2025 College Football Playoffs

[Plankton]

SEC - It Just Means More (losses)

 

[BrianWalsh]

Reality for everybody:
- Alabama: sorry, you lost to FSU and at home to a bad OU offense. That' is your fault
- ND: sorry, you lost to a mid-Miami team and at home to a Top 15ish A&M. That is your fault
- Texas Tech and BYU: You play in the Big XII. Nothing you could do about that--it's the best you could do but it's not anybody else's fault. You both played crap OOC. That is your fault.
- Texas: you lost to Florida. You got housed by UGA. You had very tight games against Vandy, Mississippi State and Kentucky. That is your fault.
- OU: you had tight games with LSU, Auburn, Missouri, Tennessee. You lost to Texas and Ole Miss. That is your fault.

Every team that gets left out can look in the mirror and not worry about Tweeting: they have nobody to blame because of any or all of: losing game they should not have and/or having several close games with bad teams and/or playing in a bad conference and/or playing a weak OOC schedule. That's the bottom line.

And I put ND and Alabama at the top because their bad losses are inexcusable but were also early in the season. We shall see.

 

[MrNimbus]

The amount of crying this year first by miami, then byu, and now texas fans needs to be studied. Their ability to ignore any good reason why they shouldn't be in the playoffs is fascinating. Especially when you bring up 2 unranked losses, a 22 point beatdown by tech, and a loss to 4-8 florida. But blaming "nd favoritism" is just easier than admitting you shit the bed and that you have no one to blame but yourself.

 

[LifelongFan]

Autobids made more sense when there were 5 or 6 conferences with large programs who all played each other and the conferences were on pretty equal footing. Now it's a joke with megaconferences.

 

[NotKoon]

The Joey Galloway/Herbstriet pod (the closest thing to state run media for the CFP) had ND getting in as a forgone conclusion if BYU loses. Herbstriet also said the ACC should change the tie breaker rules going forward

 

[OhioIrish]

Reality for everybody:
- Alabama: sorry, you lost to FSU and at home to a bad OU offense. That' is your fault
- ND: sorry, you lost to a mid-Miami team and at home to a Top 15ish A&M. That is your fault
- Texas Tech and BYU: You play in the Big XII. Nothing you could do about that--it's the best you could do but it's not anybody else's fault. You both played crap OOC. That is your fault.
- Texas: you lost to Florida. You got housed by UGA. You had very tight games against Vandy, Mississippi State and Kentucky. That is your fault.
- OU: you had tight games with LSU, Auburn, Missouri, Tennessee. You lost to Texas and Ole Miss. That is your fault.

Every team that gets left out can look in the mirror and not worry about Tweeting: they have nobody to blame because of any or all of: losing game they should not have and/or having several close games with bad teams and/or playing in a bad conference and/or playing a weak OOC schedule. That's the bottom line.

And I put ND and Alabama at the top because their bad losses are inexcusable but were also early in the season. We shall see.

You are not completely wrong, but ND losing by a late field goal on the road, at night, in the first game of the year to a playoff contending team is a bad loss? What’s a good loss?

 

[MPClinton22]

The amount of crying this year first by miami, then byu, and now texas fans needs to be studied. Their ability to ignore any good reason why they shouldn't be in the playoffs is fascinating. Especially when you bring up 2 unranked losses, a 22 point beatdown by tech, and a loss to 4-8 florida. But blaming "nd favoritism" is just easier than admitting you shit the bed and that you have no one to blame but yourself.

This is what has annoys me about the arguments coming out of those fanbases. I'll be disappointed if we get left out, but every team in that 8th-12th ranked grouping have pretty good arguments for getting in (Texas can get lost). If we get left out, the first place I'll lay blame is on our team and coaching staff for their failures against the only two very good teams on our schedule. I won't blame the committee, or Miami/OU/Bama/BYU. It will have been no one's fault but our own team's, because we took the fate of our season and put it in the hands of the committee in the first place.

To bitch and moan about it is just pathetic - ESPECIALLY Miami. The schedule was set up perfectly for them and they tripped over their dick TWICE.

 

[Bane]

This is what has annoys me about the arguments coming out of those fanbases. I'll be disappointed if we get left out, but every team in that 8th-12th ranked grouping have pretty good arguments for getting in (Texas can get lost). If we get left out, the first place I'll lay blame is on our team and coaching staff for their failures against the only two very good teams on our schedule. I won't blame the committee, or Miami/OU/Bama/BYU. It will have been no one's fault but our own team's, because we took the fate of our season and put it in the hands of the committee in the first place. To bitch and moan about it is just pathetic - ESPECIALLY Miami. The schedule was set up perfectly for them and they tripped over their dick TWICE.

Same, really. If we miss out I'll be bummed because I truly think ND is one of only like 3 or 4 teams that has a real shot of winning it all, we're just so complete on both sides of ball. But ultimately, the margins in high level football are thin and we were on the wrong side of a few and once you lose 2 games you're leaving your fate to a group of people. It is what it is.

 

[MPClinton22]

Same, really. If we miss out I'll be bummed because I truly think ND is one of only like 3 or 4 teams that has a real shot of winning it all, we're just so complete on both sides of ball. But ultimately, the margins in high level football are thin and we were on the wrong side of a few and once you lose 2 games you're leaving your fate to a group of people. It is what it is.

I'll add one more - scheduling @Miami immediately followed by A&M at home was pretty stupid, but I do know these things get put together years in advance and dates are limited. We should have won at least one of those, so the blame still falls on the team - but maybe let's throw a get-right game between those two next time!

 

[RDU Irish]

Point differential in losses by 2 loss teams

BYU - 22 w/one loss
ND - 4
Miami -9
Alabama - 16
Vandy - 19
Oklahoma - 25
Virginia -11
BYU - 22+? if they lose CCG
Utah - 27
Texas - 40 (three losses)


This is how I would rank order these schools. Loss differential holds pretty tight overall even disregarding the quality of opponent.

Side note - UVA smoked Duke by three scores @ Duke three weeks ago, ACC is a fraud for rematching those teams in the CCG. Miami should point at that single data point to petition their conference if they had a brain. Winner of UVA/Miami would be deserving of a spot, UVA/Duke results in neither deserving a spot.

 

[stlnd01]

Side note - UVA smoked Duke by three scores @ Duke three weeks ago, ACC is a fraud for rematching those teams in the CCG. Miami should point at that single data point to petition their conference if they had a brain. Winner of UVA/Miami would be deserving of a spot, UVA/Duke results in neither deserving a spot.

Yep. THIS is where Miami and its partisans should be focusing their energy. Demand a seat in the ACC title game.

They have the same conference record as Duke and a far better overall resume. Whatever tiebreak created this situation is bullshit, and if the ACC has any self-interest they’ll recognize that Miami is the only team they have with the talent to advance in the CFP (meaning more payout), while there’s a decent chance Duke wins and the ACC is left out entirely (and gets no payout).

Would it be controversial to change the rules on the fly? Sure. Embrace that shit. None of the other rules seem to matter in this sport. Why should this one?

 

[GATTACA!]

Yep. THIS is where Miami and its partisans should be focusing their energy. Demand a seat in the ACC title game.

They have the same conference record as Duke and a far better overall resume. Whatever tiebreak created this situation is bullshit, and if the ACC has any self-interest they’ll recognize that Miami is the only team they have with the talent to advance in the CFP (meaning more payout), while there’s a decent chance Duke wins and the ACC is left out entirely (and gets no payout).

Would it be controversial to change the rules on the fly? Sure. Embrace that shit. None of the other rules seem to matter in this sport. Why should this one?

Miami should offer Duke their portion of the money they'd be awarded for their first round playoff game. Duke should realize they won't beat Virginia and even if they do they're unlikely to even make the playoffs. It's literally in everyone's best interest for Miami to replace Duke.

 

[Wild Bill]

Does anyone have access to Adam McClintock's ranking projections that were released today? He was spot on last week, and I'm guessing he is going to be correct again, just don't want to pay to find out.

 

[EvilleIrish]

Let's say BYU loses and Bama wins. We drop to 10 and Miami at 11. Do we finally get jumped by Miami in that spot?

 

[BrianWalsh]

You are not completely wrong, but ND losing by a late field goal on the road, at night, in the first game of the year to a playoff contending team is a bad loss? What’s a good loss?

I think that's a fair question and, obviously, my replies are entirely subjective but there are elements that I don't really hold as relevant:

1. On the road: if you're the better team, I think that you need to win regardless of the location.
2. At night: Miami played the game at night, too. I'm not sure what the relevance is.
3. First game of the year: it was also Miami's first game of the year.
4. Playoff contending team: fair enough but then with narrow exceptions, most of the losses suffered by playoff contending teams were to other playoff contending teams with one glaring exception among two loss teams: Miami, who lost at home to Louisville and the road to a in/out top 25ish team in SMU. Alabama got tagged by FSU. Otherwise, there aren't a lot of losses to non-contending teams. And Miami is in a conference where the CCG is between #17 and a team with five losses.

Hopefully, the committee sees it differently (possibly correctly because I can certainly be wrong in my contentions).

 

[KPENN]

Let's say BYU loses and Bama wins. We drop to 10 and Miami at 11. Do we finally get jumped by Miami in that spot?

Does this happen before or after Marcus Freeman goes to Penn St?

 

[Dale]

Let's say BYU loses and Bama wins. We drop to 10 and Miami at 11. Do we finally get jumped by Miami in that spot?

I don’t know, let’s ask Penn State Head Coach Marcus Freeman

EDIT: @KPENN won

 

[Riddickulous]

Let's say BYU loses and Bama wins. We drop to 10 and Miami at 11. Do we finally get jumped by Miami in that spot?

If the playoff committee thought Miami was better, they'd be ranked higher. If they're still behind ND this week, they're screwed.

 

[Huntr]

The ACC isn't getting 2 bids.

 

[bcole2]

Let's say BYU loses and Bama wins. We drop to 10 and Miami at 11. Do we finally get jumped by Miami in that spot?

Not if the committee upholds the statement they made previously that a team ranked behind another one going into conference championship week cannot jump the other one if neither of them play.

 

[NotKoon]

The ACC isn't getting 2 bids.

Might not get one lol

 

[NDLS_USMC]

Does anyone have access to Adam McClintock's ranking projections that were released today? He was spot on last week, and I'm guessing he is going to be correct again, just don't want to pay to find out.

I'm also too cheap to spend the $18 or whatever!

 

[fightingirish26]

I'm not complaining about anything. Simply pointing out that they have a lot of seniors on their roster. 4th, 5th and 6th year variety.

UVA has the most in America. BYU just has mid 20s guys.

Misunderstood, thought you meant they were a mid 20 something best team in the country

 

[ab2cmiller]

Let's say BYU loses and Bama wins. We drop to 10 and Miami at 11. Do we finally get jumped by Miami in that spot?

What do you think?

 

[Huntr]

What do you think?

 

[irishfan]

Unsure if it’s been mentioned yet, but the Sportsbook odds with Bama appearing to be a lock imply that they’re jumping us in the rankings. If so, the 10 seed certainly seems preferable over 9 seed. Assuming of course that OSU really is the team to beat and that they handle IU this week.

The Bama odds make no sense to me if they’re not jumping us this week. I know you can’t be punished for losing a conference champ game but that doesn’t mean you can’t get jumped by BYU who wins their game.

Take it a step further: 10 seed likely opens at Ole Miss or at A&M. 2/3 seeds likely to be B1G loser and the SEC champ winner. Potentially in a spot to be on the opposite side of the bracket of OSU, TT, and maybe Oregon.

 

[NDQuebec]

This is what has annoys me about the arguments coming out of those fanbases. I'll be disappointed if we get left out, but every team in that 8th-12th ranked grouping have pretty good arguments for getting in (Texas can get lost). If we get left out, the first place I'll lay blame is on our team and coaching staff for their failures against the only two very good teams on our schedule. I won't blame the committee, or Miami/OU/Bama/BYU. It will have been no one's fault but our own team's, because we took the fate of our season and put it in the hands of the committee in the first place.

To bitch and moan about it is just pathetic - ESPECIALLY Miami. The schedule was set up perfectly for them and they tripped over their dick TWICE.

I fully understand your point, but I also understand Miami's. I would be pissed off too if ND beat Miami and was ranked behind them with both having two losses.

 

[burmafrd1944]

Well, "Sark" you could have put yourself in a better position to have a better record by, I dunno, BEATING BILLY FUCKING NAPIER.

Regardless of the merits of his position (there are none), this is just such a Charmin soft, bitchmade attitude I cannot respect it at all. If fate turns cruelly against us I could never imagine Marcus Freeman saying we should have not played A&M or Miami. You can quibble about the timing of playing those games, but I don't think any ND fan is out there saying we shouldn't have played them. We're lamenting that we should have won. This kind of soft attitude is why Texas will never amount to a pile of shit under Sark. Shortcuts have a way of turning into longcuts.

Texas has access to as many blue chips recruits as anyone; has all the money in the world. There is no excuse for them at all

 

[burmafrd1944]

Reality for everybody:
- Alabama: sorry, you lost to FSU and at home to a bad OU offense. That' is your fault
- ND: sorry, you lost to a mid-Miami team and at home to a Top 15ish A&M. That is your fault
- Texas Tech and BYU: You play in the Big XII. Nothing you could do about that--it's the best you could do but it's not anybody else's fault. You both played crap OOC. That is your fault.
- Texas: you lost to Florida. You got housed by UGA. You had very tight games against Vandy, Mississippi State and Kentucky. That is your fault.
- OU: you had tight games with LSU, Auburn, Missouri, Tennessee. You lost to Texas and Ole Miss. That is your fault.

Every team that gets left out can look in the mirror and not worry about Tweeting: they have nobody to blame because of any or all of: losing game they should not have and/or having several close games with bad teams and/or playing in a bad conference and/or playing a weak OOC schedule. That's the bottom line.

And I put ND and Alabama at the top because their bad losses are inexcusable but were also early in the season. We shall see.

neither one of our losses was a bad one fool

 

[burmafrd1944]

I fully understand your point, but I also understand Miami's. I would be pissed off too if ND beat Miami and was ranked behind them with both having two losses.

its called taking the whole season into account