Week 12 Summary
Week 12 Summary
11/23/15
Joe Broback
A list of contenders keeps shrinking, while the list of questions increases. What will the committee do with teams like North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Baylor? Is undefeated Iowa good enough for the top four this week? What about Michigan State? Will a two loss team jump a one loss team? Could two Power 5 conferences get left out? There are so many things left unanswered, and so far the committee hasn’t done much to provide us with answers. For those who think four is still enough, please pick four teams that you can say with confidence are better than the teams left out.
There are many what-if scenarios that could shake up the rankings, but some of them aren’t realistic. 7 teams still have a realistic shot of getting into the playoff, but some need more help than others. Here’s what needs to happen for each team to get in the playoff the next two weeks.
Clemson: Beat South Carolina. Win ACC championship vs (presumably) North Carolina. Clemson’s road seems pretty easy, but will be tested against UNC. Rest assured Tigers fans, you will get that pizza party Dabo Swinney promised.
Alabama: Give the ball to Derrick Henry. Beat Auburn. Win SEC championship vs Florida. The tide may have the easiest road to the playoff, but it also could be the trickiest with the wrong mindset.
Iowa: Win at Nebraska. Win Big Ten Championship. A loss appears to be the only thing that will prevent the Hawkeyes from getting in. Really unfortunate considering the season they’re having. Iowa has the definition of “win and they’re in.”
Notre Dame: Beat Stanford convincingly. Hope other teams lose. A win against Stanford will be difficult and may not be enough to get in the playoff. Wins by Oklahoma and Baylor could push Notre Dame out. Without their top corner and runningback, the Irish will have to find a way to win on the road.
Oklahoma: Get Baker Mayfield healthy. Beat Oklahoma State. Pray committee likes a Big 12 champ with a loss. Trevor Knight did not impress anyone with his relief performance last week against TCU. Playing in Stillwater won’t ease any concerns fans may have. Sooners fans are hoping the Knight that beat Alabama two years ago show up.
Michigan State: Win vs Penn State. Win Big Ten championship. Hope committee still like teams winning conference championship games. They do need some help, but they don’t need any luck. Sparty is in charge in the Big Ten, but can’t lose to Penn State next week. With Connor Cook back, they should be fine.
Baylor: Beat the other two Texas teams (TCU and Texas). Become Cowboys fans (OSU not Dallas). Oklahoma loses. Win Big 12. Not run out of quarterbacks to play. Hope committee ignores pillow fight nonconference schedule. They need Oklahoma to lose, otherwise they most likely won’t get in without a miracle.
Some teams have better chances and control their own destiny while others need to rely on other teams to slip up. Because of the chaos created so far this season, none of these teams can be eliminated from contention. Teams still in contention need to prove to the committee they’re elite, not hope the committee thinks they belong.
TRENDING UP
Fenway Park----Notre Dame and Boston College played at the Red Sox home field for a game, and it looked great. I like having some games at the ballparks because it adds a different atmosphere to the game. The field that the grounds crew created look amazing, and the buzz surrounding the game only increased as the week went on. Notre Dame beat BC 19-16, so the game did not disappoint either.
Beamer Ball----The Hokies may have lost, but Frank Beamer’s legacy will never be. Beamer coaches his last game at Lane Stadium this weekend, and received an enormous ovation from the home crowd. Beamer’s last couple years may not have been the best, but his legacy on Hokie football will last forever.
TRENDING DOWN
Memphis Tigers----Justin Fuente’s list of offers from future employers may be decreasing. Ok probably not, but there are concerns within the Tigers program. Three consecutive losses have many scratching their heads after a loud start to the season. Temple kept Paxton Lynch in check and the Tigers defense couldn’t stop the Owls offense.
Houston----I told you Houston. You can’t look past UConn. While the loss doesn’t really affect the Cougars too much, the loss ruined a perfect season. You can’t blame Houston for looking ahead to Navy. That game will determine who win the AAC East and will play either Temple or a surprisingly hot South Florida team.
PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
Blake Kemp, ECU (465 yards passing, 4 TD)----It’s not easy when you have to follow one of the most prolific quarterbacks to ever play for the Pirates. Kemp has stepped in after injuries put him into the starting role, and he has handled the job well. Granted it was against UCF, but Kemp did what he was supposed to do in torching the Knights.
Vernon Adams Jr., Oregon (407 yards passing, 6 TD)----Adams took over. With the game still to be decided, Adams helped the Ducks pull away from the Trojans. When you have more touchdowns passes than incomplete passes, people take notice. Oregon’s conference title hopes were erased when Stanford beat Cal, but the Ducks are playing at a high level. Whoever gets the Ducks in the bowl game will not be happy.
Brandon Ross, Maryland (250 yards rushing, 3 TD)----Not much has gone right for Maryland this year. They’re 2-9 and they fired their head coach. Ross provided a bright spot in a loss to Indiana this week. While his individual effort was outdone by an Indiana team looking for a bowl berth, Ross gashed the Hoosiers defense. If only he had an offense to help him out.
Shannon Brooks, Minnesota (174 yards rushing, 3 TD)----The Gophers were up one on Illinois and needed one first down to end the game. Brooks gave them more than a first down, scampering down the left side for 75 yards and a score. Minnesota all of a sudden needs one more win to be bowl eligible, but will have to do it against Wisconsin. The Badgers have kept the Axe for 11 years, and if the Gophers want it back, Brooks will have to produce another big game.
Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (508 yards passing, 5 TD)----What a wild game this turned out to be. At one point, the Bulldogs appeared to be running away with the game. Arkansas then scored 28 unanswered points. Pure chaos. Prescott did everything in his power to keep his Bulldogs hanging around and eventually put them ahead with 3:09 left….
Brandon Allen, Arkansas (406 yards passing, 7 TD)----….Allen then took his team down the field for a game winning field goal. A chip shot, in kicker standards. But the kick was blocked and the Bulldogs hung on. Allen has made the Hogs into a pass-first offense, but his team’s luck ran out this week.
GAME BALL: Prescott. Dak is showing us why he may play on Sundays in the future. He is throwing the ball efficiently and has relied on his running ability less and getting the ball to his playmakers. I can’t help but wonder what would happen if Dak was on another team.
WEEK 12 PREDICTIONS
My pick: Ohio State 28 Michigan State 21 ACTUAL: Michigan State 17 Ohio State 14
I can’t say I’m surprised. When you finally play someone of value, you need to step up your game to another level. In a game that featured a total 426 yards of offense between the two teams, Michigan State pulled through adversity. Connor Cook decided he couldn’t play after warming up, leaving the offense in the hands of backups Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry. O’Connor played most of the snaps and did enough to win by not turning the ball over and handing the ball off to LJ Scott and Gerald Holmes. The loss certainly stings for Ohio State, but doesn’t just hurt one individual. Ezekiel Elliott came out to the media after the game and pinned the loss on the coaches. I, as well as many others, assume the Buckeye’s playoff hopes are over. While emotions run high, Elliott should know better to keep these issues in the locker room. That being said, the incident will be swept under the rug because they need to focus on Michigan next week.
My pick: Baylor 44 Oklahoma State 35 ACTUAL: Baylor 45 Oklahoma State 35
Big 12, you may be doing what the Pac 12 did to themselves: eliminate themselves from playoff contention. If Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma and Baylor loses to TCU, it’s going to happen. Baylor relied on its third string QB Chris Johnson in the second half to shock the Cowboys in Still water, a place they hadn’t won in 11 tries. Baylor showed that it should still be a playoff contender and must beat TCU and hope OU slips up against Oklahoma State next week. Starter Jarrett Stidham, a backup most of the year, hurt his ankle in the first half and did not return to play the rest of the game. Stidham should be back for next week’s game, but if not, Johnson proved he can step in. I’m not sure how the committee views Baylor after this week, but they should still consider the Bears for the playoff.
My pick: Oklahoma 38 TCU 20 ACTUAL: Oklahoma 30 TCU 29
I started watching Stanford-Cal. This game was over for most of the third quarter. TCU was losing players to injury (shocker) and was using its third string QB. Someone forgot to tell the Horned Frogs they should give up. The nation’s most resilient team all year was aided by an injury to the Sooners’ Baker Mayfield, and scored a touchdown late to bring the game to one point. Gary Patterson decided to go for two, but Bram Kohlhausen’s pass was knocked down and the Sooners held on for the win. Mayfield’s status is up in the air for next week’s matchup against rival Oklahoma State. If Mayfield can’t play, OU will look to Trevor Knight. Knight replaced Mayfield and struggled to keep the offense moving. Oklahoma could be in trouble if Mayfield can’t play and Knight struggles again and its playoff hopes rely on next week’s performance.
My pick: Wisconsin 21 Northwestern 17 ACTUAL: Northwestern 13 Wisconsin 7
Well, you won’t win many games scoring 7 points, and you also won’t win many game scoring 13. But, if you score 13 and the other team scores 7, you’re just fine. Wisconsin had two opportunities to win the game at the end. One was overturned, the other was incomplete. Either way, it was a brutal offensive game for both teams. The only highlight was Justin Jackson’s 139 yards rushing and one score. The return of Corey Clement didn’t do much for the Badgers as Clement struggled for 24 yards and a score. Northwestern now moves to second in the Big Ten West, and hosts Illinois next week. Wisconsin looks to next week’s matchup at Minnesota to play for the Axe. Rivalry week next week will be intense. Stay tuned.
