Page 1 of 1

Projecting The Playoffs After 2 Weeks

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2025 10:10 am
by StevensTechU
Lets get way ahead of ourselves....

Injuries, improvements, and tank jobs will change things significantly over the next few months, but if you're betting on the field after two weeks, who would you have in your playoff bracket?

Re: Projecting The Playoffs After 2 Weeks

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2025 10:26 am
by StevensTechU
By confidence level, I'll go...

Etch it in stone:
Ohio State
Oregon
Penn State

I think they'll make it:
Miami
Florida State
Utah

I had to look at schedules for too long to get here:
South Florida
Texas
Georgia
Week 8 winner of USC/Notre Dame
Week 4 winner of Indiana/Illinois
LSU

Left out:
Alabama, S Carolina, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Nebraska, Iowa State, Arizona State, Clemson

Re: Projecting The Playoffs After 2 Weeks

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2025 12:53 pm
by JIDuck97
StevensTechU wrote: Mon Sep 08, 2025 10:26 am By confidence level, I'll go...

Etch it in stone:
Ohio State
Oregon
Penn State

I think they'll make it:
Miami
Florida State
Utah

I had to look at schedules for too long to get here:
South Florida
Texas
Georgia
Week 8 winner of USC/Notre Dame
Week 4 winner of Indiana/Illinois
LSU

Left out:
Alabama, S Carolina, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Nebraska, Iowa State, Arizona State, Clemson
I could totally be wrong but does the Big12 still get an autobid?

Edit: Ignore this. I forgot Utah is now in the Big12. Still feels weird.

Re: Projecting The Playoffs After 2 Weeks

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2025 5:33 am
by StevensTechU
Predicting who will be "this year's Indiana" or "SMU" - a team who feasted on a subpar schedule - is a really interesting subplot for this season. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are some of the teams who could have a sterling record without much effort.

Cal Bears - No current top 25 opponents. Hardest game is @ Louisville, second hardest is home versus SMU. 11-1 is very possible.
Georgia Tech - Hardest game is vs. Georgia, but has already won their second hardest game versus Clemson. Second hardest remaining is @ Duke. 11-1 is very possible.
Notre Dame - Toughest part of the schedule is done. Hardest game remaining is at home versus USC. Sound hardest is Boise State or @ Arkansas. 10-2 is very possible.
Nebraska - Hardest game remaining is @ Penn State. Second hardest is home versus Michigan this weekend. 11-1/10-2 is very possible.
Illinois - Hardest game remaining is @ Ohio State. Second hardest is @ Indiana this weekend. 11-1 is possible.
Tulane - Plays Ole Miss this weekend, but no other ranked teams. 12 - 0 /11-1 is very possible.

The Big 12 is full of these teams, maybe Iowa State most egregiously, and I'm sure I've missed some others.

Re: Projecting The Playoffs After 2 Weeks

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2025 6:44 am
by Greenblood
StevensTechU wrote: Wed Sep 17, 2025 5:33 am Predicting who will be "this year's Indiana" or "SMU" - a team who feasted on a subpar schedule - is a really interesting subplot for this season. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are some of the teams who could have a sterling record without much effort.

Cal Bears - No current top 25 opponents. Hardest game is @ Louisville, second hardest is home versus SMU. 11-1 is very possible.
Georgia Tech - Hardest game is vs. Georgia, but has already won their second hardest game versus Clemson. Second hardest remaining is @ Duke. 11-1 is very possible.
Notre Dame - Toughest part of the schedule is done. Hardest game remaining is at home versus USC. Sound hardest is Boise State or @ Arkansas. 10-2 is very possible.
Nebraska - Hardest game remaining is @ Penn State. Second hardest is home versus Michigan this weekend. 11-1/10-2 is very possible.
Illinois - Hardest game remaining is @ Ohio State. Second hardest is @ Indiana this weekend. 11-1 is possible.
Tulane - Plays Ole Miss this weekend, but no other ranked teams. 12 - 0 /11-1 is very possible.

The Big 12 is full of these teams, maybe Iowa State most egregiously, and I'm sure I've missed some others.
Shocking to think of Cal at 11-1, but I see how that looks to be a possibility at the moment.

I also was looking at the Fighting Illini. Obviously this weekend at #19 Indiana is huge (for the Hoosiers as well, for that matter). And Illinois actually hosts Ohio State on Oct 11.

Re: Projecting The Playoffs After 2 Weeks

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2025 7:47 pm
by StevensTechU
StevensTechU wrote: Wed Sep 17, 2025 5:33 am Predicting who will be "this year's Indiana" or "SMU" - a team who feasted on a subpar schedule - is a really interesting subplot for this season. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are some of the teams who could have a sterling record without much effort.

Cal Bears - No current top 25 opponents. Hardest game is @ Louisville, second hardest is home versus SMU. 11-1 is very possible.
Georgia Tech - Hardest game is vs. Georgia, but has already won their second hardest game versus Clemson. Second hardest remaining is @ Duke. 11-1 is very possible.
Notre Dame - Toughest part of the schedule is done. Hardest game remaining is at home versus USC. Sound hardest is Boise State or @ Arkansas. 10-2 is very possible.
Nebraska - Hardest game remaining is @ Penn State. Second hardest is home versus Michigan this weekend. 11-1/10-2 is very possible.
Illinois - Hardest game remaining is @ Ohio State. Second hardest is @ Indiana this weekend. 11-1 is possible.
Tulane - Plays Ole Miss this weekend, but no other ranked teams. 12 - 0 /11-1 is very possible.

The Big 12 is full of these teams, maybe Iowa State most egregiously, and I'm sure I've missed some others.
Fast forward a couple weeks, I wish I would have put Virginia on this list. After beating Florida State at home, they have one loss and no ranked teams left on their schedule. They go on the road at Louisville, Cal, and Duke, and I think they take 1-2 losses among those three but it's not impossible to go 3-0.

Re: Projecting The Playoffs After 2 Weeks

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:33 pm
by Zyme
Locked In:
Ohio st
Oregon

In:
Georgia
Utah
Alabama
Indiana
Miami

My bubble teams:
Ol miss
Texas
FSU
AZ St

Non p4:
Tulane

1st 4 out:
Penn st (i see 3 losses)
OK
TX AnM
GA tech