acevans

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Week 8 Who's Still in the CFB Playoff Hunt?

Oct 21, 2018, 10:35 AM

I did one of these last Sunday because last week was so chaotic but I figured I'd update it since there were some shake-ups.

Who's In the Hunt

Alabama
Certainties in life: death, taxes, and Bama destroying another mediocre SEC team. Bama looks unstoppable, but again, their schedule hasn't been challenging to this point. LSU will be the big measuring stick in 2 weeks. If they put up 50+ on LSU, then yeah, maybe we should all pack it in. But, come on, it's the LOL Vols...

Saban did get a cup of what I'm sure was Jack Daniels and Coke thrown on him by a Vols fan--which was more fight than their team put up. Bama 58, Tenn 21. Jack-and-Coke Guy 1, Saban 0.

Clemson
That was the statement win we've been looking for all year! A complete dismantling of a previously-undefeated and ranked team is the kind of win that should make CFB stand up and take notice of the Tigers (should being the operative word). Seems like the 'Cuse scare was this team's Annual Clemson Wake-Up Call, and fortunately we didn't have to suffer an L like in previous years because I don't think our Playoff bid could've supported a loss.

Clemson's path is clear--win and you're in--and we just cleared probably our biggest regular season hurdle. Feels good!

Notre Dame
ND had a hard-fought matchup hosting Garth Brooks (5-2) yesterday but pulled out the win. (I know this because I follow Tim Bourret on Twitter)

The Irish had a Bye this week, and are still undefeated. They need to win out to have a chance at the Playoff with their schedule, which has friends in low places (nailed it)! Their W over Michigan in week 1 might be the best win anyone has right now, but everyone else has really turned out to be disappointing. What was a tough schedule on paper this Summer has really fizzled: VT and Stanford aren't good wins anymore and they finish out with Navy, Northwestern, FSU, Syracuse, and the real USC.

If they do finish 12-0 and the Tigers and Tide run the table, the Committee is going to have one #### of a time deciding which two leagues to leave out of the Playoff.

UCF
UCF had an easy win over a bad ECU team, 37-10. I took some flack for including UCF last week but they're still undefeated and in the top 10. I know it's a looooong shot, but I still think if they finish undefeated with a win over an undefeated USF team, the Committee is going to have to talk about them. Wouldn't you rather see them at #4 than another SEC team that didn't even win its own division? Don't forget they beat SEC West Champ Auburn in the bowl game last season. Will they make it? No. Are they in the hunt? Yes.

Who's Still Alive

OSU
If you didn't watch Purdue take OSU to the woodshed last night, you missed one of the best games of the year and a testament to what makes CFB such a compelling sport. Purdue has a student named Tyler Trent who has terminal bone cancer and has moved into hospice care. He's a huge football fan though and was able to gather the strength to come to the game to watch from his wheelchair--as if I needed another reason to pull against Urban Meyer and OSU!!!

The Boilermakers made Tyler proud by tying the Buckeyes to the train tracks and driving over them with a freight train. Their starting LB was also from Columbus, OH and was spurned by the hometown Buckeyes. Guess who had the game-icing pick-6? You gotta love CFB!

OSU has big problems too. Their D was gashed a lot last night and the have absolutely NO running game. Their big OOC win, TCU, now has 4 losses, and PSU is looking pretty mediocre. I still think they're in with a win over Michigan and a BTCG victory, but they've got to get there first.

LSU
I could almost put LSU "in the hunt" as a team on the fast-track since they're in the beloved SEC and own the big win over UGA. They knocked off an inexplicably ranked 2-loss MSU team and have Bama left to play but they still have that loss to Florida. However, they basically control their own destiny.

UGA/Florida/Kentucky
These 3 SEC East teams are still in it. Yes, that Kentucky. UF and UGA have a de facto elimination game in Jacksonville next week for both the division and the CFB Playoff and UGA and Kentucky still have to play. Kentucky barely escaped Vandy yesterday (14-7...) so it's a matter of time until they drop another game. But they do own the head-to-head win over UF. The winner of this Division has to win out and beat Bama/LSU in the SECCG to make it to the Playoff.

Texas/Oklahoma/WVU
Same as last week, if one of these teams finishes with 1-loss (which they all currently have), then I think they're in. Oklahoma beat up on TCU yesterday and has the best argument for getting in IMO as they lost on a last-second FG to Texas. UT had a bye after their scare from Baylor last week, as did WVU, who had time to reflect on their beatdown by ISU. WVU still has to play both UT and OU. Also keep in mind, the Big 12 has a CCG again, although they don't have divisions, so the top 2 teams will play each other again in December. So the problem could work itself out or create some awesome chaos if there are 3-way ties or teams splitting 2 head-to-head matchups.

Michigan
And all of a sudden Michigan looked like the best team in the Big 10... I hate giving Harbaugh credit, but they had a big win over MSU (who was ranked, for some reason) yesterday, like Harbaugh's first win over them ever. Their path is clear--beat PSU next week and OSU, and win the BTCG and they're in. I still think Harbaugh will lose 2 more games because he's a terrible, overrated coach.

Iowa
Raise your hand if you knew Iowa was 6-1. Their lone loss is to Wisconsin, who is 5-2 now, and they've otherwise played the Big 10's version of NC State's schedule pre-DV Beatdown, but they've got PSU next week. Beat the Nittany Lions and they'll start getting some love. They don't play Michigan or OSU in the regular season so I don't think a win over either of those teams in the BTCG would even be enough to get them in but here they are.

Washington State
File this under "Longshot," but the Wazzu and The Grinch Who Stole College Gameday from Us are 6-1 and in the driver's seat in the Pac-12 North. The North Division has really beaten up on itself (which would put them all in the top 10 if they were in the SEC) and the South doesn't have any good teams to boost their schedule in a CG. They've still got a date with rival Washington at the end of the season that could be big for the Playoff picture but I don't see any Pac-12 team making it this year, especially if Notre Dame runs the table.

USF
Yeah, so this ain't gonna happen but they're still undefeated so it's mathematically possible. They beat UCONN 38-30 yesterday and still have Cincinnati and UCF at the end of the year, which could be a the last regular season matchup of undefeated teams.

Who Dropped Out

NC State
Turns out their weak schedule was indicative of an overrated team... Dave Doeren searched the sidelines in vain yesterday trying to find some excuse for the loss but a 41-7 spanking, that should've been much worse, left him excuseless. This team should go 11-1 with their remaining schedule, which would help the Tigers, but they're officially out of the ACCCG and Playoff Picture.

Oregon
Oregon was on life support at 5-1, but dropping the game to Wazzu last night did them in. That was their 4th game in a row over a ranked team!

Colorado
The other "CU" fell for the first time last week and lost their second game in a row to Washington yesterday. They weren't really a contender but their loss really hurts the Pac-12 North's chances of a decent CG matchup.

Cincinnati
See USF above. Not even a longshot, but worth noting that they fell from the ranks of the Unbeatens, dropping a game to Temple 24-17.

Message was edited by: acevans®

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Exactly what I said. Lose to the eventual division champ, take an extra week off to nurse sprained knees and the like, wait to get your #4 bid. We all KNOW they would get it, too.

A few other opinions and observations - feel free to pick holes in all of them. But I say if UCF goes undefeated and is 13-0 conf champ, they need to be in. They definitely should get in over a 2 loss team or 1 loss non-conf champ. Put them on the 2-year program like Boise St was a few years ago. Didn't they have to run the table a couple years before getting an invite? Seems like they did. (I would Google it but who cares?) As for rankings and SOS, we all have a habit of saying a 2 loss team is garbage and beating them doesn't count - they aren't ranked this week etc. But remember, the CFP committee is looking at the Top 40 - not just AP Top 25. Clemson benefited from that last year. We had some quality wins over teams not in the Top 25 but were in the Top 40 so we were looked upon favorably by CFP.

Week 8 Who's Still in the CFB Playoff Hunt?

If 0% chance of getting in then you aren't in the hunt

Re: If 0% chance of getting in then you aren't in the hunt

It's nothing more than a wink and token attaboy

Unless and until they lose a game, the Committe is going to

that-team-that-beat-bama has come unglued

^^^^^ THIS

Dat Battle uppercut doh!***

Dat Battle uppercut doh!***

Soon enough will be back @ #2

Re: Week 8 Who's Still in the CFB Playoff Hunt?

Re: Week 8 Who's Still in the CFB Playoff Hunt?

Or if BC loses another game....

They may be technically still alive in the division but they

Re: Week 8 Who's Still in the CFB Playoff Hunt?

Re: Week 8 Who's Still in the CFB Playoff Hunt?

Re: Week 8 Who's Still in the CFB Playoff Hunt?

Re: Week 8 Who's Still in the CFB Playoff Hunt?

Two reasons: 1) Saban is incapable of not wanting to crush

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