The Road to the Playoff

stlnd01

stlnd01

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It might be ridiculous, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to Auburn, Bama and Ole Miss all making the playoff with one loss, each to one of the others (Ole Miss over Bama, Auburn over Ole Miss, Bama over Auburn. Alternatively, I'm sure Miss. State could work in there somehow.).
At this point the other most realistic candidates to make it through with none/one loss and a tough enough schedule are:
The ND/FSU winner (though I could see us beating FSU and then losing to Northwestern or something)
The Baylor/Okie winner (Of course Baylor will blow it eventually)
A Pac-12 school that somehow survives with one loss (Oregon? Arizona? Doubtful.)
Or a sneak-in by the winner of MSU/OSU (Ugh. Ultimate reward for playing no one.)
I'd say having three one-loss SEC teams is a likelier scenario than any two of those others. And, unless undefeated, most wouldn't get the nod over a one-loss SEC team. Gotta root for utter chaos in the SEC.
 
greyhammer90

greyhammer90

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Just a reminder: Bama is 4-3 over its last 7 games. Of the 4 wins, none of them are against ranked opponents. Further, all 3 of their losses came against ranked opponents. 2 against the SECW and 1 against the Big XII.

This pleases the greyhammer
 
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BleedBlueGold

BleedBlueGold

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greyhammer90 said:
Just a reminder: Bama is 4-3 over its last 7 games. Of the 4 wins, none of them are against ranked opponents. Further, all 3 of their losses came against ranked opponents. 2 against the SECW and 1 against the Big XII.

This pleases the greyhammer
Click to expand...

The fall is near.
 
Rhode Irish

Rhode Irish

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Updating for Week 6:

FLORIDA STATE
Polls: AP - 1; USAT - 1
Who They've Beat:
Last Week: Beat Wake Forrest 43-3 Grade: B+
Who They'll Face: vs. #6 Notre Dame (10/18); *ACC Championship Game (12/4)
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 2

Quick take: Notre Dame - FSU may be the first round of the playoffs.
My Real Ranking: Probably around 16 or 17

AUBURN
Polls: AP - 2; USAT - 2
Who They've Beat: @ #17 K-State; #15 LSU
Last Week: Beat LSU 41-7 Grade: A
Who They'll Face: @ #3 Miss State (10/11); @ #3 Ole Miss (11/1); vs. #14 Texas A&M (11/8); @ #13 UGA (11/15); @ #7 Alabama (11/29); *SEC Championship Game (12/6);
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 11

Quick take: Auburn can probably lose one of these upcoming games and still be OK, but good luck only losing one. If they do, they're in.
MRR #1

MISSISSIPPI STATE
Polls: AP - 3; USAT - 6
Who They've Beat: #14 Texas A&M
Last Week: Beat #14 Texas A&M 48-31 Grade: B+
Who They'll Face: #2 Auburn (10/11); @ #7 Alabama (11/15); @ #3 Ole Miss; *SEC Championship Game (12/6);
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 8

Quick take: I think there is 1/100 chance they beat Auburn and Alabama, but we are all rooting for a Mississippi/Mississippi State game for the SEC's bid to the playoff, right?
MRR #8

OLE MISS
Polls: AP - 3; USAT - 4
Who They've Beat: #7 Alabama
Last Week: Beat #7 Alabama, 23-17 Grade: A
Who They'll Face: #2 Auburn (11/1); vs. #3 Miss State (11/29); SEC Championship Game* (12/6)
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 7

Quick take: Better chance than their neighbors to get to the civil war game unbeaten, still not buying it.
MRR #7

BAYLOR
Polls: AP - 5; USAT - 3
Who They've Beat:
Last Week: Won at Texas, 28-7 Grade: B
Who They'll Face: @ #11 Oklahoma (11/8), vvs. #17 K-State (12/6)
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 3

Quick take: Baylor is the most overrated team in the history of sports
MRR #37

NOTRE DAME
Polls: AP - 6; USAT - 5
Who They've Beat: #25 Stanford
Last Week: Beat Stanfod, 17-14 Grade: B
Who They'll Face: @ #1 Florida State (10/18); @ #20 Arizona St. (11/8);
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 6

Quick take: Louisville and USC may be ranked when we play them, and Stanford will likely climb back up, so the SOS could bump up a bit. The FSU game is the season as long as we do not throw up on ourselves.
MRR #4


Next Teams In: #8 Michigan State; #7 Alabama
 
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Rhode Irish

Rhode Irish

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It is interesting to me that only Auburn has anything close to a resume at this point, halfway through the season. But if you look at who teams still have to play, that won't be true for long. Either teams will add to their resumes or they will drop like stones. Part of the reason rankings before November aren't worth much.
 
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Rhode Irish

Rhode Irish

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Updating for Week 7:

MISSISSIPPI STATE
Polls: AP - 1; USAT - 1
Who They've Beat: #21 Texas A&M, #6 Auburn
Last Week: Beat #6 Auburn 38-23 Grade: A
Who They'll Face: @ #7 Alabama (11/15); @ #3 Ole Miss; *SEC Championship Game (12/6);
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 8

Quick take: Hard to not be impressed by their last three weeks. Stiffest tests still lie ahead with road games at Bama and rival Ole Miss.


FLORIDA STATE
Polls: AP - 2; USAT - 2
Who They've Beat: #24 Clemson
Last Week: Beat Syracuse 38-20 Grade: B
Who They'll Face: vs. #5 Notre Dame (10/18); *ACC Championship Game (12/4)
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 3

Quick take: Notre Dame - FSU may be the first round of the playoffs.


OLE MISS
Polls: AP - 3; USAT - 3
Who They've Beat: #7 Alabama, #21 Texas A&M
Last Week: Beat #21 Texas A&M, 35-20 Grade: B+
Who They'll Face: #6 Auburn (11/1); vs. #1 Miss State (11/29); SEC Championship Game* (12/6)
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 7

Quick take: Rooting hard for a Ole Miss/Miss St. 1 vs 2 matchup at the end of Novermber


BAYLOR
Polls: AP - 4; USAT - 4
Who They've Beat: #12 TCU 61-58
Last Week: Beat #12 TCU Grade: C
Who They'll Face: @ #11 Oklahoma (11/8), vs. #14 K-State (12/6)
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 4

Quick take: I still think Baylor isn't any good


NOTRE DAME
Polls: AP - 5; USAT - 5
Who They've Beat: #23 Stanford
Last Week: Beat UNC 50-43 Grade: C
Who They'll Face: @ #2 Florida State (10/18); @ #17 Arizona St. (11/8); @ #22 USC (11/29)
Schedule Degree of Difficulty: 6

Quick take: This is it.


Next week we should be down to four, then the horse race will begin in earnest.
 
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