Who are your top 4 teams in the nation?

[Irondawg]

Based on what you've watched if you were ranking them, who are the best 4 college football teams?

I could imagine just about any of the top 10 beating each other. But I guess i'd have to say MSU, Bama, FSU and maybe Oregon.

TCU has been pretty impressive minus their implosion against Baylor

[Political Hack]

1) State
2) Bama
3) FSU
4) Oregon

[Mjoelner34]

1. MSU
2. FSU
3. Auburn
4. Oregon

[archdog]

1a - State
1b - Auburn
1c - Bama
1d - University of MS

5 - Oregon
6 - TCU
7 - FSU
8 - Michigan State
9 - Georgia
10 - Kansas State

[ShotgunDawg]

1. MSU
2. FSU
3. Bama
4. Auburn

5. TCU
6. Ole Miss
7. Oregon - Oregon has the worst loss out of any of the eligible teams. They LOST at HOME to ARI-FREAKING-ZONA. Why does everyone keep ranking them so high?
8. Michigan State - Mich State may need to be higher, but they lost to Oregon and don't really have a Marquee win
9. Notre Dame - Notre Dame only has a good loss. No good wins.

[War Machine Dawg]

1. Us
2. Auburn
3. Bama
4. FSU - very distant behind 1-3

[DragonDawgZ]

1. MSU
2. fsu
3. auburn
4. bama

[dawgs]

1. MSU
2. FSU
3. Bama
4. Auburn

5. TCU
6. Ole Miss
7. Oregon - Oregon has the worst loss out of any of the eligible teams. They LOST at HOME to ARI-FREAKING-ZONA. Why does everyone keep ranking them so high?
8. Michigan State - Mich State may need to be higher, but they lost to Oregon and don't really have a Marquee win
9. Notre Dame - Notre Dame only has a good loss. No good wins.

Well oregon was playing their preseason #5 and #6 OTs in that game. Remember when we blamed a lot of our 2011 problems on OL injuries? Once jake fisher came back and guys could get back to their original spots, the offense got rolling again. Also, arizona is 6-1 with a last minute loss to USC.

I think Bama, auburn, uga, tcu, and oregon are neck and neck for the best 1 L team. Then Michigan st, ND, OM, k state, and all the rest are the next tier.

[ShotgunDawg]

Well oregon was playing their preseason #5 and #6 OTs in that game. Remember when we blamed a lot of our 2011 problems on OL injuries?

This may be so, but every team in the country could complain about that. How do you weight that?

If we lose without Jameon, can we blame that loss on not having Jameon?

I agree Oregon has had injury issues on the offensive line, but every team has had injuries in some way, and it's nearly impossible to unbiasedly go through every team and weight how much they were effected by the lack of a player, unless that player is like Dak, Marriotta, etc.

[ShotgunDawg]

If your going to weight that, then if Dak isn't completely 100% when we play Bama, then MSU should sit him and claim that our only loss was AT Bama and Dak didn't play. Who could top that loss?

[curmudgeon]

Right now, its easy to say MSU, FSU, Bama and Auburn are the top 4 teams, but the Iron Bowl is going to keep one team from making the playoff, and There's an interesting dilemma at the #4 spot in the playoff.

To me, you have five teams that have an argument for the final playoff spot along with MSU, FSU and the Iron Bowl Winner.

Tier 1 Competitors - teams with the best shot at making the playoffs.

Notre Dame - the schedule isn't as bad as it seems, but I don't think they make it through. Arizona State or Louisville will get them and eliminate them.
Oregon - Much better than when they lost to Zona. Remember, they beat Michigan State.
Michigan State - badly needs Oregon to lose a game. But will likely be the Big Ten Champion.
Arizona - Will likely get a rematch with Oregon in the Pac 12 championship game. If they win that one - they have to be considered.
TCU - Another wildcard in the mix, and they do not have to play a top team in a championship game.

Tier 2 Competitors - teams that are still in the race, but would need a lot of help.

Ole Miss - the top of this group. Still technically controls own destiny in SEC race. They have to win out to be considered though. Another loss and they are eliminated.
Georgia - Same situation as Ole Miss. They have to win out - which includes tough games against Auburn and Georgia Tech, as well as the SEC West champion. Can't afford another loss.
Ohio State - could still win the Big Ten and even then it would be a long shot
Kansas State - only loss is to Auburn. If K-State wins the Big 12 and Auburn ends up winning the SEC, are they deserving?
Arizona State - as good of chance of anyone to play themselves into contention. Have a home game with Notre Dame and Arizona, and a possible Pac 12 title game with Oregon. They could eliminate three teams in front of them themselves. But that 62-27 loss to USC looms.

All that to say, the four playoff teams likely come from these 13 teams. And we are at the top of the list with five weeks to go. Couldn't ask for anything better.

I will say this. If we end up holding on to the #1 seed and play in NOLA. I want nothing to do with TCU. Give me an overrated Notre Dame.

[ShotgunDawg]

Curmudgeon , good write up.

What do you think happens if MSU loses a close one at Bama and then wins the Egg Bowl, but Bama goes to the SECCG?

[sleepy dawg]

1. MSU
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. FSU

I try to keep all games equal, and don't really consider margin of victory into the deserving teams. I look at who you've played and what your record is. Obviously, my ranks will be forced to change, and there's no way 3 west teams are in at the end. First 4 out for me:

5. Phlegm Flam
6. Georgia
7. Oregon
8. Oklahoma (that's right, Oklahoma) - 2 losses to ranked teams, but has beaten Tennessee and West Virigina. I think these guys could squeeze in if they win out, which means a win over Baylor, which I think they'll do and that game is at home.

Next 2:

9. K-State
10. LSU (that's right, LSU) They only have 3 games left with only 2 losses currently. They might need a little help from Auburn and MSU, but they play Alabama, Arkansas, and A&M, and they could possibly still find their way in the playoffs.

Also, my rankings are the correct rankings. vCash - check it.

[Westdawg]

I gotta go further than 4 because there are a couple teams that just peak my interest

1 - MSU
2 - FSU
3 - Auburn
4 - Alabama
5a- Oregon
5b- Kansas State

[Goat Holder]

If I'm picking a playoff, it's the SEC champ, Big 12 champ, FSU and Oregon. At this point, with the sked setup, I'd say Alabama and TCU will take those spots. If ND wins out, they might steal a spot, but I doubt it.

Sorry sheep. If we didn't play Bammer on the road, I'd pick us. Sorry too to the SEC sheep, have to give others a shot.

[dawgs]

Tennessee isn't an impressive win

[sleepy dawg]

Tennessee isn't an impressive win

Didn't say it was impressive, but a lower teir SEC team is still much harder than most other games non-SEC teams are playing.

[sleepy dawg]

If I'm picking a playoff, it's the SEC champ, Big 12 champ, FSU and Oregon. At this point, with the sked setup, I'd say Alabama and TCU will take those spots. If ND wins out, they might steal a spot, but I doubt it.

Sorry sheep. If we didn't play Bammer on the road, I'd pick us. Sorry too to the SEC sheep, have to give others a shot.

We followed the question, which was who are the top 4 teams, not who will be in the playoffs at the end of the year, which is quite different than who the best teams are.

[curmudgeon]

Curmudgeon , good write up.

What do you think happens if MSU loses a close one at Bama and then wins the Egg Bowl, but Bama goes to the SECCG?

I'm just a voice on a message board, but I think we would slip in as the #4 team and play Florida State in NOLA, or if Bama ends up #1, we'd play in Pasadena against the #2. For some reason, I think they will avoid the SEC-SEC matchup in the semifinal.

If I were picking my four today based not on my opinion but what I think those 12 people in a room would do - it would be MSU vs. MSU in New Orleans and Florida State vs. Oregon in Pasadena.

Alabama and TCU with the major discussion, followed by Notre Dame. There's still a lot of football left. Arizona State and Kansas State have a chance to make some major moves. If ASU wins out, they would have beaten Notre Dame, Arizona and Oregon to close out the season and win the second toughest conference. How could you leave them out?

Kansas State would have beaten Oklahoma and TCU, and have lost only to Auburn. K-State needs Auburn to win out and lose the SEC Championship Game. An 11-1 Big 12 Champion whose only loss is to the SEC West champion is going to be tough to pass up.

I expect four of these six to be in: Mississippi State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Oregon, Florida State, Michigan State.

But all six could fall. Oregon and Florida State have the easiest road to win out - but neither can afford a loss. We are the only team among those six that have the luxury of a loss doesn't eliminate us. If we were to lose to Bama and finish 11-1, I think we'd find ourselves in the playoff.

[dawgs]

Didn't say it was impressive, but a lower teir SEC team is still much harder than most other games non-SEC teams are playing.

Oklahoma would need about 15 other teams to lose at least 1 more game and probably need msu and f$u to lose 2 to get into the discussion. Maybe tennessee is better than Fresno st., but they both suck.