Obviously there are possible trip-ups that abound before the playoff teams are finalized. Clemson-UNC Fla-FSU Ala-Auburn, Fla ND-Stanford OK-TCU, OKSt OkSt-Baylor, OU OSU-MSU, Michigan, Iowa The thing about Ohio State is that the Buckeyes are about to see a gauntlet of teams that not only want to beat their tails but that are quite capable of doing so and I don't think the Buckeyes have seen such adversity this season so far. I'm counting 10 teams in that mix that have a legit shot at the CFP by winning out so is that a 10 team playoff? Should be an interesting finish to the season.
TOK: If M and OSU win this week, their game the following week would decide which team plays Iowa for the conference championship. If M beat OSU, they would be tied for first place in the East division with one loss each but M would win the tiebreaker having beaten the Bucks.
I think the most interesting outcome to see what the committee does.. 1. Ohio State beats Mich State 2. UM beats Ohio State 3. Neb beats Iowa. 4. I think Ohio State still ends up in the B10 Championship vs 1 Loss Iowa. 5. Big10 Champion will be a 1 loss team with that loss being late. 6. Does that open it up for both B12 and ND to slip into the top 4? Right now it's being assumed that the 4th spot is a battle between ND and the B12. So if OK State wins out they slip past ND, but what the above happens does the B10 Champ end up #5, and ND and OK State both make it? Or if OU wins out and ND wins out then both of them make it and the B10 Champ is out. I'm mainly assuming that the late loss is a killer for the B10. Maybe not, but that has been a big factor ever since the BCS, although there are instances of teams losing their last game and still getting into the Championship game in the BCS era.
Boba, if that is true then 2 loss UM vs 1 loss Iowa would seem to mean there would be a good chance the B10 would not have a rep, assuming that ND and OU or OK State win out. Lot of big if's and or buts..though. Speaking of Butts...you been staying away from the Butt Hutt? I hope so!!
TOK: Have a hard time seeing any B10 team making the playoffs with 1 loss except perhaps MSU. If the beat OSU and then Iowa in the conference championship, they might get in but suspect that a 1 loss ND would be selected over them based on SOS. No BH visits. No cigs since heart attack in March.
True trouble for committee.. Baylor and TCU beating Oklhoma Teams this weekend and OU beating OK State. Leaves TCU as 1 loss team and Baylor as 1 loss team but I doubt if either is getting back into the mix. Of course if ND becomes a 2 loss team and say FSU beats UF and then UF pulls the upset over Alabama. Followed by UNC beating Clemson...oh my the committee may just take a plane to a country without an extradition treaty!!
Bobda, smart man. One of my very best friends is a lifelong smoker. He had a heart stent put in, stopped for a while, then started up again. Now he's battling lung cancer. You don't need my assurance that you took the right path, but it doesn't hurt to to be reminded that your decision has prolonged your life. Take care, friend.
I don't see this very much anymore...but there was a time when people quit smoking they needed something to replace that and that was sometimes lifesavers or breathmints of some type. The next thing they put on 20 lbs and develop a bunch of cavities.
Thanks Sid. TOK, replaced smoking obsession with gum chewing obsession and exercise. Lost a few pounds and gained a few new fillings.
Kesley, My bad about Clemson/FSU, but UNC is playing very well although I don't think they can beat Clemson but who knows. :wink:
kp - no worries. I was already disappointed that the possibility of chaos with an upset of FSU over Clemson had already passed, so was wanting to share my disappointment. Agreed that UNC is playing well and could pull off the upset. Although, I don't think UNC should be in the top 4 without some huge things happening ahead of them. I would put 2-loss SEC and P12 champs in before I would a 1-loss ACC champ this year, especially if that loss were the last weekend of the season.
Kesley, I have to think about the 2 loss SEC champ thing, but I'm not sure UNC beating up on Wake Forest, UVA, UMd, NC State etc meets the criteria either. :?
kp, Maryland is in the Big 10, but I agree with you. Playing NC State, Wake, and UVA certainly is like playing Vanderbilt, KY and SC.
Sid, Once again my bad on UMd, they were ACC for all of my life and now they are in the Big 10 or the Big 23 or the Big 17 or whatever. :?
The Big 14.......for now. :lol: I also have not adjusted yet to MD and Rutgers being in the B10. I'm past the "It seems weird" stage, but it still feels a bit out of sync.
I posted the original of this on 11/11, after week 10. In weeks 11, 12, and 13, the playoff picture has come into much sharper focus, knocking several teams out of each rank and several of the ranks outright. Here is the updated list, and it still lookss about how I would rank the remaining possibilities. In order of teams controlling their own destiny, the following rank are the teams that can make the playoff (in my mind): 1. Undefeated ACC champ (Clemson) 2. Undefeated B10 champ (Iowa) (OSU is out of this) 3. 1-loss SEC champ (Bama) (Florida, LSU are out of this) 4. Undefeated B12 champ (Baylor, OSU) 5. 1-loss ND / 1-loss P12 champ (Stanford) 6. 1-loss P12 champ (Utah) 7. 1-loss B12 champ (OU) (OSU is out of this) 8. 1-loss B10 champ (MSU) (OSU is out of this) 9. 1-loss B12 champ (TCU, Baylor) 10. 2-loss SEC champ (Florida) (LSU and Bama are out of this. Bama cannot be champ with 2 losses.) 11. 1-loss B10 champ (Iowa is out of this since they cannot be champ with 1 loss.) 12. 2-loss P12 champ (Stanford) (Utah is out of this) 13. 1-loss ACC champ (UNC) (Clemson is out of this since they cannot be champ with 1 loss.) 14. 2-loss B10 champ (not possible 15. 2-loss ND 16. 2-loss B12 champ (not possible) 17. 2-loss ACC champ (not possible 1 and 13 are mutually exclusive. If this list holds, 13 isn't possible. 2 and 8 are mutually exclusive. If this list holds, both Iowa and MSU control their own destiny. 3 and 10 are mutually exclusive. If this list holds, 10 is remotely possible, but with their recent loss to FSU 10 may be too high of a rank. 12 is the final possibility if this list holds, which would only require 1 to go down. In that case, 12 and 13 are going to be tight.
I kind of follow the Sagarin computer rankings...don't ask me why. But I thought it kind of interesting that all year we were ranked very high in the AP and Coach's polls...and even in the BCS...yet in the Sagarin ranking we were quite a bit lower. I completely support our #6 ranking and don't feel we should be any higher than any of those above us...and maybe that's too high...yet now all of a sudden Sagarin has us ranked #3...suddenly above where we are in the polls.