2018 College Football Thread

[GGGG]

That was a pretty good read.

He's a REALLY good writer.  Good thing I don't have to go incognito to steal his stuff.

[jesmu84]

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25479055/florida-gators-ad-scott-stricklin-welcome-2-1-series-vs-ucf-knights

UCF apparently has some options

[tower912]

I will only watch a college bowl game if there is not a decent college basketball game on.    Or, for that matter, a Hallmark Christmas movie.   

[GGGG]

I really don't pay much attention to non-Marquette college basketball until after football season ends.

[Herman Cain]

I missed the announcement that Les Miles was named Head Coach at Kansas. Looks like he is off to a good start in recruiting.
  https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article223266440.html

[Mr. Nielsen]

Ya, you missed it. I watched the press conference! I love Les.

[Pakuni]

So, today's National Signing Day, and the SEC has the top four recruiting classes and nine of the top 20 (compared to three Big 10, two ACC, three Pac 12 and two Big 12).
So, what makes other conferences think expansion would lessen SEC domination of the playoff? Unless they hope to rig it to give conference winners an automatic bid.

[MU82]

Shh, everybody, I'm trying to concentrate on the DXL Frisco Bowl.

Because when San Diego State and Ohio get together, you can just throw away the record book.

Wait ... the game is over? Never mind.

[GGGG]

So, today's National Signing Day, and the SEC has the top four recruiting classes and nine of the top 20 (compared to three Big 10, two ACC, three Pac 12 and two Big 12).
So, what makes other conferences think expansion would lessen SEC domination of the playoff? Unless they hope to rig it to give conference winners an automatic bid.

I am reasonably certain that an expansion of the playoffs would guaranty a representative from each of the conferences.  (Not necessarily the conference champion though.)

[MU82]

NC's top QB and top OL had verbally committed to Florida State and NC State, respectively. Both changed their mind and signed with UNC, which just recently changed coaches (re-hiring Mack Brown after he had left for Texas years ago).

Just a reminder that while verbal commitments are wonderful, celebration should be kept at a minimum until the name is on the dotted line.

Maybe this happens more in football than basketball? I have no idea.

[RJax55]

NC's top QB and top OL had verbally committed to Florida State and NC State, respectively. Both changed their mind and signed with UNC, which just recently changed coaches (re-hiring Mack Brown after he had left for Texas years ago).

Just a reminder that while verbal commitments are wonderful, celebration should be kept at a minimum until the name is on the dotted line.

Maybe this happens more in football than basketball? I have no idea.

Happens all the time in college football. The basketball signing period is extremely tame in comparison.

[Pakuni]

I am reasonably certain that an expansion of the playoffs would guaranty a representative from each of the conferences.  (Not necessarily the conference champion though.)

Maybe.
If the selection committee's stated goal continues to be "the best teams," there won't be a rep from each conference. There'd be no Pac 12 team this year, since none ranked in the top 8.
If the other conferences wave the white flag, admit they can't compete with the SEC and institute a system that guarantees it, then yes, it'll guarantee it.

[MU82]

Maybe.
If the selection committee's stated goal continues to be "the best teams," there won't be a rep from each conference. There'd be no Pac 12 team this year, since none ranked in the top 8.
If the other conferences wave the white flag, admit they can't compete with the SEC and institute a system that guarantees it, then yes, it'll guarantee it.

It would be hard to believe that an expansion to 8 wouldn't mandate inclusion of the champion from each P5 conference, because every comment from every league commissioner I have seen has advocated that. But stranger things have happened and maybe that will end up not being the case.

[GGGG]

I mean, the NCAA basketball tournament doesn't include the 68 best teams.  I wouldn't think it would be a great tragedy if the expanded playoffs included someone from every P5 conference. 

[Pakuni]

I mean, the NCAA basketball tournament doesn't include the 68 best teams.  I wouldn't think it would be a great tragedy if the expanded playoffs included someone from every P5 conference.

I'm not sure 3 at-large bids vs 36 at-large bids is an apples-to-apples comparison, but regardless, nobody is suggesting a great tragedy here.
But also, I don't believe the NCAA tournament committee has declared its goal to be assembling the "best 68 teams." The CFB committee's stated goal, on the other hand, is "to choose the four best teams in the nation at the end of the regular season."
So, if you're going to change the criteria to require a team from each P5 conference, you'll necessarily have to shift the mandate away from choosing "the best" teams.  Which is fine ... they should just call it what it  is.

[MUBurrow]

The realities of playing a conference schedule would basically net out to representatives from each of the P5 conferences anyway.  While my personal "eye test" tells me the SEC has 4 of the best 8 teams in the country most seasons, over the course of a conference sched, those teams beat up on each other too much for one conference to ever get more than 3 teams in the top 8 of any ranking system.  So even if we reserve a spot for each of the P5 schools and a Group of 5 team, I don't think the end result will ever be a team ranked higher than 6 or 7 in the AP getting snubbed.

[MU82]

This is an interesting conversation but I gotta run.

Big party at the house to watch the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl.

It's been a tradition in the MU82 family for decades!

[MU82]

Not too many people I feel less sorry for than college football coaches who might not get incentive bonuses because one or two of their players skip bowl games to avoid injury.

https://www.apnews.com/d0184d9d55124c068a29afdc673843fd

The lowest paid coach in this article makes nearly $2 million annually. The unpaid players, whose lives the coaches have controlled in entirety for years, are skipping exhibition games so they can protect their chance to earn millions, too.

[dgies9156]

This is an interesting conversation but I gotta run.

Big party at the house to watch the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl.

It's been a tradition in the MU82 family for decades!

You have that tradition too?

Christmas would not be Christmas if it were not for the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl. I'll bet even Joseph and Mary were watching the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl on the first Christmas! It's why there was no room at the inn!

Merry Christmas Scoopers!

[real chili 83]

ND sucks.

Merry Christmas!

[MUBurrow]

What are ya'll thoughts on the Servpro First Responder Bowl announcing its not going to play in the Servpro First Responder Bowl?  Personally, I think that if I were a member of Servpro First Responder Bowl's team, and had spent all year in the weight room and on the practice field with Servpro First Responder Bowl, I'd be pissed. What a selfish decision, regardless of the money or safety at play for Servpro First Responder Bowl. I'd like to see Servpro First Responder Bowl tell Servpro First Responder Bowl's teammates that the Servpro First Responder Bowl doesn't matter and that the season is over.

[Chili]

What are ya'll thoughts on the Servpro First Responder Bowl announcing its not going to play in the Servpro First Responder Bowl?  Personally, I think that if I were a member of Servpro First Responder Bowl's team, and had spent all year in the weight room and on the practice field with Servpro First Responder Bowl, I'd be pissed. What a selfish decision, regardless of the money or safety at play for Servpro First Responder Bowl. I'd like to see Servpro First Responder Bowl tell Servpro First Responder Bowl's teammates that the Servpro First Responder Bowl doesn't matter and that the season is over.

It doesn't matter - it's just an exhibition game. All bowl games are worthless outside of the 2 semi's and the national championship.

[Cheeks]

It doesn't matter - it's just an exhibition game. All bowl games are worthless outside of the 2 semi's and the national championship.

Not all, but many.  Maybe I am bias from going to so many Rose bowls, but that is a special game

[Mr. Nielsen]

Not all, but many.  Maybe I am bias from going to so many Rose Bowls, but that is a special game

I agree. True football fans agree as well. Rose, Sugar, Sun, Holiday, Peach, etc. It's these small games that some are giving others a bad name. Even, the small ones gets a solid rating.

[tower912]

What are ya'll thoughts on the Servpro First Responder Bowl announcing its not going to play in the Servpro First Responder Bowl?  Personally, I think that if I were a member of Servpro First Responder Bowl's team, and had spent all year in the weight room and on the practice field with Servpro First Responder Bowl, I'd be pissed. What a selfish decision, regardless of the money or safety at play for Servpro First Responder Bowl. I'd like to see Servpro First Responder Bowl tell Servpro First Responder Bowl's teammates that the Servpro First Responder Bowl doesn't matter and that the season is over.

It shows how little I follow it that I only figured out what this post was about this morning.   Exhibition game called due to weather.