Georgia is ranked ahead of Ole Miss in AP poll. I watched Ole Miss dominate Georgia 2 weeks ago. Kicked their ass up and down the field in all facets of the game. The fix is in to get Georgia in the playoffs
Georgia is ranked ahead of Ole Miss in AP poll. I watched Ole Miss dominate Georgia 2 weeks ago. Kicked their ass up and down the field in all facets of the game. The fix is in to get Georgia in the playoffs
I’m not a Notre Dame fan, but they have essentially dominated their schedule since that N. Ill game. The only close game since then was a 7 point win over UL. If they beat army this weekend I cannot argue that a 1 loss ND doesn’t deserve an at large bid. I’d take a 1 loss ND over a 2 loss sec team. If they were losing to teams like that late in the season or even barely getting by I would think harder about it, but they have played their schedule as least as well as we have since that loss.
It depends on who “everyone else” is because any other brand favorite probably would be ranked the same. Of course if it were us we would probably be outside the top 12, but probably still in the top 25 if we played their schedule the same. We wouldn’t be an independent though and would be a full member of the ACC meaning we would have a better shot than we do now at a 1st round bye by winning the ACC Championship. That’s not to suggest I don’t think we can win it in the B1G, but only that the ACC provides an easier path for now. I would guess any program that isn’t branded a blueblood would be ranked in the 13-18 range. A win over undefeated army is probably good enough to get any program playing that schedule the same into the top 12 after this week.Where do you think anyone else would be ranked if they had lost to Northern Illinois?
Somewhere outside the top 12, in my opinion...
Yeah the expanded playoffs have made the conference championship game way less important. Of course the Big 10 (14) with the unbalanced divisions already had made that game pointless.I agree with almost everything this guy says:
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/why-penn-state-enjoys-ideal-180053044.html
Georgia is ranked ahead of Ole Miss in AP poll. I watched Ole Miss dominate Georgia 2 weeks ago. Kicked their ass up and down the field in all facets of the game. The fix is in to get Georgia in the playoffs
I would argue that it's an easier path for the loser of the Big Ten Championship, if they get the 5 seed.Yeah, I have said it before, but the loser of the conference championship game is in the worst position. The winner is in the best position. So, although Penn State can be in a good spot with hosting a first round game at home the best position is to not have to play a first round game at all. That’s the risk you take in playing for a conference championship. Also, you don’t know that PSU will be seeded in the top 5-8 spots by the time the playoff selections are made. If IU beats OSU then OSU, IU, and Oregon will be ranked above PSU regardless of who wins the conference championship and I see no way they are ranked above two other SEC teams. The B1G championship would really have to be a massive blowout for PSU to be ranked above those teams. If IU loses to OSU there’s a possibility psu could remain above us for a 5-8 spot, but no guarantee.
Idk, I think I would rather have a chance at playing for a 1st round bye than to hope I get selected in a home game for the first round. For me I believe you always want to control your own destiny and not rely on others to make judgement calls. The only way to do that is to be conference champion.
Don't worry. TV execs want ND in even if they have to create a 50 team playoff.It depends on who “everyone else” is because any other brand favorite probably would be ranked the same. Of course if it were us we would probably be outside the top 12, but probably still in the top 25 if we played their schedule the same. We wouldn’t be an independent though and would be a full member of the ACC meaning we would have a better shot than we do now at a 1st round bye by winning the ACC Championship. That’s not to suggest I don’t think we can win it in the B1G, but only that the ACC provides an easier path for now. I would guess any program that isn’t branded a blueblood would be ranked in the 13-18 range. A win over undefeated army is probably good enough to get any program playing that schedule the same into the top 12 after this week.
So, I still say that the at large bid is warranted regardless of the brand bias. Do we really want to see a team whose only loss was by 2 points in only their second game of the season (but has been dominant since then) get cut out off the playoffs because the loss was to Northern Ill? They beat Texas A&M, UL, and demolished everyone else on their schedule. If you take away that 2 point loss in week 2 they could argue being ranked above us by the Texas a&m win alone. I get the northern Illinois loss was bad, but I don’t think 1 game in week 2 of the season should diminish what they have done since then. Lose to N. Illinois in week 10-12 and absolutely they should not be considered even if they were undefeated until that point.
My biggest concern is if you exclude ND from the playoffs over 1 loss you are not using the eye test to see their full body of work which I think also hinders a program like IU that needs people to look beyond who we played but look at how we played over the course of an entire season.
I agree. That 5th seed does seem pretty nice, but it is a heavy gamble to assume you will get it. Especially if you are Penn State who has no real opportunities to advance their ranking due to their schedule. I would assume the loser of the B1G conference championship has the best chance at the 5th seed than any team sitting idle and if that’s what you’re saying that is a good perception as to why it is best to play in the conference championship. You still have to battle out SEC bias for that 5th seed though. So, I feel it is a huge gamble if we were to set our sites on securing a 5 seed. If you don’t win a conference championship you have a 1 in 8 chance of securing a specific seed. Too many variables in play to feel any confidence one particular team will have that seed locked up. Agree with you wholeheartedly though. If we don’t win the championship I would pray we get the 5 seed.I would argue that it's an easier path for the loser of the Big Ten Championship, if they get the 5 seed.
The 5 seed and will either have a home game vs the 12 seed (Boise/Tulane), then a quarterfinal on a neutral field vs the Big 12 Champ (Colorado/BYU).
Avoids the SEC/Big Ten and you're double digit favorites in both games.
The champ will have to face the winner of the 8/9 game which could include Alabama/Georgia/Ole Miss.