One month ago, the College Football world told itself that the 4-team playoff would be filled with ease once again. At the time, the SEC, ACC, Big 10, and Big 12 conferences each presumed to be represented by their champion. Only the Big 12 conference’s presumed representative is the same as prior with the top of the rankings left to chaos. Oklahoma continues to hum past the remainder of the Big 12. The following list withhold the schools who were in the top 6 a month ago and still are today: Alabama. That’s it. The cast of teams surrounding the dominant

Alabama squad has shifted a great deal week by week. However, the phrase of “dominant” cannot be attached to Nick Saban’s team following last weekend’s contest. Upsets shake the world of College Football once again.

Throughout the previous month, the shapings of the playoffs have begun to take form. No team outside of Wisconsin and Central Florida makes out of the regular season unscathed. #1 Alabama fell to #6 Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The same outcome befell #2 Miami as they lost to an unranked Pittsburgh. Just two weeks prior, #9 Washington fell. #1 Georgia steamrolled #10 Auburn and #3 Notre Dame exposed by #7 Miami.  #6 TCU battles and loses to #5 Oklahoma. And lastly, #6 Ohio State received a beating in Iowa City to the unranked Hawkeyes.

Penn State fell off the planet after being ranked second in the nation a month earlier before losses against #6 Ohio State and #24 Michigan State. Upsets have completely ravaged the top 10 of the College Football rankings week after week.

Playoff Ramifications

Despite all of these upsets eliminating teams from playoff contention, eight teams still have a chance at making the playoffs. This amount of teams is the highest by such a large margin in the history of the playoffs. The following teams are currently contending for the top 4 spots: Clemson, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Auburn, Alabama, Miami, Georgia, and Ohio State. Among these, there are no certains. None whatsoever. Here are all the likely possibilities.

If Clemson, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Auburn all win in their respective conference championship games, each of them will compete for the playoffs in no particular order. This particular scenario plays out with Alabama being the first team out of the playoffs. Alabama losing to Auburn head to head and Auburn winning the SEC championship defends this scenario. If Clemson loses, Miami will make the national semifinal game in Clemson’s place. If Wisconsin or Oklahoma lose, however, the outcome may not be so simple. Alabama may take one of those places, so Ohio State or even potentially Georgia could retain the spot. If Auburn loses to Georgia, Georgia simply replaces Auburn in the playoffs. However, of all these contingencies, as a lifelong sports fanatic since birth and self-proclaimed expert since, the following is my prediction for the playoffs.

#1 – Auburn. After beating Georgia and Alabama in three weeks with both teams being ranked one at the time and defeating a #7 Georgia again in the upcoming week in the conference championship, Auburn rises the number one slot in the playoffs.

#2 – Clemson. First, this Saturday, Clemson will defeat Miami for the ACC Championship. Second, I cannot put Clemson at number one in the nation for only two reasons. Syracuse and schedule strength. The lone loss in Clemson’s repertoire is facing Syracuse. A loss against Syracuse is inexcusable. Despite Clemson defeating Auburn in a head to head matchup and Auburn having two losses to Clemson’s one, Auburn has proven in the last three weeks and will continue to prove once again this week that Auburn is the hottest and the best team in the nation.

#3 – Oklahoma. The Sooners hold strong in a rematch against TCU in the Big 12 Championship game and retain their previously given slot from the College Football Playoff Committee. Oklahoma deserves to be in the Playoffs but does not own the resume to be placed higher than here.

#4 – Alabama. The Big 10 will miss out of the playoffs for the first year. A two-loss Ohio State Big 10 champion will not make the playoffs as a two-loss Big 10 champ in Penn State missed out on the playoffs in 2016. Wisconsin has not faced a single worthy opponent all year and Ohio State has faced Oklahoma and Penn State as well as rivalry games against Michigan and Michigan State. The Big 10 will do as the Big 12 has done multiple times and beat itself out of the playoffs. This leaves Alabama to enjoy a rematch of the Iron Bowl against Auburn in the National Semifinals on New Year’s Day.

This Saturday will without doubt deliver with multiple conference championship throughout the day. Oklahoma-TCU at 11:30 CST on FOX. Georgia-Auburn at 3:00 CST on CBS. Clemson-Miami at 7:00 CST on ABC and Wisconsin-Ohio State at the same time on FOX. Each of these games will determine College Football Playoff selections with the official ranking show occuring on Sunday, December 3rd at noon.

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The month of December is coming to a close for the Iowa football team and its fans.  Like last year, so much has happened off the field—enough to make one’s head spin with uncertainty and frustration.  Will the loyal members of Hawkeye Nation remember the month and chew it like a bitter root until the 2012 season finally comes or suppress it like a miserable holiday family get together, where Uncle Zeke falls into the Christmas tree after too much “hot cocoa” and Aunt Edna decides to confront the extended family on her deep-seeded concern of everyone’s “unfettered sinning?”

Fans, players, and coaches likely thought that December of last year was about the worst it could get for player-personnel upheaval.  Everyone looked into the rearview mirror and exhaled as the Hawkeyes stunned 12^th-ranked Missouri with Marcus Coker’s power running and Micah Hyde’s sly interception-for-touchdown.  But before the team could cap 2010 with a sweet victory, leading rusher Adam Robinson was excused from the team after being pulled over with a friend in a criminally-smoky vehicle.  Before that, (then) all-time receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was arrested at his home for having a variety of illegal drugs and forever solidifying his image as a talented party-boy of a receiver. Such incidents can have serious consequences, and individuals facing criminal charges may need the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney such as Canyon State Law.

Surely nothing could top the tumult of 2010 as the Hawkeyes headed back to the Insight, this time to face another offensive machine in #14 Oklahoma.  Long-time sage defensive coordinator Norm Parker announced his retirement, but that was somewhat unsurprising.  If it wasn’t at the end of this year, most of us expected it soon.  Perhaps mobility and energy had caught up to the man and his ability to translate his philosophies into his players’ production.  He had nothing left to prove as a coach, anyway, so the timing seemed appropriate.

In the last few weeks, however, things have gotten weird.  A little over two weeks ago, Iowa’s coaching staff announced that running back Marcus Coker (1,384 yards, 15 touchdowns) had been suspended for the Insight Bowl for violating the University’s Student-Athlete Code of Conduct.  Shocking, considering his quiet humility and love for astronomy and its academic responsibilities.  Whatever his infraction, most now wonder how Iowa will move the ball on the ground against an already overbearing Oklahoma team.  If Coker’s 281 carries for the year were a slice of bread, the rest of Iowa’s rushes would be the crumbs on the plate: backup De’Andre Johnson comes into the Insight bowl with 18 light carries for 79 yards against some of the schedule’s weakest teams.  Promising runner Mika’il McCall has 11 carries for 65 yards.  From what he flashed in the season opener, perhaps he could step into the starting role the same way Coker did for Adam Robinson the in 2010 Insight?

But scratch that option, and scratch McCall’s name from the 2012 Media Guide: He is likely gone from the program after being suspended for a “violation of team rules” for the Nebraska game and then declaring his exit through Facebook earlier this week.  His post about bolting was quickly taken down, but he is likely an afterthought for the future of this program.  He has been mum with reporters who have contacted him at home (like the Des Moines Register’s Randy Peterson), and it’s clear that he’s upset with the suspension and his status on the team.

A bittersweet retirement for a legendary defensive coordinator and the ensuing uncertainty of who will coach the defense for the bowl game, check; the suspension of Iowa’s seemingly upstanding, durable starting ball carrier (and second-leading rusher in the Big Ten behind Heisman finalist Montee Ball of Wisconsin), check; the disgruntlement and apparent departure of promising running back Mika’il McCall, check.  What could possibly be next?  Oh yes, the resignation of Iowa’s defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski.  The coach of the line since 2007 resigned to take the same position at Nebraska, a seemingly lateral move if not for a bit more money at the end of the year.  Kaczenski iced the cake when he basically said—during an interview with Jeff Culhane of the Husker Sports Network—that Nebraska is his first real gig.  Said Kaczenski, “It obviously helps when you walk into those high schools and you have the ‘N’ on your chest. I’m looking forward to that. That’ll be the first time in my career you’re walking into high schools with a name-brand on your chest. I’m very excited about that.”

Oklahoma, meanwhile, is in no great shape itself—especially on offense.  Despite the betting lines in Vegas being anywhere from ten points to two touchdowns, the Sooners are missing up to ten offensive contributors with injury, including pass-eating receiver Ryan Broyles and leading rusher Dominic Whaley.  The team should still be able to move the ball because of their outstanding depth and the fact that Oklahoma is the fastest no-huddle spread offense in the country.  Also considering Iowa’s defense does no single thing particularly well, unsurprising it will be if Oklahoma finishes with 400-500 total yards and a few points.

With Coker and McCall gone, a sieve of a defense without a mainstay coach for the line (LeVar Woods is coaching the line on a temporary basis), and an overmatched Iowa team on paper, it would be easy to pick against the Hawkeyes.  For some reason, however, I can’t give up on Iowa.  The team always seems to prepare well for bowl foes, looking faster and more energetic in postseason games.  Throw in some criticism and doubt of the team, and they really seem to dig in.

I expect to see the vacancy of Marcus Coker show itself through quarterback James Vandenberg and a likely pass, pass, run plan.  Vandenberg will pass to set up a Jordan Canzeri or De’Andre Johnson run, followed by more short to mid-range passes.  If Canzeri and Johnson can get 3-5 yards a run, the Hawkeyes will have a chance.  They must run the ball to keep the clock moving and, most importantly, to keep the Sooner offense off the field.  Marvin McNutt certainly wants to play better than he did in the Nebraska game (29 yards receiving, lowest of the season).  Vandenberg will try to lean on McNutt like he has all season, and one has to hope that a few more players will help move the ball, whether it be Keenan Davis, Brad Herman, or C.J. Fiedorowicz.  As for the defense, hopefully the unit will play like a vintage Norm Parker defense—prepared, powerful, energetic, and inspired by the outgoing leader.

Iowa 30, Oklahoma 28

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