2016 NCAA Football Thread

[BlackBolt3]

Wait a minute, WHO DID LET NEBRASKA IN THE TOP 10?!?!? They've probably been the quietest top team in the country, like Iowa last year.

[martymcfry]

On 10/10/2016 at 9:12 AM, crashcarson15 said:

We’re quickly reaching the point where it might take not one, but two losses for Washington to drop out of a playoff spot.

 

Unless you think Baylor or West Virginia (I’d love to see it, but…) will run the table, a 12-1 (conference champion) Huskies still slot in as the fourth team in any rank for me — behind the SEC, B1G and ACC winners. Houston’s chances are pretty well shot, and Washington would be taken above a Louisville, Ohio State/Michigan loser, etc., with a conference title at one loss IMO.

I still think a one-loss Michigan/Ohio State has a good chance of getting in over Washington. Especially if its Ohio State. I think that if the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin this weekend, and then lose to Michigan, an argument could be made that the Buckeyes are unequivocally better than a one-loss Washington team that won the Pac-12. That's just my opinion though.

On 10/8/2016 at 10:15 PM, Wings said:

Looks like the Washington-Wazzu game might be the game of the year in the Pac-12.

For the first time since...1992. That was the last time the Apple cup had any major conference implications, much less national.

On 10/10/2016 at 11:19 AM, DScruggy729 said:

This is very hypothetical, but does a 1-loss Washington get in over a potentially undefeated Boise State or even Western Michigan? My gut says no, but that would make for an interesting debate.

Absolutely not. Houston was the only team that ever had a chance to get in as an undefeated Group of 5 champion, because of their games against Oklahoma and Louisville and probably the strongest GO5 conference. Boise State might go undefeated, but that would include wins against a Washington State team that hadn't found their way yet, and Oregon State, which got it's first conference win last week (in overtime at home against Cal). Same goes for Western Michigan. Those two would have a good case for that New Years Six bowl, but not the playoff. Also, if Washington has one loss, they would have wins over all but one of the following; USC, Utah, Arizona State, Washington State, and Cal. Boise and WMU don't have games to match that. Not to mention that the Huskies have already dominated Stanford and Oregon. I don't think either of those two would have a chance up against a one-loss power five champion.

[Seadragon76]

I think Houston's loss to Navy opened the door for Boise and Western Michigan to make a run for the Group of 5 slot in the Cotton Bowl. Houston's margin of error was already razor thin to get into the playoff and with that gone, the margin now becomes even thinner for the Cougars.

 

Another loss and Houston may see it's shot for the Group of 5 slot go up in smoke.

[stumpygremlin]

1 hour ago, Seadragon76 said:

I think Houston's loss to Navy opened the door for Boise and Western Michigan to make a run for the Group of 5 slot in the Cotton Bowl. Houston's margin of error was already razor thin to get into the playoff and with that gone, the margin now becomes even thinner for the Cougars.

 

Another loss and Houston may see it's shot for the Group of 5 slot go up in smoke.

At this point, remember that Houston needs help to win their division of the AAC. They share a division with Navy, so they'd need Navy to lose two games for UH to even play for the conference championship. Also remember that the Group of Five's guaranteed New Year's Six slot goes to the highest-ranked conference champion. Houston, as of right now, may not even make the New Year's Six. That's how huge that loss was for them.

[BlackBolt3]

Imagine this: Boise State wins out and Washington State ends up winning the PAC 12. (Unlikely, but still possible. We're playing the hypothetical game here, don't get angry Husky fans, I think y'all would win.) Houston wins out, including beating a really good Louisville team. Western Michigan runs roughshod through the MAC. BSU can now claim they beat a 1 loss Power 5 champ, and UH can claim they had a tougher schedule than the others, but Western beat 2 (albeit terrible) Big 10 opponents on the road. Honestly I think Boise State should get that spot, but it's tough.

[dfwabel]

14 minutes ago, BlackBolt3 said:

Imagine this: Boise State wins out and Washington State ends up winning the PAC 12. (Unlikely, but still possible. We're playing the hypothetical game here, don't get angry Husky fans, I think y'all would win.) Houston wins out, including beating a really good Louisville team. Western Michigan runs roughshod through the MAC. BSU can now claim they beat a 1 loss Power 5 champ, and UH can claim they had a tougher schedule than the others, but Western beat 2 (albeit terrible) Big 10 opponents on the road. Honestly I think Boise State should get that spot, but it's tough.

Houston would still be out of the conversation because they would neither be a division yet a conference champion until Navy loses twice.

As stated before, the G5 access slot can only go to the highest ranked conference champion.

Wazzu would just go to the Rose Bowl if not in the Playoff.

[BlackBolt3]

The AAC has those two in the west division? They should really switch Cincy and Navy.

[Seadragon76]

1 hour ago, BlackBolt3 said:

The AAC has those two in the west division? They should really switch Cincy and Navy.

 

It was done this way because Navy does a lot of recruiting in Texas (or what they consider to be such as the rules are a little different for the military academies)

[martymcfry]

7 hours ago, BlackBolt3 said:

Imagine this: Boise State wins out and Washington State ends up winning the PAC 12. (Unlikely, but still possible. We're playing the hypothetical game here, don't get angry Husky fans, I think y'all would win.) Houston wins out, including beating a really good Louisville team. Western Michigan runs roughshod through the MAC. BSU can now claim they beat a 1 loss Power 5 champ, and UH can claim they had a tougher schedule than the others, but Western beat 2 (albeit terrible) Big 10 opponents on the road. Honestly I think Boise State should get that spot, but it's tough.

Trying...trying...really hard...

 

But seriously, I think that's a fair point. Oregon State is probably as good as Illinois, but if the Cougars somehow win out, that would give a lot of weight to Boise State. But I think a lot of that weight would be given unjustly. Boise State caught the Wazzu at a week moment. Coming off a loss to an FCS team and before they started rolling, I think the Cougars weren't playing the same level of football them. I think Houston gets the spot here. Western Michigan doesn't have the schedule strength, while Houston can say they beat a top ten team AND a power five champion, both in games that were far bigger at the time than Boise State/Washington State.

[stumpygremlin]

19 hours ago, BlackBolt3 said:

Imagine this: Boise State wins out and Washington State ends up winning the PAC 12. (Unlikely, but still possible. We're playing the hypothetical game here, don't get angry Husky fans, I think y'all would win.) Houston wins out, including beating a really good Louisville team. Western Michigan runs roughshod through the MAC. BSU can now claim they beat a 1 loss Power 5 champ, and UH can claim they had a tougher schedule than the others, but Western beat 2 (albeit terrible) Big 10 opponents on the road. Honestly I think Boise State should get that spot, but it's tough.

WSU has two losses. They lost to FCS Eastern Washington as well as Boise.

[TheRicSlick]

So close, NC State! 

 

I say put them in the top 25 anyway. 

[ninersdd]

I know there have been injuries, but man Arizona looks pathetic. The QB missed a wide open guy and thus threw it straight to a Trojan. The defense can't tackle to save their lives. It's like the Pete Carroll juggernaut is back.(Even then the team was generally more competitive vs him then this).

[DS729]

Good to see the Chokies are back in full force this week, losing to Syracuse on the road. Is it time to start spinning the ACC Wheel of Destiny again? 

[Davidellias]

We could realistically see Idaho, Army, Eastern Michigan, Wake forest and Kentucky Bow Eligible this year.

 

 

[Dynasty]

Every ranked SEC team (outside of Alabama) is overrated.

[habsfan1]

I'm a Canadian. But I find many College Football games incredibly entertaining to watch.

 

No "minor league" of any sport delivers like American College Football. I don't have any one favorite team. But I know several teams backstory going in, so I root on the fly for whoever I'm invested in.

[the_grateful_ted]

Ohio State looked really good yesterday, definitely going to win the Big 10.

Michigan State has to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year, 2-4, really?

Baylor should not be this good, I had them left for dead at the beginning of the season.

Arizona State might have the worst defense in the country. Colorado is good, but not that good.

[DS729]

8 hours ago, sleuthpanther said:

Ohio State looked really good yesterday, definitely going to win the Big 10.

Michigan State has to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year, 2-4, really?

Baylor should not be this good, I had them left for dead at the beginning of the season.

Arizona State might have the worst defense in the country. Colorado is good, but not that good.

The Buckeyes should've lost, so I wouldn't automatically slot them in as a Big Ten champ. Especially when they still have to play two undefeated teams and potentially Wisconsin or Nebraska again. 

[MJWalker45]

9 hours ago, sleuthpanther said:

Ohio State looked really good yesterday, definitely going to win the Big 10.

Michigan State has to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year, 2-4, really?

Baylor should not be this good, I had them left for dead at the beginning of the season.

Arizona State might have the worst defense in the country. Colorado is good, but not that good.

Ohio State showed that the WR's still need a bit of work to get to the next level. Teh defense took a little bit to wake up but were lights out for most of the second half. There were too many silly penalties by the coaches and the players yesterday. When Wisconsin got the ball with 2:30 left it started feeling like Michigan State again. 

 

Speaking of Sparty, they seem to be suffering a year long hangover from that Alabama loss. Northwestern should not have been able to thump them so solidly. That defense has just failed them this year.

 

I'll agree, I figured a coaching change would leave Baylor floating along, but since it seems like Briles still has the ability to talk to his former players through the coaches still there (Not a violation as I understand it and I'm only hypothesizing) they haven't missed a beat. They've also had an easy first half of the schedule. With Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas to come I'd expect at least two losses from those games. 

 

The PAC=12, confirming that every year teams that should be good will suck and teams that everyone left for dead will ruin someone else's season. I'm not surprised by Arizona State since UTSA was controlling them for three quarters and handed the game to them in the fourth. Colorado being solid will help cover up the lack of good play from Arizona, State, UCLA and Oregon, who seem to have hit a wall after being the class of the league for so long.

 

 

[FiddySicks]

ASU has a MISERABLE defense, but we knew that coming into the season, so, oh well.