That sound is coming from Eugene, Ore., and Manhattan, Kan.
It's
coming from the lands of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East and
Big Ten. And if we wait around, it could come out of South Bend, too.
It's the collective groans over the possibility of a second consecutive
all-SEC BCS Championship Game, one that became very real in the wake of a
cataclysmic weekend in which the Nos. 1 and 2 teams both stumbled.
You just know SEC commissioner Mike Slive can't wipe the smile off his face.
The
Dec. 1 SEC title game now has all the makings of a play-in game for the
national title, with the preface that Alabama and Georgia both take
care of business against their in-state rivals. Should newly minted No. 1
Notre Dame happen to lose on the road against USC and Florida beats
Florida State, the Gators are in — without winning their own division;
cue the outrage — and it will guarantee the SEC its seventh consecutive
national title.
Like it or not, it might be the most fitting end to the season.
The
SEC boasts six teams in the top 12 of the BCS standings. In the history
of this format, no conference has finished with more than four in the
final rankings. But is another all-SEC clash what the American populace
wants to see? The Alabama-LSU title game last January produced the
third-lowest television ratings in the 14 years of the BCS.
The antidote to those dreading the thought of another SEC vs. SEC finale is simple: the Fighting Irish.
Florida
State could spoil things with a win over the Gators, and Auburn and
Georgia Tech could add further wrinkles, but Notre Dame holds the most
power in keeping another SEC pairing from coming to fruition. If they
beat the Trojans, the Irish are in.
But is a Notre Dame-SEC
matchup the best product for the masses? The Irish, according to noted
oddsmaker Danny Sheridan, would be a 10-point underdog against the Crimson Tide, and any SEC team in the top 10 would be favored over Notre Dame.
So,
in all likelihood, we're faced with either a BCS title game that on
paper is a mismatch or one (once again) ruled by one conference.
Unless you live in the South or South Bend, it isn't an easy choice.
Don’t discount Jimbo’s work
This
summer, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher told me he thought the
adversity his team had faced in its bid to return to prominence would
pay off.
“They have dealt with some tough times,” he said.
“That is all part of growing up, and I think they will handle it better
this year."
That they have. After Fisher's Seminoles lost their
best player, defensive end Brandon Jenkins, to a season-ending injury in
Week 1, their undefeated season at North Carolina State and their
leading rusher Chris Thompson against Miami, they have clinched a spot
in the ACC championship game. The computers might not love them —
Florida State sits 10th in the BCS standings — but it is a couple more
dominoes falling from playing for a national title.
With Fisher
being rumored as a candidate at Auburn should it fire Gene Chizik — a
rumor neither confirmed nor denied by people in the know at the school —
it poses the question: Why would he leave with the long-awaited revival
nearly complete?
Yes, it’s the maligned ACC, and Kansas State’s
Bill Snyder and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin will get more Coach of the
Year love. But Fisher, whose deal is up after 2016 and is sure to see
that extended now, has turned in one of the year’s most underrated
coaching performances.
Heisman Watching (a ballot in progress)
1. QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, Fr.:
After burning calories writing and proliferating on TV and the radio
about why Johnny Football wouldn’t become the first freshman to win the
Heisman, it’s beginning to look like it just might happen. While Collin
Klein and Kenjon Barner struggled, Manziel broke the NCAA freshman
season records for rushing yards by a QB and total offense. If it comes
down to a freshman or a linebacker (Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o), I’m
inclined to think voters side with Manziel.
2. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State, Sr.: The
consensus was that Klein’s candidacy could withstand one bad game. But
this was a debacle. He threw three interceptions — his first game this
season with multiple picks — and ran for a season-low 39 yards. With a
chance at a signature win in leading the Wildcats back from a
double-digit deficit on the road, Klein fell flat. He’ll still make it
to New York, but a win seems much less certain than it did days before.
3. LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame, Sr.:
We voters are used to pinpointing the best offensive player on the No. 1
team in the BCS era, but Te’o is without question the star of the show
for the Irish. He had six more tackles against Wake Forest and has 98 on
the season to go along with six interceptions, which is tied for second
in FBS.
Ups and Downs
Up: Clemson
Tajh
Boyd continues to put up ridiculous numbers. In his past four games the
redshirt junior QB has 22 total touchdowns (18 passing, four rushing).
By comparison, Klein has 11 in that span and Manziel has 14. Boyd has
Clemson rolling headlong into its matchup with rival South Carolina,
averaging 47.8 points during a seven-game winning streak.
Down: Michigan State
Once
a top-10 team that was a chic pick to reach the Rose Bowl, the Spartans
enter the final week of the regular season needing a win over Minnesota
just to reach bowl eligibility. The struggling offense, which ranks
108th in points per game, has gone over 24 just once in the past nine
games.
Up: UCLA
Remember when Rick Neuheisel deemed USC’s L.A. football monopoly over?
In his first year, Jim Mora’s doing what his predecessor never could,
giving the Bruins their first win over the Trojans since 2006. With the
win, UCLA also earned a return trip to the Pac-12 title game, this time
as the actual South champions.
Down: Cincinnati
The
Bearcats had shared or won three of the past four Big East crowns, but
they’re now a non-factor in this race. The offense, which led the league
at 34.2 points per game, was dominated in time of possession by Rutgers
(37:13 to 22:47) and was 11 seconds from being shut out before it
finally got on the board with a 42-yard Tony Miliano field goal.
Up: Virginia Tech
The
Hokies’ bowl run isn’t over yet. Virginia Tech beat Boston College in
overtime to avoid a four-game losing streak and now needs a victory over
rival Virginia — at Lane Stadium where it's 5-1 on the season — to
become bowl eligible for the 20th consecutive year. The Hokies own the
nation’s third-longest active streak behind Florida State (30) and
Florida (21).
Down: Tennessee
We all knew Derek
Dooley was going to get fired. But while axing him before the season is
up can give the Volunteers a head start on finding his replacement, the
timing could also backfire. Tennessee needs to quickly put the sideshow
of losing its coach aside and beat Kentucky to avoid going winless in
SEC play for the first time in school history.
Telling stats
13 —
Oregon’s streak of consecutive games with at least 42 points ended at
13 as the Ducks managed 14 points vs. Stanford in suffering their first
loss of the season.
21 — Alabama’s AJ McCarron set a
school record with his 21st TD pass of the season in the rout of Western
Carolina. He broke Greg McElroy’s previous mark of 20 from 2010.
351; 7
— Temple’s Montel Harris ran for 351 yards and seven touchdowns — both
Big East records — in a win over Army. It’s worth noting that Boston
College, which dismissed Harris in May, ran for 186 yards in an Oct. 6
loss to the Black Knights.
They said it
"You go find them, throw your arms around them and give them a big kiss on the mouth. . . if you're a girl."
— LSU's Les Miles in an emotional postgame address after the Tigers' 41-35 win over Ole Miss.
"It
was a check that he made. He saw the coverage. He saw the inside. That
was all on him. His preparation and film study took care of business. He
saw that I'd be open."
— Kenny Stills on the game-winning touchdown pass from Landry Jones as Oklahoma edged West Virginia 50-49.
"It's awesome because there are so many great quarterbacks who have gone through here."
— Taylor Martinez, who became Nebraska's all-time leading passer with 6,140 yards, moving ahead of Zac Taylor (5,850).
Crystal ball
No. 19 Michigan at Ohio State
Will
it be Devin Gardner or Denard Robinson at QB for the Wolverines? They
looked downright dangerous vs. Iowa, lining Shoelace up at RB, etc., and
could give the Buckeyes' defense fits. But with the most dynamic player
on the field in their corner (quarterback Braxton Miller), the Buckeyes
can be expected to keep their perfect season intact and spoil their
rival’s Legends Division hopes.
Prediction: Buckeyes 34, Wolverines 27
No. 4 Florida at No. 10 Florida State
There
are major national title implications at play in Tallahassee. The
Gators need a win and a Notre Dame loss to reach the BCS finale; the
Seminoles must top the Gators, win the ACC title game and hope for an
Irish loss. Florida State’s top-ranked defense should limit Florida’s
offense, which has generated a total of five TDs in the last four games
to keep the Seminoles’ title dreams alive.
Prediction: Seminoles 21, Gators 17
No. 12 South Carolina at No. 11 Clemson
This
one should serve as a BCS elimination game for both teams. While the
Tigers are red-hot heading into the Palmetto State showdown, the
Gamecocks have looked less than impressive. Their three games since
back-to-back losses to LSU and Florida have included beating two-win
Tennessee by three points and struggling with FCS foe Wofford. Even if
South Carolina’s 13th-ranked D can slow down Clemson, Boyd and Co. just
have too much firepower.
Prediction: Tigers 31, Gamecocks 24
No. 1 Notre Dame at USC
Will
the nation’s top-ranked team go down for the third straight week? USC
has the kind of weapons that can give the Irish fits, particularly
receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, who can exploit a weak
secondary. But with Trojans QB Matt Barkley out after with a sprained
right shoulder it seems less likely USC can stop the Irish from punching
a ticket to Miami.
Prediction: Irish 28, Trojans 17
