We criticized the way he said “family.” We made fun of the way he danced. We have seen him turn a color purple we didn’t know existed on the sideline while yelling at anyone within range.
Brian Kelly isn’t exactly near the top of the list of college football’s most likable coaches — and that’s putting it mildly. But the man can coach, and he showed us once again on Saturday.
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In his first season at LSU, Kelly took down mighty Alabama in the greatest environment the sport has to offer. Heck, he even cried real human tears afterwards.
The Tigers beat Alabama as 13.5-point underdogs at home. LSU did so emphatically, converting a two-point conversion in OT for a massive walk-off win. (Also, somehow the over cashed despite zero first-quarter points. I am thankful for that.)
Now, we have a bit of a mess on our hands though — and I say that in the most enthusiastic way. Throw in a loss from No. 4 Clemson, and the College Football Playoff has been completely reshaped.
TCU and the Pac-12 were the huge winners from Saturday. Alabama’s loss puts the Crimson Tide on life support to make the playoff. TCU (35/1 to win the title) and Oregon (25/1) were given enormous boosts as a result.
Tennessee, meanwhile, was given new life. Although the Vols were dominated by Georgia, Tennessee is still 16/1 to win the national title and very alive to make the postseason despite the outcome. They have LSU and Notre Dame to thank for that.
And then there’s LSU, which now controls its own destiny in the SEC West. The Tigers, which were gifted a No. 10 ranking by the CFP selection committee last week, backed up that surprising confidence with a win that could reshape that program.
The Tigers are now 40/1 to win the title, and they’re guaranteed to make the playoff if they win out. Oh, how things have changed since LSU lost to Florida State in the opener. The team has confidence, and Jayden Daniels (20/1 to win the Heisman) is playing like one of the best QBs in America.
As for the picture as a whole … well, the massive shakeup finally arrived. Three of the nation’s top six teams have fallen, and now we will move forward with the new normal.
Let us embrace the weird.
The Appetizer: Football Tidbits and Observations
