1st place votes vs actual games played : AP and USA : SEC playoff bearings

Supposedly the Top Four will mean jack-shite.

But who knows.

quote:

---

It is almost like they are trying make sure only 1 SEC school gets in the Top 4 and the inside slot for only 1 SEC school in the eventual playoff.

---

While I do think that will eventually be the case because I believe the committee won't want to be controversial in their first year, I don't think that is what is going on here. People gave votes to FSU because they return most of their good players from a national championship team and to Oregon because they have the most impressive win of the season thus far. After that, it is just a few votes thrown around here or there. It is so early in the season, that polls don't matter at all anyway.

Top four in these polls does mean jack-shite.

Its the top four in the playoff committee's poll that matters

quote:

---

and to Oregon because they have the most impressive win of the season thus far

---

Let's examine the most impressive win" based off of current top 10 rankings

#1 Florida State: beat #25 Oklahoma State by 6 in Arlington

#2 Oregon: beat #11 Michigan State by 19 at home

#3 Alabama: beat unranked West Virginia by 10 in Atlanta

#4 Oklahoma: beat unranked Tennessee by 24 at home.

#5 Auburn: beat unranked Arkansas by 24 at home

#6 Texas A&M: beat #14 South Carolina by 24 on the road.

#7 Baylor: beat unranked Buffalo by 42 on the road

#8 LSU: beat #18 Wisconsin by 4 in Houston

#9 Notre Dame: beat unranked Michigan by 31 at home

#10 Ole Miss: beat unranked Boise State by 22 in Atlanta.

Ranking the top ten by most impressive wins, you get the following:

1-Texas A&M
2-LSU
3-Oregon
4-Florida State
5-Alabama
6-Ole Miss
7-Oklahoma
8-Auburn
9-Notre Dame
10-Baylor

quote:

---

Honestly, the two will be related.

---

Yep. The AP poll will affect perception. The playoff committee is made up of human beings.


I think there will be MORE not less controversy with this new system.

Generally there are only a small group 2-3ish teams that can make an argument for 1-2 spot in a given year. When you push that to trying to find the top 4 you are opening Pandora's box.

Eventually, the playoff will expand, and we will have set criteria for getting in such as winning your conference. The committee will be there to figure out wild card spots.

Let's look at the strength of schedule of the Top 10 going forward:

Florida State - biggest challenge will be Notre Dame on October 18th.

Alabama - at Ole Miss on October 4th, vs. A&M on October 18th, at LSU on November 7th, vs. Auburn on November 29th.

Oregon - Their schedule is looking weaker and weaker each week. Unless Washington plays out of their minds and Stanford fixes their USC issues, they're going unbeaten

Oklahoma - all of their "tough" games are at home. If they don't stumble between now and October 11th, they run the table.

Auburn - at Kansas State on September 18th, vs. LSU on October 4th, vs. South Carolina on October 25th, at Ole Miss on November 1st, vs. A&M on November 8th, at Georgia on November 15th, at Alabama on November 29th

Texas A&M - vs. Ole Miss on October 11th, at Alabama on October 18th, at Auburn on November 8th, vs. Missouri on November 15th, vs. LSU on November 27th

Baylor - at Oklahoma on November 8th, vs. Oklahoma State 2 weeks later

LSU - at Auburn on October 4th, vs. Ole Miss on October 25th, vs. Alabama on November 8th, at Texas A&M on November 27th

Notre Dame - vs. Stanford on October 4th, at Florida State on October 18th, at Arizona State on November 8th, at USC on November 29th

Ole Miss - vs. Alabama on October 4th, at A&M on October 11th, at LSU on October 25th, vs. Auburn on November 1st,

If ANY of the SEC teams currently in the top 10 (or Missouri) go 13-0, they're the #1 team in the playoff, PERIOD.

If any of the top ten SEC west teams go 12-1 and that 1 loss isn't in Atlanta, they're #3 at worst.

The two teams best positioned to go unbeaten in the SEC West are Alabama and A&M. Neither team has more than two brutal opponents in a row at any one time throughout the season.

Unless Penn State or Nebraska run the table, the Big Ten gets left out.

Unless Oklahoma goes unbeaten, the Big 12 gets left out as well (Baylor's coach has never won a road game against a ranked opponent and they play Oklahoma in Norman)

The PAC 12 will only get one team in.

If Florida State loses, the ACC runs the risk of being left out

If Notre Dame runs the table, they are 2nd at worst

If Florida State and Oklahoma go unbeaten, the playoff looks like this:

1-SEC Champion
2-Oregon
3-Oklahoma
4-Florida State

If Notre Dame and Oklahoma go unbeaten, the playoff looks like this

1-SEC Champion
2-Notre Dame
3-Oregon
4-Oklahoma

If anyone but Florida State wins the ACC:

1-SEC Champion
2-Oregon
3-Oklahoma
4-ACC Champion OR Big Ten Champion

If anyone but Oregon wins the PAC 12:

1-SEC Champion
2-Florida State
3-Oklahoma
4-PAC 12 OR Big Ten Champion

If anyone but Oregon wins the PAC 12, anyone but Oklahoma wins the Big 12, and anyone but Florida State wins the ACC:

1-SEC Champion (unbeaten)
2-PAC 12 or Big Ten Champion
3-ACC or Big 12 Champion
4-SEC Team (1-loss)

There wil absolutely be more controversy in this new format than there was in the BCS:

1) Out of all of the years in the BCS, the right team ended up winning the title each year.

2) The selection committee is made up of people that don't have time to watch a shite ton of games and assess the top 4.

quote:

---

Let's examine the most impressive win" based off of current top 10 rankings


2-LSU

---

I like the logic.. but no way is LSU a top 5 team