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The question remains... what is meant by the "Best" teams making the playoff?
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:45 am
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:45 am
The reality is there is a difference between choosing the most deserving teams after automatic bids are made and choosing the teams who would have the best shot of winning 3-4 games in a row in a 12-team playoff against other top ranked teams.
The sad truth is that if you don't have a minimum level of talent, when you have to play 3-4 top 20 caliber teams in a row you'll struggle. A great coaching staff can come up with a scheme to win one or two games against high talent teams... but those sort of teams need some bad teams on the schedule they can have "off weeks" against and still win. You can't coach a perfect game 3-4 weeks straight.
Last year, the final 4 teams were ranked 3rd, 4th, 9th and 11th in the talent composite. Teams with lower talent were all weeded out by the final 4. Those weren't the 4 most talented teams in the playoff... but they all were top 15 in terms of elite talent in the nation.
Right now we're looking at 10 teams being "in" with the question on who gets the last 2 spots. The choices are Bama (10-3), ND (10-2), Miami (10-2) and if you wanted to stretch it more BYU (11-2), Vandy (10-2) and Texas (9-3).
The teams most likely from that group to actually WIN the playoff would be Bama (#2 in total team talent this year) and Texas (#4). Others with a good chance of doing damage would be Notre Dame (#9) and Miami (#15). Teams with no chance of winning the playoff would be Vandy (#55) and BYU (#70).
The playoff committee is kind of trying to take both "deserving a spot" and "capable of winning" into account at the same time. BYU deserves a spot as much as Bama. They've only lost two games to the same team that is ranked in the top 4. But they can't win the playoff while Bama can. Similarly (but in the opposite direction), Texas is more capable of winning the playoff if they made it than Miami... but they have a worse record than Miami and Miami has ENOUGH talent to have a shot... so Miami is getting more consideration.
The teams without top 15 talent are extremely unlikely to win the actual playoff. They may deserve to be there, but to get through the gauntlet of the playoff you need a minimum level of talent.
I see games against Indiana (#72 in overall talent), Ole Miss (#21) and Texas Tech (#29) as much less worrisome than matchups with Bama (#2), OSU (#3), Texas (#4) or Oregon (#5) would be.
The first list of teams are opponents a high talent team like UGA can beat even if they outcoach UGA. The second list are close enough in talent that UGA will lose if the other coach comes up with a better plan than Smart does.
That isn't to say UGA would always beat the first group of teams. But over 3-4 straight weeks against great competition, that first group is much more likely to drop one and thus not win a title.
The sad truth is that if you don't have a minimum level of talent, when you have to play 3-4 top 20 caliber teams in a row you'll struggle. A great coaching staff can come up with a scheme to win one or two games against high talent teams... but those sort of teams need some bad teams on the schedule they can have "off weeks" against and still win. You can't coach a perfect game 3-4 weeks straight.
Last year, the final 4 teams were ranked 3rd, 4th, 9th and 11th in the talent composite. Teams with lower talent were all weeded out by the final 4. Those weren't the 4 most talented teams in the playoff... but they all were top 15 in terms of elite talent in the nation.
Right now we're looking at 10 teams being "in" with the question on who gets the last 2 spots. The choices are Bama (10-3), ND (10-2), Miami (10-2) and if you wanted to stretch it more BYU (11-2), Vandy (10-2) and Texas (9-3).
The teams most likely from that group to actually WIN the playoff would be Bama (#2 in total team talent this year) and Texas (#4). Others with a good chance of doing damage would be Notre Dame (#9) and Miami (#15). Teams with no chance of winning the playoff would be Vandy (#55) and BYU (#70).
The playoff committee is kind of trying to take both "deserving a spot" and "capable of winning" into account at the same time. BYU deserves a spot as much as Bama. They've only lost two games to the same team that is ranked in the top 4. But they can't win the playoff while Bama can. Similarly (but in the opposite direction), Texas is more capable of winning the playoff if they made it than Miami... but they have a worse record than Miami and Miami has ENOUGH talent to have a shot... so Miami is getting more consideration.
The teams without top 15 talent are extremely unlikely to win the actual playoff. They may deserve to be there, but to get through the gauntlet of the playoff you need a minimum level of talent.
I see games against Indiana (#72 in overall talent), Ole Miss (#21) and Texas Tech (#29) as much less worrisome than matchups with Bama (#2), OSU (#3), Texas (#4) or Oregon (#5) would be.
The first list of teams are opponents a high talent team like UGA can beat even if they outcoach UGA. The second list are close enough in talent that UGA will lose if the other coach comes up with a better plan than Smart does.
That isn't to say UGA would always beat the first group of teams. But over 3-4 straight weeks against great competition, that first group is much more likely to drop one and thus not win a title.
5
Posted on 12/7/25 at 4:03 am to DawginSC
Well said. Agree with you
Posted on 12/7/25 at 4:03 am to DawginSC
Holy dear diary. But congrats on the win bro 
Posted on 12/7/25 at 4:13 am to DawginSC
Well stated but Bama was exposed last night. I think the way they played should hurt their playoff chances. Had it been a close game they would get in.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 4:19 am to DawginSC
quote:
Right now we're looking at 10 teams being "in" with the question on who gets the last 2 spots. The choices are Bama (10-3), ND (10-2), Miami (10-2) and if you wanted to stretch it more BYU (11-2), Vandy (10-2) and Texas (9-3).
There aren't 10 teams "in". There are 11.
You aren't factoring in the fact that both # 20 Tulane and #25 James Madison are guaranteed spots as two of the top five conference champions.
You have Indiana, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame will go before Alabama.
That leaves one spot.
This post was edited on 12/7/25 at 4:55 am
Posted on 12/7/25 at 4:27 am to theballguy
Well, when you're hitched to two wagons, you can always cut one loose when you need to Hoos.
Congrats and my sincere condolences.
Congrats and my sincere condolences.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 4:34 am to koreandawg
quote:
Well, when you're hitched to two wagons, you can always cut one loose
Hard to accept for some folks.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 4:48 am to BamaGradinTn
quote:
There aren't 10 teams "in". There are 11.
You aren't factoring in the fact that both # 20 Tulane and #25 James Madison are guaranteed spots as two of the top five conference champions.
You have Indiana, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Notre Dane will go before Alabama.
That leaves one spot.
I don't believe ND is in.
Likely in? Yeah, but not 100%.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 6:49 am to DawginSC
quote:
while Bama can
Best one yet lolololol
They proved last night what a drastically improved team they are
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