ECF Update

15 teams left!

Perfect Teams with Wins against Top 10 Teams (2)
- Michigan, Ohio State

Other Eligible Teams with Wins Over Top 10 Teams (3)
- Tennessee (Unacceptable Loss, protected by 3 Weeks Rule)
- Florida (Acceptable Loss)
- BC (Two Acceptable Losses)

Other Perfect Teams (4)
- West Virginia, Rutgers, Louisville, Boise St

Teams with 1 Acceptable Loss (2)
- USC, Wisconsin

Teams with 1.5 Acceptable Losses (1)
- BYU

Teams with 2 Acceptable Losses (1)
- LSU

Teams with an Unacceptable Loss, protected by the 3 Weeks Rule (2)
- Texas, Notre Dame

ECF Update

With Clemson's appearance in the 10th spot of this week's AP poll, BC has shot up the ranks, now qualifying as a team with a victory over a Top 10 opponent. Here's this week's standings:

Perfect Teams with Wins against Top 10 Teams (2)
- Michigan, Ohio State

Other Eligible Teams with Wins Over Top 10 Teams (3)
- Tennessee (Unacceptable Loss, protected by 3 Weeks Rule)
- Florida (Acceptable Loss)
- BC (Two Acceptable Losses)

Other Perfect Teams (5)
- West Virginia, Rutgers, Louisville, USC, Boise St

Teams with 0.5 Acceptable Losses (1)
- Clemson

Teams with 1 Acceptable Loss (2)
- Missouri, Wisconsin

Teams with 1.5 Acceptable Losses (1)
- BYU

Teams with 2 Acceptable Losses (1)
- LSU

Teams with an Unacceptable Loss, protected by the 3 Weeks Rule (2)
- Texas, Notre Dame

ECF - The Path To The Championship

With only 17 teams left in ECF contention and only about another month to go in the season, it is getting easier to see possible ECF scenarios. Below is a breakdown by conference of where everyone stands, and their main obstacles towards winning a piece of the ECF title.

Big Ten - Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin

Ohio State needs to win at home and will then have to play the # 2 team in the country in the BCS championship game. Michigan can take the backdoor route because they have already beaten a Top Ten team. They can suffer an Acceptable Loss against Ohio State, beat whomever they are matched up with in the bowls, and come out of it with a share of the ECF. Wisconsin has to win their last four and hope it lands a bowl matchup against a Top Ten team.


SEC - Florida, Tennessee, LSU

Tennessee and LSU have a playoff game on November 4. Even if the Vols win, they have four other conference games to play, making it hard to catch Florida. LSU is two games behind Arkansas in the conference standings. Florida needs to beat Georgia next week, and if they win the SEC championship, will be playing for the ECF championship in their bowl game.


Big East - West Virginia, Louisville, Rutgers

All three of these teams will play each other, and West Virgina and Louisville have Pitt as well. All three teams have a chance to finish with an Acceptable Loss as well as a victory over a Top Ten team, setting up a relatively easy bowl game to win a share of the ECF title.


Big 12 - Texas and Missouri

They could meet in the conference championship game. The winner will have a great chance at the ECF.

ACC - BC and Clemson

BC's hopes hang on Clemson, whom they have beaten. If Clemson can get into the Top 10 at any point this year, BC will have their victory over a Top Ten team. If Clemson wins the ACC, they will likely get a Top 10 matchup in their bowl game.

Others - USC, Notre Dame, Boise St, BYU

USC has Notre Dame at home on November 25 in what is likely a playoff game. Boise State has to hope for a Top 10 foe in their bowl game. BYU has no shot.

ECF Update

Here's this week's standings:

Perfect Teams with Wins against Top 10 Teams (2)
- Michigan, Ohio State

Other Eligible Teams with Wins Over Top 10 Teams (2)
- Georgia Tech and Tennessee (both Unacceptable Loss, protected by 3 Weeks Rule)
- Florida (Acceptable Loss)

Other Perfect Teams (5)
- West Virginia, Rutgers, Louisville, USC, Boise St

Teams with 0.5 Acceptable Losses (1)
- Clemson

Teams with 1 Acceptable Loss (4)
- Pitt, San Jose St, Missouri, Wisconsin

Teams with 1.5 Acceptable Losses (2)
- BYU, Bama

Teams with 2 Acceptable Losses (5)
- BC, Hawaii, LSU, Ok St, UCLA

Teams with an Unacceptable Loss, protected by the 3 Weeks Rule (4)
- Texas, Cal, CSU, Notre Dame

Georgia Tech, and the ECF Update

There will not be a single journalist in print or television that will tell you that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have a chance to be this year's National Champion. They've already lost a game, and even if they run the table there's no way they are going to climb from around 18th and 20th in the polls into the top 2 slots in the nation. But why not? Let's take a closer look at it.

Here's the GT schedule for the rest of the year:

10/7 Maryland
10/21 at #15 Clemson
10/28 Miami
11/04 at NC State
11/11 at UNC
11/18 Duke
11/25 at #9 Georgia

There are two games in which Georgia Tech will be legitimate underdogs, at Clemson and at Georgia. But if they win these seven games, they will be in the ACC Championship game. And if they win that, then they will have a 12-game winning streak. That will certainly put them in a BCS bowl game, but definitely not the Championship game, unless there are no undefeated teams left.


So why even talk about them? Because Georgia Tech has has fulfilled a critical requirement of the ECF, beating a Top Ten team. Here is the rule:

7. The Top Ten Rule - Teams must beat another team that is in the Top Ten in either Poll when they play, or in the Top Ten later in the season. This is an attempt by Eisenberg Sports to insure that strength of schedule is considered, and gives our poll-loving fans something to do.

By beating Virginia Tech, who was tied for 10th in the USA poll last week, GT has cleared the path. They can an ECF Champion even if they get shafted in the bowl selection process, and get matched up against a team outside of the Top Ten. Rule #7 is already fulfilled.

Here's this week's standings:


Perfect Teams with Wins against Top 10 Teams (2)
- Michigan, Ohio State

Other Eligible Teams with Wins Over Top 10 Teams (1)
- Georgia Tech (Unacceptable Loss, protected by 3 Weeks Rule)

Other Perfect Teams (11)
- Wake Forest, West Virginia, Rutgers, Louisville, Missouri, Oregon, USC, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Boise St

Teams with 0.5 Acceptable Losses (1)
- Clemson

Teams with 1 Acceptable Loss (11)
- Pitt, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, LSU, Air Force, San Jose St, Wisconsin, UCLA, Ok St, Houston, Kansas

Teams with 1.5 Acceptable Losses (3)
- BYU, Bama, Purdue

Teams with 2 Acceptable Losses (2)
- BC, Hawaii

Teams with an Unacceptable Loss, protected by the 3 Weeks Rule (10)
- FSU, Maryland, Texas, S Miss, Cal, Washington, Tennessee, W Mich, CSU, Notre Dame