2018 CFP Rankings

[Irish YJ]

Well the only way to truly do it without having the "eye Test" is the Power 5 chams and highest rank non power 5 conference champ...

This would force ND to join a conference which I'm not in favor of

8 game solves it all. 5CCs +3.
I'll take any chaos this year, that will get us to 8 in the next 5 years.

 

[Blaise]

8 game solves it all. 5CCs +3.
I'll take any chaos this year, that will get us to 8 in the next 5 years.

8 Won't solve anything.. Always going to be debate.. your plus 3 scenario.. If ND is 11-1 but 11-1 Georgia loses to Bama in conference title game and gives them a spot.. undefeated Clemson gets upset in title game so they get a spot and then undefeated UCF takes third.. We will still be complaining..

College football will always be full of debate no matter what system you use. In any system where two 11-1 records are not equal, they will always debate who should be in

 

[Irish YJ]

8 Won't solve anything.. Always going to be debate.. your plus 3 scenario.. If ND is 11-1 but 11-1 Georgia loses to Bama in conference title game and gives them a spot.. undefeated Clemson gets upset in title game so they get a spot and then undefeated UCF takes third.. We will still be complaining..

College football will always be full of debate no matter what system you use. In any system where two 11-1 records are not equal, they will always debate who should be in

First, it's going to be rare that you have more than 8 undefeated and 1 loss teams out of P5 teams. Even if you say 7 slots are P5, and the 8th is for the best group of 5 (if undefeated), I don't ever recall having more than 6 undefeated and 1 loss P5 teams... Do you?

5+3 pretty much guarantees you get the two best teams in the 8.
4 teams does not.

 

[wizards8507]

If LSU happens to beat Alabama, I bet LSU goes to 1 and Alabama to 4 staying ahead of ND pushing us to 5.

That wouldn't push us to 5, it would keep us at 4.

 

[wizards8507]

First, it's going to be rare that you have more than 8 undefeated and 1 loss teams out of P5 teams. Even if you say 7 slots are P5, and the 8th is for the best group of 5 (if undefeated), I don't ever recall having more than 6 undefeated and 1 loss P5 teams... Do you?

5+3 pretty much guarantees you get the two best teams in the 8.
4 teams does not.

Except that "power 5" isn't a real thing. It's just a made up term used by the media and fans as convenient shorthand. There's no reason those conferences should get preference over any other. If Stanford wins the Pac 12 at 9-4, they shouldn't get in over a 12-1 UCF.

All you're doing is shifting the argument down the line. You "solved" the issue by pretty much guaranteeing that every undefeated and one loss team is in, but now you're debating which two and three loss teams are in. That's not any better of an argument.

I hate the idea of an 8 team playoff, but if they go that route it should be 8 at large slots. Guaranteeing them to conference champions is stupid. No team will ever schedule a tough out of conference game again because they'd be all in on resting their players for conference games.

 

[EvilleIrish]

Our biggest fear is an LSU win this weekend. It virtually guarantees that Bama gets in and that the SEC gets two teams in.

 

[Irish#1]

If LSU happens to beat Alabama, I bet LSU goes to 1 and Alabama to 4 staying ahead of ND pushing us to 5.

I don't see that happening Clemson jumps to #1, LSU to #2, Bama #3 and ND remains #4 if we get past Northwestern.

Margin for error becomes much slimmer if LSU wins this weekend. IF LSU loses, we move to #3 with scUM on our heels. That's why we need for LSU and scUM to lose again.

 

[Irish YJ]

Except that "power 5" isn't a real thing. It's just a made up term used by the media and fans as convenient shorthand. There's no reason those conferences should get preference over any other. If Stanford wins the Pac 12 at 9-4, they shouldn't get in over a 12-1 UCF.

All you're doing is shifting the argument down the line. You "solved" the issue by pretty much guaranteeing that every undefeated and one loss team is in, but now you're debating which two and three loss teams are in. That's not any better of an argument.

I hate the idea of an 8 team playoff, but if they go that route it should be 8 at large slots. Guaranteeing them to conference champions is stupid. No team will ever schedule a tough out of conference game again because they'd be all in on resting their players for conference games.

IF the goal is to ensure you find, and give the top 2 teams the opportunity, 5+3 does that. It's not about the 2 loss teams over the 3 loss teams.

In terms of OOC games, the SEC already does what you are talking about..... one could argue that automatic CCs would stimulate teams to schedule more, because they don't fear a loss. And potentially help them be part of the 3 if they don't win the CC.

The NCAA needs to restrict FCS opponent to 1 or 2, and only allow them in the first 3 weeks.

 

[wizards8507]

Our biggest fear is an LSU win this weekend. It virtually guarantees that Bama gets in and that the SEC gets two teams in.

So? If we're undefeated we're still in, even with two SEC teams.

 

[wizards8507]

IF the goal is to ensure you find, and give the top 2 teams the opportunity, 5+3 does that. It's not about the 2 loss teams over the 3 loss teams.

In terms of OOC games, the SEC already does what you are talking about..... one could argue that automatic CCs would stimulate teams to schedule more, because they don't fear a loss. And potentially help them be part of the 3 if they don't win the CC.

The NCAA needs to restrict FCS opponent to 1 or 2, and only allow them in the first 3 weeks.

My goal is not to be 100% sure the top two teams are in, my goal is to make it as likely as possible that the top ONE team wins the championship. A larger playoff hurts the best team by making them win three tough games back to back and multiplies the chance of a fluke loss exponentially.

Imperfect analogy... everyone knew that the Red Sox, Astros, and Yankees were the three best teams in baseball. But the Dodgers got to play in the World Series because they were the National League "conference champions." The same thing happens in the NBA all the time, when the West is completely dominant over the East. If the SEC legitimately has the best four teams in the country, they should get the four playoff slots.

The NCAA should ban scheduling FCS entirely.

 

[Irish#1]

Our biggest fear is an LSU win this weekend. It virtually guarantees that Bama gets in and that the SEC gets two teams in.

So? If we're undefeated we're still in, even with two SEC teams.

We're in if we run the table.

If LSU wins and gets to the CC and UGA beats them, then I can see UGA replacing them in the top 4. That's why I want Bama to win, then win the SEC CC. It takes two SEC teams out of the equation. If the above happens and scUM drops another one, we're probably #3 at worst as long as we take care of business.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Think people ignore the past. PC has shown they don't care about head to head or records as much as resume and the eye test

Which is completely aggravating because these are subjective metrics. This is why I think you need to go to 8 teams.There needs to be at least some stability to this system, and if conference championships are really that important to them, adopt the NFL model and put them in. 3 at large bids.

It will never be perfect. Even the NCAA tourney in basketball has 68 fricken teams and there are 5-10 true bubble teams who feel they get the shaft.

But the SEC bias is obvious. Mississippi St (Top 20?!) and T A&M being ranked at 5-3 a piece is kind of ridiculous. The committee is literally propping up that conference with "resume" boosters across the board.

It is all but clear to me that we have to control our own destiny and go undefeated. After what I heard last night, I don't see them putting us in at 11-1 with the way things are shaking our right now. We would need a lot more chaos for that to happen.

The fact that we are even hearing consideration of scUM getting in over us at 12-1 with a beloved conference championship against either Iowa, Wisconsin, or NW (woopdidoo to all 3) and wins over SMU, WMU, Rutgers, as a part of the all holy THIRTEENTH DATA POINT! is an absolute joke.

 

[calvegas04]

8 game solves it all. 5CCs +3.
I'll take any chaos this year, that will get us to 8 in the next 5 years.

8 teams, top 8 teams get in. Would still make teams OOC schedule count

 

[texbender]

We're in if we run the table.

If LSU wins and gets to the CC and UGA beats them, then I can see UGA replacing them in the top 4. That's why I want Bama to win, then win the SEC CC. It takes two SEC teams out of the equation. If the above happens and scUM drops another one, we're probably #3 at worst as long as we take care of business.

Agree. Win and you're in. Lose and you probably won't make it.

 

[greyhammer90]

8 Won't solve anything.. Always going to be debate.. your plus 3 scenario.. If ND is 11-1 but 11-1 Georgia loses to Bama in conference title game and gives them a spot.. undefeated Clemson gets upset in title game so they get a spot and then undefeated UCF takes third.. We will still be complaining..

College football will always be full of debate no matter what system you use. In any system where two 11-1 records are not equal, they will always debate who should be in

I'd be much more satisfied with not getting a shot at the playoffs as a borderline top 10 team than a borderline top 5 team. Yes, debate will always exist but the further you expand the more ridiculous the complaining seems. If Notre Dame is only arguably one of three top 3 teams that didn't win their conference, I'd be more likely to admit that we weren't going to win anything regardless.

 

[koonja]

So if we win out I'm confident we'll land at #2, if not, #3. But makes no difference - we'll be avoiding #1.

I'm torn on who to root for Saturday when Bama plays LSU. Bama is the only team I don't think we can beat, so I want to avoid them.

If they win out, we'd land at #2 and we'd avoid them in round 1. This is 2nd best case scenarion.

But if they lose Saturday, there's a chance they share the other half of 2/3 with us when all is said and done, and that's worst case scenario.

Best case scenario is they lose, but also either a) drop another (unlikely) or b) get left out (very unlikely), and it doesn't matter where they land because they're out of the top 4.

Help me. Who in the F are we rooting for Saturday night in that game?

 

[wizards8507]

So if we win out I'm confident we'll land at #2, if not, #3. But makes no difference - we'll be avoiding #1.

I'm completely torn on who to root for Saturday when Bama plays LSU. Bama is the only team I don't think we can beat, so I want to avoid them at all costs.

If they win out, we'd land at #2 and we'd avoid them in round 1. This is 2nd best case scenarion.

But if they lose Saturday, there's a chance they share the other half of 2/3 with us when all is said and done, and that's worst case scenario.

Best case scenario is they lose, but also either a) drop another (unlikely) or b) get left out (very unlikely), and it doesn't matter where they land because they're out of the top 4.

Help me. Who in the F are we rooting for Saturday night in that game?

Alabama by 40.

 

[greyhammer90]

8 teams, top 8 teams get in. Would still make teams OOC schedule count

Do you want 5 SEC schools? If Bama beats the "toughest conference", they shouldn't have to do it again. That's what makes it a season long playoff. I'd rather have in conference schedules count, since that's like 70% of all games played.

 

[irishnd31]

Ill take any scenario where there are other teams, with the exception of the "football factories" that have a chance to compete in a playoff bracket. Already hate that the National Champion is basically already known before the damn season starts. What is this the NBA?

 

[Irish YJ]

My goal is not to be 100% sure the top two teams are in, my goal is to make it as likely as possible that the top ONE team wins the championship. A larger playoff hurts the best team by making them win three tough games back to back and multiplies the chance of a fluke loss exponentially.

Imperfect analogy... everyone knew that the Red Sox, Astros, and Yankees were the three best teams in baseball. But the Dodgers got to play in the World Series because they were the National League "conference champions." The same thing happens in the NBA all the time, when the West is completely dominant over the East. If the SEC legitimately has the best four teams in the country, they should get the four playoff slots.

The NCAA should ban scheduling FCS entirely.

My goal is to ensure at minimum, the best two teams get a shot to play for the NC. I'm OK with adding a tiny fluke factor... , but if a fluke beats "the best" team, is "the best" team really the best? Anyway, to me, flukes are fun. And committees don't always get things right. ... 8 gives them more opportunity to get it right.

In short, i'd rather guarantee the top 2, then worry about Bama losing to an 8 slot...

 

[calvegas04]

Do you want 5 SEC schools? If Bama beats the "toughest conference", they shouldn't have to do it again. That's what makes it a season long playoff. I'd rather have in conference schedules count, since that's like 70% of all games played.

We would then see everyone scheduling Tenn southeast tech for their OOC as it won't matter who they play outside of their conf games.

 

[Rack Em]

My goal is not to be 100% sure the top two teams are in, my goal is to make it as likely as possible that the top ONE team wins the championship. A larger playoff hurts the best team by making them win three tough games back to back and multiplies the chance of a fluke loss exponentially.

Imperfect analogy... everyone knew that the Red Sox, Astros, and Yankees were the three best teams in baseball. But the Dodgers got to play in the World Series because they were the National League "conference champions." The same thing happens in the NBA all the time, when the West is completely dominant over the East. If the SEC legitimately has the best four teams in the country, they should get the four playoff slots.

The NCAA should ban scheduling FCS entirely.

Disagree here. Let FBS schedule FCS teams, but the CFP committee should penalize any team who does so. If Alabama pays Buttfuck State A&T $500,000 to essentially have another "bye week" then that should work against them. Treat it as a .5 loss so their record looks like 12-.5 or something similar to that.

I like the idea of the FCS teams having a shot to take down a giant and, frankly, it helps their athletic department budgets.

Also, to your top point - the regular season is a "playoff". If you don't win during the season, even if your conference or division is stacked, then you don't deserve to be gifted another shot because "we played hard teams!!1!". However, an open system in which Conference Champs aren't rewarded with a playoff ticket is better for ND. It keeps us from feeling boxed into joining the ACC. It's also more fun to have teams competing to be in the top 4 or 6, instead of trying to be 9-3 with a conference championship.

My solution:
- Collect underpants
- 6 team playoff
- No conference affiliations
- #1 and #2 seeds get a bye
- Michigan is ejected from the FBS for being a bunch of fuckboys and is not allowed to participate in the playoff. Ever.
- Make advanced statistics a percentage of the CFP poll, ala the BCS system (which wasn't completely broken btw)
- Profit

 

[koonja]

#3 and #4 can absolutely win the title in a given year. Didn't Bama do it last year as a #4? The difference between #4/#5 is negligible.

When you start talking #7/#8/#9, those teams will have had to show more than a fluke in regards to a team weakness by end of year. I'm far more comfortable leaving out #9 and #10 in a given year than #5 and #6.

This is an argument for "8 team playoff is better" if I'm being confusing.

 

[Irish YJ]

Ill take any scenario where there are other teams, with the exception of the "football factories" that have a chance to compete in a playoff bracket. Already hate that the National Champion is basically already known before the damn season starts. What is this the NBA?

Yup, it's horrible.

Everyone thought at the beginning of the season it would be
1 Bama
2 Clemson
3 best of Big10/12
4 second sec

 

[greyhammer90]

We would then see everyone scheduling Tenn southeast tech for their OOC as it won't matter who they play outside of their conf games.

If anything it's the opposite, a teams would be MORE likely to schedule big OOC games because the reward is higher than the risk. If you win, great, it's another feather in your cap if you lose your conference. If you lose, it has literally zero effect on your ability to get to the playoffs. You still just need to win your conference.

Lets look at Clemson. Right now, Clemson schedules knowing that they need to go undefeated to be guaranteed a playoff spot, so they schedule OOC creampuffs. With the automatic bid system, Clemson would know that scheduling a home and home against Penn State has the potential to be really impressive/lucrative, but also won't affect their playoff spot because of the ACC auto-bid. They're much more likely to schedule fun games against interesting opponents because going undefeated isn't a necessity for all teams not named Alabama anymore.

 

[koonja]

SIAP, but reactions?

#1 undefeated team is SEC
#1 one-loss team is SEC
#1 two-loss team is SEC

 

[PANDFAN]

Our biggest fear is an LSU win this weekend. It virtually guarantees that Bama gets in and that the SEC gets two teams in.

exactly, as much as I HATE PSU we need them to beat michigan and ROLL TIDE ROLL...

 

[koonja]

exactly, as much as I HATE PSU we need them to beat michigan and ROLL TIDE ROLL...

But don't we want to shoot the moon and just root for Bama to somehow fall out all together? I want to avoid them in the 1st round, but avoiding them all together - that would be divine.

 

[Irish YJ]

My dream scenario...
1 undefeated SEC team, and three 1 loss SEC teams.... and all the other conferences champs have 2 losses.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

SIAP, but reactions?

#1 undefeated team is SEC
#1 one-loss team is SEC
#1 two-loss team is SEC

I kind of alluded to this in my (lengthy) post above, but yes, the CFP rankings have propped up the SEC like nobody's business. I pointed out how ludicrous it is to have T A&M AND Miss St ranked at 5-3 a piece IMO.

Just trying to add to the "resume" bull$hit that seems to have more merit than any other metric.

I literally heard Joey Galloway open up the CFP show yesterday talking about how great LSU's resume is with 3 top 10 wins, including Miami and Auburn who are both currently unranked, and then bash ND for their resume taking a hit due to Stanford (top 10 at the point of game) and VT (top 25 at the time) both losing last weekend. Makes sense....

I digress. Just win, baby, and any and all narrative really gets tossed out the window.