Ties count: NFL MVP Chase and College Football Update

 

Image: Torsten Bolten

In this Issue:

• Should ties count?

• NFL MVP Chase standings

• College Football Playoff eliminations and ranking the undefeateds

Should ties count?

East Coast viewers stayed up past midnight on Sunday if they watched the end of the Packers-Cowboys 40-40 overtime tie.  Both quarterbacks, Jordan Love and Dak Prescott, threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Both also had a QBI of at least 12. If either had won, he would have earned credit in the MVP Chase.

I don't give MVP credit for losses, no matter how fantastic a player might have been, because I think the "value" lies in helping the team win. I don't recall what I've done for the occasional tie in previous years of doing the NFL MVP Chase, but I have included "ties" (overtime losses) in the NHL MVP Chase because an OT loss earns a team a point in that league's standings. That's better than no points.

For the same reason, I'll give credit to Love, Prescott, and also to Cowboys running back Javonte Williams (100 yards from scrimmage in the game).  A loss in no way, shape, or form can help a team in the standings, but a tie might. Therefore, players who played like MVPs in a tie should get MVP Chase credit.

NFL MVP Chase standings

Thanks to the tie, both Prescott and Williams cracked the Top 15 in the MVP Chase despite the Cowboys having only one win. The list is flooded with players from teams with four or three wins, as it should be. Bijan Robinson, however, had monster games in the two Falcons victories. 

College football update

Nine more teams we will not see and ought not see in the College Football Playoff:

Arkansas: lost by 43 to Notre Dame; fired the coach

Syracusee: lost by 35 to Duke

Appalachian St: lost by 33 to Boise St

Florida Atlantic: 1-3; lost by 29 to Memphis

Florida International: 2-2; previously lost to Penn State by 34 and Delaware by 22

UTEP: 1-4

Liberty: 1-4

South Alabama: 1-4

Arkansas St: 1-4

Here is the list of all 45 times I've eliminated so far. I will eliminate 72 more before Conference Championship weekend, and we'll see how my process of elimination agrees with the Selection Committee's final selections.

Akron, Arkansas, Arkansas St, Army, Appalachian St, Ball St, California, Central Michigan, Coastal Carolina, Eastern Mich, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Georgia St, Illinois, Kennesaw St, Kent St, Liberty, Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe, Marshall, Massachusetts, Middle Tenn, Missouri St, Nevada, New Mexico St, North Carolina, Oklahoma St, Oregon St, Purdue, Sam Houston, South Alabama, Stanford, Syracuse, Temple, Tulane, UAB, UCLA, UTEP, Virginia Tech, Washington State, West Virginia, Western Michigan, Wisconsin

There are 20 undefeated teams left. Vanderbilt is 5-0. In addition to crushing an FCS school, they have crushed three blowout wins and one convincing win against FBS teams. They lead in Dominance Rating.

Thirteen teams are one score away from being undefeated. They are (alphabetically):

Arizona St, Cincinnati, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi St, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Virginia

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Contact James Leroy Wilson for writing, editing, research, and other work at jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com. Visit JL Cells for my non-sports writing.