Is an undefeated PAC 12 champ who played 6 regular season games and a CCG worthy of a CFP slot when other conferences are playing 8,9, and 10 conference games plus a CCG?

If the committee thinks they are one of the four best teams, absolutely. In a strange year like this there is no good reason to hold schedule considerations that are beyond any school's control against it. And, there are no rules specifying a required number of games. If the conferences want to make such a rule for future use, have at it. But no retroactive rule making please.

(10-05-2020 10:05 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Is an undefeated PAC 12 champ who played 6 regular season games and a CCG worthy of a CFP slot when other conferences are playing 8,9, and 10 conference games plus a CCG?

It depends on the records of the top teams in the other conferences. If the ACC/SEC/B12 champs all go 10-0 or 11-0, and the B1G champ is 8-0 and/or there is a very strong runner-up that is say 10-1, then no.

But if the champs of the other conferences are 9-2 or 8-3, then sure.

Plus, we don't know how many games anyone will end up playing. The virus could still wreck havoc such that the conferences scheduled to play 10 games could end up playing fewer.

Doubtful.

It depends who the undefeated team is. If it’s Arizona State. No way. If it’s USC, they’re in. The Trojans have the name, prestige and tradition and there’s nothing the CFP committee and the media would love more than “USC is back”.

(10-05-2020 10:49 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  It depends who the undefeated team is. If it’s Arizona State. No way. If it’s USC, they’re in. The Trojans have the name, prestige and tradition and there’s nothing the CFP committee and the media would love more than “USC is back”.

At 7-0 over say a 10-1 Oklahoma State or Notre Dame who has more data points and would have played a better schedule?

All things being equal, the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 champs should be the four teams. But only Oklahoma State can go undefeated and the way the Big 12 sucks this year maybe a 7-0 Oregon deserves to make it over an 11-0 Oklahoma State. Is beating a three or four loss Oklahoma that big a deal? Is beating Kansas State and Iowa State who lost to Sun Belt teams a big deal?

Assuming the Big 12 is out, then you have to see if another conference gets two in:

SEC: This is the most likely. I would say Florida beats Georgia in Jacksonville and both they and Alabama are unbeaten heading into Atlanta. It won't matter who wins, both the winner and loser will make the Playoff. The SEC doesn't want Georgia to beat Florida because either Georgia would lose to 'Bama twice or they'll win the SEC Championship and no one finishes the SEC undefeated. Georgia most likely goes to the Playoff. Alabama has one loss and has a win at home over Georgia. Is it enough?

Big Ten: They want Penn State to go undefeated and Ohio State to go 8-1 (including a win on "Champions Weekend"). Ohio State's argument is they had to play at Penn State who will likely be one of the top teams in the country. If it were reversed, Penn State would have less of an argument since they had the game at home. Another way they could get two would be if Ohio State wins at Penn State and loses in the Big Ten Championship to an undefeated Wisconsin. Penn State would have less of an argument if they lost the Big Ten Championship because they would have beaten OSU at home.

ACC: This is a long shot. I'd say Clemson would have to win at Notre Dame and then Notre Dame would have to win the ACC Championship Game. If it was the other way around, Notre Dame probably doesn't get in because they'd say the Clemson game was at home. Obviously if one team wins both games the loser is out.

(10-05-2020 10:54 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:49 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  It depends who the undefeated team is. If it’s Arizona State. No way. If it’s USC, they’re in. The Trojans have the name, prestige and tradition and there’s nothing the CFP committee and the media would love more than “USC is back”.

At 7-0 over say a 10-1 Oklahoma State or Notre Dame who has more data points and would have played a better schedule?

It’s not about who deserves it. Ohio State proved that when they got in over more deserving teams like TCU and Baylor.

The same applies to the likes of Texas and Michigan.

Does an undefeated PAC-12 champ deserve it even in a regular year? Not especially based on their usual performance of getting toasted in the first round.

(10-05-2020 11:03 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:54 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:49 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  It depends who the undefeated team is. If it’s Arizona State. No way. If it’s USC, they’re in. The Trojans have the name, prestige and tradition and there’s nothing the CFP committee and the media would love more than “USC is back”.

At 7-0 over say a 10-1 Oklahoma State or Notre Dame who has more data points and would have played a better schedule?

It’s not about who deserves it. Ohio State proved that when they got in over more deserving teams like TCU and Baylor.

The same applies to the likes of Texas and Michigan.

I understand what you are saying, I don’t think USC has the gravitas nationally that an Ohio State, Texas or Michigan do anymore. We’ll see, but I think it is unlikely the Trojans go undefeated anyway.

(10-05-2020 11:06 AM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  Does an undefeated PAC-12 champ deserve it even in a regular year? Not especially based on their usual performance of getting toasted in the first round.

You must be thinking of the Big 12. They (OU) are 0-4 in the first round in the six years of the college football playoffs. The Pac-12 is 1-1 in the first round. Oregon beat Florida State 59-20 in 2014 and Washington lost to Alabama 24-7 in 2016.

Yes, if the Pac-12 champion is unbeaten and they look good in their seven games, they will make it. It is a beauty contest this year and the Big 12 is not looking pretty, so there is an opening for the Pac-12. It is not a big opening, but it is an opening. This is an unusual season and anything can happen this season.

(10-05-2020 10:17 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:05 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Is an undefeated PAC 12 champ who played 6 regular season games and a CCG worthy of a CFP slot when other conferences are playing 8,9, and 10 conference games plus a CCG?

It depends on the records of the top teams in the other conferences. If the ACC/SEC/B12 champs all go 10-0 or 11-0, and the B1G champ is 8-0 and/or there is a very strong runner-up that is say 10-1, then no.

But if the champs of the other conferences are 9-2 or 8-3, then sure.

Plus, we don't know how many games anyone will end up playing. The virus could still wreck havoc such that the conferences scheduled to play 10 games could end up playing fewer.

And the 10 conference games may yet wreak havoc in the ACC and SEC. The top teams in those conferences in normal years have 3 guarantee wins and one that varies from a 50/50 to a near guarantee in addition to 8 conference games. So they lose two guarantee wins and trade 1.5 wins for two 50/50 games.

I think the conferences playing 10 conference games and even the Big 10 will have a solid case for why their 1 and 2 loss teams are more deserving of a playoff berth than the PAC 12’s undefeated champ who only has 7 games under their belt.

Poor Big 12. I wonder if they regret playing an OOC game since they’ve resulted in some embarrassing data points.

I would doubt any of the power conferences created and released schedules without getting some sort of assurance that their schedule was qualifiable to make the CFP.

(10-05-2020 11:30 AM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 11:06 AM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  Does an undefeated PAC-12 champ deserve it even in a regular year? Not especially based on their usual performance of getting toasted in the first round.

You must be thinking of the Big 12. They (OU) are 0-4 in the first round in the six years of the college football playoffs. The Pac-12 is 1-1 in the first round. Oregon beat Florida State 59-20 in 2014 and Washington lost to Alabama 24-7 in 2016.

Yes, the Big 12 is the only conference that has so far never won a playoff game.

The PAC's problem is that it hasn't had a "super team", like USC was under Carroll in the Aughts, that gets in to the Top 4 every year. The PAC has been a very good football conference in the CFP era, but has suffered from being balanced at the top and thus has only made the playoffs two out of six years and none in the last three.

No conference would benefit more from an 8-team playoff, with or without a guarantee for conference champs, than the PAC.

(10-05-2020 11:45 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  I would doubt any of the power conferences created and released schedules without getting some sort of assurance that their schedule was qualifiable to make the CFP.

Yes, not only for the pride and motivation of having that goal to shoot for, but also to ensure that they get the guaranteed $60 million CFP check.

(10-05-2020 11:09 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 11:03 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:54 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:49 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  It depends who the undefeated team is. If it’s Arizona State. No way. If it’s USC, they’re in. The Trojans have the name, prestige and tradition and there’s nothing the CFP committee and the media would love more than “USC is back”.

At 7-0 over say a 10-1 Oklahoma State or Notre Dame who has more data points and would have played a better schedule?

It’s not about who deserves it. Ohio State proved that when they got in over more deserving teams like TCU and Baylor.

The same applies to the likes of Texas and Michigan.

I understand what you are saying, I don’t think USC has the gravitas nationally that an Ohio State, Texas or Michigan do anymore. We’ll see, but I think it is unlikely the Trojans go undefeated anyway.

If USC does not have "the gravitas nationally," how does Texas and Michigan have it? USC has struggled, but there is still a lot of talent there. They had two quarterbacks transfer out, one left for Georgia and the other left for Boise State. Their starter was the Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12. USC is playing the five south division teams plus Washington State. They could easily win the whole thing and it will probably come down to Oregon and USC in the championship game.

(10-05-2020 11:56 AM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 11:09 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 11:03 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:54 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:49 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  It depends who the undefeated team is. If it’s Arizona State. No way. If it’s USC, they’re in. The Trojans have the name, prestige and tradition and there’s nothing the CFP committee and the media would love more than “USC is back”.

At 7-0 over say a 10-1 Oklahoma State or Notre Dame who has more data points and would have played a better schedule?

It’s not about who deserves it. Ohio State proved that when they got in over more deserving teams like TCU and Baylor.

The same applies to the likes of Texas and Michigan.

I understand what you are saying, I don’t think USC has the gravitas nationally that an Ohio State, Texas or Michigan do anymore. We’ll see, but I think it is unlikely the Trojans go undefeated anyway.

If USC does not have "the gravitas nationally," how does Texas and Michigan have it? USC has struggled, but there is still a lot of talent there.

Yes, that makes no sense. If USC isn't a bona-fide football blue-blood than nobody is.

Like any blue-blood, they are just one good coaching hire away from being back on top again.

(10-05-2020 10:54 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(10-05-2020 10:49 AM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  It depends who the undefeated team is. If it’s Arizona State. No way. If it’s USC, they’re in. The Trojans have the name, prestige and tradition and there’s nothing the CFP committee and the media would love more than “USC is back”.

At 7-0 over say a 10-1 Oklahoma State or Notre Dame who has more data points and would have played a better schedule?

The Pac-12 played a better schedule than Oklahoma State who played two teams that lost to Sun Belt teams (ISU, KSU) that beat Oklahoma.

(10-05-2020 10:05 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Is an undefeated PAC 12 champ who played 6 regular season games and a CCG worthy of a CFP slot when other conferences are playing 8,9, and 10 conference games plus a CCG?

No!