The Committee has come out with their newest rankings. After hearing that Tua's injury had to be taken into account for Bama's loss to LSU, he has been lost for the season. The committee therefore responded by not taking his loss into account at all and keeping Bama at #5. Now, I'm not arguing this is wrong, necessarily. Ohio State emphatically proved you can win a title with a 3rd string QB. Just inconsistent.
If there's any posturing, this week, it's that Minnesota is set up to jump ahead of Penn State again, should Ohio State beat Penn State and Minnesota rebound, and the Pac-12 is being set up for a playoff team with USC entering the picture as a ranked win. Wisconsin is creeping up as a possible Rose Bowl dark horse. Still not a lot of respect shown for Oklahoma. Ultimately, it's looking like a 1 loss Pac-12 champion would jump a 1 loss Bama. Let's look at how it looks for the Orange Bowl and subsequently the ACC.
Playoff Projection:
1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Utah
Rest of the NY6:
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Minnesota
Sugar Bowl: Bama vs. Oklahoma
Orange Bowl: Georgia vs. Miami
Cotton Bowl: Florida vs. Cincy
---
Sudden New and Exciting Orange Bowl Race
It's like watching a race and suddenly a few runners you never saw coming are making pushes and right on the rear of the leaders. Check this out:
I'm projecting Wake Forest at 9 wins (Duke, Cuse on schedule)
I'm projecting UVA, VT, and Pitt at 8 wins each.
...but then, I'm projecting Miami at 8 wins (FIU and Duke on schedule) and they'll have a lot of momentum that the other teams on the schedule won't have in my projection. They have no chance of losing to Clemson (eliminated from Coastal), and so they probably have the best odds of sneaking into the Orange Bowl as a #22 or #23, if the finish is as chaotic as we should probably expect it to be.
Granted, if UVA and Pitt both win out, each is at 9 wins, and so one of them (maybe/probably Pitt?) would get an Orange, but...
...it's getting hard to deny VT, isn't it? The winner of the VT vs. Pitt game will possibly be ranked (unfortunately, ESPECIALLY if it's VT.) Look to see UVA ranked after a win over Liberty, too. That sets up a ranked ACC Championship Game and, probably, a ranked Orange Bowl team. Even if it's Miami.
Wake seems to be limping too much into the finish line, but they should be a 9 win team, which must mean something.
---
I'm seeing the Orange Bowl as an ACC vs. SEC match up, so no Citrus Bowl bid is available for the ACC.
Cuse's upset of Duke changes the bowl picture quite a bit. Here's who's bowl eligible in the ACC:
Clemson
Notre Dame
Wake Forest
UVA
Pitt
VT
Miami
Louisville
Florida State
Here's who's one game away:
BC
UNC is two games away, but next week plays FCS Mercer.
NC State, Cuse, UNC, and Duke all must win out to make a bowl. NCSU and UNC have yet to play each other.
--
Playoff: Clemson
Orange Bowl: Miami
Camping World: Notre Dame
Pinstripe: Virginia Tech
Sun: Virginia
Belk: Wake Forest
Music City: Pitt
Military: Florida State
Independence: Louisville
Quick Lane: North Carolina
Birmingham Bowl: Boston College
Here's your disclaimer that I'm an amateur.
If there's any posturing, this week, it's that Minnesota is set up to jump ahead of Penn State again, should Ohio State beat Penn State and Minnesota rebound, and the Pac-12 is being set up for a playoff team with USC entering the picture as a ranked win. Wisconsin is creeping up as a possible Rose Bowl dark horse. Still not a lot of respect shown for Oklahoma. Ultimately, it's looking like a 1 loss Pac-12 champion would jump a 1 loss Bama. Let's look at how it looks for the Orange Bowl and subsequently the ACC.
Playoff Projection:
1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Utah
Rest of the NY6:
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Minnesota
Sugar Bowl: Bama vs. Oklahoma
Orange Bowl: Georgia vs. Miami
Cotton Bowl: Florida vs. Cincy
---
Sudden New and Exciting Orange Bowl Race
It's like watching a race and suddenly a few runners you never saw coming are making pushes and right on the rear of the leaders. Check this out:
I'm projecting Wake Forest at 9 wins (Duke, Cuse on schedule)
I'm projecting UVA, VT, and Pitt at 8 wins each.
...but then, I'm projecting Miami at 8 wins (FIU and Duke on schedule) and they'll have a lot of momentum that the other teams on the schedule won't have in my projection. They have no chance of losing to Clemson (eliminated from Coastal), and so they probably have the best odds of sneaking into the Orange Bowl as a #22 or #23, if the finish is as chaotic as we should probably expect it to be.
Granted, if UVA and Pitt both win out, each is at 9 wins, and so one of them (maybe/probably Pitt?) would get an Orange, but...
...it's getting hard to deny VT, isn't it? The winner of the VT vs. Pitt game will possibly be ranked (unfortunately, ESPECIALLY if it's VT.) Look to see UVA ranked after a win over Liberty, too. That sets up a ranked ACC Championship Game and, probably, a ranked Orange Bowl team. Even if it's Miami.
Wake seems to be limping too much into the finish line, but they should be a 9 win team, which must mean something.
---
I'm seeing the Orange Bowl as an ACC vs. SEC match up, so no Citrus Bowl bid is available for the ACC.
Cuse's upset of Duke changes the bowl picture quite a bit. Here's who's bowl eligible in the ACC:
Clemson
Notre Dame
Wake Forest
UVA
Pitt
VT
Miami
Louisville
Florida State
Here's who's one game away:
BC
UNC is two games away, but next week plays FCS Mercer.
NC State, Cuse, UNC, and Duke all must win out to make a bowl. NCSU and UNC have yet to play each other.
--
Playoff: Clemson
Orange Bowl: Miami
Camping World: Notre Dame
Pinstripe: Virginia Tech
Sun: Virginia
Belk: Wake Forest
Music City: Pitt
Military: Florida State
Independence: Louisville
Quick Lane: North Carolina
Birmingham Bowl: Boston College
Here's your disclaimer that I'm an amateur.
Last edited:
