Turns out we do not have to attend till the College Football Playoff expands to see new blood … or a minimum of newer blood. After a transformative Saturday in Week 10, there are open spots for sudden individuals in the playoff with 4 weeks left till Selection Sunday.
For the primary time since 2014 — the primary yr of the playoff — the highest 4 in the weekly CFP Rankings will not be more likely to embody Alabama, Clemson or Oklahoma. Those three had mixed for 17 whole berths in the eight-year historical past of the occasion.
On Saturday, the three conventional powers all misplaced on the identical day for the primary time since 2007. Oklahoma was given as a disappointment having already misplaced its most video games (three) since 2014 earlier than falling at house to Baylor.
But Alabama and Clemson? Whoa. The two applications alone have accounted for 13 of the 32 berths in the eight-year historical past of the CFP. Together, they’ve received 5 of the eight CFP National Championships. Now, it doable and even possible that neither shall be a participant. The Tigers’ drop will possible be precipitous after the wheels fell off at Notre Dame.
Alabama fell to guts and guile of LSU’s Brian Kelly, who went for 2 in additional time Saturday evening in Death Valley. The profitable conversion move — from renovated quarterback Jayden Daniels to freshman tight finish Mason Terry — mirrored the razor’s edge nature of the sport. Terry, a freshman, is making his title. Daniels, a senior, is lastly discovering his recreation.
“Before the game started, if you had asked me, ‘Hey, I’m going to give you one play, and if you’re successful on that one play, you beat Alabama,’ I’m taking that 100 times out of 100,” stated Kelly after the sport. “And so, at that moment, it kind of hit me that way.”
Kelly, who began 4-2, went from overpaid to maybe overpraised. And by the best way, LSU, now 7-2, is in management of not solely the SEC West however a doable CFP berth. LSU, the one program in the BCS period to win all of it with two losses (2007), has put itself squarely in that place once more.
The consequence hit Saban and the Crimson Tide smack in their status as the sport’s gold customary.
This is the earliest Alabama has misplaced its second recreation in 15 years, which simply so occurred to be Saban’s first season in 2007. The Tide have additionally misplaced twice earlier than the Iron Bowl for the primary time since 2010.
“It’s a bit of an understatement to say how disappointed our team is, how disappointed we all are,” Saban stated.
It will get worse — or higher, relying in your perspective. Alabama and Clemson misplaced on the identical day for the primary time since Nov. 30, 2013. That is healthier identified as the evening of the Kick Six and the day South Carolina final beat in-state rival Clemson. Bama dropped from No. 1 to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 the next Sunday with Clemson falling from No. 6 to No. 13.
“This was an ass kicking, period,” Tigers coach Dabo Swinney stated after the 35-14 loss.
For these of you wanting selection in your CFP, it appears you are going to get it.
TCU (9-0) is one in all 4 remaining undefeated groups. Now, it is doable the Horned Frogs may really have the ability to afford a situational loss in their final three video games and nonetheless get in.
College soccer’s favourite punchline of late, the Pac-12, is now a legit issue. USC has the perfect path with its solely loss being by one level to Utah. Conference chief Oregon is undefeated in league play, however that 46-point loss to Georgia in the opener would possibly as nicely be a cement overcoat for the Ducks.
Or possibly not.
Strangely — or maybe not — Tennessee’s world will not be as rocked as we thought late Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, the Volunteers have an opportunity to be the second SEC crew in the CFP. There’s going to be a gap with Alabama and Clemson dropping, and Tennessee’s remaining schedule contains Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Of course, the Vols want Georgia to handle enterprise.
If Tennessee’s competitors for a top-four spot is TCU as a one-loss Big 12 champion and Oregon/USC/UCLA as a one-loss Pac-12 champion, who ya bought? The CFP Selection Committee tends to favor convention champions in these conditions until the at-large candidate is “clearly” higher.
That’s ignoring that Ole Miss may put itself in the at-large image by profitable out in opposition to Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi State. LSU now wants solely to win at Arkansas and Texas A&M to get to Atlanta.
Not a simple process for any of those groups, however this hasn’t precisely been a simple season for the CFP’s conventional squatters. For the second, they’ve all been evicted.
Check out Jerry Palm’s updated bowl projections after Week 10 as nicely as the CBS Sports bowl eligibility tracker for updates on what your crew must do in order to go bowling this season.
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