What should the West teams REALLY be ranked?

[o_1984Dawg]

To me, the only reason why there is even debate about State getting screwed is because the committee just lazily ranks the Power 5 teams by losses. But stack up the West teams with teams in front of them and it's not even close.

Compare #15 Auburn to #12 KSU, #13 ASU, #14 Wisconsin.

Aub is 8-3. Their 3 losses: @ 10-1 MSU, vs 7-4 A&M, @ 9-2 UGA (blowout). Notable wins: @ 8-2 KSU, @ 8-3 OM, vs 7-4 LSU (blowout),vs 6-5 Ark (blowout), vs 6-5 S Car, vs 7-4 La Tech (blowout).
KSU is 9-2. Losses: vs 9-3 Aub, at 9-1 TCU (blowout). Notable wins: @ 9-3 OU, vs 6-5 Texas (blowout), at 6-5 WVU.
ASU is 9-2. Losses: vs 9-2 UCLA (blowout), @ 5-6 OR St. Notable wins: @ 7-4 USC, vs 7-4 Notre Dame, vs 7-4 Utah, @ 7-5 Washington, vs 6-5 Stanford.
Wisconsin is 9-2. Losses: vs 7-4 LSU in Houston, @ 5-6 Northwestern. Notable wins: vs 8-3 Neb (blowout), at 7-4 Iowa, vs 7-4 Maryland, vs 7-4 Bowling Green.

So KSU not only lost to Auburn but only has 1 win as good as Auburn's best 3. ASU and Wisconsin both have bad losses without a single win as impressive as winning @KSU and @OM. Only ASU really has anything to brag about as far as wins go. None of them should be ranked ahead of Auburn.

I'm sure it's the same story if you were to compare OM to GA Tech, Mizzou, and MN or LSU, A&M, and Ark to Clemson, Louisville, Boise, Marshall, and Utah. We should have wins over #12, #21, #22, and #23, a loss to #1, and an upcoming game against #16. We'd be a lock.

 

[Old Fart Dawg]

good points, but I think it has as much to do with "brand" identity, as we have discussed before. Chris Lowe said it best -- if we were talking about one of the SEC bluebloods, AL, GA, LSU, FL, instead of MSU, nobody at all would question that we belong in the playoff (assuming an EB win). And he's right. MSU doesn't have the sex-appeal that some of the other teams bring. Actually, I think the committee has been very fair to us. Coming from unranked at the beginning of the season, to being recognized as one of the top 4 programs at this point in the season is pretty damn good.