🏈 The most deserving or the best four teams: Does MSU deserve a spot in the top four?

[TerryP]

As a prelude, even if they're aren't in the top four come Tuesday night, I'm still reserving judgment on the playoff committee until their final ranking in December.

That said:

There's something I want to point to for a second before going any further. Just this past week the head of the committee, Jeff Long, said the following:

"For the third consecutive week, the committee looked at the overall body of work, their strength of schedule, and looked at the number of top 25 wins," committee chairman Jeff Long said. "TCU has two top 25 wins and Baylor has one. And TCU's loss is a top-10 loss. When you put all those factors together, we still think at this time TCU has a better résumé and was voted that way ahead of Baylor. "
​

Remember, TCU was ranked in the top four this past week. I had no issue with that ranking because their resume was better than the #5 team; better than Baylor as well.

Looking at Mississippi State we could say they are most deserving because they've played four top ten teams and won three. We can also use the same premise and say they are one of the best four teams.

The fact Oregon lost to an unranked team with the Bulldogs losing to a top five teams gives them an edge over the Ducks.

Ohio State, with its loss to an unranked 5-5 Va Tech team, but when we add in the wins—as a comparison to MSU—there are two: one against a top ten, one against a top 25. Not only does MSU have more wins against ranked teams, but higher ranked teams on top of that.

Baylor carries the same resume as Ohio State.

I'm left with this opinion with Bama included in the top four.

FSU deserves to be in the #1 slot due to one thing; there are no losses on their 2014 schedule. (Yes, they've not looked great in some games, but they've found a way to win.)

We're left with a handful of teams, all with one loss, for those last two spots; Oregon, TCU, Baylor, and Mississippi State. I've made my case for MSU. I'm left with this question.

Does Oregon, Baylor or TCU get that fourth spot?

(It's my opinion, if MSU is left out of this weeks top four, they'll play their fifth team ranked in the top ten when they close the regular season against Ole Miss—assuming Ole Miss wins against Arkansas—and a win there gives them a 4-1 record against top ten opponents. They should be in.)

 

[Bamabww]

I like your line of thinking @TerryP. I think TCU should get the 4th spot based solely on the fact that we had a cousin who went to school there.

 

[bama alum]

Herbstreit said last night his top four were F$U, Bama, Oregon, and OSU. Yep, that's what the committee was created to do, find a way to make OSU part of the national championship picture... State should definitely be in there over OSU.

 

[Kirk Van de Graaff]

I would rather play OSU than MSU again. If we can win out I like our chances with any of these teams they have in the top 4.

 

[bcracker]

MSU deserves to be there ahead of both TCU and Oregon, as do several other teams in the top ten, maybe even top 15.

I agree with @bama alum and @Kirk Van de Graaff. The national sports media wants OSU in a bad way, and I'd much rather play them than MSU in the playoffs, if we get there.

 

[planomateo]

Oregon lost to an unranked Arizona at home. Doesn't seem like folks are talking about this (but then again, I haven't really listened to the talking heads much the last 3 weeks)

 

[BamaFan334]

In the end it doesn't matter what the media wants, because Ohio State would still need to win out to even be considered. It's all speculation at this point because Mississippi State still has Ole Miss, we have Auburn and possible SEC Championship game, Ohio State still has Michigan and the Big Ten Championship, Oregon still has Oregon State which just beat Arizona State and always gives Oregon fits, and Florida State still has a hot and cold Florida team and an ACC Championship game against a scrappy Duke or Georgia Tech team. A ton can still happen, and we almost saw it when Kansas played TCU to the end. We'll see what happens, but speculating the media wants someone in is not really a discussion right now.

 

[Rolltide24]

It's simple in my mind, our loss is "better" than Oregon's, as we were in the road and had a chance to win against a top team. They were at home against a then u ranked team. Our best win is better, no contest. No way they can be ranked higher than us. I'm sick of hearing about them having a few linemen out during the loss. We lost one of our too scorers in our loss and keep winning without him. Either way, we keep winning, I don't see how we do not end up #1.

 

[psychojoe]

I hope that they take the four best teams, but I am cynical about this actually happening.

Still three weeks of football before they decide.

 

[UAgrad93]

I too am cynical about the committee taking the 4 BEST teams. I can see BAMA, Miss State, Baylor, TCU, Ohio State, Oregon all finishing 11-1 or 12-1, and F$U finishing 13-0. The committee then goes SEC Champ, ACC Champ, PAC12 Champ, and then a free for all on the last spot based on resume.

 

[bcracker]

ASU was shown to be a turd in the punch bowl, as many prognosticators speculated, after losing to a less than lethal Oregon State. For week twelve of the season, the committee had the Sun Devils ranked number six, behind number five Alabama. Many media experts and other speculators even argued that the Sun Devils were one of the top four teams in the country. Anemic beavers, however, proved them wrong. Alabama, conversely, beat number one Miss State.

TCU, another media darling and a favorite of the committee, barely escaped Kansas with their froggy horns. We're talking Kansas. What are they ranked? 89? The number four team in the country doesn't go into a game with the 89th ranked team and squeak by with a four point win. Alabama, conversely, beat number one Miss State.

Danny Kanell LOVES TCU. So does Joey Galloway. In fact, Kanell has had Alabama ranked around number eight in his top ten for some time, and Galloway was positively giddy when the committee jumped the frogs over the Tide,

"I am very impressed that TCU jumped Alabama," said the former Ohio State receiver on the 30-minute show. "That is a statement to me and I think it's an important statement about college football. When we're in a time frame when a TCU team can jump an Alabama team for a playoff spot? I love the parity. I love what this committee is doing. They are sitting down and studying these teams and saying, 'I think this team is better,' (and) not just this team in the SEC and they have history."

Please observe certain team rankings:

TCU Alabama

SOS 5 1
Remaining SOS 60 50
Offense 15 7
Defense 10 3
Overall 7 1
FPI 11 1

The committee loves TCU as well, so, with the above numbers in mind, I have to ask myself why? TCU is clearly not a better team than Alabama, yet the committee, certain talking heads, and other speculators have the Horned Frogs ranked above the Crimson Tide (Week 12). So who's to say the committee is not influenced by the media?

People say, "Well, it doesn't really matter right now. Just win out and we're in." I'm not so sure about that. If they're currently placing weaker teams above better teams, who's to say they won't do the same thing come the final week? What is the committee's goal? The four best teams or the four best looking teams? There's big difference there.

 

[bama alum]

Oregon lost to an unranked Arizona at home. Doesn't seem like folks are talking about this (but then again, I haven't really listened to the talking heads much the last 3 weeks)

They're ranked now, and boy, are they awesome!!! :sarc:

@bcracker, I'd like us to play OSU just so we beat the holy hell out of them, but they have to get past Whiskey in the Little 10 title game. I think Gordon gets to do them what I want to see Yeldon and Henry do.

 

[Houndstoothpuller]

This playoff system would be better had we stuck with BCS rankings and at end of reg season and conference C'ships, there's your final four..
I was sorely disappointed to hear that there would be a 'committtee' instead.
If you hear in between the lines, this committee will emphasize whatever criteria they want or need to week-to-week, to justify their rankings.

I'm doubting there is a lot of inherent love nation-wide for our beloved Tide or the SEC in general.
They've made us play our way in (that's fine), and will prop up other teams.

I think MissState is a top four team, to answer orig question

 

[bcracker]

An added note: In my opinion Churchill was right when he said,"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.

I'm not trying to stir up a political row here; I'm just trying to decipher the intentions of the committee, so bear with me.

Galloway's "parity" comment posted above is telling. I know he's not on the committee, and his opinion, as asinine as it is, means nothing, but the question is: is the committee thinking the same thing? Are they seeking "parity?"

Parity has to do with the "state or condition of being equal; especially regarding STATUS [emphasis mine] or pay." It's a favorite term of liberals, socialists, and communists. When applied to issues such as equal pay for equal work regardless of sex, or equal opportunity for all citizens under the law regardless of religion,race, and etc., we all say, "Yep, bring on the parity!"

Problems arise, however, in my opinion, when parity is sought economically. The idea that all citizens of a country are equal in intelligence, abilities, and etc., is just wrong. For example, take two people with similar backgrounds and give them the same education over the course of their school years and one person will be smarter than the other person at the end of the day, and the more intelligent person will have higher earning potential.

What differentiates Amari Cooper from Parker Barrineau? Both receivers play for Alabama and receive the same coaching, relatively speaking. Amari is a projected 1st round draft pick and will probably have a very successful pro career. Barrineau will probably never be drafted. So what's the difference? Genetics. Genetic parity does not and never will exist. Some people are just better at football than other people, regardless of the amount of exposure to the game each player has received. Same with intellectual parity. Everyone should be given the opportunity to reach their full potential both genetically and intellectually, but even given equal opportunity for all, parity will never exist.

Now, apply the term to teams: is there parity among teams? Of course not. Some teams are better than others. Some coaches are better than others. Some recruiters are better than others, and on and on we could go. Parity does not exist in college football and never will. Even given a perfectly level playing field, where all teams are governed by the same rules, both on and off the field, with the same opportunities to recruit and develop players, some teams will still be better than other teams.

Is it fair that one citizen of this country makes one million dollars a year while another citizen makes fifty thousand dollars a year? Given equal opportunity under the law, then yes, that's fair.

Is it fair that one conference in college football has been dominate over the past 10 years? Given a level playing field for all conferences across the board, then yes, that's fair.

If the committee is seeking parity in the top four, and it's quite possible they are, because poor 'o B10 (or any other conference) is getting its feelings hurt, then a huge injustice is about to be perpetuated on college football.

 

[sean]

This playoff system would be better had we stuck with BCS rankings and at end of reg season and conference C'ships, there's your final four..
I was sorely disappointed to hear that there would be a 'committtee' instead.
If you hear in between the lines, this committee will emphasize whatever criteria they want or need to week-to-week, to justify their rankings.

I'm doubting there is a lot of inherent love nation-wide for our beloved Tide or the SEC in general.
They've made us play our way in (that's fine), and will prop up other teams.

I think MissState is a top four team, to answer orig question

i can guarantee that one. i'm a member of another forum that has a college football thread and just about everyone on there despises ALABAMA and the SEC. they have all wanted us to lose every game and think we don't deserve anything.

there's a lot of ACC guys on there who are the main ones that hate the SEC and everything about it.....especially 'BAMA.

 

[cjaytch]

So are you guys trying to say that the selection committee is more interested in playing "egalitarian politics" than actually finding the 4 best teams? I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell you. This is exactly what I thought would happen when the committee idea was announced and then when I saw WHO they were putting on the committee, it was confirmed for me.

 

[riz]

This playoff system would be better had we stuck with BCS rankings and at end of reg season and conference C'ships, there's your final four..
I was sorely disappointed to hear that there would be a 'committtee' instead.
If you hear in between the lines, this committee will emphasize whatever criteria they want or need to week-to-week, to justify their rankings.

I'm doubting there is a lot of inherent love nation-wide for our beloved Tide or the SEC in general.
They've made us play our way in (that's fine), and will prop up other teams.

I think MissState is a top four team, to answer orig question

This.