Forde-Yard Dash: Blueblood Angst for Six Proud Programs

Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where those bigger SEC fines for field storming are not deterring anyone:

First Quarter: Twelve Angry Fan Bases

The 12-team College Football Playoff is a wellspring of hope and excitement for dozens of fan bases. But as the losses accrue, it also will be a source of discontent for those who see their chances slipping away. Each week, The Dash will identify 12 people dealing with damaged playoff hopes, and gauge their teams’ chances of rebounding from calamity.

So, you want to coach a blueblood? Understandable—paydays are enjoyable, recruits are always interested, and the fans will treat you like royalty … as long as you win.

When you don’t, it can get ugly. And it’s ugly in a lot of places right now.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (1)

Blueblood credentials: Ninth-winningest program in history (922 victories); five national championships in the AP poll era. Current state: 5–2 after being obliterated by the Indiana Hoosiers, 56–7. Current coach: Matt Rhule, who is 10–9 overall, 5–8 in the Big Ten.

On Saturday, the Huskers were humiliated the way they used to do the humiliating. They were trampled on the ground, giving up 215 rushing yards while compiling just 70. They turned the ball over five times, with touted freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola coughing up four of those via three interceptions and a fumble. Indiana didn’t even need star quarterback Kurtis Rourke in the second half after he was sidelined with a thumb injury. (That injury will keep him out this week against Washington, and possibly longer.)

It’s been a long time since Nebraska has contended for anything, but Saturday provided fresh evidence the rebuild isn’t ready yet. There is still a long way to go.

Nebraska’s playoff chances: In a six-way tie for seventh place in the Big Ten, it would take a lot of losses from other teams—in addition to the Huskers winning out—to have a chance.

Alabama Crimson Tide (2)

Blueblood credentials: Second-winningest program in history (970 wins); 12 national championships in the AP poll era. Current state: 5–2 after losing to the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday. Current coach: Kalen DeBoer, who is 5–2 overall, 2–2 in the SEC. Keep in mind that DeBoer left a perfectly happy setup at Washington to suffer by comparison to Nick Saban.

The Tide’s offense was largely to blame for the loss to Vols, failing to produce a single first down in their last four possessions with the game on the line. But the chronically problematic defense had its issues as well, surrendering 24 points and 265 yards in the second half. Alabama looked generally unprepared for the noise and fury in Neyland Stadium, committing 115 yards of penalties, and quarterback Jalen Milroe probably had his worst game as a starter.

Alabama’s playoff chances: The Tide have been pushed onto the bubble. There are seven teams ahead of them in the SEC standings, and running the table would require beating two of them (Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers). Beating the Georgia Bulldogs carries weight, and both the Wisconsin Badgers and South Carolina Gamecocks victories are looking better. But the margin for error is gone.

Oklahoma Sooners (3)

Blueblood credentials: Sixth-winningest program in history (948 victories); seven national championships in the AP poll era. Current state: 4–3 after being embarrassed in Norman by South Carolina—a welcome-to-the-SEC beatdown. Current coach: Brent Venables, who is 20–13 overall, 10–8 in the Big 12 and 1–3 in the SEC. He’s looking more and more like a natural assistant coach.

Losing by 31 points to the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry game was bad, very bad. Falling behind South Carolina 24–0 early in the second quarter the next week, on the way to a 35–9 defeat, is several magnitudes worse. Oklahoma had four turnovers, three of them by freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., plus four other fumbles the Sooners recovered. Venables has massacred the quarterback situation, from thinking that Jackson Arnold would be a seamless replacement for Dillon Gabriel to then panic-benching Arnold to now having to bring him back, after Hawkins has floundered.

Oklahoma’s playoff chances: Please. The Sooners are in an uphill fight just to be bowl eligible. But fans can cheer for that SEC revenue while their team languishes in 13th place.

USC Trojans (4)

Blueblood credentials: 13th-winningest program in history (878 victories); seven national championships in the AP poll era. Current state: 3–4, 1–4 in the Big Ten, losers of three straight. Current coach: Lincoln Riley is 22–12 overall, 13–6 in the Pac-12, 1–4 in the Big Ten. He’s getting worse with every passing week.

The Trojans have become fourth-quarter flop artists, losing leads in the final 15 minutes in each of their four losses. The last two road defeats have been particularly bad, giving up 14 points in the final eight minutes to the Minnesota Gophers and 15 in the final 10 to the Maryland Terrapins—two teams that are not very good. USC’s three long-travel games as new Big Ten members all ended in losses—but hey, they can compare revenue checks with Oklahoma. Fun times flying all that way to get your teeth kicked in.

USC’s playoff chances: Long gone. A lot of fans would like putative savior Riley gone, too.

Michigan Wolverines (5)

Blueblood credentials: Winningest program in history (1,008 victories); three national championships in the AP poll era. Current state: 4–3, 2–2 in the Big Ten after being thumped by the Illinois Fighting Illini. Current coach: Sherrone Moore is winless in October and winless this season on the road.

The Wolverines and their abysmal quarterback situation accounted for a season-high 208 passing yards against the Illini, but they were outgained on the ground by 73 yards and turned the ball over three times. Michigan had eight turnovers in 15 games last season; it has 15 in seven games this season.

Michigan’s playoff chances: If the Wolverines can get to 7–2 in the Big Ten, they might make the league championship game. But they would need to beat the Oregon Ducks, Indiana Hoosiers and Ohio State Buckeyes to do that, so the answer is no.

Wolverines quarterback Jack Tuttle runs with the ball. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns (6)

Blueblood credentials: Fourth-winningest program in history (954 victories); three national championships in the AP poll era. Current state: 6–1, 2–1 in the SEC, and apologizing to their new league for a fan meltdown that resulted in a ton of trash being thrown on the field Saturday night during the loss to Georgia. That drew a $250,000 fine from the league Sunday. Current coach: Steve Sarkisian is 30–15 overall, 18–10 in the Big 12, 2–1 in the SEC and 0–1 against teams in the top 12 in the SEC.

Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs welcomed Texas to the league for real, jumping on them 23–0 in the first half in a stunned Darrell K. Royal Stadium. This wasn’t the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and this wasn’t fellow Big 12 evacuee Oklahoma. Quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning both committed turnovers in the first-half avalanche, and the Longhorns offense was generally overwhelmed.

Texas’s playoff chances: Still good, but the resume is growing weaker by the week. Beating Michigan is no longer a big deal. Same with stomping Oklahoma. The Horns should be slotted behind a couple other one-loss teams at this point.

Other Angry Fan Bases

Georgia Bulldogs (7)

Not because they lost. Because they’re furious at the SEC officiating crew that picked up a pass interference flag after apparently knuckling under the fan outrage that resulted in the debris tantrum from the Texas fans. Interference was an incorrect call, but the refs followed an incorrect procedure to overturn a non-reviewable play after the ball had been spotted for play in Georgia’s possession. It was a damn mess.

Athletic director Josh Brooks expressed his unhappiness via social media Sunday, which is more than the public has heard from Brooks about the Georgia football team’s chronic problems with the law. That officiating decision will be cussed and discussed all week, be prepared.

Georgia’s playoff chances: Great. Only Oregon is in a better spot at this point.

BYU Cougars (8)

The Cougars pulled off a semi-miraculous escape Friday night against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, connecting on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining against slipshod Oklahoma State tackling. That lifted BYU to 7–0, a fantastic season, but the fan base is getting testy about a perceived lack of respect. They don’t want to hear that the Cowboys were a mediocre opponent, even though they are 3–4 and on a four-game losing streak. Some free advice to the BYU fans: Keep winning and nothing else will matter.

BYU’s playoff chances: In at the moment. But three of the next four are on the road in a wildly unpredictable conference.

Iowa State Cyclones (9)

See above about BYU. It basically all applies to the Cyclones as well, who had to rally from 14 down in the second half at home against the 3–4 UCF Knights, scoring the winning touchdown in the final minute. Iowa State is having a splendid season, but close calls against mediocre teams will at least slow the hype train.

Iowa State’s playoff chances: Also in at the moment. But there are land mines still out there in the Big 12.

Deion Sanders haters (10)

A sizable number of college football fans celebrated the Colorado Buffaloes’ fade from 3–0 to 4–8 last season, and they were ready to dance on the Buffaloes’ grave again this season after a decisive loss to Nebraska dropped them to 1–1. But Colorado has lost only once since then, by three points to the Kansas State Wildcats. At 5–2 overall and 3–1 in the Big 12, the Buffs are solidly in the Big 12 race with a much-improved defense and an ability to run the football.

Colorado’s playoff chances: Not great, but they still exist. It would help the Buffs’ chances if they had games against either BYU or Iowa State, but they don’t.

Sanders has the Buffaloes solidly in the Big 12 race this season. | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The state of Kentucky (11)

The Louisville Cardinals gave up 52 points to the Miami Hurricanes, have forgotten how to tackle and have slipped to 4–3. The Kentucky Wildcats followed their upset of the Ole Miss Rebels with consecutive losses and slipped to 3–4.

The state of Kentucky’s playoff chances: It’s now basketball season in the commonwealth.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (12)

That 4–0 start has turned into a 4–3 slog, bottoming out in a home loss to previous Big Ten cellar-dweller UCLA Bruins. The Greg Schiano staple, defense, has cratered—Rutgers is 17th in the league in yards allowed per game,

Rutgers’s playoff chances: Nonexistent.

The Buzzin’ Dozen

Each week The Dash projects the 12-team playoff field as if today were Selection Sunday. As always, the rankings are based on what has actually transpired this season, not preseason predictions. The longer teams like BYU, Iowa State, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Army and Navy stay undefeated, the more interesting this becomes.