College Football Playoff Rankings Running Thread

So two women or none? Three? Four?

 

The best part about the 4-team playoff is that a game like Auburn-Georgia still means something this late in the season.

 

How does that game impact the playoffs?

 

Winner still has a shot at an SEC championship and is probably the top two-loss team. Lot of stuff has to break right, but it's not out of the question one of those two teams could get to No.4. No way in hell can either get to No. 2.

 

Does Auburn have any SEC West tiebreakers? Otherwise they can't be conference champs with two conference losses already. Miss. State has none so far, Alabama only one. It's only a tie for Auburn if Alabama beats State Saturday (likely), State loses to Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl (beats me) and Auburn then beats Alabama (very unlikely).

 

Maybe. But that's not why I'd watch this game. I'd watch it because it's going to be an entertaining, probably high-scoring game. The chances of the winner getting into the playoffs seems pretty slim.

Only Georgia has a shot at the SEC title game, right? Can Auburn still win the West?

 

I think Auburn's only shot at the West is if there's a 4-way tie at 6-2 (which means Mississippi State loses to both Alabama and Ole Miss and Auburn then beats Alabama):

Auburn & Ole Miss would both be 2-1 vs. Alabama & Mississippi State.

Auburn beat Ole Miss head-to-head.

Ergo, Auburn is SEC West champ.

EDIT: Auburn could also be West champ if Alabama & Mississippi State both lose out to finish 5-3, because Auburn has the head-to-head on Ole Miss. But that would require MSU to lose vs Vanderbilt, which ain't happening.

 

I don't know the tie-breakers, but Auburn could still end up as co-champs of the East by beating Alabama after the Tide beats Miss.St., then watching Ole Miss take down the Bulldogs. I'm not sure who comes out of a four-way tie, though.

Edit: What Steak said.

 

So that's why you're going to watch? In case 15 other things happen which will make this game retroactively matter four weeks from now?

I know that's being kinda nitpicky, but right now, neither Auburn nor Georgia are in the playoff picture. But I do think it will be a game worth watching. Just for different reasons.

 

Not saying this is Key's motivation, but there's a much-discussed masturbatory fantasy that the SEC East champion — be that Georgia or Missouri — is going to win the SEC championship game and leave the SEC out of the playoff altogether.

So maybe Key's hate-watching.

 

I can appreciate that.

I know I'll be rooting for the over to hit.

 

The number of important games in November fell off considerably during the BCS-Era. I think it's a nice added benefit that the 4th and 5th best teams in a conference can still play a game this late in the season that has potential national playoff implications.

I'd also love to see what the committee does if all the SEC teams finish with two losses.