CFB Playoff Rankings

There's no way to be "fair" in a playoff in a league of 100 teams where each one only plays 10-12. The whole point of a playoff is to address that and figure out who is the best.

The SEC West does have several great teams. But the conference champ is, by definition, the best of those - so pit them against the best of the west in the Pac12 and the best of the northeast in the Big10, etc. We might think the SEC West teams are better than the best of the Big10 or the Pac10 or Big12, but the point of the playoff is to demonstrate that on the field. If you weren't the best in your own conference - no matter how good the conference is - there's no reason to think you are the best in the country.

Besides which, it's very possible right now that the SEC West eliminates itself *because* it has so many great teams. LSU beats Alabama. Alabama beats Auburn and MissSt. Ole Miss beats MissSt. They will all have 2 losses and make a mess of things. This would guarantee that their best team would be in a playoff under any circumstance. And beyond that, there's still a wildcard to address the issue if there's a team out there really deserving for some other reason.

 

Yeah, guaranteeing the conference champions a spot would be bad, IMO. I'd rather they just go back to the BCS if that's the case, because that would almost ensure better teams being left out more often than not.

The Top 4 (or 8, or whatever they end up going to) teams should be the one's in the playoff. I'm glad the committee seems to be adhering to his, because as Ziggy said, the conferences aren't equal.

Just my opinion, though. I can see the argument for it, because at the very worst, it would take the controversy out of deciding who gets in based on resumes, competition, etc., but isn't that kind of what makes it fun?

 

That's a fair position - but if the goal is to encourage better non-conference scheduling, then you have to look at the incentives and drawbacks. The drawbacks right now (a loss) are much worse than the incentives (a win). As long as that's the case, you're going to get a lot of crappy non-conference matchups.

 

That said, this year, you'd have the following teams in the playoffs:

FSU (ACC Champ)
KState/TCU/Baylor (B12 Champ)
Oregon/ASU (Pac10 Champ)
Michigan State (Big10 Champ)
SEC Champ

Wildcard: either SEC #2 or Notre Dame.

Is anyone with a legitimate championship claim really being left out here?

 

Agreed. I don't think they'll ever find a truly "fair" solution. There will always be complaints/complications, but I think finding the best 4 teams is more important than finding the winner of 4 conferences, personally.

Obviously there's arguments that can be made for both sides.

 

8 team playoff solves all of that.

 

This year it might not be a problem but it definitely would be one in previous years.

 

Its not like before teams weren't afraid to lose 1 game because unless you were in the SEC you weren't making it to the title game... Now a 1 loss team from 2 other conferences have a shot to get there.

the non conference schedules are and always will be crap.

 

The only time it would be a problem is if there were 2 different conference non-champs that had realistic claims to a national title. When has that happened?

 

Sure - that's true as long the incentives are structured the way they are. The whole point of my post was to change the incentive structure.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ississippi-state-florida-oregon-tcu/18836755/

 

tOSU is the x-factor tonight. It'll be interesting to see what happens there. I still don't think a Big 10 team has a strong chance. Nor should it. tOSU better beef up that schedule quick and pretend like it isn't even associated with the Big 10. Cant keep crossing your fingers hoping Iowa, Nebraska or Michigan will improve anymore.

 

I'm predicting the teams from the SEC East will be the ultimate spoiler against the CFP contenders. The Gators will upset the Seminoles if The U 'Canes don't win and Georgia or Missouri will defeat whoever wins the SEC West in the conference title game.

 

We have 3 interesting story lines...

- Whether Baylor wins out and jumps TCU
- If Alabama wins, does Miss. State stay in the Top 4?
- Does Ohio State have a shot to make it in?

 

If Oregon runs the table, they should thank Kaelin Clay and give him a bunch of gifts for Christmas.

 

I'm so sick of the Big 10. Ohio St. has a free pass through that garbage conference every year. I would prefer a 2 loss SEC team to Ohio St.

Alabama controls their own fate, so being 5th now doesn't matter. I still say if Baylor wins out TCU is screwed. When the ultimate decision comes down, no way the committee won't take a team that has the head to head victory.

Oregon and Arizona St. will have to play in the Pac-12 title game, so one of them is guaranteed to lose. I still say there is a good chance a 2 loss SEC team gets in. No way the entire conference is shut out of the playoff.

 

This is the key to the whole thing. Assuming Minnesota loses some of the next 3 games against ranked teams, they will no longer be a top 25 team. And if Baylor beats KSU, they will have another win over a top 25 team. At that point, TCU only has 1 top-25 win; Baylor has 2, including a head-to-head, and a conference championship. Hard to favor TCU there.

 

And people say style points don't matter. Both TCU and Baylor will be trying to run up the score in their remaining games.

Miss St. should not get penalized for losing at the end of the season vs if they had lost in the beginning of the season. If they lose to Alabama but then still beat Ole Miss I have no problems with putting them ahead of TCU or Baylor with 1 loss.

If Arizona State runs the table which includes beating Oregon in the Pac 12 championship they too should leapfrog teams that are ahead of them.