If Ohio State Had Gone Undefeated . . .

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krambman's avatar

krambman

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3,606 posts
Dec 6, 2010 3:37 PM
. . . would they be headed to Glendale or Pasadena?

Now that the season is over we can look back and wonder "what if." What if the Buckeyes had beaten Wisconsin?

OSU's scoring offense is 11th in the nation and their scoring defense is 3rd. Auburn is 6th in scoring and 54th in scoring defense. Oregon is 1st in scoring and 14th in scoring defense. If preseason rankings mattered OSU was #2, Oregon was #11, and Auburn was unranked (although I think that at this point most voters would look at performance and worthiness and not worry about preseason predictions). Auburn finished #1 in the computers, Oregon was #2, and OSU was #9, although they would have obviously been several spots higher had they finished without a loss. So, if these three teams had finished undefeated would OSU have been the team that got left out despite starting at #2, or would Oregon or Auburn have been on the outside looking in?
Dec 6, 2010 3:37pm
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vball10set

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Dec 6, 2010 3:41 PM
to Glendale because of where they started in the polls--period....and that's why a lot of people (myself included) feel that the polls shouldn't come out until the fifth or sixth week of the season.
Dec 6, 2010 3:41pm
C

cats gone wild

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Dec 6, 2010 3:41 PM
Oregon would of been left out. Remember when OSU was #1 in the polls (before they lost)? They would of stayed there or dropped behind Auburn as the season went on. Oregon and OSU both played bad schedules with only one ranked opponent (cant use schedule strength), so OSU would of been in there since they were already ranked higher, because the voters saw what they did to Oregon last year, and because of their name.
Dec 6, 2010 3:41pm
J

johngrizzly

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Dec 6, 2010 3:41 PM
No, OSU never would have dropped in the polls, would have stayed #1 and that has big precident in BCS rankings.
Dec 6, 2010 3:41pm
W

wkfan

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Dec 6, 2010 3:43 PM
vball10set;590244 wrote:to Glendale because of where they started in the polls--period....and that's why a lot of people (myself included) feel that the polls shouldn't come out until the fifth or sixth week of the season.
This.
Dec 6, 2010 3:43pm
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johngrizzly

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213 posts
Dec 6, 2010 3:44 PM
vball10set;590244 wrote:to Glendale because of where they started in the polls--period....and that's why a lot of people (myself included) feel that the polls shouldn't come out until the fifth or sixth week of the season.

I agree vball, preseason AP/Coaches polls DO matter. Coming out week 6 with the first poll sounds about right. Just think if OSU beat Wisky, we'd have a big mess.
Dec 6, 2010 3:44pm
ytownfootball's avatar

ytownfootball

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Dec 6, 2010 3:45 PM
Always agree about polls coming out later...and the BCS does come out later, but you'll never stop AP, coaches, Rivals etc..they're going to be there, and because the BCS uses the Harris and coaches, that would require them to exist but not be published. That's unrealistic.

Ohio State would be in the 'ship.
Dec 6, 2010 3:45pm
T

Tiernan

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Dec 6, 2010 3:54 PM
Yup they blew it at Wisky...but I now truly believe Wisky is a better team (which I really didn't at the time of the loss). Its a shame the Badgers aren't playing Auburn as the true #1 vs #2 match-up. Auburn will scorch Oregon by 3 - 4 TDs.
Dec 6, 2010 3:54pm
lhslep134's avatar

lhslep134

why so serious?

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Dec 6, 2010 3:57 PM
We'd be in the ship, and Oregon would be on the outside looking in due to A. us beating them last year in the Rose Bowl (I don't think this should matter but I think that it would), B. us being ranked higher to begin the year, and C. Auburn being left out last time they went undefeated and the crazy string of SEC national championships since then.
Dec 6, 2010 3:57pm
krambman's avatar

krambman

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Dec 6, 2010 3:59 PM
ytownfootball;590251 wrote:Always agree about polls coming out later...and the BCS does come out later, but you'll never stop AP, coaches, Rivals etc..they're going to be there, and because the BCS uses the Harris and coaches, that would require them to exist but not be published. That's unrealistic.

Ohio State would be in the 'ship.

This. The first Harris Poll isn't released until a week before the first CS Poll, but it still looks just like the Coaches and AP Poll. Even if the Coaches decided to wait until the same point there's no reason for the AP Poll to wait, and even if they did you would never get places like Lindy's, Sporting News, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated to stop putting out preseason polls. So if the three major polls waited until week 6 to be released it wouldn't change anything. If the first polls came out in week 6 this year they would have looked basically the same as the week 6 poll actually looked, because everyone would have rankings in mind from the preseason on even if they weren't published. Unless no one puts out a preseason poll it wouldn't matter if the AP and Coaches chose to wait.
Dec 6, 2010 3:59pm
C

cats gone wild

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Dec 6, 2010 4:00 PM
lhslep134;590270 wrote:We'd be in the ship, and Oregon would be on the outside looking in due to A. us beating them last year in the Rose Bowl (I don't think this should matter but I think that it would), B. us being ranked higher to begin the year, and C. Auburn being left out last time they went undefeated and the crazy string of SEC national championships since then.

We actually thought alike for once
Dec 6, 2010 4:00pm
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johngrizzly

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Dec 6, 2010 4:02 PM
Lets be honest, I wish OSU, MSU, Boise and the other 3 unbeatens were all undefeated. 6 unbeatens, that's the way to a playoff.
Dec 6, 2010 4:02pm
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vball10set

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Dec 6, 2010 4:03 PM
^^^awwww--that's so sweet :rolleyes:
Dec 6, 2010 4:03pm
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jhay78

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Dec 6, 2010 4:11 PM
johngrizzly;590276 wrote:Lets be honest, I wish OSU, MSU, Boise and the other 3 unbeatens were all undefeated. 6 unbeatens, that's the way to a playoff.

Me too, although you could have 10 unbeatens from BCS conferences (if that were possible) and none of the powers that be would consider a playoff.

Oregon would be left out at #3 because of preseason ranking/last year's Rose Bowl.
Dec 6, 2010 4:11pm
ytownfootball's avatar

ytownfootball

Bold faced liar...

6,978 posts
Dec 6, 2010 4:12 PM
johngrizzly;590276 wrote:Lets be honest, I wish OSU, MSU, Boise and the other 3 unbeatens were all undefeated. 6 unbeatens, that's the way to a playoff.

It's really not. The BCS is not concerned that there are people upset that their squad isn't going to the game, only that the two most deserving are playing. Until the NCAA makes a move on this front (soooo unlikely) you'll never see a play-off.

Present a business model that keeps traditional bowl games intact, and pays the same entities the same or more under a play-off format and they might listen, until then this is what we got.
Dec 6, 2010 4:12pm
C

cats gone wild

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2,651 posts
Dec 6, 2010 4:14 PM
I think next year OSU will be in the title game vs. LSU. Someone can quote me on this to if they want.
If LSU had a average QB this year, they would of been in the title game. I think as a team, LSU only had 8 td passes. LSU just picked up Zach Mettenberger today so we will have a great QB for 3 seasons. That's unless Miles sticks with his favorite buddy J. Jefferson next year...lol. Winning is more important than pleasing a senior QB.
Dec 6, 2010 4:14pm
lhslep134's avatar

lhslep134

why so serious?

9,774 posts
Dec 6, 2010 4:23 PM
cats gone wild;590296 wrote: Winning is more important than pleasing a senior QB.


You'd think this (as fans do), but it normally isn't the case.

I look at Ohio State. CLEARLY (IMO of course) Hankins is our 3rd best defensive lineman (behind Heyward and Simon) but he won't play over Larimore because Larimore is a senior. Doesn't make any sense, because last time I checked, a key to stopping the run (cough cough Wisconsin) could be a 335 lb skilled nose tackle. Just airing sour grapes.
Dec 6, 2010 4:23pm
krambman's avatar

krambman

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3,606 posts
Dec 6, 2010 4:31 PM
jhay78;590292 wrote:Me too, although you could have 10 unbeatens from BCS conferences (if that were possible) and none of the powers that be would consider a playoff.

Oregon would be left out at #3 because of preseason ranking/last year's Rose Bowl.

That part of what you said doesn't make any sense because as I stated in the opening post Oregon began ranked #11 and Auburn didn't appear on a single preseason ballot.
ytownfootball;590293 wrote:It's really not. The BCS is not concerned that there are people upset that their squad isn't going to the game, only that the two most deserving are playing. Until the NCAA makes a move on this front (soooo unlikely) you'll never see a play-off.

Present a business model that keeps traditional bowl games intact, and pays the same entities the same or more under a play-off format and they might listen, until then this is what we got.

You do realize that the BCS and NCAA are essentially the same people right? Or at least, they get their power from the same people. The BCS exists and runs the way that it does because all D-1 schools have agreed to participate. Those same schools have also agreed to abide by NCAA rules. The NCAA governing body could come out and say that they are organizing a playoff, but all major D-1 schools would laugh and continue having the bowls and BCS, or simply leave the NCAA and form their own governing body. The NCAA can only form a playoff if a majority of the member institutions (and by majority I mean the major conferences) agreed to it.

I do agree though that the only way a playoff ever happens is if everyone currently involved (member schools, conferences, non-AQ conferences, bowls, advertisers, TV networks, etc) ends up making more money through a playoff than through the bowls, and we're so far away from that happening.
Dec 6, 2010 4:31pm
N

norwalk

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158 posts
Dec 6, 2010 4:37 PM
It would of been more interesting if Wisky or MSU went undefeated. Ohio State had the advantage of being preseason in the lead. Wisky and MSU would of had to move up like Auburn.
Dec 6, 2010 4:37pm
ytownfootball's avatar

ytownfootball

Bold faced liar...

6,978 posts
Dec 6, 2010 4:40 PM
kramb

Basically the same thing, but only the NCAA can sanction a recognized national champion, like in basketball. You recall that the BCS had to alter their promotion of BCS National Championship game. Only pointing to this as a reason why it's highly unlikely.
Dec 6, 2010 4:40pm
Q

queencitybuckeye

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7,117 posts
Dec 6, 2010 5:31 PM
johngrizzly;590276 wrote:Lets be honest, I wish OSU, MSU, Boise and the other 3 unbeatens were all undefeated. 6 unbeatens, that's the way to a playoff.

Why would you believe that would change any minds that matter?
Dec 6, 2010 5:31pm
J

johngrizzly

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213 posts
Dec 6, 2010 6:20 PM
queencitybuckeye;590377 wrote:Why would you believe that would change any minds that matter?

I think it makes the whole system look ike a joke if that happened. When someone gets called out enough, they have to change. But then again, it's all about the money.
Dec 6, 2010 6:20pm
krambman's avatar

krambman

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3,606 posts
Dec 6, 2010 6:36 PM
johngrizzly;590411 wrote:I think it makes the whole system look ike a joke if that happened. When someone gets called out enough, they have to change. But then again, it's all about the money.

Correct, it's all about the money. Fans can complain and grumble all the want, but the fact remains that they will continue to tune in and buy tickets. In fact, if that many teams finished undefeated this year, the BCS would have it's highest ranking ever with that many undefeated versus undefeated matchups. Unless fans truely boycotted (and by that I mean stop buying tickets to BCS bowls and stop tuning in on TV to watch them) nothing is going to change. The people couldn't care less if people complain. They only care if their wallets are effected.
Dec 6, 2010 6:36pm
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queencitybuckeye

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7,117 posts
Dec 6, 2010 7:53 PM
johngrizzly;590411 wrote:I think it makes the whole system look ike a joke if that happened. When someone gets called out enough, they have to change. But then again, it's all about the money.

The last sentence is correct. The term "money talks and bullshit walks" is particularly applicable. Fans can talk, (and talk, and talk,) but until they vote with their wallets, you'll never see change. Why would there be change?
Dec 6, 2010 7:53pm
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Scarlet_Buckeye

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Dec 6, 2010 11:18 PM
OSU was #1 at the time, so yes, I do not believe they would have been jumped.
Dec 6, 2010 11:18pm