Carla and Crappy Show: The Math is Hard Edition

It’s Week 13 of the college football season … and AJ is deep into spreadsheets, if/then formulas, and opponent cumulative winning percentages. And that can mean only one thing: Either he’s got way too much time on his hands … or we’re getting close to the end of the season and conference title games. (Hint: It’s the latter. Mostly.)

Hi friends. Yes, believe it or not, there are just two weeks left in the regular season … and approximately 13,000 options and tiebreakers to determine conference championship participants. 

Some of last week’s games helped ease confusion. Ohio State and Penn State picked up expected wins. Oregon escaped Wisconsin, while Indiana rested. So the Big Ten’s pretty straightforward. Same thing with the ACC. (Yes, really.) It’s a three-team race between Miami … and Clemson and SMU, which both found themselves in spicy games last weekend. (Sorry, Pitt fans.)

But the Big 12 is undoubtedly eating itself. (See: Kansas over BYU.) AJ walks us through this week’s buffet options, which, pre-Thanksgiving week, are plentiful, including No. 16 Colorado at Kansas (3:30 ET, FOX) and No. 14 BYU at No. 21 Arizona State (3:30 ET, ESPN).

The SEC? Well, that’s just a hot mess. Maybe even as much so as the Big 12. Georgia remembered how to play football last weekend, South Carolina is indeed peaking at the end of the season again, and Florida knocked off LSU in the Swamp (much to Ellie’s delight). 

The one thing that is clear? There’s a Pac-12 title game this weekend, which AJ is all over: Washington State at Oregon State (7 ET, The CW).

Crappy also poses an interesting question: Which team would you absolutely not want to play right now?

On the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark slate this week, we have some dandies, which AJ is very excited to discuss: No. 24 UNLV at San José State (10 ET Friday, FS1), James Madison at Appalachian State (2:30 ET, ESPN+), Air Force at Nevada (10:30 ET, FS1), Colorado State at Fresno State (10:30 ET, CBSSN), East Carolina at North Texas (3:30 ET, ESPN+) a with good and proper Fun Index of 72.5, Sam Houston at Jacksonville State (Noon ET, CBSSN), and Western Kentucky at Liberty (Noon ET, ESPN+). (Carla’s not super excited about that last one.)

And then, the big boy slate:

No. 5 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX): Crappy has all kinds of feels about this game. Can the Hoosiers prove themselves against a top-tier opponent?

No. 9 Ole Miss at Florida (Noon ET, ABC): Yes, the Gators are seemingly on a roll to end the season. But we’re fairly certain that roll stops this weekend. Ole Miss just has too much offense … and a good defense, too.

No. 4 Penn State at Minnesota (3:30 ET, CBS): More Tyler Warren, please. He may be the difference-maker for the Nits in this one.

No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium (7 ET, NBC): Goodness, how much fun would it be for Army to knock the Irish out of the playoff? Do they have the physicality to keep up with Notre Dame?

While AJ continues to do math, Carla offers her honorable mention nods to Vanderbilt at LSU (7:45 ET, SECN) and the home finale for her Blue Raiders, New Mexico State at MTSU (2:30 ET, ESPN+). (Hi, Jake!) Crappy again sends his magical vibes to you regarding Ohio at Toledo on Wednesday evening (Spoiler alert: OU won, 24-7.), and offers a soliloquy to the upcoming playoffs.

Enjoy the football this weekend, kids. It’s been a super fun season (never mind the math thing), and it’s rapidly coming to an end. Cheers.