Here's an unexpected question: Is Southern Miss going to make the playoff?

[615dawg]

Memphis got beat and knocked out of contention (now 6th place in American). Both San Diego State and Boise State lost last night - the MWC champ will have three losses.

North Texas has the inside route to win the American, but if they slip up and USM wins out, USM will likely be the highest rated Group of 5 champion.

I assume James Madison at 8-1 is going to take the spot this week, but USM doesn't play them in the regular season and will get a shot at them in the Sun Belt title game.

 

[Dawgg]

It would be funny to have a CFP participant with losses to LaTech and Mississippi State.

In all seriousness, I think a 2 loss AAC team has a better shot than a 2 loss Sun Belt team. Navy, USF, Tulane, and Memphis are all sitting there with 2 losses and UNT only has 1 loss.

In the Mountain West, SDSU and (yep) UNLV are both sitting there with only 2 losses. I’m not sure where either of them stand over a 2 loss Sun Belt champion though.

I feel like the AAC really has to become a garbled mess over the last 3-4 weeks for a 2 loss Sun Belt Champ to make the CFP.

JMU winning out and UNT not winning out is probably the only way the Sun Belt gets in.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Pretty soon it will be 32 teams with an autobid for each champion, and this will be a possibility in every year.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

That would suck if both Ole Miss and Mississippi Southern make the playoffs this year.

 

[Duggar Hall Desk]

It would be funny to have a CFP participant with losses to LaTech and Mississippi State.

In all seriousness, I think a 2 loss AAC team has a better shot than a 2 loss Sun Belt team. Navy, USF, Tulane, and Memphis are all sitting there with 2 losses and UNT only has 1 loss.

In the Mountain West, SDSU and (yep) UNLV are both sitting there with only 2 losses. I’m not sure where either of them stand over a 2 loss Sun Belt champion though.

I feel like the AAC really has to become a garbled mess over the last 3-4 weeks for a 2 loss Sun Belt Champ to make the CFP.

JMU winning out and UNT not winning out is probably the only way the Sun Belt gets in.

I presume scenarios like this are why Keenum is against automatic qualifiers in the CFP.

 

[L4Dawg]

Southern won't get in. No Sun Belt team will.

 

[FlotownDawg]

If the top Group of 5 team isn’t ranked in the top 25, they should forfeit their playoff spot. It’s ridiculous that some crappy G5 team with two or three losses is going to get in the playoff.

 

[Called3rdstrikedawg]

Certainly should t be in over a 5-7(1-7) Mississippi State team whose fans don’t believe they could be more successful in the Sunbelt or AAC. Although I would question whether either of those leagues would even accept State

 

[Perd Hapley]

I mean, maybe they make it, but only because some G5 team has to make it. There is nothing close to a deserving G5 team this year like Boise was last year, which is why its so absurd that they get a guaranteed spot.

It would be quite humorous for both USM and Ole Miss to make the CFP, both lose in the first round, then get to needle OM fans that their “magical season” was no better than USM’s was. Probably wishful thinking, though.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

That second loss to LA Tech is probably going to keep them out if they were to go on to win the Sun Belt. James Madison is viewed as having a better chance simply because they only have one loss (to Louisville).

 

[Dawgzilla2]

Here's an even funnier scenario: the ACC could get left out completely.

The automatic bids go to the 5 highest ranked conference champions, which might not include a P4 conference champ.

Duke, at 8-4, could be in the ACC championship game. They just lost to UConn. What if Duke beats Ga. Tech in the ACC Championship game?

A 9-4 Duke would likely be ranked lower than 2 or 3 G5 champions. Tech would be 10-3 (assuming a loss to UGA), and Miami also lost to Duke, so they could be left out, too.

Its unlikely, but its what I'm currently rooting for.

 

[Dawgg]

Southern won't get in. No Sun Belt team will.

If James Madison runs the table and the American has a 3 loss champion, both of which could very easily happen, I think JMU has a legitimate shot.

Memphis (8-2) and Navy (7-2) still have to play.
Navy (7-2) and USF (7-2) still have to play.

Tulane (7-2) and UNT (8-1) both have easier ends to their schedule, but I feel like nothing is a given in that conference and whoever ends up at the top of that league has to play in a conference championship game.