2017 Wisconsin Football Thread

[homer]

how the heck did OSU give up 480+ yards of offense to these chumps?

[CheezWizHed]

Well, OSU took out their frustrations from last week out on MI State...

[nate82]

UGA exposed today, hoping for ND to go down tonight as well and wisky really couldn't have asked for better outcomes to improve their position this weekend.

 

Although I'm sure auburn will be ranked in front of them tuesday...

 

Auburn will definitely be ranked above the Badgers for this week at least.

 

If Miami wins against ND I don't see how the committee doesn't put them in the playoffs.

 

The Badgers are better off now than they were a week ago. They have to win out to get into the playoffs. I still won't be surprised if the committee snubs the Badgers even if they win out.

[pacopete4]

1. Bama

2. Clemson

3. Oklahoma

4. Miami

5. Wisconsin

6. Auburn

7. Ohio State

8-11. A bunch of 1-2 loss teams. (Penn St, TCU, USC, Georgia)

12. UCF

 

Bama and Auburn will play each other. Auburn losing helps. Miami and Clemson play each other. One of them blowing out the other helps.

 

I could still see the Badgers getting smoked by OSU in the B10 game and somehow they get in after all these other teams beat each other.

[Fear The Chorizo]

1. Bama

2. Clemson

3. Oklahoma

4. Miami

5. Wisconsin

6. Auburn

7. Ohio State

8-12. A bunch of 2 loss teams.

 

Bama and Auburn will play each other. Auburn losing helps. Miami and Clemson play each other. One of them blowing out the other helps.

 

I could still see the Badgers getting smoked by OSU in the B10 game and somehow they get in after all these other teams beat each other.

 

Wisconsin won't make the CFP unless they are undefeated...However based on today's results I think it's borderline impossible for an undefeated Big Ten champ to miss the playoff. That's about the best WI could've hoped for. And no way Bama should be ranked #1 next week (even though they will) - that team is begging to get beat. I hope the committee sends a message to SEC schools after their slate of games next weekend and just automatically drops them all 1 spot in the rankings. No way should they be playing non-FCS schools instead of a 9th conference game.

[pacopete4]

When I was watching Bama tonight, I kept thinking about how much the Badgers would run the ball on them and that on the defensive side of the ball, they have plenty of talent to stop them.

[nate82]

With the blowout that Miami did today I think they move up to the #2 spot with Alabama taking the #1 spot. The third and fourth spot are going to be the more interesting ones I think with the Badgers win today the committee could slot the Badgers in the #5 spot with Auburn taking the #4 spot. Georgia could also be ahead of the Badgers still in the eyes of the committee so I won't be surprised if the Badgers are ranked 6th or 7th for the playoffs.

 

Here is how I see the committee rankings going:

 

These are the teams that still have a chance at making it into the playoffs

1. Alabama

2. Miami

3. Oklahoma

4. Auburn

5. Ohio State

6. Georgia

7. Wisconsin

[homer]

Isn't OSU #13? No way they jump that high. Also, you're forgetting Clemson.

[owbc]

1. There's no way they will rank any 2-loss teams ahead of Wisconsin.

2. Now that Notre Dame has been exposed, what exactly has Georgia accomplished?

 

My prediction (I basically agree with Brew4U)

 

1. Alabama

2. Oklahoma

3. Miami

4. Clemson

5. Wisconsin

6. Auburn

7. Georgia

8. USC

9. Ohio State

10. TCU or Notre Dame

 

It's an easy path for Wisconsin, but I fear they don't match up well with OSU, plus I have PTSD from the last B10 championship game.

 

Yet another week that solidifies why we don't need an 8-team playoff. So much fun to have elimination games every week.

[brewcrewdue80]

We'll just hang out at 6, win again hang out at 5, win again stay at 5, win the B10 champ game move to 2 passing OSU who'll be 4 heading in to that game. Pretty amazing how we can be ranked what? 9 to start the year, win 9 straight and sit at 8 so now it'll be 10 in a row at best 5 likely 6 with 1 loss teams ahead of them. Why doesn't the committee just rank both WI and Mia 1/2 and wait for the inevitable conference Championship game or loss before to then drop them? To vote a top 4 based on who you think should be in the top 4 ignoring another team's winning streak is so bad. You have 4 teams to be in the playoffs, if they don't belong, they'll lose in that 1st game.

 

OSU lost heavily to Iowa who we just stomped....I'm sure it'll be said to be a hangover game having faced OSU the week before so that performance was to be expected, no credit to Wisconsin. At least that's how I feel the media will feel.

 

Michigan on deck who certainly jumps in to top 20. So that'll be 2 top 20 teams in a row WI faces, with most likely OSU. At what point do you say WI doesn't have quality win?

[paul253]

Even though it won’t happen i think Oklahoma is the best team and should be number 1. Wins at Ohio St and Oklahoma St and vs TCU are all better than anything Alabama has done. Alabama should have lost last night. I don’t know MSU was thinking blitzing 8 guys when Bama had third and 15 at the end there.

 

What I think SHOULD BE the top five:

 

Oklahoma

Alabama

Clemson

Miami

Wisconsin

 

What I think will be the top five is the same except flip flop Bama and Oklahoma.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Yet another week that solidifies why we don't need an 8-team playoff. So much fun to have elimination games every week.

 

Bang on point right here. I know a lot of people want an 8 team playoff, and yeah, if somehow a power-5 team goes undefeated and doesn't get in, that's an argument that could be made that an 8 team playoff is needed, but this would be one of those outlier years.

 

Aside from that, everyone has made the points that if Wisconsin keeps winning, there are eliminator games for the teams ahead of UW.

 

Miami and Clemson still have to play.

Alabama and Auburn still have to play.

Auburn/Bama winner still has to play Georgia.

 

IF Wisconsin beats Michigan, beats Minnesota, and then beats tOSU, I really can't see a scenario where they're not ranked #4.

 

If I had to predict right now, who would be going to the playoffs (assuming the Badgers win out of course), I'd be saying...

 

1. Bama

2. Oklahoma

3. Clemson

4. Wisconsin

 

Bama beats Auburn (and then Georgia). I think Clemson beats Miami.

[pacopete4]

An 8 team playoff eliminates leaving out a power 5. It also brings in a possible team like UCF that wouldn’t have a chance in any other scenario. In no other sport is there so many meaningless games with teams that have zero opportunity to be crowned champions. It’s quite a sham they have going on.

[homer]

I think 8 team would be about perfect in terms of "fairness" but then you're adding another game onto the schedule and as has been mentioned it would dilute the regular season even more.

[pacopete4]

I don’t buy that it dilutes the regular season. At least not as many make it out to be. Those conference championship games would be amazing as well as the many conference game at the end of the season to even get into those games. Plus with 3 at large bids, teams with really strong conferences would still have an opportunity not to be left out.

[LouisEly]

The best thing for Wisconsin will be for Alabama and Miami to win out. Then Auburn will have a 3rd loss, Georgia will have a 2nd loss, Clemson will have a 2nd loss (I don't think they should need to have a 3rd loss, having lost to a team that's 4-6). Then you look at Oklahoma and Wisconsin rounding out the top 4. The next best thing will be for Oklahoma to lose to WVU or in the Big 12 Championship game.

 

What I worry about is Alabama losing to Auburn, Georgia beating Auburn, and Miami beating Clemson. Then you have two 1-loss SEC teams (Alabama, Georgia) with an undefeated Miami and one-loss Oklahoma. That's the one scenario I can see where Wisconsin could be on the outside looking in.

[Fear The Chorizo]

What I worry about is Alabama losing to Auburn, Georgia beating Auburn, and Miami beating Clemson. Then you have two 1-loss SEC teams (Alabama, Georgia) with an undefeated Miami and one-loss Oklahoma. That's the one scenario I can see where Wisconsin could be on the outside looking in.

 

In that Scenario, Georgia is the only SEC team in the playoff. Alabama playing Mercer of all programs this coming weekend should seal that. ND getting crushed against Miami solidified my opinion that they were severely overrated, and Georgia's "best non-conference quality win" was also severely overrated since they squeaked by the Irish in week 1. The SEC is ALA, Auburn, and nothing else at this point.

 

Badgers' SOS argument shouldn't come into play at all if they finish undefeated. Run the table and they're in. If the committee somehow has Georgia ranked ahead of the Badgers next week, then the fix is in - and look for everyone outside of the SEC to cry foul.

[Fear The Chorizo]

If I remember correctly, part of the 4-team CFP sale at the time was that it enabled non-power 5 conference teams a better shot at getting into the national title picture - as it's shaken out I think it's made it even more difficult. All it really did was guarantee the "best" non-power 5 conference team a major bowl game, since the CFP games take the top 4 teams away from what were former BCS-type bowl games (Orange, Sugar, Rose, Fiesta).

 

Any further expansion to 8 teams should be structured to guarantee spots to the 5 power conference champs, best non power 5 conference champ, and 2 at large teams. It stinks that right now, roughly 1/2 the teams playing NCAA Division 1 football don't even have a chance to play for the National Title based on the selection format alone!

[Baldkin]

If I remember correctly, part of the 4-team CFP sale at the time was that it enabled non-power 5 conference teams a better shot at getting into the national title picture - as it's shaken out I think it's made it even more difficult. All it really did was guarantee the "best" non-power 5 conference team a major bowl game, since the CFP games take the top 4 teams away from what were former BCS-type bowl games (Orange, Sugar, Rose, Fiesta).

 

Any further expansion to 8 teams should be structured to guarantee spots to the 5 power conference champs, best non power 5 conference champ, and 2 at large teams. It stinks that right now, roughly 1/2 the teams playing NCAA Division 1 football don't even have a chance to play for the National Title based on the selection format alone!

 

College Football put a committee in place, not computers, so it can maximize revenue. Any idea that anything else was happening here is pure misdirection.

 

They aren't going to take Boise St over Alabama. Ever.

[paul253]

They aren't going to take Boise St over Alabama. Ever.

 

I disagree. If a Boise St team clearly deserves to be in ahead of Alabama I think the fans of everybody but Alabama would scream bloody murder if Boise St didn’t get in. If Houston had run the table last year they would have been in because they had wins over Oklahoma and Louisville. Too bad they lost to some teams in their own conference.

 

Also, they went to human I think because they can consider things computers can’t. That’s why Ohio St got in last year and Penn St didn’t (though that was probably a mistake).

[PeaveyFury]

Based on Fivethirtyeight's odds, as Louis said, we're rooting for Miami and Alabama to win out. Coupled with rooting for TCU to win out, we'd actually have the second highest odds of winning the championship, and would likely avoid Alabama in the first round of the playoff.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Wisconsin-Michigan is likely the only matchup between ranked teams this week...would be great to notch an impressive win, but will be tough. These teams are basically mirror images of each other - great defenses with mediocre offenses due to inconsistent qb play and turnovers. I also think Harbaugh will have a decent game plan against the Badger defensive scheme that to this point has been overwhelming opponents.

 

Hornibrook somehow needs a clean game for WI to have the advantage.

[pacopete4]

I really don't want to see Harbaugh coached team wreck our season.

[tmwiese55]

I think 8 team would be about perfect in terms of "fairness" but then you're adding another game onto the schedule and as has been mentioned it would dilute the regular season even more.

 

Spreading to 8 doesn't solve anything, it changes the point where you're arguing about who's in, that's it. My bold prediction on how this all shakes itself out years down the line is that eventually the Big 12 will get poached and we'll have 4 mega conferences essentially separated from the rest of the football programs. Each conference will have it's own title game like now, and the 4 winners go to the playoff. Creates a de facto 8 team playoff essentially.

 

Big 12 should add two teams as soon as possible to try and prevent this as much as possible.

 

I saw Barry on Big Ten network saturday morning and they talked about this too. He made the same point I often do. He said how it's easy for us to sit here and pick and choose what we think is best for our entertainment, but we quickly forget that some 19 yr old kids actually have to play these games and we're already demanding a ton from them as it is.

 

Personally I think they should be looking to find a way to get every team two bye weeks. The injuries pile up big time and with the increased awareness to them and not forcing players to play hurt (as much as previously anyway) it could really be a help to the kids. I'd guess starting a week earlier is the way to do it (they did have like 5 games a week early this year), probably don't want to go a week later as then you'll be running into finals week for some schools.

[brwrsfan]

I just simply do not buy the "these are kids and students" argument. EVERY other NCAA sport has a true tournament at the end - including EVERY other level of football. We're talking even down to the division 3 level, where UW-Whitwater (with non-scholarship athletes) have played several seasons of 15 games.

 

This all boils down to money. They make so much money off the ridiculous bowl system - that they've let it essentially dictate their post season for decades now.