Based on these initial rankings, it makes little sense to me that Notre Dame, a one-loss team playing with their backup quarterback at the helm, ranks above the Bears. If the victor of Michigan State-Ohio State loses its final game (the Spartans play the Nittany Lions at home), the East Division tiebreakers would still favor the victor of that Spartans-Buckeyes game to move to the conference title game.
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1a. Given the fact that they were snubbed in the first playoff last season, and given how they’re showing in the first rankings this season, I think it’s fair to wonder if the Big XII’s style is aesthetically pleasing to the committee.
Long, the athletic director at Arkansas, said teams are judged by “what they’ve done, who they’ve beaten and how they’ve played in those games”. They’ll get another test this week when they take on Florida State (No. 16 AP). Other teams at the top of the list, like Ohio State for example, have not dominated by any means this year, yet were rewarded likely due to their school’s elite status.
Will the Pac-12 be this year’s Power 5 conference left on the outside looking in? The one loss Fighting Irish came in ranked 5th – just one spot outside of the top 4 – and in primed position to make a push for a playoff berth if they continue to win out.
The selection committee is composed of 12 members, including Jeff Long, Barry Alvarez, Mike Gould, Kirby Hocutt, Tom Jernstedt, Bobby Johnson, Tom Osborne, Dan Radakovich, Condoleeza Rice, Mike Tranghese, Steve Wieberg and Tyrone Willingham. TCU played Minnesota among an otherwise nondescript non-conference schedule. “I certainly think we should be in the conversation regardless of what the ranking is”. But the two Big 12 teams have stacked up evenly. TCU’s strongest schedule is also ahead of them with games against 15th-ranked Oklahoma, 14th-ranked Oklahoma State and sixth-ranked Baylor. The schedule isn’t great this year, mostly because Virginia Tech turned out not to be any good again and Ohio State’s crossover games with the West are Illinois and Minnesota. They have to be thrilled in how the committee views their resume so far.
The oddsmakers believe the men from Texas are one of the “best and safest” college football teams to bet on, with their 20-3 SU and 17-6 ATS stats in their past 23 games. Only the final ballot matters. As leaders in the SEC East, the Gators have a chance to climb the hill into a College Football Playoff spot. If they win out, they are nearly a lock to get in.
-The Pac-12 looks all but out of the playoff.
For the record, it seems the histories of Alabama and Notre Dame helped them in the first poll.
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-Can a Group of 5 team crash the party?
