Everybody is playing for second place this year. Alabama has to be at least two TDs better than anyone else.
Bama's only weakness to me is that they let receivers get open downfield. UF has no Qb that can see downfield or make accurate throws so we couldn't take full advantage of that. I think Clemson playing well on offense can score some points on Bama. But their defense will also give up points. Bama 44 Clemson 31 in the CFB Final.
Tenn was a helluva lot healthier and with Jalen Hurd when Bama destroyed them than they were in November. How do you allow for that in Bama's SOS? Vandy beating the Vols is a whole lot different than Bama beating the Vols.
Updated: YEP 1. Undefeated SEC champ (Bama) NOPE 2. Undefeated B10 champ (UM) – UM no longer undefeated NOPE 3. Undefeated ACC champ (Clemson) – Clemson no longer undefeated NOPE 4. Undefeated P12 champ (uw) – uw no longer undefeated NOPE 5. 1-loss SEC champ (Bama) - Bama cannot be SEC champ with 1 loss NOPE 6. 1-loss B10 champ (OSU, UM) - OSU and UM cannot be B10 champs YEP 7. 1-loss ACC champ (Clemson, Louisville) – Louisville has >1 loss YEP 8. 1-loss P12 champ (uw) NOPE 9. 1-loss SEC non-champ (Bama) - Bama ended undefeated NOPE 10. 1-loss B12 champ (WV) – WV cannot be B12 champ OOPS 11. 1-loss B10 non-champ (UM) – UM cannot be non-champ with 1 loss I got this one wrong, I should have had OSU along with UM. NOPE 12. 1-loss ACC non-champ (Louisville) – Louisville has >1 loss NOPE 13. 1-loss P12 non-champ (uw) – uw cannot be non-champ with 1 loss NOPE 14. 2-loss SEC champ coming out of the SECW (Auburn)- Auburn has >2 losses 15. 2-loss B10 champ (PSU, Wisc, NU, UM, OSU, Minn) – NU, UM, OSU cannot be champ with 2 losses and Minn has >2 losses NOPE 16. 2-loss P12 champ (CU, uw, WSU, UU) – uw cannot be P12 champ with 2 losses and WSU, CU, UU have >2 losses NOPE 17. 2-loss ACC champ (Clemson, WF, VT, UNC) – Clemson cannot be champ with 2 losses and WF, VT, UNC have >2 losses NOPE 18. 2-loss SEC champ coming out of the SECE (UF) - UF has >2 losses 19. 2-loss B12 champ (OU, OkSU, BU, WV) – OkSU, BU has >2 losses, WV cannot be B12 champ NOPE 20. 2-loss SEC non-champ (Bama, A&M) – Bama cannot get 2 losses and A&M has >2 losses 21. 2-loss B10 non-champ (UM, PSU, OSU, NU, Minn, Wisc) – OSU ended with 1 loss and NU, Minn has >2 losses, Wisc cannot be non-champ with 2 losses, PSU was champ NOPE 22. 2-loss P12 non-champ (uw) - uw cannot be champ with 2 losses NOPE 23. 2-loss ACC non-champ (Clemson, Louisville, WF, VT, UNC) – Louisville, WF, VT, UNC have >2 losses, Clemson was champ with 1 loss 24. 2-loss B12 non-champ (WV, BU) – BU has >2 losses Well, the committee did, indeed, take a 1-loss B10 non-champ OSU over a 2-loss B10 champ PSU.
Here’s an interesting look at non-conference schedules using Sagarin ratings. Average rank of non-conference games (for the 64 P5 teams): #1 P12 – 89.69 ranking / 65.43 rating – on average equivalent to playing Syracuse (89) / Arizona (90) or Old Dominion (65.76) / SCAR (65.23) for all three game – USC #3, Wazzu #4, UCLA #9, Cal #18, Stanford #22, CU #25, UA #29, OrSU #30, UU #34, ASU #42, UO #47, uw #60 • 3 in the top 25% (25%) • 5 in the 2nd 25% (42%) • 3 in the 3rd 25% (25%) • 1 in the top 25% (8%) #2 B10 – 93.71 ranking / 63.69 rating – on average equivalent to playing Chattanooga (93) / Idaho (94) or Syracuse (63.89) / Arizona (63.41) for all three games – OSU #2, UM #8, PSU #10, NW #12, Iowa #14, MSU #16, Ill #22, Minn #33, Wisc #35, NU #40, Rutgers #43, IU #50, Purdue #61, UMD #62 • 6 in the top 25% (43%) • 1 in the 2nd 25% (7%) • 4 in the 3rd 25% (29%) • 3 in the bottom 25% (21%) #3 B12 – 98.37 ranking / 62.99 rating – on average equivalent to playing UTSA (98 ) / The Citadel (99) or Chattanooga (63.07) / Idaho (62.86) for all three games – OU #5, WV #6, TCU #11, ISU #19, tu #26, OkSU #39, KU #49, TT #51, KSU #53, BU #63 • 3 in the top 25% (30%) • 2 in the 2nd 25% (20%) • 1 in the 3rd 25% (10%) • 4 in the top 25% (40%) #4 ACC – 100.95 ranking / 61.90 rating – on average equivalent to playing Tulane (100) / Illinois (101) or Central Arkansas (62.11) / UTSA (61.84) for all four games – FSU #1, Pitt #15, UNC #17, VT #27, GT #27, Clemson #31, Duke #36, Louisville #37, Syr #38, NCSU #44, UVA #45, WF #46, Miami #55, BC #64 • 2 in the top 25% (14%) • 4 in the 2nd 25% (29%) • 6 in the 3rd 25% (43%) • 2 in the top 25% (14%) #5 SEC – 105.41 ranking / 60.98 rating – on average equivalent to playing Army (105) / Charleston Southern (106) or The Citadel (61.19) / Tulane (60.79) for all four games – Miss #7, Bama #13, LSU #20, Tenn #20, UGA #24, Vandy #31, MsSU #41, SCAR #48, Auburn #52, Mizzou #54, UK #56, A&M #56, UF #58, Ark #59 • 2 in the top 25% (14%) • 4 in the 2nd 25% (29%) • 2 in the 3rd 25% (14%) • 6 in the bottom 25% (43%) The P12 scheduled the toughest non-conference slate this year. The SEC the worst. In addition to having the worst non-conference average ranking, the SEC also plays an extra game against that very low ranked average. As does the ACC with the second-worst non-con slate. And please note, Wazzu, even with FCS EWU on the schedule, had the #4 non-con schedule. EWU was the second-highest rated FCS team at #49 (NDSU was the highest at #41). Idaho was their worst non-con at #94, which was a higher ranked team than the conference average non-con of B12, ACC, and SEC.
Here’s the Sagarin conference rankings: Code: 1 SEC-WEST (A) = 81.34 82.59 ( 1) 7 81.63 ( 1) 2 PAC-12(NORTH) (A) = 79.03 79.91 ( 2) 6 79.41 ( 2) 3 BIG TEN-EAST (A) = 78.14 78.78 ( 3) 7 78.05 ( 3) 4 PAC-12(SOUTH) (A) = 76.16 76.48 ( 5) 6 76.27 ( 5) 5 ACC-COASTAL (A) = 76.06 74.65 ( 7) 7 75.29 ( 7) 6 BIG TEN-WEST (A) = 76.04 75.06 ( 6) 7 75.82 ( 6) 7 ACC-ATLANTIC (A) = 76.00 76.74 ( 4) 7 76.37 ( 4) 8 AAC WEST (A) = 74.33 73.34 ( 9) 6 73.75 ( 9) 9 BIG 12 (A) = 73.71 73.77 ( 8) 10 73.85 ( 8) 10 SEC-EAST (A) = 72.03 72.08 ( 10) 7 72.07 ( 10) 11 MWC-MOUNTAIN (A) = 69.70 69.56 ( 11) 6 69.64 ( 11) 12 AAC EAST (A) = 66.77 67.02 ( 12) 6 66.86 ( 12) 13 MAC-WEST (A) = 64.07 65.43 ( 13) 6 64.57 ( 13) 14 I-A INDEPENDENTS (A) = 63.99 64.51 ( 14) 5 64.31 ( 14) 15 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA)= 57.82 58.35 ( 15) 10 58.07 ( 15) 16 SUN BELT (A) = 57.81 57.42 ( 16) 11 57.66 ( 16) 17 CONFERENCE USA-EAST (A) = 55.36 57.13 ( 17) 7 56.15 ( 17) 18 MWC-WEST (A) = 55.25 55.91 ( 18) 6 55.45 ( 19) 19 CONFERENCE USA-WEST (A) = 55.25 55.63 ( 19) 6 55.51 ( 18) 20 MAC-EAST (A) = 53.93 54.06 ( 20) 6 54.03 ( 20) 21 SOUTHERN (AA)= 52.18 51.89 ( 21) 9 52.10 ( 21) 22 BIG SKY (AA)= 48.60 48.81 ( 22) 13 48.54 ( 22) 23 COLONIAL (AA)= 46.89 46.85 ( 23) 12 46.93 ( 23) 24 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 45.39 44.92 ( 24) 6 45.17 ( 24) 25 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 42.35 42.66 ( 26) 9 42.50 ( 25) 26 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 41.73 43.18 ( 25) 11 42.13 ( 26) 27 PATRIOT (AA)= 37.62 37.92 ( 27) 7 37.76 ( 27) 28 NORTHEAST (AA)= 37.41 36.99 ( 28) 7 37.21 ( 28) 29 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 34.65 35.93 ( 29) 8 35.38 ( 29) 30 SWAC-WEST (AA)= 32.73 31.33 ( 30) 5 33.31 ( 30) 31 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 24.51 25.16 ( 31) 11 24.75 ( 31) 32 PIONEER (AA)= 23.21 24.71 ( 32) 11 23.58 ( 32) 33 SWAC-EAST (AA)= 21.23 20.76 ( 33) 5 21.00 ( 33) No surprise as regards the SECW. I am surprised that the P12N was 2nd and the P12S 4th. The SECE, not only the worst P5 division (below the B12), but even below the AACW! Which, per Sagarin, places the P12 #1 overall.
and to think, Miss State was a road game loss to South Alabama from being bowl eligible. Actually, I think they are going bowling anyway, aren't they?
They are #2 in line with an APR of 971 behind UNT at 984. I haven't heard if either turned down their exemption for bowl eligibility. Who would have though that MsSU would have a better APR than tu to be #2 in line? And, tu declined an exemption that in the event that they would be offered one. They wouldn't have been offered one after USA and ULaLa earned their way to 6-6 last weekend, only leaving two exemptions for 5-7 teams.
I can't remember what APR measures but for as well as the Irish do in Grad Rates their APR is would have likely not allowed them to go to a bowl at 5-7 which I hope they would have declined anyway.
Mike Utley, 1988 All-American from Wazzu, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this week: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/dec/06/utley-enters-college-football-hall-of-fame-with-no/
I remember watching the game when it happened. He fell forward down near the goal line and somehow the crown of his helmet caught up in the Silverdome astroturf and that broke his neck. Freak accident for sure.
I still contend playing on painted concrete would have been safer than the glued-down carpet they laid over the concrete at that time.
I have been on that floor and it was truly hard as a rock. Not suitable at all for 325 lb linemen falling on it. It's probably why Barry Sanders decided to get out of Dodge early.
When I was in the band I marched on early artificial turf at Michigan State in 1970 (it was installed in 1969). I would not want to have played football on it.
I was at that game when Utley was hurt. I was also at the Silverdome when Reggie Brown nearly died. I believe that those 2 injuries were why Detroit fans lost seeing Barry Sanders years too early. Brown was injured in the last regular season game that Barry played in.
I agree with you on Sanders.... Between seeing those catastrophic injuries and having to play on that Silverdome poor excuse for a playing field he decided an early healthy retirement was better.
Rehashing old stuff; but an ok local article on this year's decision and an affirmation that 8 team playoff is inevitable; Eight's Great
Have you guys seen the video of Mixon punching out that chick in a bar in Norman? Wow...he really cold cocked her, she was the aggressor with him to start that's for sure but he should have just walked away. A lot of people are shocked and even more shocked that Stoops ever let him back on the team at OU.