10-07-2015, 11:59 AM
I think OSU last year demonstrates that the playoff pickers are heavily influenced by the outcomes of championship games and near-end-of-season results.
So, in the scenario where Stanford plays ND as the team's last regular season game, it takes on an importance that it otherwise would not. I'm not saying you should root for ND to be undefeated on that date, but, if Stanford is in playoff contention, ND's ranking on that date will matter somewhat, though probably/arguably not as much as margin-of-victory in the game itself.
So, in the scenario where Stanford plays ND as the team's last regular season game, it takes on an importance that it otherwise would not. I'm not saying you should root for ND to be undefeated on that date, but, if Stanford is in playoff contention, ND's ranking on that date will matter somewhat, though probably/arguably not as much as margin-of-victory in the game itself.