Wanna be in the College Football Playoffs?
The answer is not to “Just win, baby,” as Raiders’ owner Al Davis used to say, exhorting his NFL charges. It’s more than that. Let me tell you …a lot more.
Championship Weekend arrived Friday with No. 3 Washington beating No. 5 Oregon for the second time this season, 34-31, to in all probability secure one of the four playoff berths, which the 13-member CFP committee, sequestered in Grapevine, will let us know who’s really in and out later this morning.
Expect at best a gnashing of teeth and at worst nobody getting seriously injured. I’m talking about fans, not players.
The weekend ended with No. 2 Michigan beating No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship 26-0 and Florida State, with its third-string quarterback Brock Glenn holding off Louisville, 16-6, in the ACC title game.
Another couple of questions: most deserving, or simply the best? One loss, or unbeaten? This is criteria. I’m sure we’ll hear that word during the day tomorrow, after church, as the committee explains its choices.
No. 8 Alabama snapped No. 1 Georgia’s 29-game consecutive win streak in the SEC Championship game and extinguished any ideas of Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs winning their third straight national championship with the most significant win of the season.
Earlier, No. 7 Texas won its fourth Big 12 Championship on its way out the door to the Southeastern Conference next season as QB1 Quinn Ewers enjoyed a career day completing 35-of-46 passes for 452 passing yards and four touchdowns enroute to a kind-of-convincing 49-21 victory over Oklahoma State.
By the way, you probably already know this, but until Alabama’s win over Georgia on Saturday, the most impressive college football win of the season was a 34-24 10-point Longhorn victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa on September 9th. And, yes, I know Alabama’s much better than they were then. So is Texas.
For me, is this just a sinus headache, or a full-fledged migraine. I’m starting to wonder.
Like it or not: My four teams are Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama, in that order.
Follow Joe on Twitter/X: @joeyballgamejh
