College Football Week 14 (Rivalry Week) thread

Have to like Alabama & TCU. Mizzou is a good football team, but one 'bama should handle, unless they're looking completely past them. Can't see Saban letting THAT happen. Iowa State shouldn't be all that much of an issue for TCU. Plenty at stake & they're just plain better. Lots better.

The rest are really good match ups. The option attack is going to be rough on FSU. K State is still a really good football team, helps that Baylor is home. Don't completely discount Ohio State. It would be silly to pretend that losing Barrett isn't huge, but that's a team with a ton of weapons. That don't need Jones to win the game by himself, they need him to distribute. The indoor stadium / fast track will help. Unfortunately....it'll help Mr. Gordon, as well. In any case......it's nice to have Urban, at a time like this.

 

I suspect this, as well. I've been pretty vocal re: my belief that the SEC doesn't "deserve" 2 teams in the playoff this year. Their best team absolutely belongs, though. Alabama is that team.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 12h 12 hours ago
Amari Cooper should be ready to be an Oakland Raider. Just what that team needs.

Poor guy. Career over before it starts.

 

I think the committee would come to regret quite quickly putting a team that lost its conference title game into the playoff, especially if it's a two-loss team going ahead of one-loss teams. Nothing would make it look more like the usual "this is the best team because some subjective criterion and conventional wisdom says so" that people hated about the BCS.

 

They don't.

But you made up your mind about the issue in May. Some of the rest of us preferred to see how the season played out before making that declaration. Because it is entirely possible that two of the four best teams in the country can play in the same conference. And that will be just as true when the 2015 season starts.

Nobody "deserves" anything until all the games are played. Likewise, you can't say somebody "doesn't deserve" anything until, you know, all the games are played.

 

There would surely be circumstances where any of the five conferences could and should have two teams selected. But as a general rule, without those circumstances, such as a meeting of previously undefeated teams, losing a conference title game should mean you're out. Otherwise, those games are meaningless exhibitions.

 

Of course, there's no problem of having two teams from the same conference if there were eight playoff spots. The problem is it might look bad in the four team playoff format. If it happens, hopefully it is a clear cut case based on what else shakes out next weekend.

My general preference is for four different conferences to be represented, and the tourney expand to at least eight ASAP.

 

Alabama, Oregon, Florida State have proven themselves.

Alabama had every right to lose that game last night after Sims' 3rd pick led to Auburn going up 12 or whatever. Sims came within an eyelash of getting benched at that point but fought back with some impressive TD passes. Bama putting up 55 was impressive. They *should* beat the shit out of Mizzou, which can't score.

Florida State is 12-0. Defending champs put to the test every week and made a strange habit of having to come back. 25-game win streak.

Oregon is as good as any of them. Arizona is the Ducks' redemption song.

Don't know about the 4th team. TCU. Baylor. Same thing. The argument about them is an exercise in futility.

And what happens if Ohio State finishes 12-1 with the Big 10 title and 12 straight wins?

 

I'd be inclined to select Ohio State if it can win the conference championship game with a player who was third string QB at spring practice.

 

Same here, but doesn't the committee take into account the current make up of a team?

Let's say, Mizzou beats Bama, who loses Sims, Yeldon and Cooper to injury. Obviously, that's a team who can't compete with the TCU defense, but do they still deserve a spot?

 

I wouldn't select Alabama if it loses to Missouri, period. It won't, however.

 

If it seemed that way, then I expressed myself poorly. I certainly can't find any post, back that far, where I declared that. Maybe you have, in which case I'll know to express myself more clearly. Or maybe you're just being as snarky and dismissive. Whatever makes you feel good.

In any case, while my preference (strictly as someone watching the games) would be to not have multiple teams from any one conference. I find that more compelling & a more true way of measuring the relative quality of the conferences. There have been a number of years, though, that multiple teams from the SEC would have been appropriate. This just isn't one of them. That's been evident to some observers......whether you feel they're as insightful as you, or not....for a while.

IMHO, of course.