According to the hypothetical BCS rankings following week 11 of the 2014 College Football season, the SEC West no longer has three teams in the top 4, with Oregon taking the place of Auburn following the Tigers’ loss, joining Mississippi State, Florida State and Alabama as the teams that will go to the playoff.
This season would have been perfect for the BCS, but alas, college football will always be run the wrong way for some reason. It’s interesting to see that the computers prefer Alabama to both Oregon (unlike the AP Poll) but not just that. Most of the computers prefer Alabama to Florida State, ranked in the top 4 among all of them. Two computer rankings give the Seminoles a number 8 and number 14 ratio. Mississippi State have a number seven ranking. Alabama are number one according to two systems. Mississippi, Auburn and Baylor fill that alternative top 4.
These hypothetical rankings were made by taking the AP Poll as part of the human factor instead of the Harris poll which doesn’t exist anymore. Combine that with the Coaches poll to the results provided by six different computers (Anderson & Hester College Football Computer Rankings, Billingsly Report, Colley Matrix, Massey Ratings, Jeff Sagarin’s College Football Rankings, Peter Wolfe’s Rankings) and you get more or less the BCS.
Arizona State, ranked at #6 by the AP and #9 by the latest committee rankings, are number six in this poll, improving the quality of the Pac-12 and coming in between TCU and Baylor. TCU get the edge over Baylor in both human polls, and the same goes for the love they’re getting from the computers. The win over Kansas State should help them as well with the committee. Ohio State, the best of the bunch from the Big Ten after beating the Spartans, get themselves a number nine ranking, which obviously won’t be enough for them come playoff-selection time.
Any other teams with a chance to make it in the final four? The SEC West is still going to be shaken up once Mississippi State play Alabama and also Ole Miss, while Auburn have a go against the Tide in the Iron Bowl. Florida State are a shoe in unless they lose to someone in the ACC Championship game or even Florida in rivalry week. Right now it looks like the Big 12 and Big Ten need someone to lose above them. Oregon will be through if they win out, including win the Pac-12. The same might not be true for Arizona State, despite also being a one-loss team.
Hat Tip:Â seadondo