2021 NCAA Football

Starting a new thread with (perhaps unsurprising) news that Notre Dame won't be part of the ACC this season:

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30794624/acc-returns-normal-8-conference-game-football-schedule-notre-dame-fighting-irish-independent-again

Notre Dame's projected schedule, if this listing of it is accurate, seems super soft: @FSU, Toledo, Purdue, Wisconsin (in Chicago), Cincinnati, @Virginia Tech, USC, North Carolina, Navy, @Virginia, Georgia Tech and @Stanford. Wisconsin, Cincy, USC and North Carolina look like the four toughest games, but Brian Kelly really ought to be looking to go undefeated again if a successor to Ian Book steps up.
 
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Humphrey

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The question is: how much of that schedule was arranged on the fly and how much has been written in stone for several years?
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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I absolutely detest that the ACC gave Notre Dame a home for a year when they (ND) desperately needed it, then let ND have back their independent status when ND no longer needed a home.

I shouldn't care this much about it, but I do. Makes me so angry.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Because I hate that everyone kowtows to Notre Dame. They should be in a league or not. But not get the benefits of independence and then, when independence is bad for them, get the benefit of a league, only to go back to independence again when it's once again beneficial for them.
 

Kliq

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Take solace in the fact that they are a dinosaur of a program that bluffs its way to national relevance every few years, only to get pounded whenever they play in an actual playoff game.
 
Because I hate that everyone kowtows to Notre Dame. They should be in a league or not. But not get the benefits of independence and then, when independence is bad for them, get the benefit of a league, only to go back to independence again when it's once again beneficial for them.
Might I humbly suggest that a GLOBAL PANDEMIC which nearly wrecked the entire college football season before it started could perhaps be the sort of scenario in which you could put your hate aside and cut Notre Dame some slack? Everyone was scrambling for opponents a few months ago; suddenly-relevant games like BYU vs. Coastal Carolina were being scheduled on the fly with less than a week's notice, as were intra-conference games across the country. When the ACC and Notre Dame crafted their one-year football partnership, there was a very real possibility that Notre Dame wouldn't be able to schedule games against anyone...and even if you hate Notre Dame, surely most people would agree that being able to actively root against Notre Dame is better than them not being involved in the season at all, wouldn't they? (I mean, would you *really* want to exclude the Yankees or Lakers for a season from MLB or the NBA?)
 

canderson

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Because I hate that everyone kowtows to Notre Dame. They should be in a league or not. But not get the benefits of independence and then, when independence is bad for them, get the benefit of a league, only to go back to independence again when it's once again beneficial for them.
Didn’t the ACC get a huge chunk of cash for this? I understand the frustration but money drives everything in the very dirty game.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Might I humbly suggest that a GLOBAL PANDEMIC which nearly wrecked the entire college football season before it started could perhaps be the sort of scenario in which you could put your hate aside and cut Notre Dame some slack? Everyone was scrambling for opponents a few months ago; suddenly-relevant games like BYU vs. Coastal Carolina were being scheduled on the fly with less than a week's notice, as were intra-conference games across the country. When the ACC and Notre Dame crafted their one-year football partnership, there was a very real possibility that Notre Dame wouldn't be able to schedule games against anyone...and even if you hate Notre Dame, surely most people would agree that being able to actively root against Notre Dame is better than them not being involved in the season at all, wouldn't they? (I mean, would you *really* want to exclude the Yankees or Lakers for a season from MLB or the NBA?)
I'm not actually mad at Notre Dame. I'm mad at the ACC for giving Notre Dame this gift. Yes, they got money, and @canderson is right - it's all about money. But it still annoys me.

Whatever. It's my issue. I own it. Maybe I'm irrational. I don't know. (probably)
 

Awesome Fossum

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Thank god it's finally football season.

Saturday, February 13
McNeese @ Tarleton State, 7:00 ET, Fox Sports Southwest / Fox Sports Go

Just one game this week for the spring FCS season, as Tarleton State makes its FCS debut after making the leap from Division II. Things will really get cooking next weekend as part of a 10-week regular season. This will be followed by a condensed, 16-team tournament that will culminate on May 15 or 16.

Edit: Just found out that McNeese State's quarterback is Ed Orgeron's son.

Double Edit: Game moved from ESPN+ to the Fox platform.
 
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soxhop411

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View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1358886336032342022
  • Kansas City Chiefs running backs coach Deland McCullough is heading to Indiana University to become the Hoosiers associate head coach, Rapoport reported. Rapoport added it's a move that will aid in McCullough reaching his goal of becoming a college head coach. McCullough coached the last three seasons with the Chiefs.
Cc @Detts






Rettung to IUFB after coaching the RB’ from 2011-2016. Then went to USC. then KC.

IU football is reportedly filling its open running backs coach position with a familiar name, bringing back Deland McCullough, who coached the position from 2011-2016.

McCullough will replace Mike Hart, who left IU to take a running backs coach position at Michigan this season. Hart replaced McCullough in the 2017 season.

McCullough is coming off back-to-back Super Bowl appearances as the running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.

He spent 2017 at the University of Southern California before starting a three-year stint with Kansas City in 2018.

Running backs Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard were both selected in the NFL Draft under McCullough.
https://www.nfl.com/news/vikings-to-promote-qb-coach-klint-kubiak-to-oc-rolehttps://www.idsnews.com/article/2021/02/iu-football-to-bring-back-running-backs-coach-deland-mccullough
 

cornwalls@6

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I'm not actually mad at Notre Dame. I'm mad at the ACC for giving Notre Dame this gift. Yes, they got money, and @canderson is right - it's all about money. But it still annoys me.

Whatever. It's my issue. I own it. Maybe I'm irrational. I don't know. (probably)
It was in no way, shape, or form, "a gift". The ongoing association between ND and the ACC is mutually beneficial for both parties, and adopting them as a full on member for one year, under the extraordinary circumstances of a global pandemic, was a smart long term business move, and the right thing to do for the conference. Hate them all you want for all I care, but the narrative of spoiled, entitled ND being bailed out by the ACC is reactionary and false.
 
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joe dokes

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Thank god it's finally football season.

Saturday, February 13
McNeese @ Tarleton State, 7:00 ET, Fox Sports Southwest / Fox Sports Go

Just one game this week for the spring FCS season, as Tarleton State makes its FCS debut after making the leap from Division II. Things will really get cooking next weekend as part of a 10-week regular season. This will be followed by a condensed, 16-team tournament that will culminate on May 15 or 16.

Edit: Just found out that McNeese State's quarterback is Ed Orgeron's son.

Double Edit: Game moved from ESPN+ to the Fox platform.
Ha. I just noticed this game listed on the comcast sports widget under NCAA Fotoball and had no idea what it was.
 

Awesome Fossum

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WEEK 2

Rankings from Athlon. All times ET.

Friday, February 19
Lincoln University of Missouri (D-II) at #8 Nicholls, 7:00pm
#5 South Dakota State at #3 Northern Iowa, 8:00pm

Saturday, February 20
Morehead State at #4 James Madison, 12:00pm, FloFootball
Mercer at #20 Wofford, 1:00pm
Samford at ETSU, 1:00pm
#13 Southern Illinois at North Dakota, 1:00pm
Davidson at Elon, 1:30pm, FloFootball
Western Carolina at #15 Furman, 2:00pm, ESPN+
#9 Illinois State at Missouri State, 2:00pm
#10 Sam Houston State at Incarnate Word, 3:00pm, ESPN+
Northwestern State at Lamar, 4:00pm
Tarleton State (0-1) at New Mexico State (FBS), TBA

Sunday, February 21
Eastern Illinois at UT Martin, 2:00pm, ESPN+
Edward Waters (NAIA) at Jackson State, 2:00pm, ESPN3
#19 Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech, 2:30pm, ESPN+
#16 Jacksonville State at Tennessee State, 3:00pm, ESPN+
Murray State at #23 Southeast Missouri, 3:00pm, ESPN+
Youngstown State at #1 North Dakota State, 3:30pm, ESPN+
 

canderson

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Overtime rules tweaked.

- You must now go for a 2 point conversion in the 2nd overtime (previously it was started in the 3rd overtime)
- Starting in the 3rd overtime, teams run alternativing 2 point plays (previously this started in the 5th overtime)
 

CFB_Rules

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Overtime rules tweaked.

- You must now go for a 2 point conversion in the 2nd overtime (previously it was started in the 3rd overtime)
- Starting in the 3rd overtime, teams run alternativing 2 point plays (previously this started in the 5th overtime)
I don't like it. First it appears to be addressing a non-existent problem: Games with too many overtimes.

Second it allows the game to be played on uneven conditions. The defense has an advantage in overtime, and each overtime will be played under different conditions. Before each team at least played under the same rules once for each possession they started with the ball.
 

Humphrey

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I think if you go last the first round of OT and your defense is not doing that well, if the other guys get 7 and you get a TD, go for two. Don't see any percentage to extending the game.
 

Zona90

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For those who have the Pac-12 network, tomorrow at 3:00PM EST the University of Arizona spring football game is on. Bruschi will be coaching one team and Gronk will be coaching the other.
 

canderson

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Sam Ehlinger’s younger brother Jake found dead today in Austin at age 20. No cause of death reported.

Sam’s father died of a heart attack when Sam was 14. Absolutely devastating for the Ehlinger family.
Family has been through so much. The juxtaposition of the video of Jake celebrating with Sam getting the call from the Colts to this days later is crushing. And right before Mother’s Day.
 

BigSoxFan

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Family has been through so much. The juxtaposition of the video of Jake celebrating with Sam getting the call from the Colts to this days later is crushing. And right before Mother’s Day.
Man, that’s tough to watch knowing what we know now. Very sad.
 

Kremlin Watcher

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Poor guy had a case of TBI from a bad car accident years ago. Led to substance abuse issues.

In 2006 he had a game in which he threw 18 total completions for 413 yards.
 

yeahlunchbox

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I'm disappointed because to me 8 is the optimal number but considering how champions used to be crowned I'll live.

Actually reading the whole proposal, I like it even less:

""No conference would qualify automatically and there would be no limit on the number of participants from a conference," the proposal states."

To me, the champion of each power 5 conference should automatically qualify. I would also like to see the best non-power 5 team get in plus two at large teams. To me, if you're the fifth best SEC team you already had your shot to prove you were championship caliber and you failed.
 
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To me, the champion of each power 5 conference should automatically qualify. I would also like to see the best non-power 5 team get in plus two at large teams. To me, if you're the fifth best SEC team you already had your shot to prove you were championship caliber and you failed.
I think the idea is that in a year when there's a fluky P5 champion (e.g., after a big upset of the presumptive best team in the conference championship game) and two G5 champions are really good, the G5 gets an extra berth at the expense of that weaker conference. Actually, I think that would have happened this past year, with Oregon getting usurped by Cincinnati and Coastal Carolina.

I also can't imagine a scenario in which five SEC teams would make it into the playoffs, even with 12 teams qualifying - there's no way that the 5th placed SEC team will be unscarred enough by losses to other SEC teams to merit inclusion. There would have been four SEC teams making it in 2020 under this format - Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida and Georgia - and the first-round matchups would have been:

#12 Coastal Carolina at #5 Texas A&M - winner to play #4 Notre Dame
#11 Indiana at #6 Oklahoma - winner to play #3 Ohio State
#10 Iowa State at #7 Florida - winner to play #2 Clemson
#9 Georgia at #8 Cincinnati - winner to play #1 Alabama
 

Tangled Up In Red

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Makes sense for Boise State to stay in the Mountain West (they had been dancing with the AAC) under this proposal.
 
All I’m thinking is that this is great for Notre Dame
Actually, I'm now seeing on the official college football playoff website that the four playoff byes in this proposal would be given to the four highest-ranked conference champions, which means that by definition, an independent Notre Dame could never get a bye. Which is particularly curious given that Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick is one of the four members of the playoff working group. (I wonder if that wording is intentional?)
 

Humphrey

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I assume that there would be 4 games on or near New Year's, 2 a week later and another a week later than that. First rounders, week after conference championships? Week before New Year's is Christmas and that would seem to create a lot of problems.

Would they continue to have all the rest of those crappy bowl games?
 

Zososoxfan

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I just can't understand after how slowly this has moved up to now why they're going from 4 --> 12. Like @Conigliaro's Potential said, 8 seems like a great number and makes a lot of sense. Why not try it for a few years before going to 12. In any event, getting from 4 to 6+ is good.
 

Awesome Fossum

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The explanation I saw -- I wish I could remember where I saw this -- is basically that 4 > 8 didn't add value for all of the Power 5 conferences. It helps the Pac 12 and Big 12, where their conference champs sometimes get left out as it is, but doesn't do much to help the SEC, who already has access to 1-2 spots as it is and wouldn't stand to gain in an 8 team format.

The historical stuff is fun to look at, but there's no chance the committee is ranking Coastal is ranked ahead of USC if a playoff spot is on the line.
 
I just can't understand after how slowly this has moved up to now why they're going from 4 --> 12. Like @Conigliaro's Potential said, 8 seems like a great number and makes a lot of sense. Why not try it for a few years before going to 12. In any event, getting from 4 to 6+ is good.
I was listening to CBS's "Cover 3" college football podcast today about this, and I think they were saying that the SEC is pretty strongly against a 6-team or 8-team model. Even with 8 teams, I think their thinking is that if 5 or 6 of those spots go to conference champions, the SEC would often get only 2 teams (and never more than 3), whereas in a 12-team model they would almost always get at least 3 teams, usually 4 teams and occasionally even 5 teams - i.e., a higher percentage.

The more I think about the 12-team proposal, the more I like it. It has the virtue of keeping many more teams alive with something to play for longer into the season - and thereby increases the number of other teams that can act as spoilers, giving them something to play for. There are distinct advantages to finishing in the Top 4 (bye) and in places 5-8 (home game in Round 1), so the best teams won't really want to coast and take games off. And even if some of the lesser qualifying teams won't really have a shot at winning the championship, the possibility that they will should keep star players active and engaged to the end - e.g., last year's Georgia-Cincinnati bowl game was a low-energy snoozefest, but the same matchup would have been the #8 vs. #9 game in a 12-team playoff, and the same teams would have exerted maximum effort in a playoff situation. And you wouldn't get (as many) stars sitting out playoff games as now increasingly choose to sit out their bowl games.
 
The historical stuff is fun to look at, but there's no chance the committee is ranking Coastal is ranked ahead of USC if a playoff spot is on the line.
FWIW, last year was such a weird season - with COVID decimating the Pac-12 schedule above all others - that it's hardly representative. But there have been plenty of G5 schools that have gotten into the Top 10 of the final regular season rankings in previous years, and surely there will be other years in the future in which a pair of undefeated G5 teams might both be ranked higher than the weakest P5 conference champion. So in that sense, even last year's rankings can be instructive as to what future playoffs might look like.
 

Awesome Fossum

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Yeah, I'm saying that I don't believe those rankings would hold in a world where it meant leaving a Power 5 champion out of the playoffs in favor of the Sun Belt champion -- that the change in format would actually influence the rankings. But definitely hoping to be proven wrong.