2021 NFL Week 13 NFC Kayfabe and Political Rankings

Since it's only Denver-Kansas City and New England-Buffalo left, I can do the NFC for this week now.

Kayfabe:

East:  Dallas (8-4), two up on Washington (6-6), who've won four in a row!!

North:  Green Bay (9-3), four up five to play on Minnesota.  A Green Bay win and a Minnesota loss Week 14 wins the NFC North for the Packers.  That wins a home playoff game, in some capacity.

South:  Tampa Bay (9-3), same drill, but over the entire rest of the division.  Because of the divisional tiebreaker, they have now swept Atlanta, so they only need a win and losses by New Orleans and Carolina to clinch the NFC South.

West:  Arizona (10-2), two up on the Rams, four up on San Francisco.  A win and a 49er loss clinches a playoff berth next week.

Tiebreakers:

Green Bay-Tampa Bay for the 2:  Conference:  Green Bay 7-2, Tampa Bay 6-3.  Green Bay #2, Tampa Bay #3.

49ers and Washington for the 6:  Have and will not play.  Conference:  Washington 5-2, 49ers 5-5

1. ARI (10-2, wins playoff spot with win and 49er loss)
2. GB (9-3, wins NFC North with a win and a Minnesota loss, conference record tiebreak winner)
3. TB (9-3, wins NFC South with a win and losses by New Orleans and Carolina, loses conference record tiebreak)
4. DAL (8-4)
5. LAR (8-4)
6. WAS (6-6, wins conference record tiebreaker)
7. SF (6-6, loses conference record tiebreaker)

SF @ GB, WAS @ TB (HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....), LAR @ DAL, ARI has bye.

The NFL can be thankful for that, because not only is Philly now 6-7 with one of the last two byes, but after that, you have Minnesota, Carolina, New Orleans, and Atlanta all at 5-7.  Meaning, out of the 16 teams, with five weeks to go, you have only four who are more than one game out of the playoffs.  (And three of them are only two, meaning only the Detroit Lions are more than two games out of the playoff picture with five to play.)

Now for the Politicals, how I think the NFL may be booking it as of the end of this week:

None of this is very secure at this point, largely because I'm not, in any way, sure the NFL likes ANY of it's options at this point:

1) Arizona

2) Dallas

3) Tampa Bay

4) Green Bay

5) Washington??????

DUD OF THE WEEK:

Well, the WINNER is obvious:

THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS.  For giving Detroit it's first W -- though, to be fair, Detroit may be the best 0-double digits team in NFL history!

HONORABLE MENTIONS/NOMINEES:

NONE!  Yeah, I think there was a blowout or two, but nothing that worthy of inclusion on the NFC side, and, really, Minnesota is only included because it gets Detroit off their zero.

Oh my God, has Week 13 started off a disaster...

• The first SIX games to finish this week have been non-competitive.
• All six favorites have covered.  The lowest spread was 5 -- the rest were a touchdown or more.
• The road team was 5-1 in the first six games.
• They seem to have stuffed all the drama into one early game this week...  THE LIONS WON!!!!!!!
• Walk-off touchdown for a 29-27 win to send off the Vikings.  But that's the only game of the early window or Thursday which is even within one score.
• Two competitive games of the first eight.  And one of them went sideways in the fourth quarter with the Chargers dropping 17 on the Bungles.

Yep, they did it! You want Bama, you got Bama!!

For the first time in the history of an on-field championship construct for top-level college football, a non-Power 5 team has been given the opportunity to play for the title.

They just have to beat Alabama first.

Cincinnati has won the chance, but now they get Alabama.

Luke Fickell has said he's only carrying the banner for his school.

He's wrong.  He's not only carrying the banner for the Group of 5, but, frankly, their future in college football, if they have one.

A lot of people are gonna stare down this game on December 31 as a litmus test, and a final one, for the Group of 5.  Many people have tried this for games like Oklahoma-Boise State in that classic Fiesta Bowl, etc.

If Cincinnati fails, and fails spectacularly, this probably IS the end of the Group of 5 in top-tier football.  There IS already talk of separating the divisions full-stop.

If Cincinnati at least keeps the game close, the Group of 5 gets a full place at the table if there's expansion, and the hesitancy of the Committee to take the Go5 more seriously is reduced.

That said, I understand what Coach Fickell is trying to say -- he's wrong.  He has to know what is on the line.

This is, however, a very beatable Alabama team.

Alabama is about a two-touchdown favorite over Cincinnati (-13 - -13 1/2)

Georgia is about a one-touchdown favorite over Michigan (-7 - -7 1/2)

Full New Year's Six:

Peach Bowl (Dec. 30):  Pittsburgh vs. Michigan State

Semifinal One (Dec. 31):  Cotton Bowl:  Cincinnati vs. Alabama

Semifinal Two (Dec. 31):  Orange Bowl:  Michigan vs. Georgia

Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1):  Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1):  Utah vs. Ohio State

Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1):  Ole Miss vs. Baylor

National Championship (Jan. 10):  Cotton Bowl Winner vs. Orange Bowl Winner

Day 635

• Russia has won the 2021 Davis Cup, it's first title in 15 years.  Drug tests??   
• Zach Cunningham has been suspended for today's game by the Houston Texans -- habitual tardiness.
• Max Verstappen and Louis Hamilton had numerous showdowns in Saudi Arabia today, with Hamilton crashing out Verstappen eventually, winning a controversy-marred Saudi Arabian GP, and levelling the two on points for the final race.
• Bob Dole, former Republican candidate for President, has passed away.
• Last month was the first recorded November in history Colorado got no snow.
• Two states, today, have winter weather advisories.  Alaska's is expected.
• Hawaii's is NOT!  Foot of snow, 100 MPH winds and a blizzard on some of Hawaii's mountains.

Day 634

• Jim Harbaugh sat down with his wife a week or two ago, and announced he was going to donate all bonus money he accrued this season to any athletic department employees who had their salary cut either voluntarily or otherwise by the COVID-19 situation.
• With the Big Ten Championship well in hand, that bonus is now at $1,500,000, with another $200,000 coming tomorrow (for getting in the CFP/New Year's Six)  and possibly another $1,500,000, depending on how far he gets in the CFP.
• Yep, Iowa got the memo.  35-3 now, it looks like.
• More information as to criminal conduct by Chris Cuomo has ended his employment with CNN.  Fired today.
• A representative from Kentucky has sent a Christmas photo of his family, armed to the teeth, asking for ammo for Christmas from Santa.  I'm not going to be around much longer.  I'm probably going to make one of these MAGAt fucks shoot me, because I have no place in their America.  
• To give an example of how fucked we are in this regard:  I think this was Texas...  Divorced father comes to mother's home with new boyfriend to pick up his child as agreed.  Mother balks, boyfriend tells him to leave, goes to get rifle.  Tussle over rifle, two shots, custody battle over.  And basically this was shot for two cameras -- one in the house, one in the car.  There is ZERO DOUBT in my mind the wife and new boyfriend wanted the ex out of the picture for good, and they got it done.
• Sounds like Captain Fatfuck is done -- probably done with the Steelers after this season, and I'd put money that's a retirement.
• Alex Ovechkin has notched his 750th NHL goal -- only Wayne Gretzky did it in fewer games.  Only Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr did it as well.
• CFP expansion is in trouble.  Gee, I wonder why...  Maybe because, with NIL, there may be a full re-division of college football, or what is left of it.  
• Apparently LeBron's COVID positive was a false positive -- and he's not happy about it!  I would not be either.   
• The Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker Early Access has gone completely sideways.  It could be weeks before the servers stabilize.

Meanwhile, the Big Ten is going to remove all doubt...

On what universe this this NOT targeting?  Field called it, booth reversed it.

This hit on Spencer Petras from Michigan S Rod Moore was just reviewed for targeting. No penalty pic.twitter.com/P4Sm1VJInx

— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) December 5, 2021

This, after a clear pass interference no-call to favor Michigan in the end zone which kept Iowa to a field goal.

14-3 Michigan, three to go in the half.  Will add if the refs wanna do more.

Oh my God, they're actually gonna do it:

Okie State got within about a foot, but couldn't get anything to hit the pylon on the final 4th down there, so the refs couldn't help them.

That, and a 35-20 win by Cincinnati over Houston, probably does the honors:  For the first time in any organized on-field top-tier national-championship scenario, it appears as if a non-Power 5 team will be announced, tomorrow about 9:30 AM Pacific Time, to play for the college football national championship.

Worse for the "the fabric is broken" crowd, they will be the LAST FBS undefeated left -- meaning there's a very real chance, under the old system, they would BYU their way to winning the national championship under how it used to be.  (Yes, I know, redundant redundancy...)

I am fully aware, by the way, of the line of thinking that they would get rolled by the #1 team and that would be it for the Group of 5 permanently.  We'll see about that.  Michigan or Alabama?