bullets13

Legacy 99 covenant 50

Timpson 61 Lufkin PWA 60

West Hardin 62 good Samaritan 46

Centerville 47 chester 39

and if they happen to lose a couple of times to the #1 team in the state in 4A, that also will not change things. Coach Davis has scheduled a very difficult schedule for pre-district, with 3 teams that made it to state last year and a couple of tournaments full of playoff teams. So if they head into district with 4 or 5 or 6 losses, that still in no way will persuade me from the fact that they're a top-25 team in 4A, just as they were last year. You're making it sound like folks are trying to argue that HJ is the best team in the state. They may have a ways to go, but they're certainly top-25, just as they've been every year for the last 10-12 years.

I actually expect to see them improve considerably over the next month or two, as they have several very young players contributing significantly this season.

and you're basing this statement on what, exactly? Their loss to 5a #5 Central, or 2A #1 (might would be #1 in 3A as well) Big Sandy?

none of those duos are in 4a, did that matter :)

First shooter identified as Syed Farook. I don't think it's profiling at this point to credit Isis.

Male and female suspects killed. Definitely sounds like isis. Females don't usually get involved in this stuff, unless they're with a terrorist group

Also sounds like another excuse for politicians to talk about taking my guns from me.

Sounds like Isis to me

That's one hell of a win!!!

im fine with that, but one loss with a SOS worse than 50 should eliminate you, too. If mid majors want to eat, they have to make some sort of effort to eat at the big kids' table.

What decides if the conferences are good? How about the quality of the teams they field. If Lamar wins the Southland basketball conference championship, that in no way qualifies them to play in an 8-team national tournament, if that were how basketball was decided. Anybody who knows anything about sports can watch Lamar win the southland and still understand that just about every team in the ACC could come in and play Lamar's schedule and do as good or better, not to mention 50-60 teams (at least) from other conferences. the same holds true for football. And while there may be an occasional exception (Fresno St, Boise St, Utah from a few years back), which i would LOVE to see get the chance to compete, you absolutely must factor in the quality of the opponents that are being played.

but you'd punish them for being in a better conference.

I'm fine giving one David a chance, but not giving 3 when there are 20-30 teams a year who have an equal/better body of work against tougher opponents.

I'll give you one, but not three. One of the reasons I'm for an 8-team playoff is that it would allow for the occasional mid-major to get in. But let's be honest, if you take the best season a mid-major team has each year, there's at least 25-30 teams (likely more) from power conferences that would've equaled or bettered their season if they played the same schedule in the same conference. Houston is the highest ranked mid-major team right now. They're 11-1, and ranked 17th. I honestly believe Texas, who's had a dumpster fire of a season at 4-7, would be at worst 9-3 (and likely 10-2 or 11-1) if they'd played Houston's schedule. Likewise, had Houston played UT's schedule, they'd at best be 6-5 (likely 5-6 or 4-7). I see no realistic argument in placing Houston AND two other slightly lesser mid-major teams into an 8-team playoff. This year that would mean putting 2-loss temple and 2-loss navy, both of whom have played the same mediocre type schedule that Houston has played, ahead of 7 or 8 one and two loss teams from power conferences who have played infinitely harder schedules. Your playoff scenario this year would have 5 of the top 6 or 7 teams, then #17, #20, and #22. Those three teams would make the playoffs ahead of 10-12 teams with equal or better records who'd played infinitely more difficult schedules in infinitely more difficult conferences. I don't like to see mid-majors completely overlooked because they're mid-majors, but they shouldn't be rewarded for it.

I'm usually in agreement with you, but this is ludicrous. We're going to make an 8-team playoff and include 3 teams that wouldn't finish better than top-4 in any of the power conferences? I don't think so.

All of this crazy talk about letting three mid-majors in is insane. That's why I said that they had to go undefeated to get in. As for the talk about OOC scheduling, if you use strength of schedule to determine both seeding and which 2-loss teams will complete the field then you would still get a lot of good OOC matchups

sounds like there was no point in playing that tough schedule. They're being punished for it anyway. That being said, if there was an 8-team playoff they'd be a shoo-in as the first 2-loss team to fill out the field, which might be enough to encourage schools to continue to schedule competitive OOC opponents.

i could deal with losing 15 good matchups to have an 8-game playoff with a consistent qualifying requirement. And if these teams eliminate their tough OOC games then we'll get to see more great matchups in playin games to get into the final 8.

sec gets the most respect and leeway in the polls and they do this already.

thoughts?

Go to an 8-team playoff. all 1-loss and undefeated power conference teams get in. If there are more than eight undefeated or 1-loss power conference teams then use rankings to determine play-in games. If there are less than eight 1-loss or better teams from power conferences then undefeated teams from other conferences get in before you consider 2-loss teams. use the rankings to determine seeding, as well as which 2-loss teams to include when there are openings to fill. Use strength of schedule to help determine rankings to keep teams from scheduling straight cupcakes in their OOC schedule. This system would work every year and give a tangible standard for making the playoffs. # of undefeated and 1-loss power conference teams over the last 10 years going into the bowl games: 2014-6 2013-6 2012-5 2011-4 2010-7 2009-5 (+undefeated Boise st) 2008-7 (+undefeated Boise st and Utah) 2007-ONE (+undefeated Hawaii) 2006-5 (+undefeated Boise st) 2005-6 there will be no more than 8 this year, and likely less. PROBLEM SOLVED!