Are You Ready For Some... Football?

[Chris Woodward]

The USA are going to win this.

Only if they can beat Iran.

[David G]

Five minutes to go, I’d still put money on the Ducks at this point.

So would I have. And we'd have both lost...

[ron ll]

Wow. Quite a fourth qtr meltdown.

[Paul Pless]

that's gonna leave a mark

[David G]

Wow. Quite a fourth qtr meltdown.

A couple of bad bounces/bad luck. But the bigger issue - same as the Washington game - was Lanning trying to be Too Cute, too aggressive. He'll learn.

[Beowolf]

It’s refreshing to think that the CFP is shaping up to include 4 teams with absolutely no controversy or whining.

Go Trojans!

[Paul Pless]

Go Trojans!

go boilermakers!

[Beowolf]

go boilermakers!

Damn. How’d that taste?

[Paul Pless]

i actually like to see michigan ascendant

i'm a traditionalist when it comes to the college football 'super-powers'

still, if there's any chance atoll for the crimson tide to make the playoff its via upsets in the pac 12, big 12, and big 14+2 conference championship games

[Garret]

While I was rooting for Michigan, I got a small glimmer of hope for the future of OSU football. When their player got penalized for the head butt, the OSU coach looked really pissed & yelled "Get him outa here!" What's his face who used to coach 'em (Meyer?) woulda congratulated him & probably paid him an extra bonus.

[Paul Pless]

^+1!

[David G]

Wow... I just saw that David Shaw resigned after Stanford's loss to BYU.

Not surprising, given his record the last few years. But he had done some remarkable things with the program in years past. I suspect it's trending tougher for a school with higher academic standards. But he seemed to lose the 'fire in the belly' even before today's WildWest version of NIL and TransferPortal began to dominate and distort recruiting. A good guy. I wish him well.

[bamamick]

I am officially a TCU fan for the rest of the year. How can you not like a team who every single week the talking heads predict will get upset, yet they just keep on chugging along? I want to see them get their chance. Nothing against KState, but go Horned Frogs.

What if Oregon and Bama played in a bowl this year? Bama against Bo Nix, one last time? Of course, you wouldn't see our starting qb or our best defensive player because they aren't going to play in the bowl game, but it would be interesting.

Mickey Lake

[David G]

I am officially a TCU fan for the rest of the year. How can you not like a team who every single week the talking heads predict will get upset, yet they just keep on chugging along? I want to see them get their chance. Nothing against KState, but go Horned Frogs.

What if Oregon and Bama played in a bowl this year? Bama against Bo Nix, one last time? Of course, you wouldn't see our starting qb or our best defensive player because they aren't going to play in the bowl game, but it would be interesting.

Mickey Lake

I predicted weeks back that TCU would falter. Instead, they just keep winning.

Oregon vs. 'bama would certainly be an anticlimax for both teams. Not sure you'd get to face Bo again. I think he's hurt worse than they admit. And high ankle sprains are notoriously slow to heal. He may just sit out the bowl game. I also suspect he won't be back at Oregon next year. His buddy, o.d. Dillingham, has moved on to a h.c. job elsewhere. I'd be happy to see him return. Just doesn't seem at all certain.

Luke Fickell to Wisconsin?

[bamamick]

Alabama notoriously underperforms in games like whichever one we will be in, the game against Michigan State in 2010 a noted exception. That season the Tide wound up 9-3 in the regular season, mostly due to injuries that hurt them all year (and one incredible game by South Carolina's Stephen Garcia. As well as the 'voodoo bowl' against Auburn in the Cam Newton year). They got healthy and totally destroyed the Spartans, but I don't see anything like that happening this year, and Bama's 2nd string qb is not very good. At all. Not from what we've seen.

Well, next week should be interesting and exciting.

Mickey Lake

[Garret]

OK - wrong kind of football... Univ. of Vermont doesn't even have a football team, but their men's soccer team just shut out UCLA to make the NCAA quarterfinals. Not bad for <12K students.

Now back to real schools!

[bamamick]

And.....Alabama's ladies made it into the Final Four with a thrilling 3-2 win over Duke Friday night. This is Alabama's first trip to the finals in women's soccer. They have done very well this year (23-2-1).

Mickey Lake

[Beowolf]

Players should play.

They will on Sunday.

[cs]

Just real quick and maybe I can reflect later, but to me despite it all if you have the same record and win the head to head, well maybe, but no the committee has other ideas.

Chad

[David G]

Just real quick and maybe I can reflect later, but to me despite it all if you have the same record and win the head to head, well maybe, but no the committee has other ideas.

Chad

Agreed. But I do get the feeling that the CFP committee does give some weight to who's hot and who's not as we get close to bowl season. Tennessee was hot early and tumbled (a bit like my Duckies). They may pay a price for that despite the factors you mention.

[Paul Pless]

how is an eight and four notre dame still ranked in the top twenty???

alas, next year we will finally reach a common sense arrangement with an eight team playoff

[cs]

Agreed. But I do get the feeling that the CFP committee does give some weight to who's hot and who's not as we get close to bowl season. Tennessee was hot early and tumbled (a bit like my Duckies). They may pay a price for that despite the factors you mention.

Maybe tumbled a bit but responded the next week with our back up QB and pounded on poor defenseless Vandy

Chad

[Paul Pless]

maybe 'the committee' sees the volunteers early success this season as a 'flash in the pan'
and who could blame them given the last decade or so

[Paul Pless]

ahem, alabama played the toughest cfp schedule of any school this year

[David G]

Depends on how you measure it.

For example, Alabama only played two teams in the current top 20, lost to both, yet is ranked no. 6.

Every analysis I've seen ranks their sos at the top, or very near it.

But the sport certainly has its biases, inclinations, blind spots, etc. I would contend, for instance, that any other serious program with the exact schedule & record as ND... would be ranked lower.

[David G]

Yet...they only played two teams ranked in the current top 20, lost to both, and remain at no. 6.

How many of their games to unranked teams went to the final four downs of the game?

The folks who drill deep in sos consider a lot of factors. You seem to want to limit it to one or two. That's silly.

[David G]

I never said that I was limiting it to anything.

I did make a statement, however, twice, which received no direct comment.

I gave a comment. A considerably more considered comment than your silliness.

[L.W. Baxter]

when did football pants get so short. did this happen recently or am i just not very observant.

[David G]

Pac12 chaos again.

Utah beats USC in the title game: 47-24. Impressive ---

LAS VEGAS — I won’t soon forget the sight of Cameron Rising’s Utah football helmet flying off and America wondering if his head might still be in it.

That happened on Friday night.

I won’t forget USC star quarterback Caleb Williams trying to strike a Heisman Trophy pose and ending up with a limp. Or coach Kyle Whittingham showered with confetti and red roses. Or Utah rolling to a 47-24 win in a wild Pac-12 Championship game at Allegiant Stadium.

“It was destiny,” Rising said.

Say what you will about the Pac-12 Conference. It eats its own. It has a terrible allergy to the College Football Playoff. But the so-called “conference of champions” crowned another one after a stunning title game. The championship was won by a resilient, underdog team that busted through tackles, withstood a couple of haymakers, and refused to lose.

[Paul Pless]

same thing happens to tcu and we have a nice fat all sec all big ten championship playoff

[bamamick]

Numerous talking heads have said that TCU is in no matter what, and I believe it. They will not want to have the Big10/SEC tournament you mention. Southern Cal certainly pooped the bed, eh? Those Utes are some bad boys.

twodot, once again you are obsessed with Bama's schedule. For some reason (easily guessed) you cut us off at the top twenty, when two of the teams Bama beat were ranked in this top 25, which you know full well. It is guys like you that make it so hard to be a good winner.

Mickey Lake

[Paul Pless]

Numerous talking heads have said that TCU is in no matter what, and I believe it. They will not want to have the Big10/SEC tournament you mention. Southern Cal certainly pooped the bed, eh? Those Utes are some bad boys.

i'd be alright with the ohio state university not making the final four

[bamamick]

Now what are you talking about? Which quarterback?

Mickey Lake

[Paul Pless]

kstate!!!

[Garret]

kstate!!!

Quite the finish. Even the OT was intense.