2021 College Football Thread

[unclevlad]

The illusion of the student-athlete has been nothing more than a fig leaf for several decades.  I don't think NIL was about that;  NIL was discriminating against the athlete.  NIL rules, AFAIK, didn't apply to normal students.

[Cancer]

What is "NIL" in this context?  I dont' recognize the acronym.

[Pariah]

"Name Image & Likeness". It allows athletes to be (officially) compensated financially.

[unclevlad]

Found a very good article about NIL here:

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/name-image-likeness-what-college-athletes-should-know-about-ncaa-rules

 

Also:  the compensation is specifically not tied to their athletic performance directly.  Boosters are still not allowed to pay a kid to go to the college they support;  schools are still not allowed to pay the players.  The athletes are allowed to profit from their recognition and fame.

[Cancer]

That arrangement also means that student athletes are not employees, in the sense of being entitled to compensation if they are injured on the job, and that's the really scary possibility for athletics programs in terms of finances.

 

Slimy.

[Iuz the Evil]

Totally. I mean, it’s not like Spencer Rattler got 2 cars from a local dealership because he was the starting quarterback for Oklahoma. It’s because he’s so recognizable. 😏

 

The narrowness of the position is hilariously out of touch with reality. I strongly suspect that “name, image, likeness” will somehow result in higher payment if you go to Alabama than if you go to UAB.

[Grailknight]

2 hours ago, Iuz the Evil said:

Totally. I mean, it’s not like Spencer Rattler got 2 cars from a local dealership because he was the starting quarterback for Oklahoma. It’s because he’s so recognizable. 😏

 

The narrowness of the position is hilariously out of touch with reality. I strongly suspect that “name, image, likeness” will somehow result in higher payment if you go to Alabama than if you go to UAB.

 

Most likely as the bigger schools tend to have more and richer boosters.

 

But it opens the door many schools that have money to enter the business of big time athletics. The Ivy League schools probably don't want to make the football investment, but basketball only 3 or 4 top recruits per year to field a contender. That's where any major change will come if any.

[Pariah]

Oh, the angst!

 

Big 12's Bob Bowlsby calls Oklahoma, Texas exit for the SEC a ‘personal betrayal’

[unclevlad]

5 hours ago, Iuz the Evil said:

Totally. I mean, it’s not like Spencer Rattler got 2 cars from a local dealership because he was the starting quarterback for Oklahoma. It’s because he’s so recognizable. 😏

 

The narrowness of the position is hilariously out of touch with reality. I strongly suspect that “name, image, likeness” will somehow result in higher payment if you go to Alabama than if you go to UAB.

 

No doubt about that.  Especially for, say, national endorsements like, say Under Armor.  

 

3 hours ago, Grailknight said:

 

Most likely as the bigger schools tend to have more and richer boosters.

 

But it opens the door many schools that have money to enter the business of big time athletics. The Ivy League schools probably don't want to make the football investment, but basketball only 3 or 4 top recruits per year to field a contender. That's where any major change will come if any.

 

More boosters, probably, but the bigger key is much greater exposure.  How many people watch an Alabama game...quite often on CBS or ESPN in a major time slot.  Comparatively, when's the last time UAB was on TV?  And what were the ratings?

 

The schools are NOT involved in NIL...at least not overtly.  In fact, if a school became active in connecting up its athletes with sponsors, they'd probably be breaking rules.  Nope...these are individual contracts with businesses, whether local or larger.  Now, yeah, as a recruiting tool?  "Come play for us and your NIL potential is way better" is sensible.  A secondary angle here is that LOTS!!!! of players may end up transferring due to limited playing time...meaning their NIL income potential is being curtailed.

 

Another aspect is that NIL is likely to increase showboating;  the flashy dunker will get more followers (and therefore $$$) than the Tim Duncan types, unless they really are as good as Duncan.  Also figure there'll be some increase in complaints over calls...because if foul trouble forces you off the court in basketball, say, it'll cost you down the line. 

[Pariah]

Okay, as far as Conference USA raiding the Sun Belt Conference to replace the teams they're losing to the American ... well, the exact opposite may be happening.

 

Sun Belt, Conference USA considering adding teams amid AAC expansion

 

The Sun Belt is apparently targeting Southern Miss, Marshall, and Old Dominion, as well as long time FCS power James Madison. It looks like Southern Miss is already out the door.

 

However, CUSA is also looking to add James Madison, as well as Liberty. If they can get these two schools to sign on, it appears that Marshall and Old Dominion will stay put. That would leave CUSA with nine teams, which is workable.

 

Who would have imagined that the next round of FBS conference musical chairs was going to hinge on a team from FCS?

 

Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

[Cancer]

Are these changing for all sports or just football?  For some of these schools, I tend to think their basketball matters more than their football, so it could be a mistake to think of football in isolation here.

[Pariah]

From what I can tell, these moves appear to involve all sports. The only mention I've seen of sport-specific membership involve the American (Navy is football only, Wichita State is all sports except football). 

 

When the Big 12 added BYU, I was honestly surprised that it was for all sports and not just football. BYU's strict no play on Sunday policy is well known--one of their women's teams forfeited a national championship contest a few years ago because it was held on a Sunday. The old Western Athletic Conference (AKA BYU and the seven dwarfs) was fine with it, as was the Mountain West Conference when they broke away from the WAC. When BYU went independent in football and moved all their other sports to the West Coast Conference, the WCC also adopted a no play on Sunday policy. I wasn't sure the Big 12 would be willing to do the same, but apparently they are.

 

So yes, while some of the affected schools are better known for their basketball programs, football appears to be the stick that is stirring this particular drink.

[unclevlad]

The Big 12 probably won't do a full no play on Sunday policy;  their regular scheduling, IIRC, doesn't include Sundays for conference games anyway.  There might be occasional conference games, but as long as it's not a full slate, accommodating a single team isn't hard.  That said...IIRC, the Big 12 conference tournament final is, I believe, on Selection Sunday and changing that is a bit trickier due to TV broadcasts.  And for non-conference games, there's 2 types:  made-for-TV conference-vs-conference "challenges" and the usual run-of-the-mill games.  The former are usually during the week...Monday-Tuesday or Tuesday-Wednesday IIRC.  The latter are scheduled by the teams, so avoiding Sunday is no big deal.

 

As far as the musical chairs, I think it's mostly a scramble to find a decent landing spot for the teams, and for the conferences, staying viable enough to maintain things like bowl tie-ins.  

[unclevlad]

And the AAC raid on C-USA is now complete.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/american-athletic-conference-expands-to-14-teams-for-football-adding-six-conference-usa-programs/

 

But the process isn't over.  Heck, the commissioner flat-out said, the goal really is to revert back to 10-12 in time.  Which may well be nothing more than acknowledging that every school and every conference will chase every last dollar they can.

 

And you wonder where the athletes learn to chase every dollar...???

[Pariah]

In a game that featured one punt and zero defense, Wake Forest beat Army 70-56.

 

And in another game, played under this season's new overtime rules, Illinois beat Penn State 20-18 in 9 overtimes.

 

Crazy day.

[unclevlad]

Unfortunately, the rankings churn wasn't quite pulled off.  Sooners tried to lay a massive egg at...of all places...Lawrence, where the JayWrens have lost 19 straight games against FCS teams.  They had a lead as late as, IIRC, mid 3rd.  And Cincinnati let 1-5 Navy...28 point dogs...actually possess the ball with 45 seconds left and needing 1 score to *win*.

 

Neither team did themselves any favors, particularly Cincinnati IMO.  Yeah, fine, the talking heads are all going "well Navy's tough to prepare for"....but that's their standard "everyone is SOOOO REMARKABLY GOOD!!!" mantra.  Cincy didn't lay an egg because they didn't lose, but I can't say anything more positive.

 

The possibility that Ed Orgeron's departure will be rather sooner than the end of the season is rising.  31-7 vs. Ole Miss, end of the 3rd quarter.

 

And as noted...9 OTs but Penn State's chances are almost certainly done now.  Gotten sick and tired of hearing "longest game in history" just because it was 9 OTs.  Yeah, well, the definition of an OT period has changed.  NOW, IIRC starting in the 3rd or 4th OT, it's nothing but 2 point conversion plays...so 1 play for each side.  So if your measure for length is the number of plays run...it wasn't *that* many.

[Iuz the Evil]

Oklahoma isn’t going to make it through the season unbeaten, unless they get some of those injured DBs back. Cannot stop the pass, at all. The replacements are hot garbage, and it exposes a very very thin depth on defense.

 

Offense is going to be erratic, with a freshman QB. They’ll be world beaters and then he’ll make mental mistakes. He’ll be fine, but not if Kansas can get 400+ yards.

 

Oh well, there’s free shrimp this week in the 8-0 lounge…

[unclevlad]

The way this season is going, style points might not matter. 

 

2 more top-10 teams lose to unranked teams:  Iowa State beat OK State.  Which I'm sure made Iuz fracture a few cheek bones by smiling...

 

So Cincy and Oklahoma...if either can stay undefeated, that might do it.  Looking like the winner between OSU and Michigan for one spot, and Georgia for another.  If Bama beats Georgia in the SEC title game that's #3.  For the fourth...?  That's gonna be the tricky one.  Michigan might get in even if they lose in the Big 10 title game.

 

So....who knows...maybe style points will matter.  

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

9 overtimes?

 

9??

[unclevlad]

Meaningless count.  An "overtime" now:  

 

OT #1:  each team gets the ball at the 25.  On a TD, they may opt to kick the XP.

OT #2:  same, but they must go for 2.

OT #3 and forward:  alternating 2 point conversion attempts.  

 

So it's not that far from a penalty shootout in soccer.  One play, largely a crapshoot.  Same thing will happen a fair amount of the time.  The teams combined to run only 160 plays.

 

How meaningless can time of possession be?  
Army ToP:  43 minutes.  Scored 56 points.  Lost by 14.
Wake Forest ran 52 total plays to rack up well over 600 yards...12+ yards per play (!!) and 9 TDs.  Plus an 83 yard pick-six.

 

The Army coach probably coulda quoted John McKay.

Reporter:  "What do you have to say about your defensive execution?"
McKay:  "I'm in favor of it."

 

The college passer rating isn't artificially limited;  the WF QB's passer rating was about 270.

[Pariah]

PAC-12 Conference Standings:

 

Oregon: 3-1

Oregon State: 3-2

Washington State: 3-2

Washington: 2-2

Stanford: 2-3

California: 1-3

 

Utah: 3-1

Arizona State: 3-1

UCLA: 3-3

USC: 2-3

Colorado: 1-3

Arizona: 0-4

 

BYU: 4-0

 

[unclevlad]

12 hours ago, Pariah said:

PAC-12 Conference Standings:

 

BYU: 4-0

 

 

Yeah but what can they do against real football teams?

 

[Michael Hopcroft]

21 hours ago, Pariah said:

 

 

BYU: 4-0

 

 

8 hours ago, unclevlad said:

 

Yeah but what can they do against real football teams?

 

Get Real Madrid on the line and we can find out. 

[unclevlad]

Real Madrid is a club, so they don't count.

[Pariah]

The next round of G5 college football music chairs is in full swing:

 

Sun Belt expansion: Marshall follows Southern Miss, Old Dominion in joining league from Conference USA

 

Conference USA looking to add three or four teams in expansion with Marshall deciding to join Sun Belt

 

The Sun Belt now consists/will consist of the following 14 football teams (* new teams from C-USA):

Appalachian State

Arkansas State

Coastal Carolina

Georgia Southern

Georgia State

Louisiana-Lafayette

Louisiana-Monroe

South Alabama

Texas State

Troy

* James Madison (up from FCS)

* Marshall

* Old Dominion

* Southern Miss

The conference also includes non-football schools Arkansas-Little Rock and Texas-Arlington, if anyone cares. I didn't think so.

 

Conference USA hopes to expand its membership to the following (* new teams from FBS Independents):

Florida International

Louisiana Tech

Middle Tennessee State

Texas-El Paso

Western Kentucky

* Connecticut (football only)

* Liberty

* New Mexico State

* Sam Houston State (up from FCS)

 

This would leave only three FBS Independents: Notre Dame, Army, and UMass. Notre Dame would probably lose money by joining a conference. Army has a strong enough tradition (and guaranteed annual games with Navy and Air Force) to continue as an Independent. UMass? They have little tradition and even less success. They were ejected from the MAC in the mid 2010s. Maybe they could have UConn put in a good word for them and finagle a football-only invite to C-USA as well.

 

That should end the realignment craze ... until the Big XII poaches Boise State, Memphis, and maybe San Diego State and South Florida in a few years. Stay tuned!