Playoff Teams To Be Decided On Championship Weekend

After a long often topsy turvy season, the participants in the college football playoff will finally be named Sunday morning. Alabama, even in a loss to Florida, would most likely still make the coveted top 4. Ohio State seems a likely choice even though the Buckeyes will not be a conference champion since Penn State and Wisconsin will play for the Big 10 Title.  Clemson seems a sure bet (with a win over Virginia Tech that is) and Washington, if they secure a win over highly regarded Colorado, seems a likely choice. The Nittany Lions and the Badgers are still outside possibilities, especially Penn State since they hold a head to head win over Ohio State. The Big 10's chances of landing two teams in the Top 4 is a long shot unless Clemson or Washington falls. Should either the Tigers or Huskies (or both) lose their championship games, the winner of the Bedlam Game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will most likely be in the discussion as well. For all this week's projections follow these links: BillingsleyBillingsley+ (MOV)  

Ohio State Inches By Michigan, Washington Jumps Clemson in Rankings

It's not often that games live up to their pregame build up, but college football was treated to a spectacular contest Saturday as Ohio State squeaked by arch rival Michigan 30-27 in double overtime.  In other notable news, Washington, based on playing a superior opponent, jumped Clemson to take the #3 position in the Billingsley Report. Both teams won handily, but Washington State was a far superior opponent for Washington above South Carolina for Clemson. The CFP Committee has it's hands full this week with a very tight choice for the #3, 4, 5 and 6 positions. The Top 4 will be chosen to play for the National Championship, and other than Alabama and Ohio State, very little separates the next 5 or 6 teams. Still in consideration are Washington, Clemson, Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, Penn State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Sooners and Cowboys play this Saturday in the annual "Bedlam" Game.

November 26 Projections Now Online

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Top Four Remains Unchanged

With Alabama maintaining a tight grip on the #1 position, Ohio State, Clemson and Washington held on to the next three positions with Michigan a very close #5. The Wolverines travel to Columbus for a much anticipated match with Ohio State next Saturday. In the weekend's most shocking result the Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Texas Longhorns 24-21 in overtime, sealing the Jayhawks first win over Texas since 1938.

The Mighty Hath Fallen.....And Very Little Changes

Chaos reigned supreme Saturday as #2 Clemson, #3 Michigan and #4 Washington all suffered defeats at the hands of teams to whom they were all double digit favorites. Just as surprising however is that it really changed very little in terms of rankings or projections for the college football playoff. All three teams are still in contention and control their own destiny....win out, and they are in. What is most interesting is that the weekend results hurt Ohio State more than it helped them, in spite of the fact it temporarily vaulted the Buckeyes to #2 in the nation. Had Ohio State won out by defeating an undefeated Michigan team, they would have cliched the Eastern Division title of the Big 10. With Michigan losing, it creates a potential 3 way tie in which Ohio State would lose to Penn State in a tiebreaker (the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes earlier this year). All is not lost for the Buckeyes however....if Penn State wins the division, but loses to Wisconsin (assuming the Badgers are in), then the CFP committee is faced with choosing between an 11-1 Ohio State and a 11-2 Wisconsin with the Buckeyes holding an edge because of a head to head win by Ohio State. Would the committee choose a two loss conference champion over a one loss team they had lost to in the regular season? Who knows, but it would be a tough choice and a very interesting scenario. A true nightmare for the committee. Of all the losing contenders, Clemson still has the easiest path. The Tigers are virtually a shoe in not to lose another game. Washington on the other hand must still face a very hot Washington State in the Apple Cup, and a good team (Colorado, Utah or rematch with USC) should the Huskies reach the Pac 12 Championship game. Michigan must still contend with Ohio State, in Columbus no less. Still a lot of football to go and as we know.....on any given day.

No need for a Playoff Committee this year......So Far

The Top 4 teams just keep rolling along, making the job for the playoff selection committee a no brainier. But don't hand out the invitations just yet. All four teams have games left that could easily upset the apple cart before the end of the season. Clemson is the only contending team left with what I would describe as a "manageable" schedule, with Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and South Carolina still on tap. Alabama has a crucial date in the Iron Bowl with a rising Auburn team (and Mississippi State may not be a pushover), Michigan still has Ohio State, and Washington is most vulnerable of all with USC and Washington State still to go. Ohio State, Louisville, Wisconsin, Auburn, Oklahoma and yes, even Western Michigan are patiently waiting in the wings for the right dominoes to fall. Complete chaos is still not out of the question with 4 more weeks to go. Stay tuned for this week's projections coming Wednesday.

First College Football Playoff Rankings Release Tuesday. Who's Number 2?

Alabama has proven (so far) to be so superior to the rest of college football's elite that there is really no question of "who is the number one team in America". Instead, the greatest suspense surrounding the release of Tuesday nights first rankings revolve around which of the very deserving three teams will land in the number two position. Not that it matters really, as four is the magic number that teams will aspire for when the final playoff rankings are released on Sunday, December 4th.  All three teams are certainly worthy. This week the Billingsley Report places Clemson #2, Michigan #3 and Washington #4.

Tigers Travel To Tallahassee to Tangle With Seminoles

This weekend's highlighted game features Clemson on the road to face ACC conference foe Florida State. The undefeated Tigers, fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff, are a slight favorite over the Seminoles. This is a very tough game to pick. Florida State had an early season meltdown at Louisville and was upset by North Carolina. Clemson squeezed by Louisville and at times has looked sluggish on offense. I expect both teams to be at their best, but if the crowd is rowdy and loud, a Seminole upset would not surprise me. Florida State 27 Clemson 24. Baylor @ Texas - Gone are the days when this was always a shoo in for the Horns. It appears Charlie Strong's days are numbered. The loss to Oklahoma was a no no and the loss to Kansas State was, well, maybe the last straw. Even a win over undefeated Baylor may not be enough to save his job....but we will never know cause he ain't gonna get it. Close, but no lights in the tower Saturday night. Baylor 42 Texas 31. Miami (Fla.) @ Notre Dame - A few weeks ago I thought this would be an awesome game. Today I'm talking about it because Brian Kelly is on the hot seat. Really? I just don't get that. One bad season does not make a bad coach. I have no faith in Miami. That home loss to North Carolina and poor performance against Virginia Tech weigh heavy on my mind. I'm a huge Richt fan, but I think the Irish will pull this out. Notre Dame 31 Miami (Fla.) 30. West Virginia @ Oklahoma State - The Big 12's other undefeated team is quietly proving they may be the best in the conference, and a legitimate playoff contender. Winning in still water would go a long way towards proving that, and it won't be easy.....but I think they will. West Virginia 35 Oklahoma State 31. Florida vs Georgia in Jacksonville - Once again it's time for the largest outdoor......nope, I'm not going there. The Gators and Bulldogs both had a week off to prepare. This is such a great rivalry and we all know anything can happen, but, I just can't believe that Florida's superior defense is going to make the difference. Florida 28 Georgia 17. Nebraska @ Wisconsin - The Cornhuskers are undefeated, 7-0 for the first time since 2001's National Title contender. I hope the Husker fans enjoyed the ride.....because it's over. Wisconsin 28 Nebraska 13. Washington @ Utah - This is the most intriguing game of the weekend for me and thank goodness, it's an afternoon game, not one of those ridiculous 9:30 CT kickoff's that the Pac 12 is so famous for. The entire nation will actually get to see the two best teams in the conference slug it out. I'm very anxious to see this match-up, which could easily be a preview to the conference championship game. The Utes are hard to beat at home, but the Huskies are playing awesome football. Could go either way.... but I'm going with Washington 35 Utah 28. For all Projections follow: Billingsley Billingsley + (MOV)  

Tigers Host Tide in much anticipated SEC West Showdown

The entire College Football Nation has had this game circled on the calendar since before the season even started. Many believed Les Miles would be leading an undefeated LSU team against an undefeated Alabama squad for a solid shot at the National Title, but Wisconsin and Auburn spoiled those chances for the Tigers from the get go.....so much to the dismay of the Athletic Director that Miles is not even leading the charge anymore. That, coupled with the sheer dominance of the Crimson Tide team has removed some of the luster from this game....but certainly not all of it. The Tigers have rebounded under interim coach Orgeron and let's not forget, the game is being played in Death Valley, at night, in front of a national audience. Las Vegas feels like that's worth about 5 or 6 points for the Tigers right there. But, is it enough? Not a chance. Tide Rolls. Alabama 35 LSU 21. Notre Dame vs Navy in Jacksonville, Florida - As I expected the Irish survived Miami (Fla.) last week, just barely. This week they tackle an even greater challenge against a even better team. Navy boasts a win over Houston, although at this point I'm not sure that's a lot to boast about. Notre Dame showed a lot of character in their win over the Hurricane. I believe they may have finally found their footing on the season. I'm taking the Irish in another close toss up game. Notre Dame 28 Navy 24. Nebraska at Ohio State - I'll be honest with you, I was wrong about Nebraska. After seeing the way they played against Wisconsin at Camp Randall, I am convinced they are a good team, not great, but good. Are they good enough to beat the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe? Maybe. Ohio State is certainly struggling, but they are still a very good team. You know my rule.....toss up games go to the home team. Ohio State 31 Nebraska 28. Oklahoma State at Kansas State - The Cowboys totally shocked me by handling the Mountaineers last week. If they can beat West Virginia they can surely beat Kansas State right? Not necessarily. We all know what a great mastermind Bill Snyder is with game plans and the Wildcats are pretty hard to beat in the Little Apple. If Oklahoma State wins this....I believe they are good enough to win the Big 12, but I don't think they will, win this game or the Big 12. Kansas State 24 Oklahoma State 23. Texas at Texas Tech - The Longhorn win over Baylor was more than shocking. I was dumbfounded. (As was most of the nation). But I was impressed with the Red Raider double overtime win at TCU too. The game is in Lubbock and the Longhorns may still be in Bear Heaven. I'll side with Texas Tech in this one. Texas Tech 42 Texas 31. Air Force at Army - This is the first leg of a golden opportunity for Army to capture the Commander In Chief Trophy, something that has eluded them since 1996. If Army wins, it will set up one of the most important Army-Navy games (December 10) in recent memory. Jeff Monken appears to have turned a corner at Army in his third season. The Black Knight's win at Wake Forest last week was huge. This is a very tough game to call, but I think Army wants this game bad, bad. That may be just enough. Army 17 Air Force 16. Washington at California - Beware Huskies, beware. This is a very scary game for Washington coming off a huge road win at Utah. California is a very dangerous team and I'm not sure Washington will be fully prepared. Still....they are probably the best team in the PAC 12, and Peterson is a great coach. Let's just say he'll have is work cut out for him this week. Washington 35 California 31. For all the Projections: Billingsley Billingsley+    

Happy Valley Rocks as Nittany Lions Shock Buckeyes 24-21

As the saying goes……on any given day, uh, well, night in this case, anything can happen in college football. James Franklin finally got the signature win he so desperately needed as Penn State blocked a late field goal attempt and ran it back for a touchdown, giving the Nittany Lions a stunning 24-21 upset of #2 ranked Ohio State in front of a sold out “white out” crowd in Happy Valley. The loss dashed the hopes of an undefeated season for the Buckeyes, but only slightly hurt their chances for the college football playoff as the Big Ten Conference Championship is still well within their sites. Ohio State is still on a collision course with Michigan in late November. In the nation’s premier game of the week Alabama knocked off previously undefeated Texas A&M 33-14.

Boise State puts Playoff Hopes on the Line Against Brigham Young

Boise State faces one of the toughest challenges of the 2016 season Thursday, hosting A 4-3 Brigham Young team that could just as easily be 7-0. The Cougars have lost by 1 point to Utah, 3 points to UCLA and 3 points to West Virginia. Brigham Young has posted a schedule strength of 13th in the nation versus # 116 for Boise State. Playing at home I would normally feel secure about predicting a Bronco win, but I sure don’t feel very confident in Boise’s ability to stay undefeated against a solid Cougar team that the Broncos may not be totally prepared to face. I’m going to jump out on a limb and say Brigham Young pulls a stunning upset on the road. Brigham Young 31 Boise State 30. Texas A&M @ Alabama– The SEC West schedule is always full of gems, but not many will be billed bigger than this one. After surviving Tennessee two weeks ago the Aggies hit the road to face a team called by some the greatest ever. Just for the record, I disagree with that statement. Alabama is very very good, but we still have half a season to go. Let the the season play out folks. Having said that…..I don’t see Texas A&M being the team that can stop this Bama team. Alabama 35 Texas A&M 27. Ole Miss @ LSU – For the second week in a row the Rebels hit the road to face a big rival, first Arkansas and now LSU. The Tigers have found a QB and some degree of momentum under interim Coach Orgeron but the Tigers will have their hands full with Mississippi. My biggest question about this game is the mindset of Ole Miss. The loss to Arkansas was heartbreaking…..and they have already experienced two of those earlier in the year already, one against Florida State and another against Alabama. How many can this team withstand without giving up? I might be wrong, but I think Ole Miss has another big game in their bag of tricks. Mississippi 28 LSU 24. Arkansas @ Auburn – Both of these teams have been able to put together respectable seasons so far, standing at 5-2 (Arkansas) and 4-2 (Auburn). Arkansas was competitive in their loss to an obviously superior Alabama and impressive in their come from behind win last week against Ole Miss. The Tigers….well, they are one play away from adding a home loss to LSU to their resume. Still, Auburn has momentum and they are at home. This a is tossup, and you know my tendency, home team wins. Auburn 31 Arkansas 28. Washington State @ Arizona State – The Cougars are for real. Enough said. Washington State 39 Arizona State 31. For all this weeks Projections:BillingsleyBillingsley+ (MOV)

Tide Rolls at Rocky Top 49-10, Ohio State Keeps Pace with Big Win Over Badgers

The Crimson Tide have clearly established themselves as the best team in college football, but the Buckeyes are just as clearly #2. Both teams went on the road to face conference rivals in very hostile environments and both came away winners. Clemson survived an upset bid at the hands of North Carolina State while the other national title contenders, Texas A&M, Michigan and Washington all had bye weeks. Keep your eyes on Western Michigan. The Broncos completely dominated a very good Akron team 41-0 on the road. In the race for the “Group of Five’s” spot in a CFP New Year’s bowl invitation, Western Michigan and Boise State seem headed for quite a competition, although at this point, Western Michigan’s strength of schedule is far superior, #53 to #116 for Boise State. In other action around the nation, Nebraska, Baylor and West Virginia remained undefeated but untested for the most part with Baylor walloping Kansas 49-7 in Waco,Nebraska squeezing by Indiana 27-22 in Bloomington and West Virginia dominating Texas Tech 48-17 in Lubbock. A sluggish Houston managed a miracle 38-31 finish, holding Tulsa inches from the goal line as time ran out, Colorado continued it’s meteoric rise in the Pac 12 with a big 40-16 win over Arizona State, and Arkansas held off Ole Miss 34-30. This week #1 Alabama hosts # 4 Texas A&M in a much anticipated SEC West (and national) showdown. Stay tuned for weekly projections coming Wednesday.