These rankings are looking better than the week 11 version. I'm still not a fan of BYU over Indiana, because of BYU's three one possession victories over unranked teams, compared to IU's one. I have very little respect for gritty wins. In my opinion, if you're this high, it should be 14+ points against unranked opponents. That's what Indiana does. It's not what BYU does.
I like your daring with Ole Miss. Continuing from the above theme, they've also only had a single one possession game against an unranked opponent all year. Unfortunately for them, they did lose it against Kentucky, but flip that one possession game luck to a win, and I'd be perfectly okay with Ole Miss at seven right now. Good job on that one.
Beyond that, I don't mind their spot, but I think your take on Boise is a little reductive. Maddux Madsen and their passing attack is quite good also. It's not like BSU never passes. They pass more than they run, and their EPA/Pass is higher than their EPA/Rush. It's a passing attack very reliant on explosive plays (low success rate, high EPA/Play), which may not be sustainable, but right now I've got to go with the production. I just feel like it deserves at least a sentence.
You know Griffin, I can't believe we've come this far, but I think I also have to say that I really don't agree with how low you've got Army ranked. Their run game is even better than Boise's from an offensive line perspective. 3.9 OLine yards per rush to 3.3, although it's splitting hairs because both those numbers are fantastic. We can cry SOS in the American, but Army hasn't played a single one possession game yet, so they're doing what they have to, and it will be a crime if every game in Army's season is a 10+ point win and they miss the playoff. That to me would be a black eye on the system, just like the treatment of Indiana is a black eye on the system.
This requires defeating Notre Dame, but if they do, I seriously think Army would be deserving of an at-large spot in the top 12. No need for the conference auto-bid. Who would've thought we'd say that at season's beginning? I will grant you that this is a team driven by their defence, and those are the teams that tend to fold against the good competition, so I'm hedging on Army, but if they can somehow defeat Notre Dame, I will hedge no more.
Exactly the opposite of Army is Washington State, who I think are just way too high on this list. To play three one possession games against their schedule is not becoming of a top 20 team in the country. I'm sorry Cougar fans, and everybody below this is too far out to deserve an at-large bid in my opinion. Even Colorado. I won't take a team in my playoff sporting a 14+ point loss to an unranked opponent unless I have to, and everybody below that is below that. All those teams are fishing for lucky auto-bids.
What do you think Griffin? Why are you such a big fan of BYU? What's up with Army? I respect your take on Ole Miss (it's the same as mine), but I don't respect your lack of take on Boise State. Let me know what you think buddy.
Thanks for the thoughts, buddy! Really appreciate your input each week!
The main reason I have BYU so high is their quality of wins. They've got two ranked wins over SMU and Kansas State, where Indiana hasn't seen a ranked school yet. Sure, the Cougars have flown close to the sun more often than Indiana, but they have a better resume, hence the higher ranking.
Boise State is certainly more balanced than I'm giving them credit for here. I really like the season that Maddux Madsen has put together and he's won them a few games where Jeanty hasn't quite got it going. They have a solid win over Washington State and I think they'd do damage in a 12-team field, but I just don't feel comfortable yet ranking them above some of the teams ahead of them.
If Army beats Notre Dame, they'll probably hop over Boise State in all honesty. Like you said, they've got a ton of blowout wins on their resume, which is great. Problem is, they have only one win over a team over .500. I think they're good, but they quite literally haven't played anyone yet. They keep rising with the wins, but I want to see them beat a decent opponent before I push them into auto-bid conversation.
Washington State's a tough one, but they keep winning and I have to give them props for that. I really like their offense and what John Mateer is able to do in that scheme. They've, like many teams, flown close to the sun with one-score games, but the teams in that 15-25 area are a lot closer than this suggests. You could flip flop them all around and it'll generally come out making decent sense.
I don't think you quite understood. I don't mind Boise State being at 12. I like their running game. I like their passing game. I like that they're driven by their offence, which for a Group of five team is good, because offence tracks better than defence when going up against better competition. We can argue about them and Alabama or SMU (I don't mind their case against SMU), but that feels like a waste of time so let's not.
What I was saying is that if Army beats Notre Dame, I would begin advocating for two group of five teams in this 12 team format. Absolutely Army would jump over Boise State, but Boise would also jump Notre Dame, keeping both in the top 12. That would be the way things would look to me.
However, the playoff committee is corrupt, and whoever really is pulling their strings would likely never allow Boise State to get an at-large bid. Boise State repetitively getting at-large bids is what prompted the fixing of an unbroken BCS system, and its replacement with the corrupt committee to prevent that from happening anymore, but they would deserve one, along with Army.
Once again, it will not happen, because the stans would all cry that 'we've left out Georgia/A&M/Miami for Army!' If college football were still played on the field (which I think by now we can all accept that it isn't, at least not entirely), Army would be much higher than they are. Alabama would be lower, especially with that razor thin Georgia win looking worse and worse by the week, and the group of five would get more respect in general.
If Army beats Notre Dame, we're going to see this new format for what it really is. Does the one automatic group of five bid mean only one group of five team is allowed, or is the committee going to live up to their word, and take the 12 most deserving teams? I have my doubts about their sincerity on that. Fool me twice, shame on me, but we'll see.
I have the same doubts, but if Army beats Notre Dame, it's going to be hard to keep them out. I guess they did something similar with unbeaten Florida State last year, but still. The 12-team field is supposed to be about promoting parity across the sport. If Boise State's only loss is to the consensus Number 1 team by one score and Army has a win over Notre Dame and an unbeaten record, how do they both not get in?
My fear is, in that case, they'll hold Army's horrendous schedule against them and keep them out. It shouldn't be the case, but that's just my thought. The win over Notre Dame might get them up to the CFP's 13-15 range, but that isn't enough to jump Boise or land an at-large bid. I hate it as a G5 advocate, but that's what I see the committee pulling.
These rankings are looking better than the week 11 version. I'm still not a fan of BYU over Indiana, because of BYU's three one possession victories over unranked teams, compared to IU's one. I have very little respect for gritty wins. In my opinion, if you're this high, it should be 14+ points against unranked opponents. That's what Indiana does. It's not what BYU does.
I like your daring with Ole Miss. Continuing from the above theme, they've also only had a single one possession game against an unranked opponent all year. Unfortunately for them, they did lose it against Kentucky, but flip that one possession game luck to a win, and I'd be perfectly okay with Ole Miss at seven right now. Good job on that one.
Beyond that, I don't mind their spot, but I think your take on Boise is a little reductive. Maddux Madsen and their passing attack is quite good also. It's not like BSU never passes. They pass more than they run, and their EPA/Pass is higher than their EPA/Rush. It's a passing attack very reliant on explosive plays (low success rate, high EPA/Play), which may not be sustainable, but right now I've got to go with the production. I just feel like it deserves at least a sentence.
You know Griffin, I can't believe we've come this far, but I think I also have to say that I really don't agree with how low you've got Army ranked. Their run game is even better than Boise's from an offensive line perspective. 3.9 OLine yards per rush to 3.3, although it's splitting hairs because both those numbers are fantastic. We can cry SOS in the American, but Army hasn't played a single one possession game yet, so they're doing what they have to, and it will be a crime if every game in Army's season is a 10+ point win and they miss the playoff. That to me would be a black eye on the system, just like the treatment of Indiana is a black eye on the system.
This requires defeating Notre Dame, but if they do, I seriously think Army would be deserving of an at-large spot in the top 12. No need for the conference auto-bid. Who would've thought we'd say that at season's beginning? I will grant you that this is a team driven by their defence, and those are the teams that tend to fold against the good competition, so I'm hedging on Army, but if they can somehow defeat Notre Dame, I will hedge no more.
Exactly the opposite of Army is Washington State, who I think are just way too high on this list. To play three one possession games against their schedule is not becoming of a top 20 team in the country. I'm sorry Cougar fans, and everybody below this is too far out to deserve an at-large bid in my opinion. Even Colorado. I won't take a team in my playoff sporting a 14+ point loss to an unranked opponent unless I have to, and everybody below that is below that. All those teams are fishing for lucky auto-bids.
What do you think Griffin? Why are you such a big fan of BYU? What's up with Army? I respect your take on Ole Miss (it's the same as mine), but I don't respect your lack of take on Boise State. Let me know what you think buddy.
Thanks for the thoughts, buddy! Really appreciate your input each week!
The main reason I have BYU so high is their quality of wins. They've got two ranked wins over SMU and Kansas State, where Indiana hasn't seen a ranked school yet. Sure, the Cougars have flown close to the sun more often than Indiana, but they have a better resume, hence the higher ranking.
Boise State is certainly more balanced than I'm giving them credit for here. I really like the season that Maddux Madsen has put together and he's won them a few games where Jeanty hasn't quite got it going. They have a solid win over Washington State and I think they'd do damage in a 12-team field, but I just don't feel comfortable yet ranking them above some of the teams ahead of them.
If Army beats Notre Dame, they'll probably hop over Boise State in all honesty. Like you said, they've got a ton of blowout wins on their resume, which is great. Problem is, they have only one win over a team over .500. I think they're good, but they quite literally haven't played anyone yet. They keep rising with the wins, but I want to see them beat a decent opponent before I push them into auto-bid conversation.
Washington State's a tough one, but they keep winning and I have to give them props for that. I really like their offense and what John Mateer is able to do in that scheme. They've, like many teams, flown close to the sun with one-score games, but the teams in that 15-25 area are a lot closer than this suggests. You could flip flop them all around and it'll generally come out making decent sense.
I don't think you quite understood. I don't mind Boise State being at 12. I like their running game. I like their passing game. I like that they're driven by their offence, which for a Group of five team is good, because offence tracks better than defence when going up against better competition. We can argue about them and Alabama or SMU (I don't mind their case against SMU), but that feels like a waste of time so let's not.
What I was saying is that if Army beats Notre Dame, I would begin advocating for two group of five teams in this 12 team format. Absolutely Army would jump over Boise State, but Boise would also jump Notre Dame, keeping both in the top 12. That would be the way things would look to me.
However, the playoff committee is corrupt, and whoever really is pulling their strings would likely never allow Boise State to get an at-large bid. Boise State repetitively getting at-large bids is what prompted the fixing of an unbroken BCS system, and its replacement with the corrupt committee to prevent that from happening anymore, but they would deserve one, along with Army.
Once again, it will not happen, because the stans would all cry that 'we've left out Georgia/A&M/Miami for Army!' If college football were still played on the field (which I think by now we can all accept that it isn't, at least not entirely), Army would be much higher than they are. Alabama would be lower, especially with that razor thin Georgia win looking worse and worse by the week, and the group of five would get more respect in general.
If Army beats Notre Dame, we're going to see this new format for what it really is. Does the one automatic group of five bid mean only one group of five team is allowed, or is the committee going to live up to their word, and take the 12 most deserving teams? I have my doubts about their sincerity on that. Fool me twice, shame on me, but we'll see.
I have the same doubts, but if Army beats Notre Dame, it's going to be hard to keep them out. I guess they did something similar with unbeaten Florida State last year, but still. The 12-team field is supposed to be about promoting parity across the sport. If Boise State's only loss is to the consensus Number 1 team by one score and Army has a win over Notre Dame and an unbeaten record, how do they both not get in?
My fear is, in that case, they'll hold Army's horrendous schedule against them and keep them out. It shouldn't be the case, but that's just my thought. The win over Notre Dame might get them up to the CFP's 13-15 range, but that isn't enough to jump Boise or land an at-large bid. I hate it as a G5 advocate, but that's what I see the committee pulling.