College Football 2022

[Pariah]

43 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

Mr. P, are you sure you want to watch these BYU games?  I mean, the negative impacts on your health have me concerned.  

 

You already know that I'm a masochist. I am a Rockies fan, after all.

 

Meanwhile, in FCS action, Weber State lost to number one Sacramento State today. Barring a complete meltdown by Sac State, they are probably the number one overall seed in the FCS playoffs. Weber State, meanwhile, stands at 7-2 with two one-score losses to Top 10 teams. Win out, and the Wildcats probably still get a first-round bye in the playoffs. Winning out shouldn't be too big an issue; their two remaining games are against Idaho State and Northern Arizona, both of whom are not good.

[Pariah]

...and Cougar Nation lets out a huge collective sigh of relief. 

 

BYU 31, Boise State 28

[unclevlad]

Whereas my chaos demon is ECSTATIC!!!!

 

Bama loses in OT.  They're OUT, most likely.  

Clemson gets spanked by ND.  They're now a 1-loss team.

 

IF!!! the SEC gets 2 teams in...Georgia feels like a lock at this point, assuming they don't lay an egg in the regular season.  LSU now has the lead in their division, and move up.  LSU wins out (and none of the last 3 opps is ranked), then beats Georgia?  LSU has to be in, and you gotta think Georgia will be...only now, the team on the short end is *Clemson*, not TCU.  Clemson was down 28-0 at one point;  their schedule's been pretty weak.  They'll slide several spots.

 

Georgia 1, OSU 2, Michigan 3, TCU 4 sound right to folks?  And TCU gains because OSU and Michigan play each other.  Below 4?  Much more open.  Oregon, Tennessee, USC, LSU, Clemson...?  Late losses are bad, early losses not so much, so Oregon #5 feels right.  

 

 

 

 

[Grailknight]

I doubt Tennessee falls further than 5. Their resume is just better than any of the Pac schools. Otherwise spot on.

[Starlord]

I dont think Tennessee should fall too far either, they still look better than most of the other top 10 schools.

 

A CFP without Bama will be enjoyable.

[Pariah]

Both teams should fire their defensive coordinators. Today.

 

SMU beats Houston in highest-scoring game in regulation in college football history

 

SMU 77, Houston 63

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[Pariah]

About 2/3 of the way down in the article: Two dynasties ended tonight

 

Quote

Between 2009 and 2020, Alabama and Clemson won eight of the 12 available national championships in college football. But after the events of Saturday, their run as standard-bearers of the sport is over. Alabama is still a great program. Clemson is still the best team in the ACC. Regardless, the Tide and Tigers have fallen back to the pack and are looking up at Georgia.

 

[Starlord]

Eh, I will need longer than a season and a half of Georgia dominance to say Alabama is no longer the top program.  Clemson was also ahead of them for a couple years there and then dropped back again.  Alabama beat Georgia just last year b4 losing in the title game.  They would have to not make the CFP for a few years for me to say they've truly slipped.

 

Great.  Now you've gone and made me defend Alabama...thanks. 

[Pariah]

21 minutes ago, Starlord said:

Great.  Now you've gone and made me defend Alabama...thanks. 

 

Go take a shower. You'll feel better.

[unclevlad]

It'll take more than one to wash off that level of contamination.

 

Going back to our...sometimes contentious...debate about whether 2 SEC schools would get in, over an undefeated conference champ, with what we have.  With the SEC and Big 10, the question arises:  what happens if the favorite loses in the title game?  We're talking Georgia, Ohio State, or Michigan.  Whoever beats them has to get in, you'd think.  Looks to be LSU or Ole Miss, and Illinois.  Same with Georgia and OSU/Mich.  

 

IF!!!! Georgia and OSU/Mich both lose their title games, the CFP has complete chaos.  Those 4, plus TCU and the Pac-12 titleist.  I can't see the committee bypassing TCU *twice*...but my crystal ball cracked trying to figure out how things would play out, and who'd get left out in this nightmare.

 

If form holds for those 2 games?  Life seems simple.  Georgia, Big Ten, TCU;  Pac-12 winner unless there's upsets.  Clemson *could* have a re-entry path here, if all sorts of games fall right.  USC:  has a conference scrimmage next week, then UCLA, then ND, but in SoCal.  Can't overlook ND, just ask Clemson.  Oregon has Washington (should be easy enough) then Utah and the rivalry game with the Beavers.  UCLA has Arizona and Cal, plus USC.  Utah is also 5-1, so they've got a route...and 2 effective scrimmages.  The other's Stanford.  

 

Sooooo...say Utah beats Oregon;  concede the other 2.  They'll have 1 conference loss...same with Oregon, USC, and UCLA.  If they get into the title game...quite plausible...and win it?  Now they're a 2-loss conference champ.  Do they get in ahead of Clemson or not?  The ACC's 2nd-tier teams suffered a few losses, so the Pac-12's depth looks to be better. 

 

But it's a jumbled MESS!!!!  And, of course, the games will cause all these pipe dreams to be blown away....

[Pariah]

You're treating the playoffs like a NASCAR race. You don't care who wins, you just want to see who's going to crash. 

 

I approve.

[unclevlad]

Particularly when it's one of the big boys that crashes.  Way more fun.

 

Most of us have probably seen the recent Dr. Pepper Fansville ad...the intervention? 

"You haven't made one post raving about this debacle on the forum!"  

 

"It's just kids playing a game!"   "OH HE'S LOST IT!!!"

 

5 minutes' worth of Finebaum's callers proves, if anything, they're being mild...  LOVE that ad.  

[unclevlad]

With just over 10 minutes to go in the Colisseum...

 

USC 2, Colorado 3.

 

No mistype.

 

Then the roof caved in.  3 USC TDs capped by a half-ending FG.  

 

Unfortunately for USC, their top running back was taken off the field with an air cast in place.  No word at this point, but it was clear no one thought he'd be back on the field this season.  (And of course an air cast is never a sign of something quick and easy to recover from.)

 

EDIT:  Travis Dye, the back, is on the USC bench now, in civvies.  That suggests it's not too messy, but that's about all.  The Colisseum almost certainly has full X-ray gear onsite, so transfer to a hospital wouldn't be needed just for that.  MRI might want to wait until tomorrow, too.

 

Last edit.  Colorado's tackling has been matadorean.  Big play after big play after big play where the backs and receivers are bouncing off, or avoiding hits, and continuing.  USC is averaging 19 per catch.  Oh, and USC just covered the spread...-34.5.  It's wildly unlikely Colorado will score again, too.

[unclevlad]

I'm not sure Alabama had a path to the SEC title game before, but they don't now.  LSU beats Arkansas...not pretty but a win.  Alabama can only tie LSU, and LSU won the head-to-head.

 

VANDY WINS AN SEC GAME!!! Over a ranked Kentucky.  Their losing streak was 26.  I think that calls for Kentucky to be relegated.  And this leaves a spot open for one of the NFC South teams.  

 

  

[Pariah]

Anyone seen Iuz? He can't be a happy camper today.

[Cancer]

Oregon and Washington are playing in Seattle tonight.  First half was close and low scoring.  They obviously used brain bleach on themselves at halftime, because the defenses have gone away.

[unclevlad]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

Anyone seen Iuz? He can't be a happy camper today.

 

Do you think we might need to stage an intervention?  I mean, losing to West Virginia?

 

OK State is gonna be a sizable favorite, I'd think, going into Bedlam next week...if form holds there, Oklahoma will have to beat Texas Tech, on the road, to be bowl-eligible.

 

That's grounds for thinking we might need to do the intervention....

And let us have more chaos!

Washington scores 10 points in the last 4 minutes, may have dodged a last-ditch effort by Oregon (there was a penalty against Oregon on a completion that would've set up a tying FG, and the announcers were less than certain about the call, but I wasn't watching at that point).  So Oregon gets its second loss.

 

We still have 3 one-loss teams, and next week is still the clincher.  If UCLA beats Arizona (they should easily), then the winner of USC-UCLA is in...no change there.  If Utah beats Oregon, they're in.  If not?  3 way tie between the loser of the SoCal Showdown, Oregon, and Utah...and I have no clue what the Pac 12 tiebreakers are like.  It's the top 2 teams, they ditched divisions.

[unclevlad]

Pac-12 shooting itself in the foot?

 

Unranked, non-bowling 3-6 Arizona...19 point dogs.  34-28.  In the Rose Bowl.

 

I was misremembering the Pac-12 standings...today was Oregon's first conference loss.  Oregon and Utah are 6-1;  they play next week.  Winner makes the title game if they can beat a rival...Oregon St for Oregon, that might be a game.  Utah has the cakewalk.  USC is 7-1;  if they beat UCLA, they're in, as their conference season would be over, with one loss.  UCLA and Washington are 5-2.  

 

Lesseeeee....

Oregon beats Utah

Oregon State beats Oregon

UCLA beats USC and Cal

Washington beats Wash State

 

(Wash and Utah BOTH get the gimmies...Washington next week, Utah the week later)

 

5 teams are 7-2.

YIPPEE!!!!!

 

Of course, if it plays out this way?  It's quite possible no Pac 12 team makes the playoffs.  The clear paths are Georgia, TCU, and either Ohio State or Michigan.  The #4 team?  CHAOS!!!

[Pariah]

The #4 team will be Alabama, obviously. 🙄

[Pariah]

 

Local(ish) results of interest: Air Force beat New Mexico like the mid-level FCS team they are. AF can win out and finish with 10 wins.

 

Colorado State lost the Bronze Boot game on the final play of the first half. The CSU receiver got cute trying to get into the end zone instead of getting out of bounds to set up a chip-shot field goal, and time ran out. The final margin of victory for WYO was 14-13. CSU led for most of the game despite not scoring an offensive touchdown. Rams gonna Ram.

 

Weber State rolled Idaho State 45-7. The Wildcats looked good against an outmatched opponent, but they still botched a field goal attempt and had another one blocked. They need to get their special teams situation figured out or they'll be one and done in the playoffs.

 

BYU had the week off — one of the joys of independence being the occasional bye in Week 11 — and extended their unbeaten streak to two weeks. The look to keep the streak alive next week against (barely) FCS Utah Tech next Saturday before finishing the regular season in Palo Alto.

 

One final side note: WTAF was Oregon wearing?  My Dad texted me and asked, "How many lemons had to sacrifice their skins for that look?" I was afraid that images from that game were going to damage my TV. I can only assume that Washington win because the Cosmos was trying to teach Oregon a lesson.

 

It'll be fun to see what the Top 25 (and the Bottom 25) look like this week. 

[Starlord]

1. Georgia 

2. Ohio State or Michigan

3.  TCU

4. Tennessee 

 

Dont count out Tennessee against Georgia on a neutral field

[Pariah]

Of course, the real solution to this problem is to have an actual playoff. You know, the way literally every other division of college football does it.

 

Of course, to make that work the way FCS does with 24 teams, you'd have to limit the regular season to 11 games, which would cut gate revenues. So that's never going to happen.

 

Twelve teams will certainly be better than four. Yes, there will still be arguments about who should get in and who should have buys the first week and all of that, but it does allow a greater chance for more teams to prove on the field what they can do.

[unclevlad]

True, but an interesting side effect of a 12 team playoff is the regular season drama is mostly gone.  Not entirely;  it shifts downstream, but it clearly becomes much less intense.  Mich/Ohio State should lock a CFP slot;  it would only set a top-4 spot in the 12-team format.  I'm also against expanding any more than that.  A 24 team field devalues the regular season too much.  It would, as noted, likely force dropping a regular season game...and that would almost certainly be a non-conference game, given that the super-conferences won't want to shorten their seasons.  This has numerous bad effects...the bad teams lose a revenue game, which they need rather badly.  It's loss of crossover;  it's hard to compare conference vs. conference when there's no interconference.  And there isn't much of that now.  

 

3 hours ago, Starlord said:

Dont count out Tennessee against Georgia on a neutral field

 

They can't play.  Same division.  SEC title game is set...Georgia-LSU.  If Georgia wins, LSU probably needs help.  If LSU wins, then both Georgia and LSU are in.

 

The core Tennessee problem in making the playoffs is that they can't play in a title game.  USC beats UCLA, Notre Dame, and Oregon/Utah?  One-loss conference champ.  3 straight ranked wins.  Tennessee's best shot is probably TCU losing in the Big 12 title game.  K-State is 2nd right now, but they're a 3-loss team.  Can TCU be included over K-State after losing the title game?  Wouldn't think so.  Can TCU get in over Tennessee in this scenario, or the OSU/Mich loser?  There is a similar mismatch, actually, in the Big 10 title game.  The West is a 4-way tie at 4-3.  

[Starlord]

12 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

They can't play.  Same division.  

 

Obviously, and when Georgia beats LSU, Tenn may end up #4 and they can play in the CFP.