Auburn Tigers Being Ranked Number Two is a Joke

Oct 4, 2014; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall (14) runs a touchdown past LSU Tigers safety Jalen Mills (28) during the second quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

The Auburn Tigers looked like a completely different team last weekend against the LSU Tigers as opposed to the previous four weeks. Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall looked like a man possessed and on a mission. He and the rest of the team made LSU look like a high school team with one day less to prepare.

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Which brings me to my main point tonight. A few weeks ago I posted an article stating Auburn will never get respect they earn. Sunday, October 5th when the AP, Coaches and USA Today Polls were published there was proof staring us in our face. Auburn had crushed the LSU Tigers, then ranked 15th. They blasted their way down the field at will against LSU. At the end of the night the Auburn Tigers had decimated the LSU Tigers by a score of 41 to 7.

Earlier in the day, just a short 190 miles Southeast of Jordan-Hare Stadium the Florida State Seminoles, led by quarterback Jameis Winston defeated the Wake Forest Deacons by a score of 43 to 3. That’s a pretty lopsided victory for the Seminoles and deserves some attention. And for that outing they retained their number one ranking in all three polls. And that is a shame in and of itself.

“There’s no pressure to have four conference title winners in the first playoff”-Condoleeza Rice

All three polls had Auburn at number two. See what I mean by no respect? How can FSU defeat an unranked ACC team that is now 0-2 in the conference, 2-4 overall and keep it status after Auburn crushed 15th ranked LSU by a wide margin? How is Auburn not ranked number one? As I stated before they crushed 15th ranked SEC West team and then move up two spots? What I see is a popularity contest instead of college ranking. And that is all it is, a popularity contest and will have no bearing on the College Football Playoff system.

As much as I want Auburn to be ranked number one right now, I don’t think it really matters. Because the people ranking the teams today will have little bearing on the real system that will be revealed in a few short weeks. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dropped some knowledge about the college football playoff selection. It actually was a little comforting to hear what she had to say.

"Secondly, you have to respect strength of schedule. That’s partly the effect of your conference, it’s partly the effect of what games you choose to play. And this is where I really look forward to getting in the room with venerable coaches like Tom Osborne and Barry Alvarez and Ty Willingham. They’re going to have an eye on this that I want to hear and understand what their experience tells them about the best teams."

Call me crazy but what I take from that quote is I don’t think FSU will even be in the final four of the new College Football Playoff system. And why should they? To this point they have played one weak ranked team and almost lost. Actually, they didn’t win the game, the Clemson Tigers handed the game to FSU. The rest of their schedule is weak. I cannot imagine they would even be considered for one of the final spots.

Even if Auburn loses one game – but only one game – I think they still get in. As long as they don’t lose that one game to Alabama in Tuscaloosa later this year.

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