Is the FBS Season Only about November Anymore?

Published on 2-Nov-2015 by Chips 10

Football - NCAA    NCAA Football Daily Update

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Is the FBS Season Only about November Anymore?

Not that this is a conspiracy theory in progress or anything ...

But it seems like the CFP has turned college football into five weeks of nut-cutting after two months of navel gazing.

And with the rare exception of ballsy -- and lucrative -- August kickoff matchmaking offering a challenging clash, September and October have been reduced -- with rare exception -- to a de facto pre-season.

Fortunately, with 18- to 22-year-olds, crazy endings still pop up every now and then, but unless an underdog puts together a surprise run, the best that can be said for the first two months is they return the focus to simpler times:

  • Pre-function,
  • Rah-rah-go-team,
  • Post-function, and
  • Wake up on somebody's floor the next morning with no regrets and no need for future plans.

Wait a minute. Most of that still happens.

It's just that the game has become an excuse to do it in the first two months instead of a reason.

But now that it's November, rollmops have a purpose again. The first College Football Playoff poll comes out tomorrow. It'll feature the usual suspects, but their jockeying for the pole position will be under way in earnest.

Just know The Daily Player 12 will be there to spearhead the mocking that the entire process deserves.

The biggest story in the Top 10 this past weekend was that both Notre Dame and Stanford escaped with road victories.

The Irish came from behind to beat a pesky Temple team, 24-20, on a 17-yard touchdown pass from DeShone Kizer to Will Fuller. Stanford held on to beat Washington State, 30-28, when the Cougars missed a field goal on the last play of the game.

The Irish and Cardinal meet on the last weekend of the season and it could be for a playoff berth.

Iowa, Florida, and Oklahoma State remained in the mix, with serious stirring finally in the offing this weekend:

  • Looking at the Hawkeyes' remaining schedule, they're this year's surprise underdog who could finish undefeated going into the Big Ten championship game, but they'd better be ready for an explosive Indiana offense this weekend.
  • The first of this month's possible elimination games comes this weekend when LSU travels to Alabama to face the Tide. LSU is undefeated while Alabama lost to Mississippi at home, so the Tide needs this game more than the Tigers.
  • Clemson and Florida State play another possible elimination game that means more to the Seminoles as they have a loss to underachieving Georgia Tech. The big question going into the game at Clemson is if Florida State will have Everett Golson at quarterback. Dude didn't play against Syracuse due to a concussion, but Sean Maguire filled in and had a great game, throwing for 348 yards.Bovada Clemson v Florida State preview

Ohio State's challenge was off the field after JT Barrett got done for an OVI.

JT Barrett suspended

The Buckeyes will turn to Cardale Jones against a feisty Minnesota squad this weekend. The Golden Gophers have elevated former coach Jerry Kill to martyrdom and are playing above their station.

Baylor lost QB Seth Russell for the season last week, so the Bears now get to play their real season with backup Jarrett Stidham, a true freshman. Southern Baptists seem to be OK with that.

Two teams should be knocked out of the CFP this weekend. The Big XII race is finally going to see if defense is actually a necessary concept. Utah still lurks atop the Pac-12 South.

There's not a team in the Top 10 who's a lock to be playing on New Years' Eve.