College football week 14 thread: The Last Boise Scout

That's a possibility.

Miami
Good wins: at Florida, at Louisville
Bad loss: at Georgia Tech
OK loss: at Syracuse

Alabama
Good wins: vs. Georgia, vs. South Carolina, vs. Mizzou, at LSU
Bad losses: at Vanderbilt, at Oklahoma
Fine loss: at Tennessee

The loss at Oklahoma -- and how it unfolded -- should be disqualifying. I guess we'll see where the rankings shake out on Tuesday. If Miami is still ahead of Bama, I think you're right, the Canes get in. Miami was 6, Bama 12 this week.

 

I don't feel like Miami falls quite that far. Bama jumps Clemson, and Miami settles somewhere around 10.

 

Yeah, admittedly my perspective of GT is a little skewed since I saw them play VT without King, who is clearly a difference maker.

 

I think, based upon last year, when FSU stayed home while a one loss SEC team got in, that an ACC or Big 12 team carries a 1.5 game handicap when competing against an SEC team. If the SEC team only has one additional loss they will get in over the ACC or Big 12 team.

Given the depth of the SEC I think that is probably fair.

 

We assume, and I think correctly, that all four teams in the SEC and Big 10 conference championship games are in the playoff already. How many business decisions will they make? There's still the not inconsiderable reward of a bye at stake, but I think they might ponder long and hard about resting any significant player who's nursing a non-lost time injury.

 

Texas will likely be in regardless, but I hope the committee spends a while making double sure that’s what they want if Georgia sweeps. They won in College Station which is a solid resume point or even slightly above that. Then they have 10 more victories over So The Hell What? Of all things, Michigan’s win out of nowhere may be what saves them. But I’d strongly consider a double digit seed at least.

I actually have a suspicion Ole Miss is better than either Bama or South Carolina (they handily beat the latter). But if they reward that cotton candy non-conference schedule it sets a terrible precedent.

I too think Miami gets in over the fourth SEC team as the committee will value How Many over How, in part to leaven last year’s criticism. But I would make SMU at large instead if they fall to Clemson in what essentially will be a road game.

Long story short, I think there are 11 worthy teams under this format, which is the perfect number to cause nationwide gnashing of teeth.

 

Non-playoff news, but pretty happy with the smackdown the Hokies put on UVA last night. Pry buys himself another year, for sure. I don't know if there was any chance Tech pulled the plug after this year, but 5-7 with a talented team and a home loss to UVA at the end of the year would have made it an uncomfortable conversation. Hokies may have found something in Pop Watson at QB, though he is a little smallish.

 

Speaking of disqualifying losses: Kentucky 20, Ole Miss 17, in Oxford. That's a tough one to overcome. UK's only SEC win this year.

 

They could go 11-1 every year, but as long as they lose to Michigan, it's all bullshit.

 

I really have no problem with the flag planting. Sure its classless, but this is college football. It goes with the territory. Hearing all the tsk, tsking is kind of funny. College football has a lot more serious problems than dealing with flag planting. An easy "solution" is to deduct $100k from the offending team's post-season payout.

On a side note - was there much coverage of Medrick Burnett's death on the pre-game shows? During the games? Any player's death is tragic, but coming from an injury suffered during a game probably raises a few questions and issues that probably not many talking heads really want to amplify.

 

For what they're making, man there sure are a lot of snowflake head coaches out there. There's 60 minutes in a football game and if your guys don't want to get embarrassed, play the entire clock out without expecting the opponent to do you any favors. And if you get your ass handed to you, take it back to the weight room or the practice field.

1. You don't want the opposing rival to plant a flag on your logo? Maybe don't miss chipshot field goals. (Hello, Ohio State.)
2. You don't want the opposing team's third-string quarterback to throw a last-play touchdown? Maybe defend better. (Hello, Maryland.)

Yeah, the Gators have been a special level of classless but Florida State has taken turf from every opponent's field (EDIT: since 1962) for its "sod cemetery" so hard to feel sorry for the Seminoles last night, especially given the ferocity of that rivalry over the decades. I doubt Norvell felt too bad about kicking Florida's butt at Florida Field a year ago -- and taking a piece of the field home with them.

They're called "rivalries" for a reason. Georgia fans whining about Steve Spurrier running up the score on them back in the glory days was part of the fun.