It all starts with the SEC, as we are seeing. People simply can't forget history/tradition. That's why ND always gets the utmost respect, Knute Rockne/The Four Horsemen/Win one for the Gipper/Touchdown Jesus, will never die. The media loves that stuff.
TCU and Baylor are track schools, they have no football history. And it hurts them, because the voters aren't youngsters, all caught up in ..they sure score alot. They look at brand and can they play defense. Old timers always into defense.
And, the fact those SEC schools have a harder road to travel is a factor, far harder being a winner vs an SEC schedule.
Not all SEC teams have what I would call a "hard" schedule. Some years you get down teams (like Kentucky and Vandy).
That's not the case with Alabama though this year. #3 Strength of Schedule right now. Next two weeks they play LSU and Mississippi State. I would guess that number will shoot to #1 Strength of Schedule. I didn't think Alabama would make the initial committee rankings, but I can understand how they see it.
1 loss + #3 SOS > 0 losses + #109 SOS
Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, all have rich football histories. Tons of great players/teams. And if ya watch an SEC game ya see more passion there than anywhere. All that does make a difference. It gets in your head.
I'm a Cali guy, a Pac12 fan, USC is my team. No way in the Pac12 compares to the SEC, and neither does any other conference. They have more big guys who can run, and it's real obvious. And the conference has more quality depth.
SEC teams play more qualty teams season after season, and if that isn't a fact it's thought to be.
It's pretty clear that Alabama's strength of schedule comes a lot from the fact that so many ing SEC teams get favorable rankings, which was the only point I was trying to make.
What the committee is doing is telling everyone who's NOT the SEC that they need to schedule tougher teams out of conference. Since the SEC teams don't have to schedule that way, they can keep beating the little sisters of the FCS, while everyone else beats each other up. Expect to see four SEC teams in the playoff sooner than later.
While I understand some of your frustration, SEC teams still schedule tough OOC games on top of a grueling SEC schedule. For example this year alone:
Alabama - Played Wisconsin
Auburn - Louisville
A&M - Arizona State
Tennessee - Oklahoma
Arkansas - Texas Tech
Florida - Florida State
Georgia - Georgia Tech
South Carolina - Clemson
While Baylor continues to schedule nobody. This year (SMU, Lamar, Rice), Next year (Northwestern State, SMU, Rice).
I would be equally frustrated with your lack of OOC scheduling then the media love for the SEC. Both as a fan (because your team is obviously good enough to compete and beat a lot of the bigger FBS programs out there which would directly end this whole debate) and 2 as a ticket holder (if i was one) because who the wants to go watch Lamar, Rice and Liberty play football.
Unless I'm reading Wikipedia wrong, Baylor has the same number of double digit win seasons since 1980 as South Carolina, and one more conference le in the last two years than SC has in their history. I was going to respond further, but I think I'd come off like a raving lunatic about this issue.
Baylor has scheduled nobody for a while, and I don't know the rationale behind it, but I'd guess that it was when the team was starting to get decent and they wanted to be able to ensure bowl eligibility. I don't know how far in advance they schedule games, but they contract to play some teams a certain number of times. If one of you guys knows more about it I'd be interested.
Wasn't too long ago that Baylor had really tough out of conference schedules, but that's because they were so bad that other teams were scheduling them for easy wins.
I guess I'd be frustrated with it if it made any difference. Ohio State didn't jump past Baylor because of Baylor's schedule last year, it was because of their record and Ohio State's statement game, combined with the Big 12's refusal to name a conference champ. So when it came down to it, Sammy Watkins is what killed Baylor. If Baylor had a murderous schedule last year and one loss, the committee would have said that they needed a conference le game. I think Tech and Virginia Tech and Iowa State are a lot better than their records, but it doesn't show up. That's why this year I'm on the "Just win every game or shut up" train.
I wish I were a season ticket holder. I went to a half dozen Baylor games in the 90s that cost next to nothing. I can't afford to go to a game now if I wanted to.
I just hope Old Miss runs the table, Bama wins out, and LSU wins out except losing to Bama in like triple OT. Let these playoff committee gots put 3 SEC teams in the playoffs with Notre Dame.
Edit: Ok, obviously Old Piss still has to play LSU so this isn't a realistic scenario. Do hope the Rebels win the SEC though.
Last edited by Splits; 11-05-2015 at 05:15 PM.
And the Big 12 plays 9 conference games and only 3 non-con. Bama is going to play Middle Tenn, Louisiana Monroe, and Charleston Southern (in late November) this year. 3 cupcake games, just like Baylor, most other Big 12 teams, and all SEC teams. So yeah, SEC schools should be scheduling at least one non-con opponent from the top-5.
The Rebels can win the LSU game...
Ole Miss is a weird team...some weeks they play like ....some weeks they play like gangbusters.
And I totally agree with that (as I told you earlier).
But, the SOS # is all that matters right now. No amount of complaining about media SEC bias is going to make Baylor's SOS # go down. They've played an awful schedule so far.
Baylor's most difficult games come at the end of the season....let's see what the final SOS # is at when the season is over.
EDIT: Go undefeated...and none of it will matter anyways.
Last edited by Silver&Black; 11-05-2015 at 10:53 PM.
SOS in itself is difficult because so much of it depends on timing. Beating Georgia early meant something, beating them now, not so much.
And, Ohio State won the National Championship with a pitiful loss at home to VT.
So Oklahoma wins out, goes to the final 4, and wins out... with a loss to UT... These types of scenarios make me nauseous. It basically says it's ok to lose to a bad team early in the season.
After watching all the top bowl games last year it appeared to me that TCU should have played Ohio St. So that could be fun. After winning the final 4, beat a voted upon, "best of the rest". I would love to see the bloodshed on a vote for "best of the rest"
A very close fluke win by Bama over LSU would be amazing combined with the above. Heads would explode. Give Ohio State and Clemson a poor win over a bad team to stir the pot.
So Old Piss runs the table and is not invited?
There are chances. It's just gonna take an odd combination of losses and wins.
Yeah, if by odd you mean the SEC West team who lost to a non-top5 conference opponent who now controls their own destiny.
Memphis would beat Baylor @Memphis. They're no Lamar or SMU.
Memphis would dominate Baylor if the game was played in Memphis.
Playing Kansas is the equivalent of playing a FCS school.
An undefeated team from the AAC should get a playoff berth over a one loss Big 12 team.
Baylor lost their QB. So no surprise.
This thread has great potential week to week. Hopefully things get bizzare as I have nothing to lose while backing a horrid team. I also enjoy the conference backing clashes. The way this is set up it becomes imperative to root for your conference if your team has a shot. For me, OU still sucks, it's easy. When your team stinks, it's a blessing to keep the priorities straight.
It is also good to know ATM still hates us. I was unmercifully crucified and gunned down at a party solidifying my faith in rivalries. Michigan fans still despise Ohio State. Good stuff...
Lol take a step back from that one
This is all run by ESPN. And ESPN has a contract with the SEC. It's a joke.
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