College Football 2022

[Pariah]

My ex had tickets for us to see Mark Knopfler with the Symphony. Sadly, he had a motorcycle accident and had to cancel the show. 

[Pariah]

Pretty exciting game last night in Pittsburgh. It was 10-10 in the third quarter, when both defenses apparently decided they were done for the night. The two teams traded scores until it was tied at 31. West Virginia threw a pick 6, putting Pitt up a touchdown with under three minutes left. The Mountaineers mounted a furious drive, but their receiver failed to bring in a ball on fourth down at the one yard line with 22 seconds left. Pitt wins 38-31.

[Pariah]

Okay, so this is the first full weekend of college football. Some of my thoughts:

 

TCU at Colorado: Neither of these teams was very good last year. TCU has a new head coach for the first time this millennium, and CU is ... well, CU. The Buffs are 13.5 point underdogs. Since the game is in Boulder, I think they'll probably keep it closer than that. Maybe.

 

Colorado State at Michigan: I'm not sure how much Colorado State is getting paid to play sacrificial Ram in the Big House, but this game is not going to be pretty. CSU has a new head coach (that they pried away from successful MWC rival Nevada), and there's still undoubtedly a learning curve in play. Michigan winning, and winning big, is a foregone conclusion. So enjoy the experience of playing in one of the biggest, loudest, and most historic stadiums college football has to offer, CSU. One day you can tell your grandkids about how you played at Michigan Stadium.

 

Northern Iowa at Air Force: Northern Iowa is historically one of the better FCS teams. It won't matter against Air Force's rushing attack.

 

BYU at South Florida: BYU is ranked 25th in the country and is favored by 11.5. But the Cougars always struggle in the Eastern time zone and have won exactly one game ever in the state of Florida. I expect that BYU will find a way to win, but won't cover the spread. This seems to be the consensus among local sportswriters as well.

 

Utah at Florida: The Utes are a top ten team, but are favored by only 3 in Gainesville. Is this line a reflection of the PAC's perpetual underperformance, or it Florida just overrated? I don't see the two as mutually exclusive. If Utah plays well, they can win this thing by double digits.

 

Utah State at Alabama: The Tide are currently favored by 41.5. If the Aggies don't play better than they did last week against UConn, they'll lose by more than that.

 

Weber State began the season last night with a 41-5 win over Division-II Western Oregon. Whoop de doo.

 

Houston Baptist at Northern Colorado: Hey, did you know that former Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey (whose son Christian plays for the Carolina Panthers) is the head football coach at University of Northern Colorado? Well, now you know. And having got that out of the way, that's really all you need to know about the UNC football team. They're terrible, and have been ever since they moved up from Division II in 2006. Maybe this is the year that all changes...?

 

Okay, bring on the football!

[unclevlad]

TCU-Colorado, I suspect the line's driven by 2 things.  #1, Colorado's Pac-12 where 4-8 says you stink.  TCU's Texas;  got to think there's money going down on them just for that alone.  I'd actually be tempted to take the points and the Buffs, at home, at night (a weird time tonight...it's the late ESPN game).  The big thing is, of course, it's week 1 and no one knows what's gonna happen.  Might see some rain, but chances aren't very high, and that probably means not much if it does.  Folsom's a weird stadium to play in for visitors, too.

 

Ohh...I see.  The line's moved TCU's way the last 3 weeks, probably because Colorado's still not named a #1 QB.  

[unclevlad]

Just announced:  CFP will expand to 12 teams.  No later than 2026;  as early as 2024 or 2025, but there's logistics involved relative to dates.  The plan is here:
https://twitter.com/RossDellenger/status/1565796575452053505

 

 

It's small text, so it won't show that well here.

 

First round has 4 byes...given to the 4 highest-rated conference champions.  Note the 2 conditions there.  The other games are played at the home facility of the higher-rated school...which assures massive attendance.  This also makes for massive arguments...the difference between 3rd and 4th non-byes and 5th and 6th, is often not at all clear, and now it's huge.  

 

The six highest-rated conference champs automatically get bids.  The Pac-12 gets no preference, and there's no minimum rank per se.  This can make conference championships VERY interesting...when Oregon was a top 5 team, say, but whoever won the Pac 12 South wasn't even top 25.  Well, if they pull off the upset...they may still NOT get in.  After those spots, the other slots are based on rank alone.

 

So there's 4 games at conference sites, probably the 3rd week in December, at the home fields of the higher ranks...which could be...interesting in its own way.  Think Michigan or Penn State in mid-December, and what could be the case.  The 4 winners advance to play the top 4 seeds in bowl games.   The 4 winners there go to the semis;  we can presume that will be the New Year's bowls.  That points out the issue to be resolved...how to split out the 4 second-round games, which will be the equivalent to the non-CFP New Year's bowl games, and what they'll do with the major bowls now.  Because if your game isn't a CFP game...it'll be secondary at best.  Doesn't matter what your bowl is.  So this is gonna be a mess.

[unclevlad]

Well...the good news is that Minnesota decided to practice its running game last night, mostly, running on 57 of the 80 plays they ran.  This was good, as the clock ran.  The mighty (pathetic) NMSU Aggies ran 33 plays for less than 100 yards...and it was much worse.  Minnesota scored with seconds left in the 3rd to go up 38-0;  the Aggies managed a 10 play drive against (probably) the Gophers' 3rd string, going 54 yards...and throwing a pick.  Note, that was out of 33 plays and 91 yards for the game.  

 

Well, we shall see how fare the UTEP Miners...playing Oklahoma.  Another Borderlands train wreck, most likely...

 

Should Utah State's game even count in the standings???  I mean, isn't playing UConn a bye week?

[Pariah]

Okay, consider this scenario in 2024 or later. Final regular season rankings:

 

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Notre Dame

4. Alabama

5. Baylor

6. Clemson 

7. Utah

8. Penn State

9. Coastal Carolina

10. Florida

11. Boise State

12. Michigan State

 

If I understand this correctly, the first-round byes go to Georgia, Ohio State, Baylor, and Clemson. The first round games are Michigan State at Notre Dame, Boise State at Alabama, Florida at Utah, and Coastal Carolina at Penn State. 

 

Yes?

[Pariah]

I read two articles today involving PAC-12 football. One said that the University of Washington has followed Oregon's lead and had conversations about potential Big Ten membership. According to the article, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cal and Stanford have similar conversations in the next few weeks.

 

The other claims that at least a dozen schools have initiated conversations with the PAC-12 about potentially becoming members. No schools were identified by name, but speculation is that the most likely candidates would be San Diego State, UNLV, Boise State, Fresno State, and SMU, as well as potentially one or more schools from the Big XII. 

 

While the first story seems more plausible in my mind than the second, at this point I don't suppose you can rule anything out.

[unclevlad]

2 hours ago, Pariah said:

Okay, consider this scenario in 2024 or later. Final regular season rankings:

 

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Notre Dame

4. Alabama

5. Baylor

6. Clemson 

7. Utah

8. Penn State

9. Coastal Carolina

10. Florida

11. Boise State

12. Michigan State

 

If I understand this correctly, the first-round byes go to Georgia, Ohio State, Baylor, and Clemson. The first round games are Michigan State at Notre Dame, Boise State at Alabama, Florida at Utah, and Coastal Carolina at Penn State. 

 

Yes?

 

Ummmmm...I'd have to re-read the fine print, but I believe your scenario is correct.  AND, it massively suggests Notre Dame is going to seek to join a conference because right now they *cannot* get that bye as an independent.

Oh, for those non-night owls.......

 

The Buffs are getting slammed.  TCU had problems and were sleep-walking...8 pm scheduled start, 35 minute lightning delay.  7-6 Frogs at halftime.  Then the roof caved it, and it's 31-6 now, with TCU having the ball with 6 minutes left.

 

So much for covering....... <sigh>

 

<EDIT>  An ESPN writer tweeted CU's next 3.  Air Force (in the Springs), Minnesota, UCLA.  Not looking pretty.  And the TCU line just created a massive hole, letting the back go for 40.  It's looking......soooo not good....

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

 

[Pariah]

Oh oh, it's a polygamy joke. How clever. 

[Pariah]

A couple of interesting things I've seen yesterday and today: Va Tech at Old Dominion, North Carolina State at East Carolina, North Carolina at Appalachian State.  It's kind of weird to see that many Power Five schools opening their seasons on the road against G5 opponents.

[Pariah]

Michigan is up 23-0 on Colorado State at the half. CSU can be encouraged by the fact that they allowed three field goals instead of three additional touchdowns, I suppose. Honestly, the best thing about this game so far is the punter's mustache.

 

I wonder how much Navy is paying the Delaware Blue Hens for the privilege of losing to them 7-0 at halftime.

[unclevlad]

Va Tech/ODU, NCST/ECU, and NC/AppState are all in-state opponents, so it may be that there's home-and-home games getting scheduled there.  Quick check...App State plays in Chapel Hill next year, week 2.  The state may have pushed for this;  I know they pushed for CU and CSU to play each other, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's behind CU/AFA somewhat...altho they can't push that too hard, they can encourage it.  NCST hosts ECU in 2025...and goes to ECU in 2028.  So this looks to be at least a short-term, intermittently played series.  And NCST and App State have a home-and-home for 25 and 26.  So...I'm definitely thinking the state's pushing for more in-state games.  

 

 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

Oh oh, it's a polygamy joke. How clever. 

 

Considering they didn't even spell out the F word, it is about the mildest trash talking I have ever seen. 

[unclevlad]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

I wonder how much Navy is paying the Delaware Blue Hens for the privilege of losing to them 7-0 at halftime.

 

14-7 for the mighty Hens in the 4th, but Navy has the ball.

 

Along similar lines...Power 5 vs. a quality FCS team.  Iowa-South Dakota State.  5-3 Hawkeyes with about 11 minutes left.  Apparently the weather is good, but both offenses have been shut down hard.  270 yards COMBINED, 50 minutes in.  17 punts.

[Starlord]

This just in - Both defenses were left at their hotels to watch the NC v App State game.

 

NC 63 - App St 61

[unclevlad]

ECU missed a 34 yard FG vs. NC State to win it....AFTER missing a tying PAT with 3 minutes left.  And remember, the college PAT is still from the 2.  Guess which unit's going to be tripling up on their practice time this week.

 

Georgia is showing the Big 10 why adding Oregon is mostly a waste of time....21-3 with 3 minutes to go, Georgia with the ball again....and Georgia just made it 28-3 with 21 seconds left.

 

Iowa scrapes by with a 7-3 win over South Dakota State.  Yes...it was 5-3, ended 7-3.  376 yards combined by both teams, 21 punts.  Only 124 total plays, 67 rushing...almost old school, but massively inept.  As in...1.6 per attempt for Iowa, 1.1 for South Dakota State.  

 

Not a game for the season's highlight reel, I'd say...

 

 

[Pariah]

A field goal and two safeties is is not the easiest way to score seven points in a college football game, but if you hold the other team to three, I suppose it works.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

1 hour ago, Starlord said:

This just in - Both defenses were left at their hotels to watch the NC v App State game.

 

NC 63 - App St 61

 

Sounds like this one was the one to watch today. 

 

I heard elsewhere App St had 338 yards, 18 first downs, and 6 touchdowns IN THE 4TH QUARTER, and lost 63-61 because they failed on two separate 2-point conversions in the final minute. 

[Pariah]

43 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

Georgia is showing the Big 10 why adding Oregon is mostly a waste of time....21-3 with 3 minutes to go, Georgia with the ball again....and Georgia just made it 28-3 with 21 seconds left.

 

Oh, the B1G isn't interested in adding Oregon because it provides competitive balance. If they do add Oregon, it will be because they were recognizable brand, nothing more. Results on the field are almost secondary.

 

And while we're on the subject... Okay, look, I love a color versus color games much as the next guy. Maybe more so. But do we remember nothing from the Jets versus Bills Color Rash debacle a few years ago? There are a lot of people who can't see a red versus green game.

 

Meanwhile, nobody's watching the BYU-South Florida game, because they're still in a weather delay.

[unclevlad]

13 minutes ago, Pariah said:

And while we're on the subject... Okay, look, I love a color versus color games much as the next guy. Maybe more so. But do we remember nothing from the Jets versus Bills Color Rash debacle a few years ago? There are a lot of people who can't see a red versus green game.

 

 

They should be thankful.  Those Oregon colors are painful.  IIRC, not quite as bad as Baylor's, particularly basketball, but not far removed.  Georgia's jerseys are classics, OTOH.  Excellent red shade.

[unclevlad]

As a one-time courtesy to Mr. P, I shall refrain from reporting the score of the Alabama game.

[Starlord]

OSU WR Jackson Smith-Njigba injured...clearly affecting OSU's offense in the OSU v ND matchup.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

UF up by a point at the half!

 

#GoGators