A Horror Story

[StatesEye]

The regular season and conference championship games of 2024 are in the books.

IN THE ACC….

A resurgent Miami, with no serious competition within the conference, completes a perfect regular season record along with an ACC championship. They are 13-0. The rest of the ACC is abysmal with no team having better than a 8-4 regular season record (GTech), which lost to Miami twice (once in the regular season and in the CCG) by at least 17 points on both occasions.


IN THE BIG XII….

Things are a little better in the Big XII. Utah dispatches a feisty 9-3 Kansas team to win the conference championship in their inaugural Big XII season. Utah sits at 12-1 with Kansas at 10-3.


IN THE BIG TEN….

At 12-1, Riley has seemingly rebounded at USC. In typical Riley fashion, USC loses a head scratcher at Minnesota on Oct 5, but the Trojans have wins against LSU, Michigan, Penn State and Notre Dame. Notre Dame was the #1-ranked team in the country when USC blisters them by 17 points on Nov 30. The season would prove Michigan to be mediocre, as they would finish 8-4. Penn State also finishes 8-4. However, the Trojan’s whipping placed on ND followed by their win against Top-10 Oregon in the Big Ten championship game ignites national media praise which, in chorus, sings “Told Ya So!” concerning The Genius and the return of glory to Troy.
Ohio State drops their game against Oregon and Nebraska in back-to-back weeks but wins out from there. They stand at 10-2.
Oregon would reach the #2 spot in the rankings, until their upset loss against Michigan on Nov 2. They sit at 11-2 after a close loss to USC in the Big Ten championship game.


NOTRE DAME….

Not much to say here. The Irish cruise through their schedule after their win against what would end up a dangerous Aggie team. As mentioned earlier, they would obtain the #1 ranking until meeting the USC buzzsaw. Nevertheless, at 11-1 they are safely in the CFP.


THE SEC….

Oklahoma…… The Sooners early-season OL issues improve during the early part of the season, and their defense proves to be what most Sooner fans hoped for. The Tulane game would be the first obvious signs. Tulane would score 7 of their 10 total points with less than three minutes to play in garbage time. The final score….34-10.

However, the Sooner would lose three straight afterward. The Tenn game was heartbreaking, as a 55-yard field goal with 4 seconds to play would bounce of the right upright, securing a 28-27 win for the Vols. The Auburn game would prove to be the most puzzling game of the season. The Sooners fell behind early with Auburn leading 14-0 after the first quarter inside a hell-crazed Jordan-Hare stadium. The Sooners were unable to overcome a 21-3 halftime deficit and lose by a final score of 34-21.

The following week produce more agony for the Sooners as Texas would boot a 47-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play, securing a win for Texas in what had been a back-and-forth game.

From there, OU would go on what was the most impressive run of the college football season which included a 37-24 win @ #4 Ole Miss, a 35-13 win @ #6 Missouri, and an eye-opening 41-21 win at home against then #1 Alabama. Oklahoma would close out the season but placing the fifth loss on LSU by a score of 44-9.

Other SEC teams…..

Alabama would beat Georgia (35-31) in their first meeting but lose to Georgia in the SEC championship game by a score of 38-30. Georgia sits at 12-1 and Alabama at 11-2.

The SEC would end up cannibalizing their early season CFP contenders. Tenn would go 9-3 with losses to Arkansas, Bama and Georgia. Texas, after losing to Michigan early in the season, would drop three more to Georgia, Arkansas and A&M (LOL) and finish 8-4. Texas A&M would also finish 9-3 with losses to ND, Mizzou and Auburn. Mizzou would finish 10-2 on a relatively soft schedule with their only losses to OU and Alabama. Ole Miss would also finish 10-2 with their only losses to OU and Georgia.


THE FINAL CFP POLL….

Similar to the 2022 season, the committee first divided team into tiers based on win-loss records. There was only one undefeated team (Miami). No controversy around this.

There were three 12-1 teams (Georgia, USC, Utah). Georgia was given the nod over the other two because of who they lost to (Alabama vs Minnesota) and the fact that Georgia avenged the loss to Alabama. USC was given the next nod because of their strength of schedule vs Utah and the quality of their play in November. “Outside of Oklahoma, perhaps no one is playing better ball than USC right now.”, as the committee chairman shared on national television. Notre Dame sat alone at 11-1.

There were two 11-2 teams (Alabama, Oregon). Alabama was given the nod over Oregon based on who they had beaten (12-1 Georgia vs 10-2 Ohio St) and who they had lost to (12-1 Georgia vs 12-1 USC).

There were three teams at 10-2 (Ole Miss, Ohio St, Mizzou). First, the committee gave the nod to Ole Miss over Mizzou due to strength of schedule and more importantly how both teams fared against common opponents. The committee chairman specifically mentioned that both teams played OU at home and Mississippi’s 13-point loss to OU at home looked much better than Mizzou’s 22-point loss at home. Mizzou was given the nod over Ohio St due to who each team lost to (Bama, OU vs Oregon, Nebraska).

There were three teams at 9-3 (Tenn, Oklahoma, Texas A&M). The committee chairman described the heated debate during committee discussion on whether to weigh current play more importantly or whether head-to-head should prevail. The committee chairman admitted on national television that the decision between Tenn vs OU was the most talked about decision of the committee for the final CFP poll, and the final decision was head-to-head should be the deciding factor. Tenn got the nod over Oklahoma. Oklahoma got the nod over A&M based on who each team had beaten (Mizzou, Ole Miss, Alabama vs Arkansas, Texas).

The Top-13 in the final CFP poll was……

1. Miami (13-0)
2. Georgia (12-1)
3. USC (12-1)
4. Utah (12-1)
5. Notre Dame (11-1)
6. Alabama (11-2)
7. Oregon (11-2)
8. Ole Miss (10-2)
9. Mizzou (10-2)
10. Ohio St (10-2)
11. Tenn (9-3)
12. Oklahoma (9-3)
13. Texas A&M (9-3)

Oklahoma, likely one of the best two teams in the country at the end of the year, loses their shot at a CFP berth due to the head-to-head result against Tennessee. As the twelfth-ranked team, OU is displaced by the top-ranked G6 team in the land. This team was…………….






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Tulane, ranked #16 at 12-1.

[AllSooner]

Great story......but here's to praying that you've got it wrong!

[Zgeo]

Was it Huyawasca? Or just straight LSD?

[SoonerinLA]

Tulane has been surprisingly impressive the past 2-3 years. But they are rebuilding this year.

[waddy's ghost]

The regular season and conference championship games of 2024 are in the books.

IN THE ACC….

A resurgent Miami, with no serious competition within the conference, completes a perfect regular season record along with an ACC championship. They are 13-0. The rest of the ACC is abysmal with no team having better than a 8-4 regular season record (GTech), which lost to Miami twice (once in the regular season and in the CCG) by at least 17 points on both occasions.


IN THE BIG XII….

Things are a little better in the Big XII. Utah dispatches a feisty 9-3 Kansas team to win the conference championship in their inaugural Big XII season. Utah sits at 12-1 with Kansas at 10-3.


IN THE BIG TEN….

At 12-1, Riley has seemingly rebounded at USC. In typical Riley fashion, USC loses a head scratcher at Minnesota on Oct 5, but the Trojans have wins against LSU, Michigan, Penn State and Notre Dame. Notre Dame was the #1-ranked team in the country when USC blisters them by 17 points on Nov 30. The season would prove Michigan to be mediocre, as they would finish 8-4. Penn State also finishes 8-4. However, the Trojan’s whipping placed on ND followed by their win against Top-10 Oregon in the Big Ten championship game ignites national media praise which, in chorus, sings “Told Ya So!” concerning The Genius and the return of glory to Troy.
Ohio State drops their game against Oregon and Nebraska in back-to-back weeks but wins out from there. They stand at 10-2.
Oregon would reach the #2 spot in the rankings, until their upset loss against Michigan on Nov 2. They sit at 11-2 after a close loss to USC in the Big Ten championship game.


NOTRE DAME….

Not much to say here. The Irish cruise through their schedule after their win against what would end up a dangerous Aggie team. As mentioned earlier, they would obtain the #1 ranking until meeting the USC buzzsaw. Nevertheless, at 11-1 they are safely in the CFP.


THE SEC….

Oklahoma…… The Sooners early-season OL issues improve during the early part of the season, and their defense proves to be what most Sooner fans hoped for. The Tulane game would be the first obvious signs. Tulane would score 7 of their 10 total points with less than three minutes to play in garbage time. The final score….34-10.

However, the Sooner would lose three straight afterward. The Tenn game was heartbreaking, as a 55-yard field goal with 4 seconds to play would bounce of the right upright, securing a 28-27 win for the Vols. The Auburn game would prove to be the most puzzling game of the season. The Sooners fell behind early with Auburn leading 14-0 after the first quarter inside a hell-crazed Jordan-Hare stadium. The Sooners were unable to overcome a 21-3 halftime deficit and lose by a final score of 34-21.

The following week produce more agony for the Sooners as Texas would boot a 47-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play, securing a win for Texas in what had been a back-and-forth game.

From there, OU would go on what was the most impressive run of the college football season which included a 37-24 win @ #4 Ole Miss, a 35-13 win @ #6 Missouri, and an eye-opening 41-21 win at home against then #1 Alabama. Oklahoma would close out the season but placing the fifth loss on LSU by a score of 44-9.

Other SEC teams…..

Alabama would beat Georgia (35-31) in their first meeting but lose to Georgia in the SEC championship game by a score of 38-30. Georgia sits at 12-1 and Alabama at 11-2.

The SEC would end up cannibalizing their early season CFP contenders. Tenn would go 9-3 with losses to Arkansas, Bama and Georgia. Texas, after losing to Michigan early in the season, would drop three more to Georgia, Arkansas and A&M (LOL) and finish 8-4. Texas A&M would also finish 9-3 with losses to ND, Mizzou and Auburn. Mizzou would finish 10-2 on a relatively soft schedule with their only losses to OU and Alabama. Ole Miss would also finish 10-2 with their only losses to OU and Georgia.


THE FINAL CFP POLL….

Similar to the 2022 season, the committee first divided team into tiers based on win-loss records. There was only one undefeated team (Miami). No controversy around this.

There were three 12-1 teams (Georgia, USC, Utah). Georgia was given the nod over the other two because of who they lost to (Alabama vs Minnesota) and the fact that Georgia avenged the loss to Alabama. USC was given the next nod because of their strength of schedule vs Utah and the quality of their play in November. “Outside of Oklahoma, perhaps no one is playing better ball than USC right now.”, as the committee chairman shared on national television. Notre Dame sat alone at 11-1.

There were two 11-2 teams (Alabama, Oregon). Alabama was given the nod over Oregon based on who they had beaten (12-1 Georgia vs 10-2 Ohio St) and who they had lost to (12-1 Georgia vs 12-1 USC).

There were three teams at 10-2 (Ole Miss, Ohio St, Mizzou). First, the committee gave the nod to Ole Miss over Mizzou due to strength of schedule and more importantly how both teams fared against common opponents. The committee chairman specifically mentioned that both teams played OU at home and Mississippi’s 13-point loss to OU at home looked much better than Mizzou’s 22-point loss at home. Mizzou was given the nod over Ohio St due to who each team lost to (Bama, OU vs Oregon, Nebraska).

There were three teams at 9-3 (Tenn, Oklahoma, Texas A&M). The committee chairman described the heated debate during committee discussion on whether to weigh current play more importantly or whether head-to-head should prevail. The committee chairman admitted on national television that the decision between Tenn vs OU was the most talked about decision of the committee for the final CFP poll, and the final decision was head-to-head should be the deciding factor. Tenn got the nod over Oklahoma. Oklahoma got the nod over A&M based on who each team had beaten (Mizzou, Ole Miss, Alabama vs Arkansas, Texas).

The Top-13 in the final CFP poll was……

1. Miami (13-0)
2. Georgia (12-1)
3. USC (12-1)
4. Utah (12-1)
5. Notre Dame (11-1)
6. Alabama (11-2)
7. Oregon (11-2)
8. Ole Miss (10-2)
9. Mizzou (10-2)
10. Ohio St (10-2)
11. Tenn (9-3)
12. Oklahoma (9-3)
13. Texas A&M (9-3)

Oklahoma, likely one of the best two teams in the country at the end of the year, loses their shot at a CFP berth due to the head-to-head result against Tennessee. As the twelfth-ranked team, OU is displaced by the top-ranked G6 team in the land. This team was…………….






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Tulane, ranked #16 at 12-1.

I wish you had kept this nightmare to yourself . I will not be able to get this horiffic scenario out of my brain .

[StatesEye]

Was it Huyawasca? Or just straight LSD?

This story was sparked by a discussion with my son. We had both decided that a 9-3 season should be the minimum for this year. I quipped, "Suppose the OL doesn't really gel (like 2015) until after Texas."

He answered, "0 and 3 in conference play in our first SEC year? Not good."

I added, "But after that, OU rips through the remaining season and finishes 9-3. How does the committee handle that?"

He responds, "Depending on what else happens, OU could be on the cusp of the CFP........ And get's booted due to the highest ranked G6 team. Imagine that it was Tulane. A team OU beat in the regular season."

We thoroughly pissed ourselves off.

[OU Chinaman]

...might consider writing my own beautiful dream scenario.

It's certainly a plausible scenario SE, but would be a true horror story as you titled it.

My thought went to the Fla St Semenholes who were unbeaten conf champs and ""left out" of the playoff last year.
The angst and disappointment of that program and their fans has carried over to 2024 starting out 0-2.

That's what bothers me most about your "horror story". The lingering potential to carry over and impact 2025.

For now, I'll chalk it up as unpleasant speculation.