2024 College Football Thread

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

It's a broken sport right now. FSU is right in saying predictive performance matters more than on field results, apparently. That means things need to change to be taken seriously. P5(or P4 now) Conf Champs need an auto bid. Shake out any wildcard desires after that

Next year the six highest rated conference champions will get an auto bid. That would have been the case this year had the ACC, and others, not stepped in front of playoff expansion in 2021.

[MU82]

The former Bahamas Bowl has moved here and will be played in UNC-Charlotte's on-campus stadium. The game is now called the Famous Toastery Bowl, and Old Dominion and Western Kentucky will be the first combatants.

So we're lucky here in Charlotte. We now have two December college football exhibition games that few will give two shytes about.

[CreightonWarrior]

Portal already going crazy

[WhiteTrash]

Next year the six highest rated conference champions will get an auto bid. That would have been the case this year had the ACC, and others, not stepped in front of playoff expansion in 2021.

Minor note: I think it's the 5 (not 6) highest rated conference champs. Last minute change due to the PAC12 disappearing over the Bermuda Triangle.

[Pakuni]

The former Bahamas Bowl has moved here and will be played in UNC-Charlotte's on-campus stadium. The game is now called the Famous Toastery Bowl, and Old Dominion and Western Kentucky will be the first combatants.

So we're lucky here in Charlotte. We now have two December college football exhibition games that few will give two shytes about.

I think you underestimate the popularity of college football.
Last year's Bahamas Bowl, which kicked off at 11:30 a.m. EST on a weekday, drew 822,000 viewers.
Last year's Big East Final, played in prime time on a Saturday night, drew 980,000. And the Bahamas Bowl was the only bowl game last year with fewer viewers than the Big East Final.

[Uncle Rico]

I think you underestimate the popularity of college football.
Last year's Bahamas Bowl, which kicked off at 11:30 a.m. EST on a weekday, drew 822,000 viewers.
Last year's Big East Final, played in prime time on a Saturday night, drew 980,000. And the Bahamas Bowl was the only bowl game last year with fewer viewers than the Big East Final.

Degenerates favorite month

[MU82]

I think you underestimate the popularity of college football.
Last year's Bahamas Bowl, which kicked off at 11:30 a.m. EST on a weekday, drew 822,000 viewers.
Last year's Big East Final, played in prime time on a Saturday night, drew 980,000. And the Bahamas Bowl was the only bowl game last year with fewer viewers than the Big East Final.

Yay?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Minor note: I think it's the 5 (not 6) highest rated conference champs. Last minute change due to the PAC12 disappearing over the Bermuda Triangle.

OK. That makes sense.

[pbiflyer]

Portal already going crazy

Deion Sanders and fiancée Tracey Edmonds end their relationship after 12 years together https://trib.al/IFOVObA

Damn everyone is entering the Transfer portal. 

[Herman Cain]

This article details the process of how The Music City Bowl and other Non Playoff Bowls figure out their match ups.

https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2023/12/behind-the-scenes-of-how-the-music-city-bowl-auburn-made-a-selection-sunday-match.html?outputType=amp

[MU82]

Caleb Williams opted out of the Holiday Bowl, a no-brainer decision.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm glad more people are becoming aware of how dumb college football is. The fact that they have conned millions into caring about a sport where it is only even possible for like 15 teams win the national championship is a testament to the brilliance of the NCAA, TV execs, and university leaders. Watch your team  go undefeated and get rewarded with an exhibition game, what a joke.

12 team playoff will make it a little better but my god that past 100 years have been dumb.

[MU82]

I'm glad more people are becoming aware of how dumb college football is. The fact that they have conned millions into caring about a sport where it is only even possible for like 15 teams win the national championship is a testament to the brilliance of the NCAA, TV execs, and university leaders. Watch your team  go undefeated and get rewarded with an exhibition game, what a joke.

12 team playoff will make it a little better but my god that past 100 years have been dumb.

It's the pageantry!

[Pakuni]

I'm glad more people are becoming aware of how dumb college football is. The fact that they have conned millions into caring about a sport where it is only even possible for like 15 teams win the national championship is a testament to the brilliance of the NCAA, TV execs, and university leaders. Watch your team  go undefeated and get rewarded with an exhibition game, what a joke.

I too feel bad for Liberty.

If anything has spoiled college football, it's the mindset that the national championship is the only thing that matters, rendering any other accomplishment by the other 132 teams meaningless. There was a time not that long ago when getting invited to the Orange Bowl or the Cotton Bowl meant you had a hugely successful season. Now, unless it's one of the playoff games, it's a meaningless exhibition game and a joke?
It's the "nothing-short of-a-title" mentality that has stolen the joy of the game, not the fact that only  a handful of teams have a realistic shot at a title. That has always been the case.

[wadesworld]

I too feel bad for Liberty.

If anything has spoiled college football, it's the mindset that the national championship is the only thing that matters, rendering any other accomplishment by the other 132 teams meaningless. There was a time not that long ago when getting invited to the Orange Bowl or the Cotton Bowl meant you had a hugely successful season. Now, unless it's one of the playoff games, it's a meaningless exhibition game and a joke?
It's the "nothing-short of-a-title" mentality that has stolen the joy of the game, not the fact that only  a handful of teams have a realistic shot at a title. That has always been the case.

Meh.  I think it's more the going undefeated and winning a power 5 conference championship and not even getting to COMPETE for the title that is the problem.  I'm sure FSU would be happy to play in the Orange Bowl against Georgia had they lost to Louisville.  Or LSU.  Or any of their opponents this year.  But expecting an undefeated power 5 conference champion to be like, "Woo hoo!  Orange Bowl means the world to us!" is, well, a joke.

[Pakuni]

Meh.  I think it's more the going undefeated and winning a power 5 conference championship and not even getting to COMPETE for the title that is the problem.  I'm sure FSU would be happy to play in the Orange Bowl against Georgia had they lost to Louisville.  Or LSU.  Or any of their opponents this year.  But expecting an undefeated power 5 conference champion to be like, "Woo hoo!  Orange Bowl means the world to us!" is, well, a joke.

I'm not speaking only of FSU here. Georgia and it's fans are bummed to be in the Orange Bowl. Fans of teams like Oregon, tOSU, Penn State, etc., think they had bad seasons.
This is all supposed to be fun. When you're sad about going 12-1, you've sucked the joy out it.

As for FSU, they have every right to feel angry. But they're still not one of the four best teams. 

[WhiteTrash]

As for FSU, they have every right to feel angry. But they're still not one of the four best teams.

Could probably say the same about UW and Texas. 

[wadesworld]

I'm not speaking only of FSU here. Georgia and it's fans are bummed to be in the Orange Bowl. Fans of teams like Oregon, tOSU, Penn State, etc., think they had bad seasons.
This is all supposed to be fun. When you're sad about going 12-1, you've sucked the joy out it.

As for FSU, they have every right to feel angry. But they're still not one of the four best teams.

Agreed.  But that's why college football is a joke.  Their motto is (or at least at some point was) "Every game matters."  It never has.  Every game for Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, and a couple random teams that pop up year to year matter.  But the idea that some dudes sitting around a room just get to decide the 4 best teams rather than taking into account what actually played out over a 13 game season is a complete joke.

[MU82]

It's the "nothing-short of-a-title" mentality that has stolen the joy of the game

That's the case in all sports, pro and college. (And even top-level high school.)

More than just a few Marquette fans thought we had a decent shot at the national title last season. I was really bummed when reality hit. And then I got over it and appreciated the entirety of the season. Same will be true for most fans of college football teams that don't win the title this season, but sometimes it's hard to get over a "catastrophic" loss.

I mean, Red Sox fans STILL can't reference Bucky Dent without inserting an expletive in his name. That's just sports.

In college football, the alternative is going back to when AP voters decided the national championship. Not sure if you're saying you'd prefer that, but if so I think you'd be in the minority.

[Pakuni]

Could probably say the same about UW and Texas.

Maybe, but it's a much harder case to make.
FSU simply was not a worthy team once Travis went out.

In 11 games with Travis at quarterback, the offense averaged 38.3 points per game and 444.7 total yards. In the two games without him, they averaged 20 points and 221.5 total yards.
For perspective, Iowa had the worst offense in FBS this year. It averaged 238.8 yards per game.

[Pakuni]

In college football, the alternative is going back to when AP voters decided the national championship. Not sure if you're saying you'd prefer that, but if so I think you'd be in the minority.

No, I'm saying the singular focus on the national title brought about first by the BCS and then the playoff has robbed the joy of other accomplishments and successes.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I'm glad more people are becoming aware of how dumb college football is. The fact that they have conned millions into caring about a sport where it is only even possible for like 15 teams win the national championship is a testament to the brilliance of the NCAA, TV execs, and university leaders. Watch your team  go undefeated and get rewarded with an exhibition game, what a joke.

12 team playoff will make it a little better but my god that past 100 years have been dumb.

Agreed.  But that's why college football is a joke.  Their motto is (or at least at some point was) "Every game matters."  It never has.  Every game for Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, and a couple random teams that pop up year to year matter.  But the idea that some dudes sitting around a room just get to decide the 4 best teams rather than taking into account what actually played out over a 13 game season is a complete joke.

It's all about how the top football playing schools don't want to share revenue with the NCAA - much of it due to the animosity that existed for years between those schools and the NCAA.

This is why you had a series of bowl games with the "champion" being determined by the polls. Even the BCS is a relatively recent thing.

And yet college football is the second most popular sport in the country.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

No, I'm saying the singular focus on the national title brought about first by the BCS and then the playoff has robbed the joy of other accomplishments and successes.

I don't agree with that at all. It certainly seemed like schools like Boise and SMU were happy to win their conferences. College football television ratings are huge. It seems like there is plenty of joy by both teams and fans.

[lawdog77]

I don't agree with that at all. It certainly seemed like schools like Boise and SMU were happy to win their conferences. College football television ratings are huge. It seems like there is plenty of joy by both teams and fans.

Because I am too lazy to look (or too dumb to find it), how are the attendance numbers (both at games and TV ratings) for the bowls pre and post playoff system?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Because I am too lazy to look (or too dumb to find it), how are the attendance numbers (both at games and TV ratings) for the bowls pre and post playoff system?

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-attendance-rose-in-2022-with-largest-year-over-year-increase-since-1982/