Updated College Football Playoff Poll

[NittPicker]

It's easy as a fan to say that a particular personality in the media is biased against one's team based on certain things that person says. However, this analyst has come across over the years as someone who has a penchant for poking at PSU a bit.

I watched a bit of the NBC studio show last Saturday. Her reason for thinking ND should be being ahead of Penn State is because ND has "been playing very well lately". That's it. Her own personal eye test even if she doesn't call it that. At least guys like Herbstreit are up front with their bias and actually call it the "eye test". Subjective as subjective can get.

Unfortunately for Maryland, that's why I think CJF won't hold back on scoring points on Saturday. It's the last chance to make an impression on the committee.

 

[LionJim]

I watched a bit of the NBC studio show last Saturday. Her reason for thinking ND should be being ahead of Penn State is because ND has "been playing very well lately". That's it. Her own personal eye test even if she doesn't call it that. At least a guys like Herbstreit are up front with their bias and actually call it the "eye test". Subjective as subjective can get.

Unfortunately for Maryland, that's why I think CJF won't hold back on scoring points on Saturday. It's the last chance to make an impression on the committee.

Yeah, and considering how close to disaster we came last week, I think the team will come roaring out of the chute.

 

[doctornick]

My point is that I think the gap between what PSU has accomplished compared to Notre Dame is a larger than the comparison between ND and Indiana. There really should be little debate between PSU and Notre Dame’s ranking in the CFP.

I actually think the team below PSU that has the best argument to be above them is Georgia. Yes two losses but a very tough schedule, some great wins and no bad losses.

 

[Grant Green]

It’s all moot if they don’t beat USC (and Indiana doesn’t beat Purdue), so comparing them really only matters if they both win…hopefully ND loses so it’s a moot point. But, with a win, their best wins are considerably better.

Looking at SP+ since it’s a pretty good indicator of the line, and allowing 2.5 points for home field, we’ve got (and @Grant Green can tell me if any of these are way off, as I don’t set my own numbers for football)…

Texas A&M would be a 12.5 point favorite at home against Michigan

USC would be a 10 point favorite at home over Washington

Louisville would be a 9 point favorite on a neutral against Nebraska

Army would be a 9.5 point favorite at Michigan St

Notre Dame’s wins are considerably better than Indiana’s wins. Are they enough to offset the loss at home to Northern Illinois (vs a 3 TD road loss at Ohio St)? I easily think so. Others can argue against it. But it’s a pretty solid argument that ND has a better resume than Indiana and it has nothing to do with the name on ND’s Jersey.

Yeah, your SP+ numbers look pretty close, but my numbers are a bit different than SP+. I'm a bit lower on all of these, but yeah, those teams are all likely favs of at least 6 pts.