Rankings

[Bulldog Tom]

Looking ahead to the first play-off rankings coming out Tuesday night here are where the Group of 5 and non- Power 5 independent teams are in the coaches poll.

7 Cincinnati
8 BYU
16 Coastal
17 Marshall
24 ULL
25 Tulsa
26 Nevada
27 Liberty
30 San Jose State
34 Boise
35 SMU
36 Memphis
37 Army
38 Appy State

The committee announced this morning there will be no minimum amount of games needed to be played to be included in the rankings. That helps the Big Ten and Pac 12. Cincinnati should be the highest ranked Group of 5 team ranked at this point in the season when the poll comes out Tuesday night.

[HogDawg]

#17 Marshall and #8 BYU BOTH have Open Dates this coming week. That's a crime. I say remove them both from the Top 20 if they don't play each other this week.

[FriscoDawg]

BYU is waiting for a Pac 12 cancellation to pick up a game. They know it is playoff or bust for them since they aren't eligible for the G5 NY6 auto-bid.

Cougars want no part of that Marshall defense.

[Bulldog Tom]

BYU is waiting for a Pac 12 cancellation to pick up a game. They know it is playoff or bust for them since they aren't eligible for the G5 NY6 auto-bid.

Cougars want no part of that Marshall defense.

Plus Marshall is hoping Coastal losses to either Liberty (in regular season) or ULL in the SBC championship game. Then if Cincinnati loses to either Tulsa in the regular season or in the AAC championship game (likely to be Tulsa again), Marshall would be the only undefeated G5 team. That would put Marshall in the drivers seat for the NY6 auto-bid. There is really little benefit for Marshall to prop up BYU's schedule for the committee. It doesnt help them if Cincinnati doesn't lose, Cincinnati has to lose for Marshall to benefit playing BYU.

[Bulldog Tom]

I have no idea how accurate the Allstate Playoff Predictor is, but Cincinnati made the top 4 this week.


https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...otball-playoff

[HogDawg]

Cincinnati may be better than Ohio State this year. I would love to see that!

[Bulldog Tom]

Cincinnati may be better than Ohio State this year. I would love to see that!

Me too!

[FriscoDawg]

And now Washington is available for BYU since Washington State has cancelled Friday's game in Pullman. Washington wanted to play in Seattle as the Pac 12 requires, and the teams played in Provo last year. But BYU wanted to see the CFP rankings first. So no deal, yet.

Reports: Washington wants to play BYU this weekend after Apple Cup game canceled - Deseret News

[Tech52]

I read BYU wants a guarantee that the game will be played.

[Bulldog Tom]

BYU is waiting for a Pac 12 cancellation to pick up a game. They know it is playoff or bust for them since they aren't eligible for the G5 NY6 auto-bid.

Cougars want no part of that Marshall defense.

Nope they wanted people to think that perhaps, but in the end they chickened out. No need to put that undefeated season at risk.

[Bulldog Tom]

And now Washington is available for BYU since Washington State has cancelled Friday's game in Pullman. Washington wanted to play in Seattle as the Pac 12 requires, and the teams played in Provo last year. But BYU wanted to see the CFP rankings first. So no deal, yet.

Reports: Washington wants to play BYU this weekend after Apple Cup game canceled - Deseret News

Which begs the question, where do you see BYU ranked Tuesday night? I see them 10th or 11th, due to the bias for Power 5 schools and the lack of a quality schedule. Their unwillingness to play Washington does not look good. Teams I see ahead of them include: Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Florida, Oregon and Miami. Probably Cincinnati and perhaps Northwestern.

[dawg80]

Which begs the question, where do you see BYU ranked Tuesday night? I see them 10th or 11th, due to the bias for Power 5 schools and the lack of a quality schedule. Their unwillingness to play Washington does not look good. Teams I see ahead of them include: Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Florida, Oregon and Miami. Probably Cincinnati and perhaps Northwestern.

Northwestern will zoom up in the rankings! The elitists have to elevate NW to secure a solid Big 10 presence in the Top 10, contention for the CFP. In case NW beats Ohio State they need NW ranked high enough to justify their inclusion in the 4-team playoffs.

For those who have been advocating Cincy and BYU to beef up their schedules, well, it is probably too late, but yeah they had to, to have even a REMOTE shot at the CFP. As for Marshall, the only chance they or Coastal Carolina had at a shot at a NY6 slot was to enhance their schedules, and then hope Cincy and BYU lost at least once...maybe twice. It was a LONG shot from the git-go though. No CUSA, MAC, or Sunbelch school will EVER play in the CFP. The AAC has a shot at that, if ALL the chips fall into the right place one year, and 2020 offered about as crazy a chance as we'll ever see.

As for the CFP...if Bama and UF continue unbeaten they will play for the SEC title and a slot. If ND and Clemson continue unbeaten, they will play for a slot. If Ohio State and NW continue unbeaten, they will play for a slot, and the 4th slot...will go to one of those losers.

Then Cincy should get the G5 NY6 slot, unless they lose, then BYU will get it.

Marshall and Coastal Carolina, even if both are unbeaten and ranked, will settle for some very minor bowl vs. a MAC school....sad, but true.

[Bulldog Tom]

Northwestern will zoom up in the rankings! The elitists have to elevate NW to secure a solid Big 10 presence in the Top 10, contention for the CFP. In case NW beats Ohio State they need NW ranked high enough to justify their inclusion in the 4-team playoffs.

For those who have been advocating Cincy and BYU to beef up their schedules, well, it is probably too late, but yeah they had to, to have even a REMOTE shot at the CFP. As for Marshall, the only chance they or Coastal Carolina had at a shot at a NY6 slot was to enhance their schedules, and then hope Cincy and BYU lost at least once...maybe twice. It was a LONG shot from the git-go though. No CUSA, MAC, or Sunbelch school will EVER play in the CFP. The AAC has a shot at that, if ALL the chips fall into the right place one year, and 2020 offered about as crazy a chance as we'll ever see.

As for the CFP...if Bama and UF continue unbeaten they will play for the SEC title and a slot. If ND and Clemson continue unbeaten, they will play for a slot. If Ohio State and NW continue unbeaten, they will play for a slot, and the 4th slot...will go to one of those losers.

Then Cincy should get the G5 NY6 slot, unless they lose, then BYU will get it.

Marshall and Coastal Carolina, even if both are unbeaten and ranked, will settle for some very minor bowl vs. a MAC school....sad, but true.

Good point about Northwestern. That should not play into their ranking, but it probably will.

I take issue to anyone who talks about Cincinnati's schedule. If they run the table they will be 11-0 and will have beaten 6 teams that have been ranked at some point in the season. That is a Power 5-type schedule.

Hard to tell if Marshall or Coastal get the Group of 5 NY6 slot if Cincinnati loses just one game. Coastal's schedule is better than Marshall's, if it comes to that.

[dawg80]

Good point about Northwestern. That should not play into their ranking, but it probably will.

I take issue to anyone who talks about Cincinnati's schedule. If they run the table they will be 11-0 and will have beaten 6 teams that have been ranked at some point in the season. That is a Power 5-type schedule.

Hard to tell if Marshall or Coastal get the Group of 5 NY6 slot if Cincinnati loses just one game. Coastal's schedule is better than Marshall's, if it comes to that.

While I don't disagree with ya in principle, the reality is quite different. WHO were these ranked opponents Cincy beat? If at least 3 of them had been a P5, who is still ranked, then yeah...but if they were G5s or a P5 who has faded then those wins mean nothing in the big picture. I will check shortly....nope! Only two of Cincy's wins were against a ranked opponent, Army #22 and SMU #16. No others are ranked. Well, Tulsa is ranked #24 and they play Dec 12. That won't give Cincy any Brownie points at all.

Cincy is playing for that coveted NY6 slot and BYU will be there to scoop it up should Cincy falter.

And all the chest thumpers at the CUSA, Belch, and MAC schools who relish being the tallest midget in the room, will settle for the same crappy bowls and opponents. Heck! those conferences should just matchup champions in a bowl, Marshall vs. Coastal, and I guess ULL vs. the MAC champion. Those two games would at least hold a little interest for we midgets.

[FriscoDawg]

Cincy is playing for that coveted NY6 slot and BYU will be there to scoop it up should Cincy falter.

BYU is not eligible for the G5 NY6 auto-bid since it can't be a G5 conference champion.

Playoff or bust for BYU, and that does not impact the G5 bid.