So what would we have been ranked if...

[PatBaum]

So it is 100% awesome to finish in the top 10.

What would we have been ranked if we would have beat the Huskies then beat Utah and then lost to Ohio State?

We would have had one more win and then a loss to a higher-ranked team.

I'm not sure we would have been in the top 10 with the way those picks are made.

 

[moxeecoug]

We would have been in the top 5 if we had beaten the huskies then Utah. A loss in the rose bowl would have dropped us 3-4 spots so we still would be a top 10 team. The only way we would have moved out of the top 10 is a total blowout.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

We would have been in the top 5 if we had beaten the huskies then Utah. A loss in the rose bowl would have dropped us 3-4 spots so we still would be a top 10 team. The only way we would have moved out of the top 10 is a total blowout.

Agree that we'd be in the Top 10 as long as we didn't get smoked. Michigan dropped a lot because it was two losses in a row and a butt whuppin' in the final loss. I don't think we would have gotten to #5 even with wins over Utah and UW. If you look at what happened after the conference championship weekend, the only change was that OU and Georgia swapped spots. I'm guessing that we would have been #6 heading into the Rose Bowl against #7 Ohio State if we had run the table.

The week 15 rankings might have been:

1) 13-0 Alabama
2) 13-0 Clemson
3) 12-0 Notre Dame
4) 12-1 Oklahoma
5) 11-2 Georgia
6) 12-1 WSU
7) 12-1 Ohio State
8) 10-2 Michigan
9) 12-0 UCF
10) 9-3 Florida

There's a slight chance that Ohio State would have jumped us and into the #6 spot with their B1G conference championship game win. As long as we didn't let Ohio State run the train on us, we would have stayed in the Top 10 since Michigan and UCF both lost. It's unlikely that they would have ranked 10-3 Kentucky or Syracuse ahead of a 12-2 WSU squad.

 

[Cougatron]

So it is 100% awesome to finish in the top 10.

What would we have been ranked if we would have beat the Huskies then beat Utah and then lost to Ohio State?

We would have had one more win and then a loss to a higher-ranked team.

I'm not sure we would have been in the top 10 with the way those picks are made.

Hmm that is a good question.

If we had beaten UW and won the Pac 12 title would we even be in the Rose Bowl?

Beating UW would have put us as 11-1 and beating Utah 12-1.

Our sole loss being to a questionable loss to USC.

For the 4th slot in the playoffs Oklahoma was invited.

In the speculation there would be 3 12-1 teams.

Oklahoma who has lost to Texas but beaten them in the Championship game.

Ohio State who lost terribly to Purdue and barely squeaked by Maryland before thrashing Michigan.

And us with a 12-1 record with our only loss to USC with some very controversial officiating.

All 3 are conference champions.
1 team avenged its only loss but has a terrible defense.
Another team got blown out by a lesser team in the conference.
Another team lost barely to a blue blood with some questionable officiating and mysterious 3rd party meddling.

It would be close, but I think we might have gotten that #4 slot.

Now had we played Alabama and lost? Would we be #10 I dunno. We’d be 12-2 so I think probably up where at about where we finished.

 

[Observer11]

Probably 8. Not much higher. 13-2 would have been a helluva record.

Would definitely have moved the squad to ‘97 mythical proportions.

 

[95coug]

That seems about right. Week 15, we’d be 6 or 7. I don’t think we would have moved ahead of Georgia. Losing to tOSU then would drop us to 9, because I don’t think 4 loss Texas finishes ahead of 2 loss WSU.

Now, if we beat tOSU too, and finish 13-1...we finish at #3, with a solid gripe about being left out of the playoff. And the PAC-12 officials shenanigans in the USC game are suddenly huge news.

 

[Coug90]

Hmm that is a good question.

If we had beaten UW and won the Pac 12 title would we even be in the Rose Bowl?

Beating UW would have put us as 11-1 and beating Utah 12-1.

Our sole loss being to a questionable loss to USC.

For the 4th slot in the playoffs Oklahoma was invited.

In the speculation there would be 3 12-1 teams.

Oklahoma who has lost to Texas but beaten them in the Championship game.

Ohio State who lost terribly to Purdue and barely squeaked by Maryland before thrashing Michigan.

And us with a 12-1 record with our only loss to USC with some very controversial officiating.

All 3 are conference champions.
1 team avenged its only loss but has a terrible defense.
Another team got blown out by a lesser team in the conference.
Another team lost barely to a blue blood with some questionable officiating and mysterious 3rd party meddling.

It would be close, but I think we might have gotten that #4 slot.

Now had we played Alabama and lost? Would we be #10 I dunno. We’d be 12-2 so I think probably up where at about where we finished.

I think there’s reasonable doubt that we could have snuck into the top 4. Therefor I’m glad things played out the way they did.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

That seems about right. Week 15, we’d be 6 or 7. I don’t think we would have moved ahead of Georgia. Losing to tOSU then would drop us to 9, because I don’t think 4 loss Texas finishes ahead of 2 loss WSU.

Now, if we beat tOSU too, and finish 13-1...we finish at #3, with a solid gripe about being left out of the playoff. And the PAC-12 officials shenanigans in the USC game are suddenly huge news.

Not to burst bubbles.....but WSU was never going to finish #3 this season. Alabama, Clemson, ND, and Oklahoma would be ahead of us even if we were 13-1. So, #5 is probably the highest possible ranking. You are still correct that the USC shenanigans would have been a bigger deal though.

 

[wazzucougs96]

Probably 8. Not much higher. 13-2 would have been a helluva record.

Would definitely have moved the squad to ‘97 mythical proportions.

13-2 would be especially impressive considering they would have only played 14 games.

But even at 12-2, with a conference title, I agree they are neck and neck with 1997.

 

[95coug]

Not to burst bubbles.....but WSU was never going to finish #3 this season. Alabama, Clemson, ND, and Oklahoma would be ahead of us even if we were 13-1. So, #5 is probably the highest possible ranking. You are still correct that the USC shenanigans would have been a bigger deal though.

Polls after the bowls include simple truth - if you win, you rise. If you lose, you don't, and you almost always fall. With the 2 additional wins, Ohio State and us would probably have been 6-7 in week 15.

I don't think we were going to get above #7 as things turned out, and probably wouldn't have been in the playoff even at 12-1. We were at #8 before AC, and a win there plus one over Utah doesn't buy us that much. If we were the 7, and if we beat #6 tOSU, we go ahead of them. #3 Notre Dame lost badly, and can't stay at #3. #4 Oklahoma, #5 Georgia, #6 tOSU, #8 Michigan, and #9 UCF all lost, so none of them could rise to #3.

The only choices for #3 would be to elevate #7 WSU (13-1 and the only team #3-9 who won their bowl) or to vault Florida up 7 spots or LSU up 8 spots, and let one of them be #3 with 3 losses. We know that wouldn't happen, since LSU and Florida topped out at 6 & 7 in reality.

Of course this is purely speculative and hypothetical, but I have no doubt that if we'd won AC, the Pac-12, and the RB...we would have finished at #3. The math just can't work any other way.

12-2, even with the RB loss, puts this team in a top 2 all time battle with the '97 team. 13-1 with a #3 finish and an RB win ends the conversation. Even at 11-2, I saw an article somewhere that put this team at #5 all time.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Polls after the bowls include simple truth - if you win, you rise. If you lose, you don't, and you almost always fall. With the 2 additional wins, Ohio State and us would probably have been 6-7 in week 15.

I don't think we were going to get above #7 as things turned out, and probably wouldn't have been in the playoff even at 12-1. We were at #8 before AC, and a win there plus one over Utah doesn't buy us that much. If we were the 7, and if we beat #6 tOSU, we go ahead of them. #3 Notre Dame lost badly, and can't stay at #3. #4 Oklahoma, #5 Georgia, #6 tOSU, #8 Michigan, and #9 UCF all lost, so none of them could rise to #3.

The only choices for #3 would be to elevate #7 WSU (13-1 and the only team #3-9 who won their bowl) or to vault Florida up 7 spots or LSU up 8 spots, and let one of them be #3 with 3 losses. We know that wouldn't happen, since LSU and Florida topped out at 6 & 7 in reality.

Of course this is purely speculative and hypothetical, but I have no doubt that if we'd won AC, the Pac-12, and the RB...we would have finished at #3. The math just can't work any other way.

12-2, even with the RB loss, puts this team in a top 2 all time battle with the '97 team. 13-1 with a #3 finish and an RB win ends the conversation. Even at 11-2, I saw an article somewhere that put this team at #5 all time.

Here's the final poll as it is:

1 Clemson(61) 15-0
2 Alabama 14-1
3 Ohio State 13-1
4 Oklahoma 12-2
5 Notre Dame 12-1
6 LSU 10-3
7 Florida 10-3
Georgia 11-3
9 Texas 10-4
10 Washington State 11-2

Given that Ohio State was criticized before the B1G championship game for their relatively weak performance of the season, if we had beaten them, the media would have used the "Pac-12 is weak" mantra combined with OSU's big loss to Purdue to keep us at #5. I don't see them putting us ahead of 12-2 OU or 12-1 ND just because we beat Ohio State. You may not agree with that, but deep down.....you know it's true. As I said before, at 13-1, the USC fiasco would have been a bigger conversation, but li'l ol' WSU isn't getting ahead of the big boys easily.

If we are considered worse than 10 win teams right now, I don't see how you think that would suddenly change when compared to the Top 4.

 

[95coug]

Here's the final poll as it is:

1 Clemson(61) 15-0
2 Alabama 14-1
3 Ohio State 13-1
4 Oklahoma 12-2
5 Notre Dame 12-1
6 LSU 10-3
7 Florida 10-3
Georgia 11-3
9 Texas 10-4
10 Washington State 11-2

Given that Ohio State was criticized before the B1G championship game for their relatively weak performance of the season, if we had beaten them, the media would have used the "Pac-12 is weak" mantra combined with OSU's big loss to Purdue to keep us at #5. I don't see them putting us ahead of 12-2 OU or 12-1 ND just because we beat Ohio State. You may not agree with that, but deep down.....you know it's true. As I said before, at 13-1, the USC fiasco would have been a bigger conversation, but li'l ol' WSU isn't getting ahead of the big boys easily.

If we are considered worse than 10 win teams right now, I don't see how you think that would suddenly change when compared to the Top 4.

I had a long response ready defending my opinion, but found other information that bothers me more. New thread shortly.