Big XII

[NinersFan80]

So as families do, we had a little discussion after Thanksgiving dinner about college football. I threw out a question about the Big 12 teams in the top 12 currently (OKST, OU, Baylor); are those teams actually good teams and is one really good enough to be in the playoffs? Or are they beneficiaries of easy scheduling for the first 8-9 games playing shitty teams and then the final weeks playing each other after they all have great records so they are ranked really high so the wins look good on paper?

You have OU who lost to Texas but is now in the top 4 because they beat Baylor and TCU who both had their back up QBs in. Baylor's best win before playing OU was West Virginia? Kansas State? TCU's best win before playing OU was Minnesota in the first game? West Virigina? Kansas State?

Then there is OKState who lost to Baylor, beat Texas by 3, beat Kansas State by 2, beat Iowa State by 4. Their best win was TCU which now doesn't look as great.

So how do we know these Big 12 teams are actually any good and deserve a spot in the playoffs?

Just a warning; I am not trying to bash on the Big 12 or any of the teams. Just thought it was an interesting discussion.

 

[ElTexan]

You can only go by eye-test.

The wins over Tennessee and Minnesota aren't illuminating enough.

 

[NinersFan80]

You can only go by eye-test.

The wins over Tennessee and Minnesota aren't illuminating enough.

By the eye test it doesn't look like OKState is really that good. OU has talent to be a good team but I don't think they have really put it together and doesn't deserve the 3rd spot right now (They really should have lost to TCU). Baylor is down to their 3rd string QB so it is quite obvious they aren't a top 10-15 team anymore. TCU has the injury bug in a big way so they aren't a top 15-20 team either.

But the CFP committee sees these teams playing and beating top 10-15 teams and when one of those teams losses to the other they don't go far down because they lost to a top 10 team. It is kind of an endless cycle at this point in the season

 

[Olyduck]

No because it just happened that the schedule set up that way this year.
Last year Baylor and TCU played on Oct 11.
and the third place team was kansas State at 9-4 and Oklahoma was 4th at 8-5 so the top 2 teams with the best records met at 5-0 and 4-0.

 

[NinersFan80]

No because it just happened that the schedule set up that way this year.
Last year Baylor and TCU played on Oct 11.
and the third place team was kansas State at 9-4 and Oklahoma was 4th at 8-5 so the top 2 teams with the best records met at 5-0 and 4-0.

That doesn't mean those teams aren't beneficiaries to the schedule. I feel like it has really helped the Big XII in a big way this year. Especially since they all have had a pretty easy schedule anyways.

 

[ElTexan]

B12 is the best conference in Amurka yet again... even ISU showed some stoutness.

...and each team has to play EVERY other team... the good, the bad, the best, the 2nd best, the ones they just don't match up well against....etc.

The teams' schedules aren't easy.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

You can only go by eye-test.

The wins over Tennessee and Minnesota aren't illuminating enough.

You could also debate that Oklahomas win over Tennessee. Was A lot more convincing than Floridas win over the vols by 1 pt. imo the sec east has been pretty weak this year with Mizzou and South Carolina falling flat. When Vandy is the forth ranked team in your division that's not saying much. You can also question the success of the SEC as a whole. how much have the top teams in the SEC benefitted from a weak conference. The only true stand outs are Alabama, Florida. Ole miss is on the cusp. But poor showings from the rest of the conference and inflated win records due to FCS teams and weak ooc scheduling Bama excluded raise a lot of questions. IMO you can make the same arguement against several conferences. The BIG X has been the best and the PAC has had a bad year. But I don't see a legitimate arguement to say the BIG XII teams don't deserve their rankings right now.

 

[ElTexan]

I think this year is probably the weakest year in CFB since the BCS began... and I'm including 2007.

...and the most exciting [best] player in CFB is out for the season... and the guy throwing the ball to him, also an elite player, is also way banged up ... and yes, both are in the B12.

 

[ElTexan]

I do think the B12 is slightly the best conference in CFB, but i don't think that's saying much at all this year.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

I do think the B12 is slightly the best conference in CFB, but i don't think that's saying much at all this year.

It's hard to gauge the best. From what I've seen and breaking down the conferences. I would say it's a pretty close call on the BIG X and BIG XII for the strongest conferences. The SEC following in 3rd ACC in 4th and OAC 5th as far as power 5s

 

[WestEndVol]

 

[TheRobotDevil]

View attachment 56749

Never been the biggest fan of rankings off stats. Stats and rankings are good to a point. But eltexan is right you do need the eyeball test to gauge it too. Look at the PAC there's a chance USC could win the PAC and get a major bowl bid. And by rights the way they have played they shouldn't be there. They've been awful this year. This may be the strangest year I've seen in CFB. It's a down year but I have to admit it is exciting. How much would you hate being on that committee westend

 

[TheRobotDevil]

Jeff long has to be having nightmares

 

[TheRobotDevil]

The biggest problem I have with stats is there are so many variables. In order to gauge cinference strength. You would have to find a way to compare them head to head. Which is virtually impossible with the landscape of college football being so big. Win loss records are highly affected by conference games , fcs opponents etc. PPG for and against often reflect styles of play within conferences. It's really a tough call

 

[WestEndVol]

They definitely need to expand the Playoffs (6-8 teams is what I'd like). And there are way too many god damn bowl games. There is no reason 5-7 teams should be rewarded by going to a bowl.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

They definitely need to expand the Playoffs (6-8 teams is what I'd like). And there are way too many god damn bowl games. There is no reason 5-7 teams should be rewarded by going to a bowl.

I agree with that 100% and this year is a prime example of why they should expand the playoffs and possibly tweak the playoff system. Otherwise we are right back at square 1 and controversy surrounding championships again. I'm not to confident that happens. And doubt we will see less bowl games. The sad truth is if snything we see more. There's too much money involved. As long as the money's there they will keep pushing bowls that involve teams that don't belong in bowls no matter how bad the product.

 

[Wishbone]

So as families do, we had a little discussion after Thanksgiving dinner about college football. I threw out a question about the Big 12 teams in the top 12 currently (OKST, OU, Baylor); are those teams actually good teams and is one really good enough to be in the playoffs? Or are they beneficiaries of easy scheduling for the first 8-9 games playing shitty teams and then the final weeks playing each other after they all have great records so they are ranked really high so the wins look good on paper?

You have OU who lost to Texas but is now in the top 4 because they beat Baylor and TCU who both had their back up QBs in. Baylor's best win before playing OU was West Virginia? Kansas State? TCU's best win before playing OU was Minnesota in the first game? West Virigina? Kansas State?

Then there is OKState who lost to Baylor, beat Texas by 3, beat Kansas State by 2, beat Iowa State by 4. Their best win was TCU which now doesn't look as great.

So how do we know these Big 12 teams are actually any good and deserve a spot in the playoffs?

Just a warning; I am not trying to bash on the Big 12 or any of the teams. Just thought it was an interesting discussion.

OU beat Tennessee in Knoxville in overtime. Florida beat Tennessee at home by 1 point so theres that.

 

[outlaw okie]

They definitely need to expand the Playoffs (6-8 teams is what I'd like). And there are way too many god damn bowl games. There is no reason 5-7 teams should be rewarded by going to a bowl.

I think they got it right at 4.

They just need to find a better way to pick the 4.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

So as families do, we had a little discussion after Thanksgiving dinner about college football. I threw out a question about the Big 12 teams in the top 12 currently (OKST, OU, Baylor); are those teams actually good teams and is one really good enough to be in the playoffs? Or are they beneficiaries of easy scheduling for the first 8-9 games playing shitty teams and then the final weeks playing each other after they all have great records so they are ranked really high so the wins look good on paper?

You have OU who lost to Texas but is now in the top 4 because they beat Baylor and TCU who both had their back up QBs in. Baylor's best win before playing OU was West Virginia? Kansas State? TCU's best win before playing OU was Minnesota in the first game? West Virigina? Kansas State?

Then there is OKState who lost to Baylor, beat Texas by 3, beat Kansas State by 2, beat Iowa State by 4. Their best win was TCU which now doesn't look as great.

So how do we know these Big 12 teams are actually any good and deserve a spot in the playoffs?

Just a warning; I am not trying to bash on the Big 12 or any of the teams. Just thought it was an interesting discussion.

At the risk of going all "they's at least as gud as Floreda!", I have to point out that there really aren't any stand-out teams anywhere else this year. Clemson is the closest thing, but nobody would say they've played a tough schedule, either.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Also, I'm not sure it was deliberate on the part of the league to somehow have all the teams with the best records playing in november. Maybe they try every year but it doesn't always work out b/c teams fluctuate. I'm sure they wanted TCU and Baylor playing late, because that's becoming a big rivalry, but Bedlam is always the last game of the year.