2014 NCAA Football Thread

[rams80]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet. Ohio State moved up from #8 to #6, jumping Arizona State (expected) and Baylor (unexpected?). At the time, they played the #25 team in the country, Minnesota, on the road, in 16 degree, snow conditions. The new ranking have Minnesota staying at #25 despite the loss.

I am trying to decipher this. Did they think it was a good win by Ohio State (which is was a really good win), a good loss by Minnesota, or did so many teams in the 18-25 range lose, that it forced Minnesota to stay in the Top 25? Or is it a combination of all 3?

If you're the 25th-ranked team playing at home against the (then) 8th-ranked team, wouldn't a one-touchdown loss be the expected result? Thus validating the idea that Minnesota is the 25th-best team in the country?

It can be both. If #5 beat #10 by a field goal, we'd say that it's a really good win for #5 so maybe bump them up but it'd also tell us that we had #10 in the right spot. Should it be different here?

One of the things that's always frustrated me about polls is their tendencies to drop teams after losing games that they were expected to lose.

Well, yes, it was a 7 point win. But watching the game, it should have really been at least a 3 touchdown win... possibly 4. A true freshman fumbled twice in terrible field position... one was as he literally was crossing the goal line before half time, making the score 21-7 at half instead of 17-14. The other was taking a punt off his face mask inside the Ohio State 20 yard line. Both leading to easy score for the Golden Gophers.

I guess I was just curious after seeing how systematic/cookie cutter the BCS/CFP is with losses.

BUT IT WASN'T!

No yit. But the point I was trying to make was if the BCS/CFP ranking actually focused on JUST the score results, or do they look farther in to stats, farther in to the eye test, farther in to conditions, farther in to actual dominance throughout the game.

Indiana's losing by 40 to Ohio State this week, but holy crap if the upset were to happen I would just die of the giggles.

I almost want Ohio State to get into the playoffs just so they can get hammered and you have to try to desperately spin the loss into a Buckeye victory Mr. Sockpuppet.

[Seadragon76]

Well, if you're an SEC fan, the new rankings made you happy because it would create an all-SEC West match-up for the Sugar Bowl (unless there are rules against playing a conference foe, which I don't think there is).

If you're a TCU fan, you are little miffed... but you can't rest on your laurels because you seen what happened when they did. Not to mention that Baylor fans are chomping at the bit to see TCU fall.

As for Marshall (since that seems to be an issue to some people here): You play what the schedule has given you. Nothing you can do about it. What you can do is win games. Going 12-0 would impress the committee. A loss in either one of the three games left means they're doomed for a trip to the Bahamas (which doesn't sound so bad when you think about it).

[Lights Out]

What the is "game control" and why is it being used as a playoff metric?

It's code for "pulling :censored: out of our ass." IIRC, I'm pretty sure Long praised Bama for "controlling the game" and then praised Mississippi State for "staying in the game."

[HedleyLamarr]

Not in the slightest. If the public understood it then, the coaching staff and athletic department should've realized that capability was there long beforehand.

I mean, if you're a coach, do you just aimlessly recruit players with no real goal or timeframe in mind?

One would think that Marshall's coaching staff sat there in January 2013 and said, "Alright. We've got a team that can challenge for the conference title this year and that should peak in 2014."

The natural line of thought from there should be "let's make sure we have a quality opponent on the schedule."

Plus, Marshall's played money games in the past — they played in Blacksburg last year. It's not as if there's some aversion from top programs to playing them.

Look, if you don't give your team even the slightest of chances of getting a good win in a season, you have zero room to complain when they aren't respected.

The recruiting pitch for Marshall pre-playoff was "Should we go undefeated, we'll be in line for a BCS bowl", and that's for 80% of the current players.

Now their pitch is "You can go to Alabama and wait 2-3 years before you see quality time on the field, or you can come here and play immediately and get a chance at one of the New Year's Six bowls"...which is essentially the same recruiting pitch as before. So that ain't it.

Should you have to blame Marshall, blame the 2009-2010 Marshall regime. That's about the time frame you're looking at for scheduling the games for 2014. Games simply aren't scheduled just a year or two in advance...it's 4+ years down the road. And like I said, Marshall can't afford to give the big schools a 7-figure check to back out of a game to schedule a free Marshall game.

[Burmy]

So, the Kent State-Buffalo game got postponed because of the snow...as a Wisconsinite, I wonder when America became a nation of such pansies.

EDIT: Never mind, it's because of problems with Kent State's equipment truck. If this were a Packers game, we would've played it nonetheless, and LOVED every moment of it.

If it's not played tomorrow, they should rule it a forfeit win for UB.

[Still MIGHTY]

So, the Kent State-Buffalo game got postponed because of the snow...as a Wisconsinite, I wonder when America became a nation of such pansies.

EDIT: Never mind, it's because of problems with Kent State's equipment truck. If this were a Packers game, we would've played it nonetheless, and LOVED every moment of it.

If it's not played tomorrow, they should rule it a forfeit win for UB.

You do realize that people can't get out of their homes because of the snow... The Buffalo Sabres had to scratch someone from their lineup last night because he couldn't get to the arena.

It has nothing to do with being a "pansy"

Holy

[CLEstones]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet. Ohio State moved up from #8 to #6, jumping Arizona State (expected) and Baylor (unexpected?). At the time, they played the #25 team in the country, Minnesota, on the road, in 16 degree, snow conditions. The new ranking have Minnesota staying at #25 despite the loss.

I am trying to decipher this. Did they think it was a good win by Ohio State (which is was a really good win), a good loss by Minnesota, or did so many teams in the 18-25 range lose, that it forced Minnesota to stay in the Top 25? Or is it a combination of all 3?

If you're the 25th-ranked team playing at home against the (then) 8th-ranked team, wouldn't a one-touchdown loss be the expected result? Thus validating the idea that Minnesota is the 25th-best team in the country?

It can be both. If #5 beat #10 by a field goal, we'd say that it's a really good win for #5 so maybe bump them up but it'd also tell us that we had #10 in the right spot. Should it be different here?

One of the things that's always frustrated me about polls is their tendencies to drop teams after losing games that they were expected to lose.

Well, yes, it was a 7 point win. But watching the game, it should have really been at least a 3 touchdown win... possibly 4. A true freshman fumbled twice in terrible field position... one was as he literally was crossing the goal line before half time, making the score 21-7 at half instead of 17-14. The other was taking a punt off his face mask inside the Ohio State 20 yard line. Both leading to easy score for the Golden Gophers.

I guess I was just curious after seeing how systematic/cookie cutter the BCS/CFP is with losses.

BUT IT WASN'T!

No yit. But the point I was trying to make was if the BCS/CFP ranking actually focused on JUST the score results, or do they look farther in to stats, farther in to the eye test, farther in to conditions, farther in to actual dominance throughout the game.

Indiana's losing by 40 to Ohio State this week, but holy crap if the upset were to happen I would just die of the giggles.

I almost want Ohio State to get into the playoffs just so they can get hammered and you have to try to desperately spin the loss into a Buckeye victory Mr. Sockpuppet.

I love how sensitive you get. I'm far from a sock puppet. I'm inquiring about the thought process of the committee. I trying to go farther into the discussion than just "oh hey bro, *insert team here* won this week, bro."

You guys are much more knowledgeable on the topic than I am, so I am trying to ask questions and learn from it. Not once have I ever tried to "spin" a loss in to a win. Not even close. I've tried to discuss the games and the process to see how things will shake out. Just like every one FAN on this site, we are all trying to figure out how our teams can make it in to the first Playoff.

[rams80]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet. Ohio State moved up from #8 to #6, jumping Arizona State (expected) and Baylor (unexpected?). At the time, they played the #25 team in the country, Minnesota, on the road, in 16 degree, snow conditions. The new ranking have Minnesota staying at #25 despite the loss.

I am trying to decipher this. Did they think it was a good win by Ohio State (which is was a really good win), a good loss by Minnesota, or did so many teams in the 18-25 range lose, that it forced Minnesota to stay in the Top 25? Or is it a combination of all 3?

If you're the 25th-ranked team playing at home against the (then) 8th-ranked team, wouldn't a one-touchdown loss be the expected result? Thus validating the idea that Minnesota is the 25th-best team in the country?

It can be both. If #5 beat #10 by a field goal, we'd say that it's a really good win for #5 so maybe bump them up but it'd also tell us that we had #10 in the right spot. Should it be different here?

One of the things that's always frustrated me about polls is their tendencies to drop teams after losing games that they were expected to lose.

Well, yes, it was a 7 point win. But watching the game, it should have really been at least a 3 touchdown win... possibly 4. A true freshman fumbled twice in terrible field position... one was as he literally was crossing the goal line before half time, making the score 21-7 at half instead of 17-14. The other was taking a punt off his face mask inside the Ohio State 20 yard line. Both leading to easy score for the Golden Gophers.

I guess I was just curious after seeing how systematic/cookie cutter the BCS/CFP is with losses.

BUT IT WASN'T!

No yit. But the point I was trying to make was if the BCS/CFP ranking actually focused on JUST the score results, or do they look farther in to stats, farther in to the eye test, farther in to conditions, farther in to actual dominance throughout the game.

Indiana's losing by 40 to Ohio State this week, but holy crap if the upset were to happen I would just die of the giggles.

I almost want Ohio State to get into the playoffs just so they can get hammered and you have to try to desperately spin the loss into a Buckeye victory Mr. Sockpuppet.

I love how sensitive you get. I'm far from a sock puppet. I'm inquiring about the thought process of the committee. I trying to go farther into the discussion than just "oh hey bro, *insert team here* won this week, bro."

You guys are much more knowledgeable on the topic than I am, so I am trying to ask questions and learn from it. Not once have I ever tried to "spin" a loss in to a win. Not even close. I've tried to discuss the games and the process to see how things will shake out. Just like every one FAN on this site, we are all trying to figure out how our teams can make it in to the first Playoff.

You're ESTONES. This is your second account. That's the clinical definition of a sockpuppet.

Ohio State's playoff chances ride on them winning out and the SEC West fratricide resulting in a bunch of 2+ loss teams.

[rams80]

So, the Kent State-Buffalo game got postponed because of the snow...as a Wisconsinite, I wonder when America became a nation of such pansies.

EDIT: Never mind, it's because of problems with Kent State's equipment truck. If this were a Packers game, we would've played it nonetheless, and LOVED every moment of it.

If it's not played tomorrow, they should rule it a forfeit win for UB.

Buffalo's gotten ~5 FEET of snow from this storm. 7 people have died.

I think even Milwaukee would flinch and be a little...shut down with a storm that bad dip .

[CLEstones]

You're ESTONES. This is your second account. That's the clinical definition of a sockpuppet.

Do you honestly think no one knows that its me? There is a 2 letter difference in the names. I stopped posting on the old ESTONES6 account, and I never tried to hide the fact that I was the same person. Are you really that much of a simpleton to think I would change 2 letters in my name and think no one would know? You cracked the case Sherlock! The case of hidden identity that was never hidden in the first place!

I've been discussing the CFP just like everyone else has been. I'm just trying to get some insight from people who are far more knowledgeable than I am. I am trying to think through the possible scenarios for my team to make it in to the CFP, just like everyone else on this thread.

[capsfan1000]

Not in the slightest. If the public understood it then, the coaching staff and athletic department should've realized that capability was there long beforehand.

I mean, if you're a coach, do you just aimlessly recruit players with no real goal or timeframe in mind?

One would think that Marshall's coaching staff sat there in January 2013 and said, "Alright. We've got a team that can challenge for the conference title this year and that should peak in 2014."

The natural line of thought from there should be "let's make sure we have a quality opponent on the schedule."

Plus, Marshall's played money games in the past — they played in Blacksburg last year. It's not as if there's some aversion from top programs to playing them.

Look, if you don't give your team even the slightest of chances of getting a good win in a season, you have zero room to complain when they aren't respected.

The recruiting pitch for Marshall pre-playoff was "Should we go undefeated, we'll be in line for a BCS bowl", and that's for 80% of the current players.

Now their pitch is "You can go to Alabama and wait 2-3 years before you see quality time on the field, or you can come here and play immediately and get a chance at one of the New Year's Six bowls"...which is essentially the same recruiting pitch as before. So that ain't it.

Should you have to blame Marshall, blame the 2009-2010 Marshall regime. That's about the time frame you're looking at for scheduling the games for 2014. Games simply aren't scheduled just a year or two in advance...it's 4+ years down the road. And like I said, Marshall can't afford to give the big schools a 7-figure check to back out of a game to schedule a free Marshall game.

Actually If I really correctly, Marshall scheduled a game this year against Louisville (cant remember if it was home or away) but Louisville had to back out due to conflicts created by them changing conferences to the ACC this year. If I had to bet, that's why they played URI this year. Don't know if beating Louisville would have been enough to change the conversation, but it does show that Marshall did at least try to schedule someone.

[Harmening]

So, the Kent State-Buffalo game got postponed because of the snow...as a Wisconsinite, I wonder when America became a nation of such pansies.

EDIT: Never mind, it's because of problems with Kent State's equipment truck. If this were a Packers game, we would've played it nonetheless, and LOVED every moment of it.

If it's not played tomorrow, they should rule it a forfeit win for UB.

So there is seven feet of snow and a driving ban. That makes the Buffalo area a bunch of pansies?

If that was happening in Green Bay, there would be no games played.

What a stupid statement...

[CLEstones]

So, the Kent State-Buffalo game got postponed because of the snow...as a Wisconsinite, I wonder when America became a nation of such pansies.

EDIT: Never mind, it's because of problems with Kent State's equipment truck. If this were a Packers game, we would've played it nonetheless, and LOVED every moment of it.

If it's not played tomorrow, they should rule it a forfeit win for UB.

So there is seven feet of snow and a driving ban. That makes the Buffalo area a bunch of pansies?

If that was happening in Green Bay, there would be no games played.

What a stupid statement...

I mean... there is snow literally to the tops of peoples' doors, buses are getting stuck, and the government has put a driving ban/restriction. That has nothing to do with a being a pansy. It has to do with safety. We are talking about athletics. If something were to happen to those players, or those bands, or those trainers and staff members, the outrage would be through the rood, and it should be. It would be one thing to cancel a game for 4 or 5 inches of snow... its another story when we are talking 4 or 5 feet.

[Raysfan12]

Not in the slightest. If the public understood it then, the coaching staff and athletic department should've realized that capability was there long beforehand.

I mean, if you're a coach, do you just aimlessly recruit players with no real goal or timeframe in mind?

One would think that Marshall's coaching staff sat there in January 2013 and said, "Alright. We've got a team that can challenge for the conference title this year and that should peak in 2014."

The natural line of thought from there should be "let's make sure we have a quality opponent on the schedule."

Plus, Marshall's played money games in the past — they played in Blacksburg last year. It's not as if there's some aversion from top programs to playing them.

Look, if you don't give your team even the slightest of chances of getting a good win in a season, you have zero room to complain when they aren't respected.

The recruiting pitch for Marshall pre-playoff was "Should we go undefeated, we'll be in line for a BCS bowl", and that's for 80% of the current players.

Now their pitch is "You can go to Alabama and wait 2-3 years before you see quality time on the field, or you can come here and play immediately and get a chance at one of the New Year's Six bowls"...which is essentially the same recruiting pitch as before. So that ain't it.

Should you have to blame Marshall, blame the 2009-2010 Marshall regime. That's about the time frame you're looking at for scheduling the games for 2014. Games simply aren't scheduled just a year or two in advance...it's 4+ years down the road. And like I said, Marshall can't afford to give the big schools a 7-figure check to back out of a game to schedule a free Marshall game.

Actually If I really correctly, Marshall scheduled a game this year against Louisville (cant remember if it was home or away) but Louisville had to back out due to conflicts created by them changing conferences to the ACC this year. If I had to bet, that's why they played URI this year. Don't know if beating Louisville would have been enough to change the conversation, but it does show that Marshall did at least try to schedule someone.

As a Louisville fan, that is what really happened.

[tBBP]

^ Are you completely incapable of posting about anything that DOESN'T involve Louisville? Seriously...

[Raysfan12]

^ Are you completely incapable of posting about anything that DOESN'T involve Louisville? Seriously...

I was just confirming what the above poster just said about Marshall's scheduling issue.

[PSUcelticsWON95]

I find that Marshall originally scheduling Louisville is interesting. I definitely don't think they are Playoff worthy, but it still surprises me to see them not in the CFP T-25 yet again. I mean, they've won by a fairly significant margin in about every game this year, just like most T-25 teams would. Not trying to stir up anything big, but I still stand by saying that they seem to be playing at a good enough level, even given their SoS, to be in the T-25.

Predictions for this week:
Bama routs WCU

Oregon routs Colorado

Florida State routs, yes routs, BC

Mississippi State routs Vandy

TCU has a bye

Ohio State routs Indiana

Pretty boring week for the top-6.

[dfwabel]

^ Are you completely incapable of posting about anything that DOESN'T involve Louisville? Seriously...

I was just confirming what the above poster just said about Marshall's scheduling issue.

So in other words, "No".

[crashcarson15]

Florida State routs, yes routs, BC

Let's not forget the last time an undefeated, highly-ranked team broke out a specially-colored jerseys for a game against BC...

[HedleyLamarr]

Looks like Duke is back to becoming the frauds in football that we're used to seeing.

Assuming they don't make up a 38-14 deficit with 17 minutes left, Florida State will have to prepare for Georgia Tech and their triple-option on a week's notice.