Note: Beyond the normal stuff this week, I thought it was important to mention the last week for a traditional scheduling model that goes back more than 100 years (see week 14 notes) and the last week for Idaho football in FBS (see week 13 notes).
Teams with 1st Loss Week 13:
Miami (FL)
Alabama
Teams with 2nd Loss Week 13:
South Florida
Teams with 1st Win week 13:
None
Percent of Undefeated Teams with 1st Loss
Week 0/1: 36.15% (47/130)
Week 2: 37.35% (31/83)
Week 3: 28.85% (15/52)
Week 4: 35.13% (13/37)
Week 5: 29.17% (7/24)
Week 6: 23.53% (4/17)
Week 7: 38.46% (5/13)
Week 8: 0% (0/8)
Week 9: 37.5% (3/8)
Week 10: 0% (0/5)
Week 11: 20% (1/5)
Week 12: 0% (0/4)
Week 13: 50% (2/4)
Maximum possible Undefeated Teams at End of the Regular Season:
2: Possible undefeated teams: Wisconsin and Central Florida
-This week’s results all but guaranteed we will not see 2 undefeated playing even in a bowl meaning week 5 was the final game between 2 undefeated teams.
Week 13 Thoughts:
-Before going into anything else, I do want to give a shout-out to Idaho. Next week is their last game in FBS before jumping down. The Vandals lost to New Mexico State in last game, a team they left orphaned with from the WAC. They play at Georgia State this week. They have been back and forth a bit over the years, but at one point were in the precursor to the PAC-8 and might still be there today if not for an academic scandal that led to the conference dissolving.
-We are completely done with one list. UTEP lost to UAB and has finished the season winless.
-We lost half our remaining undefeated teams which is the first time all year, we went past 40% (fairly incredible actually). Miami (FL) still controls its Rose/Sugar destiny, but must win now vs. Clemson next week after loosing to Pitt. Alabama, after loosing to Auburn, needs some help, but is probably the most likely to get in if Wisconsin or Oklahoma lose.
-Going into the final week of the season, it seems to me Auburn, Georgia, Clemson, Miami, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin control their fate. Alabama is probably first in, but Ohio State and TCU might stand a chance if they win convincingly.
-The American champ was all but officially guaranteed to go to a New Years 6 bowl after Memphis and Central Florida won, but to put an explanation point on it, Boise State lost last week too.
-There are 12 spots in the New Years 6 bowls and regardless of outcomes next week, we can say Clemson, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, and Miami are going (Miami might drop down just past where they would be selected in a worst-case scenario, but they would still be the 2nd ACC team, which still puts them in the Orange). That leaves 4 spots. The Central Florida/Memphis and the USC/Stanford winner will get one. Ohio State and TCU likely have the last 2, but a disappointing ending might be just enough to push them out if they are competing with USC for that spot or maybe Notre Dame (think the Irish are going to take too big a drop though).
Week 14 Thoughts:
-All the attention will be on the conference championship games, but I want to put out this will be the final week that a conference determines a championship in the traditional manner. Since the Western Conference (Big Ten) formed in the 1800s, there has always been conferences playing out games and declaring the teams with the best record as champ(s). Don’t want to share a title, have the best overall record and you get the championship outright. This week though the Sun Belt finishes its last season in the traditional manner before adding a conference championship game and with that, all conferences will have abandoned the traditional set-up.
-With that in mind, here’s the Sun Belt’s games of note. Troy, Arkansas State, and Appalachian State are all tied at 6-1 in conference. Troy plays at Arkansas State and the winner will win at least a share of the Sun Belt title. Appalachian State will have the opportunity to win a share themselves if they beat 4-3 Louisiana-Lafayette at home. If Appalachian State loses, the Troy/Arkansas State winner wins the conference outright.
-Idaho plays at Georgia State.
-Our undefeated teams play in the following games: Undefeated Wisconsin vs. Ohio State, 1-loss Memphis at undefeated Central Florida
-Our other 1-loss teams play in the following games: 1-loss Oklahoma vs. TCU, 1-loss Clemson vs. 1-loss Miami (FL), 1-loss Georgia vs. Auburn
Remaining Undefeated Teams: ACC: 0, American: 1, Big Ten: 1, SEC: 0, total: 2
Wisconsin
Central Florida
One-Loss Teams: ACC: 2, American: 1, Big 12: 1, Big Ten: 0, SEC: 2, total: 6
Memphis
Oklahoma
Clemson
Georgia
Miami (FL)
Alabama
Remaining Winless Teams: Conference USA: 1, total: 1
UTEP
