The Fan Misery Index for Week 14

There is a very real scenario where the College Football Playoff committee leaves Ole Miss out of the playoff if they lose multiple starters in addition to losing Kiffin and much of the staff. That type of collapse easily makes the Rebels the most miserable fan base of the decade.

2. SMU Mustangs

The Mustangs controlled their destiny in the ACC, as a win over Cal (7-5, 4-4 ACC) would have sent them to Charlotte, N.C. for the conference title game for a second straight season. Leaving Charlotte victorious on Dec. 5 almost certainly secured SMU (8-4, 6-2) a return trip to the CFP.

The Bears were not expected to put up much of a fight, having lost three of their last four games and entered as 13.5-point underdogs at home. But despite a 21-point fourth quarter surge, the Mustangs saw their postseason hopes go up in flames when they missed a game-tying 52-yard field goal with three seconds left in a 38–35 loss.

Cal true freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was electric in the upset, going 31-for-40 for 330 yards and four touchdowns. Up next is likely a bowl invitation that SMU fans will have a hard time caring about.

3. Texas A&M Aggies

Should Aggies fans be miserable? The team just finished 11-1, their first 11-win season since Johnny Manziel’s freshman year in 2012, and they are guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff. For a program that has long been jokingly labeled “Texas 8&4,” a one-loss season should be a cause for celebration. That is, unless the loss comes against your most hated rival from Austin, Texas.

While the number is inflated because the rivalry was paused for 13 years, the Aggies have not beaten the No. 14 Texas Longhorns (9-3, 6-2) in 5,484 days as of Nov. 30. Longhorn fans frequently claim No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1) as their little brother, and a 27-17 loss only strengthens that narrative. The only thing that could deepen the sting is if this defeat becomes part of the reason Texas sneaks into the CFP.

Honorable Mention

Arizona State Sun Devils (8-4, 6-3 Big 12), Kansas Jayhawks (5-7, 3-6 Big 12), Tennessee Volunteers (8-4, 4-4 SEC), Wisconsin (4-8, 2-7 Big Ten), No. 24 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-3, 6-2 ACC) and No. 18 Michigan (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten).

Meltdown Watch

Championship week mirrors Rivalry Week in one important way: every losing fan base is primed to be especially miserable. The Big Ten Championship can be set aside, since both No. 1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0) and No. 2 Indiana (12-0, 9-0) are locks for the CFP regardless of the result. No. 3 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC) and No. 5 Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) fall into the same category, as each likely reaches the playoff even with a championship game loss.

The best bets for fans facing true devastation are No. 10 Alabama (10-2, 7-1 SEC) and No. 11 BYU (11-1, 8-1 Big 12), along with the losers of the No. 21 Tulane (10-2, 7-1 American) vs. No. 20 North Texas (11-1, 7-1) in the American championship and Duke (7-5, 6-2) vs. No. 16 Virginia (10-2, 7-1) in the ACC championship. These are the programs with everything on the line and the most to lose, which makes their fan misery potential sky-high.