Matt Baker

This...feels significant.
I think we're going to look back on this weekend as a very significant one. The downstream effects of everything (including but not limited to this!) will be fascinating

I spent the first weekend of the season with ACC commish Jim Phillips. Now that the CFP bracket has been unveiled, I'm reminded of his reaction after Miami beat Notre Dame. We sprinted from the field to the parking lot and, well, from my story:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

Need a 12-team personality bracket to break down the possibilities before we get to the 12-team field

Bored.

College Football Playoff live updates: Latest from final set of rankings with bracket to be revealed

We're live-blogging the CFP, uh, whatever the heck all this is here. Let's acknowledge the possibility of Billy Napier's new team (James Madison) getting in the CFP before his old one (Florida). Same with Manny Diaz (Duke) over Miami.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...

College Football Playoff 2025 projections: Who has locked up a bid? Who’s on the bubble? Our College Football Playoff predictions model is back. Check here for regular updates on CFP and national championship odds for 2025.

Is Duke in? Or James Madison?

Still debating Notre Dame, Alabama, and Miami for the final two spots.

CFP Projections here:
@theathletic.com

www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

College Football Playoff takeaways: Alabama, ACC on the bubble as Indiana claims No. 1

Our updated CFP takeaways on Saturday's action. Duke or Dukes and the ACC on the brink of disaster
www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...

With that, the ACC is in very real danger of being left out of the College Football Playoff. The long-term effects of any number of plays tonight ... well, this will be a very interesting butterfly effect to study.

Holy Hoos

Yupppp.

Duke extends its lead to 20-10 over Virginia...

What a disastrous play by Virginia. Egad.
E
G
A
D

Duke is 3-for-3 on fourth down tonight.
UVA is now 0-for-1.
That might be the difference, but there's a lot of time left

UVA stalls in the red zone but comes away with a field goal. Duke leads 14-10 midway through the third. The ACC's CFP hopes remain in the danger zone

So far tonight, Duke has:
Drawn an offsides call on fourth and 7, then picked up the first down
Converted on fourth and 1
Converted on third and 14
Blue Devils up 14-7 on UVA midway through the second quarter

Say this for Duke: They're leaving it all out there. A fake punt keeps the drive going early in the second...

Duke strikes first in the ACC title game after a drive that lasts almost 10 minutes. Blue Devils up 7-0 on Virginia...

Oh, no, Mendoza...

If there was any doubt about the impending weirdness of Duke-UVA for the ACC title, the Hoos burned a timeout on defense 1:06 into the game

Sure, and I get that. I try to strike a balance, but it's also more art that science. Having elite teammates is another tricky part. Kyle Trask was a finalist in 2020 but not on my ballot because I didn't think he was the best player on his team (Kyle Pitts was).

Smith's numbers hurt him some. We both have eyes and know how good he is, but it's also hard to vote for the nation's No. 13 receiver (in yards per game) as the most outstanding player in the country.

College Football Playoff takeaways: Could Georgia's dominant win knock Alabama out?

Notre Dame and Miami lost their games by a combined 13 points.
Bama last tonight by 21.
I have some other thoughts on this, too...
www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...

College Football Playoff takeaways: Could Georgia's dominant win knock Alabama out?

In which I argue Alabama deserves to miss the College Football Playoff: www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...

Alabama has negative-3 rushing yards. Do you know the last time Alabama had negative rushing yards in a game? Never. Like, never ever (according to Bama's game notes).

The last time Bama was shut out? The 2000 Iron Bowl. Kalen DeBoer was finishing his first year as the OC at Sioux Falls. Kirby Smart was in his first season as a college position coach.
Lots of time left, but I was curious...
t.co/tZFsxIOSbn

Georgia vs. Alabama live updates: Bulldogs dominate first half 14-0 in SEC Championship Game

We've live-blogging Bama-Georgia here.
I checked before halftime: The ACC Network listings do NOT have FSU-Alabama scheduled to run back-to-back-to-back before the CFP decision tomorrow. Maybe it should (if this continues)?
www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...

I had not considered this, but...

Texas Tech's defense ... pretty, pretty good!

Quite a turn in BYU-Texas Tech. Three consecutive plays:
BYU gets a fourth-down stop.
BYU picked off.
Texas Tech TD.
That's the way the cookie crumbls.

I don’t know what UNT did to deserve this, but they cannot catch a break. My heavens. A tipped INT in the end zone now.