College Football Week 7: Give Penn State a break (or at least a bye)

Or Kansas State or Oregon State, for that matter.

I think Kansas State is better than West Virginia, which has been lit up on defense repeatedly. We shall see. That's why I prefer the concept of the 10-team conference: Everyone plays.

 

I do like that about the B12 now. But they probably hate it when they see the TV checks.

 

I think a one-loss SEC champ is a lock for the title game - the conference has earned it, leaving the Big 12 champ, USC-Oregon, or ND for the other spot.
Figure Bama could lose narrowly at LSU, miss the SEC title game, and be sitting pretty since they miss Georgia, SoCar and Florida in the SEC this year (who wouldn't want to see one of those match-ups) . Same with some kind of log jam with SoCar beating Georgia, Florida beating SoCar and Georgia beating SoCar in the East.
So yeah - another all-SEC match-up between the SEC champ and a runner-up in the other division would be very watchable as long as it isn't a rematch.

 

I hate this, but I don't think so unless the Pac-12, Big 12 and Notre Dame combine to produce only one unbeaten. Those conferences are good, and Notre Dame's schedule is good.

You'll hear a lot of bitching from the likes of me and many others, though, if they snub a one-loss SEC champ.

 

Just to make sure we're on the same page ... I have no problem with a one-loss SEC champ.

For the second spot?

If a one-loss SEC team gets in over Oregon, WVU/KSU and Notre Dame, I predict the end of the BCS. I really don't think the other conferences would stand for that.

 

I'm talking about the scenario where it's down to 12-1 SEC champion Alabama (close loss at LSU), 13-0 Oregon and 12-0 West Virginia.

 

Yeah that's what I was thinking of too ... if Alabama stays/leaps above those others, I say game over for BCS. Pac-12 will just go back to playing the Rose Bowl if it's going to be like that.

But I really don't see that happening because LSU doesn't have the chops, although there is the SEC Vortex Of Domination that I've mentioned previously where LSU will be seen as great because it beat Alabama and then Alabama will be seen as great because its only loss was to LSU. But LSU hasn't been good enough.

I'd think the more apt situation there would be Fla/SC running the table except for each other. But even then, can't see 'em taking the place of an unbeaten.

 

I would have a hard time respecting a champion that didn't beat an elite SEC team.

Alabama should march into the SEC title game unbeaten, but I'm not sure anyone from the East can say the same. I could easily see Florida beating South Carolina in Gainesville, only to lose to Georgia in Jacksonville.

 

If Notre Dame is unbeaten that will mean a win over USC and Stanford - an unbeaten Oregon season would also include wins over USC (perhaps 2) and and Stanford, so then you're just going on comparative seasons and schedule strength. Oregon's non-cons won't do it any favors, but they'll get a push simply because of style of play and victory margins.
I figured an undefeated Big 12 champ would be in just on a perceived better depth in the conference, but the notable non-conference wins aren't many, that Notre Dame - Oklahoma game will mean everything.

 

If all that happens, Dan, Oregon's main -- only -- advantage will be poll starting position. Which reopens that can of worms.

Boy that would SUCK if Notre Dame gets hosed like that. Te-hee.

 

Doomsday scenarios never actually crop up, but it would be interesting to see what would happen in this case:

13-0 Mississippi State
13-0 Oregon
12-0 Kansas State
12-0 Notre Dame

By schedule, it should be a Mississippi State-Kansas State title game, in my opinion. I can't even fathom that one ever slipping through the cracks of this system.

 

Yeah, this is about the time those scenarios come up, and they never happen. Even last year would have been damn easy to figure out if Okie State hadn't so royally fucked itself in Ames.