The Case For Wisconsin as National Champion

[Ron G]

If Alabama wins the playoff, I won't consider them a legitimate champion. They have no business even being in that game tomorrow.[/QUOTE
I agree. The fallacy in arguing that if Alabama wins the playoff, they deserve the "National Championship" lies in the fact that any of the next eight ranked teams could potentially replace one of the 4 playoff teams and win a two game playoff, the parity is so close.
It is nuts that Alabama losing is what got the SEC two teams. If they beat Auburn, then only either Georgia or Alabama gets in. In fact, it is losing to Auburn that got them in and that is wrong. It used to be that late season losses were worse than early season losses (which is why they schedule the Mercers' of the world for a late game).\
Solution: 8 team playoff; 5 conference champs and 3 at large; 8 teams are seeded and the top teams play a home game in mid December; then the 4 winners continue in the rotating bowl games as is currently done.
So this year it would look like this: USC, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, Oklahoma, Alabama, Wisconsin and UCF.
Parity within a conference does not necessarily mean weakness.

 

[7Samurai13]

So losing to Ohio State should have gotten Wisconsin in the playoffs?

 

[GeekSportsFan]

This thread also points as to why we need an eight-team playoff. With the 5 power conference champs in, Wisky would have easily made one of the three at-large spots.

 

[7Samurai13]

This thread also points as to why we need an eight-team playoff. With the 5 power conference champs in, Wisky would have easily made one of the three at-large spots.

We didn’t have 4 deserving teams and you want to go to 8?

 

[GeekSportsFan]

We didn’t have 4 deserving teams and you want to go to 8?

Really? So, let's scrap the playoffs altogether because some folks think we didn't have any teams worthy of being in the top four?

 

[batchaps4me]

Wisconsin had a case for the CFP but when you put you fate in others hands, don't bitch about what others decide. Alabama had a case too. you could easily make the case that Alabama's win over a healthy FSU(at the start of the game) was a better win than anything on Wisconsin's schedule. If you have to wait and see how bowl games play out to make your argument, you did not have a clear cut argument to start with ...

 

[7Samurai13]

Really? So, let's scrap the playoffs altogether because some folks think we didn't have any teams worthy of being in the top four?

No, let’s not expand it even farther so that we can let fanbases who get all hurt because they think getting blown the fuck out and losing multiple games means they should have a chance to play for a title. Let’s reward teams for playing absolute garbage schedules and lose to the only good team that they play. That will definitely give us a boost in quality OOC games.

 

[trojanfan12]

And if pigs flew out of your ass you’d have free bacon for the rest of your life! This is fun!

Free bacon you say? How do I make this pig thing happen? Is there some kinda magical spell or something?

On 2nd thought, the pig thing seems like it could be painful. If I make them fly out my sons ass, do I get to keep the bacon?

 

[Voltaire26]

We didn’t have 4 deserving teams and you want to go to 8?

Yes, everyone that wins a P5 Championship should be in the playoffs and 3 at large teams is not outrageous.

 

[BigAppleBadger]

Except that you lost to a two loss Ohio State, thus exposing your cupcake schedule. Had the Badgers taken care of OSU, not doubt they would have made it. But the weak schedule was the Badgers undoing.

Schedule was really no weaker than Alabama's, and they had a worse loss.

 

[Deep Creek]

Auburn had 4 games against 3 teams in the CFP. They beat Bama. They went 1-1 with Georgia. And lost 14-6 to Clemson.

The 14-6 loss to Clemson is more impressive than any WIN Wisconsin had this year.

I do believe this is the key to the committee's decision. While Wisconsin didn't have a "bad loss", where are their any "good wins" on their resume? (Disclaimer: Some of the other teams may not have as good a win as we thought they were at the time, but still better than Wisconsin's.)

Let's look at all five teams wins through lenses other than those rose colored glasses of any of the five. Good wins are in bold from my unbaised point of view because I ain't got a dog in the fight.

Clemson's wins:Ken State, Auburn, @Louisville, BC, @VaTech, Wake Forest, GaTech, @NCState, Florida State, The Citadel, South Carolina, Miami

Oklahoma's wins: UTEP, @Ohio State, Tulane, @Baylor, Texas, @K-State, Texas Tech, @ Okla State, TCU, @Kansas, West Virginia, TCU

Georgia's wins: App State, @Notre Dame, Samford, Miss State, @Tennessee, @Vandy, Mizzou, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, @Ga Tech, Auburn

Alabama's wins: Fla State, Fresno State, Colo State, @Vandy, Ole Miss, @A&M, Arkie, Tenn, LSU, @Miss State, Mercer,

Wisconsin's wins: Utah State, FAU, @BYU, NW, @Nebraska, Purdue, Maryland, @Illinois, @Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, @Minnesota, Miami

The only common opponents I see between Wisconsin and the other four are tOSU and Miami.

Wisconsin lost to tOSU 27-21 on a neutral field and beat Miami 34-24 on Miami's home field...even if some claim it was a neutral site "The Orange Bowl".

Oklahoma beat tOSU 31-16 at the Horseshoe and Clemson beat Miami 38-3 on a neutral field so it is easy to sasy those two are more deserving than Wisky IMO. Now we are down to Georgia and Bama. Georgia has better wins...and probably even a better loss than Wisky IMO. Now we are down to Bama.

Wisconsin didn't have a quality win until the Orange Bowl. The only case I can see is to take Bama's place, not any of the other three. And it appears the CFP rewarded Bama for the FSU win more than any of Wisky's and considered the Auburn loss much better than Wisky's.

Wisconsin got screwed by their own conference via the unbalanced/division schedule, and screwed themselves with their own OOC schedule. The CFP committee didn't do it to them, the other two did.

 

[BigAppleBadger]

Wisconsin had a case for the CFP but when you put you fate in others hands, don't bitch about what others decide. Alabama had a case too. you could easily make the case that Alabama's win over a healthy FSU(at the start of the game) was a better win than anything on Wisconsin's schedule. If you have to wait and see how bowl games play out to make your argument, you did not have a clear cut argument to start with ...

Can we institute an automatic suspension for anyone that posts this "healthy FSU" bullshit please?

 

[GeekSportsFan]

Schedule was really no weaker than Alabama's, and they had a worse loss.

Maybe, but Bama certainly has a much stronger resume over the past few years. Not to say that previous years should play into a team's current placement, but you cannot argue the legitimacy of taking Bama over Wisky given the overall strength of Bama's football program.

 

[BigAppleBadger]

Maybe, but Bama certainly has a much stronger resume over the past few years. Not to say that previous years should play into a team's current placement, but you cannot argue the legitimacy of taking Bama over Wisky given the overall strength of Bama's football program.

The past few years are irrelevant.

And I absolutely can argue the legitimacy of giving preference to a team based on its past achievements. That's exactly the problem with college football.

You're basically admitting that they didn't deserve it, and only got a spot because of the name on the jersey.

 

[GeekSportsFan]

The past few years are irrelevant.

And I absolutely can argue the legitimacy of giving preference to a team based on its past achievements. That's exactly the problem with college football.

However, the level of playing excellence of Bama under Saban has barely skipped a beat. Not to mention that everytime they step on the field, their opponent usually plays above themselves in an effort to topple number 1. Bama being chosen over Wisky is a no-brainer.

 

[SJ76]

 

[Ron G]

Except that you lost to a two loss Ohio State, thus exposing your cupcake schedule. Had the Badgers taken care of OSU, not doubt they would have made it. But the weak schedule was the Badgers undoing.

As USC found out, Ohio State was no cupcake. And the 7-0 Bowl Record proves the point about the Big 10 Schedule. If the bowl record was 0-7 the folks on this thread would be saying "see the schedule was soft" and they would be right. But alas, it is not so.

 

[batchaps4me]

Can we institute an automatic suspension for anyone that posts this "healthy FSU" bullshit please?

Can you name a better win that Wisconsin had before the bowl games? They were both top five ranked going into the season. Quite frankly, either team could have gotten in and I would have been fine with the decision. Neither had a open and shut case that they were hands and shoulders better. Neither could make it on paper of film. Both teams put themselves in a bad situation and a choice was made. Wisconsin and Alabama had schedules set for an undefeated run, both would have been shoe ins had they went undefeated. Neither did. Neither team could then make the case on Selection Day that they were undeniably the best team. When you are in that position, live with the results.

 

[Deep Creek]

Really? So, let's scrap the playoffs altogether because some folks think we didn't have any teams worthy of being in the top four?

All four definitely have warts...but only one real "obvious" wart each. Although I think OU's win over Baylor was a bigger wart than their loss to ISU! But, that is just my opinion.

 

[batchaps4me]

As USC found out, Ohio State was no cupcake. And the 7-0 Bowl Record proves the point about the Big 10 Schedule. If the bowl record was 0-7 the folks on this thread would be saying "see the schedule was soft" and they would be right. But alas, it is not so.

The bad thing about that is it can only be a hindsight factor. If you want to make a hindsight argument then I agree that it now appears that Wisconsin is more deserving. I am not sure that they should have been left out to begin with but that is the problem with putting your fate in someone else's hands. There was little if any separation between the two teams at the time the decision was made.