Playoff what ifs

hikeNbike

Well-Known Member
Was hoping for chaos but alas looks like with Notre Dame losing and chalk on the rest of the games it looks pretty clear. Oklahoma in, winner of Iowa vs. Michigan State in. Alabama and Clemson in with wins. Assuming this my guess is as long as Alabama is impressive in the sec championship, (likely) against a Florida team that hasn't looked good in a month, they will be the top seed. My guess is Clemson and Oklahoma is one semifinal and Alabama Michigan State (or Iowa) is the other. Pretty certain if it's Iowa they end up 4th not as certain if it's Michigan State.

If Clemson or Albama (not likely) loses next week who gets in.

Candidates would seem to be

1. Ohio State. Only one loss. Looked impressive today and maybe committee gives them a chance at defending their title. Cons - would be two teams from big ten, would committee do that? Ohio State really only played one complete game this year this week against Michigan. Better argument if Michigan. State beats Iowa and does it handily.

2. Stanford - pac ten champ assuming a win next week. Conference champ which Ohio State won't be. Win over Notre Dame and solid conference wins vs. Ucla, usc, arizona, etc. Playing great football right now seem to be peaking. Cons 2 losses. One being to Northwestern who Ohio State beat.

3. North Carolina - assuming an upset of Clemson of course. Acc champ. 1 loss in open in game. Cons - way down in the rankings at the moment would have to hop lots of teams. Loss to south Carolina a bad loss considering South Carolina fell apart this year.

My guess is Ohio State will get the 4th spot of Clemson or Alabama loses. Despite the backlash of two teams from one conference. Think North Carolina probably deserves strong consideration of they beat Clemson but don't see the committee putting them in over Ohio State.


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

maverick824

Well-Known Member
Not happening man. Oklahoma's in, winner of Iowa/MSU is in, Alabama is in (there is no way Florida beats them, sorry), and winner of Clemson/UNC. Clemson in with a win, obviously, but UNC would be a 1 loss conference champ on a 11 game winning streak (should sound familiar to the Buckeyes, it's the formula that put them in last year), whereas this Ohio State team didn't win their division. UNC is 8th, would hop Clemson, Stanford, and OSU, along with the loser of the Big 10 title game. Very plausible. Great, convincing win again Michigan simply isn't gonna be enough for the Buckeyes, and there isn't anything on their schedule they can point to to counter UNC's run if it gets capped by beating the #1 team in the nation.
 
Last edited:

hikeNbike

Well-Known Member
Wait Notre Dame only has two losses maybe the committee takes them as the number 1 seed if they don't lose too badly to usc.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

hikeNbike

Well-Known Member
Never mind guess I wasn't paying attention. Thought Notre Dame played usc as the last game.

Still not sure North Carolina is in with a win. Whether they should be in not really the question I am trying to tackle. Really just trying to predict what committee might do. Wouldn't be at all suprised if the committee takes Ohio State over North Carolina. Money-Ratings is possible underlying factor. Obviously they can't lead with that but don't think it doesn't have influence behind the scenes. They could get a Saban - Meyer rematch.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

Phicinfan

Expert on nothing, opinionated on everything
Administrator
Here is the thing, IF, and its a big IF, UNC wins, it could get vaulted, but I doubt it. OSU came from #5 up to the top 4, not #8. Its a big jump. Stanford, and a few others will have a shot IF UNC can win. I wonder if Alabama could lose in the SEC championship....if so that would open a huge can of uh oh.
 

bodey24

Staff member
As a Florida fan Florida has zero chance at beating Alabama. If we had a qb who wasn't awful we would have a really good chance. Our defense is great but since Harris can't move the ball and get first downs the defense is always on the field which leads to them wearing down and the other teams breaking the game open in the second half.
 

hikeNbike

Well-Known Member
Here is the thing, IF, and its a big IF, UNC wins, it could get vaulted, but I doubt it. OSU came from #5 up to the top 4, not #8. Its a big jump. Stanford, and a few others will have a shot IF UNC can win. I wonder if Alabama could lose in the SEC championship....if so that would open a huge can of uh oh.
Rooting for Clemson, and Alabama losses. Then a whole silo of uh oh

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

maverick824

Well-Known Member
Here is the thing, IF, and its a big IF, UNC wins, it could get vaulted, but I doubt it. OSU came from #5 up to the top 4, not #8. Its a big jump. Stanford, and a few others will have a shot IF UNC can win. I wonder if Alabama could lose in the SEC championship....if so that would open a huge can of uh oh.

It's true OSU came up from #5. OSU also didn't beat the #1 team in the conference title game like UNC would be able to claim. I would have to think that beating the #1 in the conference title game gets you some spots, probably enough to hop over those other teams that don't have the same claim......OSU, Stanford, Notre Dame, they wouldn't be able to claim beating a playoff team. UNC could.......big difference.
 

Phicinfan

Expert on nothing, opinionated on everything
Administrator
It's true OSU came up from #5. OSU also didn't beat the #1 team in the conference title game like UNC would be able to claim. I would have to think that beating the #1 in the conference title game gets you some spots, probably enough to hop over those other teams that don't have the same claim......OSU, Stanford, Notre Dame, they wouldn't be able to claim beating a playoff team. UNC could.......big difference.
But UNC's schedule will kill them, only playing two FCS teams, will not get you in, even with a win, unless they really smoke Clemson, which I don't think they can do. I think Stanford with two losses would have better chance then UNC.

As for what will happen who knows:
Scenario #1 - Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma win. In this case the only if is who wins Big Ten. That winner is also in.
Scenario #2 - Alabama, Oklahoma win, Clemson loses - in this case the box opens up.... Clemson loses on fluke could still be in, UNC could be in, but I think only if they really roll Clemson. After that its a chase between #6 Ohio state and #7 Standford. I think Stanford has a chance with the win over Notre Dame. But have to win convincingly over USC, which they lost to already.

Net, I actually think in this scenario...Ohio state has better shot than UNC.

Scenario #3 - Alabama loses to Florida....in this the whole ball of wax blows up. Florida has no shot. So then depending on if Clemson or Oklahoma also loses, then all kinds of teams open up.
 

bodey24

Staff member
Harris is the worst Sec qb I've seen in awhile. He's a mobile qb who doesn't run and has two great wrs and can't get them the ball. Floridas great defense has been wasted because of a terrible qb.
 
Top