[xzins]

Everyone has always known that a playoff is the best answer. Not until next year, though. We’re stuck with polling as the means of pairing the best teams.

I’m glad to have a 4 team playoff, but I prefer an 8 team. I’m fairly sure 8 teams will definitely include the best in the nation.

I’m also surprised how many fans don’t know the difference between “strength of schedule” and “strength of schedule rank.”

Just because my SOS rank is 40 and yours is 60 doesn’t mean they are separated by a significant actual SOS. That could be by as little as 2 or 3 points, given they get carried out to 3 or 4 decimal places.

For example, Arizona State at 10-2 has the #4 ranked SOS. Auburn at 11-1 has an SOS rank of #26.

If Auburn should jump over Ohio State because it has one loss but an sos rank of 26 and osu has zero losses but an sos rank 61, shouldn’t Az State, by the same logic, jump over Auburn?

Auburn’s SOS is 74 and Ohio States is 68. (Higher is better in actual sos.) What that means is averaging the strengths of the teams played by Auburn gives a 74 and averaging OSU’s gives a 68. Averaging Arizona State’s gives an 80.

If one were to talk schedule, here is Auburn’s:

Sat, Aug 31 vs

#34 Washington St
#110 Arkansas State
#44 Mississippi St
#17 LSU
#35 Ole Miss
#217 W Carolina
#19 Texas A&M
#80 Florida Atl
#83 Arkansas
#63 Tennessee
#18 Georgia
#2 Alabama
#5 Missouri*

With Missouri, that should average to about a 55 for the team’s played current position rank in the Sagarin format.

Ohio State is an average of 76, also using current rankings.

#68 Buffalo
#96 San Diego State
#121 California
#225 Florida A&M
#10 Wisconsin
#65 Northwestern
#25 Iowa
#52 Penn State
#149 Purdue
#73 Illinois
#57 Indiana
#39 Michigan
#13 Michigan State

[for-q-clinton]

There is nothing to debate. If OSU wins they will play for the national title. The SEC was and still is way overrated this year. They should try going 2 years undefeated then they can have a point.

[nascarnation]

In 60+ years of football watching, don’t think I’ve ever seen a finish like the Iron Bowl.

[Tulane]

Everyone in the Obama Administration knows Tulane should be in the national championship game. That is all.

[TexasFreeper2009]

Baylor should be ranked higher.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

This is really pretty simple. OSU is undefeated. If they beat Michigan State, they go to the BCS Championship. Auburn and Missouri each have one defeat. If Michigan State beats OSU, the winner of the Auburn/Missouri game goes to the BCS Championship, Having explained that, it really downs’t matter if OSU, Auburn or Misouri goes to the BCS Championship game because Florida State will “murder” any of the three. None of those teams can stay with FSU and in fact, by beating Alabama, Auburn may have saved Bama from being humiliated by FSU. There is one hope for the FSU opponent and that would be if the FSU QB Wilcox is indicted for that sexual assault allegation last December and then suspended before the game. Other than that, FSU romps.

[Nervous Tick]

...Auburn's won by a single score six times (including the two luckiest, most improbable winning plays of the year)

"...if GOD be for us, who can be against us?..." :-)

[martinidon]

This argument needs to take place next week. Auburn and OSU have one big game left before anyone can argue who goes to the BCS Championship game. By Saturday night it will all be worked out...

[Ingtar]

Go Missouri! Go Duke! Go Michigan State!

Chaos!

[SeminoleCounty]

If Mizzou beats Auburn, and Ohio St loses B1G champ game...Mizzou plays for nat’l champ...they will jump Bama with 12 wins and 8 SEC wins (one more than Bama)

[fungoking]

All the arguments made for OSU this year were made for Notre Dame last year. OSU’s “quality” win is over Northwestern, a game they barley won, just like the barley beat a bad Michigan team.

I fear that if OSU makes the championship game they will turn out to be a real as Manti Te’o’s girlfriend.

[fungoking]

Myer isn't going to suspend the 2 players who got ejected for fighting, not even the 1 who flipped off the crowd, the Big 10 has said it won't do anything either.

Even if Myer hasn't got the Big 10’s level of play any where near the SEC’s, he is bringing their ethics down to a SEC level.

[GreenAccord]

I guess it all comes down to this: Based on their perceived strength, the almighty SEC gets the nod whenever there are teams with equivalent records in the polling. That’s why Alabama was always on top this season. Now among all the one loss team, this still holds true, as positions 3, 4 & 5 are all SEC teams, which puts them at the top of the rankings for the one loss teams. It just so happens, they don’t (and shouldn’t) overtake AQ conferences with zero losses.

Thinking back, Florida did this in 2006. LSU (a two loss team) was the BCS participant because all of the AQ champs lost 2 games.

In 2008, Florida (with one loss) again went to the National Champ game over USC and Penn State.

in 2011, a one-loss Alabama team (who didn’t win their conference) took the slot instead of Stanford, the other one loss team.

So, it seems that the SEC has ALWAYS received this preferential treatment when it comes down to teams with the same losses. It just doesn’t fly for having MORE losses than the teams ahead.

[Scoutmaster]

Someone mentioned that the Big 10 usually comes south and beats teams during the bowl season - I can't find the post.

The SEC has an all-time winning bowl record against the Big 10 - something close to 60%.

And OSU's bowl record against the SEC is 0-10.

[reed13k]

None of it matters outside Dec 14 in Philly...

Go Navy, Beat Army!