Week 8 Games that will Impact Virginia Tech's Post-season Destination
A brand name will only take you so far
If, behind closed doors, the playoff is understood to be a vehicle for enabling an end-of-the-year TV bonanza, then blue blood programs are going to get in no matter what.
Or, at least, that was the plan.
But a serious problem has emerged.
By consolidating five power conferences into four, and concentrating a majority of the top teams in two of those conferences, the powers that be have set up a system in which brand name programs now beat up on one another during the regular season.
This new setup has been great for fall Saturdays. One cannot turn around without bumping into a marquee matchup.
A result of all this, though, is one unintended scenario: if a perceived elite team goes 0-2 against playoff bound teams in the regular season, but wins the rest of its games, it is nearly impossible to justify granting that team an at-large bid.
My theory is that at-large bids will only go to teams with at least one win over another playoff-bound team.
Otherwise, what would be the point? Why include a team that can only beat up on sub-playoff caliber teams? How is that proving you belong?
All of this is a preamble to tonight’s big game between Georgia and Texas.
But before getting into that, and this week’s other games that will affect Virginia Tech’s post-season destination, let’s review what happened last week.
Last Week’s Rooting Interest Record: 0-3 (8-13 on the season)
Record of Predictions in Rooting Interest Games: 3-0 (17-4)
In a close game, Virginia’s Wahoos fought hard(ish), but just couldn’t quite get it done. (Rooting L, Prediction W)
Coach Prime’s boys are never boring at night, but they did come up short against Kansas St. (Rooting L, Prediction W)
Iowa St. is a sneaky good football team, and dominating West Virginia in Morgantown at night suggests the Cyclones could be for real. (Rooting L, Prediction W)
Now then. on to this week’s games!
Game 1: #6 Miami at Louisville
It is very possible that Miami will not play one ranked team this year. One consequence is that in scanning up and down the Hurricanes’ schedule, one does not see a lot of losable games. Louisville, on the other hand, still has games remaining against Clemson and Pitt. The Cardinals also already have one conference loss.
Rooting Interest: Louisville
Game 2: #12 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
If Georgia Tech manages to pull the upset, the Yellow Jackets may sneak into the top 25 next week, which would be great since they are next up on Virginia Tech’s schedule. The Jackets, however, are unranked now, and another Notre Dame loss to an unranked team could sink the Irish’s playoff hopes. Keeping Notre Dame out of the playoff would help the ACC get at least two teams in.
Rooting Interest: Georgia Tech
Game 3: #5 Georgia at #1 Texas
A win at Texas almost guarantees Georgia a playoff bid, but things get dicey for the Bulldogs with a loss. There are a lot of really good SEC teams, and only four are likely to get in. Sink too far down the conference standings and you put yourself at real risk. Georgia would probably get the benefit of the doubt over Virginia Tech if both landed at 9-3, but probably not against other SEC teams. And Tech would be at less of a disadvantage against the SEC’s (perceived) second tier teams.
Rooting Interest: Texas
