EVENTUAL 2025 2026 NATIONAL CHAMPION Michigan State University 27, Rutgers 17Please God let us make a bowl game! Even if it is in Detroit. It has been such a soul crushing two months, and I have been a good boy. I deserve something. OK, the Cavs, but something more. Please God. Which reminds me of an Elvis Costello song, God Apostrophe S Comic.
Sometimes you confuse me with Santa Claus.
It is the big white beard I suppose.
There is only one unbeaten left in CFB, and when Monday rolls around, well, there is still going to be only one unbeaten in CFB.Oregon 31, Wahington 20Since both left their traditional rivals behind and played The Civil War and The Apple Cup a couple months ago, I think the Big I Have Given Up Counting should try to make this the in Conference rivalry for these two, but it is not on the protected list. While Washington is a soiled team it is not much more than that. I look forward to Oregon v the in the rematch in Indy.
This is a great CFB weekend, with many teams playing their archest and most bitter rivals. Some are vitally important, some less so, and some, Hello Egg Bowl, are suddenly irrelevant and involve a probable blow out between teams I have no interest in. So here are the highlights, based on a variety of factors, including the overall bitterness of the rivalry and the effect on the playoffs, which I guess combines to be just how much the one team would so love to fuck up the season for the other team. And also, how good I think the game will be.Texas 27, Texas A and M 14The first time these teams have played since TAMU took its talents to God Apostrophe S Conference, but dormancy be damned, this was always a big game. But this year especially, since the winner faces Georgia in the Championship game. I think Texas is in the CFB playoffs regardless of what happens. Though why everyone is so sure of that, but disses Indiana is perhaps a matter of laundry. After all, beating Meatchicken is probably the biggest win for both, and both got a double digit beatdown by the only ranked team they played. Well, it is what it is. TAMU is out of the playoffs unless it wins the God Apostrophe S Conference, and Texas and Georgia in back to back weeks is a tough row to hoe. Texas has a better team than TAMU, and I expect them to win.
the Ohio State University 42 or 24, Meatchicken 7 or 21Because there are two ways I can see this going, either tighter than a nun or a complete blow out. This is one of the two best rivalries in power conference CFB, and unlike the other one has some effect on the playoffs this year. Like Texas, I think the is in even if they lose this weekend, or next, but there is no way they want Meatchicken to spoil their season, and there are three years of frustrations to be worked out. On the other hand, there is no team that would more like to piss on the season of their rivals than Meatchicken would. A lot of sins of a disappointing season would be forgiven, but I cannot picture the Meatchicken offense scoring enough against that defense to win. Between the two, 42 to 7 seems more likely and if it does get out of hand, well, Day was willing to flex on IU, what do you expect him to do here? The phrase "Because I could not go for three" comes to mind.
the Arizona State 28, Arizona 14If there is a rival who would love to ruin a rivals season as much as Meatchicken would, here you go. The difference is that The Game has a national profile due the two teams being routinely at the top of CFB and the national scope of the two alumni bases. This one lacks that history and the alumni base for both exists in a 120 mile corridor of I 10, but the hate is there and real. Every time I see Cam Skattebo play, and I have seen a lot of him because of where I live, I think, cap would love this guy. I do not think I have seen him try to avoid a tackler all year. He does not avoid hits, he deals them out. Really, he is my favorite non Spartan CFB player since Tyrann Mathieu. Anyway, two of the biggest surprises for me this year have been Arizona and Arizona State, bad and good. It has been a miracle season for the ASU and a disaster for AU.
South Carogoddemndlna 35, ClemSIN 20Given the carnage in God Apostrophe S Conference last week, ClemSIN is very much in the picture, not just to back door into the Atlantic [sic][ Conference Championship game, but also for an at large bid. On the other hand, playing with the Cocks has not been easy the last month or so, and there is little they would like better than to take ClemSIN ot of the picture while raising their stature among the God Apostrophe S Conference three loss teams.
Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 14A little Clean, Old Fashioned Hate, which is, hands down, the best name for a rivalry game. The Ramblin Wreck has been one of the key players in this weird season, although knocking off the Florida State was not as big as it seemed at the time, it definitely got us off to a start. They also Wrecked the season for the U. I just do not think they have enough in them to take down Georgia, but they have a chance. This is not the same Georgia team that was such a terror just two years ago. I mean, yes, CFB is always by its nature in flux, but this year's Georgia team just seems sort of, well, out of sorts. They are in the God Apostrophe S Conference Championship game, and losing there probably would not keep them out of the playoffs, but losing this one also probably would. And boy, GTU would love to do that.
Our Lady of the Perpetual Tie 35, University of California* 17As much as it physically makes me ill to say it, Our Lady of the Perpetual Tie has been one of the four or five best CFB teams since crapping the bed against Northern Illinois. And USC has been, well, a mess. They have lead in the fourth quarter of all heir losses, and lost three in the last minute, plus one in overtime. Meaning if the games were 59 minutes, they would be in contention for the playoffs, instead of looking down the barrel of the Las Vegas Bowl. OLotPT has a very good defense, and they can ride that to a win here and a home date in the playoffs. Though I suspect that if they lose, they are still in, but will have to travel.
Alabama 31, Auburn 14This is the second of the two best rivalries in the power conferences, and the reason it is this low is the gigantic turd the Tide laid in Norman. Auburn spoiled TAMUs season last week and knocking off Alabama would be a nice cherry. I do not think it will happen, but watching the Auburn TAMU game reminded me that Thorne, despite now three straight dismal seasons, had been an effective QB in the season that made people think Mel Tucker was a great coach. In the Nick Satan days, I would expect Alabama to win this game 52 to 0, but DeBoer is looking like a year or so away from the Most Fired watch list. An upset is possible but not likely.
Tennessee 35, Vanderbilt 20To be honest, I do not even know if this is a rivalry. Yes, they are both God Apostrophe S Conference teams and are in the same state, but somehow having a rivalry with Vandy seems, well, beneath Tennessee. It is like having a rivalry with Rice. Who does that? Well, this year, at least, Vandy is bowl eligible and beat Alabama. Tennessee should walk away with this one, even if they horse around. Tennessee Walkers. See what I did there?
Indiana 42, Purdue 3Well, it is a protected rivalry for the Big I Have Given Up Counting, so it goes on this part of the ledger. Normally, it is a yawner, since both teams are only sporadically not bottom dwellers. This year, though, Indiana needs to win the game to remain viable for the playoffs. And while I assume Purdue would want to spoil the party, there is no reason to think that is possible. I mean, WE beat them. IU may not be as good as the, especially offensively, but Purdue is not the. The idea that Indiana does not deserve to be in the playoffs strikes me as a laundry argument. IU is the losingest team in all of the FBS, and that perception matters. And yes, they played a weak schedule, but had plenty of chances to lose to mediocre teams and uniformly beat the crap out of them, unlike the three loss God Apostrophe S Conference teams. Beat Vandy. Beat Kentucky. Beat Arkansas. Beat Oklahoma. Then you get to bitch about a team that DID beat Meatchicken and beat Washington.
In addition, there are a few non traditional rivalry games with a potential impact on the playoffs.he Pennsylvania State University 35, Maryland 14I honestly thought given their shared border this might be a rivalry, you know, the Mason Dixon battle or something, but is not on the protected list. The PSU does not even have one, which seems wrong somehow. Their annual game with my beloved Spartans for the Worlds Ugliest Football Trophy has been consigned to the sporadic whims of an 18, is it? team league. The would make sense, but I suspect it is a balance of schedule thing. Anyway, Maryland sucks.
Methodist* 31, University of California ** 23SMU is locked into the Atlantic [sic] Coast Championship game. Cal had a rough four week stretch back in late September and October, complete fourth quarter folds against the U and NC State, a missed two point conversion against Pitt before Pitt started to suck, another fourth quarter loss to the awful FSU. But they have been in every game. Beating Stanford without a Band aid made them bowl eligible. Beating SMU is not out of the question, but SMU has won most of their games pretty comfortably.
U 35, Syracuse 34Can the Atlantic [sic] Coast Conference get two teams in? It is looking likely. If the U can beat Syracuse, the conference will have two teams with one loss regular season records. Given the God Apostrophe S Conference apostrophe s teams that lost to unranked opponents last weekend, one for a second time, another for a third, it looks like the conference has sleep walked its way into only three bids. Unless, of course, something wild happens, like either or both SMU or U losing this weekend, coupled with a ClemSIN loss, or an Indiana loss to Purdue. Given this year, Hell, who knows. Syracuse is a good team, and the U has danced with disaster more than once this year. Keep an eye.
Colorado 42, the other OSU 14Not sure how Shadeur Sanders was not ejected or suspended for pushing a ref. Oh well. Colorado has had a nice run. They have some exciting players. It will be interesting to see what the Buffalo have going on, once Sanders runs out of progeny. The other OSU has been a catastrophe. Colorado needs a lot to go right for them to make the playoffs, but they have a shot.
the Kansas State 27, the Iowa State 20One of the things Colorado needs, I believe, is for the ISU to lose. Not sure how to feel about this one, for some reason the thought of watching either team play makes me want to take a nap, or turn the channel. The KSU has a win over a ranked team. Iowa does not. So there.
Brigham Young 27, Houston 21BYU did not strike me as a particularly top level team, even when they were winning games. But Houston went 2 and 4 before their bye, and with a loss here, they would be 2 and 4 after their bye. That is the kind of perfect symmetry I can get behind.
Mary Hardin Baylor 27, Hardin Simmons 17The battle of the Hardins! Who do you think has the bigger Hardin, Mary or Simmons? It is a Hardin measuring contest! Which Hardin will get stroked? I could go on, but I will cut you all a break.
Mount Union 37, John Carroll 31Fun fact. Since 1989, these two teams have played at least once each year, 39 times including the playoffs. And while JCU has fielded teams good enough to make the playoffs several times, the Mount is 36 2 and 1 in those 39 games. This year, JCU travelled the 54 miles to Alliance and played the Mount tough, 37 to 31. They are making the same trip, so I will take the same result.
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