Tag: NFL

Miami coach Mario Cristobal presented his case for the College Football Playoff on Tuesday morning, urging the selection committee to focus on “the facts” when deciding if the Hurricanes deserve one of the 12 playoff spots.

However, the committee had a different view, and it seems Miami won’t make the playoff.

The Hurricanes (No. 14 AP, 10-2, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) were ranked 12th in the latest CFP rankings on Tuesday night, falling behind Alabama, which has three losses. Right now, Alabama is projected to get the final at-large spot in the 12-team playoff.

“Any team that is not playing right now, we don’t have a data point to rearrange where we have those teams ranked,” said Warde Manuel, the chairman of the CFP selection committee and athletic director at Michigan, on ESPN. “And so, that is set in terms of how we see them. … There’s nothing that’s going to change.”

This means that Miami, Mississippi, and South Carolina — ranked 12th, 13th, and 14th respectively — are unlikely to make the playoff since none of these teams will have a chance to improve their position by playing another game.

One of Miami’s arguments for making the playoff was that their two losses were by a total of nine points — a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech (which finished 7-5) and a 42-38 loss to Syracuse (which ended 9-3). In contrast, Alabama had a 24-3 loss to Oklahoma, which finished 6-6.

“We won 10 games this year and not many teams have,” Cristobal said on WQAM, the Hurricanes’ flagship station. “And in our losses, those losses came down to one possession. That’s a very different resume than the 9-3 teams.”

This weekend’s conference championship games — including Clemson vs. SMU in the ACC, UNLV vs. Boise State in the Mountain West, Iowa State vs. Arizona State in the Big 12, Georgia vs. Texas in the SEC, and Penn State vs. Oregon in the Big Ten — will play a key role in deciding which teams make the playoff. However, Manuel said that teams not playing won’t see their ranking improve.

Clemson is ranked No. 17 in the CFP rankings, and if they beat SMU, they will take the ACC’s guaranteed spot in the playoff. But that won’t help Miami or any other team currently outside the playoff picture.

“The awards should go to the teams that are actually winning the games, not the ones that are politicking themselves out of losses,” Cristobal said.

Miami also argued that their season included a strong win over Florida, that they lead the nation in yards and points per game, and that Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Cam Ward led the nation with 36 touchdown passes. They were undefeated at home, and their two losses were close, by a combined nine points.

However, criticisms of Miami’s season include the fact that they did not face any ranked teams during those weeks and that their defense allowed at least 31 points in five of their last eight games.

Despite these defensive struggles, Miami finished the regular season as one of seven teams in the top 25 nationally in both yards per game and yards allowed per game, alongside teams like Indiana, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas.

“Go to the facts,” Cristobal said just hours before the rankings were announced. “Award football teams for winning football games.”

Miami’s hopes for making the playoffs took a big hit, while Alabama’s chances improved in the latest rankings before the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is revealed next weekend.

The Hurricanes (10-2) dropped six spots to No. 12, which is just outside the projected playoff field after their second loss of the season. They now sit one spot behind the Crimson Tide (9-3), who moved up two spots to No. 11 after winning last week. Alabama is currently the last team in the playoff bracket and the fourth from the Southeastern Conference.

To make matters worse for Miami, selection committee chair and Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said the Hurricanes can’t jump over Alabama since neither team plays next weekend. There is little chance for Miami to move up based on the results of conference title games.

This Miami-Alabama situation showed that the selection committee is considering more than just wins and losses. Strength of schedule and other factors seem to give the SEC an edge.

“We still think Miami is a very strong team,” Manuel said. “It came down to a difference in their body of work… not just wins, not just losses but the totality of the season and how those teams performed.”

Manuel pointed out three key factors: Alabama is 3-1 against current Top 25 teams, while Miami is 0-1; Alabama has a 6-1 record against winning teams, while Miami is 4-2; and Miami has lost two of its last three games.

Oregon held onto the No. 1 spot for the fifth straight week and will head into Saturday’s Big Ten title game against Penn State as the only undefeated team in major college football.

The matchups for the first-ever 12-team playoff will be determined on Sunday, the day after the conference title games. The playoffs begin on Dec. 20, with the championship game set for Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

After losing to Michigan, Ohio State dropped four spots to No. 6, while Texas moved up to No. 2, Penn State to No. 3, Notre Dame to No. 4, and Georgia to No. 5.

The selection committee has essentially confirmed the Big 12 will only have one team in the playoffs, with Arizona State and Iowa State moving up to Nos. 15 and 16, respectively.

The top five ranked conference champions are guaranteed playoff spots, meaning the winner of the Big 12 title game will be in the playoffs, even if they don’t reach the top 12, which hurts Miami’s chances further.

SMU, on a nine-game winning streak, moved up to No. 8, making them the highest-ranked team from the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, they are still at risk of dropping out if they lose the title game to No. 17 Clemson.

The drama this week mostly centers around the SEC. Alabama, just two weeks removed from a tough 24-3 loss to Oklahoma, still received better treatment than Miami, who lost 42-38 at Syracuse last week with a chance to play in the ACC title game on the line.

Other teams ranked this week include Mississippi at No. 13, South Carolina at No. 14, Tennessee at No. 7, Indiana at No. 9, and Boise State at No. 10. The projected bracket includes four teams each from the Big Ten and SEC, one from the ACC, Mountain West, Big 12, and independent Notre Dame.

When Dillon Gabriel arrived at Oregon this year, he faced a tough decision.

Gabriel had worn No. 8 at Oklahoma before transferring for his sixth season. However, that number had special meaning at Oregon because it had been worn by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.

There were many similarities between the two quarterbacks: Both were dual-threat players who had earned many awards, as well as yards and touchdowns. They also both came from Hawaii and were shaped by the island culture.

Mariota had chosen the No. 8 because it represented the number of Hawaiian islands. His helmet’s facemask was also designed in the shape of 808, the area code of Hawaii.

So Gabriel decided to reach out to Mariota for permission. Mariota, who now plays for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, agreed.

Gabriel said, “You know, when you’re growing up and you have that kind of direct example, a guy from Hawaii, playing at a high level, at the DI level, and then you see him go to the NFL, it’s like you can see it, you can believe it.”

Gabriel has led the top-ranked Ducks (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) through an undefeated season and into the Big Ten title game on Saturday against No. 4 Penn State (11-1, 8-1) in Indianapolis.

Gabriel, who played his first three years at Central Florida before joining Oklahoma, became the NCAA’s all-time leader in total career touchdowns, with 183, including 149 passing, 33 rushing, and one receiving touchdown. He’s tied with former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix (now with the Denver Broncos) for the FBS record with 61 career starts.

Even though Gabriel has had an incredible career, he remains humble about his achievements. He said, “I think we’re in an interesting time that’s all about results. And so many people talk about the process but aren’t patient enough. I think if you look at my body of work, I’m a guy who’s eager and wants to get better but has had that time to develop and work in that way. I think you see it over time.”

As a Duck, Gabriel has thrown for 3,277 yards and 24 touchdowns in 12 games. He’s also rushed for seven more touchdowns.

Mariota played at Oregon for three years, throwing for 104 touchdowns and running for 29. He was Oregon’s quarterback in the 2014 season, the last time the Ducks played in the national championship game.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning said, “I mean, everybody would love to run out there with the experience that we have at quarterback right now. And I think that experience shows up consistently every Saturday for us. More than anything, just the ability for Dillon to be calm within the chaos that exists in a football game, and being a great decision-maker and understanding the scheme.”

The last time Oregon finished the regular season 12-0 was in 2010, when they played for the BCS national championship.

This season, Oregon had some big wins, including a 32-31 victory at home against Ohio State and a 38-17 win over Michigan at the Big House.

The Ducks finished the season with a 49-21 victory over rival Washington, finishing 9-0 in their first Big Ten season. Gabriel threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in that game.

Penn State reached the conference title game with a 44-7 victory over Maryland. They also benefited from Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan in Columbus.

Oregon and Penn State have only played each other once, in the 1995 Rose Bowl. Penn State, led by Joe Paterno, won that game 38-20.

The winner of this weekend’s game will earn a first-round bye in the expanded 12-team playoffs. Both teams are guaranteed a playoff spot, even if they lose.

On Tuesday, Gabriel was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

Lanning praised Gabriel, saying, “He’s earned the trust and the admiration of all his teammates and the coaches around him. This guy prepares extremely hard. He is the calmest dude you’ve ever been around on the field, which is impressive, but I’m really proud of him and what he’s been able to do for this team.”

Barry Odom had just celebrated one of his biggest victories as a head coach when his mind shifted to the toughest moment of his career.

Five years ago, to the day, Odom was fired by Missouri. He became emotional and paused for a moment as he reflected on that time, thinking about the journey from that low point to leading UNLV to a 38-14 victory over Nevada, securing a spot in the Mountain West Championship game, and giving the team a real chance at the College Football Playoff.

“I’ll never forget that,” Odom said about being let go at Missouri. “You learn from your lessons. You learn from your opportunities. You pick yourself up, you dust yourself off and you go create more.”

At 48, Odom has turned things around at a place where coaches previously struggled. The Rebels, ranked 19th by The Associated Press and 20th by the CFP, will face No. 10 Boise State on Friday night. As the top two teams in the CFP rankings, the winner of this game will represent the Group of Five in the playoffs.

Before Odom took over two years ago, UNLV had only been to four bowl games. Now, the team is heading to back-to-back bowl games for the first time in its history, no matter what happens against Boise State.

At 10-2, the Rebels have reached double-digit wins for just the third time in the program’s history, and the first time in 40 years when Randall Cunningham, the program’s greatest player, was the quarterback.

UNLV’s success was recognized in the conference awards announced on Tuesday. Linebacker Jackson Woodard was named the top defensive player, wide receiver/punt blocker Ricky White III was named the best special teams player, and kicker Caden Chittenden was named the top freshman.

Odom often credits his players, coaches, support staff, and administration for the team’s success, but he is the one who made many of the key decisions that helped turn things around.

“Him believing in me makes me believe in myself,” said Woodard, who transferred from Arkansas with Odom, who was the Razorbacks’ associate head coach and defensive coordinator. “That’s what I admire about him so much. I haven’t always had that in my career, at least early in my career. That’s why I followed him. Coming here, I didn’t even think about losing. I knew we were going to go win.”

Other coaches who came to UNLV with high hopes in the past failed to turn the program around. However, the three most recent former coaches are now in prominent roles again: Marcus Arroyo is the offensive coordinator at No. 12 Arizona State, Tony Sanchez is the head coach at New Mexico State, and Bobby Hauck is back at Montana, where he became the all-time winningest coach at the FCS school.

Odom could have been just another coach who arrived in Las Vegas with a strong resume but failed to win more than a few games. Instead, he has quickly turned the program around and injected new energy into it.

UNLV attracted crowds of over 40,000 fans to two games this season at Allegiant Stadium and averaged a program-record 32,202 fans for home games. The Rebels have carved out a spot in a city already home to major sports franchises like the NHL’s Golden Knights, the WNBA’s Aces, and the NFL’s Raiders.

“I was concerned,” Odom said. “Was there enough space in Vegas for a college football team? And the answer is a resounding, ‘Absolutely, yes.’ Our team, our players have created that.”

However, this success could also be a problem for UNLV. Odom has surely caught the attention of athletic directors across the country who are looking for a new coach. This puts pressure on UNLV Athletic Director Erick Harper to find a way to keep Odom.

For now, the Rebels are focused on their big game against Boise State and possibly the playoffs.

Their season could have been derailed when quarterback Matthew Sluka left the program after three games due to an issue involving name, image, and likeness rights. But Odom’s steady leadership, attention to detail, and trust in Hajj-Malik Williams to step in as quarterback helped the Rebels stay on track.

“He talks about habits, and those things can be overlooked as not being important,” Williams said. “But when you really focus on your habits, when you look up, you have opportunities like we have now.”