2018 CFP Rankings

[NorthDakota]

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.

I'm calling it now. If Bama loses this weekend, and a 1-loss LSU/UGA wins the SEC...ND, Clemson, and Michigan hold serve, Bama will not be in the playoff.

 

[PANDFAN]

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.

just can't see them being left out...i know it should ONLY factor this year in it, but we know that human element will keep them alive .....plus they have dominated EVERYONE they have played thus far.....yes we are undefeated, but close calls against ball st., vandy and pitt don't really help us here in the ol eye test

 

[Irish YJ]

I'm calling it now. If Bama loses this weekend, and a 1-loss LSU/UGA wins the SEC...ND, Clemson, and Michigan hold serve, Bama will not be in the playoff.

I would bet you any amount of money that Bama made it.
IMO, Bama and LSU would just swap spots in week 2 of the CFP rankings, with Clemson going to #1.

 

[wizards8507]

SIAP, but reactions?

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

The SEC is ACTUALLY the best conference. That's not bias, it's true.

 

[EvilleIrish]

The SEC is ACTUALLY the best conference. That's not bias, it's true.

Spoken like a true ESPN man. Wear that mantle baby.

 

[Blaise]

The SEC is ACTUALLY the best conference. That's not bias, it's true.

this year especially.

Pac is Wash St and garbage

Big 12 is Oklahoma and Garbage

Big ten is Michigan and Ohio St and garbage

SEC has Bama, LSU and Georgia and I also think they have other good teams.. I would not be shocked to see them go 7-1 in bowl season

 

[RDU Irish]

These rankings are completely worthless until the last two weeks of the season. So many of these teams play each other plus conference championships, pretty much useless right now.

I mean look at who these SEC teams have actually Kentucky beat overrated Florida and Miss State and lost to TAMU (who is hanging their entire ranking on beating overrated Kentucky - and I guess extra credit for losing to Clemson and Alabama) - Its just a complete circle jerk.

Florida beat LSU and that is about it - only pumped up to make Kentucky look good for beating them. Their only two games are @ UGA (loss) and hosting LSU (win).

Miss State - I mean c'mon man. They will finish the year 8-4 only beating TAMU and losing to Bama, LSU, Kentucky and Florida. SF Austin, LA Lafayette, LA Tech, Ark, Ole Piss, K State, Auburn for those quality wins to push that 8-4 team in to the Top 20. WTF?

The point is not that TAMU, MSST, Florida and Kentucky have any real shot at the playoffs, its the farce that they are pumped up to pump up the SoS for the rest of the SEC.

 

[RDU Irish]

The SEC is ACTUALLY the best conference. That's not bias, it's true.

Send their champion to the hunger games and if they are so damned good they deserve an easier path.

 

[EvilleIrish]

These rankings are completely worthless until the last two weeks of the season. So many of these teams play each other plus conference championships, pretty much useless right now.

I mean look at who these SEC teams have actually Kentucky beat overrated Florida and Miss State and lost to TAMU (who is hanging their entire ranking on beating overrated Kentucky - and I guess extra credit for losing to Clemson and Alabama) - Its just a complete circle jerk.

Florida beat LSU and that is about it - only pumped up to make Kentucky look good for beating them. Their only two games are @ UGA (loss) and hosting LSU (win).

Miss State - I mean c'mon man. They will finish the year 8-4 only beating TAMU and losing to Bama, LSU, Kentucky and Florida. SF Austin, LA Lafayette, LA Tech, Ark, Ole Piss, K State, Auburn for those quality wins to push that 8-4 team in to the Top 20. WTF?

The point is not that TAMU, MSST, Florida and Kentucky have any real shot at the playoffs, its the farce that they are pumped up to pump up the SoS for the rest of the SEC.

Bingo.

 

[GowerND11]

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.

I generally agree with this, and have been saying for years that the FBS should go back to the model they did have until some coached (Bobby Bowden I believe) complained too much about it, using their clout to change the rule...

You can play FCS teams, but only once every 4 years does it count as a win in your official record. So if Alabama wants to play Buttfuck State A&T every year, they will only get to count that game once every 4 year cycle.

 

[MPClinton22]

The results DO matter, but some people get too hung up on certain aspects of the results and miss the parts of it all that matter most and are most telling. It's like watching QB's and getting hung up on stats instead of who's actually the most effective and which one you'd want behind center if the fate of the world depended on winning the game.

I don't disagree with you about LSU. I said in an earlier post that I'd have put ND at #3 and think they'd beat LSU most of the time.

Literally the most important "aspect" of the result IS THE RESULT ITSELF. THEY LOST.

 

[IrishLax]

The SEC is a LOT better than any other conference this year. This doesn’t mean LSU is good though or deserving of the #3 spot. Alabama is going to absolutely throttle them and their pathetic offense this weekend.

 

[Irish#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.

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

I've already spelled it out several times. Quit skipping over my posts! lol

Bama needs to beat LSU. A one loss Bama is still making the playoffs, but as has been said already win out and we’re in.

Think about it. It’s Bama and their resume over the last 7-8 years is unmatched. A loss to #3 LSU on the road will be looked at as an aberration. The committee shouldn’t take previous years into account but I think this is exactly what would happen here. Even with one loss I can’t see scUM being better than Bama.

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.

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.

 

[Ndaccountant]

The SEC is a LOT better than any other conference this year. This doesn’t mean LSU is good though or deserving of the #3 spot. Alabama is going to absolutely throttle them and their pathetic offense this weekend.

41-10 sounds about right.

 

[OhioIrish31]

Haven't read thru the entire thread...but I'm sure it has been stated that the only way we get in is if we win out. I'm also starting to think that we can't have four "squeekers" win need to dominate. Hate to say I'm rooting for Mich against PSU...ugh! And then I hope they lose a tight one to OSU at the end of the season.

 

[TomHaverford]

The SEC is a LOT better than any other conference this year. This doesn’t mean LSU is good though or deserving of the #3 spot. Alabama is going to absolutely throttle them and their pathetic offense this weekend.

Yeah, unfortunately I kinda agree. Everyone thought the B1G would be the best this year, but it's pretty mediocre. And that's largely because 3 teams in the B1G that were rated so high pre-season aren't living up.

Ohio State's defense is awful this year and they have been struggling to run the ball. Ohio State's defense has given up more plays of 30 yards or more than every single team in the FBS with the exception of Kent State and UConn.

Wisconsin has a great OL and RB, but their QB and WR/TE's really suck. And they lost so many players from last years defense and it's terrible.

Michigan State's defense is great, but their offense has been ridiculously injured and ridiculously pedestrian, and Lewerke seems to have regressed a lot.

 

[Irish YJ]

The SEC is a LOT better than any other conference this year. This doesn’t mean LSU is good though or deserving of the #3 spot. Alabama is going to absolutely throttle them and their pathetic offense this weekend.

The most interesting question about this game to me is.... Will Tagovailoa finally play in the 4Q?

I don't think LSU's offense is that bad though. Their O efficiency is still top 25ish if memory serves. And they have beaten 4 teams in the top 20 (def deficiency). I do think Bama handles them.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

SEC East OOC results:

Georgia
- Austin Peay (W)
- Middle Tennessee State (W)
Kentucky
- Central Michigan (W)
- Murray State (W)
Florida
- Charleston Southern (W)
- Colorado State (W)
South Carolina
- Coastal Carolina (W)
- Marshall (W)
Vanderbilt
- Notre Dame (L)
- Middle Tennessee State (W)
- Nevada (W)
- Tennessee State (W)
Tennessee
- West Virginia (L)
- East Tennessee State (W)
- UTEP (W)
Missouri
- UT Martin (W)
- Wyoming (W)
- Purdue (W)
- Memphis (W)

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

SEC West OOC results:

Alabama
- Louisville (W)
- Arkansas State (W)
- Louisisana Lafayette (W)
LSU
- Miami, FL (W)
- SE Louisiana (W)
- Louisiana Tech (W)
Texas A&M
- Northwestern State (W)
- Clemson (L)
- Louisiana Monroe (W)
Mississippi State
- Stephen F. Austin (W)
- Kansas State (W)
- Louisisana Lafayette (W)
Auburn
- Washington (W)
- Alabama State (W)
- Southern Miss (W)
Ole Miss
- Texas Tech (W)
- Southern Illinois (W)
- Kent (W)
- Louisiana Monroe (W)
Arkansas
- E. Illinois (W)
- Colorado State (L)
- North Texas (L)
- Tulsa (W)

 

[NDMIA]

2014
1 Alabama 12-1
2 Oregon 12-1
3 Florida State 13-0
4 Ohio State 12-1
5 Baylor 11-1
6 TCU 11-1
2015
1 Clemson 13-0
2 Alabama 12-1
3 Michigan State 12-1
4 Oklahoma 11-1
5 Iowa 12-1
7 Ohio State 11-1
2016
1 Alabama 13-0
2 Clemson 12-1
3 Ohio State 11-1
4 Washington 12-1
2017
1 Clemson 12-1
2 Oklahoma 12-1
3 Georgia 12-1
4 Alabama 11-1
6 Wisconsin 12-1
2018
1 Alabama 8-0
2 Clemson 8-0
3 LSU 7-1
4 Notre Dame 8-0
5 Michigan 7-1
6 Georgia 7-1
7 Oklahoma 7-1
8 Washington State 7-1
9 Kentucky 7-1
10 Ohio State 7-1
13 West Virginia 6-1

Not that many power 5 teams end up with 0 or 1 losses in their season. If ND goes 11-1 or 12-0 then they'll probably end up making the playoffs. 12-0 removes all doubt, but 11-1 would have some potential, but probably still make it because a 2 loss team has never made the playoffs.

 

[T Town Tommy]

The most interesting question about this game to me is.... Will Tagovailoa finally play in the 4Q?

I don't think LSU's offense is that bad though. Their O efficiency is still top 25ish if memory serves. And they have beaten 4 teams in the top 20 (def deficiency). I do think Bama handles them.

I don't know if LSU is worthy of the ranking they got, but they have a strong argument with the teams they beat. As far as Sat night and Bama, Red Stick will be rocking and it will be a dog fight. It always is with LSU. I do think my Tide wins in the end simply because I think we are the better team. Hope I'm right.

As far as the initial rankings last night. Could care less at this point. As mentioned by several posters out here, it will change many times before we get to the end of it.

 

[TomHaverford]

The most interesting question about this game to me is.... Will Tagovailoa finally play in the 4Q?

I don't think LSU's offense is that bad though. Their O efficiency is still top 25ish if memory serves. And they have beaten 4 teams in the top 20 (def deficiency). I do think Bama handles them.

No. Their offense is pretty bad.

The raw stats they rank 86th in Total offense, 86th in 3rd down conversion %, 111th in Passing Completion %, 73rd in 1st downs, 76th in Sacks allowed, 70th in Yards Per carry, and 107th in Passing efficiency.

The advanced s&p+ stats have them as the 67th ranked offense, the 78th ranked rushing offense, and the 56th ranked passing offense.

Joe Burrow by the way is completing only 53% of his passes for only 6 TD passes against 3 INT's. He's thrown for just over 1,500 yards and is only averaging 6.8 yards per attempt.

Alabama is going to smoke them. They just don't have the offense to keep up. Look at all the raw stats and the advanced stats and Alabama is basically top 5-10 across the board in almost every category. Their offense is insane. They are going to run LSU off the field.

 

[ickythump1225]

The committee doesn't put that much stock in resumes. They aren't impressed by prettiest resume. They look way beyond that and focus on how teams actually play and how good they are. They're focused on who would beat whom. Nobody in here would bet against Bama against any team in the country right now. Almost none of us would bet against Clemson against anyone besides Bama. When you get to ND, Michigan, LSU (and maybe UGA and Oklahoma) then you can reasonably argue for or against any of them versus each other, but not many of us would bet against any of them against any team outside that group. Screw resumes and FCS opponents and quality of wins and SOS and all the rest. Watch the damn teams and you'll know who'd likely win any game.

This is why I can't stand the "playoff committee." I never thought I'd experience a group of people more high on their own unmerited sense of self righteousness and the sense that they are always right than journalists...but then the CFP committee was formed. I just wanted the BCS rankings kept and the top 4/8 teams selected from that. The narrative of what they look for or how they weigh things shifts depending on how it suits their agenda. They also contradict themselves. Alabama is #1 (despite having zero qualities wins) because of the "eye test" (in reality it's due to their recent history, but officially the committee doesn't count that...yeah right) and LSU is #3 due to their resume.

 

[NDRock]

The SEC is a LOT better than any other conference this year. This doesn’t mean LSU is good though or deserving of the #3 spot. Alabama is going to absolutely throttle them and their pathetic offense this weekend.

I think Bama is the best team but I expect a much closer game than people are predicting. One of the thing that Bama does is absolutely destroy the lesser teams on their schedule. I think a big part of that is they are so deep with talent that when the 2nd unit comes in they can actually increase the margin of victory. Other teams don’t have that luxury.

The biggest margin of victory for Bama over LSU (in Baton Rouge) in the Saban years was last year’s 10-0 victory. Maybe this year’s Bama team really is that good but I know LSU believes they can beat them. Should be a good one.

 

[IrishLax]

I think Bama is the best team but I expect a much closer game than people are predicting. One of the thing that Bama does is absolutely destroy the lesser teams on their schedule. I think a big part of that is they are so deep with talent that when the 2nd unit comes in they can actually increase the margin of victory. Other teams don’t have that luxury.

The biggest margin of victory for Bama over LSU (in Baton Rouge) in the Saban years was last year’s 10-0 victory. Maybe this year’s Bama team really is that good but I know LSU believes they can beat them. Should be a good one.

I just think you need offense to beat Bama. That's generally been the recipe over the last 5 years... if you have an elite offense, you can make enough plays to beat them on the right night.

LSU's defense is good... not better than Notre Dame's or Michigan's or Clemson's but it's top 10 by S&P+. It's good enough to make plays and win games. But good enough to shut down Bama? Would anyone here think Notre Dame's defense is good enough to shut down Bama? I doubt it.

So then the offense is going to need to make some plays, and sadly their offense is total butt. And if you can't move the ball eventually Bama is going to string some scores together and run away with the game IMO. I just think LSU matches up really poorly with Bama, and the final score is going to be something like 31-10 at best.

 

[NDRock]

I just think you need offense to beat Bama. That's generally been the recipe over the last 5 years... if you have an elite offense, you can make enough plays to beat them on the right night.

LSU's defense is good... not better than Notre Dame's or Michigan's or Clemson's but it's top 10 by S&P+. It's good enough to make plays and win games. But good enough to shut down Bama? Would anyone here think Notre Dame's defense is good enough to shut down Bama? I doubt it.

So then the offense is going to need to make some plays, and sadly their offense is total butt. And if you can't move the ball eventually Bama is going to string some scores together and run away with the game IMO. I just think LSU matches up really poorly with Bama, and the final score is going to be something like 31-10 at best.

Don’t disagree. I just think LSU’s offense always sucks yet they are able to beat or play Bama close, at home. Plus, is Bama’s defense that great this year? Seems like they have let some points up. I hope they get to Tua in this game just to see how he responds. I’m predicting Bama wins on a last second fg and LSU moves up to #2 as their “eye test” was really good.

 

[RDU Irish]

Last year was an interesting dynamic where Bama had not played Georgia - putting them both in was easier to do since they had not played head to head. If LSU wins it all over UGA - how do you potentially make them play Bama again? Home field argument maybe but I think it is just shit. Let the conferences filter the teams for you and make it a competition of champions. This "best four teams" stuff is just BS.

 

[NorthDakota]

Don’t disagree. I just think LSU’s offense always sucks yet they are able to beat or play Bama close, at home. Plus, is Bama’s defense that great this year? Seems like they have let some points up. I hope they get to Tua in this game just to see how he responds. I’m predicting Bama wins on a last second fg and LSU moves up to #2 as their “eye test” was really good.

Bama friend at work was mentioning that he doesn't think the defense is anything special, keep in mind, that's by Bama standards. If LSU can stop Alabama from getting video game type scoring, this is going to be a fun game I think.

 

[TomHaverford]

I just think you need offense to beat Bama. That's generally been the recipe over the last 5 years... if you have an elite offense, you can make enough plays to beat them on the right night.

LSU's defense is good... not better than Notre Dame's or Michigan's or Clemson's but it's top 10 by S&P+. It's good enough to make plays and win games. But good enough to shut down Bama? Would anyone here think Notre Dame's defense is good enough to shut down Bama? I doubt it.

So then the offense is going to need to make some plays, and sadly their offense is total butt. And if you can't move the ball eventually Bama is going to string some scores together and run away with the game IMO. I just think LSU matches up really poorly with Bama, and the final score is going to be something like 31-10 at best.

Agree 100%. LSU will get rolled. Their secondary is upper echelon elite and so is their LB corps with LB'er Devin White, but their DL isn't your typical elite LSU DL. It's really just above average, not great. White is suspended for the first half of this game as well. That's a huge advantage for Alabama.

I honestly don't think LSU is all that. Their QB play is atrocious and their top 10 wins over Miami and Auburn aren't as impressive as originally thought. Miami and Auburn are just bad teams. Obviously you have to give them credit for smacking up Georgia, but not sure how good this Georgia team really is. Georgia has issues on defense getting to the QB and stopping the run and their offensive line has taken a big step backwards from that dominant unit they had last year. LSU also had a pretty bad loss to a mediocre Florida team that's secondary is decimated and starts what maybe the worst starting QB in P5 outside of Sitowski at Rutgers. Franks is terrible. He basically did his best to hand Georgia that game. He was definitely their MVP of that game. So was Florida's banged up secondary that never covered the TE all game long.

 

[irishog77]

Yeah, unfortunately I kinda agree. Everyone thought the B1G would be the best this year, but it's pretty mediocre. And that's largely because 3 teams in the B1G that were rated so high pre-season aren't living up.

Ohio State's defense is awful this year and they have been struggling to run the ball. Ohio State's defense has given up more plays of 30 yards or more than every single team in the FBS with the exception of Kent State and UConn.

Wisconsin has a great OL and RB, but their QB and WR/TE's really suck. And they lost so many players from last years defense and it's terrible.

Michigan State's defense is great, but their offense has been ridiculously injured and ridiculously pedestrian, and Lewerke seems to have regressed a lot.

No, Tom. No they didn't.

You and big 10 fans don't = everyone.