2021-22 College Football thread

[Billy Hoyle]

You guys are making the misguided assumption that bowls are meaningful accomplishments versus something done simply to allow networks (mostly ESPN) to fill its programming for a two week period.

I guess if you're a kid at Memphis at least you get to go to Hawaii for a few days.  And then others get to do Vegas, LA, Phoenix, Tampa, Miami, the Bahamas, etc., whereas others are heading to Boston, NYC and Boise, which are all beautiful in December.

[JWags85]

Justin Wilcox is a UO grad and it's definitely a better job than Cal will ever be. Matt Campbell beat the Ducks in last year's Fiesta Bowl and has obviously maxed out at ISU. His dream jobs, ND and Michigan, aren't coming open anytime soon.

Wilcox would be a super embarrassing hire after his last 2 years.  Campbell is a good coach but I don't know if his style would play at Oregon.

Kalani Sitake from BYU is an interesting name

[Billy Hoyle]

Wilcox would be a super embarrassing hire after his last 2 years.  Campbell is a good coach but I don't know if his style would play at Oregon.

Kalani Sitake from BYU is an interesting name

Ducks fans would probably ignore the last two years with him being an alumnus and hometown guy. And, when you look at what Cal had to deal with, 5-7, beating Stanford and OSU, and only getting blown out once this season isn't all that bad at a school that doesn't really give damn about football. They also beat Oregon in 2020.  His connections to the area will be a major attraction after hiring outsiders the last two times and seeing them go home.

Sitake would definitely be an excellent hire, but is he so solidly entrenched at BYU as a Mormon and with the move to the Big 12 coming that he would resist any overtures?

[Pakuni]

You guys are making the misguided assumption that bowls are meaningful accomplishments versus something done simply to allow networks (mostly ESPN) to fill its programming for a two week period.

More than one thing can be true here.

1. The bowls exist to provide programming and create tourism revenue.
2. Most teams do view going to a bowl as a meaningful accomplishment (if nothing else, it means you had a .500 or above season) and the players largely enjoy the experience/opportunity.
3. For the top NFL prospects, the non-playoff bowls are a loser when it comes to risk vs reward and it makes sense for them to skip them.

[MU82]

More than one thing can be true here.

1. The bowls exist to provide programming and create tourism revenue.
2. Most teams do view going to a bowl as a meaningful accomplishment (if nothing else, it means you had a .500 or above season) and the players largely enjoy the experience/opportunity.
3. For the top NFL prospects, the non-playoff bowls are a loser when it comes to risk vs reward and it makes sense for them to skip them.

All true. Just because I and others won't watch them, it doesn't mean they lack value to some. By and large, players enjoy going; coaches like the extra time the team has together; many fans like the trips just as some of us like to go where Marquette is playing hoops; less-heralded players can use bowl games as springboards to pro careers; etc.

Can't speak for others, but I'm not saying they should cease to exist or anything. I'm just saying they are glorified exhibition games, and I'm agreeing with you that I can't blame any draft-worthy player for skipping them.

[Mr. Nielsen]

I can't wait for this day to come. Guessing we have to wait until 2025. Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Orange, Fiesta & Peach would have a playoff match up every year.

https://twitter.com/RedditCFB/status/1467618600953516037

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I can't wait for this day to come. Guessing we have to wait until 2025. Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Orange, Fiesta & Peach would have a playoff match up every year.

https://twitter.com/RedditCFB/status/1467618600953516037

This makes so much sense.

First round - Saturday, Dec 18 on campus sites
Quarterfinals - Saturday, January 1 on bowl sites
Semifinals - Saturday, January 8 on bowl sites (helps with NFL moving to 17th game)
Championship - Monday, January 17

[Mr. Nielsen]

This makes so much sense.

First round - Saturday, Dec 18 on campus sites
Quarterfinals - Saturday, January 1 on bowl sites
Semifinals - Saturday, January 8 on bowl sites (helps with NFL moving to 17th game)
Championship - Monday, January 17

I believe the rough draft would be for the first round to be this Saturday to be done before finals.

[MU82]

Definitely a heck of a run.  And even coach said after that there wasn't a rule on the book so there shouldn't have been a flag, so he was a good sport about it.  But yeah, the defense clearly pulled up some when he went into a sliding position.  You just can't have defensive players wondering if a QB is about to go into a real slide or a fake slide.

I finally got to see the fake slide just now. I hated it.

It pretty much gave license to defensive players to blast QBs because now defenders understandably won't know if a QB is actually gonna slide -- especially given the copycat nature of the sport. It very likely will result in penalties and, more importantly, injuries.

I know there's no rule specifically against it, but "unsportsmanlike conduct" is a pretty big umbrella, and I don't think anybody (except Pitt's team and fans) would have been too upset had the refs called it there.

If that simply wasn't possible, the rules committee needs to add it under the unsportsmanlike conduct definition to make it possible.

You can get a 15-yard penalty for pointing your finger at an opponent but not for this. Ugh.

[jesmu84]

If the ball is supposed to be spotted where a slide begins, didn't he start to slide? And therefore the play should be blown dead?

[Not A Serious Person]

It's probably smart for a lot of these players to forgo a year to prepare for the draft.

Ja'Marr Chase opted out of last year, was the #5 overall pick and is having a fantastic rookie year.  Penei Sewell did the same, was the #7 overall pick, and has started all year for the Lions.

Clearly the marketplace doesn't care when it comes to these high level talents.  I'm certain that Trevor Lawrence would have still been the #1 overall pick had he chose that route.

The recent NIL agreement could "fix" this.  If the top players are getting seven-figure deals (which they are), their sponsors will want them on the biggest stages to get the most exposure, like the bowl games. 

So they are about to get paid to play these games.

[MU82]

The recent NIL agreement could "fix" this.  If the top players are getting seven-figure deals (which they are), their sponsors will want them on the biggest stages to get the most exposure, like the bowl games. 

So they are about to get paid to play these games.

I like how you put "fix" in quotation marks, because there really was nothing to fix.

But sure, if these kids can get paid, that, combined with an insurance policy, could make it more practical for them to play in exhibition bowl games if that's their choice. I hope their agents sponsors won't put too much pressure on them either way.

[Not A Serious Person]

I like how you put "fix" in quotation marks, because there really was nothing to fix.

But sure, if these kids can get paid, that, combined with an insurance policy, could make it more practical for them to play in exhibition bowl games if that's their choice. I hope their agents sponsors won't put too much pressure on them either way.

100%

Lots of FBS fans want them to play, so they want this problem "fixed."

I'm not sure it really is a problem.

[Hards Alumni]

You guys are making the misguided assumption that bowls are meaningful accomplishments versus something done simply to allow networks (mostly ESPN) to fill its programming for a two week period.

As is tradition.

[CTWarrior]

Dude, just stop. Definitions of words have changed since there was language. Put your hate boner for the young people away.

While I agree, this one is particularly annoying.  What is the word you use now to mean you are not exaggerating, that you really mean it?  Changing the definition ruined a good word without an equally good replacement.  When you use the word literally now, you don't really know which way it is being used, so it doesn't really mean anything anymore.  (Plus, I just get the feeling it got bastardized by people who didn't quite understand what it really meant).

[Pakuni]

While I agree, this one is particularly annoying.  What is the word you use now to mean you are not exaggerating, that you really mean it?  Changing the definition ruined a good word without an equally good replacement.  When you use the word literally now, you don't really know which way it is being used, so it doesn't really mean anything anymore.  (Plus, I just get the feeling it got bastardized by people who didn't quite understand what it really meant).

When someone tells you they "literally died" or they experienced "literally the worst thing ever" you don't really know which way it is being used?

[CTWarrior]

When someone tells you they "literally died" or they experienced "literally the worst thing ever" you don't really know which way it is being used?

IN those instances I do, but when what follows is not as dramatic I don't. I literally got sick, or something of that ilk.

[Billy Hoyle]

I saw Marcus Freeman interviewed on Dan Patrick. Goddammit, he's such a likable guy, why does he have to be the coach at ND?

[Pakuni]

Chip going home?

@johncanzanobft
This just in — the Oregon Ducks have asked for permission to speak with UCLA coach Chip Kelly about their football coaching vacancy, per University of Oregon source.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Chip going home?

@johncanzanobft
This just in — the Oregon Ducks have asked for permission to speak with UCLA coach Chip Kelly about their football coaching vacancy, per University of Oregon source.

Which means they are striking out with their other candidates. 

[Uncle Rico]

Which means they are striking out with their other candidates.

I saw someone else say this elsewhere and I think it’s true.  College football has evolved, Chip Kelly hasn’t.

[JWags85]

It would be a fairly uninspiring hire, but he's gotten it going a bit at UCLA.  And he'd be walking into a much better situation at Oregon provided they can find a QB.

[Pakuni]

The NCAA has updated its rules to ban fake QB slides.

[Billy Hoyle]

Which means they are striking out with their other candidates.

Maybe, but as a state institution they do have to conduct a minimum number of interviews.  Here’s the best info on the search:

https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2021/12/oregon-ducks-interview-byus-kalani-satake-ask-permission-to-interview-cals-justin-wilcox-uclas-chip-kelly-per-source.html

[MU82]

The NCAA has updated its rules to ban fake QB slides.

Good, that was totally effed up. I'm impressed, and more than a little surprised, at how quickly the NCAA fixed that.

If there isn't a similar rule in the NFL, they should update theirs, too.