College football notes … For those that got caught up in Black Friday shopping rather than watch college football yesterday, another potential CFP playoff team bit the dust when Washington State lost the Apple Bowl to cross-state rival Washington 28-15 in a snowstorm. Indeed, with the loss the Cougars won’t even play in the PAC-12 conference title game as Washington wins the North division with the win in Pullman. However, Oklahoma did survive to fight another day holding on for a 59-56 win at West Virginia. The Sooners will play Texas – the one to beat them this year – in next week’s BIG XII conference title game and then hope that somebody from Notre Dame or Michigan or Ohio State messes up to get to the college playoff. In that game, Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray made a Heisman statement by throwing for 364 yards, rushing for 114 and totaling four touchdowns. Meanwhile, West Virginia QB Will Grier didn’t hurt his draft chances much as he threw for over 500 yards and 4 scores without an interception, but did have a couple of costly fumbles that OU defenders returned for scores. Central Florida also kept its slim CFP hopes alive with an easy 38-10 win over South Florida that extended the Knights current winning streak to an FBS best 24-games, but nobody in the UCF program – or elsewhere in college football for than matter – is celebrating after star Knights QB McKenzie Milton suffered a really gruesome leg injury mid-way through the 2nd quarter. Milton was eventually carted off the field and will likely undergo surgery ending his season. Elsewhere, Houston DT Ed Oliver, a potential top 5 pick this coming April, was back in the starting lineup for yesterday’s game at Memphis after he missed 4 games with a bruised knee. However, Oliver did not play in the second half after reportedly re-aggravating the injury. Oliver, though, insisted after the game that he intends to play in the Cougars bowl game next month, although that could change.
