Auburn, Mizzou, and the rest of the NC contenders

This is a totally unscientific way to look a things, but I have noticed that more often than not, the true NC contenders sperate themselves from the other schools with similar records with the number of blowouts. Another thing NC teams do is blow out other good teams, rather than just blow out the cupcakes. For the most part, they usually blow out just about everyone they play.

So, here are this season's blowouts for Auburn, Mizzou, Alabama, Florida State, and Ohio State. A blowout for the purposes of this exerceise is a victory by 2 td's or more.

(Note: Northern Ilinois, Michigan State, Baylor, and Oklahoma State also have one loss, but no one is discussing them in the same breath as these other schools, so for the purposes of this exercise I am omitting them)

Auburn: Arkansas State, Western Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Arkansas, Tennessee - 5 blowouts, 2 BCS blowouts, 0 ranked blowouts

Missouri: Murray State, Toledo, Indiana, Arkansas State, Vandy, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss - 10 blowouts, 7 BCS blowouts, 3 ranked blowouts

Alabama: Virginia Tech, Colorado State, Ole Miss, Georgia State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, LSU, Chattanooga - 9 blowouts, 7 BCS blowouts, 2 ranked blowouts

Florida State: Pitt, Nevada, Bethune Cookman, Boston College, Maryland, Clemson, NC State, Miami, Wake, Syracuse, Idaho, Florida - 12 blowouts (blew out everyone), 9 BCS blowouts, 3 ranked blowouts

Ohio State: Buffalo, San Diego State, Cal, Florida A&M, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois, Indiana - 8 blowouts, 5 BCS blowouts, 0 ranked blowouts

So, Florida State blew out all comers. Mizzou blew out nearly all comers (did not blow out Texas A&M and lost to South Carolina). Alabama blew out nearly all comers (also won close against the Aggies and lost to Auburn). In contrast, Auburn only blew out 5 teams, and in 4 games against ranked opponents, blew out none of them, and were blown out themselves against LSU. Ohio State got 8 blowouts and 5 against BCS teams, but every time they faced a ranked team, the game was close, plus one of those ranked teams was Northwestern who went from a 10 point loss to the Buckeyes right into the Big Ten toilet.

Looking at it this way, here are my conclusions:

1. FSU, Mizzou, and Bama are better than Auburn and Ohio State, based on their body of work. (And in 2014, that is what the committee will look at. If this were next season, despite what happened last week, Alabama is probably in the playoff, Auburn would not be if they lost the SECCG)

2. If chalk happens Saturday, the Seminoles will probably blow out Ohio State in the BCSNCG.

3. Mizzou should be favored to win the SECCG, based on the body of work. Auburn is definately better now than earlier in the year, but Mizzou has been consistently blowing out people all year. Also, Mizzou blew out Georgia on the road, while Auburn needed luck to beat them at home.

4. Mizzou, Alabama, and Auburn would fare better in the BCSNCG against FSU than would Ohio State.

5a. The Johnny Football factor: Texas A&M played Auburn, Alabama, and Mizzou, lost to all 3, but unlike pretty much everyone else those schools played, did not get blown out.

5b. Having said that, A&M was blown out by LSU. Just another chapter in the enigma that is the Les Miles regime in Baton Rouge.