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Can The Big East Crash The National Championship Game?

By Dr. Ed Feng 4 Comments

Fast forward to early December and imagine this scenario.

Alabama has just won the SEC Championship game. The undefeated Crimson Tide claim a place in the National Championship game.

For their opponent, there are two options. The first is a one loss Oklahoma team. While the Sooners lost early to Kansas State, they have steamrolled every opponent since. Their resume includes a decisive win over Notre Dame.

The second option is an undefeated Big East team.

Right now, Rutgers, Louisville and Cincinnati are all undefeated. However, none of these teams have earned a ranking in our top 25. The thought of one of these teams in the National Championship game should make you a bit queasy.

What’s the likelihood these teams remain undefeated?

  • Rutgers (27), 9.5%.
  • Cincinnati (30), 3.2%.
  • Louisville (44), 3.0%.

I was a bit shocked that Rutgers has almost a 10% chance. The Scarlet Knights have Army and Kent State on their remaining schedule, making their road the easiest of these three teams. Their most difficult remaining game comes at Cincinnati.

Rutgers deserves credit for scheduling and winning game at Arkansas this year. It’s not their fault that the head coach got fired during the off season, throwing the program into turmoil.

Would an undefeated Big East team deserve a spot in the National Championship game? Please leave us a comment.

Thanks for reading.

Filed Under: Alabama Crimson Tide, Cincinnati Bearcats, College Football, College Football 2012, College Football Analytics, Football Analytics, Louisville Cardinals, Oklahoma Sooners, Rutgers Scarlet Knights

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  • About
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