The Undefeated - After Week 13

[SWC75]

This is the point of the season when I look at the future schedules of undefeated teams to see who has the best chance to run the table and make the playoff. When the number of such teams falls below four, I chart the one-loss teams. I limit this to ‘power’ conference teams unless a ‘Group of 5’ team is in the Top ten of either the writer, coach’s or committee’s polls. I also have two fictional bowls for the two top mid-majors, (the ‘Pesci’ Bowl, named after vertically challenged but ever-feisty character actor Joe Pesci), and the two worst teams in the country, (the Ty-D Bowl, named after the Ty-D Bol toilet bowl cleaner). For the Pesci Bowl, I’ll keep track of the undefeated Group of 5 teams until there are less than two of them. Then I look at the one-loss G5 teams. For the Ty-D Bowl, I keep track of the winless teams until there are less than two of them. Then I’ll look at the 1-win teams. Rankings are by the writers/coaches/committee- when it comes out. I’ve decided to include each team’s points “Against Ranked Teams” (ART). See that post for details on how that is computed.

After Week 13

Playoff Contenders

ALABAMA 11-1 (429-215) ranked 8/8/8 ART +79
Sat 12/2 vs. GEORGIA 12-0 (475-189) +155 in the SEC title game
The Tide seems to be rolling, although they had to pull the Auburn game out of the fire. We all know what happened two years ago, when they became the last team to beat the Bulldogs, who are going for their 30th win in a row.

FLORIDA STATE 12-0 (465-201) ranked: 4/4/5 ART: +70
Sat 12/2 vs. Louisville 10-2 (396-240) 9/9/10 ART +58 in the ACC title game
A fascinating issue that comes up from time to time in sports is: when issuing invitations (or seeds) to a championship tournament, do you reward a team for what they’ve accomplished or for what they are now. This can involve the maturation of a team that had early problems or it can involve teams, like Florida State, who have lost a key player. If the Seminoles can beat Louisville after surviving the rivalry game with Florida with their back-up quarterback, (imagine having a good back-up QB?), that may put that concern to rest.

GEORGIA 12-0 (475-189) ranked: 1/1/1 ART +155
Sat 12/2 vs. Alabama 11-1 (429-215) 8/8/8 ART +79 in the SEC title game
Can they win three in a row? First they have to get there. Here comes the SEC title game against Alabama, who beat them in this game two years ago. But this is a school that could get in with one loss, like the Tide used to.

MICHIGAN 12-0 (451-123) ranked: 2/2/2 ART: +55
Sat 12/2 vs. Iowa 10-2 (216-146) ART: ZERO in the Big 10 title game
The Wolverines have passed the tests that finally came in beating Penn State and Ohio State. The Big Ten title game will be against Iowa, which should not be a problem. But if the Hawkeyes can keep the gam low scoring and close, anything could happen.

OHIO STATE 11-1 (394-132) ranked: 6/6/6 ART: +64
The Buckeyes have an advantage of sorts: they can’t lose this week. They can sit back and see who does.

OREGON 11-1 (543-191) ranked: 5/5/5 +154
Sat 12/2 vs. WASHINGTON 12-0 (456-276) ART: +69 in the Pac12 title game
The Ducks are looking really good. I could see a Georgia-Oregon game being a heck of a battle. But they have to beat the only team that beat them first.

TEXAS 11-1 (421-207) ranked: 7/7/7 ART: +73
Sat 12/2 vs. Oklahoma State 9-3 (362-328) +30 in Big 12 title game
The Longhorns have sort of lurked in the background but Alabama’s only loss is to them.

WASHINGTON 12-0 (456-276) ranked: 3/3/3 ART: +69
Sat 12/1 vs. OREGON 11-1 (543-191) ART +154 In the Pac 12 title game.
The challenges keep coming but the Huskies remain undefeated. The Huskies have beaten four ranked teams - by a combined 22 points. Winning close games is a useful skill in a championship tournament. But it could be aa sign of vulnerability, as well.


We’ve still got 4 undefeated power five teams. Can they all stay that way? I’ve added in the one-loss teams in case they can’t. This might have been a good time to go to 12 teams. (I still don't understand why it isn't 8, which seems perfect.)


Pesci Bowl

JAMES MADISON 11-1 (422-222) ranked 24/25/UR
Appalachian State 8-4 (429-320) finished second in the Sun Belt’s Eastern Division, (but did beat the Dukes) and will be playing in the conference title game because of that rule that JMU has to wait to participate in FBS post season games. Troy 9-2 (321-183) won the Western Division.

LIBERTY 12-0 (481-260) ranked 20/22/24
Fri 12/1 New Mexico State 10-3 (367-256) in the Conference USA title game
Our old pals from Liberty made it 11-0 but the Aggies, who just embarrassed Auburn, await in the conference title game. Still, a 12-1 Liberty team would have a good shot.

TOLEDO 11-1 (423-245) 23/UR/UR
Sat 12/2 Miami University 10-2 (327-196) in the MAC title game
How silly of me. In previous posts in this series, I forgot about the Rockets, (whose coach might wind up being ours).

TULANE 11-1 (306-204) ranked 17/18/22 ART -11
Sat 12/2 Southern Methodist (502-212) ART -31 in the AAC title game
It’s fund to see Tulane, who actually has an interesting football history having a good run. But out soon-to-be conference brethren, the Mustangs, will prove to be a hard horse to break.

Ty-D Bowl

AKRON 2-10 (195-336)

EAST CAROLINA 2-10 (208-265) ART -4

KENT STATE 1-11 (176-415)

LOUISIANA-MONROE 2-10 (208-419) ART -19

NEVADA-RENO 2-10 (208-401)

VANDERBILT 2-10 (274-434) (Actually, there was a Power Five team with fewer than three wins.)

The 2023 Ty-D-Bowl will be between KENT STATE 1-11 (176-415) and LOUISIANA-MONROE 2-10 (208-419). The Warhawks were chosen over the other two win teams based on point differential. It’s the third Ty-D-Bowl for each.

 

[SWC75]

The history of the Ty-D Bowl (updated):

What if there was a sort of BCS for the lousy teams as well as the best ones and they chose the two worst teams in the country to play each other and the loser would be crowned the worst team in the country? Nobody would ever participate in something like this but, if they did, the result could be a hotly contested and probably entertaining game that would probably attract some public interest. My idea would be to call this the “Ty-D-Bowl” after the toilet cleanser which for years has advertised itself with goofy commercials featuring a man in a naval suit and a boat floating in the water tank and telling housewives about the product:


Johnny Carson used to make fun of the Ty-D-Bol man and even play him in skits. I remember, (but was unable to find a clip), that the Ty-D-Bol man originally was seen playing a ukulele. I figured if Ty-D-Bol would be willing to sponsor the Ty-D-Bowl, the Ty-D-Bol Man could be persuaded to entertain at halftime with his ukulele.

Anyway, remembering this, I wondered who would have been in the Ty-D-Bowl over the years had there been one. I decided to look at the post-war period, (1946 onward). I listed the teams that had the worst numerical records each year and then looked at point differentials to break any ties. Specifically, since teams don’t always play the same number of games I looked at wins and ties: who had the fewest of them? To me a 0-9-0 team is the same as a 0-10-0 team. They just haven’t played as many games. If the 0-9-0 team were to play another game, off of their previous results, I’d assume they would wind up 0-10-0, (unless the 10th game was in the Ty-D-Bowl, of course). The teams have to have been considered major colleges, or Division 1A at the time. Here are the teams I’ve chosen for the Ty-D-Bowl from 1946 onward, with the team with the worst record or point differential being listed to the left. The record is their wins, losses and ties and the average scores of their games. If there has been a name change, I’ve used the current name, (Texas Western became Texas El Paso, West Texas A&M was West Texas State, etc.)

1946 Fordham 0-7-0 (6-33) vs. Kansas State 0-9-0 (5-26)
1947 Kansas State 0-10-0 (7-28) vs. Stanford 0-9-0 (8-24)
1948 Virginia Tech 0-8-1 (3-23) vs. Tulsa 0-9-1 (14-33)
Tulsa had been 9-1-0 two years before and would be 9-1-1 two years later.
1949 Brigham Young 0-11-0 (10-34) vs. Mississippi St. 0-8-1 (4-25)
1950 Virginia Tech 0-10-0 (7-43) vs. Auburn 0-10-0 (3-26)
Tech’s Robert McNeish was 1-25-3 in three years in Blacksburg.
1951 New York U. 1-7-0 (10-41) vs. New Mexico St. 1-9-0 (12-34)
The Violets, a pre-war power, gave up the sport in 1952.
1952 Richmond 1-9-0 (12-30) vs. Kansas State 1-9-0 (8-26)
1953 Davidson 0-9-0 (6-33) vs. North Carolina St. 1-9-0 (8-27)
1954 Kansas 0-10-0 (9-38) vs. Pennsylvania 0-9-0 (8-34)
Steve Sebo was 0-9 his first two years at Penn, 7-1-1 in his last, (1959).
1955 Pennsylvania 0-9-0 (4-30) vs. Alabama 0-10-0 (5-26)
How bad a coach was JB “Ears” Whitworth? He went 0-10-0 at ‘Bama!
1956 Marquette 0-9-0 (8-34) vs. William & Mary 0-9-1 (8-25)
1957 Northwestern 0-9-0 (6-30) vs. Marquette 0-10-0 (7-24)
Northwestern’s coach was none other than Ara Parseghian.
1958 Montana 0-10-0 (9-30) vs. Columbia 1-8-0 (4-32)
1959 Virginia 0-10-0 (8-39) vs. Montana 1-8-0 (9-30)
Richard Voris won his second game at Virginia and then lost 28 in a row.
1960 Hardin-Simmons 0-10-0 (7-31) vs. Virginia 0-10-0 (10-33)
Howard McChesney replaced Sammy Baugh at H-S and went 0-20. Perfection!
1961 Hardin-Simmons 0-10-0 (4-38) vs. Illinois 0-9-0 (6-32)
The Illini won the Rose Bowl two years later. Sophomores become seniors.
1962 Kansas State 0-10-0 (4-28) vs. Tulane 0-10-0 (8-29)
1963 Wake Forest 1-9-0 (4-32) vs. Lehigh 1-8-0 (9-24)
1964 Texas El Paso 0-8-2 (6-22) vs. Pacific 1-9-0 (7-30)
Texas Western, (UTEP), hired Bobby Dobbs who went 8-3 the next year.
1965 Kansas State 0-10-0 (4-30) vs. Richmond 0-10-0 (5-29)
1966 Kansas State 0-9-1 (7-23) vs. Pittsburgh 1-9-0 (11-33)
Doug Weaver coached three winless teams on his way to a 8-60-1 record.
1967 Marshall 0-10-0 (7-31) vs. Maryland 0-9-0 (5-26)
Between 1966 and 1983 the Thundering Herd won 38 games. In the ‘90s they won 114.
1968 New Mexico 0-10-0 (17-40) vs. Wisconsin 0-10-0 (9-31)
The Badgers had been 0-9-1 the previous year.
1969 Virginia Military 0-10-0 (8-41) vs. Los Angeles St. 0-9-0 (7-37)
The Diablos had won the 1964 College Division national championship: they gave up the sport in 1977.
1970 Wichita State 0-9-0 (11-42) vs. Holy Cross 0-10-1 (11-31)
The Shockers lost 31 players in a plane crash, cancelled their next two games but finished out their schedule.
1971 Brown 0-9-0 (15-26) vs. Iowa 1-10-0 (11-34)
1972 Colorado State 1-10-0 (12-38) vs. North Texas St. 1-10-0 (13-32)
1973 Texas El Paso 0-11-0 (13-49) vs. Army 0-10-0 (7-38)
Florida State and Iowa were also winless. Yes, Florida State!
1974 Wake Forest 1-10-0 (7-32) vs. Texas Christian 1-10-0 (7-31)
1975 Virginia 1-10-0 (16-39) vs. Texas Christian 1-10-0 (9-30)
1976 Texas Christian 0-11-0 (12-39) vs. Northern Illinois 1-10-0 (5-33)
TCU was the only school to make the Little Dance three times in a row. Jim Shofner: 2-31.
1977 Texas El Paso 1-10-0 (14-42) vs. Rice 1-10-0 (14-42)
How can the great state of Texas produce so many lousy teams?
1978 Boston College 0-11-0 (14-27) vs. Northwestern 0-10-1 (8-40)
1979 Richmond 0-11-0 (7-25) vs. Pennsylvania 0-9-0 (11-28)
1980 Northwestern 0-11-0 (14-40) vs. Oregon State 0-11-0 (10-35)
1981 Colorado State 0-12-0 (14-42) vs. Northwestern 0-11-0 (7-46)
From 1976-1981, the Wildcats were 3-62-1. Three. Sixty-two. And one.
1982 Rice 0-11-0 (13-33) vs. Richmond 0-10-0 (10-27)
1983 West Texas A&M 0-10-1 (14-27) vs. Minnesota 1-10-0 (16-47)
Nebraska squeaked by the once Golden Gophers 84-13.
1984 Indiana 0-11-0 (17-31) vs. Utah State 1-10-0 (18-35)
Bill Mallory went on to coach Indiana for the next 13 years.
1985 Kansas State 1-10-0 (9-27) vs. Texas El Paso 1-10-0 (18-34)
1986 New Mexico St. 1-10-0 (17-38) vs. Memphis 1-10-0 (9-27)
1987 New Mexico 0-11-0 (19-40) vs. Kansas State 0-10-1 (12-38)
New Mexico must be the worst football state in the union. The Lobos and the Aggies have each been in the Little Dance four times.
1988 Kansas State 0-11-0 (16-41) vs. Rice 0-11-0 (15-33)
Stan Parrish, Bill Snyder’s predecessor, was 2-30-1.
1989 New Mexico St. 0-11-0 (15-39) vs. Northwestern 0-11-0 (22-45)
Mike Knoll was a scintillating 4-40 in Las Cruces.
1990 Cincinnati 1-10-0 (16-42) vs. Fullerton St. 1-11-0 (19-40)
Fullerton gave up the sport two years later after setting an NCAA record for fumbles.
1991 Oklahoma St. 0-10-1 (10-28) vs. Tulane 1-10-0 (13-35)
1992 Temple 1-10-0 (12-35) vs. E. Michigan 1-10-0 (11-31)
1993 Kent State 0-11-0 (14-32) vs. Temple 1-10-0 (10-48)
1994 Ohio U. 0-11-0 (7-24) vs. Iowa State 0-10-1 (17-33)
1995 So. Methodist 1-10-0 (12-32) vs. Temple 1-10-0 (17-32)
The “death penalty” had been from 1987-88. From 1989-95 the Mustangs were 13-61-3.
1996 Duke 0-11-0 (15-34) vs. UNLV 1-11-0 (23-46)
1997 Rutgers 0-11-0 (17-45) vs. No. Illinois 0-11-0 (12-35)
From 1996-2002 Rutgers was 14-64.
1998 Kent State 0-11-0 (14-41) vs. Hawaii 0-12-0 (12-35)
The Fred von Appen, (aka Fred What Happened?) Era at Hawaii: 2-10, 3-9 and 0-12.
1999 Buffalo 0-11-0 (12-39) vs. Ball State 0-11-0 (14-33)
Buffalo went D1A in 1999 and went 10-69 the next seven years.
2000 Duke 0-11-0 (14-39) vs. La-Monroe 1-10-0 (9-38)
2001 Duke 0-11-0 (19-45) vs. Houston 0-11-0 (17-39)
The Blue Devils, once a great power, went 15-105 from ’96 to ’07.
2002 Army 1-11-0 (19-41) vs. Tulsa 1-11-0 (19-35)
2003 So. Methodist 0-12-0 (11-32) vs. Army 0-13-0 (16-37)
The 2003 Army team is the only 0-13 team in college football history.
2004 Central Florida 0-11-0 (16-33) vs. W. Michigan 1-10-0 (23-40)
2005 Temple 0-11-0 (10-45) vs. N. Mexico St. 0-12-0 (17-39)
2006 Duke 0-12-0 (15-34) vs. Florida International 0-12-0 (10-26)
2007 Florida International 1-11-0 (15-39) vs. Idaho 1-11-0 (22-37)
2008 Washington 0-12-0 (13-39) vs. North Texas St. 1-11-0 (20-48)
Washington had been 227-101-3 from 1975 to 2002
2009 Eastern Michigan 0-12-0 (16-38) vs. Western Kentucky 0-12-0 (20-40)
The Hilltoppers, 2002 FCS champs are one of those small colleges that made the leap to D1A for the money.
2010 New Mexico 1-11-0 (16-44) vs. Memphis 1-11-0 (16-40)
2011 New Mexico 1-11-0 (12-42) vs. Akron 1-11-0 (14-39)
2012 Southern Mississippi 0-12-0 (20-38) vs. Massachusetts 1-11-0 (13-40)
The Golden Eagles were 560-373-27 all-time and had won a bowl game in 2011.
2013 Miami University 0-12-0 (10-36) vs. Georgia State 0-12-0 (19-37)
The “Cradle of Coaches” was pretty sleepy in 2013.
2014 Southern Methodist 1-11-0 (11-41) vs. Georgia State 1-11-0 (23-43)
Those were Georgia State first two years as an FBS program. Welcome!
2015 Kansas 0-12-0 (15-46) vs. Central Florida 0-12-0 (14-39)
UCF had been 12-1 and beat Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl two seasons before. The Knights went winless and made the Ty-D-Bowl in George O’Leary’s first and last years there.
2016 Fresno State 1-11-0 (18-31) vs. Texas State 2-10-0 (19-41)
2017 Texas- El Paso 0-12-0 (12-37) vs. Kansas 1-11-0 (19-43)
2018 Connecticut 1-11-0 (22-50) vs. Rutgers 1-11-0 (13.5-31)
Two old Big East opponents hit hard times.
2019 Akron 0-12-0 (10.5-36) vs. Massachusetts 1-11-0 (20-53)
2020 Kansas 0-9 (16-46) vs. Louisiana-Monroe 0-10 (16-42)
2021 Connecticut 1-11-0 (16-38.5) vs. Massachusetts 1-11 (16-43)
2022 (I decided there should be two levels: “Power 5” and “Group of 5”)
Colorado 1-11 (15-45) vs. Northwestern 1-11 (14-28) and
Massachusetts 1-11 (12.5-31) vs. South Florida 1-11 (28-41)
2023 Kent State 1-11 (15-35) vs. Louisiana-Monroe 2-10 (17-35)
(There weren’t enough really bad – 2 wins or less - Power-five teams for a second game)

Participation:

Akron 2011, 2019 (2)
Alabama 1955 (1)
Army 1973, 2002, 2003 (3)
Auburn 1950 (1)
Ball State 1999 (1)
Boston College 1978 (1)
Brown 1971 (1)
Buffalo 1999 (1)
Central Florida 2004, 2015 (2)
Cincinnati 1990 (1)
Colorado 2022 (1)
Colorado State 1972, 1981 (2)
Columbia 1958 (1)
Connecticut 2018, 2021 (2)
Davidson 1953 (1)
Duke 1996, 2000, 2001, 2006 (4)
Eastern Michigan 1992, 2009 (2)
Florida International 2006, 2007 (2)
Fordham 1946 (1)
Fresno State 2016 (1)
Fullerton State 1990 (1)
Georgia State 2013, 2014 (2)
Hardin-Simmons 1960, 1961 (2)
Hawaii 1998 (1)
Holy Cross 1971 (1)
Idaho 2007 (1)
Indiana 1984 (1)
Iowa 1971 (1)
Iowa State 1994 (1)
Kansas 1954, 2015, 2017, 2020 (4)
Kansas State 1946, 1947, 1952, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1985, 1987, 1988 (9) (Bill Snyder, miracle man)
Kent State 1993, 1998, 2023 (3)
Lehigh 1963 (1)
Los Angeles State 1969 (1)
Louisiana-Monroe 2000, 2020, 2023 (3)
Marquette 1956, 1957 (1)
Marshall 1967 (1)
Maryland 1967 (1)
Massachusetts 2012, 2019, 2021, 2022 (4)
Memphis 1986, 2010 (2)
Miami University 2013 (1)
Minnesota 1983 (1)
Mississippi State 1949 (1)
Montana 1958, 1959 (2)
Nevada-Las Vegas 1996 (1)
New Mexico 1968, 1987, 2010, 2011 (4)
New Mexico State 1951, 1986, 1989, 2005 (4)
New York U. 1951 (1)
North Carolina State 1953 (1)
Northern Illinois 1976, 1997 (2)
North Texas State 1972, 2008 (2)
Northwestern 1957, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1989, 2022 (6)
Ohio U. 1994 (1)
Oklahoma State 1991 (1)
Oregon State 1980 (1)
Pacific 1964 (1)
Pennsylvania 1954, 1955, 1979 (3)
Pittsburgh 1966 (1)
Rice 1977, 1982, 1988 (3)
Richmond 1952, 1965, 1979, 1982 (4)
Rutgers 1997, 2018 (2)
South Florida 2022 (1)
Southern Methodist 1995, 2003, 2014 (3)
Southern Mississippi 2012 (1)
Stanford 1947 (1)
Temple 1992, 1993, 1995, 2005 (4)
Texas Christian 1974, 1975, 1976 (3)
Texas–El Paso 1964, 1973, 1977, 1985, 2017 (5)
Texas State 2016 (1)
Tulane 1962, 1991 (2)
Tulsa 1948, 2002 (2)
Utah State 1984 (1)
Virginia 1959, 1960, 1975 (3)
Virginia Military 1969 (1)
Virginia Tech 1948, 1950 (2)
Wake Forest 1963, 1974 (2)
Washington 2008 (1)
Western Kentucky 2009 (1)
Western Michigan 2004 (1)
West Texas A&M 1983 (1)
Wichita State 1970 (1)
William and Mary 1956 (1)
Wisconsin 1968 (1)