PAC: Washington (Everyone Else With 2 or More Losses)
Big 12: None (Baylor and West Virginia With 1 Loss)
Big 10: Michigan (Ohio State and Nebraska With 1 Loss)
ACC: Clemson (Louisville With 1 Loss)
SEC: Alabama (Texas A&M and Florida With 1 Loss)

G5: Western Michigan (Troy, Boise State, San Diego State all with 1 loss)

Since Both Baylor and West Virginia play each other and both looked like teams that might garner another loss the odds of the Big 12 making the CFP is fairly slim.

Washington, Michigan (or Ohio State if they beat them), Clemson, and Alabama look pretty strong right now.

If I had to assess the relative strength of those here is my rating:

1. Alabama
2. Washington
3. Clemson
4. Michigan

Alabama has no apparent weaknesses.
Washington and Clemson are probably about equal. Both are very strong but can be scored on by a decent opponent.
Michigan could be real, but the whole Big 10 is hard to discern. Playing the Spartans still didn't provide a clear indication of their strength and their schedule heretofore has been relatively abysmal with the exception of Colorado.


What are your thoughts?

I just can't take the PAC seriously yet. I think they are easily the #4 conference but who besides Washington has really impressed? Also, the teams they beat have ended up not being as good as once thought.

1. Bama (Easiest pick through week 9)
2. Michigan (Colorado, Wisconsin, and Penn State due to those wins and the dominance shown in all but the Wisconsin game I amd giving them the egde over Clemson)
3. Clemson (They have struggles, but they are tested)
4. Washington

(10-30-2016 12:45 AM)AubTiger16 Wrote:  I just can't take the PAC seriously yet. I think they are easily the #4 conference but who besides Washington has really impressed? Also, the teams they beat have ended up not being as good as once thought.

1. Bama (Easiest pick through week 9)
2. Michigan (Colorado, Wisconsin, and Penn State due to those wins and the dominance shown in all but the Wisconsin game I amd giving them the egde over Clemson)
3. Clemson (They have struggles, but they are tested)
4. Washington

Hard to argue with any of this

If Ohio State beats Michigan and wins the big ten title game I put them at four and move everyone up.

I have watched Clemson several times and have been very unimpressed by 'em more often than not, I mean as far as national championship-contending teams are concerned, but when you look at their resume, they do have three pretty dang nice wins in Louisville and @FSU and @Auburn.

This is the classic test of eyeball test vs computer/rankings. My eyeballs tell me Michigan is better than Clemson and Washington, with Clemson the weakest of those three, but actual resume probably would have it in the other order: Clemson, Washington, Michigan.

However, both methods indicate Alabama is the clear #1, imo.

1. Alabama
2. Michigan, dominating with a couple of quality wins
2. Clemson, three good wins, not convincing but good teams grind those out
3. Washington, beat Utah

You can't argue with the top 4, just maybe the order (2-4). Alabama is the clear #1.

1) Alabama (resume & eyeball)
2) Clemson (the resume has to count)
3) Michigan (win over PSU looking really good now, still @OSU coming)
4) Washington (beat Utah )

Louisville, Ohio St, A&M & Florida are the next 4, in no particular order. The field has definitely slimmed down. (Fla will need to make it to the SEC CG just to get to 12 games, that could hurt them.)

We'll find out Tuesday what the committee says.

Yeah Louisville will get the benefit of the doubt for sure.

However, Louisville has 1 win that can even be considered good and that win now has 3 losses.

Charlotte
Syracuse
FSU
Marshall
Duke
NC State
Virginia

If the secret formula is to beat 1 ranked team a season and play a bunch of .500 and below .500 teams we here in the SEC are doing it wrong.

No offense, but that schedule is bad.

I personally think Louisville passes the eye test. I don't worry about the close wins because you have a target on your back. Even the best teams struggle in conference against the bottom, the point is you're winning. So eye test check, resume' not even close.

(10-30-2016 03:51 PM)AubTiger16 Wrote:  Yeah Louisville will get the benefit of the doubt for sure.

However, Louisville has 1 win that can even be considered good and that win now has 3 losses.

Charlotte 70-14
Syracuse 62-28
FSU 63-20
Marshall 59-28
Duke 24-14
NC State 54-13
Virginia 32-25

If the secret formula is to beat 1 ranked team a season and play a bunch of .500 and below .500 teams we here in the SEC are doing it wrong.

No offense, but that schedule is bad.

I personally think Louisville passes the eye test. I don't worry about the close wins because you have a target on your back. Even the best teams struggle in conference against the bottom, the point is you're winning. So eye test check, resume' not even close.

I'm not going to defend Louisville schedule because what you said is correct. Still have @Houston coming up (#26 in polls) & I'm hoping UK comes here with an 8-3 record. We need both of them to keep winning.

Looking forward Washington overall SOS is probably worse than Louisville but if they win out they are in. Key games for A&M @Auburn (w), Tenn (? w), @Bama (19 point loss) & LSU coming up. Ohio St has @Okl (w), @Wisc (w), @PSU (L) & have Neb & Mich coming up. Florida best win so far is @Tenn but they have @LSU & @FSU coming up.

I don't think there will be a huge discrepancy in the SOS between these schools when all said & done. A few of them will likely lose again. But yes, Louisville SOS is concerning. Next season is even worse in my opinion, we do get NC in our crossover though. After that though we have '18 ND, '19 Bama in Orlando with Miami as crossover & '20(?) @ND with VT as crossover. Louisville needs to pickup scheduling like this here on out & it would help if the ACC would switch our permanent crossover from Virginia to VT but none of this helps out this season.

(10-30-2016 12:45 AM)AubTiger16 Wrote:  I just can't take the PAC seriously yet. I think they are easily the #4 conference but who besides Washington has really impressed? Also, the teams they beat have ended up not being as good as once thought.

1. Bama (Easiest pick through week 9)
2. Michigan (Colorado, Wisconsin, and Penn State due to those wins and the dominance shown in all but the Wisconsin game I amd giving them the egde over Clemson)
3. Clemson (They have struggles, but they are tested)
4. Washington

That's how I see it. Michigan looks good and deep. The Big 12 will be left out again...

(10-30-2016 07:51 PM)texasorange Wrote:  

(10-30-2016 12:45 AM)AubTiger16 Wrote:  I just can't take the PAC seriously yet. I think they are easily the #4 conference but who besides Washington has really impressed? Also, the teams they beat have ended up not being as good as once thought.

1. Bama (Easiest pick through week 9)
2. Michigan (Colorado, Wisconsin, and Penn State due to those wins and the dominance shown in all but the Wisconsin game I amd giving them the egde over Clemson)
3. Clemson (They have struggles, but they are tested)
4. Washington

That's how I see it. Michigan looks good and deep. The Big 12 will be left out again...

I concur....