DDT

“Leather Helmets”
Black and white drawing
Ball point pen on copy paper, 8 X 10
by SAM•U•L

"We has met the playoffs and they is NOW." —Pogo

Sixteen of the Top 25 teams of DivOne remain undefeated, which means the best head-to-head match-ups are coming up as the steeplechase accelerates. 

Rating the conferences

Based on 25 points for the top-rated team and 1 point for the 25th ranked team, the conferences stack up accordingly, based on the AP Poll:

SEC -       99 points (Four teams in Top 10, six in the Top 25)

PAC 12 -  70 (Two in the Top 10, four in the Top 25)

ACC -      58 (Two in the Top 10, four in the Top 25)

Big 10 -    37 (One in the Top 10, three in the Top 25)

Big 12 -    35 (Nobody in the Top 10, OU at #12 the highest ranked, three in the Top 25)

American - 18 (One, Louisville, in the Top 10 and Top 25)

Mountain West - 5 (One, Fresno State, in the Top 25)

MAC -        3 (One, Northern Illinois, in the Top 25)

Conference USA and the Sunbelt do not show up in the rankings.

DDT’s ratings of the Top 10:

1. ‘Bama has one quality win (Texas A&M), two decent wins (VaTech and Olay Miss), and the rest have been jellyfish. Only the State University of Louisiana remains on the schedule as a real challenge. The Crimson, if they get by LSU (game at Tuscaloosa), should walk into the SEC Championship game and possibly a shot at another national title. 
      But ‘Bama is guilty of overindulgence at the pastry counter, with games against the likes of Colorado State, Georgia State and Chattanooga, and they play Chattanooga late in the season—a chance to run up a score and get an easy win under the late-season scrutiny of BCS computers—which is shameless exhibitionism.

2. Oregon is overrated. Five daisies in a row hasn’t proved anything. The Day-glo Ducks' true tests will soon come, starting next week with Washington. Then there is Stanford and UCLA to play.

3. Clemson has one quality win (Georgia) but only one more quality opponent (Florida State) on the agenda. They’ll have to remain undefeated and beat Florida State impressively to get to the throne room.

4. Ohio State has two decent wins (Northwestern and Wisconsin) and one contendah (Michigan) left on the schedule. The rest are tarts. Like Clemson, they’ll have to remain unbeaten and hope others falter to get to the title game.

5. Stanford. Two decent wins (AzState and Washington) but three abuses of the less fortunate. Wins over Oregon, UCLA and Notre Dame in upcoming weeks could put them in the big game.

6. Florida State. It has been a promenade for the ‘Noles, so far, but they’ll get their chance to prove up against Clemson, Miami and Florida, soon enough. Between them and Clemson (the two ACC squads in the hunt) they have a better chance to ascend to Gloryland based on a tougher schedule.

7. Georgia. Quality wins over LSU, South Carolina and a decent win against Tennessee. But the ‘Dogs have lost their running game to injuries. It’ll come down to the Cocktail Party, when they meet Florida. Winner of that one probably gets ‘Bama or LSU in the SEC playoff and a chance at national big bucks after that. 

Note: South Carolina could challenge in the SEC East.

8. Louisville. No quality wins, yet, no quality opponents on the dance card. They’ll go undefeated but forget them, they don’t play anybody.

9. Texas A&M. One quality close call with Alabama (they lost) and only one quality opponent (LSU) left on the itinerary. They could get a BCS bowl with a win over LSU and might challenge in the SEC West if others default.

10. LSU. One quality close call against Georgia (they lost). The rest has been gravy, so far. But they have to play Florida, Alabama and Texas A&M, which, counting earlier games with TCU and Georgia, gives them one of the toughest schedules in the Top 10 and, if they beat the Gators, Tide and Ags, should give them national consideration.

DDT sez: LSU wins the SEC West, then the SEC playoff; Stanford conquers all in the PAC12. 

LSU and Stanford, the top teams in the two top-rated conferences, in the national championship game.

Dark horses are Ohio State and the winner of the Clemson/Florida State match-up. Two of those may go undefeated, but their conferences are a grade lower.

LSU and Stanford with tougher schedules should romance BCS computers and get the nod. *

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