If the current system had existed in 1994, would CU have made the playoff?

[Buffnik]

Buffs were ranked #4 at 10-1 at the end of regular season, having lost the Big 8 title to Nebraska.

In addition to going 6-1 in Big 8 play, the Buffs crushed #10 Wisconsin at Folsom, won on a "Miracle" at #4 Michigan and beat #16 Texas on the road.

For the playoff, though, there were some stone cold locks:

Nebraska was 12-0
Penn State was 11-0
Miami was 10-1 (ranked #3 with only loss was in September - home vs Washington)

After that...

Alabama was 11-1 (1pt loss to 10-1-1 Florida in the SEC championship)
Florida at 10-1-1 (lost to top 10 Auburn and tied FSU)
Florida State at 10-1-1 (lost to Miami and tied UF)
Texas A&M at 10-0-1 (but ineligible due to NCAA sanctions)

Do you think the Buffs get into the playoff that year despite the late season loss to Nebraska and not winning a conference title?

 

[BuffLuke80]

No doubt, that might have been our best team in my lifetime.

 

[sackman]

Who was the Pac 10 champion that year? I'd argue that whoever that was would have to get some consideration, as would the SEC champ Florida. In the end, I'd say that CU probably wouldn't have made that playoff, and for the same reason that Baylor and TCU didn't make it this year (recognizing the fact that TCU and Baylor didn't play anywhere close to the kind of OOC that CU played that year).

 

[Buffnik]

Who was the Pac 10 champion that year? I'd argue that whoever that was would have to get some consideration, as would the SEC champ Florida. In the end, I'd say that CU probably wouldn't have made that playoff, and for the same reason that Baylor and TCU didn't make it this year (recognizing the fact that TCU and Baylor didn't play anywhere close to the kind of OOC that CU played that year).

Oregon won it at 9-3. They got killed by Hawaii and Utah in the non-con. Totally unworthy.

 

[patebuff]

Oregon won it at 9-3. They got killed by Hawaii and Utah in the non-con. Totally unworthy.

Based off of that, then yes I think they would have been.

 

[OrangeBowl]

I would hope so,but the no conference title thing may have hung them up especially with Fla and Bama falling right behind and playing each other in the only conf champ game at the time.Also looks like they were ranked 5 in the CNN/Coaches poll behind Fla...Hard to imagine that CU squad being left out,I guess in the end it depends on who would have been on the committee at the time.

 

[Highlander]

Would have taken beating the Huskers in a rematch in the conference title game at a neutral field, IMO.

But, but, we would have missed out on the greatest pageantry of sports - the Bowl system! Who will ever forget that marvelous end to the year, stomping a totally overrated ND squad that had no business being there, 41-24. Ahhh, the bowl games. This playoff bull**** should never have happened - I definitely prefer the old ways where big name schools buy their way in to big bowls. Who could possibly miss those days?

 

[azbuff]

I think so. SEC did not have near the reputation back then it has now. The media build up for the CU-kNU game that year was tremendous for 1994. On the other hand, the fact we weren't competitive in that game might have kept us out.

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

Would we also have been in the final 4 in 2001?

 

[Liver]

this is a perfect example of why we need to go to 8 teams. we're going to quickly come to a season where we've got at least 5 teams with nearly mortal lock certain cases that they should be in the playoff and at least one is going to get screwed.

in the scenario above, i think it would have come down to us and 'bama

i'm not sure how that would have shaken out.

 

[Buffnik]

Would we also have been in the final 4 in 2001?

2 losses. I think that opening loss to Fresno State would have been a killer. Slight chance that avenging the UT loss and being champion of the best conference that season would have overcome, but I doubt it.

 

[Highlander]

this is a perfect example of why we need to go to 8 teams. we're going to quickly come to a season where we've got at least 5 teams with nearly mortal lock certain cases that they should be in the playoff and at least one is going to get screwed.

in the scenario above, i think it would have come down to us and 'bama

i'm not sure how that would have shaken out.

I would rather have an "unworthy" team or two that get rolled in the first round than leaving someone out that should have had the chance to compete on the field.

 

[SD Buff]

in 1994 CU had the brand and stroke to get the nod.

From phone

 

[azbuff]

2 losses. I think that opening loss to Fresno State would have been a killer. Slight chance that avenging the UT loss and being champion of the best conference that season would have overcome, but I doubt it.

I think the 2001 team is more likely to get in (under this hypothetical scenario) than the 1994 team. We were nearly in the two team "playoff" in 2001. With the committee picking the teams, it would have been (1) Miami v. (4) kNU and (2) Oregon v. (3) Colorado. Would like to think we show better against Oregon with something to play for.

 

[Highlander]

I think the 2001 team is more likely to get in (under this hypothetical scenario) than the 1994 team. We were nearly in the two team "playoff" in 2001. With the committee picking the teams, it would have been (1) Miami v. (4) kNU and (2) Oregon v. (3) Colorado. Would like to think we show better against Oregon with something to play for.

Gary Patterson showed this year the right way to handle a snub and get ready for a bowl game. GB was a demonstration of the exact opposite in 2001.

 

[sackman]

2 losses. I think that opening loss to Fresno State would have been a killer. Slight chance that avenging the UT loss and being champion of the best conference that season would have overcome, but I doubt it.

Remember that just about everybody had 2 losses that year. CU went into the NU game ranked 15. Two weeks later we were ranked #3. CU won a very tough conference that year. I would argue that we'd have had a better chance of making the top 4 in 2001 than in 1994, but our 1994 team would have had a better chance of winning the whole thing had it gotten in.

 

[Alfred91]

We would have definitely been in it in 2001.

I would think we would have probably played Miami in the first round though and gotten smoked.

 

[boydbuff]

Highly doubt it. Tough to let 2 teams from the same conference in unless the 2nd team in (which lost to the 1st) was heads and shoulders above the rest of the pack. This was not the case. Also, if we had taken Nebraska to over time or a last play of the game we would have had a better argument, but that also wasn't the case either.

 

[SuperD]

I think there are pretty good odds a playoff committee puts us in ahead of a Nebraska team that didn't even win their division given how we were playing down the stretch.

They also may not have been completely disinterested in the game against Oregon in 2001 if it had been a playoff game as well.

 

[buffs]

'No' for 1994, but 'yes' for 2001.

 

[azbuff]

Highly doubt it. Tough to let 2 teams from the same conference in unless the 2nd team in (which lost to the 1st) was heads and shoulders above the rest of the pack. This was not the case. Also, if we had taken Nebraska to over time or a last play of the game we would have had a better argument, but that also wasn't the case either.

I don't know. The Big 8 rep was the closest at the time to the SEC rep now. We had high brand recognition and the Heisman trophy winner. We had three games after the kNU game and crushed our opponents in every one. I think we probably would have been in, but it would have been far from a slam dunk. Maybe 55/45.