Miss. St. on top after 1st half
But look for Ole Miss to take the lead in the second half
Year 1 of the College Football Playoff has ushered in as much disarray— on and off the field— as any season before it. There have been landscape- altering upsets, suspensions of superstar players and various other scandals, all against the backdrop of potential sea changes in how the NCAA defines amateurism, and in how the haves and have- nots among FBS schools divvy up the spoils of record television revenues and championships.
But take a breath because here we’ll look mostly on the field as college football enters the season’s second half.
Team of the first half
It can only be Mississippi State, which hasn’t won an SEC title in 73 years yet finds itself at 6- 0 and No. 1 in the polls after being unranked to start the season. The Bulldogs have decisive victories over three consecutive top- 10 opponents— LSU, Texas A& M and Auburn— and have sent at least two of those teams spiraling.
Teams of the second half
1. Ole Miss. The No. 3 Rebels are halfway down a similar path as Mississippi State but have a more favorable schedule the rest of the way, with LSU and Arkansas the only road opponents and Alabama already in the rearview mirror. A playoff berth is very achievable.
2. Baylor. The No. 4 Bears are the Big 12’ s lone unbeaten team and— coming off a giant comeback victory over TCU— a ball of momentum. Can they win out? Short of that, it’s hard to see them making the final four.
3. Notre Dame. A win at Florida State would set up the No. 5 Irish, but even then, the remaining schedule is grueling. An 11- 1 finish might be good enough for the selection committee.
Player of the first half
Dak Prescott, Mississippi State’s junior quarterback, has done his best Cam Newton impression, passing for 1,478 yards and rumbling for 576, with a combined 22 touchdowns. He also has a receiving score, the kind of Heisman touch that makes him the clear leader for the award.
Players of the second half
1. JameisWinston, QB, Florida State. Because of a possible autograph scandal and a pending university code- ofconduct hearing stemming from a rape accusation, the reigning Heisman winner’s availability for the rest of the season is in question.
2. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon. The best signal- caller in the country is the only real hope of getting the Pac- 12— easily the nation’s second- best conference, after the SEC— into the playoff. His offensive line: a train wreck.
3. J. T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State. A redshirt freshman who was thrust into the lineup after an injury to Braxton Miller, Barrett must lead the Buckeyes to a perfect Big Ten season to get them into the playoff. His play gets better every outing.
Coach of the first half
There’s one big difference between Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze and Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen: Freeze has beaten Alabama. He gets the nod.
Coaches of the second half
1. Nick Saban, Alabama. The Crimson Tide have to get some things fixed and get rolling. It would be a real knock on Saban if he misses the first playoff.
2. MarkHelfrich, Oregon. He’s no Chip Kelly. Or is he? The doubters are mounting.
3. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma. Is he still Big Game Bob? A loss at TCU didn’t help his rep.
Game of the first half
Ole Miss 23, Alabama 17 made all things seem possible.
Games of the second half
1. Notre Dame at Florida State, Saturday. It’s tantalizingly close to being a playoff elimination game.
2. Baylor at Oklahoma, Nov. 8. This really is an elimination game.
3. Mississippi State at Alabama, Nov. 15. Tuscaloosa usually is an end point for other SEC hopefuls.
Playoff projections
Semifinal 1: Alabama vs. Oklahoma, Jan. 1, Pasadena, California.
Semifinal 2: Ole Miss vs. Michigan State, Jan. 1, New Orleans.
National championship: Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss, Jan. 12, Arlington, Texas.