Path to the CFP?

[BleedBlueGold]

Tough pill to swallow for sure. In committee speak, I hear something like: FSU SOS ranked #21, ND SOS ranked #15 - which I'm not sure how that's possible considering the following.... FSU wins against #21 Clemson, #13 UNC, #3 Miami, #15 Virginia, #7 Florida, #2 Nebraska (only loss to #2 ND on the road). ND wins against #3 Michigan, #1 FSU, #7 A&M (Only loss against #17 BC at home). FSU's schedule seems a lot harder to me. Also noted are SRS rankings with FSU #1 and ND #2.

FSU beat 6 top 25 teams (3 top 10). ND beat 3 top 25 teams (3 top 10). However the final AP poll reveals Michigan tumbled to #21 after losing 4 games that year and I think Virginia finished the year unranked.

In the end, it sucked to beat FSU and have them finish ahead of ND, but all else considered, I think they got it right. Consistency matters. Head to head is an important factor, but it's not the ONLY factor.

 

[MNIrishman]

So we should get in the Playoff based off garbage time?

I didn't reference performance in garbage time (eg, I didn't say we scored more points against GT than Georgia did, though that's true). I said we scored twice as many points against that defense in the first half. Come on, nearly a fifth of Georgia's wins were over either FCS teams or teams that lost to FCS teams. The majority of the SEC east has six losses or more. Then Georgia went and got blown up in their home state by an Alabama team that needed overtime to put away a six-loss team the week before. I'm obviously not saying we're more deserving than Cincy. I'm saying we're obviously more deserving than an overrated Georgia team that proved they're not national champions immediately before selection Sunday, and had ESPN buy their ticket anyway. it's not like they have half a season to prove anything different at this point.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I didn't reference performance in garbage time (eg, I didn't say we scored more points against GT than Georgia did, though that's true). I said we scored twice as many points against that defense in the first half. Come on, nearly a fifth of Georgia's wins were over either FCS teams or teams that lost to FCS teams. The majority of the SEC east has six losses or more. Then Georgia went and got blown up in their home state by an Alabama team that needed overtime to put away a six-loss team the week before. I'm obviously not saying we're more deserving than Cincy. I'm saying we're obviously more deserving than an overrated Georgia team that proved they're not national champions immediately before selection Sunday, and had ESPN buy their ticket anyway. it's not like they have half a season to prove anything different at this point.

Georgia beat three teams currently ranked in the Top 25. ND beat zero.

 

[MNIrishman]

Georgia beat three teams currently ranked in the Top 25. ND beat zero.

This is tautological reasoning. You can't use the committee's arbitrary decisions to defend the committee's other arbitrary decisions. We didn't play those teams so they aren't great points of comparison.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

This is tautological reasoning. You can't use the committee's arbitrary decisions to defend the committee's other arbitrary decisions. We didn't play those teams so they aren't great points of comparison.

If we still had the BCS, the system produced the same final four. Georgia with 3 top 25 wins and Notre Dame with 1. Shrug.

 

[IrishTusker]

Not sure I agree with Sampson. Except for Cincy who handled their business? Everyone had at least one loss. If the loss had been earlier in the year, there's a good chance we would have moved up sooner. The other thing that hurt us is the committee not buying Cincy as a legitimate contender.

The issue is who we lost to. You can't lose to a team that will take your spot in the playoff; we would have been better off losing to Wisconsin or Purdue or FSU and beating Cincy. Then we'd be in at 11-1.