The Undefeated

[SWC75]

As of 11/13/11, these are the undefeated teams left in Division 1A/FBS college football. (The BCS standings are out now and since they, not the writer‘s or coach’s poll determine who gets into the national championship game, I‘ll just quote the BCS ranking from here on in.)

LOUISIANA STATE 11-0 (417-110) is ranked #1
11/25 Arkansas #6 (10-1)
If they win they will play Georgia, (9-2) in the SEC title game.

HOUSTON 11-0 (584-235) ranked #8
11/26 at Tulsa (8-3)
If they win they will play Southern Mississippi, Marshall or East Carolina in the Conference USA title game.

Unless LSU and Houston are chosen, we are going to have a one-loss team in the national title game. Here are the remaining one loss teams:

ALABAMA 10-1 (390-92) ranked #2
11/26 at Auburn #24 (7-4)
If they win they could play Georgia in the SEC title game if Arkansas beats LSU.

ARKANSAS 10-1 (432-232) ranked #3
11/25 at Louisiana State #1 (11-0)
If they win they could play Georgia in the SEC title game. If Alabama wins, it will depend on the BCS standings.

OKLAHOMA STATE 10-1 (548-300) ranked #4
12/3 Oklahoma #5 (8-2)
The Big 12 has no championship game. That’s good news in that Oklahoma State wouldn’t be risking it’s record in such a game but bad news because winning such a game might increase their BCS ranking.

VIRGINIA TECH 10-1 (323-186) ranked #5
11/26 at Virginia (8-3)
If they win they will play Clemson in the ACC title game.

STANFORD 10-1 (495-230) ranked #6
11/26 Notre Dame (8-3)
If Oregon State can upset Oregon, Stanford would play in the first ever Pac 12 title game.

BOISE STATE 9-1 (438-205) ranked #7
11/26 Wyoming (7-3)
12/3 New Mexico (1-10)
Their conference has no title game.

There are no remaining games between undefeated teams or between one-loss teams. There is one remaining game between an undefeated team and a one-loss team:
11/25 Arkansas (10-1) at LSU (11-0)

Comment: Arkansas at LSU is a huge game. A win by the Hogs would produce total chaos. LSU, the team that’s been #1 virtually all year could win up watching a national championship game between Alabama, whom they beat, and Arkansas whom Alabama already beat by 24 points. Great. Georgia has improved a lot as the season went along and will be no pushover in the SEC title game. Oklahoma State isn’t completely out of it if they can beat Oklahoma. They will be rooting for Arkansas to win and for Georgia to win the SEC title game.That still might not be enough. It’s hard to see how Virginia Tech, Stanford or Boise figure in this. If, indeed, the regular season is a “single elimination tournament” leading to the championship game” then the final should be LSU vs. Houston if they win out. But it won’t be.

 

[kirbivore]

Boise St. has to be kicking itself for losing to TCU. All the dominoes fell into place for an undefeated Boise to have a legit shot of landing that #2 slot and getting a title shot.

 

[SmilinBob]

If lsu beats arkansas and then georgia and then they lose to bama in the national championship game it would show the regular season didn't mean as much as it should because lsu has earned the title by doing as much as any team could do in the regular season.

 

[SWC75]

If lsu beats arkansas and then georgia and then they lose to bama in the national championship game it would show the regular season didn't mean as much as it should because lsu has earned the title by doing as much as any team could do in the regular season.

You could argue that for any playoff as well. Were the Patriots more deserving of the NFL championship in 2007 because they went 16-0 than the Giants? it should be either based on the regular season or a playoff that includes all the contenders. Picking 2 teams out of 120 to play for the title is silly.

I am planning an end of season project to see how many ranked teams naitonal champions beat. I'll use a point system- 24 points for beating the #2 team, 23 for for #3, etc. It shoudl be interesing to see which naitonal champions did the best against ranked teams. LSU this eyar would rank pretty highly if they run the table. The 1971 Nebraska team beat the final #2, #3 and #4 teams and did it by a total of 60 points. That's pretty good.

 

[SWC75]

Boise St. has to be kicking itself for losing to TCU. All the dominoes fell into place for an undefeated Boise to have a legit shot of landing that #2 slot and getting a title shot.

SI, in their "Go Figure" column said that Boise, with Kellen Moore as quarterback, has lost three games by a total of five points and the Broncos have missed 4 field goals in those games.

 

[SmilinBob]

You could argue that for any playoff as well. Were the Patriots more deserving of the NFL championship in 2007 because they went 16-0 than the Giants? it should be either based on the regular season or a playoff that includes all the contenders. Picking 2 teams out of 120 to play for the title is silly.

I am planning an end of season project to see how many ranked teams naitonal champions beat. I'll use a point system- 24 points for beating the #2 team, 23 for for #3, etc. It shoudl be interesing to see which naitonal champions did the best against ranked teams. LSU this eyar would rank pretty highly if they run the table. The 1971 Nebraska team beat the final #2, #3 and #4 teams and did it by a total of 60 points. That's pretty good.

I agree and the bowls skew the regular season as well. If anyone truly wants the regular season to mean the whole shabang get rid of the bowls all together.

LSU's season will be quite impressive if they run the table.