Playoff poll discussion here (merged threads)

[AUbritt 611]

I think UGA is the biggest threat. Always a tough game. Ole Miss could very well beat us this weekend, but with their O-line we may actually get a pass rush sealing their fate. When it comes to bama - stop cooper and you win. That is what Ole Miss did. 9-90-0 with a long of 30. The 8-60 tells you they didnt let him get loose on the screen pass.

Oh, I think UGA is a big threat. But I still think we match up better with them than we do with Bama. Ole Miss has a pass rush, which helped them stop Cooper.

[cooltigger21 0]

I think UGA is the biggest threat. Always a tough game. Ole Miss could very well beat us this weekend, but with their O-line we may actually get a pass rush sealing their fate. When it comes to bama - stop cooper and you win. That is what Ole Miss did. 9-90-0 with a long of 30. The 8-60 tells you they didnt let him get loose on the screen pass.

Oh, I think UGA is a big threat. But I still think we match up better with them than we do with Bama. Ole Miss has a pass rush, which helped them stop Cooper.

:dunno:/>

All it takes is one loss. Our secondary can't cover Amari consistently. If we don't find some semblance of a pass rush we will lose one game at least. I'm not convinced the offense has fixed their issues either. South Carolina will make a lot of offenses look great. If they put in a similar performance against Ole Miss then that will tell me a lot more.

[AUbritt 611]

I think UGA is the biggest threat. Always a tough game. Ole Miss could very well beat us this weekend, but with their O-line we may actually get a pass rush sealing their fate. When it comes to bama - stop cooper and you win. That is what Ole Miss did. 9-90-0 with a long of 30. The 8-60 tells you they didnt let him get loose on the screen pass.

Oh, I think UGA is a big threat. But I still think we match up better with them than we do with Bama. Ole Miss has a pass rush, which helped them stop Cooper.

:dunno:/>

All it takes is one loss. Our secondary can't cover Amari consistently. If we don't find some semblance of a pass rush we will lose one game at least. I'm not convinced the offense has fixed their issues either. South Carolina will make a lot of offenses look great.

Sure, one more loss; I was just suggesting a ranking in terms of the toughness of games remaining. To me, it goes like this (ranking from toughest to easiest, without claiming that any of them are necessarily easy):

Bama

Georgia

Ole Miss

aTm

Samford

I agree that we almost certainly need to win them all to even have a chance of making the playoff.

[keesler 5,924]

The pressure is ON, Get 'em ready Gus & Ellis. AU's future gets tested in just 3 short days in an elimination game in Oxford, gotta win every game from here on out. WDE!

[AUbritt 611]

Here's an interesting take from an Oklahoma writer:

Two losses is a virtual elimination. That’s what the committee said with its rankings.

Take the Sooners out of it. Forget hometown bias. Let’s look at No. 19 LSU. The Tigers have lost to No. 3 Auburn and No. 1 Mississippi State. They’ve got a solid neutral-field win over Wisconsin and a victory over No. 4 Ole Miss. And LSU is ranked behind Nebraska, Ohio State and Utah, who sit 15-16-17 having one quality win combined. Utah beat Southern Cal. At least Nebraska had a quality loss, at Michigan State. Ohio State lost at home to mediocre Virginia Tech.

And the committee didn’t care. It looked at one number, the loss ledger, and slotted teams. LSU’s resume trumps at least six or seven teams ranked higher. But the committee just counted the anvils.

His idea is that the Committee divided everyone first into tiers by losses (0, 1, 2, ...) and only then, that is, within the tiers, compared resumes. If this is right, then the Committee thinks we're the best one-loss team. If we win out, surely that will remain the case, since no one will have a better resume than we will. But lose, and there's a slew of 1-loss teams that will jump us.

[au75 75]

AUBURN is in 3rd place in the first poll and we don't have to hope someone gets beat ahead of us to make playoffs.

[augrad68 165]

I am sure the committee will get pressure to not have an all SEC championship game. It seems like they are just ranking the SEC teams high and letting them bump each other off. Then the problem will take care of itself.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Here's an interesting take from an Oklahoma writer:

Two losses is a virtual elimination. That’s what the committee said with its rankings.

Take the Sooners out of it. Forget hometown bias. Let’s look at No. 19 LSU. The Tigers have lost to No. 3 Auburn and No. 1 Mississippi State. They’ve got a solid neutral-field win over Wisconsin and a victory over No. 4 Ole Miss. And LSU is ranked behind Nebraska, Ohio State and Utah, who sit 15-16-17 having one quality win combined. Utah beat Southern Cal. At least Nebraska had a quality loss, at Michigan State. Ohio State lost at home to mediocre Virginia Tech.

And the committee didn’t care. It looked at one number, the loss ledger, and slotted teams. LSU’s resume trumps at least six or seven teams ranked higher. But the committee just counted the anvils.

His idea is that the Committee divided everyone first into tiers by losses (0, 1, 2, ...) and only then, that is, within the tiers, compared resumes. If this is right, then the Committee thinks we're the best one-loss team. If we win out, surely that will remain the case, since no one will have a better resume than we will. But lose, and there's a slew of 1-loss teams that will jump us.

I'm okay with that. LSU might be a bad example, though. They didn't just lose to Auburn and Ole Miss... they got their butts handed to them. It will take another quality win or two for them to wash that stink off.

Agreed with your assessment of our remaining schedule further up the thread, also.

[AUbritt 611]

Check out the poll results at the end of this USA Today discussion.

Joe Public thinks the top 8 should look like this:

1. Miss State

2. FSU

3. Bama

4. Oregon

5. Auburn

6. Michigan State

7. Notre Dame

8. Ole Miss

I have to say, I think the Committee's rankings are a lot better. We have the best resume of the 1-loss teams (more quality wins, better loss). Ole Miss did beat Bama head to head. Notre Dame had a good loss, but no quality wins, yet. Michigan State had a quality loss, but not as good as either Auburn's or Bama's (or Ole Miss's, for that matter, when you consider LSU's resume).

[AUbritt 611]

Here's an interesting take from an Oklahoma writer:

Two losses is a virtual elimination. That’s what the committee said with its rankings.

Take the Sooners out of it. Forget hometown bias. Let’s look at No. 19 LSU. The Tigers have lost to No. 3 Auburn and No. 1 Mississippi State. They’ve got a solid neutral-field win over Wisconsin and a victory over No. 4 Ole Miss. And LSU is ranked behind Nebraska, Ohio State and Utah, who sit 15-16-17 having one quality win combined. Utah beat Southern Cal. At least Nebraska had a quality loss, at Michigan State. Ohio State lost at home to mediocre Virginia Tech.

And the committee didn’t care. It looked at one number, the loss ledger, and slotted teams. LSU’s resume trumps at least six or seven teams ranked higher. But the committee just counted the anvils.

His idea is that the Committee divided everyone first into tiers by losses (0, 1, 2, ...) and only then, that is, within the tiers, compared resumes. If this is right, then the Committee thinks we're the best one-loss team. If we win out, surely that will remain the case, since no one will have a better resume than we will. But lose, and there's a slew of 1-loss teams that will jump us.

I'm okay with that. LSU might be a bad example, though. They didn't just lose to Auburn and Ole Miss STATE (FIFY) ... they got their butts handed to them. It will take another quality win or two for them to wash that stink off.

Agreed with your assessment of our remaining schedule further up the thread, also.

Well, they lost to the #1 ranked team and the #3 ranked team; yeah, they lost bad; but we're really good. The point isn't that LSU should be ranked high, just that they should be ranked higher than some 1-loss teams who haven't played tough schedules.

Overall, though, I think the Committee has done a pretty good job so far.

[McLoofus 35,182]

LSU might be a bad example, though. They didn't just lose to Auburn and Ole Miss STATE (FIFY) ... they got their butts handed to them. It will take another quality win or two for them to wash that stink off.

Agreed with your assessment of our remaining schedule further up the thread, also.

Well, they lost to the #1 ranked team and the #3 ranked team; yeah, they lost bad; but we're really good. The point isn't that LSU should be ranked high, just that they should be ranked higher than some 1-loss teams who haven't played tough schedules.

Overall, though, I think the Committee has done a pretty good job so far.

Gotcha. Agreed again.

PS- Thanks for the Mississippi correction, but come on, does it really matter?

[AUbritt 611]

LSU might be a bad example, though. They didn't just lose to Auburn and Ole Miss STATE (FIFY) ... they got their butts handed to them. It will take another quality win or two for them to wash that stink off.

Agreed with your assessment of our remaining schedule further up the thread, also.

Well, they lost to the #1 ranked team and the #3 ranked team; yeah, they lost bad; but we're really good. The point isn't that LSU should be ranked high, just that they should be ranked higher than some 1-loss teams who haven't played tough schedules.

Overall, though, I think the Committee has done a pretty good job so far.

Gotcha. Agreed again.

PS- Thanks for the Mississippi correction, but come on, does it really matter?

Only if it helps you avoid snarky comments from nitpickers. That was my intention, anyway.

[FootballFanatic 4]

As a fan I may be one of a few but I don't think Auburn has played well enough to be in that top 4. It doesn't matter either way as there are games to play but like bama, we haven't played very well this year and have a few more losses ahead if we don't get a lot better and figure out how to generate a pass rush.

Bama will light us up with Amari Cooper if we let sims relax in the pocket.

But who would you rank ahead of AU? I agree we have to play better to win out. But every team looks to have problems to me. So based on the games that have been played I think you'd be hard pressed to find a one loss team with a better resume than AU.

Resume wise no one.

Still, I am a huge proponent of Conference champs playing for the championship unless there is a 3 loss champ. RIght now based of predecitions I would guess top 4 would be.

Miss State - FSU - Mich state - (oregon or tcu)

But the idea isn't to figure out who should be in now but at the end of the season. This poll is only going to erode confidence in the committee which I am all for. Picking champs is still monumentally horrible. If you don't win your conference your chances to play for a champ should be immensly low. Baseballs wild card system would be an acceptable means of figuring it out. 5 conference champs 3 wild cards.

[bg5 536]

It's not supposed to be about anything but the best four teams. I know they are saying they are putting extra weight on teh dicsion here and there but the botom line is to pick the best four teams at the end of the year. With the information they have right now I think at least this first time they got it right. I would like for them to use the BCS formula and take the top eight teams but that is not what is in place right now.

[Auburn4life 24]

I love how the committee doesn't appear to be affected by the brand name schools. They are not trying to project where people will be ranked at the end if the year either. They are judging teams on what has happened so far this year. And that is the way it should be!

Agree+++ So glad they aren't biased like the AP and Coaches which vote based on teams that have had national recognition in the past or won championships in the past. Totally based on past W/L and past SOS.

But not sure I agree with 2 losses being so low. If Auburn lose to Ole Miss then Auburn will probably drop to around #15. According to current rankings almost all 1 lose teams are ranked higher than 1 lose teams.

Just hope after this season it pushes the power to be to work on changing it to an 8 team playoff

[McLoofus 35,182]

PS- Thanks for the Mississippi correction, but come on, does it really matter?

Only if it helps you avoid snarky comments from nitpickers. That was my intention, anyway.

Beyond reproach, I'm tellin' ya!

[cooltigger21 0]

As a fan I may be one of a few but I don't think Auburn has played well enough to be in that top 4. It doesn't matter either way as there are games to play but like bama, we haven't played very well this year and have a few more losses ahead if we don't get a lot better and figure out how to generate a pass rush.

Bama will light us up with Amari Cooper if we let sims relax in the pocket.

But who would you rank ahead of AU? I agree we have to play better to win out. But every team looks to have problems to me. So based on the games that have been played I think you'd be hard pressed to find a one loss team with a better resume than AU.

Resume wise no one.

Still, I am a huge proponent of Conference champs playing for the championship unless there is a 3 loss champ. RIght now based of predecitions I would guess top 4 would be.

Miss State - FSU - Mich state - (oregon or tcu)

But the idea isn't to figure out who should be in now but at the end of the season. This poll is only going to erode confidence in the committee which I am all for. Picking champs is still monumentally horrible. If you don't win your conference your chances to play for a champ should be immensly low. Baseballs wild card system would be an acceptable means of figuring it out. 5 conference champs 3 wild cards.

I like the NBA system. They take the top 8 from each conference period. They long ago got quit using the format. I wish all sports would do that. Remember the year New England went 11-5 and got left out of the playoffs because they didn't win their division.

[AUbritt 611]

As a fan I may be one of a few but I don't think Auburn has played well enough to be in that top 4. It doesn't matter either way as there are games to play but like bama, we haven't played very well this year and have a few more losses ahead if we don't get a lot better and figure out how to generate a pass rush.

Bama will light us up with Amari Cooper if we let sims relax in the pocket.

But who would you rank ahead of AU? I agree we have to play better to win out. But every team looks to have problems to me. So based on the games that have been played I think you'd be hard pressed to find a one loss team with a better resume than AU.

Resume wise no one.

Still, I am a huge proponent of Conference champs playing for the championship unless there is a 3 loss champ. RIght now based of predecitions I would guess top 4 would be.

Miss State - FSU - Mich state - (oregon or tcu)

But the idea isn't to figure out who should be in now but at the end of the season. This poll is only going to erode confidence in the committee which I am all for. Picking champs is still monumentally horrible. If you don't win your conference your chances to play for a champ should be immensly low. Baseballs wild card system would be an acceptable means of figuring it out. 5 conference champs 3 wild cards.

I'm not a huge proponent of conference champs playing for the national championship. I'm a huge proponent of the best teams playing for the national title. This is especially the case in the era of conference championship games, in which anything can happen. I'd be more in favor of conference champs if every conference played a round-robin. But they don't. I also don't see how you get around scheduling patsies if all you need to do is win the conference championship.

[FootballFanatic 4]

It's not supposed to be about anything but the best four teams. I know they are saying they are putting extra weight on teh dicsion here and there but the botom line is to pick the best four teams at the end of the year. With the information they have right now I think at least this first time they got it right. I would like for them to use the BCS formula and take the top eight teams but that is not what is in place right now.

You don't know who the best four teams are when they don't play each other. Thats why you pit conferences against each other. I am absolutely agains the idea that a 1 loss sec non champ should beat out a 1 loss conference champ that has a title. The trophy isn't supposed to go to one of 4 sec west teams because they seem to be the best teams in the country. When LSU replayed alabama it was a joke because LSU already won the SEC now they needed to beat another conference to prove they were the best. It was pure stupid incest to see that rematch.

[AUbritt 611]

It's not supposed to be about anything but the best four teams. I know they are saying they are putting extra weight on teh dicsion here and there but the botom line is to pick the best four teams at the end of the year. With the information they have right now I think at least this first time they got it right. I would like for them to use the BCS formula and take the top eight teams but that is not what is in place right now.

You don't know who the best four teams are when they don't play each other. Thats why you pit conferences against each other. I am absolutely agains the idea that a 1 loss sec non champ should beat out a 1 loss conference champ that has a title. The trophy isn't supposed to go to one of 4 sec west teams because they seem to be the best teams in the country. When LSU replayed alabama it was a joke because LSU already won the SEC now they needed to beat another conference to prove they were the best. It was pure stupid incest to see that rematch.

Assume that Ohio State wins the B1G, and Auburn, Miss State, Florida State, and K-State also win out. Also assume the PAC12 champ has two losses. You think Auburn is the team that should get left out of the playoff?

[au75 75]

If AUBURN wins out we are IN!!!!!!!!!!!

[JMassie11 1,610]

If we win out we would have played 5 road games vs top 10 teams and winning 4....no way we would be left out and truthfully would still j old the 3 seed

[McLoofus 35,182]

When LSU replayed alabama it was a joke because LSU already won the SEC now they needed to beat another conference to prove they were the best. It was pure stupid incest to see that rematch.

That would seem to be the most glaring argument against your premise instead of a good one to support it.

Winning a conference championship in no way demonstrates that you are any better than any team other than the ones in your conference.

What if Auburn, Miss State and Kansas State win out? That would mean that both KSU and MSU are conference champions and Auburn is not, but it would also mean that Auburn is better than KSU, because we beat them. But KSU still deserves to go and not Auburn?

[FootballFanatic 4]

It's not supposed to be about anything but the best four teams. I know they are saying they are putting extra weight on teh dicsion here and there but the botom line is to pick the best four teams at the end of the year. With the information they have right now I think at least this first time they got it right. I would like for them to use the BCS formula and take the top eight teams but that is not what is in place right now.

You don't know who the best four teams are when they don't play each other. Thats why you pit conferences against each other. I am absolutely agains the idea that a 1 loss sec non champ should beat out a 1 loss conference champ that has a title. The trophy isn't supposed to go to one of 4 sec west teams because they seem to be the best teams in the country. When LSU replayed alabama it was a joke because LSU already won the SEC now they needed to beat another conference to prove they were the best. It was pure stupid incest to see that rematch.

Assume that Ohio State wins the B1G, and Auburn, Miss State, Florida State, and K-State also win out. Also assume the PAC12 champ has two losses. You think Auburn is the team that should get left out of the playoff?

If Mich state doesn't win the big 10 they big 10 may miss out this year. That still leaves 4 conference champs to go. If the pac 12 has a 2 loss team that may be a formula where I could see a second sec team.

I would want Auburn in no matter what but I cant really say that should happen. If Auburn somehow wins out and Miss state goes the whole way undefeated then we will still be considered for the game unless there are 4 conference champs to pick.

Based on the poll this week from the committe I don't think they care about conference champs or they are just being stupid releasing that poll with 3 teams that will impact each other on the top 4.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Based on the poll this week from the committe I don't think they care about conference champs or they are just being stupid releasing that poll with 3 teams that will impact each other on the top 4.

They have clearly selected who they think the best four teams are right now. I hope they continue to do that every week.