Odds and Ends 11/25/2020

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Welcome Back!

Here at Odds and Ends, I plan to look at some stats, trends, storylines, etc. as they play out.  I will also give my opinion on some issues, but you can take that for what it's worth.  In the past, I have usually listed all the teams that reach bowl eligibility, and those that have been eliminated, but since the NCAA has done away with any requirements, that feature will not appear this year.  

LIR

Let's start with the Last Interception Race (LIR).  In this space, I will be chronicling who has the most attempts without an interception.  This is a lot harder to keep up with, with teams playing so sporadically!  After week 12, here are the top 5:

1. Tyrell Pigrome, WKU- 237

2. Sam Hartman, WF- 195

3. DJ Uiagalelei, Clem- 104

4. David Mills, Stan- 56

5. Stone Norton, FIU- 52

Skylar Thompson (Kansas St) and Lowell Narcisse (UTSA) are both out for the season, so they have been dropped from the list.

I think this will be a fun race to watch!  I wonder how far we will get into the season until everyone has an interception?  This will also be an odd race to watch, as not everyone is started the season at the same time, and not everyone is playing the same number of games.

Undefeated Teams 

Here is a list of all the undefeated teams:

Alabama 7-0

Buffalo 3-0

BYU 9-0

Cincinnati 8-0

Coastal Carolina 8-0

Colorado 2-0

Kent State 3-0

Marshall 7-0

Nevada 5-0

Northwestern 5-0

Notre Dame 8-0

Ohio State 4-0

Oregon 3-0

San Jose State 4-0

USC 3-0

Washington 2-0

Western Michigan 3-0

Winless Teams

Here is a list of all the winless teams.  Hopefully, by the end of the season, there won't be any teams on this list!

Akron 0-3

Arizona 0-2

Arizona State 0-1

Bowling Green 0-3

California 0-2

Eastern Michigan 0-3

FIU 0-5

Kansas 0-7

New Mexico 0-4

Northern Illinois 0-3

Penn State 0-5

Stanford 0-2

ULM 0-8

UMass 0-3

UNLV 0-4

Utah State 0-4

Vanderbilt 0-7

There are 17 undefeated teams (down from 21) and 17 winless teams (down from 18).

1 team is 9-0, 3 teams are 8-0, 2 teams are 7-0, 2 are 5-0, 2 are 4-0, 5 are 3-0, and 2 are 2-0.  

1 team is 0-8, 2 are 0-7, 2 are 0-5, 3 are 0-4, 5 are 0-3, 3 are 0-2, and 1 team is 0-1.

USF is the lone team with a win, but none against an FBS team.

By conference, the breakdown is as follows (# of undefeated teams listed 1st, # of winless 2nd):

SEC 1-1

B10 2-1

ACC 1-0

B12 0-1

IND 1-1

AAC 1-0

MWC 2-3

CUSA 1-1

SBC 1-1

MAC 3-4

PAC 12 4-4

Conference Standings

I will revisit this at the end of the year, as there are so few OOC games.


Which Division is Best?

So far, this is how the divisions in the conferences that are using them have fared against each other:

SEC West leads the East 16-8

CUSA East leads the West 6-3

SBC East leads the West 13-3

MAC East is tied with the West 3-3

PAC 12 South is tied with the PAC 12 North 2-2

Western division teams are 25-30 against eastern division teams.  

Update on Paul's Playoff Picks:

My initial 4 were Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma.  When the Big Ten dropped play, I replaced OSU with Georgia.  Now that they are back, I would reinsert OSU over UGA, but Oklahoma has not played up to expectations.  In this unusual year, I'm going to say I have 5 picks, and 4 will get in.  So... Clemson didn't play; Alabama destroyed Kentucky after a slow start; Ohio State survived against Indiana; Oklahoma routed Oklahoma State; and Georgia defeated Miss State.  All of my original teams are theoretically still in play for a playoff bid, though Oklahoma is a long shot.  Only my replacement team, Georgia, has been eliminated.

Conference Races

This is how things stand as of now.  This is subject to change as games are canceled, postponed, rescheduled, or whatever.  Please realize that this does not take every possible scenario into account, and these could change if games are added.  I will update this each week until all title game participants have been determined.

 

AAC

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

Cincinnati

Will get in if:

Tulsa- needs 1 win @Navy or vs. Cincinnati

SMU- if it wins @ECU and vs. Houston, and Tulsa loses twice

Memphis- if it wins @Navy, @Tulane, and Vs Houston, Tulsa loses twice, SMU loses once

Houston- if it wins @SMU and @Memphis, Tulsa loses twice, UCF loses to USF

Navy- if it wins vs Memphis and Tulsa, Tulsa loses to Cincy, SMU loses once, Houston loses once, UCF loses to USF

Eliminated:

UCF, Tulane, Temple, ECU, USF


ACC

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Notre Dame- if it wins 2 of @UNC, Syracuse, @Wake Forest, or if it wins one and Clemson loses once or Miami loses twice.

Clemson- if it wins vs Pitt and @VT, or if Miami loses twice, or if they win once and Miami loses once, or if ND loses 2 or 3 games

Miami- if it wins @Wake and vs. UNC, and Clemson loses once, or if ND loses twice

North Carolina- if it wins vs ND and @Miami, and Clemson loses once (not sure who would win the tiebreaker between Clemson and UNC) or if ND loses once more

Eliminated:

NC State, Va Tech, Boston College, Wake Forest, Pitt, Virginia, Ga Tech, Duke, Louisville, FSU, Syracuse

 

Big 12

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Iowa State- if it wins @Texas, or wins vs WVU and Texas loses to KSU or Kansas

Oklahoma- if it wins vs Baylor and @WVU, or wins one and Texas and OSU lose once

Texas- if it wins vs ISU, @KSU and @Kansas and Oklahoma loses once

Oklahoma State- if it wins vs Texas Tech, @TCU and @Baylor, and Oklahoma and Texas each lose once

Kansas State- if it wins @Baylor and vs Texas, and Oklahoma and WVU lose once each

West Virginia- if it wins @ISU and vs Oklahoma, and Texas and OSU lose once each

Eliminated:

TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas

 

Big Ten East

Clinched a berth in the Title Game:

None

Will get in if:

Ohio State-if it wins 2 of vs Illinois, @Mich St, vs Michigan, or if it wins one and Indiana loses once

Indiana- if it wins vs Maryland, @Wisconsin, and vs Purdue, and OSU loses any 2 games

Maryland- if it wins @Indiana, @Michigan, and vs Rutgers and OSU loses twice or loses once and has 2 games canceled

Michigan- if it wins vs Penn St, vs Maryland, and @Ohio St, and OSU loses its other 2 games, and Indiana loses its remaining 3 games, and Maryland loses one other game

Eliminated:

Michigan State, Rutgers, Penn State

 

Big Ten West

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Northwestern- if it wins one of its remaining 3 games: @Mich St, @Minn, vs Illinois

Iowa- if it wins vs Nebraska, @Illinois, and vs Wisconsin, and NW loses all 3 games

Purdue- if it wins vs Rutgers, vs Nebraska, and @Indiana, NW loses 3 times, and Iowa loses once

Illinois- if it wins vs Ohio State, vs Iowa, and @Northwestern, NW loses twice more, and Purdue loses once

Eliminated:

Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska

 

CUSA East

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Marshall- if it wins vs Rice and @FIU, or wins once and FAU loses once

FAU- if it wins @MTSU and @USM and Marshall loses once

Charlotte- if it wins vs WKU and FIU and both Marshall and FAU lose at least once each

Eliminated:

WKU, MTSU, FIU, ODU

 

CUSA West

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

UTSA- if it wins vs North Texas and UAB loses vs Rice

UAB- if it wins vs Rice

La Tech- if it wins @ North Texas, and both UAB and UTSA lose, and Rice loses once

North Texas- if it wins @UTSA, vs La Tech, and @UTEP and UAB loses to Rice

Rice- if it wins vs UTEP, @Marshall, and vs UAB, and UTSA loses to NT, and LT loses to NT, and NT loses to UTEP

Eliminated:

Southern Miss, UTEP

 

MAC East

Clinched a berth in the Title Game:

None 

Will get in if:

Buffalo- if it wins vs Kent State and @Ohio

Kent State- if it wins @Buffalo, @Miami, and vs Ohio

Ohio- if it wins vs Bowling Green, vs Buffalo, and @Kent State

Miami- if it wins @Akron, vs Kent State, and @Bowling Green, and Buffalo loses once

Eliminated:

Akron, Bowling Green

 

MAC West

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Western Michigan- if it wins vs NIU or EMU, and @Ball State

Ball State- if it wins @Toledo, @CMU, and vs WMU

Central Michigan- if it wins @EMU, vs Ball State, and @Toledo, and WMU loses once

Toledo- if it wins vs Ball State, @NIU, and vs CMU, and WMU loses once

Eliminated:

EMU, NIU

 

Mountain West

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Nevada- if it wins @SJSU and 1 of @Hawai’i and vs Fresno State

San Jose State- if it wins @Boise State or vs Nevada and vs Hawai’i

Boise State- if it wins vs SJSU, and either @UNLV or @Wyoming

Fresno State- if it wins @Nevada and vs New Mexico, and 2 of the Nevada/SJSU/Boise State triumvirate lose once more

San Diego State- if it wins vs Colorado State, and the triumvirate lose twice each, and Fresno State loses once

Hawai’i- if it wins vs Nevada, @SJSU, and vs UNLV, and Nevada and SJSU lose once more, and SDSU lose to CSU, and Fresno State loses once

Wyoming- if it wins vs UNLV, New Mexico, and Boise State, , and Boise State loses once more, SJSU loses twice, and Fresno State loses once

Eliminated:

Colorado State, Air Force, New Mexico, UNLV, Utah State

 

PAC 12

There have been too few games played, and too many possibilities remaining to spell out here.  I will go into detail next week.

 

SEC East

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Florida- if it wins 2 of vs Kentucky, @Tennessee, vs LSU, or if it wins 1 and UGA loses 1

Georgia- if it wins vs South Carolina and @Vandy, and Florida loses twice

Eliminated:

Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt

 

SEC West

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Alabama- if it wins vs Auburn or @Arkansas

Texas A&M- if it wins vs LSU, @Auburn, and @Tennessee, and Alabama loses twice

Auburn- if it wins @Alabama, vs TAMU, and @Miss St, and Alabama loses to Arkansas

Eliminated:

LSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Mississippi State

 

Sun Belt East

Clinched a berth in the Title Game: 

None

Will get in if:

Coastal Carolina- if it wins @Texas State or @Troy

Appalachian State- if it wins vs Troy, vs Louisiana, and @Georgia Southern, and CCU loses both games

Eliminated:

Georgia Southern, Troy, Georgia State

 

Sun Belt West

Clinched a berth in the Title Game:

Louisiana

Will get in if:

None

Eliminated:

South Alabama, Texas State, Arkansas State, ULM

 

Games I'm excited about this weekend:

(Assuming they happen...)

Iowa State @ Texas- Can the Cyclones stay in the driver’s seat in the Big 12?  Can the Longhorns extend their 3-game winning streak and perhaps play their way back into the Big 12 Championship Game?

 

Notre Dame @ North Carolina- Can the Fighting Irish stay undefeated? The Tar Heels have scored 41+ in 5 of their 8 games and in their last 4; can they do it again and give themselves a chance?

 

Maryland @ Indiana- Can the Hoosiers rebound from their 1st loss of 2020?  Will the Terrapins be able to hang with Indy?

 

Ken State @ Buffalo- Can the Golden Flashes be the 1st team to hold the Bulls under 42 points? Which team will take control of the MAC East?

 

Auburn @ Alabama- Can the Tigers actually upset the Crimson Tide?  Will the War Eagles be able to keep the game close, seeing as it’s in Tuscaloosa?

 

Pittsburgh @ Clemson- Are the Tigers ripe for an upset?  Are the Panthers the team to do it?

 

USC @ Colorado- Are the Buffaloes for real?  Which team will take control of the PAC 12 South?

 

San Jose State @ Boise State- Can the Spartans actually hang with the Broncos? Can the loser of this game still make it to the MWC title game?

 

Georgia @ South Carolina- Can the Dawgs rediscover their running game and achieve a balanced offense?  Can the Gamecocks put a solid offensive and defensive performance together in the same game?

 

That's all for now.  Tomorrow, I will have my picks for Week 2.  Feel free to leave a comment and to follow me on Twitter: @pbanderson. 

Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!

  

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