December 1st, 2023 at 7:35 AM ^
Texas beat Bama
December 1st, 2023 at 7:44 AM ^
If Mich, Wash, FSU, Texas, and Bama all win, it’s going to get weird. There is NO WAY they are leaving out the SEC. They won’t do it.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:35 AM ^
I disagree. They HAVE to leave the SEC out in that scenario. Michigan, Washington and FSU would have to get in as undefeated Conference Champs and Texas would have to get in as a Conference Champ that beat Bama head-to-head.
There would be absolute chaos with anything else. In that scenario, the SEC is mad. In any other scenario, the whole country is pissed off.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:38 AM ^
You say that like they care. They don’t HAVE to do jack shit. I would bet large sums of money that they won’t leave out the SEC. It’s just not gonna happen.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:50 AM ^
Absolutely. It’s like the whole Stallions affair. They HAVE to follow procedures and conduct a complete investigation and CANNOT punish someone who was not involved like Harbaugh. Except they don’t give a shit, “they” do whatever they want because they have virtually unfettered authority. The system is corrupt and needs to change.
December 1st, 2023 at 9:40 AM ^
You say that like the SEC runs the Playoff Committee. They don't. It's represented by conferences across the country who aren't beholden to the SEC. I'm sure that the Big 12 will lobby for Texas and the ACC will lobby for FSU.
Bama won't get in over Texas with the head--to-head loss. I'll admit that it's possible for them to leave FSU out due to the injury to Jordan Travis. Still a very tough sell to leave out an undefeated P5 Conference Champ. I don't think that would happen.
December 1st, 2023 at 10:21 AM ^
I agree that it's not a certainty in that scenario that the SEC would be in the CFP. But it's also not a certainty that the SEC would be left out. The greater point is the CFP committee can do whatever they want. In the nightmare scenario for the CFP, someone is going to get royally screwed. They're going to take serious heat. They just have to decide where do they want the heat to come from...if they even care about that.
December 1st, 2023 at 7:45 AM ^
That's the joke
December 1st, 2023 at 8:35 AM ^
Thus the mental gymnastics part
December 1st, 2023 at 7:54 AM ^
This is the scenario I am rooting for.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:05 AM ^
Uh, I'm pretty sure some pundits would quickly realize in that scenario the mental gymnastics involving Connor Stalions are much less taxing. That's actually a bit scary.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:51 AM ^
Thankfully the selection is on Sunday at noon. Not a lot of time for pundits to make a big deal about us and have it catch traction. Plus, the NFL will be on so the amount of attention it gets Sunday morning is probably small in comparison to what it could be.
December 1st, 2023 at 9:23 AM ^
Pete Finebaum did it yesterday. There is no logical justification. The answer was, I don’t care, the SEC is the best conference.
That dude is a 4 year old most days.
December 1st, 2023 at 12:14 PM ^
If youre Texas and you win and get left out but Bama gets in... there will be an earthquake coming from Texas.
December 1st, 2023 at 12:14 PM ^
My magic 8-ball is already hearing faint, penis-headed voices from the great beyond. . .
December 1st, 2023 at 6:58 AM ^
I'm just glad Iowa isn't able to move forward with their Cooper DeJean triple-option experiment.
That boy is a dawg.
December 1st, 2023 at 6:59 AM ^
Texas or FSU winning pretty much eliminates OSU.
December 1st, 2023 at 7:21 AM ^
Here it is. These two teams.
Beat Iowa.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:28 AM ^
Or Alabama, probably.
Michigan, Pac 12, Bama, Georgia
We'd get UGA as the 4-seed. Oh well.
December 1st, 2023 at 6:59 AM ^
I'm not worried about OSU getting in so much as I'm worried about 2 SEC teams getting into the playoff.
I guess Georgia needs to take care of business.
December 1st, 2023 at 7:06 AM ^
I think there is a higher probability of no SEC team making the playoff than two making it. It has about the same odds as OSU making the playoff: needing FSU and Texas to both lose. That is about a 4-5% proposition.
December 1st, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
Go Bama, Texas, Washington, and FSU.
That will make heads explode. No way 2 SEC teams make it over 3 Undefeated conference champions.
I dont think it will play out that way though. I think oregon smashes washington tonight.
December 1st, 2023 at 9:28 AM ^
Texas beat 'Bama. If Texas wins, a 1-loss conference champ Texas should be ranked ahead of even a 1-loss conference champ Alabama. That's why the committee has Texas ranked one spot above the Tide now, and so long as Texas doesn't lose, the committee will keep them ahead of Alabama.
Therefore, Alabama winning the SEC would elevate Texas ahead of Alabama, forcing out Georgia.
December 1st, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
or in the perfect SEC-colored world if Oregon beats Washington FSU loses, and Bama wins they Just go:
Michigan
Texas
Bama
Georgia
and say that out of all the 1-loss teams, Alabama & Georgia are better than 1 loss Wash, Oregon, FSU, OSU . . .
December 1st, 2023 at 7:09 AM ^
I would much rather us play FSU than one of the Pac-12 teams - especially if we end up in the Rose Bowl, which seems the more likely possibility. I think the best chance of that happening is Oregon winning a really close one against UW and FSU absolutely blowing out Louisville. This also assumes UGA beats Bama. If Bama wins, then I think we want UW to win and FSU to win a close one that keeps them in 4th. And yes: Texas or FSU winning likely eliminates tOSU. Unclear what committee would do with teams whose only loss came in their conference championship (UW and UGA if they lose). In any event, onto Indy. Go Blue!
December 1st, 2023 at 7:12 AM ^
So many unknowns could affect where FSU would be seeded (the Pac-12 and SEC championship game results and how FSU performs) that I feel like I would rather root for Washington than Oregon.
Like someone else mentioned above, I think it would be cool to have 4 undefeated teams in this last year in of the 4-team playoff.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:15 AM ^
Washington is not the same team that it was at the start of the season. Defenses seem to have gotten better at defending their schemes.
I think either Washington or FSU would get boa constricted to death by us. I would LOVE to see either of them in the semis.
December 1st, 2023 at 9:27 AM ^
No question. Which leads me to believe that we will play Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Georgia/Alabama will play FSU in the Sugar Bowl.
December 1st, 2023 at 11:59 AM ^
Would require some shenanigans to put an undefeated FSU behind an Oregon team that is currently behind them. Or to move a Michigan team beating Iowa ahead of a currently higher ranked Georgia that beats Alabama. But yeah.
December 1st, 2023 at 12:20 PM ^
Penix isnt the same QB he was in September. I think vegas knows it.
December 1st, 2023 at 7:13 AM ^
A Texas win. A 1 loss conference champion would help ensure OSU is out, and if Alabama wins, the debate to take Georgia over Texas will be fun to watch.
December 1st, 2023 at 7:15 AM ^
There won't be any debate over Georgia and OSU. Georgia is going to win that. They are the two-time defending champ that went undefeated in the regular season. Can't penalize them with respect to OSU for playing an extra game.
I think there could potentially be debate over a one-loss Washington vs OSU.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:55 AM ^
He’s saying OSU is out, and he wants to see the debate between putting one of Texas, Georgia, or Alabama should Alabama win.
December 1st, 2023 at 7:15 AM ^
I'd like to see FSU and Texas get in - 1. Michigan, 2. Washington, 3. FSU, 4.Texas... but that's not really likely. I really want to see the CFP squirm when given the choice between Alabama and Texas though.
December 1st, 2023 at 7:16 AM ^
I am trying to mentally construct how we get to play FSU. I cannot see a clear path.
I am assuming that if FSU is in the CFP, they will be the 4 seed regardless of who else is in bc of the QB situation
If Dawgs win, they will get #1 seed and play FSU (if FSU is in). So the only way we play FSU is if Bama wins… but that opens a whole can of worms. Maybe Bama wins, we win, Washington wins, Texas loses. We get FSU, and committee puts Bama over FSU so its Huskies-Tide? Georgia left out over FSU. Conceivable but unlikely.
The one thing I dont know is, if there are three undefeateds (UGa, us, FSU), and a bunch of 1-loss teams for the last spot… will the committee put 13-0 FSU at the #3? As I said above, I highly doubt it bc whoever that 1-loss team is, it would be favored over FSU. But if the Cmte doesnt care about that and strictly rewards FSU for being undefeated, then we get FSU if UGa and FSU win and if Oregon wins.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:09 AM ^
I don’t think that is necessarily true. If they look impressive against Louisville and Oregon wins a close game against Washington and everything else holds serve, I think it’s like 80% it would be 1) Georgia, 2) Mich, 3) FSU, 4) Oregon.
While it would be cool for the Rose Bowl to have one last classic BIG/PAC matchup I don’t think the CFP cares about that.
December 1st, 2023 at 7:20 AM ^
In order of importance ...
1. Michigan
2. FSU
3. Washington
4. Texas
I really don't care who wins Georgia Bama unless 2/3/4 all lose. Then Georgia
December 1st, 2023 at 7:57 AM ^
Why is Washington more important than Texas? Strong disagree. The winner of that game is probably in no matter who it is.
December 1st, 2023 at 9:43 AM ^
Because we'd rather face Washington than Oregon (that seems to be the consensus thinking).
December 1st, 2023 at 7:26 AM ^
Don't we want OSU in so we can beat their asses again?
December 1st, 2023 at 8:03 AM ^
While it would be enormous fun to beat them again, the risk is also enormous. They ARE a really good team, after all.
I would be extraordinarily happy to beat them twice, but I'm already very happy now.
And a wise man once said ... "Don't try to out-happy, happy" ;)
December 1st, 2023 at 8:12 AM ^
No, for the simple fact that they don’t deserve to be there. OSU has done nothing recently to justify them getting as a non-conference champion two straight years.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:24 AM ^
No, not this year. We will be seeing plenty of them in the expanded play off.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:30 AM ^
And the Big Ten championship with the no divisions format.
The first year we play them 3 times will be kind of fun, actually.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:53 AM ^
Kind of fun in a novel way, maybe. But in that scenario, it also means that the regular season edition will be essentially worthless to the winner. At best it would be for something like home field or seeding, but it won't lock either team out of a championship aspiration.
December 1st, 2023 at 9:27 AM ^
Right. Fun for the novelty. After the first time it won't be as interesting.
I much preferred the world where it was the de facto Big Ten championship game. And then recently when it's at least been the Big Ten East championship game, and thank goodness we won the last three of those.
But those days will no longer exist.
We could get a game with OSU that determines which team goes to the Big Ten title game and leaves the other one out. But it would mean 1) we're not the top 2 teams and 2) probably that we wouldn't even know before kickoff how it will all shake out because it will probably depend on tiebreakers with other Big Ten games.
December 1st, 2023 at 9:45 AM ^
The only way it would be fun would be if we lost the Game. Only the loser ever wants a rematch.
December 1st, 2023 at 8:51 AM ^
No, because I want The Game to mean something, for the last year. I was annoyed that OSU backed in last year; Michigan never backed into any playoff after losing to OSU. Part of the value of The Game is that historically it's been the regular season de facto play-in for the Rose Bowl or BCS or CFP or at least the BTCG.
Starting next year, that's all gone. There will be many years in which both teams have their playoff spots locked up and are only playing for home field or seeding. There will be years in which an OSU-Michigan rematch in the BTCG is locked in before kickoff (as would have been the case the last 2 years). The regular season edition of The Game is likely to lose a lot of spice. For the sake of that importance of The Game, let's send OSU out in a non-championship bowl - the result that is SUPPOSED to await the loser of The Game.
December 1st, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
Last two years I would say no, as I thought we played very close to our best possible games against them in 21 and 22. This year? I honestly thought we left a lot on the table. To beat them twice, with the second time for the actual National Championship, is the literal best scenario ever constructed and worth the risk. But that's just like, my opinion, man.