Where Does College Football Go After Ridiculous Upset Weekend

Last weekend provided some of the most shocking and entertaining college football matchups that I’ve ever seen. 5 of the top 8 teams went down while many of the other games featured exciting comebacks and finishes. Perhaps the most entertaining match was ASU vs. USC, in which a backup quarterback Mike Bercovici threw for 500 yards and 5 touchdowns, including a Hail Mary to win the game right at the death. But now that all the dust has settled and the state of Mississippi faces the reality that there’s still a long way to go before they can declare their conquering of Alabama complete, we have to look ahead to how the NCAA will shape up with the 4-game playoffs as the eventual goal.

Fortunately for all these 1-loss top teams, the fact that so many were beaten means that we’ll be very likely to see some 1-loss programs in the playoffs. One would have to think that if Oregon or Oklahoma overcomes their disappointment to finish strong that they could still win the championship.

But the issue now becomes that these teams have opened the door for some newcomers, which is a true delight for myself and most football fans who’ve grown tired of the same major SEC contenders winning every year. The top 5 now features Ole Miss and Mississippi State, largely due to their big wins this weekend and perfect starts. Other surprise unbeaten national contenders at this point include Arizona, TCU, Baylor, and Notre Dame. However, at just 5 games in, we’ve got a very long way to go before any of these schools can legitimately make a claim for a spot in the college football playoffs.

What is a bit interesting about this weekend is that the BCS National Championship game participants from last year remain atop the polls and unbeaten. Both Florida State and Auburn have continued their winning ways, and might actually figure to play against one another in the title game again. Florida State has by far the easier schedule, though a date with Notre Dame in a few weeks could quash those dreams rather quickly.

In the SEC, it will be all about survival. Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and LSU will all be playing each other week in and week out. While we can certainly expect at least one of these teams to rise up to the top and claim a playoff spot, it truly is anyone’s guess as to who will do it.

Meanwhile other divisions like the Pac-12, Big Ten and Big 12 will be full of schools desperately wanting to prove themselves with strong seasons that could result in an entry to the playoffs, though with weaker schedules, these schools certainly have less margin for error.

But what makes the game so exciting, and especially the results of last weekend, is the tough marathon grind that is required for our eventual national champions. Fortunately, the creation of the college playoff system has enabled teams to have a little wiggle room in their bids to claim a spot in the ultimate competition, though it’s quite clear that most of the national contenders used their lone get-out-of-jail free cards this past weekend. Who knows what twists and turns this NCAA football season will take next…