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Alabama Will Probably Play One Of These 7 Teams In The Playoff. Who’d Have The Best Shot?
SB Nation ^ | 12-1-2016 | Bill Connelly

Posted on 12/01/2016 1:35:52 PM PST by blam

Bill Connelly
December 1, 2016

This might be Nick Saban’s best team ever. But some of college football’s best teams ever have dropped games before.

Is it possible for an Alabama team to be underrated? Have we just gotten bored with talking about Nick Saban's Tide?

Most of the talk regarding college football's Championship Weekend has centered around the fun matchups in Penn State-Wisconsin, whether Colorado or Virginia Tech has a shot at an upset, or what the Playoff committee might do about Michigan.

But we haven't had much to say about Bama, defending national champion and winner of four of the last seven titles. The Crimson Tide are heavy favorites to roll against Florida to their third consecutive conference title. And they would be significant favorites against whoever they might play in the semifinals of the CFP.(College Football Playoffs)

What else is there to say? Bama has recruited and developed players better than any team in the sport, and the Tide are on a magnificent run because of it.

But that doesn't go far enough.

This isn't just a good Bama team. This might be the best Bama team. This might be the best team, period, since World War II.

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at sbnation.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alabama; crimsontide; football; playoffs; saban
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To: hinckley buzzard

Sagarin Strength of schedule has them at 7th ranked schedule. No other teams possibly in the playoff are higher than 15th. So the “tough teams” in contention did not have tougher schedules.

http://sagarin.com/sports/cfsend.htm

USC, Ole Miss, Ark, LSU, A&M, UT all ranked prior to playing Bama. Maybe forgetting others.

I will disclose I was born and raised a Bama fan. If the shoe was on the other foot I would be tired of Saban’s and Bama’s dominance.


21 posted on 12/01/2016 1:58:25 PM PST by FreetheMarkets
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To: Steely Tom; trisham
"Deacon Blues."

When the Steely Dan song writer was writing the song Deacon Blues his school The Wake Forest Demon Deacons had a football record of 1-10 while at the same time Alabama had a record of 10-1...he put it in the song.

- Roll Tide -

22 posted on 12/01/2016 1:59:47 PM PST by blam (Jeff Sessions For President)
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To: Jim 0216

Who have they played?


23 posted on 12/01/2016 2:02:53 PM PST by FredZarguna (And what Rough Beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward Fifth Avenue to be born?)
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To: blam
Here is the wild wild scenario the committee could face:

If both Washington and Clemson lose in their conference championship games the committee could be squarely facing the possibility of having to put 3 Big Ten teams into the final 4 playoff spots. By their own rankings they would be the next best 3 teams left but...but...I don't think they'd have the balls to do it.

24 posted on 12/01/2016 2:03:26 PM PST by LivingNet
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To: All

The University of Minnesota would beat Alab...

Wait, never mind.


25 posted on 12/01/2016 2:04:42 PM PST by MplsSteve
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To: blam

First, I admit I am a Husky. That said, if Jake Browning is on his game, I think Washington could win. This is possibly the most complete Washington team ever. Averaging 44.8 pts /game, opponents avg 17.8, and most of those points came when WA was already up by 20+. 30 takeaways v 12 giveaways on the season. We have a Heisman candidate QB, 1 RB w/over 1100 yds, and another w/over 700. 3 Receivers that would be #1 on most teams, that have combined for 35 touchdowns, and each has one over 60 yds, and a very hard hitting defense that averages 3 sacks per game and includes All American safety Budda Baker. Top that off we have the coach with the second highest career winning percentage even though he was coaching at Boise State up until 2014.


26 posted on 12/01/2016 2:04:45 PM PST by RainMan (The Liberals think our message is dark, I say to them come to the dark side ... we have cookies)
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To: LouieFisk
College football has playoffs?

Yes....thanks to Larry Culpepper.

27 posted on 12/01/2016 2:05:26 PM PST by eddie willers
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To: blam

...and don’t forget what Kiffen did to my VOLS! PFAUGH!

Can’t stand him - and why why why! does the camera focus in on that punk every dang bama game????????? Ever notice that?
It’s like they love the guy. GRRRRRRR!

Saban’s built a machine - gets my respect! So when it comes to playoffs, Roll Tide!


28 posted on 12/01/2016 2:06:31 PM PST by spankalib ("I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.")
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To: blam; All

All of ‘em have a shot, but it is VERY small. Roll Tide!


29 posted on 12/01/2016 2:08:15 PM PST by notdownwidems (Washington D.C. has become the enemy of free people everywhere!)
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To: yarddog
"I am an Alabama fan but I don’t think they are unbeatable at all. I will say the defense is really good. The offense is nothing special."

That's exactly my reading. The defense has saved the team all year. Some games, the Alabama defense has scored more points that the opposing offense.(what an embarrassment, eh?)

I think Alabama will prevail....remember the on-side kick with Clemson last year?

At one point this year, Stanford was ranked #6 in the nation....at that point, Alabama's defense had scored more touchdowns than the whole Stanford team.

Jalen Hurts must develop a long ball passing game.

30 posted on 12/01/2016 2:08:45 PM PST by blam (Jeff Sessions For President)
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To: HenpeckedCon
I’d give the Cleveland Browns a shot

Bet they'd have a hard time.

I wish they would bring back that old All-Star game where the best collegiates played the NFL champion.

31 posted on 12/01/2016 2:08:49 PM PST by eddie willers
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To: blam; Steely Tom

I love that song. Thanks for the background, blam!


32 posted on 12/01/2016 2:08:56 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: eddie willers

“Yes....thanks to Larry Culpepper”

LOL, loved those commercials from last year.


33 posted on 12/01/2016 2:09:17 PM PST by MplsSteve
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To: blam

Dallas Cowboys.


34 posted on 12/01/2016 2:09:53 PM PST by TornadoAlley3 ( I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
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To: eddie willers

I wish they would bring back that old All-Star game where the best collegiates played the NFL champion.


Will never happen. The Steelers played the last one in 1975. The Cincinnati Bengals’ top draft pick, Pat McInally, shattered his leg in that game and was out for the season. The Bengals were a bit torked-off about that. No owner wants to take that risk.


35 posted on 12/01/2016 2:12:53 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: RainMan

You know what? I take my last cheer back. I forgot about Petersen. Great coach. I hope Washington makes it to a final with bama. THAT would be fun.


36 posted on 12/01/2016 2:12:58 PM PST by spankalib ("I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.")
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To: FreetheMarkets

The o ly shoe on college football is in Columbus Ohio....


37 posted on 12/01/2016 2:13:10 PM PST by Jumper
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To: FreetheMarkets
NCAA Team Rankings puts them third behind both OSU and Michigan. In addition, they put Wisconsin and Clemson right behind, and PSU at 14.

'Bama fans can cherry pick their favorite "strength of schedule," all they want. But we're going to play the games and see what happens.

38 posted on 12/01/2016 2:15:45 PM PST by FredZarguna (And what Rough Beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward Fifth Avenue to be born?)
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To: blam

Alabama is as close to a lock as you can get in these things.


39 posted on 12/01/2016 2:17:46 PM PST by eddie willers
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To: FredZarguna

Some pretty tough teams I think.

Let’s put it this way. Seems like the other teams have stumbled against lower/unranked teams whereas Alabama has been pretty superior throughout as far as I can tell. Their defense seems like a brick wall.


40 posted on 12/01/2016 2:18:33 PM PST by Jim W N
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