2014 NCAA Football Thread

[DarkJourney]

Congrats to the Buckeyes.

ESPN's way to early top 25 for next season:

1. TCU

2. Ohio State

3. Baylor

4. USC (YEAH RIGHT! I DON'T THINK SO)

5. Oregon

6. Michigan State

7. UCLA

8. Georgia

9. Clemson

10. Alabama

11. Ole Miss

12. Notre Dame

13. Arizona

14. Auburn

15. Arizona State

16. Wisconsin

17. LSU

18. Georgia Tech

19. Florida State

20. Boise State

21. Arkansas

22. Utah

23. Tennessee

24. Oklahoma State

25. Minnesota

[Cosmic]

Booted from the #1 spot an hour after winning the championship? No respect, I tell ya. No respect.

[infrared41]

Score another one for Goliath. Zzzzz.....

Well, I guess. Except a lot of people complained that this particular goliath got in the playoffs to begin with and was an underdog in every playoff game.

Exactly. Not to mention, "Goliath" just happened to be the last team selected for the playoff and from a conference that was considered a joke. I guess there's just no pleasing some people.

EDIT: Also, like Oregon is some hapless Mid-Major?

[TheGrimReaper]

Score another one for Goliath. Zzzzz.....

Well, I guess. Except a lot of people complained that this particular goliath got in the playoffs to begin with and was an underdog in every playoff game.

Exactly. Not to mention, "Goliath" just happened to be the last team selected for the playoff and from a conference that was considered a joke. I guess there's just no pleasing some people.

EDIT: Also, like Oregon is some hapless Mid-Major?

I'd even say that Oregon has the advantage in terms of recruiting these days. Flashy, West Coast school with "swag" vs Traditional, Midwest school.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Score another one for Goliath. Zzzzz.....

Well, I guess. Except a lot of people complained that this particular goliath got in the playoffs to begin with and was an underdog in every playoff game.

Exactly. Not to mention, "Goliath" just happened to be the last team selected for the playoff and from a conference that was considered a joke. I guess there's just no pleasing some people.

EDIT: Also, like Oregon is some hapless Mid-Major?

Looking beyond this one season, Ohio State is about as staid as it comes in college football. That's not a knock on this team -- which clearly was the best of the four selected for the playoffs -- but more a knock on the the general inertia in college football. There are 100 or so teams, but only like five get to win championships. The playoff did increase the drama of the championship game, but it also produced a boring champion.

If any one team was going to win the first college football playoff, of course it was Ohio State, which might be the most college footballiest school of any of the college football schools.

[dbadefense1990]

If you all would allow me this one small indulgence...

Congrats on claiming the 1st rendition of the CFP National Championship Trophy, "presented by Dr. Pepper, Popcornopolis Popcorn, Maybelline Lipsticks, Pale Ale Beer Taps, and Olympic Relay Torches."

[PSUcelticsWON95]

Congrats to the Buckeyes.

ESPN's way to early top 25 for next season:

1. TCU

2. Ohio State

3. Baylor

4. USC (YEAH RIGHT! I DON'T THINK SO)

5. Oregon

6. Michigan State

7. UCLA

8. Georgia

9. Clemson

10. Alabama

11. Ole Miss

12. Notre Dame

13. Arizona

14. Auburn

15. Arizona State

16. Wisconsin

17. LSU

18. Georgia Tech

19. Florida State

20. Boise State

21. Arkansas

22. Utah

23. Tennessee

24. Oklahoma State

25. Minnesota

Alabama at 10? Yeesh. If this stands (which it won't), at least Oklahoma won't be cursed this year.

[dbadefense1990]

Score another one for Goliath. Zzzzz.....

I thought 'Bama didn't play tonight...

[Midway]

It's been nothing less than a terrible football season for me. Ohio State winning it all is just another twist of the knife but props to that program. They turned it around when it counted and brought the Big Ten back to relevancy. (Though I don't care for conference pissing contests myself). Here's to Michigan learning from this and giving them a fight in the coming years.

This CFP thing sure is fun.

[dbadefense1990]

Congrats to the Buckeyes.

ESPN's way to early top 25 for next season:

1. TCU

2. Ohio State

3. Baylor

4. USC (YEAH RIGHT! I DON'T THINK SO)

5. Oregon

6. Michigan State

7. UCLA

8. Georgia

9. Clemson

10. Alabama

11. Ole Miss

12. Notre Dame

13. Arizona

14. Auburn

15. Arizona State

16. Wisconsin

17. LSU

18. Georgia Tech

19. Florida State

20. Boise State

21. Arkansas

22. Utah

23. Tennessee

24. Oklahoma State

25. Minnesota

Georgia over LSU and the Tide? Yeah, OK; like that'll ever hold up in late-November.

[FiddySicks]

Congrats to the Buckeyes.

ESPN's way to early top 25 for next season:

1. TCU

2. Ohio State

3. Baylor

4. USC (YEAH RIGHT! I DON'T THINK SO)

5. Oregon

6. Michigan State

7. UCLA

8. Georgia

9. Clemson

10. Alabama

11. Ole Miss

12. Notre Dame

13. Arizona

14. Auburn

15. Arizona State

16. Wisconsin

17. LSU

18. Georgia Tech

19. Florida State

20. Boise State

21. Arkansas

22. Utah

23. Tennessee

24. Oklahoma State

25. Minnesota

Tennessee at 23 is really nice to see. They had a good finish to last season and I think they may be a surprise team in the SEC next season. Arizona State at 15 is just about right. They may win the PAC 12 south next season but that's best case scenario IMO. Their defense is probably going to be one of the stronger defenses in the country, but they're losing a few big pieces on offense (Kelly is replaceable with Bercovichi, but it's gonna be damn near imossible to replace the production they got form Jaelen Strong). Arizona at 13 is WAAAAY too high, and they won't be able to sustain that for a full season. ASU has a better all around team than them and I fully expect them to get the Territorial Cup back in that last game. UCLA at 7 is just as downright insane as it was this year, especially since it's a good bet that Brett Hundley won't be back. USC at 4 is a big mistake, but OF COURSE they're up that high. There's still this aura around them from the Pete Carroll days and they certainly do have strong recruiting classes. Too bad Steve Sarkisian has no idea how to properly utilize that talent. Notre Dame at 12 seems crazy to me too, but Notre Dame is always ranked too high to start the season.

TCU at 1 is reeeealy interesting. They definitely were the strongest non playoff team and really should've made it over those hacks from Colombus (kidding! ). I wonder if they'll be able to sustain the pressure of being ranked that high over the full season, as there are usually only a handful of teams who seem to be able to do that lately.

[Sport]

After the LSU-Alabama NCG I pretty much waived my hands and said "I'm done" with regards to college football. That was the point when it became clear that everyone went too far up the SEC's butt and the whole thing just felt gross. Like a big, fixed joke. I ignored most of the next two seasons. It didn't feel worthwhile and it didn't feel fair.

This is the season that brought me back to college football. Knowing there was a playoff at the end really made the whole thing more fun, and seeing the deck can no longer be stacked, and that the true best team can now show it on the field and the playing field is leveled to compensate for biased voters makes it seem more fair. Just like we always said it would. Couple that with moving 2300 miles away, having an OSU alum for a boss, and finding a welcome community of OSU fans at a nearby bar. I went there with my friend who is a former OSU marching band member on most Saturdays (funny enough we were hiking together during the Virginia Tech game so we didn't see a loss this season). I was there again tonight and it was packed with scarlet and gray. One guy, a band member in the 70's, brought his trumpet. He played the fight song after each score and Carmen Ohio after the win. My friend played Hang on Sloopy at halftime (he used the same trumpet. Kinda gross but whatevs). It was awesome.

The game got closer than it actually was and I was only nervous for a brief time when it was 21-20, but I think that just shows who the truly better team was. You lose the turnover battle 4-0 and still win by 20 with your third string QB against the best offense in the country? GTFO.

Although I was accepted and chose not to go there and my history with OSU extends to being raised by two buckeyes, and taking one summer accounting class in the hallowed halls of The Ohio State University, I am proud to say I'm from Ohio and an Ohio State fan. I'm not used to a lot of sports success so I'm going to enjoy the hell out of this.

[LEWJ]

I'm late to the party. But damn, this feels good.

I guess now I can tell everyone about when Cardale stayed the night at my buddy's house with us. A sophomore at Glenville at the time. Totally spontaneous.

And we had to rearrange his room so that he'd fit on the bedroom floor hahaha.

Crazy small world. I doubt he'd remember me, but wow it's incredible the way this season played out--especially for him.

Incredible poise in all his starts.

And Zeke... Wow.

Without these playoffs we'd probably have an FSU v. Alabama National Championship Game.

I wonder how/what the BCS guys... Or computers (?) are doing right now?

The sweetest part is seeing so many people backing off their statements about the doubts they had in Ohio State (or seeing them disappear).

Y'all were wrong. ?

[Webfooter]

Congrats to the Buckeyes.

ESPN's way to early top 25 for next season:

1. TCU

2. Ohio State

3. Baylor

4. USC (YEAH RIGHT! I DON'T THINK SO)

5. Oregon

6. Michigan State

7. UCLA

8. Georgia

9. Clemson

10. Alabama

11. Ole Miss

12. Notre Dame

13. Arizona

14. Auburn

15. Arizona State

16. Wisconsin

17. LSU

18. Georgia Tech

19. Florida State

20. Boise State

21. Arkansas

22. Utah

23. Tennessee

24. Oklahoma State

25. Minnesota

Out of all the early top-25 lists for 2015, I think ESPN's is probably the worst. Just too many over and underrankings there to sit well with me. While not perfect, I think the best early top-25 I've read so far has been USA Today's. Gives tOSU their rightful due as a strong returning champion while also fairly acknowledging every other team's strengths and weaknesses.

1. Ohio State

2. Auburn

3. TCU

4. Stanford (main major quibble)

5. Alabama

6. Baylor

7. Florida State

8. Michigan State

9. Ole Miss

10. Oregon

11. Arizona State

12. Clemson

13. Southern Cal

14. Georgia

15. Arizona

16. Boise State

17. UCLA

18. Missouri

19. LSU

20. Wisconsin

21. Oklahoma

22. Notre Dame

23. Georgia Tech

24. Oklahoma State

25. Nebraska

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2015/01/13/early-top-25-2015-college-football-ohio-state-auburn-tcu-oregon-alabama-florida-state/21517063/

[Kramerica Industries]

It's kinda funny to think back to November 29th now and remember how Ohio State was on the verge of playoff exclusion due to perceived weakness after Barrett's injury. Boy, that would've been a mistake, wouldn't it?

[CLEstones]

Sorry, I posted this on the Sports Logos Thread and it wasn't the place for it:

I guess I'm a little bit peeved. Everyone is saying "Congrats to the Buckeyes, they deserved to be here and they proved it." But in the next breathe, people say "Well, Alabama was overrated all year. Their defense was no where near as advertised." Then after last night, people are saying "Well, Oregon didn't look like themselves. They didn't play their normal style of football." Now people are saying "Well, TCU would have been a better Championship game." Where does the discrediting end?

Why is no one just saying "Damn it... No more excuses. Ohio State is the best team in the country. End of discussion"? I look at this team and in their last 3 games, they've played 3 completely different style teams. Wisconsin was a dynamic, running team. Alabama was a brutal, physical, pro-style team. Oregon was a fast paced, up tempo, gimmick team. They faced the 3 finalist in the Heisman Trophy voting, all at 3 different positions. So its not like it was all running backs and Ohio State had great run defense. It was a QB, WR, and RB. The Buckeye defense was thought to be the weakness in every one of these games, yet thet adapted and overcame 3 different offenses.

[Tigers6884]

Good luck, Jim Harbaugh.

He doesn't need luck. He's already building a powerhouse team.

[sonny]

Sorry, I posted this on the Sports Logos Thread and it wasn't the place for it:

I guess I'm a little bit peeved. Everyone is saying "Congrats to the Buckeyes, they deserved to be here and they proved it." But in the next breathe, people say "Well, Alabama was overrated all year. Their defense was no where near as advertised." Then after last night, people are saying "Well, Oregon didn't look like themselves. They didn't play their normal style of football." Now people are saying "Well, TCU would have been a better Championship game." Where does the discrediting end?

Why is no one just saying "Damn it... No more excuses. Ohio State is the best team in the country. End of discussion"? I look at this team and in their last 3 games, they've played 3 completely different style teams. Wisconsin was a dynamic, running team. Alabama was a brutal, physical, pro-style team. Oregon was a fast paced, up tempo, gimmick team. They faced the 3 finalist in the Heisman Trophy voting, all at 3 different positions. So its not like it was all running backs and Ohio State had great run defense. It was a QB, WR, and RB. The Buckeye defense was thought to be the weakness in every one of these games, yet thet adapted and overcame 3 different offenses.

Well said. This has been a pretty neat team to see bond, mature and grow through some extrodinary circumstances. Every challenge, they rose up and met it head on. The finest coaching I've ever seen and the champions are without a doubt, undisputed.

[CLEstones]

Good luck, Jim Harbaugh.

He doesn't need luck. He's already building a powerhouse team.

I hope so. College football is more fun when Michigan is good. I just hope he doesn't wear out his welcome too fast. It would be nice to see ~10 years of Meyer -vs- Harbaugh.

[Tigers6884]

Good luck, Jim Harbaugh.

He doesn't need luck. He's already building a powerhouse team.

I hope so. College football is more fun when Michigan is good. I just hope he doesn't wear out his welcome too fast. It would be nice to see ~10 years of Meyer -vs- Harbaugh.

I hate Ohio State with a burning passion, but with the Buckeyes playing well and my Wolverines starting a new era, I would love to have a rivalry with both teams playing well. It feels like some of the hate had been lost in the rivalry durring the previous era of U of M football. Harbaugh is absolutely the right fit for the coach to reignite this rivalry, and I look forward to many great Michigan-Ohio State battles in the near future.