PAC 12 soft this year? No playoff?

[TK2000]

Based on the performance of three traditional PAC 12 powers over the weekend, is the conference slowly being exposed for the 2017 season? Last week we were supposed to be impressed with Oregon's win over Nebraska, but now we see how bad Nebraska is. UCLA loss, Stanford loss, USC's struggles with Texas.
Does the Pac 12 have a legit top 10 team? Washington is less talented than last year and we saw what happened in their 2016 playoff attempt.

 

[jake102]

I would definitely say that the PAC is the worst conference. I think OU and OSU are better than anything they have

 

[Wexahu]

If they have a team with only one loss, they get in. If they don't, the odds are against them. That goes for every P5 conference though. In a typical year we'll have 3 or 4 one-loss or better teams, those will be the ones that get in. It'll be VERY rare to have 5, especially since the Big 12 now has a CCG.

I think the P12 is weaker this year than normal though.

 

[FBallFan123]

Washington should still be viewed as the top team in the conference until proven otherwise, and there's nothing so far to suggest they can't be as good as last year. They still have Browning, Gaskin and Pettis.

Colorado and Cal have both started 3-0, setting up an interesting Saturday:

Washington @ Colorado
USC @ Cal

As for Stanford and UCLA.....Stanford looked over-rated from the start and will really miss McCaffrey. UCLA has a great QB and no D. Not surprised either one struggled. They'll play this weekend, and the loser could have a very long season.

 

[FBallFan123]

If they have a team with only one loss, they get in. If they don't, the odds are against them. That goes for every P5 conference though. In a typical year we'll have 3 or 4 one-loss or better teams, those will be the ones that get in. It'll be VERY rare to have 5, especially since the Big 12 now has a CCG.

I think the P12 is weaker this year than normal though.

We'll have to see if having a Big 12 championship game helps or hurts the conference's playoff chances this year.

Could go either way.

 

[Wexahu]

We'll have to see if having a Big 12 championship game helps or hurts the conference's playoff chances this year.

Could go either way.

The only way it hurts is if the #2 team beats the #1 team and the #2 team has two losses. That again goes for every conference though. It will happen someday, and someday soon, it just hasn't yet (which is surprising). When it does, the perceived value of the CCG in helping a team make the playoffs will go way, way down.

 

[FBallFan123]

The only way it hurts is if the #2 team beats the #1 team and the #2 team has two losses. That again goes for every conference though. It will happen someday, and someday soon, it just hasn't yet (which is surprising). When it does, the perceived value of the CCG in helping a team make the playoffs will go way, way down.

Here's a scenario where I could see it hurting...

Let's say Washington loses Saturday at Colorado, finishes with 1 loss, wins the Pac 12 Championship game.

Then let's say Oklahoma State goes undefeated in regular season, beats Oklahoma on 11/4 at home, but then loses to them in December.

Oklahoma State finishes with 1 loss, Washington finishes with 1 loss.

Who gets in?

 

[Paradoxotaur]

Here's a scenario where I could see it hurting...

Let's say Washington loses Saturday at Colorado, finishes with 1 loss, wins the Pac 12 Championship game.

Then let's say Oklahoma State goes undefeated in regular season, beats Oklahoma on 11/4 at home, but then loses to them in December.

Oklahoma State finishes with 1 loss, Washington finishes with 1 loss.

Who gets in?

Ohio State

 

[TCUdirtbag]

Here's a scenario where I could see it hurting...

Let's say Washington loses Saturday at Colorado, finishes with 1 loss, wins the Pac 12 Championship game.

Then let's say Oklahoma State goes undefeated in regular season, beats Oklahoma on 11/4 at home, but then loses to them in December.

Oklahoma State finishes with 1 loss, Washington finishes with 1 loss.

Who gets in?

The correct/obvious answer is: Oklahoma, who won the big 12 championship vs OSU at a neutral site after losing to them in the regular season on the road, and they beat Ohio state the road in OOC

The snarky answer is: Ohio state

 

[stbrab]

Here's a scenario where I could see it hurting...

Let's say Washington loses Saturday at Colorado, finishes with 1 loss, wins the Pac 12 Championship game.

Then let's say Oklahoma State goes undefeated in regular season, beats Oklahoma on 11/4 at home, but then loses to them in December.

Oklahoma State finishes with 1 loss, Washington finishes with 1 loss.

Who gets in?

Depends on OUs final record. One loss? They'll be conference champs in your scenario.

 

[Wexahu]

Here's a scenario where I could see it hurting...

Let's say Washington loses Saturday at Colorado, finishes with 1 loss, wins the Pac 12 Championship game.

Then let's say Oklahoma State goes undefeated in regular season, beats Oklahoma on 11/4 at home, but then loses to them in December.

Oklahoma State finishes with 1 loss, Washington finishes with 1 loss.

Who gets in?

Tough call. If OU only has one loss, I'd say OU and Washington. If OU has two losses, I'd say OSU and Washington.

There are a ton of variables and things yet to play out but yes, it will be interesting if a previously unbeaten team gets beat in their CCG. Again though, that's not just for the Big 12, that's for every conference. OSU and OU in your scenario could just as easily be Washington and USC.

 

[Mean Purple]

BEAT osu

 

[Despite the odds Frog]

This is where the Big 12 championship could bite Big 12 in the arse.

Big 12 might be better but what if the top teams "x" each other out at the end?

 

[FBallFan123]

Tough call. If OU only has one loss, I'd say OU and Washington. If OU has two losses, I'd say OSU and Washington.

There are a ton of variables and things yet to play out but yes, it will be interesting if a previously unbeaten team gets beat in their CCG. Again though, that's not just for the Big 12, that's for every conference. OSU and OU in your scenario could just as easily be Washington and USC.

It's a little different with the Big 12 though, because it's a true round-robin regular season so everybody plays each other, and the championship game takes the top two conference records.

Washington and USC don't play in the regular season this season.

 

[LVH]

Washington's issue is going to be their non conference schedule.

Unfortunately Oklahoma State's non conference schedule will leave something to be desired too. Pitt may be as bad as Rutgers.

 

[stbrab]

It's a little different with the Big 12 though, because it's a true round-robin regular season so everybody plays each other, and the championship game takes the top two conference records.

Washington and USC don't play in the regular season this season.

Good point. In your original scenario, if OU has only one loss, I think it's OU. They will have beaten a top 4 (probably) Ok lite in the Big 12 championship game. Also, with just one loss, OU will be a top 7 team going into the championship game.

 

[Wexahu]

It's a little different with the Big 12 though, because it's a true round-robin regular season so everybody plays each other, and the championship game takes the top two conference records.

Washington and USC don't play in the regular season this season.

It's not much different though. If Washington and USC are both undefeated going into that game, obviously the Pac 12 CCG would basically be a play-in for the CFP. Yes, that scenario is impossible for the Big 12, but in that case, if an unbeaten and a 1-loss team match up in the Big 12 CCG, that would essentially be a play-in for the playoffs 95% of the time.

You are analyzing this too much. I'd say 75% of the time a 1-loss P5 team (no matter how they get to one loss) will be in the playoffs. In some years with some odd circumstances there might be one left out. There might even be a year, with even more unusual circumstances, where a conference gets two teams in. It just depends on the outcomes of all these games, there are tons of variables to consider.

 

[AroundWorldFrog]

No one mentioning TCU winning the conference with one loss. Nonbelievers.

 

[Jefffrog1993]

Here's a scenario where I could see it hurting...

Let's say Washington loses Saturday at Colorado, finishes with 1 loss, wins the Pac 12 Championship game.

Then let's say Oklahoma State goes undefeated in regular season, beats Oklahoma on 11/4 at home, but then loses to them in December.

Oklahoma State finishes with 1 loss, Washington finishes with 1 loss.

Who gets in?

The second place team from the SEC and of course Alabama. Now all ESPN personnel are on their knees with an object in their mouths pimpin the SEC. Don't they have to talk or eat sometimes?

 

[Wexahu]

No one mentioning TCU winning the conference with one loss. Nonbelievers.

I don't want to jinx us. Let's win this week first.