College Football News & Notes – Week 9

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This article is brought to you by fellow poster BHamBlue.

I will try to add a few interesting notes after all games have been played each week. Here are a few tidbits you may have missed for Week 8.

CFP Notes:

1. In the four years of initial rankings, 10 teams were undefeated and ranked in the Top 4. Only 3 of those finished the regular season undefeated and none won the Championship.
2. In each year, one of the initial Top 4 finished (final ranking going into the CFP) ranked 14th or lower.
3. In 2014 & 2015, six teams outside the initial Top 4 made the playoff, including #16 Ohio State & #15 Washington.
4. In 2016 & 2017, just three teams outside the initial Top 4 made the playoff, none ranked lower than 6th.
5. In all four years of initial rankings, the #3 ranked team failed to make the playoff.
6. Six teams have made the CFP with an October loss, five teams made it with a November loss.
7. Only in 2017 were two teams chosen from the same conference, the door likely opened when Wisconsin lost in the B1G Championship. All other teams not named UCF had two losses or more.
8. Lastly, I want to repeat a scenario I posed last week as it is still in play, however not likely.
– LSU beats Alabama & Kentucky pulls off the upset of Georgia at home this week.
– Kentucky pulls off the non-basketball impossible and beats LSU in the SEC Championship.
– What does the CFP Committee do with the SEC in this scenario? Would they choose Kentucky as the SEC Champ even though they didn’t play Alabama? Would they leave an 11-1 Alabama out? Would both get in? How would that affect a one loss Big Ten or Big 12 Champ if Clemson and Notre Dame win out?

Game Notes:

9. In a game that could have been played in the 1920’s, Georgia Tech pounded Virginia Tech Thursday night 49-28. GT QB Tobias Oliver’s stat line looked like a RB who attempted a halfback pass. He rushed for 215 yards on 40 carries. He was 0-1 for 0 yards passing. That’s right, GT threw one pass the entire game and won by 3 touchdowns. Before you ask, this was not a mud bath, the weather was fine. This was Oliver’s first start, though he had played in six previous games.
10. Colorado took a 31-3 lead over Oregon State on the first play of the 2nd half. It was all downhill from there. The Beavers rallied and tied the score with a touchdown with :29 left in the game, but missed the XP attempt to take the lead, sending the game to OT. OSU scored a TD on their first possession. The game ended on three straight incomplete passes by QB Steven Montez from the OSU 7 yard line. The win broke an Oregon State 22 game road losing streak. Their last road win? Colorado in October 2014.
11. USC fell to Arizona State 38-35 Saturday with 3rd string QB Jack Sears at the helm. The loss broke the Trojans 19 game home winning streak.

Notes from Alabama:

12. Alabama’s offensive efficiency has been out of this world this season…
– QB Tua Tagovailoa has not taken a snap in the 4th quarter this year.
– Tua has 25 TD passes and 0 interceptions and averages a TD pass every 4.28 completions. He is averaging 13.59 yards per attempt. Only Oklahoma’s $5 million QB is close at 12.7 yards per attempt and a TD pass every 4.79 completions. OSU’s Dwayne Haskins is at 8.89 ypa and a TD 7.47 per comp.
– WR Jerry Jeudy has 31 catches for 777 yards and 10 TDs or 1 TD for every 3.1 receptions and a ridiculous 25.1 yards per catch.
– WR Henry Ruggs III has 24 catches for 444 and 7 TD’s or 1 TD for every 3.43 receptions.
– 3rd string RB Najee Harris leads the Tide in both carries and yards averaging 6.3 yards per rush. Starter Damien Harris averages 6.4, but is usually sitting on the bench by the middle of the 3rd quarter.
– They have surpassed 500 yards in every game this year, averaging 564.
– @ LSU Saturday night will be a much stiffer test.
13. Two of Alabama’s top 10 7A HS football teams met Friday night. Hewitt-Trussville led by QB Paul Tyson and Thompson QB Taulia Tagovailoa. Tyson is 247sports #8 Pro-style QB and the great grandson of Bear Bryant. Taulia is the younger brother of Bama starter Tua. Hewitt jumped out to a 28-0 lead early. Thompson scored 21 points in the 2nd quarter to close to 35-21 at the Half. Thompson turned to the run in the 2nd half throwing only 6 times, but pulling away for a 63-49 win. Taulia passed for 264 yards and 2 TDs and ran for 152 yards and 2 more TDs. Tyson threw for 275 yards and 3 TDs.
14. Weirdly, LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron was at the game with 7 Auburn or Alabama commits (0 LSU) and was seen talking to Tua on the sidelines. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but if I’m Nick Saban (or any HC) I don’t know that I want a rival HC tracking down my QB for a chat the week before a huge game.

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