(11-03-2015 08:17 PM)stxrunner Wrote:  Eventually, the Big 12 will get the hint. If a 1 loss Notre Dame makes the playoff over an undefeated Big 12, just bite the bullet.

The Big 12 backloaded its schedule. No conference has more top 15 match ups the next month*. With no quality wins, it's hard to argue too much. I actually think Baylor was ranked very favorably considering their schedule. The committee seems to be using the "eye test" more this year.

*Actually there are 9 match ups between top 15 teams over the next month and the Big 12 has 6 of them(not including the CCG).

If the committee still keeps the Big 12 down after all those top games, then there may be something to anti- Big 12 bias.

(11-03-2015 08:40 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 08:17 PM)stxrunner Wrote:  Eventually, the Big 12 will get the hint. If a 1 loss Notre Dame makes the playoff over an undefeated Big 12, just bite the bullet.

The Big 12 backloaded its schedule. No conference has more top 15 match ups the next month*. With no quality wins, it's hard to argue too much. I actually think Baylor was ranked very favorably considering their schedule. The committee seems to be using the "eye test" more this year.

*Actually there are 9 match ups between top 15 teams over the next month and the Big 12 has 6 of them(not including the CCG).

If the committee still keeps the Big 12 down after all those top games, then there may be something to anti- Big 12 bias.

Or not having a CCG.

Clemson being number one in the 1st ranking is causing some serious issues for The ACC haters here. Guess we won't be seeing much of The Big 12 and Big Ten fanboys that kept telling us how The ACC was going to be left out.

(11-03-2015 09:05 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Clemson being number one in the 1st ranking is causing some serious issues for The ACC haters here. Guess we won't be seeing much of The Big 12 and Big Ten fanboys that kept telling us how The ACC was going to be left out.

It's not about the Big 10. It's about setting up a plethora of scenarios so you don't have to take a small private with little following outside of a portion of a region or perhaps a city.

Right now Clemson passes the test. But then if you are believer in Clemsoning Dabo has never had a higher pinnacle from which to fall. I do think that they could still get in with 1 close loss to F.S.U.. F.S.U. on the other hand has a tougher climb and their loss was harmful. N.D. is in if they beat Stanford, and likely vice versa. But Clemson can't drop one to the rest of the ACC without dropping like a rock.

(11-03-2015 08:56 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 08:40 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 08:17 PM)stxrunner Wrote:  Eventually, the Big 12 will get the hint. If a 1 loss Notre Dame makes the playoff over an undefeated Big 12, just bite the bullet.

The Big 12 backloaded its schedule. No conference has more top 15 match ups the next month*. With no quality wins, it's hard to argue too much. I actually think Baylor was ranked very favorably considering their schedule. The committee seems to be using the "eye test" more this year.

*Actually there are 9 match ups between top 15 teams over the next month and the Big 12 has 6 of them(not including the CCG).

If the committee still keeps the Big 12 down after all those top games, then there may be something to anti- Big 12 bias.

Or not having a CCG.

Not sure I'd want a CCG this year. Especially if there is an undefeated team. just a chance for the top team to lose.

Last year with no undefeated Big 12 teams at this point that extra game would have been useful. This year the jury is out whether it would be helpful or not.

(11-03-2015 08:39 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 08:36 PM)Rabbit_in_Red Wrote:  Clemson at #1? How can that be? We've all heard from the haters about how weak the ACC is!

Just because you have the best team doesn't mean the conference is any good.

Just Oklahoma in the 1950's. The Big 8 was putrid in those years.

(11-03-2015 09:11 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 09:05 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Clemson being number one in the 1st ranking is causing some serious issues for The ACC haters here. Guess we won't be seeing much of The Big 12 and Big Ten fanboys that kept telling us how The ACC was going to be left out.

It's not about the Big 10. It's about setting up a plethora of scenarios so you don't have to take a small private with little following outside of a portion of a region or perhaps a city.

Right now Clemson passes the test. But then if you are believer in Clemsoning Dabo has never had a higher pinnacle from which to fall. I do think that they could still get in with 1 close loss to F.S.U.. F.S.U. on the other hand has a tougher climb and their loss was harmful. N.D. is in if they beat Stanford, and likely vice versa. But Clemson can't drop one to the rest of the ACC without dropping like a rock.

Um, if Clemson loses a 1 point loss to FSU, they're done. Can't be ACC champions, and that's a killer for them.

well I think this shows that the G5 spot is the AAC's to lose.

Looks to me like the PtB are still aligned against a big 12 future.

(11-03-2015 09:05 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Clemson being number one in the 1st ranking is causing some serious issues for The ACC haters here. Guess we won't be seeing much of The Big 12 and Big Ten fanboys that kept telling us how The ACC was going to be left out.

You sound like someone from the Big Ten last year. I do hope you guys know that. Like, you sound identically like Big Ten folks last year. How ironic that a bunch of Big Ten hating little brothers are following in our footsteps.

(11-03-2015 07:31 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I'll take it.

Putting LSU and Alabama in there doesn't mean much, especially on the first poll.

It makes perfect sense. They delivered a nugget for that Alabama vs LSU game this weekend. It's basically a preview game for the CFP.

Quote:Andy Staples
‏@Andy_Staples

One thing to keep in mind. Three SEC West teams appeared in the top four of last year's first CFP ranking. None of those made the playoff.

6:44 PM - 3 Nov 2015

@RJinVegas

Vegas says TCU best team left out of Top Four ... would be favored over both #1 Clemson and #2 LSU

This means absolutely nothing. If it were possible to mean less than nothing, it would be that. This, and succeeding weeks, are nothing more than a dog and pony show to fill ESPN airtime. None of this took a committee to decide. Anybody could have done just as well. I liken it to the magician's attractive assistant, whose role it is to distract the audience while he performs the actual illusion while nobody is watching him.

There is only one top four that matters - the last one. The committee knows that they just have to wait for contenders to settle their conference races before they have to actually make any decisions. The teams themselves are going to sort this out. You can bet on only one thing. Everything the committee chair says between now and the final vote will be nothing more than hot air.

(11-03-2015 08:56 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 08:40 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 08:17 PM)stxrunner Wrote:  Eventually, the Big 12 will get the hint. If a 1 loss Notre Dame makes the playoff over an undefeated Big 12, just bite the bullet.

The Big 12 backloaded its schedule. No conference has more top 15 match ups the next month*. With no quality wins, it's hard to argue too much. I actually think Baylor was ranked very favorably considering their schedule. The committee seems to be using the "eye test" more this year.

*Actually there are 9 match ups between top 15 teams over the next month and the Big 12 has 6 of them(not including the CCG).

If the committee still keeps the Big 12 down after all those top games, then there may be something to anti- Big 12 bias.

Or not having a CCG.

Having a CCG is the most overblown topic regarding the CFP ever. Even if the Big 12 had a CCG last year, there was no guarantee the champion would have been in the playoffs. And if a Big 12 team makes the 4-team playoff it would make this having a CCG talk a moot point.

(11-03-2015 07:24 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Well we know that two or four will be out of the top but this time next week

Unless they pull what they did last year, and put the winner number one, and the loser number 4, because "a close loss to the number one team is very good."

(11-03-2015 07:34 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  They seemed to use the eye test/ AP poll bias on those two more than the typically did last year. Both Ohio State and Baylor are lacking the quality wins and SOS that the committee typically required last year

To me OSU, as the defending champ and currently undefeated, should get the benefit of the doubt as long as they have just a competent schedule.

(11-03-2015 10:21 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 07:24 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Well we know that two or four will be out of the top but this time next week

Unless they pull what they did last year, and put the winner number one, and the loser number 4, because "a close loss to the number one team is very good."

(11-03-2015 07:34 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  They seemed to use the eye test/ AP poll bias on those two more than the typically did last year. Both Ohio State and Baylor are lacking the quality wins and SOS that the committee typically required last year

To me OSU, as the defending champ and currently undefeated, should get the benefit of the doubt as long as they have just a competent schedule.

I get that sentiment, but I think it is disingenuous since the committee has explicitly said where teams start don't matter- it's only what you have accomplished and each week you start over.

(11-03-2015 10:29 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  I get that sentiment, but I think it is disingenuous since the committee has explicitly said where teams start don't matter- it's only what you have accomplished and each week you start over.

Which is to the Buckeye's advantage this season, since some early season questions on whether they could assemble the same range of offensive weapons to be more than what even a good defense could cover looked like less of an issue as they got into October.

Their defense hasn't been put to a stringent enough test to justify putting them over either LSU or Clemson, which IMHO have coped with more competent offenses than the Buckeyes have yet faced, but of the other undefeated teams, Baylor and TCU (IMHO) have even more backloaded schedules, MSU has one win that owes a great deal to a single lucky bounce of a ball, IIRC both Iowa and Oklahoma State (GO Pokes!) have several narrow wins over multiple loss teams in their resume, and Memphis, Houston and Toledo don't look to be as complete on either offense or defense in the "eye" test.

I couldn't say at this point that looking at the Buckeyes, Bama, Notre Dame and Florida necessarily puts the Buckeyes best of the bunch on the "eye" test, but if you give the benefit of the doubt to the one without a loss on their record, that would put the Buckeyes third.

{NB. This is not saying that the committee arrived at that result rationally, as opposed to the game being rigged, just saying there's a rationale available for it.}

(11-03-2015 10:13 PM)ken d Wrote:  This means absolutely nothing. If it were possible to mean less than nothing, it would be that. This, and succeeding weeks, are nothing more than a dog and pony show to fill ESPN airtime. None of this took a committee to decide. Anybody could have done just as well. I liken it to the magician's attractive assistant, whose role it is to distract the audience while he performs the actual illusion while nobody is watching him.

There is only one top four that matters - the last one. The committee knows that they just have to wait for contenders to settle their conference races before they have to actually make any decisions. The teams themselves are going to sort this out. You can bet on only one thing. Everything the committee chair says between now and the final vote will be nothing more than hot air.

I never try to over analyze or get too excited about this stuff or all of these possible scenarios.

For me, ND being 7-1 and ranked #5 is better than having a worse record and ranking.

That is about the extent of it.

I just enjoy each win and agonize over every loss.

Anything else is out of a fan's control and not something to worry too much about, in my opinion.

I just try to enjoy the ride, knowing that the season will be over before we know it.

(11-03-2015 10:13 PM)ken d Wrote:  This means absolutely nothing. If it were possible to mean less than nothing, it would be that. This, and succeeding weeks, are nothing more than a dog and pony show to fill ESPN airtime. None of this took a committee to decide. Anybody could have done just as well. I liken it to the magician's attractive assistant, whose role it is to distract the audience while he performs the actual illusion while nobody is watching him.

There is only one top four that matters - the last one. The committee knows that they just have to wait for contenders to settle their conference races before they have to actually make any decisions. The teams themselves are going to sort this out. You can bet on only one thing. Everything the committee chair says between now and the final vote will be nothing more than hot air.

Who peed in your Cheerios?