College Football

[Chit Chat]

20 hours ago, Bastet said:

Auburn, I really wanted you to do me a solid as well; I don't care about you or Alabama, except when the breathing, talking turd that is Nick Saban is coach - I want him to lose all the games. 

Just being real here:  The SEC Championship game against Georgia is going to be a really tough one.  We have some key players out with injuries, and there has been inconsistency (a lot having to due to said injuries), so all of the Bama fans I've spoken to are not too optimistic about it.  However, we never give up on our team, so maybe they'll be firing on all cylinders next week, but if they don't win, hopefully it will be a competitive game.  

Again, keeping it real, I really do think it's Georgia's National Championship to lose.  They seem to be firing on all cylinders this year. 

FWIW, Saban's not a turd.  He and Ms. Terry do a lot of charitable work in their community, and he's very invested in helping his players to become successful in life, whether it involves football or not.   He reaches out to ex-Bama players if they're in trouble (been a few of 'em).  I know that he's not everyone's cup of tea, but for us Bama fans, we support him through thick and thin!  

[twoods]

3 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

I've read that Oklahoma wants Kliff Kingsbury. 

I have no idea why Kingsbury would leave the Cardinals. He’s doing well in the NFL and despite injuries to his top players, they are leading the division and conference. Why would he leave for college?

Edited November 29, 2021 by twoods

[emmawoodhouse]

Well, to be fair, there is no indication that Kingsbury is interested. All the articles I read just said that OU was "targeting" him. 

[PepSinger]

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

The SEC Championship game against Georgia is going to be a really tough one.  We have some key players out with injuries, and there has been inconsistency (a lot having to due to said injuries), so all of the Bama fans I've spoken to are not too optimistic about it. 

Oh, is that what we’re calling Bill O’Brien nowadays? (I lack the words to adequately explain how much I hate him). We have a 5 star at left tackle, and we keep running right. WTF?

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

However, we never give up on our team, so maybe they'll be firing on all cylinders next week, but if they don't win, hopefully it will be a competitive game.

Absolutely. I’m rooting for the Tide, but I do not expect them to win. If we somehow take the top prize this year, then I will pass out.

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

Again, keeping it real, I really do think it's Georgia's National Championship to lose.  They seem to be firing on all cylinders this year.

They’re firing on the defensive cylinder. I am not exactly impressed by their offense. Also, while I do think it’s their championship to lose, I don’t find the teams they’ve played that impressive, to be honest.

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

FWIW, Saban's not a turd.  He and Ms. Terry do a lot of charitable work in their community, and he's very invested in helping his players to become successful in life, whether it involves football or not.   He reaches out to ex-Bama players if they're in trouble (been a few of 'em).  I know that he's not everyone's cup of tea, but for us Bama fans, we support him through thick and thin!

Agreed. I don’t think it’s fully understood outside of the Tuscaloosa/University of Alabama community how much Saban and his wife do when it comes to charitable efforts. After the April 27, 2011 tornado happened, they built 13 homes to equal the amount of championships we’d won up to that point. Ever since then, whenever Alabama wins a championship, a new house is built. That being said, I can understand why certain fan bases don’t like him; I just don’t happen to agree.

I cannot wait to see the gift that Saban gives Tank Bigsby for Christmas.

4 hours ago, Bastet said:

I'm used to putting up with Oklahoma coaches I don't like personally since I'm just a peripheral fan due to family ties, but to have one of these dudes at USC?  I'm going to have to dig more into Riley to decide how I feel about this.

Well, don’t expect a defense, for one.

Edited November 29, 2021 by PepSinger

[Chit Chat]

17 minutes ago, PepSinger said:

They’re firing on the defensive cylinder. I am not exactly impressed by their offense. Also, while I do think it’s their championship to lose, I don’t find the teams they’ve played that impressive, to be honest.

Hopefully we'll put them to the test!  Thing is, teams always play their A-game when they play Bama.   We expect everything and the kitchen sink from opposing teams, especially Auburn!!   We expect trick plays, new plays, and anything else when it's a big game.  

21 minutes ago, PepSinger said:

Oh, is that what we’re calling Bill O’Brien nowadays? (I lack the words to adequately explain how much I hate him).

I guess I'm in the dark about how people feel about him.  I thought our problems stemmed from so many injuries and maybe some immature players.  Saban has said a little bit about some of the problems he's had with the mental aspect of the game with some of them.   I need to ask my boss if he's got the inside scoop on the coaching situation.  He eats, sleeps, and breathes Bama football and seems to get a lot of the inside scoop before the rest of us do!  

Did you get to see the Million Dollar Band usher in Santa Claus at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?  There's some good footage of them on YouTube.  They looked and sounded great! 

[twoods]

2 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Well, to be fair, there is no indication that Kingsbury is interested. All the articles I read just said that OU was "targeting" him. 

Probably a report “leaked” by Kingsbury’s agent so he can get more money out of Arizona. 

[Carey]

While Kliff is doing well & has Arizona rising to the occasion, The Cards sorta have to call his bluff here.  It might work & Kingsbury gets a raise.  However, they still need to do something in the postseason to warrant that.

FWIW, it's a good fit in Oklahoma, but maybe in a couple years, if the Sooners position is available & the Cardinals have a significant setback, he could return here.

In the meantime, I don't see how he's leaving to go back to college in 2022, even at Oklahoma.  Especially when they can't be super dominant in the Big XII during their final years before the almighty SEC

[Popples]

 

[mojoween]

Brian Kelly is apparently leaving Notre Dame for LSU.  Whaaaaaaat?

[Carey]

Now Official

[WritinMan]

Kelly is truly dumb if he does this.

Alabama, Georgia, and Auburn will be very happy, though.

Edited November 30, 2021 by WritinMan

[Chit Chat]

23 hours ago, PepSinger said:

Oh, is that what we’re calling Bill O’Brien nowadays?

I talked to my boss today and got his take on O'Brien.  He thinks that he's not very creative in his schemes.  He thinks we're too predictable and teams can pick us apart pretty easily.  I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that was the gist of it.  I sure hope we've got something up our sleeves for Georgia, because they sure will! 

[PepSinger]

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I talked to my boss today and got his take on O'Brien.  He thinks that he's not very creative in his schemes.  He thinks we're too predictable and teams can pick us apart pretty easily.  I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that was the gist of it.  I sure hope we've got something up our sleeves for Georgia, because they sure will! 

That’s basically it. He’s too predictable (wildcat during the LSU game, shotgun during the Auburn game on a 4th and 1), and considering the shakiness of our O-line, it is not a good thing. 

[mojoween]

Bill O’Brien, the terrible Texans coach Bill O’Brien?

Allegedly the LSU news got out before Brian Kelly was prepared for it to, so he texted his team late last night a letter from sort of notepad app.  What a dingus.

[Carey]

22 hours ago, WritinMan said:

Kelly is truly dumb if he does this.

Alabama, Georgia, and Auburn will be very happy, though.

Plus, there's still Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Ole Miss

 

Georgia is still number one.  They will be the first of 4 teams headed to the College Football Playoff.  It should be close to business as usual; chaos happens, but I'd be stunned if everyone loses (Alabama, Michigan, Cincinnati).


Top 10 includes: Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Baylor, Oregon, Cincinnati

Edited December 1, 2021 by Carey
College Football Playoff News

[benteen]

Hearing that Kelly met with his players for less than two minutes and walked put without taking questions shows that he is a coward along with being bad human being.

[NUguy514]

8 hours ago, Carey said:

Georgia is still number one.  They will be the first of 4 teams headed to the College Football Playoff.  It should be close to business as usual; chaos happens, but I'd be stunned if everyone loses (Alabama, Michigan, Cincinnati).

Well, since Georgia and Alabama are playing each other, one of them is guaranteed to lose.

[pennben]

I’m a ND fan. A coaching job is just that. He’s not a heretic for taking a different job. Hopefully the next coach builds on the foundation Kelly built over last decade. The religion isn’t supposed to be on the football field.   ND has a big time program. They should act accordingly.  No whining, just building stronger. 

Edited December 2, 2021 by pennben

[Peace 47]

I haven’t been a particular fan of Brian Kelly ever since that Notre Dame student was killed in that hydraulic lift accident on a windy day while filming the football team practicing (although I know it was a confluence of bad decisions, not just Kelly’s, that led to the accident).  My father also told me that Kelly had been reprimanded in the past for abusive talk to players, but I don’t know if that is accurate.

I get that Kelly had to leave when he did for recruiting purposes, but it just sits badly to leave the existing team when, if they were holding onto any slim chance to be selected for the playoffs, it probably just went up in smoke with his decision.

I saw that his covertly recorded address to the Notre Dame team is making the rounds on Twitter, and I get why people are roasting him for that.  It was so perfunctory and without really any personal touches at all about their season(s) together, life lessons about taking on new opportunities, respect for the institution, etc.  Maybe the school wanted him in and out of there quickly since he doesn’t work there anymore, but it just seemed like he was done with the lot of them and using the “best for my family” shield to avoid addressing anything real.

[mojoween]

I just found out that the (former) coach of Virginia is named Bronco Mendenhall and that is just a great football name.

[roamyn]

Anonymous reporting to SI is that the three “preferred” candidates to OU are Baylor’s coach, GA’s Defensive coach, and Cinci’s coach.

I don’t see a chance in Hell that Dave Aranda or Luke Fickell will leave their respective jobs.  Dave just got to Baylor and is putting together a great team (of course we all said the same abt Matt Rhule), and why would Fickell leave a team - in a state he loves BTW - headed for the Big 12, for one headed for the SEC?
 

[Carey]

On 12/1/2021 at 2:53 AM, NUguy514 said:

On 11/30/2021 at 6:34 PM, Carey said:

Georgia is still number one.  They will be the first of 4 teams headed to the College Football Playoff.  It should be close to business as usual; chaos happens, but I'd be stunned if everyone loses (Alabama, Michigan, Cincinnati).

Well, since Georgia and Alabama are playing each other, one of them is guaranteed to lose.

That's right.  However, I didn't include Georgia in the conversation because their spot in the playoff is pretty much a done deal.  If the Bulldogs were to fall to 5th place, IMO, it would be due to losing 73-0 or something like that, coupled with Michigan, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State shutting out their combination with the same or similar margin.

I doubt the Bulldogs would fall out since the committee would view their performance as not needing to give it their all (especially since it's against Alabama).  BTW, the Tide only has a 98% chance to reach the playoff with a win, which was a bit surprising.  Not sure what would keep them out if they beat Georgia in the SEC Title Game, but I guess nothing's 100% or 0% until everything's complete

[PepSinger]

Hee! I love Joey’s work.

 

[PepSinger]

Oh, Ducks. It’s…been rough since tOSU, hasn’t it?

[emmawoodhouse]

15 minutes ago, PepSinger said:

Oh, Ducks. It’s…been rough since tOSU, hasn’t it?

Utah is their kryptonite. 

[Carey]

17 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

17 hours ago, PepSinger said:

Oh, Ducks. It’s…been rough since tOSU, hasn’t it?

Utah is their kryptonite. 

Naturally, Ohio State has a chance (but not a great one) to pummel Utah in four weeks.

 

Well, unlike Utah,  Oklahoma State, who had more prestigious destinations than the Fiesta Bowl, couldn't emulate what they did to their championship finalist foe.  No CFB playoff for the Cowboys, and no Fiesta Bowl either.  They could be okay for a NY Six spot, but that will be tough.  Baylor might get Houston if they can pull off the upset.

Michigan should win against Iowa, but right now I will not be shocked if they lose.  Iowa has a great defense.  IMO, unless it's absurd, I'll go for the O/U.

Alabama I think can win ATS, but not outright.  Georgia is too good and should make the Tide regret losing to A&M.

I will not be surprised at all if Pittsburgh loses despite yours truly thinking they'll win (since their defense is more of a threat than Wake Forest).

Well, Cincinnati, Georgia, Pittsburgh, and Michigan FTW.  Probably means I'll go 2-4 at best

Edited December 4, 2021 by Carey
CFB Postseason Stuff

[emmawoodhouse]

I don't think a favorite has won yet. And as I write, Bama/Georgia are tied  with Bama driving right before the half.

Edit: TD Bama

Edited December 4, 2021 by emmawoodhouse

[roamyn]

47 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

I don't think a favorite has won yet. And as I write, Bama/Georgia are tied  with Bama driving right before the half.

Edit: TD Bama

Well it’s 35-13 Bearcats in the 3rd, so at least Cinci is getting it done.  But UGA?! WTF?  It’s like 31-17 in the 3rd for Bama.  Is UFA ever going to get that monkey off it’s back?

[mojoween]

SU hoops game ends (good job guys!) so I turn on the SEC.  Score is 24-17 and I said to the hubs “I don’t have a dog in the race, I’m glad it looks like a good game.” Three seconds later Bama scores a TD and Georgia looks very pedestrian.  Thanks a lot!

Oh also I forgot I was going to ask - I really only pay attention  to college football at the end of the season.  Who should I be paying attention to for the NFL draft?  I literally have not heard anything in the media I listen to about someone as a true blue number one.

Edited December 4, 2021 by mojoween

[twoods]

Damn it Georgia, you had one job. Now time for another Alabama championship. Barf.

Edited December 5, 2021 by twoods

[AimingforYoko]

Well, three of the teams have punched their tickets (Alabama, Georgia and Cincinnati) we'll see if Michigan is the 4th. I just hope Cincy doesn't get killed by 'Bama.

[Carey]

4 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

Well, three of the teams have punched their tickets (Alabama, Georgia and Cincinnati) we'll see if Michigan is the 4th. I just hope Cincy doesn't get killed by 'Bama.

I don't think Cincy will get killed by Alabama in 4 weeks.  Might be difficult to get killed by the Tide if Michigan does the deed in advance!

[AimingforYoko]

13 minutes ago, Carey said:

I don't think Cincy will get killed by Alabama in 4 weeks.  Might be difficult to get killed by the Tide if Michigan does the deed in advance!

It will be 1. Alabama 2. Michigan 3. Georgia 4. Cincinnati (If Michigan takes care of business).

It'll probably be ND at 4 if Michigan blows it.

[Popples]

I just saw this and I can't stop laughing.

[Bastet]

Once Oklahoma St. blew it, there went any chance of me having a team to root for in the playoffs (I mean, I'll root for Cincinnati as an upset, but I'm not going to be invested in it), but I was hoping for Georgia to dispense with Alabama so I wouldn't have a team I needed to fervently root against.  Thanks a lot, Bulldogs.

And what the hell, Cowboys?  Or, specifically, Cowboys offense?  If I was a defensive player, after that fantastic turnaround in the second half that never got capitalized on, I'd go kick the shit out of someone on the offense.

 

[Chit Chat]

That's pretty funny, Popples!  Some of us Bama fans are pretty stunned ourselves!  I was cautiously optimistic about the game, but given all of the hype about Georgia, I thought it was going to be a lopsided game - except for us on the losing end!  I'm really proud of the guys for giving it everything they had.  Well done and Roll Tide!   

[emmawoodhouse]

Mr. Woodhouse's niece will be happy. She's a freshman at Michigan and has been to several games, so she's invested. My alma mater sucks ass (not even bowl eligible), so I will root for the Wolverines. Likely futile, having to probably play Georgia, but I have no reason to root for any of the others in the top 4. And hating the $EC, I have reason to root against two. 😁

[Carey]

4 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

4 hours ago, Carey said:

I don't think Cincy will get killed by Alabama in 4 weeks.  Might be difficult to get killed by the Tide if Michigan does the deed in advance!

It will be 1. Alabama 2. Michigan 3. Georgia 4. Cincinnati (If Michigan takes care of business).

It'll probably be ND at 4 if Michigan blows it.

It's either that or Michigan, Alabama, Cincinnati, and then Georgia.  Notre Dame losing its Head Coach probably didn't help, but fortunately it is a moot point.

Ditto with the seedings since the matchups will be the same.  The only concern is the fact that Alabama jumping Michigan gives the former a shot at playing in Miami (or not)

[PepSinger]

AHAHAHAHA

ROLL RIDE ROLL

WE WERE THE UNDERDOGS

[NUguy514]

I'd like to say I'm surprised Georgia shat the bed today, but I'm really not; for all the hype, they hadn't really played a truly good team all year.

Anyway, it seems obvious to me that the committee will choose Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, and Cincinnati (even though it will kiiiiiillllllllllll them to have to include that last team) and probably order them that way (even though I'd argue that the top two should be Michigan and Cincinnati since I don't the think the SEC is as strong this year as usual).  The only other order I could foresee is Michigan, Alabama, Cincinnati, and Georgia.  They'll be angling for an Alabama/Georgia rematch in the final (which I would give just about anything to prevent), so they'll go with one of those two orders since there's no way they won't have an SEC team as #1 or #2.

[roamyn]

Pisses me off that two of my most despised teams won big.  I hope UofX is seated 2nd, and Cinci 3rd, so Luke Fickell (a tOSU alum and devoted Ohioan) can kill old Khaki Pants.  

And seriously UGA has played stellar defense all season, while Bama has barely gotten through some games (including last week’s Auburn game), but NOW the latter turn it on and the former peters?

I guess I’ll end up watching the 2014 CFP to distract myself from all the crap kiss assing of UofX and Bama.

[Slade347]

7 hours ago, mojoween said:

Oh also I forgot I was going to ask - I really only pay attention  to college football at the end of the season.  Who should I be paying attention to for the NFL draft?  I literally have not heard anything in the media I listen to about someone as a true blue number one.

The player that seems to be mentioned most as the top prospect is Kayvon Thibodeaux, an edge rusher from Oregon.  It's not a strong quarterback draft, although I'm sure at least one will get pushed up into the top half of the first round.

Assuming it does turn out to be what we all expect (Alabama vs Cincinnati, Michigan vs Georgia) here's hoping Cincinnati and/or Michigan can pull off a victory in the semifinals to prevent us from having a rematch that no one outside the SEC headquarters wants to see.

[Chit Chat]

7 hours ago, roamyn said:

And seriously UGA has played stellar defense all season, while Bama has barely gotten through some games (including last week’s Auburn game), but NOW the latter turn it on and the former peters?

I'm stunned that Georgia's offense wasn't better than that, but maybe they haven't faced a tough defensive line this season.  I haven't watched their games, but as I stated earlier, I really thought they were firing on all cylinders (before last night) and that they were going to run all over us given the pre-game hype!    I expected that Saban would have a really good game plan, but it's up to the players to execute it.  Aside from a few mistakes, they looked more cohesive in this game.  

Again, not to make excuses, but I think the injuries to some of Bama's key players really affected them in some of those games, and our guys made some "mental errors" along the way, and that never helps.   After watching last night's game, I'm thinking that the players who stepped in for the injured ones got their shit together and the team seemed to gel better than what we've seen.  I say this for any team that has to fill slots due to injuries.  It's tough to replace certain guys, and it takes time and practice to get them up to speed.  

I don't want to see a rematch either, just like I didn't want a rematch of us and LSU years ago, but we'll see where the chips fall and go from there.  

 

[Carey]

Well, ESPN is revealing them in reverse.  There is no drama this year, but history is now official.  Actually, the drama is Bama vs UM for the top spot

 

Playoff seeds (Alabama vs. Cincinnati & Michigan vs Georgia).  Notre Dame & Ohio State finished 5th and 6th, respectively.  Probably became all but official the second Cincy was revealed as 4th

 

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Carey
Playoff Matchups

[Carey]

On Sunday, December 5th, 2021 at 12:27 PM EST, the eighth College Football Playoff has been set.  Alabama, back to a familiar spot, will “host” Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, while Michigan will “host” Georgia in the Orange Bowl on the same date.  No kickoff times yet, but I guess the Orange Bowl precede the Cotton Bowl 3 weeks from Friday as of this post.

Alabama regains its outright record in terms of CFB Playoff appearances (after Clemson tied them in 2019).  Georgia, the second ever SEC team to participate in the playoff, is making their second appearance.

Michigan & Cincinnati are the 12th and 13th different team participating in the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014.  Michigan is the third Big 10 team participating, while Cincinnati is the first Group of Five team as mentioned several times everywhere.  As a result of that, College Football has its sixth different conference representation.  Naturally, Cincinnati was a part of a Big 6 conference when the Big East was a big deal prior to early in the last decade when the Big East split to the ACC, the AAC, and the New College Hoops Big East.

As for the other four New Years Six bowl games, including the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, those are slated to be announced around 2:30 PT EST.  I’m guessing the Rose Bowl is all but set with Utah vs Ohio State.  Pittsburgh likely Peach Bowl Bound since the Orange Bowl is a semi final this year.  Ole Miss should or could be Sugar Bowl Bound, and maybe Baylor to the Fiesta Bowl.  Everything else will be disclosed by the end of the weekend.  That includes the rest of the rankings and the complete 42 or so bowl games.  Finally, Bryce Young's win next Saturday the Heisman announcement for the 2021 winner will occur on Saturday, December 11th, 2021.  That is 30 days before the National Championship on Monday January 11, 2022 on ESPN
 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Carey said:

I’m guessing the Rose Bowl is all but set with Utah vs Ohio State.

For which I become a huge Utes fan for exactly half a day.

[emmawoodhouse]

I think Jesse Palmer's been hitting the wacky tabakky.😱

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXHJWHoPdOK/?utm_medium=copy_link

[roamyn]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

I’m guessing the Rose Bowl is all but set with Utah vs Ohio State.

Yes, they’ve already gotten their invitations.

[PepSinger]

I’m exhausted after a day of teaching the bulldogs to behave.

[mojoween]

“The rat poison you put out for us this week was yummy” may have the record for the most surreal thing I have ever heard a college coach say.