Murfreesboro, TN – “The best-laid plans of Mice and Men” did not pan out for us the weekend to see New Mexico State defeat MTSU in our final game in nearby Murfreesboro this season, 36-21. Just as well. We watched games on TV and started making plans for upcoming championship games. NMSU (3-8, 2-5) and MTSU (3-8, 2-5) met basically for no more than pride.
FCS ready to go!
Montana State, seen here after their opening day victory at New Mexico, finished No. 1 in the nation at the Football Championships Subdivision (FCS) level. Now we look to sort these things out at the Football Bowl Subdivision level (FBS).
Between spider bites and exposure to some recent colder weather, the doctor prescribed some medicines better for hanging around the house this weekend and watching games on TV. Everything is fine otherwise, and we’re ready to get back on the road in action again next Friday. Besides, we got to see a lot of significant games on the tube Saturday to see how our plans for post season championship games may shake out. Also, we’ve basically decided to get Western Kentucky tickets next season instead of Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders just don’t generate much excitement in these parts.
Sorry SEC, you’re just another conference
The media can say all they want to about SEC dominance. However, here’s our observation. SEC teams this season have lost more games against Power Fours than they’ve won. They also lost to some Group of Fives, and then the real joke is that they all play an FCS team for a guaranteed blow-out. Even in the next to last game before heading into a rivalry game. Like some kind of glorified practice for a so-called eleventh game of the year. Check out all 2024 FBS schedules and results by clicking right here. To find twelve teams to play in the new championship games format, we see only three SEC teams among 15 in total with only two losses or less. And one is guaranteed another loss in the SEC championship game.
Notre Dame, USC, Miami (F.), Arizona State, California, Oklahoma State, Toledo, and Georgia State all defeated SEC schools this year. The best SEC win in 2024 thus far was Georgia over Clemson in the season opener. No other team that SEC teams have defeated from beyond are no better than a mediocre 6-5 record. Most have losing records. SEC non-conference games still remain to be played against Clemson (hot South Carolina looks to be a wild card with only 3 losses to make it); Georgia Tech visits Georgia; Louisville at Kentucky; and Florida State hosting hot Florida. Most all can imagine what FSU will do no matter what FBS team they would play this weekend. Matter of fact, funny thing, their only FBS win came against aforementioned California who defeated Auburn.
So, these look like championship schedules?
If you look at two of Bama’s SEC losses, these came against two 6-5 teams in Vanderbilt and Oklahoma – 3-4 and 2-5 in SEC play, respectively. Tennesse wins came over FCS UT Chattanooga (7-5), winless Kent State and 2-9 UTEP. Their one P4 foe, NC State (5-6), still has to qualify for a bowl bid this weekend against rival UNC. We can continue to dissect the reasons here, but in the final analysis, the SEC is no different than any other conference. They have strong teams at the top, mediocre teams in the middle and bad ones at the bottom. When they play against conference foes, one team wins and the other loses. Just like every other conference.
Consideration should only encompass looking at comparable, non-conference competition across conferences to consider relative strengths of schedules. There are far too many, but the SEC teams insist on playing four non-conference games. Traditionally, most play only one other Power Four. Recruiting analyses nor previous season histories can be considered, especially with many the players now in transfer portal modes. These should not be used to determine teams to play for national championship games in a current year. In this summary, no dominance is displayed by the SEC as opposed to the other college football conferences. In reality, it’s probably more equal than it’s ever been at most amongst the Power Four. The SEC deserves four teams in the CFP this season, and no more.
Regarding Notre Dame
The Irish get lambasted for their all-non-conference schedules even when they have good ones. At least they are guaranteed five P4’s when it comes to playing contracted ACC schools every year. Generally, they play two to three Big Ten teams, and for the first time only in 2023, they played an FCS school, Tennessee State. USC and Stanford play them annually. Until this year, no SEC teams appeared on their regular season slate since Georgia in 2019 until Texas A &M stepped up. The Fighting Irish won in College Station, and they will play again next year in South Bend. They’ll play at Arkansas two weeks after that. It’s about time. What will be said about their strength of schedule then? After that, the Irish have open dates looking to be filled. Will other SEC teams inquire?
Note that this past week’s game playing Army came about because Tennessee cancelled a date to play Army at home. Also, note that Tennesse hosted 2-9 UTEP instead. Was there a fear that the Vols wouldn’t have enough time to prepare to play against Army’s triple -option? An offense that they rarely see? Oklahoma may have warned them about this as a new fellow SEC member. In 2018, the eventual 12-2 Sooners just got by Army in Norman that season with a 28-21 win. The Cadets might have put Tennessee at risk for their potential championship season in 2024.
The rest of our season
This Friday, our regular season ends with a whimper and not a bang. Our family Thanksgiving feast in Orlando this year has only one contest at any level within striking distance to attend. For our 707th game, we’ll settle in to see two 2024 teams going nowhere in the post season. On Friday, two Big XII teams, Central Florida and Utah, come in with 4-7 records. Many expected better from both. We watched Utah battle Iowa State Saturday night on TV hoping to see a fifth win to give them an incentive for this Friday’s game, but it didn’t happen. The Utes continued on their disappointing, seven-game losing streak. We’ll go for the experience and enjoy a warmer game than we have over the past few weeks. And digest our Thanksgiving dinner.
Things are falling into place for Championship weekends
We kept our options open to see the Amercian Athletic or Conference USA championship available for Friday, December 6. For the AAC, things went as expected this weekend. Notre Dame clobbered Army, 49-14. The loss didn’t impact Army’s stature atop the AAC with their 7-0 record intact. They and Tulane (9-2, 7-0) are both in first. On Thursday, Tulane hosts Memphis (9-2, 5-2). On Saturday, UT-San Antonio (6-5, 4-3) visits West Point. Even if both Army and Tulane lose, they will meet for the AAC championship on December 6. Right now, the Green Wave ranks No. 18. Army fell to No. 25. Whichever ranks higher after next week even with 8-0 records will host this championship game. We hope they play at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium. We haven’t been there yet!
Decisions, decisions
Our second championship option as mentioned above rests with the Conference USA. Jacksonville State sits by itself in first (8-3, 7-0). From there, the championship game they would host at Burgess-Snow Field would be against one of two with 5-2 conference records. Next Saturday, JSU visits Western Kentucky (7-4, 5-2). Liberty (8-2, 5-2) visits Sam Houston State (8-3, 5-2). The Championship Games schedule reports that the winner of Sam Houston and Liberty will go to face Jacksonville even if WKU defeats JSU this Saturday. It’s been determined evidently that the winner between SHSU and Liberty will have the best overall record (nine wins), to qualify to play in the championship. Sam Houston remains an FBS team to be added to our history. In addition, their Head Coach, K.C. Keeler played Linebacker for Delaware in Game #1 starting our overall history in 1979! So, there is a tinge of nostalgia here to be considered. We’ll decide once all the results are in next week.
Oh, and by the way, on that Saturday, somewhere between Lafayette, Louisiana and Savannah, Georgia, the Sun Belt Championship will be played. We always like these two-fer trips. We may have to take these into consideration as well. Maybe even better, No. 7 Mercer (10-2) of the FCS and champion of the Southern Conference will host the winner of Rhode Island (10-2) and Central Connecticut (7-5) in a second-round game. We always enjoy attending FCS playoff games. We haven’t been to one in a while. Fun games!
CFP Football Playoff Announcements: Blowing a lot of Smoke
It makes no sense to us as to why they present these shows weeks in advance of the only announcement that counts – after all games are finalized on December 8. Finally with all their data, bias and back-door negotiations, The Selection Committe has locked up its final bracket. Then, let the articulating games begin then. Up until then, it’s much ado about nothing. Teams play games every week subsequent to these shows. Like Yogi Berra said more than half a century ago, “It ain’t over till it’s over.“
Some teams will lose, and some others will win. The only thing these shows provide is more revenue for the network. Each week, what is discussed is of no value. Until December 8, unless you want to listen to a bunch of adults argue about their wishful thoughts and questionable assumptions, tune in and watch commercials to determine what insurance you need to buy, what cars you want for Christmas or what beer to run out and buy.
Can’t start soon enough after Selection Sunday
On December 8, the real crying and screaming starts! Did anyone think this would end with expansion from four teams to twelve? No way! Look at what happens after 68 teams enter the NCAA basketball tournament. The good thing with b-ball is that the games start several days later, and we get to see what actually happens quickly. The problem with football is that we’ll have to listen to the grumbling for an entire week. Let the games begin! Please!!!
In other Championship Game news
With Penn State’s 26-25 win over Minnesota on Saturday, they remain at No. 4 in the nation. They still have one game remaining this weekend in State College against Maryland (4-7, 1-7). With Oregon and Ohio State currently ahead of the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten standings, it looks likely one of them will get the first-round bye in the 12-team CFP format. The four top conference winners will await the four winners of first round games to be held on campuses of the next four highest seeds. If Michigan, however, surprises Ohio State at The Horseshoe this weekend, PSU could play Oregon for the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis. If this doesn’t happen, it appears Penn State gets an opening round home game the weekend of December 20-21 at Beaver Stadium (we hope it’s not the Friday night slot!). We hope to be there. And on January 9, we’re headed to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Lakes for the CFP semi-finals. We’re getting into the championship spirit already! Keep coming back to enjoy our ride!
Edited by Steve Koreivo – Member of Football Writers Association of America and Author of Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good, the Fun and the Ugly. Please click on to the title to purchase this book about our wonderful, fun, unique story and about the changes that are currently taking place impacting our great game of college football. Read it and submit a review for us. Thanks!
