Two Playoff Teams from the Same Conference?

You've heard the same steady drumbeat from all the usual sources since before this season even began. "Don't be surprised to see two teams from the same conference in the playoff this year." It's not a total stretch. We've already seen it happen (2017), even in the BCS days (2011), when the playoff only included two teams. Why can't it happen this year, particularly when one conference has so many standout teams at the top? Why should one of them get left out for taking an acceptable loss to another title contender? Particularly if the team taking the loss is...well, you know the one.

That team.

The one that's in the playoff discussion every year, and no stranger to playoff controversy. That team has a good chance to avoid the drama this year, as even though they aren't quite atop the polls right now, they're still undefeated, they've destroyed everyone on their schedule to date, and they'll be favored in every game from here through the conference championship. That is, if they make it that far. One of their division rivals (no, not the rival, but an annoying one just the same) is right atop the undefeated pile with them, and the rival's coming to town for a massive November showdown. A loss would leave that team on the outside looking in on championship weekend. It wouldn't be a death knell to their playoff hopes, as that team has made the playoff once before despite not winning their division. But the champion of this conference will virtually be a lock for the playoff, so it seems the only way for that team to make the playoff with a loss would be for their conference to get two teams in.

"Would that be such a shame?" the narrative queries. Every team in the Pac-12 enters November with a blemish, with only 2 teams having avoided their dreaded playoff-eliminating second loss. Baylor's not going undefeated, and one-loss Oklahoma's the only other Big 12 team still in the playoff picture. Notre Dame won't be reprising their appearance from last year, and Clemson's one Clemsoning away from having a Group of 5-esque resume and knocking the ACC out of the playoff hunt as well. In a year with such a weak playoff field, why should that team be punished for playing in a tough conference and coming out mono-scathed?

You know what team I'm talking about, right? Maybe not. The above description actually fits two different teams. For purposes of blind comparison, we'll call them Borealis and Australis.

In November, Borealis, after hosting the undefeated showdown mentioned above, goes on the road to face their rivals in another possible top 10 matchup. Borealis already has another conference win over a ranked team, and though they didn't face a Power 5 opponent out of conference, they picked up another ranked win over a tough Group of 5 team who hasn't lost since.

In November, Australis, after hosting the undefeated showdown mentioned above, goes on the road to face their rivals in another possible top 10 matchup. Australis has played a hot load of trash so far in conference, and while they beat a (bad) Power 5 team to start the year, they're not going to pick up any quality wins out of conference. Their November stretch run even includes a nice FCS breather.

By now I don't have to tell you that Borealis and Australis are Ohio State and Alabama. And I don't have to tell you that Alabama has been one of the "two playoff teams from the same conference" since the pundits started publishing their preseason playoff predictions. But I will ask you: how many projected playoff fields have you seen with two teams from the B1G? You know, the conference with 3 undefeated teams?

On the one hand, the Buckeyes could take this as a compliment. Perhaps the narrative is that Ohio State's rampage is obviously going to continue, and the destruction will be so total that the playoff committee couldn't possibly countenance putting another Big Ten team in the playoff. But why is a 1 loss Penn State, with wins over Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota, less deserving than, say, a 1 loss Georgia, or LSU, or yes, Alabama? Now's not the time to split hairs over these teams' relative playoff resumes (that will come later). For now, just question why all the love is being heaped on one conference and their standard-bearer while another is being ignored.