Remaining Schedule Is Brutal

[SkullDuckery]

Here is what we are up against….


The remaining opponents and who they have before Bama.

#16 Vandy - Utah St
#19 Missouri - Bye
#15 Tennessee - Arkansas
South Carolina - OU
#13 LSU - Bye
#5 Oklahoma - Bye
Auburn - FCS

In 4 of those 7 games, Bama faces a ranked opponent the week before

 

[arthurdawg]

We need to protest... This year has been even more ridiculous than some other very ridiculous ones.

Particularly when the committee pays lip service to SOS but not really.

 

[dtgreg]

Here is what we are up against….


The remaining opponents and who they have before Bama.

#16 Vandy - Utah St
#19 Missouri - Bye
#15 Tennessee - Arkansas
South Carolina - OU
#13 LSU - Bye
#5 Oklahoma - Bye
Auburn - FCS

In 4 of those 7 games, Bama faces a ranked opponent the week before

All those teams with a BYE before playing us. Is Roy Kramer making the schedule again?

 

[TideEngineer08]

Yeah many of us thought 8-4 was reality after that FSU game, as if that was a huge letdown relative to expectations. Now, even after the improvement of the past 3 games, 8-4 still seems a reasonable expectation.

9-3 may be the ceiling here. 10-2 would be fantastic and probably worth a #1 ranking.

 

[arthurdawg]

9-3 would most likely miss the playoffs, which would be a shame.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

9-3 would most likely miss the playoffs, which would be a shame.

I think there is so much parity right now that 9-3 would get us in this time depending on context.

I think there could be 10 teams or less that finish the year with 2 losses or less.

The last few spots could be up for grabs with a pool of 9-3 teams.

If we could finish 10-2 we would be a lock.

 

[Valley View]

This is a big boy conference. We always play LSU and the barn, Okla is an added tough game, and the others are middle of the road teams. Other than Okla it is a normal schedule. Winning out is not out of the question. If we can play as well defensively as we did against Georgia we will be in good shape. This weekend will tell the true story.

 

[KrAzY3]

9-3 would most likely miss the playoffs, which would be a shame.

They do have a "strength of schedule" metric now which will at least force the people in the committee to have a real conversation about schedule and opponents. They put in a team over Alabama who didn't beat a single ranked team last year.

Having said that, with 2 losses Alabama is guaranteed to be in, 3 losses there will be a conversation but I'd have to see the other resumes. 4 losses seems all but impossible, even though Alabama with that schedule and 4 losses will still probably be top 10 in computer rankings.

If this was a college basketball selection process we'd be talking about Alabama as a possible #1 seed right now, not whether or not they might get in.

 

[Saban4Ever]

I don't like that Missouri and OU have a bye before they play us. Yes, the schedule is tough. I'm hoping we can get in the playoffs at 9-3 if we do lose another 2 games, especially if they are close games and Bama looks decent (unlike FSU where we looked uninspired). There will be several teams in the SEC with 2-3 losses. It is definitely the toughest conference!

 

[Bama Lee]

We need FSU to win vs Miami. I think we can handle most of these teams left on schedule. But we need need to destroy Vandy first.

 

[KrAzY3]

We need FSU to win vs Miami. I think we can handle most of these teams left on schedule. But we need need to destroy Vandy first.

Step one is to get people really to think about Alabama as a playoff team. A win over Vandy coupled with a Miami loss would go a long way towards that.

Of course if the opposite were to happen, then it puts Alabama's chances on life support. It's the optics of it, 3-2, losing to Vandy, losing to another two loss team. It would become nearly impossible then. If they can make it through that game though, their chances will improve quite a bit because in the mind of the voters they will be a playoff team.

 

[denver]

Most SEC schedules are brutal...a few have escaped though....but in comparison to PennSt, ND etc...its just ridiculous voters cannot see the imbalance. One game at a time....

 

[KrAzY3]

Most SEC schedules are brutal...a few have escaped though....but in comparison to PennSt, ND etc...its just ridiculous voters cannot see the imbalance. One game at a time....

Oh make no mistake, they see it. They just choose to ignore it.

A playoff was always about inclusion, not selecting the most deserving. They didn't expand the playoffs to let a bunch of SEC teams in, they did it to let a bunch of other teams in. That's the plan, and it was a success really. If you throw enough hurdles in SEC team's way and then you limit their numbers enough, you decrease their odds.

The aggregate computer rankings didn't just have Alabama in the top 12 last year. They also had Ole Miss and South Carolina in. Now, I'm not saying Alabama makes a run, but you know how differently a playoff could have gone if the SEC had 3 more teams and it was actually seeded on merit?

Here's the first round:
#5 Georgia vs #12 SMU
#6 Alabama vs #11South Carolina
#7 Ole Miss vs. #10 Indiana
#8 Tennessee vs #9 Penn State

Apart from SMU those are some good matchups, but it would also mean the SEC could advance 5 teams (including Texas) into the second round, and we can't have that. For the record the computers currently have Alabama at #3.

 

[arthurdawg]

I think there is so much parity right now that 9-3 would get us in this time depending on context.

I think there could be 10 teams or less that finish the year with 2 losses or less.

The last few spots could be up for grabs with a pool of 9-3 teams.

If we could finish 10-2 we would be a lock.

Would love for us to sneak in.