OT: Happy in Bama tonight.

[j66kicker]

Central Florida going undefeated 2 years in a row w/ no shot of getting in the playoffs. Expand to 8 teams. I realize their strength of schedule is weak but winning out isn't easy.

Earlier games today didn't shake things up. Still a lot depends on outcome of ACC and Big 10 Title Games.

Totally agree. Get rid of the conference championship games and take the P5 regular season conference champs + 3 at-large. Then winning your conference would mean something so the regular season becomes important for more teams/more games. And the at-large births could accommodate the UCF’s & Boise States and/or P5 teams who are better than the conference champs. And #9 gets no sympathy, as no #9 would probably have a realistic shot at winning it anyway.

 

[j66kicker]

Wait, 2 loss Georgia will jump a 1 loss team that won it's conference championship?! If that happens I think the rest of the Big 5 will have to revolt against the SEC.

I think GA gets in. The subsequent PAC12-Big12-B1G revolt should hasten the move to 8 teams. I think there are 7 more years on the 4-team contract, but that should be manageable.

 

[DefenseBB]

This year just keeps moving us along to the 8 team playoff, that way the P5 can usually get their champion in and at large bids will be available for ND, UCF and Georgia. Though to be fair, not sure the PAC12 deserves to been in under an 8 team playoff...maybe Michigan’s?

 

[Huskygamble19]

what a terrific game!! had you on the edge of the seat the whole game. Hurts was phenomenal in leading the team down the stretch...Congrats Bama on a great comeback!!!

 

[Bama fan]

what a terrific game!! had you on the edge of the seat the whole game. Hurts was phenomenal in leading the team down the stretch...Congrats Bama on a great comeback!!!

Thanks. I never left my chair, and at the end of the game I was exhausted! I think my wife took a month's supply of Zoloft.

 

[nwhoopfan]

It's such a house of cards. SEC supreme superiority is assumed every year. Honestly outside of Bama, I think overall SEC was fairly weak this year.

Let's look closely at Georgia. Who did they actually beat? Best win was Florida or Kentucky, not world beaters. They got thumped by LSU. OOC they played Austin Peay, Middle Tennessee and UMass! That is pathetic and embarrassing. To me Georgia did not earn a bid to the playoff. Who cares if they showed well in a losing effort against Bama. Still an L. Overall resume is not impressive even slightly. If I'm OU or tOSU and I get passed over, I'm pissed.

 

[triaddukefan]

I hope Oklahoma makes it over Ohio State........ I love it when the Big 10 is upset

 

[Bama fan]

It's such a house of cards. SEC supreme superiority is assumed every year. Honestly outside of Bama, I think overall SEC was fairly weak this year.

Let's look closely at Georgia. Who did they actually beat? Best win was Florida or Kentucky, not world beaters. They got thumped by LSU. OOC they played Austin Peay, Middle Tennessee and UMass! That is pathetic and embarrassing. To me Georgia did not earn a bid to the playoff. Who cares if they showed well in a losing effort against Bama. Still an L. Overall resume is not impressive even slightly. If I'm OU or tOSU and I get passed over, I'm pissed.

SEC was relatively weaker this year. so if Georgia is eliminated, then it is the Sooners or the Buckeyes. Sooners have one loss, by 3 points, to a pretty good Texas squad. Buckeyes have a big loss to Purdue which is troubling. Both are hot lately. Both will bring an audience. I have no preference. And anyone who is passed over will be pissed.

 

[Charliebball]

He is planning on it, He will graduate this year, and two hot shot kids are coming in at QB. I hope he lands somewhere good.

how about Rutgers!!!!.........................

 

[Plebe]

Wait, 2 loss Georgia will jump a 1 loss team that won it's conference championship?! If that happens I think the rest of the Big 5 will have to revolt against the SEC.

If the committee's job is to pick the best team, then Georgia clearly has to be in the running. Not fair to penalize Georgia for playing a tougher schedule than any of the other teams vying for the 4th spot, especially considering they led Alabama for all but the final minute of this game.

 

[Plebe]

I hope Oklahoma makes it over Ohio State... I love it when the Big 10 is upset

There's no way in hell that Ohio State's getting in over Oklahoma at this point. Only up by 10 over Northwestern in the 2nd half.

 

[triaddukefan]

At this point.... Id almost want Central Florida to get in....... have them face Bama..... lose by 135.... and then you would never hear about them again. They were a cool little story last season.... but Ive grown weary of all the yapping and noise from Orlando Metro.

 

[nwhoopfan]

If the committee's job is to pick the best team, then Georgia clearly has to be in the running. Not fair to penalize Georgia for playing a tougher schedule than any of the other teams vying for the 4th spot, especially considering they led Alabama for all but the final minute of this game.

That's funny, you didn't give OSU women's hoops any credit for leading Notre Dame almost the whole game but faltering at the end. Isn't that the same thing Georgia did in the SEC Championship Game?

I can't stand OU or tOSU, it's not like me to advocate for either of them. Their OOC schedules weren't tough either, but Georgia's was pathetic. All the SEC schools play 1 less conference game than everybody else and load up on patsies OOC (there are a few exceptions, I don't care; all of them play multiple FCS teams every year). That should count against them. They almost all have winning records, but when you start w/ 4 gimmes, that's not saying that much. I think to say that Georgia had a tougher schedule you have to buy into the notion that the SEC as a conference is just better than everybody else, and I don't. It's kinda splitting hairs between OU, tOSU and UGa at this point. 2 of the 3 are gonna get left out. Underscores how stupid it is to have a "National" playoff and only invite 4 teams.

Also, what point is there to having conference championship games? If UGa gets in and OU/tOSU don't, I'd say there is no point to having them. Other than ad revenue generated during the broadcast.

 

[uconnfan68]

At this point.... Id almost want Central Florida to get in.. have them face Bama..... lose by 135.... and then you would never hear about them again. They were a cool little story last season.... but Ive grown weary of all the yapping and noise from Orlando Metro.

Ask Auburn about how weak they are.

 

[Plebe]

At this point.... Id almost want Central Florida to get in.. have them face Bama..... lose by 135.... and then you would never hear about them again. They were a cool little story last season.... but Ive grown weary of all the yapping and noise from Orlando Metro.

After the gruesome injury suffered by their QB last week, that would just be sad.

 

[IWearShoes]

ROLL TIDE! Like a fairy tale for that kid to come back and win this game.

Congrats. I've been feeling like Clemson & Bama for the marbles was inevitable, but UGA made them look more human today.

 

[IWearShoes]

It's such a house of cards. SEC supreme superiority is assumed every year. Honestly outside of Bama, I think overall SEC was fairly weak this year.

Let's look closely at Georgia. Who did they actually beat? Best win was Florida or Kentucky, not world beaters. They got thumped by LSU. OOC they played Austin Peay, Middle Tennessee and UMass! That is pathetic and embarrassing. To me Georgia did not earn a bid to the playoff. Who cares if they showed well in a losing effort against Bama. Still an L. Overall resume is not impressive even slightly. If I'm OU or tOSU and I get passed over, I'm pissed.

Per Sagarin Ratings, UGA played the 6th toughest schedule in the country. By far the toughest among the playoff contenders. They are also currently ranked 3rd following the Bama game in the Sagarin Ratings.

 

[IWearShoes]

I see a few indications here that the SEC was weaker this year and I kinda feel that way too. Then I take a look at the pretty well thought of, pretty damn unbiased Sagarin Ratings and see 8 SEC teams in the Top 20 and 10 in the Top 30.

The only truly bad team this year was Arkansas. Vandy even gave ND a hell of a battle. Auburn was probably the 7th or 8th best team in the league and they beat the PAC 12 Champs UW.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Vandy even gave ND a hell of a battle.

So did USC, and they were extremely disappointing this season. UW wasn't as good as they were supposed to be either. Pac 12 teams went 1-8 in bowl games last year and they'll probably do similarly bad this year. The conference has collectively gone down the toilet the last 2 years. Beating any Pac 12 team this year isn't much to brag about.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Per Sagarin Ratings, UGA played the 6th toughest schedule in the country. By far the toughest among the playoff contenders. They are also currently ranked 3rd following the Bama game in the Sagarin Ratings.

How accurate can Sagarin Ratings be for football? There aren't very many games compared to basketball, and only 3 or 4 OOC games. Just doesn't seem like enough data points for a clear picture. Especially when there are multiple games against FCS teams. Seriously if Georgia had the 6th toughest schedule after playing 3 games against FCS teams, something is flawed with the methodology.

 

[triaddukefan]

Ask Auburn about how weak they are.

The non-power 5 team that makes it to a big bowl has the psychological advantage over their bigger name opponent. UCF over Auburn last year.... Houston over FSU a few years prior. Auburn had a chance to be playing in the playoffs if they would have won their previous game. They lose it to UGA.... and then they get UCF in a meaningless (to auburn) bowl game. If bigger stakes were on the line for both....... Auburn most likely breaks their shoe off in UCF's ......

 

[oldude]

Hurts was phenomenal. Georgia, however, was generous faking a punt on fourth and eleven.

I actually like the initial call by Smart in an effort to make something happen and win the game. But once UGA’s punt team came to the LOS, they should have seen that Bama was in a safe cover defense, obviously expecting some kind of trick play. At that point you call the play off and punt.

Even then, there’s still a chance to make it work if you execute properly, but UGA’s execution was horrendous. None of the linemen blocked anyone. The up back first looked to pass then decided to run. It made me wonder how much UGA practiced the play during the week leading up to the game.

 

[FairView]

Would it be inappropriate for me to stick a basketball reference into this Alabama football thread and say that come 6:00 PM eastern time today I hope to be calling the Fighting Irish women Deacon Blues?!?!?!

 

[Bama fan]

Would it be inappropriate for me to stick a basketball reference into this Alabama football thread and say that come 6:00 PM eastern time today I hope to be calling the Fighting Irish women Deacon Blues?!?!?!

You may include a Steely Dan reference any time you so desire.

 

[IWearShoes]

How accurate can Sagarin Ratings be for football? There aren't very many games compared to basketball, and only 3 or 4 OOC games. Just doesn't seem like enough data points for a clear picture. Especially when there are multiple games against FCS teams. Seriously if Georgia had the 6th toughest schedule after playing 3 games against FCS teams, something is flawed with the methodology.

What 3 FCS teams did Georgia play?

Sagarin is accurate enough that it has been used officially as part of the BCS decision process in the past and likely still is informally. It is also used extensively to set Vegas lines.

I consider it much more accurate than humans guessing at who's better with more data points than the human brain can coherently process.

Playoff probably needs to be 8 teams to insure a team capable of winning it all doesn't get left out.