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Title Contenders Part II
First part of title contenders we examined the polarization of the SEC and how Iowa might make a laughingstock of the Big Ten. This issue we will tackle the other three power conferences. Will anyone from the ACC make it? Can a utterly vanilla Utah team qualify if they lose a game? All of this and the state of the Big 12 in this edition of HRWager’s Blog.
Gifted Big 12
We are not talking about the level of talent that either TCU or Baylor has. Essentially we are alluding to the opinion that any close team to the top of this conference will get the nod for one of the four playoff spots. The committee will not risk having the same Power Five conference being shut out twice in a row. Benefit of the doubt even among the one loss teams goes here. So unless both TCU and Baylor lose twice, one of them will make it through to the final four.
Pac-12
Here is where a one loss team will not be the equal among the other conferences. Essentially a team here has to win out or be the one on the outside looking in. Stanford’s loss to Northwestern kills them even though it is early in the season. A one loss Utah squad does not have the brand name to have the ratings spike when they are on television. Cal is a decent story but are worse of a draw than the other two at this point and time.
One loss ACC
Florida State with one loss might be vulnerable in lieu of them making it last year. Clemson is the conferences best bet to make it through should they go down once. Geographic proximity to the SEC might lose them some points but this conference is still stronger than the Pac-12.
So in any type of future, the Pac-12 is the conference to fade this year in playoff wagers. The big name schools are all suffering and Utah’s style is too bland for anything short of perfection to get through. Big 12 fans rest easy as this conference getting a spot is assured unless every top team has two losses. Let us see how our train of thought develops because the first official rankings come out in early November. Good fortune today and we will see you tomorrow here at HRWager.
