Kansas, Missouri, and West Virginia’s Very Good Day
by edwzipper on Sunday, November 18th, 2007 at 08:44am
(And Ohio State’s too)…
Why? Not just because they all won yesterday. But because Oklahoma lost. That, along with Oregon’s loss Thursday night, puts them all in prime position to finish making a run at playing in the BCS title game.
The road ahead for the contenders:
LSU: Home to Arkansas, SEC title game against either Tennessee (if they beat Kentucky next week) or Georgia
The Tigers will be favored in each of those games, but neither game is anything approaching a pushover. Particularly if it is Georgia that meets LSU in Atlanta. But, with two wins, they get to the desert.
Missouri/Kansas: This one is simple. They play each other next week in one of the most improbable HUGE games in college football history. The winner likely faces Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Win that, and the Mizzou/Kansas winner might very well be in the desert.
West Virginia: Big road win over a quality Cincinnati team last night sets the Moutaineers up with games against UConn and hated rival Pittsburgh. Win those two, and West Virginia has a solid shot at the desert.
Ohio State: Watching and waiting, but nowhere near as long a shot to back into the title game as they were back on Wednesday. The Oklahoma and Oregon upsets have opened that door more than just a crack.
Stewart Mandel, at si.com, is once again your must stop on the day that was. Zip touched on it in his outstanding nighty cap last night, and Mandel picks up the thought with regard to Nick Saban and the suddenly 6-5 Tide:
“The honeymoon is officially over for Alabama’s celebrated first-year coach, whose now 6-5 team suffered an inexplicable 21-14 loss to Louisiana-Monroe — yes, you’re reading that right — in what was supposed to be a harmless little pre-Auburn tune-up Saturday. Yet as bad as both that and last week’s Mississippi State loss must seem to Crimson Tide fans right now, the reality is, all will be forgotten if Saban can put an end to ‘Bama’s six-year Iron Bowl drought next week. . . .Win, and Saban will earn another year’s worth of devotion from the Tide’s ever-demanding faithful; lose … and he finishes the regular season with the same record Mike Shula did last year.”
Absolutely jaw-droppingly shocking result, Alabama’s loss to La-Monroe. On every level.
By the way, remember Cal? They are now 6-5 after losing for the fifth time in their last six games yesterday. Those wins over Tennessee and Oregon were a long time ago, at this point.