1. Ohio State won with a one-man offense yesterday. Good thing that the defense was really good after giving up the super-quick first TD and forced a team that doesn't beat themselves with mistakes to beat themselves with mistakes. Fields looked lost without Olave there and the other receivers didn't do anything to step up for the most part. At least, I have to give credit to the coaches for realizing how things were in the second half and making Sermon the entire offense. Bucks couldn't pass it and NW couldn't stop him, so they played to their strengths down the stretch instead of constantly trying to force stuff that wasn't working on that day (aka: Urban's one big weakness while he was there).
2. So, is Dan Mullen still crying about how Florida should be in the playoffs because they played a lot of games? Just wondering, because he seems like the kind of guy who would.
3. I'd guess ND will get in because of their name, but they showed today that they're the same ND they usually are: the paper tigers who get housed when they play top-level competition in crunch time.
4. If nothing else, the playoffs have the potential to be entertaining just because this year has been so fucked up you don't know what you're getting. OSU could be down a bunch of players (and if one of them is Olave, well, that's already shown it'll fuck up the pass game), Alabama has given up 40+ either two or three times this season, which is out of the norm. Any possible fourth team has big warts. Hell, with Ohio State's two wins over good teams being ugly either defensively (Indiana) or offensively (NW) and with Fields having poor overall numbers in both -- 5 total picks between the two; more than he's had in the rest of his career combined -- you could say that they have big warts as a selection, too.
5. Also, good on the powers that be for telling California to get fucked and, tradition be damned, the Rose Bowl is being moved. Absolutely stupid to not allow at least players' families to be in the stands. That stadium is big enough you could have every individual family member socially distanced and still have plenty of room for everyone.
6. Finally, this season shows why we need an 8-team playoff instead of 4. WITH the stipulation that any non-power conference team that is ranked in the top whatever has to get in. It's just hilariously sad watching the committee not even trying to be subtle with bumping Cincy and Coastal down in the polls despite being unbeaten, simply to make sure they have no chance to be ranked in the top 4, regardless of what other teams actually do.