Head-to-Head...Who Are The 5 Best Teams?
Hypothetical.
Take the top 8 in the CFP...and let's say all teams have to play each other on a neutral site, best of 7 series.
All *current* major injuries are turned "on." (meaning Zinter is out, Johnson is 100%).
Any *future* injuries are turned "off." (meaning no one can get hurt in this best of 7 against each team).
Not most deserving. Not best record. Flat out...rank the 5 best teams in the country, solely based on "who would win?"
November 28th, 2023 at 11:32 PM ^
1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Texas
November 28th, 2023 at 11:43 PM ^
- Michigan 7–0
- Oregon 6–1
- Georgia 4–3
- Alabama 4–3
- Washington 3–4
FIFY
November 29th, 2023 at 12:35 AM ^
Yeah, I agree with this. Washington is basketball on grass... good, but not great. Had FSU not lost their QB, I'd put them at 5 over Washington.
November 29th, 2023 at 1:07 AM ^
I've always hated the phrase "basketball on grass". You don't whip the ball around back and forth at any point in American football. That's such a weird, nonsense analogy to me.
November 29th, 2023 at 4:37 AM ^
2010 football v illinois was actual basketball on grass. 67-65.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
It's basketball on grass when both teams can score more than 45 points in one game. Better yet, 50 or more as the vast majority of plays are passes that more than 20 yds a pop.
Rich Rod's philosophy was we'll outscore you, you will be unable to score as much as us.
Also, if total offense is 500 yds or more for each team.
Just my opinion.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:15 AM ^
My question for Oregon lovers is: What if the Pac 12 just sucks?
November 28th, 2023 at 11:55 PM ^
Michigan
Georgia
Washington
Oregon
Alabama
November 29th, 2023 at 2:23 AM ^
Alabama?
They're the worst of the 1 loss teams. Texas spanked them for double digits in Tuscaloosa, then they tried 3 times to give the game away vs Auburn but Auburn said 'hold my beer".
November 29th, 2023 at 7:40 AM ^
I think Bama beats Texas the second time around. Bama has been getting better each week, and Texas has really struggle in several games. I won't put any trust in Auburn playing its ass off to surprise a win at home, and I'd bet on Bama taking a rematch easily.
November 28th, 2023 at 11:33 PM ^
You and I know, it's gonna be Michigan again.
November 28th, 2023 at 11:34 PM ^
1. Michigan
2. Michigan
3. Michigan
4. Michigan
5. Michigan
(Your question is a good and interesting one but I couldn’t help myself.)
Go, Blue! Beat Iowa.
November 29th, 2023 at 7:35 AM ^
Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan...and Dylan.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:21 AM ^
Why? Because I spit hot fire...
November 28th, 2023 at 11:34 PM ^
Georgia
Bama
Michigan
Oregon
Texas
November 28th, 2023 at 11:34 PM ^
Tough. All I can say is I think Oregon is the best team (playing the best) right now.
November 28th, 2023 at 11:46 PM ^
I dunno. I feel like top SEC and B1G teams will give them trouble. PAC-12 gives a positive vibe that may not resonate in other conferences.
November 29th, 2023 at 12:18 AM ^
Oregon is the team I really don't want to see
November 29th, 2023 at 1:09 AM ^
Oregon is the team I want to play the least in the first round.
November 28th, 2023 at 11:37 PM ^
I did my own extrapolation from Vegas odds yesterday and this is what I got in the order of most favored to least favored:
Georgia (-2) over
Michigan (-1) over
Oregon (-0.5) over
Ohio St (-2.5) over
Alabama (-3) over
Texas (-4) over
Washington (-3) over
Florida State
Edit: This also involves some educated guessing, so it's not an exact science, to be clear.
November 28th, 2023 at 11:38 PM ^
Oregon
Michigan
Georgia
Ohio State
Washington
November 28th, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Oregon
4. Texas
5. Bama
November 28th, 2023 at 11:42 PM ^
I know it wont be popular, but...
5. Texas
4. Alabama
3. Georgia
2. Michigan
1. Oregon
Michigan is the most solid team, no weakness, the safest bet to win it all. But Oregon has it, not sure what it is, but when I watch them play they scare me. Loss was early, stumble here and there, but i fear that only Oregon can stop Oregon's offense.
Edit: it scares me even more that a number of others feel the same way....
November 28th, 2023 at 11:45 PM ^
Or a team that has a little defense knowledge
November 29th, 2023 at 6:06 AM ^
This. You put a tough defense in front of those Pac12 teams and they'll get a wake up call pretty quickly.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:41 AM ^
I'm willing to give Dan Lanning the benefit of the doubt on that one. Seeing as how he was one of, if not the chief architect of that generational Georgia defense two years ago that completely shut Michigan down in the semis from start to finish.
I don't know if Oregon's defense is fully operational yet in the way Lanning would want it to be, but he sure knows how to coach a defense. All the same, Oregon may be the last team I want to play in the CFP.
November 29th, 2023 at 12:11 AM ^
Oregon scares me the most…but the best team they played, Washington, they lost to. Their best wins are against scrappy Oregon State and Utah, and this isn’t a Michigan 2000’s team playing an Oregon 2000’s team. Georgia and Michigan have been the best two teams in the country for 3 years, I think we beat them on a neutral field, but I won’t put Michigan ahead of them until we beat them.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:00 AM ^
Definitely pulling for Washington to beat Oregon again. A semi-final match up with Oregon would be depressing, their offense is legit.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:29 AM ^
So is Washington's. But, Oregon's is scarier because it is more balanced.
November 29th, 2023 at 12:05 AM ^
1a Georgia
1b Michigan
2 Oregon
3 Texas
4 Washington
5 Ohio State
6 Alabama
7 Florida State
November 29th, 2023 at 1:05 AM ^
Michigan
Georgia
Oregon
Alabama
Washington
Texas
Ohio State
FSU
November 29th, 2023 at 6:47 AM ^
DY-LAN
DY-LAN
DY-LAN
DY-LAN
DY-LAN
THEY SPIT HOT FIRE
November 29th, 2023 at 7:57 AM ^
This makes me wanna find a DVD player to pop in some Chappelle Show!
November 29th, 2023 at 6:57 AM ^
Ask this question again next week.
November 29th, 2023 at 7:05 AM ^
1. Pearl Jam
2. Nirvana
3. Alice in Chains
4. Soundgarden
5. Mudhoney
November 29th, 2023 at 7:43 AM ^
1. Outkast
2. Wu-Tang Clan
3. NWA
4. Run D.M.C.
5. A Tribe Called Quest
(HM: Eric B & Rakim, Public Enemy, The Roots, De La Soul, Bone Thugs & Harmony)
November 29th, 2023 at 10:30 AM ^
You snubbed Boogie Down Productions and the Furious Five, man.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:33 AM ^
Well in my head-to-head, teams cannot be "in" if they've already lost to one of the teams in the bracket. So Oregon, OSU and Bama, buh-bye. Then you'd move up Missouri, but they lost to GA so buh-bye. Then move up PSU, they lost to M so buh-bye. Ole-miss, nope. LSU, nope.
Alright Lousiville, Iowa, Oklahoma State! Come on down (price is right music plays in my head).
So you got
1) GA 2) M 3) W 4) FSU 5) TX 6) Lousiville 7) Iowa 8) Oklahoma St.
In this scenario
1. Michigan 7-0 (very close game with GA)
2. Georgia 5-2
3. Texas 4-3
4. Washington 4-3
5. Iowa 2-5
Edit: forgot OR lost to W
November 29th, 2023 at 8:59 AM ^
Washington is way overrated- they are 11 on SP+ rating and almost lost to a 2-6 team.
Michigan
Georgia
Ohio State
Oregon
Michigan just beat the 3rd best team in the country after beating the #5 SP+ team 2 weeks earlier.
Go Blue
November 29th, 2023 at 9:14 AM ^
I think people are sleeping on UW a bit, though. PSU is not #5 in the country; they just aren't. PSU's offense is as bad at UW's defense IMO. Also, FSU at #6 is with Travis baked in; he's not there anymore and they struggled mightily against a bad Florida team to win. Congrats on them for pulling it off but they've been a paper tiger for a while and escaped against some mediocre ACC teams. Same with Bama, who's tried to lose some games this year (Auburn, A&M, Arkansas) but just couldn't pull it off because those teams were bad.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:08 AM ^
Honestly, it's Michigan, Georgia, and Oregon basically all as coin-flips and then a gap to everyone else. I'd say UM is probably the best but we don't really know how the team looks without Zinter and that's a huge deal. Are they weaker inside but strong outside because Trente Jones is a road-grater at tackle while Barnhart's limitations are less apparent closer to the ball? Maybe, or it's a huge hole now that Michigan can't really fix easily with the current roster. It's just a big unknown that the other teams with big losses (e.g. Travis at FSU) have at least played a full game dealing with.
With that in mind, Top 5 are:
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Oregon
- Texas
- Washington
November 29th, 2023 at 9:45 AM ^
I think we're still pretty darn good on the O-line. Barnhart at guard, while a step down from Zinter, means he's playing the position he's more naturally suited for. He was playing tackle primarily a) because none of the other options at tackle had the combination of overall experience, talent, and consistency; and b)because though talented enough at guard to start for any team in the B1G, he wasn't going to displace Zinter or Keegan at the guard positions.
My hope is that Trente Jones has been coached up to the point that's he's an improved version of what and where he was at the start of the season. With Sherrone Moore being in charge of that unit, I'm confident Jones is ready and will step up to the opportunity.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:18 AM ^
I think it's really close at the top 3 (Oregon, Georgia and Michigan), but I feel like Oregon wins this scenario. They've got speed and athleticism on both sides of the ball, they have a quarterback with JJ's accuracy but more running willingness (future injuries turned 'off' so no worries from me there). So for me it's 1a - Oregon, 1b - Georgia, 1c - Michigan, 4 - Alabama and 5 - Texas.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:51 AM ^
I think the committee got it right last night. At least the top 4. I don't like the "who the best team RIGHT NOW" is argument. Too much talk of FSU being jumped even if they win since their QB is hurt. Not fair to punish them for that. If they win this weekend, they should be in. To me rankings and playoff spots should be a reward for a season's worth of accomplishments, not who we think has the hot hand at the end of the season. This is part of what screwed us in 97 with Nebraska. Just because they played their best game against Tenn we had to share the championship.
As I said, I feel like the committee got it right. But historically they are cowardly when it counts. I hope they don't act cowardly this coming Sunday if there is chaos and do something stupid like let the SEC have two teams, OSU backs in again, etc.
IMO OSU should not get a spot under ANY condition. And if Bama wins I can conceive a situation where the SEC is shut out, but they won't let that happen. As I said they tend to be cowards when it counts.