if there was a college football playoff, who would win??

[xubrew]

i know there isn't, so addressing the point is moot, but it is a moot point that is worth discussing...

college football, unlike any other sport, awards a MYTHICAL national championship. there is no ncaa trophy. there is nothing difinitive about it. it is awarded to the team that is PERCEIVED to be the best...based on a vote. yeah. that's how they do it.

out of the 25 teams in the top 25, and all the games they've played, there have been only seven that have lost at home, and one is only sort of a loss since the virginia tech vs boise state game wasn't on campus.

the highest ranked team to lose at home was utah against tcu.

the largest point deferential of a team that lost at home was utah against tcu.

i submit, on that evidence alone, that tcu has the most impressive win of the entire college football season. not even close. me saying that tcu has the most impressive win is kind of like saying florida is hot in the summertime.

they won't be given a chance to win a national title, though. the status quo says otherwise, and unlike other sports, the status quo determines the champion...not on the field/court results.

the fact that tcu, or boise, won't win the title doesn't bother me as much as that they were never given a chance. butler, xavier, gonzaga, davidson, etc, complain that the selection committee is out to get them due to the seed they got. well, at least they get to play. boise and tcu don't even get to do that. i bet they would LOVE #7 seed despite the fact that they're ranked #3, but they don't even get that.

so, getting back to the original question, fi there was a football championship that consisted of on the field results rather than voting, tcu would win it in my bracket. hands down. i think they're the best team.

having said that, maybe they're not the best team. there is reason to think that they're not....but nothing definitive. to be fair, there is no definitive evidence to suggest they ARE the best team. that's why this is such a shame.

if tcu and/or boise win out and do not get to play for a national championship, it is definitive evidence that there should be a playoff because part of the membership is disqualified from day one.

if tcu and/or boise DO get to play for a national title, it is proof that there should be a playoff. their schedules are weak. you can't definitively say that they belong. they should have to play their way into it.

either way, it's a sham. how pretty do people think you are?? that's how the title is determined.

i think tcu would take down anyone...and if i was allowed to bet on it i would...and if we actually got to see the games, i would...but we don't.

baah.

it's basketball season. teams like xavier have a reason to believe that they can win a title because they control their own desitny. thank god for that.

[AdamtheFlyer]

It would all depend on matchups, but in a playoff type format I would favor Alabama, Ohio State, LSU and Oregon to make the semi finals if they weren't matched up with each other earlier. TCU and Boise would give anyone a hell of a game, but on a neutral field I think those 4 are the strongest teams in the country. Bama, OSU, and LSU control the line better than anyone, only giving up the line on the road against really good opponents, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Oregon just lights people up and is the weakest of the 4, IMO, but their offense is strong enough to overcome the lack of line dominance against all but the top three.

I like Auburn, but they haven't played anyone decent away from home, and their "tougher" road tests against MSU and UK were squeeker wins. I'd like to see them win, but a big part of me thinks they get dump trucked at Bama, especially now that Bama is out of the national and SEC title hunt. The Iron Bowl is their Super Bowl this year, and it's at home.

Trying to pick a winner between Bama, LSU and Ohio State is splitting hairs. It would come down to whichever QB made enough plays. All three would pound the running game. The games would be close late, and whichever made the most plays in the air would win.

[PMI]

I think TCU and Boise St would each beat Ohio State or LSU on a neutral field more often than not. I think they both match up well against those 2 teams position by position. I also think they'd both be able to beat Alabama but would have a little more trouble. I think Oregon is going to be a very tough out for any team and Auburn would be as well. I think you could certainly make a case for TCU being the best team in the nation and Boise isn't far behind, but unfortunately they probably won't get the chance.

I'm going mostly on the "eye-test," but my "Final Four" (putting any potential prior matchups aside) would be Oregon, TCU, Boise St., and Alabama. LSU could beat anyone but they could also piss down their leg in the final minutes of any first round matchup. I don't particularly think too highly of Ohio State in comparison to the other "elites" this year. I tend to think Nebraska could give all of those teams trouble too but would just miss out on it this year.

[GoMuskies]

I'm not sure what Alabama has done this year to join the elite company you guys are talking about them in.

[PMI]

I'm not sure what Alabama has done this year to join the elite company you guys are talking about them in.

That's why I said "eye-test." They haven't been a top 5 team but I think in a tournament situation they'd be a very tough out with their D, running game, and coaching. Of course none of that will matter because there will be some teams more deserving than Alabama who finish undefeated and won't get a chance to play for a national title. That's why college football, as great a regular season product as it is, has the worst, most unfair postseason format in sports.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Alabama is a victim of schedule as much as anything. It's hard to go on the road and beat good teams. They're still one of the top 4-5 teams in the country, but the simple truth is that when you go on the road and play other good teams you will lose a decent percentage of the time. Same with LSU at Auburn and Ohio State at Wisconsin.

TCU and Boise don't play those games. Utah was highly ranked but no one took them as a legit threat. VT is decent, but not much better than the 15-20 range. The other three teams are playing legit top ten opponents on the road. Auburn hasn't played a game like that yet either. The losses are losses and knock you back in a BCS system, but it doesn't mean that another unbeaten team is better because you lost a road game vs another great team.

Look at it like this, Bama, OSU and LSU would be easily undefeated with Boise or TCU's schedule. Not even a debate, really. Would Boise or TCU go into Camp Randall at night and win? Go to South Carolina and win? go to Auburn or LSU and win? Highly, highly doubtful. It's tough. Bring games back to a neutral field and I'm guessing OSU is still unbeaten and LSU/Bama has one combined loss, the loser of that game.

If you take Bama, OSU, and LSU and put them on a neutral field, they will be the best teams over time. I'd give Oregon the edge over Nebraksa for the 4th spot. Anything can happen in a one game scenario, but when you're talking about what's most likely to happen, one of those three teams is most likely to win a playoff.

I don't know why anyone doubts LSU. Les Miles is crazy, borderline stupid at times, but he wins games. LSU just wins. That defense is legit and the o-line is dominant. Somehow, someway they make the one play needed to win.

I actually think Wisconsin is much better than the credit they get. One loss at Michigan State, another pretty good team. Road games in BCS conferences are so much different than TCU and Boise ever see. Week in, week out wears on you. It's unfair to everyone, because in reality the BCS schools and TCU/Boise are really playing two different games on a week to week basis. While a lot of teams are play top ten road opponents, TCU is playing at Air Force and SDSU, while Boise is at San Jose State. Doesn't mean Boise isn't really good, just that other teams that lose tough road games often get hurt more than they should.

[PMI]

Alabama is a victim of schedule as much as anything. It's hard to go on the road and beat good teams. They're still one of the top 4-5 teams in the country, but the simple truth is that when you go on the road and play other good teams you will lose a decent percentage of the time. Same with LSU at Auburn and Ohio State at Wisconsin.

TCU and Boise don't play those games. Utah was highly ranked but no one took them as a legit threat. VT is decent, but not much better than the 15-20 range. The other three teams are playing legit top ten opponents on the road. Auburn hasn't played a game like that yet either. The losses are losses and knock you back in a BCS system, but it doesn't mean that another unbeaten team is better because you lost a road game vs another great team.

Look at it like this, Bama, OSU and LSU would be easily undefeated with Boise or TCU's schedule. Not even a debate, really. Would Boise or TCU go into Camp Randall at night and win? Go to South Carolina and win? go to Auburn or LSU and win? Highly, highly doubtful. It's tough. Bring games back to a neutral field and I'm guessing OSU is still unbeaten and LSU/Bama has one combined loss, the loser of that game.

If you take Bama, OSU, and LSU and put them on a neutral field, they will be the best teams over time. I'd give Oregon the edge over Nebraksa for the 4th spot. Anything can happen in a one game scenario, but when you're talking about what's most likely to happen, one of those three teams is most likely to win a playoff.

I don't know why anyone doubts LSU. Les Miles is crazy, borderline stupid at times, but he wins games. LSU just wins. That defense is legit and the o-line is dominant. Somehow, someway they make the one play needed to win.

I actually think Wisconsin is much better than the credit they get. One loss at Michigan State, another pretty good team. Road games in BCS conferences are so much different than TCU and Boise ever see. Week in, week out wears on you. It's unfair to everyone, because in reality the BCS schools and TCU/Boise are really playing two different games on a week to week basis. While a lot of teams are play top ten road opponents, TCU is playing at Air Force and SDSU, while Boise is at San Jose State. Doesn't mean Boise isn't really good, just that other teams that lose tough road games often get hurt more than they should.

You're right about TCU and Boise St. in that their schedules are much easier and they don't get many good road tests, but the question is what would happened if there was a playoff. Hypothetically, I think TCU and Boise St have the teams to go through gauntlet schedules like the teams you mentioned, and still turn in a similar record. They have very good college football players and coaches and, like you say with LSU, they just find ways to win (specifically Boise over VA Tech.) LSU does find ways to win, but they've also lucked out after some piss-poor clock management issues. They are very good though which is why they're in this discussion.

At the end of the day it's way too hypothetical. We don't know how far Boise or TCU would go this year because there will be no tournament. The BCS could even do what it did last year by weaseling out and matching them up against each other in a bowl game. I just think both teams would play outstanding football against anyone and have great chances of going for it.

[xubrew]

Alabama is a victim of schedule as much as anything. It's hard to go on the road and beat good teams. They're still one of the top 4-5 teams in the country, but the simple truth is that when you go on the road and play other good teams you will lose a decent percentage of the time. Same with LSU at Auburn and Ohio State at Wisconsin.


you're right. it is hard to win on the road, and bama hasn't done it. tcu has. their win at utah was the most impressive win by any team this season, imho.


Look at it like this, Bama, OSU and LSU would be easily undefeated with Boise or TCU's schedule

i don't think they would. i don't think any of those teams would have won at utah, much less blown them out. not ONE of them, much less ALL of them and EASILY. i'm also not entirely convinced that...due to match-ups...all of those teams would have beaten air force. oklahoma had far more trouble with air force tha tcu did.

i know it was a "neutral" game, but i also don't think all four of those would have hands down beaten virginia tech in that first game.

[Xavier]

XuBrew...what exactly has Utah done that impresses you that much? Beat a Pitt team in OT--the same pitt team that got destroyed by Miami and beaten by ND?

[Kahns Krazy]

i know there isn't, so addressing the point is moot, but it is a moot point that is worth discussing...

college football, unlike any other sport, awards a MYTHICAL national championship. there is no ncaa trophy. there is nothing difinitive about it. it is awarded to the team that is PERCEIVED to be the best...based on a vote. yeah. that's how they do it. .

Most sports championships are based on arbitrary championship rules. It's conceivable that Temple could beat X twice during the season, once in the conference championship and lose to them in the NCAA finals, and X would get the championship over Temple. Who is the better team? Doesn't matter, the championship is decided based on an arbitrary set of conditions.

[xubrew]

XuBrew...what exactly has Utah done that impresses you that much? Beat a Pitt team in OT--the same pitt team that got destroyed by Miami and beaten by ND?

well, winning 20 in a row (or whatever it was) at home comes to mind. they were also ranked fifth. that in and of itself isn't necessarily impressive, but tcu got less credit for beating a top five team than anyone else would have.

if you look at oregon, what have any of their opponents done?? they've only beaten two teams with winning records and the only ranked team they beat at home...and they weren't ranked as high as utah. to me, that's no less questionable than anything tcu or boise have done.

my point is that you cannot definitively say that tcu and boise aren't as good, yet voters and analysts will say exactly that. even when they beat teams that the voters themselves rank highly, they still don't get the same credit that a major conference team would. that's my problem.

[xubrew]

Most sports championships are based on arbitrary championship rules. It's conceivable that Temple could beat X twice during the season, once in the conference championship and lose to them in the NCAA finals, and X would get the championship over Temple. Who is the better team? Doesn't matter, the championship is decided based on an arbitrary set of conditions.

true, but the difference is (and it's a BIIIIG difference) those arbitrary rules don't prevent anyone from controlling their own destiny.

[PMI]

true, but the difference is (and it's a BIIIIG difference) those arbitrary rules don't prevent anyone from controlling their own destiny.

I think that's the key. In football you could have a perfect season and do absolutely everything right, and still not have an opportunity to play for the prize. That's not the case in any other sports at any level, at least not any I know about.

[X-band '01]

I'll bet South Carolina wishes there was a playoff right about now. They're getting closer and closer to their first SEC East title.

[BandAid]

I think the key to beating Oregon is to wear uglier uniforms than they are...worked for Stanford for a half...and it has kept Cal close so far...

[GoMuskies]

Utah....not a good team.