It got really old in the Big East having to hear every week how the conference was not good enough.
It feels like we are back there now.
Now I should point out the fact that what ESPN announcers say on the air versus what the committee decides to do are not necessarily intertwined, and in theory what is said on air has no impact on what is decided behind closed doors... in theory.
ESPN clowns are saying the P12 is not out of the playoff picture, even though every team but Stanford has 3 losses, and Stanford has 2 losses... yet they are railing against the Big 12 as if they have no shot at the playoffs. If that is the way it is going to be, then they just need to come right out and declare the B12 is not eligible for the playoffs period.
Kevin Carter even suggested Stanford - if they beat Notre Dame - might get in the playoffs over a 1-loss Oklahoma. That is a 2 loss Stanford team that is getting credit for a win by losing to Northwestern, and it is a Stanford team who claims a conference slate of games littered with teams having a minimum of at least 3 losses... as well as playing winless UCF.
Last year, the playoff committee chairman stated publicly that not having a championship game was a key determining factor for the B12 being left out at the end. This year, with Notre Dame in the mix (and somehow getting credit for a win by losing to Clemson) the lack of a championship game is not a factor for Notre Dame. Funny how that works.
The SEC East is a pile of hot garbage this year, yet it was questioned about whether Florida could get into the playoffs EVEN IF they lose to Florida State but beat Alabama in the SEC title game. That would be a theoretical 2-loss Florida team that struggled the last few weeks to beat South Carolina ( who just lost to an FCS school), a typical garbage Vanderbilt team, and a SUN BELT CONFERENCE cellar dwellar FAU team that took them to overtime IN GAINESVILLE. Your 8th ranked Gators, ladies and gentlemen. Impressive week-in, and week-out in the eyes of the committee, apparently.
We should also point out how just last week the committee chairman was glad to trumpet how Iowa was able to jump so high in the rankings after the first week because "they show consistency on both sides of the ball."
The one thing that no committee member should be discussing is consistency, and instead should be discussing suitability, as in what suits their agenda.
In terms of UNC and the ACC, again Kevin Carter was showing the double standard of ESPN. When discussing UNC's playoff chances, he basically said UNC's loss to a putrid South Carolina team (the one that just got beat by an FCS program) didn't matter because it was the first game of the year and they have shown improvement over the course of the season since then, and should they beat Clemson, they deserve a playoff spot... YET... YET... A one loss Oklahoma who lost earlier in the season to Texas and should finish the year with 3 straight wins over ranked teams to finish the season (plus have wins over Tennessee on the road and a possible 8-win WVU team) might not be able to overcome that Texas loss and make the playoffs. And let's not forget UNC's epic struggle yesterday against a VT team with a losing record.
Back to Notre Dame. Notre Dame's big wins on the year are what? Navy and Temple? Admittedly they are both having good years by their standards, but would any Power 5 school be afraid to schedule either of those programs in any given year? Oh, and let's not forget that big win (loss) to Clemson that the Irish are getting credit for.
The committee is supposed to rank teams based on this year's results, yet clearly Ohio State was getting credit for last year's results because they hadnt played and beaten anyone worth a damn all year until last night, and all Michigan State did was beat them in "the 'shoe" with a backup quarterback. But I guess the Buckeyes must have been showing that "Iowa consistency" on both sides of the ball all year to be a lock for the playoffs up until last night (and they are clearly not out of it yet, even with a late season loss that would devastate most other teams chances at this point in the season).
Until the playoffs goes to 8 teams and each power 5 conference champ gets in, the subjectivity of the committee will prove itself compromised each week of the season that rankings are released.
It feels like we are back there now.
Now I should point out the fact that what ESPN announcers say on the air versus what the committee decides to do are not necessarily intertwined, and in theory what is said on air has no impact on what is decided behind closed doors... in theory.
ESPN clowns are saying the P12 is not out of the playoff picture, even though every team but Stanford has 3 losses, and Stanford has 2 losses... yet they are railing against the Big 12 as if they have no shot at the playoffs. If that is the way it is going to be, then they just need to come right out and declare the B12 is not eligible for the playoffs period.
Kevin Carter even suggested Stanford - if they beat Notre Dame - might get in the playoffs over a 1-loss Oklahoma. That is a 2 loss Stanford team that is getting credit for a win by losing to Northwestern, and it is a Stanford team who claims a conference slate of games littered with teams having a minimum of at least 3 losses... as well as playing winless UCF.
Last year, the playoff committee chairman stated publicly that not having a championship game was a key determining factor for the B12 being left out at the end. This year, with Notre Dame in the mix (and somehow getting credit for a win by losing to Clemson) the lack of a championship game is not a factor for Notre Dame. Funny how that works.
The SEC East is a pile of hot garbage this year, yet it was questioned about whether Florida could get into the playoffs EVEN IF they lose to Florida State but beat Alabama in the SEC title game. That would be a theoretical 2-loss Florida team that struggled the last few weeks to beat South Carolina ( who just lost to an FCS school), a typical garbage Vanderbilt team, and a SUN BELT CONFERENCE cellar dwellar FAU team that took them to overtime IN GAINESVILLE. Your 8th ranked Gators, ladies and gentlemen. Impressive week-in, and week-out in the eyes of the committee, apparently.
We should also point out how just last week the committee chairman was glad to trumpet how Iowa was able to jump so high in the rankings after the first week because "they show consistency on both sides of the ball."
The one thing that no committee member should be discussing is consistency, and instead should be discussing suitability, as in what suits their agenda.
In terms of UNC and the ACC, again Kevin Carter was showing the double standard of ESPN. When discussing UNC's playoff chances, he basically said UNC's loss to a putrid South Carolina team (the one that just got beat by an FCS program) didn't matter because it was the first game of the year and they have shown improvement over the course of the season since then, and should they beat Clemson, they deserve a playoff spot... YET... YET... A one loss Oklahoma who lost earlier in the season to Texas and should finish the year with 3 straight wins over ranked teams to finish the season (plus have wins over Tennessee on the road and a possible 8-win WVU team) might not be able to overcome that Texas loss and make the playoffs. And let's not forget UNC's epic struggle yesterday against a VT team with a losing record.
Back to Notre Dame. Notre Dame's big wins on the year are what? Navy and Temple? Admittedly they are both having good years by their standards, but would any Power 5 school be afraid to schedule either of those programs in any given year? Oh, and let's not forget that big win (loss) to Clemson that the Irish are getting credit for.
The committee is supposed to rank teams based on this year's results, yet clearly Ohio State was getting credit for last year's results because they hadnt played and beaten anyone worth a damn all year until last night, and all Michigan State did was beat them in "the 'shoe" with a backup quarterback. But I guess the Buckeyes must have been showing that "Iowa consistency" on both sides of the ball all year to be a lock for the playoffs up until last night (and they are clearly not out of it yet, even with a late season loss that would devastate most other teams chances at this point in the season).
Until the playoffs goes to 8 teams and each power 5 conference champ gets in, the subjectivity of the committee will prove itself compromised each week of the season that rankings are released.
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