I'm more concerned with our remaining schedule rather than perceived bias against us or for others.
Voice of reason.I'm more concerned with our remaining schedule rather than perceived bias against us or for others.
Yes--it will be easier for the committee to justify putting in a one loss conference champion vs a one loss SEC team that did not win their division. Remember it was the LSU vs Alabama rematch National Title game that finally got the other conferences to want to restructure and create a playoff. Many of their commissioners insisted that conference champions be a qualifying criteria. Slive fought against this, but I am not so sure it isn't still an implied qualification.I make that assumption because that is exactly how the process will work. They'll go to a hotel somewhere, deliberate for a couple of hours and release their top 4. There may be a press conference, but you're not going to know whether or not it's honest. It won't be difficult at all for them to justify their results, and if a 1-loss SEC team like Alabama is left out, only Alabama fans are ticked off. The rest of the country, especially outside of SEC territory, will be thrilled.
By "tamper expectations", I just think folks expecting us to make it in automatically if we win out are going to be disappointed. But I do hope I'm wrong.
I agree. No problem with discussing it and hoping. Just my opinion that our team has a daunting task, and even if they accomplish it, it is in others hands. An Ole Miss loss is our best friend, and that is way more likely than other scenarios that have played out recently giving our team another opportunity.I don't expect us to win out. I believe that we are capable and I am hopeful that we do. And that's what this thread is intended to be about. The likelihood that we will make the playoff if we win out. Should we lose again then we are out of the conversation anyways. Also, for those who feel threads like this are premature...We are 8 days away from the inaugural committee ranking and only 5 days away from the week's game that will factor into those rankings. I'd say this conversation is right on time.
There is a chance that Louisville could knock off Fla State on Thursday night 30 Oct in Louisville. Bobby Petrino has a week off to get ready for this game. Louisville has one of the better defenses in college football and they get their top receiver back. A Florida State loss is what would really help a second SEC team.Looking at this a little more deeply, I see a few real possibilities:
* FSU wins out - weak schedule (they would be a lock if they win out)
* ND wins out - will be very difficult for them to do so (would also be a lock with the narrow loss to FSU if they win out)
* A team other than Alabama wins the SECCG (SEC winner is in)
That leaves one spot:
* If Alabama wins out, they would be 11-1 with the most impressive record in FBS football (other than the winner of the SECCG)
* If Oregon wins out, they would be 12-1 with a decent SoS and a huge win over the likely winner of the B1G. They would probably get in ahead of Alabama.
* If Michigan State wins out they would be 12-1 but with a weak record and a loss to their only tough OOC opponent I don't see them making it over Alabama, especially if Oregon loses to another team along the way.
* If Ohio State wins out, we would be 12-1 but it is pretty hard to image anyone putting us in over Alabama with a loss to Virginia Tech at home considering the difference in our schedules.
* The Big 12 needs a bunch of miracles to happen to even have a team considered at this point.
Alabama has to win out and have either ND or Oregon drop another game to get in. The later is likely to happen. The real question - will Alabama win out?
If this happens I will rejoice, and not just because it helps Alabama. I really want FSU to lose - to anyone.There is a chance that Louisville could knock off Fla State on Thursday night 30 Oct in Louisville. Bobby Petrino has a week off to get ready for this game. Louisville has one of the better defenses in college football and they get their top receiver back. A Florida State loss is what would really help a second SEC team.
If this happens I will rejoice, and not just because it helps Alabama. I really want FSU to lose - to anyone.
If Clemson had not been clemsonning FSU would already be out of the way.Same here. It is sad when an ESPN analyst states that now FSU can just sit back and coast to the playoffs. So basically...they had to win one game and they were in. Just shows you how horrible their schedule is. I can't wait for them to lose...
1. "#4 team in the country" means absolutely nothing. NOTHING. We'll have a committee deciding this - not a poll. Now, we will definitely know more when the committee issues it's first ranking next week. If Alabama takes care of business against Tennessee and is #4 or better in the initial playoff poll, then your statement has more credence.Just to put this clearly, at this point in time, we are talking about a scenario in which the #4 team in the country, goes on to beat two top ten teams, and is left out of a four team playoff. Really?!?
I started to type a point by point response to this. But in the end here's the only fact that matters: at this point, no one knows what the committee intends to do. Therefore, no one knows what we need to make the playoffs.Here's what annoys me most about the entire premise.