a brain teaser of sorts

[Johnny Mac]

Here you go...

Notre Dame, Clemson and Michigan all win out.

Alabama wins out the regular season but loses to UGA in Atlanta, while Georgia wins out

Who is left out of the playoff?

[Rotorooter]

Here you go...

Notre Dame, Clemson and Michigan all win out.

Alabama wins out the regular season but loses to UGA in Atlanta, while Georgia wins out

Who is left out of the playoff?

Michigan and while we're at it, West Virginia, if they win out.

[AO Sig]

Here you go...

Notre Dame, Clemson and Michigan all win out.

Alabama wins out the regular season but loses to UGA in Atlanta, while Georgia wins out

Who is left out of the playoff?

UCF (If they win out the rest of the season) again.

[tulaneoutlaw]

I think they leave Notre Dame out in favor of Michigan in this scenario. Despite the head to head result, Notre Dame won't have the benefit of a championship game which will give Michigan one more quality win. Add in the fact that it was a close loss in the season's first week, and I think the committee would put Michigan in over Notre Dame, along with Bama, UGA, and Clemson

[Rotorooter]

I think they leave Notre Dame out in favor of Michigan in this scenario. Despite the head to head result, Notre Dame won't have the benefit of a championship game which will give Michigan one more quality win. Add in the fact that it was a close loss in the season's first week, and I think the committee would put Michigan in over Notre Dame, along with Bama, UGA, and Clemson

No way. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ in favor of ND. Just shows how jaundiced I've become.

[tulaneoutlaw]

I think they leave Notre Dame out in favor of Michigan in this scenario. Despite the head to head result, Notre Dame won't have the benefit of a championship game which will give Michigan one more quality win. Add in the fact that it was a close loss in the season's first week, and I think the committee would put Michigan in over Notre Dame, along with Bama, UGA, and Clemson

No way. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ in favor of ND. Just shows how jaundiced I've become.

I mean Michigan brings that too. That's a huge fan base starved for big time success over the last two decades. If it was ND vs West Virginia I'd agree with you.

[Rotorooter]

I think they leave Notre Dame out in favor of Michigan in this scenario. Despite the head to head result, Notre Dame won't have the benefit of a championship game which will give Michigan one more quality win. Add in the fact that it was a close loss in the season's first week, and I think the committee would put Michigan in over Notre Dame, along with Bama, UGA, and Clemson

No way. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ in favor of ND. Just shows how jaundiced I've become.

I mean Michigan brings that too. That's a huge fan base starved for big time success over the last two decades. If it was ND vs West Virginia I'd agree with you.

Outlaw, there is no way, NO WAY, that ND is left out of a playoff if they remain undefeated.

[PeteRasche]

You gotta leave out one more, because 2-loss Ohio State still has to get in...

[WaveProf]

Didn’t nd beat Michigan head to head? No way an undefeated ND gets left out for a team they beat.

[windywave]

Didn’t nd beat Michigan head to head? No way an undefeated ND gets left out for a team they beat.

Says Penn State

[tulaneoutlaw]

The committee is only looking at a close head to head loss as one of the metrics. Since then, Michigan has been pretty impressive beating almost everybody handily. Notre Dame has looked ok, too, but close wins against Vandy, Pitt and Ball St. don't look great. I think the committee will discount a close, week one head to head loss substantially in favor of how a team plays down the stretch. They did that for Ohio St. in the first year of the playoff when they lost early to a 6-6 VT team.

Roto and Prof, I'll be happy to make a wager with you. The scenario is very specfic but if we get:

0 loss ND
0 or 1 loss Clemson
1 loss Bama, UGA, and Michigan

I'll be happy to buy you a beer the next time we are at a Tulane game together if ND gets in over any of those teams. If they get left out, you buy me a beer. If, as is likely, one of the above teams gets a second loss or ND sustains a loss then the bet is off. Sound fair?

[windywave]

The committee is only looking at a close head to head loss as one of the metrics. Since then, Michigan has been pretty impressive beating almost everybody handily. Notre Dame has looked ok, too, but close wins against Vandy, Pitt and Ball St. don't look great. I think the committee will discount a close, week one head to head loss substantially in favor of how a team plays down the stretch. They did that for Ohio St. in the first year of the playoff when they lost early to a 6-6 VT team.

Roto and Prof, I'll be happy to make a wager with you. The scenario is very specfic but if we get:

0 loss ND
0 or 1 loss Clemson
1 loss Bama, UGA, and Michigan

I'll be happy to buy you a beer the next time we are at a Tulane game together if ND gets in over any of those teams. If they get left out, you buy me a beer. If, as is likely, one of the above teams gets a second loss or ND sustains a loss then the bet is off. Sound fair?

I'll take that bet

[Yankeewave]

I thibk the committee purposefully bumped LSU way way up so that Bama would have at lesst one victory over a highly ranked team in the event that they lose the SEC title game. Im not sure theyll have another win over a team thats ramked at end of year

ND beat michigan without their starting RB and has subsequently switched QBs. Im not so sure wed get a different result right now.

I hope we will see other conferences put foot down if SEC gets 2 agsin. UM will probably also find a way to lose to OSU

[Rotorooter]

The committee is only looking at a close head to head loss as one of the metrics. Since then, Michigan has been pretty impressive beating almost everybody handily. Notre Dame has looked ok, too, but close wins against Vandy, Pitt and Ball St. don't look great. I think the committee will discount a close, week one head to head loss substantially in favor of how a team plays down the stretch. They did that for Ohio St. in the first year of the playoff when they lost early to a 6-6 VT team.

Roto and Prof, I'll be happy to make a wager with you. The scenario is very specfic but if we get:

0 loss ND
0 or 1 loss Clemson
1 loss Bama, UGA, and Michigan

I'll be happy to buy you a beer the next time we are at a Tulane game together if ND gets in over any of those teams. If they get left out, you buy me a beer. If, as is likely, one of the above teams gets a second loss or ND sustains a loss then the bet is off. Sound fair?

You're on, big guy. Instead of a beer, make it a meal at one of my NOLA faves (I'll be kind and choose Camellia, F&J's or Domilese's). That's how confident I am.

My frame of reference is larger than yours, outlaw. You weren't around when ND got chosen over other worthies in past years. It WILL happen this time, especially given the fact that they are undefeated and have already beaten Michigan. But realistically, on-field analysis has little to do with it. Most of it is political, which is my point.

[Johnny Mac]

First of all thanks to all of you who indulged in this debate


2 things, if you want to talk SOS.. Clemson has beaten no nobody and bama has 1 decent win.

[gerryb323]

Will be interesting to see if the Tiggers flop to 8-4 now that they have 2 losses.

[tulaneoutlaw]

The committee is only looking at a close head to head loss as one of the metrics. Since then, Michigan has been pretty impressive beating almost everybody handily. Notre Dame has looked ok, too, but close wins against Vandy, Pitt and Ball St. don't look great. I think the committee will discount a close, week one head to head loss substantially in favor of how a team plays down the stretch. They did that for Ohio St. in the first year of the playoff when they lost early to a 6-6 VT team.

Roto and Prof, I'll be happy to make a wager with you. The scenario is very specfic but if we get:

0 loss ND
0 or 1 loss Clemson
1 loss Bama, UGA, and Michigan

I'll be happy to buy you a beer the next time we are at a Tulane game together if ND gets in over any of those teams. If they get left out, you buy me a beer. If, as is likely, one of the above teams gets a second loss or ND sustains a loss then the bet is off. Sound fair?

You're on, big guy. Instead of a beer, make it a meal at one of my NOLA faves (I'll be kind and choose Camellia, F&J's or Domilese's). That's how confident I am.

My frame of reference is larger than yours, outlaw. You weren't around when ND got chosen over other worthies in past years. It WILL happen this time, especially given the fact that they are undefeated and have already beaten Michigan. But realistically, on-field analysis has little to do with it. Most of it is political, which is my point.

Fine by me :) its not likely to come down to that scenario anyway. I tend to agree that politics plays a huge role, I'm just betting Michigans clout would outweigh NDs. We will see

[TUPF]

The committee is only looking at a close head to head loss as one of the metrics. Since then, Michigan has been pretty impressive beating almost everybody handily. Notre Dame has looked ok, too, but close wins against Vandy, Pitt and Ball St. don't look great. I think the committee will discount a close, week one head to head loss substantially in favor of how a team plays down the stretch. They did that for Ohio St. in the first year of the playoff when they lost early to a 6-6 VT team.

Roto and Prof, I'll be happy to make a wager with you. The scenario is very specfic but if we get:

0 loss ND
0 or 1 loss Clemson
1 loss Bama, UGA, and Michigan

I'll be happy to buy you a beer the next time we are at a Tulane game together if ND gets in over any of those teams. If they get left out, you buy me a beer. If, as is likely, one of the above teams gets a second loss or ND sustains a loss then the bet is off. Sound fair?

You're on, big guy. Instead of a beer, make it a meal at one of my NOLA faves (I'll be kind and choose Camellia, F&J's or Domilese's). That's how confident I am.

My frame of reference is larger than yours, outlaw. You weren't around when ND got chosen over other worthies in past years. It WILL happen this time, especially given the fact that they are undefeated and have already beaten Michigan. But realistically, on-field analysis has little to do with it. Most of it is political, which is my point.

Fine by me :) its not likely to come down to that scenario anyway. I tend to agree that politics plays a huge role, I'm just betting Michigans clout would outweigh NDs. We will see

Unless things have drastically changed, I believe ND is the only school with a true national following. It’s that Catholic/Rudy thing. I attended a Stanford game in Palo Alto once and it was 2/3 ND fans. Same at Navy. Michigan may fill the Big House but ND fills the big wallet.

[tjtlja]

And don’t forget, if ND goes undefeated they deserve to be in the playoffs. Beating Michigan, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Syracuse, Pitt, and USC is deserving enough. They are a better team than Michigan even with one loss. And they beat them with Brandon Wimbush. He is no where near the QB Ian Book is.

[Roller]

And don’t forget, if ND goes undefeated they deserve to be in the playoffs. Beating Michigan, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Syracuse, Pitt, and USC is deserving enough. They are a better team than Michigan even with one loss. And they beat them with Brandon Wimbush. He is no where near the QB Ian Book is.

I assert that all undefeated teams are tied for first, regardless of "who" they've played. The opponents are determined by the schedule, but until a team loses a game there's no evidence of the upper bound of who they could beat. All undefeated teams should remain in the championship hunt until they lose a game. The specious concept of "strength of schedule" should never be applied to undefeated teams, other than for seeding a playoff at the championship level.

[gerryb323]

And don’t forget, if ND goes undefeated they deserve to be in the playoffs. Beating Michigan, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Syracuse, Pitt, and USC is deserving enough. They are a better team than Michigan even with one loss. And they beat them with Brandon Wimbush. He is no where near the QB Ian Book is.

I assert that all undefeated teams are tied for first, regardless of "who" they've played. The opponents are determined by the schedule, but until a team loses a game there's no evidence of the upper bound of who they could beat. All undefeated teams should remain in the championship hunt until they lose a game. The specious concept of "strength of schedule" should never be applied to undefeated teams, other than for seeding a playoff at the championship level.

I don't know that you can say there's NO evidence of the upper bound. It's not like wins are created in a vacuum. They still play the games and perform either well or not well en route to those wins.

[ml wave]

Didn’t nd beat Michigan head to head? No way an undefeated ND gets left out for a team they beat.

Says Penn State

Nah, Penn State didn't say anything...they were too busy looking the other way.