11-02-2015, 07:25 AM
Top 10 1-loss Team A: Beat an unranked 4-3 team at home in perfect weather by 1 point. The losing team missed three FGs and the winning team scored just 14 points.
Top 10 1-loss Team B: Beat an unranked 5-2 team on the road in a rain storm by 2 points after at one point trailing by 12 points. The losing team made 5/6 FGs.
The narrative: Team A has such a dominant defense, and that performance solidifies them as a top contender. Team B got lucky to win because the opponent missed a FG as time expired that would have beat them. Team B showed they are overrated.
Interestingly enough, both Team A and Team B forced and recovered fumbles on the last possession of the game to seal the win. Only Team B had the forced fumble and recovery overturned by replay, in a questionable reversal at best.
Those of you who pay attention to this stuff know Team A is Alabama and Team B is Stanford. This is an example of how ESPN frames the discussion about these teams. ESPN showed the Stanford highlights and never showed the forced fumble and controversial reversal, or the next hit and (what I thought was also a forced fumble), but they sure showed Stanford giving up the 4th and 7 completion and the missed FG.
Is Temple really better than Washington State? Is Tennessee really better than Washington State? I don't know. But I do know Washington State, Tennessee, and Temple (the opponents Stanford, Alabama, and Notre Dame all barely beat in their last games) have all lost very close games and are arguably pretty equivalent to each other. But poll voters saw Notre Dame end their game with a pick, Alabama with a recovered fumble, and Stanford end with an opponent missed FG. So the order in which the highlights played out told the story that Stanford can't be better than Alabama or Notre Dame.Â
All that said, my Top 10 rankings:
1. Clemson
2. Ohio State
3. LSU
4. TCU
5. Michigan State
6. Baylor
7. Notre Dame
8. Stanford
9. Alabama
10. Florida
11. Florida State
12. Oklahoma State
13. Utah
14. Memphis
15. Houston
Top 10 1-loss Team B: Beat an unranked 5-2 team on the road in a rain storm by 2 points after at one point trailing by 12 points. The losing team made 5/6 FGs.
The narrative: Team A has such a dominant defense, and that performance solidifies them as a top contender. Team B got lucky to win because the opponent missed a FG as time expired that would have beat them. Team B showed they are overrated.
Interestingly enough, both Team A and Team B forced and recovered fumbles on the last possession of the game to seal the win. Only Team B had the forced fumble and recovery overturned by replay, in a questionable reversal at best.
Those of you who pay attention to this stuff know Team A is Alabama and Team B is Stanford. This is an example of how ESPN frames the discussion about these teams. ESPN showed the Stanford highlights and never showed the forced fumble and controversial reversal, or the next hit and (what I thought was also a forced fumble), but they sure showed Stanford giving up the 4th and 7 completion and the missed FG.
Is Temple really better than Washington State? Is Tennessee really better than Washington State? I don't know. But I do know Washington State, Tennessee, and Temple (the opponents Stanford, Alabama, and Notre Dame all barely beat in their last games) have all lost very close games and are arguably pretty equivalent to each other. But poll voters saw Notre Dame end their game with a pick, Alabama with a recovered fumble, and Stanford end with an opponent missed FG. So the order in which the highlights played out told the story that Stanford can't be better than Alabama or Notre Dame.Â
All that said, my Top 10 rankings:
1. Clemson
2. Ohio State
3. LSU
4. TCU
5. Michigan State
6. Baylor
7. Notre Dame
8. Stanford
9. Alabama
10. Florida
11. Florida State
12. Oklahoma State
13. Utah
14. Memphis
15. Houston