One Third Of The Way Through The Regular Season: Who Will Make The CFP ??

As of 9/23/23 Who Makes The CFP

  • Georgia

    Votes: 15 93.8%

  • Michigan

    Votes: 13 81.3%

  • Texas

    Votes: 12 75.0%

  • Oklahoma

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Alabama

    Votes: 1 6.3%

  • Washington

    Votes: 4 25.0%

  • Oregon

    Votes: 4 25.0%

  • Southern Cal

    Votes: 4 25.0%

  • Utah

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Florida State

    Votes: 6 37.5%

  • Miami (FL)

    Votes: 1 6.3%

  • Notre Dame

    Votes: 1 6.3%

  • Penn State

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • North Carolina

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • LSU

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 1 6.3%

  • Ohio State

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Total voters
    16
Omega

Omega

Well-known member
The college football regular season is one third of the way complete. Who are your choices for the final four as they stand now?
 
 
nwwarrior09 said:
Feels very wide open at this juncture. I'll go Georgia, Florida State, Oregon, Michigan.
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I would add to this, as what feels to me like a really weird occurrence in a year where there's probably 10-12 or more teams that have a credible playoff chance, UGA is the only SEC team that can/will get in.

LSU has already eliminated themselves. From what I've seen so far, I really don't trust any of the one loss West division teams to not lose at least one more regular season game...and I can't see any of them beating UGA in the SEC championship at the end.
 
nwwarrior09 said:
I would add to this, as what feels to me like a really weird occurrence in a year where there's probably 10-12 or more teams that have a credible playoff chance, UGA is the only SEC team that can/will get in.

LSU has already eliminated themselves. From what I've seen so far, I really don't trust any of the one loss West division teams to not lose at least one more regular season game...and I can't see any of them beating UGA in the SEC championship at the end.
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I feel like UGA is going to drop a game, maybe Tennessee? Not impressed with them.
 
This smells like Bama running the table and getting in. I’ll take Texas, Michigan and Florida St as well. (Georgia trash non-conference costs them a spot)
 
Boy this sets up to be such a great season, and it's BECAUSE of the 4 team playoff, not 8, not 12. Think about in a few years, when these games in Sept and Oct won't mean as much. You'll have 2 and 3 loss powerhouses getting into the playoffs.
 
14Red said:
Boy this sets up to be such a great season, and it's BECAUSE of the 4 team playoff, not 8, not 12. Think about in a few years, when these games in Sept and Oct won't mean as much. You'll have 2 and 3 loss powerhouses getting into the playoffs.
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I'll bite. In the 4-team playoff era there has never been a 2-loss qualifier. We'll see how the AQ number changes after the Pac 12 is gone, potentially followed suit by the ACC, but there likely will not be 3-loss teams that get into the Playoff once it moves to 12. I looked into this during the discussion after it was announced and I don't think there has even been a 3-loss team ranked inside the top 12 in any year of the 4-Team Playoff.

Right now, with the remaining schedules out there, Georgia, Florida St, and the winners of Texas/Oklahoma, and the B1G East are the front runners. Obviously if a Pac 12 team runs the table or finishes as the Conference Champ with one loss, they're likely in and pushing one of those 4 out (probably Florida St). Georgia has been pretty lackluster all season, even in their pay games. Florida St looked great against LSU, but is LSU actually any good? Texas beat Alabama but it's not a great Alabama team. And the B1G outside of the Big 3 in the East is trash.

I think there are legitimately 8-12 teams who could win the whole thing this year. And it would be so much more fun to see those teams go at it and prove it on the field, instead of the 4 teams that go 13-0 and 12-1 against weak schedules - looking at you Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan, etc.
 
adselder09 said:
I'll bite. In the 4-team playoff era there has never been a 2-loss qualifier. We'll see how the AQ number changes after the Pac 12 is gone, potentially followed suit by the ACC, but there likely will not be 3-loss teams that get into the Playoff once it moves to 12. I looked into this during the discussion after it was announced and I don't think there has even been a 3-loss team ranked inside the top 12 in any year of the 4-Team Playoff.

Right now, with the remaining schedules out there, Georgia, Florida St, and the winners of Texas/Oklahoma, and the B1G East are the front runners. Obviously if a Pac 12 team runs the table or finishes as the Conference Champ with one loss, they're likely in and pushing one of those 4 out (probably Florida St). Georgia has been pretty lackluster all season, even in their pay games. Florida St looked great against LSU, but is LSU actually any good? Texas beat Alabama but it's not a great Alabama team. And the B1G outside of the Big 3 in the East is trash.

I think there are legitimately 8-12 teams who could win the whole thing this year. And it would be so much more fun to see those teams go at it and prove it on the field, instead of the 4 teams that go 13-0 and 12-1 against weak schedules - looking at you Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan, etc.
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Great points, get back to me in a month and let's see how things look. Meanwhile, each week, these upcoming games are CRITICAL, while in the coming years, they'll just be another game. 1 loss, no worries, 2 losses and you still have shot. 3 losses and if you can get into your conference championship game and win, you'll be in the playoffs.
 
14Red said:
Great points, get back to me in a month and let's see how things look. Meanwhile, each week, these upcoming games are CRITICAL, while in the coming years, they'll just be another game. 1 loss, no worries, 2 losses and you still have shot. 3 losses and if you can get into your conference championship game and win, you'll be in the playoffs.
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Fighting not only to get in, but for seeding, will be critical in the future. The top four seeds will get a bye. The next four seeds will host a home playoff game. The final four seeds will be forced to go on the road from the get-go.

Those are important tiers that will incentivize winning every game and make every game important.

And as we have said numerous times on here, more teams will be playing important games in November under a 12-team format. Look at LSU. They have two losses. They’re done this year, right? Next year, that team would still have life and a playoff berth to fight for the rest of the season.

Last point: Different sport, but since you’re a big Reds fan, look how the expanded MLB playoffs affected the importance of Reds games down the stretch. Back when it was just one wildcard per league, you could’ve eliminated the Marlins, D-Backs, Reds and Cubs a while ago because it was pretty clear that the Phillies weren’t going to cede the top wildcard in the NL. Instead, the Reds played meaningful games thru Game 161. The AL would’ve been even more drastic, with the Rays holding a massive lead over all the other wildcard teams. The Blue Jays could’ve given up two months ago under a one-wildcard format. The Red Sox and Yankees would’ve been toast by the trade deadline, too.
 
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Omega said:
The college football regular season is one third of the way complete. Who are your choices for the final four as they stand now?
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DANG, you boys REALLY know your stuff about the WHOLE country. The majority picked the SAME four, that I did!
 
AEW Champion said:
Fighting not only to get in, but for seeding, will be critical in the future. The top four seeds will get a bye. The next four seeds will host a home playoff game. The final four seeds will be forced to go on the road from the get-go.

Those are important tiers that will incentivize winning every game and make every game important.

And as we have said numerous times on here, more teams will be playing important games in November under a 12-team format. Look at LSU. They have two losses. They’re done this year, right? Next year, that team would still have life and a playoff berth to fight for the rest of the season.

Last point: Different sport, but since you’re a big Reds fan, look how the expanded MLB playoffs affected the importance of Reds games down the stretch. Back when it was just one wildcard per league, you could’ve eliminated the Marlins, D-Backs, Reds and Cubs a while ago because it was pretty clear that the Phillies weren’t going to cede the top wildcard in the NL. Instead, the Reds played meaningful games thru Game 161. The AL would’ve been even more drastic, with the Rays holding a massive lead over all the other wildcard teams. The Blue Jays could’ve given up two months ago under a one-wildcard format. The Red Sox and Yankees would’ve been toast by the trade deadline, too.
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I HATE this wildcard BS. WHY reward a team with a playoff berth like the Fightin Phils, who finished a HUNDRED games behind the winningest team in Baseball? And THEN, they get to play them in round ONE, in a FIVE game playoff, after ample rest for their stud pitchers. The Braves have NO advantage to winning all those games. The playoff format the way it IS, is BS! The SAME goes for the Dodgers, who are ONE game away from EXTINCTION.
 
AEW Champion said:
Fighting not only to get in, but for seeding, will be critical in the future. The top four seeds will get a bye. The next four seeds will host a home playoff game. The final four seeds will be forced to go on the road from the get-go.

Those are important tiers that will incentivize winning every game and make every game important.

And as we have said numerous times on here, more teams will be playing important games in November under a 12-team format. Look at LSU. They have two losses. They’re done this year, right? Next year, that team would still have life and a playoff berth to fight for the rest of the season.

Last point: Different sport, but since you’re a big Reds fan, look how the expanded MLB playoffs affected the importance of Reds games down the stretch. Back when it was just one wildcard per league, you could’ve eliminated the Marlins, D-Backs, Reds and Cubs a while ago because it was pretty clear that the Phillies weren’t going to cede the top wildcard in the NL. Instead, the Reds played meaningful games thru Game 161. The AL would’ve been even more drastic, with the Rays holding a massive lead over all the other wildcard teams. The Blue Jays could’ve given up two months ago under a one-wildcard format. The Red Sox and Yankees would’ve been toast by the trade deadline, too.
14Red said:
Great points, get back to me in a month and let's see how things look. Meanwhile, each week, these upcoming games are CRITICAL, while in the coming years, they'll just be another game. 1 loss, no worries, 2 losses and you still have shot. 3 losses and if you can get into your conference championship game and win, you'll be in the playoffs.
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Maybe for the Big Ten, but not the SEC. With Old Miss., Florida, Tenn., Ky., LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Ala., and Georgia, as odds on favorites to lose two or fewer games in a fourteen team league, in the future. I doubt very seriously, if more than four or five SEC teams would make the cut. Do you not think that there would be a scenario where all nine of the above, would be eligible for the playoff. If they only lost two each, with the two best W-L records, being in the SEC Championship game. So, there is NO scenario that I see, where a three-loss team makes the SEC Championship game.
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AEW Champion said:
Fighting not only to get in, but for seeding, will be critical in the future. The top four seeds will get a bye. The next four seeds will host a home playoff game. The final four seeds will be forced to go on the road from the get-go.

Those are important tiers that will incentivize winning every game and make every game important.

And as we have said numerous times on here, more teams will be playing important games in November under a 12-team format. Look at LSU. They have two losses. They’re done this year, right? Next year, that team would still have life and a playoff berth to fight for the rest of the season.

Last point: Different sport, but since you’re a big Reds fan, look how the expanded MLB playoffs affected the importance of Reds games down the stretch. Back when it was just one wildcard per league, you could’ve eliminated the Marlins, D-Backs, Reds and Cubs a while ago because it was pretty clear that the Phillies weren’t going to cede the top wildcard in the NL. Instead, the Reds played meaningful games thru Game 161. The AL would’ve been even more drastic, with the Rays holding a massive lead over all the other wildcard teams. The Blue Jays could’ve given up two months ago under a one-wildcard format. The Red Sox and Yankees would’ve been toast by the trade deadline, too.
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Yeah, ALL LSU has to do, is beat Alabama in Tuscalooser.
 
AEW Champion said:
Fighting not only to get in, but for seeding, will be critical in the future. The top four seeds will get a bye. The next four seeds will host a home playoff game. The final four seeds will be forced to go on the road from the get-go.

Those are important tiers that will incentivize winning every game and make every game important.

And as we have said numerous times on here, more teams will be playing important games in November under a 12-team format. Look at LSU. They have two losses. They’re done this year, right? Next year, that team would still have life and a playoff berth to fight for the rest of the season.

Last point: Different sport, but since you’re a big Reds fan, look how the expanded MLB playoffs affected the importance of Reds games down the stretch. Back when it was just one wildcard per league, you could’ve eliminated the Marlins, D-Backs, Reds and Cubs a while ago because it was pretty clear that the Phillies weren’t going to cede the top wildcard in the NL. Instead, the Reds played meaningful games thru Game 161. The AL would’ve been even more drastic, with the Rays holding a massive lead over all the other wildcard teams. The Blue Jays could’ve given up two months ago under a one-wildcard format. The Red Sox and Yankees would’ve been toast by the trade deadline, too.
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Not as important as you think. We see in the baseball playoffs that seeding means squat. In a sport like football where it's one day winner take all, not going to matter. There will a 6-7 seed in an 8 team playoff or a 10-11 seed win in all some year, especially a major conference team.
Would LSU still have a heartbeat later next year, of course but from what we've seen from them, going to be a long long shot for them to run the table and win the conference championship.

Why the 4 team is best, this weekend, Oregon goes to Washington - this is an elimination game. The loser is done for the playoff. Next season and beyond, it's just a semi-big game but not an elimination game. My point is the "playoff" now is the whole season, week after week. We'll lose that going forward all just for more money. Sad.
 
SWGA Fan said:
I HATE this wildcard BS. WHY reward a team with a playoff berth like the Fightin Phils, who finished a HUNDRED games behind the winningest team in Baseball? And THEN, they get to play them in round ONE, in a FIVE game playoff, after ample rest for their stud pitchers. The Braves have NO advantage to winning all those games. The playoff format the way it IS, is BS! The SAME goes for the Dodgers, who are ONE game away from EXTINCTION.
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I thought you left
 
14Red said:
Not as important as you think. We see in the baseball playoffs that seeding means squat. In a sport like football where it's one day winner take all, not going to matter. There will a 6-7 seed in an 8 team playoff or a 10-11 seed win in all some year, especially a major conference team.
Would LSU still have a heartbeat later next year, of course but from what we've seen from them, going to be a long long shot for them to run the table and win the conference championship.
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What? I assume you mean the MLB playoffs, but you could have also meant the college baseball playoffs, either way, neither of those playoffs are single elimination games, they're series or double elimination, round Robin style. So you just argued that in baseball where it is NOT single elimination, seeding doesn't matter and therefore in football where it is a single elimination format, that seeding doesn't matter. Make that, make sense?

I'll concede that in football right now, under the current format seeding doesn't really mean squat because the games are all neutral site. Sure the highest seed is supposed to get the more geographical edge in those neutral site locations, but it really doesn't matter so long as you're included.

That ship goes out the window to a degree when we move to 12. Seeding will absolutely matter. For starters, the top 4 seeds get byes. So they will have to play one less game and worry about getting their players healthy etc.

Then seeds 5-8 will be hosting 9-12 in the first round So for a team like LSU, they would playing to host a game or go to a Michigan/Ohio State/Penn St or visiting Washington/Seattle. If you don't think weather in December, along with the size and crowds of these 80-100k seat stadiums doesn't matter then you must not pay attention to college football.
 
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14Red said:
Why the 4 team is best, this weekend, Oregon goes to Washington - this is an elimination game. The loser is done for the playoff. Next season and beyond, it's just a semi-big game but not an elimination game. My point is the "playoff" now is the whole season, week after week. We'll lose that going forward all just for more money. SaSad.
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No it isn't. They're both still undefeated. Let's say Washington holds serve at home to beat Oregon. Then the Ducks win out with Washington dropping a game or two. Utah has lost already, as has UCLA, as has Oregon St and Washington St. USC is going to lose once maybe even twice, so if Oregon were to win out, there's a high probability that they reach the Pac 12 title game and if they win it, with 1-loss, they'll be in the Playoff still.

If the Pac 12 Champ gets left out with one loss this year, with all the quality teams in that conference, then all the more reason to expand.
 
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