Don, The Buckeyes were really hampered by the weather conditions. Playing in a monsoon combined with the cold and high winds really hampered OSU's ability to run its wide open offense and forced them to play a smash mouth game that the Spartans excell in. If MSU runs the table I think it will be difficult for the commitee to keep them out of the top 4. Would not be surprised if the Big 12 gets shut out of the playoffs again.
Bobda, I think Urban was also out-coached by DeAntino. Come next Saturday we either will win at Michigan or lose by a wide margin. Either way the Spartans played a very solid 60 minutes and deserved the win, except for the two turnovers, which we turned into two TDs.
Michigan is going to be a tough game for the Buckeyes considering the mental state of the two teams. I see MSU taking care of Penn State and Iowa. How you keep them out of the Top 4 at that point would be beyond me.
If the "IF'S" described by Bobda and George materialize, the playoff committee will be hard-pressed to keep MSU (or Iowa) out of the top 4, and I would agree with that. My point is that as of today, the B10 has not put forth a dominant team as a candidate for the playoffs. Iowa plays a relatively weak conference schedule (no Michigan, MSU or OSU), and MSU lost recently to Nebraska. What happened yesterday IMO exposed OSU as not an extension of last season's NC team. If the committee says that the B10 champ is in based on its overall body of work, then so be it. If that champ is Iowa or MSU, despite Iowa's schedule and MSU'srecent loss to Nebraska, I wouldn't argue with the choice. That's not how I see it today.
If Fla. beats Bama, Bama has 2 losses and is out. Al and Fl are 1 entry just as MSU and Iowa are 1 entry.
Hard to believe that we are winning our way out of the top 4. By the way have you heard anyone criticize Clemson over their win over Wake? They won by 20, we beat Wake by 21 and the world was ending.
I was thinking exactly the same thing. Gip, I think the only anguish we heard about the Wake win was from the ND crowd. I'm guessing the Clemson crowd may be saying the same things among themselves about Clemson's win over Wake. Or maybe not. Are their fans as angst-filled as ours? Possibly.
Perhaps I am wrong! Notre Dame was ranked #4 in the Coaches Poll just released. That is their highest ranking of the yearcming off one of the poorest performances in memory. God is on our side.
Nobody is talking about it but "What If" North Carolina who has won ten straight defeats #1 Clemson in the ACC championship game, how would they fit into the championship race?
Sid, It was before Spurrier retired but does it matter? South Carolina is pretty bad this year. I watched the game and both teams looked like crap. UNC didn't play FSU or Clemson in the regular season, so their ACC Championship Game will prove a lot.
I don't have a "dog in the hunt" when it comes to North Carolina but I was curious that none of the talking heads have even mentioned their name. The loss was on Sept. 3 the first game of the year with a 17 - 13 score. They have since reeled off 10 consecutive wins and possibly 11 if they win against NC State on Saturday. This will put them into the ACC Championship game against undefeated Clemson with an 11-1 record. If the stars all lined up and they beat Clemson they would then be 12-1 defeating the highest ranked team and still they are not even on the radar, its just interesting to me of the lack of conversation. In all probability they will get wiped of the map by Clemson or in-state rival NC State and my pondering will be moot.
Ralph makes a good point. I've noticed that the SEC folks tend to look down their noses at the ACC. I can understand that, given the SEC's recent dominance in FB. However, a 17-13 loss to a Spurrier-coached team in the first game of the season is not - to me, anyway - a disqualifier. In a hypothetical scenario where every playoff-eligible team has one loss (Iowa and Clemson both lose), I see Alabama, assuming they win the SEC, as a certainty. The other 3 spots are completely up for grabs, and a one-loss UNC definitely is in the mix.
No assuming to it..... it's a certainty the way Florida has been playing on offense. It's too damn bad the NFL gives out a 4 game suspension for the same PED violation that Will Grier must sit out a year for.
If Iowa loses at Neb but wins the B1G championship, that'll be very interesting. I don't think they'd be in, however if MSU beat PSU and then beats Iowa I do think at 12-1 they would be in the playoffs. I can't imagine Auburn or UF beating Alabama. So I think they are in. If UNC wins out, I think they will jump into the playoffs. If OU wins vs OKState and ND beats Stanford I think that will be the big debate. How big depends on the games, if ND solidly beats Stanford and OU has a win like their TCU win, I think ND edges them out. If the reverse happens I think OU edges out ND. If both lose...I don't know what the hell happens. It's hard to imagine OKSTate jumping back into it, and same any other team that has lost late.
Clemson, Bama, MSU And then I agree it's between OU/OKSt winner and ND. And I agree also that decision could come down to that phrase that they in the media are beating into the ground... " the eye test"..... Jeezus come up with something else people! The style test, the vision test, the way they look on the field test, whatever....!!!
I shouldn't have short-changed Florida in my speculation on one-loss teams. Certainly, if they beat FSU and Bama, they are in. I agree with Terry's scenario above.
North Carolina has been tossed aside because of their loss to South Carolina. By that same logic, I'm waiting for someone to say Oklahoma isn't worthy.