Instant reaction to Week 12 developments …
1. Late-night thrills
The #AfterDark window delivered two significant results as teams with losing records rose up to take down ranked opponents.
The first stunner came from Albuquerque, of all places, as New Mexico rallied from a 14-point deficit to hand No. 18 Washington State its second loss of the season.
An hour later, Kansas knocked No. 6 Brigham Young from the realm of the undefeated and injected additional chaos into the Big 12 race.
Let’s work chronologically and start with WSU, which entered the weekend with a remote chance to sneak into the College Football Playoff.
The Cougars were favored by 14 points against New Mexico and led by 14 at halftime. But the Lobos (5-6) dominated the second half with four touchdown drives of at least 70 yards — WSU was helpless against New Mexico’s running game — and used a late score by quarterback Devon Dampier to secure a 38-35 victory.
To the extent the Cougars (8-2) were in the CFP race, they are now out. But they should claim a spot in one of the Pac-12’s top bowl games (Alamo, Holiday, Las Vegas) if they beat Wyoming and Oregon State.
They will be heavily favored in both.
2. Script flips on BYU
WSU’s loss was still reverberating when the second stunner of the evening unfolded in Provo. The pivotal play was something to behold as Brigham Young failed to properly field a pooch punt by Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels early in the fourth quarter. The Jayhawks pounced on the loose ball at BYU’s 3 yardline and scored what became the winning touchdown one play later.
After several miraculous comebacks, including a great escape last week in the Holy War, the Cougars failed to convert against Kansas in the Red Zone with less than one minute remaining.
Despite the 17-13 loss, BYU remains in control of its fate in the Big 12 race: If the Cougars handle Arizona State and Houston, they will play for the conference title and a trip to the College Football Playoff.
However, the loss likely ends any chance of the Big 12 placing two teams in the CFP.
That outcome might have been possible if the Cougars had finished 12-0, then lost a close game in the conference championship and remained high enough in the selection committee’s rankings to snare an at-large berth.
Now, the Big 12’s highest-ranked team assuredly will be too low in the rankings to qualify for the at-large pool if it loses the title game.
Speaking of the Big 12 …
3. Make room for Dillingham
We interrupt the college football media machinery’s breathless deionification of the head coach in Boulder to offer a few words about the head coach in Tempe.
More than a few words, actually. Because Kenny Dillingham’s work this season stands with that of any coach in the Big 12 and all but one in the country. (Curt Cignetti’s success at Indiana thus far is unlike anything we have ever seen.)
The purpose here is not to disparage Deion Sanders, who has done a masterful job turning Colorado into a Big 12 contender in his second season.
Rather, it’s to remind folks that there is marvelous coaching elsewhere in the Big 12, as well.
You would never know it, however, because the media machinery is so hyper-focused on Sanders.
For those understandably transfixed by Colorado’s rise, we offer the following context:
Colorado was 4-8 last season; Arizona State was 3-9.
Colorado was picked 11th in the Big 12 preseason media poll; ASU was picked 16th.
Colorado is 8-2 overall; so is ASU.
Colorado is 6-1 in conference play; ASU is 5-2.
Colorado lost to Kansas State but won at Texas Tech. ASU won at Kansas State but lost at Texas Tech.
Yes, Sanders has deftly overhauled the CU roster in two seasons with almost complete reliance on the transfer portal.
But Dillingham has done the same: Only two members of ASU’s current two-deep were on Herm Edwards’ roster two years ago.
And Dillingham has acquired the talent and forged a winner despite an NCAA investigation and self-imposed postseason ban announced one week before the first game of his tenure.
Also, Colorado has two of the top-five picks in the upcoming NFL Draft in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter.
ASU’s top players are a transfer tailback who had no FBS scholarship offers (Cam Skattebo) and a transfer quarterback (Sam Leavitt, from Michigan State) who had thrown a whopping 23 career passes before this season.
Although the Devils and Buffaloes aren’t scheduled to play each other, we might see Dillingham and Sanders match wits, after all.
At this moment, BYU and Colorado lead the Big 12 race with 6-1 records, followed by ASU and Iowa State at 5-2.
The Sun Devils host the Cougars next weekend in what has quickly become a momentous game in the conference race.
Believe it or not, we aren’t that far from ASU playing Colorado for a berth in the CFP.
4. In the spotlight
Two things are equally true: Sanders has been superb in Boulder; and Dillingham has done equally fine, if not better, work in Tempe.
But you would never know it. The media’s fascination with Sanders is entirely understandable given his status as an American sports icon. Also, all the attention heaped on Sanders is good for the Big 12.
Although endlessly entertaining the conference is devoid of college football blue bloods without Texas and Oklahoma.
Sanders has become the face of the Big 12 in many regards, and his team is the league’s biggest attraction, by far.
The only Big 12 games this season that have generated at least 3 million television viewers involve Colorado. Fox is so invested in CU that it set a 10 a.m. kickoff in Boulder for the ‘Big Noon’ broadcast this weekend.
Without Sanders, the conference would be easily pushed out of the media spotlight by the SEC and Big Ten.
5. Bay Area high and low
Stanford and Cal have largely toiled in obscurity this season, save for the Bears’ turn in the spotlight when they welcomed both Miami and ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ broadcast in early October.
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Mailbag: Boise State as Big 12 target (adios, WSU and OSU), options for the Pac-12, control of the CFP, closed door for Cal and Stanford and more
On CFB media: Fox’s depleted inventory options, the ‘Big Noon’ plan and Colorado’s lower but enduring popularity
Washington State and the CFP: Five steps to postseason glory
Week 12 picks ATS: Colo, Ore. cover (and win) while Boise St struggles
But we watched carefully on Saturday as the rivals experienced two wildly different outcomes.
The Cardinal won its second ACC game of the season in stunning fashion — and with an assist from its opponent, Louisville.
Trailing by 14 points midway through the fourth quarter, Stanford scored two touchdowns to force a tie, then converted a game-winning field goal as time expired for a 38-35 victory.
Yep, that’s 17 consecutive points scored by what was a two-win team against a six-win team.
Of course, Louisville contributed to its own demise in spectacularly dumb fashion by failing to manage the clock, whiffing on a fourth-down play, then committing two penalties to create a reasonable field goal opportunity for Stanford.
All of that came in the final 19 seconds, folks. We saw it and still don’t believe it.
There was no such excitement in Berkeley, where the Bears were badly outplayed and outcoached by Syracuse in a 33-25 loss.
It was their worst performance of the season — their worst performance in many seasons, actually — and it trimmed their margin for error to effectively zero.
The Bears must win one of their final two games to qualify for the postseason. They host Stanford (3-7) next weekend, then finish at SMU (9-1).
One of those games is not like the other.
If they don’t handle the Cardinal, the Bears undoubtedly will be home for the holidays.
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