The Undefeated - After Week 8 | Syracusefan.com

The Undefeated - After Week 8

SWC75

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In past years I’ve kept track of the future schedules of undefeated teams to see who might remain seated in the musical chairs world of 2 and 4 team playoffs for the national championship. Now we have a 12 team playoff. The 5 highest ranked FBS conference champions and the 7 highest rated teams other than them will play off for the national championship. The four highest rated teams will get a bye. I think they should have had a 16 team playoff with all the conference champions, but that’s besides the point. The impact on my keeping track of the future challenges of the top teams is that I will look at every undefeated team. If that’s less than 12 teams, I’ll also look at ever 1 loss team. If that falls under 12, I’ll look at every 2 loss team, and so on. I won’t limit it to power conference teams.

What I will do is to simplify my listings by just showing what games they have ahead that will pit them against teams also on the list. I’ll give the won-lost record of each team, their point differentials, their ranking and their “against ranked teams” points from my post by that name. I’ll also give the date and location of the game, (signified by the use or non-use of the word “at”.

I also have been keeping track of the competition for two fictional bowls I created, the “Pesci Bowl” for the best Group of 5 teams and the Ty-D Bowl for the worst major college teams in the country. The Group of 5 can now get into the 12 team playoff so the Pesci Bowl will go to the best two Group of 5 teams that didn’t make the playoff. The Ty-D Bowl will continue to be the two worst teams. I’ll list winless teams until there are less than 2. Theen I’ll list the 1 win teams for that.

Here are the current undefeated teams:

ARMY 7-0 (283-87) #23 (writer’s)/#23 (coaches) ART (Against Ranked Teams): None
Sat 11/23 vs. NOTRE DAME 6-1 (242-83) #12/#11 ART: +34
Sat 12/14 vs. NAVY 6-0 (269-118) #24/#24 ART: None in Washington DC at Northwest Stadium.
Could it happen? Undefeated Army vs. Undefeated Navy? Not only that – it could happen again the next week: they could both play in the American Conference championship game. One problem: Notre Dame, who will play both teams before that could happen. But I’d love to see it!

BRIGHAM YOUNG 7-0 (244-133) #11/#12 (coaches) ART +42
The only team to beat SMU and they crushed K-State 38-9.

INDIANA 7-0 (341-96) #13/#13 ART: None
Sat 11/23 at OHIO STATE 5-1 (261-66) #4/#4 ART: +22
Is Indiana for real? Ask Nebraska.

IOWA STATE 7-0 (222-101) #10/#10 ART: +6
Sat 11/30 vs. KANSAS STATE 6-1 (233-144) #16/#16 ART: +58
The Cyclones last won a conference football championship 112 years ago. That’s longer than the Cubs!

LIBERTY 5-0 (165-106) NR/NR ART: None
Their biggest problem could be Sam Houston State, up from FCS, who will host them on Friday 11/29

U of MIAMI 7-0 (338-158) #6/#5 ART: None
Sat 11/2 vs. DUKE 6-1 (181-121) NR/NR ART: None
Sat 11/30 at SYRACUSE 5-1 (203-148) NR/NR ART: +10
Miami doesn’t play Pittsburgh, the only other undefeated ACC team – unless it’s in the conference title game.

NAVY 6-0 (269-118) #24/#24 ART: None
Sat 10/26 vs. NOTRE DAME 6-1 (242-83) #12/#11 ART: +34
Sat 12/14 ARMY 7-0 (283-87) #23/#24 ART: None in Washington DC at Northwest Stadium.

OREGON 7-0 (242-116) #1/#1 ART: +25
I think the Ducks run the table until the (ugh! I’ve got to say it) the Big Ten title game.

PENN STATE 6-0 (205-87) #3/#3 ART: +21
Sat 11/2 vs. OHIO STATE 5-1 (261-66) #4/#5 ART: +22
Can the Nittany Lions break through the Big 10’s glass ceiling? (Maybe they should drop the number and just call it the “Big” Conference?)

PITTSBURGH 6-0 (245-141) #19/#20 ART: None
Thu 10/24 vs. SYRACUSE 5-1 (203-148) NR/MR ART: +10
Sat 11/2 at SOUTHERN METHODIST 6-1 (285-144) #22/#22 ART: +11
Sat 11/16 vs. CLEMSON 6-1 (294-161) #9/#9 ART: -6
The Panthers have a tough go: SU, SMU, Clemson, Louisville and BC.

BOISE STATE 5-1 (281-157) #17/#19 ART +16
Fri 10/25 at UNLV 6-1 (305-158) NR ART: None
That will be a very interesting game for SU fans. Is UNLV for real? They looked pretty potent to me.

CLEMSON 6-1 (294-161) #9/#9 ART: -6
Sat 11/16 at PITTSBURGH 6-0 (245-141) #19/#20 ART: None
Dabo Swinney is taking no prisoners. I see them going 11-1. I’m glad we aren’t playing them – unless it’s in the conference title game.

DUKE 6-1 (181-121) NR /NR ART: None
Sat 10/26 vs. SOUTHERN METHODIST 6-1 (285-144) #22/#22 ART: +11
Sat 11/2 at U of MIAMI 7-0 (338-158) #6/#5 ART: None
The Blue Devils have beaten Elon, Northwestern in OT, UCONN, Middle Tennessee and North Carolina by a point and lost to Georgia Tech.

GEORGIA 6-1 (231-118) #2/#2 ART +98
Sat 11/16 vs. TENNESSEE 6-1 (277-81) #7/#8 ART: +90
An old-fashioned SEC confrontation with the national title on the table.

ILLINOIS 6-1 (207-121) #20/#21 ART +43
Sat 10/26 at OREGON 7-0 (242-116) #1/#1 ART: +25
I don’t think they can beat the Ducks, even if they had Red Grange.

KANSAS STATE 6-1 (222-101) #16/#16 ART: +58
Sat 11/30 at IOWA STATE 7-0 (222-101) #10/#10 ART: +6
The Wildcats have beaten two #20 teams, Arizona 31-7 and Oklahoma State 42-20. But they also lost to BYU 9-38.

LOUISIANA 6-1 (239-160) NR/NR ART: None
Sat 11/30 at LOUSIANA-MONROE 5-1 (137-120) NR/NR ART: -23
These are the Ragin’ Cajuns, formerly Southwestern Louisiana. They are in Lafayette.

LOUSIANA-MONROE 5-1 (137-120) NR/NR ART: -23
Sat 11/30 vs. LOUISIANA 6-1 (239-160) NR/NR ART: None
Formerly Northeastern Louisiana. SW Louisiana vs. NE Louisiana. Why ruin a good thing?

LOUISIANA STATE 6-1 (239-144) #7/#8 ART: +16
Sat 10/26 at TEXAS A&M 6-1 (220-124) #14/#14 ART: +57
All three of these teams aren’t going to make the tournament. Who will be without a chair when the music stops?

MEMPHIS 6-1 (239-139) NR/NR ART: None
They could go 11-1.Would that get them into the American title game?

MISSOURI 6-1 (222-109) #21/#17 ART: -22
SEC teams are a tough go, even if they aren’t ranked.

NOTRE DAME 6-1 (242-83) #12/#11 ART: +34
Sat 10/26 vs. NAVY 6-0 (269-118) #24/#24 ART: None
Sat 11/23 vs. ARMY 7-0 (283-87) #23/#23 ART: None
The Irish could be real spoil-sports. If they are, they’ll be in the tourney.

OHIO STATE 5-1 (261-66) #4/#4 ART: +22
Sat 11/2 at PENN STATE 6-0 (205-87) #3/#3 ART: +21
Sat 11/23 vs. INDIANA 7-0 (341-96) #13/#13 ART: None
After losing a heart-breaker to the Ducks, they still have some challenges. Will they wish they had McCord?

SOUTHERN METHODIST 6-1 (285-144) #22/#22 ART: +11
Sat 10/26 at DUKE 5-1 (158-105) NR/NR ART: None
Sat 11/2 vs. PITTSBURGH 6-0 (245-141) #19/#20 ART: None
The Ponys could gallop all the way to a conference title game.

SYRACUSE 5-1 (203-148) NR/NR ART: +10
Thu 10/24 at PITTSBURGH 6-0 (245-141) #19/#20 ART: None
Sat 11/30 vs. U of MIAMI 7-0 (338-158) #6/#5 ART: None
If we can get another big road win at Pitt, (Could they be the third team we knock out of the Top 25 without getting in ourselves?), that Miami game could be a big deal. Will ESPN GameDay be there?

TENNESSEE 6-1 (277-81) #7/#8 ART: +90
Sat 11/16 vs. GEORGIA 6-1 (231-119) #2/#2 ART +98

TEXAS 6-1 (274-68) #5/#6 ART: +80
Sat 11/30 at TEXAS A&M 6-1 (220-124) #14/#14 ART: +57
And old-fashion SWC confrontation – in the SEC!

TEXAS A&M 6-1 (220-124) #14/#14 ART: +57
Sat 10/26 vs. LOUISIANA STATE 5-1 (205-134) #8/#7 ART: +16
Sat 11/30 vs. TEXAS 6-1 (274-68) #5/#6 ART: +80
These will be very big games, a month apart.

UNLV 6-1 (305-158) NR/NR ART: None
Fri 10/25 BOISE STATE 5-1 (281-157) #17/#19 ART +16
The winner could be the Top Group of 5 team.

WASHINGTON STATE 6-1 (276-189) NR?NR ART: -20
None
They could be 11-1 but not in because they haven’t done well against ranked teams and have no more to play because their conference came flying apart.

We now have 10 undefeated teams and 19 one-loss teams. Chances are pretty good that the “Final 12” will come from this list, unless a two loss team gets hot.

BYU is now a power conference team and Boise State has the inside track on being the highest rated Group of 5 team, (and thus get into the playoff), so the Pesci Bowl favorites at this time would be the Army-Navy winner vs. Liberty. That has a ring to it, (although they are supposed to fight for liberty!) If Liberty loses and the service academies split, we could even have an Army -Navy (fictional) rubber match.


And here are the Ty-D Bowl contenders:

KENNESAW STATE 0-6 (77-194) ART: None
UTEP ruined their much anticipated confrontation with Kennesaw State by beating Florida International 30-21. But if another upset occurs, the 1 win teams will be back in it!

KENT STATE 0-7 (115-321) ART: -92
A mortal lock.
 

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