College Football Enters 2020 Season with Great Uncertainty

Not since World War II has College Football began a season with so much uncertainty. In 1943, 82 major college programs fielded teams. This year, because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, 54 teams have cancelled their entire season, and the remaining 76 are playing an abbreviated schedule. Four Conferences, The Big 10, Pac 12, Mountain West and Mid-American will not participate in fielding teams for 2020. Old Dominion from the Conference USA also cancelled their entire season. The Pre-Season Billingsley Report reflects the 76 teams who will, at this point, attempt to participate in the quest for the National Championship. The Billingsley Report will continue be published each Sunday morning, however, due to the fluidity in scheduling Billingsley announced last week that no weekly projections will be made for the 2020 season. As of this writing, what would have been scheduled as week one (August 29), no games are scheduled. Week two has two games scheduled on Thursday September 3, a handful on Saturday September 5, and Brigham Young/Navy slated for prime time on Labor Day night, September 7. The season is slated to begin in earnest on week 3, the games of September 10-12.

LSU Shatters CFRC Records in Route to 2019 Championship

The Billingsley Encyclopedia has been updated and the LSU Tigers 2019 team figures prominently in the record books. Bolstered by a perfect 15-0 record, coupled with playing the #1 most difficult schedule of the season, the Bayou Bengals vaulted to the #1 All Time most powerful college team to ever take the field. The rating of 408.051 makes LSU the first team to eclipse the 400 point barrier. For decades the benchmark was 375.979 set by the great 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers. But, the onset of the College Football Playoff, adding an additional game to the schedule via the national semi-final, bolstered 2018 Clemson and 2019 LSU to record rating highs. The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide ranks 3rd on the All-Time Rating list at #3 with a rating of 378.293. The SEC recorded the strongest conference for the 13th season in a row, dating back to 2006 when the Big East squeaked out a victory over the SEC, 264.740 to 263.800. 13 in a row is impressive, but it is not a record. The longest running string of conference comparison champions belongs to the Big 10 with 16 in a row from 1919-1934. Of course, logic prevails through the argument that the competition is dramatically more difficult in today's landscape. The highest ever conference rating was recorded by the Big 10 in 1961 with an average of 290.820. The Big 10 recorded 7 teams among the nation's Top 14 teams, an amazing feat. The Big 10 did not however, win the National Title that year. That distinction went to Alabama. In 1961 the Big 10 placed Ohio State at #2, Minnesota at #5, Michigan State at #7, Purdue at #8, Michigan at #11, Wisconsin at #12 and Iowa at #14. In comparison, the SEC's highest recorded average of 286.600 came in 1971 when the conference recorded 6 teams in the Top 13 in the nation. Interestingly, the SEC did not win a national title that season either as Nebraska and Oklahoma finished #1 and #2. Alabama was #3, Georgia #4, Auburn #6, Tennessee #7, Ole Miss #12 and LSU #13. One individual team placed a mark in the record books in 2019. Memphis recorded their greatest team in Tiger history at 285.169, shattering their team best of 275.172 set way back in 1963. I hope you enjoy browsing the 2019 updated version of the Billingsley College Football Encyclopedia, particularly the All-Time Schedules and Scores which contains a wealth of information, including game by game team rankings of the AP  and Coaches Polls in comparison to the Billingsley report. As of this post, dated May 2, 2020, the upcoming college football season remains in doubt. My heart goes out to all those affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. I, along with billions of others pray for a swift end to this virus that has taken so many lives across the globe.

Bayou Bengals Maul Clemson 42-25 to Capture 2019 Championship

Will LSU 2019 be remembered as the GREATEST College team of all time? I'm sure the debate will begin in the next few hours and days, but according to the Billingsley Report, yes indeed, the 2019 LSU Tigers are on record as the best team ever to take the field. The Billingsley Encyclopedia will be updated over the course of the next several weeks to reflect those results. Joe Burrow started a little slow, but later caught fire and never looked back as the LSU offense looked unstoppable. The LSU defense rose up in the second half and time after time stopped Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson offense when it mattered most.....on third down. Stay tuned for updates on the Encyclopedia in the coming weeks.

Tigers vs Tigers in College Football National Championship

The Bowl season completed last night (January 6th) with the conclusion of the Mobile Bowl where Louisiana held off Miami (Ohio) 27-17. The National Championship Game had already been set back on December 28 when the Semi-Final games were played. LSU overwhelmed Oklahoma 63-28 in the Peach Bowl and Clemson downed Ohio State 29-23 in the Fiesta Bowl. LSU and Clemson have only played 3 times in college football history, all in Bowl Games, with LSU holding a 2-1 lead. All 3 games have been barn burners with only a total of 11 points separating one another. LSU won the first game in the Sugar Bowl after the 1958 season, 7-0. The Bayou Bengals won again in the 1996 Peach Bowl 10-7 and Clemson won a 25-24 thriller in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Billingsley+ Projection has the game rated as a total tossup, with the Billingsley Report giving LSU a slight 4 point advantage. The game will be played Monday night January 13, 2020 in New Orleans.

America Begins "Feast of Football" As Bowl Games Get Underway December 20.

An American Holiday tradition gets underway next Friday, December 20th, as a series of 39 Bowl Games culminate into a National Championship set for Monday January 13th. Projections for all 39 games will be posted tomorrow, Monday, December 16th shortly after 2PM. Yesterday the 2019 regular season ended with Navy running all over Army, literally, 31-7. Navy QB Malcolm Perry rushed for a series record 304 yards, virtually unstoppable the entire game. The game represented the 120th edition of one of the nation's greatest rivalries. Navy snapped a 3 game Army winning streak. Also on Saturday Joe Burrow of LSU was the awarded the Heisman Trophy by the largest margin in the history of the trophy. Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma was a very distant second.

Nation Awaits Playoff Committee Decision

Championship weekend left little drama as only Oregon's very slight upset of Utah raised any eyebrows. The Duck's win further opened the door for the Big 12 Champion to enter the playoff discussion, and after Georgia's loss to LSU, the door flung wide open for the Sooners to take the 4th and final playoff spot. The only real question remaining will be whom the committee slots in as the #1 team. The Billingsley Report still favors LSU by a wide margin over Ohio State based on the Tigers also possessing the Nation's most difficult schedule. The Billingsley+ Ranking, which factors in margin of victory, slightly favors Ohio State. Both systems agree that Oklahoma should be the 4th place team. The Playoff announcement is due on ESPN at 11AM CT.

Auburn win in Iron Bowl leads to Major Playoff Debate

Be prepared for a lot of controversy. It's PAC 12 vs Big 12, Utah or Oklahoma, what's your pleasure? Of course Oregon and Baylor might have something to say about this argument as well, but if the Utes and Sooners both win their respective conference championship games all eyes will be on the final decision made by the playoff committee next Sunday. You want real chaos? Let Georgia beat LSU and both the PAC 12 and Big 12 will be left out. All this mess was set up by Auburn's stunning 48-45 win over Alabama. It was a dramatic back and forth contest with more twists and turns than an Alfred Hitchcock murder mystery. But in the end, the simple mistake of a 5 yard penalty for Alabama, on 4th down and 4 for Auburn, gave the Tigers a first down and the ability to run out the clock. Sometimes we forget how important discipline in basic fundamentals can be. Around the Nation: LSU, Ohio State and Clemson rolled in season finales, setting up a solid 1,2,3 heading into conference championship games. All three appear to be locks for the playoff, even if they lose, given their season long resumes. Although, a Clemson loss to Virginia may make the Tigers vulnerable to falling out of the Top 4. Memphis secured a spot in the American Conference Championship, and at least temporarily takes the lead as the top contender for the Group of Five participant in the New Year's Six games. The Tigers defeated Cincinnati 34-24 and will face them again next Saturday. If Memphis wins again, most likely they are in as the top Group of Five team, although Boise State and Appalachian State are not far behind and if Cincinnati wins, the Bearcats might sneak in. It's a tight race, too close to call. Rivalry games always bring surprises, and usually close exciting finishes. Such was the case as Virginia finally beat Virginia Tech, topping the Hokies 39-30, and Indiana winning the Old Oaken Bucket over Purdue 44-41 in double overtime. Minnesota's dream season dropped a notch as Wisconsin took home the Axe with a 38-17 thumping of the Gophers. Oklahoma finally won a game by more than 3 points as the Sooners took home the Bedlam Trophy with a 34-16 victory over Oklahoma State. As I suspected, Oregon State battled hard, but finally succumbed to Oregon 24-10 while Washington won the Apple Cup 31-13. Nebraska played well against a better team in Iowa, but couldn't quite pull off the upset, losing 27-24. Such was the story in 2019. Nebraska could easily have been a 9-3 team with close losses to Colorado, Indiana, Purdue and Iowa by a combined 17 points. Maybe 2020 will be the year of the Cornhusker. And what can I say, Tennessee, you have made the Volunteer Nation  proud, moving to 7-5 on the season with a win over Vanderbilt. Tennessee finished the season with 5 straight wins after a dismal 2-5 start.

Oregon's Playoff Hopes Die in the Desert as Sun Devils upend Ducks 31-28

Many a good team has traveled to the Arizona desert and left the desolate environment with a shocking loss. Perhaps, none so more than Oregon, as late Saturday night the Arizona State defense held the Ducks in check for 3 quarters, enough to build a 24-7 lead, then hold off a furious Oregon rally to capture a 31-28 Sun Devil victory. Winning out for Oregon would highly likely have given the Ducks the coveted 4th spot in the College Football Playoff, but those dreams dissipated like a mist in the dry Arizona desert. Around the Nation: Idle Clemson watched as their two other major competitors took the field. Ohio State gained ground with an impressive 28-17 win over Penn State and LSU ran over the Razorbacks 56-20. Oklahoma's hopes for entry into the playoff brightened somewhat with Oregon's loss, but the Sooners have other issues to attend to.....like putting up more impressive wins for the committee to evaluate. Oklahoma survived TCU 28-24 with a highly questionable first down spot with just over a minute to play. The Sooners have in state rival Oklahoma State coming up in Stillwater Saturday plus a rematch with Baylor in the Big 12 Championship game. Winning is a must, but a couple of impressive performances wouldn't hurt their resume either. Georgia solidified their position as a national title contender with a big win over Texas A&M 19-13. The Bulldogs can punch their ticket with wins over Georgia Tech and LSU. Earlier this season I blasted Tennessee as having reached a low point in their program history, now I'm having to eat my words as the Volunteers have turned their season around after big wins over Kentucky and Missouri to move into bowl eligibility with a 6-5 record. The Volunteers face rival Vanderbilt Saturday with a 7 win season looking very possible. Who would have thunk it after that embarrassing loss to Georgia State early in the season. Rivalry Weekend is upon us. I have always said it is the greatest event in the entire sports world. We will be treated to some real doozies including Virginia Tech at Virginia, Indiana at Purdue, Iowa at Nebraska, Wisconsin at Minnesota, Arizona at Arizona State, Oregon State at Oregon, Washington State at Washington, Kentucky at Louisville, Ole Miss at Mississippi State, Clemson at South Carolina and Vanderbilt at Tennessee. Plus, the entire nation will be watching as Alabama travels to Auburn for the Iron Bowl and Ohio State travels to the Big House to face Michigan. Happy Thanksgiving to all my devoted followers.

Sooner Magic Reborn as Oklahoma Shocks Baylor 34-31 in Come From Behind Win

During the Switzer years at Oklahoma the phrase "Sooner Magic" was coined to pen the amazing comebacks the Sooners experienced in games of National prominence over Nebraska. Saturday night in Waco, Texas, Sooner Magic was reborn, Twenty First Century style, as Oklahoma overcame a school record 25 point deficit to down undefeated Baylor 34-31. Trailing 28-3 at one point, and 31-10 at the half, the Sooners stormed back with 24 points, while holding Baylor to 0 in the second half. Time of possession was the key to the amazing comeback as Baylor was limited to only 5 offensive plays in the entire 3rd quarter. The Oklahoma defense, which seemed so porous in the first half, came up big time and time again as the second half unfolded. The win keeps a very faint hope alive for the Sooners in the CFP. The three undefeated and Top Ranked Teams in the Nation, LSU, Ohio State and Clemson all rolled to big victories Saturday as LSU downed rival Ole Miss 58-37, Ohio State routed Rutgers 56-21 and Clemson waxed Wake Forest 52-3. The latest ranking installment of the CFP Committee is scheduled for Tuesday and the #4 position will be a tight race between Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Utah, Penn State and Oklahoma. Minnesota, who lost to Iowa, and Baylor, loser to Oklahoma, still have opportunities in front of them to re-enter the conversation by winning their respective conference races. Around the Nation: Iowa State finally won a close game. The Cyclones beat Texas 23-21 moving to 6-4 on the season after losing by 1 point to Iowa, 2 points to Baylor, 1point to Oklahoma and 7 points to Oklahoma State. A mere 11 points separates Iowa State from being 10-0 and a National Title Contender. How many major college coaching lists do you think Matt Campbell  will be on before the end of the season when the axe begins to fall on multiple major programs? I hope he stays with the Cyclones, but honestly, he could have any opening in America he wanted right now. Oregon and Utah are one step closer to a showdown in the PAC 12 Championship game. Oregon blasted Arizona 34-6 and Utah destroyed UCLA 49-3. Keep your eyes on Oregon State. The Beavers are quietly, game by game, potentially turning 2019 into a winning season. They are currently 5-5 after squeaking by Arizona State 35-34 Saturday with games against Washington State and Oregon to go. Be careful Ducks.....the Beavers would like nothing better than to spoil your Conference and National Title hopes. The regular season is winding down with only three more weekends of football, November 23, and Rivalry Weekend on November 30, before Championship Weekend on December 7. All of the conference races are still up for grabs and a lot of important National games are yet to be played. All eyes this week will be focused on the Nittany Lions as Penn State travels to the Horseshoe to face undefeated Ohio State.  

LSU Survives Furious Bama Comeback To Top Tide 46-41

With three weeks remaining in the 2019 regular season there is still a lot of football left to be played, but LSU took a huge step forward toward punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff. The Bayou Bengals dominated their arch rival Alabama for three quarters, then withstood a furious comeback bid to survive 46-41 in Tuscaloosa Saturday afternoon. The loss, however, did not remove the Crimson Tide from the playoff race. Around the Nation: Minnesota stunned favored Penn State 31-26. It was the biggest win for the Gophers since their Hey Days of the 1930's and 40's when Minnesota regularly competed for National Championships. The Gophers have a tough road ahead to reach the Big 10 Championship. They must travel to Iowa, Northwestern and host Wisconsin in the regular season finale. Coming back to earth and going on the road to face the Hawkeyes will not be an easy task. Lady luck smiled on the Big 12 as undefeated Baylor survived 3 overtimes and squeaked by TCU 29-23 and Oklahoma stopped a two point conversion try with 27 seconds left to beat Iowa State 42-41. The Bears and the Sooners are headed for a nationally televised prime time showdown Saturday in Waco. And Appalachian State notched a second win over a Power Five team with a 20-15 win over South Carolina. The Mountaineers topped the Tar Heels of North Carolina earlier this season.

Oregon, Utah Make Playoff Statements as Nation Awaits Upcoming Tussle in Tuscaloosa

The PAC 12 inched closer to the CFP Saturday as Oregon and Utah beat two of the conference's other elite teams which went a long way towards clearing up the muddled conference race. Oregon manhandled USC in the Coliseum 56-24 and Utah pulled out a win over Washington in Seattle 33-28. Both the Ducks and the Utes sport 8-1 records and appear (baring any upsets) to be headed for a match in the PAC 12 Title Game. Reaching one of the coveted 4 playoff spots may, however, lie in the results of what happens in this weekends clash of SEC Titans Alabama and LSU. Both the Tide and the Tigers are undefeated and if the game ends in a close contest, even the loser will have a strong argument to finish in the Top 4 of the CFP Rankings. The first set of rankings, by the way, will be released this coming Tuesday, November 5. Around the nation: Wake Forest, now 7-1 on the season continued their roll towards a November 16 showdown at Clemson by demolishing N.C. State 44-10. Memphis denied SMU a perfect season and moved into contention for a major bowl game by outscoring the Ponies 54-48. Appalachian State was upset at home by Georgia Southern 24-21 and with no undefeated teams left in the Group of Five, the race is now wide open for the coveted New Year's Day Bowl Prize. Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU, Navy, UCF, Boise State, San Diego State, Louisiana Tech and Appalachian State are all very much still alive in contention. Nebraska's rebuilding process is going to take longer than Husker fans may be willing to accept. High expectations have turned to disappointment as the 4-5 Cornhuskers have lost 3 games this season in the 4th quarter, Colorado, Indiana, and now Purdue. Nebraska could just as easily be 7-2 with losses only at the hands of two undefeated teams, Ohio State and Minnesota. Be patient Husker Nation. Better days are ahead. The Baylor Bears, now 8-0 after escaping a 17-14 upset bid by West Virginia, have their eyes set on a showdown with Oklahoma in Waco slated for November 16. Be careful Bears. You still have to travel to Fort Worth and face those feisty Froggies first. Notre Dame needed a last second TD to survive a 21-20 upset bid at the hands of Virginia Tech. Early season Pac 12 cellar dwellers UCLA and Oregon State have found new life in the second half of the season. UCLA is now 4-5 after beating Colorado 34-17 and Oregon State is 4-4 after shocking Arizona 56-38 in Tucson. And finally, Georgia held off a late Florida rally to top the Gators 24-17. The win propels the Bulldogs one step closer to the SEC East Crown.

Kansas State Upset of Oklahoma Slightly Opens Door For PAC 12 in CFP

The not so mighty Oklahoma Sooners, a whopping 23 point favorite, strolled into the Little Apple of Manhattan, Kansas and were humbled by a very prepared Kansas State team. The Wildcats performed a near flawless offensive game and upset the highly ranked Sooners 48-41. The Oklahoma loss all but spoiled any chances the Sooners have for the playoff, although there is a lot of football left, and strange things happen late in the season. It's never over till it's over. The outside beneficiary of the stunning upset in the Big 12 may be the PAC 12 who sports two teams who may be playoff worthy, Oregon, (whose only loss is to Auburn) and Utah. Both the Ducks and the Utes own a 7-1 record. The more likely scenario for the 4 team playoff would be an undefeated Big 10 champion, An undefeated ACC Champion, an undefeated SEC Champion, and a one loss SEC runner-up. The loser of the upcoming Alabama/LSU clash on November 9 in Tuscaloosa will still be in great shape, as well as the winner of the upcoming  Florida/Georgia game (should the winner go on to win the SEC). Around the nation this week: Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State and Minnesota all remained unbeaten crushing their opposition Saturday. SMU got quite a scare, but survived a furious upset bid by Houston. The Ponies moved to 8-0 with a 34-31 win over the Cougars. Oklahoma wasn't the only Big 12 team suffering the pains of an upset. 3 of the conferences top 4 teams went down in defeat. In addition to the Sooners loss, Texas fell at TCU and Iowa State was upset by Oklahoma State. Idle Baylor remained the Big 12's only undefeated team. Tennessee, whom I chastised early in the season for reaching the lowest point in program history is showing signs of life. The Volunteers hosted and thrashed South Carolina 41-21. Tennessee is now 3-5 on the season. And finally, the Les Miles led Kansas Jayhawks, who took Texas to the wire in Austin last week, hosted Texas Tech and came away with a stunning 37-34 upset win. Kansas is noticeably improved under Miles. Earlier in the season Kansas beat Boston College on the road and took West Virginia to the wire.