Surprised Stanford jumped that many spots

Still annoyed at ND being so high but if Stanford manages to beat them then that’s good for Stanford.

But, in any case, the rankings for Stanford don’t matter. What matters is what happens around them: gotta have more undefeateds lose because even if they win out they’re on the outside looking in unless some chaos happens.

By John Nguyen on 11.10.15 4:54pm

Stanford and USC

Will never make the CFP unless they beat ND, It’s like a 10th conference game you can lose and still hope to advance…That’s why their hill is always tougher than other PAC teams like Oregon UCLA or Utah….I suspect the ACC teams will start seeing it the same way

By Stanley F on 11.10.15 5:25pm

(Can’t lose to ND)

By Stanley F on 11.10.15 6:07pm

Basically we need there to be no more than 2 undefeated teams

If there are 3, and it comes down to us vs Bama for the 1-loss slot, that’s going to be bad. If there are two 1-loss slots, I like our chances against the 1-loss winner of any conference other than the SEC.

By Brendan Ross on 11.10.15 5:35pm

Neither Baylor nor Oklahoma State are good enough to win out.

ESPN’s FPI has Baylor with only a 16% chance of winning out and Oklahoma State only a 12% chance.
And I don’t think it really takes into account them having to play relatively tough teams in consecutive weeks.
Plus, has good is Baylor’s freshman QB going to be in pressure situations?
3-5, 0-5 K State by 7 points, really?

Clemson and Alabama can just mail it in either.
Like Stanford, still a lot of football yet to be played.

By Cardinal-in-TX on 11.10.15 6:29pm

Oh the Big 12

I can easily see chaos in that conference. Baylor beats Okie State but loses to TCU. Okie State already beat TCU but gets exposed by the Sooners in Bedlam. Three teams in a tie for first where the only applicable tie breaker is the individual schools’ CFP ranking. And I actually wouldn’t be shocked if Oklahoma, who lost to a terrible Longhorn team, ends up being crowned conference champion.

By RedOscar on 11.10.15 11:29pm

I am truely amazed people thinking Baylor or Oklahoma State whould be rewarded for their OOC schedules, and Stanford should be punished for their OOC shcedule

If Stanford wins out that would mean Stanford finishes with a record of 12-1. That would be 10-0 in the Pac 12. That is a schedule of 12 games in 14 weeks that includes 12 games with P5 opponents.

If either Baylor or OSU go undefeated in the Big 12 that means they are 12-0. 9-0 in Big 12 play. (For Baylor this would be 9 games with P5 opponents over 14 weeks. Baylor had 2 bye weeks.)

These are the OOC schedules of OSU and Baylor.
Baylor- SMU, Rice and Lamar an FCS team.
OSU has played Central Michigan, UTSA and Central Arkansas an FCS team.

In case you are not aware this is Stanford’s OCC schedule: Northwestern (currently ranked) in week one. They would have also beat current one loss ND and their worst win of the season is over UCF. Not a FCS team on the schedule.

Oh yes Stanford would have to win a CCG the week after playing ND.

If you are okay with the thought of OOC scheduling like Baylor and OSU do and making the playoffs over a 12-1 Stanford, then Stanford deserves to stay home. I for one am not.

There are only a few teams which will play a regular season season schedule of 11 games with P5 teams. Stanford, Texas UCLA. In my opinion this sort of OOC scheduling should be rewarded and scheduling like Art Briles does should be discouraged. I think most people are not aware Baylor has not played a regular season OOC game against any teams from a BCS/P5 conference this year.

I am of the opinion if Stanford and ND go into their game undefeated on rivalry weekend, the winner should be going to the playoffs. (This assumes Stanford wins the PAC 12 CCG)

By TullyMars on 11.11.15 6:48am

Baylor is in a predicament in future years

SMU and Rice are old, old rivals dating back to the SWC. Texas and A&M both routinely play them as well, although not every year, and certainly not in the same year. Like the Pac-8 traditionalists, though, they have a lot of alumni that like to play them because of the history and the fact that they share a whole lot in common with Baylor. It’ll take a mindset change not at the coaching level (because I think Briles would gladly schedule other schools), but at the alumni and booster level, and by extension, athletic department.

By RedOscar on 11.11.15 1:53pm

That is a schedule of 12 games in 14 weeks that includes 12 games with P5 opponents

This fact is on high neglect from everyone but the committee, unfortunately, with the withdrawal of Haden, there is simply not enough west coast juice on the committee to sustain the blowback if they slighted a UD B12 champ.
OKState could be a two loss team right now and they have probably taken note of that.

By Stanley F on 11.11.15 9:50am

I hear Condi Rice is in charge of the Big-12

Maybe all this dinging for the Big12 schedule will help us in the long run.

By layman on 11.11.15 12:39pm

Who has charge of the PAC?

Because Stanford and Utah are sure getting dinged hard…Only one PAC opponent on Stanford’s schedule ranked? Oregon, CAL, ND, and UTAH is the probably the toughest last 4 games in the nation when you consider CAL is >Texas >OK or=OKstate, Utah>Michigan, ND>LSU http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=400610214, ND pretty much = Clemson, and that’s before you count a very healthy Oregon who just dropped 777 yards of offense on CAL, and you ignore the 50+ kick return yards.

It will be a historic miracle if the Card make through that minefield…as if USC, WSU, UCLA, and Washington, wasn’t already hard enough.

By Stanley F on 11.11.15 5:44pm

I can barely remember a year where there were two undefeated power-5 teams, yet alone 3

How unlucky would Stanford be if this happens to be that year?

By TheFreakSF on 11.12.15 4:18am

It used to be very rare

and my best guess is the infusion of the Big East and former FCS teams (that are now FBS), into the eastern conference structures, has gone a long way to softening schedules east of the Rockies.

By Stanley F on 11.12.15 12:16pm