College Football 2023-2024

[unclevlad]

To extend the point?

In games against other Power 5 teams, the SEC is 3-6.

 

Elsewhere...

 

Just HOW bad is UTEP?

 

Well, Northwestern is a mess, right?  

 

Halftime, it's 7-7 in Evanston.  Northwestern gets the kickoff.  13 plays, 79 yards.

UTEP...INT on 2nd play.  1st and goal, NW.  3 plays to run it in.

UTEP...gets a roughing the passer but 3 and out.  Punts deep, NW gets the ball at their own 12.

NW...2 plays, nothing....then an 85 yard TD.

UTEP...drives into the red zone...turns over the ball on downs.  NW again backed up.

NW...90 yards in 8 plays.

UTEP:  can't move the ball on 3rd and 1, then on 4th and 1.  

NW:  field goal.

UTEP:  INT.

 

38-7 is the final.

 

[unclevlad]

Texas rises to #4...sigh. 

Alabama drops to #10...with a lot of work to do to stay even there.

Colorado rises to #18, and now they've got CSU.  This shouldn't move the needle, because it's not expected to be a contest.  Line's 22;  CSU is +980, or a 10-1 underdog.  They might still move up;  there's no top 25 matchups this week, but there's always the chance something will go wrong.

 

If you needed any proof of the viral impact...

 

BOTH Fox's Big Noon Saturday and ESPN's GameDay will be in Boulder.

ESPN has the game, but it's slotted into the Pac 12 After Dark slot...10 Eastern, 8 in Boulder.  So it wasn't big enough to displace Tennessee at Florida, but hey, that's not all that surprising.

[Pariah]

Oregon State and Washington State have at least temporarily prevented the crumbling PAC from voting to dissolve itself. 

 

Court rules in favor of Oregon State, Washington State, grants temporary restraining order against Pac-12

 

I have no idea what the future (if any) holds for the PAC, but I'll bet a lot of it's going to take place in courtrooms. 

[Grailknight]

That clause in the Pac-12 rules that says that giving intention to leave comes with a surrender of voting rights does give them some legal standing. I'm for OSU and WSU to this extent. If there's a clause in the lease that says that moving out early forfeits your share of the security deposit, you should have been prepared for that loss.

[unclevlad]

Yeah, this was a conservatorship type of action.  The conference name and membership actually has major residual value, so this is not an empty move.  There's money still to be paid to the conference members...meaning just OSU and WSU...for several years.  The move basically just says the departing schools can't try to formally dissolve the conference, in an attempt to get that money distributed to everyone.  

 

This is also, I think, a case WSU and OSU could win regardless.  The schools leaving are no longer good-faith actors for the conference, as an entity, and they could try to make moves to the gross detriment of the conference...because that won't have negative impacts on them.

[Grailknight]

The next move I'd make would be to invite the MWC as a whole to merge into the Pac-12. That would keep those schools from having to pay any buyouts and give them a 14-team league as good as the other small conferences. The MWC would get the benefit of the Rose Bowl, an automatic NCAA basketball tourney bid held by the Pac-12 and a partial share of those residuals. And any undefeated conference champ would merit strong consideration for the 12-team playoff, so more money to split.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Grailknight

[Starlord]

Watched the BS High documentary on MAX last night.  Man, that sh*t was messed up....

[unclevlad]

4 hours ago, Starlord said:

Watched the BS High documentary on MAX last night.  Man, that sh*t was messed up....

 

Yeah, I didn't see it, but I do generally remember the story, especially as it was brought back up not that long ago.  "Messed up" being the G-rated term....

 

Speaking of messed up...I found this link about money and college sports.  Posted over in the politics thread because I can say more there....

 

But for here?  It gives you an explanation for why Stanford can tolerate several years of lower media rights...and why SMU might choose to forego them altogether for so long.  For Stanford...they have the reserves.  For SMU...keep the donors happy by elevating back into a power conference.

https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances

 

Grail:  yes, that's a possible move, with the down side that there's no way the New Pac 14 would get a decent media deal.  So, the negotiations might be how to get the teams they DO want, while helping the others move around.  That obviously would be trickier.

[unclevlad]

So, ummm....did you hear Jay Norvell's dissing on Deion...for not taking his hat and sunglasses off while doing podium interviews?

The line is only 23 now.  Take the Buffs, give the points.  This jumps up the list of potential Rout of the Week games, at least involving 2 FBS teams.  This week still has some...we can't even call em cupcake games, how about petits fours matchups?  I think, I didn't check.

[Pariah]

Jay Norvell is in for a long, unpleasant evening in Boulder. Were I a betting man, I'd take the Buffs to cover by halftime. 

[Pariah]

In light of losing SMU to the Atlantic, the American is apparently in discussions with Army to join the conference. I'm watching Army's game against new AAC member Texas-San Antonio, and Army is looking pretty impressive.

 

Well, except for that 72-yard touchdown pass they just gave up.

[Pariah]

Meanwhile, Utah State scores a touchdown with 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter to cut Air Force's lead to 39-14. The Aggies beat Air Force each of the previous two seasons. Not going to happen tonight.

[Starlord]

Thankfully, the Ohio State offense seems to have figured things out before the big Notre Dame matchup next week.

 

Georgia and Florida State were unimpressive and could possibly drop a bit in the rankings this week.

[unclevlad]

Georgia probably won't slip just on one shaky week, because that #1 ranking is given significant deference.  And they were playing the conference opener.  

 

The team that could slip a spot or two, to me, is Alabama.  Offense was *poor* again, with the backup QB in.  That's a problem in itself, of course, but it says Bama basically has a big time QB problem.  They're not passing the eye test.

[unclevlad]

I now have a new entry for Hated Coach.  Josh Heupel of Tennessee.  It's 29-16 Florida, clock's almost run out.  Florida runs a nothing play on 3rd and long with 16 seconds left.  Heupel calls a freaking timeout with 7 seconds left...when even his own team had people going up the tunnel.  WHY???

 

And guess what...Florida aims to just run the clock out, doing nothing...there's a dumb, late hit by Tennessee, and players on both sides get a little...irritated.  Didn't blow up, but it could've.  And for me, that would 100% be on the *BLEEP* of a coach who extended the game pointlessly.

 

The whole end of the game ran really slow, which is just irritating generally...and specifically when there's another on tap.

[unclevlad]

Hey, Jay Norvell, take your lecture and apply it to your own team.

 

10 minutes into the game and CSU has 2 *blatant* late hits, plus an unsportsmanlike.

 

Colorado's making mistakes;  the defense is showing some problems.  It's been a pretty crazy start....14-14 now, unexpectedly.

 

EDIT:  and after a fumble on the ensuing kickoff...another skirmish.  Offsetting unsportsmanlikes.  This one's likely to have a bigger fight before it's over.

[Pariah]

BYU 38, Arkansas 31 in Fayetteville.

 

Rise and Shout!

[Pariah]

Colorado State is leading Colorado 21-14 at the half? In Boulder?

 

[unclevlad]

Travis Hunter, the two-way player, took a nasty cheap shot early in the game...came back for a while, but now it's reported he's been taken to a local hospital.

 

Yeah, this is why I don't bet.   

[unclevlad]

Oh my.

 

My, oh my, oh my.

 

Buffs claw back to 28-20...defense does get it together enough to force a punt.  The punt's perfect...OB at the 2.

 

Buffs pull off a 98 yard drive in about 1:30, then hit the 2 pointer....to TIE it.  And the crowd is now roaring again.

 

Showed both the best and worst.  The talent...good gosh, it's there.  The speed.  But the Buffs had 2 execution flags...what isn't there is the cohesion.  

 

And we're going to OT.  

[unclevlad]

AND IT IS OVER.

 

Colorado's offense moves into high gear...Shedeur Sanders definitely made a Heisman statement tonight.  Buffs 43-35.

 

Why?  One stat.

 

CSU flagged 16 times....for...176 yards.  Yeah.  I don't know how many personal fouls...including a last, terrible roughing the passer with targeting.  Helmet to helmet, lift and plant, late...the trifecta of criteria.  CSU generally moved the ball better...10-20 on 3rd down.  Outgained the Buffs by 80 yards...but that was more than offset by the penalties.  And these weren't cheap flags.

[unclevlad]

If you haven't seen it....

https://www.si.com/college/colorado/football/colorado-travis-hunter-suffers-lacerated-liver-out-for-weeks

 

I was wondering...spleen, maybe?  So liver makes sense.  Seriously dirty hit.  Technically NOT targeting by the NCAA rules, so the game refs can't eject him, but the hit deserves a suspension.

[Pariah]

So you agree to join a big-money conference . . . for no money, at least for 9 years. But that's okay, because your boosters can raise $100M in a week.

 

I don't understand this. Not at all.

 

SMU raises $100 million in seven-day stretch from key donors to support upcoming ACC move

[unclevlad]

9 minutes ago, Pariah said:

So you agree to join a big-money conference . . . for no money, at least for 9 years. But that's okay, because your boosters can raise $100M in a week.

 

I don't understand this. Not at all.

 

SMU raises $100 million in seven-day stretch from key donors to support upcoming ACC move

 

Because you don't have 9 or 10 digit net worth and an ego that can be stroked by getting insider access to a football team.

 

Elsewhere:

https://www.newsweek.com/alabama-drops-no-13-ap-top-25-while-florida-enters-poll-1827843

 

No changes in top 4.  Bama's offensive ineptitude drops them to #13.  The Pac 12 has 3 in the top 10...and 4 more in the second 10.  It won't stay that way as conference games come into play, but still, that's amazing.  2 years ago, a disaster.  Last year...hmmm.  This year....oh my.  Welcome to the Power of the Transfer Portal...at least in part. 

[unclevlad]

It is sad, but unfortunately not surprising, that the CSU player who hit Hunter has been receiving death threats, as has his family.  Some <BLEEP><BLEEP><BLEEP> published their personal data...cellphone numbers and addresses...on the internet.