MSU's path to the playoff

Yeah, I know, it's not happening, but Couch wrote an article on it.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/couchonfire/2014/12/03/couch-blog-msu-playoff-hopes/19816793/


We definitely need Oregon, Ga Tech and Wisconsin to win. I think a 2 loss Alabama probably doesn't fall below us because they will want an SEC team in there. We need K State to beat Baylor, but not jump us. Bonus would be Iowa St knocking off TCU but that isn't going to happen.

Then we have:

1. Oregon
2. TCU
3. Bama (?)
4. MSU (?)

How far would Bama fall with a Mizzou loss?
Would KSU jump MSU? (my guess is yes)
Would Wiscy jump MSU? (my guess is yes)
Would 1 loss FSU drop below MSU? (my guess is yes)
Would 2 loss Ga Tech jump MSU? (my guess is no)

Fwiw 2 loss bama definitely gets in over us.

That ship has sailed. MSU had its chance against OSU and didn't get it done.

I'm fine with a consolation prize of the Peach, Orange or Fiesta. Win that game and its still a special season.

gomersbro wrote:

Is there any way that this season is NOT special? Currently we sit at sit at 10-2. Since 1966 we have only won that many games 4 other years. This team has a "better" record 1987 team went 9-2-1. Are we really that spoiled that 10 wins not a special accomplishment?

I wouldn't say this isn't a special season, but we did lose our two really big games of the year. Even the Nebraska win doesn't look all that great anymore. It'd be nice to get a win over a team with a pulse this year.

CheesySpartan wrote:That ship has sailed. MSU had its chance against OSU and didn't get it done.

I'm fine with a consolation prize of the Peach, Orange or Fiesta. Win that game and its still a special season.

This. The fact of the matter is we have proven we aren't a top 4 team, but we are a top 10 team. Win our bowl game and we have a great shot to finish in the top 5. Back to back top 5 finishes would be huge.

Think out loud about next year, I dont see us winning in Columbus. But if MSU went 11-1, with a home win vs Oregon, and Oregon goes on to lets say win the PAC12, that could be good enough to get us into the playoffs.

The key in all that though would be the B1G champ having two losses. No way the committee takes two B1G teams. Mann, this really sucks being in Ohio State's division. If we dont beat them in Columbus we have no shot to get to Indy. The OSU game for us now is basically a prerequisite to getting to the B1G title game and a shot at the playoffs.

Ohio State's road games next year are Indiana, Rutgers, Illinois, and Michigan. Really murderers row. No Nebraska, Iowa or Wisky in crossover again.

sounds like Couch and the LSJ needs some clicks.. hence, the article.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

I wouldn't say this isn't a special season, but we did lose our two really big games of the year. Even the Nebraska win doesn't look all that great anymore. It'd be nice to get a win over a team with a pulse this year.

this..

I would say that we don't really have a quality win all season long... and neither of our loses against the only quality teams we played could be construed as close games.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
this..

I would say that we don't really have a quality win all season long... and neither of our loses against the only quality teams we played could be construed as close games.

Id say any win over a 9 win team is quality, but MSU only had two chances to get very good wins and went 0-2. Bowl game will present a third opportunity to knock off a very good team.

The_Dude wrote:

Id say any win over a 9 win team is quality, but MSU only had two chances to get very good wins and went 0-2.  Bowl game will present a third opportunity to knock off a very good team.

meh.. beating any random team who happens to have 9 wins doesn't impress me.. Marshall won 11 games.. if one of those evil, backwards, corrupt and felon-laden SEC schools beat Marshall, we wouldn't be talking about how impressive that win was.

Fact is, we haven't beaten a single team in the top 25 of the current playoff rankings....

Heat Miser wrote:

I would appear so. We used to just be home game snobs ("I'm not going because it's cold and it's only Indiana"). Now we're bowl game snobs too. "No playoffs? Pfft...failure. 10 wins? Yawn."

Don't know how people can be so quick to forget 40 years of mediocrity and not appreciate what's going on here.

Young people who have barely or never lived with the mediocrity forget. The rest of us don't. Now the basketball program has been at a high level for so long that I have trouble abiding high-level play with no payoff in March. So I'm spoiled on that end, I guess. I'm mostly just really missing the tough Izzo teams that score 68 and still win by 10. That era of college basketball is gone though.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
meh.. beating any random team who happens to have 9 wins doesn't impress me.. Marshall won 11 games.. if one of those evil, backwards, corrupt and felon-laden SEC schools beat Marshall, we wouldn't be talking about how impressive that win was.

Fact is, we haven't beaten a single team in the top 25 of the current playoff rankings....

True. I never thought going 10-2 would leave an empty feeling as an MSU football fan...Orange Bowl champs has a nice ring to it.

The_Dude wrote:

True. I never thought going 10-2 would leave an empty feeling as an MSU football fan...Orange Bowl champs has a nice ring to it.

I know I'll buy the t-shirt.