College Football

[xaxat]

13 hours ago, Minneapple said:

In which Bevo attempts to murder Uga ahead of the Sugar Bowl.

A Civil War barely avoided.

[mojoween]

I actually feel badly for UGA. I hate to see a dog cringe in fear like that.

Bevo, on the other hand, looks like a lot of fun.

[PepSinger]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

I actually feel badly for UGA. I hate to see a dog cringe in fear like that.

For a second there, I thought you were talking about the UGA players.

[DrSparkles]

20 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I know several people who attended LSU.  It sounds like it was a chippy game.  I must admit my eyes still hurt from rolling them everytime I read their Facebook posts complaining that UCF players are thugs who play dirty.  Oh, the irony.

RIGHT?! We play them every year & LSU are some dirty dogs!!! I still did NOT want damn UCF to win. They can SHUT UP.

[Minneapple]

Live mascots are some of the best in college football. Mike the Tiger (LSU), Ralphie (Colorado), Bevo. They look impressive and their pregame rituals are quite the spectacle -- particularly Ralphie, which is something I'd love to see in person. Then there are programs that tried real animals but it didn't work out. Florida tried a real gator on its sideline for awhile, but a real gator is not a cuddly animal like Uga or an impressive specimen like the above mentioned animals. It just kind of lays there until it decides to use its jaws. I think the actual gator got kidnapped or injured or something. And Michigan and Wisconsin long ago tried wolverines and badgers (which are related, but maybe don't tell them that) on their own sidelines, but the animals are too ferocious and hard to control. The badger escaped its handler and injured people a few times, and the wolverines grew bigger and angrier than Fielding Yost had anticipated, to the point where the players were afraid of them. 

[xaxat]

Don't forget Salukis! (Southern Illinois University)

A friend of mine adopted a retired mascot. Beautiful dog, but as a sight hound he would chase anything he could see if you weren't careful.

I'm not a fan of non domestic animal mascots like Mike. If you need a cage then maybe you should go with someone in a costume.

[Silver Raven]

Is Stanford the only Pac-12 team to win their bowl game?

[Bastet]

16 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Is Stanford the only Pac-12 team to win their bowl game?

No, there were three Pac-12 wins (out of seven games) - Oregon, Stanford, and Washington State.

[Crs97]

And the best of them all:

 

[Minneapple]

Ticket prices crater for National Championship game

Well, gee, nobody could have predicted this, right? Two fanbases that have already traveled to hugely expensive semifinal games are being asked to travel all the way across the country to California for the hugely expensive championship game the following week. Oh, and keep in mind these two fanbases just may be suffering fatigue from winning too much, which sounds silly but maybe not?

Of course Wetzel points to an eight-team playoff as the answer. But if nobody watches this game on Monday, and nobody goes to the game, it's not because we didn't have an eight-team playoff. It's because we're really tired of Alabama and Clemson. You could have had the BCS this year and what difference would it have made? Alabama and Clemson would still be playing in the national title. 

[geauxaway]

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

Don't forget Salukis! (Southern Illinois University)

A friend of mine adopted a retired mascot. Beautiful dog, but as a sight hound he would chase anything he could see if you weren't careful.

I'm not a fan of non domestic animal mascots like Mike. If you need a cage then maybe you should go with someone in a costume.

Mike VII doesn’t live in a cage, if that’s what this is supposed to imply.  Either way, I’m not looking to start an animal rights argument, just stating a fact. 

I miss college football already.  😭

[xaxat]

12 minutes ago, geauxaway said:

Mike VII doesn’t live in a cage, if that’s what this is supposed to imply.  Either way, I’m not looking to start an animal rights argument, just stating a fact. 

Oh no, I din't mean to imply that he lives in a cage. He's got a big habit. But I remember him on the sidelines in a cage, although I don't know if the still do that.

ETA I'm watching a profile of Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence  and that dude is like Sunshine from Remember the Titans.

Edited January 2, 2019 by xaxat

[geauxaway]

3 minutes ago, xaxat said:

Oh no, I din't mean to imply that he lives in a cage. He's got a big habit. But I remember him on the sidelines in a cage, although I don't know if the still do that.

They do not.  And even the final few years that Mike VI was paraded, it was voluntary and he was not forced, coerced or lured in the cage.  Like the the door was open and if he went in, he went in.  Otherwise he was left in his (now certified) sanctuary.   

Bevo scared the F out of me yesterday and I couldn’t imagine a loose bull on the field, but it’s not my school or my mascot, so they must know what they are doing.  It did look like no one was holding his leash at one point tho?!  Eeeek!

[BitterApple]

4 hours ago, Minneapple said:

Ticket prices crater for National Championship game

Well, gee, nobody could have predicted this, right? Two fanbases that have already traveled to hugely expensive semifinal games are being asked to travel all the way across the country to California for the hugely expensive championship game the following week. Oh, and keep in mind these two fanbases just may be suffering fatigue from winning too much, which sounds silly but maybe not?

Of course Wetzel points to an eight-team playoff as the answer. But if nobody watches this game on Monday, and nobody goes to the game, it's not because we didn't have an eight-team playoff. It's because we're really tired of Alabama and Clemson. You could have had the BCS this year and what difference would it have made? Alabama and Clemson would still be playing in the national title. 

I know right? It was pretty much a given that two Deep South teams would be competing for the National Championship, so hey, let's have it at Levi Stadium! A stadium that even locals say is a total pain in the ass to get to. It's not like tech-heavy Silicon Valley is going to have a huge alumni base from either school. I can't imagine there's a significant level of regional interest if they couldn't even fill the stadium for the Pac-12 championship. 

I also agree an 8-team playoff system wouldn't fix anything. It would just mean more blowouts and more fan fatigue. 

Edited January 3, 2019 by BitterApple

[Sew Sumi]

Even worse for the championship, it's supposed to rain Sat-Mon. 

Levi's Stadium has courted disaster since it opened its doors. As a semi-local, I would never consider going to an event there. It's a traffic nightmare, no public transportation, and limited parking. I doubt I'll even watch the game shielded from the elements. Go no one.

[bmasters9]

On 12/29/2018 at 9:30 PM, AimingforYoko said:

Yay, yet another 'Bama-Clemson title game certainly fires the imagination.

Not for me it doesn't-- I'll probably see that 1982 Orange Bowl DVD (the game was a great one that had NBC's Proud N on the broadcast, two great teams in Clemson and Nebraska, a lack of intrusive graphics, and a pair of splendid non-homer commentators in Don Criqui and John Brodie) a good many times more in my lifetime (at least 1,000 times more) before I ever get interested in 'Bama/Clemson again!

[Popples]

WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen headed to the University of Houston. Even though the Mountaineers lost their bowl game, at least he coached it, so I respect him for that. **cough*RichRod*cough**

[mojoween]

13 years ago on this date was Texas/USC.

All apologies to the Trojan alum who posts here, but what a great game.  And I don’t even LIKE Texas, I’ve been a Sooner fan since the 80’s.  But I really disliked that USC team, even though I thought (and still think) Reggie Bush is stunningly beautiful.

I remember having to watch the game sitting on the floor of my living room about three inches from the TV because the living room in our apartment abutted the bedroom and my hubby was sleeping.

I can only imagine if Twitter was a thing then.

[xaxat]

One thing I will not miss after tonight's game is hearing that damn Imagine Dragons song every other college football segment on ESPN.

[galaxygirl76]

So up until I saw this thread pop up I completely forgot tonight is the big game. That's how much I care.

[Calvada]

2 hours ago, galaxygirl76 said:

So up until I saw this thread pop up I completely forgot tonight is the big game. That's how much I care.

Me too - went onto ESPN.com to see what they are saying about the Packers new coach, and oh yeah, it's the national championship game.   So anyway, about Matt LaFleur . . .  

[mojoween]

Kirk Herbstreit made me giggle.  Clemson scores in six or eight plays to go up 20-16 and Kirk says “the Tigers have to be happy with that drive.”

Um.  Yeah.  You would think.  

I need this game to be a blowout either way so I'm not tempted to stay up to the end.  The Golden Globes ended at almost 11:30 last night and I am tired.

[Bastet]

Watching Nick Saban get his ass handed to him is such a nice way to start the week. 

[stealinghome]

I had no rooting interest in this game but have to say...wow, I was not expecting THAT.

[pennben]

Perhaps it was Bama that didn’t belong in playoffs.....I mean Notre Dame held Clemson to 30 points!! 😄 

[Minneapple]

Well, that was unexpected. Amazing and unexpected. Is this it, the end of Saban's deal with the devil?

[xaxat]

Maybe Dabo offered him a better deal.

[NUguy514]

Well, that wasn't a great game, but it was exceedingly satisfying to watch Alabama get fucking slaughtered.

[Peace 47]

Wow, that was satisfying!  I come from a family of die-hard Clemson fans and alums (I had family and friends at the game), so for me, it wasn’t all just about Alabama getting destroyed (no matter who they were playing), but that was a nice benefit.

I can’t remember which announcer said it, but he said something like “Alabama had paw prints all over their backs.”  Haha.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Peace 47

[twoods]

Was not expecting that. I’m sure those Bama players are sad at how they played, but they won last year so I’m not feeling bad for them. Plus, having Saban as your coach will always put a target on your back. Congrats to Clemson, and here’s to hoping that anyone other than these two teams are in next year’s game.

Edited January 8, 2019 by twoods

[bmasters9]

4 hours ago, Bastet said:

Watching Nick Saban get his ass handed to him is such a nice way to start the week. 

Hearing about it is another great way (I didn't see the game)!

[mojoween]

It was 44-16 at the end of the third quarter.  How bad was the fourth quarter?

It’s not an original joke, but the amount of people who made the Sunshine joke about Trevor Lawrence still made me laugh.

I believe I heard them say on ESPN that Clemson now has the most accomplished senior class in NCAA history.  And I found out yesterday morning that Maria Taylor was the Bama reporter and Tom Rinaldi was with Clemson and when I heard that I knew there was no doubt which team was going to win.  

One thing I was wondering is how many Bama alum are in the NFL and if there is at least one per team.

Edited January 8, 2019 by mojoween

[roamyn]

I got an especially perverse smile when the tongue bathed Tua got removed in the 4th.  Tho I imagine now Trevor will be the latest recipient of slobbering.

@xaxat, I love Imagine Dragons, so I felt the opposite.

in other news Dwayne Haskins has applied for the NFL Draft.  A smart move by him, since next years class will be crowded with QBs.  And Justin Fields, the #1 player in the 2018 class has officially transferred to tOSU.

[Minneapple]

The important thing with Fields transferring is that Ohio State's presumed starting quarterback Tate Martell is a huge douche. Martell will throw a fit if Fields is granted a waiver and is able to play immediately. He's already thrown shade at Fields on Twitter. Ohio State's locker room is going to be a thing of beauty.

It's interesting how many five-star quarterbacks transfer when they don't win a starting job. Fields, Kelly Bryant AND Hunter Johnson from Clemson, Kyler Murray.

4 hours ago, mojoween said:

One thing I was wondering is how many Bama alum are in the NFL and if there is at least one per team.

NFL players by college

[PepSinger]

As an noted Alabama fan, I am pissed at how we played last night. We played ourselves. I honestly should have seen this coming from how we played Oklahoma, but damn. Also, number 74 needs to be kicked in the ass. He has caused so many penalties in the red zone that I'm not sure why Saban puts him in the game. I can't even be mad at Clemson; they played a much better game than we did. They deserved to win. Congratulations to them. Now, it's 2-2. Let's see what happens next year.

[mojoween]

1 hour ago, Minneapple said:

NFL players by college

Aww.  Eight teams didn’t join the party.

I think what I learned last night is that the ACC is better than the SEC and SU is better than Alabama, heh.

[PepSinger]

6 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I think what I learned last night is that the ACC is better than the SEC and SU is better than Alabama, heh.

Really? The ACC has one good team, and if Syracuse played Alabama, they'd lose.

[Popples]

All I wanted was a competitive game, but Clemson delivered an absolute ass-kicking for the ages.

At least I can use this one last time:

[xaxat]

1 hour ago, PepSinger said:

Really? The ACC has one good team, and if Syracuse played Alabama, they'd lose.

Seriously. Pitt (whom I'm a fan of) somehow managed to win their division. I'm not sure if they would have finished fourth in the (weaker) SEC East.

[mojoween]

Ha!  I was kidding.  Much like the joke I saw last night that Bama didn’t belong in the playoffs because they gave up 31 points to Clemson before halftime and Notre Dame gave up 30 points for the whole game.

It’s all in fun when you have no horse in the race!

Sorry Pep, I truly do feel your pain

[PepSinger]

16 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Ha!  I was kidding.  Much like the joke I saw last night that Bama didn’t belong in the playoffs because they gave up 31 points to Clemson before halftime and Notre Dame gave up 30 points for the whole game.

It’s all in fun when you have no horse in the race!

Sorry Pep, I truly do feel your pain

Haha, thanks. At the end of the day, it's just a game. We played ourselves.

[BitterApple]

1 hour ago, Popples said:

All I wanted was a competitive game, but Clemson delivered an absolute ass-kicking for the ages.

At least I can use this one last time:

That has to be the most impressive split in history. That guy has to weight what, 260, 270? 

[Crs97]

After watching Clemson last night, I am doubly impressed with A&M almost squeaking out an upset earlier this season.

[PepSinger]

One thing that I think needs to fixed across the board is allowing coaches to take other jobs while they are still employed by their current university. It’s not fair to the team to have someone who’s splitting their focus. I would love to know what Maryland thinks about Locksley’s play calling last night. Good grief.

[Crs97]

Did anyone understand Nick Saban’s comment at the half that Clemson was using “copy cat” plays from other teams that they hadn’t seen in awhile?   He said it like we should be disgusted with Clemson for watching film and figuring out what defense schemes and offensive plays work.  Then one of the Alabama defensive players after the game said the Clemson quarterback wasn’t that great and they didn’t do anything unexpected.  Then why did you lose?

[anyanka323]

13 hours ago, Minneapple said:

The important thing with Fields transferring is that Ohio State's presumed starting quarterback Tate Martell is a huge douche. Martell will throw a fit if Fields is granted a waiver and is able to play immediately. He's already thrown shade at Fields on Twitter. Ohio State's locker room is going to be a thing of beauty.

It's interesting how many five-star quarterbacks transfer when they don't win a starting job. Fields, Kelly Bryant AND Hunter Johnson from Clemson, Kyler Murray.

NFL players by college

Fields and OSU are also using the same lawyer that Michigan used to get a waiver for Shea Patterson last year.  Patterson had a much more convincing case for the waiver because of the Ole Miss sanctions.  The precedent for that situation was when Penn State players could transfer immediately after sanctions were imposed on that program for the Jerry Sandusky scandal. 

[roamyn]

4 minutes ago, anyanka323 said:

Fields and OSU are also using the same lawyer that Michigan used to get a waiver for Shea Patterson last year.  Patterson had a much more convincing case for the waiver because of the Ole Miss sanctions.  The precedent for that situation was when Penn State players could transfer immediately after sanctions were imposed on that program for the Jerry Sandusky scandal. 

Fields is using a racial intimidation plea.  Another sports player used racial slurs at him and was thrown off the team (maybe baseball), and Justin is claiming that because he got this student kicked off his team, that friends of this student on the football team have made the locker room uncomfortable.  So he has a moderately successful case, not as strong as Shea’s, but not as weak as Kelly Bryant’s.   I hope he wins, because Martell is an ass and I’m not all that impressed from the little we’ve seen of him on the field.

[roamyn]

Tate Martell & Jalen Hurts have entered the transfer pipeline.  

Kyler Murray has declared for the draft,  but if chosen does not have to sign.  I think he might be using it for leverage w/the As, esp since he’d have to give back any of the $4M signing bonus they’ve paid out.  If it was my son, I’d recommend he stick with baseball, as the havoc on ur body is less as you age, not to mention concussions and career ending injuries more prevalent.  The downside (for a young superstar), is that u don’t go right to the majors.

Edited January 15, 2019 by roamyn

[Sew Sumi]

The A's are not going to give Murray (and Boras) his $15MM blackmail price. That's essentially half their payroll.

[xaxat]

I agree with Reggie Bush.