TCU The Best Team in the Country

[LCDutchman]

TCU should have won the AP NO. 1.  The defense they showed against Wisconsin was very impressive.  Should be a fine addition to the Big East.

[mu-rara]

Explain how you can play an SEC schedule, go undefeated, and not be #1.

[🏀]

Explain how you can play an SEC schedule, go undefeated, and not be #1.

Bingo.

[MerrittsMustache]

Explain how it makes sense that you can go undefeated, and not even have a chance to be #1.

I'm not saying TCU deserves to be the AP #1 over Auburn, but they should at least have the opportunity to play for it.

[GGGG]

Explain how it makes sense that you can go undefeated, and not even have a chance to be #1.

I'm not saying TCU deserves to be the AP #1 over Auburn, but they should at least have the opportunity to play for it.

I don't think anyone disagrees with you, but Auburn played the toughest schedule in the country this year.  They beat the following teams in the final AP poll:

3 - Oregon
8 - LSU
10 - Alabama
12 - Arkansas
15 - Miss State
22 - South Carolina (twice)

TCU beat Wisconsin...that's it.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Not to bust balls, but actually Oregon State was credited with having the toughest schedule this year. Followed by Washington, UCLA, Oklahoma and then Stanford. 

Auburn played a very tough schedule, rated slightly tougher than Oregon's and MUCH MUCH tougher than TCU's.  TCU had one of the weaker schedules in the nation...not surprisingly, Wisconsin's schedule was rather just slightly tougher than TCU's.

[MerrittsMustache]

I don't think anyone disagrees with you, but Auburn played the toughest schedule in the country this year.  They beat the following teams in the final AP poll:

3 - Oregon
8 - LSU
10 - Alabama
12 - Arkansas
15 - Miss State
22 - South Carolina (twice)

TCU beat Wisconsin...that's it.

How many of those teams would be willing to play TCU in a non-conf game?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Auburn deserves to be #1, but I think TCU was the best team in the country.

By the way, that game last night was brutal. Close, but brutal. The best bowl game of the year goes to the granddaddy. Well played by both sides.

[MUsoxfan]

I refuse to believe that ANY team from the Pac 10 had the toughest schedule in the country. The SEC is king in college football and will be for quite some time

[GGGG]

Not to bust balls, but actually Oregon State was credited with having the toughest schedule this year. Followed by Washington, UCLA, Oklahoma and then Stanford. 

My understanding is that once the bowl games were included, Auburn moved ahead...but maybe I am wrong.  Frankly it would be hard to fathom that OSU's was more difficult.

[ChicosBailBonds]

My understanding is that once the bowl games were included, Auburn moved ahead...but maybe I am wrong.  Frankly it would be hard to fathom that OSU's was more difficult.

Well, think about it for a second.

Oregon State played

AT TCU
AT Boise State
AT Stanford
vs Oregon
AT Arizona
AT Washington


Just to name a few.  They were given the number one schedule by


Anderson / Hester Ratings (part of BCS computers)    http://andersonsports.com/football/ACF_frnk.html
Colley Ratings (part of BCS computers)     http://www.colleyrankings.com/currank.html
Massey Ratings (part of BCS computers)   http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cf
Sagarin Ratings (the version he uses for the BCS, not his other version)

Wolfe and Billingsley don't list their SOS.  So OSU went a perfect 4 for 4 with the toughest schedule

[GGGG]

Well, think about it for a second.

Oregon State played

AT TCU
AT Boise State
AT Stanford
vs Oregon
AT Arizona
AT Washington

Auburn's was tougher than this.  I mean, Arizona and Washington?

[jfmu]

Auburn played a very tough schedule, rated slightly tougher than Oregon's and MUCH MUCH tougher than TCU's.  TCU had one of the weaker schedules in the nation...not surprisingly, Wisconsin's schedule was rather just slightly tougher than TCU's.

oregons schedule was not even close to auburns if you put them in order. Auburn was 4 and oregon was in the 60s...not slightly

[ChicosBailBonds]

Auburn's was tougher than this.  I mean, Arizona and Washington?

Did you just ignore every SOS rating I posted...4 of 4 said Oregon State played the toughest schedule in the country. Impartial computers, not humans....all using different algorithms.

[ChicosBailBonds]

oregons schedule was not even close to auburns if you put them in order. Auburn was 4 and oregon was in the 60s...not slightly

Well, no, that's not true exactly now is it.  Two of the BCS rankings are almost identical in strength of schedule so for you to say "not even close", is flat out wrong.

One of the BCS rankings had a modest separation and a fourth has a large separation.

In the Massey BCS rankings....Oregon 6 and Auburn 4 (I'd call that slightly)
In the Sagarin BCS rankings....Oregon 19 and Auburn 15 (I'd call that slightly)
In the Anderson BCS rankings....Oregon 35 and Auburn 7 
In the Colley BCS rankings....Oregon 52 and Auburn 7 (I'd call that not slightly)

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think the mistake you guys are making on the strength of schedule is only focusing on the good teams Auburn played and not on the complete schedule.

As an example, Oregon State's non-conference schedule included at TCU, at Boise State (both were in the top 5 until 2 weeks to go in the season) and Louisville....three bowl teams plus the Pac Ten conference.

Auburn, on the other hand, played Louisiana Monroe at home, Arkansas State at home, Chattanooga at home.

I don't disagree with you that Auburn probably played more tough teams in quantity, but overall schedule, when you have three complete layups like that it's easy to see why the non-bias computers take in the ENTIRE schedule and don't forget about three games against essentially glorified high school teams.  As such, they're going to get knocked down on strength of schedule rankings.

[GGGG]

I think the mistake you guys are making on the strength of schedule is only focusing on the good teams Auburn played and not on the complete schedule.

Actually that is a mistake of the computers IMO.  IMO beating a schedule with 7 ranked teams, a couple average teams, and 3 cupcakes (Auburn) is more difficult than one with 4 ranked teams and a bunch of average teams.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Actually that is a mistake of the computers IMO.  IMO beating a schedule with 7 ranked teams, a couple average teams, and 3 cupcakes (Auburn) is more difficult than one with 4 ranked teams and a bunch of average teams.

I could not disagree with you more.  Think about what you're saying....for 3 games they have ZERO chance to lose.  Whereas even playing "average" teams (whatever that definition is) you can lose.  Or another way of stating it, Oregon State had 11 games they played that were against real teams that they could have lost to, all solid DI teams that went to bowl games OR were from a BCS conference.  Auburn played their schedule against 3 non-bowl non BCS some not even DI teams.  In essence, they played an 8 game schedule. 

Don't get me wrong, 8 very tough games, but the computers don't play that game.  They look at totality and they are right on this for that very reason.  One school played an 11 game real DI schedule.  The other one didn't.

All that said, Auburn is clearly the national champion but they did not play the strongest schedule.

[GGGG]

However in college football, where one loss basically ends your chance for a national championship, it is more of an accomplishment to beat a series of highly ranked teams.

But I will just agree to disagree at this point.

[jfmu]

Well, no, that's not true exactly now is it.  Two of the BCS rankings are almost identical in strength of schedule so for you to say "not even close", is flat out wrong.

One of the BCS rankings had a modest separation and a fourth has a large separation.

In the Massey BCS rankings....Oregon 6 and Auburn 4 (I'd call that slightly)
In the Sagarin BCS rankings....Oregon 19 and Auburn 15 (I'd call that slightly)
In the Anderson BCS rankings....Oregon 35 and Auburn 7 
In the Colley BCS rankings....Oregon 52 and Auburn 7 (I'd call that not slightly)


i dont care what numbers you pulled out the end game is that auburn beat 7 teams in the top 25 and oregon beat 1. you are just a pac 10 blow hard.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Human are good for fans but not much else especially with the bias against many schools in the west when 2/3 of the voters go to bed before they even play.

Schools like the 8th place Arizona State team that lost by 1 point in Madison and should have beaten them.  ASU was a joke in the PacTen but played all day with Wisconsin.

The human rankings are terrible