Pairwise
1. MSU
2. Clemson
3. Iowa
4. ND
5. Florida
6. Alabama
If equations had eyes Florida would not be so high.
In the playoff poll, a little surprised OU jumped Iowa, but it looks like MSU controls their destiny. Fail to see how an ND win at Stanford would be worth more than a win vs. Iowa.
That's not necessarily true. iowa's SOS continues to drag them down and rightfully so. Being undefeated shouldn't trump a team that went through hell and lost once.
http://www.masseyratings.com/cf/compare.htm
Frankly, the computers agree. Iowa has not played enough good teams and hasn't performed against their scheduled teams as well as the other teams being considered have.
It's a cop out to include them at this point given their composite ranking of eighth
This is part of the B1G doomsday scenario.Oklahoma may be better than Iowa, but a team that lost to Texas doesn't belong ahead of an 11-0 P5 team.
Interesting scenario... If Iowa loses in Lincoln, just as MSU did, yet beats the Spartans, can a 12-1 Iowa get in? I don't think so. Possibly if NW is 10-2, as well as Pittsburgh and Wisconsin both 9-3 and ranked in CFP, but highly unlikely.
A cop out? I couldn't disagree more.
Then why play the games? We should just put the four teams that look the best, regardless if they lose to a team that was shutout by IOWA STATE, or. not.
Iowa is deserving of a top 4 spot thus far. Did you know Iowa hasn't trailed in a game since October 10th? Only once have they trailed in the second half all season, on September 12th, and never have they trailed in a fourth quarter this season.
Iowa destroyed 9-2 Northwestern, who of course beat Stanford, by 30 points, on the road, without their top two tackles, starting running back, and top wide receiver, and a QB who couldn't throw outside of the pocket due to his injuries. (Term for okay but not eye popping) Wins over Wisconsin and Pittsburgh, and they haven't lost a game. There's one week left in the regular season and they haven't lost playing in a power 5
Conference. It could be Purdue, Indiana, whoever. If they had Iowa's current resume, they deserve to be in.
Not sure why people get worked up by these rankings. Iowa controls it's destiny. If they lose and don't get in, it's on them, not the committee. If they win the big ten and are undefeated, they will get in.
Ok, cop out was harsh.
But congratulations. You still have the crappiest SOS in the top 20. Only Toledo and Houston are worse. You have to drop all the way to Wisconsin at #30 to find a weaker SOS. Iowa is currently 73rd in composite SOS. I would have argued the same thing last year with FSU and this year with Baylor. This should be about rewarding the best teams. Teams that play the best schedules, have the best records, and win by the most points against the best teams.
Take Alabama, they've played six teams in the top 30. Iowa? Three. Iowa hasn't even played a team in the top 20. Every other team in the top eight played at least two other teams in the top 20.
And frankly, trying to use the transitive property is not going to fly.
As it stands right now, I'll continue to stick with the composite ranking.
Alabama
Clemson
Oklahoma
Ohio State
Notre Dame
Baylor
Michigan STate
Iowa
Ok State
Stanford
In fairness, Iowa planned its non conference schedule on the assumption it was playing a much tougher conference schedule. The addition of Rutgers and Maryland changed that, but it was too late to upgrade the other portion of the schedule.
Iowa State, Illinois State, and North Texas? Tough? Since when?
North Texas has won 52 games since 2003. Illinois State, despite a very respectable record, has only cracked Massey's top 100 twice since 2001. Iowa State has piddled around 50-120 in that same time. BUt I totally understand the bind Iowa is in with them, it sucks. Pitt is obviously a respectable team. But they've only been in the top 30 or so five times since 2001 and they played Iowa at Iowa.
Iowa should know better. The Big Ten hasn't been good in years. If you want to get respect for your schedule, you need to gamble and run up against a solid team on the road (like a Pitt) or even invite a power team to your house. OU played at Tennessee. Notre Dame is unique, but they (will have) played at Stanford and had USC at home and tossed in Texas as well. Ohio State has the same problem as Iowa, they played a nothingburger non-con but their wins have been far more convincing. Michigan State played Oregon and had a much tougher conference schedule. Baylor, playing a laughable first half of the season, but will have played three top ten teams in a row plus WVU. OK State also played a turd of a schedule to start, but they will also have played three top ten teams and WVU.
When the number of slots is so incredibly small, and rightfully so, if you want a shot at the big time you need to either have a solid (or even better than solid) conference or make that up in the non-conference. Iowa didn't do that.
They'll get it if they win out, but the big question is, are the one of the four best teams in the nation? I, personally, won't know until the final composite comes out since I'm such a big believer in it.
Read my last post again. When Iowa created its non-conference slate, it was still expecting a much tougher conference schedule. I think Michigan and Michigan State were both on there. The expansion to 14 teams changed the conference schedule at a point when the contracts for the non-conference games were already signed and dated.