Posted on 12/02/2006 9:05:42 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin2
Florida and Chris Leak beat Arkansas 38-28 to win the SEC Championship. According to the CFN Formula, which ranks the teams based on who had the best seasons, the Gators deserve to play for the national title. Not only isn't Michigan No. 2 in the CFN Formula, it's not third, or even fourth.
Who should play Ohio State for the national title? Michigan will most likely end up playing Ohio State in a rematch, but does it deserve it? According to the CFN Formula, which ranks teams based on what actually happened on the field and takes all subjectivity out of it, here are the rankings of four teams currently in the debate for the number two spot. This is NOT a ranking of which teams are the best or most talented. This is a formula to find out which teams had the best seasons based on who they played, who they beat, and who they lost to. We'll put out the entire 119-team ranking next week.
Out of Michigan, Florida, Louisville and Boise State ...
The Formula's Components:
1. Wins. - If you win, everything else falls into place. Each win counts as 1.
2. Quality Wins - The number of wins over teams that finished with a winning record. Each win counts as 1.
3. Elite Wins - The number of wins over teams that finished with two losses or fewer. Each win counts as 1 with a road win over an Elite team getting an extra 0.5. Also counting as 1 is a road win over a team that finished with three losses or fewer (but the extra 0.5 isn't added).
4. Bad Loss - The number of losses to teams that finished with three wins or fewer or a loss to a DI-AA team. Each loss counts as minus-1. Take away an additional 0.5 for a Bad Loss at home.
5. Bad Win - The number of wins to teams that finished with three wins or fewer, or a win over a D-IAA team. Each win counts as minus 0.25.
6. Elite Loss - The number of losses to teams that finished with two losses or fewer. Each loss counts as 0.25.
7. Point Differential - Points for minus points against divided by 100.
8. Winning Percentage - To take losses into account, winning percentage is in the mix.
1. Florida CFN Score: 24.92
Record: 12-1, Quality Wins: 7, Elite Wins 3, Bad Loss 0, Bad Win 1, Elite Loss 1, Point Difference 2, Winning % 0.92
2. Louisville CFN Score: 21.60
Record: 11-1, Quality Wins: 6, Elite Wins 1, Bad Loss 0, Bad Win 1, Elite Loss 1, Point Difference 2.68, Winning % 0.92
3. Boise State CFN Score: 21.11
Record: 12-0, Quality Wins: 5, Elite Wins 1, Bad Loss 0, Bad Win 3, Elite Loss 0, Point Difference 2.86, Winning % 1.00
4. Michigan CFN Score: 20.54
Record: 11-1, Quality Wins: 4, Elite Wins 2.5, Bad Loss 0, Bad Win 0, Elite Loss 1, Point Difference 1.87, Winning % 0.92
Case for Michigan
1. Michigan is generally acknowledged by almost everyone as the nation's second best team. Even when USC was ranked number two, that was more of a function of the voters preventing a rematch than it was a confirmation of the Trojans.
2. The first game in Columbus didn't settle the issue in the minds of many. If you're a believer that home field advantage means three points, then Michigan and Ohio State are dead even. Now, many want to see what would happen on a neutral field.
3. Going into this last weekend, Michigan played the nation's third toughest schedule behind Cincinnati and one other team which will go nameless for a moment.
4. It's not like Florida showed great pizzazz getting to 12-1. There's a reason no one's been pushing the Gators for the national title; it has been a bit zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (Percy Harvin excluded). While style points shouldn't matter, Florida got sacked by Auburn in a 27-17 loss; the offense was shut down in the second half (but the defense was impressive). Michigan's one loss, of course, was as forgivable as it gets.
5. The offense should be every bit as good in a rematch with Ohio Stat, if not better. Mario Manningham was just getting back in the swing of things. One of the nation's best receivers, Michigan's offense is far more potent when he's 100% and rolling. Those 39 points and close to 400 yards of total offense weren't a fluke.
Case for Florida
1. Schedule, schedule, schedule. Going into the final weekend of the season, the Gators played the nation's toughest schedule, and it wasn't even close. The cumulative opposition winning percentage was 0.643. Number two Cincinnati was 0.622. That might not seem like much, but it is.
2. The SEC deserves a break. Auburn got hosed in 2003 when USC and Oklahoma squared off for the national title. If you believe the SEC is the nation's toughest conference, then its champion should go in.
3. Michigan didn't win it's own conference title. If you're the number two in your league, how is it possible, theoretically or practically, that you should be named the best team in the country?
4. Michigan beat an overrated Notre Dame team that had one win over a team with a pulse (Georgia Tech) and got by Wisconsin before the Badger offense, primarily the receivers, began to jell. Ohio State and Michigan basically fattened up their records against a horrible Big Ten while Florida ended up beating nine bowl teams and lost to one.
5. The defense is the real deal. The secondary might be a bit suspect, but the front seven, despite injuries, is rock-solid. Throw in a veteran quarterback like Chris Leak, and a head coach in Urban Meyer who doesn't lose when he gets more than two weeks to prepare, and you have a team more than good enough to not just challenge the Buckeyes, but beat them. Michigan had its chance, and lost.
Case for ... Boise State?!
1. 12-0. There are two teams in America without a loss. Boise State does play in Division-I, doesn't it? If there's no playoff and no chance to actually prove it on the field, you do have to consider all 119 teams for the title. It's time to pay more than lip-service when it comes to giving the "little guy" a shot.
2. Michigan already lost to Ohio State and no one outside of the Gainesville metropolitan area is jazzed up about a Gator-Buckeye championship. If you ever wanted to see a team like Boise State get a shot, this should be it.
3. The program deserves it. With 85 wins in eight years, it's not like this is some fluky, one-season wonder.
4. Fine, so the schedule is awful getting to fatten up on WAC teams, but Boise State obliterated Oregon State 42-14, beat a very good Hawaii team 41-34, crushed Utah 36-3, and stomped on Nevada 38-7.The Broncos have shown up in big occasions all year long and played their best football.
5. George Mason!
I know the game simply was not that close.
Those believing OSU is going to slaughter Florida is in for a rude awakening.
anything can happen with only a 3point spread.
yea, how many injuries did FL have in that last game?
BTW, OUR Bears kicked some bootie. :)
A team which played 10 bowl teams and beat nine has the 48th strongest schedule? Yeah, sure.
If you mean the Arkansas game Florida had quite a few.
I was walking up the stairs to get to my seat after the half, somehow slipped backwards and managed to fall into a row of empty seats, landing on an armrest and bruising up my side pretty good. If the camera was on it it would have been good for a few laughs.
Fortunately, I managed to miss landing on my rib cage or it would have been bad news. And having an extra six inches of padding for the cold helped reduce the damage.
I don't think anyone in the NFC can beat the Bears in the playoffs even with Rex playing like crap. The Super Bowl is another matter.
"Anyone believing playoffs would help this must not be watching the playoffs in the NFL and MLB if they believe they invariably select the best team."
And we should believe that who ever wins the so-called BCS Championship game is the best team? Why? Because the polls say so? Championships should be determined on the field, not by sports writers, coaches, or computer programs. It seems to me that the majority of people against a playoff are those who support BCS programs. What is so bad about letting all 119 Div-1 schools get their shot? The so-called Mid-Major programs are mid-major because the BCS schools have a virtual monopoly on the system. I also think BCS AD's are afraid of losing to a Boise St or a New Mexico in a playoff. They don't want the world to see that the wizard behind the curtain is human just like everyone else.
hopefully you will be ok, I got some sore ribs as well(feeling the one feels like its broke) and don't even know how i did it... if they keep acting up im gonna go to the doc and get some x-rays... hopefully we will get the home field advantage...
I'm ok, thanks, my side is sore and my knee a little.
We had to send in our playoff ticket money so you can put home field in the BANK.
LOL - escapes mine, too! ;-)
I could care less how ANY college football player is drafted at the next level. The two games are completely different IMO. I am barely interested in pro football. It's the college game that I love.
I am not sure I agree with that. From what I have seen, most SEC coaches and fans can't stand the BCS.
get some ice on that sucker and try to stay off it if you can. ;)
President Bush should attend. The state which "stole" the election for him in 2000 versus the state which "stole" the election for him in 2004. Rather than playing football, we could have Diebold just produce the results. Hehehehe
As long as I don't sneeze it is ok.
There is really little controversy. At best the argument is over which of the second tier gets to play OSU. All have a legitimate argument or at least a plausible one. I don't think there is anyone really claiming Boise State should be in the game.
I love upsets and underdogs so do not give a crap about the BCS per se. The only reason I am against a playoff is the it would have to add as many as four games to a 12 game schedule. That is just too many. Now if the regular season schedule was reduced to 10 then I would not argue against it.
Many discount Wisconsin's record. We will see how they do against the Razorbacks. If McFadden is ok for the game the Badgers are in trouble big trouble.
sneeze, cough or take a deep breath(or roll over hard onto your side while sleeping)... i know how it is... like i said my ribs are messed up right now too...(I have had cracked ribs before)
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