College Football

[roamyn]

1 minute ago, AimingforYoko said:

OSU vs Michigan cancelled.

OSU ineligible for Big10 championship.

Or maybe not, who knows?

MF Xichigan.   Grrrrrr.   Then again is any championship really worth it this year?  By not being able to play inter division ball, any team that wins, should really have an asterisk next to it.

My biggest issue is Justin Fields will be gone next year.  I don’t know much abt our other QBs.

[Wildcard]

Of course they will.

In the least surprising bit of news.

[emmawoodhouse]

Just coming here to post that. Shocked, I tell you. 🙄

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Just coming here to post that. Shocked, I tell you. 🙄

What else could they do?  OSU is #4 in the country.  The only other team in the Big 10 East with a winning record is #12 Indiana at 6-1 and they've already played and lost to OSU.  Indiana has canceled its game on Saturday due to COVID.   The Big 10 and all of college football, really, screwed up royally when they decided to play the season in the first place.  They should've realized that this outcome was very likely.

[emmawoodhouse]

It just reeks of privilege. I wouldn't complain that much if they bent the rules for Indiana. But I would still complain. 🙂

[doodlebug]

1 minute ago, emmawoodhouse said:

It just reeks of privilege. I wouldn't complain that much if they bent the rules for Indiana. But I would still complain. 🙂

Yeah, it does look bad.  I'm a two time graduate and huge fan of THE Ohio State University.  Personally, I was hoping they'd stick to their guns and cancel the entire season as they'd planned originally.  The thing is, OSU is likely to be invited to the BCS and, while Indiana has had a terrific season, they are not getting a BCS invite.  It would also look bad for OSU to not play for the Big 10 title but still go to the BCS.  Or be dropped from the BCS because they didn't play in the league championship.

[Irlandesa]

57 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

It just reeks of privilege. I wouldn't complain that much if they bent the rules for Indiana. But I would still complain. 🙂

I get it but it was a stupid rule to begin with.  It's one thing if your games are cancelled because of COVID on your own team.  I can see making sure the rules applied.  But they had to know it's likely at least some of the teams that wouldn't make the cut would be because of other team's COVID issues.  They should have had a contingency plan.

[emmawoodhouse]

8 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I get it but it was a stupid rule to begin with.  It's one thing if your games are cancelled because of COVID on your own team.  I can see making sure the rules applied.  But they had to know it's likely at least some of the teams that wouldn't make the cut would be because of other team's COVID issues.  They should have had a contingency plan.

Like the PAC 12, they started too late so it was nearly impossible to build in contingency plans.

[Court]

Go ahead and and flip those records between Indiana and Ohio State. There's no way they would be waiving the rule for Indiana. They would let Ohio State play. 

7 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

It just reeks of privilege. I wouldn't complain that much if they bent the rules for Indiana. But I would still complain. 🙂

Ah but they wouldn't bend the rules for Indiana. 😉

[Carey]

Something to think of: On the subject of contingency plans, I wonder if the CFB Playoff has one.  I think they definitely do.  For instance: who to choose for their Top 4.  There is a possibility that Florida and or Clemson (the latter more realistic) jump Ohio State with a win.  Florida probably has to blow out Alabama, while Clemson really doesn't have to blow out Notre Dame.  However, if they actually kill ND, I could see the Irish missing out entirely.

I'll be honest: I totally don't have a problem with OSU getting the legacy call here.  I guess it's due to the fact that I didn't see a scenario on Planet Earth where TPTB would've said, "Sorry, Buckeyes. Life's not fair, move the hell on."

One thing I might have an issue with is the committee, especially its chair say "No thanks" to programs like Cincinnati, Central Florida, Boise State, etc. When it comes to meaningful postseason.  That added to the fact that they're never going to say, "We will never, ever, put you in the BCS or College Football Playoff, period!"

There was a wish that they would expand the playoff for this year only, and when that failed, you had a chance to get a Group of Five in.  Then the Big 10 and Pac 12 changed their minds.  Really, nothing to lose sleep over.  They were going to put in a 2-loss SEC team or a lousy, lucky one-loss non-traditional powerhouse before a Cincy or BYU before they lost

[doodlebug]

11 hours ago, Court said:

Go ahead and and flip those records between Indiana and Ohio State. There's no way they would be waiving the rule for Indiana. They would let Ohio State play. 

Ah but they wouldn't bend the rules for Indiana. 😉

Unless it was for the basketball team.  Then, Indiana would get the nod and OSU would be SOL.

[NUguy514]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

Unless it was for the basketball team.  Then, Indiana would get the nod and OSU would be SOL.

Indiana hasn't been a true basketball powerhouse in a while; more importantly, though, basketball is a totally different sport with a totally different playoff structure that does not lend itself to this type of exceptionalism.

In football, though, @Court is right: the rules would never be bent like this for Indiana (or Purdue or Minnesota or Northwestern or Illinois, etc.), but they will be bent for OSU every. single. time.  And I'm not even sure I don't think they should be bent this crazy, fucked-up year (and I say that as someone who, just like every other non-OSU-affiliated college football fan inside and outside the B1G, hates OSU passionately) when they never should've had a season to begin with, but let's not pretend that any exceptions would be made for any other school in the B1G.

[xaxat]

It's not just the name, it's the money. If Indiana had defeated Ohio State earlier this year and had a path to the playoffs, you better believe they would have gotten a waiver.

[roamyn]

On 12/9/2020 at 4:01 PM, emmawoodhouse said:

It just reeks of privilege. I wouldn't complain that much if they bent the rules for Indiana. But I would still complain. 🙂

Most likely IU wouldn’t be able to play in the Championship next Sat, due to COVID issues.  So you want to give your best team the best chance of making the CFP.  Any conference would.  So it makes sense that they change that rule.  Whether to accommodate tOSU or any other Team.

[DrSpaceman73]

I'm an indiana fan and alum and don't have a big problem with what the big ten did.  

But I also agree if it was indiana 5-0 and ohio state 6-1, no way they put indiana in the title game.  They'd stick to the 'rules'

They had this 'rule' in place  to keep the 'wtong team's out of the title game, meaning anyone but ohio state for their division in case a controversial situation arose. And then they just ignored it when that rule backfired on them. 

Edited December 11, 2020 by DrSpaceman73

[NUguy514]

20 hours ago, xaxat said:

It's not just the name, it's the money. If Indiana had defeated Ohio State earlier this year and had a path to the playoffs, you better believe they would have gotten a waiver.

Right, and because it's about the money, they'd have stuck to the rules and put OSU in the title game in that scenario.  As @DrSpaceman73 posted, the rule was put in place to ensure OSU's presence in the title game, and that's because OSU is the cash cow.  Indiana is not and would not be given the same treatment.

[mojoween]

Not sure how New York State allowed all these cadets and midshipmen to attend the Army/Navy game, especially if the Navy traveled from Maryland, but while I know I’ve missed the roar of the crowd I didn’t realize how much until I heard it again.

All other sports are going to sound pretty blah from now on.

In unrelated news, good for Sarah Fuller.

[emma675]

I'm watching LSU at Florida. Stands full of fans and so many have their masks under their noses or no mask in sight. WTF Florida? Is there no mask ordinance there?

[wknt3]

15 hours ago, mojoween said:

Not sure how New York State allowed all these cadets and midshipmen to attend the Army/Navy game, especially if the Navy traveled from Maryland, but while I know I’ve missed the roar of the crowd I didn’t realize how much until I heard it again.

All other sports are going to sound pretty blah from now on.

The game was held at West Point, which is a federal facility, to allow cadets and midshipmen to attend as the original site in PA would not have allowed spectators. So NYS had no jurisdiction.

Edited December 13, 2020 by wknt3

[PepSinger]

Not to nitpick, but it's the CFP (College Football Playoff). The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) had its last season in 2013. 

Also, the Big Ten made a mistake in deciding to play so late. Did they forget their geographic location? Everyone knew COVID-19 was going to become worse the colder it became (among other things). That's not to say that COVID-19 has been going along swimmingly in the SEC (and those states), but at least most of our schools have played 9, if not all 10, of the 10 games scheduled. 

[AimingforYoko]

14 hours ago, PepSinger said:

Also, the Big Ten made a mistake in deciding to play so late

Or at all. But as the great philosopher Dalton once said, "Opinions vary."

[xaxat]

Notre Dame's Brian Kelly issues the most hollow threat ever. 

Quote

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Friday if the Irish are chosen to make the College Football Playoff, they would consider not playing if families are not allowed to attend the semifinal game.

I guess he thinks he can bully the committee into moving the Rose Bowl. I can understand disagreeing with California health officials, but he acts as if he has some divine right to have spectators.

[mojoween]

I don’t ever have a dog in the fight yet it still bugs me that the Rose Bowl is used for the playoffs.

[Popples]

That's 2020 for ya!

 

[nittany cougar]

I find Kirk Herbstreit's constant pimping of Ohio State extremely off-putting.  He desperately wants them to be in the same class as Alabama and Clemson, but they are not, at least not this year. I don't have any association with the SEC or the ACC, but come on, it's going to be Alabama or Clemson again.  Both teams are like NFL quality.

It would be very satisfying for me to see Ohio State get an ass kicking from one of those teams just to watch Kirk Herbstreit crying on TV.  

[Carey]

2 hours ago, nittany cougar said:

I find Kirk Herbstreit's constant pimping of Ohio State extremely off-putting.  He desperately wants them to be in the same class as Alabama and Clemson, but they are not, at least not this year. I don't have any association with the SEC or the ACC, but come on, it's going to be Alabama or Clemson again.  Both teams are like NFL quality.

It would be very satisfying for me to see Ohio State get an ass kicking from one of those teams just to watch Kirk Herbstreit crying on TV.  

Same here.  I respect the Buckeyes and I do think they are one of the four best teams.  As mentioned, having them in the mix is not a surprise and rather necessary in terms of revenue and prestige.  However, I don't think Alabama or Clemson will beat Ohio State this year.  That has less to do with the Tide or the Tigers falling, and more to do with Notre Dame being for real this year.  Not enough to win out, but a much better team compared to 2012 or 2018.  (FTR: I'm going chalk this weekend on the collegiate level).  If Clemson wins, they would jump to number two (unless Bama loses).  I don't know if you'd drop Notre Dame to 4.  It's been 8 years, but I'd rather not see Alabama and Notre Dame again, and definitely not Clemson/Ohio State. 

Of course, the only way we'd get Ohio State vs Notre Dame is if the Irish win again and Northwestern loses

[mojoween]

From what the Twitterwebs are telling me I don’t think it matters, but did the ACC really schedule the championship game against the NFL?  There was no way to avoid that? (The NFL game isn’t all that close either, but pro blowouts generally don’t affect the ratings for standalone games, I don’t think)

[galaxygirl76]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

From what the Twitterwebs are telling me I don’t think it matters, but did the ACC really schedule the championship game against the NFL?  There was no way to avoid that? (The NFL game isn’t all that close either, but pro blowouts generally don’t affect the ratings for standalone games, I don’t think)

The SEC championship is scheduled against a NFL game as well.

[mojoween]

Huh.  Now that I think of the conference championships are late this year, aren’t they?  Might not have been anything anyone could do, except maybe play on Friday like the PAC 12.

[Popples]

On 12/18/2020 at 2:19 PM, mojoween said:

I don’t ever have a dog in the fight yet it still bugs me that the Rose Bowl is used for the playoffs.

 

 

[emmawoodhouse]

They had no choice. LA is a covid clusterfuck right now. 

[cambridgeguy]

On 12/18/2020 at 12:51 PM, xaxat said:

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Friday if the Irish are chosen to make the College Football Playoff, they would consider not playing if families are not allowed to attend the semifinal game.

Hmm, that must explain why they got whupped by Clemson.  Nothing to worry about!

 

[DrSpaceman73]

2 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Hmm, that must explain why they got whupped by Clemson.  Nothing to worry about!

 

No kidding, once again notre dame in a huge game comes up tiny.   Ouch. 

Will be interesting to see now about the 4th team and of that loss is bad enough to kick them out.  Depends on some other results sure but that could not have gone worse for notre dame.  Kelly probably should have just kept his mouth shut until it mattered. 

[basiltherat]

I guess having Football Spicoli DOES make a difference!  Double ouch.

[Carey]

It'll be Alabama vs Notre Dame, with the winner facing Clemson vs Ohio State.  Texas A&M finishes in 5th place, and Oklahoma is the 6th team

[AimingforYoko]

So the National Championship is likely to be Clemson vs. Alabama, Part ∞.

Edited December 20, 2020 by AimingforYoko

[Bastet]

I couldn't name the coach or a single player on the Clemson team, yet I keep finding myself having to root for them because of who they're playing.  Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State?  Go Tigers!

(Alabama vs. Notre Dame is unwatchable; no one to root for but the meteor.  Which means I won't be watching the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, which irritates me.)

Edited December 20, 2020 by Bastet

[cambridgeguy]

9 minutes ago, Bastet said:

couldn't name the coach or a single player on the Clemson team, yet I keep finding myself having to root for them because of who they're playing.  Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State?  Go Tigers!

Not a Trevor Lawrence fan?  He's likely to be drafted by the Jets so he'll probably want to enjoy playing for a good team while he can/

[galaxygirl76]

Indiana got hosed by the committee and thanks to that Iowa got a crap bowl. We're the highest ranked team ever to play the music city bowl. Indiana deserved a NY6 bowl instead of the Outback versus a 4-5 Ole Miss team. 

[galaxygirl76]

Guess there are reams that got hosed even worse than Indiana. 

https://mobile.twitter.com/brett_mcmurphy/status/1340787125143400453

Edited December 20, 2020 by galaxygirl76

[emmawoodhouse]

The tweet won't load for me. Who got hosed?

[DrSpaceman73]

The big ten and cfb can go fuck themselves.  

Outback bowl bullshit.  

This is why I hate college football and why anyone trying to convince me the bowls are such a great system and tradition is crazy.  

Indiana should be in fiesta bowl.  4-2 oregon somehow makes it.  

Total joke.  

[galaxygirl76]

18 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

The tweet won't load for me. Who got hosed?

 

Quote

 

@Brett_McMurphy

Army, despite 9-2 record & a guaranteed bid to Independence Bowl, will not be allowed to play in bowl game, sources told @Stadium. Army was snubbed because other bowls had contractual agreements w/teams & locked into taking teams w/ losing records over a 9-win team

 

 

Don't worry though, two win South Carolina got a bowl game.

Edited December 21, 2020 by galaxygirl76

[emmawoodhouse]

I think I got the gist. It was as I figured when I saw the Oregon selection. Certain teams were slotted for certain bowls before this weekend's games were even played. Looks like the Pac12 champion was going to the Fiesta regardless of who won the game. 

Money talks and all that bullshit. 

[galaxygirl76]

19 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

The big ten and cfb can go fuck themselves.  

Outback bowl bullshit.  

This is why I hate college football and why anyone trying to convince me the bowls are such a great system and tradition is crazy.  

Indiana should be in fiesta bowl.  4-2 oregon somehow makes it.  

Total joke.  

There are two three loss teams(both will play in NY6 bowls) ahead of one loss Indiana, who's only loss came from a team that's in the freaking play offs. It's bullshit.

[DrSpaceman73]

4 minutes ago, galaxygirl76 said:

There are two three loss teams(both will play in NY6 bowls) ahead of one loss Indiana, who's only loss came from a team that's in the freaking play offs. It's bullshit.

Three loss unc (state where I live) is in the orange bowl.  

I like unc, so good for them, but seriously since notre dame and clemson are in the playoff they get the orange bowl?

Meanwhile ohio state is in the playoff and next big ten team should likewise be in a new years six bowl.  Ok so maybe that's northwestern.....but even then next team in big ten should be citrus, then outback. Indiana basically was placed two tiers below where they arguably should be after they ignored the six game rule for the bug ten title game.  

 

[Popples]

EDIT: Watch with the captions on, it enhances the video.

Edited December 21, 2020 by Popples

[xaxat]

Ohio State!

To clarify @roamyn I was referring to the SEC Short. I thought their cameo was hilarious.

As for the actual playoffs, I really don't care.

Edited December 22, 2020 by xaxat

[roamyn]

9 hours ago, xaxat said:

Ohio State!

Sorry, but we're gonna lose to Clemson - unlike last year when we got robbed.

But our secondary isn't the best, and we don't have the pass rush we had last year.

[Court]

Maybe Army can take Ten spot in the Liberty Bowl. They have a covid outbreak.