The Barn vs. The Rebels: Who you pulling for?

TNBama said:

Wow. I really don't get it. How many times have we heard "The Barn cares more about us losing than themselves winning". To me that is just plain stupidity that I cannot comprehend. That means you hate your rival MORE than you love your team. Although I usually pull against the Barn, I will ALWAYS pull for them to win, if it helps Bama. As much as I hate several teams, my love for Crimson is MUCH deeper than my hate of ANY other team. If Auburn winning means we are in a better position, then HECK YA, I will be happy to say "WAR EAGLE", and then wash down several glasses of water to get that bad taste out of my mouth.
My love of Crimson comes MUCH deeper than ANY other team's situation. PERIOD!!! And I just cannot comprehend ANY Tide fan pulling against anything that helps us.

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I agree with this. I'm just wondering though how the barn is going to hang 30+ points on Ole Siss and that dingy defense they have...

KrAzY3 said:

I won't know who to pull for until the committee releases their standings.

If Alabama is in the top 5 when the first ranking comes out, I don't think anything short of an Alabama loss keeps them out no matter what. Also, considering Alabama's insanely high SoS and high poll ranking, it would be extremely hard for the committee to justify ranking them lower than that.

The easiest path, by far would be to avoid the SECCG altogether. One more week to heal up, one more chance to lose avoided. So, if Alabama has a clear path without it, I'll be pulling for Ole Miss the whole way. I'm not worried about a team catching Alabama from behind, not with the games they have coming up.

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Yeah, but I want an SEC Championship too.

B1GTide said:

I can't help but remember what people like this did to Michigan when they entered the conference championship weekend ranked #2 in the human polls and in the BCS. The computers had Michigan a solid #2 after the championship games were played, but the human polls lowered them in the standings after their week off and they were left out.

An SEC loss by Ole Miss is the only way that Alabama's destiny remains completely in your hands.

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That's a valid point and I wouldn't put a whole lot past the committee either.

But, the SoS of the SEC West teams is going through the roof. If Ole Miss wins out, they'll help clear Miss. State and Georgia out of the way (and boost Alabama's resume in the process since that's their only loss), and could make for the simplest path. I'd have to see the standings before I made any determination, but if the committee ranks Alabama high, how on earth can they say ok this week they beat #6 so time to move them down? I get your point though, and it's one worth noting.

RJ YellowHammer said:

Yeah, but I want an SEC Championship too.

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Heh, ok you win.

I have no problem hoping the Barn wins. There's no major team in the NCAA I haven't wished a win on at some time. The latest was LSU. Next is the Barn. Next is to be determined later.

As long as Bama is in the hunt, I'm for whatever helps OUR team.

There will be no cheers for the Barn at my house under penalty of death.

AU- I want them to win out so that when Bama beats them in the Iron Bowl it will crush their championship dreams.

The problem with putting too much emphasis on the first playoff poll this week is that the last playoff poll will be influenced by conference championship weekend. If one thinks Alabama is in because they are in the top 4 play off poll this week, then you are being too over confident. This is politics.

The last committee playoff poll will be influenced by the Championship Games -- If Alabama is sitting home watching Ole Miss and UGA play in Atlanta that will not be good in the eyes of the committee. A one loss Oregon and Michigan State can win big in their Championship games and jump a stay at home Alabama.

Do not get comfortable and think by taking the easy route to the playoffs by avoiding playing for the SEC title in Atlanta is the best way to go. Teams that play a conference title game are putting more on the line and are playing an extra game. That deserves and will get respect and bonus points from the committee.

crimsonaudio said:

Man, you don't have to actually say that. yeesh.

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That almost warrants an avatar change

I will also add the barn's chance for winning improved a bit with Denzel Nkemdiche lost for the year.

Bama1985 said:

The problem with putting too much emphasis on the first playoff poll this week is that the last playoff poll will be influenced by conference championship weekend. If one thinks Alabama is in because they are in the top 4 play off poll this week, then you are being too over confident. This is politics.

The last committee playoff poll will be influenced by the Championship Games -- If Alabama is sitting home watching Ole Miss and UGA play in Atlanta that will not be good in the eyes of the committee. A one loss Oregon and Michigan State can win big in their Championship games and jump a stay at home Alabama.

Do not get comfortable and think by taking the easy route to the playoffs by avoiding playing for the SEC title in Atlanta is the best way to go. Teams that play a conference title game are putting more on the line and are playing an extra game. That deserves and will get respect and bonus points from the committee.

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Excellent post, of course nobody on here will believe your rationale until we are left out in favor of a one loss conference champion. Then the screaming will begin.

To be honest I actually want to win the SECCG rather than squaking in at a 4th seed becuase its going to be a neverending arguement that we will be having with other fanbases that spurrier has 5 SEC championships to Saban's 2 at the capstone, I know he has more but you know what Im getting at. It also can be a good pre playoff test that everyone else wont have as well because outside of Nebraska who can possible challenge FSU,Oregon,and Notre Dame that will compare to Georgia.

Will the barn cheer for us against Mississippi State?

I'd never pull for the Barn no matter what. So, I'm pulling for Ole Miss. To lose.

I look at it this way, by taking care of OM for us, Auburn will be helping to punch our tickets to the SECCG when we beat them after Turkey Day. So in effect by winning, they lose - because the sting of watching Bama head to ATL will be far worse than the temporary joy of beating Ole Miss.

You will be able to purchase Ice in Hades when I pull for the Barn. So, I'll just say I'm for whatever benefits the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Although I think I can't stand old miss, I cannot bring myself to root for API.

I guess the best thing (for me) to do is...pull for neither, and let the chips fall where they may.
I just can not pull for the barn, and I think Bama should have beaten Ole Miss (Butterfingers) so I don't believe they are
the better team, Bama just lost the game. If that play had happened earlier in the game, I would look at it differently, but
it was at the end, when it counted most, and the victory slipped right through Bama's fingers. So, enough of this, what will be...will be.
Bama will do what they need to do and win out, if we don't make it to 'The Show', so be it. 12-1 is still a pretty dadgum good year!

Roll Tide!

I would love to see the faces of my barner friends and family when they realize that I hope Ole Miss loses.

I cannot now, and never will, pull for the barn, against anyone; best case scenario? Field at V-H opens up and swallows them both.
Most years I would be pulling for Ol Spit, but I can't this year. But Bama lost a game and que sera, sera.

Pulling for the Barn against Ole Sis will be a first for me, but there is really no other choice. However, Ole Sis may still lose to MSU.

GrayTide said:

Excellent post, of course nobody on here will believe your rationale until we are left out in favor of a one loss conference champion. Then the screaming will begin.

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Based on the posts, I'd say most people here believe that rational.

I've also said, several times, that I think Alabama can get pushed down a seed. The thing is, Alabama is #3 in the polls, and they play a team ranked ahead of them. So, we're talking #2. The committee, as of right now, assuming Alabama wins out, has to move them down not one, not two, but three spots hypothetically to keep them out! They'd have to go from 2, to 5. That's just not easy to do. I hate the committee, but managing that will take something masterful.

So, for the current scenario of Big 10+Pac 12+SEC champ jumping Alabama to play out, requires quite a bit beyond merely those teams winning out. Of course it's possible, if they are corrupt to the core, but if there is any logic, and rational, if they follow their rules, I don't see how they could pull that one off. Either they severely under rank Alabama from the start, or they won't be able to move them out of it if they win out. They can't get away with saying #2 Alabama one week, then Alabama doesn't play and they say #5 Alabama, not without utterly destroying their credibility in a fashion the BCS never managed.

I absolutely am hanging my hat on the first committee rankings, I think we'll know what they are from the start. Either they're colluding against Alabama or they're not. If Alabama is in their top four, we know they're not pulling any shenanigans. If they somehow justify putting Alabama six or lower, we know something is up.

I will pull for the Rebels to lose, simply because if Alabama and Ole Miss win out, they have the tiebreaker over Alabama for the SECCG, and I do not believe that there will be more than 1 SEC team in the four-team playoff. But anything past the LSU game is irrelevant for Alabama's chances to qualify for the playoffs if Alabama doesn't beat LSU. It won't matter if we beat MSU and Auburn, IMO, because we'll have two losses.