Soo.. Playoff thoughts?

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

First.. is this the first playoff year where there really is no debate on the 4? I think it might be. There really is no argument for anyone else to be in... and that strikes me as odd.

I expect it to be:

1) Ohio State
2) LSU
3) Clemson
4) Oklahoma

I think the only variation in other people's guess would be flipping OSU and LSU

I think OSU and Oklahoma actually have the better experiences in these championship games.. both had to answer the bell. OPSU might be better off as number 2. Will provide some incentive (How Dare They! We'll show em!) And I think Clemson cannot handle them... then again, if Wisconsin can game plan well against them.. any of these other teams can do it too.

I think Fields will have a better game in the first playoff game and they will win.. however, OSU cannot get behind like this again.. any of these other teams will stomp on their necks.

 

[rutger80]

I think the committee will move LSU up to #1, setting up LSU vs Oklahoma and Ohio State vs Clemson.
LSU pretty much dominated UGA and OSU had to come from behind.

 

[RUChoppin]

LSU's resume should in no way take the #1 spot away from OSU, imo - but the committee doesn't just look at resume, so it's anyone's guess. I think if there are two undefeated teams with comparable # of ranked wins and one has an FCS game on their schedule, that team should be behind by default.

 

[ashokan]

This will drive some crazy but I agree with the pope on OSU #1. I think Clemson is #2

 

[RUSK97]

This will drive some crazy but I agree with the pope on OSU #1. I think Clemson is #2

The pope is a bit biased don't you think?

 

[SkilletHead2]

I'd love to see OSU at the top as I've been a fan for 60 years. Also, I think their record is probably better than LSU's. However, LSU put on a show against a very strong team today, and OSU had to fight back against a weaker team. That will sway the committee. It will end up:

1. LSU
2. OSU
3. Clemson
4. OU

Three of these four teams are playing with transfer QBs, and LSUs QB transferred from OSU when Haskins beat him out.

A great set of teams.

 

[ashokan]

The pope is a bit biased don't you think?

Sure who isn't? A lot of the times the bias is toward SEC. LSU had a nice game vs an overrated team, and OSU played like a team that went into Thanksgiving holiday not particularly worried about a team they thrashed a few weeks ago. OSU has a higher ceiling if the QB is healthy (he was sketchy in the knee this week).

 

[SkilletHead2]

Hard to see Georgia as overrated (can't believe I'm defending the SEC!). But they were 11-1 coming into this game, having beaten Notre Dame, Florida, Auburn, and Texas A&M, and no team had scored three touchdowns all year. Could only see Okie and Bama justifiably rated higher than them after the top three.

 

[MozRU]

Its is me of its the same damn teams every year? I was disappointed Utah flopped. Then I was disappointed Oklahoma got in again. They will lose in the first round, again.

Out of 60 Power 5 teams, its OSU, Clemson, LSU (cool w/then this year) and overrated Oklahoma, again? Broken record.

It's getting boring.

 

[yesrutgers01]

Playoff teams are obvious and if anyone other then the 4 mentioned gets in, then it is a joke but don't see that happening. OSU/LSU are the top 2 for sure but hard to say who gets #1.

 

[mikebal9]

Its is me of its the same damn teams every year? I was disappointed Utah flopped. Then I was disappointed Oklahoma got in again. They will lose in the first round, again.

Out of 60 Power 5 teams, its OSU, Clemson, LSU (cool w/then this year) and overrated Oklahoma, again? Broken record.

It's getting boring.

Well at least Alabama is out this year.

 

[krup]

Hard to see Georgia as overrated (can't believe I'm defending the SEC!). But they were 11-1 coming into this game, having beaten Notre Dame, Florida, Auburn, and Texas A&M, and no team had scored three touchdowns all year. Could only see Okie and Bama justifiably rated higher than them after the top three.

I think Georgia wasn't overrated, but they weren't as good as their ranking going into yesterday's game having lost their #1 WR for the year and #2 for the first half of the game. LSU's defense has been shaky, but in playing Georgia they played a team with an offense that wasn't going to be able to exploit that.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

Last night I was thinking LSU but after a graphic on tv that showed a little of their resumes I kind have swung back to OSU as #1. It's really close so I could see it go either way just like I've gone lol.

I've said this here before that people always like to take the bowl season and playoffs as ah you see this conference better than this one etc...but I always see it as sort of new season and what you saw during the season isn't exactly what you get during the bowls and playoffs.

Who can get back to form from the long layoff...not everyone does....and doesn't necessarily mean the team was just a poser or fake during the season or whatever it's just there can be an adjustment after a month layoff to rev back up again and to do it in the first game back isn't always easy.

With that said I know many write off Clemson because their schedule was weak but you know the one thing they've done that the other contenders (not including OU) haven't is exactly that.....rev back up to form after the long layoff. Dabo has that experience and has done it well...we don't know if Day and Orgeron can do it too. Maybe they can, maybe they can't....but we know Dabo has so I wouldn't count them out...especially in the semi final which is game 1 after the long layoff.

 

[NickRU714]

Its is me of its the same damn teams every year? I was disappointed Utah flopped. Then I was disappointed Oklahoma got in again. They will lose in the first round, again.

Out of 60 Power 5 teams, its OSU, Clemson, LSU (cool w/then this year) and overrated Oklahoma, again? Broken record.

It's getting boring.

Are they the best teams?
Isn't that all that matters?

Or is your argument that the best teams shouldn't play for the championship?
That seems to be a weird sports take.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

Are they the best teams?
Isn't that all that matters?

Or is your argument that the best teams shouldn't play for the championship?
That seems to be a weird sports take.

Yea but it's always nice to see variety too but that's up to the competition. When and I say when, be it 5-10-15 years from now, the playoffs expand we'll have that variety with different conference champs, a possible G5 cinderella and at large bids.

It doesn't mean there won't be blowouts and the usual suspects in the finals but at least a chance for upsets and wider variety of teams.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

You know another thing in that comparison of LSU/OSU

OSU has 5 top 25 wins and LSU has 4 top 12 wins but one of those wins was an impressive one on the road in Alabama where they pretty much dominated despite the final score and that broke a 31 game Alabama winning streak Another little tick mark on the LSU side. Don't know if OSU's win in Ann Arbor is as impressive.

 

[King of S]

Its is me of its the same damn teams every year? I was disappointed Utah flopped. Then I was disappointed Oklahoma got in again. They will lose in the first round, again.

Out of 60 Power 5 teams, its OSU, Clemson, LSU (cool w/then this year) and overrated Oklahoma, again? Broken record.

It's getting boring.

Boring nothing- these 4 by far are the best teams in college football- nobody else even close.

 

[RUChoppin]

LSU had some impressive wins over teams the CFP committee wants to tell us are good, though who don't have the greatest resumes.

They beat Alabama soundly... but Alabama's best win this year isn't even ranked in the last CFP Top 25 (take your pick between Texas A&M or Tennessee, who both finished 7-5). No idea how Alabama is even 11th with no wins over a Top 25 team and an FCS win on their schedule.

They beat Auburn (who is 2-3 against ranked opponents, with one of those wins also being over Alabama who hasn't beaten anyone of note).
They beat Florida (who has one win against a currently ranked opponent..... Auburn)
They beat Georgia (who had a pretty solid resume... with wins over ND, Auburn, and Florida).

Seems beating Auburn is a golden ticket for some reason - and if Alabama had done it (to gain their only ranked win), they'd have punched their ticket to the final four.

LSU also padded their win sheet with an FCS game, which should be an automatic disqualifier when comparing resumes with another undefeated team for the #1 slot.

 

[RUich]

Why not just fast forward to the usual suspects and let them play? The chance of any other teams getting in is just too damn hard for the committee to deal with.

 

[tico brown]

Its is me of its the same damn teams every year? I was disappointed Utah flopped. Then I was disappointed Oklahoma got in again. They will lose in the first round, again.

Out of 60 Power 5 teams, its OSU, Clemson, LSU (cool w/then this year) and overrated Oklahoma, again? Broken record.

It's getting boring.

Blame Baylor and Utah for not beating them

 

[WhiteBus]

This will drive some crazy but I agree with the pope on OSU #1. I think Clemson is #2

Clemson #2? Based on what?

 

[FourSpot]

OSU better hope they are ranked #1 and get OK. LSU and Clemson's offense has too much firepower with legit QBs.

 

[beaced_rivals]

First.. is this the first playoff year where there really is no debate on the 4? I think it might be. There really is no argument for anyone else to be in... and that strikes me as odd.

I expect it to be:

1) Ohio State
2) LSU
3) Clemson
4) Oklahoma

I think the only variation in other people's guess would be flipping OSU and LSU

I think OSU and Oklahoma actually have the better experiences in these championship games.. both had to answer the bell. OPSU might be better off as number 2. Will provide some incentive (How Dare They! We'll show em!) And I think Clemson cannot handle them... then again, if Wisconsin can game plan well against them.. any of these other teams can do it too.

I think Fields will have a better game in the first playoff game and they will win.. however, OSU cannot get behind like this again.. any of these other teams will stomp on their necks.

fIELDS did HAVE THAT KNEE PROBLEM. IF HE IS WHOLE, KATIE BAR THE DOOR.

 

[NickRU714]

Yea but it's always nice to see variety too but that's up to the competition. When and I say when, be it 5-10-15 years from now, the playoffs expand we'll have that variety with different conference champs, a possible G5 cinderella and at large bids.

It doesn't mean there won't be blowouts and the usual suspects in the finals but at least a chance for upsets and wider variety of teams.

Darryl Morey - Houston Rockets GM - had a really interesting quote in 2017 after the Golden State Warriors won the title again.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...te-warriors-potential-dynasty-2017-nba-finals

"We are used to long odds," Morey added. "If Golden State makes the odds longer, we might up our risk profile and get even more aggressive. We have something up our sleeve."


i.e. exactly what LSU did by changing their team and winning with offense now.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

Darryl Morey - Houston Rockets GM - had a really interesting quote in 2017 after the Golden State Warriors won the title again.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...te-warriors-potential-dynasty-2017-nba-finals

"We are used to long odds," Morey added. "If Golden State makes the odds longer, we might up our risk profile and get even more aggressive. We have something up our sleeve."


i.e. exactly what LSU did by changing their team and winning with offense now.

Even Smart might have to come around kicking and screaming just like Saban and Harbaugh. I responded in the sec champ thread to your offense question with a piece of an article I read this morning.

 

[hiwater]

I think the committee will move LSU up to #1, setting up LSU vs Oklahoma and Ohio State vs Clemson.
LSU pretty much dominated UGA and OSU had to come from behind.

The UGA win was no more impressive than Ohio State's Wisconsin win. UGA had so many injuries to skill position players that Fromm had little chance against any top 10 type of team. Add on the key suspensions and you weaken UGA more. LSU's D struggled against spread offenses all year. Miss St gave them all they could handle a few weeks ago.

 

[ru109]

Hard to see Georgia as overrated (can't believe I'm defending the SEC!). But they were 11-1 coming into this game, having beaten Notre Dame, Florida, Auburn, and Texas A&M, and no team had scored three touchdowns all year. Could only see Okie and Bama justifiably rated higher than them after the top three.

Not saying the were overrated per see but did you see the graph on how many freshman QB's they faced this year? I think it was 5 or 6 and with all the injuries and suspensions they had they couldn't have scored against any top 10 team Saturday.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

Haven't been watching ESPN closely just on in the background seems like everyone is choosing LSU as #1 except Mora...and I think Galloway was happy with any of the 3 as #1 but I think when pressed chose LSU.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

Darryl Morey - Houston Rockets GM - had a really interesting quote in 2017 after the Golden State Warriors won the title again.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...te-warriors-potential-dynasty-2017-nba-finals

"We are used to long odds," Morey added. "If Golden State makes the odds longer, we might up our risk profile and get even more aggressive. We have something up our sleeve."


i.e. exactly what LSU did by changing their team and winning with offense now.

 

[TonyLieske]

1. LSU
2. UGA (highest quality loss)
3. OSU
4. Bama

Just outside: Auburn, Clemmons

 

[Scarlet Blind_rivals]

SEC has a slight edge over B1G, but OSU beat 10 win Cincy and 10 win FAU, LSU beat 7 win Texas, 7 win Utah St and 7 win Ga. So. Stays 1 OSU, 2 LSU 3 Clemson and 4 OU gets in

 

[WhiteBus]

1. LSU
2. UGA (highest quality loss)
3. OSU
4. Bama

Just outside: Auburn, Clemmons

You are taking a team with a loss over undefeated teams?? Glad you arent on the Committee

 

[Tango Two]

Just announced


1 LSU
2 OSU
3 Clemson
4 Oklahoma

 

[Tango Two]

LSU Oklahoma

OSU Clemson

 

[RUChoppin]

As expected. SEC bias is a ***** to overcome.