College Football 2024

[Bash Riprock]

5 hours ago, Bobref said:

Perhaps there should be a temporary closure of the portal during bowl season, until after the playoffs.

💯

[temptation]

Big win for OSU this weekend but let’s pump the brakes a bit?

 

[Irishman]

The ACC is 0-3 in playoff/Bowl games so far. 9 more chances for a win though. 

[temptation]

1 hour ago, Irishman said:

The ACC is 0-3 in playoff/Bowl games so far. 9 more chances for a win though. 

Unpopular opinion, I don’t like using bowl results to assess conference strength, particularly in modern day bowl games where opt outs are aplenty.

Just media talking points, same thing with the NCAA basketball tournament.

[Irishman]

9 minutes ago, temptation said:

Unpopular opinion, I don’t like using bowl results to assess conference strength, particularly in modern day bowl games where opt outs are aplenty.

Just media talking points, same thing with the NCAA basketball tournament.

While I agree in large part, it just seems the conference got a pass this year. It felt like there was a LOT more focus on IU< when 2 ACC teams in the playoffs got beat far worse that IU did.

[temptation]

34 minutes ago, Irishman said:

While I agree in large part, it just seems the conference got a pass this year. It felt like there was a LOT more focus on IU< when 2 ACC teams in the playoffs got beat far worse that IU did.

Clemson/Texas was a fairly competitive game and IU/ND wasn’t.

Final scores don’t tell the whole story.

[Irishman]

1 minute ago, temptation said:

Clemson/Texas was a fairly competitive game and IU/ND wasn’t.

Final scores don’t tell the whole story.

I did not feel like any of the 4 games were competitive. Texas led 28-10 at the half. Clemson played better in the 2nd half, but still only got 1 score each of those quarters. 

[temptation]

27 minutes ago, Irishman said:

I did not feel like any of the 4 games were competitive. Texas led 28-10 at the half. Clemson played better in the 2nd half, but still only got 1 score each of those quarters. 

Clemson actually led and pulled within one possession in the second half.

IU was never in the game after the second drive.

[BTF]

IU is unjustly being picked on, they're an easy target. Especially from the cry babies of of the south. Fans quickly forget how impressive the Hoosiers were during the season. They didn't just beat teams, they beat them easily. There's not a team in America that would have beat the Irish in South Bend that night. They would have beaten the Tide by two touchdowns minimum. One could say the same thing about Columbus. Probably Happy Valley as well. Those home environments were magnified 25% due to being the first playoff games hosted by campuses. Indiana was a victim of playing on the road, plain and simple. Different game on a neutral field. Same outcome, but different game for sure. 

[Bash Riprock]

8 hours ago, temptation said:

Clemson actually led and pulled within one possession in the second half.

IU was never in the game after the second drive.

Clemson was always playing catchup and never felt like the game could go either way. 
 

I don’t disagree about IU. But they did not quit and we’re still fighting until the end. 

[temptation]

5 hours ago, BTF said:

IU is unjustly being picked on, they're an easy target. Especially from the cry babies of of the south. Fans quickly forget how impressive the Hoosiers were during the season. They didn't just beat teams, they beat them easily. There's not a team in America that would have beat the Irish in South Bend that night. They would have beaten the Tide by two touchdowns minimum. One could say the same thing about Columbus. Probably Happy Valley as well. Those home environments were magnified 25% due to being the first playoff games hosted by campuses. Indiana was a victim of playing on the road, plain and simple. Different game on a neutral field. Same outcome, but different game for sure. 

“Unjustly.”

Had to “google it.”

Just stop.

Their coach wrote checks all season and then played not to lose in the biggest game of the year.  Easy target.

[BTF]

1 hour ago, temptation said:

“Unjustly.”

Had to “google it.”

Just stop.

Their coach wrote checks all season and then played not to lose in the biggest game of the year.  Easy target.

The committee got it right. IU took care of business, whereas Alabama did not. The lesson? If you want to make the playoffs, don't lose three games, two against unranked opponants. Inidana beat every unranked opponant they played into absolute utter submission with the exception of Michigan. Again, the Tide would have gotten demolished last Friday night if it were them playing in South Bend. They sure as hell wouldn't have won in Columbus. Very doubtfull in Happy Valley. Sorry, the SEC can cry and whine all they want, but there's a changing of the guard in college football. 

[temptation]

4 minutes ago, BTF said:

The committee got it right. IU took care of business, whereas Alabama did not. The lesson? If you want to make the playoffs, don't lose three games, two against unranked opponants. Inidana beat every unranked opponant they played into absolute utter submission with the exception of Michigan. Again, the Tide would have gotten demolished last Friday night if it were them playing in South Bend. They sure as hell wouldn't have won in Columbus. Very doubtfull in Happy Valley. Sorry, the SEC can cry and whine all they want, but there's a changing of the guard in college football. 

Once again, I am not necessarily disagreeing.

I am stating clearly that one of the reasons IU is being raked over the coals is that their arrogant head coach spoke out of his ass all season and even did so hours before the playoff game.

You can’t puff your chest out, flex and then whine and play the victim when you lose and get exposed.

[BTF]

44 minutes ago, temptation said:

Once again, I am not necessarily disagreeing.

I am stating clearly that one of the reasons IU is being raked over the coals is that their arrogant head coach spoke out of his ass all season and even did so hours before the playoff game.

You can’t puff your chest out, flex and then whine and play the victim when you lose and get exposed.

I don't think Cignetti's arrogance is why IU is getting raked over the coals. I think it's because they are Indiana. There was a time when it was Kentucky and North Carolina. Those are basketball schools. It seems to be offending to football powers when schools like that enter the mix. This year it was IU. And that, in my opinion, is why they are an easy target. Couple that with Alabama losing three games and now the nation has something massive to bitch about. At the end of the day, don't lose three games. 

Now, who am I taking on a neutral field between IU and Alabama? It's basically IU's coaching versus Alabama's talent. I'll go with the talent in this one if there's money on the line. But make no mistake, IU was deserving of making the field and Alabama was not. If the committe would have chosen Alabama, that would have created an awful standard moving forward. Coaches be warned: Win the games you're supposed to win, period.

Notre Dame was on thin ice the entire season. One loss following the embarrassing loss to NIU would have put them out. But they took care of business the rest of the way. 

[temptation]

7 minutes ago, BTF said:

I don't think Cignetti's arrogance is why IU is getting raked over the coals. I think it's because they are Indiana. There was a time when it was Kentucky and North Carolina. Those are basketball schools. It seems to be offending to football powers when schools like that enter the mix. This year it was IU. And that, in my opinion, is why they are an easy target. Couple that with Alabama losing three games and now the nation has something massive to bitch about. At the end of the day, don't lose three games. 

Now, who am I taking on a neutral field between IU and Alabama? It's basically IU's coaching versus Alabama's talent. I'll go with the talent in this one if there's money on the line. But make no mistake, IU was deserving of making the field and Alabama was not. If the committe would have chosen Alabama, that would have created an awful standard moving forward. Coaches be warned: Win the games you're supposed to win, period.

Notre Dame was on thin ice the entire season. One loss following the embarrassing loss to NIU would have put them out. But they took care of business the rest of the way. 

There’s some truth to your point but I think you are focusing too much on “Indiana.”

The Big Ten’s perception nationally is that it is inferior on the gridiron.

This is for a variety of reasons…

As much as it pains me to say this, even the Big Ten’s flagship program (Ohio State) has fallen flat on the big stage and often against programs from the southeast.

Bowl game results (long before they became meaningless as they are today) are played in the southeast, giving a home field advantage to SEC teams and though I don’t have the data in front of me, I’d imagine the results are tipped in the SEC’s favor.

The SEC is flashy and rarely is weather a factor in their contests, whereas the Big Ten’s “perception” is a slow, ground and pound league.

Michigan broke through last year but until Midwest programs so do more often, this will be viewed as an anomaly.

 

[temptation]

8 minutes ago, temptation said:

There’s some truth to your point but I think you are focusing too much on “Indiana.”

The Big Ten’s perception nationally is that it is inferior on the gridiron.

This is for a variety of reasons…

As much as it pains me to say this, even the Big Ten’s flagship program (Ohio State) has fallen flat on the big stage and often against programs from the southeast.

Bowl game results (long before they became meaningless as they are today) are played in the southeast, giving a home field advantage to SEC teams and though I don’t have the data in front of me, I’d imagine the results are tipped in the SEC’s favor.

The SEC is flashy and rarely is weather a factor in their contests, whereas the Big Ten’s “perception” is a slow, ground and pound league.

Michigan broke through last year but until Midwest programs so do more often, this will be viewed as an anomaly.

 

Also, the way you continue to discredit DeBoer while praising Cignetti is asinine.

[BTF]

9 minutes ago, temptation said:

Also, the way you continue to discredit DeBoer while praising Cignetti is asinine.

Cignetti's staff did a better job in year one than DeBoer's staff. You have to admit, something was missing this year at Alabama. They lost to two unranked teams. Cignetti didn't fall prey to that. I'm not saying that DeBoer isn't a good coach, that would be "asinine." I'm just saying that Cignetti's staff did a better job in 2024 than his did. I'm sure DeBoer will right the ship. I'm betting that he will, but success at Washington doesn't necessarily equate to success at Alabama. We all know that. See Lincoln Riley as Exibit A. 

[BTF]

40 minutes ago, temptation said:

There’s some truth to your point but I think you are focusing too much on “Indiana.”

The Big Ten’s perception nationally is that it is inferior on the gridiron.

This is for a variety of reasons…

As much as it pains me to say this, even the Big Ten’s flagship program (Ohio State) has fallen flat on the big stage and often against programs from the southeast.

Bowl game results (long before they became meaningless as they are today) are played in the southeast, giving a home field advantage to SEC teams and though I don’t have the data in front of me, I’d imagine the results are tipped in the SEC’s favor.

The SEC is flashy and rarely is weather a factor in their contests, whereas the Big Ten’s “perception” is a slow, ground and pound league.

Michigan broke through last year but until Midwest programs so do more often, this will be viewed as an anomaly.

 

Michigan changed the narrative last year. 

You know what's embarrassing? The SEC is DOMINATING college basketball right now. The big bad Big Ten is a has been. Power shifts are possible. I've got the Big Ten ahead of the SEC this year in football. I know that's embarrassing for the SEC, but it is what it is. Back in the 80's and 90's, Wisconsin was the laughing stock of the Big Ten in sports.. It was pretty embarassing to lose to them in both football and basketball. Things just change over time. 

From purely a numbers standpoint, what Indiana did this year was impressive. That's why Sagarin* has them at #9, and to Alabama's credit, they are at #7. Numbers don't lie. IU's just isn't as bad as Finebaum says they are. He's just a little bitter. We all know the guy is biased as hell. 

*Takes a deep breath

Edited December 27, 2024 by BTF

[PHJIrish]

Navy 21, Oklahoma 20 final!

I've really enjoyed some of the bowl games this year.  Not all are action packed, but some are just a lot of fun to watch.

[Sparty]

21 hours ago, PHJIrish said:

Navy 21, Oklahoma 20 final!

I've really enjoyed some of the bowl games this year.  Not all are action packed, but some are just a lot of fun to watch.

Or the opposite POV.  I have decided to rewatch GOT.  

[PDB26]

On 12/27/2024 at 11:31 AM, BTF said:

Now, who am I taking on a neutral field between IU and Alabama? It's basically IU's coaching versus Alabama's talent. I'll go with the talent in this one if there's money on the line. But make no mistake, IU was deserving of making the field and Alabama was not. If the committe would have chosen Alabama, that would have created an awful standard moving forward. Coaches be warned: Win the games you're supposed to win, period.

Not if IU came out with––and stayed in––a clunker of a game plan like they did against ND. All that noise just to come out with the plan to RPO, with a stationary QB, and back shoulder ND's defense to death, I think, has brought a lot of scorn upon IU from more than just the Finebaum's of the world. One has to think IU has about as big a target on its back as any team does next season and just in time to have to go to Oregon, Iowa, and Penn State. Credit to IU for navigating their schedule, but they only played two teams with a pulse on the road and lost both.

For what it's worth, especially under the current format, IU should have been in over Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina, but I think all three of those teams would have wiped the floor with them in a playoff game, even on the road. I felt SMU was the least deserving of the at large teams. Still, there was no grave injustice committed against any at large teams that were left out since they all found ways to lose games late in the season.

[Bobref]

3 hours ago, Sparty said:

Or the opposite POV.  I have decided to rewatch GOT.  

Both can be right. 😂🤣

[Irishman]

Very entertaining game to watch. Pretty cool that Cam Ward, who is going pro, stayed to play in this game. I did not hear much about players on either team sitting out. The common theme from both teams was they had something to prove. 

[BTF]

5 hours ago, PDB26 said:

Not if IU came out with––and stayed in––a clunker of a game plan like they did against ND. All that noise just to come out with the plan to RPO, with a stationary QB, and back shoulder ND's defense to death, I think, has brought a lot of scorn upon IU from more than just the Finebaum's of the world. One has to think IU has about as big a target on its back as any team does next season and just in time to have to go to Oregon, Iowa, and Penn State. Credit to IU for navigating their schedule, but they only played two teams with a pulse on the road and lost both.

For what it's worth, especially under the current format, IU should have been in over Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina, but I think all three of those teams would have wiped the floor with them in a playoff game, even on the road. I felt SMU was the least deserving of the at large teams. Still, there was no grave injustice committed against any at large teams that were left out since they all found ways to lose games late in the season.

I think "wiped the floor with them" is a stretch. None of those teams are Notre Dame or Ohio State. 

[Sparty]

2 hours ago, Irishman said:

Very entertaining game to watch. Pretty cool that Cam Ward, who is going pro, stayed to play in this game. I did not hear much about players on either team sitting out. The common theme from both teams was they had something to prove. 

Are you talking about the same Cam Ward that quit on his team after the 1st half?