CompuDrew Rankings – The Three Classes

I got some good feedback after posting my playoff system proposal last week.  One thing that makes this year really strange in terms of proposing such a system is that there have been three distinct classes of playoff worthy teams this year and I think the case could be made that a cutoff after the first or second class would be okay.  The first group is Florida, Alabama, and Texas–the three teams that everyone seems to think are head and shoulders above the rest. CompurDrew agrees.  Those three teams are at 97 and above, and then there is a dropoff to the next three undefeated teams: TCU, Cincy, and Boise State.  Why such a big dropoff?  Just look at strength of schedule.  Alabama, Florida, and Texas have had tough schedules, TCU, Cincy and Boise State have had easy schedules.  This is not my opinion, this is the raw numbers telling us that the top three teams have been tested this season by difficult opponents while the next three (with the exception of a game or two on each schedule) have not.  I am in no way saying that Cincy, TCU and Boise State don’t deserve a shot at the championship, just pointing out that their SOS gives them a lower rating.  (Keep reading below the Top 25 chart.)CompuDrew ratings

The third class goes from Georgia Tech at 7 to USC at 19.  Can you believe there have been ZERO 1-loss teams this season going into the conference championships?  Weird.  I would say in most years that some 1-loss teams deserve to make a playoff and some don’t.  This year, there would be a few 2- or 3-loss teams in a playoff.  Again, not the best year to propose something like this, because who wants 2-loss Ohio State in a playoff?  But it could happen.  Here’s how:

Alabama, Florida, and TCU are in, because the SEC loser will no doubt get the at-large berth.  If they all win, Texas, Cincy, Boise State, GA Tech and Oregon would be in as well.  But let’s say Cincy loses.  Pitt would be the Big East champion and would settle somewhere between 13 and 16  We would then need the next highest conference champ, which would be Ohio State at 13.  If Boise State lost as well, their weak SOS would drop them to around 12-14, and Pitt or Ohio State might be ahead of them. Same deal with teams like Texas, GA Tech, and Oregon: win and they’re in, but if they lose, you’d have to go down to 20-25 to find a conference champion.

That’s something I really like about my playoff proposal.  It’s not the just the top 8 teams.  If it were, then we’d have to listen to BCS backers say things like “playoffs would diminish the most exciting season in sports.”  Then tell that to Oregon, who would have a win-or-go-home game this Thursday against Oregon State.  Or tell that to Texas, who would be in the same situation this Saturday.  Or Georgia Tech, or Boise, or Cincinnati.  Or Pitt playing for a slight chance to make the playoffs.  Or Nebraska.  Or even Clemson, or Oregon State.  Does a team like Clemson deserve to make a playoff?  Well, if they can win a conference with THREE TEAMS IN THE TOP 10, then yes, I’d say they deserve an outside chance. Go for it Clemson, get past Georgia Tech in the ACC championship (#7) then Alabama AT Tuscaloosa (#1) then TCU in the Orange Bowl (#4) then Florida or Texas in Pasadena.  If you can do that, then who would deny your right to be called a champion? Instead, we literally have only 3 teams that can control their own destiny going into the last week of the season with 6 undefeated teams left.  If the BCS got a ran the United Nations it would have declared Germany the winner of World War II in 1942.