NHL Power Rankings: A new No. 1, plus each team’s most interesting game in December
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Tim Kavanagh, ESPN.com
We’ve made it past the NHL’s quarter mark, and as we turn our calendars over to the final month of the 2023 calendar year, there are a great many fantastic matchups to watch before the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day. Whether it’s playoff-bound juggernauts facing off for the first time this season or fans getting to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar jersey, there is something special in store for all 32 clubs.
For this week’s edition of the Power Rankings — which feature a new team at No. 1! — we’ve identified the most interesting game (or games) on the December slate for each team.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors each send in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Nov. 24. Points percentages are through the games of Nov. 30.
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 78.57%
Next seven days: @ NSH (Dec. 2), vs. SJ (Dec. 3), @ OTT (Dec. 5)
Game of the month: Dec. 22 vs. Edmonton. Sure, there’s another matchup against the Bruins this month, but stars shine brighter on Broadway, so we’re anxious to see what Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl & Co. have in store for their matchup at Madison Square Garden this season.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 75.00%
Next seven days: @ TOR (Dec. 2), vs. CBJ (Dec. 3), vs. BUF (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 16 vs. New York Rangers. Round 1 between these two Eastern powers went to the Blueshirts, 7-4, last weekend. Who takes Round 2, with the setting changed to TD Garden?
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 70.83%
Next seven days: vs. WSH (Dec. 2), vs. STL (Dec. 4), @ STL (Dec. 6)
Game of the month: Dec. 23 at Florida. As the reigning champs, the Knights have been getting every opponent’s best effort in every game. But there’s something different about a matchup against the team you defeated in the Cup Final. Expect some fire in this one.
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 72.50%
Next seven days: vs. COL (Dec. 3), @ CBJ (Dec. 5), @ MTL (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 30 vs. Edmonton. The past two Kings seasons have concluded thanks to playoff series losses to the Oilers. So while the ultimate goal of advancing farther than the first round won’t be achieved until the spring, L.A. can get some small amount of revenge here in this one — and perhaps do a very small part in keeping Edmonton out of the playoff field by denying them points on this night.
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 70.45%
Next seven days: @ ANA (Dec. 2), @ LA (Dec. 3), vs. ANA (Dec. 5), vs. WPG (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 9 vs. Philadelphia. Three teams at the 2017 NHL draft decided that they’d rather have a player not named Cale Makar in their system. The Devils (who selected Nico Hischier No. 1) and Stars (who took Miro Heiskanen No. 3) are clearly happy with their choices. The same can’t be said about the Flyers, who took Nolan Patrick No. 2; Patrick played in 197 games for the Flyers, totalling 70 points, prior to a trade to Vegas. Makar doesn’t seem like the vindictive type, but maybe there’s some extra motivation for him here. (Hey, it’s not exactly the most thrilling December schedule for the Avs.)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 64.58%
Next seven days: @ CGY (Dec. 2), vs. NJ (Dec. 5), vs. MIN (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 14 vs. Florida. In a preview of a potential Cup Final that would delight hockey writers and terrify those who pay for their travel expenses, this one will also feature two of the brightest young American stars in the sport in Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 69.05%
Next seven days: vs. TB (Dec. 2), @ TB (Dec. 4), @ FLA (Dec. 6), @ WSH (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 9 vs. Vegas. The first two rounds of the 2023 Western Conference finals rematch series needed extra time, with the Knights coming out on top 3-2 in a shootout on Oct. 17 and in overtime on Nov. 22. Will this be another close one between two top-flight Cup contenders?
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 65.22%
Next seven days: vs. NYI (Dec. 2), vs. DAL (Dec. 6)
Game of the month: Dec. 27 at Tampa Bay. Sure, the Panthers will play their two Cup Final rematches against the Golden Knights in a 13-day span (Dec. 23 and Jan. 4), but we have to give the honor for “most interesting game of the month” to the first of three Battle of Florida matchups for this regular season.
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 61.36%
Next seven days: vs. BUF (Dec. 2), WPG (Dec. 4), @ EDM (Dec. 6), @ CGY (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 19 vs. Vegas. The Canes don’t play the Rangers this month — the team they’re currently chasing for the Metro Division lead — so we’ll pick this matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champs. In the past few years, a growing number of people have been picking Sebastian Aho & Co. as their preseason Cup prediction so this is a good barometer for how close they really are.
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 59.09%
Next seven days: vs. CHI (Dec. 2), vs. CAR (Dec. 4), @ COL (Dec. 7)
Games of the month: Dec. 13 at Los Angeles. It’s a reunion for the Jets with former teammate Pierre-Luc Dubois, who the team traded to the Kings this summer. PLD and his new team took Round 1 of the season series back on Oct. 17; who wins this time?
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 64.29%
Next seven days: vs. BOS (Dec. 2), @ OTT (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 9 vs. Nashville. The prodigal Ryan O’Reilly returns! After a brief sojourn with the Leafs at the tail end of 2022-23 and into the postseason, the veteran pivot (and Clinton, Ontario native) moved back down South on a four-year deal. What kind of reception will he get for this one?
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 61.36%
Next seven days: @ MTL (Dec. 2), @ BUF (Dec. 5), vs. SJ (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 5 at Buffalo (or maybe Dec. 7 vs. San Jose?). The Patrick Kane signing was the most anticipated in-season piece of business remaining (until we get to trade season once the calendar flips). Now that the contract is signed, when will we see No. 88 in action? Early buzz is that it’ll be that game in his hometown of Buffalo, but that just makes the Sharks game his home debut.
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 52.08%
Next seven days: @ DAL (Dec. 2), vs. DAL (Dec. 4), vs. PIT (Dec. 6), @ NSH (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 31 vs. Montreal. A rematch of the fever dream that was the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, a second straight Cup for the Lightning in pandemic-influenced circumstances. Oh, and also a superb “destination game” for the Canadian snowbirds out there.
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 65.00%
Next seven days: @ VGK (Dec. 2), @ ARI (Dec. 4), vs. DAL (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 23 vs. Tampa Bay. Due to the Capitals playing in the Southeast Division prior to the latest NHL realignment, the team against whom Alex Ovechkin has scored the most career goals is the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets. But No. 2 on the list (for a similar reason) is the Lightning! And while 2023-24 Ovi has been well behind his usual goal-scoring pace, perhaps this will be the game where he gets back on track in his quest to topple Wayne Gretzky’s record.
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 50.00%
Next seven days: vs. NYR (Dec. 2), @ BUF (Dec. 3), @ CHI (Dec. 5), vs. TB (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 23 vs. Stars. Matt Duchene scored 197 points in 249 games for the Predators between 2019-20 and 2022-23 prior to being bought out by the team this past summer. The Stars moved in to quickly sign the 2009 No. 3 pick, and he’s been a key contributor for them this season. What kind of reaction will he get from the Smashville faithful in his first game back?
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 56.82%
Next seven days: @ ARI (Dec. 2), @ VGK (Dec. 4), vs. VGK (Dec. 6)
Games of the month: Dec. 4 at Vegas, Dec. 6 vs. Vegas. With the Blues among the clubs in playoff position as the calendar turns to December, many hockey fans are wondering: Is this team for real? A home-and-home against the defending Cup champs will tell us all quite a bit about just how serious to take St. Louis.
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 52.17%
Next seven days: @ PIT (Dec. 2), vs. PIT (Dec. 4), @ ARI (Dec. 7)
Games of the month: Dec. 2 at Pittsburgh, Dec. 4 vs. Pittsburgh. One of the surprises of the season is that as of Dec. 1, the Flyers are ahead of the Penguins in the standings. Philly can make a statement with this home-and-home mini-series against their rivals.
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Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 54.76%
Next seven days: vs. SJ (Dec. 1), @ VAN (Dec. 5), @ SEA (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 5 at Vancouver. With recent news that the NHL and NHLPA are looking to resurrect the hockey World Cup (or whatever you want to call an international tournament with four teams), and the belief that NHL players will participate in the 2026 Olympics, some American fans are extra excited to see all three Hughes brothers compete for Team USA. But before any of that, the first family of American hockey will have a milestone on this night, as Jack and Luke visit big brother Quinn, with this being the first NHL game the trio will play against each other. (The return match is Jan. 6 in Newark.)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 54.55%
Next seven days: vs. STL (Dec. 2), vs. WSH (Dec. 4), vs. PHI (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 12 at Pittsburgh. Logan Cooley is off to a strong start in his rookie campaign, and is certainly a building block for the Zona Yotes as they push back towards contention. He’s also a Pittsburgh native, who started his hockey journey as a “Little Penguin” — the youth hockey program started by Sidney Crosby. This will be Cooley’s first NHL game back home against Crosby & Co.
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 52.27%
Next seven days: vs. PHI (Dec. 2), @ PHI (Dec. 4), @ TB (Dec. 6)
Game of the month: Dec. 18 vs. Minnesota. Sure, there are a number of critical matchups against fellow playoff hopefuls on the docket this month, but we’d be remiss not to circle this matchup, which — pending the whims of new head coach John Hynes — will see Marc-Andre Fleury patrolling the creases on Pittsburgh ice.
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 47.83%
Next seven days: @ CAR (Dec. 2), vs. NSH (Dec. 3), vs. DET (Dec. 5), @ BOS (Dec. 7)
Games of the month: Dec. 5 vs. Detroit, Dec. 31 at Ottawa. All games count equally in the standings, but with the Sabres being grouped with the Senators and Red Wings in the “Atlantic Risers” trio, these games serve as a measuring stick for which team is closest to contention. Buffalo has gone 1-0 against Ottawa this season, but has yet to play Detroit. Oh and we almost forgot: The Dec. 5 game could be the Red Wings debut for Buffalo native Patrick Kane.
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 54.55%
Next seven days: @ FLA (Dec. 2), vs. SJ (Dec. 5), vs. CBJ (Dec. 7)
Games of the month: Dec. 27 vs. Pittsburgh, Dec. 31 at Pittsburgh. No games against their rival Rangers or Devils this month, so we’ll go with a pair against a team looking to oust them from a spot among the playoff contenders.
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 50.00%
Next seven days: vs. VAN (Dec. 2), vs. MIN (Dec. 5), vs. CAR (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 18 vs. Florida. While there may be some heat for the Flames’ Dec. 9 matchup hosting Tyler Toffoli and his new team, the Devils, we’d bet there will be a bit more interest for a different Eastern visitor later in the month, which counts a more prominent former Flame among its claw (yes, that’s what a group of panthers is called). Matthew Tkachuk got a standing ovation in last season’s visit, and while we wouldn’t expect that again, there are sure to be a good number of No. 19 sweaters in the crowd.
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 43.18%
Next seven days: vs. CAR (Dec. 6)
Game of the month: Dec. 6 vs. Carolina. The Oilers have had a well-documented tumultuous season. A fire was apparently lit recently, as they ran roughshod over the Caps and Ducks to a combined score of 13-2, followed by a thrilling shootout win over the Golden Knights. This coming Wednesday, they’ll take on another team that was among the top preseason Cup favorites, which will be a true test of whether they’ve really turned a corner.
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 47.83%
Next seven days: vs. DET (Dec. 2), vs. SEA (Dec. 4), vs. LA (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 2 vs. Detroit. After years of serious Stanley Cup contention, the Red Wings chose to lean into a rebuild, a process which is nearing its end as they sit in playoff position right now. The Canadiens haven’t had as much success this century (notwithstanding their Cup Final run in the bizarro 2021 playoffs), and are a season or so behind the Wings in their rebuild process. So perhaps this is a glimpse of the future for Habs fans. If nothing else, it’ll be a showcase of two of the most iconic uniforms in sports.
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 45.83%
Next seven days: @ OTT (Dec. 2), @ MTL (Dec. 4), vs. NJ (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 18 at Dallas. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the Stars outlasted the Kraken in the second round of the 2023 playoffs. While the Stars look like they haven’t missed a step, the Kraken have yet to find that next gear that made them so dangerous last spring.
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 47.06%
Next seven days: @ CBJ (Dec. 1), vs. SEA (Dec. 2), vs. NYR (Dec. 5), vs. TOR (Dec. 7)
Games of the month: Dec. 7 vs. Toronto, Dec. 27 at Toronto. In order to get back on track towards a playoff spot, the Sens are going to have to jump over a lot of teams. But one of them is their Ontarian rivals, a team they beat 6-3 back on Nov. 8.
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 39.13%
Next seven days: vs. COL (Dec. 2), @ COL (Dec. 5), @ CHI (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 29 vs. Arizona. Despite a rough run lately, the Ducks should be encouraged by the progress of their new wave of young talent (aside from Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, both currently on IR). This game pits them against another Western riser (albeit one who may also need another year of seasoning before they truly contend for the playoffs).
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 37.50%
Next seven days: vs. OTT (Dec. 1), @ BOS (Dec. 3), vs. LA (Dec. 5), @ NYI (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 1 vs. Ottawa. Is it too early to start projecting out the draft lottery odds for 2024? There have been better seasons in the history of these two franchises — and frankly, there is a lot of talent on both rosters. Nevertheless, these are your bottom two in the Eastern Conference entering this clash (to be fair, the Sharks, Blackhawks and Wild are behind both of them).
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 42.86%
Next seven days: vs. CHI (Dec. 3), @ CGY (Dec. 5), @ VAN (Dec. 7)
Games of the month: Dec. 30 at Winnipeg, Dec. 31 vs. Winnipeg. Much has gone sideways for the Wild this season, eventually leading to the dismissal of head coach Dean Evason this week. While we await the full scale of the after-effects of that move, Wild fans can look forward to a back-to-back, home-and-home series against one of their closest geographic rivals to close out the calendar year.
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 33.33%
Next seven days: @ WPG (Dec. 2), @ MIN (Dec. 3), vs. NSH (Dec. 5), vs. ANA (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 17 vs. Vancouver. Phenom Connor Bedard grew up a Canucks fan in North Vancouver, and while he won’t get to play against them at Rogers Arena until Jan. 22, he will get to skate against this season’s surprise juggernaut in front of his team’s crowd this month.
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 26.09%
Next seven days: @ NJ (Dec. 1), @ NYR (Dec. 3), @ NYI (Dec. 5), @ DET (Dec. 7)
Game of the month: Dec. 10 at Vegas. There was a time when Sharks-Knights games featured two teams getting extra feisty with each other, battling for position near the top of the standings, or in playoff series. Times have changed, and these two clubs are on quite divergent paths now. But hey, the Sharks did pull off a win against the Canucks last week, so maybe they have more magic up their sleeves for this one (or at least more than was on display in the 4-1 and 5-0 losses to Vegas earlier this season).
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
Tennessee‘s Nico Iamaleava has been cleared medically to play Saturday against Georgia and is set to return as the Vols’ starting quarterback, sources told ESPN.
Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman, missed the second half of the 33-14 win over Mississippi State last week after suffering a blow to the head. He was listed as questionable earlier this week on the SEC availability report but has been removed in the latest report.
Iamaleava practiced this week, including team periods, and there was optimism among the staff that he was trending in the right direction and would be able to play. But the final call was made by medical personnel. Iamaleava was examined by doctors for what sources told ESPN were concussion-like symptoms after leaving the Mississippi State game. He did not return to the sideline for the second half.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Monday that he felt like Iamaleava would be in “great shape for Saturday” and noted that Iamaleava was with the team earlier Monday morning for meetings and team activities. The Vols’ first full-scale practice was Tuesday.
Iamaleava was having his most productive outing against an SEC team this season before leaving the game against Mississippi State. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 174 yards, no interceptions and a pair of touchdowns as Tennessee built a 20-7 halftime lead. In Iamaleava’s previous five SEC games, he had accounted for three touchdowns and turned it over five times. He was also sacked 15 times in those five games.
Redshirt senior Gaston Moore filled in for Iamaleava in the second half last week and finished 5-of-8 for 38 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Getting Iamaleava back for the Georgia game is big news for Tennessee, which is right in the middle of the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.
Receiver Dont’e Thornton (hand) has also been given the green light to play for Tennessee after earlier being listed as questionable.
Week 12 is here as we take a look at an SEC matchup that has College Football Playoff implications, learn about three of the nation’s top passers who all played under the same coach and see what’s going on in the Big 12.
No. 7 Tennessee will visit Sanford Stadium as it takes on conference opponent No. 12 Georgia on Saturday night. With so much at stake, what can each team improve on ahead of this SEC showdown?
The Big 12 has six teams in the hunt for a spot in the conference title game. With the final CFP rankings coming out in less than a month, what scenario looks most realistic for the conference in terms of how many of its teams could make the 12-team field?
Our college football experts preview big games and storylines ahead of the Week 12 slate.
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Tennessee-Georgia | The coach behind three top QB passers
What’s going on in the Big 12 | Quotes of the Week
What has each team done well in conference play? What improvements can be made?
It has been a historic (and dominant) season for Tennessee’s defense, which has yet to give up more than 19 points in any of its nine games. Against SEC competition, the Volunteers lead the conference in scoring defense, giving up 16.7 points per game, and also lead the way in third-down defense and red zone defense. In other words, they’ve given up very little of anything on defense and are buoyed by a line that’s both talented and deep. Tennessee plays a ton of players up front and has been especially good at forcing key turnovers. In 23 trips inside its own 20-yard line, the Vols have forced six turnovers.
The reality is that Tennessee has played to its defense for much of this season out of necessity. The offense has lacked consistency and struggled to generate explosive plays, particularly in the passing game. It’s not all on redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, either. Iamaleava has thrown only five touchdown passes in six SEC games, and the Vols are tied for 10th with an average of 7.5 yards per completion. Iamaleava, who sustained a head injury in a win over Mississippi State last week, has been the victim of poor pass protection at times, and his receivers have dropped some costly passes. Iamaleava has also been shaky when it comes to overthrowing receivers and occasionally holding onto the ball too long.
The bright spot on offense for Tennessee has been running back Dylan Sampson, who has a school-record 20 rushing touchdowns. He has been a constant for the Vols on offense and has an SEC-leading 772 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in conference play. As good as he has been, the Vols are probably going to need more from their passing game to win in Athens. — Chris Low
The Bulldogs didn’t do much of anything well in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, which was the first time in a long time that Kirby Smart’s team was manhandled on the lines of scrimmage.
The good news for Georgia: It’s heading home to Sanford Stadium for the first time in more than a month. Georgia hasn’t dropped back-to-back games in the regular season since 2016, Smart’s first season, and it has bounced back after each of its past eight losses. The Bulldogs have won seven of their past eight games against the Volunteers.
For all of quarterback Carson Beck‘s turnovers, Georgia’s problems on offense probably start up front. The offensive line hasn’t done a good job of protecting him, and the Bulldogs’ lack of a potent running game has prevented them from effectively utilizing play-action passes. Their banged-up offensive line is going to face another formidable defensive front Saturday. Georgia has 27 dropped passes, fourth most in the FBS, according to TruMedia, so its receivers need to become more reliable as well. — Mark Schlabach
The coach behind three of college football’s top passers
Miami‘s Cam Ward, Washington State‘s John Mateer and North Texas‘ Chandler Morris are three of the top five quarterbacks in total offense this season in FBS. All three have the same head coach to thank for where they are today.
North Texas coach Eric Morris coached Ward at Incarnate Word and Washington State, recruited Mateer to the Cougars and signed Morris out of the transfer portal this offseason. All three hailed from Texas and are putting up big numbers this season. Morris, a Mike Leach disciple, knows what he’s looking for when it comes to QBs.
For each one, the journey was different. Ward was a zero-star recruit out of West Columbia, Texas, played in a wing-T offense and had no scholarship offers. But he showed up to Incarnate Word’s camp in 2019 and impressed with his quick release and accuracy. Morris saw appealing traits, too, in Ward’s multisport talents.
“He was such a good basketball player,” Morris said. “He was a bigger guy who could really handle the ball and move with ease. He had a twitch and quickness about him that was almost Mahomes-esque, where he’s not fast but you see him get out of the pocket and scramble and he’s nifty on his feet. He saw the floor great and shot the basketball great.
“It might be easier at an FCS school to take that risk, but it was something we were really confident in.”
Ward came in with extreme confidence, telling coaches he’d win the starting job over their returning all-conference player (and he did). He followed Morris to Pullman, Washington, out of loyalty to the coach who believed in him. Now he’s playing on a big stage, chasing a College Football Playoff bid and a Heisman Trophy with the No. 9 Hurricanes.
“It’s been fun to watch him flourish and get rewarded for being patient all these years,” Morris said.
When Morris left UIW to become Washington State’s offensive coordinator in 2022, he brought Ward but needed another QB. On his first recruiting trip in Texas, he stopped by to check out Mateer. The two-star recruit had a prolific senior season at Little Elm High School but was committed to Central Arkansas. Morris didn’t understand what FBS programs were missing and convinced Mateer to flip.
After two seasons behind Ward, Mateer has emerged as one of the top dual-threat QBs in college football with 2,332 passing yards, 805 rushing yards (excluding sacks) and 33 total TDs.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” Ward said. “He’s just so dang hard to tackle in the open field. Just a kid that loves ball and was under-recruited. The tide’s turned and he ends up being a big-time ballplayer.”
Chandler Morris was not an under-the-radar talent, but he’s having his best season yet at North Texas. He began his career at Oklahoma, won the starting job at TCU in 2022, sustained a knee injury in its season opener and then watched Max Duggan lead the Horned Frogs to the national title game.
Morris had a six-game stint as TCU’s starter last season before injuring the same knee. At UNT, he’s leading the nation’s No. 3 passing offense with 3,244 total yards and 30 TDs. Like Ward and Mateer, he processes information quickly, makes plays with his feet and throws outside the pocket with accuracy. If you ask Eric Morris, those traits are a must in today’s game. When paired with his version of Air Raid ball, you get big-time results.
“It’s been fun to see him get his swagger back,” Morris said.
Eric Morris points to Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels. The QBs thriving at the highest level are becoming unstoppable by creating plays out of the pocket. And so are his guys.
“Everybody obviously watches Cam and the magic he makes,” Morris said, “but I think all three of ’em can make plays when it’s not a perfect play call. There are a bunch of really good pure passers nowadays, but that’s what sets them all apart.” — Max Olson
What’s going on in the Big 12?
Two-thirds of the way through the Big 12 schedule, six teams are still in the hunt for a title-game appearance: BYU (6-0), Colorado (5-1), Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas State and West Virginia, all of which are 4-2. There are too many variables to discuss all the scenarios, but the conference has a straightforward tiebreaker policy.
It’s possible to come up with scenarios in which the Big 12 could get two bids, one bid or shut out altogether.
For the Big 12 to get two bids, BYU probably would have to finish 12-0, then lose a close game in the championship to a two-loss team (Colorado, Iowa State or Kansas State). A 12-1 BYU team would get consideration, but it would become a question of how far it would fall and what else happens around the country.
The most likely scenario is the Big 12 will get one team in: whichever one wins the conference title game. If BYU wins out, it will have a bye, but if it slips up even once — or if another team wins the title — Boise State might be in position to get a first-round bye, assuming the Broncos win out.
The doomsday scenario in the Big 12 is if the conference champion has two or three losses and Army and Boise State win out. If that’s the case, there is a good possibility both of those schools would be ranked ahead of the Big 12 champion and the Big 12 would be left out. — Kyle Bonagura
Quotes of the Week
“They’re stubborn, man. They’re physical. He is an elite runner. The runs they run are sometimes nontraditional. They run some runs that other people don’t run because of the space in the box. He’s very patient. He hits small creases. He’s hard to tackle. How many touchdowns has he got in the SEC? Twenty-something? That’s crazy. In the SEC? The SEC is the hardest league in the world to run the ball in on because they’ve got the most size defensive lineman, and he continues to do it at a crazy pace to me.” — Kirby Smart on Volunteers tailback Dylan Sampson.
“I never try to take a step back. I try to take a step up. I’m always putting my head out the window. I’m trying to see around the corner, not trying to see straight ahead. It’s normalcy for everybody to see what’s in front of them. I’m trying to see around the corner. That’s the relationship I have with the Lord, to help me see around the corner so I can help navigate these young men as well as the women that’s attached to our program to a better way and a better life. So I don’t get caught up in the ‘You go, boys!’ or the ‘You ain’t nothing.’ You know, if I would’ve listened to you guys earlier, I’ve gotta listen to you now. So I might as well just put some headphones on and block you out. Notice I don’t have a sponsor for headphones, but that would’ve been a good placement for a sponsor.” — Deion Sanders when asked if he takes time to step back and appreciate the magnitude of Colorado’s turnaround.
“I hope anyone who has ambitions about playing in the National Football League, let’s see what you’ve got against Clemson. Let’s see you play your best game here. If you weren’t focused for Virginia, which I can’t imagine you weren’t — and I’m not saying anybody was not focused — but if they didn’t get your focus, I imagine Clemson will get your focus when you put the tape on.” — Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi on whether playing Clemson gets the attention of his players.
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