Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

[michigancat]

If we had won out and OU hadn't lost to ND I think there would be a very good chance of both of us being in the playoffs.

That's a shitload of hypotheticals, but still.

Two years of round robin and we would have gotten one total team in.

The SEC would have gotten four.

Real world vs hypotheticals.

And the Pac 12 and Big 10 and ACC would have gotten zero.

[Panjandrum]

Here's a fun/interesting thought...

Let's just say that the Big Ten decided to take Virginia and Georgia Tech as schools #15 and #16.  They get their academic excellence and east coast media presence they've been looking for, so we'll call them good.

Let's also say that the SEC decides they want to expand as well.  Everyone (including me) thinks that the SEC would be a quick and easy dance partner.  I think they could be.  But their problem is #16.  They can't just take NC State because of how badly UNC infests their Board of Governors.  It would be extremely difficult to get them out of the ACC if that would somehow put UNC in a bad situation.

In nearly every realignment scenario out there, the SEC attempts to get a school from North Carolina.  Well, what if the Big Ten takes two more, and some of the teams see the writing on the wall and start to make plans?  If you're UNC, do you bail, and if you do, do you bind yourself to Duke?  More importantly, if you're the SEC, do you take that package?

Considering the money that the SEC is looking to make is in the T2/T3 area, adding two gigantic basketball brands like UNC and Duke would be very valuable.  KU proves that basketball can be more profitable than football in T3 if you are one of a handful of schools.  Well, UNC and Duke are two of those schools.

Also, think about a conference that has Kentucky, UNC, Duke, and Florida.  Then look at Missouri, South Carolina (Frank!), Vandy, Alabama (Grant!), Arkansas, etc.  You can create a fairly valuable hoops commodity for ESPN and the SEC Network with all of that content.  Sure, there will be a few dogs in there (Georgia, Miss. St.), but overall, that's a really salty conference with a lot of games in major population centers.

On top of that, should the SEC win the football title again, that would be seven straight titles.  However, if Duke and UNC went to the SEC, they could claim 6 of the last 8 national titles in basketball as well.

One of the things the SEC likes to brag about is that it's the "Strength Everywhere Conference".  If they took UNC and Duke as a package, they may be able to corner the market on hoops as well.

It's a scary thought.  Especially when ESPN will have part ownership and operate their T3 network.  That conference, with the full weight of ESPN behind it, would just race past everyone faster than they already are.

[TheHamburglar]

Let's also say that the SEC decides they want to expand as well.  Everyone (including me) thinks that the SEC would be a quick and easy dance partner.  I think they could be.  But their problem is #16.  They can't just take NC State because of how badly UNC infests their Board of Governors.  It would be extremely difficult to get them out of the ACC if that would somehow put UNC in a bad situation.

Who are you talking about as the SEC's #15 in this paragraph?

[Panjandrum]

Let's also say that the SEC decides they want to expand as well.  Everyone (including me) thinks that the SEC would be a quick and easy dance partner.  I think they could be.  But their problem is #16.  They can't just take NC State because of how badly UNC infests their Board of Governors.  It would be extremely difficult to get them out of the ACC if that would somehow put UNC in a bad situation.

Who are you talking about as the SEC's #15 in this paragraph?

Weird.  VT is who I meant.

[MadCat]

I'm starting to feel really small once again. 

[Panjandrum]

Another item regarding the SEC adding UNC/Duke...

If they did, they would have won the NCAA baseball title three times in the last four years, and they would have had representation in the CWS finals every year they didn't win back to 2005...

North Carolina is the most dominant women's soccer program in the history of the sport.  Duke lost in the NCAA finals last year to Stanford...

North Carolina was the men's NCAA soccer national champion last year as well...

With the addition of Texas A&M, the SEC has had a participant in 5 of the last 6 NCAA women's CWS in softball, with Alabama winning last year...

Duke and Texas A&M have excellent women's basketball programs that can go in and compete with Tennessee...

I mean, we can go down the line, but when you're creating a T3 sports network, you need good content outside of 12-18 football games and men's basketball.  With the additions they've made, they've loaded themselves up in all sports across the board.  UNC and Duke would just round everything out.

[thebigcatbowski]

If we had won out and OU hadn't lost to ND I think there would be a very good chance of both of us being in the playoffs.

That's a shitload of hypotheticals, but still.

Two years of round robin and we would have gotten one total team in.

The SEC would have gotten four.

Real world vs hypotheticals.

And the Pac 12 and Big 10 and ACC would have gotten zero.

Pac-12 would have two.

[goldenticket]

FSU Football ?@FSU_Football
Jimbo: We'll play in whatever conference the decision makers at FSU choose. They will do what's best for the university.

[michigancat]

If we had won out and OU hadn't lost to ND I think there would be a very good chance of both of us being in the playoffs.

That's a shitload of hypotheticals, but still.

Two years of round robin and we would have gotten one total team in.

The SEC would have gotten four.

Real world vs hypotheticals.

And the Pac 12 and Big 10 and ACC would have gotten zero.

Pac-12 would have two.

I'll give you one. two is iffy.

So to summarize, among those 36 teams with division play, 1 team would be in the playoff over 2 years. Our 10-team round-robin league would get 1 as well.

[thebigcatbowski]

If we had won out and OU hadn't lost to ND I think there would be a very good chance of both of us being in the playoffs.

That's a shitload of hypotheticals, but still.

Two years of round robin and we would have gotten one total team in.

The SEC would have gotten four.

Real world vs hypotheticals.

And the Pac 12 and Big 10 and ACC would have gotten zero.

Pac-12 would have two.

I'll give you one. two is iffy.

So to summarize, among those 36 teams with division play, 1 team would be in the playoff over 2 years. Our 10-team round-robin league would get 1 as well.

Oregon or Stanford would have 100% been in last year. Guaranteed. (LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Oregon or Stanford)

And, I don't see how there could be any argument against Oregon or Stanford getting in this year. (Notre Dame, Alabama or Georgia, Florida, Oregon or Stanford)

That's two.

So, of the actual 50 teams with division play (did you forget the SEC has divisions?), they'd get 6 in out of 8 spots.

[Pete]

Ingram Smith @IngramSmith
If you are a conf realignment junkie, watch the state of Virginia. What happens in VA will likely dictate the future of the ACC

I'M WATCHING, INGRAM! 

[Rage Against the McKee]

Oregon or Stanford would have 100% been in last year. Guaranteed. (LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Oregon or Stanford)

And, I don't see how there could be any argument against Oregon or Stanford getting in this year. (Notre Dame, Alabama or Georgia, Florida, Oregon or Stanford)

That's two.

So, of the actual 50 teams with division play (did you forget the SEC has divisions?), they'd get 6 in out of 8 spots.

I don't think Oregon or Stanford would be a slam dunk over Arkansas last year, and there is no way that Oregon or especially Stanford would get in this year. Florida, Kansas State, Alabama, Georgia, and Notre Dame all have much stronger cases.

[thebigcatbowski]

Fitz is so pissed right now.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8682572/tulane-join-big-east-all-sports-source-said

[thebigcatbowski]

Kansas State, Georgia have much stronger cases.

 

[Rage Against the McKee]

Kansas State, Georgia have much stronger cases.

 

How is having the same record against a better schedule not a better case?

[TheHamburglar]

Fitz is so pissed right now.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8682572/tulane-join-big-east-all-sports-source-said

East Carolina sneaking into the BigEast for football in 2014 as well. 

[ChiComCat]

Kansas State, Georgia have much stronger cases.

 

How is having the same record against a better schedule not a better case?

We wouldn't be behind them in almost every poll if it was.  You are basing your opinion like a computer.  Voters think they are smarter and use a fictional thing called an "eye test" any time they want to make a statement without fact.

[Rage Against the McKee]

Kansas State, Georgia have much stronger cases.

 

How is having the same record against a better schedule not a better case?

We wouldn't be behind them in almost every poll if it was.  You are basing your opinion like a computer.  Voters think they are smarter and use a fictional thing called an "eye test" any time they want to make a statement without fact.

Voters do not select the playoff teams. A committee similar to the march madness committee will be selecting teams. They will give extra consideration to things like conference championships (Oregon doesn't have one), schedule strength, etc. I just don't see Stanford getting picked with 2 losses.

[thebigcatbowski]

Kansas State, Georgia have much stronger cases.

 

How is having the same record against a better schedule not a better case?

Getting blown out by Baylor < Losing in overtime to current #8 (especially when #1 went to overtime with the same team)

And, there's barely a difference between the quality of the schedules, not enough to make up for the loss at least.

And, if you have Alabama in there, then Georgia has no argument whatsoever.

You're also on crack if you think a committee would put a 3rd SEC team in with a worse record than a Pac-12 school either last year or this year. Maybe if it's the second team but not the third.

[MadCat]

Fitz is so pissed right now.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8682572/tulane-join-big-east-all-sports-source-said

East Carolina sneaking into the BigEast for football in 2014 as well.

Big East needs an intervention...or a mercy killing.

[Rage Against the McKee]

Kansas State, Georgia have much stronger cases.

 

How is having the same record against a better schedule not a better case?

Getting blown out by Baylor < Losing in overtime to current #8 (especially when #1 went to overtime with the same team)

And, there's barely a difference between the quality of the schedules, not enough to make up for the loss at least.

And, if you have Alabama is in there, then Georgia has no argument whatsoever.

You're also on crack if you think a committee would put a 3rd SEC team in with a worse record than a Pac-12 school either last year or this year. Maybe if it's the second team but not the third.

Conference champ >> no conference champ

1 loss >> 2 losses

KSU schedule > Oregon Schedule

KSU wins > Oregon and Stanford's wins

KSU loss < Oregon's loss

The margin of victory in our loss to Baylor is bad, but you never hear about margin of victory come tournament selection time, so I'm not sure if it would be considered here. The point is, nobody really knows who a committee would select for a 4 team playoff. This "Big 12 would only have 1 team in the playoffs vs the SEC's 4 over the last 2 years" talk is complete bullshit.

[bakerman]

Fitz is so pissed right now.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8682572/tulane-join-big-east-all-sports-source-said

East Carolina sneaking into the BigEast for football in 2014 as well.

Big East needs an intervention...or a mercy killing.

for sure. 9 or their soon to be 13 football schools are former C-USA teams. woof...

[michigancat]

Kansas State, Georgia have much stronger cases.

 

How is having the same record against a better schedule not a better case?

Getting blown out by Baylor < Losing in overtime to current #8 (especially when #1 went to overtime with the same team)

And, there's barely a difference between the quality of the schedules, not enough to make up for the loss at least.

And, if you have Alabama in there, then Georgia has no argument whatsoever.

You're also on crack if you think a committee would put a 3rd SEC team in with a worse record than a Pac-12 school either last year or this year. Maybe if it's the second team but not the third.

the point is that divisions give the Pac 12, ACC, and Big 10 no advantage over the Big 12. The SEC currently has an advantage over everyone, and it's not necessarily due to their division format.

[TheHamburglar]

Fitz is so pissed right now.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8682572/tulane-join-big-east-all-sports-source-said

East Carolina sneaking into the BigEast for football in 2014 as well.

Big East needs an intervention...or a mercy killing.

for sure. 9 or their soon to be 13 football schools are former C-USA teams. woof...

And in the race to keep their conference championship game, C-USA has diluted itself with Sun Belt and new-to-FBS teams.  Rather than just keeping an 8 to 10 team league, they invited FIU, Old Dominion, and UNC-Charlotte.  It's basically going to be an 8 team league with 4 other teams to supply games that count in conference standings so they can keep their championship game.   Even for the C-USA, which was once a fun league to follow, 

[Dugout DickStone]

So, why are we only talking about big 10 and SEC?  Isn't our main threat a hungry Pac 12?  If there are 4 super conferences on the horizon, Big 10, SEC, ACC and a split betyween Pac and Big 12, aren't we worried that Pac 12 gets hungry and looks to end us?  They will need to get to 16 and I don't see where they get there without raiding us.