Alright, another weekend of college football has passed, and we certainly have more questions than answers right now regarding the playoffs. 

After a few upsets this past Saturday, with Georgia Tech throttling Miami, and Ole Miss beating Georgia , we are headed towards a chaotic few weeks of playoff rankings. 

As for the rest of college football, conference standings continue to be a hot topic. The Big 12 has gone crazy, the ACC is in the hands of SMU, while the SEC looks like a traffic jam at the top. Who knows what happens down the stretch with the Big Ten, but I don’t expect Oregon to lose a regular season game, so it comes down to who they will play in the conference title game. 

Let’s get to your questions, as I chose a few that stood out this week.

Are we headed towards total chaos in the SEC with all these teams potentially finishing with 2 losses? Thanks man.

—Anthony, Atlanta

Well, Anthony, I think the log-jam at the top of the SEC is fascinating, and this is what happens when you don’t play a nine-game conference schedule. But, here we are, and there are a number of teams fighting for a postseason berth. Again, I’m not just talking about the conference title game, I’m looking at the college football playoff. As it currently stands, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Texas sit atop the SEC standings with just one conference loss. But I don’t know how long that will stand, especially with the Vols traveling to Georgia this weekend.

Think about it this way. Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU and Missouri all have two losses right now, and the tiebreaker scenario will be fascinating to watch unfold. If Tennessee goes to Athens and beats the Bulldogs, then the conversation shifts, dramatically. The same can be said for the Aggies, if they were to win out, which includes a game against Texas. 

I think the bigger decision comes down to the playoff committee, and how many SEC teams they decide to put into the postseason. But yes, we could be headed towards a chaotic ending, and I’m all for the madness that’s ensuing. 

Is Mike Norvel firing his assistant coaches actually going to solve the problem for my Seminoles? 

—Thomas, Pensacola, Fla.

I mean, Norvell fired his OC, DC and WR coach because he needed a new lease of life in Tallahassee. This team took a massive step back this season, getting destroyed by Notre Dame on Saturday, and currently sitting at 1-9 on the year. I’ll be honest, Florida State is going to have to rearrange things inside the football offices, and I’m not just talking about the coaching staff. 

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 18: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles watches his team play against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of the game at Wallace Wade Stadium on October 18, 2024 in Durham, North Carolina.  (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

After all the momentum from last season, and the controversy regarding the playoffs, FSU did nothing to build off 2023, and it’s come back to bite them in a bad way. This team needs a quarterback, and to find that spark along the defensive line again. But right now, the future looks bleak, and Mike Norvell certainly made some changes so that it would give him a new lease on life at Florida State.

The Seminoles have a massive rebuild on their hands. So, I’d practice some meditation.  

Appreciate your honesty about Colorado, especially after the Nebraska loss. So, do you think we can actually make the playoffs? 

—Mike, Broomfield, Colo.

I’ll be the first one to admit that I did not see this coming after the Nebraska loss, Mike. I thought this team lacked weapons that would be needed to put an opponent away. Boy, was I wrong, and I’m really enjoying what Deion Sanders has done with this football team. Luckily for Colorado, the Big 12 has decided to go full-blown crazy, thanks to losses by Iowa State and Kansas State. 

Now, all Colorado needs to do is win its remaining regular season games, which is certainly possible. If they do, the Buffaloes will be playing in the Big 12 title game, with a chance at securing a spot in the College Football Playoff. So, to answer your question, I absolutely believe this team can make the postseason, but they need to stop playing from behind at times. 

Also, Travis Hunter is going to New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, and I think he deserves the award at this moment. 

Can Indiana afford a loss to Ohio State in two weeks, and still make the playoff? I’m a little concerned about strength of our schedule. 

—Adam, Indiana

Yea, I’ve thought about this a lot over the last few weeks. The Hoosiers have certainly beaten up on their opponents during this 10-0 run, but I do wonder how the committee will look at them towards the end of the season. Right now, they are ranked 8th in the standings, beating a bad Michigan team 20-15 this past Saturday. 

PASADENA, CA – SEPTEMBER 14: Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti walks down the field during a college football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the UCLA Bruins on September 14, 2024, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.  (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

If they lose to Ohio State by a touchdown, or 10 points, then I can see the committee keeping them in the Top-12. But, if they were to let this one get away, I don’t know how the voters will react to Indiana’s schedule. Let’s be honest, their biggest win is I guess Washington, maybe Michigan. This team has the ability to beat Ohio State, and I think there’s a good shot they leave Columbus with the win. 

But that schedule isn’t that helpful if the committee is looking at that part down the stretch. Either way, the Big Ten race is wild, and there are a number of scenarios where I see the Hoosiers playing in the postseason, including a potential win next week. 

Thanks to everyone for the questions, and you can continue reaching out to me at Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com and I’ll get back to you. Enjoy the week, with another Saturday of college football approaching. 

It’s that time of year when the days are shorter and our time outside is seemingly all the more precious. To beat the sun setting over the Front Range, we must look to shorter trails.

Trails such as these — easy to reach and offering variety in different parts of Colorado Springs:

Mesa Trail, Palmer Park

Popular among dog walkers, this is the wide path looping the top of the rocky wilds east of the city’s core. From the Yucca Flats parking lot, Mesa Trail roams above the rock, touring meadows with clear views of the mountains and plains. With more time, one ventures off for Templeton Trail. ~2 miles

South Blodgett Loop, Blodgett Open Space

The well-marked South Blodgett Loop starts from the parking lot about a mile south of the open space’s main lot, at 3786 W. Woodmen Road. At last visit, we started uphill on the wide path to views of the open space’s namesake peak. The route descends on a single-track trail through hilly woods, looking out to the city lights that start to twinkle around dusk. ~2 miles

Pulpit Rock Trail

The white, throne-like promontory just east of Interstate 25 has gotten more accessible in recent years. That’s thanks to a well-defined trail that gently rises along its flanks to the summit, where Pikes Peak looms large. The small parking lot is off North Nevada Avenue, behind the BMW dealership. ~2 miles out and back

Scotsman Loop, Garden of the Gods

Here’s a quick way to admire the signature beauty of the Garden on dirt rather than the sidewalk in the center of the park. From the Scotsman Picnic Area — the parking lot numbered 13 along the park road — the trail rises to views of the Gateway rocks and Pikes Peak. ~1 mile

Quail Lake

It’s best enjoyed before the lake freezes, when the water reflects Cheyenne Mountain and the foothills looming over the city’s south side. The sunsets are splendid. A combination of dirt and pavement loops around the lake. ~1 mile

Space Command, separate from the Trump-created Space Force, has been the center of a yearslong controversy about whether to put its headquarters in Colorado or Alabama. Trump has favored the deep-red Alabama, while Biden favored the deep-blue Colorado. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) told Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5 that Trump would settle the dispute as one of his first moves in office.

“President Trump said in the campaign that he was going to reverse that decision if elected,” he said, referring to Biden’s decision to move the headquarters to Colorado. “But I knew he would because if you remember, not only did Alabama win two nationwide competitions, but President Trump’s secretary of the Air Force recommended Huntsville, President Biden’s secretary of the Air Force recommended Huntsville, and then Biden took it away for political reasons.”

“But it’s going to be a big point now because President Trump’s already announced it, and I think you’ll see in the first week that he’s in office, he’ll sign an executive order reversing Biden’s directive,” he continued. “And we will start construction next year in Huntsville.”

The office of Rep.-elect Jeff Crank (R-CO) expressed its opposition to the prospect.

“He’s definitely against the move,” a spokesman for Crank told the Washington Examiner.

Speaking with Al.com, Crank pledged to “resist any attempt” to move the headquarters to Alabama. He also issued some rare criticism of the president-elect by an elected Republican.

“With Donald Trump, you never know,” he said. “He changes his positions and his stance on issues by the day, and sometimes by the hour. If he wants to build out the Space Force and Space Command and have it meet the national security moment and our threats, then he will keep it here.”

Another Colorado Republican, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) also defended keeping the base in Colorado.

“Today’s USSPACECOM [full operational capability] announcement is the pinnacle of more than four years of hard work by General Raymond, General Dickinson, and our Guardians,” he said in a statement last year. “This achievement continues to show that Colorado Springs is the right location for USSPACECOM for our nation’s readiness. I am confident our Guardians will do what is necessary to maintain the highest levels of readiness to counter our adversaries’ malign ambitions in space. Our nation and its Allies are counting on it.”

The Biden administration always defended its move to keep the headquarters in Colorado Springs as a purely national security-focused move, without any political considerations. Its main argument was the perceived threat to readiness.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

A senior White House official told the Colorado Springs Gazette last year that Biden primarily considered the “impact a move would have to operational readiness to confront space-enabled threats during a critical time in this dynamic security environment. U.S. Space Command headquarters will achieve ‘full operational capability’ at Colorado Springs later this month. Maintaining the headquarters there maintains operational readiness and ensures no disruption to its mission or to its personnel.”

A senior administration official told the Washington Examiner at the time of Biden’s decision that a new site in Alabama would not open until “the early to mid-2030s.”