College Football Weekly Q & A with Rick Neuheisel

This week's college football Q & A is with former college football player/and coach Rick Neuheisel.  Rick currently is an analyst with CBS and you can watch him on College Football Today on CBS.

Q: What did you think of the playoff committee's first 4 poll?
How big have these college football rankings becoming? We have these visceral reactions, this matters very little to what's going to happen by December 6th, but we get so emotionally charged when teams are overlooked or underrated or more importantly when teams are overrated. When Alabama was unveiled as number 4 with a loss well ahead of several undefeated teams, it was if it was the scene from Animal House when Flounder's face shows up on the screen and people scream and throw stuff at the screen. We have such Nick Saban fatigue if you will, this guy is always at the top, but the answer is, have you seen them play? They are really good. They could have saved themselves a lot of consternation if they would have just left them about 6 or 7 because they are playing LSU this weekend and they are going to play themselves into that position by the end of the weekend. It does make for great water cooler conversation.

Q:What does the Big 12 think right now being on the outside looking in again?
It's a little bit of their own doing. The top teams have not played each other until now. This week we get Oklahoma State and TCU, 2 undefeated teams playing in Stillwater. The month of November will tell all for the Big 12. Their problem, as it was last year, is they don't have a conference championship game. A loss in that conference is almost like a loss and a half, not necessarily cause they count it more but because you don't have that extra win in early December to trump it. Ohio State went past a #3 TCU last year because they shellacked a very good Wisconsin team in the BIG 12 title game last year. So one of those teams will have to run the table, that being Baylor, OK State or TCU.

Q:What are the chances for the Stanford or Utah or any Pac 12 team?
I think both those teams should feel pretty good about being 11 and 12. Remember Ohio State got in and won it from the 16 hole. Utah should feel good and I thought Stanford's near miss last week might hurt them. The good news for Stanford is that they not only could win the Pac 12 they could also beat Notre Dame. Notre Dame is sitting there at the 5 spot. So both Stanford and Utah, there both pulling for Stanford to win that game assuming that Stanford and Utah represents in the Pac 12 conference title game. If that happens and both teams win out and Stanford beats Notre Dame soundly, then I think the pac 12 champion gets in.