SWC75
Bored Historian
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Again this year I’ll be keeping track of those teams in contention for the very real four team College Football Playoff as well as those for my fictional creations, the Pesci Bowl, (named after short but feisty actor Joe Pesci), and the dreaded Ty-D Bowl, named after the toilet bowl cleaning product.
The playoff is four the best four power conference-level teams in the country, (Notre Dame counts as aa power conference team). The Pesci Bowl is for the two best non-power conference teams. The Ty-D Bowl is for the two worst FBS teams in the country. The idea is to track the contenders through their coming schedules, which will tell us what games to look out for. I’ll start with the teams with perfect records: undefeated power conference and non-power conference teams and winless FBS teams. When there are fewer than 3 undefeated power teams or 2 non-power teams or 2 winless teams, then I’ll include the 1 loss and 1 win teams. But for now, we are looking at perfect records.
THE PLAYOFF
There is only one undefeated power conference team:
Wisconsin 12-0 (418-144) ranked #3 by both polls and #4 by the committee
12/2 Big 10 title game vs. Ohio State
Comment: I have a hard time believing that an undefeated power conference champion would watch four teams that have lost play for the national title on TV. A bigger question is: would a 2 loss Ohio Satte team have a shot?
The Playoff will now include at least one loss team:
Clemson 11-1 (422-163) ranked #1 by both polls and the committee
12/2 ACC title game vs. U of Miami 10-1 (351-201) ranked #2 by both polls but 7th by the committee
Comments: Clemson, having played in the last two title games, should be a lock if they bea tmiami. Miami might not be, even if they beat Clemson
Alabama 11-1 (469-138) ranked #5 by the writers, coaches and by the committee
Comment: Regular season over. Sorry, Tide, you’ll watch the SEC title game on TV. But you’ll be in the playoff. The teams in the SEC title game may watch you play for the National championship again.
Oklahoma 11-1 (543-308) ranked #2 in both polls but #3 by the committee
12/2 Big 12 title game vs. Texas Christian 10-2 (414-188)
Comments: The Sooners get to play in the first Big 12 title game since 2010, against TCU a team they beat three weeks before 38-20. They will be rooting hard for Ohio State against Wisconsin, since they beat them in Columbus.
Georgia 11-1 (426-165) ranked #6 in both polls and by the committee
12/2 SEC title game vs. Auburn 10-2 (440-197) ranked #4 in both polls but #2 by the committee
Comment: Georgia gets a chance for revenge against Auburn but can they get it? If they do, they are likely in. Auburn may be playing the best football in the country tight now but they have those two losses, one to Clemson.
U of Miami 10-1 (351-201) ranked #7 by both polls and the committee
12/2 ACC title game vs. Clemson 11-1 (422-163) ranked #4/#3 by the polls but #3 by the committee
Comment: The Canes finally came up short but could still get in the playoff if they beat Clemson.
I’m not going to do all the 2 loss teams but Auburn and Ohio State have a shot.
Auburn 10-2 (440-197) ranked #4 in both polls but #2 by the committee
12/2 SEC title game vs. Georgia 11-1 (426-165) ranked #6 in both polls and by the committee
Their #2 ranking by the committee suggests that they control their own fate and would be chosen over the teams behind them if they can only beat Georgia again. That’s not a lock: the committee could still change their minds but winning and dropping form #2 out of the top 5 seems unlikely. If the top four all win, the remaining one loss team that would be out is Alabama- who lost to Auburn and would have little to complain about. That Iron Bowl was a very important game.
Ohio State 10-2 (525-238) ranked #8/#7 in the polls and #8 by the committee
12/2 Big 10 title game vs. Wisconsin 12-0 (418-144) ranked #3 by both polls and #4 by the committee
The Buckeyes scenario: They beat #4 Wisconsin, Clemson beats #7 Miami, Auburn beats #6 Georgia and Texas Christian upsets #3 Oklahoma. But does that thrust TCU into the picture? I doubt it. They are way down at #11 and would not jump all the way to #4.
An interesting question: If the NCAA had allowed conference championship games with 10 teams from the beginning, how would the current alignment of schools be different? The other conferences added more mouths to feed to get their games.
PESCI BOWL
Central Florida 11-0 (531-247) ranked #13/#12 by the polls but #15 by the committee
12/2 American Conference title game vs. Memphis 10-1 517-339
Comment: The battle of the Florida mid-majors might have bene the most entertaining game of the year and could finally spark a major rivalry but it’s over and now the Knights must face Memphis, a team that is playing very well.
Memphis 10-1 (517-339) ranked #17/#16 in the polls but #20 by the committee
12/2 American Conference title game vs. Central Florida 11-0 (531-247) ranked #13/#12 by the polls but #15 by the committee
Comment: If Memphis wins, my fictional Pesci Bowl will be a rematch of these teams. If they lose, I’ll have to choose from the two loss teams below to find someone to challenge UCF.
We might have to go to the two loss teams: San Diego State 10-2, South Florida 9-2, Toledo 10-2 or Troy 9-2
TY-D BOWL
Texas- El Paso 0-12 (141-441)
Comment: UTEP, (formerly Texas Western), has had 21 seasons since 1972 in which they won 2 or fewer games. So this is familiar territory for them.
Baylor 1-11 (292-431)
Comment: The one-proud Bears are now 1-11. I may split the Ty-D Bowl into two levels: one for power conference teams and one for mid-majors.
Charlotte 1-11 (170-393)
Comment: Somehow they seemed more impressive as UBC-Charlotte.
Kansas 1-11 (224-521)
Comment: Kansas is so bad you wonder who they beat. The answer is Southeast Missouri, 38-16 in their opener.
Oregon State 1-11 (248-516)
Comment: Oregon is down but they still beat the toothless Beavers, 69-10. Ugh.
Rice 1-11 (195-429)
Comment: Rice’s season opened with a 7-62 loss to Stanford in Australia while their home city, Houston, was being flooded like a hurricane, so I guess you could say their season got better as it moved along.
These teams won’t be playing in any conference title games so I’ll choose the Ty-D Bowl participants now. In fact I’ll choose four of them:
TY-D BOWL (Power Conference Division)
Kansas 1-11 (224-521) vs. Oregon State 1-11 (248-516)
Comment: Baylor has fallen far but not all the way down to these two, (the Bears beat Kansas 38-9).
TY-D BOWL (Powerless Division)
Texas- El Paso 0-12 (141-441) vs. Charlotte 1-11 (170-393)
Comment: Rice already beat UTEP 31-14 for their only victory. Charlotte hasn’t played them yet.
The playoff is four the best four power conference-level teams in the country, (Notre Dame counts as aa power conference team). The Pesci Bowl is for the two best non-power conference teams. The Ty-D Bowl is for the two worst FBS teams in the country. The idea is to track the contenders through their coming schedules, which will tell us what games to look out for. I’ll start with the teams with perfect records: undefeated power conference and non-power conference teams and winless FBS teams. When there are fewer than 3 undefeated power teams or 2 non-power teams or 2 winless teams, then I’ll include the 1 loss and 1 win teams. But for now, we are looking at perfect records.
THE PLAYOFF
There is only one undefeated power conference team:
Wisconsin 12-0 (418-144) ranked #3 by both polls and #4 by the committee
12/2 Big 10 title game vs. Ohio State
Comment: I have a hard time believing that an undefeated power conference champion would watch four teams that have lost play for the national title on TV. A bigger question is: would a 2 loss Ohio Satte team have a shot?
The Playoff will now include at least one loss team:
Clemson 11-1 (422-163) ranked #1 by both polls and the committee
12/2 ACC title game vs. U of Miami 10-1 (351-201) ranked #2 by both polls but 7th by the committee
Comments: Clemson, having played in the last two title games, should be a lock if they bea tmiami. Miami might not be, even if they beat Clemson
Alabama 11-1 (469-138) ranked #5 by the writers, coaches and by the committee
Comment: Regular season over. Sorry, Tide, you’ll watch the SEC title game on TV. But you’ll be in the playoff. The teams in the SEC title game may watch you play for the National championship again.
Oklahoma 11-1 (543-308) ranked #2 in both polls but #3 by the committee
12/2 Big 12 title game vs. Texas Christian 10-2 (414-188)
Comments: The Sooners get to play in the first Big 12 title game since 2010, against TCU a team they beat three weeks before 38-20. They will be rooting hard for Ohio State against Wisconsin, since they beat them in Columbus.
Georgia 11-1 (426-165) ranked #6 in both polls and by the committee
12/2 SEC title game vs. Auburn 10-2 (440-197) ranked #4 in both polls but #2 by the committee
Comment: Georgia gets a chance for revenge against Auburn but can they get it? If they do, they are likely in. Auburn may be playing the best football in the country tight now but they have those two losses, one to Clemson.
U of Miami 10-1 (351-201) ranked #7 by both polls and the committee
12/2 ACC title game vs. Clemson 11-1 (422-163) ranked #4/#3 by the polls but #3 by the committee
Comment: The Canes finally came up short but could still get in the playoff if they beat Clemson.
I’m not going to do all the 2 loss teams but Auburn and Ohio State have a shot.
Auburn 10-2 (440-197) ranked #4 in both polls but #2 by the committee
12/2 SEC title game vs. Georgia 11-1 (426-165) ranked #6 in both polls and by the committee
Their #2 ranking by the committee suggests that they control their own fate and would be chosen over the teams behind them if they can only beat Georgia again. That’s not a lock: the committee could still change their minds but winning and dropping form #2 out of the top 5 seems unlikely. If the top four all win, the remaining one loss team that would be out is Alabama- who lost to Auburn and would have little to complain about. That Iron Bowl was a very important game.
Ohio State 10-2 (525-238) ranked #8/#7 in the polls and #8 by the committee
12/2 Big 10 title game vs. Wisconsin 12-0 (418-144) ranked #3 by both polls and #4 by the committee
The Buckeyes scenario: They beat #4 Wisconsin, Clemson beats #7 Miami, Auburn beats #6 Georgia and Texas Christian upsets #3 Oklahoma. But does that thrust TCU into the picture? I doubt it. They are way down at #11 and would not jump all the way to #4.
An interesting question: If the NCAA had allowed conference championship games with 10 teams from the beginning, how would the current alignment of schools be different? The other conferences added more mouths to feed to get their games.
PESCI BOWL
Central Florida 11-0 (531-247) ranked #13/#12 by the polls but #15 by the committee
12/2 American Conference title game vs. Memphis 10-1 517-339
Comment: The battle of the Florida mid-majors might have bene the most entertaining game of the year and could finally spark a major rivalry but it’s over and now the Knights must face Memphis, a team that is playing very well.
Memphis 10-1 (517-339) ranked #17/#16 in the polls but #20 by the committee
12/2 American Conference title game vs. Central Florida 11-0 (531-247) ranked #13/#12 by the polls but #15 by the committee
Comment: If Memphis wins, my fictional Pesci Bowl will be a rematch of these teams. If they lose, I’ll have to choose from the two loss teams below to find someone to challenge UCF.
We might have to go to the two loss teams: San Diego State 10-2, South Florida 9-2, Toledo 10-2 or Troy 9-2
TY-D BOWL
Texas- El Paso 0-12 (141-441)
Comment: UTEP, (formerly Texas Western), has had 21 seasons since 1972 in which they won 2 or fewer games. So this is familiar territory for them.
Baylor 1-11 (292-431)
Comment: The one-proud Bears are now 1-11. I may split the Ty-D Bowl into two levels: one for power conference teams and one for mid-majors.
Charlotte 1-11 (170-393)
Comment: Somehow they seemed more impressive as UBC-Charlotte.
Kansas 1-11 (224-521)
Comment: Kansas is so bad you wonder who they beat. The answer is Southeast Missouri, 38-16 in their opener.
Oregon State 1-11 (248-516)
Comment: Oregon is down but they still beat the toothless Beavers, 69-10. Ugh.
Rice 1-11 (195-429)
Comment: Rice’s season opened with a 7-62 loss to Stanford in Australia while their home city, Houston, was being flooded like a hurricane, so I guess you could say their season got better as it moved along.
These teams won’t be playing in any conference title games so I’ll choose the Ty-D Bowl participants now. In fact I’ll choose four of them:
TY-D BOWL (Power Conference Division)
Kansas 1-11 (224-521) vs. Oregon State 1-11 (248-516)
Comment: Baylor has fallen far but not all the way down to these two, (the Bears beat Kansas 38-9).
TY-D BOWL (Powerless Division)
Texas- El Paso 0-12 (141-441) vs. Charlotte 1-11 (170-393)
Comment: Rice already beat UTEP 31-14 for their only victory. Charlotte hasn’t played them yet.
