Sunday Morning QB: Big 12 Anarchy, Playoff Race taking shape

Operation: Big 12 Anarchy Is Under Way 

I’ve been saying this for weeks, and it’s even more obvious now: there is no great team in the Big 12. There are plenty of good teams, but no one stands out above the rest. Oklahoma’s win at Ohio State is a distant memory now after a narrow win over Baylor and the upset loss to Iowa State. TCU needed a phantom offensive pass interference call to escape danger against West Virginia. Oklahoma State might have lost to TCU at home three weeks ago, but I still think the Cowboys are the best team in the conference.

Regardless, it feels like anarchy is coming in this conference. Would it shock you if the eventual champion had two losses? Three? I’ll be stunned if the league sends a team to the Playoff. 

The Heisman race is WIDE open

I was obviously skeptical of Saquon Barkley’s Heisman chances coming into this week, and after rushing for negative-1 yard in the first half against Northwestern, the only thing that’s clear is there is NO clear Heisman frontrunner today. Barkley finished the game with 75 yards and two touchdowns, but that’s back-to-back games with less than 100 rushing yards against less-than-stellar competition (last week he ran for 56 yards against Indiana). With Baker Mayfield’s Sooners losing to Iowa State, I really have no clue who the Heisman favorite is today. If I had to give out a top five, I’d go:

1. Saquon Barkley
2. Luke Falk
3. Bryce Love
4. Mason Rudolph
5. Kenny Hill

 Jay Feely should win an Emmy for this

There won’t be a funnier video all season. Shoot, there might not be a funnier video this decade. What on earth was Jay Feely doing here?

The best part is his explanation after the break…which wasn’t an explanation at all. The best part of this? His official title is “kicker expert.”

So who’s going to make the Playoff?

My full Top 10 is below…but as for who I think is in the best position to make the Playoff right now, I’d say:

• Alabama
• Clemson
• Washington
• Ohio State

The Crimson Tide are going to be heavy favorites in every game they play until Auburn. Clemson is in the same boat, although the NC State game looming in a few weeks could be tricky. Washington’s toughest games come late against Stanford and Washington State. I think the Buckeyes are going to run the table in the Big 10 and sneak into the Playoff.

Something to keep in mind. This time last year, the eventual Playoff teams were ranked 1^st (Alabama), 2^nd (Clemson), 3^rd (Ohio State) and 5^th (Washington). Three of them lost games AFTER this point, and still made the Playoff! Remember before we added the four-team playoff and people were worried it would diminish the importance of the regular season? They were right. It’s just that no one has noticed, or cared.

Some other teams to keep an eye on for the Playoff mix: Notre Dame, Miami, Washington State. 

Western Michigan-Buffalo was the game of the century 

This game had everything we’ve ever wanted. A rogue sister storming the field after her brother’s touchdown:

And SEVEN-COUNT-‘EM-SEVEN OVERTIMES.

The part of this game I still don’t get is how boring the announcers were in this game. Go back and watch the end of the game. They sounded like they were watching a funeral. I would have been so damn lit by the seventh overtime I might have shattered the windows in the press box. You have to ham it up right there, man. You’re calling Buffalo-Western Michigan and thousands of living, breathing humans are actually pouring in to watch how it ends. This is your moment. You have to own it.

http://www.espn.com/core/video/iframe?id=20948835&endcard=false 

JP Top 10

1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. TCU
5. Penn State
6. Notre Dame
7. Auburn
8. Miami
9. Washington State
10. Washington