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I still think PSU is a better team. 

Bottom line, Minnesota has exactly one quality win.  It isn't their fault necessarily, but their schedule is heavily back-loaded.  They have played one good team and they beat them by one score at home.  Penn State has played three and went 2-1 with a road win, a home win, and a road loss all by one score. 

Maybe Minnesota is as good as you think.  I disagree but my bigger point is that I don't know and YOU DON'T KNOW EITHER.  Once again, Minnesota's resume so far is this:

• Four too-close for a top-10 team wins over bad opponents
• Four comfortable wins over mediocre to bad opponents
• One quality win at home by one score. 

That one quality win doesn't make a season.  I don't grade this as "bad", I grade it as "incomplete".  There isn't enough information. 

That's a fair assessment.  

All I know is that I've been watching every game since the start of the season.  Something that I doubt you have been doing.  There's no doubt that this is not the same team that was playing close with the non-con opposition.

And the Purdue game is an apparition.  Look at it how you want.  Even the Penn State game.  Throwing at will....21/22 and 18/20 is not normal.  Those games looks close on paper, but the Gophers offense went into a run out the clock offense throughout the fourth quarter in both those games.

Do you know how many quarterbacks in the history of the FBS have had two games of 90% completion percentage or better in a single season?  Two.  Tanner Morgan this year....and Jameis Winston in 2013...when he won the Heisman trophy and led the Seminoles to the National Championship.  And he didn't do it against a Penn State defense.

I suspect Minnesota loses at Iowa and this discussion becomes moot.  I hope they win.  My predictions thus far have been 100% wrong.

So there is that.  They are well coached at minimum.  The better team does not always win obviously.  It takes a season to make an impression.

and even if the Gophers were to go into Kinnick and get a 10 point win compared to PSU's 5 point win there, some folks would cornsider PSU a better team than Minnesoota.

And it's possible they would be correct.

and even if the Gophers were to go into Kinnick and get a 10 point win compared to PSU's 5 point win there, some folks would cornsider PSU a better team than Minnesoota.

And it's possible they would be correct.

Lol.  Did you purposely type "cornsider" instead of consider?

If so, well done.  I like the the tie in.  If not, well done.  Convenient slip up that works.

yup, I'm a cornhusker so it works

I'm also  a poor typist and an awful speller so that also works

Maybe....but is Oregon no longer a "helmet" team?  Travelling across the country to play Auburn on their home turf in the first game of the year?  21-13 lead going into the fourth quarter?

Never were a helmet team. 

Do you know how many quarterbacks in the history of the FBS have had two games of 90% completion percentage or better in a single season?  Two.  Tanner Morgan this year....and Jameis Winston in 2013...when he won the Heisman trophy and led the Seminoles to the National Championship.  And he didn't do it against a Penn State defense.

That’s a good number, but the Winston comparison seems a tad much. The Minnesota offense has been pretty awesome, but he’s more cog than top of the spear.

it’s also interesting to assign context to PSU. On one hand, Gophers led by two scores for 28 of the final 37 minutes, on the other with 1:44 left in a 5-pint game, PSU had 1st and goal on the 11. It was somehow close but not close.

Maybe....but is Oregon no longer a "helmet" team?  Travelling across the country to play Auburn on their home turf in the first game of the year?  21-13 lead going into the fourth quarter?

Auburn won that game on a 26 yard TD pass with nine seconds remaining.  If that's not as "good" a loss as being handled for the entirety of a game on your own field against LSU, what is?

We'll have to see how Alabama fares against Auburn I suppose.  But even so...with a conference championship and stronger wins....imo Oregon would be the fourth team in.  Including Alabama because of who they are....along with their hideous wins....it would set a very BAD precedent.  Not that the SEC hasn't already been given benefits....but that would be really bad imo. 

The loser of the Alabama/LSU game would basically absorb no damage in the eyes of the committee....other than in the seeding.

I agree if Oregon wins out they should be in the top 4. Or, at least be in ahead of Bama.  That said, Oregon isn’t a helmet.  Bama does seem to be getting the benefit of the doubt because of the last 10 years.  I hate that, but I do think that is playing a part in it.  Oregon had a really good stretch but then sort of fell off.  They won’t get Bama treatment.