2024 -25 College Football and College Football Playoff Thread

[withoutbias]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb_eXyhlHaA

How you do NOT want to have the ball.

[Uncle Rico]

USC is ready for the Big Ten

[shoothoops]

Tulane.

That's great fun. Good for them.

[tower912]

USC got passed on a Tulane (two lane)

[MU82]

What are we even talking about?  The Ohio State kicker missed the field goal because the laces were out?  I've never been a kicker in football, but I'm pretty certain that's what you want.  The laces should be facing the goalposts that the ball is being kicked to, not facing the kicker.  That's how the holder was holding the ball (clear as day in the first replay they show here).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09rBR-gNcnQ

Shanks for that video. Shocking that shoothoops was mistaken.

[The Sultan]

Shanks for that video. Shocking that shoothoops was mistaken.

Yes. Shocking.

[The Sultan]

The Rose Bowl feels very "quaint" to me these days. Used to be a tradition growing up but feels pretty dated.

[lawdog77]

USC is ready for the Big Ten

On that note, how bout them Boilermakers!

[JWags85]

In a completely Bobby Petrino sort of scenario, Jimbo Fisher poaches Petrino from UNLV after less than 2 weeks to be the new OC at A&M.

Reactions are mixed, but people acting like Petrio is a washed up has been are telling on themselves.  I totally would not been keen to give him a P5 HC gig, but his offenses have still cooked even in his second stop at Louisville and more recently at Missouri St.  With all the talent at A&M, he could make them interesting in a hurry.

However, whats intriguing is Jimbo not only ceding playcalling/offense credit, but the optics of the team suddenly turning around after he gives up offensive system control.

[The Sultan]

In a completely Bobby Petrino sort of scenario, Jimbo Fisher poaches Petrino from UNLV after less than 2 weeks to be the new OC at A&M.

Reactions are mixed, but people acting like Petrio is a washed up has been are telling on themselves.  I totally would not been keen to give him a P5 HC gig, but his offenses have still cooked even in his second stop at Louisville and more recently at Missouri St.  With all the talent at A&M, he could make them interesting in a hurry.

However, whats intriguing is Jimbo not only ceding playcalling/offense credit, but the optics of the team suddenly turning around after he gives up offensive system control.

Jimbo, Petrino and DJ Durkin on the same staff could either be great....or it could be a disaster. Either way, I am here for it.

[JWags85]

Jimbo, Petrino and DJ Durkin on the same staff could either be great....or it could be a disaster. Either way, I am here for it.

Yep it all comes down to Jimbo as a CEO.  Both Petrino and Durkin had the "toxic" labels on them as HCs, but were very good coordinators.  If he can circumvent that, they could be successful.  I don't think Durkin is the issue, I don't recall anything negative from his stint at Ole Miss.  But Petrino is the type to absolutely scheme and backstab to try and get promoted.

[MU82]

Marvin Harrison Jr. unfortunately isn't eligible to be drafted until 2024. He looks like the next great NFL receiver and probably doesn't need to play a single snap next season to be a top-5 pick.

Given that he got hurt on a brutal hit vs. Georgia and given all the reaction regarding the Hamlin situation, I wonder if Harrison would consider sitting out next season to protect his multimillion-dollar body. Were I his adviser, it would be difficult for me to advise him to play.

[wadesworld]

Marvin Harrison Jr. unfortunately isn't eligible to be drafted until 2024. He looks like the next great NFL receiver and probably doesn't need to play a single snap next season to be a top-5 pick.

Given that he got hurt on a brutal hit vs. Georgia and given all the reaction regarding the Hamlin situation, I wonder if Harrison would consider sitting out next season to protect his multimillion-dollar body. Were I his adviser, it would be difficult for me to advise him to play.

I'm sure he's getting plenty of money playing for O$U.

I think the best way to continue to prepare for the next level is to continue playing in college.

[The Sultan]

Yeah, we have a thread like this every year. Rarely do people skip a year, in fact outside of the Covid year I can't think of any off the top of my head. And I don't think a ton of these top prospects get hurt.

EDIT: and wades is right. NIL changes this significantly.

[wadesworld]

Plus a lot of these top NFL prospects who aren't eligible for the draft yet will get an insurance policy in case of injury.

[Uncle Rico]

I'm sure he's getting plenty of money playing for O$U.

I think the best way to continue to prepare for the next level is to continue playing in college.

He'll get more when he transfers to USC

[4everwarriors]

Marvin Harrison Jr. unfortunately isn't eligible to be drafted until 2024. He looks like the next great NFL receiver and probably doesn't need to play a single snap next season to be a top-5 pick.

Given that he got hurt on a brutal hit vs. Georgia and given all the reaction regarding the Hamlin situation, I wonder if Harrison would consider sitting out next season to protect his multimillion-dollar body. Were I his adviser, it would be difficult for me to advise him to play.

Eva herd of Lloyds of London? He's playin'', hey?

[MU82]

I'm sure he's getting plenty of money playing for O$U.

I think the best way to continue to prepare for the next level is to continue playing in college.

Plus a lot of these top NFL prospects who aren't eligible for the draft yet will get an insurance policy in case of injury.

Good points.

So that's some of the $$$ part of it, though his first NFL contract would guarantee him more than any of that, and his second one (if he's as good as it looks like he'll be) could get him 9 figures. No insurance policy would cover anything close to that.

But there's also the "how much risk with my body am I willing to take?" part of it. I'm guessing that he knows the score, and this probably isn't big on his mind ... unless the events of the last week (his own situation, and that of Hamlin) weigh on him. None of us can know that.

Sitting out the Covid year didn't hurt top prospects, Trey Lance being Exhibit 1. And sitting out bowl games hasn't hurt prospects for years.

But yeah, I agree with Sultan that this is more just fan-board discussion type stuff. It's quite possible that Harrison isn't even remotely thinking about sitting out the 2023 season.

[wadesworld]

Also, given that his dad made $70M in his career, I'd also hope his family is not relying on his future earnings.

[JWags85]

Sitting out the Covid year didn't hurt top prospects, Trey Lance being Exhibit 1. And sitting out bowl games hasn't hurt prospects for years.

The COVID year was an anamoly, and part of the reason players sat out that year was that it wasn't going to be a normal season with normal top tier competition anyways. 

Trevor Lawrence was the consensus #1 pick in 2021 after his freshman season at Clemson and he still played out not 1, but 2 more years.

As Sultan says, nobody sits out a year like that.  And while the Hamlin thing was terrifying and sobering, I don't think that affects current players anymore than Eric LeGrand or Devon Walker or Ryan Shazier being paralyzed affected players at the time, outside of maybe those that already had spinal injuries.

[MU82]

The COVID year was an anamoly, and part of the reason players sat out that year was that it wasn't going to be a normal season with normal top tier competition anyways. 

Trevor Lawrence was the consensus #1 pick in 2021 after his freshman season at Clemson and he still played out not 1, but 2 more years.

As Sultan says, nobody sits out a year like that.  And while the Hamlin thing was terrifying and sobering, I don't think that affects current players anymore than Eric LeGrand or Devon Walker or Ryan Shazier being paralyzed affected players at the time, outside of maybe those that already had spinal injuries.

I think you're probably right about all of this, and I never said otherwise.

There was similar discussion about Lawrence sitting out a year, or even two. That's all it was - discussion. And that's all this is, though this time there is the context of the brutal hit Harrison just took, as well as the Hamlin situation. Again, I'm not saying either of those will influence Harrison's decision at all. It would be far more surprising if he doesn't play than if he does.

The football world seems does seem to be affected more by the Hamlin situation than earlier, similarly horrific events, but I fully allow maybe that's just recency bias talking.

Sometimes, things do strike a nerve and become bigger than previous situations. The aftermath of the murder of George Floyd is an example - there were countless other horrifying racist events throughout history, but that one (for a variety of reasons) resonated more. Maybe the Hamlin situation will resonate more in this realm ... or maybe it will eventually fade into a horrible memory, as the other cases you brought up have.

Interesting discussion, Wags. Thanks to you and the others.

[WhiteTrash]

Also, given that his dad made $70M in his career, I'd also hope his family is not relying on his future earnings.

You'd think so and hope so but these NFL guys (and NBA, MLB) spend money like nobody. A friend of mine for years has hung out with NFL players for years and tells me most nights out on the town they spend $10k or more each night. He's seen rookies spend $20-$30k in a night paying for the older guys. It's a different world.

[Uncle Rico]

Also, given that his dad made $70M in his career, I'd also hope his family is not relying on his future earnings.

When dad shoots people, that money can disappear quick

[jesmu84]

https://twitter.com/DanWetzel/status/1611199099499315200?t=u7xvXr2xk3e6kUS31FF5sw&s=19

[Hards Alumni]

https://twitter.com/DanWetzel/status/1611199099499315200?t=u7xvXr2xk3e6kUS31FF5sw&s=19

Soooooo Carolina?