Here goes nothing, a couple quick thoughts on my latest ballot in the AP Top 25 poll ...
■ I don’t mean to get too far out over my skis, but is everyone OK with fast-forwarding to the LSU-Ohio State national title game?
Nah? Fine.
But, man, just when Clemson-Alabama Part V appeared seemed inevitable, a new playoff collision course has emerged. It now appears to be LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, and everyone else.
I moved LSU past Ohio State into the top spot after its 46-41 at then-No. 2 Alabama — if you don’t reward that victory, what are we doing here? — with the Buckeyes just behind.
All LSU does is continue to win big games, with former OSU quarterback Joe Burrow and Heisman favorite leading the most dangerous offense in the country, while his old team keeps looking like the best and most relentless incarnation of the Buckeyes in my lifetime.
That’s nine games for Ohio State, nine wastings. Say what you will about the Buckeyes’ schedule, although they have beaten two top-20 teams (Cincinnati and Wisconsin). This level of consistency and dominance is the exception. The Buckeyes now lead the country in scoring offense (51 points per game) and scoring defense (8.6 points), and as long as they can handle their most formidable foe to date (the NCAA), they would be my pick today to win the national title.
■ The biggest debate for the playoff committee this week figures to be over the fourth spot, and, specifically, where Alabama should fall amid the jumble of second-tier unbeatens and one-loss big boys.
Here’s what I settled on: Georgia fourth, Alabama fifth, and Minnesota sixth, the rationale being that the poll should be a blend of the subjective and the objective.
As high as I am on the still-perfect Gophers after their top-five win over Penn State, we all have a good idea that Alabama — the program that recruits the best class every year and has played in four straight national championship games — is the better team and would handle Minnesota on any field.
But the benefit of the doubt goes only so far.
And I don’t quite get all the national projections that have Alabama — which will not win its division of the SEC for the second time in three years -— as the fourth and final playoff team.
At some point, your best data point can’t be a good loss. You have to have good wins, too, and Alabama hasn’t beaten anyone with a heartbeat. Georgia, meanwhile, has a terrible loss to South Carolina, yes, but it has two top-20 wins (Notre Dame and Florida), which is one more than Alabama, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah, and Oklahoma have combined. (Minnesota’s 31-26 win over Penn State is the exception.)
Give me the team with the best wins.
■ My complete ballot:
1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Georgia
5. Alabama
6. Minnesota
7. Oregon
8. Utah
9. Oklahoma
10. Penn State
11. Florida
12. Auburn
13. Baylor
14. Wisconsin
15. Michigan
16. Cincinnati
17. Notre Dame
18. Boise State
19. Memphis
20. Southern Methodist
21. Navy
22. Texas
23. Kansas State
24. Iowa
25. Indiana
First Published November 10, 2019, 4:50 p.m.