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Crash Course Week 7: Can the Huskies crack the playoff race?
Quarterback Jake Browning not only is suddenly on the Heisman watch list, he's also put the Washington Huskies squarely into the national championship discussion. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Crash Course Week 7: Can the Huskies crack the playoff race?

Goodbye, Houston. The Cougars loss to Navy pretty much ends any shot for a playoff spot. Last year it was a loss to UConn that did them in, but this year was supposed to be different. After an opening win over Oklahoma and their spanking everyone in their path, this looked like the year we could get a party crasher. Most (including yours truly) were pointing to their November contest with Louisville as the Cougars big shot to make a statement for a playoff bid.

Houston's loss is Washington's gain in my playoff movement. As of right now, I see Alabama, Clemson, Washington and the Ohio State/Michigan winner as the playoff teams. Of course there is so much more football to be played and you never know what could happen.

1-SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE

FAVORITE: ALABAMA
Bama survived their first SEC test by pounding Arkansas in Fayetteville. Up next is traveling to Knoxville to take on Tennessee before their showdown with Texas A&M.

GAME OF THE WEEK: ALABAMA AT TENNESSEE
While Alabama won their big game last week, Tennessee did not. The Vols got off to a slow start again and ended up losing in overtime to Texas A&M. While that stings, it doesn't totally take Tennessee out of the national championship chase. Beating Alabama is a must. There are times that the Vols look like they could beat anyone anywhere but they struggle to put that together for the full 60 minutes. That won't play against Alabama.

UNDER-THE-RADAR GAME:  OLE MISS AT ARKANSAS
Both the Rebels and Razorbacks had their shot at toppling Alabama and neither could. Ole Miss is well rested after a bye week whereas Arkansas just came off a physical beating from Alabama. Rebels' quarterback Chad Kelly should be able to continue his solid season against a team that has allowed 44 points per game against the three ranked opponents they've faced.

HEISMAN WATCH: LEONARD FOURNETTE, LSU
Well, he will be one of the hot names around NFL Draft time.

STORYLINE
The long national nightmare is now over. The LSU-Florida game has been rescheduled. For now, it seems, Florida got the short end of the stick.

The game was supposed to be played last weekend in Florida, but fears over Hurricane Matthew caused Florida to postpone the game due to safety. LSU was a bit peeved because contingency plans like moving the game to Sunday were ignored and in turn made it difficult to reschedule the game. Some around the SEC even wondered if Florida was nervous to play LSU and conveniently canceled the game so they didn't suffer a loss.  here were complications around this regarding the standings if the game wasn't made up, notably Florida possibly finishing 6-1 and passing Tennessee in the East division standings.

So for over a week the schools and the league attempted to figure out anything to get the game played. LSU, however, wasn't willing to budge. The most popular solution was to buy out the two schools' opponents on November 19th (South Alabama, Presbyterian) and then schedule the game. LSU wasn't for that since their community has taken financial hits and losing a home game would hit the wallet hard. So the solution was buying out those opponents and scheduling the game in Baton Rouge.

In the short term, this hurts Florida. Now, this game will be played on the road instead of Gainsville which will obviously be a competitive disadvantage. Florida has one SEC loss this year (Tennessee) yet could win the division if they stay with the one loss and Tennessee gets its second SEC loss against Alabama on Saturday. To move this game to LSU is a huge deal. Also, Florida essentially lost two home games  – the moved game against LSU and their buy-out game against Presbyterian. That leaves the Gators with just five home games this season which is unheard of for a program of that caliber.

LSU doesn't lose any home games, loses a road game and gets a key conference game at home. Plus Leonard Fournette, who would have missed the game last week due to injury, should be available for the game. Seems like a win for the Tigers, eh?

Sure, but when you dig deep it may not be the case. In the agreement, LSU must travel to Florida to play the Gators in both 2017 and 2018, giving the Tigers only three SEC home games next season. Plus, check out the Tigers' remaining schedule: Ole Miss, Alabama, at Arkansas, Florida, at Texas A&M. With an interim coach and a struggling team, this is a brutal schedule that doesn't let up. Without the feel good South Alabama game (most SEC schools schedule a cupcake late in the season) there is no let-up. They could lose all five of those games, miss a bowl and go into the offseason with a brand new coaching staff that is staring at five SEC road games and just three home games next season.

The biggest takeaway from this is that the SEC has given commish Greg Sankey more power in fixing things like this. From the outside, folks were blown away that this was such a difficult and public process. LSU and Florida bickered about this with LSU basically not bending on anything. In the future, Sankey will be able to find a solution and make the necessary change.

2-BIG TEN CONFERENCE

FAVORITE: OHIO STATE
Ohio State blew out Indiana, which is actually a big deal than what it sounds. Indiana has been playing pretty well this season but the Buckeyes pounced all over them. Now, on to Wisky!

GAME OF THE WEEK: OHIO STATE AT WISCONSIN
Poor Wisconsin. Despite being in the Western Division, the Badgers have had to play both Michigan and now Ohio State. Against Michigan, Wisconsin battled in a physical meeting and came up short. Against Ohio State, there might be a bit more offense but the task is still daunting. Still, Camp Randall is a tough place to play and Ohio State better strap it up. The Buckeyes are more talented, but can they be as tough as Wisconsin?

UNDER-THE-RADAR GAME: NEBRASKA AT INDIANA
Nebraska seems to be the forgotten team in the Big Ten, but here they are with a 5-0 record and a No. 10 ranking. Well, their biggest win to date was over Oregon and that certainly doesn't look as good as it once did.  Indiana has been a pleasant surprise. Last year, Indiana played Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa tough last year in Bloomington and this two weeks ago they beat Michigan State. Baby steps, sure, but this is an Indiana program that has been stuck at the bottom of the Big Ten for a long while. Nebraska is on a serious upset alert.

HEISMAN WATCH: J.T. BARRETT, OHIO STATE
Barrett didn't look very crisp against Indiana last week. Despite blowing out the Hoosiers, Barrett thew for under 100 yards but did lead all Buckeyes with 137 yards rushing. Like I always say, every Heisman candidate can have a soft game mixed in there, especially if they still win the game in convincing fashion, and Barrett got lucky that it happened at the same time no one else really blew it out of the water.

STORYLINE
Michigan destroyed Rutgers 78-0 and people are talking about it. Did Michigan run up the score? Well, 78-0 is no accident but I'm not in the "running up the score" camp. After all, Michigan emptied its bench and pretty much just ran the ball the entire game. While I'm sure the Michigan backups are just as good or better than the Rutgers starters, you can't keep guys who've been itching to show what they can do lay off when they finally get in there.

I've always said that in professional sports, there is no running up the score. In college, however, that can be the case in some instances. If Michigan was playing some FCS school or even some Sun Belt or Conference USA school then I can see where the dogs should be called off. But they were playing a fellow Big Ten school, albeit one that many feel shouldn't be in the Big Ten.

Lost in all this conference expansion is the competitive nature of the moves. Rutgers and Maryland were added to the Big Ten for their markets and not really for their football prowess and Rutgers took on the challenge because it pays well. Well, the New York/New Jersey area just got to see their Scarlet Knights lose to Ohio State and Michigan by a combined 136-0 score. Rutgers isn't just Big Ten bad. They'd be bad in the American Athletic Conference, the league they played in for the 2013 season.

Rutgers was outgained 601 to 39. They had just six of those yards in the first half. They threw for a total of five passing yards. It was 71-0 before Rutgers got their first first down. Rutgers punted 16 times. Rutgers' quarterback Zach Allen completed 1 of 10 passes for -1 yards. It was really, really, really bad.

There was some gamesmanship by Jim Harbaugh. Remember that Ohio State just beat Rutgers 58-0 the week prior so I'm sure that he wanted to top that. There was a fake extra point thrown in there when it was 27-0. But don't cry for a program that took the money to play in a conference they just can't currently compete in. It wasn't just Michigan piling on points but Rutgers isn't in the Wolverines' league. Except, they are.

3-ATLANTIC COAST CONFERNCE


FAVORITE: CLEMSON
Clemson blew out Boston College and are starting to look like the Tigers we saw in 2015. The Louisville win seemed to give them that spark and the defense is playing really well. The Florida State game is coming up.

GAME OF THE WEEK: NORTH CAROLINA AT MIAMI
Both the Hurricanes and Tar Heels suffered their first ACC losses last week. Miami came up short against Florida State while North Carolina was blown out by Virginia Tech. Both are now trailing the Hokies in a Coastal Division race that is so up in the air. Neither (especially UNC) can afford to lose this one or risk a free fall in the division.

UNDER-THE-RADAR GAME: PITTSBURGH AT VIRGINIA
Staying in the Coastal Division, Pitt faces a surprising Virginia team that has won two straight including a conference game over Duke. The Cavaliers were supposed to be a dark horse in the division but got off to a horrible 0-3 start. They've turned it around a bit behind QB Kurt Benkert. The defense (which forced six turnovers against Duke) better be up to the task against one of the better rushing attacks in the ACC.

HEISMAN WATCH: LAMAR JACKSON, LOUISVILLE
Jackson is still the leader for the Heisman even if there is a bit of the shine off him after his great game (though a loss) against Clemson.

STORYLINE
Keeping with the theme of the Coastal Division, all of the focus has been on the Atlantic Division (deservedly so) with Clemson, Louisville and Florida State but the Coastal continues to be the most fun. Virginia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Duke and Georgia Tech all have a shot at this thing for a variety of reasons. Miami has looked like the best team but Virginia Tech has scrapped together a first place spot. North Carolina's passing offense is lethal, Georgia Tech continues its unique running game and Pitt can do both. Duke won at Notre Dame and Virginia is turning it around under coach Bronco Mendenhall.

Are these championship caliber teams? No. And that's okay since it isn't always about that. Winning the division and getting to play one of those elite Atlantic Division teams in the ACC title game is an accomplishment. The great thing is that all seven of the Coastal schools seem to be on the rise and should make for a fun future.

4-PACIFIC 12 CONFERENCE

FAVORITE: WASHINGTON
Washington went into Oregon's house of horrors and blew the Ducks out of the water. Not only that, but Houston lost which gives Washington a good look at a playoff spot if they can win out.

GAME OF THE WEEK: ARIZONA STATE AT COLORADO
Colorado somehow lost to USC last week and now get Arizona State, one of the most fun offenses to watch. Colorado, of you remember, hung with Michigan last month and Sefo Liufau will take his starting QB gig back. If you've read this each week you know how much I love putting the Sun Devils in this spot. Their offense is fun to watch and it should be a nice challenge to go against the Buffs defense, especially since they'll likely be starting a freshman signal caller. I like fun games and with Washington off this week, this may be the best eye candy.

UNDER-THE-RADAR GAME: STANFORD AT NOTRE DAME
No, this isn't really under the radar. Here are two rivals who have been hit with some tough times. Stanford was a strong bet for a playoff spot and have now lost two straight, including a stunning beat down from Washington State in Palo Alto. Notre Dame also had title dreams but have since looked anything like a good team, losing to Duke (at home) and NC State over the last few weeks. Both teams really need to have this one with the loser in huge trouble.

HEISMAN WATCH: JAKE BROWNING, WASHINGTON
McCaffrey doesn't live here anymore. He's still good and still in the Heisman race but Browning is the man in the Pac-12 for now. After smashing Stanford, he went into Eugene and blasted Oregon. The Huskies hung 70 on the Ducks. Browning went 22-of-28 for over 300 yards, six touchdowns plus two more rushing scores. Browning is quickly climbing into this race.

STORYLINE
Washington or bust. The Pac-12 was felt to have a shot at missing the College Football Playoff this year. Not only were the ACC, Big Ten and SEC champions looking like givens, those leagues also had a shot at getting a second team in. Oh, and then there was Houston.

Now Washington looks to be in a good spot. They are undefeated, ranked in the top five and have a relatively easier schedule than most of the other top teams in the country. Outside of a trip to Utah, there are no ranked teams left on the slate. That doesn't mean there aren't land mines as the Pac-12 if chock-full of teams that can look good one week and bad the next. The Huskies still have road trips to Cal and the Apple Cup game with Washington State.

No other Pac-12 team has a shot at it. Stanford's loss to Washington State ended their hopes. Utah does have that home game with Washington remaining to make a statement but they haven't beaten anyone else and have that home loss to Cal sitting there. Arizona State has just one loss but there's no way they can win out with their injury issues at quarterback. Everyone else has at least two losses.

It's all on Washington.

5-BIG 12 CONFERENCE

FAVORITE: BAYLOR
The Bears were off last week, but they actually had a good week. Baylor just watched Houston lose so they, provided they run the table, could sneak into the playoff. Really? All Baylor has done is beat Oklahoma State and little else. Baylor is in a nice spot, but let's chill for a bit.

GAME OF THE WEEK: WEST VIRGINIA AT TEXAS TECH
West Virginia is also undefeated, but no one is taking them too seriously. Winning at Texas Tech, though, will spark some interest. Texas Tech isn't a great team, but their offense is something to behold. The Mountaineers will have to hang with the Red Raiders, who leads the nation in passing and second in scoring, in Lubbock.

UNDER-THE-RADAR GAME: KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA
The Big 12 has been dismissed a bit, especially since Oklahoma lost to Houston and Ohio State. But this is still a pretty good team that can win the Big 12 and get to a big-time bowl. The Sooners are 2-0 in conference play, already beat TCU and Texas and seemingly have their offense getting better. Last year, Oklahoma won this game, 55-0, in Manhattan. Now in Norman, K-State would love nothing better than to bring it to the Sooners just as they are feeling a bit better about themselves. The Wildcats should feel a bit confident since they've won their last two trips there.

HEISMAN WATCH: SETH RUSSELL, BAYLOR
No game last week, but Russell is the Big 12's best shot at the Heisman.

STORYLINE
I'm not going to go into the entire Baylor scandal, but its linger effect on what could be an uncomfortable situation in January. Baylor leads the Big 12 and could actually end up as one of the four teams in the College Football Playoff.

A lot of people don't want this. They don't want to reward a school that had part of a cover-up of sexual assaults to be on the biggest stage, trying to win a national championship. A scandal that cost head coach Art Briles and university president Kenneth Starr their jobs shouldn't be clouding the biggest event in the sport.

Stuck in the middle of this are the student-athletes. Not only are they branded by being students at Baylor during this time, but their football team being rooted on the fail. These kids had nothing to do with this. Yet there is now a human element to this where a selection committee selects who gets to make the playoffs. Will that group take into consideration the scandal, not so much as a major roadblock but just as an emotional decision? As long as Baylor stays in the race, this will be a storyline.

6-GROUP OF FIVE

FAVORITE: BOISE STATE
Houston lost to Navy, effectively ending their playoff hopes. Now we are back to good ol' Boise State. The Broncos are sitting there at 5-0 with a No. 15 ranking. Could they make it to the playoff? It's a slim chance. Their best win is over Washington State and they should be favored the rest of the way. But that still may not be enough, even over a team with one loss.

GAME OF THE WEEK: WESTERN MICHIGAN AT AKRON
Don't look now, but Western Michigan is also undefeated and are now ranked. Hmmm. They're also the Broncos. WMU won't make the playoff if it runs the table, but a New Year's Six bowl isn't out of the question. The Broncos have won at Northwestern and at Illinois (two Big Ten road games) and have looked strong thus far in MAC play. Plus, they are ranked for the first time in the AP poll so there is some pep in the school's step. Akron is no slouch.  Akron leads the East Division, is hosting their first ranked team ever and this could be a preview of the MAC title game.

UNDER-THE-RADAR GAME: COLORADO STATE AT BOISE STATE
With Houston off people's minds, fall in love with Boise State all over again.

HEISMAN WATCH: GREG WARD JR, HOUSTON
Ward's candidacy was linked to Houston's run to a playoff spot. A loss to Navy ended that so Ward will just be relegated to fringe guy that is having a noticeable season.

STORYLINE
You want to know why all these schools have been scrambling to get into a Power 5 conference? Why there has been a free-for-all among AAC, MAC, C-USA and Mountain West schools trying to nudge into the Big 12 this summer?  This is why:  Houston.

The Cougars were a national novelty for the first six weeks of the season and have now been put back into the glut of other cute schools that we notice every once in a while. They were the next in a line of "group of five" programs that ascended to the national spotlight due to not only continuous winning but knocking someone we know off along the way. We watch and wait, watch and wait, watch and wait for them to either prove they belong among the elite or to take their place among the second tier of schools.

In the BCS era, it was a bit more cute. There were more spots available (eight) so it wouldn't be out of the question for a Boise State, Utah, Tulane or Hawaii to make a run for it. Now there is only four spots and those are reserved for the best-of-the-best. Even the major conferences (Big 12, Pac-12) have trouble getting in. So to see an American Athletic Conference school like Houston making a run allowed all of us to scrutinize them a little more. Now it isn't just a spot in a major bowl on a line, it is a shot for a national title on the line. Do they deserve it? Do they deserve it over a school that's playing in a tougher conference against a tougher schedule?

Group of 5 schools will always struggle in that aspect. Also, when you are having success like Houston is this season, you have a huge bullseye on your back that all those schools are gunning for. Take the Western Michigan-Akron game this week. This is the first ranked team to play at Akron's stadium ever. They are so excited for this opportunity. Think of how the crowd at Navy celebrated beating Houston. Highly ranked schools don't go to those stadiums.

But if you get to one of these big conferences, you are suddenly legitimized. That, plus the hefty paycheck, are reasons why these schools have been falling all over themselves for a seat at the adult table.

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