Texas A&M was ranked fourth behind Alabama, Clemson and Michigan in the
seasons first College Football Playoff rankings.
Shirts China
Outlet .The Aggies (7-1) surprisingly were a spot ahead of unbeaten
Washington on Tuesday night in the first of six selection committee rankings.
The Crimson Tide (8-0), Tigers (8-0), Wolverines (8-0) and Huskies (8-0) are the
only remaining undefeated teams from Power Five conferences and hold the top
four spots in the latest Associated Press poll .The 12-person committee,
however, gave a nod to Texas A&Ms strength of schedule.Ohio State was sixth
and Louisville was seventh.In the first two seasons of the College Football
Playoff, only one team each season made the committees initial top four and the
final four.The final rankings will be released Dec. 4, with the top four teams
moving on to the College Football Playoff semifinals on Dec. 31 at the Fiesta
and Peach bowls.A look at what matters in the rankings and what they mean moving
forward:DONT PANIC HUSKIESSelection committee chairman Kirby Hocutt, Texas Techs
athletic director who is now in the role that Arkansas AD Jeff Long held the
first two seasons of the CFP, made it clear Texas A&Ms four victories
against teams with winning records (Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee and South
Carolina -- though it should be noted the Gamecocks are 4-4) provided the margin
over Washington. The Huskies have two such victories.We had a lengthy discussion
on the spot, Hocutt said. Washington is a well-balanced team and they had a good
win on the road against Utah. But in the committees mind Texas A&M has
played a stronger schedule.The good news is there is room for the Huskies to
grow. Washington still has USC and Washington State on its schedule and a
possible Pac-12 championship game, which could be against Utah (16th in the
committees rankings), Colorado (15th) or USC, which would need a strong finish
to get there. A big stretch run by Stanford would also help the Huskies.Oregon
being terrible is hurting the Huskies, who are getting little credit for
pounding the Ducks. Another reason for Washington fans to hate Oregon.Most
important is this: The Huskies control their path to a Pac-12 championship and
Texas A&M does not. The Aggies will need Alabama to lose at least a couple
of times to reach the Southeastern Conference championship game.The committee is
told when considering similar teams to weigh conference championships like a
tiebreaker.If Washington wins out, the Huskies should be fine to get into the
top four. If they win the Pac-12 but lose once along the way, it could get a
little dicey for the Huskies when matched against an 11-1 A&M team that has
lost only to Alabama.A prediction: If it comes down to Pac-12 champion
Washington at 12-1 and Texas A&M at 11-1, the Huskies will get that spot.
Now if Alabama were to be the 11-1 team instead of A&M that would be a
different story.CARDINALS PROBABLY SHOULD PANICLouisville (7-1) will need two
losses from Clemson to have a chance to win the Atlantic Coast Conference
championship. Because that is probably not happening, the Cardinals are hoping
to be impressive enough to get into the top four without a conference title.The
first rankings do not look promising for Louisville.Hocutt again cited strength
of schedule when talking about Louisville. The Cardinals only victory against a
winning team was against Florida State, a 63-20 win that very well might rate as
the best singular performance by any team this season. The Cardinals next most
notable game was a close loss at Clemson.Want to call out the committee?
Michigan at No. 3 is benefiting from home victories against eighth-ranked
Wisconsin, Colorado and Penn State, No. 12 in the rankings thanks to upsetting
Ohio State. However, using the Sagarin Computer ratings, Michigans strength of
schedule is 49th in the nation. Louisvilles is 52nd. Washington is 69th.The
Cardinals have games remaining against Wake Forest, Houston and Kentucky, all
winning teams but none ranked.The takeaway for Louisville: The Cardinals will
need a ton of help to get in the playoff.MARGIN OF VICTORYHocutt pointed out the
committee does not look at margin of victory, which is sort of ridiculous.The
conference commissioners who set up the playoff protocol get hung up on the idea
of not encouraging teams to run up the score, so there is no margin of victory
metric. But there is no way the committee can evaluate teams properly while
looking only at a W or L and not the final score.GROUP OF FIVEUnbeaten Western
Michigan at No. 23 is the highest ranked team from the Group of Five, just ahead
of Boise State at 24. The Broncos probably cant afford even one loss, but if
they can make a perfect run to a Mid-American Conference title, a Cotton Bowl
bid likely awaits.
Discount Shirts China . It is a cliché
dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around
which teams are better than others.
Clearance Shirts China . -- Teemu Selanne
scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the
best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the
Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.
http://www.cheapshirtschina.com/ . Catch all
the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are
positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0
mark in conference play thus far.EDMONTON -- It was going to be a breakthrough
campaign for career backup quarterback Matt Nichols, the year he fought to be
the No. 1 signal caller. Instead the 26-year-old Edmonton Eskimo formally ended
his 2013 season Tuesday with the announcement he will undergo surgery for a torn
anterior cruciate ligament on his right knee. Its an injury -- received in last
weeks pre-season game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders --that reinforced
Nichols reputation for fearless play, but also suggested the California native
is fast becoming his own worst enemy. Nichols, his knee wrapped in a bandage,
had a quick answer to concerns he competes with too much reckless abandon at
such a critical position. "I dont really plan on changing the way I play,"
Nichols told reporters at Commonwealth Stadium prior to the team practice. "The
quarterback position is a little bit more than just being able to throw a
football. Its about being a team leader." Nichols was hurt last Friday after the
injury in the 31-24 loss at Commonwealth Stadium. It was late in the first
quarter when Nichols threw a quick slant pass to receiver Ed Gant. The ball
bounced off Gants hands and was caught by Riders defensive back Carlos Thomas,
who raced 30 yards untouched down the sideline to paydirt, led by defensive end
Kenny Rowe. There was no one in sight, an easy pick-six in a meaningless game,
but then came Nichols barrelling in on an angle, determined to catch Thomas at
the goal-line. He ran straight into the path of Rowe who delivered a textbook
hit to the shoulder. Nichols legs got caught under him and down he went in a
heap, clutching his right knee in the end zone as the Riders celebrated the TD.
"All my weight just kind of happened to be on my right leg and it got pushed on
my left shoulder," said Nichols. "I was kind of actually kind of letting up on
the play." It was the second time that game that Nichols had put himself in
harms way after a pick. A few minutes earlier, he ran into the left flat and
threw an interception to Riders defensive back Macho Harris. Nichols ran up to
try and make the tackle and in doing so dropped his throwing shoulder into
Riiders defensive end turned blocker John Chick.
Cheap Nike Shirts
China. Nichols said he was just doing his job. "Chasing down an
interception is not something that I think is an aggressive play," he said. "Ive
been playing this position my whole life. Ive thrown my fair share of
interceptions and Ive made touchdown-saving tackles on em, too." Nichols is
known for his headstrong play, but when training camp opened June 1 he said the
plan in 2013 was for more discretion. "If its the end of a game and its third
and five and I need an extra yard for a first down Im going to do anything I can
to get that first down. Earlier in the game Ill probably play it a little bit
more safe," he said at the time. Days later he turned those words into actions,
hook sliding during a team scrimmage. At the time, Eskimo head coach Kavis Reed
said he, too, wanted Nichols to lead a little less with his chin. "(Nichols) is
a young man that is hell bent on trying to make the play so that his team can be
better off for it, but we want him to have longevity in this league and we are
hopeful that he can preserve himself more," said Reed at the time. "Having gone
through an injury, I think hes going to be more conscientious of knowing when to
take risks." The injury Reed was referring to occurred seven months earlier in
last years East Division semifinal against the Toronto Argonauts. Nichols was
flushed quickly out of the pocket and hauled down from behind by Argo defensive
end Ronald Flemons. He tried to fight through the sack and managed to throw the
ball away but in doing so got his feet trapped under him and gruesomely broke
his left fibula and turned his ankle 180 degrees. Months earlier, Nichols was
concussed by two defenders diving for a extra few yards against Hamilton.
Nichols had been duelling with former B.C. Lion Mike Reilly for the No. 1
quarterback job in camp. Reilly is starting Friday in Vancouver in the final
pre-season game against his former team and heads into the regular season at the
top of the depth chart. Veteran Kerry Joseph is expected to move up into the
backup role and will see playing time against B.C. ' ' '