Johnny Manziel expected to start Thursday in Cincy
November 3, 2015Gonna Make You Sweat: While We’re Waiting…
November 4, 2015Oh, College Football Playoff poll controversy. How we missed you.
On Tuesday night the College Football Playoff Selection Committee released the first CFP Poll of the 2015 season. With eleven undefeated FBS teams still standing (eight of whom reside in Power 5 conferences) the committee had no shortage of qualified teams to consider. When the top four was released, many were surprised to see a one-loss team currently above the red line.
No. 1 Seed: Clemson
No. 2 Seed: LSU
No. 3 Seed: Ohio State
No. 4 Seed: Alabama
Clemson has quietly compiled a strong season with quality win over ranked Notre Dame and a demanding strength of schedule. LSU and featured back Leonard Fournette have trounced all competition this season and hope to run the SEC table. Ohio State’s number three position feels about right considering their performance versus preseason expectations. As the Buckeyes saw last year, all you need to do is qualify to make a statement.
Rounding out the top four is…Alabama? The screaming you hear comes from East Lansing, Iowa City, and any other town whose team is undefeated. Alabama lost to Ole Miss earlier in the year and seem a bit out of place considering how many unbeaten teams remain on the field. The Crimson Tide will have plenty of opportunities down the stretch to prove they do (or do not) belong in the playoff.
The next four teams are
5. Notre Dame
6. Baylor
7. Michigan State
8. TCU
A one-loss Irish team stands at the precipice of the playoff while the Big XII’s Baylor again is on the outside looking in. Michigan State and Iowa will both be in the conversation as long as they continue to win, though obviously only one could potentially be undefeated after the conference title game.
As the teams sprint down the stretch many of these undefeated teams are guaranteed to fall. Unbeatens TCU and Oklahoma State will clash on Saturday and LSU will receive a test from Alabama as well. Ohio State and Michigan State have a presumptive date with destiny on November 21, and no one has won any conferences yet. One would be foolish to draw too much certainty from the first CFP poll. Much like a game of chess, these rankings are only the initial moves. Every team on the list will receive a chance to prove their playoff worthiness. Until then, at least we can look forward to the arguing.
The No. 1 and No.4 seeds will play on New Year’s Eve as well as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. The Semifinal games will occur at the Orange Bowl in Miami and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The Championship Game is scheduled for Monday, January 11, 2016.
12 Comments
Really, none of this matters at this point. If there can be leapfrogging on the last poll of the year (a la last season) then I don’t really care what the poll says until it’s the final day. If the Buckeyes beat Michigan State and Michigan they’ll be a de facto #1 without a doubt.
There’s almost no chance there will be 2 SEC teams and 0 Big 12 teams. I just assume the committee is waiting for the Baylor/TCU game to sort itself out.
Iowa is criminally underrated.
Florida State maintained it’s #1 all last year yet the first poll comes out and the undefeated Buckeyes start third. In the end as long as Ohio State wins it won’t matter but Alabama #4 makes even less sense. This Saturday LSU v Alabama I wish their could be a tie.
For a first go-round with lots of time left, I think this ranking is about right.
As we all know, much of this will take care of itself during the next five weeks, and at that time we can begin to sort things out in earnest with some real information to go on.
Fortunately, I think this is a better system than the polls, where it’s much harder to move up or down.
I’m good with this.
Apparently the committee does not understand the historic greatness they are dealing with.
To rank an NFL-ready teal team third is blasphemy. THIRD?!
Just hand them the trophy and end this farce.
Honestly, third might even be a bit high. Even a proud owner of scarlet and gray glasses such as I can admit that the Buckeyes have been at the top spot largely based on last year’s finish and this year’s potential–potential that, quite frankly, we have yet to live up to for a full 60 minutes. Speaking of living on previous achievements, hello there, Bammer.
It’s all just for the sake of “embracing debate” anyway. If we win out, we are a top four team. From there, anything can happen.
Those clowns must be from down under a rock to pick them third. What a botched snap decision. They should have just punted, although I realize they couldn’t.
Alabama? Really?
Baylor and TCU have a horrific strength of schedule due to the same OOC weakness in scheduling the committee told them last year they needed to fix without the extra conference championship game to help. They did nothing.
The BigXII very well could get left out. Looking ahead, if Stanford (or Notre Dame for that matter) ends up a one-loss team pitted against an undefeated Baylor or TCU, I would see little reason to give the nod to the BigXII team.
I can see it. When we did the human-side of the WFNY CFP rankings, I had LSU, Clemson, Ohio State, then pretty much a 5-way tie for 4th place (Stanford, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Alabama, Iowa). Any of those teams in the initial position work just fine with me. Many of these teams play each other. It’ll work itself out soon.
Mich state, Michigan and a possibly undefeated Iowa.
Agreed. I wouldn’t doubt they intend controversy in these early meaningless rankings. They want people talking about them, and they’ve succeeded.
this is about right to start with … it’ll all work itself out in the coming weeks. but you just know 1 or 2 teams will be screaming they should’ve got in.