But what if No. 2 Alabama were to lose to No. 18 Florida? And what if No. 1 Clemson were to lose to No. 10 North Carolina? Again things could get complicated.
We asked the writers on USA TODAY Sports' academy sports agents the afterward question:
Of No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Stanford, No. 10 North Carolina and No. 18 Florida, what aggregation should accomplish the Playoff acreage if one or added upsets action in the ACC and SEC championship games?
These are their responses:
Dan Wolken
I would aces Ohio State. They don't accept the best résumé, but if you put them on the acreage adjoin Stanford, UNC or Florida they'd be a abundant favorite. And you can absolve the aces by adage they're 11-1 and absent on a endure additional acreage ambition to a Playoff aggregation (if Michigan State wins).
In actuality I'd altercate Ohio State is the abandoned one of that accumulation who could in fact win the civic appellation if they got in the Playoff.
Paul Myerberg
Ohio State didn't win its own division. Even with a win adjoin Clemson in the ACC appellation game, North Carolina would accept added victories adjoin associates of the Football Championship Subdivision than ranked teams. Florida has been a part of the affliction — yes, the affliction — Power 5 teams in the country back the alpha of November.
Stanford is an complete breeze aces to accelerate into the Playoff should one of Alabama or Clemson lose on Saturday night. A achievement adjoin USC would accord the Cardinal eight wins adjoin basin teams, three wins adjoin teams in the accepted Playoff top 25 and the Pac-12 championship. In a accumulation of Stanford, Florida, UNC and Ohio State, the Cardinal angle alone.
Nicole Auerbach
Stanford. Both UNC and Florida accept austere flaws on their résumés, even if they were to cull off shockers. I cannot brainstorm the board advantageous a aggregation that has not one, but two wins over FCS opponents while claiming to amount backbone of agenda — so there goes North Carolina's shot. Florida will not exhausted Alabama, but in a academic apple in which it does, I accept I could see the board agreement a ton of amount on a win over the Crimson Tide. And not absent the SEC champ to be larboard out of the Playoff. But Florida (minus Will Grier) does not canyon the eye test, and it should accept absent to Kentucky and Florida Atlantic. That's not a Playoff-caliber team.
I accord Stanford the bend over Ohio State because it would accept a appointment championship beneath its belt, and added than one acceptable win (the abandoned time Ohio State showed its abounding abeyant all season? vs. Michigan).
But let me just bandy out a aberrant book that you didn't absolutely ask about: What about the also-ran of the Big Ten championship game? If the Spartans lose to Iowa amidst all this academic chaos, couldn't they accomplish a acute case to get in?
George Schroeder
We apparently should not accept a Stanford achievement over USC in the Pac-12 championship. Not if the apriorism of the agitation is "if an agitated occurs in the ACC or SEC championships" … But if Stanford wins and there's al of a sudden allowance in the top four, the Cardinal is the actual best to move into the Playoff bracket.
Yeah, Stanford has two losses. Ohio State and North Carolina would anniversary accept abandoned one. But Stanford's résumé is far bigger than either of the added contenders. Alpha with this:
The Cardinal will accept played 10 Pac-12 amateur (nine in the approved analysis additional the appointment championship game). With Northwestern (a accident in the analysis opener) and Notre Dame (a win in the regular-season finale) and the Cardinal will accept played 12 Power 5 opponents in 13 games; eight of its opponents accept acceptable records; counting USC, 5 abide in the accepted Academy Football Playoff Top 25. It's a abundant tougher agenda than either Ohio State or North Carolina played.
Add a appointment championship to the mix, and Stanford should basement Ohio State. If Clemson or Alabama loses, Stanford is the appropriate aces to ample the accessible slot.
Ohio State's case about is, "We anticipation they were absolutely acceptable all year based on their aptitude on paper, and they assuredly played like it in the 12th game." The win over Michigan was convincing. Ohio State played like the Ohio State we all expected. Of these three contenders, the Buckeyes accept the accomplished ceiling.
Unfortunately they absent the better bold of the analysis a anniversary earlier, and played actual ailing in accomplishing so. If that achievement adjoin Michigan State was a bleep rather than a assiduity of blah play for abundant of the analysis — and correspondingly, if the achievement adjoin Michigan was a trend rather than a bleep — again maybe the eye analysis would beggarly more. As it is, there's not abundant acumen to attending accomplished the Buckeyes' characterless résumé and drag a aggregation that didn't win its own analysis over a appointment best that played a abundant tougher schedule.
Ohio State played abandoned two teams ranked in the accepted Top 25. Although six opponents had acceptable records, two were MAC teams.
With a win over Clemson, North Carolina would accept the best win, by ranking, of any aggregation this season. The Tar Heels would accept a 12-game acceptable streak. But abundant of the agenda was soft, including those two non-conference amateur adjoin FCS opponents. Even assault Clemson shouldn't be abundant to advance North Carolina into the field. Now if Alabama gets beat, too, and aswell Stanford? Again the Tar Heels get in.
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment