By next Saturday, playoff chaos and Charlie Strong's seat will heat up
— -- While wondering how in the world Georgia pulled off that unbelievable win against Tennessee ... wait, what the? ... I mean how Tennessee pulled off that unbelievable win against Georgia, let's look ahead to what everyone will be obsessing about this week.
Some things we'll be obsessing about all week
1. Louisville could be the selection committee's worst nightmare
We're barely into October and we already have the absolutely worst scenario for the College Football Playoff selection committee. If Alabama (SEC), Washington (Pac-12), Clemson (ACC), Ohio State or Michigan (Big Ten) and Baylor (Big 12) each win their respective league title with only one loss and then Louisville finishes 11-1 with wins against Florida State and Houston and a pulsating 42-36 loss at Clemson, what in the world will the committee members do?
Six teams with six legitimate arguments to get into the four-team playoff. The committee prefers conference champions, but if any of the conference champions are not undefeated, how can they exclude an 11-1 Louisville team with the planet's most exciting player? They can't. Can they?
The selection committee got off easy the first two years. This season, the committee will finally be tested, and we will see if it truly values strength of schedule, which it has said is such an important component.
2.?Big D result could be a Big Deal to Strong
Texas and Oklahoma meet Saturday in the Cotton Bowl. It's one of the top rivalries in sports. Call it the Red River Shootout (or if you prefer, the politically correct Red River Rivalry). Or for the second consecutive season, call it the Charlie Strong Desperately Needs A Win Bowl.
Last season, Texas limped into Dallas with a 1-4 record and speculation swirling about Strong's future in Austin. UT pulled off the upset as the Longhorns lifted Strong in the air, body-surfing above the Cotton Bowl turf.
It played a big part in Strong earning a third year at UT. Year 3 is now four games old, and the Longhorns, once again, need a Strong effort in Dallas. This year is different, but similar to last year. The offense has showed life, but the defense has been non-existent except for a rout of UTEP. Texas (2-2) allowed 47 points in a double-overtime loss to Notre Dame (only 37 in regulation), 50 to Cal and 49 to Oklahoma State.
I'd compare Texas' defense to a flag football team, but I don't want to insult any flag football players out there. Unlike LSU's dismissal of Les Miles, a source told me it's doubtful Strong would get fired in-season. However, the source also said Saturday's game with Oklahoma could be critical to determine if there will be a Year 4 in Austin for Strong. Most likely, the defensive staff gets sacrificed at year's end for Strong to return in 2018.
After the loss at Oklahoma State, Texas athletic director Mike Perrin told ESPN.com's Jake Trotter: "I'm not evaluating Charlie per se. I'm evaluating everything." Perrin didn't say it, but the main thing UT fans are evaluating is whether the Longhorns can land Houston's Tom Herman.
3. Blood, sweat and hoops
If Saturday's first game as head coaches between Georgia's Kirby Smart and South Carolina's Will Muschamp lives up to their legendary pickup basketball games, bring some popcorn.
When the coaches were assistants at Valdosta State in 2000 -- Muschamp was defensive coordinator, Smart coached the defensive backs -- they routinely went against each other on the basketball court. It wasn't for the weak or the faint of heart.
"We did play a lot of basketball games, and within those basketball games, it was not unusual to walk out of there with a bloody nose, black eye, a bad ankle and a sore back because there were no fouls called," Muschamp said.
Smart lights up when he recalls the day Muschamp "threw the ball down and ran out" of the gym. "I thought, 'Jeez, he's pissed,' " Smart said. Muschamp disputes that version. "That story is not entirely accurate," Muschamp said. "He's trying to refer to just one day."
Smart said, "what [Muschamp] never tells anybody is later that day we played a pickup basketball game, and me and coach [Chris] Hatcher beat his eyes out and he ran out of the gym mad. I want to make sure I got that out there. [Muschamp] left the gym and we never saw him for like four more hours because we beat him to the mercy rule in basketball."
Although very close friends, neither coach likely will show any mercy against each other Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina. Such is life in the SEC.
4.?And in this week's Coach on the Hot Seat matchup ...
Vanderbilt at Kentucky could not only determine who finishes in the SEC East cellar, but also whether Mark Stoops or Derrick Mason makes it to next season.
Both teams are 2-3. Both teams will likely be underdogs in their remaining five SEC contests. Their only sure wins would appear to be FCS opponents: Kentucky hosts Austin Peay and Vanderbilt hosts Tennessee State.
Neither coach has been to a bowl game at their respective schools, and the chances for either to get to a bowl game this season are not trending up.
Stoops is 14-27 in four years in Lexington. Mason is 9-20 in three years in Nashville. In the high-pressure SEC, there might not be a bigger game than this contest between perennial SEC East cellar dwellers.