SEC Rules; Former Stanford (and Cal) Stars Shine; Laney Tragedy

As a lifelong Pac-8/10/12 guy, who always felt West Coast teams were undervalued in the national media, it pains me to say this, but 12 weeks into the college football season, it's become apparent that the SEC will dominate this year's playoff field.

Deservedly so.

Next season, as we've reported on several occasions, the Big Ten wants a guarantee of four spots in an expanded 16, 24 or 28-team playoff for itself and the SEC. However, the SEC prefers a 16-team field where five conference champions and 11 at-larges are included. 

Now it's obvious why the SEC has opposed the four-team guarantees. They know that they'll often get five, or possibly even six, teams into the CFP.

This year, three SEC teams are already locks: No. 3 Texas A&M, unbeaten at 10-0 following a remarkable win over South Carolina after trailing 30-3 at halftime; No. 5 Georgia, 9-1 after mauling No. 10 Texas 35-10 on Saturday; and No. 7 Ole Miss, 9-1 after outlasting Florida.

Two other teams are almost certain: No. 11 Oklahoma, 8-2 after its impressive win over No. 4 Alabama; and Alabama, 8-2 coming off the Oklahoma loss but with big wins over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU and Missouri. The Sooners must beat Missouri and LSU, and the Tide must beat Eastern Illinois and Auburn to clinch their spots.

A sixth SEC bid is very possible with No. 14 Vanderbilt at 8-2, needing victories over Kentucky and Tennessee, or Texas at 9-3 if it beats A&M.

I'd be remiss here if I didn't mention the SEC's scheduling scheme that allows several schools to play cupcakes on the next-to-last week of the regular season.

Consider the following matchups for this weekend: Georgia vs. Charlotte; Texas A&M vs. Samford; Alabama vs. Eastern Illinois; Auburn vs. Mercer; South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina.

Ludicrous.

Ex-Stanford Stars: My list of ex-Stanford players doing well elsewhere (QB Ashton Daniels at Auburn, edge rusher David Bailey at Texas Tech, and QB Bear Bachmeier at BYU)  failed to include four other former Cardinals who are also playing important roles at new schools.

Wide receiver Jackson Harris is having a great year for Hawaii. Last week he had seven catches for 130 yards and 3 TDs in the Rainbows' big 38-6 win over San Diego State. For the year he has 42 catches for 731 yards and 10 TDs. Hawaii had a bye Saturday.

Wide receiver Mudia Reuben scored on a scintillating 41-yard touchdown reception to bring South Florida within 3 points in the final two minutes against Navy.

And yet another wide receiver, Emmett Mosley V, was one of the few bright spots for the Texas Longhorns in Saturday's 35-10 drubbing at Georgia, catching three passes for 66 yards. Injured earlier in the year, he now has 18 catches for 267 and three touchdowns.

EJ Smith, Emmitt's son, scored on a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to put undefeated Texas A&M ahead 31-30, in the Aggies' incredible comeback win over South Carolina. 

Think of how Stanford's offense might have looked this year if these players had stayed on the Farm: QBs Daniels and Bachmeier, WRs Mosley, Harris and Reuben, and RB Smith. Or how the pass rush would've improved if Bailey, the nation's sack leader, was still around.

Mendoza's Line: But perhaps the biggest transfer loss for Bay Area teams was Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who left for Indiana and a reported paycheck of over $1M. 

All Mendoza has done is lead the Hoosiers to 11 straight wins and a No. 2 national ranking. He's thrown a school-record 30 TD passes with only 5 interceptions, completed 73% of his passes, and is now considered the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Wilson's Big Day: Special mention to another former Stanford player, wide receiver Michael Wilson, who had a career day yesterday with the Arixona Cardinals. Though his team was beaten decisively by the 49ers, 41-22 Wilson excelled throughout, catching 15 passes for 185 yards, both career highs. 

Like Davis Mills, who has been winning games at quarterback for the Houston Texans, Wilson's Stanford career was plagued by injuries. He had 56 catches for 672 yards as a sophomore in 2019, but managed to play only 13 games over the next three years due to various maladies.

Laney Tragedy: The Bay Area lost one of its most beloved sports figures last week.

John Beam, the revered Laney College football coach and athletic director who uplifted thousands of Oakland athletes and inspired the Netflix series "Last Chance U", died Friday morning after being shot on campus the day before.

Beam, 66, was attacked Thursday inside the Laney College fieldhouse a day after he had warned school officials about the lack of campus security and his concerns about safety during a community forum. He specifically cited a nearby fire and previous break-in at the fieldhouse.

I didn't know Beam well, but he was incredibly helpful when I approached him in 2002 when we started the Emerald Bowl to ask if one of our teams could practice at Laney during bowl week.

He bent over backwards to make it work for us, was always available, gracious and cooperative, and worked closely with the teams to fulfill their every need for the next 15 years. Whenever we called with a request, he found a way to get it done.

But his legacy was the thousands of young lives he touched while coaching at Skyline High School and Laney.

He transformed Skyline into a local powerhouse, then led Laney to the national community college championship in 2018. In all he sent 20 players to the NFL.

What he did off the field was even more impressive. Beam helped his young players gain self-esteem, improve their grades, and go on to attain an undergraduate degree at a four-year school.

For many of his players, Beam was the first to give them a chance in life.

When you called his cell phone, his raspy voice provided this greeting: "Remember that I believe in you, so that you can believe in yourself."

This incredible man, who contributed so much to his school and community, had his life cut short through another senseless act with a gun. 

Rest in peace, John. You will be missed.