Alabama and..... Florida State?

[Rogah]

Well, time for the old "if the season were to end today".... Oregon is on the outside looking in.

I have to say that the playoffs we are getting next year are desperately needed this year. I just don't see any fewer than 3 undefeated teams from the 5 major conferences. Between Ohio St., Oregon, Baylor, FSU and Alabama/Mizzou, we essentially need 4 of those teams to fall. Obviously, Alabama and Mizzou will eventually play each other so one of them will fall, but who are the other 3 teams?

I think Baylor is the weakest but they also have the easiest path, and no conference championship game to worry about. Though I could certainly see them dropping a game to Oklahoma or even Texas

Ohio State's only test left is Michigan (before the conference championship)

Oregon has a tough road ahead.

FSU has Miami ahead of them, but that's their only challenge (before the conference championship)

 

[Aikbach]

A playoff would be most appropriate at this juncture, but I think FSU and Oregon are the best teams to date.

 

[DFWJC]

Someday they'll have an 8 team playoff and the questions will at least come close to ending.
I can't recall a year where any team ranked lower than 8th in the BCS had a claim, but i can recall several years where teams out of the top 4 have.

But until next year, it's only the top 2 anyway.

I know Ohio St can't control that the Big 10 sux, but if they end this year undefeated for the 2nd straight season and no chance of even seeing if they are the best in a playoff, it will be weird. Right now, a bunch of teams can say something similar.

If Oregon and Bama win out, they will play each other. Oregon plays too many good teams going forward to not vault over FSU, imo. Though I do wish FSU would get a shot. They look great.

 

[MC KAos]

i agree if Oregon wins out they will play in the national championship game, no question. However, i just dont think they will, i think theyll lose at some point. it will be interesting to see what happens with Ohio State, FSU, and Baylor. i think if 2 of those 3 teams foes undefeated and there is not an undefeated SEC team it will be 2 of those 3 in the title game, no way a 1 loss SEC team goes ahead of those 3 IMO.

 

[MC KAos]

Tech vs Baylor on november 16th! in Arlington! thats gonna be fun! i hope they are both undefeated still!! (neither plays UT until after that game so no prob being undefeated)

 

[viman96]

I bet Oregon wins out and still gets screwed

 

[Aikbach]

I bet Oregon wins out and still gets screwed

That would be unjust as they have the hardest schedule, followed by FSU, ohio State is the one with the suspect schedule for the ages.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I've thought, from the start of the season, that the SEC was down and that no team from the SEC would be in the NC game and I still believe that. I've thought since last year that it could very well be Ohio State and a team from the PAC 16. Would not surprise me to see Oregon and Ohio State square off. I guess we'll see.

 

[jterrell]

The season will handle it.

FSU has Florida and Miami left on the schedule.
Both rivalry games they "could" lose.

Baylor and Tech both have the meat of their Big 12 schedules to play.

Missou is a near lock to lose TWO games. They have South Carolina, Tennessee, TAMU, Ole Miss and if they get through that with 1 loss a SEC title game left.
Missou is very overrated right now. They have 1 win over a team currently rated.

Oregon will hop OSU easily if both teams win out.

Oregon versus Bama still looks likely IMHO.

Bama has had a VERY easy SEC sched as well and could certainly lose a game tho....

 

[jterrell]

I bet Oregon wins out and still gets screwed

That is almost impossible.

They have UCLA and Stanford left on the schedule.
Plus a schedule strengthener with Oregon State.

They'll outdistance Ohio easily if they both fold serve.

 

[jterrell]

That would be unjust as they have the hardest schedule, followed by FSU, ohio State is the one with the suspect schedule for the ages.

If there are 3 undefeated teams Ohio will get left out due to SOS.
Playing a terrible non-conf is a blessing and a curse.
The B1G is again awful so they'll have a poor SOS rating and get killed in computer polls.
That's why they are 4th right now.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

If Bama goes unbeaten, then they will likely go to another National Championship game but I don't really know how good they are. The SEC, as a whole, is not all that great this year, IMO.

The SEC East is terrible. Reminds me of the Big 12 North, back in the day. Mizzou is the only team and they are paper champs IMO. I'm starting to wonder how good Auburn actually is?

 

[jterrell]

If Bama goes unbeaten, then they will likely go to another National Championship game but I don't really know how good they are. The SEC, as a whole, is not all that great this year, IMO.

The SEC East is terrible. Reminds me of the Big 12 North, back in the day. Mizzou is the only team and they are paper champs IMO. I'm starting to wonder how good Auburn actually is?

Bama is pretty darn good but they have really faced only the Johnny football test. And they get out of that alive only because TAMU is playing terrible, terrible defense.
But Bama's defense has been GREAT since that game. They are giving up like 6 points a game.

Auburn is playing two QBs... one a true freshman. They aren't better than a 20-30 area team.

Georgia has a solid offense but a weak defense.
SCar a soft offense and mediocre defense when Clowney is on the sideline.
Missou is a solid team with a strong DL but vastly overrated simply by virtue of being undefeated in the SEC.
They've done no more than Texas Tech.

 

[Rogah]

I've thought, from the start of the season, that the SEC was down and that no team from the SEC would be in the NC game and I still believe that. I've thought since last year that it could very well be Ohio State and a team from the PAC 16. Would not surprise me to see Oregon and Ohio State square off. I guess we'll see.

I agree the SEC is down this year but the thing is, the 2 SEC contenders only have SEC teams remaining (except Alabama's mighty out-of-conference opponent Chattanooga). So the SEC essentially has to cannibalize themselves. It certainly could happen since both Mizzou and 'Bama have some lose-able games on their schedule (not to mention the SECCG itself)

 

[Rogah]

That is almost impossible.

They have UCLA and Stanford left on the schedule.
Plus a schedule strengthener with Oregon State.

They'll outdistance Ohio easily if they both fold serve.

Oh, they'll outdistance Ohio St. easily, especially since they're already ahead of Ohio State. But fact is they need to hope someone beats Alabama or FSU.

 

[Rogah]

I have to say I just don't understand some of these computer rankings. The computers cannot factor in point differential, so they all simply use algorithms that take into account a team's record, SOS, 2ndary SOS, etc.... So how can one guy have VA Tech #5 and someone else have them unranked? And how can another guy have Northern Illinois at #5 and Oregon State #6..?!? Oregon State LOST to a mediocre 1-AA team! On what planet does a team lose to Eastern Washington, and still be ranked ahead of an undefeated Ohio State, Miami and Baylor??!?

 

[jterrell]

I have to say I just don't understand some of these computer rankings. The computers cannot factor in point differential, so they all simply use algorithms that take into account a team's record, SOS, 2ndary SOS, etc.... So how can one guy have VA Tech #5 and someone else have them unranked? And how can another guy have Northern Illinois at #5 and Oregon State #6..?!? Oregon State LOST to a mediocre 1-AA team! On what planet does a team lose to Eastern Washington, and still be ranked ahead of an undefeated Ohio State, Miami and Baylor??!?

That computer ranking discounts all 1-AA games totally. It's as if it didn't happen.
The intent is good... i.e. not reward playing patsies but yea it looks pretty hilarious if that is your bad loss and it is wiped clean by a particular source.

I like the computer rankings as a whole but only because they are averaged amongst themselves.

 

[Rogah]

That computer ranking discounts all 1-AA games totally. It's as if it didn't happen.
The intent is good... i.e. not reward playing patsies but yea it looks pretty hilarious if that is your bad loss and it is wiped clean by a particular source.

That makes sense but yeah, it does look silly to throw away that game when it was a loss.

I like the computer rankings as a whole but only because they are averaged amongst themselves.

In general, I love the computer rankings because it doesn't bring any biases from last year into the equation. The voters are holding onto Alabama and Oregon as the top 2 based on what happened last year, which punishes teams like FSU and especially Mizzou. Mizzou is #6 and #7 in the people-polls because they started the season unranked, and they started the season unranked because of what happened last year.. The unbiased computers have them at #3. I'm not saying they will finish that high, but at this point of the season, #3 is very fair.

 

[jterrell]

That makes sense but yeah, it does look silly to throw away that game when it was a loss.
In general, I love the computer rankings because it doesn't bring any biases from last year into the equation. The voters are holding onto Alabama and Oregon as the top 2 based on what happened last year, which punishes teams like FSU and especially Mizzou. Mizzou is #6 and #7 in the people-polls because they started the season unranked, and they started the season unranked because of what happened last year.. The unbiased computers have them at #3. I'm not saying they will finish that high, but at this point of the season, #3 is very fair.

I tend to disagree about Missou.
I think they are a solid football team and can see why the computers love them(35+ points per game, solid margins of victory) but I do not think they deserve a top 3 ranking at this point.
All their SEC foes have 4-3 records.
The non-conf was cotton candy soft as behooves most major conference teams.

So we'll see what Missou really is over the next 3 or 4 weeks.
The meat is to come for them like it is for Baylor and Texas Tech.

We've seen some appetizers from all 3 teams but no entrees yet.

 

[viman96]

If Oregon beats UCLA Saturday then I would think they should move back to #2.

IMO the SEC East is overated and could come back to hurt Missouri. Unranked Tennessee beat #9 SC and almost beat #6 Georgia. The Ducks hammered the Vols.