Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an undefeated power conference team?

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

While I agree, think about this scenario. Auburn beats UGA, again and TOSU blows out Wisconsin and jumps Alabama. Then you have two 2 loss teams in the CFP because both 2 loss teams are conference champions.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

That really shows how little respect the committee has for Wisconsin. So if Ohio State beats them I don't think it really helps Ohio State that much. I think a 1 loss Alabama gets in over a 2 loss Ohio State unless it's another 59-0 game. The committee will remember their ugly loss to Iowa.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

PA Tide Fan said:

That really shows how little respect the committee has for Wisconsin. So if Ohio State beats them I don't think it really helps Ohio State that much. I think a 1 loss Alabama gets in over a 2 loss Ohio State unless it's another 59-0 game. The committee will remember their ugly loss to Iowa.

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I concur

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

Northwestern was ranked ahead of Clemson in 1948.

In 1994, Miami finished 6, with 2 losses, ahead of unbeaten but one tie ATM. That was unique, though, because it was after the bowl games and ATM was on probation. Miami had lost a classic to Nebraska.

Nothing else jumps out at me. There were lots of times where, say, unbeaten Tulane (1998) or Marshall (1999) or Fresno St (1985) was below some or many other teams.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

KrAzY3 said:

I suppose Selma might know the answer to this, but I think that the committee really put a dagger in the regular season today (when they ranked Auburn ahead of Wisconsin). Yes, Auburn played a tougher schedule. Yes, they have an advantage in SoS. I simply do not see the justification for letting a couple big wins erase the losses (in particular the LSU loss). What is the point of a game if losing it doesn't matter? I can get excusing one loss, but two?

We're now past talking about the inevitability of saying that a two loss team will make it into the playoff, and saying it's possible for a two loss team to keep an undefeated power 5 team out in the future! That's just unacceptable and as far as I know unprecedented. Welcome to the playoff era...

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I agree completely. Losing is losing. It is almost like they are treating the early season loss by Auburn to Clemson as "win". So to this committee it seems sees a "quality loss" is the same as a win? And all year the talking point was "Alabama has a weak schedule. They don't/haven't played anyone." Yet Auburn advances four spots to #2 by beating the same Alabama team that people have been saying "hasn't played anyone"?

So if I've got this correct- Auburn losing to Clemson is positive and Auburn beating Alabama means a lot, but Alabama beating most anyone means little or nothing?

My head hurts.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

KrAzY3 said:

I suppose Selma might know the answer to this, but I think that the committee really put a dagger in the regular season today (when they ranked Auburn ahead of Wisconsin). Yes, Auburn played a tougher schedule. Yes, they have an advantage in SoS. I simply do not see the justification for letting a couple big wins erase the losses (in particular the LSU loss). What is the point of a game if losing it doesn't matter? I can get excusing one loss, but two?

We're now past talking about the inevitability of saying that a two loss team will make it into the playoff, and saying it's possible for a two loss team to keep an undefeated power 5 team out in the future! That's just unacceptable and as far as I know unprecedented. Welcome to the playoff era...

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Just think if we would have lost to Miss St but beat Auburn, we'd be heading to the SEC CG and we'd be #2 or #3. Makes no sense.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

PA Tide Fan said:

That really shows how little respect the committee has for Wisconsin. So if Ohio State beats them I don't think it really helps Ohio State that much. I think a 1 loss Alabama gets in over a 2 loss Ohio State unless it's another 59-0 game. The committee will remember their ugly loss to Iowa.

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Let's hope it plays out this way.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

Auburn is the hot team right now. In my mind that doesn’t give them a pass on two losses. I believe that most people here would agree that Auburn is a much better team at home, and both of their signature wins were at home. Something in my gut tells me that Georgia will beat them in the neutral site in Atlanta. But, to your point, I honestly believe Auburn would destroy Whiskey on the plains. But, Whiskey deserves to be ranked higher.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

KrAzY3 said:

The moral of the story is that the committee asserted their right to do what ever they want. They're the gods of college football and they let it be known. They pick what wins matter, they pick what losses matter. If they want to put a three loss team in they can. If they want to leave out a power 5 undefeated team, they can. If they want to ignore blowouts or losses they can.

I'm almost past predicting them because their assertion is basically they don't have to make sense, their opinion on any given day is all that matters.

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Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I can't stand this ignoring losses idea. By this rationale, a team could start 0-3 but finish with nine straight wins over some top teams and be considered great. One thing I love about college football is that a team had to be good enough to keep winning more than other teams each and every week to be considered great. The year LSU won it all with two losses, most people put an asterisk by that title, but at least both of their losses were in OT. Auburn lost twice this season. Ohio St. lost twice very badly this season. At least AU's wins were both on the road and were close games. This whole committee is king, eye test rules, and results don't matter bullcrap is for the birds.
Edit- I will add this about strength of schedule. I do recognize that Auburn's schedule strength is much stronger than Whisky's, and I could see forgiving, but not forgetting, the Clemson loss on the road to make sure that people don't just start scheduling easier games to be undefeated, but I think two losses definitely mean that you were not consistently great no matter how well you played at times.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

KrAzY3 said:

...I think that the committee really put a dagger in the regular season today (when they ranked Auburn ahead of Wisconsin)...

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Actually, it's quite the opposite; it places a huge emphasis on the quality of a team's regular season schedule.

If you're better off taking a risk by playing tougher teams and dropping a game or two than playing it safe by scheduling a bunch of out-of-conference cupcakes then it increases the value of big-time, regular season games.

This means that we are more likely to see awesome OOC match-ups in the future as the Baylor approach of "just try to go undefeated and dare them to keep you out" is most likely to bite you on your rump.

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Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

The Ohio St selection over us would make total sense.....IF they were a one-loss team and the second wasn’t a double digit loss.

But if you go read the criteria, they reserve for themselves the luxury of selecting a non-champion IF that team is indisputably one of the four best.

Given our drawing power I’m a tad more optimistic than I was before sleeping last night.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

KrAzY3 said:

The thing is I've lost track of what their concept of equal is. They said before "tie breaker" but they've entered the twilight zone with their rankings.

Two loss Auburn over one loss teams is one thing, but over Wisconsin is just mind-boggling. Yes, Auburn has played a tougher schedule, but according to Sagarin Auburn has the 15th SoS and Wisconsin has the 61th SoS. If that's enough to erase a two loss gap between power 5 teams, the entire game has changed. It's no longer about winning at all. I can't even tell if a two loss Clemson drops out, if a two loss Ohio State team is in, if a two loss TCU sneaks in. Then you have that whole tie breaker stuff, but injuries were supposed to count to, just not apparently when Alabama loses...

Unfortunately we might be entering a period where the committee is even more biased and unhinged than the worst days of the AP poll.

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Agreed. A tough schedule doesn't mean much if you have big losses. Heck, New Mexico has a tough schedule (for them). Our loss to Auburn should count as much -- not less -- than Auburn's loss to L7U.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

I'll just say this...
It shouldn't matter at all, but the best thing Bama has going for it, is that if we get in at four rather than Ohio State...you'd have the highest rated TV game of the playoff...regardless of the outcome.
The committee might consider that considering Clemson has beaten Ohio State what? 80-0 in their last two meetings? Something like that.
If the playoffs become blah blah rather than the two monumental finals between Bama-Clemson, the public will lose interest, TV revenues will go down, and the playoff will become pretty unsubstantial.
Ultimately, the committee has to adopt the philosophy of picking the BEST FOUR TEAMS. If they're all in the Sun Belt--so be it.

Re: Has a two loss team ever been ranked over an unefeated power conference team?

CajunCrimson said:

I'm starting to think it's going to be:

1. Clemson
2. Auburn
3. OU
4. Bama

You get a Bama/Clemson rematch, but in the Semis....
AND
You get a potential Bama/Auburn rematch
OR
A Clemson/OU rematch of the Semi-final 2 years ago....in the Championship Game....

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If you were a TV Exec...you're spot on lol.....We'll see