Poll Dancing: Playoff Projections, Week MINNESOTA

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Author @TheCoachBart

Like a meal you really wanted to have at a place you really wanted to eat, we got to the end pretty damn quickly, didn’t we? There are only two more weeks of college football … really only one full regular season weekend … and then it’s off to Bowlsville and pretty soon, wishing college football was back because, well, your other sporting options aren’t scratching you right where you itch.

But that’s the way these things go, I suppose. It just seems that the older you get, the faster they pass by, even if there are way more games now than there were then and even added bye weeks.

And as we wind down to two weeks left before this mess gets even messier and some people call it “sorting it out?” What are we talking about? Minnesota. Minnesota has become college football’s high school flame you just can’t quit and everyone somehow is measured back to them.

The five degrees of 2014 separation in college football come back to Minnesota. They’ve basically become to college football what Taylor Swift is to Hollywood male musicians/movie stars.

Projected Four In
1. Florida State
2. Oregon
3. Alabama
4. Baylor

‘Splaination: Baylor keeps looking the part and I think if you’re going to be honest with yourself in the end, head to head matters. I’m not throwing shards of brick at people putting TCU in right now instead, but if the gap gets narrowed, you’ve got to go Baylor, and I think that if both end up winning out, you’re looking at that being the case.

Essentially, what you’re saying with TCU over Baylor is that you value a win over Minnesota versus head to head. Which brings me to the next part of this equation. We’ve found out that Minnesota is pretty good, and yes, TCU whipped them. Ohio State defeated them at their place. So really, the team in the catbird seat is Ohio State. If you’re going to use that game against Minnesota as a litmus test to get in a playoff for TCU, it must be acknowledged that OSU beat them as well, and did it on the road. All of that said, the fact that we’re using a win over Minnesota as proof/not enough proof/something in between as to who should get in a playoff tells me these things:

1. Good on you, Jerry Kill and staff. Apparently you’re part of the difference in playing for a college football championship

2. This system really is pretty stupid.

On the porch with a beer waiting to be invited in
5. Ohio State
6. TCU
7. Mississippi State

‘Splaination: I almost like Ohio State’s chances the best if they get out of dodge with a win over Michigan (ie: show mild interest in playing football for at least 20 minutes of actual time, not even game time) and then Wisconsin keeps on winning, which would involve a win over … you guessed it … frigging Minnesota! Taylor Swift, man …

As for Mississippi State, they probably need Alabama to lose to Auburn. Good luck on ya.

Sitting lonely by the phone waiting for someone to text
8. UCLA
9. Georgia/Mizzou

I put this bunch back in here because there are DOOM scenarios where I suppose one of them gets in. It’ll be tough to keep the entire SEC out if, say, Mississippi State loses to Ole Miss (possible) and then Mizzou/Georgia smokes Alabama in the SEC title game. I can’t see that scenario happening, but odder things have happened.

Likewise, if UCLA drums Oregon, who knows … but it’d take a lot of help.

My solution? All three of them should have to play Minnesota and we decide from there …

See you next week.

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