AP poll released. Iowa State #23

[VeloClone]

The SEC has kinda earned that reputation. At least they will be playing 10 conference games this season instead of the usual 8. The CFP committee has rewarded a lack of losses more than anything. That gets a little more complicated this season.

It is partly earned and partly achieved by gaming the system (playing only 8 conference games while everyone else plays 9, playing the extra patsy game late in the season because everyone knows a loss late in the season hurts a team more than an early loss).

 

[BryceC]

It seems very weird to even have rankings this fall with so many teams not playing. A team can win the “national title“ and it really won’t mean anything.

Let's be honest, of the teams not playing, only Ohio State had a chance to make the playoff. So one team has been eliminated.

 

[BryceC]

It is partly earned and partly achieved by gaming the system (playing only 8 conference games while everyone else plays 9, playing the extra patsy game late in the season because everyone knows a loss late in the season hurts a team more than an early loss).

That helps make the playoff. But once they are there, they win, and win big, especially compared to the Big 12 and Big 10, like it or not. I'm actually going to look this up.

 

[VeloClone]

That helps make the playoff. But once they are there, they win, and win big, especially compared to the Big 12 and Big 10, like it or not. I'm actually going to look this up.

Making the playoff and at times having more than one team in the playoff increases the chances of success greatly.

 

[BryceC]

Making the playoff and at times having more than one team in the playoff increases the chances of success greatly.

Sure. But the Big 12 is 0-4 in the playoffs. The OSU won the first one, and since then the Big 10 has been 0-3 with 2 shutouts. Since the very first year, no SEC team has lost to any team other than Clemson. And Clemson hasn't lost to any team that wasn't in the SEC. And the Big 12 and Big 10 have just gotten blown out in a lot of games. The proof is in the pudding at the top end.

 

[Cydkar]

Sure. But the Big 12 is 0-4 in the playoffs. The OSU won the first one, and since then the Big 10 has been 0-3 with 2 shutouts. Since the very first year, no SEC team has lost to any team other than Clemson. And Clemson hasn't lost to any team that wasn't in the SEC. And the Big 12 and Big 10 have just gotten blown out in a lot of games. The proof is in the pudding at the top end.

Someday this will change and nobody will know if this was the year that it would have.

 

[BryceC]

Someday this will change and nobody will know if this was the year that it would have.

For sure. It wasn't that long ago that USC was unbeatable and Miami ran the show. The point is that we are on a pretty sustained run and I don't think you can claim the championship if we get there would be asterisked because OSU isn't playing.

 

[ricochet]

I'd bet the CFP this year ends up: 2 SEC, 1 ACC, 1 B12. In fact, I'm not sure how it could be any other configuration.

Another possibility I could see is if somehow Clemson and Notre Dame made it along with the SEC champ. The 4th spot would then be either the Big12 champ or a second SEC. If the Big 12 is chaos and the champ has 3 losses I wouldn't be shocked with Clemson and 3 SEC teams.

 

[theshadow]

Another possibility I could see is if somehow Clemson and Notre Dame made it along with the SEC champ. The 4th spot would then be either the Big12 champ or a second SEC. If the Big 12 is chaos and the champ has 3 losses I wouldn't be shocked with Clemson and 3 SEC teams.

Clemson and Notre Dame play on Nov. 7, so one of them is guaranteed a loss. If they both make it unscathed the rest of the way, they'll likely play again in the ACC championship. So you either end up with an unbeaten team and a 2-loss team, or two 1-loss teams whose only loss is to the other one.

"Data points" and "number of conference games" will be the themes in the media if there are hairs to split, if only because that frames the ACC and SEC in a better light. ACC is playing 11 (10+1), while SEC (10+0) and Big 12 (9+1) are playing 10.

 

[Aclone]

Clemson and Notre Dame play on Nov. 7, so one of them is guaranteed a loss. If they both make it unscathed the rest of the way, they'll likely play again in the ACC championship. So you either end up with an unbeaten team and a 2-loss team, or two 1-loss teams whose only loss is to the other one.

"Data points" and "number of conference games" will be the themes in the media if there are hairs to split, if only because that frames the ACC and SEC in a better light. ACC is playing 11 (10+1), while SEC (10+0) and Big 12 (9+1) are playing 10.

So, I suppose it’s a good thing that we picked up a respectable for in Louisiana, rather than another cupcake?

 

[JM4CY]

So, I suppose it’s a good thing that we picked up a respectable for in Louisiana, rather than another cupcake?

Like Iowa

 

[OnlyCyclones]

Looks like a difficult schedule but how would you like to be Arkansas?

Arkansas Razorbacks Schedule 2020
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Add to Calendar

Regular Season
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	TV	TICKETS
Sat, Sep 26	vs4 Georgia	TBD		Tickets as low as $249
Sat, Oct 3	@Mississippi State	TBD
Sat, Oct 10	@11 Auburn	TBD		Tickets as low as $108
Sat, Oct 17	vsOle Miss	TBD
Sat, Oct 31	@13 Texas A&M	TBD
Sat, Nov 7	vs25 Tennessee	TBD
Sat, Nov 14	@8 Florida	TBD
Sat, Nov 21	vs6 LSU	TBD
Sat, Nov 28	@Missouri	TBD		Tickets as low as $36
Sat, Dec 5	vs3 Alabama	TBD

In fairness, Tennessee shouldn't be ranked, and the SEC schedule is rigged. But still, Arkansas is screwed.

Every opening week game for the SEC is a ranked vs unranked matchup. Not a coincidence.

 

[OnlyCyclones]

Not to mention one of them was ranked 3 in the playoffs before the final week, then dropped two places (which of course had absolutely nothing to do with getting what the playoff committee considered "preferential matchups". Not at all.)

That was purely the Big 12 being screwed by the media narrative post-missile crisis.

It's crazy that the Pac-12 today has so many more problems today than the Big 12 had then, but the it's still "Big 12 plays no defense" that persists the most strongly. Even as every other conference has adopted our offenses.

 

[OnlyCyclones]

For sure. It wasn't that long ago that USC was unbeatable and Miami ran the show. The point is that we are on a pretty sustained run and I don't think you can claim the championship if we get there would be asterisked because OSU isn't playing.

I think media narratives are much stronger now with proliferation of ESPN into every household. It wouldn't surprise me if the SEC stays on the mountain top for a long, long time. Similar to how teams who had success at the beginning of the TV age maintained it for decades.

 

[theshadow]

So, I suppose it’s a good thing that we picked up a respectable for in Louisiana, rather than another cupcake?

If it comes down to that, I'm sure a W over ULL would be more favorable than a W over USD or Ball State.

 

[keepngoal]

Weird and wild question

Could a non playing team make the playoffs? Based on AP Coach polls.

 

[Aclone]

Weird and wild question

Could a non playing team make the playoffs? Based on AP Coach polls.

They won’t be in the polls after the first one. Already announced for both AP and Coaches Polls.

Only included in the first one for the sake of the kids who don’t get to play.

 

[RustShack]

Weird and wild question

Could a non playing team make the playoffs? Based on AP Coach polls.

Anyone with half a brain should know that teams not playing will quickly fall out of the rankings. The Big12 saw it first hand the first season of the playoffs when Baylor and TCU were both ranked top4 and fell out championship week when neither played.