With this final week of the regular season to be played and a Saturday of conference championships to follow, the latest CFP (College Football Playoff) awaits more changes. However, we feel like a deserving non-Power Five team is now getting fair consideration, but no letdown can arise. Championship games the following week will shake things out further among the current top seeds.
If things work out favorably in our estimation, we believe the results will enable college football fans to see one of the best CFP brackets imaginable for 2021. Hopefully, final results will render consideration for changes in the future for the benefit of all of college football as we described last week. College Football week 13 will provide significant impact as to what teams will be playing on December 31.
Here come the Cincinnati Bearcats to the CFP!
10-year contract for James Franklin? No so fast!
This has been announced on line, but wait for an explosive negative reaction regarding this coming out of Happy Valley. Announcements report one-sidedly that “Franklin agrees” to $100 million for 10 years. Well, who wouldn’t from his perspective? However, we don’t believe this news is very agreeable for many who bleed Blue and White! We’re talking administrators, alumni, benefactors, and season ticket holders alike.
Regarding openings, LSU and USC bandied James Franklin’s name around. He never denied interest in making either of these moves. In the meantime, his Nittany Lions lost three straight games including one to a weak Illinois team. The Lions’ 2021 CFP aspirations ended. So did interest for potential programs looking for better leadership. His value declined. How does Penn State offer him a ten-year contract for the job he’s done as the program declines instead of improves? Where’s the depth of the program brought on by his perceived recruiting acumen?
During the last eight years in State College, he’s 1-7 against Ohio State and 3-5 versus Michigan. Iowa has beaten PSU the past two years. Despite issues regarding the pandemic in 2020, losses to “lesser” programs like Maryland, Nebraska, and Indiana don’t sit well with the Faithful of Dear Old White and Blue. It seems like James Franklin has made this program as good as he can. Does he deserve another ten years to get it better than it is today? Pessimism pervades. Be ready. A harsh backlash awaits to explode.
Things looked better than “rosey” for James Franklin and Penn State when they were 3-0 after beating Auburn.
Under the radar
Speaking of prospective coaching changes, we see names like Billy Napier, Mario Cristobal, Lincoln Riley, and Franklin under consideration. In some cases, why would these guys move? If we wanted to hire a new coach, there is one clear-cut choice for us. We don’t know of contractual limitations, but our guy would be Lance Leipold of 2-9 Kansas. Laugh if you want, but Leipold is an effective game-plan coach who can recruit. He just needs the time and the name-brand to do it.
Leipold arrived in Lawrence after being hired on April 30, 2021. With little if any spring practice, coaching hires to be made, and a very late recruiting season for his new program, the Jayhawks have surprised only a few times but in very big ways. They held and led 6-0 ranked Oklahoma scoreless in their first half before falling, 35-23. Three weeks later they beat Texas, 57-56, coached by highly desired Steve Sarkisian picked from Alabama after stints with USC and Washington. At frustrated 4-7 Texas, they might be renewing some thoughts. Money is no an object to right the ship there.
Former Buffalo Head Coach Lance Leipold led the Bulls to a 13-23 record his first three years. The next three, they went 24-10 including a 2-1 bowl record.
On track for a great future…somewhere
Our point is that with challenges ahead for Leipold at Kansas who has won only 21 college football games since 2010, with little time invested thus far, signs are imminent he has the Jayhawks improving. If he took over a “name-brand” program, he would accelerate its improvement to the highest level of college football. We even imagine some CFP activity in his future. For those who don’t know, he turned around a despondent Buffalo Bulls program in in the third year of his six years there prior to this move. Before that, he led D-3 Wisconsin-Whitewater to a 109-6 record and six national championships in eight years. He’ll surprise many at Kansas, but give him an established program, he’ll make it better, faster. Watch his progress wherever he coaches in the future.
“Pend” in this Bowl Game already
This one looks like a no-brainer for us to attend this year. Never been to this one dating back to 1976. It’s within a one-day drive from where we live now. The game is played in a city not visited yet, and two ranked teams are primed to play one another right now. This is the definition of a Bowl Game for us!
On December 18, we will venture to Shreveport, Louisiana, look for some great Cajun food, and attend the Radiance Technologies IndePENDence Bowl where the No. 13 BYU Cougars (9-2) will tangle with the undefeated No. 22 UT San Antonio Roadrunners (11-0). This should be fun! The Cougars visit 4-6 USC this weekend, and UTSA visits 5-6 North Texas in their final Conference USA game. Barring any upsets here, we expect both to improve their records, remain ranked, and to prepare for a slugfest in Shreveport!
We ventured out to Provo, Utah to see No. 13 BYU defeat Virginia, 66-49, this year. We hope to see them battle undefeated UTSA in Shreveport, LA next month.
We await the matchup to be announced for the Music City on December 30 in Nashville. Look forward to definitely attending. Teams from the Big Ten and the SEC square off at Nissan Stadium. Tailgate to be enjoyed on Broadway! An evaluation will be determined when teams are announced for the Birmingham and Liberty Bowls both played on December 28. Respectively, the first pits an American Athletic team against an SEC team, and the latter features a Big 12 against another SEC. We’re open to some other opportunities including CFP games, but we’ll wait and see.
Playoffs?
We thought we could squeeze one FCS game in nearby. Our best shot to see UT Martin, Ohio Valley champ (9-2, 5-1), got bumped when SE Missouri State upset them last week. Originally banking on a home game ranked at No. 8 in the second round following a bye and possibly on Friday night, that got defused. Instead, they play at Missouri State this Saturday in the first round (we’ll be in Boston for Wake Forest at BC).
East Tennessee State (10-1, 7-1), champs of the Southern Conference, will host a second round game in Johnson City the following week. However, we are opting for No. 4 Cincinnati hosting No. 24 Houston at Nippert Stadium on December 11 for the AAC championship. If we can’t get a ticket, we will go see ETSU. They’ll play the winner of the first round contest between Davidson (Pioneer League) vs. Kennesaw State (Big South).
Our Best Game results of Week 12
Our optimism for competitive games precedes us. Most winners chosen came up right, but our margins had much to be desired:
Chosen winners won bigger
We predicted Cajuns by a FG over Liberty in our game. They impressed us much more in the 42-14 win…Houston ran past Memphis by more than a TD, 31-13…Buckeyes by 10 over Michigan State? Ha, try 49!… Clemson by a TD over Wake? Three TDs instead…Cincy by 14? Even better. Destroyed SMU by 34 to prove they belong as a CFP participant.
Chosen winners came close, but…
We gave Nevada the benefit of being home to beat Air Force by three. The visiting Falcons prevailed, 41-39… Iowa State, we reasoned based on their superior defense, would beat Oklahoma by seven. Instead, OU won by that margin, 28-21. This week, it’ll be bedlam for the Sooners! Read below.
WEEK 13: Previews of our top college football games
Night visions!
With Cincinnati’s dominant win over SMU last week and a move finally into CFP consideration, this team can focus on being successful toward its goal. They’re on a mission now to close in on their ultimate goal, a national championship by a non-Power Five school. East Carolina (7-4, 5-2) poses a good challenge on the road. However, the Bearcats can smell the rewards, and they won’t let the Pirates stand in their way.
ECU has won close games. They lost at second-place AAC Houston by seven. Their biggest loss was in their opener vs. Appalachian by 14. Cincy knows they still have to win and impress the CFP pollsters. ECU keeps it close at the start Friday night, but the Cats will win by more than two TDs knowing other CFP teams can possibly lose this weekend. Other contenders pause to jump past the Cats if they falter.
Looking behind; looking ahead
Army (7-3) at Liberty (7-4) matches our last host playing the team we’ve seen the past seven years close our regular season. Liberty struggled with a strong Louisiana Ragin Cajun team (10-1) at home to lose, 42-14. Their offensive line struggled against Louisiana, and we believe Army’s tough front can give them fits. Since Army’s emotional win over Air Force, they rolled against two slugs – Bucknell and UMASS. On the other side, Liberty has had little time to prep for the triple option. ArmyNavy looms two weeks away. No looking past Liberty. Army rolls in this one by more than 14 points.
Louisiana gained 130 rushing yards against Liberty last week. Expect Army to rush for about 200 more against the Flames this Saturday.
For all the marbles
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 5 Michigan (Herbstreit vs. Howard?) – OSU has dominated U Of M since Jim Harbaugh arrived no matter what success the Wolverines have achieved over that period. After sleep-walking through five games after the Oregon loss, the Buckeyes seem to have woken up against better competition since. They will be up for Michigan as usual, and they will be eye-balling a fifth straight win in the Big Ten Championship game. Michigan has a loss, tight win at PSU, and two wins over weaklings over the last four games. OSU by ten intends to remain CFP-bound.
Our 630th game this weekend features No. 18 Wake Forest visiting Boston College (6-5, 2-5) to claim the Atlantic Division of the ACC. The Deacons potent offense can be offset by their inconsistent defense. In the case of BC, the defense is the strength. The offense is more suspect. If Wake can take advantage of one of the weaker offenses in the ACC (so was Clemson’s), they have a good chance to win by more than a TD. The difference from last week is the dominance Clemson holds over the Deacs. Wake should not be as intimidated this Saturday by the Eagles. They should be traveling to nearby Charlotte a week later to play Pitt for the ACC championship.
Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry grabbed this 24-yard pass from Sam Hartman against NC State in their win two weeks ago. Wake needs this combo to connect several times on Saturday to beat the BC Eagles in Chestnut Hill.
O-U-t spells “out” of CFP!
Saturday is the end of the line for No. 10 Oklahoma (10-1,7-1) as they visit No. 7 Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1). The OSU Cowboys play tenacious defense that will prevent the Sooners offense from bailing them out late after they fall behind. The pending move by the Sooners to the SEC adds more fuel to the OSU fire in this one. The Cowboys win by more than seven. With OU out of CFP contention, we can now consider attending a CFP semi-final!
by Steve Koreivo, ed. Author of the “Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan whose seen ’em all!” Click on the title to get a copy for your favorite college football fan.
Reminiscing our sight lines for our first USC-UCLA Rivalry experience in 2017.
