Could Nebraska Make The Playoff this year? Any chance with total domination from here on out?

[3rd and long]

I don't see any possibility unless it's a 2007 all hell breaks loose year. We play no marquee games the rest of the year, our best hope would be a highly rated Ohio State in the B1G title game. Urban's team still carries more cachet than Sparty but even with a win I don't see Nebraska higher than 5th.

A scenario like this is entirely plausible:

1. Florida State (13-0) ACC Champs

2. Ole Miss (12-1) SEC Champs

3. Oklahoma (11-1) Big XII Champs

4. Nebraska (12-1) B1G Champs

5. USC (11-2) PAC-12 Champs

Basically, we'd need to win out, and have another P5 conference champion have two losses. If something like this plays out, then that takes care of:

Notre Dame (10-2 w/ losses to FSU and USC)

Baylor (10-2 w/ losses to OU and Okie State/K-State)

TCU (10-2 w/ losses to Baylor and Okie State)

Okie State (10-2 w/ losses to FSU and OU)

Mississippi State (11-2 w/ losses to Bama and Ole Miss)

Georgia (10-3 w/ loss to SC and Ole Miss in championship game)

Auburn (11-2 w/ losses to Miss St. and Bama)

Bama (11-2 w/ losses to Ole Miss and LSU)

Ohio State

Michigan State

Arizona (same division as USC)

Arizona State (same division as USC)

there's a few teams that could I guess make at-large runs but if it played out that way we'd be on the inside, imo.

If USC ends up 11-2, won't that mean they have beaten Notre Dame and most likely Orgeon in their championship game?

Unfortunately, I think those two wins at the end of the season would bump them in over a one loss Nebraska team.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Here is what drives me crazy about the bolded statement. More impressive based on what?

It is absurd to look at schedules and say...well...team A beat team B so that makes them more impressive than team C because they only beat team D. That argument gets blown up every single season what a team D goes and then beats a team A. Ever hear of upsets? Do those happen every year?

The only way I could see taking a non conference champion over a conference champion is if that non champion already beat the champion. So, let's say Oregon is not the Champion of the Pac 12. They might get in over MSU because they have already beat them head to head.

More impressive based on the facts. The best systems we have in place to rate teams are unbiased systems that are able to do calculations based on tens of thousands of connections between all 128 FBS teams. These systems will all have, for example, an 11-1 Miss St. team far ahead of a 12-1 Nebraska team because Miss St will have played many teams that rank far higher than those Nebraska played. I don't understand what is difficult to comprehend about that. Your second line of "argument" is incoherent. Upsets are all factored into the system. There is no need to throw out the system because upsets happen.So, it's a scientific wild a$$ guess. Hmmm....and, my comment about upsets is perfectly relevant here. Sports are won on the field. Not in a computer. If a team goes and wins a game, they have a better record. That is how sports work.

Also, conference championship games are arbitrary games created for money. Sometimes they are necessary and break ties (like last year's B1G game) but often they do not. They do not tell us anything more about teams than any other game of the season, but they are given arbitrary added value because they are at the end and labeled "championship" games. If, say, 5-3 Florida plays 8-0 Alabama in the CCG and Florida wins (after losing to Alabama in the regular season), do I think Florida is the most accomplished team in SEC play for that season? Not even close. They finish 6-3 while Alabama finishes 8-1. And the teams are 1-1 head to tead, Florida gets a trophy because of the label.

​You have a point other than for the fact that conferences now are so big the teams don't all play each other. Let's turn your example around. All the almighty experts claim the SEC west is God's gift to college football and basically they could win all win the super bowl if they were allowed to play in it. So, let's say a 19-3 Alabama plays an 11-1 team from the east (Which is perceived to be much weaker). And, Alabama wins. Do you still agree with your assessment above? Alabama has more losses. The "perception" going into the game is that the west was soooo much stronger and the teams better.

The problem with your argument is that it's all based on assumptions. Yes, you can sit with huge equations in a computer and THINK you know who is better. But, until the teams play on a field, nobody knows.

 

[VectorVictor]

I don't see any possibility unless it's a 2007 all hell breaks loose year. We play no marquee games the rest of the year, our best hope would be a highly rated Ohio State in the B1G title game. Urban's team still carries more cachet than Sparty but even with a win I don't see Nebraska higher than 5th.

A scenario like this is entirely plausible:

1. Florida State (13-0) ACC Champs

2. Ole Miss (12-1) SEC Champs

3. Oklahoma (11-1) Big XII Champs

4. Nebraska (12-1) B1G Champs

5. USC (11-2) PAC-12 Champs

Basically, we'd need to win out, and have another P5 conference champion have two losses. If something like this plays out, then that takes care of:

Notre Dame (10-2 w/ losses to FSU and USC)

Baylor (10-2 w/ losses to OU and Okie State/K-State)

TCU (10-2 w/ losses to Baylor and Okie State)

Okie State (10-2 w/ losses to FSU and OU)

Mississippi State (11-2 w/ losses to Bama and Ole Miss)

Georgia (10-3 w/ loss to SC and Ole Miss in championship game)

Auburn (11-2 w/ losses to Miss St. and Bama)

Bama (11-2 w/ losses to Ole Miss and LSU)

Ohio State

Michigan State

Arizona (same division as USC)

Arizona State (same division as USC)

there's a few teams that could I guess make at-large runs but if it played out that way we'd be on the inside, imo.

If USC ends up 11-2, won't that mean they have beaten Notre Dame and most likely Orgeon in their championship game?

Unfortunately, I think those two wins at the end of the season would bump them in over a one loss Nebraska team.

FYI, a one-loss Oklahoma is more likely to generate a three-way tie for the Big XII title between Baylor and TCU, as TCU beat Oklahoma, Baylor beat TCU, and Oklahoma would have to beat Baylor to only have one loss. And frankly, I don't see TCU or Oklahoma losing any more games, and Baylor will probably have problems with Oklahoma, and no one else.

Having said that, I sincerely doubt a Big XII champ (especially one that has to share the title with two other teams) is going to make the playoff. They'd be more likely to be #5 (and #6 and #7, as it were) than a two-loss USC if they win their conference title outright.

 

[HuskerinSunDiego]

Of course there is.

Baylor loses to Oklahoma

That gives you at least three.

Oklahoma State could play into it to. But it would take Oklahoma out.

but likely two of them will have one loss and possibly one without a loss.

And even with two losses they might end ahead of Nebraska due to strength of schedule. Cupcakes have to go away with the playoff. They will hurt you almost as bad as a loss I think.

I cannot think of any realistic scenario where anybody other than Baylor only has one loss. For your scenario to work, OU, OK St., KSU, and TCU would have to win out. What are the chances of that? Let's see:

OU plays: Baylor, K-State, and OK ST. OU almost certainly loses to Baylor. Have you seen OU play? Texas beat them up for most of the game, but lost. Baylor will kill OU. If not, OU is the lone shot at a second one-loss team in the Big 12.

KSU plays: Texas (don't laugh, they are rising), Baylor, OU, OK St., TCU, and West Virginia. No way do they go undefeated.

OK St. plays: TCU, KSU, Baylor, OU, Texas, and WVU. No way they go undefeated.

TCU plays: KSU, OK St., Texas, WVU. They also still must beat Kansas, Texas Tech, and Iowa State. Even if they weren't in an emotional funk, it's hard to beat ANY 7 teams in a row. TCU doesn't run the table.

The key game is Baylor v. OU. If Baylor wins, they are the only team from the Big12 going to the playoffs.

 

[Danimal]

If we pull that pass in against MSU we'd be prime playoff candidates. As-is so much would have to happen that it's just not worth worrying about. If we get a run going and it's flat-out carnage out there then I'd start thinking about it.

 

[husker_fan_from_sweden]

She's a bridesmaid, yes.

 

[Mavric]

College Football Playoff dark horses

Nebraska

Current record: 5-1

Remaining opponents: at Northwestern, Rutgers, Purdue, at Wisconsin, Minnesota and at Iowa.
Best win: vs. Miami, 41-31
The skinny: The Huskers fell to Michigan State on the road two weeks ago, and that is their only blemish. Nebraska was outplayed for most of the game and mounted a late rally, but the 27-22 road loss to a top-10 team looks pretty good on paper. Nebraska’s remaining schedule is difficult enough for the committee to take note, but not so hard that it’s going to be impossible to navigate. In fact, one of the biggest hurdles is this week at Northwestern. The teams always seem to play close games, and the Wildcats upset No. 9 Nebraska in 2012. The last three games of the schedule will be a good stretch run, and if the Huskers win the chance to get a signature win in a rematch with Michigan State or over an Ohio State team that beat the Spartans to get there. Also consider this: The Huskers have an avid, loyal fan base that travels well and star running back Ameer Abdullah and star defensive end Randy Gregory. Those factors wouldn’t matter if the computers were picking, but having a Heisman Trophy contender and a likely top-10 NFL draft pick from a team that is known for traveling well might be in the back of the committee’s mind.