Nick Saban Wants It Both Ways

By John Camera

Alabama is a good football team. A damn good football team. But after their embarrassing 26-14 loss against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, it is clear that they are not the best team in the nation. That argument is certainly up for debate but is best left for another article. Simply put, Alabama doesn’t deserve to be in the playoff this year and Nick Saban’s whining shouldn’t change that.

To be fair to him, Saban is being a good coach when he said post-game that his guys deserved a shot at the playoff. There are a lot of talented players on his roster, guys who are Seniors and guys who will go to the NFL after their Junior season. This is their last chance to win a championship and Saban, like every other coach in America, wants to deliver that to them. But his words ring hollow, especially after his comments following the Crimson Tide’s 27-19 win over Texas A&M back on October 7.

“It’s like taking poison. Like rat poison.”

That was what Saban said in regards to the hype sports pundits had placed on Alabama. The head coach heaped blame on the media for inflating his team’s ego and affecting their performance against Texas A&M, a game that Saban thought shouldn’t have been as close as it turned out.

“I’m asking them (the players) are you going to listen to me or are you going to listen to these guys (the media) about how good you are?” Saban continued in his postgame press conference. The coach is telling his team to remain humble, as any coach would, but is reminding them they are not as great as the media has dubbed them.

Up until their near-loss against Mississippi State, two weeks before the Iron Bowl, the Tide seemed unstoppable in the regular season yet again. Even with a great Georgia team wrapping up the SEC East and an emerging Auburn team, Bama still seemed like the favorite to finish 13-0 and earn the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Things obviously did not turn out this way and Alabama will both finish the year 11-1 and without being able to play for the SEC Championship. If they hope to make the playoffs, they will have to do so as a team that is not a conference champion. This would be the first time that a team would make the playoff without at least a stake in its conference championship.

If Alabama had lost to a team like LSU or Mississippi State earlier in the season, it would’ve diminished their record and ranking but would not have had the same affect as losing to Auburn. Losing to LSU or Mississippi State and then beating Auburn would’ve guaranteed Alabama a spot in the playoff as long as they beat Georgia for the SEC Championship. But losing to Auburn on the last week of the regular season and missing out on a chance to play in the Championship has doomed Bama barring a series of upsets this coming weekend.

If Alabama does indeed miss out on the playoff, it would be the first time in the tourney’s history that the Tide won’t be in it. But when Nick Saban declares that his team is not as good as the media says and then argues that his team is good enough to be in the playoff despite failing to take care of business against Auburn, he cannot be able to have it both ways. This is an Alabama team that has big wins over bad squads like Tennessee, Arkansas and Mercer. They also have played average teams very close, like Texas A&M, LSU and Mississippi State. The best team they faced all year, Auburn, decidedly bested them by 12 points and dominated almost the entire game.

Alabama is not the same juggernaut they have been in past years, Saban is right about that much. And for that reason, they do not belong in the College Football Playoff this season.

 

Who Is Sam Darnold?

By Alexander C. Lawrence

By now just about everyone knows who Sam Darnold is and how he led the turnaround for USC as all hope for a successful season seemed lost with a record of 1-3. In comes the calm, cool, collected quarterback to save the day. No one saw them winning the Rose Bowl in dramatic fashion against Penn State, but regardless he impressed and raised a lot of eyebrows. The question remains who exactly is Sam Darnold?

A lot of people may think Darnold must’ve been groomed for the NFL level, but that simply isn’t the case. His parents made sure their son, Sam knew he wasn’t going to be forced to focus on one sport and that he had the choice of what his future sport would be. Growing up Sam played Football, Basketball, and Baseball so his parents let him get exposed to various sports.

He has showed a humbleness not many of us are familiar with. His tone doesn’t change; he just talks with a cool and calm sense whether it be about Josh Rosen or the Rose Bowl win that was the best college football game of 2017, if not this decade. He doesn’t have a big ego when reporters talk to him.

The only time I’ve seen Darnold give off a wrong impression was when he publicly told the Jets to not tank for him. Even that was not an overly huge deal, but still this young gun doesn’t lose a beat on or off the field and you love to see that in a young QB. He doesn’t care for the expectations placed on him, he just goes out and performs. He isn’t on social media so there is never the issue of the dramas and criticisms that it brings.

Sam Darnold is the popular top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and experts project the New York Jets to have the worst record, making them likely candidates to draft the USC product. With Quincy Enunwa out for the season and preparing for neck surgery and no clear cut answer at QB with McCown or Hackenberg primed to be the QB1 this season, the potential to grab Darnold is there.

The case to draft Darnold is strong, especially since the Jets’ defense has already started it’s rebuild there with LB Darron Lee and DL Leonard Williams (also a USC product). The offense is at a point where it needs a complete do-over and they have cleaned house already so now it’s time to develop that side of the ball through the draft and free agency in the coming years. And let’s be real why not root for the Jets to “Stink for Sam.” It won’t be pretty, but let’s prepare for the future of the Jets and let them grow the right way.

I don’t want to hear about the talk of the USC QB curse and will Darnold be next in line to endure it. Carson Palmer has been a fine QB for the Bengals and Cardinals over the course of his NFL career.  Let’s not even bother bringing up Mark Sanchez as the first three seasons there was reason to believe he was the answer for the Jets even though he came out of USC. Sure he didn’t pan out well, but Sanchez still played some exciting football early on.

Sam Darnold has already been praised as one of the best QBs USC has ever produced. Big title, but nothing Darnold can’t handle with his calm approach to the game. He is a true leader and that is what the Jets need and really any QB needy team would want.

For the time being Darnold is the favorite to win the Heisman award and looks to pick right back up from where he left off after that outstanding 52-49 Rose Bowl win against Penn State. He will be fun to watch and looks primed to make the leap from a great college QB to an elite one. Don’t worry about pressure getting to Sam’s head because he’s already mastered being under pressure and handled it smoothly thus far in his young career.

Time will tell if Darnold will be better than past QBs who have proven to be nothing more than average (talking about you Cody Keesler and Matt Barkley) but my guess is he will be the NFL’s next big star.

Don’t Believe the Hype: Davis Webb Is Not A First Rounder

By John Camera

The NFL Draft hype machine is whirring and churning with the most ridiculous takes you’ve heard this off-season as General Managers continue to throw smokescreens. Chief among them is the idea that California QB prospect Davis Webb is a first round caliber player and will ultimately go in the first 32 selections come April 27^th. Just like Tom Savage in 2014 and Matt Barkley in 2013, Webb is getting extreme, unwarranted hype merely for looking like the prototypical pocket passer that has been the standard for NFL teams since the advent of the forward pass. Tall? Check. Big arm? Check. Can he throw? Eh. Maybe.

Davis Webb is by no means a horrible prospect, he just isn’t a first round caliber talent and is, frankly, far from it. He does some things very well. He does have great size and arm strength and has really good accuracy in the short and deep areas of the field. Webb also does a lot more field-reading than most spread QBs, especially those in an “Air Raid” scheme like the one he runs. He generally gets rid of the ball quickly and doesn’t allow himself to take drive-killing sacks. Those are some of the positives to his game and they shape up to equal a Quarterback who is likely a very good back-up or, down the line, a serviceable spot starter. He is by no means the “savior” or franchise QB that so many teams covet.

There are also a great deal of weaknesses that will hold Webb back from being a legit first round talent like the hype train is trying to sell. His accuracy in the middle area of the field from about 10-20 yards past the line of scrimmage, isn’t very good. He doesn’t consistently drive the ball to where his receiver can make the catch and keep running, instead often putting it on the back shoulder or too far wide. Even more concerning is Webb’s pocket presence, especially since he isn’t a great athlete. Webb looks uncomfortable even in a clean pocket, failing to step up and often trying to escape. If there’s an inside rush, he breaks down altogether. His footwork is also a big work in progress, as Webb often doesn’t bring his hip all the way around to complete his throw.

As Public Enemy reminds us, “don’t believe the hype,” especially when it comes to late draft-season proclamations that seem out of the blue considering what we had been hearing all along. Davis Webb is not a first round QB. He is a fourth round talent who could one day start but likely will have a lengthy career as a dependable backup. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

UNC’s Small Receiver with a Big Skill-Set

By John Camera

Ryan Switzer doesn’t look like the next great slot prospect entering the NFL in 2017. He measured in at 5’8″, 158 pounds, and only ran a 4.51 40 at the Combine. And while all of that matters, it takes a back seat when analyzing Switzer. The UNC Wideout doesn’t use size or speed to beat college, and soon to be NFL, CBs. He uses his fantastic quickness.

Switzer was one of the Combine’s top performers at his position in the 20 yard shuttle, illustrating he has some of the best quickness of any receiver in this draft class. It’s evident how he uses that shake in his route running, he’s able to get excellent separation because he can change direction with such ease that it often leaves his Corner in a trail position. To boot, Switzer is also a superb route-runner, consistently showing hip explosion in his breaks and overall crispness throughout his routes. That quickness and attention to detail makes Switzer a deadly option coming out of the slot for NFL Nickel Corners to try and defend against.

As mentioned earlier, Switzer won’t win many footraces against NFL CBs. However, he is more than fast enough to gain separation and be a great YAC (yards after catch) option. He probably won’t be able to finish plays and DBs should be able to track him down on plays where he gets into the open field, but don’t underestimate how his quickness, route-running, and reliable hands will quickly gain the favor of what Quarterback is lucky enough to have him.

 

Looking For A Big-Arm Gunslinger? His Name is Chad Kelly

By Alexander C. Lawrence

NCAA Football Player Profile – Chad Kelly, Quarterback

School: Ole Miss
Year: Senior
Height: 6’2
Weight: 224lbs

Chad Kelly started his career off at Clemson in 2012, a former four-star recruit who was redshirted his first year. His time at Clemson would be cut short in 2013 after he appeared in 5 games. In April 2014 he was kicked off the team for detrimental conduct, he went on to East Mississippi Community College and had an outstanding year. He then transferred to play for Ole Miss where he played tough competition and proved he can win those big moment games in 2015, his first year as a starter there. In 2016 his season was cut short as he led Ole Miss to a disappointing 4-5 record before he suffered a torn ACL which ultimately ended his college career.

When you watch Chad Kelly play his junior year in which he had a good supporting cast around him and a stud WR in Laquan Treadwell, you see why he was a top recruit and why Clemson believed in him. Unfortunately due to coaching conflicts and other behaviors Kelly showed while on the team he was never able to showcase his talent. You do however; see that throughout his nine games he played his senior year that he  he did play well even if his team’s record didn’t indicate that. He displayed great confidence against some of his tougher opponents this season.

Kelly will get a chance to shape his NFL career differently. He can’t change the past but can convince teams he’s a better person. He has what you like to see talent wise, but being a distraction will usually cost you your career. Look at Johnny Football and Randy Gregory who did little to help their team so far and yes their careers aren’t over, but the more off the field issues you have the less patience a team will have. Kelly also displayed serious potential to be an NFL starter with the talent he has.

Pros:

• He can compete against elite college programs
• Throws confidently from the pocket
• Has arm talent and strength
• Quick release
• Cam adjust to defensive schemes well
• He doesn’t stare down one target

Cons:

• Torn ACL in November 2016
• Off the field issues
• Play is too frantic at times
• Must learn to play under center in NFL

When you watch his overall performance at Ole Miss he did play pretty well and proved he can compete against anyone. That being said he’s had issues with being frustrated with coaches’ decisions and voices his opinion which is what some will argue was a reason he was dismissed from the Clemson football program. I don’t see a guy who’s a huge team problem in terms of his behavior, just a guy who loves the game of football. He needs to control his excitement for the game and stay out of trouble. Every scout will be asking “Can we trust Chad Kelly to stay out of trouble?” and “Will our coach have issues with him?” That’s yet to be determined, but if he can obviously develop his overall skill set with all the talent he has. If loses these off the field issues we could see a solid starter emerge. He’s set the foundation for his career and he reacts and answers to reports and scouts questions will greatly factor in if a team drafts him.

Draft projection: 4^th round

Comparison: Rex Grossman

The 2017 Cornerback Class is Legendary (And Might Just Be On Par with the 2014 WR Class)

By John Camera

One you rattle off the Wide Receivers taken in the 2014 NFL Draft, it sounds like you’re listing the best receivers in the game today. Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham, Kelvin Benjamin, Brandin Cooks, Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry, etc. To prevent this article from being a list I will direct you to all the WRs taken in the 2014 draft. The class wasn’t just deep at the top, everyone single Round 1 receiver hit, but the depth is impressive as well. That very same attribute could be applied to a similarly ridiculously-loaded Cornerback class this year.

Starting off at the top of this Cornerback class are two familiar names from familiar schools; Marshon Lattimore from The Ohio State and Marlon Humphrey from Alabama. Lattimore, despite some injury red flags over his hamstrings, should go first just because of his combination of speed, fluidness, technique, and ball skills. Simply put, Lattimore is the complete package. Humphrey is also rock-solid and is my favorite Alabama CB to date. He’s very good in both man and zone coverage and is super aggressive attacking the ball; his run defense has even made some draft evaluators see him as a Strong Safety. I think both of these guys will go in the top 15 as likely the first two CBs off the board.

Some of the depth players that should also go in the first and second rounds include Lattimore’s teammate Gareon Conley, Florida CBs Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor, Washington’s Sidney Jones, and Colorado’s Chidobe Azuwie. Excepting Azuwie, all of these CBs fit the new mold of big, tall athletes who can run with and cover the biggest, most freakish athletes the NFL has to offer today. Any one of them would be considered CB1 in a regular draft class; but this is no regular draft class.

The sleepers to look for in this year’s class include UCLA’s Fabian Moreau and teammate of Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon. Moreau is sort of Marshon Lattimore-lite; speedy, smooth, and just generally does a great job of locking his man down in coverage. He should be a total steal for whoever can steal him on Day 2. Witherspoon is a huge 6’3” freak with good speed and surprisingly good polish. He could be very similar to Sean Smith and be a huge asset to a team like New Orleans or Tampa Bay, who are tasked with facing Julio Jones twice a year.

Just to show off the insane depth of this class, here are a few more names that could be the Donte Moncriefs and Quincy Enunwas of this year’s CB class; guys who are underappreciated because of the sheer talent ahead of them. Be on the look out for UT’s Cameron Sutton, LSU’s Tre’Davious White, Miami’s Corn Elder, and WVU’s Rasul Douglas. If your team drafts a CB this year, you’d be safe to assume he’s going to be a good one.

Meet the Best-Valued WR this Year: Jalen Robinette

Corey Davis. Mike Williams. John Ross. Those are arguably the three biggest names in the 2017 NFL Draft class of Wide Receiver and for good reason. Davis is the all-around threat, Williams is the gigantic red-zone monster, and Ross is the deep-threat speedster. But the sleeper and overlooked guy who could greatly reward the team that picks him is Jalen Robinette, the senior Wideout from Air Force.

Robinette is listed at 6’4″ and 215 pounds; he’s the type of guy who you’d have come off the bus first. Despite playing in a triple option offense while at Air Force, Robinette regularly showed off his tremendous skillset for a receiver his size. He has great speed as a long strider, almost deceptively fast for CBs who give him cushion. He’s also shown some good change of direction ability, especially in his route-running, one of the best facets of his game. Robinette is a triple threat when it comes to running routes; good head fakes and shoulder leans to disguise his routes, excellent hand technique and strength to defeat jams, and explosive when dropping his hips to get into his breaks.

The Air Force senior also has good hands with the ability to come down with the most difficult of contested catches. He high points the ball well and uses that 6’4” frame to out-rebound defenders for the ball like a Power Forward. And once the ball is in Robinette’s hands, he doesn’t go down easily, using good leg drive to power through tackles. It also should not be overlooked that he is the type of aggressive and technically-sound run blocker that will endear him to coaches right away.

Still, there are some flaws in Robinette’s game that will likely limit his overall ceiling. Chief among them is that he is not a natural hands catcher and will allow some passes to get into his pads and even double catch or bobble some. Generally, Jalen Robinette is reliable when the ball is thrown in his direction but he does need to do a better job of extending his arms out to snatch the ball. Playing in a triple option offense also means that while his blocking game is polished, his route running is not. At the NFL level he’ll need to learn to run more routes than just posts, corners, and go’s.

In short, Robinette is a height/weight/speed specimen who is also very polished in what he has been able to do at Air Force. His biggest problem is that Air Force is far from a traditional offense and the type of scheme he’ll run in the NFL. I compared Robinette to former Georgia Tech and current Denver Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas and I think it’s an almost scary-accurate comp. Both Thomas and Robinette came from triple option offenses and were height/weight/speed guys. Both did have issues with route variety and not quite being natural hands catchers; Thomas still has drops issues today and it has led to Emmanuel Sanders taking over as the lead receiver in Denver. Robinette hasn’t been talked about much but seems to be a late Day 2-early Day 3 option among draft media. In my opinion, Robinette’s value is in the second round. I think Robinette can be a high-end No. 2 WR at the next level with a ceiling as a mid-range no. 1 option.

Can Brad Kaaya Be a Franchise QB?

By Alexander C. Lawrence

NCAA Football Player Profile – Brad Kaaya, Quarterback

School: Miami (FL)
Year: Junior
Height: 6’4
Weight: 210lbs

Brad Kaaya has been a three-year starter for a major football program which is something we don’t see too often. For that reason alone I like him because he has big-time college experience. We saw some great stuff in the second half of his freshman year. He had a ton of talent around him. That could likely mean he needs a good supporting cast around him, because his production went down in his second year as a starter (2015) when he didn’t have the pieces around him that had helped him succeed previously. That was part of the reason Miami HC Al Golden was fired. Kaaya did improve his junior year under new HC Mark Richt.

One thing that scares me is when under pressure he doesn’t focus well on his receivers, instead focusing too much on defenders. He doesn’t have good mobility and he’s clearly aware of that judging by the fact that he sometimes gives up on the down too early. He takes sacks rather than looking at receivers for an extra second or two. Over the last two seasons we’ve seen him protect the ball well which we saw was an issue for his first year when he was somewhat careless. To see that type of improvement is what coaches like. He showed he can improve from his past mistakes. He faced some good teams his junior year most notably FSU and Notre Dame. He didn’t really do anything special to make himself stand out which were the games scouts were looking for him to make an impact.

One thing you see is that yes, he’s a big guy but, he’s also deadly in the pocket when given time. He shows the potential to be a good pocket packer in the NFL since he can’t rely on his feet. He gets the ball out and places it perfectly into receiver’s hands. He’ll need to figure out how to get himself out of trouble and avoid taking huge sacks. I do think he has the skill-set to be drafted on day 2 of the NFL draft.

Pros:

• Good pocket passer
• Good size
• Good accuracy with a clean pocket
• Three-year starter
• Throws catchable passes
• Makes throws into tight windows
• Showed he can be a leader
• Great work ethic to improve himself

Cons:

• Doesn’t have much mobility
• Takes too many sacks
• Can’t focus when under pressure
• Doesn’t have a big arm

When you watch his performance in the Russell Athletic Bowl against #16 West Virginia you see how well he stood out and ended a 10-year drought at Miami in a 31-14 win. For most players I’d say the bowl doesn’t matter as much, but Kaaya showed his big time skill set when it mattered and brought his A-game. With time and patience from an NFL team he can be a solid back-up and even be groomed to be a star caliber play caller. He’s a smooth pocket passer. I don’t think he’ll be the face of a franchise, but with the right coaching staff he can work his way up to be being a leader of an NFL team.

Draft projection: 2^nd round-3^rd round

Comparison: Jared Goff

The Satire Chronicles, Vol 3: #5 Louisville Falls to Houston

By Aaron Weiss

After the slew of dramatic losses across the college football landscape, this week had to jump out early to cause Top 25 drama, and it did so with Houston thrashing Lamar Jackson’s Louisville. The loss effectively eliminates Louisville from playoff contention, and puts a serious dent in Jackson’s dominant Heisman odds. When pressed on his performance, however, Jackson seemed quite jolly.

“Well I was talking to Coach Petrino, and he warned me about trying to win,” Jackson noted nonchalantly. “He reminded me that if you get the top rank in a vote then you lose, and he suggested I try to find a way to tank my chances.”

“I’ve got to admit, it felt a little weird, throwing the game, running for under 100 yards,” Jackson noted. “The o-line did a good job selling the fact that they can’t block…I think. Still, I’m glad this team took the next step to secure me the Heisman.”

Petrino also seemed relatively content with the loss, and backed up Jackson’s claims.

“I mean we were never going to beat an Alabama or Clemson, so it was basically down to Lamar’s Heisman chances,” Petrino commented. “After Verlander lost the Cy Young despite more first place votes than Porcello, and after Hillary lost to Donny, I didn’t want Lamar to lose the Heisman by getting way more 1st place votes than the competition, so we spent the week figuring out which game would be optimal to tank.”

When pressed on why Houston made more sense than Kentucky, Petrino gave an almost arrogant response.

“Well it just wouldn’t be believable,” Petrino noted. “I mean if we lost to Kentucky people would start asking if Lamar was hurt, or if the players were Pete Rose-ing the season, and that just wouldn’t do.”

Petrino then left to go celebrate the successful loss with Lamar. As he left he was asked if the rest of the team were on board with the intentional loss, to which Petrino replied, “they came to Louisville to play football; I don’t think they’ll mind.”

Jackson went 20/43 for 211 yards and a touchdown, plus he ran 25 times for 33 yards.

Madness! Week 11 Is College Football Chaos

By John Camera

Down goes Clemson!…and Michigan…and Washington. Hell even Texas A&M, Auburn, UNC, and Virginia Tech were thrashed for good measure. If you’re keeping score at home those are the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 14, and 17th teams respectively. And all of them lost within a few hours of each other. Each loss shook up an exciting college football season that features only one mega-team, Alabama, who blew through Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa, 51-3.

Clemson let ACC rival and underachiever Pittsburgh hang around until cancer survivor/all-world RB James Conner helped down them. The Tigers couldn’t find a running game and forced Deshaun Watson to put the ball in the air a staggering 70 times. 580 yards, 3 TDs, but 3 INTs later and the Tigers couldn’t put the game away with a 2 point lead late in the fourth. 52 seconds and 34 yards was all Pitt needed to get into field goal range, including a 21 yard strike to Scott Orndoff, who finished with 128 yards and 2 TDs in his Panthers’ 43-42 win. Clemson still finds themselves ahead of Louisville, who had their own problems in a victory over pesky Wake Forest, by virtue of a head to head win.

Michigan went on the road to an Iowa team that was sniffing an upset all night behind a ferocious defense. The Wolverines scored a FG on their second drive, set up by an Iowa 4th down failure, and then followed that with a 72 yard touchdown drive. But the home-stoked defense said “no more” and mostly silenced the Wolverines the rest of the night. The Hawkeyes D did allow a 60 yard drive but only gave away 3 points. Besides those three possessions, Michigan didn’t have another drive that went more than 25 yards. Iowa did just enough to give their home fans a massive upset, 14-13. Michigan’s duel with Ohio State in two weeks will mean everything for both teams’ playoff chances.

Washington battled no. 20 USC, with the Trojans jumping on the Huskies after a slow first quarter. Washington traded field goals with the Trojans touchdowns and the first half ended as a 17-6 game, advantage Southern California. But it still felt winnable for a Washington team that was at home, with a quick strike offense, and had been dominant all year. It seemed that narrative would write itself as Jake Browning found explosive Junior WR John Ross for a 70 yard TD that left USC CB Adoree Jackson needing new ankles. USC would answer with its own touchdown and Washington just couldn’t find its offensive rhythm despite flashes. The Huskies’ playoff chances lay dashed in the wake of a bad defeat, 26-13.

Washington QB Jake Browning is sacked by USC DE Porter Gustin in the Trojan’s 26-13 upset win (Photo Credit: Joe Nicholson – USA Today Sports).

Those were the big ones, the teams in prime playoff position, but as mentioned lots of other big name squads lost as well. A&M picked up their second straight loss, this week to an Ole Miss team that found themselves on the right side of a comeback this season, 29-28. Auburn’s offense stalled against a hot and cold Georgia squad that established a running attack in a 13-7 triumph. UNC was shocked in Durham by the never-say-die Dukies, 28-27, and Virginia Tech looked overrated against a suddenly-rebounding Georgia Tech outfit, 30-20.

Playoff-wise, this may not shake up too much despite three of the top four losing. Alabama remains at one of course. Michigan may move out of the top 4 but ought to stay in the top 6; Ohio State will likely take its place. The same interesting question applies to one loss Clemson and Louisville, the ‘Ville’s only loss to Clemson. I expect Clemson should hold on to a playoff spot with Louisville breathing down its neck should the Tigers, or another team, slip up and UL wins out. And who leaps into the top 6 with Washington likely dropping a few spots? My money is on an Oklahoma team that has come back to playing pretty good football after early upsets. The committee could look to a third Big 10 team in Wisconsin but I think they’re overrated; their best win was against a criminally-overrated LSU team in Week 1. Also watch out for darkhorses Nebraska and Western Michigan. The latter has a lot of spots needed to jump but they are one of only two undefeateds left, albeit not playing in a “Power 5” conference.