We’re approaching certainty but are still far from it in the College Football Playoff race. Georgia seems a likely participant, along with the Ohio State-Michigan winner. But after that it’s still anyone’s guess. The Ohio State-Michigan loser? One-loss Tennessee or one-loss Mississippi, even if neither plays in the SEC championship game? TCU if it can continue its charmed season? A one-loss Pac-12 champion? A one-loss Clemson team from a bad ACC? Two-loss LSU if it beats Georgia in the SEC championship game? Left-for-dead Alabama, if about a million other things happen?
College football on TV: Mississippi-Alabama, TCU-Texas in the spotlight
As usual, it’s all terribly exciting.
Fresh off its thrilling upset of Alabama, LSU is only a three-point favorite at Arkansas even though the Razorbacks are coming off a two-point home loss against Liberty. Arkansas outgained the Flames in total yards and yards per play but didn’t find the end zone until it was down 17 points in the fourth quarter, the victim of two interceptions, two turnovers on downs and a lot of punting. The Tigers’ somewhat peculiar hire of Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly seems to be paying off; they’re in the driver’s seat to represent the SEC West in the conference championship game. Quarterback Jayden Daniels has been the impetus. He has two 300-yard passing games, two 100-yard rushing games and 24 touchdowns (14 passing, 10 rushing). Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson, meanwhile, is fighting a bruised clavicle and averaged just 4.9 yards per attempt last weekend (adjusted for the four sacks he took and the two interceptions he threw). Jefferson’s status for Saturday’s game is unknown. …
Two-loss Alabama, which visits Mississippi, is playing in its first all-but-meaningless regular season game since 2010. The Crimson Tide needs to win out, plus have LSU lose its final two SEC games, to earn a berth in the conference championship game. Of the 174 regular season games Alabama has played since 2008, only three did not have national championship implications, all in that 2010 season when it had lost to South Carolina and LSU by mid-November. … Tulane hosts Central Florida in the first Green Wave home game featuring two ranked teams since a 1949 contest against LSU. The Knights’ quarterback situation is unclear, though they have two good options. John Rhys Plumlee, UCF’s usual starter this season, suffered a concussion against Cincinnati on Oct. 29 and missed last weekend’s win over Memphis, though he had been cleared to play. Mikey Keene, the Knights’ starter all of last season, has filled in admirably, completing 37 of 49 passes for 395 yards and three scores as Plumlee’s replacement over the past two games, both of them wins. …
TCU is a 7.5-point underdog against Texas despite being undefeated and ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns’ brand and the fact that the game is in Austin may have something to do with that, along with the fact that the Horned Frogs have had to rally numerous times in the second half to remain unbeaten. TCU trailed both Oklahoma State and Kansas State by double digits but won both games. It also trailed Kansas and Texas Tech in the third quarter. Texas, meanwhile, has been stout early on before faltering late, giving up late leads in losses to Alabama, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. In its past two games, a win over Kansas State and a loss to Oklahoma State, the Longhorns have a combined 62 first-half points but only six in the second.
Source: WP
