New Year's Six Bowls Discussion Thread

[VirginiaCavs]

Friday, Dec. 29



Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Arlington, Texas): Ohio State (11-1) vs. Missouri (10-2), 7 p.m., ESPN



Saturday, Dec. 30



Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta): Ole Miss (10-2) vs. Penn State (10-2), 11 a.m., ESPN



Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Fla.): Florida State (13-0) vs. Georgia (12-1), 3 p.m., ESPN



Monday, Jan. 1



VRBO Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.): Oregon (11-2) vs. Liberty (13-0), noon, ESPN

 

[Frank Costanza]

Nix announced this afternoon that he is playing in the bowl and wants to go out on a good note.

Liberty is a joke and will get disemboweled. Similar deal to Bama / K-State last year except K-State was a real team.

Oregon 13.5 will likely be my biggest play of the bowl season.

 

[B.A.R.]

Nix announced this afternoon that he is playing in the bowl and wants to go out on a good note.

Liberty is a joke and will get disemboweled. Similar deal to Bama / K-State last year except K-State was a real team.

Oregon 13.5 will likely be my biggest play of the bowl season.

Oh wow, I can't believe he's playing!

Good for him.

 

[Two Utes]

Oh wow, I can't believe he's playing!

Good for him.

In the age of players sitting out bowl games, it's nice to see someone that still wants to play when the playoff is off of the table.

 

[2daBank]

Nix announced this afternoon that he is playing in the bowl and wants to go out on a good note.

Liberty is a joke and will get disemboweled. Similar deal to Bama / K-State last year except K-State was a real team.

Oregon 13.5 will likely be my biggest play of the bowl season.

Nix isn’t exactly a hero playing in the bowl, he might as well try to find a way to play 6 more years of college cause he will never start in the nfl, I agree w you him playing and I assume most his teammates playing with him they will smash liberty but they lucky smu didn’t get this spot cause I think smu woulda made it difficult for that dink and dunk pop gum offense! With all the “deserving” talk going around today, I think smu deserved this spot way more so than liberty!

 

[2daBank]

Fsu team total under whatever the number is. I don’t care if half Uga players sit out there no chance the fsu wild cat gains a yard!

 

[2daBank]

god I hope Uga cares enough to try in this game so all the complainers can see fsu get their shit pushed in! Not to mention I now hate Norvell more and more every day and am dying to see his overrated team lose by 50!

 

[B.A.R.]

god I hope Uga cares enough to try in this game so all the complainers can see fsu get their shit pushed in! Not to mention I now hate Norvell more and more every day and am dying to see his overrated team lose by 50!

The funny thing is, if Georgia hadn't gotten their handled by Alabama...

FSU was guaranteed in.

The irony.

 

[lvmike32]

McCord to portal. Surprising

 

[2daBank]

The funny thing is, if Georgia hadn't gotten their handled by Alabama...

FSU was guaranteed in.

The irony.

True. So noles should be extra angry and their mouthy Asshole coach sure seems fired up as he basically disrespecting everyone else while acting like life is so unfair. I have to agree w him there, the fact that idiot makes millions of dollars while other im sure much better humans starve def screams life not fair. Not so much his team not making the playoffs tho!

 

[B.A.R.]

True. So noles should be extra angry and their mouthy Asshole coach sure seems fired up as he basically disrespecting everyone else while acting like life is so unfair. I have to agree w him there, the fact that idiot makes millions of dollars while other im sure much better humans starve def screams life not fair. Not so much his team not making the playoffs tho!

Oh, FSU got screwed. Big time.

When the injury happened, they should have dropped them dramatically to make their point.

Slotting them in-between SEC#1 and SEC #2 is ridiculous.

That's basically the committee laughing at them.

 

[2daBank]

Oh, FSU got screwed. Big time.

When the injury happened, they should have dropped them dramatically to make their point.

Slotting them in-between SEC#1 and SEC #2 is ridiculous.

That's basically the committee laughing at them.

It not as if a undeserving team got in their spot. I don’t feel fsu had any more a case than the teams who got in. The way the committee has ranked the teams each week and at the end has always been part the issue but think they like all the talk. It makes no sense how the have a team slotted week after week then out of the blue the previous weeks clearly meant nothing. It was a stupid system from the start. The fact we had 5 major conf but only 4 playoff spots was fucking retarded!! I’ve always felt the teams record shouldn’t even matter, the winner of every power 5 should get in, imo those are the best teams in their region, they should all have the right to play the best teams from the other parts the country! Imo if you don’t win your conf or even play for your conf championship you can’t be one the best 4-5 teams! Then put one wild card cause yes there are circumstances where the 2 best teams happen to reside in same conf! I thought a ton of big 12 and pac 12 champs got ducked over cause they lost a game or 2 and more importantly cause it all bout money and they rather put in Ohio st or bama wjen they couldn’t even win their half of their conf!! Every conf champ that Wasn’t allowed to face the best teams from other conf got screwed in this system. Period. Fsu case is no different. They not more deserving than bama or texas cause they lucked out and didn’t lose a game in a down ACC who maybe had 2 legit top 20 teams! Texas woulda went undefeated in ACC also. Had Travis not been hurt I’d still have argued fsu eas no more deserving even tho they woulda got in. Without him under this system where 1 power 5 chano always gets screwed they made the right choice.

 

[RetroRetrovk]

Florida State not making it is ridiculous. It basically says results don't matter. We will decide. The system is completely broken.

FSU 3-0 vs top 30
Michigan 2-0 vs top 30

Sagarin Strength of schedule
Michigan 56
FSU 61

ACC was 4-3 vs Big Ten
ACC was 6-4 vs SEC

Big Ten was 0-3 vs Pac12 but somehow michigan got the nod for #1 over washington (which is lucky for washington but still)
washington was 6-0 vs the top 30
sagarin strength of schedule of 5

Hard to imagine that FSU will have anything to play for and I expect them to get rolled in the bowl game without motivation. What incentive could they have to win that game when winning every game meant nothing?

FSU snubbed because their offense couldn't move it on Ville but Michigan gets a pass for 12 first downs and 213 yards vs Iowa?

 

[RetroRetrovk]

I think it could be argued that Louisville was Florida State's best win. So you cannot give the argument about the QB situation in my opinion.

If you think it is LSU ok .. I think they finished around the same in the rankings.

Speaking of LSU ... that is a common opponent between Bama and FSU ... FSU won by 21 in Baton Rouge and Bama by 14 at Bama ( I believe, correct me if I am wrong).

 

[RetroRetrovk]

If Texas loses to Washington, I think Texas should advance anyway. They are 4-5 pts favorites so they are the better team. Don't we want the two best teams in the championship? Who cares if Washington wins.

 

[survive&advance]

Oh, FSU got screwed. Big time.

When the injury happened, they should have dropped them dramatically to make their point.

Slotting them in-between SEC#1 and SEC #2 is ridiculous.

That's basically the committee laughing at them.

disagree here. The UF and Louisville games mattered, the committee downgraded them for those two games (rightfully so IMO)

 

[twinkie13]

I think it could be argued that Louisville was Florida State's best win. So you cannot give the argument about the QB situation in my opinion.

If you think it is LSU ok .. I think they finished around the same in the rankings.

Speaking of LSU ... that is a common opponent between Bama and FSU ... FSU won by 21 in Baton Rouge and Bama by 14 at Bama ( I believe, correct me if I am wrong).

Game was not in BR. Was in FLA

 

[RetroRetrovk]

Game was not in BR. Was in FLA

Thanks. It doesn't change my point much but I thought I might have that wrong.

 

[2daBank]

Every conf winner shoulda been in every year. To now cry for fsu and claim them being left out is now what claiming reg season dont matter is hilarious! They been taking osu and bama years they didn’t even make t to conf championship ganes!! Let’s not pretend they just started picking who they wanted, especially this year where fsu is no more deserving than the 4 who in. I’m so over this, we just giving them what they want by arguing. As my guy easy e said “All publicity is good publicity”. This final 4 is way better than any during this era,if that hurt Novell or fsu fans feelings tough shit:, I thought the committee showed guts and we got the best 2 New Year’s Eve ganes I can remember, I don’t feel bad at all we don’t have to watch noles get destroyed cause they “deserved it”. No more than thw 4 who playing. Cry a river we not subjected to watching them get curb stomped! I guess it a little unfortunate cause noles playing in playoff woulda been a nice chunk of free money.

 

[survive&advance]

Every conf winner shoulda been in every year. To now cry for fsu and claim them being left out is now what claiming reg season dont matter is hilarious! They been taking osu and bama years they didn’t even make t to conf championship ganes!! Let’s not pretend they just started picking who they wanted, especially this year where fsu is no more deserving than the 4 who in. I’m so over this, we just giving them what they want by arguing. As my guy easy e said “All publicity is good publicity”. This final 4 is way better than any during this era,if that hurt Novell or fsu fans feelings tough shit:, I thought the committee showed guts and we got the best 2 New Year’s Eve ganes I can remember, I don’t feel bad at all we don’t have to watch noles get destroyed cause they “deserved it”. No more than thw 4 who playing. Cry a river we not subjected to watching them get curb stomped! I guess it a little unfortunate cause noles playing in playoff woulda been a nice chunk of free money.

if FSU stomped UF and Louisville they would've gotten in. problem is they struggled and it's obvious they were no longer a top 4 team without Travis. Sucks but it is what it is. Surprised this is truly the first major controversy in the ten years or whatever of the CFP era

 

[B.A.R.]

Florida State not making it is ridiculous. It basically says results don't matter. We will decide. The system is completely broken.

FSU 3-0 vs top 30
Michigan 2-0 vs top 30

Sagarin Strength of schedule
Michigan 56
FSU 61

ACC was 4-3 vs Big Ten
ACC was 6-4 vs SEC

Big Ten was 0-3 vs Pac12 but somehow michigan got the nod for #1 over washington (which is lucky for washington but still)
washington was 6-0 vs the top 30
sagarin strength of schedule of 5

Hard to imagine that FSU will have anything to play for and I expect them to get rolled in the bowl game without motivation. What incentive could they have to win that game when winning every game meant nothing?

FSU snubbed because their offense couldn't move it on Ville but Michigan gets a pass for 12 first downs and 213 yards vs Iowa?

FSU got snubbed because Texas won in Tuscaloosa.

That's it, that is the snubbing.

Fwiw, every metric has Michigan #1 by pretty big margins. I'm not fan boying that, just using numbers.

FSU absolutely got screwed.

I'm surprised you're using an Iowa - Michigan game as an example though. UM knew they could win 2-0 and make the playoffs.

UM was missing an All American Guard and the starting Center was hurt last Monday. That is 40% of their oline, which has had issues as is.

The starting QB was playing at less than 100%. He was hurt versus dirty ass Purdue then worse with a knee at Penn State.

One thing you need to remember about JH and UM. They don't care about style points or narratives. They care about wins, period. That was a beautiful win in Jim's eyes. Tough defense, no turnovers and ELITE special teams plays.

Remember that game at PSU? Between the JJ injury and Chop being dominant early they KNEW they could win by just playing defense and running the ball 32 times.

I have plenty of data but we'll start with a few.

This isn't one I take much into account but it's staggering.

Connolly Formula. So, this would be relative to playing an "average team".

Michigan +32.1
Texas +24.6
Alabama +23.7
Washington +18.6

FEI Opponent adjusted OVERALL efficiency

1. UM
3. OSU
5. PSU
11. Alabama


FEI Opponent adjusted OFFENSIVE efficiency

5. UM
13. OSU
20. PSU
21. Alabama

Sagarin Ratings

1. Michigan 97.55
2 Oregon (lol) 96.31
3. Ohio State 94.83
4. Texas 94.35
5 Penn State 93.82
6 Alabama 92.65

9. Washington 90.46

SP+ Overall

1. Michigan 32.1
3. OSU 26.7
7. Alabama 23.7



Now, I'd love to talk SOS and what we all think should be THE metric. I see you used the Sagarin rating of schedule but omitted the actual Sagarin rankings in your discussion. Heading into the weekend, these were the WA SOS rankings. I'm fine with whatever, but would love to see a uniform approach.



I would have been totally fine with UW #1 but at the same point if we are discussing struggle games then I'd say maybe it's time to dissect some of these struggles UW had in the second half of the season.

Oh, back to that terrible UM offense.

They played the #2, #3, #4 and #7 defenses in the country.

They scored 26, 30, 24 and 45 points in those games.

The first three were with injuries.

The middle two were without their coach -- where the OL/OC coach had to perform 3 duties.

Yeah, knock em out of the playoffs.

 

[B.A.R.]

disagree here. The UF and Louisville games mattered, the committee downgraded them for those two games (rightfully so IMO)

But, they are slotted higher than Georgia.

Make it make sense.

 

[CPA-hole]

The problem is a 4 team playoff and there's 5 conferences. Most years it plays itself out. This was not one of those year. 5 for 4 spots and someone is gonna screwed.

 

[CPA-hole]

Also Sagarin rankings. Lol. They had Texas A&M 14 last week.

 

[survive&advance]

But, they are slotted higher than Georgia.

Make it make sense.

i'm not sure why it matters? Anyways, the reason why i'd assume is because FSU won their conference and Georgia did not

 

[2daBank]

if FSU stomped UF and Louisville they would've gotten in. problem is they struggled and it's obvious they were no longer a top 4 team without Travis. Sucks but it is what it is. Surprised this is truly the first major controversy in the ten years or whatever of the CFP era

I dunno how anyone watched that ville game and thinks they deserve to be ranked in the top 10??? Ville was a total fraud and that game was gross!! There no way noles score w point on Michigan, I know that!! I never liked this system, 4 spots when you have 5 main conferences. To me the only true way to do it right woulda been reak simple win your conf you get a chance to prove you the best! If they wanted a WC or 2 along w those 5 that woulda been just fine. Every time a big 12 or pac 12 champ got left out while a team who didn’t even play in comf championship or lost that game it was a tota screw job and nobody seemed to care. But now we do? Why! Noles would have got whipped by more than any those conf champs who been left out the last decade!! It’s really not worth arguing bout since the system just like the ncaa has always been stupid and flawed!!

 

[survive&advance]

The problem is a 4 team playoff and there's 5 conferences. Most years it plays itself out. This was not one of those year. 5 for 4 spots and someone is gonna screwed.

right. and i'm surprised it took this long to have a major controversy, it was always bound to happen

 

[B.A.R.]

i'm not sure why it matters? Anyways, the reason why i'd assume is because FSU won their conference and Georgia did not

So, now we're back to conference winners ? Okay, then take the undefeated teams.

You know damn well that's a slap in the face to be rated in-between those two teams.

I'm fine with FSU not being in. I don't need to see a 13-6 semifinals game.

But, let's not act like this is all hunky dory.

 

[B.A.R.]

Too many "assumptions" is my issue.

Hey, we knew there would be controversy at the end of this. That was a guarantee when you had 7-8 teams capable of winning it all this year (then a next level, then a DRASTIC fall off after that).

 

[2daBank]

The problem is a 4 team playoff and there's 5 conferences. Most years it plays itself out. This was not one of those year. 5 for 4 spots and someone is gonna screwed.

That always been rhe problem and I disagree most the years it played itself out. I don’t care if you got 1-2-3 losses, win your conf you shouod be considered th best team in that region and have the right r play the other comf champs. Instead every year we been letting this committee decide who the best is but this year it now offending everyone for the same thing that been happening since inception! Kinda freaking odd to me!!

 

[KJ]

UCF winning a national title without being in was the first major controversy. And the downplay that people made about them beating an unmotivated Auburn in the Sugar Bowl is utterly ridiculous.

 

[B.A.R.]

UCF winning a national title without being in was the first major controversy.

Yes.

I didn't realize till this weekend that's actually recognized.

 

[CPA-hole]

Also like the committee trolling SMU by putting them one spot behind Liberty.

I get it. Smu lost twice, including TCU, which was horrible. But also played at OU.

But Liberty played Bowling Green, Buffalo, and UMass non-conference.

No way Liberty plays SMU's schedule and loses only 2.

 

[survive&advance]

So, now we're back to conference winners ? Okay, then take the undefeated teams.

You know damn well that's a slap in the face to be rated in-between those two teams.

I'm fine with FSU not being in. I don't need to see a 13-6 semifinals game.

But, let's not act like this is all hunky dory.

It really isn't a slap in the face to FSU in my opinion, still not really sure i understand the point you're trying to make. you know damn well the CFP has always been comprised of multiple factors

 

[B.A.R.]

It really isn't a slap in the face to FSU in my opinion, still not really sure i understand the point you're trying to make. you know damn well the CFP has always been comprised of multiple factors

Don't rank past #4 then.

It's a huge slap in the face.

And yes, money won out, no doubt.

This will be the highest rated Rose Bowl ever.

 

[survive&advance]

Don't rank past #4 then.

It's a huge slap in the face.

And yes, money won out, no doubt.

This will be the highest rated Rose Bowl ever.

i think the only thing you and I can agree on is money winning out lol. Greed has and will continue to ruin the sport. i'm kinda disappointed we're arguing about the CFP in the first place, because that's exactly what they want

 

[RetroRetrovk]

If I am FSU, I am thinking 2-0 final score is good enough too, though which is why I am using the Michigan game as an example.

Michigan's 26-0 win over Iowa showing they could win that type of football game is as appealing to me as 52-20 or something like that against an offensive team.

Believe me, I am all about the winning mattering and not caring the margin. Certain styles will always win by more margin than other styles when they win. But at the end all that matters are the W's and the L's.

And I am not saying that Washington deserves to be ranked over Michigan, I am saying they aren't being consistent in what they are applying and where they are applying it. That was the only point there really.

FSU is more deserving than Bama or Texas. Period. That is how I see it.

 

[RetroRetrovk]

And Texas is more deserving than Bama and that one isn't close either.

SEC wins again! SEC wins again!

 

[RetroRetrovk]

I dunno how anyone watched that ville game and thinks they deserve to be ranked in the top 10??? Ville was a total fraud and that game was gross!! There no way noles score w point on Michigan, I know that!! I never liked this system, 4 spots when you have 5 main conferences. To me the only true way to do it right woulda been reak simple win your conf you get a chance to prove you the best! If they wanted a WC or 2 along w those 5 that woulda been just fine. Every time a big 12 or pac 12 champ got left out while a team who didn’t even play in comf championship or lost that game it was a tota screw job and nobody seemed to care. But now we do? Why! Noles would have got whipped by more than any those conf champs who been left out the last decade!! It’s really not worth arguing bout since the system just like the ncaa has always been stupid and flawed!!

What about Bama against South Florida, Texas, or Auburn?

What about Texas against a bad oklahoma team, or overtime vs kstate, or 7 point win vs houston?

Did anyone watching those games think those Bama and Texas teams looked like top four teams (other than Texas in the bama game*)?

 

[RetroRetrovk]

You have to let the W and the L be the factor because of objectivity.

I guess we all go 100% on our bets too. Our opinions are never wrong.

You know why David beat Goliath with that stone? It's because there was no committee telling him he couldn't fight him.

And guess what, a lot of the best sports stories in history are cinderella stories.

I would rather see 13-6 semifinal than a sham.

 

[2daBank]

What about Bama against South Florida, Texas, or Auburn?

What about Texas against a bad oklahoma team, or overtime vs kstate, or 7 point win vs houston?

Did anyone watching those games think those Bama and Texas teams looked like top four teams (other than Texas in the bama game*)?

Oklahoma would beat ville by 30:, fsu is no more deserving than the teams who made it. Maybe you just enjoy seeing dog shit semifinals where one team wouidnt score a point?

 

[jedi ninja]

The funny thing is, if Georgia hadn't gotten their handled by Alabama...

FSU was guaranteed in.

The irony.

And they would have been playing each other, but it would have been for a spot in the Championship game. Irony is right. Wow.

Although any chance Texas would have jumped FSU just based on the QB situation?

 

[2daBank]

You have to let the W and the L be the factor because of objectivity.

I guess we all go 100% on our bets too. Our opinions are never wrong.

You know why David beat Goliath with that stone? It's because there was no committee telling him he couldn't fight him.

And guess what, a lot of the best sports stories in history are cinderella stories.

I would rather see 13-6 semifinal than a sham.

It been a sham every time a comf chsmp got left out for a team who didn’t even plsy or win their conf but there was no outrage then?

 

[2daBank]

The committee has picked whatever teams they have seen fit since we started this system but since this year there a extra “deserving” team it all a sudden different. Picking Ohio st when they don’t make the big-10 final over whomever won the big-12 or pac -12 was no different.

 

[2daBank]

Bama got in without playing in sec cjampuonshio, Uga got in after bama beat them in sec championship. Every one those years a more deserving team who won the big 12 or pac 12 got screwed but that was different how?

 

[2daBank]

It has never been bout deserving but somehow this year it offends ppl, it has always been subjective and never about who won their conf which the only true way to be deserving yet they have left out the big12 and pac12 chanp practically every year

 

[jedi ninja]

The problem is a 4 team playoff and there's 5 conferences. Most years it plays itself out. This was not one of those year. 5 for 4 spots and someone is gonna screwed.

I’ve said this since the inception of the 4 team playoff. It should always have been 6. The winner of each Power 5 conference, and then one at large. If you have a non-power 5 team that’s undefeated, they get in. If not, then the committee takes the next best Power 5 team. Doesn’t matter now, but I always thought this was the best way to do it.

 

[2daBank]

I’ve said this since the inception of the 4 team playoff. It should always have been 6. The winner of each Power 5 conference, and then one at large. If you have a non-power 5 team that’s undefeated, they get in. If not, then the committee takes the next best Power 5 team. Doesn’t matter now, but I always thought this was the best way to do it.

Spot on and all I been trying to say. It has always been left fo the subjective whim of the committee and conf champs been screwed. Over and over yet somehow ppl find it offensive this time just cause fsu happened to not lose to any the crap teams who had them dead ti rights. I agree fsu got screwed but no more so than been going on this entire era.

 

[2daBank]

4 spots w 5 conf and then they never even take 4 conf winners till now!! This system has always been retarded

 

[jedi ninja]

Spot on and all I been trying to say. It has always been left fo the subjective whim of the committee and conf champs been screwed. Over and over yet somehow ppl find it offensive this time just cause fsu happened to not lose to any the crap teams who had them dead ti rights.

We have had many threads on the playoff over the years…and I was always consistent with this 6 team thought.

As was mentioned, and as I would use in my reasoning in years past…you can’t have 5 Power conferences and then have a playoff with 4 teams…that just doesn’t make any sense at all. What if all 5 power conferences had an undefeated team? That possibility alone should have swayed everyone from only having a 4 team playoff.