Here are five things I learned in college football this week:
1. The College Football Playoff selection committee might have to find a spot for BYU in the New Year’s Six. The No. 25 Cougars probably won’t be one of the teams in the semifinals, but they’re good enough to challenge for one of the berths in the other four marquee bowls on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The Cougars beat Houston 33-25 in Provo, Utah, on Thursday night, as quarterback Taysom Hill ran 26 times for 160 yards with one touchdown and threw for 200 yards. BYU (3-0) plays consecutive home games against Virginia on Sept. 20 and Utah State on Oct. 3, followed by a couple of potential road bumps at UCF on Oct. 9 and at Boise State on Oct. 24.
The Cougars aren't eligible for the Group of 5 spot in one of the New Year’s Day bowls because of their independence, but they could make it very difficult on the committee to ignore them if they go unbeaten. According to the Football Power Index, the Cougars are tied for the best chance of any FBS team to finish undefeated.
2. Talk about in-state dominance. According to ESPN Stats & Information, LSU has won 28 consecutive games against FBS teams from Louisiana, last losing to Tulane in 1982. Ohio State has won 39 straight games against Ohio schools since a tie against the College of Wooster in 1924. Both streaks will be on the line this weekend when the Tigers host Louisiana-Monroe in Baton Rouge and the Buckeyes host Kent State at the Horseshoe in Columbus.
3. If No. 24 South Carolina is going to slow down No. 6 Georgia in Saturday’s SEC East showdown at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, the Gamecocks are going to have to slow down UGA tailback Todd Gurley.
South Carolina has allowed 450 or more total yards of offense in back-to-back games for only the second time in the Steve Spurrier era (since 2005), including a school-record 680 in a 52-28 loss to Texas A&M at home in Week 1. The only other time South Carolina had as bad a two-week stretch on defense under Spurrier came in 2007, when it allowed 651 yards to Arkansas on Nov. 3, then 537 to Florida on Nov. 10.
4. Oklahoma is catching some flak after suspended freshman running back Joe Mixon participated in a pep rally with his Sooners teammates at a volleyball game on campus Thursday night. Mixon, who punched a female OU student in the face last month, was suspended from the team this season and isn't supposed to be participating in team activities.
OU athletics spokesman Pete Moris told The Oklahoman on Thursday night: "My understanding of 'team activity' is something that's required. This is not an event where anyone was required to be there. It was a voluntary student event."
5. I'm not a big fan of teams wearing myriad uniforms, but I love what Boston College is going to do in Saturday night's game against USC. The Eagles will honor former BC lacrosse player Welles Crowther, who was killed while saving others in the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York during the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
The Eagles will honor Crowther’s memory by wearing a red bandanna pattern on their helmets, cleats and gloves. Crowther always carried a red bandanna that was given to him by his father.
If you somehow missed Tom Rinaldi’s outstanding TV piece on Crowther, I’d suggest watching it.