The OBR sheds light on tension between Browns front office and coaching staff
November 11, 2015Play like a Brown, Charlie
November 11, 2015As Michigan State had another game come down to a controversial last-second play, the world was reminded of the delicate nature of college football. With the Spartans loss, not only were their odds towards a CFP Playoff-Four entrant spot significantly decreased, but their Nov. 21 game with the Ohio State Buckeyes lost some luster as well. A theoretical undefeated Buckeyes team being the only one to beat both the Spartans and Iowa Hawkeyes would have definitely played well to the CFP Selection Committee.
On the other side, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Alabama, and North Carolina (yes, the basketball Tar Heels have a football team again) all won convincingly in what were expected to be season statement games. It would not have been a surprise to see three of those teams make their way into the committee’s top four this week (UNC still has work to do and need some serious help) though Oklahoma State did not quite make it in. The Buckeyes should be set with the committee from here on out though as big games against Michigan State, Michigan, and Iowa are still on the docket and they have held onto their third position.
Here is where the WFNY Staff and WFNY Computer have the teams pegged based on current results:
Corey Barnes Playoff-Four picks
#1 Seed: Clemson Tigers
#2 Seed: Ohio State Buckeyes
#3 Seed: Iowa Hawkeyes
#4 Seed: Oklahoma State
Historically, the Internet uses the word “Clemsoning” to describe how the Tigers would let victories slip away from them via poor play or mistakes. (( Stewart Mandel’s mailbag at SI made this term quite popular nationwide. )) This season, it means “winning.” One week after claiming the top spot in the CFP Poll, the Tigers solidified their standing by convincingly defeating No. 16 Florida State. Ohio State continued their winning ways with an uneven victory over Minnesota. Buckeye fans cannot wait to see J.T. Barrett in the backfield again, but Cardale Jones did enough to keep the Bucks’ playoff hopes afloat. OSU may not have the strongest resume, but with No. 2 LSU falling to Alabama someone needs to ride shotgun in the standings. Iowa’s win over Indiana was not especially impressive, but the Hawkeyes are overdue for some love. With two quality wins against ranked teams already, the Black and Gold have a clear road to Indianapolis. Oklahoma State easily handled TCU in Stillwater, creating chaos in the Big XII. Baylor fans may lament being on the outside again, but the Bears still do not have a quality win to their name. Their matchup with the Cowboys November 21 could change all that.
Note: I omit Alabama not out of spite but because I refuse to rank a one-loss team higher than an undefeated one.
Next Four: Baylor, Houston, Alabama, Notre Dame
Josh Poloha Playoff-Four picks
#1 Seed: Ohio State Buckeyes
#2 Seed: Clemson Tigers
#3 Seed: Alabama Crimson Tide
#4 Seed: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Have the reigning champs lost yet? Alright, just checking. No matter how they have played at times this season, until they lose they will remain atop my rankings. One of the most surprising teams in college football, Clemson proved Saturday that they deserve to have a spot in the Final Four with their win over Florida State. The Tigers not only have a good defense, but Deshaun Watson and company can keep up with anyone in the country on the offensive side of the ball. Alabama proved on Saturday that they are one of the best teams in the country in their win over LSU. The only problem is that they hiccuped earlier in the season and lost to Ole Miss, who will likely not be ranked in this week’s rankings. Man, Oklahoma State is for real! The second OSU in the Final Four, the Cowboys showed off their offense in their upset victory over TCU on Saturday.
Next Four: Stanford, Notre Dame, Baylor, LSU
Michael Bode Playoff-Four picks
#1 Seed: Clemson Tigers
#2 Seed: Alabama Crimson Tide
#3 Seed: Oklahoma State Cowboys
#4 Seed: Ohio State Buckeyes
Three of the teams above had statement victories to solidify their placement in this group. The other team struggled with a below .500 team and saw a potential future statement victory take on less meaning when Michigan State lost to Nebraska. Oh, the Buckeyes still deserve a spot here, but they are closer to Stanford and Notre Dame than Clemson based on their 2015 resume.
Next Four: Stanford, Notre Dame, LSU, Iowa
WFNY Computer Playoff-Four picks
#1 Seed: Clemson Tigers
#2 Seed: Alabama Crimson Tide
#3 Seed: Iowa Hawkeyes
#4 Seed: LSU Tigers
LSU’s strength of schedule was enough to allow them to cling onto the last position, but looking ahead any of the next five teams should surpass them even if the Tigers win out (assuming LSU does not make the SEC title game). The computer continues to love Iowa though the gap between them and the next group will continue to tighten as the Hawkeyes lack any significant chance for bonus points until the B1G championship game.
Next Four: Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Utah (Ohio State No. 9)
WFNY Computer Rankings Update
The Group of Five took a huge hit this week as previously No. 11 Memphis and No. 20 Toledo both suffered defeats to eliminate them from any likelihood of the CFP. Joining them in the elimination pool were former No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 25 Penn State, No. 27 Pittsburgh, and No. 30 Duke. Only 23 teams remain as viable CFP entrants for the 2015 season.
Handle Your Business Tier (18-27 points)
As noted above, LSU actually needs a bit of help, but there are enough high-profile games left that they could be the “next team in” given any normal college football craziness down the stretch. The rest of these teams face each other or have straight shots to the CFP Playoff-Four (looking at you Clemson).
One of the more interesting watches will be the potential Notre Dame-Stanford-Utah triangle, as the Cardinal face both the Irish and the Utes assuming Utah can take care of business in the Pac-12 South division.
A Little Help Please Tier (14-17 points)
After shooting themselves in the foot, Michigan State might find themselves cheering for rival Michigan to be upset, then to come back and beat Ohio State to give Sparty a chance. Florida remains in decent shape, but their recent lackluster play and softer SEC division leaves them with less margin than either Alabama or LSU. Oklahoma can still control their own destiny in the Big XII, but the weak conference (and weak out-of-conference scheduling) leaves them needing several other teams to lose games. UNC might make for the most interesting case of all. If they can win out, then would beating Clemson and a bunch of decent, but not great teams, be enough of a profile for inclusion or would it just push the Tigers out?
Special Recognition: Once again, Baylor (13 points) belongs in this tier due to a severely back-loaded schedule.
Need Chaos Tier (10-13 points)
Honestly, even chaos might not be enough for any of these teams other than maybe TCU.
4 Comments
Kudos to ya’ll keeping Buckeyes/Bama away from each other in the first round.
My “if everyone wins out” final 4 would have to be:
1. Bama
2. Buckeyes
3. Clemson
4. Notre Dame
Everyone gets their rematch and you setup the best draw for the title game.
….because SO many people will be watching on NYE. Seriously I still don’t get that.
Yeah, the rankings above are “to this point”
Your rankings on “winning” out make some sense though it’d be tough to keep out an undefeated Oklahoma State team if they indeed also won out. Obviously, you have ND upending Stanford.
Bonus: if the Cowboys go undefeated and STILL don’t make the CFP playoffs, then it will be hilarious. Remember, the final impetus for the playoffs was Oklahoma State being unfairly left out of the Nat’l Title game so there could be a LSU v. Bama rematch.
in a win-out scenario (which is also my current top-4):
1. Buckeyes (defending Nat’l champs, if they are rolling along with JT I can’t see another team as talented)
2. Clemson (even though their late games are against patsies, they’ve already done the heavy lifting, and I won’t hold that against them)
3. Alabama (Done absolutely nothing wrong, except for lose once, to a middle-of-the-pack team)
4. Oklahoma State (based, of course, on their blowout win last weekend, but also assuming they defeat a tough Baylor team)
Do we yet know if Baylor is tough?