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After wild weekend, losers have time to rebound

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

Breaking down the ballots for the AP Top 25 and wrapping up college football’s sixth weekend.

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Feeling blue Crimson Tide fan? Sulking about the Sooners? Far from ducky after Oregon’s loss? Worried the Bruins have gone bust?

We’re here to help.

After a wild weekend, some advice for the forlorn fan: Don’t panic. There’s plenty of time to recover and win over the hearts and minds of the College Football Playoff selection committee. Condoleezza Rice and the boys don’t put out their first rankings until Oct. 28.

The Associated Press Top 25 will have to do for now, and that got turned upside down after Shake-up Saturday — which actually started Thursday night. It was that kind of week.

Only two teams maintained their spots from last week: No. 1 Florida State, which must have been having a pretty good chuckle as so many teams considered threats to the Seminoles’ national championship crown went down, and No. 13 Georgia.

Five of the top eight teams in the rankings lost, a first since the poll went to 25 spots in 1989. A rundown of the damage:

–Oregon dropped 10 spots after losing 31-24 at home to Arizona on Thursday night.

–Alabama dropped four spots to No. 7 after losing 23-17 at Mississippi.

–Oklahoma dropped seven spots to No. 11 after losing 37-33 at TCU.

–Texas A&M dropped eight spots to No. 14 after losing 48-31 at Mississippi State.

–UCLA dropped 10 spots to No. 18 after losing 30-28 at home to Utah.

Misery loves company, and the Ducks now have plenty. When so many heavyweights hit the mat at once, it takes some of the sting out of those upsets. It’s now more likely multiple teams that have lost will reach the four-team playoff.

“There are several teams around here who have lost games and responded the right way. And they went on to have pretty good seasons,” Tide coach Nick Saban said.

Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma and UCLA all began the season ranked in the top seven.

Let’s leave A&M out of this for now and take a look a brief look at where those four stand and their chances of making a playoff run.

Oregon: The biggest problem for the Ducks is an offensive line that has been beset by injuries. It has left star quarterback Marcus Mariota exposed and the running game sputtering. The defense has been shaky, too, ranking 79th nationally in yards per play. Oregon might not be capable of separating from the rest of the Pac-12, a conference filled with dangerous and unpredictable teams.

Alabama: The Crimson Tide is tied for 104th on the country in turnover margin at minus-4, a startling stat for a Saban team. Turnovers can be fluky. Maybe that corrects itself. Maybe not. The good news for the Tide is if any SEC West team can be said to have an accommodating remaining schedule it’s Alabama. The Tide gets Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU (combined seven losses) on the road and Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Auburn at home.

Oklahoma: It wouldn’t be fair to lay all the blame for the Sooners’ loss on Trevor Knight, but when the quarterback plays a wildly inconsistent game on the road against a good team, it’s a recipe for an upset. Most of the Sooners other vital signs are good, including home games against Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State.

UCLA: The Bruins don’t block well and injuries aren’t to blame, which makes their problems seem worse than the Ducks. It would also be nice if talented quarterback Brett Hundley would get rid of the ball more quickly or be given more plays where that is the directive.

The biggest loser of this weekend might have been the Pac-12. The conference seems most likely to be a cluttered mess, which could be a problem come playoff selection time. And what looked as if it would be one of the league’s games of the year — Oregon at UCLA on Saturday — now has two teams coming off losses.

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GOING UP

SEC football in the state of Mississippi has never been better.

The Rebels and Bulldogs — or the Bulldogs and Rebels, if you prefer — are tied for third in the Top 25. It’s the first time they have been in the top-five together, and the best ranking for Mississippi State ever. The Bulldogs even received two first-place votes.

By sweeping a huge Magnolia State doubleheader Saturday, the teams set off a statewide celebration and guaranteed at least one more week in the spotlight.

The Bulldogs play No. 2 Auburn at home next Saturday and the Rebels travel to No. 14 Texas A&M.

“The reward in the SEC of winning a huge game is you get another one next week,” Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said Sunday while clicking is way through game film of Auburn.

In the Big 12, too. TCU moved up 16 spots to No. 9 and plays at No. 5 Baylor on Saturday.

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IN AND OUT

Arizona went from unranked to No. 10, the largest jump into the poll since the rankings went to 25 spots in 1989. The previous best was No. 13 Iowa on Sept. 27, 2009. Coach Rich Rodriguez’s Wildcats have their best ranking since 2010.

Two more Pac-12 teams moved in — No. 20 Arizona State and No. 24 Utah — along with unbeaten Georgia Tech, which made its season debut at No. 23.

Falling out after losses were USC, LSU, BYU and Wisconsin.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Eleven ranked teams lost this weekend, matching the record set in October 2003.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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