A coach can recruit like a lunatic, control every detail of a daily itinerary and schedule cream puffs in September that set his team up for November.

And then watch everything can go kaput in a single center snap.

The 2015 College Football Playoff race got a reboot this week when Baylor announced that quarterback Seth Russell required neck surgery and would sit out the rest of the season.

Russell was gatekeeper for a Baylor team ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press media and USA Today Coaches polls. He led the nation’s top offense and also the NCAA in passing efficiency at 189.7


The prognosis came a week before the release of the first CFP ranking and just before Baylor begins a crucial stretch of its schedule.

Members of the selection committee certainly took notice, as did teams ranked fifth through 15th in our imaginary playoff rankings.

Coach Art Briles now turns to freshman Jarrett Stidham.

“We certainly have tons of confidence in Jarrett,” Briles said this week. “He’s beyond his years maturity-wise. He doesn’t seem like a freshman, act like a freshman or perform like a freshman.”


Baylor had better hope so.

Injuries can be overcome. In 1985, Oklahoma lost Troy Aikman to a broken leg early in the season. Barry Switzer switched to the wishbone offense and let the season ride on freshman Jamelle Holieway.

Oklahoma won it all.

Last season, Ohio State lost two quarterbacks before winning the first four-team playoff championship.


Funny how that worked out because this season, with all three quarterbacks healthy, Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer has struggled to get it right. It took him seven games to determine Cardale Jones, the third-stringer who led Ohio State to last season’s national title, was not the man to do it again.

Meyer benched Jones, after a 7-0 start, for J.T. Barrett, who was brilliant in the Buckeyes’ 49-7 victory over Rutgers.

But the loss of a top-line quarterback, most times, does not bode well.

Florida State, which backed into the first Bowl Championship Series title game in 1998, had to start Marcus Outzen in place of the injured Chris Weinke. And you can find the championship trophy in a lobby in Knoxville, Tenn.


In 2007, two huge injuries at other programs provided two-loss Louisiana State a backdoor path to the title.

Streaking Oregon was shot down after Dennis Dixon suffered a season-ending knee injury. West Virginia then botched its chance by losing 13-9 at home against heavy underdog Pittsburgh. West Virginia quarterback Pat White left in the second quarter because of a dislocated thumb.

Colt McCoy, who had never sat out a game at Texas, was injured on the first drive of the 2009 title game against Alabama.

Picking this season’s playoff four might be as easy as tracking the quarterback play. Here’s an assessment using this week’s AP top 10:


1. Ohio State. Monumentally more settled with Barrett, a much better dual-threat player than Jones, who sits with seven touchdown passes and five interceptions.

2. Baylor. It’s a big question for now with a killer upcoming Big 12 Conference stretch that includes Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Christian and Texas.

3. Clemson. Deshaun Watson has been Heisman-level spectacular, but he also has been injury prone.

4. Louisiana State. Brandon Harris has done a nice job handing off to Leonard Fournette. Seriously, Harris’ next interception this season will be his first. But check back after the game against Alabama on Nov. 7.


5. Texas Christian. Can Trevone Boykin keep bailing out his injury-depleted defense? He is the most valuable player of the top 10 and the only reason the Horned Frogs are undefeated.

6. Michigan State. Connor Cook is a rock-steady fifth-year senior whose job is to not mess things up. “A quarterback for us is about decision making,” Coach Mark Dantonio said. Cook passed for 398 yards and four touchdowns last week against Indiana.

7. Alabama. There are still questions in Tuscaloosa as to whether Jake Coker can be fully trusted with the keys to the Cadillac.

8. Stanford. Fifth-year senior Kevin Hogan didn’t seem to improve much after being the Rose Bowl MVP as a freshman. But this season, playing in teammate Christian McCaffrey’s shadow, he ranks No. 7 in NCAA passing efficiency.


9. Notre Dame. No doubt, DeShone Kizer has played well since replacing injured starter Malik Zaire. Can he keep it up?

10. Iowa. C.J. Beathard, who has nine touchdowns and three interceptions, has led one of this season’s biggest surprises. However, he is nursing a hip injury that could undermine Iowa’s playoff dreams.