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We’re still at the point where wins and losses make up most of these lists. I promise, at some point, actual thinking and opinion will be involved. I can’t promise it’ll be intelligent, but thinking will happen.
I don’t hate your team if they’re on here. Actually, a few of them I openly root for as far as rooting goes.
5. Arizona
The blowout home loss is pretty much the, “I caught you drinking alcohol in the stock room on your lunch break” of reasons why your boss is firing you, but there’s nuance here past the obvious that keeps Arizona at least in the hunt down the road: Anu Solomon got hurt before it got ugly to the point of no return. Injury aside, however, Solomon doesn’t make tackles, or miss them, or do anything on defense. Scooby Wright does. So basically, if Arizona wins out and everyone’s healthy, I think the still get in. I mean, just win out, guys.
4. Missouri
For the last few years, the SEC East has been the mediocre looking girl with hot friends. She gets into every party based on who she hangs out with (SEC West), but probably isn’t top shelf. Mizzou, in that time, has taken it upon themselves to take over the SEC East and force themselves into the conversation of whatever you get when you potentially win the SEC. That probably isn’t happening this year. They’ve looked flaccid all season and it caught up with them when Kentucky of all teams man-balled them out of the ranks of the unbeaten.
3. Texas Tech
Full disclosure: I don’t like or dislike Texas Tech, but I’m very glad I’m not a fan of theirs after watching that game against TCU. The emotional ebb and flow of that was about as erratic as an emo teenager. Obviously, that’s it for TTU. You can’t give up 50+ in a loss at home in a conference without a championship game and survive, but they make this list for being so damn close, canoodling with being the story of college football for the next week. Always sucks when you’re invested in it, but you could live 1,000 years and that would be one of the most exciting finishes you’ll ever see.
2. Arizona State
The Sun Devils had the body language of a team that just watched their dog get hit by a bus. No juice, no wins. Certainly no playoffs, either. The season began with such hope, daisies, Taylor Swift songs, all of that. They’ve regressed pretty badly. They couldn’t tackle an old man on a rascal and were impotent on offense at any point in the game when it mattered. ASU lost their first game; USC lost their previous game. One got pissed, the other got … well, you know how this ends.
1. Oregon
Obviously, the Ducks are cooked now. Getting housed at home by anyone is a pretty good way of saying, “yeah, we’re not worthy.” You can easily forgive losing in East Lansing. I’m not entirely sure of the rules in the playoff rule book, but I feel like it’s along the lines of, “beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, nothing to fear.” It’s just implied.
