College Football

[voiceover]

Pour one out for Vols fans everywhere!  I just watched Clay Travis weep with joy — in two different vids — he sounded a lot like me in 2014 when the Royals walked off the A’s in the Wild Card.  But it had been way longer for KC fans and IIRC I was faaarrrrrrrrr less coherent.

[DrSpaceman73]

Tenn Alabama game of the year so far. 

That kick was awful but made it through. 

Saban should have run the ball at least once on last series. 

[Bastet]

The USC loss was a heartbreaker, but I knew Utah going for two was going to work.  Once that fantastic kick-off return was negated by a penalty, the writing was on the wall that no way were the Trojans going to get in FG range.  Very grudging props to the Utes for what was the close, hard-fought game I knew it would be our toughest of the season.  I would hardly care if it wasn't for UCLA being undefeated in all contravention to what nature intends.

OU bounced back from last week's embarrassment, but Oklahoma State got knocked off in a good one, and I'd have rather the Sooners lost and the Cowboys one, given how their seasons in general are going.

Nick Saban losing always brings me joy, though.

[PepSinger]

I was infuriated last night with the Tenn/Alabama game. 
 

Saban MUST do something. We’re getting to a breaking point, here. Bill O’Brien and Pete Golding need to be fired. Our defense has been lackluster for two seasons. The only reason our offense has a fighting chance is because of Bryce Young. 

[Carey]

13 minutes ago, PepSinger said:

I was infuriated last night with the Tenn/Alabama game. 

I'm infuriated because I wasn't able to be here to post the fact that I took Tennessee and the points, which was more painful since I planned to do so a day in advance, but Friday (hours after I lost service).

It's not a season of College Football until people storm the field on Alabama.  Yeah it was idle in 2015-2016 & 2018, but what also sorta made me infuriated in general is that I knew it was going to happen, but before the season started and Tennessee looked dominant, I thought that Arkansas was going to be that team.

For what it's worth, this upset like most of the other ones changes nothing for now (pending on what happens in the Pac 12 & Big 12).  They still need to win out, which, save for Ole Miss & Georgia, isn't that difficult.  Georgia might wreck Tennessee who could be blanked out if Georgia falls to Alabama again in the SEC Title Game.

Really 2013 was the only year where a field-storm was meaningful.  Every other year (2014, 2017, 2021) meant nothing.  Auburn did storm the field in 2019, but that Iron Bowl meant nothing since LSU had permanent control of the West.

I'll post the rankings later (or not).  In brief, Tennessee and Alabama swapped, similar to what happened with Pittsburgh.  Not that the Panthers are much of a threat, but beating the reigning ACC and SEC champions helped the Volunteers shoot up from near the bottom of the TOP 25 to the near the top

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, PepSinger said:

Saban MUST do something. We’re getting to a breaking point, here.

The mistakes are killing us!!  The guys seem to be getting worse too.  

46 minutes ago, Carey said:

Really 2013 was the only year where a field-storm was meaningful.  Every other year (2014, 2017, 2021) meant nothing.  Auburn did storm the field in 2019, but that Iron Bowl meant nothing since LSU had permanent control of the West.

It's rather amusing to watch fans tear down their own goal post just to turn around and beg for funds to repair/replace it.  There might be a few crazy Bama fans (guy who poisoned the trees at Auburn) out there, but on the whole, Bama fans don't storm the field, or tear down goal posts while trampling all over their own field!  ;)  

[Popples]

Lane Kiffin is so damn messy. LMAO!

[Popples]

[xaxat]

The baby is the best part.

[Popples]

SEC Roll Call might have topped SEC Shorts this week:

[roamyn]

“And I still got the Braves.  WTF!?”

[Carey]

Tennessee, Ohio State, Clemson, Cincinnati for early Week 8 picks

[Xeliou66]

Best early games are Ohio St/Iowa and Clemson/Syracuse. Should be another fun week of college football!!

[Xeliou66]

Iowa’s offense is one of the worst I’ve ever seen, holy fuck. Spencer Petras sucks moose ass, he has 2 turnovers already and not one completion. Hawkeyes scored on a fumble return TD so they are on the board but their offense doesn’t even have a 1st down. They were bad last year on offense but they are even worse this year. Their record is 3-3 right now and I don’t think they can make a bowl with this offense, and I have to wonder if the fanbase will get fed up with Ferentz. No excuse for such a shit offense.

[Xeliou66]

Syracuse up 21-10 on Clemson at halftime, great performance by Syracuse so far.

Ohio St up 26-10 on Iowa, Buckeyes offense hasn’t been as dominant as normal and they’ve had to settle for FG’s a few times but their defense is dominant and Spencer Petras is trash, 3 turnovers including a pick six in the first half, Iowa’s offense is a joke.

[lurkerbee]

On 10/16/2022 at 7:53 PM, ChitChat said:

The mistakes are killing us!!  The guys seem to be getting worse too.  

It's rather amusing to watch fans tear down their own goal post just to turn around and beg for funds to repair/replace it.  There might be a few crazy Bama fans (guy who poisoned the trees at Auburn) out there, but on the whole, Bama fans don't storm the field, or tear down goal posts while trampling all over their own field!  ;)  

They already had the goalposts. It was just a fundraising ploy by the athletic department. As a lifelong Vols fan, who did not participate in the melee, I think the tearing down of the goalposts was about much more than beating Alabama. It was about all the garbage we fans have endured for the last decade+ and the feeling that our wandering in the wilderness feels like it has ended with this season. 

[Carey]

Apparently Clemson benched its QB.

Some places typically put down the goalposts immediately after the game ends before the fans can get there.

On a related note, no letdown for Tennessee.  When it's a title game or a nobody, that's not expected to happen

[Carey]

And, Clemson finally leads!

Midday & evening picks: LSU, Oregon, Texas, Wake Forest, Tulane, Alabama, Penn State, Kansas State

No picks ATS or O/U today.  LSU & Oregon, FWIW are not easy games to pick.  I forgot to pick Baylor, but may have been wrong anyway.  I'll pass on picking Pitt/Louisville.

Speaking of passing on stuff, you can do that in terms of the remainder of the Ohio State/Iowa game

[twoods]

I don’t realize how much I hate Clemson until I watch them play and get actively angry when they start winning. 

[Xeliou66]

Clemson comes from behind to beat Syracuse, Uiagalelei benched for Klubnik in the second half.

Ohio St destroys Iowa, mainly because Iowa is horrid on offense.

Oregon takes an early 3-0 lead over UCLA. 

[Carey]

And meanwhile, Ole Miss scored in a hurry over LSU, who is currently driving

[Xeliou66]

Duke beats Miami by 24 in Miami, it’s looking more and more like “The U” won’t be making a bowl this season, so much for Cristobal turning them around. I think Miami may be like Nebraska, a has-been program that is no longer relevant. They had that one season in 2017 where they won their first 10 games and then lost their last 3, other than that they haven’t been relevant in the title conversation in 2 decades, that season is their only 10 win season since 2003, they’ve only won 1 bowl since 2006, they’ve only been in one ACC Title Game (in 2017 again) and they are just a mediocre team. It’s puzzling as they have a lot going for them but they are just not relevant anymore.

[Salacious Kitty]

So who dressed Oregon today? They look like highlighters on parade. 

[Xeliou66]

Oregon up 31-13 on UCLA at halftime, Bo Nix looks great, has thrown for 200 yards and 3 TD’s so far. Oregon has been fantastic since losing badly to Georgia in Week 1.

Texas up 24-17 on Oklahoma St in a good game.

Ole Miss up 20-17 on LSU in another good game.

[AimingforYoko]

5 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

Iowa’s offense is one of the worst I’ve ever seen, holy fuck. Spencer Petras sucks moose ass, he has 2 turnovers already and not one completion. Hawkeyes scored on a fumble return TD so they are on the board but their offense doesn’t even have a 1st down. They were bad last year on offense but they are even worse this year. Their record is 3-3 right now and I don’t think they can make a bowl with this offense, and I have to wonder if the fanbase will get fed up with Ferentz. No excuse for such a shit offense.

Best twitter roasts of Iowa offense.

My fave:

[Fukui San]

I see YouTube clips of the Iowa offense and it's hard to convey how terrible they are.

Like, it's not like their opponent is ever doing anything exotic to cause these turnovers. They're just playing a simple zone and the QB throws it right at their LB. And that's when they're not fumbling the snap or something.

[Carey]

It's official.  Alabama once again controls its own destiny.  And that was before the conclusion of LSU/Ole Miss

[Xeliou66]

Oregon beats UCLA 45-30, I knew UCLA wasn’t a national title contender, they are much improved but they aren’t a top tier team, nice win for Oregon, Bo Nix played an excellent game.

LSU dominates Ole Miss in the second half and wins 45-20, LSU is playing very good football right now, they are at 6-2 now. Ole Miss has a tough remaining schedule, it will be interesting to see how they do down the stretch.

OKST/Texas are tied at 34, exciting game.

[xaxat]

59 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

I see YouTube clips of the Iowa offense and it's hard to convey how terrible they are.

I can't imagine how Iowa fans feel knowing that King for Life Kirk Ferentz isn't going anywhere an he's not going to fire the OC, his son.

[Xeliou66]

Oklahoma St beats Texas 41-34 in an exciting game.

Bama up 14-0 on Miss St, I think this is going to be a beatdown, Bama is pissed and motivated after the Tennessee loss.

[Xeliou66]

Bama beats Miss St 30-6, pretty dominant performance by the Tide after the Tennessee loss, I figured they would be motivated and would come out strong. Bama still definitely has enough talent to win the championship and their defense was strong tonight.

TCU up 31-28 on Kansas St in an exciting game.

[Carey]

Bama did rebound, but they're still salty.  Especially following a garbage bagel-free TD to end the game.  Which, BTW, is the first one by Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa in eight years

[Xeliou66]

TCU comes back and beats Kansas St 38-28, Horned Frogs are looking really good right now.

[Carey]

I'll post the Week 8 Rankings in a minute, since that's around the time they'll be available.  In the meantime, here's the Week 7 Rankings.  Not much of note except for Alabama & Tennessee swapping places and 3 and 6.

If the Coaches Poll is a hint of what's to happen, then Ole Miss will drop somewhat significantly within the AP Poll, as will UCLA and Kansas State, while LSU should be ranked again

[Carey]

No changes to the Top Six within Week 8 poll.  UCLA and Ole Miss losing their undefeated bid led to their fall outside the Top 10 of the AP Poll (12th and 15th, respectively).  In terms of SEC teams outside of the Top 15, LSU and South Carolina enter the rankings, with the former reappearing on the poll inside the Top 20.  Kentucky is the only team outside of the top teams to remain put from their 19th spot.

I haven't seen or heard of a preview show for the College Football Playoff Rankings Show, which would be on Tuesday.  However, the first rankings for the CFB Playoff is slated to released one week from Tuesday

[galaxygirl76]

On 10/22/2022 at 11:58 AM, Xeliou66 said:

Iowa’s offense is one of the worst I’ve ever seen, holy fuck. Spencer Petras sucks moose ass, he has 2 turnovers already and not one completion. Hawkeyes scored on a fumble return TD so they are on the board but their offense doesn’t even have a 1st down. They were bad last year on offense but they are even worse this year. Their record is 3-3 right now and I don’t think they can make a bowl with this offense, and I have to wonder if the fanbase will get fed up with Ferentz. No excuse for such a shit offense.

The fanbase is the angriest I've ever seen it but no one seem interested in changing anything. The OC can't be fired by his dad but has to be fired by the AD, who is less than interested in doing anything that helps the program(seriously, Gary Barta sucks donkey balls). Last years O-line was saving the QB from looking like a total embarrassment but most of those kids graduated and now we have a young O-line with Petras who I swear is regressing. The defense and special teams deserve so much better than this offense. If this team had a decent offense, doesn't even have to be a great one, they would be winning the west and may be competitive with the east teams.

But hey, Petras looks great in practice so that makes it ok. Asked how the defense feels about this fucked up mess, Ferentz said 'that's football'. Might have well said 'oh well'.

tl;dr, people are mad.

22 hours ago, xaxat said:

I can't imagine how Iowa fans feel knowing that King for Life Kirk Ferentz isn't going anywhere an he's not going to fire the OC, his son.

We drink a lot.

[Popples]

[Chit Chat]

On 10/22/2022 at 1:15 PM, lurkerbee said:

It was about all the garbage we fans have endured for the last decade+ and the feeling that our wandering in the wilderness feels like it has ended with this season. 

While I can appreciate that (we did endure the Shula years!), it's not safe for the fans, players, coaches, refs, and all the other staff when the fans rush the field like that.  No matter how long the drought is, there are certain rules to follow when one is losing their collective shit over a game!! :)  

[lurkerbee]

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

While I can appreciate that (we did endure the Shula years!), it's not safe for the fans, players, coaches, refs, and all the other staff when the fans rush the field like that.  No matter how long the drought is, there are certain rules to follow when one is losing their collective shit over a game!! :)  

No, it isn’t safe, and my hope is that our frustration is ending and we’ll start expecting to win again. We’ll see how that goes. It’s been well over 20 years since the last time it happened in Knoxville. Hopefully it’ll be longer than that before the next time they do it.

I remember the Shula years too. :)
 

Edited October 25, 2022 by lurkerbee

[AimingforYoko]

Jimbo Fisher is done messing around.

[Popples]

Reveille's a good girl and she was just expressing her frustration with the football program in one of the few ways she knows how.

[Popples]

I just googled this and can't believe it's actually true.

[mojoween]

A few weeks ago I lamented in the NFL thread that I hadn’t seen the blimp in a while, a lo and behold this morning as I was driving on the highway to the mall near SU’s campus, there she was, hovering over the Dome.

And because I’m old, I’m still sad that it’s not silver any more.

Last time the blimp was in town the Orange were pasted by Clemson, hoping for a much different outcome this time.

[Carey]

Week Nine Picks: Syracuse, Penn State, TCU, Illinois, Oklahoma State, UCF, Oregon, Louisville, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC, Michigan, Texas Tech, UNC, UCLA

I don't know (or think) PSU will win outright despite picking them to do so, but I think they'll be able to cover that 15.5.  Ohio State is great, but they haven't really been tested yet (against a decent squad).  No telling if they're elite.  Penn State, who knocked off OSU six years ago, could do that.  They're not bad, this time if they do & win out, they'll be in the playoff (that based on the Buckeyes surviving at home against Michigan).  That 60.5 or whatever O/U hits, BTW

[Xeliou66]

Ohio St with 2 INT’s of Sean Clifford on their first 2 defensive possessions, Clifford sucks, he’s been at Penn St forever and they are never getting to the next level with him. Ohio St’s defense has really come on lately, forcing a lot of turnovers. 10-0 Buckeyes now.

Edited October 29, 2022 by Xeliou66

[Carey]

In case I forget, for a couple SEC big games: Florida will cover and the under hits  Kentucky covers too, but I like the Over there

[Xeliou66]

Ohio St has played a dominant 4th quarter to come back and handle Penn St - Stroud is the best QB in college football IMO, and Ohio St is loaded with talent. In fact I would say they are my pick to win the national title right now.

Notre Dame upsets Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.

TCU goes to West Virginia and gets the win to stay unbeaten. 

[Carey]

I think PSU turned it over, maybe a pick-six.  I was on CBS tuning into Brad Nessler's tribute to Vince Dooley.  Though it looks like Penn State offset that score & might (backdoor) cover after all.  So it went from 31-24 to 37-24, followed by 44-24 and into 44-31 in 15-25 seconds

[roamyn]

1 hour ago, Xeliou66 said:

Ohio St has played a dominant 4th quarter to come back and handle Penn St - Stroud

They played like shit for 2-1/2 qtrs.  Only the beginning of the 1st and 4th did they look alive and with good play calling.

Going for a TD at the end of the half, instead of taking points, stupid shovel passes behind the line of scrimmage,  blown coverages all over the place on D, penalties (tho the refs helped PA there).

They better clean up this crap before TTUN comes to play.

Edited October 29, 2022 by roamyn

[Xeliou66]

Wow, Kansas St walloping Oklahoma St, 35-0 in the 3rd quarter.

Georgia stomping Florida 28-3, Florida looks like shit, and it’s embarrassing how they once again do not have a QB that can throw. Dawgs are a dominant team on both sides of the ball.