Deion Sanders, Colorado makes CFP statement with Utah domination

On November 19, 2024By Pranco

You can no longer honestly say that Colorado is all mouth, no pants. Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes put on their overalls to destroy Utah.
Tennessee moved to the shaky side of the CFP bubble by losing to Georgia, but the Vols have several options for help.
Clemson, a playoff team? Not ready to take that seriously yet.

As the play-off becomes Coach Prime real estate and the heat is picking up Billy Napier in Florida, Indiana has an opportunity to bring clarity to the College Football Playoff bubble.

Playoff longshots Kansas State, LSU and Missouri left the stage, while Brigham Young’s loss to Kansas made it increasingly likely that the Big 12 would end up as a one-bid league.

No. 1 Oregon cemented its Big Ten bona fides by winning despite scoring just 16 points.

As the conference commissioners prepare to hit the propaganda circuit, with CFP selection day less than three weeks away, here’s what’s still on my mind after week 12:

Are Deion Sanders and Colorado real?

The Buffaloes are real, and Travis Hunter is spectacular.

As a reminder, Colorado won one stinking game the season before hiring Deion Sanders. Only Coach Prime’s staunchest followers could have fathomed that Colorado (8-2) would be knocking on the playoff door in its second season.

Transfer additions made necessary improvements at the lines of scrimmage.

No one will confuse Colorado with Georgia in 2021, but quarterback Shedeur Sanders is at least benefiting from better pass protection than last season, and the defensive line isn’t inviting running backs to cruise by.

Hunter’s numerous talents serve as an ace up his sleeve.

Colorado’s 49-24 crushing of Utah seemed substantial to me, not because of the Uten are a good opponent – they have now lost six in a row – but because Kyle Whittingham’s program means everything Colorado lacked last season.

Whittingham built the Utes’ brand on stability and toughness, while Prime’s Buffaloes had a reputation for being all mouth and no pants, even as the wins piled up this season. Well, Colorado put on its overalls in a workmanlike display of what had been the Big 12’s best defense.

Combine Shedeur Sanders’ abilities with talented receivers and it elevates Colorado’s reputation, but this isn’t flag football. A team needs a level of competency at the line of scrimmage, and Colorado has improved enough in those areas that it can beat a lunch pail opponent.

“We’re getting there,” Deion Sanders said afterward, “and we’re not nearly there yet.”

Granted, still not there as a national championship candidate, but almost there as the king of the Big 12’s slippery hill.

CALM DOWN: The five biggest overreactions of week 12

REARRANGING: Alabama rises among SEC teams in NCAA 1-134

How substantially did Tennessee’s CFP chances get hurt by losing to Georgia?

Good, Tennessee’s 31-17 loss in Athens certainly didn’t help. Tennessee didn’t get blown out, so that’s something, but in a logjam of SEC contenders where the playoff might only have room for four qualifiers, Volunteers just don’t overwhelm the evaluators with a resume or an eye test.

Georgia didn’t take a two-goal lead until late in the fourth quarter, but the Vols legitimized concerns about the limitations of their offense, and the defense that had gotten Tennessee to this point went out with a whimper.

If the playoff were to start today, the Vols would struggle to find a spot, and they have no chances to add another big win.

That’s the bad news for Tennessee.

The good news: The playoff doesn’t start today, and Tennessee wouldn’t need another win if it wins some help within the next two weeks.

Start by beating Texas-El Paso and Vanderbilt. That is non-negotiable. Then combine that with Florida upsetting Mississippi.

Either Notre Dame loses to Army or Southern California.

Or Penn State loses to Minnesota or Maryland.

Or Ohio State bludgeons Indiana.

Or SEC commissioner Greg Sankey changes the playoff format by December to open up even more spots for his conference. I’m just kidding about that last suggestion, but you get the idea.

Tennessee surrendered control of its postseason destiny by withering against Georgia, but it retains hope.

How dark is the SEC Championship matchup?

Not so dark. Follow along.

If Texas A&M and Texas win their games against Auburn and Kentucky respectively on Saturday, it will provide additional clarity. In that case, the Thanksgiving weekend game between Texas and Texas A&M would determine one spot in the SEC Championship, with Alabama first in line for the other spot in Atlanta.

If the Aggies and Longhorns each suffer losses before the SEC Championship, Georgia will enter the picture alongside Alabama.

Ole ma’am and Tennessee are the SEC’s two-loss teams least likely to reach Atlanta. In the case of the Rebels, this is considered a blessing. They’ll likely be in the playoff field if they reach 10-2, so why risk an Atlanta loss?

Should we take Dabo Swinney’s CFP talk seriously?

One of the great things about our country is that you can say slightly crazy things that you don’t even know if you believe or not face much retaliation other than a little ridicule.

I give you Dabo Swinney.

After Clemson pulled off an improbable escape in a 24-20 win against Pittsburgh, a reporter asked Swinney about Clemson’s playoff case. Presumably that meant a selection in the playoffs, because if Clemson were to win the ACC, that would cement a spot.

Swinney replied with an incoherent answer it boiled down to: Sure, why not?

“We are 8-2. It’s hard to win,” Swinney said. “We are undefeated on the road. … We had one huge loss in this competition.”

Plus a big non-conference loss at the hands of Georgia, which has two losses of its own.

Oh, and that league loss came at home against mediocre Louisville. Clemson laid an egg. That result, more than the setback against Georgia, pushed Clemson into a corner, and there is no other way out than through the ACC Championship. Clemson would need help to get there.

SMU and Miami are ahead of Clemson in the ACC standings, and as much as I doubt the committee will take two ACC teams, I know there isn’t room for three. The three-loss Pitt team now registers as Clemson’s best win.

“We’re in the fight,” Swinney said. “That’s all you can ask for.”

Unless SMU or Miami stumbles, Clemson will watch the battle for ACC supremacy while kidding itself for losing to Louisville.

Blake Toppmeyer is the national college football columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all his columns.