[DC 86]

[quote author=OutsiderFan link=topic=16187.msg181431#msg181431 date=1480775238]
Pretty hard to imagine Colorado not falling behind Under Stanford Control (again) in the final CFP poll. 

I mean, I can imagine it. The CFP can do whatever they want and looking at overall resume there's a case for Colorado above Under Stanford Control (again). Under Stanford Control (again)'s whole case is that they're a different team now than they were before the QB change, but most of those games came against the really bad parts of the Pac-12. They did beat UW in a game where Browning played like crap and Colorado in another game where Liufau was out, but I'm not really sold on their resurgence. I just can't square why replacing a QB turns them from the team we blew out into a completely different one.

Anyway we'll see, Under Stanford Control (again) will probably be ranked above Colorado but I hope they're not.
[/quote]
I would rank SC above Colorado if I was on the committee:

1. The QB change is real and significant, Darnold ranks second in all of FBS in QBR. Both statistically and in terms of "eye test" they are a completely different team with him in place of Browne.
2. USC beat Colorado head-to-head. True that Liifau only played briefly but it was Montez's third straight start. SC outgained Colorado by 177 yards but were thwarted by three lost fumbles which kept Colorado in the game.
3. USC beat the conference champion by 13 points on the road, about as strong of a "good win" as there is. Browning played "like crap" as you said, but doesn't SC deserve some credit for that? Browning didn't play very well last night but UW still beat Colorado by 31 points on a neutral field.
4. And while their five games after beating Colorado were games they supposed to win they won them decisively (closest margin was 18 vs Notre Dame, and ND scored a garbage TD with no time left on the clock).

If we had somehow made it to the championship game last night, would we rather have played SC or Colorado?

[DC 86]

[quote author=OutsiderFan link=topic=16187.msg181431#msg181431 date=1480775238]
Pretty hard to imagine Colorado not falling behind Under Stanford Control (again) in the final CFP poll. 

I mean, I can imagine it. The CFP can do whatever they want and looking at overall resume there's a case for Colorado above Under Stanford Control (again). Under Stanford Control (again)'s whole case is that they're a different team now than they were before the QB change, but most of those games came against the really bad parts of the Pac-12. They did beat UW in a game where Browning played like crap and Colorado in another game where Liufau was out, but I'm not really sold on their resurgence. I just can't square why replacing a QB turns them from the team we blew out into a completely different one.

Anyway we'll see, Under Stanford Control (again) will probably be ranked above Colorado but I hope they're not.
[/quote]
I would rank SC above Colorado if I was on the committee:

1. The QB change is real and significant, Darnold ranks second in all of FBS in QBR. Both statistically and in terms of "eye test" they are a completely different team with him in place of Browne.
2. USC beat Colorado head-to-head. True that Liifau only played briefly but it was Montez's third straight start. SC outgained Colorado by 177 yards but were thwarted by three lost fumbles which kept Colorado in the game.
3. USC beat the conference champion by 13 points on the road, about as strong of a "good win" as there is. Browning played "like crap" as you said, but doesn't SC deserve some credit for that? Browning didn't play very well last night but UW still beat Colorado by 31 points on a neutral field.
4. And while their five games after beating Colorado were games they supposed to win they won them decisively (closest margin was 18 vs Notre Dame, and ND scored a garbage TD with no time left on the clock).

If we had somehow made it to the championship game last night, would we rather have played SC or Colorado?