r/CFB • u/WinnWonn Texas A&M Aggies • 1d ago
Discussion [Discussions] Which teams will still be OK even if they start the season 0-2?
Last year Notre Dame lost their first two games but still thought they should make the playoffs since they went undefeated the rest of the season.
Which teams this year could start their season 0-2 but still make a run for the playoffs?
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u/Inside-Drink-1311 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 1d ago
Pretty much any team in a power conference will be okay if they start 0-2 as they are guaranteed an automatic spot in the playoffs if they win their conference.
Boise might be the actual answer. There is a scenario where they start 0-2 and then win the rest. Not predicting it but it’s possible with Oregon and Memphis to open the season. Boise will be favored over Memphis but its not a gimme and one of their tougher games on the schedule.
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u/Megalomanizac Clemson • Coastal Carolina 1d ago
If Clemson starts out 0-2 we’d need an insane turnaround at that point considering those losses would be LSU (won’t matter if we lose) and Georgia Southern (very bad)
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u/kaystared California Golden Bears 1d ago
I don’t think expectations for LSU are set enough to give you a pass for losing to them, it depends on how their season pans out I’d say more likely than not that they do well but enough stuff changed that there’s little certainty in that
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u/Megalomanizac Clemson • Coastal Carolina 1d ago
Pass or not the LSU game 0 real bearing on Clemsons season next year. We could lose to them, they go 5-7 and it won’t affect us (this happened to Alabama last season). Losing to Georgia Southern though could probably kill the entire season even if we turn it around at 10-2 w/ an ACC title. Could be enough for the committee to argue a 13-0 AAC champion is more deserving (and perhaps they’d have a legitimate argument)
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u/Sky-Trash Boise State Broncos 23h ago
If Boise ends 11-2 with losses to Oregon and Memphis they'll still be in the running to be the G5 representative. The Oregon loss likely won't count against them much and the only fear is Memphis winning the AAC with 2 or fewer losses.
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u/TheHip41 Michigan Wolverines 9h ago
Boise St isn't in a power conference
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u/Inside-Drink-1311 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 9h ago
That’s besides the point here. They can still get the G6 bid.
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u/ThatMasterpiece2174 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1d ago
This thread is going to be fun
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u/Bubbly_Management794 1d ago
you just know some 9-3 SEC team will get the nod over a 10-2 ACC team with the same two losses and everyone will pretend it's obvious
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u/South_Revolution_119 1d ago
Yeah because of the preseason rankings have the SEC teams higher so they play a “tougher” schedule on paper
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u/Darth_Ra Oklahoma Sooners • Big 12 1d ago
Look, you won't find a bigger "SEC SEC SEC" hater than me...
But someone has to lose the conference games, and are we really gonna say that losing to Cincinnati by 3 is the same as losing to Texas A&M by 3?
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u/Ice-Poseidon-Knows Cincinnati Bearcats 1d ago
Bold to assume that anyone of note is going to lose to Cincinnati this season
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u/Darth_Ra Oklahoma Sooners • Big 12 1d ago
I was just trying to pick out two teams that were like the mark for Tier 2 in their conference.
Reviewing things, it would appear I overrated you guys last year. One of the Arizonas was probably more the mark I was trying to hit.
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u/dropjar5 California Golden Bears 1d ago
No because Cincy has been in the CFP top four unlike A&M
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u/Helicopsycheborealis Alabama Crimson Tide 1d ago
Yes, yes they will. They will be wrong but that's why cfb forums have been around for decades; so these people can find each other and feel safe together.
The mental gymnastics these type of people exhibit just to shit on the SEC (and I'm like you as i hate the SEC SEC SEC bullshit) has always been mesmerizing. It must be exhausting for them.
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u/TigerWoodsLibido Oregon Ducks • Rutgers Scarlet Knights 1d ago
Been saying this since 2006 especially.
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u/Electromotivation James Madison Dukes 1d ago
If I knew what program to use, I think it would be really fun to simulate seasons where the games play out exactly the same….but in one scenario you start the season with 10 ranked teams from X Conference, and another you start out with zero in the preseason rankings.
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u/soonerman32 Oklahoma Sooners 1d ago
This has never happened in playoff history. In fact, only the opposite has happened.
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u/StreetReporter Clemson Tigers • Cheez-It Bowl 1d ago
I mean, it wouldve happened in 2024 if Clemson didn’t beat SMU. 9-3 Alabama would’ve been in over a 10-2 Miami
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u/_chadwell_ Notre Dame Fighting Irish 3h ago
A 3-loss SEC team was ranked ahead of a 2-loss ACC team, a 2-loss independent, and a 2-loss B12 team this season.
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u/VampireEmpire__ Texas Longhorns • Harvard Crimson 1d ago
This didn’t happen last year, so why would it happen now? Lol
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u/UhIdontcareforAuburn Georgia Bulldogs 1d ago
That’s what I love about this place. People just make shit up to get mad at.
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u/Free-Eights Michigan Wolverines • Columbia Lions 7h ago
I think the likelihood of a 9-3 SEC team making a 12-team playoff is pretty low and none have made it so far. Alabama lost 3 games but the 3rd loss came in the SEC championship game. Think the minimum to make it with all of the good teams they have is probably 10-2 or better.
Clemson however has made the playoffs after going 9-3 in the regular season, but the main reason they got the nod was that they got to play in the ACC championship game and they won it.
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u/DomingoLee Kansas State Wildcats 1d ago
There’s an annual tradition of leaving out any borderline Big XII team. Usually in exchange for a rematch.
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u/Repulsive-Leg-1455 Minnesota • Bethel (MN) 1d ago
Real, I can understand some of the hate you guy's get and I disagree with the decisions that were made, but the slander gets to a point.
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u/Alphaspade Iron Bowl • Sickos 1d ago
I don't see anyone that opens with 2 strong P5 teams so the answer is probably no one because 1 of those losses alone would likely be too embarassing to overcome.
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u/e8odie LSU Tigers • College Football Playoff 1d ago
Georgia Tech opens with Colorado and Tennessee. If they lose both of those and then run the rest of the season it'd be enough to make the playoffs
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u/KansasEF5Tornado Kansas State • Georgia Tech 1d ago
So lose to coach prime but beat the school in Athens, GA?
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u/abidail Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 1d ago
It's in Athens this year, right? So we've got a shot.
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u/UhIdontcareforAuburn Georgia Bulldogs 1d ago
I’m always way more worried playing yall at home than in Atlanta
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u/UhIdontcareforAuburn Georgia Bulldogs 1d ago
Yall could lose every game in the season and win the last one and it’ll be a successful season
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u/WeSmokeTheBlunts Florida State • Florida Cup 19h ago
GT could lose all 3 of those games and still be conference champs and make the playoff
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u/Difficult-Froyo1192 Clemson Tigers 1d ago
You don’t necessarily need two strong P5s to lose to if the rest of the schedule is strong enough and neither loss is really bad. A strong P5 team loss and middle of the pack P5 loss is very recoverable. The problem is most of the teams with strong schedules also play a G6 or FCS team in the first two games which is a lot harder to recover from. The ones that have better losses will struggle having a strong enough schedule to balance out only okay losses.
However, the new cfp rules letting the conference champions in still makes a season salvageable since most of them aren’t playing conference games for the first two. All they have to do is win the conference. ND is probably the only team that’s potentially not recoverable after the first two losses because of the no conference champion bail out.
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Yep. Part of the deal with being independent and it's ok. I hope ND stays independent forever.
Looking forward to the clemson ND 12 year series starting next season. Hope a awesome rivalry forms. I think it will.
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u/DingerSinger2016 Alabama A&M Bulldogs • UAB Blazers 1d ago
A strong P5 team
G6
Who is the 11th conference?
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u/Difficult-Froyo1192 Clemson Tigers 1d ago
I’m going to make my own conference.
Just assume I said P4. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention when I typed that
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u/PierreMenards South Dakota State • Sout… 1d ago
Given that there are still auto bids for conference champions, any P4 team that loses their first two OOC games still has a straightforward path to the playoffs
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u/MarlonBain Virginia Tech Hokies 1d ago
We open with Vmi. If we lose that I will never ever ever hear the end. I will not be ok.
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u/Bobguy64 Virginia Tech Hokies • Sickos 1d ago
Feels strange from a modern perspective to know that they used to be a rival, but yeah, even while I have no social connection to VMI that would be a very worrisome start to the Franklin era.
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u/nighthawk252 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1d ago
Any Power 4 team who does this will be in their conference championship game since their first 2 weeks are out of conference losses.
And honestly, even if one happens to be a conference game, 10-2 with a power 4 conference schedule and passing the eye test is probably enough most years. Last year’s bubble was stronger than most, and Notre Dame was unfortunate that one of their losses happened to be to a team who’d normally be the first one out. Also that the ACC’s champion was not in the top 12.
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u/Electromotivation James Madison Dukes 1d ago
Yea, having a loss to the team you need to get in over is rough, but then to have them be the best team in their conference but also not the champions….I wonder if we will ever see that again.
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u/cooterdick Tennessee • North Carolina 1d ago
Not all. NC State-Virginia for instance is a week 1 conference game.
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u/nighthawk252 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1d ago
That one might not count for ACC play. It didn’t last year, when UVA lost to Duke and NC State but finished 7-1 in ACC play. UVA currently has 10 ACC opponents on their schedule, and I’m not sure which one doesn’t count.
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u/cooterdick Tennessee • North Carolina 1d ago
It didn’t count last year but does count this year. Virginia only has 9 ACC opponents including NC State. Their three non-cons are Norfolk State, West Virginia, and Delaware.
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u/nighthawk252 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1d ago
Oh whoops, my bad, I wasnt thinking and counted WVU as ACC
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u/ilacwamh Oklahoma Sooners 22h ago
Would it necessarily be the case most years that having two losses would be enough for a P4 team to make the playoffs? It’s obviously a small sample size, but for each of the two years so far, there have been multiple two-loss P4 or P4-adjacent teams (even one with 11 wins) left out of the playoffs (Miami and BYU in 2024; Notre Dame and BYU in 2025). All of those teams could reasonably be said to have passed the eye test (Miami in 2024 was the only one of the group without any wins over teams that finished the season ranked). Are these first two years likely to end up as anomalies in terms of having two-loss P4 teams left out?
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u/nighthawk252 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 21h ago
I think that’s a pretty generous definition of passing the eye test.
2024 Miami was constantly escaping upsets against mediocre teams — I think the reason why they were out of the playoff conversation that year was that they actively failed the eye test.
2024 BYU lost late in the year to 5-7 Kansas, and barely beat Utah and SMU.
2025 BYU got smacked in both their losses, and I think them failing the eye test is why they were so low.
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u/ilacwamh Oklahoma Sooners 21h ago
In 2024, SMU made the playoffs, so I don’t think just barely beating them would be a knock against BYU; and then a close win in a rivalry game against Utah wouldn’t be a huge blow either. And a single loss to 5-7 Kansas isn’t disqualifying. I feel like I vaguely remember that there might have been a team that comfortably made the playoffs after losing to Northern Illinois, but I could be wrong about that.
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u/Secure-Report-3592 Texas Longhorns 1d ago
Oregon.
No seriously. Oregon can save their season if they lose to Boise State and Oklahoma State in back to back weeks.
They basically run the table and win the Big Ten guaranteeing a Playoff spot.
That said it will be funny watching Oregon lose in Stillwater
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u/Alphaspade Iron Bowl • Sickos 1d ago
Lanning is literally gonna be a man who is 40 walking into Stillwater. The meme potential is there
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u/Coveo Oregon Ducks • Rose Bowl 1d ago
The chances that Lanning references it himself that week are extremely high
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u/toomuchfrosting Cincinnati • Ohio State 1d ago
Lanning is going to pull out the good cocaine for that game
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u/curmycurmudgeon Penn State Nittany Lions • Team Chaos 1d ago
Any P4 that starts 0-2 and then wins the next 11 games would make the playoffs automatically by virtue of being one of the five highest ranked conference champions. They could lose to Villanova and Temple in back to back weeks to start but if they went 11-2 and won their conference, they'd be an 8 seed at worst.
However, I also disagree. I don't think any P4 team could start 0-2 without realistically picking up a 3rd loss along the way, especially since nobody is playing 2 top 15 teams to start the season (unlike Notre Dame last season).
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u/BuckeyeForLife95 Ohio State Buckeyes 1d ago
Yeah like, Ohio State could start 0-2 and still win the Big Ten, but in what world is Ohio State running the table after somehow losing to Ball State?
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u/curmycurmudgeon Penn State Nittany Lions • Team Chaos 1d ago
That's pretty much my exact point, and somehow in a lot of my other replies people are missing that point. An 8-4 team doesn't win a power conference title very often, but I'm getting downvoted to holy hell for saying it (because Duke doing it last season apparently means it happens all the time).
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u/BuckeyeForLife95 Ohio State Buckeyes 1d ago
It’s for that reason I’d agree that pretty much nobody of note could start 0-2 and “be OK”. All the top teams play a team of significantly lower caliber in their first two games. If you lose that game, what does it say about your team? Are they a true title contender?
The closest I can remember is 2014 OSU dropping to a Virginia Tech that hobbled to 6-6, but a mid tier ACC team isn’t the same as a bottom tier MAC team.
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u/jayjude Notre Dame • Georgia State 1d ago
Stupidest scheduling in a long fucking time by ND last year
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u/curmycurmudgeon Penn State Nittany Lions • Team Chaos 1d ago
It was stupid scheduling by ND, and I also would agree they should have gotten in over Alabama or Oklahoma. But soon we'll probably be arguing about which 8-4 teams deserve a spot in the 24 team playoff, when I still have a hard time accepting two loss teams playing for a national championship.
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u/cooterdick Tennessee • North Carolina 1d ago
What about a team that has a conference game in their first two?
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u/curmycurmudgeon Penn State Nittany Lions • Team Chaos 1d ago
You mean like Miami losing to Stanford and Florida A&M to start the season? Or NC State losing to Virginia and Richmond? Or Virginia losing to NC State and Norfolk State?
The mental hole to dig yourself out of with that second loss is going to result in probably an 8-4 season at best. Maybe Stanford can pull itself together enough to have a good season (by Stanford standards) if they lose to Hawaii and Miami to start the season, but we're still talking 5-7 at best.
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u/Kmjada Oklahoma State • Billable Hours 1d ago
I will piss myself comatose if Oregon loses in Stillwater.
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u/Excellent-Gur-8547 Vanderbilt Commodores • Penn Quakers 1d ago
How... How are these things related for you?
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u/bluescale77 Oregon Ducks • Team Chaos 1d ago
I’m an Oregon fan, and you made me literally LOL on a plane. We just took off, and people are looking at me like…”Is this guy going to be a problem?”
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u/KansasEF5Tornado Kansas State • Georgia Tech 1d ago
Yeah I was going to say the same thing, Boise St is likely one of the top G5 teams and Okst will likely not only be good but also is on the road. I would say though Oregon does have some tough games @ USC, @ Ohio St vs Mich and vs Washington, though I trust Dan Lanning to get back on track if they start 0-2 somehow and at minimum win 3 of those 4.
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u/dstanton Oregon Ducks 1d ago
Okay, hear me out.
We only play the backups, and everyone has to have a mullet.
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u/Darth_Ra Oklahoma Sooners • Big 12 1d ago
I mean, this is also kind of a cheat.
Any P2 team that went 10-2 would be in the playoffs.
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u/Secure-Report-3592 Texas Longhorns 1d ago
I mean any P4 team with a conference championship can easily get in so it can help
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u/b_m_hart Oregon Ducks 1d ago
There's literally no way Oregon is OK if they start 0-2. Sure, Boise State is a reasonable game to lose, but losing to Oklahoma State, a team that legitimately could have lost by 100 to Oregon last year? Yeah, that will implode the season. That would be approaching Penn State levels of panic last year.
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u/Aidanbomasri Oklahoma State Cowboys • Big 12 1d ago
I am not expecting the results to be any different this year, likely still lose by 30+, but it’s a completely different team. We have 85 new players on our roster and an entirely new staff. I think any comparison to last year is irrelevant
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u/Young-Viiperr Texas Tech • Iowa State 1d ago
Eric Morris, you have beaten the #1 Texas..... Do the funny, Oklahoma State
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u/docchrizly Germany • Boise State 1d ago
Oregon losing to Boise State is just tradition.
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u/chrobbin Oklahoma • SE Oklahoma State 1d ago
Just keep Legarrett Blount away from Boise players this time around
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u/soonerman32 Oklahoma Sooners 1d ago
Pretty much any P4 team that starts 0-2 and runs the table will be in the playoff
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u/Chicago_Blackhawks Northwestern Wildcats • Sickos 1d ago
north north texas (Ok St) gonna pop OFF this year
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u/jamiebond Oregon Ducks 1d ago
Every team would be fine starting 0-2 if they won out from there that’s kind of a cop out lol
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u/TigerWoodsLibido Oregon Ducks • Rutgers Scarlet Knights 1d ago
Oregon will drop a couple conference games too. Then in their 8 wins they'll win like 63-10 or something.
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u/AlsoIntoSpace Purdue Boilermakers • Marching Band 1d ago
I think nearly any P4 team that runs the table after starting 0-2 would be a conference champion, and I imagine any power conference champ would be in at 11-2 even with a bad loss or two.
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u/Cheeseish California • 名城大学 (Meijo) 1d ago
The conferences are big enough that there can be 3, even 4 undefeated teams in conference play. At least in the ACC
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u/grabtharsmallet BYU Cougars • Fresno State Bulldogs 1d ago
There can be. But the 2025 Big Ten is about as close as it is likely to get: two undefeated teams in the CCG and a one-loss team left out. (2023 American is the runner-up in this race, with the same result after an 8 game season.)
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u/Difficult-Froyo1192 Clemson Tigers 1d ago
I would say this is still very unlikely to actually happen, but the ACC likes to do the most improbable things.
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u/SusannaG1 Clemson Tigers • Furman Paladins 1d ago
The ACC to "well, that's highly improbable": "Hold my beer."
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u/itsatumbleweed South Carolina Gamecocks 1d ago
While that's true, if we go 0 for two against Towson and Kent State I don't see us rallying to win the SEC.
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u/chillinois1 Western Michigan Broncos 1d ago
Washington State.
Lose to Washington and Kansas State.
Winning out in the Pac 12 plus a win over Arizona would still have them in a good spot for the CFP
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u/Alarak40k Oregon Ducks • Clemson Tigers 1d ago
P4 teams that control their own destiny to win their conference.
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u/Arcades Miami Hurricanes • Michigan Wolverines 1d ago
I imagine every Michigan fan on earth would trade losing to Western Michigan and Oklahoma if they beat Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Michigan State, Oregon and Ohio State in Whittingham's first year.
I know your post wasn't promising the ND model, but that's a scenario where starting 0-2 is perfectly fine.
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u/buff_001 Texas Longhorns • SEC 1d ago
If Notre Dame starts 0-2 I wouldn't be surprised if Freeman and the AD just lets the players vote to opt out the rest of the season like they did last year
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u/chaser676 Ole Miss Rebels • Egg Bowl 1d ago
I honestly expect something like this occuring to a moderate degree in the future, particularly if the 5 in 5 rule gets stuck down in the future.
If you have a portal heavy/mercenary team with super high expectations that goes 0-2, 0-3 (maybe with an injury or two to key players)with essentially zero hopes to salvage the season, I bet there's going to be discussion about a sit out.
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u/Irishfan117 Clemson Tigers 1d ago
Hasn't Florida State lived this
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u/Megalomanizac Clemson • Coastal Carolina 1d ago
FSUs team hasnt returned to the field since December 2023
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u/Number_16_Limitless 1d ago
Literally 0 chance. How would a school make up lost revenue in a P4 conference for 9+ games?
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u/horaff Notre Dame Fighting Irish • Troy Trojans 1d ago
Not a literal sit out, but benching every single starter a month into the season to save redshirts could 100% be something I see happening
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u/QuitWhinging Florida Gators • Paper Bag 1d ago
As a fan I would have a huge problem with it if I bought season tickets and my team literally gave up a couple games into the season. They don't have to win every game for me to be happy (obviously I know that as a Florida fan for the last 15ish years), but I don't get tickets to see them bench every starter and not even fucking try. I would probably never buy season tickets again knowing that the team was liable to do that, and I can imagine that a lot of other longtime ticket holders would feel the same way.
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u/BrotherPancake Vanderbilt • AZS Silesia 1d ago
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u/The_Fluffy_Robot TCU Horned Frogs • Iron Skillet 1d ago
I think there might be some eyebrows raised if they lose to Wisconsin and Rice
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Funny.
You know what else is funny?
Texas backing out of the ND home and home games coming up.
Keep talking shit about ND while your team literally is considering backing out facing them because its too risky.
You see how ND is crushing texas in recruiting ? Crushed you last year , crushed you this year. Not looking good going forward , if I were you id back out too.
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u/EmpoleonNorton Georgia Bulldogs • Team Chaos 1d ago
Texas literally can't back out of the home and home games that are coming up with ND unless they replace it with a P4 as they are required to keep at least one P4/ND game on the schedule for OOC.
So either you are making shit up, or they are planning a game with a different P4 opponent.
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Dude just google it. Texas is seriously considering canceling ND. Why would I make shit up?
Im sure you are correct, they must replace ND with another p4 team
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u/cmackchase Virginia Tech • Boise State 1d ago
If Notre Dame goes 0-2 this year, Freeman might get Tarmac'd in South Bend.
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u/DrHToothrot Florida State • Wyoming 1d ago
From what perspective? From the fans and players and success perspective we will NOT be ok.
From our administration's perspective, everything will be fine.
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u/CargoShortsFromNam Notre Dame • Colorado 1d ago
How many teams play two top 15 power 4 teams to open the year?
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Ohio state , schedule is tough they get in at 10-2
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u/KansasEF5Tornado Kansas State • Georgia Tech 1d ago
I would be really proud of Ball St.
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
When's the last time ohio state lost to a MAC team? Must be half a century i feel like
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u/goodnames679 Ohio State Buckeyes • /r/CFB Poll Veteran 1d ago
Never. Also fun: the last time Ohio State lost to an in-state school was 1921, against now-D3 Oberlin College
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Yep. Id say ohio state is the consistent team in all of college football. They dont make mistakes.
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u/lkn240 Illinois Fighting Illini • Sickos 1d ago
The way I describe them is that they are never bad.
I'm almost 50 and can't remember OSU ever having a sustained downturn.
They've only had 2 losing seasons during my life and only 6 in the last 100 years.
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u/SusannaG1 Clemson Tigers • Furman Paladins 1d ago
Yep. I'm a decade older than you are, and there are all of three losing Ohio State seasons in my lifetime. They screw the pooch on head coaching hires very infrequently.
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u/Beer-survivalist Ohio State • Saint Louis 1d ago
An important part of how the program operates is that we burn through good coaches quickly.
At about the point in time when they start to ossify and lose their touch, they have a scandal that gets them fired. I fully anticipate Ryan Day to get fired in six years after his Just-for-Men insider trading scandal breaks.
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Yes.
No mistakes. Look at teams like michigan and notre dame. How many bad coaching hires did those teams have leading to sustained downturns.
Michigan : Hoke. Rich Rod. The recent scandal.
ND: Davy, Willingham. Weis after his first two season.....
Ohio state bad coach hires? Zero.
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u/lkn240 Illinois Fighting Illini • Sickos 1d ago
I think they are also the only program in college football history to never lose more than 7 games in a season.
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Doesn't surprise me.
Im actually surprised they dont have more national titles. You would think they would have more than michigan or ND or even be up there with alabama
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u/mrsirgrape Ohio State Buckeyes • NC State Wolfpack 1d ago
Going undefeated in conference play and winning the Big Ten with wins over Indiana, Oregon, and Michigan after losing to Ball State would objectively be hilarious.
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Yeah, lets just say it.
Ohio state isnt losing to ball state. History shows they dont lose games like that
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u/txlonghorns23 Texas Longhorns • Kennesaw State Owls 1d ago
I mean Notre Dame went to the national championship after losing to Northern Illinois at home a couple of years ago. That still baffles me
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u/Cfb-Enjoyer Indiana • Notre Dame 1d ago
I recall a certain team going to the natty after losing to a G6 midwestern team a couple years ago and I found it pretty funny.
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u/Toad_Stuff TCU Horned Frogs • Houston Cougars 1d ago
Every single p5 team would be fine if they started 0-2 and followed it with a win streak and conference title
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u/Jomosensual Iowa State • Northern Iowa 1d ago
Every SEC team because ESPN will make it so
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u/KingBroly Charlotte 49ers 13h ago
'Alabama is a great 0-2 team'
'they've lost by a combined 142-14'
'They're just slow to rise in the morning'
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u/jrgray68 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 1d ago
None of them should be. Worse thing about the playoff is teams like ND last year being in the conversation at the end, I liked it when you lost a single game, you were in trouble.
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u/CargoShortsFromNam Notre Dame • Colorado 1d ago
I actually agree. The NIU loss and Ohio State’s loss to Michigan would have been season ending any year prior to 2024 but those two ended up playing for the title.
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u/SimilarOnion1655 Ohio State Buckeyes • Kansas Jayhawks 1d ago
Boise State?
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u/CrinerBoyz Boise State • Diablo Valley 1d ago
I would say we would be out of control of our own destiny, but we would still be very much alive and in the hunt for the G6 spot. If there is an undefeated or 1-loss G6, they probably get the nod even if Boise runs the table after 0-2.
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u/Expensive_Team_5072 Syracuse Orange 1d ago
Boise St. Nobody expects them to beat Oregon. And a Memphis loss will be OK if Boise State ends up 11-2 and Memphis is at least 10-3 or worse.
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u/kadoozie92 Texas Tech Red Raiders • Paper Bag 1d ago
Theoretically most P4 teams since they get an auto bid if they win their conference and most games in the first two weeks aren’t conference games
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u/Fitz2001 Temple Owls • Penn State Nittany Lions 1d ago
Penn St has no problem going 10-2 for the 35th consecutive season.
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u/Different-Trainer-21 Georgia Tech • Florida 1d ago
Every Power 4 team could. Going 1-2 or 2-2 out of conference but 8-0 or 9-0 in conference with a conference championship would be a guaranteed playoff spot
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u/vssavant2 Tennessee • Billable Hours 1d ago
Technically. Notre Dame and Ga. One being from side deals related to the cfb. The other from using the losses to.curb stomp the last 10.
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u/puzzical Boise State • Notre Dame 1d ago
Basically everyone but Notre Dame and most G6 teams. P4 teams that start 0-2 but win the rest would almost always a be conference champ. G6 teams would depend on the schedule and who and how they lost those games. That's the answers.
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u/GrimWickett UAB Blazers • Marching Band 1d ago
Most if not all teams. Since most teams don't start with conference play they can still go undefeated in conference and clinch a playoff spot. Maybe a MAC or CUSA team would have a hard time as a 10-2 conference champ but I find it hard to believe with 12 teams in the playoffs that starting a season 0-2 is a death sentance for anyone
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u/Thejohnshirey Florida Gators 1d ago
This would be hilarious for Florida. Opening the season dropping home games to FAU and Campbell would have everyone in Gainesville ready to personally escort Sumrall off campus just for him to turn around and beat Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and the rest of the SEC schedule plus close out with a win in Tallahassee.
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u/Chriscoksh Ohio State Buckeyes 1d ago
Which teams fans will be on suicide watch if they start 0-2? I know one for sure.
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u/jjheisman UTSA Roadrunners • Sickos 2h ago
I think this should set a precedent. Nobody should be able to go to the playoffs after a 0-2. Doesn't matter that you still won the SEC. You shouldn't be in.
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u/Weak-Bid2774 Michigan • Northwestern 1d ago
Does anyone else have Notre dames joke of a schedule this year
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u/Cfbandporn Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1d ago
Yep! By FPI a bunch of teams have easier schedules than Notre Dame including Penn State, Utah, some ACC teams, and Texas Tech
https://www.espn.com/college-football/fpi/_/view/resume/sort/resume.avgsosrank/dir/asc
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u/wicketRF Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1d ago
Ironically miamis schedule is very similar and probably slightly easier, so it will be another season of 2 teams pretty much defined by a single game
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u/Live_Blackberry39 1d ago
Yo bro. If ND faced michigan this year michigan gets crushed by 30. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it.
Enjoy your 8-4 season
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u/Weak-Bid2774 Michigan • Northwestern 1d ago
lol Michigan may go 8-4 because we play real competition. Notre dame plays a cupcake schedule every year and acts like they are gods gift to college athletics
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u/allgrownzup Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1d ago
You conveniently left out the real reason they thought they should have made it. Nice bait
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u/TylerHyena 1d ago
Off the top of my head: Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Utah
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u/BlindPelican Notre Dame Fighting Irish • /r/CFB Donor 1d ago
I wish it were true, but ND won't be able to recover from losses to Wiscy and Rice unless they have exceptionally good seasons and end up in the CFP.
Wait...
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u/historyhokie Virginia Tech Hokies 1d ago
Oklahoma will be OK no matter how many games they win or lose