Georgia 28, the Louisiana State University 14
Georgia is a lock, so I would rather look at LSU. Is there still a path forward for them? Assuming they beat Georgia, that is. Three losses should be an automatic disqualifier, but what if, say, USC, TCU and ClemSIN all lose? Could a three loss God apostrophe s Conference team get in? The last couple of weeks have been hard on some teams, including LSU, but if they beat Georgia who would get the two spots after Georgia and Methcicken in a TCU and USC lose scenario? Three of the Conferences will have champions with three losses. Do you take one of them, or a team that did not make the championship game but had a better record? Do you take a one loss The after being pantsed at home? Alabama, which is hanging around the top few of the committee rankings like I have been hanging around Cecily Strongs house lately, peeping in the windows, hiding in shrubbery, walking forlornly past the front gate, head down but eyes cast towards the door, waiting for an invitation to come join in? Or Tennessee which let us not forget beat Alabama? I have not loved the Georgia offense lately, but I think they can do more than enough here.
Methchicken 31, Purdue 10
I would say that Methchicken gets in regardless of the result here, but a loss to Purdue would be a heavier black mark than the other one loss teams have. Including The. Should not matter. There is the hangover possibility, after all their worst game was a look forward trap game with Illinois, and they could get caught between looking forward to the playoffs and looking back at the The game. Not happening. I expect them to BTO this game.
Texas Christian University 42, the Kansas State University 38
Is TCU a lock also, even if they lose this game? Over at CBS Sports they think so. I have noted before, the Committee has pretty consistently not considered one loss and two loss Power 5 teams as comparable, but I do wonder how the Committee would judge a one loss TCU and a one loss The, when TCU has a loss to a three loss KSU and The has a loss to Methchicken that is definitely number 2. TCU has played a cake OOC schedule and while the Pure Prairie League has some good teams, it has zero signature wins against other Power 5 Conferences, just things like ISU over Iowa. If they lose bad to KSU, it could get interesting though. Still, I expect them to win, and I would expect them to be in the playoffs with anything other than a blow out loss.
University of California* 43, Utah 42
Of the current presumed top 4 teams USC is the most tenuous, because they have the Championship game I can most see them losing, because after all, they already have lost to a Utah team I had in the playoffs at the start of the year. Lose, and they go into the pot with, my guess, The, Alabama and Tennessee for spots four through seven, and I suspect they go to seven. I suspect I have seen SC more than most people on the East Coast have, and their offense and defense both scare me, but in entirely different ways.
University of North Carolina 35, ClemSIN 21
When you have no signature wins, you cannot get that second loss. A win pegs ClemSIN into a NY6 game, but they dreamed of so much more. Has any single player been as much of a disappointment as Uiagalelei has been these last two years? My money, which I am not risking that is a metaphor is on an emotional let down. Not the NC is riding any higher. In two weeks this went from possibly intriguing match up with Playoff implications to a dumpster fire.
Tulane 31, University of Central Florida 28
The winner gets that coveted last NY 6 slot. I think Tulane is a good story, from 2 and 10 to a big time goal. Good job.
Ithaca 27, North Central 21
Ithaca leaves the still hearths, barren crags and aged wives of its homeland to drink deep the delight in battle with their peers far on the ringing plains of windy Napierville**. I doubt they will actually win, but their team name is the Bombers and has been since the 1930s. I just cannot pick against that.
Mount Union 42, Delaware Valley 10
In a way, the D III playoffs are like the big boys playoffs. At this point, we can be pretty confident of three of the teams.
Mary Hardin Mary Hardin-Baylor 35, Bethel 3
Between them, North Central, MH-B and the Mount have won the last six championships over the last seven years.
Wartburg 27, Aurora 20
But who is that fourth? I am hoping for Wartburg because anyone that names their college Wartburg deserves something. Though it dawns on me Aurora is a good name too.***
* Southern
** Tennyson, anyone?****
*** Look at me I am so smart.
**** See ***, supra.
Poll
