The Undefeated 2020 | Syracusefan.com

The Undefeated 2020

SWC75

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Each fall for several years, I’ve been doing a series of posts I call “the Undefeated”, in which I keep track of the undefeated teams and their remaining schedules so we can assess the likelihood of their remaining undefeated and play in, at first the BCS championship game and now the 4 team playoff. When there were fewer undefeated teams than the 2 and then 4 teams that would get to compete for the national championship, I switched to one loss teams. Eventually I introduced two other competitions: the Pesci bowl, named after vertically challenged but feisty character actor Joe Pesci for the two best non-power conference BCS team and the Ty-Dee Bowl, named after a toilet cleaner, for the two worst BCS teams.

In 2020, I haven’t done The Undefeated because the Big 10 and Pac 12 had apparently cancelled their seasons and II wasn’t sure if there was even going to be a playoff. Apparently now there will be so I’m going todo a belated “Undefeated” post.

The situation among the ‘Group of Five’ is particularly interesting this year and the race for the Pesci Bowl is a hot one, with a big game between Coastal Carolina and Brigham Young today. And we might find ourselves in the Ty-Dee Bowl so I felt the need to scout the “opposition” to see the likelihood of our staying out of it.

POWER FIVE PLAYOFF

ALABAMA 8-0 (388-148) ranked #1
12/5 at Louisiana State 3-4 (213-212)
12/12 at Arkansas 3-5 (206-247)
Comment: The Tide will roll into the SEC title game against FLORIDA with a 10-0 record.

COLORADO 3-0 (103-84)
12/5 at Arizona 0-1 (27-28)
12/11 Utah 0-2 (38-57)
Comment: That’s a red carpet for the Buffs. But USC is undefeated, too, and in the same division.

NOTRE DAME 9-0 (332-150) ranked #2
12/5 Syracuse 1-9 (175-315)
Comment: They canceled the Wake Forest game but it’s OK to play us.

OHIO STATE 4-0 (181-104) ranked #4
12/5 at Michigan State 2-3 (90-155)
12/12 Michigan 2-4 (170-207)
Comment: Having beaten Indiana, the Buckeyes should roll into the Big Ten title game and have the best chance of any short season teams to make the playoff.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 3-0 (95-74) ranked #20
12/6 (yes, 12-6) Washington State 1-1 (67-71)
12/12 at UCLA 2-2 (138-106)
Comment: If USC winds up 5-0 and Colorado goes 4-0, is that a tie?

WASHINGTON 3-0 (95-69) ranked #22
12/5 Stanford 1-2 (70-93)
12/12 at OREGON 3-1 (154-119) ranked #23
Comment: The winner of the Washington-Oregon game will play in the Pac 10 title game.

The one loss teams:

CLEMSON 8-1 (415-173) ranked #3
12/5 at Virginia Tech 4-5 (299-293)
Comment: Rematch of the game of the year coming up.

FLORIDA 7-1 (347-207) ranked #6
12/5 at Tennessee 2-5 (141-219)
12/12 Louisiana State 3-4 (213-212)
Comment: The gators should have no problem getting to the SEC title game.

INDIANA 5-1 (197-130) ranked #12
12/5 at Wisconsin 2-1 (101-35) ranked #16
12/12 Purdue 2-4 (163-179)
Comment: They can’t get past Ohio State to the Big Ten Title game so they aren’t likely to be in the playoff.

University of MIAMI 7-1 (266-198) ranked #10
12/5 at Duke 2-7 (238-315)
12/12 North Carolina 7-3 (411-286)
12/119 Georgia Tech 3-5 (206-311)
Comment: The ‘Canes problem is that they can’t get past Notre Dame of Clemson into the ACC title game. If we had the normal divisions, they’d be playing Clemson in that game.

NORTHWESTERN 5-1 (149-92) ranked #14
12/5 at Minnesota 2-3 (150-174)
12/12 Illinois 2-3 (109-160)
Comment: The Wildcats have a good shot to be in the Big 10 title game.

OREGON 3-1 (154-119) ranked #23
12/5 at California 0-3 (60-89)
12/12 WASHINGTON 3-0 (95-69) ranked #22
Comment: see above about the Washington game.

TEXAS A&M 6-1 (220-157) ranked #5
12/5 at Auburn 5-3 (213-196)
12/12 Mississippi 4-4 (318-310)
12/19 at Tennessee 2-5 (141-219)
Comment: The Aggies can’t make the SEC titles game as they already lost to ‘Bama but they could finish 9-1.

WISCONSIN 2-1 (101-35) ranked #16
12/5 INDIANA 5-1 (197-130) ranked #12
12/12 at Iowa 4-2 (191-100) ranked #19
Comment: Even if the Badgers fight their way past three ranked teams, (including the Big ten title game), they’d still only be 5-1.

Overall: Everyone in the Big 12 has 2 losses but they will play a full schedule so they still might get some consideration. But it’s likely between Notre Dame, Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Flroida if they can knock of the Tide or possibly the Pac 12 champ.

PESCI BOWL

BRIGHAM YOUNG 9-0 (428-125) ranked #13
12/5 at COASTAL CAROLINA 9-0 (348-151) ranked #18
12/12 San Diego State 3-3 (154-97)
Comment: The Cougars are an independent, (why did they leave the Mountain West?) so there is no conference championship game. If they win the knock-off battle vs. the Chanticleers, they are likely to go 11-0.

BUFFALO 4-0 (203-98)
12/12 Akron 0-4 (65-189)
Comment: They will face WESTERN MICHIGAN 4-0 (181-122), Ball State 3-1 (127-118) or Central Michigan 3-1 (145-112) in the MAC title game on 12/18. Ball State plays CMU today and WMU next week.

CINCINNATI 8-0 (327-120) ranked #7
12/12 at Tulsa 5-1 (175-133) ranked #24
Comment: The AAC doesn’t have divisions but they do have a 1 vs. 2 conference title game scheduled for 12/19. That could also be against Tulsa or it could be against Memphis 6-2 (265-235) who hasn’t played Tulsa and who plays Tulane 5-5 (354-278) today. The Bearcats will be heavy favorites to go 10-0 in any case.

COASTAL CAROLINA 9-0 (348-151) ranked #18
12/5 BRIGHAM YOUNG 9-0 (428-125) ranked #13
12/12 at Troy 4-5 (234-241)
Comment: The Chanticleers will play LOUISIANA in the Sun Belt title game on 12/19

MARSHALL 7-0 (262-71) ranked #21
12/5 Rice 1-2 (81-73)
12/11 at Florida International 0-5 (112-162)
Comment: They will play Texas-San Antonio 7-4 (315-277) in the C-USA title game on 12/18. The Thundering herd will also be heavy favorites to go 10-0.

SAN JOSE STATE 4-0 (117-61)
12/5 at Hawaii 3-3 (146-178)
12/5 Nevada-Reno 5-1 (182-127)
Comment: The Mountain West championship game will likely be between the SJS-Nevada winner and Boise State 4-1 (200-147) on 12/18 although Fresno State 3-1 (132-94), who plays Nevada today could sneak in there. No one-loss team with an abbreviated schedule is going to be in the Pesci Bowl.

WESTERN MICHIGAN 4-0 (181-122)
12/5 Eastern Michigan 0-4 (105-141)
12/12 at Ball State 3-1 (127-118)
Comment: BUFFALO and Western Michigan have the same problem: Will it be a disadvantage to them to be 6-0 or 7-0 when the other teams are 10-0 or 11-0?

I’ve got to add in:

LIBERTY 9-1 (383-192)
Comment: They have completed their schedule and are an independent with no conference title game. They lost on a missed field goal to NC State but beat us and Virginia Tech. they have too many teams to climb over but will be hiding in the bushes if there are a series of upsets.

LOUISIANA 9-1 (339-218) ranked #25
Comment: they have completed their regular season. They have a rematch with the only team to beat them, COASTAL CAROLINA, in the Sun belt title game on 12/19. CCU won the first game 30-27. If they can get by BYU, the Ragin Cajuns could get a big step up by winning the rematch. They also beat Iowa State, 31-14 in Ames, Iowa.

Overall: I think BRIGHAM YOUNG and CINCINNATI have the inside track on the Pesci Bowl. If BYU wins today, that’s likely to be the match-up.


TY-DEE BOWL

Maybe there should be two Ty-Dee Bowls, one for the worst power conference teams and one for the rest of BCS. If there were:

KANSAS 0-8 (129-398)
12/5 at Texas Tech 3-6 (275-354)
12/12 Texas 5-3 (303-231)
Comment: The Jayhawks have no talons and are very likely to go 0-10.

VANDERBILT 0-8 (116-294)
12/12 Tennessee 2-5 (141-2190
12/19 at Georgia 6-2 (250-165)
Comment: When is Tennessee going to finally resurrect itself. Not this year. They will be vulnerable in a rivalry game.

By comparison:

SYRACUSE 1-9 (175-315)
12/5 at Notre Dame 9-0 (332-150)
Comment: We have more losses than any other BCS team but at least we have a win and I don’t think we are quite as bad as the Jayhawks or the Commodores. Still, let’s root not just for SU but also for Texas Tech, Texas, Tennessee and Georgia to keep us out of Power 5 Ty-Dee Bowl. Also, mention Georgia Tech, who turned the ball over 5 times and committed 15 penalties in our game, in your prayers.

Note: the Pac 12 has three winless teams: Utah 0-2, California and Arizona 0-3. Each has two games left. Everybody in the big 10 has won a game.


A Ty-Dee Bowl for the Group of Five and independents would likely be drawn from the following winless teams:

AKRON 0-4 (65-189)
12/5 BOWLING GREEN 0-4 (54-194)
12/12 at Buffalo 4-0 (203-98)
Comments: The Akron-Bowling Green will produce a major Ty-Dee 2 contender.

BOWLING GREEN 0-4 (54-194)
12/5 at AKRON 0-4 (65-189)
12/12 Miami University 2-1 (86-80)
Comments: Eastern Illinois won’t be playing until the spring so Dino’s teams are 1-13 this year.

EASTERN MICHIGAN 0-4 (105-141)
12/5 at Western Michigan 4-0 (181-122)
12/12 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 0-4 (92-150)
Comment: Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois will make a sort of ‘directional’ Ty-Dee Bowl.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 0-5 (112-162)
12/11 Marshall 7-0 (262-71) ranked #21
Comment: A very good bet to reach 0-5

LOUISIANA-MONROE 0-9 (148-372)
12/5 at Arkansas State 3-7 (314-394)
12/12 at Troy 4-5 (234-241)
Comment: None of these teams will be able to match the Warhawk’s record of non-accomplishment.

MASSACHUSETTS 0-4 (12-161)
Comment: Their season is over, perfection thus achieved.

NEW MEXICO 0-5 (101-173)
12/5 Wyoming 2-2 (134-92)
Comments: The Lobos are a perennial Ty-Dee Bowl contender.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 0-4 (92-150)
12/12 at EASTERN MICHIGAN 0-4 (105-141)
Comments: see above.

NEVADA-LAS VEGAS 0-5 (83-190)
12/12 Fresno State 3-1 (132-94)
Comments: A probable 0-6.

Overall: It’s Louisiana-Monroe against somebody.
 

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