....."Style points" is mostly in the eyes of the detractor, not the selectors. There is the occasional spotlight game where a decisive victory can score mental points, but over a season every team has squeakers. As fans (or detractors) we know every wart, every pimple, every flaw of USC. But we don’t pay that much attention to other teams except for the score and occasional highlights and incessant tub thumping on ESPN, who declared the PAC12 null and void by the 6th week of the season. What we need is more analytics or whatever you want to define. Case in point the top 4 right now: Alabama, Clemson, Miami, and Oklahoma. Good teams yes. Great teams- not yet IMO. Here are the 4 teams with simple metrics applied (**= FCS -Div 1AA) team.
#1 Alabama: 10-0. Close games (less than 2 TDs) - Texas A&M (6-4) W 27-19. Mississippi- (7-3) 31-24. Three Top 25 teams faced: #3 FSU W 24-7 (FSU was a bust at 3-6), #19 LSU (7-3) W 24-10, #16 Miss. State (7-3) W 31-24. Out of conference: Florida State (3-6), Fresno State (7-3), Colorado State (6-5), **Mercer(5-5) this week. Not bad, not challenging. 49th toughest SOS per Sagarin.
#2 Clemson: 9-1. Close games - Syracuse (4-6) L 24-27. NC State (7-3) W 38-31, Auburn (8-2) W 14-6. Four Top 25 teams faced: #13 Auburn (8-2) W 14-6, #14 Louisville (6-4) W 47-21, #12 Va. Tech (7-3) W 31-17, #20 NC State W 38-31. Out of conference: Kent State (2-9), Auburn (8-2). To come ** Citadel (5-5) this week, South Carolina (7-3). Not bad, but that loss to non-descript and unranked Syracuse is definitely NOT style points. No problemo for the committee.
#3 Miami: 9-0. Close games - Fla. State (3-6) W 24-20. Georgia Tech (5-4) W 25-24, No. Carolina (2-8) 24-19. Two Top 25 teams faced: #13 Va. Tech (7-3) W 28-10, #3 Notre Dame W 41-8 That's all folks!! To Come- Clemson. Out of conference: **Bethune-Cookman (3-6), Toledo (8-2). Arkansas State (5-3 cancelled by Hurricane). This is way overreach. 3 close games versus non ranked teams. One Style points game in beating over-ranked IMO Notre Dame. To me Miami will fall out over their next 3 games.
#4 Oklahoma: 9-1. Close games - Baylor (1-9) W 49-41, Iowa State (6-4) L 31-38, Texas (5-5) W 27-24. Kansas State (5-5) W 42-35. Three Top 25 teams faced- 3: #2 Ohio State (8-2) W 31-16, #11 Okla. State (8-2) W 62-52, #6 TCU (8-2) W 38-20. Out of conference: UTEP (0-10) W 56-7, Ohio State (8-2) W 31-16, Tulane (4-6) W 56-14. Another questionable choice. A shamefully close game versus Baylor, 3 other squeakers. A miserable OOC, except for a Ohio State. Yes, beauty is in the eyes of the biases beholders IMO.
I can live with Alabama and Clemson if they win out. The other two I am a detractor. And of course to complete this…though I believe USC will not get in the top 6 here is their breakdown I the same way.
#11 USC: 9-2. Close games - Texas (5-5) W 27-24. Wash. State (9-2) L 27-30, Utah (5-5) W 28-27. Four Top 25 teams faced: #14 Stanford (8-2) W 24-7, #16 WSU (9-2) L 47-21, #13 ND (8-2) L 31-17, #22 Arizona (7-3) W 49-35. Out of conference: W. Michigan (6-4) W 49-31, Texas (5-5) W 27-24, Notre Dame (8-2) 14-49. . A bad loss to ND, and a squeaker both on the road to now top 14 teams. 3 close games. SOS the best of the above. I AM NOT saying USC should be in the top 4. I am saying that the top 4 teams have mnay of the same flaws as that which USC is often solely accused of.
#1 Alabama: 10-0. Close games (less than 2 TDs) - Texas A&M (6-4) W 27-19. Mississippi- (7-3) 31-24. Three Top 25 teams faced: #3 FSU W 24-7 (FSU was a bust at 3-6), #19 LSU (7-3) W 24-10, #16 Miss. State (7-3) W 31-24. Out of conference: Florida State (3-6), Fresno State (7-3), Colorado State (6-5), **Mercer(5-5) this week. Not bad, not challenging. 49th toughest SOS per Sagarin.
#2 Clemson: 9-1. Close games - Syracuse (4-6) L 24-27. NC State (7-3) W 38-31, Auburn (8-2) W 14-6. Four Top 25 teams faced: #13 Auburn (8-2) W 14-6, #14 Louisville (6-4) W 47-21, #12 Va. Tech (7-3) W 31-17, #20 NC State W 38-31. Out of conference: Kent State (2-9), Auburn (8-2). To come ** Citadel (5-5) this week, South Carolina (7-3). Not bad, but that loss to non-descript and unranked Syracuse is definitely NOT style points. No problemo for the committee.
#3 Miami: 9-0. Close games - Fla. State (3-6) W 24-20. Georgia Tech (5-4) W 25-24, No. Carolina (2-8) 24-19. Two Top 25 teams faced: #13 Va. Tech (7-3) W 28-10, #3 Notre Dame W 41-8 That's all folks!! To Come- Clemson. Out of conference: **Bethune-Cookman (3-6), Toledo (8-2). Arkansas State (5-3 cancelled by Hurricane). This is way overreach. 3 close games versus non ranked teams. One Style points game in beating over-ranked IMO Notre Dame. To me Miami will fall out over their next 3 games.
#4 Oklahoma: 9-1. Close games - Baylor (1-9) W 49-41, Iowa State (6-4) L 31-38, Texas (5-5) W 27-24. Kansas State (5-5) W 42-35. Three Top 25 teams faced- 3: #2 Ohio State (8-2) W 31-16, #11 Okla. State (8-2) W 62-52, #6 TCU (8-2) W 38-20. Out of conference: UTEP (0-10) W 56-7, Ohio State (8-2) W 31-16, Tulane (4-6) W 56-14. Another questionable choice. A shamefully close game versus Baylor, 3 other squeakers. A miserable OOC, except for a Ohio State. Yes, beauty is in the eyes of the biases beholders IMO.
I can live with Alabama and Clemson if they win out. The other two I am a detractor. And of course to complete this…though I believe USC will not get in the top 6 here is their breakdown I the same way.
#11 USC: 9-2. Close games - Texas (5-5) W 27-24. Wash. State (9-2) L 27-30, Utah (5-5) W 28-27. Four Top 25 teams faced: #14 Stanford (8-2) W 24-7, #16 WSU (9-2) L 47-21, #13 ND (8-2) L 31-17, #22 Arizona (7-3) W 49-35. Out of conference: W. Michigan (6-4) W 49-31, Texas (5-5) W 27-24, Notre Dame (8-2) 14-49. . A bad loss to ND, and a squeaker both on the road to now top 14 teams. 3 close games. SOS the best of the above. I AM NOT saying USC should be in the top 4. I am saying that the top 4 teams have mnay of the same flaws as that which USC is often solely accused of.
