Image courtesy @AuburnElvis

Playoff Rankings: Week 6 Results

Each week, the TCB Poll is an aggregate of all our inputs. Scroll down to see individual selections and opinions — this is how we’d like to see the College Football Playoff if we had to narrow the field *right now* to determine a national champion. Images courtesy The Helmet Project.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
1		Alabama	6-0	—
2		Clemson	6-0	—
3		Washington	6-0	—
4		Michigan	6-0	—

Also receiving votes: Ohio State.

TCB Committee Member Comments

@AuburnElvis

1. Alabama – They dispatched Arkansas fairly easily, but they better not jump out 21-0 against Tennessee this week or it’s all over for the Tide.
2. Michigan – I’m kinda thinking Ohio State will struggle with Wisconsin, so I’m keeping the Wolverines here as my presumptive Big 10 Champion for at least one more week.
3. Clemson – I don’t like Clemson, but as long as they keep winning, I guess I have to keep them here.
4. Washington – Well, it looks like all those “Washington’s going to be good this year” predictions finally came true. Good job, Huskies.

@HawkeyeElvis

Iowa keeps the pig! I hope that’s not the highlight of my season. Hawkeye Elvis Top Four…

1. Alabama – Tide rolls. Vols will be interesting.
2. Ohio State – I think they will steamroll the Badgers as they look forward to the khaki-wearers.
3. Clemson – Shows no sign of Clemsoning anytime soon.
4. Washington – I don’t see an obstacle between them and playoffs.

On deck – Houston, a certain khaki-wearing coached team that I still refuse to acknowledge…..

@IrishElvis

Gonna switch it up a bit this week (and probably going forward) — taking a look at who they’ve played…

1. Clemson. 2-0 vs. top-10 teams. Not seeing too many other teams with that on their resume
2. Alabama. 1-0 vs. top-10, and 2-0 vs. top-30. Any arguments, Volunteers?
3. M******n. 2-0 vs. top-30 competition. I’m shocked they’ve played anyone that difficult.
4. Washington. Their only top-30 opponent was Stanford, but they looked mighty fine that evening.

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Image courtesy @AuburnElvis

Playoff Rankings: Week 5 Results

Each week, the TCB Poll is an aggregate of all our inputs. Scroll down to see individual selections and opinions — this is how we’d like to see the College Football Playoff if we had to narrow the field *right now* to determine a national champion. Images courtesy The Helmet Project.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
1		Alabama	5-0	—
2		Clemson	5-0	+ 3
3		Washington	5-0	+ 2
4		Michigan	5-0	-1

Also receiving votes: Ohio State.

TCB Committee Member Comments

@AuburnElvis

Let’s just take a moment to bask in the futility that is Georgia Football… [inhale]… [exhale]… Yes. Delicious. We need to get us a Georgia Elvis in this thing. Hey, Readers. If any of you have a line on someone willing to A) dress as amazingly as we do on Saturdays, and B) admit they’re a Georgia fan right now, have them get in touch with us. Thankyouverymuch.

Now my Playoff Picks:

1. Alabama (or maybe Texas A&M?) – The SEC may be down, but it’s still the Gold Standard in College Football, so its champion will get into the playoff.
2. Michigan (or Ohio State) – Like the SEC, the Big 10 Champion will get in, and I think Michigan is a smarter pick… for now.
3. Clemson (or Louisville) – Some idiots are saying the ACC may get TWO teams in, but I’m sorry, no way that happens. There are enough Committee members from Big 12/ Pac 12 country who will NOT suffer the indignity of two ACC teams in the playoffs at the expense of a decent Western team..
4. Washington (or Houston) – Stanford wasn’t consistent enough so they blew their shot, and if Washington slips up too, only Houston stands in the way of a completely Eastern playoff field this year. But that’s what you get from a region where college football isn’t as important as hacky-sack, or whatever the hippies are doing these days.

@HawkeyeElvis

Well the Hawkeyes have gone from the penthouse to the outhouse. Nothing to do but keep on movin’ on.

1. Alabama – Can Bert Bielema pull off a shocker this week? Probably not.
2. Ohio State – Urbz is just rolling through his schedule. Nothing scary until the end.
3. Clemson – The way that Florida State has tumbled, I don’t see any more road bumps for the Tigers.
4. Washington – Wow. I had no idea that teams could shut down Christian McCaffery like that.

On deck – Houston, a certain khaki-wearing coached team that I still refuse to acknowledge…..

@IrishElvis

1. Alabama. This season, boring gets results.
2. M******n. Big matchup with Rutgers to impress the pollsters. </end sarcasm>
3. Clemson. Outlasts Louisville, shows some big-time flashes on both sides of the ball that will serve them well (again) come playoff time.
4. Washington nudges out Houston here because of their impressive performance against Stanford. Ok, it was a depleted Cardinal offensive line, but Chris Peterson’s squad has done it against decent competition all year.

Next up: Ohio State, Houston.

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Malik Zaire (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

WHY I CONSIDERED CHANGING MY PREDICTION

The pundits seem to think the Irish are very good given their pre-season rankings. Phil Steele has the Irish slated for a Top 10 finish. Athlon has the Irish headed to the Orange Bowl vs. Louisville, while the Sporting News has the Irish playing Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

The schedule is still a huge concern for me at this point. Just the names Texas, Michigan State, Stanford, Miami and USC bring pause. Yes I know the majority are at home. But it still is hard to look at that grouping and not see at least one loss. The loss of Jones is disconcerting too. I know he was not a huge star, but his role was expected to increase this year. Plus you have now lost a weapon before you even put pads on. That’s not exactly how you want to start.

The quarterback situation: Uggh! I’m not sure why Brian Kelly is waiting so long. I hope this does not drag out for much of camp. I always agreed with the pundits that if you have two quarterbacks it means you don’t have one. For me, it is time to pick a quarterback and move forward. For my two cents worth, I’m starting DeShone Kizer.

Finally, what about the defense. This very blog was highly critical of Brian VanGorder at various points throughout the summer. Is it warranted? Is the scheme too complex? Are players being fully developed? All very good questions that I admittedly do not have the answers to.

However, I will say this in my years as a Notre Dame fan I’ve recognized that Irish fans (in general) are coach killers. Not since Lou Holtz has a coach been fully embraced by the Notre Dame masses. At what point are the players accountable? Has VanGorder underachieved? Have the players? Or have both?

Alas, I digress from the original question posed. How good are the Irish? In July, I said a playoff team. Publications have them in the Top 10. Heather Dinich of ESPN projects the Irish as a playoff team. As July has faded to August, my optimism has faded some too. Another brutal schedule, a “potential” quarterback controversy, and some big questions on defense shows me at least two losses. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

The post Playoff in 2016? I’m Changing My Prediction appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Confusing times such as these call for reflection.  And so, I address these conundrums, and like the pool in front of the Library (but with much less duck poop), I reflect:

Strange Signs in the Sky – Football in the descendant, Basketball in the ascendant

Well, I suppose I wouldn’t say football is falling, but the season certainly fell apart.  There’s always next season and the hope that brings; and at least we didn’t have a Michigan season (“Michigan” now synonymous with “shambolic, laughably bad”).  But where did this basketball team come from?  Were these Fighting Irish born under a star?  Teams from the East keep coming to see them, not to do homage, but to lose.  This team fights through adversity, comes from behind, never says die, and does it again and again.  These Irish make amazing baskets, play tough, and refuse to let up on themselves or their teammates even into overtime.  It must be said that the basketball team could only have learned these noble traits from the football team which, aside from having all the championships, is a full 11 years older than the basketball team, and therefore the athletic and spiritual mentor.

Even the basketball arena is doing better than the football Stadium.  Ned Joyce’s big top has a winning percentage of .793 since the ringmaster opened it in 1968, while Notre Dame Stadium has a winning percentage of only .758 since Rockne built it in 1930.  So I say, well done, Ned; Stadium, get your act together.  I look forward to the Tournament, the only playoff system I like…because it’s old and I have no choice.

A Mysterious Metamorphosis – When is a football stadium not a football stadium

As anyone knows who has tried to walk to a business class or a game in the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, CSC, Athletic and Convocation Center, there is some sort of strip-mining operation going on around the Stadium.  Like an 80,000-seat caterpillar, the House the Rockne Built is become the House of Football, Anthropology, Psychology, Music, and Recreation – a collegiate butterfly of truly monumental proportions.  The project is…interesting; and since they’ve moved more dirt than it took to build the Panama Canal, the project is…inevitable.  So quit complaining.

It’s progress, people!  The Joyce Center isn’t winning any beauty pageants (though it looks suggestively like something one of the contestants might wear), but it’s a tremendous improvement over the old Fieldhouse.  That was a truss-roof warehouse with a castellated façade stuck onto it.  Today it would pass for a Camelot-themed restaurant, or a park where children play golf against moving windmills, clown mouths, and fake Medieval fortresses.  It was hot in spring and summer, cold in fall and winter, and had a cinder track for most of its history.  It was torn down over the protests of those who felt the campus was losing its tradition.  All that’s left is a square block of bricks with a brass plaque, and no one knows why the patch around the Druid fountain is called Fieldhouse Mall.

Don’t try to tell me that sticking classrooms and a student center onto the Stadium moves the “heart” of campus away from the Main Building and Sacred Heart.  That was done when they started building on my farm.  There are already classroom buildings next to and beyond the Stadium.  And good luck explaining the concept of a “heart of the campus” to any lad living in Carroll Hall.  If I had wanted the Main building to be the hub of a radiating wheel, I wouldn’t have built it and the church on top of two waterholes (which REALLY did look like one).  Walk out of either building and you can roll down the hill, past the Grotto, and into the Lake.  Believe me, I saw a sophomore from New Jersey do it once.  The Main Building may have been the heart and entirety of campus at one time, but these days the only reason most students go in there is because they got caught making hooch in a dorm room; or because a lad got caught with Jane Hooch in his dorm room after midnight.  And most students don’t even go to Sacred Heart on Sunday.  They wake up around noon, lie on a fainting couch eating cold pizza all day, and then at the appointed non-canonical hour, they go to the dorm worship space in their pajamas to blow up balloons and sing “Be Not Afraid.”

Real versus Fantasy – The intrusion of professional football

All Americans are commanded to focus their attention on professional football for its annual halftime show surrounded by a final game.  Not satisfied with one weekend of fawning attention, the league has manufactured a sham controversy about withering footballs.  I know why the New England team took air out of their footballs – to prepare for Pete Carroll who loved that old trick at USC.  And when New England trots out the quarterback and the head coach to assure us they did nothing wrong, pardon me if I have trouble believing a Michigan man and the basta fellow who recommended Charlie Weis to us as a great hire.  I really don’t care if there’s too much air or not enough air in the footballs come Sunday.  I say we fill them with hydrogen like a German blimp and see what happens.

Yet, college football, with its shiny new playoff, continues to try to be more like professional football, because it’s “The Real World.”  When was the last time a college student wanted life to hurry up and become the real world?  You already have tyrannical bosses who impose unrealistic expectations and unreasonable deadlines; you already have noisy and nosy neighbors, and if you live in Cavanaugh you have a house next door full of ill-behaved children; you already pay too much rent for too little space, and if you live in Morrissey it’s in a slum.  Besides, you can’t drink in the library in the real world…most of the time.

If we want college football to be like the NFL, why don’t we build an oversized municipal stadium housing decadent luxury boxes, charging obscene amounts of money for tickets, named for some product-sponsor, and slinging overpriced beer?  Hmmm…I don’t think we’ll sell naming rights, and I’ll renew my annual appeal for Stadium beer sales.  My point is, with what goes on off the field in the NFL, which is a bit more serious than cheat-sheets and phantom ladyfriends, we at the collegiate level should not aspire to be more like the professional system – unless you’re the SEC or FSU, in which case your scandals are already on par with the NFL, if not just a little worse.

The Hand of the Divine

With all these inversions, reversals, signs, and situations, we are clearly receiving a message from God.  Long ago, he used the Flood of Noah and the destruction of the Tower of Babel to communicate his disfavor.  Today, He is more subtle when he alerts us that He wants us to do His will.  To me the message is clear: He wants us to sacrifice the Jesuits on the altar of the Joyce Center next week, when Boston College falls to Irish Home Victory #601.

EFS CSC

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So the Freemasons have won.  Or the Illuminati, Rosicrucians, Elders of the Priory of Sion – let’s just call them the E-lders of the S-ion P-riory freemasoNs.  They and their Rodent Overlord enjoy a complete victory; they have taken over college football and forced the creation of the playoff system that they have long wanted, and will long broadcast, for lots of money.  I mourn the passing of an era.  Gone are the days when the leading teams from regional affiliations of colleges would compete in the top bowl games.  This year they forced us to watch a Midwestern school, a Pacific coastal school, an Atlantic coastal school, and a school from the Deep South.  It was so very different.

One is compelled to ask who are these teams and how did they get here.  We know Florida State slithered into the system like an Everglades python thanks to a little yellow hankie thrown after Everett Golson’s pass was caught.  We know Ohio State made it into the mix because Urban Meyer, wearing his earring and turban, playing his fiddle, and driving his mule and wagon, settled his caravan for a while in Columbus, where he has found his fourth and possibly final Dream Job.  Alabama returned to the fore of competition after Crimson Tide fans sacrificed sufficient numbers of vermin and unfortunate livestock to that lurching cult object known as Saban.  But I always thought Oregon was a trail.

Unlike in the past, when these teams would have to be conference champions, this year a secretive group of selectors, meeting is seclusion, using inscrutable criteria, began deciding the fate of the entire college football system half-way through the season.  I suppose this is marginally better than the BCS which left decisions to a heartless, soulless machine; but I understand Willingham was one of the selectors, so what’s the difference.  In any event, we should all instinctively bristle at the notion of a mysterious and relatively unknown group meeting behind closed doors to make weighty decisions.  Unless it’s the College of Cardinals electing a Pope.  But we all know very well that they can make mistakes, too.

The Elders gave us four teams in a playoff, of which we shall now watch the two victors fight for the Championship.  The Elders’ winged-monkeys at ESPN have been emoting so effusively about this being the “First True National Champion” that one would hope they invested in some extra-absorbent loincloths.  One must also ask if this ludicrous First-True declaration somehow invalidates the last century-or-so of so-called College National Champions.  In the case of Alabama, I heartily hope some of their self-awarded crowns are removed.  But for every other team never graced by this miracle of a playoff system, some allowances should be made.

For Notre Dame, certainly.  Do not misinterpret me: the Fighting Irish had no place in the playoff this year – not after our original team was taken up in a temporary rapture and replaced with Notre Dame High School.  (Thank goodness an astute coaching staff and an additional quarterback were returned to corporeal form in time to defeat Louisiana State in something other than a Spelling Bee.)  Certainly the Irish have suffered grave injustices at the hands of championship awarders in the past.  But who would ever trust sports writers to vote without bearing long-standing grudges against colleges that either beat their alma maters, or never admitted them in the first place.  And who could ever say coaches voting on other teams was anything less than asking the Germans to choose which country to fight and in which order.

Ultimately, every system will be flawed.  Yes, even this playoff system is flawed, though the ESPN chatterboxes adamantly refuse to admit this as they sit in their own lukewarm pools.  How do I know every system will be flawed – because any system depends on humans, who since Eden, live in a fallen state, and who sin.  Also, because there is a small Christian school in Texas that should very well have been included in the playoff, yet was not.  “But they would have taken Ohio State’s place, and Ohio State won,” say they Elders as they sip their fine vintages and eat their delicate canapés in the luxatorium overlooking the field at Jerry Jones’ Temple to Mamon.  “But we’ll never know if Texas Christian also could have beaten Alabama,” say I, as I sit contemplating this mystery in my frozen office under Our Lady’s Golden Dome, wondering simultaneously whether my tongue would become permanently affixed to said Dome if I licked it when the temperature is this far below zero.

So come Monday, I will be cheering for neither Ohio State nor Oregon, and certainly not for the Elders.  I will be saying a prayer for small Christian schools everywhere that they may never again be unjustly excluded from this playoff system with which we are now yoked.  And by small Christian schools, I mean that Jesuit colleges are specifically NOT included.

EFS CSC 

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Image courtesy @AuburnElvis

Playoff Rankings: 2014 Bowl Games

Each week, the T.C.B. Poll is an aggregate of all our inputs. Scroll down to see individual selections and opinions. Images courtesy The Helmet Project.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
1		Alabama	12-1	—
2		Oregon	12-1	—
3		Florida State	13-0	—
4		Texas Christian	11-1	—

Also receiving votes: Baylor.

TCB Committee Member Comments

@TheLSUElvis

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Florida State

@AuburnElvis

1. Oregon – The only 1-loss team that got a do-over made the most of it.
2. Alabama – Beating Mizzou like a drum means Bama’s easily the 5-or-6th-best team in the Big 10 East
3. TCU – Sorry, Baylor, your best non-conference victory was Buffalo. And if this were the NFL Buffalo instead of the NCAA Buffalo, that would mean something.
4. Florida State – If Ohio State had lost to any decent team on their schedule, I’d have no trouble putting the Buckeyes in over an undefeated FSU team that struggled with a weaker schedule (and considering OSU’s in the Big 10, that’s saying something.) But at the end of the day, barely beating 3 mediocre, ranked teams, and barely beating 6 not-very-good teams was all you needed to do. Congratulations.

@HawkeyeElvis

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Baylor

@IrishElvis

1. Florida State – I dislike just about everything about this team, but if you win all your games and don’t have a horrendous strength-of-schedule (FSU’s is ranked 37th — ahead of TCU, Ohio State, and Baylor), you should be rewarded with the top slot. The actual committee’s conundrum with teams 4-6 began when they demoted an undefeated and defending national champion out of the #1 spot, in my opinion.
2. Oregon – Avenged their sole loss. It doesn’t always work this cleanly, but they made good on their opportunity to clear any remaining doubts.
3. Alabama – a Bama/Oregon semifinal would be a fascinating clash of styles. Bring it on!
4. Baylor -Conference co-champions? Let’s check the results on October 11…

The post TCB Poll: College Football Playoff appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Image courtesy @AuburnElvis

Playoff Rankings: Week 14

Each week, the T.C.B. Poll is an aggregate of all our inputs. Scroll down to see individual selections and opinions. Images courtesy The Helmet Project.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
1		Alabama	11-1	+2
2		Oregon	11-1	-1
3		Florida State	12-0	-1
4		Texas Christian	10-1	—

Also receiving votes: Baylor.

TCB Committee Member Comments

@TheLSUElvis

1. Alabama – Nick Saban has a process to his program. The process is working great and without a huge upset by Missouri in the SEC Championship Game, the Tide will be the #1 team.
2. Oregon – With the Heisman front runner playing great football right now, the Ducks are ready to compete for the National Title.
3. TCU – I don’t see Iowa State taking them down and they seem to be a good 3rd seed
4. Florida State – I have been saying all year, the defending National Champion that is undefeated deserves to be in the top 4 if not the top spot. Had Ohio State not lost their QB they might have jumped Florida State in this poll. I hope they are #4 so we can get a Saban vs. Fisher opening round match.

@AuburnElvis

1. Oregon – They seem to have worked out their early-season OL problems. If they trounce Arizona, they’ll likely be the #1 or #2 overall seed.
2. Alabama – I don’t expect the Tide to have much trouble with Mizzou, a team that couldn’t beat Indiana at home.
3. TCU – The Horned Frogs blasted Texas while Baylor struggled with Texas Tech. Head-to-head says Baylor should be here, but I honestly don’t see the Bears beating Kansas State.
4. Florida State – Will lose to Georgia Tech and let Ohio State or Wisconsin slip into the #4 spot. Hilarity will ensue.

@HawkeyeElvis

1. Alabama – Lots of Head Coaching jobs out there for Kiffin. How long does he stay under Uncle Nick’s wing?
2. Oregon – Speaking of wings, I’m really looking forward to the Ducks playoff opponent.
3. TCU – I had earlier penalized the Frogs for a close win against an inferior opponent. I had to do the same to Baylor. Plus I think the Bears get beat by that old wizard Bill Snyder.
4. Florida State – Almost losing to Florida this year should be grounds for keeping them out of the playoffs altogether.

@IrishElvis

1. Florida State – Undefeated 2 years running? I can’t leave ’em off my top spot.
2. Oregon – If their assistant coaching ranks are poached by vacant head coaching jobs between now & the playoff, then I’ll be nervous. For now, I still trust them (and Marcus Mariota’s efficiency) more than Lane Kiffin.
3. Alabama – Their best is enough to beat anybody, but they’ve shown a startling inconsistency for long stretches during the season (longer than FSU, certainly).
4. Baylor – I have to put them in here over TCU, simply because I think actual head-to-head results should matter more than numerical hypotheticals.

The TCB Poll predicted 3-of-4 teams submitted by the College Football Playoff Committee last week, who (as it turns out) gave too much credit to Mississippi State. Barring any unforeseen results in the final weekend, this should be how the playoff shakes out.

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Image courtesy @AuburnElvis

Playoff Rankings: Week 13

Each week, the T.C.B. Poll is an aggregate of all our inputs. Scroll down to see individual selections and opinions. Images courtesy The Helmet Project.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
1		Oregon	10-1	+1
2		Florida State	11-0	-1
3		Alabama	10-1	—
4		Texas Christian	9-1	—

Also receiving votes: Mississippi State, Ohio State, Baylor.

TCB Committee Member Comments

@TheLSUElvis

LSU used to play for the Golden Boot on the last weekend of the season, now we play Texas A&M for a trophy that does not exist yet. Oh well…Top 4 going into the final week:

1. Florida State – Still the defending national champs and only unbeaten should be the #1 team each season. Can the Muschamp crew pull off a miracle to take them down in the final week?
2. Alabama – Iron Bowl has been pretty dramatic the last few years. I hope it continues
3. Oregon – I want to see the Ducks and The Tide go head to head in the first playoff game
4. Mississippi State – Egg Bowl vs. Ole Miss.

On Deck: Ohio State, Baylor and TCU

@AuburnElvis

Rivalry Week is here! Throw out all the records (that work against whatever teams you’re pulling for) and get ready for the chaos.

1. Oregon – Ducks never say die.
2. Bama – Sure, whatever.
3. TCU – If Baylor beats Texas Tech soundly, I’ll be willing to move the Bears over TCU b/c of their head-to-head… but I won’t feel good about it.
4. FSU – Will Muschamp… if ever there was a time for your neurotic, bi-polar, Boom-tastic powers to produce a win Florida has no business getting on their own, it’s now. Vaya con Dios.

@HawkeyeElvis

Well, it looks like I picked the wrong week to give up drinking. Between a close basketball loss on Friday to a ranked team and an even closer football on Saturday to a ranked team, Hawkeye Elvis has a whole Mess of Blues.My Top 4 with two weeks to go:

1. Oregon – Calmly, methodically moving its way through the remainder of its schedule. Kind of like a serial killer.
2. Alabama – Dear Karmic Football Gods/Deliverers of Delicious Irony, how about an improbably Auburn victory on Saturday. It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as last year, but that would be kinda neat.
3. Florida State – Now the Gators beating the Seminoles this week, THAT would be hilarious.
4. Mississippi State – Out goes the Big 12. Clanga’s 5-point loss at Alabama is the best of the 1-lossers.

On deck: Ohio State (how in the blue hell did they lose to Virginia Tech?), TCU (wakes up in a cold sweat at night recalling their loss to Baylor), Baylor (used up all its luck in coming back to beat TCU, none left for the WV loss).

@IrishElvis

1. Florida State – I’m curious if there’s *anything* Jameis Winston could do at this point to be declared ineligible. I mean, he’s running out of shenanigans to pull.
2. Oregon – Prime time road game. Easy way to lose national respect…or solidify your playoff spot.
3. TCU – Will Texas make a late-season surge under Charlie Strong? Will TCU keep their offense in overdrive? Will I escape the clutches of tryptophan to watch this game?
4. Alabama – Methinks the Dark Lord Saban will not leave anything to chance in this year’s Iron Bowl, but my allegiance is with Auburn Elvis.

First 3 out: Ohio State, Mississippi State, Baylor.

The TCB Poll went 3-for-4 last week in advance of the Playoff Committee rankings, with MSU making the Committee’s cut over the Elvii’s pick of TCU.

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Image courtesy @AuburnElvis

Playoff Rankings: Week 12

Each week, the T.C.B. Poll is an aggregate of all our inputs. Scroll down to see individual selections and opinions. Images courtesy The Helmet Project.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
1		Florida State	10-0	+1
2		Oregon	9-1	+1
3		Alabama	9-1	+2
4		Texas Christian	9-1	—

Also receiving votes: Ohio State, Mississippi State, Baylor.

TCB Committee Member Comments

@TheLSUElvis

1. Florida State – The defending national champs are the only unbeaten among the big conferences. That should place them at the top.
2. Alabama – Nick Saban will have this team prepared to play in the playoffs
3. Oregon – I want to see the Ducks and The Tide go head to head in the first playoff game
4. Mississippi State – Tough loss on the road to Alabama. They win out then they should have a shot to play for the title in the playoffs.

On Deck: Ohio State, Baylor and TCU.

@AuburnElvis

Every week, just more disappointment and heartbreak. The good guys keep losing and the bad guys keep winning. It’s enough to make a football Elvis turn to booze and pills. Thankfully, we have this poll as a reason to get up Monday mornings and put on the ol’ jumpsuit.

1. Oregon – Kings of the bye week, the Ducks got to sit back and watch the other contenders lose or struggle.
2. Alabama – If they can beat a reeling Auburn team at home in 2 weeks, they’ll win the SEC West, and likely advance into the playoffs after winning the SEC Championship.
3. FSU – Pulled off another characteristic escape against what should be an inferior opponent. Boston College, Florida, and the ACC Coastal Champion are all that stand between this team and the playoffs.
4. TCU – Struggled at Kansas, but it doesn’t matter. Unless Baylor beats OK State and Kansas State, the close Baylor head-to-head result doesn’t sway me.

5, 6, & 7 – Mississippi State, Ohio State, Baylor. The Bulldogs are out unless TCU continues to struggle and Baylor loses. Same situation for the Buckeyes, PLUS Mississippi State has to lose to Ole Miss. If Baylor wins out, I expect they’ll jump into TCU’s spot.

@HawkeyeElvis

I truly feel for my Elvii brethren this week. But that’s why we have another game this week to chase out those demons from the last. Bye-bye Clanga from my Top 4. Out of respect for Auburn Elvis, I will keep Bama out of the top spot.

1. Florida State – One of these days, they will run into a team that keeps a double-digit lead throughout the game.
2. Alabama – Gets a bye week against Western Carolina.
3. Oregon – Wisely chose not to play this week. The Pac-12 title is there for the taking.
4. Baylor – Yep. I’m sticking with the Bears. They own the head-to-head against TCU and they didn’t almost lose to Kansas.

On deck: Ohio State, TCU, Mississippi State.

Here we all thought there would be a fight over 1-loss teams. There could be a BIG fight over 2-loss teams in a couple of weeks.

@IrishElvis

1. Florida State – adios, MSU. Sole undefeated team needs the top spot, no matter how much I loathe their off-field activity or their first half boredom.
2. Oregon – bumps up a spot. Don’t lose focus, Quacks.
3. TCU – I’ll reward you for hanging on against an inferior team this week, if only because a 1st round spread offense playoff on New Year’s Day vs. 2-seed Oregon would be incredible to watch
4. Alabama – toughest schedule to date, so they schedule a D-II opponent (note: it’s never the right time to schedule a D-II opponent). They have a good number of weapons in their arsenal, but they’ll need to avoid a loss in the coming weeks.

First 3 out: Ohio State, Mississippi State, Baylor.

The TCB Poll nailed all 4 teams again last week in advance of the Playoff Committee rankings, transposing only FSU & Oregon. With all the shuffling this week, it will be interesting to see what the Committee presents.

The post TCB Poll: Week 12 Reactions appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Image courtesy @AuburnElvis

Playoff Rankings: Week 11

Each week, the T.C.B. Poll is an aggregate of all our inputs. Scroll down to see individual selections and opinions.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
1		Mississippi State	9-0	—
2		Florida State	9-0	—
3		Oregon	9-1	+1
4		Texas Christian	8-1	+1

Also receiving votes: Alabama, Baylor.

TCB Committee Member Comments

@TheLSUElvis

Only two of my top four from last week survived with Mississippi State and Florida State staying alive but Michigan State and Auburn getting beat….so who moves up to the new #3 and #4 spots?

1. Mississippi State – playing Alabama this week to determine if they continue down the perfect road
2. Florida State – I don’t see Miami pulling off this upset
3. Alabama – playing Mississippi State this week is quite the game
4. Oregon – I guess they will win out but I will be surprised if they win a playoff game

@AuburnElvis

Terrible weekend for the good guys. When’s basketball season start?

1. Mississippi State – Come on, Bulldogs. Don’t let us down. Even at home, Bama’s venerable.
2. Oregon – Looking really good right now. If they keep It up, they’re in.
3. TCU – Should win out and I doubt Baylor will. So, I expect the onetime mid-major to make the playoffs.
4. Florida State – Barring a Miami or Florida upset, the Seminoles will take the 4th spot with the B1G 10 being left out.

@HawkeyeElvis

We creep towards the final playoff spots with about six or seven truly legit contenders.

1. Mississippi State – Clanga is still the king and will cement that role if they can survive Tuscaloosa on Saturday. ‘Bama is juuuuuusst outside looking in pending this matchup.
2. Florida State – When was the last time the entire nation was rooting for Miami?
3. Oregon – Stays in pending a win against Arizona State in the Pac-12 Championship game.
4. Baylor – Is TCU more impressive right now? Undoubtedly. But the Bears have that all-important head-to-head win over the Frogs.

And now for my very special Heartbreak Hotel edition for the four of us. Most heartbreaking losses of the weekend.

1. LSU vs. Alabama – @TheLSUElvis got to meet Tebow, so I guess that’s something.
2. Auburn vs. Texas A&M – You can still have a good season if you beat Bama.
3. Notre Dame vs. Arizona State – A 10-2 finish is still very possible.
4. Iowa vs. Minnesota – Froze my ass off while watching my team get thumped in a trophy game. Living and working in Minneapolis is not going to be very fun this week.

@IrishElvis

1. Mississippi State
2. Florida State
3. Oregon
4. TCU

I’m leaving my four unchanged again this week. Head-to-head says Baylor > TCU, but I think the Bears have another loss in them yet this year.

On another note: last week the TCB Poll exactly matched the teams & order presented by the College Football Playoff Committee. Which just goes to show you: when you need sage football counsel, always trust 4 men in sequined attire.

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