WST.net CFB Top 18 and Bottom Four

Crease Creature

Crease Creature

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All quiet this week. As far as I could tell, the closest call came with the Pokes going into OT in Austin, and the Texas QB just made the absolute dumbest decision you can make in that situation. I think I was also justified in dropping Michigan out of the poll a couple of weeks ago. The Pac-12 is in trouble playoff-wise.

This week's research won't be as in-depth as it normally is as I don't think I'd be able to get this posted later in the week. I was able to review most of the games from Saturday. If you need a refresher from last week, it's right --> here <-- Here's what we've got this week:

The Top Eighteen
  1. Alabama - after being 'disappointed' in only scoring 21 points before halftime, the Tide finished the game by holding Tennessee to 108 total yards. 108 TOTAL YARDS. Not passing or rushing, but t-o-t-a-l yards. They gained over 600 of their own. The Vols didn't manage a single offensive point, as 'Bama's QB threw a pick-6. (last: 1)
  2. Georgia - inactive
  3. Penn State - I was going to move them up here last week, but I really really like my rule of holding inactive teams where they're at (this week's media poll provides a good example of why more people should do that). Michigan, on the other hand, didn't hold anybody where they were at. A flip of last year's game (UM-49/PSU-10), this kinda shows that Harbaugh has a ways to go in getting the Wolverines to where he would probably want them to be. If he sticks around long enough to find out. That's the scuttlebutt around here anyway. Penn State has had the look of a legit contender most of the season, they'll get to test that against the Buckeyes on Saturday. (last: 5)
  4. TCU - Georgia had a bye this week, and TCU played Kansas. I don't know if it's a stretch to say that Georgia probably had the tougher week. If you thought Tennessee had it bad with their 108 yards of offense, the Jayhawks had 21. They also tied an 81-year old NCAA record with their 44th straight loss in a true road game. Also, the game went to a running clock at the beginning of the forth quarter due to "severe weather". I'm not sure if that's a scenario Kansas would have a problem getting more teams to agree too. (last: 3)
  5. Wisconsin - Maryland is a team that's had a strange season. Down to their 3rd string quarterback, they've still managed decent offensive production. Their defense is another story completely, and part of the reason why I'm convinced this offense isn't close to what it needs to be yet. Now I'm not expecting 2010 Michigan game numbers here (30+ consecutive running plays on three different drives without punting), But there is a lot of room for improvement. The defense is outstanding, and tends to make adjustments just in time. Is Bradrick Shaw still injured? I came into the season expecting more out of him. Garrett Groshek is a nice late game substitute, though I am hoping that Chris James can come back healthy soon. Having a 3 game lead in the division after only 4 B1G games is impressive, even if you had very little to do with it. (last: 4)
  6. Ohio State - inactive
  7. Clemson - inactive
  8. Miami - they used an attacking defense to force Syracuse to kick a lot of field goals (including a 53 yarder (props to the Orange kicker who hit all of them)) and managed to not go all the way down to the wire before achieving victory. Credit to Syracuse though for seeming to be buckled in after dumping Clemson last week. They dug in and stuck with the Hurricanes. But having to start two drives inside the 5 doesn't give you many chances to play for the upset. (last: 8)
  9. Notre Dame - I find it a little wary when my new ranking matches the teams current given ranking (least it look like I'm cheating), but the Irish definitely belong inside the top 10 (and the Cowboys deserve to drop a spot) after the show they put on hosting USC. I will say that I still think it's a little lame that Kelly dropped his pro-style offense for the spread stuff (it's inconceivable to my mind that ND can't get the kind of players it needs for that), but given the success (i.e. lack of) that ND QBs have had in the pros, I figure that's not really a selling point anymore. They have a good looking running back though. I think it's almost a guarantee that a non-quarterback wins the Heisman this year*. (last: 14)
  10. Washington - inactive
  11. Oklahoma State - WTF was that shit you guys? You certainly aren't playing like a team that wants to have an outside chance at getting back up to the top. Congrats, though, on beating Texas for the fifth straight time in Austin, something no other team has ever done. I get the feeling that you'll see quite a few things done to Texas or Florida State for either the first time ever or the first time in a looooong time this season. (last: 9)
  12. Oklahoma - here's a team that is really hoping Ohio State wins this weekend. That game seems like it was a century ago with the defensive performances OU has gotten since then. Mayfield accounted for 4 TDs, but only two through the air despite 400 yards passing. Sooners trailed going into the 4th Quarter. (last: 11)
  13. Virginia Tech - a nice game against North Carolina with Duke coming up, two ACC teams that are a bit of a disappointment compared to expectations set the last couple of years. (last: 16)
  14. Washington State - ok, you can come back in. Shutting out Colorado and still managing an impressive offensive output (though certainly not in the way you'd expect from the mad scientist Mike Leach) in that terrible weather is deserving of some respect. The toughest part of your schedule is the next four games. (last: NR)
  15. NC State - inactive
  16. South Florida - still undefeated, though failing to just bury Tulane costs you a few spots in the poll. It looks like UCF is right behind you for your conference division, but you could still play your way into an at-large bid for my playoff should you fail to reach the conference finals. (last: 13)
  17. Auburn - Even with two losses, I'll keep you in here for giving Bret Bielema some more heartburn. (last: 17)
  18. Michigan State - if the Spartans can survive the next three weeks (@ NW, vs. PSU, @ OSU) they can coast into the B1G title game (I would imagine) with Maryland and Rutgers. But man is that a hell of a three week stretch. Also, I wanted to include you last week, but it just didn't feel right. (last: NR)
Newcomers: Michigan State
Welcome back: Washington State
Dropped out: USC - two losses, but both to teams that are on the list above. You'd probably fall to 20-22 if I wanted to go further.
On the Bubble: UCF is undefeated, but their schedule is a joke. Stanford is right there, but their out-of-conference loss to SDSU is going to start eating away to their SOS.

The Bottom Four
127. Purdue/Rutgers Game-- 14 to 12 was your final in that one...
128. Baylor--thanks to Kansas' historical ineptitude, you catch the smallest of breaks from me.
129. Kansas--nothing like being one of the all-time great losers. The last two games you were outscored 88-0. And, I can't stress this enough, you only managed 21 yards of offense in your last game!
130. UT Vols DB Rashaan Gauiden--what was going through that young man's head when, down 28-0 in the third quarter, your teammate earns a pick-6, you escort him to the endzone, and then proceed to flip the double-birds at the Alabama student section in a game that is live on TV and in a stadium that is full of cameras? You dummy.

Welcome to Hel!: Crappy B1G teams, college DBs
Mired in the Acheron: the NCAA and their poorly devised targeting penalty.
 
Reference Gauiden..... Tennessee don't bring in football players who are very bright. They have special coaches to teach them how to tie their own shoes. By the time they reach their senior year, about half of them can do it! An old time football factory going back to the days of Johnny Majors, and it may have changed on the outside, but inside... same-o, same-o.

Kansas - Waiting for their basketball season to start, so everyone will forget how bad they are at football.

Baylor - Their new assistant coach is a sexual assault coach.

Purdue/Rutgers - At least Purdue has a few student/athletes. They're the ones who point the others to the field so they can play. Rutgers is along for the ride in Big 10 earnings off TV and bowls. They could play their games in a phone booth and have the same home attendance.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Therefore, everyone who knocks off Arkansas and Bret Bielema gets a thumbs up from me. I dislike him nearly as much as Andersen, and that's pretty rough getting there.

Miami - They need to go down!!!!!!

Great job! As usual!
 
Those are interesting poll numbers. I can't help but believe that they aren't far from the truth, except in the Big 10, teams have a tendency to knock each other off, no matter how they're ranked. It's so competitive that teams need to leave it all on the table during the regular season, and it's difficult to do over the long schedule.

Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, three power houses, yet Wisconsin might not be quite as good as the other two in the eyes of most people simply because of their schedule, and the fact that Paul Chryst doesn't coach to maul the opponent, just to beat them. He will not run the score up to gain "testosterone points" when it isn't necessary. The polls, and rankings, in his eyes, seem to be more of a distraction than what they should be. The thing is, he's probably right. It shouldn't be like it is.

Since I've lived through two "near misses" as a Badger fan, once when Alan Ameche was our big guy, and the second time when my cousin was a Badger QB, and losing the mythical championship game to USC both times, I wait with guarded anticipation of what could happen. If it don't, I will live with it, and if it does, I'm going to be one happy guy who can say he's waited one hell of a long lifetime for this to happen.

Great information! Thanks for posting it.
 
The Badgers are ranked 5th despite not running the scores up. If they would have run scores up on any of the teams they played I don't see them jumping anyone but maybe TCU in the Rankings. Even that is suspect. TCU has had a tougher schedule than the Badgers and may finish with the toughest schedule of anyone in football this year. The only path to the final four for the Badgers is to win out as it should be. The B1G representative should be the conference champion.

If TCU loses a game, and if Penn State and Wisconsin win out and meet in the conference championship with Wisconsin winning in a close game, do both Penn State and Wisconsin get in the final four?
 
I think it depends on how things play out going forward. I believe the committee would like to take only conference champs. If Penn St and UW win out and meet in the conf championship game, the winner goes for sure. I think the SEC champ will go as will likely the ACC champ assuming it's no worse than a one loss team. I think the Big-12 was allowed to have a conf championship game this year and I suspect the winner of that goes as well. I think the PAC-12 is out of luck. The only thing that could change that is if Notre Dame keeps winning. They might get consideration over any other one-loss team.
 
57packer said:
They might get consideration over any other one-loss team.
Click to expand...

If ND wins out, they would have one loss (by 1 point) to the SEC Champ or SEC runner-up, depending what Georgia does, and wins over Michigan State, USC, NC State, Miami, and Stanford. They'd merit serious consideration against an undefeated Wisconsin or 1-loss Alabama (who in that case may finish the season without a win over a ranked team).
 
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What's playing out now is exactly the reason there should be an 8 team playoff, so they can insure that they get at least the top 6 right. It's so difficult cutting it to 4 because of the individual conferences. I realize that's an extra week of games, but for there to be an honest season championship, it might be the best route to go.
 
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