Mandel said that it would have to be based on what Dave Wannestedt calls the Parking Lot metric – just that Ohio State’s players look better (but their on-field play hasn’t matched their looks). Also, the best win by an Alabama opponent was Texas A&M’s victory over Arizona State, a 6-6 bottom dweller in the Pac-12.
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With the top five teams in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings remaining the same from a week ago, Saturday’s slate of conference championship games will play a large part in determining who will have a shot at the national title.
Iowa and Michigan State are playing in the most important conference title game in the nation in regards to the CFP. The Huskers are 5-7.
But Iowa and Michigan State would rather just win Saturday and not have to worry about those scenarios.
If the rankings hold as is, there will be three new teams in the playoffs this season. Bottom line is I believe things will be maneuvered to get Oklahoma to Miami, or rather, to keep Oklahoma out of Dallas.
It also needs either No. 1 Clemson or No. 2 Alabama to lose, which would open a playoff path for the Cardinal. Ole Miss 9-3 14.
A Stanford defeat, coupled with Clemson sustaining its first loss, handles North Carolina’s Notre Dame dilemma. Two-loss Stanford has not been quite able to recover from a season-opening loss to Northwestern. Alabama, Oregon, and Florida State were deservingly considered locks for the first three seeds, but Ohio State, Baylor, and TCU were all in contention for that elusive fourth slot. About eight to ten different schools are still in somewhat realistic contention for the four coveted spots in the CFB Playoff. The Trojans rebounded from their bad start and the ensuing Sarkisian saga to take the competitive Pac-12 South under Clay Helton, who was named the team’s permanent head coach for his efforts. While North Carolina would have the advantage of being a conference champion, would the committee move them from No. 10 all the way to No. 4 after just one victory? The Tigers’ defensive coordinator is Salina native and former Kansas State standout linebacker Brent Venables.
The reality is, even if Notre Dame had defeated Stanford, it still probably would have been left out by the committee. There is a resume here. Clemson has to be careful with North Carolina as they’re red-hot right now. Carolina takes their offense into Charlotte this next weekend as they look to knock off the No. 1 Clemson Tigers.
Obviously nothing is guaranteed for this weekend’s winners, as the committee could change its mind for any number of reasons. Long said the committee would not alter the ranking of the top four in order to adjust whether teams play in the Cotton or Orange Bowls. The Hawkeyes have had just two coaches – Hayden Fry (Snyder was an assistant) and Kirk Farentz – since 1979.
Iowa has had to listen to the doubters all season.
College Football Playoff Poll for November 24, 2015.
It’s worth asking: Could Clemson get in with a loss? There are too many wild swings and out-of-nowhere upsets that make this such a great and unpredictable sport. And in this balanced season, impossible to find.
Again, I’m not saying don’t rank the Trojans, but they shouldn’t be ahead of LSU (which not only has better wins, but less losses), Temple or even Navy.
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Their road win over MI (15) was enough to help them regain some ground in the Top 10, but it is still hard to imagine them surpassing the conference champion, let alone the runner up.
