TOP 25 TAKEAWAYS
NO ALABAMA?
There has never been a playoff without Alabama in the five-year history of the postseason system. To keep that streak going, the Crimson Tide are going to need help — from other teams and the selection committee. Barring a shocking collapse by LSU down the stretch, the Tigers are going to win the SEC West and play in the conference championship game. The best Alabama can do is 11-1, with a victory against a good, but certainly not great Auburn team. In 2016, 11-1with a victory against LSU was good enough to get Alabama into the playoff when the next-best choice was an Ohio State team that had won the Big Ten, but lost twice that season by double-digits.
Will the Tide be so fortunate this time around? There is potential for volatility in the Pac-12and Big 12that can produce a couple of two-loss champions with light resumes that could open the door for Alabama to tout being the team that almost beat the team and hope that’s enough. Or they could end up with 12-1 or maybe even 13-0champions (hello, Baylor!) that could provide the committee a very good alternative to rewarding a Tide team that lost the biggest game on its schedule. At home. Reporters asked Alabama linebacker Anfernee Jennings if he was optimistic about the Tide’s playoff chances. “Hell yeah,” he said. It’s good to take a positive approach, but just being ‘Bama might not be good enough. ROW THE BOAT
Is P.J. Fleck for real? That question has been asked a lot since the coach who coined the catchy, slightly corny slogan “Row the
Boat” became a hot item while taking Western Michigan to the Cotton Bowl after the 2016regular season. Fleck is a high-energy crafter of culture. He thinks of himself as an educator and football as his platform to make the world a better place by making his players better men. Feel free to be skeptical, but he is no phony. What gets lost in Fleck’s persona is this: He has turned out to be a darn good coach and program builder in three seasons at Minnesota. The 13th-Gophers improved to
9-0for the first time since 1904 by beating No. 5Penn State. It was the Gophers’ first victory at home against a top-five team since 1977. Minnesota didn’t get much respect from the playoff selection committee last week, coming in 17th in its first rankings. That should change significantly Tuesday. AROUND THE COUNTRY Next week, No. 11Baylor will get the spotlight Minnesota basked in this week. The Bears beat TCU in three overtimes to move to
9-0and set up the biggest lateseason home game in the post-Art Briles era. No. 9Oklahoma comes to town for a game that could all but wrap up the top spot in the Big 12championship game for the Bears . ... This is what the point of no return looks like at Arkansas for coach Chad Morris: Western Kentucky (and Arkansas transfer Ty Storey, the quarterback Morris brought in two transfers to replace) 45, Razorbacks 19. It would be shocking if Morris gets a third year. It would be a little surprising if he even got another week . ... Florida State will likely get back to a bowl after beating Boston College for its fifth victory a few days after firing Willie Taggart.
— Ralph D. Russo Associated Press