline and names on rosters. Now? They are cogs to the chaos, and better yet, potential fuel to unexpected playoff runs.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Geiger is Michigan State’s kicker. Say hello. It was Geiger who ended Ohio State’s undefeated season with a 41-yard field goal to give the Spartans a 17-14 victory in Columbus. He then celebrated his way into our hearts:
Michigan State pulled this off in the Horseshoe without starting quarterback Connor Cook—who sat out because of a shoulder injury—which is even more amazing. The kick also prompted a chain reaction that carried well into the Buckeyes' locker room and perhaps beyond.
Johnson is Baylor’s third-string quarterback. You probably don’t know him. Say hello to him as well. He’s been playing wide receiver for much of the year, although he recently made the move back to quarterback when Seth Russell went down with a neck injury in late October.
When freshman Jarrett Stidham left the game at halftime due to injury, Johnson took over. He responded by throwing for 138 yards, running for 42 yards and accounting for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Not every throw was perfect, although he guided the Bears to a 45-35 road win over previously undefeated Oklahoma State.
In total, three teams suffered their first loss—the other being Houston, which fell to Connecticut, 20-17. Oklahoma, the nation’s hottest team, nearly lost to TCU after Baker Mayfield came out of the game with a head injury. Florida, suddenly deeply offensively challenged, nearly lost to Florida Atlantic—yes, that's 2-9 Florida Atlantic.
For the third consecutive week, multiple teams in the Top 10 tumbled, creating the latest shakeup in a long line of change. And now, after three months of carnage, only two undefeated teams remain: Clemson and Iowa. There is a weight to that last sentence that somehow summarizes hundreds of hours.
Seriously, imagine if your future self came back in time and gave you this news in August; now imagine shunning your future self for eternity and laughing him or her back to the future.
The journey itself has been remarkable, but the culmination could somehow be even more satisfying. There is a chance that this whole thing comes together with fireworks, explosions, smiles and tears.
Only a handful of teams now control their own playoff fate; the rest is so hazy, especially after Ohio State—a team we seemingly penciled into the playoff 10 months ago, finally came undone. But we’re not finished.
Chaos and controversy will undoubtedly walk arm-in-arm and meet us in the middle the next two Saturdays. Perhaps it’s ambitious to declare that the best is still somehow out there. Although at this point, nothing is off the table. Rip up that script.
Here are other takeaways from another lovely weekend of college football.
The Wild, Weird and Still Well-Situated Big 12
The last undefeated fell, which would seem like an enormous detriment for a conference without a championship game. But strangely, even with Oklahoma State’s loss, the Big 12 is still fully functional when it comes to the College Football Playoff.
Oklahoma is now the most likely candidate, although even this declaration should come with fine print. The Sooners edged TCU 30-29 in a game that became interesting the moment Mayfield departed.
His status moving forward is a huge story. Right now, however, Oklahoma could make a very convincing case for the playoff with a win over Oklahoma State next weekend, even if that victory will be viewed slightly different after the Pokes’ loss.
Paralleling the madness in the conference was Notre Dame’s ugly 19-16 win over Boston College at Fenway Park. Depending on how Clemson, Alabama and Iowa close, style points could certainly matter. Although Oklahoma didn’t exactly bottle this valuable resource, perception could swing back in favor of the Sooners.
And here’s another weird possibility, albeit an unlikely one. With Baylor’s victory over Oklahoma State, does the Big 12 stand an outside chance, if chaos is served in industrial-sized doses, of landing two teams in the playoff?
A lot would have to happen for this to unfold. A LOT. Tons. So much that it’s hard to fathom. But just keep this one in the back pocket if and when the explosions come.
Speaking of...Is the Love for Notre Dame About to Cool After a Close Call?
Playing in a baseball stadium, the turnover-happy Irish didn’t make things easy in a game many overlooked. Five Notre Dame turnovers ultimately kept Boston College in the game longer than many expected.
As a result of an ugly three-point win, it will be fascinating to see how the selection committee handles Notre Dame moving forward.
The Irish's resume didn’t crumble Saturday. In fact, Temple’s victory over Memphis and Navy’s continued dominance likely aided it some. But this was not the optimal time for an effort like this against an inferior opponent, either.
Having held down the No. 4 spot for multiple weeks, Notre Dame still has a great opportunity to be in the selection committee’s four on Tuesday night. Ohio State’s loss leaves a vacancy that will likely be gobbled up by Iowa.
The final spot will be the one worth watching. Will Michigan State see a boost? Will Oklahoma swap spots with Notre Dame?
Heading into its last regular-season game, a Nov. 28 tilt against Stanford, the Irish have a wonderful opportunity to make a final impression. Before that contest is played, it will be fascinating to see what the playoff puppeteers think of Brian Kelly’s team after its close call.
Behold Your New-Look (Sort of) Big Ten Playoff Contenders
Fear not, Iowa fans. Nothing has changed on your end. If the Hawkeyes win out, they’re in. The schedule might not have the same beef as it did with undefeated Ohio State at the end of the rainbow, but it doesn’t matter.
An undefeated Big Ten team makes the playoff; there’s absolutely zero debate about that at this point.
The question now, however, is whether Michigan State also controls its playoff fate. With road wins over Ohio State and Michigan along with a home victory over surging Oregon, the answer is probably yes.
While Ohio State and Michigan were expected to compete for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game up until Week 12—seriously, next weekend’s headlines were already being written—that is no longer the case.
If Michigan State beats Penn State next weekend, it will represent the East. And while the Spartans were a trendy playoff pick before the season began, they were out of sight and mind until dinnertime Saturday. My, how things change.
Ohio State and Michigan could both still factor in the playoff if Michigan State loses to Penn State, which is certainly possible given Cook's status.
But right now, the conference’s playoff hopes exist elsewhere—in places many thought they’d never have to look.
Oh, What Could Have Been
The damage has been done. Oregon will not participate in the College Football Playoff—not with three losses on the resume. But at the moment, after five consecutive wins, the Ducks look like a team that could compete with just about anybody hovering around the playoff bubble.
Let’s talk about those losses. In two of those defeats—Utah and Washington State—quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. didn’t play because of a broken index finger on his throwing hand. Against Michigan State, a loss that has aged like a fine wine, Adams played with the injury. He clearly was not himself, and the Ducks still almost pulled it off on the road.
Over the last four games, however, a healthy Adams has accounted for 17 touchdowns and beat Stanford as a significant underdog. Against USC on Saturday, Adams threw for 407 yards on only 25 attempts and found the end zone six times through the air.
"Tremendous football player,” USC interim coach Clay Helton told reporters after the game. "We knew we would have to get him on the ground and we just didn't get him on the ground enough," Helton said. "Credit to him, I have a lot of respect for the young man."
The rebound is noteworthy, especially for a program many were pronouncing dead not long ago. But one can’t help but wonder what might have been if that pesky digit was intact all along.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
