Jake Russell
@Oreojakesters
Almost every program has played a game at this point. Many of us are already talking our anxiety down with diffusing statements like “It’s just the first game!” “It’s practically preseason!” “There’s a lot of season left!” “The playoffs have expanded, there’s still a path!”
That all may be true. Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois in Week 2 and still got an at-large bid and made the National Championship from improving and winning out. The season is a living, breathing thing, but let’s overreact. Let’s tell some teams that unfortunately, that’s game without an automatic bid as champion, as there’s already no path to the postseason.
Kansas State Wildcats (1-1)
Kansas State didn’t even lose this week and it was nearly as embarrassing as winning, having to sneak by North Dakota 38-35. You could say, “Oh, well they went immediately from playing in Ireland and losing to Iowa State to playing on little rest and travel!” but it’s hard to use that excuse when the other team in Ireland that WON week 0 weren’t bothered by the travel and obliterated South Dakota in stride 55-7. They’ve already got a loss, they couldn’t get the style points against an FCS team, and they play ranked teams in a Big 12 that won’t get as much respect as the other power conferences that are capable of having a greater amount of losses by the committee.
It certainly doesn’t help when your quarterback’s brother and father are brawling in the parking lot from an optics standpoint either! NO PLAYOFF FOR YOU!
Boise State Broncos (0-1)
We were rooting for you, Boise. There is a dearth of powerhouses at the group of 5 level to establish themselves as premiere programs that could take advantage of that spot year after year, and with a seat at the table to have the “Gonzaga basketball” style run where you could get resume wins against Notre Dame. Prove that you can do it again and it wasn’t just a year where you had a historic runningback.
You go out and lay a dud the first game 34-7 at USF. There’s no coming back from that when everyone was watching Thursday, and if we end up with a multiple-loss G5 champion as the 12 seed instead of having a respectable program that can hold their own for the little guys, the big bosses at the table may reevaluate the whole automatic bid thing.
NO PLAYOFF FOR YOU!
Colorado Buffaloes (0-1)
With a loss to Georgia Tech at home, Shadeur, Shilo, and Travis Hunter all gone, and the novelty of having Deion in the spotlight for media ratings having less of a shine, I think we’re good on Colorado this year, respectfully. Kaidon Salter had 48 yards passing in the first half while Georgia Tech, Haynes King, and a bunch of angry 3 stars ran through their faces and beat them up. Repeatedly. But, hey, at least FOX got the rights to have their game against Delaware!
NO PLAYOFF FOR YOU!
North Carolina Tar Heels (0-1)
We got the full pregame production of North Carolina bringing in the greatest NFL coach of all-time. Hulu confirmed a mini series. He brought in NFL assistants. They claimed they were the NFL’s 33rd team. Belichick’s girlfriend tried to put out trademarks for things that definitely shouldn’t be trademarked. There was even a balloon display for his press conference afterwards since they were playing TCU, the team that already lost the opener to Deion in the spotlight. You probably didn’t even hear a word about TCU during the pregame coverage at all because the mystery of the Belichick experiment and whether or not it was going to be successful in college was all anyone could talk about; you didn’t want to bet on him because it was so crazy, but you didn’t want to bet against him because that short-sleeved smug legend has never revealed his tricks before.
And it was a disaster.
You can’t have all that lead up and lose that pitifully at home to TCU in game 1, where after a perfect drive from Gio Lopez to go up 7-0, the Frogs score an unanswered 41 straight points with huge, demoralizing plays and win 48-14.
NO PLAYOFF FOR YOU!
