College football title could be anyone’s game… except Oklahoma’s
Ian Nikkel
A wild and wacky year in college football continues as the first College Football Playoff rankings came in on Tuesday. There’s a lot of cover, but we’re going to break down a few of the big stories. Starting with the teams in our backyard.
The Sooners and Cowboys stink!
I will say it time and time again. Central Oklahoma is the best team in the state. The Sooners offense has been bad but they are 5-4, a far cry from what Sooner fans are used to. But the Cowboys are so much worse. After starting off the year 3-0, they have lost six straight with no end in sight. Mike Gundy has already lashed out at the media and fans (He has since apologized). But both the Sooners and the Cowboys look like they have punted the ball on this season.
Windiana
In his first year at Indiana, Curt Cignetti took an Indiana Hoosier team that went 3-9 last year and made them a viable playoff contender. The Hoosiers are now 9-0 thanks to a crushing defense and an outstanding offense. They just blow out opponents and deserve a lot more credit than what they’re getting. They face Michigan and Ohio State in their next two games. Those games will determine how real the Hoosiers are.
Heisman still up for grabs
There are four main contenders for the Heisman right now. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter, Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. At this point, it is anyone’s guess right now. We’ll see what happens in the last four weeks of the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Ward or Gabriel grab the prestigious award. Mainly because they are quarterbacks and the Heisman loves quarterbacks. In my opinion, I’d go with Ashton Jeanty.
Playoff is anyone’s guess
Finally, with the 12 team playoff happening for the first time this season. There’s still plenty of spots still up for grabs. Teams that we wouldn’t expect, like SMU or BYU. Your usual suspects, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas and Oregon. If you look at the current top 25 right now, you could make the case for any of the 25 teams on there. Heck, you could make a case for 30 to 40 teams right now. You’re seeing more parity, which is a good thing. This season feels much more competitive compared to years past. This makes the sport more interesting and more entertaining. Now it feels like your upper middle class and middle class of college football have a shot too. It’s going to be really exciting to see what happens in the last four weeks of the season. Savor each week because there’s a limited number of Saturdays we get each year.