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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 2355303, member: 289"] 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 [B]Alabama[/B] 8-0 (344-78) ranked #1 in both polls 10/28 BYE 11/4 vs. Louisiana State 6-2 (219-160) ranked #23 in both polls 11/11 at Mississippi State 5-2 (236-125) 11/18 vs. Mercer 4-4 (232-151) (FCS) 11/25 at Auburn 6-2 (290-125) ranked #19 in both polls Comment: LSU is getting feisty. Mississippi State is still feisty. Auburn is always feisty. Then comes Georgia in the SEC title game. But even a one-loss Alabama team will make the playoff, no sweat. [B]Penn State[/B] 7-0 (280-67) ranked #2 in both polls 10/28 at Ohio State 6-1 (331-108) ranked #6/#6 11/4 at Michigan State 6-1 (159-118) ranked #16/#18 11/11 vs. Rutgers 3-4 (158-165) 11/18 vs. Nebraska 3-4 (181-216) 11/25 at Maryland 3-4 (203-257) Comment: One down, two to go. But Ohio State is a lot better than Michigan and the Spartans can play defense. Wisconsin should be waiting for them in the Big Ten Title game. They’ve got a good chance to fail but also a good chance to prove themselves. [B]Georgia[/B] 7-0 (263-88) ranked #3 in both polls 10/28 at Florida 3-3 (142-140) 11/4 vs. South Carolina 5-2 (176-135) 11/11 at Auburn 6-2 (290-125) ranked #19 in both polls 11/18 vs. Kentucky 5-2 (172-173) 11/25 at Georgia Tech 4-2 (208-125) Comment: Georgia has a serious challenge each week, especially Auburn. Then comes the Tide. But the Bulldogs are pretty good themselves. [B]Texas Christian[/B] 7-0 (291-104) ranked #6/#7 10/28 at Iowa State 5-2 (245-143) ranked #25 by the writers 11/4 vs. Texas 3-4 (212-161) 11/11 at Oklahoma 6-1 (294-175) ranked #10/ #9 11/18 at Texas Tech 4-3 (282-216) ranked #24 in the writer’s poll 11/24 vs. Baylor 0-7 (188-278) Comment: Upsets are common in this conference and Iowa State is sneaky good but the Oklahoma-game is the most likely to cost them. There will be a Big 12 title game between the teams with the two best records in the conference. Right now that would be TCU vs. the winner of the Bedlam between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. [B]Wisconsin[/B] 7-0 (256-93) ranked #7/#6 10/28 at Illinois 2-5 (130-207) 11/4 at Indiana 3-4 (177-172) 11/11 vs. Iowa 4-3 (183-129) 11/18 vs. Michigan 5-2 (176-130) ranked #19/#15 11/25 at Minnesota 4-3 (191-133) Comment: With Michigan stumbling, this is not a daunting schedule. We may not know how good the Badgers are – or aren’t until the Big Ten title game. [B]U of Miami[/B] 6-0 (200-112) ranked #11/#10 10/28 at North Carolina 1-7 (173-277) 11/4 vs. Virginia Tech 6-1 (259-89) ranked #13 in both polls 11/11 vs. Notre Dame 6-1 (289-115) ranked #9/#10 11/18 vs. Virginia 5-2 (183-161) 11/24 at Pittsburgh 3-5 (187-237) Comment: I thought Miami was the best team we’ve played this year. But it will be tough to get through the Hokies, and the Irish as well as the Wahoos with that goose egg intact. And the Tigers or the Wolfpack will be waiting for them in the conference title game. One loss teams: Clemson 6-1, Michigan State 6-1, North Carolina State 6-1, Notre Dame 6-1, Ohio State 6-1, Oklahoma 5-1, Oklahoma State 5-1, Virginia Tech 6-1, Washington 6-1, Washington State 7-1 PESCI BOWL [B]South Florida[/B] 7-0 (291-131) ranked #16/#13 10/28 vs. Cincinnati 2-6 (168-262) 11/4 vs. Houston 4-3 (191-168) 11/11 BYE 11/18 vs. Tulsa 2-6 (262-301) [B]11/24 at Central Florida 6[/B]-0 (284-105) ranked #20 in both polls Comment: An 11-0 South Florida vs. a 10-0 Central Florida, (both have lost games to hurricanes), could really ignite this rivalry. Houston could have something to say about that and then there’s still the conference title game. [B]Central Florida[/B] 6-0 (284-105) ranked #20 in both polls 11/4 at Southern Methodist 5-2 (294-214) 11/11 vs. Connecticut 3-4 (190-256) 11/18 at Temple 3-5 (167-215) [B]11/24 vs. South Florida 7[/B]-0 (291-131) ranked #16/#13[B] [/B] Comment: SMU could spoil the party vs. USF but I doubt it. Could the “Game of the Year” be in the American Conference? Why not call that the Pesci Bowl? One loss teams: Marshall 6-1, Memphis 6-1, Toledo 6-1 TY-D BOWL [B]Baylor[/B] 0-7 (188-278) 10/28 vs. Texas 3-4 (212-161) 11/4 at Kansas 1-6 (148-312) 11/11 vs. Texas Tech in Arlington 4-3 (282-216) 11/19 vs. Iowa State 5-2 (245-143) ranked #25 by the writers 11/24 at Texas Christian 7-0 (291-104) ranked #4 in both polls Comment: Sic Transit Gloria! This is the school we wanted to be like, (on the field). Getting to the top is hard but staying there is harder if you aren’t one of college football’s blue bloods. But I’ll bet they can still beat Kansas. What is Mark Mangino doing these days? (Probably hollering at somebody.) [B]Georgia Southern[/B] 0-6 (108-248) 10/28 at Troy 5-2 (162-122) 11/4 vs. Georgia State 3-3 (122-165) 11/9 at Appalachian State 5-2 (2081-151) 11/18 vs. South Alabama 3-4 (170-185) 11/25 at Louisiana (formerly Louisiana-Lafayette, formerly SW Louisiana) 3-4 (212-285) 12/2 at Coastal Carolina 1-6 (181-276) Comment: A long time FCS power with many national championships that will never win another because they went for the big bucks in FBS, the Eagles find themselves at 0-6, having just lost to an 0-6 UMASS team by 5TDs. Maybe they can beat Coastal Carolina, another refugee from FCS. [B]Texas- El Paso[/B] 0-7 (86-265) 10/28 vs. Texas- San Antonio 4-2 (187-108) 11/4 at Middle Tennessee 3-5 (153-216) 11/11 at North Texas 4-3 (254-265) 11/18 vs. Louisiana Tech 3-4 (195-193) 11/25 at Alabama-Birmingham 4-3 (214-197) 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. The remaining schedule contains no great challenges but no easy marks, either. On win teams: Bowling Green 1-7, Brigham Young 1-7, Charlotte 1-7, Coastal Carolina 1-6, Kansas 1-6, Massachusetts 1-6, Nevada-Reno 1-7, North Carolina 1-7, Oregon State 1-6, Rice 1-6, San Jose State 1-7, Texas State 1-6 [/QUOTE]

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