This seems like a good topic for debate: Who will be ranked higher in the final polls? USC or Washington. Why should the Huskies drop after losing a respectable game to No. 1-ranked Alabama? They won the Pac-12 and lost only two games this season. Shouldn’t the conference champs be higher ranked than the team that finished third? But they didn’t have as many quality wins as USC.
On the other hand, USC beat No. 4-ranked Washington. USC beat No. 5-ranked Penn State. USC’s won nine straight games. But they lost three games and 52-6 to Alabama (pre-Sam Darnold). So who should be ranked higher?
No question USC should be ranked above both UW and OSU who got their butts kicked. USC totally handled UW on their home field. USC beat PSU (who should have been in the NCS instead of OSU).
Yes and yes – WA lost their sole tough game , at home, to USC. OH St. lost to PA St. and they did not win the Big-10 but were bluntly defeated by Clemson exposing their lack of ‘qb’.
If there was some gain from a higher post-playoff ranking what is it? Solely getting a higher pre-season ranking what?
All indicators point to a smooth take off flight and landing next year – schedule, home vs. away, and Notre Dame, UCLA and Stanford in varying degrees of decline.
Let’s not forget the most important factor for 2017 success – many returning starters, including Darnold.
Going to be a lot of pressure and expectations to be in the playoffs and win the NC. Especially on here.
there should be – we’ve been screwed by the NCAA since 2010 in spite of that and the ensuing number of head coaches and assistants we’re one blown September from playing next Monday – that;s all on us.
Bring the pressure can’t be any worse than having a drunk ex-coach now thankfully elsewhere but still suing USC for being a loser.
Go Clemson
The better our ranking, the better the recruiting, I think.
USC should be ranked higher
USC shouldn’t be ranked lower than No. 3 after Alabama and Clemson.
Remember when Scott Wolf voted Michigan number 1 for the entire season over Alabama. Let’s not talk about rankings with a buffoon.
The Mighty Big 10 was 2-6 in bowls games
That’s cause of his man crush on Harbaugh. He loves any coach that can beat USC.
Asking that question on here? duh. USC #2 or #3, depending on what Alabama does to Clemson.
You’d have to add Oklahoma and FSU into the mix…no?
I don’t think so. They are not as good as USC or PSU. 5 and 6 maybe.
I’ve always wondered how a team beats another and the next week is ranked below the team they beat. But that’s how we get a team ranked #3 that couldn’t win its division let alone the conference then gets shut out in their bowl game. SC beat Washington, SC is better than Washington right now. They were not better than Washington in September and that’s when they lost the conference by losing to Utah. Rankings are not the same as standings. Rankings are like economic predictions.
I always looked at them as like the stock market.
Of course. Better question: WHY should UW be ranked ahead of a team that beat them badly, on their home turf? A similar question was more than the pundits could handle in putting Ohio St. ahead of Penn St. in the playoff poll.
The Trojans beat UW up there, case closed. UW ‘s last two wins over Wazzu and Colorado lost a lot of luster after those two teams shoddy performance in their Bowl games. Roll Tide’s offense made the playoff game look close with UW having no chance to score after initial TD. A moral victory is irrelevant in big games. Really who cares about final rankings with playoffs the main agenda in these times of college football.
It’s not that simple. I think we beat WA again if they played. Huge USC fan but it’s the whole season. We lost to Stanford and Utah. We didn’t win our division or the PAC 12. Washington did and held own against Alabama. Fantastic year and top 10 finish and not top 3-4.
You’ll now be attacked by the rah rah’s for being a closet bRUIN
Uh oh. I’ll do a bunch a burpees like Coach Sark to earn my way back in
Where will the Bruins finish ?
There’s a lot of baby bruins in the closet now. Some even pretend to be Trojans over here.
They didn’t even finish the race. They just quit. Loser little gutties on the run.
Victory Bell = USC
Doesn’t matter. Only thing that matters is who is number one, and who is number two. As for three through ten, it doesn’t matter.
Nobody cares who # 2 is either
True!
Where is ucla ranked? Or are they
Nope.
Number 2 means that you won your playoff game. That’s like winning a bowl, but with relevance. Number 2 nowadays means something.
#2 is the first loser
As usual, well put, Fred!
It will come down to body of work..Sure USC lost 3 early, Aside from the Bama beating, USC lost by a total of 17 points btw Utah and Stanford .. Then winning the next 8 games by wide margins.. Washington played a weak schedule early .. Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State, while USC played 3 early ranked teams that stayed within the top 25 the entire year.. Alabama, Stanford and Utah vs Rutgers, Idaho, Portland State ? No brainer … Heck USC beat Washington easy.. NO BRAINER! ✌
10-3 vs 12-2. USC wins the head to head match up playing at their house in a hostile environment. USC hasn’t lost since September and is on a 9 game streak and just beat the B1G Champion. UW has lost 2 of their last 5. Wolf will put Washington in the top 5 and USC at 11.
Think he’ll rank USC? I presumed he’d leave them off for North Dakota State
I’m not sure which order but teams 3-5 should be Michigan, Oklahoma, and USC with Penn State #6.
MICH lost 3 of its last 4 games, even to IOWA. They had 8 home games in Ann Arbor. No way MICH deserves top 5 IMHO.
We all know Birdcage wants the Huskies ranked higher. If he has his way, he’d still have MICH ranked in the top 3.
You win a spectacular Rose Bowl against a very good, hot PSU team and that counts for a lot of bonus points.
SC and OU should finish 3 or 4. FSU #5. I think USC should be 3, but barely over OU. But I could see the Sooner being 3 as they were ranked ahead of SC at #7 and finished by beating WV, #10 OKS and AUB all very badly. But the Sooners kept a vicious woman assaulter on the team. Advantage USC.
SC 3,4 or 5 after BAMA/Clemson go 1,2…who? ,maybe OK? get ready for next season is my idea…
The number 3 is a good start
Yes, Scott…..Duh.
SC dominated Washington
Wolf says “Shouldn’t the conference champs be higher ranked than the team that finished third?” I would say that obviously the playoff committee didn’t think so. They ranked Ohio State 4th and Penn State 5th.