A contest for the ages: Alabama vs Ohio State 2017 edition

[JosephNit]

No, no, not a contest of football teams A contest of bullshit and blather.

Because if the Buckeyes win in Indianapolis – a big if, I grant you – the two perennial darlings of college football, Alabama and Ohio State, can NOT both be accommodated with playoff spots.

In that case we will have in one corner: the power of SEC myth and propaganda. In the other corner: Delany and the ESPN talking heads. The loud pops you’ll be hearing outside the committee’s deliberations room will be the sounds of heads exploding.

On the one hand, it would be quite entertaining to have the champion of the best conference in college football excluded from the playoffs in favor of a team that didn’t even reach its conference championship game. (Sounds vaguely familiar.)

On the other hand, it would require a basic consistency of standards that never seems to apply when it comes to certain teams.

My own bet would be on Godfather Jim and the bullshit artists at ESPN. Ohio State goes with two losses. Alabama gets a NY6 bid.

 

[78SweetRevenge]

No, no, not a contest of football teams A contest of bullshit and blather.

Because if the Buckeyes win in Indianapolis – a big if, I grant you – the two perennial darlings of college football, Alabama and Ohio State, can NOT both be accommodated with playoff spots.

In that case we will have in one corner: the power of SEC myth and propaganda. In the other corner: Delany and the ESPN talking heads. The loud pops you’ll be hearing outside the committee’s deliberations room will be the sounds of heads exploding.

On the one hand, it would be quite entertaining to have the champion of the best conference in college football excluded from the playoffs in favor of a team that didn’t even reach its conference championship game. (Sounds vaguely familiar.)

On the other hand, it would require a basic consistency of standards that never seems to apply when it comes to certain teams.

My own bet would be on Godfather Jim and the bullshit artists at ESPN. Ohio State goes with two losses. Alabama gets a NY6 bid.

I don't think it happens but if TCU and/or Miami win then both COULD get in

 

[NedFromYork]

Oklahoma wins and Ohio State is out imo. Oklahoma, Clemson/Miami, Auburn/Georgia, Alabama.

If Oklahoma loses, I believe both Alabama and Ohio State are in.

Wisconsin with a win is in any scenario. Let's hope Wisconsin wins.

Really need to go to 8 with P5 champs, best of G5, and two at large.

 

[JosephNit]

Oklahoma wins and Ohio State is out imo. Oklahoma, Clemson/Miami, Auburn/Georgia, Alabama.

If Oklahoma loses, I believe both Alabama and Ohio State are in.

Wisconsin with a win is in any scenario. Let's hope Wisconsin wins.

Really need to go to 8 with P5 champs, best of G5, and two at large.

Totally agree about 8 teams. No more and no less. It’s a no-brainer. Which is why it won’t happen. Or maybe it will happen in 20 years or so.

Disagree with your first point. Granted, you’ve got most of it right. Except the last part. It WILL be Ohio State over Alabama. You’ll see.

 

[VaNtyLion]

There is zero logical way to justify Bama in over OSU if OSU wins B1G title and the committee is actually paying attention to its own criteria.

Conference titles are supposed to matter.
Quality wins are supposed to matter more than bad losses. This is straight from the committee chair's mouth numerous times over past few years.

OSU win over Wisky gives them a resume including a conference title to go along with wins over two top 10 teams (Wisky, PSU) and the current CFP 16th ranked team (MSU)

Bama's resume consists of - at best - no conference title (let alone division title) and only two wins vs. ranked opponents: four-loss Mississippi State, which could drop from rankings, and and LSU team that will likely max out around 15th in the polls.

Sorry, Bama. You may have one less loss than OSU but there is simply nothing about that body of work that actually earns them a spot in the top 4.