This week is the first with all 10 conferences in action
THE final piece in College Football’s play off picture will emerge this weekend but it’s unlikely to prove to be the missing part needed.
Anyone who’s ever pieced together a jigsaw knows the final picture will fall into place before all the pieces are connected together.
Some missing parts are only needed to fill in the gaps while others are important, if not essential, detail.
For the sake of completeness the Pac-12, which starts its season today, is necessary and its return means all of the Power Five conferences will be in action – something that seemed unlikely when the season kicked off in September.
It also means college football, that had been contained by coronavirus, once again stretches from coast to coast as with the absence of the Pacific conference no games had been played further west than Utah this season.
But when it comes to assessing the country’s four best teams for the play-offs it may be the Pac-12’s late start means it is of little more relevance than the Mid American Conference, the MAC, which only started its season this past Wednesday having been one of three leagues unwilling to kickoff in September.
The MAC is one of the Group of Five conferences, the less glamorous and less respected, other half of the NCAA’s Division 1, known as the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision). Group of Five teams aren’t meant to cause headaches for the play off selection committee.
But as one of the stronger Power Five conferences Pac-12 teams should be in contention for the four semi-final spots that determine which two teams contest the College Football Play Off Final.
Every week has brought postponements or cancellations due to coronavirus and both the Pac-12 and Big Ten, which began its season a fortnight ago, have ruled to keep their seasons on track any missed games will be forfeited – essentially ruling those teams out of play off contention.
While five cannot fit into four the Pac-12 has missed out too often. Oregon were, well beaten, finalists in 2015’s first Play Off Final at the conclusion of the 2014 season and the conference hasn’t had a play off place since Washington lost in the 2016 season’s semi-finals.
If the conference, which also contains the USC Trojans a traditionally glamorous and successful side that has struggled in recent years, was already losing ground among college football’s aristocracy its teams have even more to make up with the start of the season delayed due to coronavirus.
So far the only Pac-12 team ranked in the AP poll are the Oregon Ducks, at number 12, and they will need an impressive short season to make a big enough impression to move into the play-off bracket. With teams restricted to conference only schedules the Ducks also won’t be able to assert that west is better than the teams from the South and Midwest.
Oregon, who are known for having some of the most eye catching uniforms due to the university’s close relationship with Nike, host California-based rivals Stanford in a behind closed doors game on Saturday afternoon which is (Eastern time) America’s prime time Saturday night fixture.
But the series, which dates back to 1900, will be overshadowed by number one ranked Clemson’s visit to number four Notre Dame in a game which UK fans can see on the Sky NFL channel (midnight Saturday).
Clemson had a closer than expected, 34-28, victory over Boston College last week and are still without starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The projected first overall draft pick is due to join his teammates on the sideline, after missing last week due to a positive Covid test, but hasn’t yet completed heart check-ups mandated by the ACC conference for players who have tested positive.
Despite missing Lawrence the Tigers remained on track with true freshman, DJ Uiagalelei, making the most of his unexpected opportunity in his first year at university. He know faces his, and his team’s biggest challenge of the season, in only his second game.
Though the 2019 champions, and last season’s beaten finalists, are considered to have one of the weakest Power Five schedules the level of competition this year has been beefed up by the addition of traditional power Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish opted to join the ACC for this season when it appeared the Independent school may not be able to schedule sufficient fixtures.
As a result the Tigers, ACC champions every year since 2015, will face what is expected to be their toughest conference game away from the warmth of South Carolina and in the inhospitable environment of South Bend, Indiana on the first Saturday in November. It will also be only the sixth time that two top five teams have met in an ACC fixture.
Number two Alabama, who have climbed to number one in the Britain and Ireland poll, have a bye this week, but could see their biggest rivals suffer a significant blow should Notre Dame, who haven’t beaten a number one ranked side since 1993, pull of a small shock against the Tigers.
Other interesting fixtures this Saturday include Cincinnati, who took a major step towards the American Athletic Conference title with a 49-10 victory over Memphis last weekend, hosting Houston.
The Bearcats are ranked number six and and are best placed of the Group of Five schools to make a claim for a play off place and will feel their credentials are only enhanced by having played a full schedule unlike teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12.
When it looked as if those two conferences may sit out the season it was thought 2020 would be the year a Group of Five side could break into the play offs.
Possibly the most unexpected success story in college football this season is six and 0 Liberty who are ranked number 25 (and at number 10 in the UK and Ireland poll).
The Independent only joined the FBS in 2018 and the Flames, from Lynchburg, Virginia find themselves taking on Virginia Tech in the Saturday lunchtime slot as a ranked team for the first time.
The return of the MAC will have no bearing on the play offs but does mean midweek games will return with BT Sport ESPN showing Miami of Ohio at Buffalo from 1am on Wednesday, November 11 in a league which is dominated by the American broadcaster’s need for games outside of the traditional Saturday slot and sold with its heavily used ‘Mac-tion’ pun.
This weekend’s UK televised games
Saturday, November 7
BT Sport 3
5pm West Virginia @ Texas
8.30pm Houston @ Cincinnati
Midnight Stanford @ Oregon
BT Sport ESPN
2pm College Game Day
5pm Liberty @ Virginia Tech
8.30pm Georgia @ Florida
Midnight: Texas A&M @ South Carolina
Main image: @NDFootball
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