2014 NCAA Football Thread

[Balu the Bare]

But here's the question: Can you blame a Mississippi State or a Texas A&M for not scheduling marquee non-conference opponents when they play the gauntlet that is the SEC West? Even without it, their's still has more meat than anybody else's.

Yes I can.

[rams80]

But here's the question: Can you blame a Mississippi State or a Texas A&M for not scheduling marquee non-conference opponents when they play the gauntlet that is the SEC West? Even without it, their's still has more meat than anybody else's.

An effort should be made at least, and no Aggy pleading with Texas to restart the series doesn't count when you know it won't happen.

[hailstateunis]

But here's the question: Can you blame a Mississippi State or a Texas A&M for not scheduling marquee non-conference opponents when they play the gauntlet that is the SEC West? Even without it, their's still has more meat than anybody else's.

An effort should be made at least, and no Aggy pleading with Texas to restart the series doesn't count when you know it won't happen.

Mississippi State has scheduled NC State, Arizona, and Kansas State to future home-and-home series for what it's worth. It's also worth noting that Southern Miss was one of the most consistent mid-majors out there when MSU scheduled them 10 years ago. No one saw the 23 game losing streak coming.

[HedleyLamarr]

I try not to berate a team much for scheduling opponents because these things are usually handled years in advance. It's not like these scheduling agreements are made within a year of playing the game (unless a last-minute reshuffling of conference alignment or whatever causes a team to have to back out of a game). When Georgia made their agreement with Colorado on a home-and-home, they did this fresh off of Colorado winning the Big XII. They didn't think Colorado would fall to complete crap just a handful of years later.

Georgia just scheduled a home-and-home with Notre Dame. UGA's been pretty consistent, but in the last ten years, Notre Dame's gone 12-0 and played for the National Championship and also gone 3-9.

While we'd all likely prefer that every school played no cupcake games, the schools in the Power 5 also have an obligation in making unshared revenue, and many of these college towns want their schools to have as many home games as possible to bring in money for the town. And these small schools heavily depend on these 6- to 7-figure checks to fund their across-the-board budgets.

[Balu the Bare]

I try not to berate a team much for scheduling opponents because these things are usually handled years in advance. It's not like these scheduling agreements are made within a year of playing the game (unless a last-minute reshuffling of conference alignment or whatever causes a team to have to back out of a game). When Georgia made their agreement with Colorado on a home-and-home, they did this fresh off of Colorado winning the Big XII. They didn't think Colorado would fall to complete crap just a handful of years later.

Georgia just scheduled a home-and-home with Notre Dame. UGA's been pretty consistent, but in the last ten years, Notre Dame's gone 12-0 and played for the National Championship and also gone 3-9.

While we'd all likely prefer that every school played no cupcake games, the schools in the Power 5 also have an obligation in making unshared revenue, and many of these college towns want their schools to have as many home games as possible to bring in money for the town. And these small schools heavily depend on these 6- to 7-figure checks to fund their across-the-board budgets.

I'm aware of how it works, I grew up and still live in a family that's heavily involved in D1 sports. I'm pointing out that it seems fashionable to bash other conferences for having weak schedules on one hand, but on the other excuse the SEC for having weaker out of conference schedules because, well, it's the SEC and it's not their fault that x team is garbage 2 to three years later, and y team is a consistent mid-major program and they run the SEC gauntlet and money, and they're probably still the best in the country anyway because they just look like the best teams, and look how many NFL athletes are on these teams!

Every other team in the country seems to have to make their case using on-field performances, or strong strength of schedules, or head to head wins over teams in their own conferences, winning by more than a touchdown, never trailing, never losing, and even if those criteria are met that team isn't playing in the SEC so their resume is suspect. It's an issue I have with college football at this level. It's decided by who looks like the best team that year with other factors seeming to be secondary.

At least this year we have essentially a +1 playoff, which is better than the old BCS imo, but it's still a system of ranking teams based on reasons and then using those rankings to determine who has a chance to be champion instead of letting it all be settled on the field with clear criteria for getting that chance.

[Burmy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...the CFP is turning out to be just a reformatted BCS, hoping the four-team playoffs will make us forget that their system is even MORE unfair than the BCS' was.

I should've smelled a rat when Bill "You Had a Great Season" Hancock suddenly gave his support after years of opposing a playoff...if the system was going to be much different from the BCS, it wouldn't have been approved.

[CLEstones]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...the CFP is turning out to be just a reformatted BCS, hoping the four-team playoffs will make us forget that their system is even MORE unfair than the BCS' was.

For the life of me, I can't understand why people were so short-sighted to begin with. Whoever says they didn't say controversy x4 when this happened is... well... never mind.

Moving to 8 teams will alleviate 1 or 2 problems, but new ones will arise.

[Burmy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...the CFP is turning out to be just a reformatted BCS, hoping the four-team playoffs will make us forget that their system is even MORE unfair than the BCS' was.

For the life of me, I can't understand why people were so short-sighted to begin with. Whoever says they didn't say controversy x4 when this happened is... well... never mind.

Moving to 8 teams will alleviate 1 or 2 problems, but new ones will arise.

Why is it so hard? Just do what the FCS already does (perhaps having bowl games be playoff games still)...and then have it go back to being I-A and I-AA.

[DCarp1231]

Man, it would be awesome if Maryland wins tonight against Michigan St... Move to 2nd in the East, then win against Michigan and Rutgers (both very possible) and at least challenge Ohio State somewhat for the East title (even though Ohio State owns tie breaker). But all in all, Maryland has had a very successful Inaugural B1G season.

[JayMac]

Man, it would be awesome if Maryland wins tonight against Michigan St... Move to 2nd in the East, then win against Michigan and Rutgers (both very possible) and at least challenge Ohio State somewhat for the East title (even though Ohio State owns tie breaker). But all in all, Maryland has had a very successful Inaugural B1G season.

I'll admit the Terps have done very well. I am surprisingly impressed with their success.

[Kramerica Industries]

Florida committing self-inflicted mistake after self-inflicted mistake and being in danger of losing a game they should have already won.

In other news, yes, the sky is still blue. Ok then. My belief system remains intact.

--

17-10 lead in the fourth quarter, and...

1st chance at a two-score lead --> fumble

2nd chance --> dropped pick-six in the endzone

3rd chance --> TD wiped out via holding

4th chance --> blocked FG

and then, with a chance to pin South Carolina deep with no timeouts and less than a minute left --> blocked punt

Lose in overtime.

Funny. Two good games, one of them against feckless Vanderbilt, didn't mean the problems in Gainesville were solved. The Gators just went 1-3 at home inside the SEC this season. Wonder when that last happened (unless it happened last year; then the time before that).

[TheRicSlick]

KU vs. TCU....

[PSUcelticsWON95]

Penn State is going bowling!
WE ARE

[Still MIGHTY]

Penn State is going bowling!

WE ARE

LUCKY TO NOT BE SERVING THE DEATH PENALTY

[Xist2inspire]

Well, Kansas sure blew that lead fast. Yikes.

[PSUcelticsWON95]

Penn State is going bowling!

WE ARE

LUCKY TO NOT BE SERVING THE DEATH PENALTY

It may be "lucky," but it's also the right call

Well, Kansas sure blew that lead fast. Yikes.

Kansas just can't let it get in their head.

Side note: Saw a stat that said this is the first game since 2009 that Kansas has had two players with 100+ yards in a game. Wow.

[Germanshepherd]

Anybody wanting to see history turn on Wisconsin/Nebraska Melvin Gordon needs 24 more yards to beat the all time NCAA single game rushing record.

Against this joke of a Nebraska "defense"

EDIT: He just broke it. Congrats to him fire everybody and all that good stuff.

[Burmy]

HOW SWEET IT IS! :D

They're saying that after today, Pellini should take away the black shirts...tell them "After that performance today, you don't deserve to wear these. And you won't see these again until you've earned them back."

[PSUcelticsWON95]

Honestly, I don't really like when Pelini takes a lot of heat. But this is worse than their B1G appearance against Wiscy. Congrats to Melvin Gordon for breaking the FBS single-game rushing record.

I think Samaje Perine will be known nationally real soon. That kid is a beast.

Side note: I feel really bad for Kansas. They played A LOT better than anyone could've dreamed of. It's a shame they couldn't seal the deal

[ninersdd]

Cardiac Cats strike again!