Who are your predications to win the 2016-2017 championship?And who be the 4 team play offs?

[Babe_Ruth]

Originally Posted by zumaboy

here's my updated guesses:

1) Bama
2) Clemson
3) Ohio State
4) Stanford

Zuma, Good list. I'm with ya 100% on Stanford and Bama..

Clemson is a nice pick, but I'm less confident about.. I think the Big Ten should be getting more love. Ohio St/Michigan I could see. And I'm not sleeping on Iowa or Wisconsin either. I believe they're both legit dark horses. Wisconsin's looked very strong early.

[zumaboy]

Well, my Clemson team has a LONG way to come to get back to anything resembling playoff form. Fortunately we're only at week 2 and anything can happen...

[Babe_Ruth]

Originally Posted by zumaboy

Clemson.. Fortunately we're only at week 2 and anything can happen...

Yeah, personally I don't worry too much when a good program struggles early. I think sometimes it's hard for them to get motivated against weaker early season opponents.

Conversely, I do take note tho when a team comes out of the gates unexpectedly hot. And for me that team right now is Wisconsin. Their defense was lights-out against LSU. Wisconsin has a brutal middle-season schedule tho.. Michigan St-Michigan-Ohio St-and then Iowa. Clemson will benefit from an easier road; I think they're gonna be ok.

I'm lookin forward to the Big Ten this year. I think it's the strongest conference from top-to-bottom.

[7express]

1) Alabama
2) Ohio State
3) Stanford
4) Florida State.


Houston is going to be an intriguing case study for the playoffs, and how the committee ranks a non P5 team that only played 2 teams worth a damn, but those 2 teams were top 10 teams. Their season rests on 3 more things the rest of the way:
1) The road game at Navy
2) The game against Louisville
3) How Oklahoma & Louisville fare the rest of the season.


Since we're doing hypotheticals and predictions here anyways I think they'll beat Navy, which means their season comes down to Louisville (since they should beat whatever team comes out of the awful AAC Eastern division). If they win that than how OU & Louisville fare in the other games is very intriguing: Take a look:


Example A: Louisville splits the Clemson/Florida State games, but they win @ Clemson. I would have to think Louisville, even with a loss to Houston is still a fringe top 10 team. Even if they aren't top 10 they are probably 11 or 12. Oklahoma meanwhile beats Ohio State, finishes 8-1 in the Big 12 (only loss @ TCU) and wins the conference. They probably (with the Big 12 schedule) finish top 6 or 7 in the rankings. How would the playoff committee rank, what at this time is probably the #2 or #3 team in the country that didn't play that much of a quality schedule, but they played 2 top 10 teams, and won both games. But in this case could the committee really leave out 2 BCS conference teams in the playoffs to include a non P5 team?? I'd LOVE to be a fly on the wall there.


Example B: Louisville loses to both Clemson & Florida State. OU loses to Ohio State, and finishes 6-3 in the Big 12. There's no way the playoff takes Houston in this case even though they'd be a top 3 team in the country.


Example C: Louisville beats BOTH Clemson & Florida State, but they lose to Houston & they lose in the ACC championship game. Meanwhile Oklahoma beats Ohio state, but they lose to TCU, West Virginia, Texas & Oklahoma State. I think in this case we can safely assume that the ACC is OUT of the playoffs, but let's say Ohio State/Michigan State/Michigan all finish 1-1 against each other and lose in the Big 10 title game. Do you take out Ohio State & replace them with Houston, even though Houston is probably more deserving?? It'll be fun to watch, but I have a feeling Houston is going to lose 1 of these games (UConn maybe?? Navy or Memphis both on the road more likely) but IF Louisville can split the FSU/Clemson games AND if OU loses no more than once (preferably not against the Buckeyes) I don't see how you can leave out Houston.