Oklahoma Wins Battle of Big Reds

In the 1970's the game between Oklahoma and Nebraska was the nation's premier rivalry. I remember the 1971 "Game of the Century" like it was yesterday, #1 Nebraska at #2 Oklahoma in Norman, both teams undefeated, National Championship on the line. Oh how things have changed for the Huskers. Nebraska just hasn't found their groove since they bolted the Big 12 for the Big 10. Fresh off of firing Scott Frost Nebraska hosted an Oklahoma team that finally clicked on all cylinders en route to a 49-14 thrashing of the Cornhuskers.   Around the Nation: Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and Ohio State continued to establish themselves as the nation's elite by rolling over their competition, but a few more competitors are beginning to emerge. USC, Washington, and Penn State scored big wins over stiff competition Saturday. In the ACC Wake Forest nipped Liberty 37-36 while North Carolina State was bouncing Texas Tech 27-14. Florida State moved to 3-0 by topping Louisville 35-31. In the Big 10 Minnesota and Maryland remained undefeated by beating Colorado and SMU respectively. In the Big 12 Tulane shocked Kansas State 17-10, just when I thought the Wildcats might be ready to make a run for the Big 12 Championship. We will have the answer to that Saturday as Kansas State travels to Norman to take on the red hot Sooners. Kansas pulled off an upset shocker for the second week in a row. Last week it was West Virginia, this week it was Houston. The Jayhawks stand at 3-0 after beating the Cougars 48-30. Oregon State, Washington State, Washington and USC all remained undefeated out on the West Coast and Oregon looked good by beating BYU 41-20. Arkansas rallied late to beat Missouri State 38-27, while Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Tennessee blasted their lesser opponents. I'm looking forward to next weekend's Tennessee/ Florida match in Knoxville. I think we will be able to see whether the Tennessee program has really turned a corner or not. Week 5 projections will post Wednesday this week.  

Full Moon Chaos

College Football was turned upside down this weekend. Notre Dame lost at home to Marshall, Texas A&M lost at home to Appalachian State, Nebraska lost at home to Georgia Southern, and Alabama, a 21 point favorite over Texas barely escaped the trip to Austin. The whole weekend had an eerie feel. It must have been the full moon right? We have to blame it on something! Around the Nation: In the ACC Tennessee squeaked out a win at Pittsburgh 34-27, while North Carolina was escaping a second week in row with a close 35-28 win over Georgia State.  In the AAC, league leader Houston fell at Texas Tech 33-30. In the Big 10 all the big boys, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State continued to roll, all over lesser competition. Iowa and Wisconsin were not so lucky. The Hawkeyes fell 10-7 to in state rival Iowa State and the Badgers were surprised by visiting Washington State 17-14. In the Big 12, Oklahoma was embarrassed in the first half trailing Kent State 3-0 till right before halftime, but the Sooners got untracked in the second half and finally prevailed 33-3. Baylor travelled to Provo for a meeting with BYU and lost in overtime 26-20. Could this be Brigham Young's year for a run at the playoffs? They certainly have the schedule for it. In the Pac 12 USC is certainly grabbing some headlines with their prolific offense, blowing away Stanford 41-28, and don't look now but watch out for the Beavers, Oregon State went on the road and topped Fresno State 35-32. Down in the SEC Arkansas looks mighty good. The Razorbacks moved to 2-0 with a sharp 44-30 win over South Carolina. The Hogs moved up to #3 in this week's Billingsley Report, the highest since the Frank Broyles era in the 1970's. Mark Stoops became Kentucky's winningest coach with a win in the swamp over Florida 26-16. That was the most physical game I've ever seen the Wildcats play. Stay tuned for week 4 projections, scheduled to be posted Tuesday.    

Ohio State Tops Notre Dame 21-10

The first half belonged to Notre Dame but the Buckeyes dominated the second half and came away with a convincing 21-10 win in the Horseshoe. Although the Billingsley Report will not be posted till Tuesday, after Monday night's Clemson/Georgia Tech game, Ohio State will most certainly leap near the top of the rankings. Around the nation: Things started out with a bang Thursday night as the country was treated to the renewal of the Backyard Brawl and a Brawl it certainly turned out to be as Pittsburgh stormed back late in the 4th quarter to win 38-31. Saturday North Carolina nipped Appalachian State 63-61 in one of the more entertaining games I have seen in recent years while in a stark contrast Iowa held off South Dakota State 7-3 by scoring a field goal and two safeties. Houston held off Texas-San Antonio 37-35 in a game that saw the Roadrunners go the length of the field in 23 seconds and tie the game to send it into overtime. Penn State rallied late and scored with seconds left to beat Purdue 35-31. The Big 12 came thru the weekend smelling like a rose with a 9-1 record. Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will likely all remain in the Top 10. The Lincoln Riley era at USC started out with a roar as the Trojans obliterated hapless Rice 66-14. Georgia embarrassed visiting Oregon 49-3, but I suspect the Bulldogs will be embarrassing  a lot of teams this fall. Alabama looked flawless against Utah State 55-0 and Arkansas served notice to fellow SEC members that last year's winning record was no fluke. The Razorbacks took down Cincinnati 31-24. LSU/Florida State is on tap tonight with Clemson/ Georgia Tech wrapping up the long Labor Day football festivities Monday Night. Week 3 Projections should be posted by Wednesday. 

Northwestern Surprises Nebraska 31-28 In Dublin, Ireland

The Emerald Isle turned out to be quite lucky for Northwestern as the Wildcats dominated the 4th quarter and squeaked out a 31-28 win over the favored Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Huskers had the momentum and the lead until a failed onsides kick attempt went awry. Northwestern seized the opportunity and never looked back. The hot seat underneath Scott Frost just went from hot to boiling. Around the Nation: North Carolina and Florida State got their season untracked in proper fashion by crushing Florida A&M 56-14 and Duquesne 47-7 respectively while over in the Big 10 Illinois breezed by Wyoming 38-6. Vanderbilt traveled to the big island and obliterated Hawaii 63-10. The 2022 season kicks off in full force Thursday Stay tuned.   

2022 Season Set To Open August 27

Although the first week of the season starts with a very abbreviated schedule, the opening weekend on August 27 is upon us. Highlighted by Nebraska and Northwestern squaring off in Dublin Ireland, the opening weekend shows a scant schedule of less than 15 games with only 7 between FBS versus FBS opponents. Labor Day weekend, week two on the schedule is the traditional opening weekend and offers a King's feast of highly anticipated games. Thursday September 1 kicks off the party with the renewal of an old rivalry between West Virginia hosting Pittsburgh. The series between these two rivals dates to 1895 with the Panthers holding a 61-40-3 lead. They have not met since the 2011 season. The fireworks kick off full force on Saturday September 3 as Cincinnati looks to extend their national prominence by travelling to SEC country to face Arkansas. I can hear the HOG CALL already reverberating through the Ozarks. Oregon and Georgia face off in Atlanta while Utah, the pre-season PAC 12 favorite, visits the Swamp to tackle Florida. In the prime time night game the most highly anticipated match finds Notre Dame travelling to the Horseshoe to battle Ohio State. These two college football king pins have only met 6 times, with the last two being in Bowl Games. The Fighting Irish won the first two way back in 1935 and 1936, with the Buckeyes taking the last 4. With both teams being highly ranked, Notre Dame #9 and Ohio State #8, the winner is likely to jump at or near the top of week 2's Billingsley Report due out the Tuesday after Labor Day. The Sunday night game finds Florida State at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge to face new LSU head coach Brian Kelly. The Monday night Labor Day game features Clemson at Georgia Tech. Needless to say the 2022 season should be an interesting one, full of upsets and surprises. Will someone be able to knock the SEC off their perennial perch? Perhaps Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Utah, or maybe even a rebuilt Oklahoma or upstart Texas? Hmmm…. maybe the hyped up USC? Time will tell. Let the games begin!     

Baylor and Georgia Register All Time Best Teams in 2021

Calculations released in the newly updated Billingsley Encyclopedia reflect two major notable entries. Both Baylor and Georgia registered their best all time teams in 2021. The 2021 14-1-0 National Champion Bulldogs scored 349.912 points in the final Billingsley Report, significantly better than their  11-1-0 1982 season of 333.804. The undefeated 12-0-0 National Champion team of 1980 falls to #3 on Georgia's list of best teams. Baylor also posted their best team in history with a rating of 304.020, better than both the 2014 and 2013 teams which virtually tied with 291 points.  The 1982 Georgia team is arguably their best ever but the Bulldogs fell just short of winning the Sugar Bowl and the National Title, falling to Penn State 27-23 in the Sugar Bowl. The 2021 Baylor Bears registered their best team by virtue of winning the Big 12 Championship over Oklahoma State 21-16 followed by a stunning 21-7 defeat of Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. 

After 41 Years, The Dawgs Finally Have Their Day

You could see the joy all over Vince Dooley's face. Kirby Smart and his beloved Bulldogs had just brought the National Championship home again. The last time was 1980 when Dooley's Dawgs whipped Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl 17-10. This time may have even tasted sweeter as Georgia beat old nemesis Alabama 33-18. Fans were treated to a 1960's style defensive slugfest for almost the entire game until Georgia exploded for two touchdowns, one a defensive pick six which sealed the championship.  The Billingsley Encyclopedia will be updated over the course of the next few weeks. Stay tuned to see which teams set CFRC Rating Records for 2021!

Alabama and Georgia Set To Tangle For Title

In a repeat of the SEC Championship, the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs will play for the 2021 College Football National Championship. Both teams won their Bowl Games in convincing fashion. Alabama crushed Cincinnati 27-6 and Georgia manhandled Michigan 34-11. The game is set for Monday January 10, 2022 with a 7pm CT telecast. Their were 35 Bowl Games played this year after 5 cancellations due to covid protocols. Billingsley Projections were 24-11 which was a tie for first in the nation in a report released today by the PREDICTION TRACKER. More to follow on a wrap up of the Bowl Season. 

Navy Surprises Army 17-13

The Navy defense rose to the occasion Saturday afternoon, holding Army on 4th down and 4 with 1:27 left in the game to seal the upset win for the Midshipmen. It was Navy's 2nd win in the last 3 meetings. The Commander-in Chief's Trophy will be shared 3 ways by virtue of Army's win over Air Force and Air Force's win over Navy. Army will maintain physical possession of the trophy.  The Bowl participants have all been announced and will commence play this coming Friday, December 17. Billingsley's Projections will be posted early in the week. Happy Holidays and may all your favorite teams win!

Championship Weekend Turns Topsy Turvy As Alabama Downs Dawgs 41-24

Upsets dotted the landscape Saturday as Championship Games unfolded over the course of the day. Baylor started things rolling by holding off a furious comeback bid by Oklahoma State including an amazing goal line defensive stand to end the game. The Bears won the Big 12 Conference  Title with a 21-16 win over the Pokes. In the afternoon SEC Title game Georgia's vaunted defense was no match for Bryce Young and Alabama as the Tide rolled off 41 points on the nation's top defense. Young's performance probably sealed a Heisman Trophy and completely altered the landscape of the CFP as the SEC will now most certainly send two teams to the playoff. Cincinnati, 35-20 winners over Houston, and the Nation's only undefeated team, leaped to #1 in the latest Billingsley Report and will most likely make history by becoming the first Group of Five team to make the playoff. The Bearcats are expected to nab the #4 position behind Alabama, Michigan and Georgia. The official results, along with the 2021 Bowl Pairings will be released on ESPN today beginning at 11AM CT.Around the Nation: Pittsburgh secured their first ACC Championship with a 45-21 win over Wake Forest. Michigan finally grabbed the elusive Big 10 Title that Wolverine fans have longed for with a 42-3 whipping of Iowa. Looks like sticking with Harbaugh through tough times was the right move. Texas-San Antonio finished 12-1 after jumping out to a huge lead then holding off Western Kentucky 49-41 in the C-USA Championship. Northern Illinois surprised slightly favored Kent State in Detroit 41-23 for the MAC Title. In one of the days biggest shockers Utah State won their first MWC Crown with a 46-13 dismantling of heavily favored San Diego State. Utah beat Oregon 38-10 making it two in a row for the Utes over the reeling Ducks. It is the first PAC 12 Title for Utah. And down in the mighty Sun Belt La. Lafayette finished the regular season 12-1 and took the Sun Belt Title over Appalachian State 24-16. The projections for the 2021 Bowl Games will be posted later this week.  

Michigan Blasts Buckeyes 42-27, Enter Playoff Picture

The highly inspired Wolverines finally got over the hump, putting together a stellar game plan that beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011 and the first win in the Jim Harbaugh era. The Buckeye loss eliminated Ohio State from the CFP and will likely elevate Michigan into the Top 4. The next edition of the CFP Rankings will be released Tuesday.  Around the Nation: The 10 conference championship games are now set, with Georgia/Alabama in Atlanta taking top billing. Oklahoma State, 37-33 Bedlam winners over Oklahoma will meet Baylor in a rematch in Arlington, while Pittsburgh will face Wake Forest for the ACC Title and Oregon will face Utah for the PAC 12 crown. In a bit of a surprise Michigan will face Iowa for the Big 10 Title. The Hawkeyes beat Nebraska 28-21 Friday and then saw Minnesota upset Wisconsin 23-13 Saturday giving Iowa the West Division Title. In the American, undefeated Cincinnati, 12-0, will face their greatest challenge of the season since Notre Dame against a very good 11-1 Houston team.  In Conference USA Texas-San Antonio will try to rebound after a stunning 45-23 loss at North Texas when they host Western Kentucky. The MAC will feature Kent State and Northern Illinois while in the MWC San Diego State will host Utah State. In the Sun Belt Appalachian State will travel to La. Lafayette.  Rivalry weekend saw very few surprises. Clemson clobbered South Carolina 30-0, North Carolina State nipped North Carolina 34-30, Purdue pounded Indiana 44-7, Oregon outlasted Oregon State 38-29, Ole Miss beat Mississippi State 31-21, Florida squeaked by Florida State 24-21 and in perhaps the best game of the day Auburn came oh so close but fell to Alabama 24-22 in 4 overtimes.  

Ohio State Makes Playoff Statement With 56-7 Destruction of Michigan State

For weeks the Buckeyes have been playing like National Title contenders and this week they removed all doubts with a completely dominating win over the Spartans 56-7. Only arch rival Michigan stands in the way of a spot in the Big 10 Championship game and we won't have long to wait. The 10-1 Wolverines, 59-18 winners over Maryland Saturday, host the high flying Buckeyes this upcoming Saturday morning at Noon ET.  Around the Nation: Clemson's 48-27 win over Wake Forest significantly tightened the ACC race. The Tigers are battling North Carolina State for the Atlantic Division crown while Pittsburgh is on top of the Coastal Division. Rivalry weekend, my favorite weekend of the year, is upcoming which means Clemson will face South Carolina Saturday. The Gamecocks were 21-17 surprise winners over Auburn this week. Billingsley's All Time Scores are online again so check out all the great series records under the Historical Data link on the CFRC Home page. Cincinnati quieted a few doubters themselves by destroying SMU 48-14. The Bearcats travel to East Carolina for a tricky game before facing a very good Houston team in the AAC Championship. A lethargic Oklahoma offense got a much needed boost from the Sooner defense in a 28-21 win at home over Iowa State. Bedlam is on the horizon and Oklahoma State did their part to make it a huge game in Stillwater between two 10-1 teams. The Cowboys traveled to Lubbock and shut out Texas Tech 23-0. The Longhorn program is reeling with a 6th straight loss after falling to West Virginia 31-23. Texas returns home to face Kansas State in the season finale. UTSA moved to 11-0 on the season with an amazing 34-31 come from behind win at home over UAB. Notre Dame, the seemingly forgotten playoff contender, moved to 10-1 by blasting Georgia Tech 55-0. Oregon saw their playoff hopes dwindle with a 38-7 shellacking at the hands of Utah. Now the Ducks must recover and fight the civil war with arch rival Oregon State, 24-10 winner over Arizona State late Saturday night. UCLA scored the most points ever in their series with cross town rival USC. The Bruins put up a whopping 62 points against the Trojan's 33.  Louisiana-Lafayette completely dominated a very good Liberty team 42-14, moving to 10-1 on the season. The majority of the SEC took a break from conference play this weekend and blasted much lesser competition, but Alabama and Arkansas put on quite a show in Tuscaloosa with the Razorbacks throwing a scare into the Crimson Tide before falling 42-35. Missouri surprised Florida with a two point conversion to nip the Gators 24-23. Watch for Billingsley's Projections to be posted late Tuesday, and don't forget to check out the Billingsley Historical Data Section from the Home Page for a totally new and improved look at Billingsley's Encyclopedia!