From the Desk of the Editor: Season 18, Week 8

By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)

Untying the Knot

Go home B1G, you’re drunk. What happened in this conference? As we head into the playoffs, there are five teams tied for second place. That is half of the conference! To put that into perspective, the SEC has a two-game gap between second and sixth place. But there is no gap here. So let’s dive in and break these ties.

The first tiebreaker is head-to-head wins. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, not in the B1G. Texas upset Oklahoma State in Week Seven. However, Texas also lost to Michigan, who lost to Oklahoma State. Because since this triangle exists, we have to take these head-to-head wins off the table and settle these ties another way (more on this later).

We do, however, have some head-to-head wins that will stand. Oklahoma State did beat both Illinois and Notre Dame this season. This guarantees them a spot over both of these teams. Notre Dame’s win over Michigan puts them over the Wolverines. Michigan put themselves over Illinois with a big win over the Illini in Week Six.

This leaves us with a much clearer view of the standings. Now we just have to figure out where to put Texas. Since the head-to-head over Oklahoma State is off the table we have to go to record vs common conference opponents. Oklahoma holds a 2-1 record over Boise State, Oklahoma, and Michigan. Texas was 1-2 in those games. So, the Longhorns fall behind the Cowboys.

This means the Longhorns fall behind Michigan. Michigan and Texas are tied in record against conference opponents (both went 1-1 vs Oklahoma State and Boise State). This means the tiebreaker comes down to point differential vs common conference opponents. Michigan’s point differential in those games is +5. Texas’ is -13. This gives Texas their spot in the rankings and settles the conference standings. That wasn’t too complicated, was it?

Playoff Rematches

The playoff bracket is set and we are just a few hours from postseason play. One interesting thing I noticed was how many of these teams are playing rematches from games earlier this season. Three different games will be a rematch of games played in the first two weeks of the season. That is exactly half of the SEC vs B1G games.

It isn’t going to take us long to see our first rematch. The first game of the Season 18 playoffs is a game between North Carolina and Notre Dame. These two teams opened their season against each other in Chapel Hill. Notre Dame went on to win 44-41 in what was a nailbiter of a game. The rematch will be in Notre Dame this time. North Carolina will have to overcome the home-field advantage if they want to get their first playoff win.

The following night we will see our second rematch. The red-hot Florida Gators head to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan. These two teams played in Week Two in the Swamp. Florida looked dominant in this meeting and won 37-13. Michigan is trying to get back to the Championship Game (where they made their first appearance last season). Before they do that they will have to beat a Gator team that handled them last time.

The last first-round rematch will take place Wednesday when Miami heads to Stillwater to take on Oklahoma State. Their first meeting was the game that kicked off the season. Despite an earlier (and substantial) Oklahoma State lead, Miami would go on to win 59-34. Both teams came into the season as common picks for National Championship contenders. However, both are on a losing streak. One of them will end their season on a major losing streak and one will keep their Championship hopes alive.

Only time will tell how these rematches will turn out. Will the teams that beat them the first time reign supreme over the competition once again? Or will the Tar Heels, Wolverines, and Cowboys get their revenge? Be sure to tune in and find out this week.

Welcome to the League

This past week the CFSL front office announced the addition of nine new teams that will be joining (or rejoining, for some) the league. I decided that with that announcement I would give you a little history of the teams rejoining and welcome those that are brand new.

Let’s start with the teams the league has never seen before. Syracuse, Colorado, Cincinnati, and Baylor will all be making their CFSL debut next season. They will be building their programs and traditions from scratch as they try to make a name for themselves in the league. Welcome to the league and best of luck to you.

The other five teams joining the CFSL in Season 19 have been here before. Tennessee was one of the original eight teams that started the CFSL. The Volunteers won the Season 3 National Championship but were quickly disbanded after Season 4. They came back to the league in Season 11. They once again folded after Season 15. This third stint for Tennessee will hopefully look more like the original Tennesse and not the second stint. Good luck to the new AD CJ Furman.

The LSU Tigers first appeared in the CFSL in Season 2. That, however, was for only one season. They came back in Season 7 and stayed until Season 16. LSU has never won a CFSL National Championship, but they have won two conference championships and sport a 3-3 playoff record. Derek Hawkins and his future team will hope to bring back the winning ways of the Tigers.

Two teams that are coming back made their CFSL debuts in Season 3. First is Penn State. The Nittany Lions never enjoyed much success in the league. They were only in the league for three seasons and were never seen again. However, they are now back, under the guidance of Travis Smith. Smitty will look to bring a new passion and intensity to Penn State.

The other team that joined in Season 3 is Washington. Like Penn State, the Huskies left the league in Season 5. Unlike Penn State, Washington came back to the league in Season 11. They hung around until the end of Season 15. The new-look Huskies will be led by Michael Jones. Jones hopes to take Washinton to new heights.

The last of the rejoiners is USC. The Trojans joined the CFSL in Season 6. They remained in the league until the start of Season 13. The Trojans enjoyed success in the league. They won the Season 7 National Championship and only posted one losing record in their seven seasons. Jacob Cobb will look to build on that winning legacy with these new Trojans.

Who Impressed Me This Season

Since this is the last of my columns this season, I am not doing who impressed me this week, but who impressed me this season.

Vinny Mixon, Oklahoma AD

What an impressive run the Sooners had this season. They were counted out when the season started and they went on to win the conference. Vinny will be heading to Oregon after the season to help the Ducks rebuild. I can confidently say Oregon is in good hands.

Nate Murphy, West Virginia AD

The Mountaineers had the best season they have ever had in the CFSL. I am sure Muprh would tell you that the work isn’t done. However, no matter what happens in the playoffs West Virginia should be proud of the season they have had. Great work, coach.

Del Toro, Notre Dame QB

The transition from the MAC to the Power 2 can be a tough one. But it wasn’t for Toro. He picked up right where he left off. Another fantastic season is under his belt. Now Toro will look to make some noise in his first real taste of the playoffs. Good luck Toro.

Zeus Claydon, Florida State QB

Claydon has to be considered a near-lock for Freshman of the Year. The young QB threw for 40 touchdowns in the regular season. That is the most in the league. Claydon will now lead his team in his playoff debut. Can the freshman keep up the great play when the pressure gets tighter?

Toledo’s Rushing Attack

The Rockets shot out of the backfield all season long. Only three players finished the regular season with over 1,000 rushing yards. Two of them can be found in Toledo. QB Sam Dobbins and HB Toby Knerr finish the regular season first and second in rushing. What an unbelievable season for these two!

Cadbury Wellington, North Carolina TE

Wellington finished the season with the most receiving yards of any player. That is the first time in CFSL history that a tight end finished the season as the top receiver. Congrats to the GOAT tight end.

Maverick Rivers, Kent State MLB

91 tackles, 13 TFLs, two interceptions, and four forced fumbles is an absolutely incredible stat line. Rivers will be remembered as a linebacker who truly played great at all three levels of the defense.

Laci White, Miami DE

White has once again put up huge numbers. 54 tackles, 32 TFLs, 17 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. She has been running in the nightmares of every QB since the moment she joined the league.

Trevor Austin, North Carolina CB

Austin snagged five picks this year and added seven pass breakups. If that wasn’t enough, he also was an electric punt/kick returner all season. Few players have spent as much time on the field this season as Austin did. And he made the most of every minute.

The Adieu Haiku

The playoffs are here!
Sixteen enter, one will win.
Who wants it the most?