College Football - General Discussion

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Seriously though, breaking down kicking film is my dang jam. Love doing it because so few do, and personally think the kicking aspect of ST is underlooked tremendously. Plus these guys get a bum rap with coaches often too lazy to fix easy mechanics. Zane Gonzalez especially comes to mind with skip step ones.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Because fundamentals aren't well taught in a lot of places relative to other positions. DotB's point is dead on, but of those that do have interest, items such as importance of the plant foot, swing power, fluidity of follow through, and skip step aren't just known by most, let alone how to teach and/or fix them.

For a personal example: It's punting, but I saw a top HS game around here recently, but I saw both teams having punts repeatedly off tip sides of feet. Least power, least control. I felt sick to my stomach, and nothing was done. Field position matters, coaches!

Watch for a freshman named Will Reichard next year. The folks at Chris Sailer's camp and I both think this kid is absolutely generational. Swift, easy, repeatable motion.



Hi Dad!

I laughed out loud for real. Mine encouraged the same to the letter, that's why, and love your notion to be honest. It's a skill I'd like to have in retrospect. My motion absolutely sucks, more suited to rugby.
Oh, you have no idea how far back my infatuation with teaching my kid how to kick goes. Let's just say I was planning this over a decade before I knew I was having a kid, never mind a son. I have every tape of every great kick ever on VHS somewhere, and I was going to make him watch it over and over again, so he thought kickers got all the glory. I even had the name planned out. It was going to be Haywood, and the catchphrase was "Wood is Good." Believe me, I had a plan. That plan ended the minute I told my wife about it, probably for the best, but I still don't think it's too late. If I can just get him to try it out before he's a teenager.....

I have a buddy who was an SEC punter about 30 years ago, as was his brother. They were from Massachusetts, and I asked him how he ever got into it, and it was the same thing. Played soccer, got tired of it, then decided to try out for the football team, and rode his leg to a free ride in college.
 

McBride11

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Yup, when I played football in high school, we didn't even try kicking the ball until a kid quit soccer and the coach convinced him he'd never have to hit anyone or be hit and he joined the team. He could kickoff to the end zone, and made a few field goals from about 38-40 yards, but we never really tried anything longer than that.
Once you learn the proper spots so speak, since it isn't a sphere, the rest of the motion as a soccer player just carries thru. Offer your kid 100k, practice some goal kicks and or place kicks and profit.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Once you learn the proper spots so speak, since it isn't a sphere, the rest of the motion as a soccer player just carries thru. Offer your kid 100k, practice some goal kicks and or place kicks and profit.
My kid doesn't even play or like soccer, unfortunately. He's actually into baseball and swimming. My 8 year old daughter is into synchronized swimming. Figures they'd have a complete sports junkie for a dad, and the two of them would find basically the only 2 sports I know absolutely nothing about.
 

McBride11

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My kid doesn't even play or like soccer, unfortunately. He's actually into baseball and swimming. My 8 year old daughter is into synchronized swimming. Figures they'd have a complete sports junkie for a dad, and the two of them would find basically the only 2 sports I know absolutely nothing about.
You don't know baseball?!?!

Hope you got VHS of Phelps from 2004. But really maybe they can learn long snapping?
 

RedOctober3829

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If you've got next week's lottery numbers, send them my way, because I'd love to borrower your crystal ball. I completely disagree that if there was an 8 team playoff, the committee would have left UCF on the outside looking in, contrary to your opinion. If they put a 2 loss Georgia team into the playoff over an undefeated UCF team (2 years in a row, undefeated mind you), it would have been a disgrace. Could it have happened? Sure, but I haven't seen too many folks make the argument that it would have.
Considering a 2-loss Georgia was ranked above an undefeated UCF in the last committee rankings, yes I believe they would have put Georgia in ahead of UCF. Post bowls Georgia has the 4th highest ESPN FPI(UCF #25) and is ranked #4 in the Sagarin ratings(UCF#22). Sagarin has Georgia with the 9th toughest SOS(UCF #83). The pre-bowl ranking I did find was ESPN FPI was Georgia #3 and UCF #23. Georgia played 7 teams that were ranked in the Sagarin top 30 and went 4-3. UCF was 0-1. So in my opinion I believe UGA was more of a deserving opponent in an 8 team playoff than UCF. Georgia played a much tougher schedule than UCF and that is due to UGA being in the SEC and UCF not. Just the way it is.

And the only reason we're having this discussion is because we happened to have a season in which 4 teams went undefeated, and one of them happened to be a no-conference Notre Dame team. You think that's more likely to happen than what happened last year (or any other year since 2013)? Or do you think UCF would have also missed in an 8 team playoff last year, as the only undefeated team in the country?
UCF finished #12 in the last CFP rankings in 2017 as the only undefeated team in the country. Do you think they would have made an 8 team playoff last year outside of holding a spot for the highest ranked Group of 5 team? Ranked above them in that last CFP ranking that didn't make the 4-team playoff were 2-loss Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Miami, and Washington and also 3-loss Auburn(who they beat but yes were still ranked above them beforehand despite having those 3 losses).

You know what Florida's AD actually offered UCF? He said "We are in need of a home opener for the 2022 season, so the 9/3/2022 date you mention would be a perfect date to begin the series, and we can fill in the remaining games from there. So this 3 game series doesn't even begin until 2022. When do you think it would end? 2025? 2027? Why would UCF ever commit to that in today's landscape? It doesn't make any sense. Florida could be Arkansas by then. ”
That's how schedules works in college football. They are made years in advance with no guarantee teams are going to be as good in the future. If UCF wants to beef up it's non-conference schedule and garner respect over time it has to take the approach that Boise and FSU did back in the day. Since 2000, Boise State has played 19 Power 5 teams on the road with only 8 at home. They've also played a number of neutral site games such as Georgia in the Georgia Dome and V-Tech in FedEx Field which are de facto road games. However, since they have established themselves as a power program P5 teams are now coming to them. They were able to get Michigan State to agree to a home-and-home and now have Oregon coming to Boise once as part of a 2-for-1. Florida State is coming to them in 2020 and Oklahoma State in 2021.

When FSU was building it's brand in the 80's, they went on the road against top competition. They went to Nebraska and LSU 4 years in a row without a return trip, Ohio State 2 years in a row without a return trip, and took 1-game deals at Notre Dame and Michigan.

UCF only has one avenue to make it to the NCAA playoffs, in an 8 team situation. They have to go undefeated. Florida, on the other hand, could get an at large bid, but the only that happens is if Florida has a good out of conference schedule. You know what could be a good win for Florida in their out of conference schedule? UCF. You know what could be an irrelevant win to UCF because they have to beat everyone anyway? Florida. So yeah, there is an avenue in which UF needs UCF more than the other way around.
Florida, if they choose, can schedule an FCS team, a Group of 5 team, FSU, and still make the CFP if they are an 11-1 SEC runner-up and in line for an at-large. They can do that because the SEC is so deep that they will have more than enough quality wins to have a good schedule. UCF does not have that luxury. They need top P5 schools to schedule them because they will not be considered for a playoff spot unless they are both undefeated and have impressive NC wins.
 

LoweTek

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tldr; try to look through clear colored glasses when considering UCF and the CFB playoff ranking processes.

Disclaimer: UCF is nine miles away from where I sit. They're my customer and a huge economic and social force in this area. They are a civic treasure enabling thousands of local kids to obtain a very good and affordable education. UCF competes with Arizona State as the largest university by student population in the country. This is not Charleston Southern (one of the non-conference patsies UF plays every year). When the big conference shuffle was played out several years ago, UCF tried to join several P5 groups and was brushed aside.

They never asked to be considered a "powerhouse," only to be in the conversation and have a shot. It is UCF we will all be thanking when the playoff is expanded, likely sooner than later.

I appreciate the naysayers but I watched several of their games this year and last as well as the LSU game yesterday. First, LSU going in had some injuries and opt-outs (as if UCF had no outcome impacting injuries of their own) but their secondary problem was mostly self-inflicted during the game. One idiot was ejected for a clear and unnecessary target and the other for throwing a punch into the face mask of a UCF player four feet away from a closely observing official. That said, UCF did not capitalize. But no whining for the LSU weakened secondary. They weakened it themselves.

The game was very poorly officiated (both directions, both sides).

The game could very easily have been 20 plus points in the other direction with UCF running away with it. LSU, while they dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides, also got very lucky. I will give credit to Joe Burrow, he is one tough hombre. He came back from an early crushing block on a pick-6 to steady both himself and his team offensively. He did his part despite the LSU defense making every effort to give it all away to a true Freshman QB playing in his third. CFB. game. EVER! The UCF defense did itself no favors either. They had no answer.

As far as the UF argument, you all have seen the links regarding UCF trying to schedule them, (BTW DotB, I appreciate your support but Camping World Stadium is in Orlando not Tampa and even though UCF used to play their home games there, UF has a huge local following and it would be reasonable as a neutral site), UF has been terrible in recent years until this year's over-rated season. Even so, their non-conference games were against very weak teams and frankly, several of their SEC games were also against weak teams. The fact UF gets such a high SOS rating only proves the SOS formula bias IMO. It should cut both ways, especially to further penalize teams like UF who schedule extremely weak non-conference opponents. Except for a few games, they played terrible non-conference opponents and poor SEC teams. But you know, those opponents were shitty SEC teams so they're better than shitty AAC teams!

Seriously guys, at the end of the day, the system is still terribly broken. It needs an update as our friends at UCF have so deftly shown. Try to see them as leaders effectively impacting a direly needed change in the CFB playoff system rather than as under-qualified whiners claiming 'undeserved' National Championships. Somebody has to prompt the needed change.

Final word regarding McKenzie Milton, IMO Milton has likely played his last football game. As a six time knee surgery (and knee replacement) survivor, I can tell you his injury is profound and he will be lucky to walk normally. If we see him on a football field again it will be a miracle. Look at the hit, or don't, it's very hard to watch. But don't dis this guy. He would have been an outcome changing star on any CFB team in the country. He's a Brady-like generational talent at the CFB level. His injury is a tragedy and a loss to the game. Seriously, UCF runs away with the Fiesta Bowl if he is healthy and on the field.
 

Deathofthebambino

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As far as the UF argument, you all have seen the links regarding UCF trying to schedule them, (BTW DotB, I appreciate your support but Camping World Stadium is in Orlando not Tampa and even though UCF used to play their home games there, UF has a huge local following and it would be reasonable as a neutral site),
Just to be clear, I agree that Camping would be an absolutely perfect neutral site. I mistakenly wrote Tampa, not Orlando, but my point was that I thought I saw subsequent reports that the "home" game for UCF that UF was proposing in their 2 for 1, would be played at Camping, instead of at Spectrum, their campus stadium. Basically, UF would get two games at the swamp, and there would be one game at Camping, none at Spectrum. If that's the offer on the table, UCF would be crazy to take it. I'll have to go back and dig through where I saw that.

And in case my posts yesterday weren't clear, I agree 100% on Milton. College football fans everywhere got screwed when he got hurt, IMO. It would have literally changed everything about that game, but more importantly, he's only a junior. UCF had a real chance of putting together a third undefeated season next year. We'll see how he recovers, I guess, but I saw the injury, and like you, I'm not convinced he takes another step ever again.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Considering a 2-loss Georgia was ranked above an undefeated UCF in the last committee rankings, yes I believe they would have put Georgia in ahead of UCF. Post bowls Georgia has the 4th highest ESPN FPI(UCF #25) and is ranked #4 in the Sagarin ratings(UCF#22). Sagarin has Georgia with the 9th toughest SOS(UCF #83). The pre-bowl ranking I did find was ESPN FPI was Georgia #3 and UCF #23. Georgia played 7 teams that were ranked in the Sagarin top 30 and went 4-3. UCF was 0-1. So in my opinion I believe UGA was more of a deserving opponent in an 8 team playoff than UCF. Georgia played a much tougher schedule than UCF and that is due to UGA being in the SEC and UCF not. Just the way it is.


UCF finished #12 in the last CFP rankings in 2017 as the only undefeated team in the country. Do you think they would have made an 8 team playoff last year outside of holding a spot for the highest ranked Group of 5 team? Ranked above them in that last CFP ranking that didn't make the 4-team playoff were 2-loss Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Miami, and Washington and also 3-loss Auburn(who they beat but yes were still ranked above them beforehand despite having those 3 losses).


That's how schedules works in college football. They are made years in advance with no guarantee teams are going to be as good in the future. If UCF wants to beef up it's non-conference schedule and garner respect over time it has to take the approach that Boise and FSU did back in the day. Since 2000, Boise State has played 19 Power 5 teams on the road with only 8 at home. They've also played a number of neutral site games such as Georgia in the Georgia Dome and V-Tech in FedEx Field which are de facto road games. However, since they have established themselves as a power program P5 teams are now coming to them. They were able to get Michigan State to agree to a home-and-home and now have Oregon coming to Boise once as part of a 2-for-1. Florida State is coming to them in 2020 and Oklahoma State in 2021.

When FSU was building it's brand in the 80's, they went on the road against top competition. They went to Nebraska and LSU 4 years in a row without a return trip, Ohio State 2 years in a row without a return trip, and took 1-game deals at Notre Dame and Michigan.



Florida, if they choose, can schedule an FCS team, a Group of 5 team, FSU, and still make the CFP if they are an 11-1 SEC runner-up and in line for an at-large. They can do that because the SEC is so deep that they will have more than enough quality wins to have a good schedule. UCF does not have that luxury. They need top P5 schools to schedule them because they will not be considered for a playoff spot unless they are both undefeated and have impressive NC wins.
I'm not sure why you're getting bogged down in the Georgia/UCF debate, whether it was Georgia or a 2 loss Michigan team, I believe UCF would have gotten into an 8 team playoff (and if you want to put so much faith in the pre-bowl rankings, I'm not sure why you'd say they weren't deserving, when they were ranked 8th). Like I said, the only reason we're having this conversation is because ND would have taken one of the 3 at large bids, and Ohio State would have gotten an automatic bid, leaving only 2 spots for Georgia/Michigan/UCF. I believe UCF gets one of those spots. And like I said yesterday, I put basically no stock in the pre-Bowl rankings outside of #'s 1-4. I don't believe Georgia was a better team than Ohio State this year, and I believe that the reason the committee put them ahead of OSU at #5 was because it made it easier to tell a 1 loss Ohio State team that they weren't even the first team on the outside looking in. If people thought the uproar from Georgia was loud, I believe if OSU was ranked #5, it would have been deafening, considering the Big 10 was shut out entirely.

I also believe that UCF would have been given an at-large bid following their undefeated season last year if the playoffs were 8 teams. Again, the pre-bowl rankings after 1-4 don't mean anything to me (and frankly, looking at the results of the Bowl games in recent years, I'm not sure why they would matter to anyone). Of course, we'll never know, because only 4 teams could get in last year.

As far as scheduling and "respect" goes, that's how it used to work. If the 8 team playoff comes to be, I don't think that's necessarily how it will continue to work. Shit, Boise played anytime, anywhere, and what's that gotten them exactly? They still aren't one of the "big boys." According to Florida's AD, they wouldn't give them a home and home just by virtue of the fact they aren't in the right conference. Most big schools wouldn't. The bottom line is Boise State still needs to go undefeated if they want to get into the college playoff, and by scheduling Michigan State and Oregon, they are making their lives harder to accomplish that. That's the point that I think you're missing. UCF isn't looking to get the big boys to come to them and they aren't looking for respect. They are looking for an avenue to get into the national championship discussion. Getting wins against a big name on their out of conference schedule will certainly help, but it may not be the prerequisite that you think it is once the field is enlarged to 8. And if it's not a prerequisite, then schools like UCF that want to get into the playoff conversation don't have to give in to the big schools anymore when it comes to scheduling, and in fact, it may actually hurt them more to play them and lose, than it would benefit them to play them and win.

As for FSU, this isn't the 1970's and 1980's. That roadmap has about as much relevance to today's conversation about non-Power 5 schools getting into the playoff as Notre Dame's road at the beginning of the 20th century. It's like saying "Vince Coleman stole 100+ bases a few times in the mid 80's, and the Cardinals won the National League pennant twice, so in order to be successful in 2019 and win the pennant, you need a guy who can steal 100 bases." There's just no correlation at all. It's a different world, entirely.
 

PaulinMyrBch

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Why are we assuming an 8 team playoff will include auto bids for the 5 conference champions instead of just the best 8 teams as determined by the committee? Is there something out there that would indicate that is how it would work or are we just assuming conference commissioners won't approve 8 without a guarantee for their league. The top 8 this year did not include a Pac 12 team and Washington was #9 (with 3 losses). I'd much rather put in UCF than a 3 loss conference champion just because they won a bad P5 league. Most years I suspect wouldn't matter. Here are the last 3.

For reference
2016 - All teams are P5 (ACC 1, SEC 1, B12 1, B10 4, P12 1)
2017 - All teams are P5 (ACC1, SEC 3, B12 1, B10 2, P12 1)
2018 - 6 P5 + ND + UCF (ACC 1, SEC 2, B12 1, B10 2)
 
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RedOctober3829

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I'm not sure why you're getting bogged down in the Georgia/UCF debate, whether it was Georgia or a 2 loss Michigan team, I believe UCF would have gotten into an 8 team playoff (and if you want to put so much faith in the pre-bowl rankings, I'm not sure why you'd say they weren't deserving, when they were ranked 8th). Like I said, the only reason we're having this conversation is because ND would have taken one of the 3 at large bids, and Ohio State would have gotten an automatic bid, leaving only 2 spots for Georgia/Michigan/UCF. I believe UCF gets one of those spots. And like I said yesterday, I put basically no stock in the pre-Bowl rankings outside of #'s 1-4. I don't believe Georgia was a better team than Ohio State this year, and I believe that the reason the committee put them ahead of OSU at #5 was because it made it easier to tell a 1 loss Ohio State team that they weren't even the first team on the outside looking in. If people thought the uproar from Georgia was loud, I believe if OSU was ranked #5, it would have been deafening, considering the Big 10 was shut out entirely.

I also believe that UCF would have been given an at-large bid following their undefeated season last year if the playoffs were 8 teams. Again, the pre-bowl rankings after 1-4 don't mean anything to me (and frankly, looking at the results of the Bowl games in recent years, I'm not sure why they would matter to anyone). Of course, we'll never know, because only 4 teams could get in last year.

As far as scheduling and "respect" goes, that's how it used to work. If the 8 team playoff comes to be, I don't think that's necessarily how it will continue to work. Shit, Boise played anytime, anywhere, and what's that gotten them exactly? They still aren't one of the "big boys." According to Florida's AD, they wouldn't give them a home and home just by virtue of the fact they aren't in the right conference. Most big schools wouldn't. The bottom line is Boise State still needs to go undefeated if they want to get into the college playoff, and by scheduling Michigan State and Oregon, they are making their lives harder to accomplish that. That's the point that I think you're missing. UCF isn't looking to get the big boys to come to them and they aren't looking for respect. They are looking for an avenue to get into the national championship discussion. Getting wins against a big name on their out of conference schedule will certainly help, but it may not be the prerequisite that you think it is once the field is enlarged to 8. And if it's not a prerequisite, then schools like UCF that want to get into the playoff conversation don't have to give in to the big schools anymore when it comes to scheduling, and in fact, it may actually hurt them more to play them and lose, than it would benefit them to play them and win.

As for FSU, this isn't the 1970's and 1980's. That roadmap has about as much relevance to today's conversation about non-Power 5 schools getting into the playoff as Notre Dame's road at the beginning of the 20th century. It's like saying "Vince Coleman stole 100+ bases a few times in the mid 80's, and the Cardinals won the National League pennant twice, so in order to be successful in 2019 and win the pennant, you need a guy who can steal 100 bases." There's just no correlation at all. It's a different world, entirely.
You make some good points, but the bottom line is this and I would think we can agree on this point. Whether it's Boise or UCF or anyone else out of the Group of 5, they are behind the 8 ball before they start. It is clear that the committee doesn't give an undefeated season out of a non-P5 conference as much weight if it doesn't have any marquee OOC wins on it's resume. That's why they have to schedule better out of conference which goes to your point that I didn't miss. G5 teams have to beat quality P5 teams plus go undefeated because their conference schedule is not as challenging as say a Big 10 or SEC schedule. Most P5 teams don't have to schedule more than 1 or 2 P5 OOC games due to the built-in strength of their conference schedule. They are a good team and Milton is/was a fun player to watch, but their conference affiliation is going to hold them and any Group of 5 school back. I'm not sure how you fix this problem outside of holding a spot for the best Group of 5 team.
 

canderson

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Tix for the championship game are going for $120. Sounding like there is a good chance there will be empty seats for the game.
Attendance is down across the board for all bowl games. ESPN owns nearly all of them and don't care one bit about attendance, but it's interesting nonetheless.
 

RedOctober3829

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Another stupid move from ESPN. They've ditched the Coaches Film Room coverage they've had on ESPN2 for "MNF Film Room". It will be Tessitore/Witten/Booger with Todd McShay breaking down the game from Santa Clara. Awful. The Coaches Film Room was a great option to see what those guys thought in real-time. Who the heck cares what the MNF crew thinks?

https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2019/01/03/MNF.aspx
 

PaulinMyrBch

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Tix for the championship game are going for $120. Sounding like there is a good chance there will be empty seats for the game.
That's the get in the door price. Average prices of those selling are $500-$600. Not as much demand b/c both fan bases can't drive there. Not like Atlanta or Tampa where both sets of fans could get in the car, or walk to the game. There may be some empties, but I don't think you'll be able to tell b/c they'll be sprinkled throughout. They set the site long before they knew who was playing.

Although in 2015 at the natty in Phoenix, there was a club level box that had 200 seats and about half of them were empty. Good seats too, like 10-25 yard line if I recall. So I'm guessing that was some corporate giveaway that didn't work out.
 

Zososoxfan

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Another stupid move from ESPN. They've ditched the Coaches Film Room coverage they've had on ESPN2 for "MNF Film Room". It will be Tessitore/Witten/Booger with Todd McShay breaking down the game from Santa Clara. Awful. The Coaches Film Room was a great option to see what those guys thought in real-time. Who the heck cares what the MNF crew thinks?

https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2019/01/03/MNF.aspx
I watched most of the semis on ESPN2 to get the Madden cam. It cannot be overstated how superior this view is from both a tactical perspective as well as entertainment value. The straightline speed is always impressive, but you know, there are Olympic sprinters that are a lot faster than these wideouts. I'm far more impressed with their agility and lateral quickness. But really, the best reason to watch Madden cam is so you can follow blocking and defensive schemes. It's the way the sport is best understood. I would pay additional money (not a lot mind you) for just the option to watch Pats/Wolverines games with this view.
 

SoxJox

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I found this end-of-season article to be an interesting read. David Jones covers Penn State mostly, but this article extends beyond the Lions...looking at West vs. East B1G and potential re-alignment; whether college football is becoming permanently regional; who the next B1G star QB might be; and a proposal on revising targeting penalties and ejections; Jim Harbaugh; and Pat Fitzgerald.
 

Green (Tongued) Monster

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I found this end-of-season article to be an interesting read. David Jones covers Penn State mostly, but this article extends beyond the Lions...looking at West vs. East B1G and potential re-alignment; whether college football is becoming permanently regional; who the next B1G star QB might be; and a proposal on revising targeting penalties and ejections; Jim Harbaugh; and Pat Fitzgerald.
I don't buy his argument that the Big Ten divisions are more balanced than it appears. The East has the bigger national powers that perform better on the field and in the recruiting game. Realigning to a north south just shuffles the deck as the south becomes the new west. The key is Nebraska. If they never return to the power they once were, then the big 10 is stuck with imbalance.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Speaking of recruiting. Alabama has 27 commitments already. 26 of them are 4 star or 5 star recruits.

The only one that isn't 4 star or better is a kicker, and he's the #1 kicker in the country.

The rich get richer.

Edit: Apparently, as I was typing, 4 star DE, Khris Bogle, committed to Alabama, so that makes 28.

Of the 28, 22 of them are ranked in the ESPN300. Crazy.
 

Ale Xander

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Such domination by NDSU. 15+ play drive to kill the clock and about to go up 3 possessions to clinch, on a day where they haven't played their best. 5-5 on 3rd down this drive
 

Ale Xander

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I spoke too soon. Bison kicker misses chip shot FG. EWA still have a chance, down 14, with 3:21 to go.
 

Ale Xander

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Epic fake by NDSU's Stick, 46 yard QB draw for the TD on 3rd and 7. NDSU up 14 to ice it.
 

Deathofthebambino

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North Dakota St. is so, so impressive. 7th National Championship in 8 years. Even when they aren't at their best, they find ways to win, and usually pretty comfortably. That program has just done everything right for a decade now.
 

SoxJox

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Speaking of recruiting. Alabama has 27 commitments already....Khris Bogle...makes 28.
Those numbers are jaw-dropping. It suggests something I would not have thought likely at Alabama - that they were at least 3 scholarships below the 25 limit last year and that they had at least three 2019 recruits enroll early (and counted against the 2018 class). I would have thought with Alabama's extended recruiting dominance, that would be maxing out each year.
 
Speaking of recruiting. Alabama has 27 commitments already. 26 of them are 4 star or 5 star recruits.

The only one that isn't 4 star or better is a kicker, and he's the #1 kicker in the country.

The rich get richer.

Edit: Apparently, as I was typing, 4 star DE, Khris Bogle, committed to Alabama, so that makes 28.

Of the 28, 22 of them are ranked in the ESPN300. Crazy.
College football seems to be turning into European soccer. My interest in the latter - even the English Premiership - has noticeably waned in recent years because of the competitive imbalance, and how few clubs will ever realistically be able to compete for a title (the very rare Leicester City-type miracle notwithstanding). At least in the NBA, another league with huge competitive balance issues, there's usually a potential long-term path through draft luck and savvy management to getting a seat at the big boy's table. But college football, even in a sport that has so much game-to-game variance and should have the widest proportion of potential title winners alongside the NFL, is getting increasingly stratified, and as long as Nick Saban remains at Alabama, I fear it's only going to get worse. At the moment, this is what I see:

--Alabama is the clear #1.
--Then there's a drop to a small second tier (probably just Clemson and Georgia, the latter's Sugar Bowl loss notwithstanding) of teams that can conceivably defeat Alabama on a big stage.
--Then there's a bigger drop to a bunch of potential non-SEC/ACC conference winners and solid SEC teams who could conceivably beat Clemson/Georgia - but almost certainly not Alabama - on any given Sunday if their attention is distracted or injuries are involved (see: Texas vs. Georgia, Sugar Bowl) but you know will likely wilt under the spotlight of a playoff game. And every solid team in this third tier - Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, whoever the best team in the Pac 10 is from year to year, whoever the second-best team in the Big 12 is from year to year, maybe Notre Dame, etc. - can lose on any given Sunday to anyone, which is great in terms of enjoying any given Saturday in the fall but sucks in terms of forging teams capable of giving Alabama a run for its money.

The college football product in the autumn remains extremely compelling as long as you ignore the ultimate destination - it's almost the reverse of college basketball, where March Madness is extremely compelling but the road to get there often very much isn't. Teams desperately try to become bowl-eligible, so they can play an extra game nobody cares about in a half-full stadium, or they desperately try to reach the playoff, so they can ultimately get blown out by Alabama, or something in between. And yes, that's incredibly hyperbolic in one sense, but it's hard for me not to conclude that FBS football after mid-December *sucks* right now. And unlike the NFL or NBA, where player drafts and salary caps exist to help distribute talent evenly, no such system is even remotely possible in college football, and as such the rich will keep getting richer like this at signing time for the foreseeable future.

The obvious counter-argument to the above rant is that these things are cyclical, and that Nick Saban (probably) won't coach forever, and that the list of teams in the third tier does change from season to season, and even the second tier is open to changes in membership. But I've been watching college football very closely for more than 35 years, and I can't remember there ever being a team as super-dominant as Alabama is now, or a time in which bowl games seemed less relevant or interesting. From Day 1 of the CFP, I've been a big proponent of increasing the size of the playoff from 4 to 8 teams, on the grounds that teams with valid claims to being included in the playoff - which this year included Georgia, UCF and probably Ohio State - should not be excluded even if it means including teams in the playoff without a valid claim. (It's basically the same principle as ensuring no innocent man is sent to jail, even if that sometimes means guilty men go free.) But lately I find myself wondering if actually, playoff expansion to 8 or even 16 teams is worth pursuing not on the grounds of fairness - because nobody can hold a candle to Alabama anyway - but simply to increase the chances of there being a few half-decent college football games with any relevance after Army vs. Navy is done.
 

Deathofthebambino

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But lately I find myself wondering if actually, playoff expansion to 8 or even 16 teams is worth pursuing not on the grounds of fairness - because nobody can hold a candle to Alabama anyway - but simply to increase the chances of there being a few half-decent college football games with any relevance after Army vs. Navy is done.
I agree with your whole post, but especially the last part. It's why I've been a proponent of a much, much larger playoff, on par with that of March Madness. I'd do away with non-conference games entirely, and have every team play a 10 game conference schedule, with a conference championship, and then start the tournament. If you do a 64 team tournament, then about half the teams in the FBS play 11+ games, which is basically what they do now anyway. The National Champ would play 15-16 games (which is only 1-2 more than what they play now) and everyone else would fall somewhere in between. Take all of these useless bowls, and make them the sites of the tournament games to keep them happy too.

Then you could even do an NIT style tournament for the teams that don't make the big dance.

If nothing else, you'd have a shitload of competitive games all the way up until the final game or two. And who knows, maybe someone upsets a 'Bama or a Clemson along the way. The gambling alone on a college football playoff system like that would put millions and millions of viewers into the sport that are now basically ignoring it once the conference schedules end.
 
It's why I've been a proponent of a much, much larger playoff, on par with that of March Madness. I'd do away with non-conference games entirely, and have every team play a 10 game conference schedule, with a conference championship, and then start the tournament. If you do a 64 team tournament, then about half the teams in the FBS play 11+ games, which is basically what they do now anyway. The National Champ would play 15-16 games (which is only 1-2 more than what they play now) and everyone else would fall somewhere in between. Take all of these useless bowls, and make them the sites of the tournament games to keep them happy too.
This is certainly an interesting thought experiment, but I fear this sort of format would make the regular season virtually meaningless. The main selling point of the college football season at the moment is that every game is meaningful. (Well, until you lose one or two games, anyway.) What you're describing is barely college football, certainly in terms of the average fan's experience through the season.

I think 16 teams could be a good mix of what you're looking for and what might feasibly happen down the road - and heck, add the next 16 teams in an NIT-type tournament, and another 16 teams in a third-tier tournament similar to what college basketball now has. I think you'd have to have to let the higher seeds host at least the Round of 16 games and possibly even the quarterfinals, rather than hold them at neutral sites, if for no other reason than to make teams strive for home field advantage and make the regular season meaningful in that regard. Go back to an 11-team regular season, and refuse to allow FBS teams to schedule FCS teams (possibly granting exceptions to FBS teams with sub-.500 records over a certain time horizon), and now you're starting to get somewhere. I could see this sort of structure existing in the next 10-20 years; I can't imagine seeing what you've described in my lifetime, even if I live to be 100.

By the way, I haven't even mentioned the worst specific thing about this year's bowls: the increasing number of draft prospects who are just sitting them out. I was actually kinda excited to watch West Virginia play Syracuse, as a game between ranked teams early enough in bowl season to feel almost regular season-ish. And then I switched it on, and Will Grier wasn't playing. Ugh.
 

PaulinMyrBch

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I can't imagine any system that sends fans on the road for more than 2 games for playoffs per year. Or a system that takes away home games off a regular season schedule. Also, the existing TV contracts would have a lot to do with the flexibility. The game tonight will have empty seats because both fan bases are on the other side of the country and also in part because they both have been several years in a row. Playoff games are no longer a once in a lifetime trip for these fan bases, so increasing the amount of playoff games out of town for these teams is going to water down the important games at some point, if it hasn't already.
 

SoxJox

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With apologies if this has been raised somewhere earlier in the thread, which admittedly I have not digested in its entirety.

I think we all pretty much suspect that any future changes will be driven by $$ to some greater extent than it already is. IMO, it is unlikely that the NCAA executive leadership, conference heads, or broadcast entities will do anything out of a sense of attempting to provide a more equitable or decisive arrangement. Hell, even March Madness, which already was at the height of lunacy, added Opening Round play-in games from 2001-2010, and then expanded even further with First Four games starting in 2011. At a minimum, the expansion to First Four clearly was driven by $$.

So, as to whether to expand to 8, 16, 32, or whatever in an attempt to include worthy teams, or to counteract arguments of improving some degree of uncertainty in seeding in an attempt at fairness, it's all just a rhetorical but interesting discussion.
 
Just to hold my hand up and admit I made a mistake...
--Alabama is the clear #1.
--Then there's a drop to a small second tier (probably just Clemson and Georgia, the latter's Sugar Bowl loss notwithstanding) of teams that can conceivably defeat Alabama on a big stage.
...I guess Alabama isn't the clear #1 anymore! (Even if the general point is basically true - I guess Bama and Clemson both belong on the top tier, apart from everyone else.)
I think we all pretty much suspect that any future changes will be driven by $$ to some greater extent than it already is. IMO, it is unlikely that the NCAA executive leadership, conference heads, or broadcast entities will do anything out of a sense of attempting to provide a more equitable or decisive arrangement. Hell, even March Madness, which already was at the height of lunacy, added Opening Round play-in games from 2001-2010, and then expanded even further with First Four games starting in 2011. At a minimum, the expansion to First Four clearly was driven by $$.
I completely agree with this, but the hope would be that the money driving this sort of change might get us to a more equitable and/or interesting situation that we have at present, whether intentionally or by accident.

On the subject of rhetorical discussions, I'm curious as to whether people think the decline of bowl games was inevitable given the general evolution of sports and television entertainment. I'd guess that most people would draw a direct connection between the rise of the BCS and then the CFP and the descent of bowl games into irrelevance, and undoubtedly the two are related...but most bowl games were always irrelevant. Maybe it's just that we now notice the irrelevance more, and that we would have noticed it more as our collective attention span grows shorter whether or not the CFP existed?
 

SoxJox

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The NCAA transfer portal is quite busy in its first year. I haven't looked at any comparisons to the # of transfers in previous years before the portal, but for some reason there seem to be way more players considering transfers this year.

247Sports provides the current status of players that have registered and already made transfer decisions, as well as those who have entered but have not yet committed to any school, and therefore can return without penalty to their current school. However, as the article points out,

There are risks. Players who enter their names could potentially lose their scholarship's at semester's end, and a program is under no obligation to keep player on the roster that explores transfer options. Additionally, any non-graduate who opts to transfer must still sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules unless granted a waiver. For a full explanation of what the transfer portal is and how it works (I promise nobody is actually transported to a different dimension) check out this in-depth explanation.
 
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SoxJox

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I doubt he gave very serious consideration to Penn State, even though he was a former commit. He would have run into a competitive buzz saw to start - without any real guarantee he'd win. That isn't the case at UCF who, while they have had very good starting QBs the last few years, have not had and do not return talented backups like Tommy Stevens and Sean Clifford - even throwing in last year's intake, Will Levis, or the two highly regarded 4* commits this year - Taquon Roberson and Michael Johnson.
 
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LeftyTG

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Did you expect all five of them to stay? With Ehlinger locking down the position for two more years?

Casey Thompson is staying with Roshon Johnson coming in and the next stud Lake Travis QB committed for the following class. Sure, the depth isn't as great as it was with an experienced Buechele as backup, but in the current age of college football expecting a guy like Buechele to stick around doesn't happen. As far as Rising goes - I, well, lets just say I have my doubts about him reaching his potential.
 

Deathofthebambino

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I doubt he gave very serious consideration to Penn State, even though he was a former commit. He would have run into a competitive buzz saw to start - without any real guarantee he'd win. That isn't the case at UCF who, while they have had very good starting QBs the last few years, have not had and do not return talented backups like Tommy Stevens and Sean Clifford - even throwing in last year's intake, Will Levis, or the two highly regarded 4* commits this year - Taquon Roberson and Michael Johnson.
I think it's a great move for UCF and Wimbush and Milton. Milton is going in for his 5th surgery at the end of January, and has already been ruled out for spring practices, etc. He has only used 3 years of eligibility, so he can take a medical redshirt for 2019, and return for his final season in 2020. Meanwhile, Wimbush only has one year left, so he'll be the starter in 2019.
 

Tangled Up In Red

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Justin Fields receives eligibility waiver. He’s immediately eligible at OSU.
"The NCAA adjusted its policy last spring to make it easier for transferring athletes to find an immediate path to the playing field. The new rules state that a player can be granted a waiver to play right away if he can show "documented mitigation circumstances" that the change of schools was made to better impact his "health, safety and well-being.""

Isn't that every player who wants to transfer? Or only big name players and big name schools?
 

PaulinMyrBch

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"The NCAA adjusted its policy last spring to make it easier for transferring athletes to find an immediate path to the playing field. The new rules state that a player can be granted a waiver to play right away if he can show "documented mitigation circumstances" that the change of schools was made to better impact his "health, safety and well-being.""

Isn't that every player who wants to transfer? Or only big name players and big name schools?
It has definitely loosened up recently. Fields had that issue with that racist baseball player, so I’m guessing that was his reason. But his statement seemed to indicate he was fine with Georgia even pointing out his sister is still enrolled and on the softball team. I’m sure someone in the national media will do the leg work, but I’d like to see what the actual listed reasons for the waiver are and how they are defining “health, safety, and well-being.”
 

LeftyTG

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We’ll see if they allow Bru McCoy to play instantly. He never signed an LOI and his coach bailed a day after classes began.
he did sign a LOI to USC, but USC released him. He did enroll, but obviously was there for about two weeks and was enrolled in Texas classes within the normal time frame.
 

Was (Not Wasdin)

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