Bad craziness

Or as legendary gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson once also said "When the going gets weird, the weird say 'What th--?'".

(OK, so the quote is actually "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." But this works better.)

At any rate, yes, this was a Bad Crazy Saturday in college football, which once more reminded us why it is better and more fascinating than the pro version by a factor of gazillions. I mean, what else are you gonna say about a day that featured a kicker named Blewitt knocking off No. 2 Clemson? Besides, "Oh, come on, you're making that up"?

No, I am not. That really was Pittsburgh kicker Chris Blewitt beating Clemson with a last-second field goal. And that really was Iowa kicker Keith Duncan beating No. 3 Michigan with a last-second field goal, a week after the Hawkeyes were crushed 41-14 by Penn State. And that really was USC freshman QB Sam Darnold passing No. 4 Washington into a coma in a 26-13 win.

So three of the four teams expected to slide into the College Football Playoff go down, and now everything is at sixes and sevens. Who moves up now? Who moves down? And why is there a queasy feeling in the land that it's all just a foregone conclusion now, that defending national champion Alabama is not just a cut above everyone else but three or four or five cuts above?

The Crimson Tide and Them Others. Looks more like that now than ever.

It's the only downside to a day like Saturday, the only thing that keeps the suits at ESPN, which have the rights to the CFP, tossing and turning at night. 'Bama floor-waxing Them Others isn't exactly going to make those ratings perk up, after all.

On the other hand ...

On the other hand, the cleanout of the top four yesterday did prove this: No one's immune to Bad Crazy. If a "meh" Iowa team can knock off a Michigan team that was road-grading everyone in its path, who's to say someone can't get Alabama? Say, Auburn, perhaps, in the Iron Bowl?

Of course, Auburn, which had won six in a row, was upset yesterday by Georgia. So there's that.

Can't wait to see what happens next.