Final Playoff Rankings Thread

[hawg1]

If you want to be considered the best, prove it. Playing Mercer at home isn't proving it.

The charter says nothing about playing Mercer or not.

You are making up rules, changing the charter to fit your viewpoint.

I’m not.

 

[SINKRATZ]

If you want to be considered the best, prove it. Playing Mercer at home isn't proving it.

So scheduling Oklahoma at home and losing badly would be better? Alabama, for all the criticism, still had a top 10 strength of schedule.

 

[Duff Man]

The charter is flexible enough to render it meaningless at times.

As said above, the SEC is being rewarded for gaming the system with strategic byes and the FCS week in November. Alabama actually has people making sympathetic arguments about injuries. Retroactively crafting arguments are pretty laughable.

 

[MtnBuff]

The charter says nothing about playing Mercer or not.

You are making up rules, changing the charter to fit your viewpoint.

I’m not.

No, you are buying into the SEC is great because they are the SEC line. Bama may be a great team, we don't really know because the only evidence we have of it is games against a weak OOC schedule and a very limited number of games against conference opponents.

I don't care about the charter, I care about who is best, that should be decided on the field not by who has the "reputation."

 

[hawg1]

The charter is flexible enough to render it meaningless at times.

As said above, the SEC is being rewarded for gaming the system with strategic byes and the FCS week in November. Alabama actually has people making sympathetic arguments about injuries. Retroactively crafting arguments are pretty laughable.

Injuries are in the charter. I don’t recall FCS is. The charter has a heirarchy. They followed it.

You don’ft like the choice. I respect that. don’t care. They followed the charter to define best.

 

[MtnBuff]

So scheduling Oklahoma at home and losing badly would be better? Alabama, for all the criticism, still had a top 10 strength of schedule.

Yes, play 5-7 quality teams and lose 2 is better than playing 3 good games and losing 1.

Have some guts, play a real schedule, go outside your region once in a while for a quality OOC game. Stop acting like you are special just because the echo chamber says you are special.

 

[hawg1]

No, you are buying into the SEC is great because they are the SEC line. Bama may be a great team, we don't really know because the only evidence we have of it is games against a weak OOC schedule and a very limited number of games against conference opponents.

I don't care about the charter, I care about who is best, that should be decided on the field not by who has the "reputation."

Therein lies the difference of opinion. You dont care about the charter. Thus you want to use different rules. I care about the charter. And believe they followed it.

The charter is not perfect, despite the consensus approach to develop it.

But I believe they should follow the charter (until it is changed).

 

[Duff Man]

Injuries is in the charter. I don’t recall FCS is. The charter has a heirarchy. They followed it.

You don’ft like the choice. I respect that. don’t care. They followed the charter to define best.

I am actually pretty indifferent on Bama being in, given the available choices.

I am just tired of the SEC agenda becoming facts year after year. Two bye weeks during conference play is a ridiculous advantage.

As far as the injuries being part of the charter, it follows the pattern of crafting it around teams the committee likes and downplaying them otherwise.

 

[hawg1]

Injuries are in the charter. I don’t recall FCS is. The charter has a heirarchy. They followed it.

You don’ft like the choice. I respect that. They followed the charter to define best.

 

[Buffnik]

First everyone complained that the Big XII got screwed because they didn't have a championship game. Now a team that wins it's championship game doesn't make it...again. Oh, and by the way, expanding the playoffs will only make things worse as more and more teams with 2 losses make it in. Before you know it, it will be the NFL with teams going 8-4/7-5 making it and going on a tear at the end of the season and wining the NC. F!

The playoffs is nowhere near the list of things I’d call a problem in the NFL.

 

[hawg1]

I am actually pretty indifferent on Bama being in, given the available choices.

I am just tired of the SEC agenda becoming facts year after year.

As far as the injuries being part of the charter, it follows the pattern of crafting it around teams the committee likes and downplaying them otherwise.

I trust they use data not subjectivity.

I don’t see a pattern on “crafting” the outcome in this or any other year. To me, their pattern is consistent on how they choose the best four teams.

 

[jizzrag85]

Regardless of if anyone thinks Alabama is better because the SEC bias the decision here is a god damn joke. They penalized the big 12, then rewarded Ohio State for not doing what they said the big 12 had to do. Then they penalized Wisconsin for playing a 13th game, they’re both 11-1. Both lost 1 game to top 10 teams but ones loss was in a conference game. They say Alabama is better because they think so but Wisconsin got further than Alabama did. Then they have Ohio State who did not schedule ****ing FCS teams in week 11 getting penalized for losing to #2 and in a conference game while Alabama gets away with 8 conference games, 2 mountain west teams, an FCS and a meh Florida State team. Who cares if they didn’t knot years ago FSU would be average, it’s still not a significant win. Oklahoma could have sucked this year too, but they didn’t, OSU has a much better resume. In the end it just shows none of it actually matters. The CFP is a bull**** joke just as the BCS was. It’s based off of nonsense and bias and their own personal feelings. Because they just keep making up rules as they go to justify their positions. Alabama still may be the champion, they’re always good, but they did nothing and lost when it counted and they’re being rewarded just because they’re Alabama. Just tell us all, “it’s based on whatever the **** I believe” and stop making up make believe pre-requisites so you don’t have to explain yourselves.

 

[hawg1]

Regardless of if anyone thinks Alabama is better because the SEC bias the decision here is a god damn joke. They penalized the big 12, then rewarded Ohio State for not doing what they said the big 12 had to do. Then they penalized Wisconsin for playing a 13th game, they’re both 11-1. Both lost 1 game to top 10 teams but ones loss was in a conference game. They say Alabama is better because they think so but Wisconsin got further than Alabama did. Then they have Ohio State who did not schedule ****ing FCS teams in week 11 getting penalized for losing to #2 and in a conference game while Alabama gets away with 8 conference games, 2 mountain west teams, an FCS and a meh Florida State team. Who cares if they didn’t knot years ago FSU would be average, it’s still not a significant win. Oklahoma could have sucked this year too, but they didn’t, OSU has a much better resume. In the end it just shows none of it actually matters. The CFP is a bull**** joke just as the BCS was. It’s based off of nonsense and bias and their own personal feelings. Because they just keep making up rules as they go to justify their positions. Alabama still may be the champion, they’re always good, but they did nothing and lost when it counted and they’re being rewarded just because they’re Alabama. Just tell us all, “it’s based on whatever the **** I believe” and stop making up make believe pre-requisites so you don’t have to explain yourselves.

All of your points are good. They are just not how the Committee thinks or uses data, nor applies the current guidelines

Maybe your best bet to lead an effort among the Presidents and ADs to change the charter.

 

[SINKRATZ]

Yes, play 5-7 quality teams and lose 2 is better than playing 3 good games and losing 1.

Have some guts, play a real schedule, go outside your region once in a while for a quality OOC game. Stop acting like you are special just because the echo chamber says you are special.

Alabama played 3 good games? Stop it.

Alabama and Ohio State both scheduled 1 solid OOC game - Bama played Florida State on a neutral field and Ohio State played Oklahoma at home. They both filled the rest of their OOC with jokes.

I'll say it again, Alabama had a top 10 strength of schedule, so it wasn't the cake walk you're making out to be.

 

[hawg1]

Alabama played 3 good games? Stop it.

Alabama and Ohio State both scheduled 1 solid OOC game - Bama played Florida State on a neutral field and Ohio State played Oklahoma at home. They both filled the rest of their OOC with jokes.

I'll say it again, Alabama had a top 10 strength of schedule, so it wasn't the cake walk you're making out to be.

SOS is important. SOR is more important as it correlates better to “best”.

 

[BlackNGold]

I am fine with Alabama getting in - could of made an argument for OSU or USC. If OSU was in everyone would be complaining about Big 10 bias. If you are upset about the Pac 12 getting ignored then you have to look at the Scheduling. The PAC12 is falling to the level of a G5 conference in terms of presence on TV, IMO. Larry Scott has outlived his usefulness.

 

[atlbuff]

well, not sure how it all worked out, but my wife is pretty f'n excited that UGA is playing at the rose bowl and already bought tickets. i always hoped we would go there twice in one year to see a game, maybe i should have been more specific.

 

[Jens1893]

SEC - plays 8 conference games. Playoff teams: 5/16 Alabama 4, Georgia 1
ACC - plays 8 conference games. Playoff teams: 4/16 Clemson 3, Florida State 1
B1G - plays 9 conference games. Playoff teams: 3/16 - Ohio State 2, Michigan State 1
B12 - plays 9 conference games. Playoff teams: 2/16 - Oklahoma 2
P12 - plays 9 conference. Playoff teams: 2/16 - Oregon 1, Washington 1

 

[Buffnik]

SEC - plays 8 conference games. Playoff teams: 5/16 Alabama 4, Georgia 1
ACC - plays 8 conference games. Playoff teams: 4/16 Clemson 3, Florida State 1
B1G - plays 9 conference games. Playoff teams: 3/16 - Ohio State 2, Michigan State 1
B12 - plays 9 conference games. Playoff teams: 2/16 - Oklahoma 2
P12 - plays 9 conference. Playoff teams: 2/16 - Oregon 1, Washington 1

Possible that this correlation means something. Also possible that the farther you move away from the east coast & ETZ the less love and attention you get from ESPN and the largest media companies. Or some mix of the two, likely with other factors involved.

 

[Jens1893]

Possible that this correlation means something. Also possible that the farther you move away from the east coast & ETZ the less love and attention you get from ESPN and the largest media companies. Or some mix of the two, likely with other factors involved.

Probably also not a coincidence the 2 biggest and most popular conferences are the ones with the best TV deals.

Pissing off Delany and the B1G is NOT an advisable course of action either way.

 

[Highlander]

IIRC, no team with 2 losses has ever made the CFP. The formula is pretty simple.

You can make the argument that 9 conference games makes it harder to finish with less than 2 losses and I wouldn't disagree. Either way, 2 losses appears to rule you out.

 

[Jens1893]

 

[Jens1893]

Third point nails it. You cannot go from "5-8 is a cluster" to "Alabama is unequivocally better" in a week.

 

[jkppkjjkp]

Alabama played 3 good games? Stop it.

Alabama and Ohio State both scheduled 1 solid OOC game - Bama played Florida State on a neutral field and Ohio State played Oklahoma at home. They both filled the rest of their OOC with jokes.

I'll say it again, Alabama had a top 10 strength of schedule, so it wasn't the cake walk you're making out to be.

How is Bama's schedule substantively better than Wisconsin's? Please use this data table or another data source to support your stance.

Wisconsin				Alabama
Opponent	Margin	FPI	Sagarin	Opponent	Margin	FPI	Sagarin
n-Ohio State	-6	2	4	@Auburn	-12	6	8
Michigan	14	23	21	LSU	14	17	18
Iowa	24	24	22	@Mississippi St	7	19	20
N'western	9	26	19	n-Florida St.	17	20	30
@Indiana	28	49	52	@Texas A&M	8	44	45
Purdue	12	50	35	Ole Miss	63	55	59
FAU	17	61	57	Fresno St.	31	60	56
@Minnesota	31	66	61	Arkansas	32	70	75
@Nebraska	21	74	74	Colorado St.	18	72	77
Maryland	25	84	80	Tennessee	38	75	92
Utah St.	49	85	84	@Vanderbilt	59	77	83
@BYU	34	96	113	Mercer	56	UR	149
@Illinois	14	107	126

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[SINKRATZ]

Third point nails it. You cannot go from "5-8 is a cluster" to "Alabama is unequivocally better" in a week.

Maybe but the first point is wrong. Ohio State scheduling Oklahoma wasn't the problem - you just can't lose by 30 to a mediocre conference opponent in November.

 

[jkppkjjkp]

Alabama had a top 10 strength of schedule

Sagarin ranks Bama's SOS as #56, and tOSU as #28.

 

[jkppkjjkp]

Maybe but the first point is wrong. Ohio State scheduling Oklahoma wasn't the problem - you just can't lose by 30 to a mediocre conference opponent in November.

Replace OU with Northern Colorado on tOSU's schedule and when 12-1, B1G Champ, tOSU was being compared to 11-1 SEC West runner-up Alabama the committee would have picked tOSU in a heartbeat.

The first point stands, and is not mutually exclusive with the point that losing by 30 points to Iowa (top 30 by most ranking systems) is damaging to a resume as well.

 

[Jens1893]

Maybe but the first point is wrong. Ohio State scheduling Oklahoma wasn't the problem - you just can't lose by 30 to a mediocre conference opponent in November.

Maybe they wouldn't have lost that game by 30 without the wear and tear that comes with playing high level opponents? Isn't that the argument Saban made last night when he pointed out the toll the Iron Bowl took on Auburn?

 

[Buffnik]

Sagarin ranks Bama's SOS as #56, and tOSU as #28.

Yeah. I think that SINKRATZ got it conflated between SOS and SOR. Alabama's got a great SOR, as do tOSU and USC. The SOR is how you perform against your schedule relative to how an average Top 25 team would be expected to perform against it.

 

[Buffnik]

Maybe they wouldn't have lost that game by 30 without the wear and tear that comes with playing high level opponents? Isn't that the argument Saban made last night when he pointed out the toll the Iron Bowl took on Auburn?

Yep. Just like with USC. If they played Notre Dame again in the bowl game, it's a lot different than playing them on the road in the midst of a season with no bye week and coming off the physical Utah week. If USC had scheduled UC Davis that week instead of Notre Dame, they would have still played a better schedule than Alabama and would be 12-1 heading to the playoffs.

The committee has made it clear that it's better to play 8 conference games and no more than 1 real opponent in the non-conference.