CBS Sports Projects Penn State to make the biggest jump tonight - up to #6

[NittanyIllinois]

I can’t see the committee taking a Tua-less Alabama over a one loss PAC 12 champion and a one loss Big 12 champion. If so, then I’ll have lost all faith in college football.

Alabama is finished, period. Even if they win @ Auburn and finish 11-1, the value of that Auburn win won't overcome the value of Oregon's win over Utah, or Utah's win over Oregon.

If you're Oregon or Utah, you root hard for LSU to beat Georgia, (because a UGA win possibly gets both Georgia and LSU into the playoff) and you root for Ohio State to beat Penn State and Minnesota.

But Alabama is done.

 

[katchthis]

Only at #8 . Regardless, need to win stage Shoe .

 

[ChiTownLion]

 

[fastlax16]

ESPN making the argument OSU would deserve to go over Minnesota if Minnesota beats them H2H was fun to watch.

 

[NittanyIllinois]

LMAO

Arizona State as a “quality win”?

I am not sure “who” is saying that..... but that is abjectly ****ing ludicrous.
Does anyone even watch these teams play? At all???

Go take a look at Arizona State’s play this year...... LSHIPM



FWIW: The P12 should already be completely eliminated from any consideration for a spot in the “Invitational”
If they do get a team in? That would be 100% as the result of political pressure after having the P12 left without an invitation the last two years. That is all.

Bottom line. If ASU is a "quality win", then Pitt is a "signature win".

Arizona State absolutely sucks. A narrow win against a Michigan State team that is abjectly terrible is what put them on the map. And since then, they've lost 5 of their last 7.

Not that their 12-point win over Sacramento State should have been a warning, or anything.

Good Lord.

 

[cjrugger]

It doesn’t matter in the end. The Ohio State game is the season. Lose and it’s all moot. Win and it’s all moot.

I dunno- I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re left out if UGA beats LSU, but who knows. Lots of football left to play

 

[bvillebaron]

I think a 12-1 OSU would have a good chance.

If PSU upsets OSU and wins the Big Championship they are in. Plain and simple.

 

[Nitwit97]

It’s kind of amazing that with this great committee solution for college football, they still follow so many of the old “rules” of voting. Early losses are better should not be a thing...sometimes early losses are worse because even though your team isn’t in mid season form yet, neither is the team you lost to. A loss to Minny early in the season would have been much worse than when we lost to them...they played like crap early on.

correct. Our early losses in 2016 were not very beneficial.

 

[interrobang]

Sadly, the playoff committee really doesn't care about quality wins. Just scoreboard-impressing wins.

 

[Nitwit]

Maybe we should have this discussion on Saturday night

 

[YorkLion]

I'm guessing many of you missed the very lucky bounces we got in barely beating Indiana. We're just not a great football team right now and there's nothing wrong with that. My concern is that it doesn't look like we've improved through the course of the Season.

 

[heckmans]

Which is why a bunch of insiders voting for the top 4 is just as stupid as a thousand journalists or 100 coaches voting for the top teams. This system isn't a solution, it's a band aid. If their voting system was at all accurate, you'd think they could have picked at least one eventual winner as a 1 seed by now.

Not directed at you...just ranting today.

Fully agree. The whole notion of a group arbitrarily selecting teams is absurd.
I've posted a number of times on my belief that a 6 team playoff is needed.
Six is because winning should matter.
First 5 are the 5 top ranked conference champs. Winning matters and it's up to the conference to decide how to crown their best team as champ.
The final is the highest ranked among ND* or 6th conference champ, but must be ranked in the Top 8 or 10.
If a 6th team doesn't qualify above, then it would be the highest ranked conference runner up.

FTR, I hate to include ND in this way, but there is no way a system is getting put in place without them. The only good news

Bottom line, winning should matter and the CFP should be the Champion of Champions. F the "look test." Win your conference or be quiet.

 

[PennState_one]

ESPN making the argument OSU would deserve to go over Minnesota if Minnesota beats them H2H was fun to watch.

Minny will lose to Wiscy and it won't even be a conversation. Minny is fools gold...

 

[heckmans]

You don't think climbing 3 spots to #6 from #9 could have an impact on where we end up after we likely lose on Saturday at Ohio State? If we're #9 going into the game, we likely drop well below 12th. If we're 6th headed into the matchup, and it's close we could stay in the top 10.

The six games focus on the top 12 teams in the rankings; to date during the College Football Playoff era (2014 through 2018 seasons), of the 60 teams to play in a New Year's Six game, only six have been ranked lower than 12th.

Last year the Outback & Citrus Bowls paid out 4.25 & 3.5 million respectively to the participating schools. The Rose Bowl paid out 18 million.

It absolutely matters.

I think so many of the current Top 10 will play each other so there will be so much movement driven by either winning or losing those head to head games. Humbly, I don't think being 9 or 6 or whatever this week matters due to the number of teams that necessarily have to lose. Winners will rise, and losers will fall. I think it's highly likely that whether it's 9 or 6 this week, it will not have a bearing on the end ranking heading into the bowl season.

As for bowl money, I'm pretty sure that's irrelevant as all B1G bowl money is split evenly among the member teams.

 

[PSUdraw]

That seems like awfully "convenient" scheduling when the team that beats PSU just happens to play Iowa the next week. The odds of that happening 5 out the 6 years Franklin's been coaching at PSU seems astronomical. I remember it happening to OSU but I can't remember the others.

Minny will lose to Wiscy and it won't even be a conversation. Minny is fools gold...

Minnesota might be without Morgan this saturday against Northwestern.

 

[PSU.:.]

I'm dumbfounded why Utah and Oregon and even Alabama are ahead of PSU.
Jesus just look at wins compared to these other teams. It's complete BS...
PSU is better off just playing cake teams all season. Way better chance making into playoffs.

 

[PennState_one]

Minnesota might be without Morgan this saturday against Northwestern.

I've always liked it better when a team loses when they are at full strength. (not that Northwestern can actually beat anyone).

I just seems that PSU plays DOWN to the level of its competition and Minny took full advantage. Good on them... However, PSU really needs to fix that in order to take the next step...

 

[PennState_one]

I'm dumbfounded why Utah and Oregon and even Alabama are ahead of PSU.
Jesus just look at wins compared to these other teams. It's complete BS...
PSU is better off just playing cake teams all season. Way better chance making into playoffs.

I agree. I've been saying since the "playoffs" started that the win-loss record will be the #1 priority of the committee (for a power 5 team)... It is frustrating, but the BIG is doing this to themselves... Schedule Furman, Wofford, and Chattanooga and be done with it...

 

[N&B4PSU]

A shame we didn't get past minny as we'd be playing osu as the #3 team and even an halfway ugly loss only drops us to maybe 8 or 9. Same thing happens now, we're in 12-15 death zone.

Only option is to win.

No pressure. lol.

 

[PennState_one]

A shame we didn't get past minny as we'd be playing osu as the #3 team and even an halfway ugly loss only drops us to maybe 8 or 9. Same thing happens now, we're in 12-15 death zone.

Only option is to win.

No pressure. lol.

It's hard to go undefeated... Unless you have a schedule like Clemsons...

I truly envy them in regards to the schedule. What I wouldn't give to see PSU play out that schedule...

 

[N&B4PSU]

It's hard to go undefeated... Unless you have a schedule like Clemsons...

I truly envy them in regards to the schedule. What I wouldn't give to see PSU play out that schedule...

You name iowa, michigan (esp back then when um was not playing well), msu, minny, indy... and people around the country shrug.

It isn't that any of them are setting the world on fire, but the death march of playing teams of that quality week in-week out, takes a toll. And we deserve respect for that.

I'd like to think we'll learn a lot about this team when we play in the bowl game... but that presumes we're of remotely normal strength (and if hamler, freirmuth, etc decide to bolt, we will not be). IOW, I suspect this osu game is monumental as a loss places us in a shrug bowl and even a 10-2 season loses its luster.

In short, we need to find a way on Saturday. Whatever CJF has, he needs to bring it.

 

[psute]

I'm dumbfounded why Utah and Oregon and even Alabama are ahead of PSU.
Jesus just look at wins compared to these other teams. It's complete BS...
PSU is better off just playing cake teams all season. Way better chance making into playoffs.

Thus the difference between the B12, the B10 and the PAC vs the SEC and the ACC. 9 conference games vs 8 conference games guarantees 1 additional loss for 5, 6 and 7 teams respectively. Alabama is playing the 3-8 Western Carolina Catamounts this week. Quite the gauntlet. If the road to the final 4 includes 3 pay for play patsy games, we are left with the rare, but beautiful occasional upset...

 

[PennState_one]

You name iowa, michigan (esp back then when um was not playing well), msu, minny, indy... and people around the country shrug.

It isn't that any of them are setting the world on fire, but the death march of playing teams of that quality week in-week out, takes a toll. And we deserve respect for that.

I'd like to think we'll learn a lot about this team when we play in the bowl game... but that presumes we're of remotely normal strength (and if hamler, freirmuth, etc decide to bolt, we will not be). IOW, I suspect this osu game is monumental as a loss places us in a shrug bowl and even a 10-2 season loses its luster.

In short, we need to find a way on Saturday. Whatever CJF has, he needs to bring it.

That is right, PSU is getting some respect in the poles, but this week is for all the marbles and they aren't getting any respect in the least. This will literally make or break the season. Hopefully this fuels our guys and they come out with the hair on fire.

However, I'm happy with a 10 win regular season and many other team fans would be ecstatic...

 

[AWS1022]

You would WANT to see Penn State play an entire schedule - from Labor Day to Thanksgiving - without one quality team on the entire slate?

Why?

Um, to go undefeated and get into the CFP.

 

[PennState_one]

You would WANT to see Penn State play an entire schedule - from Labor Day to Thanksgiving - without one quality team on the entire slate?

Why?

Until the committee proves that they value something more than wins and losses, yes.

Why? Go undefeated and you are almost guaranteed to get in the playoffs regardless of the schedule... At least until something changes anyway...

 

[Cpeplion]

Everyone needs to also be prepared for the scenario in which Penn State beats OSU and wins the Conference title but OSU bounces back and beats down the fighting Jimmys then gets in the CFP ahead of PSU...don't think it would happen....watch, wait, and see

 

[NoBareFeet]

I'm not knocking you for posting this, but frankly, none of this matters.

If the B1G east champ wins the B1G championship, they go to the CFP. If the west champ wins, the B1G won't be represented.

Incorrect. Minnesota is absolutely in the playoff if it wins out. No doubt about it.

 

[fastlax16]

Minny will lose to Wiscy and it won't even be a conversation. Minny is fools gold...

I agree that’s likely. Still interesting to watch them make the argument. The system sucks.

 

[PennState_one]

I agree that’s likely. Still interesting to watch them make the argument. The system sucks.

Don't get me wrong. Minnesota has made great strides for its program. I just believe they didn't get the best PSU team on that day.

 

[Aardvark86]

We will be at 8....ESPN just posted who has the best chance to be the #4...listed Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, or Oregon. No PSU, No Utah, No Minnesota, No Baylor......

Say what you want but it is very much in play that ESPN has a say in who goes to the playoffs.

Well if you assume psu losing to osu is likely, that is by no means irrational.

 

[heckmans]

So........ play a completely meaningless schedule for three months - all so one can get invited to an equally meaningless charade?


No thanks. I’m not that needy for confirmation.

Don't sell yourself short Norm. You're incredibly needy.

 

[heckmans]

Incorrect. Minnesota is absolutely in the playoff if it wins out. No doubt about it.

It's no lock.

 

[interrobang]

Minnesota is in a tough game this week vs. lowly Northwestern if Tanner Morgan can't clear concussion protocol

 

[PSUoh90]

It will be interesting to see how far we will drop from 8 should we lose this Saturday. I'm not sure how big of an impact a blowout loss will be compared to a close loss either.

Minny lost on the road and dropped 1 spot. Baylor lost at home and dropped 1 spot. Of course, these were both close games, but to lesser teams than OSU.

I've seen a few bowl projections that have ND playing in the Orange Bowl. There isn't a chance in hell ND is jumping PSU or Florida, currently at 16. Surprisingly, ND isn't getting the respect from pollsters, as they shouldn't b.

 

[interrobang]

It will be interesting to see how far we will drop from 8 should we lose this Saturday. I'm not sure how big of an impact a blowout loss will be compared to a close loss either.

Minny lost on the road and dropped 1 spot. Baylor lost at home and dropped 1 spot. Of course, these were both close games, but to lesser teams than OSU.

I've seen a few bowl projections that have ND playing in the Orange Bowl. There isn't a chance in hell ND is jumping PSU or Florida, currently at 16. Surprisingly, ND isn't getting the respect from pollsters, as they shouldn't e.

But Penn State lost on the road and dropped 5 spots.

 

[PSUoh90]

But Penn State lost on the road and dropped 5 spots.

This is true. As others have stated though, I think that has more to do with having to rank us below Minny, but not moving Minny all the way up to 4-6 in the polls. Should we lose on Saturday, I find it difficult to believe that we would drop 5 spots again, but who knows.

 

[NoBareFeet]

These rankings don't mean much of anything at this point. If Penn State wins out, it's in the playoff.

If Minnesota wins out, it's in the playoff.

If Ohio State wins out, it's in the playoff. If Ohio State loses to Michigan but wins the Big Ten Championship game, it's in the playoff. If Ohio State loses to Penn State, and Penn State loses to Wisconsin or a 2 loss Minnesota in the Big Ten championship game, it's probably in the playoff.