Started By
Message
ESPN releases their insane SP+ rankings
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:43 pm
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:43 pm
Top 3 looks right, then it goes nuts
Top 3:
Georgia
Ohio State
Michigan
No real issues there.
#4 Alabama - Okay, even as a Bama fan, this feels super generous by their computers. I can only presume it's because of the fact that the two losses were on the road on final plays? Anyway, I digress.
#5 Tennessee - The #5 ranking is fine, but being below us once again feels off. Tennessee has the #1 offense, but the #35 defense is definitely an anchor.
It should be noted, in all fairness, that the difference between Georgia (#1) and Alabama (#4) is greater than the difference between TCU (#6) and LSU (#17). For clarification, at least.
Other bouts of insanity:
#8 Texas - I don't have words. Seriously.
#13 Ole Miss - looks perfectly fine, if not for...
#17 LSU - I can only presume that loss to FSU is an albatross around LSU's neck - not like this ranking matters worth a damn anyway, but there you go.
#18 Oklahoma - HOW? WHY?
#28, 29, 30:
Mississippi State, Kentucky, Florida - practically interchangeable
But the main reason I thought it was interesting?
Texas A&M's next opponent:
#131 (Dead Last) - UMass
So, A&M, I think you got this one!
(Seriously, if you lose to UMass, just keep driving towards the Gulf and don't stop).
Top 3:
Georgia
Ohio State
Michigan
No real issues there.
#4 Alabama - Okay, even as a Bama fan, this feels super generous by their computers. I can only presume it's because of the fact that the two losses were on the road on final plays? Anyway, I digress.
#5 Tennessee - The #5 ranking is fine, but being below us once again feels off. Tennessee has the #1 offense, but the #35 defense is definitely an anchor.
It should be noted, in all fairness, that the difference between Georgia (#1) and Alabama (#4) is greater than the difference between TCU (#6) and LSU (#17). For clarification, at least.
Other bouts of insanity:
#8 Texas - I don't have words. Seriously.
#13 Ole Miss - looks perfectly fine, if not for...
#17 LSU - I can only presume that loss to FSU is an albatross around LSU's neck - not like this ranking matters worth a damn anyway, but there you go.
#18 Oklahoma - HOW? WHY?
#28, 29, 30:
Mississippi State, Kentucky, Florida - practically interchangeable
But the main reason I thought it was interesting?
Texas A&M's next opponent:
#131 (Dead Last) - UMass
So, A&M, I think you got this one!
(Seriously, if you lose to UMass, just keep driving towards the Gulf and don't stop).
18
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:44 pm to skrayper
quote:Too high.
#17 LSU
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:44 pm to skrayper
quote:
I can only presume that loss to FSU is an albatross around LSU's neck
Damn, sorry dudes.
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:44 pm to skrayper
looks good to me
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:46 pm to skrayper
Where’s A&M for comparison’s sake for UMass?
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:46 pm to The Albatross
quote:
I can only presume that loss to FSU is an albatross around LSU's neck
quote:
The Albatross
quote:
Damn, sorry dudes.
You deserve a toast my friend.
No damn it, this toast!
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:48 pm to The Albatross
quote:
Where’s A&M for comparison’s sake for UMass?
52nd
Which, incidentally, is the second highest ranking for a team with a losing record (Iowa State is 40th) and is the highest ranked team with only 3 wins. They have them above Auburn.
Guess it was that JH magic that got Auburn to eek out a 3 point win over A&M
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:49 pm to The Albatross
quote:
The Albatross
quote:
Damn, sorry dudes.
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:49 pm to skrayper
Connelly needs to take a look at removing some of the recruiting stuff that is still in there late in there. It really makes things look incredibly screwy with some teams that have been horrid all year (per the metrics) and keeps them in the Top 40/50.
These are defensible. Remember, these rankings take the entire season as one big average. LSU was pretty bad early on, hell even through the Auburn game. They were a borderline top 25 team. They played much, much better the next 3 games (Florida, Alabama, LSU) and quite frankly played closer to the earlier games on Saturday against Arkansas (which is understandable, but again his rankings just see that as another game not a hangover game). So LSU is clearly better than that right now and their resume is better than that. But their average 2022 performance is probably right around there.
As for Texas, I figured Saturday night would have dented their metrics some, but they rank highly in basically every offensive and defensive metric and have played a tough schedule. They just can't win close games. Basically, this tells you that just based on their play by play performance, they are a top 10 team. However, they've played 6 close games this year and lost 4 of them....3 of them basically on the last play/drive of the game.
quote:
#8 Texas - I don't have words. Seriously.
#13 Ole Miss - looks perfectly fine, if not for...
#17 LSU - I can only presume that loss to FSU is an albatross around LSU's neck - not like this ranking matters worth a damn anyway, but there you go.
These are defensible. Remember, these rankings take the entire season as one big average. LSU was pretty bad early on, hell even through the Auburn game. They were a borderline top 25 team. They played much, much better the next 3 games (Florida, Alabama, LSU) and quite frankly played closer to the earlier games on Saturday against Arkansas (which is understandable, but again his rankings just see that as another game not a hangover game). So LSU is clearly better than that right now and their resume is better than that. But their average 2022 performance is probably right around there.
As for Texas, I figured Saturday night would have dented their metrics some, but they rank highly in basically every offensive and defensive metric and have played a tough schedule. They just can't win close games. Basically, this tells you that just based on their play by play performance, they are a top 10 team. However, they've played 6 close games this year and lost 4 of them....3 of them basically on the last play/drive of the game.
This post was edited on 11/14/22 at 12:51 pm
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:57 pm to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
As for Texas, I figured Saturday night would have dented their metrics some, but they rank highly in basically every offensive and defensive metric and have played a tough schedule. They just can't win close games. Basically, this tells you that just based on their play by play performance, they are a top 10 team. However, they've played 6 close games this year and lost 4 of them....3 of them basically on the last play/drive of the game.
I guess that logic is what bolsters Alabama as well, considering the two losses are by a combined 4 points, both on the road, and one in OT.
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:57 pm to skrayper
ESPN rankings are never good. Not sure what their algorithm uses but it’s baseless
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:58 pm to skrayper
quote:
I guess that logic is what bolsters Alabama as well, considering the two losses are by a combined 4 points, both on the road, and one in OT.
Yep - there is absolutely something to the fact that both us as fans and the national media hold Alabama to their own standard, especially now that they are not in the national title discussion. Some have wanted to act as if Alabama isn't a Top 10 team, which is laughably stupid and entirely based on a different expectation level for Alabama than, say, Utah.
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:58 pm to skrayper
I would assume it was LSU's bad performance against Arkansas that dropped them.
Posted on 11/14/22 at 12:59 pm to skrayper
That SP+ ranking never makes sense.
Posted on 11/14/22 at 1:01 pm to LSU Coyote
For 2019, they concluded that LSU was the second best team behind OSU. That’s all I need to know.
Posted on 11/14/22 at 1:01 pm to The Albatross
I think that was FPI, right?
Posted on 11/14/22 at 1:02 pm to skrayper
quote:
Tennessee has the #1 offense, but the #35 defense is definitely an anchor.
The #1 offense is a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
14 rushing TDs in 3 games (1 FCS and 2 G5 opponents).
Another 12 passing TDs in those same 3 games.
They are down to #5 scoring offense (behind UGA even) when looking at P5.
41ppg
62.3 ppg in those other 3 games.
This post was edited on 11/14/22 at 1:04 pm
Posted on 11/14/22 at 1:02 pm to SummerOfGeorge
Maybe Google failed me, but just did a quick search and that’s what it returned. Let me double check.
ETA: Google is still king. SP+ has LSU ranked behind OSU in 2019.
ETA: Google is still king. SP+ has LSU ranked behind OSU in 2019.
This post was edited on 11/14/22 at 1:04 pm
Posted on 11/14/22 at 1:03 pm to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Yep - there is absolutely something to the fact that both us as fans and the national media hold Alabama to their own standard, especially now that they are not in the national title discussion. Some have wanted to act as if Alabama isn't a Top 10 team, which is laughably stupid and entirely based on a different expectation level for Alabama than, say, Utah.
I remember a comic book panel that sums up Alabama's experience.
Basically Iron Man says that someone sent a lot of money to someone to do a prison break, and someone asks him "What's a lot of money?"
Tony replies, "To you or to me?"
That's basically Alabama football. A "bad season" at Alabama is considered an AMAZING season at 95% of the other programs.
Posted on 11/14/22 at 1:04 pm to The Albatross
quote:
Maybe Google failed me, but just did a quick search and that’s what it returned. Let me double check.
Could have been - I remember that one of them had Ohio State #1 after 2019 and how laughable at was, but thought it was FPI. I don't think SP+ was part of ESPN at that point, but it might have been. They are 2 separate rankings, though.
Page 1 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News