FSU is 51
TCU is 38
Baylor is 55
Oregon is 22
Miss St is 32

Aside from Oregon, not a whole lot different by Sagarin's schedule rankings (who actually ranks FCS and FBS together so a team like Kent St. who is awful is ranked 172).  And TCU and Miss. St. lost to the best team they played, which helps the schedule strength but not the quality of win.

So only FSU and Baylor have played weaker schedules?   OK, good point.

Does anybody else feel like Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day" when they read this?

I know I do. 

Remember when ole missranis kept touting Ole Miss as a top team?   I assume that's over.

Arky has been close all season. Everyone kept pointing at close games with Arkansas as though that was an indication of weakness on the part of the Arky opponent that week.

Arkansas finally put a full 60 minutes together against LSU shutting them out 17-0. Again everyone pointed and laughed at LSU.

Now they slam Ole Miss 30-0. I'm sure many are still pointing and laughing instead of realizing Arkansas is actually not a bad team and has finally started to put it all together.

Being close doesn't put wins on the board.   Honestly, the first Ark game I watched was Bama.   I thought Bama was just having a bad game.   Giving up 45 to GA the next week confirmed that thought.    But I watched the Miss St game and they played them tough.    Only saw a little of the LSU game but they shut them down.  Then just shitkicked Ole Miss.   

Maybe it just took 20ish games for the players to buy into, and execute, the way Bielema wants to play.

Bielema is an excellent coach. Always gets more out of players than they have. I just think Arkansas was left in such a bad place he just couldn't get them there for awhile. I would expect them to be a mid-tier team next year and then a very good team the year after.

Obviously, my top 4 doesn't change even though I'd love to shitcan FSU.   But I will move them to 4th.

Bama, Oregon, Miss St, FSU

TCU, OSU and Baylor, in that order, need something to happen. 

Big weekend of games. 

Auburn at Alabama
Oregon at Oregon St.
Miss St. at Miss
Florida at Florida St.
TCU at Texas
Michigan at Ohio St.
Baylor vs. Texas Tech in Dallas

Minnesota at Wisconsin to decide the Big Ten West
Arizona St. at Arizona which could decide the Pac 12 South (if UCLA loses)

Georgia Tech at Georgia and South Carolina at Clemson which could give the ACC a bit more respect


I love me some rivalry week.

I'm getting a sneaking feeling that OSU is going to jump Miss St/TCU if they get Wisconsin, and win decisively, in the B10 championship. 

Just a hunch.

FWIW, I'm still not buying the "They gotta win out" nonsense that keeps getting bantered about.

If Bama is the top team today, a fluke loss(108 yd missed FG return, for instance) shouldn't send them to #6.    Same with Oregon at 2.   I can see FSU and MSU needing to "show" something but Bama/Oregon are the top 2 teams in the nation regardless of Saturday's outcome.

If Alabama loses and Mississippi St. wins, I think Alabama is out since MSU would go to the SEC title game and I can't see a 2 loss team that isn't a conference champion making a 4 team playoff.  Oregon could in theory survive the loss since it would still be going to the Pac 12 title game and a big win there over UCLA could be enough depending on what else happens.

The committee is very wishy washy and isn't consistent at all.  MSU still #4 because teams they played were ranked at the time even though they aren't ranked now (they only have 1 win against a currently ranked opponent), but it doesn't count for TCU that West Virginia was ranked, but isn't now.  Oregon gets a pass for the loss because they had injuries, but FSU gets penalized for barely beating Clemson without Winston and OSU isn't given a pass for losing when they didn't have Miller (if OSU has Miller they don't lose to Va Tech).  Stuff like that is happening an awful lot with the committee.  They use whatever standard they want to fit what they want to happen, and then don't apply the standards consistently.

And I agree with Mike, if OSU beats Michigan and Wisconsin convincingly, I think they make it in.  That would mean OSU would finish with 3 ranked wins all on the road or neutral site i.e. Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (I think with a loss to Wiscy, they are still ranked), and the loss was very early with a young team and the recent loss of their Heisman contending QB.  They would also have the extra win that MSU, TCU, and Baylor don't have and only Baylor of those 3 would be a conference champion also weighing in OSU's favor.