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A final desperation plea for the Sugar Bowl

Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:00 pm
Posted by JPLSU1981
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2005
26274 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:00 pm
If Alabama wins the SECCG, Florida, Auburn, LSU, A&M, and Tennessee all finish the season with 4 losses. Unfortunately, one of these 5 undeserving teams will play in the Sugar Bowl. Per SEC rules, the team that ranks the highest in the final CFB Playoff rankings will automatically get the Sugar invite to play Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.

Based on current rankings, it appears either Florida, Auburn, or LSU will rank the highest of the 5 teams, with most people expecting an Auburn-LSU race for the top spot after Florida inevitably drops in the polls after an expected Bama win over the Gators in the SECCG.

Let's look at the arguments for Auburn and LSU...

Auburn
-Beat LSU head-to-head (18-13)
-Best wins: LSU and Arkansas
-The head-to-head win over LSU is a HUGE ace card to hold (and is likely enough to end the Aub-LSU debate), but can anyone think of any another arguments for Auburn that doesn't involve the 2 team's current position in the polls?

LSU
-LSU is the better team right now and would be favored vs Auburn on a neutral field
-LSU finished the season winning 2 of last 3 SEC games, while Auburn finished the season with 2 straight SEC losses
-Best wins: A&M and Arkansas
-Despite losing 4 games, LSU gave up only 3 TDs in its four losses and was literally 1 yard and 1 second away from only having 2 losses (see Florida and Auburn losses)
-LSU played #1 Bama closer than Auburn, both games being played recently
-All 4 losses were against good teams (#5 Wisconsin, #19 Auburn, #1 Alabama, #16 Florida)
-No "bad" losses for LSU... Auburn has a bad loss to Georgia
-The loss to Auburn was on the road at Auburn and was literally an LSU win before it became an Auburn win. Game could have gone either way and came down to the final second
-Loss against Auburn was early in the year when Les Miles was the coach ... LSU started a "new season" under Coach O after that loss
-No SEC team besides Alabama deserves the Sugar Bowl this year, so given the circumstances, why not take some of the extenuating circumstances around LSU's coaching situation into account?
-Despite wildy differing opinions of the Orgeron hire, there is definitely an intense anticipation and interest to see how the next era of LSU football plays out


I'm an LSU fan, so I'm obviously bias. If Auburn gets the nod in the final rankings, I can certainly accept that given the head-to-head result. If the roles were reversed and LSU had the head-to-head win, I would 100% be pointing to the head-to-head win as case closed. However, given the circumstances of the SEC and no true deserving teams, it makes sense to at least consider LSU's case for getting the Sugar Bowl nod over Auburn.





ETA: Memphis here we come, lol
This post was edited on 11/28/16 at 5:43 pm
Posted by Tiger in NY
Neptune Beach, FL
Member since Sep 2003
30368 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:01 pm to
Jeez man, this is sad. We don't deserve it. Nice detail and analysis though
Posted by moneyg
Member since Jun 2006
56556 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:01 pm to
Auburn's going to get it.
Posted by TenTex
Member since Jan 2008
15949 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:07 pm to
Should be Auburn based on head to head. But that is not how things get decided anymore. ESPN will want LSU based on more excitement coming from LSU fan base and it's new Cajun coaching wonder Coach O.
Posted by JPLSU1981
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2005
26274 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:07 pm to
Yeah I know, but figured i'd back the Tigers and at least give it my best shot

I admittedly would be all over the head-to-head result if the roles were reversed, but I do believe LSU has some extenuating circumstances that should be taken into account this year
This post was edited on 11/28/16 at 5:13 pm
Posted by DrD
Houston
Member since Jan 2010
2609 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:09 pm to
I wonder do the conference championship games figure into this? In other words since LSU and AUB have opponents in championship games will/could it impact the final results? I only mention this b/c Tuesday poll is b/f conference championship games. Should Wisconsin win and Clemson lose might it sway the voters? Same should hold true if Clemson wins and Wisconsin loses. Thoughts from the football gurus?
Posted by tigersbb
Member since Oct 2012
10354 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:09 pm to
If the committee does its homework like the NCAA basketball committee your analysis will be on the money. LSU is an eyecatching team right now. Auburn is stuck in neutral.

If no Sugar fo the Tigers they end up in Florida against a higher profile opponent than they would get in Memphis.
Posted by roping tiger
Member since Sep 2014
82 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:09 pm to
Get a binder. It may make a difference?
Posted by JPLSU1981
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2005
26274 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:33 pm to
Yes, it is the final CFB playoff poll on Sunday after the conference championship games are played that determines everything.

As it relates to LSU-Auburn, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have "played ACC/Big10 champ close" as part of its argument. That said, I don't think it's that big of a deal or a determining factor, because both of those opponents are a "wash" considering they're fairly equal opponents and LSU/Auburn lost both of them in similar fashion.
Posted by Mr.Perfect
Louisiana
Member since Mar 2013
17438 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:36 pm to
Same record and they have head to head. I hate it, but auburn will get the nod
Posted by 4Ghost
Member since Sep 2016
8519 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:37 pm to
Hope you get it. You have the most talented team, new coach, some excitement and enthusiasm. Aubie would get blown out. Good luck!
Posted by pensacola
pensacola
Member since Sep 2005
4629 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:40 pm to
Let's get some fake "healthy LF7" news going for the next few days...
Posted by BayouBengal99
Crowley
Member since Oct 2007
9124 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:43 pm to
Auburn probably gets it but I really believe LSU is a top 6 team in the country. Put it this way I think we could beat any team in the top 6 and not one of these teams would like to end up playing us in a 8 team playoff, which is why we should go to a 8 team playoff. There should be teams with 3 loses be able to play the top teams to get in at the seasons end. That really is the best way to get the best team at seasons end crowned champ. I don't think Auburn, FL, Wisky could stay with LSU if we don't turn the ball over. Even with us making mistakes in all these games we were in it. If the committee can't see we are a top ten team then they shouldn't be doing that job. How many teams beat Arky and A&M the way we did and at their own place? Not many
Posted by JPLSU1981
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2005
26274 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:44 pm to
quote:

Let's get some fake "healthy LF7" news going for the next few days...


Not a bad idea!!
Posted by HollierThanThou
Member since Jan 2012
6209 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:47 pm to
We are not a top 6 team but I would say we are better than Auburn currently.

I hope the Sugar pulls some strings to get LSU ranked one spot ahead of Auburn for ticket sales and such. More wishful thinking than anything.
Posted by JPLSU1981
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2005
26274 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:55 pm to
While I don't agree that we are a Top6 team, we certainly had/have the potential to be, and we are certainly a better team than Auburn right now.

kind of To your point, VegasInsiders poll has us ahead of Auburn:

LINK


OddsShark has LSU ahead of Auburn as well
This post was edited on 11/28/16 at 6:02 pm
Posted by Brazos
Member since Oct 2013
20361 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:57 pm to
Man LSU isn't a top 6 team in the country. A top 10 team doesn't lose 4 games much less a top 6 team.
Posted by JPLSU1981
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2005
26274 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 5:57 pm to
quote:

I hope the Sugar pulls some strings to get LSU ranked one spot ahead of Auburn for ticket sales and such. More wishful thinking than anything.


Agreed.

I mean, cmon, can't the Sugar just call the playoff committee and say, "look, this SEC thing is a shitshow and none of them deserve it...That said, We're just gonna throw out there that we'd prefer LSU so that we can fill the place up and put on the best show possible. You mind throwing us a bone and making it happen?"

This post was edited on 11/28/16 at 6:00 pm
Posted by raisinbran
Baton Rouge
Member since Apr 2012
408 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 6:18 pm to
He means New Years 6 Bowls
Posted by profwilson
Member since Jul 2004
868 posts
Posted on 11/28/16 at 6:37 pm to
While I would really love for us to go to the Sugar Bowl, I'll be really surprised if it happens. Believe it or not, the committee is going to spend the vast majority of its time over the next week figuring out numbers 1-4. They will not spend too much time finely parsing the relative merits of 4-loss SEC teams in the 15-25 range. An Auburn team that has one more win than we do and beat us head to head will in all likelihood end up ranked above us and go to the Sugar Bowl--even though I agree (as does Vegas) that we are a much better team than they are right now. And no, it's not "all about the money." No one from either ESPN or the Sugar Bowl sits on the committee, and no one on the committee stands to make one cent more if the 2017 Sugar Bowl has high attendance or good ratings.
This post was edited on 11/29/16 at 2:46 pm
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