# NCAAF - The College Football Thread for 2018 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 3, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685 "2018-09-03T13:03:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/322 "2018-12-01T00:17:42Z")
For conferences with 16 teams, or even 14 teams (or even really 12!), a lack of a playoff championship game is simply unthinkable. How would you really compare 7-1 Georgia with 8-0 Alabama, given that they might have only two teams played in common, the way the SEC sets up its schedule? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/323 "2018-12-01T00:42:35Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > For conferences with 16 teams, or even 14 teams (or even really 12!), a lack of a playoff championship game is simply unthinkable. How would you really compare 7-1 Georgia with 8-0 Alabama, given that they might have only two teams played in common, the way the SEC sets up its schedule? The same way you compare two teams that are undefeated and/or won their conference championships. You look at how they performed overall and how good their opponents were. And then you also insert your own preferential biases as well. That’s how teams are ranked now. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/324 "2018-12-01T02:40:04Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > I don’t think this explains UofI’s ineptitude though. Plenty of schools located in podunk college towns have had more success than them (Penn State, Iowa, Kansas State are just a few that come to mind). > > Tuscaloosa, Clemson, Gainesville, etc. are just as much “rural towns with limited options” as Champaign/Urbana. Those towns of Tuscaloosa, Clemson, and Gainesville are in fertile football country. Illinois ain’t. All of that being said, that’s nothing a great football coach couldn’t fix. Mizzou ain’t exactly in the football heartland and yet they’ve had some competitive programs. OU’s closest recruiting ground is Northeast Texas. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/325 "2018-12-01T02:41:17Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > There is a thought Notre Dame will be forced to join the ACC for FB if they get left out of the CFP with an undefeated season or 1 loss season. It could be held against them that they don’t have to play the conference title game like the other conference winners. That’s not the case this year but it could happen in the future. > > They have agreed to play at least 5 ACC teams per year so they would need to add 3 more for full ACC membership. I think UCF should get in over Notre Dame. That’ll force the Irish to play some men with hair on their chests. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/326 "2018-12-01T18:50:19Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > The same way you compare two teams that are undefeated and/or won their conference championships. You look at how they performed overall and how good their opponents were. And then you also insert your own preferential biases as well. That’s how teams are ranked now. I meant for determining who won the conference. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/327 "2018-12-01T18:52:07Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think UCF should get in over Notre Dame. That’ll force the Irish to play some men with hair on their chests. Because UCF’s schedule is so much better??? Dude, you are so far out on the limb that you’ve been sawing off, it’s almost like a cartoon at this point. When are you doing to realize you’re now left with just your hand visible, waving good bye to us as the rest of you drops into the abyss? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/328 "2018-12-02T01:05:41Z")
So Georgia chokes against 'Bama again. This time it was Hurts pulling Tua’s nuts of the vise. Smart’s gonna have to figure out how to beat his old boss. That fake punt was possibly the stupidest call I’ve seen all year and I’ve been watching the Seminoles for crying out loud. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/329 "2018-12-02T03:07:22Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > So Georgia chokes against 'Bama again. This time it was Hurts pulling Tua’s nuts of the vise. Smart’s gonna have to figure out how to beat his old boss. > > That fake punt was possibly the stupidest call I’ve seen all year and I’ve been watching the Seminoles for crying out loud. That fake punt was colossally stupid. Kirby Smart is usually smart, but that was just dumb as a bag of rocks. As much of an SEC homer as I am, I don’t believe a 2-loss UGA team should get in over Ohio State or OU. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/330 "2018-12-02T13:14:17Z")
Here’s how I think the committee will set it up: 1. Alabama 2. Clemson 3. Notre Dame 4. Oklahoma Here’s what I think it should be: 1. Alabama 2. Clemson 3. Notre Dame (I guess) 4. Ohio State Number 4 is a tough call, but I think Ohio State proved in the last two games that they can actually play some defense when they have to. The Big10 is also a more balanced conference that plays on both sides of the ball than the Big 12, so I’d give the edge to the Big 10 champion. But I’m guessing the committee’s going to have a hard time explaining why Ohio State leapfrogs over Oklahoma, which avenged its only loss. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/331 "2018-12-02T13:45:20Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Because UCF’s schedule is so much better??? > > Dude, you are so far out on the limb that you’ve been sawing off, it’s almost like a cartoon at this point. When are you doing to realize you’re now left with just your hand visible, waving good bye to us as the rest of you drops into the abyss? 😛 It’s not really that cartoonish a thought, though. Yesterday, the top teams in the nation were forced to play an extra game against a quality opponent (debatable in Clemson’s case). Notre Dame spent the day at home eating cheese and sipping wine, congratulating themselves on beating USC and Wake Forest. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/332 "2018-12-02T17:19:48Z")
If Notre Dame goes undefeated again that might be enough for a movement to make them join a conference , most likely the ACC. Playing 12 games vs. 13 is simply not a level playing field. I live in ACC country (NC) and many ACC fans don’t like their partial ACC membership. They will be happy if ND joins for FB as long as they don’t get to keep all their NBC cash. They probably will get to keep some of it. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/333 "2018-12-02T17:36:00Z")
as expected the playoff is Alabama vs. Oklahoma and Clemson vs. Notre Dame. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/334 "2018-12-02T18:12:54Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Playing 12 games vs. 13 is simply not a level playing field. You say that, and the playoff committee says that (sometimes), but then the committee is going to end up doing whatever the hell they feel like, anyway. They claim that “13th data point” is so important … but at the same time in the past four years they’ve included two teams (Ohio State in 2014, I think, and Alabama last year) who didn’t play a conference championship _because they didn’t even win their division_. Winning ought to count for something, and teams that don’t win their division and miss out on their conference championship should not be considered for a 4-team playoff. Now, Notre Dame won every game on their schedule. They beat Northwestern and Pitt, who each played in their conferences’ championship games. Michigan was a solid win, even if the Wolverines got blitzed by Ohio State. Michigan State, USC and Miami may not have been as good as expected this year, true, but ND did what they were supposed to do. I find it hard to say a Power 5-level team that goes undefeated should be left out of the playoff just because they don’t have a conference championship game. With one loss, then yeah, they should go behind other one-loss teams, but you can’t hit a team for going undefeated with a strength of schedule in the 40s (UCF’s schedule strength is in the 90s somewhere, for comparison). ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/335 "2018-12-02T18:17:36Z")
Let me also post what we’d be looking at with an 8-team playoff, Power 5 champions plus the top non-Power 5 team and two at-larges (we all know every year it’d be a second SEC team and one at-large, but whatever …). I seeded by CFP ranking. Alabama vs Washington —— Oklahoma vs Georgia —— —— Notre Dame vs Ohio State —— Clemson vs UCF Now that’s a couple of weekends of college football! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/336 "2018-12-02T18:46:40Z")
> [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > Let me also post what we’d be looking at with an 8-team playoff, Power 5 champions plus the top non-Power 5 team and two at-larges (we all know every year it’d be a second SEC team and one at-large, but whatever …). I seeded by CFP ranking. > > Alabama vs Washington > —— > Oklahoma vs Georgia > —— > —— > Notre Dame vs Ohio State > —— > Clemson vs UCF > Now that’s a couple of weekends of college football! That looks pretty good to me. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/337 "2018-12-02T19:29:43Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > It’s not really that cartoonish a thought, though. > > Yesterday, the top teams in the nation were forced to play an extra game against a quality opponent (debatable in Clemson’s case). Notre Dame spent the day at home eating cheese and sipping wine, congratulating themselves on beating USC and Wake Forest. Uh, did you forget beating Michigan? :rolleyes: IF Notre Dame were 11-1 (assume the loss was against Michigan), and the question was do we take Notre Dame over Ohio St., my reply would be take OSU, because they are 12-1 and played a conference championship game. Same regarding OU, for same reason. But they are undefeated. Their schedule, despite your attempt to malign it, is not filled with cream puffs: nine of their twelve opponents are going to bowl games. Under the circumstances, not playing a championship doesn’t disqualify them, nor does it say that they are somehow slackers. Your desperate attempts to denigrate Notre Dame mark you as one of that large crowd in the US: Notre Dame haters. I get that group; I’m a fringe member. One gets tired of how they are treated like some sort of special case, a treatment that goes back as far as I remember, and I was watching college ball in the 60s. I’ve rooted against them all my life, which was really awkward when I was married to a Notre Dame lover. But as annoying as the treatment is, I don’t let that affect my judgment of the quality of their teams. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/338 "2018-12-02T19:32:59Z")
Perhaps the strongest argument for an 8 team playoff is Georgia this year. It would be nice to see them play someone like OSU or OU to see if they and their 2 losses are better than those two teams with their one loss. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/339 "2018-12-02T19:43:46Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Perhaps the strongest argument for an 8 team playoff is Georgia this year. It would be nice to see them play someone like OSU or OU to see if they and their 2 losses are better than those two teams with their one loss. The strongest argument is Central Florida. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/340 "2018-12-02T22:53:41Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Uh, did you forget beating Michigan? :rolleyes: > > IF Notre Dame were 11-1 (assume the loss was against Michigan), and the question was do we take Notre Dame over Ohio St., my reply would be take OSU, because they are 12-1 and played a conference championship game. Same regarding OU, for same reason. But they are undefeated. Their schedule, despite your attempt to malign it, is not filled with cream puffs: nine of their twelve opponents are going to bowl games. Under the circumstances, not playing a championship doesn’t disqualify them, nor does it say that they are somehow slackers. > > Your desperate attempts to denigrate Notre Dame mark you as one of that large crowd in the US: Notre Dame haters. I get that group; I’m a fringe member. One gets tired of how they are treated like some sort of special case, a treatment that goes back as far as I remember, and I was watching college ball in the 60s. I’ve rooted against them all my life, which was really awkward when I was married to a Notre Dame lover. But as annoying as the treatment is, I don’t let that affect my judgment of the quality of their teams. Ohio State hung 62 points on Michigan. Just how good is Michigan, really? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685/341 "2018-12-03T00:18:53Z")
It’s that time of the year again. Anyone-but-Bama time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaaf-the-college-football-thread-for-2018/820685.md?page=18)