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| Ole Miss isn't in my Final Four, and Hugh Freeze isn't happy about it(Photo Credit: AP) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
On Tuesday, the first College Football Playoff poll was released, with Mississippi State, FSU, Auburn and Ole Miss in the top 4. If you haven't been paying attention, the top 4 teams in the CFB Playoff poll at the end of the regular season will be the teams in the playoff. As expected, there was an uproar centering around the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss, who lost to LSU, is still ranked in the top 4, while other teams, with similar resumes are behind Ole Miss. The cries of SEC bias are loud, and in my opinion, justified. Why should Ole Miss benefit from losing to a limited team? Notre Dame lost a squeaker to FSU in Tallahassee and is barely in the top 10.
The Canes Rising Playoff Final Four
1. Florida State
AP Rank(2)/Coaches Poll(2)
Key Wins: Notre Dame, Clemson
Losses: None
The Case For FSU-- FSU have some pretty solid wins. Clemson is a top 25 team and Notre Dame may end up finding their way into the Playoff, if they can win out. Unfortunately, FSU is being compared to last season's team, which may have been the best in school history. That isn't fair, and shouldn't be used to justify shafting the 'Noles. The champ should be on top, until they are knocked down. That said, FSU is entering a critical stretch, with Louisville and Miami coming up. While these two teams aren't in the top 15, they have more than enough talent to pull an upset. An upset will end FSU's bid to repeat, for FSU won't be able to overcome a loss.
2. Mississippi State
AP Rank(1)/Coaches Poll(1)
Key Wins: Auburn
Losses: None
The Case For Mississippi State--Dan Mullen may disagree, but the Bulldogs aren't the best team in the country. While Mississippi State should be in the playoff at this point, their resume isn't strong right now, so they should be #2. The Bulldogs will have an opportunity to improve upon their resume, if they can beat Alabama and Ole Miss. If they can accomplish that feat, and win the SEC title game, they will be the #1 seed in the playoff, and it will be well deserved. Unlike FSU, Mississippi State can drop one game, and still be in the chase.
3. Oregon
AP Rank(5)/Coaches Poll(6)
Key Wins: Michigan State, UCLA,
Key Losses: Arizona
The Case For Oregon--Oregon dominated Michigan State, giving the Ducks the best non-conference win amongst the contenders. Oregon did lose to a good Arizona team, but they have relatively few opportunities to leave a lasting impression. Besides Stanford and Utah, the Ducks have a manageable slate coming down the stretch. Oregon is the only team in my top 4 who can win out, and still not find their way into the playoff. That's a possibility, because most of the teams around Oregon have huge games, games that can vault them into the conversation. Oregon has to win out, and hope for some losses, in order to secure their spot.
4. Auburn
AP Rank(4)/Coaches Poll(4)
Key Wins: Kansas State
Key Losses: Mississippi State
The Case for Auburn--This spot was the hardest to fill, because there's 4 teams vying for this one spot. Auburn has to win out, and beat both Ole Miss and Alabama and win the SEC title game for them to hold on to this spot. It's more than likely that Auburn will not win out, and this spot will be up for grabs. Right now, Auburn is in, because of their win over Kansas State, and their impressive margin of victory. Auburn had one lousy game against the Bulldogs, but have rarely been challenged this season.
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