RaceToTheTop

5. It's like I had been indicating -- they aren't punishing conference championship losses. They haven't posted it yet, but IU will be playing Notre Dame.

They only missed covering the spread by 40 points....

ESPN showing the 'record against teams over .500' stat for Alabama/SMU. Why not show the 'record against teams .500 or under'? Bama 4-2, SMU 6-0.

Nick Saban saying 'strength of schedule' should trump 'wins'...... Hell, make the CFP after the schedules come out then. Craig James taking Saban to task talking about how embarrassed Alabama was in the Oklahoma game.

Nick Saban in his Alabama red advocating for Alabama. Shocked.

Hoping for Happy Valley.

I didn't know they would be announcing the CFP today.

It's not real exciting for me either. But last season was the least fun of the last three years when we couldn't even do that.

ESPN article on the future of multiple team events and how there likely going to be ones that look more like the Players Era Festival -- one where teams don't play in three consecutive days and there is money funneled into participating team's NIL collective. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/42805108/mens-college-basketball-players-era-festival-change-nonconference-november-traditional-mtes

I'm worried about making the tournament first and then about making a run. If you can't do the first you sure as hell won't ever do the second. I don't hold any confidence of the team making a run but I sure as hell don't want to get into March on the best Thursday and Friday of the year and not have a team to root for.

ESPN ‘s 13 ‘experts’ basically have IU with an opponent of either Texas, Ohio State or Notre Dame in the first round.

Kentucky misses two free throws with 4 seconds left up 1, Gonzaga dribbles it off their foot. Kentucky 90-89 in OT.

I know the NCAA basketball committee certainly has 'made' some matchups occur. Georgia is basically the guaranteed 2 seed, so they would only meet Texas if they shook out as the 7 seed. I don't think the committee drops them that far. If they want storylines, SMU/Texas and Indiana/Notre Dame matchups would make sense.

It's not out of the question, but I don't think it happens. I've seen projections all over the place. I would say it's safe to say we will not open with Clemson, Alabama/SMU, and IMO Tennessee (the Volunteers seemed locked into the 8/9 game and I think IU will be the 10). So the matchup possibilities are Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame -- whichever is ranked third in that group.

Correct. If it is something that they would have considered doing, they sure as heck wouldn't publicly say they wouldn't be doing it. And if they were truly going to just put in Alabama, they would have moved them in ahead of IU previously. If you track the AP rankings, the CFP rankings have been very, very closely aligned with them. Last week the top 11 in the AP rankings were the exact same as the top 12 in the CFP and the only difference at all in rankings was the flip flopping of Ohio State and Tennessee at 6/7. Another telling item was that although Alabama was at 11, they were nowhere near what the #10 team was -- Boise State was at 1036 points, Alabama at 840. Boise State -- at #10 -- was closer in points to #6 than #11. It's kind of a hint that unless SMU laid an egg, they were going to stay ahead of Alabama.

Some talking heads that I have heard seem to theorize the opposite -- the committee doesn't mind having conference teams eliminate each other. Makes for good TV.

0%.

The committee has flat out said that idle teams have no additional data points and would not exchange positions with each other. I'm not sure why you keep being concerned about IU being in.

My prediction for Tuesday's CFP rankings: Oregon Georgia Texas Notre Dame Penn State Ohio State Tennessee Boise State Indiana SMU Alabama Arizona State Miami Ole Miss South Carolina Clemson BYU Iowa State Missouri Illinois Army Illinois Syracuse Colorado Memphis That would make the seeding: Oregon Georgia Boise State Arizona State Texas Notre Dame Penn State Ohio State Tennessee Indiana SMU Clemson That would make the first round matchups: 12 Clemson at 5 Texas 11 SMU at 6 Notre Dame 10 Indiana at 7 Penn State 9 Tennessee at 8 Ohio State Winner of Clemson/Texas plays at Arizona State WInner of Notre Dame/SMU plays at Boise State Winner of Indiana/Penn State plays at Georgia Winner of Ohio State/ Tennessee play at Oregon

SMU likely to be anxious but have to remember that they were three spots up on Alabama. I don't see them going ahead of SMU.

Good. Clemson wins. What a meltdown by SMU.

SMU failure on defense here. Clemson getting a change to win on about a 55 yard field goal.

SMU touchdown. Kicking the extra point. Think that SMU has secured their spot win or lose, IMO. So Alabama's spot comes down to whether SMU or Clemson wins in OT.

Both games are barn burners.

Penn State getting the ball back. Wonder if the decision to go for the two point conversion earlier that failed will end up costing them.