Kirk Herbstreit on College Football Playoff rankings: 'This thing's far from over'
ESPN college football expert Kirk Herbstreit poses in Times Square Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014 as part of Allstate's launch of the It's Good Sweepstakes in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the brand's "Good Hands" Field Goal Nets. Credit: Allstate
Don't be fooled by the lack of movement at the top of this week's College Football Playoff rankings. In fact, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit won't even go so far as to predict his final top four, explaining himself in a succinct yet spot-on way:
"This thing's far from over."
Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame stayed in the playoff picture when the selection committee revealed its latest rankings on Tuesday night. But the rest of the season is filled with potential pitfalls for several of those hopefuls.
"If you just look at Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State . . . I'll be surprised if they all win out," Herbstreit told Newsday on Wednesday during a call to promote Allstate's It's Good Sweepstakes. "We're all just kind of assuming that those three will win out, and then that last spot between Notre Dame and Oklahoma State or Oklahoma or whoever it might be, that seems like the most common discussion."
But . . .
"But what if Clemson loses to North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game?" Herbstreit said. "What if Ohio State loses to Michigan or Michigan State? What if Alabama gets upset by Florida, or they lose to Auburn in the season finale?"
Indeed, Clemson does have a history of "Clemsoning," as opposing fans like to call it when the Tigers lose a big game in disappointing fashion.
Then-No. 1 Alabama lost to Auburn two years ago in one of the most dramatic endings in college football history, and while this year's Tigers team is a far cry from the 2013 team, rivalry games often bring out the best in both sides.
Ohio State closes out the season against two ranked rivals in Michigan State and Michigan - and those two games are their first against ranked opponents all season.
"Those are the kind of things that, while they seem improbable, actually happen quite often in our sport," Herbstreit said of staying on potential upset watch with the nation's top teams. "This is one of those sports that whenever you think you have it figured out, something else happens.
"Expect the unexpected."
Nick Klopsis is Newsday.com's sports editor. He often can be found studying NFL and college football film for his latest draft breakdown.
