November 5th, 2019 at 9:44 PM ^
Whomever wins between LSU and Bama will be the new 1.
EDIT: Especially if LSU wins. Their résumé is more impressive than OSU’s as it stands now, but OSU does look like the best team. Ryan Day better be on his knees for Meyer because he has the easiest job. Dude inherited an absolute beast of a team.
Anyone have a noose for me?
November 5th, 2019 at 9:45 PM ^
And the loser the new number 4
November 5th, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^
What worries me is that Ohio State has the opportunity to end their season facing 3 straight top-15 ranked teams (Penn State, Michigan and the B1G West Champion)... That is quite the gauntlet, and if they make it through unscathed, I don't see how the committee doesn't put them back at #1.
November 5th, 2019 at 9:50 PM ^
November 5th, 2019 at 9:56 PM ^
Their talent is the same or worse than Clemson and Bama
Plus both teams have coaches and QBs who have both won national championships
November 5th, 2019 at 10:07 PM ^
OSU is very good, but the end of the year is going to be a strain for them. They'll likely emerge unscathed, but their toughest road game thus far is...Northwestern? Pre 9WinIndiana Indiana? It's not going to be a cakewalk even if OSU is better than both PSU and UM.
November 5th, 2019 at 9:56 PM ^
Day hired 4 new coaches and the D went from a liability to #2 in the country. He also went out and got Fields instead of settling on Tate Martell (4Th string WR at Miami)
Meyer loaded the cupboards but Day is making a lot of great decisions.
November 5th, 2019 at 10:01 PM ^
On the surface, Day seems like a nice cat. In reality, Day doesn’t fuck around and runs his program like the Cartel....just speculation
November 5th, 2019 at 10:10 PM ^
The firing of pretty much the whole defensive coaching staff (minus Larry Johnson Sr.) was considered super high risk at the time, and it has paid off tremendously.
Really the only defensive coach unanimously agreed upon to be subpar was LB coach Bill Davis. Otherwise, there could be some arguments made to keep the other fired coaches Greg Schiano (coordinated 2 top-5 defenses in the past), Alex Grinch (brand new co-DC that made WSU's defense respectable and just needed time to adjust), and Taver Johnson (previous stint as DB coach at OSU produced Malcolm Jenkins, Chimdi Chekwa, and Kurt Coleman).
Instead, day chose to completely clean house and has seemingly upgraded at all 4 positions: DC Greg Mattison, Co-DC Jeff Hafley, LB coach Al Washington and STC/DB Matt Barnes
November 6th, 2019 at 9:17 AM ^
Hopefully, Ryan Day & Co. are terrible at recruiting and OSU has a decline.
November 5th, 2019 at 9:49 PM ^
I really don't see that much of a difference in strength of schedule between Minnesota and Clemson.
November 5th, 2019 at 9:50 PM ^
Minn actually plays someone this week...
November 6th, 2019 at 7:04 AM ^
Minnesota plays a much tougher schedule than Clemson.
November 6th, 2019 at 10:44 AM ^
I would disagree. By Massey Composite, here are the ranks of each of their opponents:
Clemson: 22, 48, 55, 59, 64, 92, 95, FCS
Minnesota: 63, 67, 70, 72, 76, 86, 119, FCS
Minnesota hasn't even played a Top 60 team. Clemson has played four. By the end of the season, this should even out with Minnesota's backloaded schedule (and potential B1G CG), but at the moment, Minnesota's best win is equivalent to Clemson's fifth best.
November 5th, 2019 at 9:49 PM ^
13-15 very interesting ?
November 5th, 2019 at 9:51 PM ^
A little iffy, no? Especially when we crushed PSU statistically in the second half of that game. Oh, I forgot, we choked up the Wisconsin game.
November 5th, 2019 at 9:59 PM ^
That game was also a half season ago. Since then we've lost one game on the road at night by 7 and destroyed a top ten team. Wisconsin followed our game up by losing twice, once to Illinois. They probably have at least one more loss coming with Iowa and Minnesota left
November 5th, 2019 at 10:08 PM ^
Which is why it’s interesting. I’m not sure what ND has done to deserve their spot.
November 5th, 2019 at 10:11 PM ^
Yeah we really outhit PSU in the second half.
November 5th, 2019 at 11:01 PM ^
And outscored and outplayed and on and on. Keep up.
November 6th, 2019 at 10:09 AM ^
Agreed - our total beat down of ND doesn't earn ND the #15 rank just behind us. And then Wisconsin is playing like shit recently and loses to Illinois who UM crushes on the road ? Head to head matters but not as much when the games are early season and the evidence since then says UM is playing much better than Wisconsin. Plus UM's performance against #4 PSU in a white-out has to be a "good loss" especially compared to Wisconsin's being crushed by OSU and then soundly beat by unranked Illinois. The committee has this 13-15 bunching dead wrong.
November 5th, 2019 at 9:52 PM ^
Wow PSU
November 5th, 2019 at 9:58 PM ^
I'm super annoyed with our rivals being ranked #1 in sports.
Let's cut that shit out asap.
November 5th, 2019 at 9:59 PM ^
Somebody tell me why a team like Florida is #10 but we’re 14.
November 5th, 2019 at 10:19 PM ^
Becuz, $E©️
November 5th, 2019 at 11:19 PM ^
I would try but you wouldn't understand.
So I won't.
November 5th, 2019 at 11:51 PM ^
They weren't down 35-0 early in the 3rd quarter in either of their losses.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:12 AM ^
Quality losses got it.
November 6th, 2019 at 3:44 AM ^
They haven't barely won against any bad team. And they haven't been blown out. I don't see a problem with it.
November 5th, 2019 at 10:01 PM ^
Coach Harbaugh gets his signature win Nov. 30 and disrupts the college football playoffs.
GO BLUE!!!!
November 5th, 2019 at 10:17 PM ^
Oregon fans might be saying Go Blue that day too.
November 5th, 2019 at 10:20 PM ^
...and totally redeem himself
November 5th, 2019 at 10:05 PM ^
Penn St #4???
GO MINNESOTA!!!
November 5th, 2019 at 11:36 PM ^
Interesting stuff. Shame for Michigan for what could have been had they pulled out a win @ PSU. Oh well. One game at a time.
Ohio State is going to have to play Penn State, @ Michigan and then either Wiscy or Minnesota in the BIG10 Title game. It will be interesting to see how they do. Preliminary indication after blasting Wisconsin 38-7 is that the Buckeyes have no weaknesses and will just stream-roll them all.
Still, Michigan has a unique opportunity to throw a nice wrench in their works.
November 6th, 2019 at 12:16 AM ^
Iowa could win the West, too
November 5th, 2019 at 11:38 PM ^
- Actual CFP contenders
- Pac12 teams who can fight it out for who finishes #5
- SEC teams who we will catapult into the top 5 if they ever get a decent win
- Midwestern teams with flaws
- G5 teams
November 6th, 2019 at 7:01 AM ^
I'm so glad they don't have Clemson in the top 4. I realize this is preliminary and at least two of the teams ahead of them will lose before the end of the season, but I'm glad the committee is paying at least a little attention and not just giving them a playoff spot right away based on being defending champs.
November 6th, 2019 at 7:13 AM ^
It’s laughable to think anyone outside the Top 7 maybe 8 have any chance to go to the playoffs. NCAA is a pathetic mess. Not buying the NY6 bowl hype for the loser bowls either. Nor are any likely high draft choices.
Listening to the ESPN folks debate the merits of the possible participants is all to reminiscent of a CNN panel debating a political issue.
thank you NCAA for turning what every other sport on the planet settles with a structured playoff into a political beauty contest No wait, just screw you
November 6th, 2019 at 7:27 AM ^
Really, what do the rankings mean in early November and why should anyone outside of ESPN programmers give a Schiff? We need another hour of Herbie and the gang opining on a Tuesday night like another case of toenail fungus. Bama v LSU this weekend, rankings will change, well if Bama loses they might move to 4??? PSU at 4, bye bye, will be at minimum +14 when going into Columbus. Then the whining about Clemson. Want to improve ranking, play someone, ANYONE! Really, Wofford????
November 6th, 2019 at 7:54 AM ^
I understand why they had to put Penn State at 4 but man, I do not think they are a top 10 team.
November 6th, 2019 at 9:34 PM ^
I don’t believe they’re a top 5 team, but they’re definitely a top 10 team. 8-0 with wins over #14 and #18 in the country, and a very good defense that has allowed over 20 points only once all year. They don’t have a lot of superstars, and their offense isn’t consistent. Yes we should have beat them. But I do think they’re a legit top 10 team.
November 6th, 2019 at 9:34 PM ^
I don’t believe they’re a top 5 team, but they’re definitely a top 10 team. 8-0 with wins over #14 and #18 in the country, and a very good defense that has allowed over 20 points only once all year. They don’t have a lot of superstars, and their offense isn’t consistent. Yes we should have beat them. But I do think they’re a legit top 10 team.
Edit- first double post
November 6th, 2019 at 8:10 AM ^
With the ACC as bad as it is Clemson couldn’t even get a quality OOC game this year. Just for SOS keep em out of the CFP.
November 6th, 2019 at 9:02 AM ^
PSU #4 is hilarious, at best #7 behind Clemson, uga, Oklahoma. committee is so stupid
November 6th, 2019 at 11:14 AM ^
Ryan Day has yet to prove he's not John Cooper. Other than Rutgers nothing is a gimmee in the conference.