1. Florida State 2. Alabama 3. Oregon 4. TCU 5. Ohio State 6. Baylor 7. Michigan State 8. Kansas State 9. Mississippi State 10. Arizona Also Receiving Consideration: Georgia Tech, Missouri, Wisconsin
I have FSU #1, Oregon 2, Bama 3, TCU 4, baylor 5, OSU 6 interesting matchups this week.... Bama steamrolls Mizzou.... By far, the weakest team in a championship game is Mizzou GT and FSU will go down to the wire... per usual.... That offense GT has is weird.... triple option... they are the only ones running it. Gonna be tough for our defense. I think Offense can dissect the GT defense... but it's going to be a shootout. How GT won this past weekend was rediculous.... both GT and GA both tried to lose that game.... GA was just better at losing that Tech was... That stupid pump fake fumble was JV level... His kicker bailed his ass out with that 53 yarder as time expired. Oregon/AZ.... a rematch of Oregon's only loss.... how well can Oregon adjust? a playoff spot is at stake... Ohio State and Wisconsin... both teams have their best player out with injuries.... It may be a competitive game... but no way either of them are any good without their main player.... big xII no champinoship game... just garbage is what I think. at this point, SEC is in ACC is in Pac xII is in big xII is in but if mizzou wins, SEC is out if GT wins, ACC is out If AZ wins again, pac xii is out if TCU loses, then Baylor is in, so I think the big xII is almost a lock. Both teams losing is the only way they don't send a rep... now, imagine the chaos if..... Bama loses FSU loses Oregon loses and TCU loses... That's the only way a 1 loss FSU gets into the championship I think...
Any team can lose any game on a given day. There are bound to be a few upsets next Saturday. It could get very interesting.
I have FSU at #1 only because of their win streak. I don't think that the selection committee gives that metric quite so much weight. I would expect them to have Alabama at #1, Oregon at #2 and FSU at #3. Barring major upsets in the championship games, that would pit FSU vs. Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Alabama vs. either TCU, Baylor or Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. Of course, none of that speculation will matter after next weekend. We'll see how it all plays out.
This is why #1 and #2 seeds are important..... you get to choose your location in game one. #1 gets first choice... and both FSU and Bama would take the sugar bowl in NO and Oregon will definately choose Pasadena for homefield advantage. What are all the choices for locations in the first round? Sugar, Rose? where else. I mean, if Bama is 1, they pick Sugar, so even if FSU was #2, what are the other options for a 1st round game? Cotton bowl? Orange?
Nobody gets to choose. The selection committee will assign which 2 teams play in the Rose Bowl and which 2 teams will play in the Sugar Bowl. Their choice will place the #1 seed in the bowl nearest to their home field. The 2 bowls chosen for the semi-finals will rotate every year.
ahhhh gotcha..... so for FSU to play in the Sugar, they have to be #1 Pasadena will be where oregon plays no matter what....
yeah, doesn't matter if Oregon is ranked 1, 2, or 3.... unless they are number 4 playing #1 bama or FSU, they will play in pasadena.... because if they are #1, they will get Pasadena.... if they aren't #1, either FSU or Bama will be, and they would get the Sugar bowl, leaving Pasadena for them no matter what.
That's how it looks right now. Of course, if Alabama, FSU, Oregon, Ohio State, Baylor and TCU all lose next Saturday, then it could be something along these lines: 1. Arizona 2. Georgia Tech 3. Missouri 4. Kansas State
could you imagine? lol. But you're right. had au finished bama off last saturday, we were very close to NO sec team in the playoffs. I'm sure, at halftime, the SEC commish called up malzhon and said.... "ok, you made your opint, but don't screw this up for the conference. You had your chance last year and dropped the ball, so you better lay down for Bama because they are the only team with a chance to play for a title out of the SEC
oh, I don't really beleive that.... but I swear, on facebook, that fires up some SEC fans..... I always reference back to 2002 (I think it was) and then again in 2011 during AU's run. Back in 02, Tennessee was #2 and playing #25ish LSU for the SEC championship. If UT wins, they play for a national title.... if LSU wins, no SEC team plays for the title. Well, LSU pulled off the upset. I'm sure, prior to the SEC championship game, the SEC commissioner was praying that LSU didn't win because of that reason.... just like the SEC commissioner today, is PRAYING Mizzou doesn't win this weekend. Do I really think he'd tell Mizzou to throw the game? I would hope not.... but with as much money that the SEC stands to win with a championship..... Go back to 2011, when SC played AU for the SEC championships.... They met earlier in the season, and SC lost to AU by a TD. The game ended with SC getting intercepted on the final play in the endzone... so it was a VERY close game. As the season progressed, multiple loss SC got to the Championship against undefeated AU. SC wasn't in the national title picture, AU was.... How much you want to bet the SEC commish didn't want the Ole Ball coach to win that game. Funny thing was, that championship game was a rout by AU. it was never close. It was like Spurrier was encouraged to not win and screw it up for the conference like LSU did in 02, to the SEC and UT. so, no, Ihave no proof and just say it to troll SEC fans who cheer for bama because their team isn't relevant anymore.... (UF fans mostly), but NEVER underestimate someone's ethical shortcomings when this much money is on the line. For all we know, the ACC commish is talking to GT athletic department and coming up with a backdoor deal if GT doesn't beat FSU.....Wisconsin loses to OSU... etc. a coach doesn't even have to advertise the back door plan to lose with his staff or players.... make a bad play call or two in a crucial time.... and bam..... mission accomplished, and GT gets a little bit extra of the pie if FSU wins it all.....
Yeah, sure... If Jameis happened to have a buddy who played football at UAB, they could make a fortune in Vegas by having Jameis blow first halves against little Podunk ACC teams too, couldn't they?
lol... true.... but we're also not talking 1000's of dollars here in a made up point shaving that he didn't stand to make money off of I'm just saying.... the possibility, and the motivation are there for any of the power 5 to do this. "hey GT ad.....if FSU wins the title, the ACC stands to make xxx millions. You beating them will ultimately COST the conference, and therefore, your school, tons of money" "hey Mizzou, you are the new kid on the block.... we need to make sure that the SEC is in a position to win the title again. you beating Bama costs the entire conference, including your team, tons of money.... " I'm not saying only the SEC has that temptation.... but the SEC WANTS bama to win Saturday, the ACC WANTS FSU to win, Pac xII WANTS oregon to win. I understand on the surface, when the cameras are turned on, "we want the best team to win" That's BS, and you know it. This is where hard to police, ethics come into play. how important is winning the title? tHE sec isn't even represented if Bama loses. Same can be said about all the conferences.
With only one loss, it would be possible for Alabama to lose a close game to Mizzou and still make the playoff. TCU is ahead of Baylor in spite of a head-to-head loss. Some other potential conference champions would all have to lose in upsets for that to happen. It's not very likely.
I understand all that.... I'm just pointing out... when this much money is involved... don't act like teams like GT, Mizzou, Wisconsin, etc, couldn't be enticed into throwing a game.... or that a conference commissioner doesn't try to develop a backroom deal
no...... I got out of coaching (highschool) due to the ethics I held myself to that others wouldn't. I could never compete with coaches moving kids into their house to keep them eligible. but you are truly being naive about reality if you don't think that the temptation is there. Pulling it off.... now, that's where it gets tricky.... "let the best team win" is NEVER the goal when you money becomes involved.
I'm looking past this weekend I'm liking the semi-final games Bama vs TCU : I don't think Saban knows how to prepare for them defensively. It's going to come down to raw talent and some luck from either team and ball possession by Bama. Oregon vs FSU: As much as I like Jimbo, he will finally face a real team. I would be shocked if the score is within 14 points. Championship game the game that many have wanted to see Bama vs Oregon the running threat by the future Oakland Raiders QB at Oregon (poor guy) should not be overlooked. If Bama can find a way to stop the run by Marcus, much like stopping the run from Wilson of Seattle, then the team is defeated. Team for which I have the most sympathy right now: OSU. Can any one team have more adversity hung on it in one season?
if that is the semis..... I like Bama over TCU. Bama has proven they can win a shootout. I just don't think TCU has seen a defense. I also think the TCU defense is just 11 guys running around like they are playing street ball.... Bama will score 70 and win by 30 FSU vs Oregon.... Arizona has proven that Oregon is beatable. FSU seems to be beatable, but noone has proven it yet. Oregon definately can beat FSU though. FSU goes down by 20, comes back to win by 3, in typical fashion. I'm still concerned about the triple option that GT has.... and if our defense can handle it.
well, color me #shocked lol As I thought about the #4 ranking... at first I was mad... but as I thought about it more... I realize.... it doesn't matter what rank you are.... at #3, FSU had to beat Oregon then Bama (most likely) to win the title... which is the ultimate goal.... now, they have to beat Bama and Oregon (most likely) to win the title What changed? other than the order they play.... and where they play. Would I rather play Oregon in pasadena? or in Dallas? I think Dallas because homefield advantage is eliminated in a title game where both teams travel.... I don't know if as many fans can make it to Pasadena for a semi-final match..... TCU can get more fans to Pasadena than FSU can just based on geography. Where would I want my team to play the Semi's..... Sugar bowl is much better for fan support getting there. Bama vs FSU in the Sugar bowl is a HUGE sell for semis matchup. This hurts bama in the sense that it's not going to be a distinct home field advantage for them anymore against FSU like it would be for TCU. ultimately, I think the decision to drop FSU to #4 was based MORE on money than on anything else. I also believe, if these are the 4 teams that make it.... order doesn't matter. Teams 1-4, no matter who they are, can all beat, or be beaten by the other 3 on any given day.
when FSU beats down GT they will jump back over TCU and it will be Bama vs TCU, then Bama vs FSU if and only if FSU can figure out how to stop Mariota from running. After this weekend it will be Bama Oregon FSU TCU I do want to see Oregon vs FSU as it would be the battle of "cupcake schedules" and they will each face their first competition at the end of regulation, we see that FSU played teams who ended up ranked 18 and 21
