College Football

[PepSinger]

I am thrilled that Georgia beat OK. I cannot stand OK and Mayfield. That game was excellent.

I am also so glad to be vindicated for the Alabama top 4 pick! This, ladies and gentlemen, is why the committee chose Bama over OSU. We got the majority of our injured players back. Also, special shoutout to Payne— he got an interception and a TD! Way to go. The only thing that drove me up the damn wall was the offensive play calling in the second half. RUN THE BALL. 

Anyways, I’m glad the championship game is SEC vs SEC. I am so tired of hearing how our conference is weak. It is just a bunch of malarkey.

[MarkHB]

2 hours ago, Calvada said:

Nick Saban is upset that there are only 7 days between games.  Those poor Alabama players had to stay in New Orleans last night, then travel 300 miles back to Tuscaloosa, and in just 3 days, they have to travel 200 miles to Atlanta.  He said, "Someone has to think about the players, and not what's convenient for the media or TV."  Oh, the humanity!

 

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

Also, according to Chris Myers, it’s 1200 miles from Oklahoma to Pasadena and 2000 miles from Georgia to Pasadena.  So my tears for Saban, they are not real.

Plus, what about the kids in FCS, D2 and D3?  They play 3-4 weeks of national playoffs and have an even slimmer chance of making the NFL than the FBS players do.

[xaxat]

3 hours ago, Calvada said:

Nick Saban is upset that there are only 7 days between games.  Those poor Alabama players had to stay in New Orleans last night, then travel 300 miles back to Tuscaloosa, and in just 3 days, they have to travel 200 miles to Atlanta.  He said, "Someone has to think about the players, and not what's convenient for the media or TV."  Oh, the humanity!

In addition, they fly charter. No TSA.

That probably takes a couple of days off travel time.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Full disclosure, I don't give two shits about college football (or any football for that matter) but I live in the Orlando area and have a lot of friends and coworkers who are UCF alumni and they're pissed about not being in the national championship discussion.  Should they be?

[mojoween]

They should be but as the current structure is made, they didn’t have a chance to be invited to the playoffs.  And I don’t see that changing because even if there were an eight team playoff, I think they still would have been left out.

The only reason is because the conference they play in, is not considered one of the “Power Five” and is therefore somehow lesser.

[PepSinger]

Well, the other reason is that UCF only played one team from the Power Five: Maryland. Their lack of opponents from that group also hurt their standing. To be fair, though, they were supposed to play Georgia Tech, but that game was canceled because of Hurricane Irma. 

 

However, considering they beat my most hated football team ever, Auburn, they are in good standing with me.

[MyAimIsTrue]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

The only reason is because the conference they play in, is not considered one of the “Power Five” and is therefore somehow lesser.

Exclusion of "lesser" conference teams seems rather shortsighted to me.  College basketball has shown that the mid-majors can hang with the big boys so why should this be different?  Rhetorical question as I'm sure it's all about money and broadcasting rights deals.

[Minneapple]

7 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

Full disclosure, I don't give two shits about college football (or any football for that matter) but I live in the Orlando area and have a lot of friends and coworkers who are UCF alumni and they're pissed about not being in the national championship discussion.  Should they be?

Probably. Hey, UCF has a better record than Alabama against common opponents (namely, Auburn). But this was my feeling about the midmajor conferences when they were complaining about the BCS. The BCS actually gave the smaller programs quite a bit of access, which the power conferences greatly resented. So when the power conferences were setting up the playoffs, did the smaller schools really think they would get MORE access? 

In any case, the playoff as it is currently structured and decided is pretty stupid. Because part of the reason they started a playoff was to avoid a situation like 2011 with LSU and Alabama. Now you have Alabama and Georgia and not much has changed. 

[xaxat]

The day I never have to hear "Win this fight tonight!" again in ESPN promos can't come soon enough.

[mojoween]

1 minute ago, xaxat said:

The day I never have to hear "Win this fight tonight!" again in ESPN promos can't come soon enough.

Holy cannoli.  I listen to ESPN Radio from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day and that promo makes me want to set my headphones on fire.

I’m so irritated because I don’t want to watch, but I can’t not.  Also the LeBatard Megacast sounds magical.

[xaxat]

So what are the odds the President sticks around to see Kendrick Lamar's halftime show?

[mojoween]

The LeBatard Megacast is everything I thought it would be and more.  I am delighted.

[roamyn]

I haven’t been watching, because I’ve got a lot of work that I brought home, but when I went in the bedroom, just before the TD, hubby said the ‘Bama QB is flustered.

[Minneapple]

Jalen Hurts looks like crap. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is making plans to slowly murder everyone.

[Popples]

If anyone has Comcast/Xfinity, is your ESPN Classic channel missing? I like watching that telecast because it has no commentators and it shows the bands at halftime. I just looked for mine and the whole damn channel is gone!

[Bastet]

I tuned away from the game at halftime to watch Jeopardy!, and then switched from J! at commercial break to watch a couple minutes of the halftime show, and the entire fucking audience gathered around the stage having camera phones thrust out in front of them makes me shake my head.  If they're actually watching the performance they're lucky enough to be feet away from, they're bouncing around and the footage they're blindly capturing will be unwatchable.  If they're standing there watching through their viewfinder, documenting the moment rather than actually experiencing it, that's far worse.  I don't get it.

[xaxat]

Does anyone know what the halftime entertainment in the dome was? Did they play Kendrick's performance?

[Minneapple]

6 minutes ago, xaxat said:

Does anyone know what the halftime entertainment in the dome was? Did they play Kendrick's performance?

Guessing halftime in the dome was the marching bands. Maybe they showed Kendrick on the screens inside when the bands weren't playing.

[mojoween]

As far as I can tell, they played Alabama’s band, then Georgia’s band, then the stadium went dark and then the LeBatard Megacast showed a picture of Kenny G as Kenny G was playing sax over the phone, while one of their staff, who was painted orange, juggled oranges, so I’m assuming they showed Kendrick playing at that time.

[Moose135]

35 minutes ago, mojoween said:

showed a picture of Kenny G as Kenny G was playing sax over the phone, while one of their staff, who was painted orange, juggled oranges

Wow, that's not something you see every day, I'm so sorry I missed it!

[twoods]

I guess Saban is a genius benching Hurts. Another guy who seems to have sold his soul like Belichick. Stupid ass Crimson Tide.

[Crs97]

So if you punch an opponent you don’t get ejected?  Unacceptable.  Also unacceptable is clothes lining an opponent and having that be legal.  Alabama’s #48 should have been tossed a long time ago.

[Bastet]

I hate everyone.

[stealinghome]

I have no rooting interest in this game and don't even follow college football, but: this has been a great game in the second half. Incredibly entertaining to watch.

Agree that #48 for Bama should've been tossed way back when he threw the punch, though. Completely unacceptable that he was not. Also, the refs have done Georgia no favors. I've counted at least 3 calls or non-calls that went against them that shouldn't have (offsides on the blocked punt, missed facemask, the guy who shoved the Georgia QB after the whistle).

If Alabama loses, I will feel so bad for the Bama kicker.

 

...WOW how did they let him get that wide open?!

Edited January 9, 2018 by stealinghome

[Jx223]

What an ending to game that had many interesting things happen especially from Alabama players. Including Alabama players making a profane comments about Trump before the game, collapsing on the field, (I hope that player is okay), and trying to fight a coach on the sideline. All topped off with the Freshman QB Tua coming in and helping them get the win. I was rooting for Georgia in tonight's game, but Alabama did a nice job of coming back and winning the championship again. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by Jx223

[mojoween]

Ahh man I fell asleep.  This sucks.  To hell with ‘Bama and Saban.

[mojoween]

Because I’m petty, if I hate the victor, I do not subscribe to the theory that it’s a good game regardless.  Therefore, random ESPN guy whose name I did not catch, last night was in no way better than last year.

Kirk Herbstreit irritated me too, with his “this could have backfired” (about changing QB’s).

They do this with Belichick all the time. If it works, he’s a genius.  If it doesn’t, well maybe he should have done something else.

No.  You can’t have it both ways.  Also, Saban winning this means they are going to be slurping him for a week, and I am not here for that.

(Incidentally, my phone autocorrected Saban to Satan and I mean....)

[benteen]

Saban is the greatest coach in college football history and it isn't even close.  Two years ago, he called an onside kick that changed the momentum of the game against Clemson and won.  This year, he brings in a freshman backup QB and they win.  Alabama had a LOT of luck and good fortune in this game but like the Pats, they find a way to win and that separates them from everyone else.  Last year aside, they close games unlike Georgia and Oklahoma and they were one second away from winning three straight national titles.

Great game.

[PepSinger]

I find it humorous to be mad at a team that made an excellent comeback to win the game. Can’t be mad at talent and strategy. Way to go, Nick Saban. ROLL TIDE!

2 minutes ago, benteen said:

Saban is the greatest coach in college football history and it isn't even close.  Two years ago, he called an onside kick that changed the momentum of the game against Clemson and won.  This year, he brings in a freshman backup QB and they win.  Alabama had a LOT of luck and good fortune in this game but like the Pats, they find a way to win and that separates them from everyone else.  Last year aside, they close games unlike Georgia and Oklahoma and they were one second away from winning three straight national titles.

Great game.

Well said! Say what you will about Saban, but he is an excellent coach. You can’t be mad about that. He did his job.

 

That being said, Alabama needs to find another kicker posthaste.

[mjstrick]

I could not hate Alabama more and I still think it's totally ridiculous that they weren't even the best of 7, yet now they're supposedly the best of all? Okey dokey. Lots and lots of help along the way. And Saban doesn't give a shit if his players cuss the President or punch other players/their own coaches. If they're good, they aren't subject to actual rules/consequences. Roll Tide indeed.

[PepSinger]

I couldn’t care less if his players cursed the president. On my list of concerns, that is non existent. As for the stuff about the players, no team is perfect. Roll tide roll!

Quote

Lots and lots of help along the way.

Why is it so unfathomable that Alabama actually earned their way to the top? Never in my life have I seen a team get so much ire for being great. Oh, well. It just makes me double down on my love of them.

Edited January 9, 2018 by PepSinger

[Artsda]

Georgia came so close. :(

[Ohwell]

Fucking 'Bama.  

[BitterApple]

2 hours ago, mjstrick said:

If they're good, they aren't subject to actual rules/consequences. Roll Tide indeed.

It's a good thing the QB's stayed classy to balance out the trashy behavior of the one kid cussing the President and the other fighting his coach on the sidelines. 

[Fukui San]

Those two last plays...  The win probabilities had to veer from about 50% to 10% after that sack to 100% at the end. 

[mjstrick]

Bitter Apple, that they did!

[PepSinger]

Also, for those that said no one would watch an all-SEC championship game:

https://articles.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/01/alabamas_cfp_national-champion.amp?__twitter_impression=true

[mojoween]

According to Bo Scarborough, he said he said “fuck Georgia” and my husband and I just listened to it five times and I think I believe him because it did sound like two syllables, and not one.

[twoods]

Poor guy if he's getting crap for people saying he said something about Cheetotini. I'm sure some portion of the audience thought that.

I tuned in to see Bama lose after the half. At least people got treated to a good game. Bama is probably going to be even better next year because of all these terrific freshmen. The nausea is returning...

[mojoween]

When I was waiting for my sub at Firehouse a scroll on the TV caught my eye that said that Bob Stoops’s kid signed some sort of guarantee where he would get a roster spot, but it does not guarantee him a scholarship.

Now if a kid is worthy of a scholarship I’m all for giving it to him regardless of the wealth of the parents, but come on.  I would think of all places, Oklahoma would not need to give that kid a scholarship.

[Stuffy]

Yeah he turned down a scholarship elsewhere to be a preferred walk on.  He definitely doesn't need scholarship money. In addition to his dad, his mom made a lot of money with Mary Kay. 

[AimingforYoko]

Keith Jackson has died.

With the possible exception of Howard Cosell, the most imitated sportscaster ever. I grew up with Keith on Saturdays when he teamed with Frank Broyles.

Whoa nelly. R.I.P.

[mojoween]

Ohhhhh that is so sad!  I LOVED Keith Jackson and his voice.  Just thinking about him makes me think of Saturday afternoons in the 80’s watching sports with my dad (who passed last month so it’s especially poignant). Keith did Wide World of Sports with Jim McKay didn’t he?

[MarkHB]

Keith and Jim WERE ABC Sports in the 70s and 80s. Very sad to hear this.

[Silver Raven]

Dammit, Keith Jackson WAS college football.  I am truly sad.

[ketchuplover]

FUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE

[Silver Raven]

Washington State's prospective starting quarterback for next season was found dead in his apartment with an apparent self inflicted gun shot.

http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/police-wsu-quarterback-tyler-hilinski-found-dead-with-apparent-self-inflicted-gunshot-wound/684769049

[xaxat]

I am now a Princeton Tiger fan.

Alabama loses recruiting battle to Princeton as four-star QB sticks with Tigers

Quote

"The overall consensus is Princeton is once in lifetime experience," he said. "Obviously you're going to get a great education, but I figure part of it, too, is the friends that you make are going to last a lifetime. Almost everyone you meet is going to be best friends the rest of your life. You're going to be offered a big variety of things to do with a Princeton alumni network as well."

Priorities!

[AimingforYoko]

Stay Tuned.

[roamyn]

20 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

Stay Tuned.

It’s all here say.  Nothing’s gonna happen to a Urban, other than - at most - a scolding.  And that’s only if it can be proved he knew.