Looks like FBS playoff is lining up to be...

[PushupMan]

Jackson notwithstanding, no one, and I mean no one, wants to see an upjumped midmajor in the playoffs. Not good for TV ratings. Believe me, if it is a close call between Louisville and any state school with a legitimate football history, guess who is left out in the cold? If it's a close call, even a Baylor is going to take priority. The average college football fan has barely heard of Louisville and has no interest in watching them get hammered by the likes of Ohio State etc in the first playoff game.

Regarding ratings, the Louisville-Clemson game was the second most-watched college football game so far this year (6.0 share - meaning that 6% of all TV that were turned on during that time were watching that game). The only game with higher ratings this year was the Sunday night game between Texas and Notre Dame during the first week of the year (earned a 7.0 share).

https://sportstvratings.com/louisvi...t-rating-abcespn-saturday-ratings-highlights/

Probably one of the more amazing things about that 6.0 share was that UK-Alabama was on at the same time (which by the way was the highest rated show on cable that day), as was Indiana-Michigan State (Big Ten Network), Missouri-LSU (SECN), and Arizona State-USC (FOX). The Texas-Notre Dame game that earned a 7.0 share had no competition at all.

 

[Goingfor9]

Bama will lose maybe two

Next 4
UT, A&M, Ark, LSU, sec title if they get there don't see it happening for them

 

[Michigan Fan]

Regarding ratings, the Louisville-Clemson game was the second most-watched college football game so far this year (6.0 share - meaning that 6% of all TV that were turned on during that time were watching that game). The only game with higher ratings this year was the Sunday night game between Texas and Notre Dame during the first week of the year (earned a 7.0 share).

https://sportstvratings.com/louisvi...t-rating-abcespn-saturday-ratings-highlights/

Probably one of the more amazing things about that 6.0 share was that UK-Alabama was on at the same time (which by the way was the highest rated show on cable that day), as was Indiana-Michigan State (Big Ten Network), Missouri-LSU (SECN), and Arizona State-USC (FOX). The Texas-Notre Dame game that earned a 7.0 share had no competition at all.

Stephen A & Max Kellerman are openly rooting for Louisville to go to the CFP and CBS Dennis Dodd as well...the National Media are very supportive of Louisville in the CFP mainly because of Jackson.

Myself...just win out and at minimum you're in a NYD 6....

 

[cardinals1970]

Washington is definitely getting in if they run the table. That team is legit. And if you look at their schedule, the biggest trap games are Cal and Utah? OOC schedule was pathetic, but they'll have more quality wins than UL if they run the table.

If Bama loses one, they're still getting in over UL (or anyone else).

If Clemson loses one, they still have head to head over UL.

UL's win over FSU is looking worse by the day.

A&M is in great position if they beat UT as an 11-1 SEC team with only a loss to Bama has a great case (especially given the fact that they'd have wins over UCLA, UT, LSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Auburn).

Don't count out Miami. If they beat UNC and FSU and Va Tech, they'll be right there with a chance to beat Clemson in the ACC title game.

Certainly, the national talking heads seem to be enamored by UL for some reason (I suppose it's Lamar Jackson), but I don't think the rest of the year will be as kind to UL b/c they really don't have many chances to make a statement against good teams.

Just in your last point UofL still has Houston which will be at least a Top 10 matchup on the road unless one of them drop a game before they play.

 

[WildcatofNati]

Stephen A & Max Kellerman are openly rooting for Louisville to go to the CFP and CBS Dennis Dodd as well...the National Media are very supportive of Louisville in the CFP mainly because of Jackson.

Myself...just win out and at minimum you're in a NYD 6....

Yes, well, I am very worried that Louisville will be unable to win out. Unlike many of my fellow UK posters, who seem to think that their second favorite team is a match for the New England Patriots, and a favorite against the Pats in a game at PJS, I am not yet 100% sold on the Cardinals. As a matter of fact, I expected the Clemson loss. And I have grave concerns about their ability to beat Houston. I don't think they'll do it! What's more, I don't completely discount the possibility of their laying an egg and losing to one of their underdog opponents (probably not UK, I sadly concede).

 

[Michigan Fan]

We shall see...barring injuries it going to be very hard for Louisville to not light up the scoreboard...even with 3 Turnovers on the road against the then #3 Defense in the Nation they racked up yards and in most cases enough points to win....FTR i also picked us to lose...they haven't lost a Home Game in 3 years for a reason...lose at Houston than we are headed to Miami for the Orange Bowl more than likely since we will be likely the highest ranked ACC school

But your assertion that the media doesn't want to see if they do what is expected and that is run the table isn't correct

 

[buckkiller]

They will beat Houston hell the bearcats was hanging tuff for a solid 31/2 qtrs with them. If they can hang, UL will win by 2 tds

 

[STUCKNBIG10]

Just in your last point UofL still has Houston which will be at least a Top 10 matchup on the road unless one of them drop a game before they play.

I know that, but I don't buy giving a non-champion a playoff berth based on one good road win against a great mid-major (Houston, assuming they can get it) and a home romp over an overrated FSU team that is likely to finish 8-4 or worse (they already have two losses and still have Clemson, Miami, and Florida all remaining). What would be the basis of putting them in, as it certainly wouldn't be the resume`? Is this purely based on the mythical "eye test"?

There would be no rational basis for putting UL in the playoff unless everyone else starts losing. Specifically, there would be no reason to put uL in over a one-loss Michigan, one-loss Wisconsin, one-loss Ohio State, one-loss SEC team (pick one), one loss Washington or Stanford, etc. UL clearly has a good team, but they've rarely played a great schedule and this year is no exception.

 

[Michigan Fan]

Wisconsin will likely have more than one loss since they loss to Michigan last Saturday...as will Tennessee and aTm still has to face Ole Miss and Alabama.

As for FSU...Nobody has played as tough a schedule the 1st 5 games as them...Ole Miss...Louisville...USF-(Would not surprise me if Taggart team wins 10 this year) and UNC which won the ACC Coastal last year and can very well win 9 to 10 games this year...with them they can right their season this Saturday in Miami

Let it play out but it pretty much clear as of right now you have 4 schools eyeing that 4th spot and Louisville is one of them

 

[STUCKNBIG10]

Wisconsin will likely have more than one loss since they loss to Michigan last Saturday...as will Tennessee and aTm still has to face Ole Miss and Alabama.

As for FSU...Nobody has played as tough a schedule the 1st 5 games as them...Ole Miss...Louisville...USF-(Would not surprise me if Taggart team wins 10 this year) and UNC which won the ACC Coastal last year and can very well win 9 to 10 games this year...with them they can right their season this Saturday in Miami

Let it play out but it pretty much clear as of right now you have 4 schools eyeing that 4th spot and Louisville is one of them

You didn't say anything to change my mind. Is UL in the mix? Of course. But, at the end of the day, my prediction is that it's going to require a lot for UL to get in b/c:

1) UL will have very few quality wins (potentially only 1 if FSU goes into freefall). Hence, UL's entire case for the playoff would be a "close loss" to a team that turned the ball over 5 times.

2) Conference champions should get the edge as long as they have 1 loss or less. I'm not a "conference champion or bust" guy, but UL's resume will be too weak to pass another 1-loss team that won their conference.

3) There will be any number of other 1 or 0 loss teams that should have better resumes than UL (any SEC team, potentially Clemson or Miami or UNC, potentially Michigan, Pac 12 champion, Stanford, etc).

 

[Michigan Fan]

You didn't say anything to change my mind. Is UL in the mix? Of course. But, at the end of the day, my prediction is that it's going to require a lot for UL to get in b/c:

1) UL will have very few quality wins (potentially only 1 if FSU goes into freefall). Hence, UL's entire case for the playoff would be a "close loss" to a team that turned the ball over 5 times.

2) Conference champions should get the edge as long as they have 1 loss or less. I'm not a "conference champion or bust" guy, but UL's resume will be too weak to pass another 1-loss team that won their conference.

3) There will be any number of other 1 or 0 loss teams that should have better resumes than UL (any SEC team, potentially Clemson or Miami or UNC, potentially Michigan, Pac 12 champion, Stanford, etc).

Valid points...myself beating FSU gave us house money...didn't expect that win preseason...more than likely Louisville will not make it...agree and jmo it will be the ACC Champ...B1G Champ...SEC Champ & Pac 12...

 

[Nuke99m.]

UL needs Alabama to win out. The thing UL does not need is a one loss Alabama team to be in the conversation with UL for a 4th spot.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

We shall see...barring injuries it going to be very hard for Louisville to not light up the scoreboard...even with 3 Turnovers on the road against the then #3 Defense in the Nation they racked up yards and in most cases enough points to win....FTR i also picked us to lose...they haven't lost a Home Game in 3 years for a reason...lose at Houston than we are headed to Miami for the Orange Bowl more than likely since we will be likely the highest ranked ACC school

But your assertion that the media doesn't want to see if they do what is expected and that is run the table isn't correct

Right now its possible all P5 conferences have an undefeated champion this year. Which one gets left out? Even if the Big10 has a 1 loss champion, Wisconsin beats the winner of the tOSU/Mich game in the conference championship, that will be a win over a top 4 team at the very least, do you leave them out in favor of a team who finished runner up in their division? Bama could have a loss too, but unlike everyone else, they do get the benefit of the doubt and could get in over the SEC champion if they only have 1 loss. Lousiville and Clemson was a play in game, the loser, even with only 1 loss is not likely to get in, no conference has put 2 in yet and with the way teams are playing this year I dont think this will be the year for that to happen.

 

[STUCKNBIG10]

Valid points...myself beating FSU gave us house money...didn't expect that win preseason...more than likely Louisville will not make it...agree and jmo it will be the ACC Champ...B1G Champ...SEC Champ & Pac 12...

No doubt about this, I agree with you. I think most UL fans would have gladly taken 10-2 in the preseason, so the FSU win was huge (even if FSU doesn't end up being the juggernaut that many expected, it's still a big name brand win).

 

[dcspurlock]

Bama will lose maybe two

Next 4
UT, A&M, Ark, LSU, sec title if they get there don't see it happening for them

I'm with you here. Hurts is gonna look like a freshman soon. He'll make a few costly mistakes against one of the next few teams they play and it'll cost them. I'm thinkin A&M. Could be Arky too or both. But I don't see Bama winning out with a freshman QB.

 

[Michigan Fan]

CFP Chairman speaks on Houston & Louisville....

From the article:

"I think Houston has done everything they could in the eyes of the committee to deserve consideration in this room by scheduling Oklahoma, by scheduling Louisville in their nonconference schedule," Hocutt said during a mock playoff selection process with media members. "They won the Oklahoma game. To what degree that will be looked at as a quality win come Week 10 or 11 is still to be determined. Their nonconference schedule, they've done all they can. At the end of the year, will that be enough for them?"

Of course, it's still a long way until early December for Houston, which plays in the American Athletic Conference, to finish undefeated. No Group of Five school has ever made the CFP or the BCS Championship Game.

"They've got to win the games," Hocutt said. "They've got to impress the committee in the manner in which they win."

Hocutt mentioned without solicitation how impressed he is of Louisville, which lost in the closing minutes last week to Clemson.

"You think about, just as an example, the impression Louisville has made on me as one of the 12 [committee members] this year," Hocutt said. "I didn't know a lot about [quarterback] Lamar Jackson before this year. But I'll tell you what. There probably hasn't been a player in college football that has had a stronger impression on me at this point in time than that young man has."

If Louisville makes the playoff, the ACC might have two teams in the field. No conference has put two teams in during the CFP's brief history.

For a nonconference champion to make the playoff, "someone will have to demonstrate unequivocally to this committee that they're one of the best four teams in college football," Hocutt said. "That day will come. Will it be this year or in year four or five years? I don't know."

http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...-scheduling-to-deserve-playoff-consideration/

 

[Michigan Fan]

I'm with you here. Hurts is gonna look like a freshman soon. He'll make a few costly mistakes against one of the next few teams they play and it'll cost them. I'm thinkin A&M. Could be Arky too or both. But I don't see Bama winning out with a freshman QB.

It is literally almost impossible for any SEC School to go undefeated...the stretch that Tennessee is now on is brutal.

 

[ClockCalamity]

I'll be shocked if the Pac 12/Big 12 put a team in the playoff.

They wont leave out undefeated conf champs. It just won't happen. If Alabama, Washington, OSU/MICH, Clemson win out. That's your final 4.

 

[ClockCalamity]

No one considers Louisville a mid-major and they would be ratings boost because of Lamar Jackson. He's become a phenomenon and people would watch. I'd imagine their game with Clemson carried a good rating and plenty of other games were on to compete with. They will probably be part of ESPN Gameday twice this year if Houston remains undefeated.

The attempt to mask the Louisville peter envy by belittling them is getting pretty awful on the board. They are good, and have been for a good (or decent) for a while now. If they didn't stump their toe against Rutgers in 06 we may have to already deal with them having a NT (I firmly believe that 06 Louisville team would have beat that fraud OSU team they would have faced).

We need to get better and try to match what they are doing and quit putting them down.

Nah, its more fun to just belittle them.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Bama is in a very tough 4 game stretch starting this weekend.

 

[Michigan Fan]

Bama is in a very tough 4 game stretch starting this weekend.

Yes they do...Grumpy right...we will see how Hurts holds up

 

[tluck28]

Tennessee is about to run the gauntlet and we will all see what they are made of. I think Tenn vs Al will be a closer game than some think.

 

[BMo643]

They wont leave out undefeated conf champs. It just won't happen. If Alabama, Washington, OSU/MICH, Clemson win out. That's your final 4.

Yes, I agree. The committee will have a tougher decision if the Pac 12 produces a 1 loss champ and the Big 12 has an undefeated champ but if the Pac 12 produces one they will get the 4th spot...I just don't think UW will run the table in the Pac 12.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Tennessee is about to run the gauntlet and we will all see what they are made of. I think Tenn vs Al will be a closer game than some think.

If UT gives TAMU a head start, like they have been doing this year, they probably lose. TAMU's defense looks more like Chavis this year and it's offense can score quickly

Last year, UT got big leads and could not hold on. This year, it gives teams the first half and then claws back.

 

[CatsPaws270]

UT won't have the luxury of facing a Florida team w/o its starting QB and a UGA team with its best player Chubb injured. A&M is loaded and healthy.