The Week In Football: The Four Team Playoff Is Set, and NFL Power Rankings

The college football playoff committee selected their final top four of the season yesterday, as they announced that Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, and Ohio State would be the teams in the inaugural playoffs. Amazingly enough, they left out TCU, who they had ranked third only a week earlier, and Baylor, the true Big 12 champions, and a team that I personally think is better than Ohio State.

The Big 12 was the only one of the Power 5 conferences that was completely shut out of the playoff, and honestly, they have no one to blame but themselves. Their hypocritical decision to not select one team as their conference champ, despite their “One True Champion” commercials that ran all year, really hurt them. Not having a conference championship game on the final weekend did a lot of damage as well. TCU smashed Iowa State, who might be the worst team in a Power 5 conference, and Baylor beat Kansas State. The K-State victory was an impressive one for the Bears, but it just didn’t quite carry the same weight as Ohio State’s dominant victory over Wisconsin in their conference title game. There’s just something really impressive and noticeable about absolutely shellacking a team for a conference championship that a regular season win over K-State can’t amount to. The Big 12 either needs to find a way add two teams, or petition the NCAA to allow them to have a championship game. 

I think it’s hilarious that there was all this talk this week about how conference title games, in this day and age of college football, were completely obsolete, and were maybe even potentially harmful to teams like Alabama, because if the Tide had lost to Mizzou, they would’ve been left out of the playoff. Interestingly enough, not having a conference championship game was what cost the Big 12 a spot in the playoff, and all the conferences that had a title game got their conference champions in this tournament.

Going to a four team playoff was a great idea, and one that I can’t believe took so long to happen. Did anyone ever feel this way about the BCS? Look at the excitement around college football that this playoff created on the national level. The unveiling of the four teams every single week was an enormous event, and it became a conversation topic on every talking head show, in every work place, and countless other places, including schools, bars, and federal prisons (they have T.V. there correct? If they did, I’m sure it was a conversation topic!). It gave college football an importance in every corner of the country that it had never quite had before, and it even prompted my Angry Old Man to ask me yesterday if this was the greatest season in the history of the sport. I almost had a heart attack when I heard him say that, because he’s the quintessential “back in my day, we used to walk to school, uphill, both ways, fighting through polar bears and driving acid rain” type of guy, someone who gets mad at young people for not appreciating what happened 30 or 40 years ago. If he’s asking that about something that happened in 2014, then you know it’s a really special season.

I’m also glad the committee finally corrected their mistake of having TCU over Baylor, though I wish they would’ve put the Bears in the playoff, instead of Ohio State. I know the Buckeyes looked the best they have all year on Saturday night when they dismantled the Badgers, but I still think, on a neutral field, Baylor would be able to beat an Ohio State team starting their third string quarterback. But it’s a minor point, and one that won’t matter in a few weeks when either one of these teams would’ve been smoked by Alabama. But more on that match up, as well as Oregon-FSU, and every bowl game, later in the month.

Now, onto the NFL…..

I haven’t done power rankings since Week 9, so in celebration of that five week hiatus, with three weeks to go, why not count backwards, from 32 to 1? You’re right, there’s isn’t a reason!

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

31. Oakland Raiders

30. New York Jets

29. Tennessee Titans

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

27. Washington Redskins

Here are all your NFL teams with 3 wins or less. Not a lot of great football to be found in this group. Congrats on virtually ending the Niners season yesterday though Oakland, as well as creating the zillionth conversation centered around, “What’s wrong with Kaepernick” and, “Goodbye Jim Harbaugh”.

One more thought on these bottom six: Four of these teams are completely clueless/lost/we-have-no-idea about their quarterback situation. RG3 is done in D.C., Tampa Bay and Tennessee don’t really have a franchise guy (I don’t get the impression the Titans are all that high on Zach Mettenberger), and I can’t tell if the Jets want to embrace Geno Smith, or beat him over the head with the playbook. The other two teams still have unanswered questions, but they seem to at least think they have the answer at the position. I don’t feel like I have a large enough sample size of Blake Bortles play in Jacksonville to really make a strong judgment on him, but for now, the Jags aren’t looking for other options. That leaves us with the Raiders, who I think, shockingly enough, have the best quarterback situation of the group, by far. Derek Carr has been sneaky good this season, despite the fact that his team is 2-11. He's completing over 60% of his passes, and has thrown 17 TDs and 11 interceptions, which isn’t a bad ratio for a guy that is quarterbacking the most inept franchise in sports. Plus, they’ve been in a ton of close games against a lot of good teams, including two close losses to San Diego, a six point defeat in Seattle, a seven point loss in New England. And don't forget their two victories in the last three weeks against Kansas City and San Francisco. Does Oakland, for the first time in over a decade, have the right guy playing quarterback for them? I think they do. Is this the apocalypse? I can't believe I just spent an entire paragraph being complementary of the Raiders. This doesn’t feel right. Let’s just move on.

26. New York Giants

Go get Jim Harbaugh! Do it! You’ll be (assuming Tom Coughlin is no longer there) the best job opening in the NFL! Do yourselves a favor and trade for the best guy you can!

25. Carolina Panthers

This is how I feel about Carolina still being alive for a playoff spot, despite the fact that they’re 4-8-1. I’ve been trashing Atlanta all season, but seriously, has there ever been a worse team in the history of the NFL still in playoff contention with three weeks to go?

Back to that clip for a second: I love Star Wars, but that acting job by Mark Hamill was just brutal. Has there ever been a worse and groan-worthy display of emotion in cinema than that? The only I can think of that comes close is this masterpiece from Troll 2.

24. Chicago Bears

23. Minnesota Vikings

Every once in a while, it’s good to remind yourself of how much of an idiot you are. I did that this week when I went back and looked at my pre-season predictions, and realized that I had the Bears playing in the NFC Championship Game. Whoops!

On the bright side (not for me), the Vikings seem to have found their quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater. I always thought it was ridiculous that people’s opinion on him nosedived after his pro day, which was, by all accounts, not very impressive. It even led that clown Skip Baseless to question Bridgewater’s “clutch gene”, because apparently, a pro day is exactly like playing in a big game. Except it isn’t, because you’re wearing shorts and no pads, and you don’t have to worry about a 300 pound defensive lineman driving you into the ground. I don’t care about pro days, or what happens in them. What’s the point of even playing college football if a workout in shorts and a T-shirt is ultimately going to completely warp all the pundits and analysts opinions of you? I had his entire college career telling me he was a good player, and someone that could become a really good NFL player.

22. New Orleans Saints

21. Atlanta Falcons

I have Atlanta ranked ahead of New Orleans only because of their Week 1 win against them. I fully expect the Week 16 showdown in the Superdome between these teams to be the game that decides that terrible division. Then, after it’s settled, the NFC South winner can get stomped on in the Wild Card Round, ending everyone’s misery and frustration that they’re in the playoffs despite being among the 12 worst teams in the league.

20. San Francisco 49ers

This is, right now, not a very good team, and one that is absolutely dreadful offensively. They haven’t scored more than 17 points in their last 4 games, and Colin Kaepernick seems to be regressing almost every week. ESPN’s Trent Dilfer (someone I respect as a football thinker and quarterback evaluator) seems to think that the Niners staff has done a poor job developing and managing him, and he also thinks Kaepernick looks like a beaten down, mentally fatigued football player. And all of those things could be true. I have no idea. I hate playing body language doctor, because sometimes it’s deceptive, but it is evident that he clearly doesn’t have the same swagger today that he did two years ago. I think Jim Harbaugh is a great head coach, but he also has a deserved reputation for being a guy that wears people out. Is it possible he’s done that to Kaepernick? I don’t have that answer. All I know is that San Francisco’s great three year run in the playoffs is probably over.

19. St. Louis Rams

The Rams just shut out an NFL team for the second straight week, and I’d hate to see them on the schedule if I was another squad (Watch out Seattle, they’ll be in your backyard in Week 17). This group is literally just an above average quarterback away from being a really competitive team. Even without one, they terrify me. I’m excited to see what happens with them next season.

18. Cleveland Browns

17. Houston Texans

16. Buffalo Bills

15. Kansas City Chiefs

14. Miami Dolphins

I’d hate to be the person in the NFL office that has to figure out all of these playoff tiebreakers, because it seems like so much work to differentiate between all of these 7-6 AFC teams. Houston, for example, is in 8^th place in the AFC, the highest of all these teams, because they have the best win percentage in conference games. I was literally staring at my computer for 5 minutes, trying to make sense of all of this, before I had to stop because it was giving me a head injury. So let’s just do it this way:

1. Cleveland is probably out of the race, because I’m fairly certain they’re just going to throw Johnny Football in there at some point and see what they’ve got. That, to me, doesn’t bode well for their playoff chances. Plus, they literally don’t have any of the tiebreakers in their favor, at least right now.
2. Houston is alive and well, thanks to two straight wins over Jacksonville and Tennessee, but their next two games (at Indy, home against Baltimore) are actually against legitimate competition. I just don’t think the Texans are a good team (who have they beat this year? No one!), and I don’t think they’ll win a game the next two weeks.
3. Buffalo has been a nice story this year, but they have a rough finish to the season. Their game with Oakland is sandwiched between a home date with Green Bay, and their season ending contest in New England. I don’t think they’ll win either of those games, and 8-8 won’t be good enough to make the playoffs in the AFC.
4. Kansas City gets the gift of Oakland this week (though that gift turned out to be a punch to the face the first time around), followed by a game at Pittsburgh, and the Chargers in K.C. in Week 17. Could the Chiefs win out? Sure, and Alex Smith could start scaring teams with his ability to throw the ball down the field. Wait a second, Alex Smith scaring people? That’s about as likely as one of the Jersey Shore cast ever writing a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
5. Miami has, by far, the easiest schedule of the 7-6 competitors. Granted, they do play at New England this week, but don't forget that they did beat the Pats the first time around…. in Week 1. Still, they do get to end the year with the Vikings and Jets, both at home! So they've got that going for them, which is nice.

Unfortunately, for all these teams, I don’t think any of them are going to sniff a game in January. Pittsburgh, San Diego, and Baltimore are all 8-5, and only need to go 2-1 in their final 3 to be 10-6, which I feel like (though it is arbitrary) is the magic number for the final wild card spot. I think at least two of those three will finish with that magic number, and I don’t think any of the 5 teams stuck at 7-6 will win their last 3, meaning they’ll all be spending the winter at home watching the playoffs.

13. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore scored their most impressive win since their Week 2 victory against Pittsburgh yesterday, as they knocked off the Dolphins in Miami. They, of all the AFC teams at 8-5, have the easiest road to a 3-0 finish. That schedule isn’t tough at all; home against Jacksonville, at Houston, and home against Cleveland? Not overly difficult. Baltimore, maybe at the expense of Cincinnati, will be in the playoffs.

12. Cincinnati Bengals

11. Detroit Lions

I don’t trust either of these two teams, and honestly, why should I? Cincinnati laid an egg in the second half yesterday against Pittsburgh, and I wouldn’t be completely shocked if they tumbled all the way out of the playoffs before the season was over. I have to bet on Carrot Top look-alike Andy Dalton? No thanks. This team has burned me more times than any this season, and I’m fairly certain I won’t pick them to win another game this season, just out of principle.

And who among us trusts the Lions? I know I don’t. I’m still waiting for that inevitable screw up/choke job game from them, which, to their credit hasn’t happened yet this season. Regardless, both these teams fail the “QB Lombardi Trophy Test”, meaning I couldn’t see either of their starting quarterbacks lifting up the trophy, as Super Bowl Champs, at the end of the season.

10. San Diego Chargers

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Bolts just make the top 10, despite their puzzlingly-bad offensive performance against New England yesterday. However, that defense was extremely impressive for most of the night, save one missed tackle on Julian Edelman that led to a 69 yard touchdown in the 4th quarter that pretty much clinched the game. That, and head coach Mike McCoy’s decision to punt the ball near midfield on 4^th and 4 when they were down by 9 late in the game. That was a mind-numbing decision, but what they should really be worried about is the fact that their offensive line is such a mess right now (that’s what happens when you’ve started five different guys, the fifth being a guy that’s a rookie, and never played center until this season), and they won’t have much time to make adjustments or corrections before they play Denver this week, who has equally as many excellent pass rushers as the Pats do. Luckily for San Diego, those games against San Francisco and Kansas City don’t look anywhere near as intimidating as they did two weeks ago. I still think they’ll squeak into the playoffs, even if they lose this week.

Pittsburgh just keeps chugging along, despite losing the occasional head scratching, “We’re idiots” game (at the Jets, home against New Orleans). That pass rush, at times, has been game changing and impossible to deal with, as Carolina, Indianapolis, and Baltimore learned during games this season. That unit could swing a playoff game or two in their favor, assuming they can find it. I know I wouldn’t want to play them in January.

8. Dallas Cowboys

7. Philadelphia Eagles

Will the Cowboys get run over by December again? They beat the Bears in their first game of the month, which is indicative of…. nothing, because Chicago is terrible! Their match up this week on Sunday night in Philadelphia will tell us a lot about Dallas, as will their contest the following week with the Colts. And is Nick Foles ever going to come back for the Eagles? I don’t think he’s great, but he’s got to be an upgrade over Mark Sanchez right? Sanchez isn’t as terrible as everyone thinks, and when he’s playing an average-below average defense, he’s fine. But when he has to play a squad that’s great on that side of the ball (like Seattle), he’s screwed. He was awful yesterday (50% completions, and only 96 passing yards!), and they can’t win the Super Bowl if they go into the playoffs with him starting.

6. Arizona Cardinals

I couldn’t put the first place team in the NFC lower than 6^th, though it’s going to be tough for them to do much in January, or the rest of this month, with Drew Stanton handling the ball on every play. Still though, it was a nice win for them yesterday, a game against Kansas City that pretty much everyone counted them out in, despite the fact that they’ve been dynamite in Glendale all season.

5. Indianapolis Colts

The Neckbeard struck again yesterday, leading the Colts to victory, despite his two turnovers that led to Cleveland touchdowns. Luck has reached a level that not many athletes ever reach, which is, “I don’t care what the score is, or how many times we’ve had self inflicted ice picks right to the temple, this guy is in our huddle, and because of that, I know we aren’t out of it yet”. Seriously, how many times has Stanford/the Colts appeared to be done/just went through like 4 or 5 brain farts that probably should’ve cost them the game, only Luck put together a huge drive/drives that saved his team, the game, or the season? Last year’s AFC Wild Card Game against Kansas City is the most extreme example of this, but there’s been so many, like yesterday, or the USC game his final year of college, where he threw a late, soul-crushing pick six, which he calmly followed up with a game tying touchdown drive like nothing happened. The Cardinal then won in overtime. 

4. Denver Broncos

3. Seattle Seahawks

I have Seattle ranked ahead of Denver, only because Seattle’s sudden defensive resurgence, coupled with Peyton Manning’s sudden inability to consistently drive the ball down the field. While Manning did complete 70% of his passes yesterday, he also threw a ton of wounded and wobbly footballs, one that was picked off in the first half on a throw he wouldn’t have had trouble with 5 years ago. I hate to keep bringing up Manning’s lack of arm strength every time I write about Denver, but to me, that’s the biggest and least talked about story involving the Broncos right now. They aren’t going to win the Super Bowl unless he’s great for them in the playoffs, and he hasn’t been, at least consistently, for a lot of the second half of the season.

Seattle, meanwhile, will finish with three division games, all of which I expect them to win. The return of Bobby Wagner at the linebacker spot really seems to be the spark that their defense needed. Since Wagner got back three weeks ago against Arizona, the ‘Hawks have only allowed 20 points. Is the Legion of Boom back, thanks to Wagner? I think they might be.

2. New England Patriots

1. Green Bay Packers

I rank the Pack ahead of New England solely because of their victory over them in Week 13. These teams though, at least right now, are head and shoulders above the rest of the NFL. The Patriots, in the last four weeks, faced Andrew Luck, Matt Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, and Philip Rivers, all excellent to pretty good starting NFL quarterbacks. Against those four, they allowed 20, 9, 26, and 14 points, respectively. And to be fair, one of those San Diego touchdowns was on a fumble return, meaning they held that offense to just 7 points. Who else in the NFL, outside of Seattle, is capable of doing that to those four offenses? Is this the best Pats’ defense since they won their last Super Bowl? It appears so. I mean, they held Green Bay to THREE second half points. Three!

The Packers, like always, should be thanking the Lord that they were able to transition from Brett Favre, one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the league, to Aaron Rodgers, who is on his way to joining that conversation. What’s amazing about that New England game two weeks ago was how the Pack were virtually unable to complete any passes on those timing, three and five step drop plays, because the Patriots’ secondary was doing such a great job in coverage. Most quarterbacks would struggle if they had those throws taken away from them, but Rodgers was able to calmly reset, step up in that air-tight pocket that the offensive line was able to create for him. He was great in that game, and if he can get some help from his defense in the playoffs (which he’s gotten a lot of recently), Green Bay will win the Super Bowl.

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Now quickly, from my Angry Old Man, who has been riled up for almost a week about a contract extension and raise for Butch Jones. From my Pops:

“Why in the world are we giving Butch a contract extension? Who is he blackmailing in the athletic department into giving him this? Does he have naked pictures of Athletic Director Dave Hart? I think Butch has done a great job embracing the history and traditions of Tennessee, and he’s done an excellent job recruiting, but he’s also 11-13 in two years at the school. What’s the rush? These schools are so dumb, they give coaches these long term extensions, and then fire them a year later. Then they’re stuck with this enormous buyout. What’s the point? Why not wait and see what happens with Butch in year 3?”

I tend to agree. I like Butch as a person, and I think he’s a nice, genuine person, but does that mean he needs an extension and a raise? Of course not. Plus, I’d argue he didn’t do a great job this season. The “redshirt Josh Dobbs” decision got dumber and dumber as the season went along and the fans got to see him do amazing things on the field, and I think he’s made so many terrible decisions on 4^th down, and with clock management. I want Butch to succeed, and I have faith that he will, but two years in, at 11-13, the jury is still out on whether or not he’ll ultimately be a success in Knoxville. Remember, Derek Dooley had the same record through 24 games as Butch does, and we all know how that turned out. Would any Vol fan be all for Dooley getting a raise and extension after his first two years in charge? I don’t think so. Let’s pump the brakes a little bit, Vol Nation.

So, like always, enjoy Monday Night Football, or whatever you choose to do this evening. You deserve it.