Official 2024 College Football Thread

[Kodos]

Wow.

[Lathum]

This is legit insane.

[GrantDawg]

Somebody needs to fix the sliders,

[RainMaker]

WTF

[Kodos]

Wow. Wow.

[Atocep]

Ryan Williams' stats so far this year, as a true freshman, are pretty crazy.

[Lathum]

If that happened in BBCF you would say the AI is busted.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Ryan Williams' stats so far this year, as a true freshman, are pretty crazy.

He’s 17. That’s nuts.

[GrantDawg]

Ballgame. Oh well. At least it was interesting at the end.

[cuervo72]

Yeah, so the story coming out of this is not that it was a blowout, but that it was a classic for the ages between world beaters who will obviously need to meet in the playoffs. Just like happens every year.

(At least now it doesn’t matter as much in the grand scheme, even in a blowout I’d assume both these teams make the top 12. But old habits are hard to break you know?)

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Yeah, so the story coming out of this is not that it was a blowout, but that it was a classic for the ages between world beaters who will obviously need to meet in the playoffs. Just like happens every year.

(At least now it doesn’t matter as much in the grand scheme, even in a blowout I’d assume both these teams make the top 12. But old habits are hard to break you know?)

Top 2 of my @AP_Top25 ballot for tomorrow:
1. Alabama
2. Georgia

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 29, 2024

There you go

[RainMaker]

That Williams play was incredible. The game ruled. Hope they meet again this season.

[Ghost Econ]

SMU definitely put a dent in FSU's playoff chances.

Hey @FQACC just gonna leave this here pic.twitter.com/qm7Av1ZSxn

— Not Doak Walker (@NotDoakSMU) September 29, 2024

[Ghost Econ]

Originally Posted by Atocep

It's crazy that they were able to easily replace a guy that was completing less than 45% of his passes and averaging about a 100 yards passing per game.

Not sure what planet Sluka is living on that he thought he could hold a program that pulls in $6 mil in conference payouts per year hostage for more money.

I almost wonder if he was getting benched but tried to get ahead of it and throw UNLV under the bus with the possible NIL violation.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

That Williams play was incredible. The game ruled. Hope they meet again this season.

Georgia still has to play Texas at Texas. Georgia loses there, then we will be likely seeing a Texas-Bama SEC championship game. Who knows how the playoffs seeds work out from there.

[Lathum]

Georgia with it's only losses to Texas and Bama are 100% getting in. It is why they expanded in the first place.

[bob]

Yep. This game was fun but ultimately meaningless.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Georgia with it's only losses to Texas and Bama are 100% getting in. It is why they expanded in the first place.

Probably, but it doesn't mean they will play Bama again which is what I was discussing.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by bob

Yep. This game was fun but ultimately meaningless.

As meaningless as every regular season game of every sport.

[GrantDawg]

dola: Just to add it is only meaningless if those two games are Georgia's only losses. It also determines home-field in the playoffs and how many games you have to play, which has pretty significant meaning. And if playoff implications are the only things that makes games mean something, then 80% of all college games are meaningless, because they are being played by teams with no playoff chance.

[bob]

My point being the great thing about college football was that every game mattered. That's really not the case any more.

Hell, the ND loss to NIU might not matter by the end of the season. And that sorta sucks.

[Dutch]

What a great game. Alabama with those incredible catch and runs were devastating. UG with that never quit response was impressive when they could’ve rolled over. Definitely like two prize fighters swinging into the final round for sure.

[RainMaker]

I know a lot if people are talking about that spin move by Williams but him catching that ball on a dime and being able to redirect his entire body on a cut as he landed is just next level. I can't believe he is 17.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by bob

My point being the great thing about college football was that every game mattered. That's really not the case any more.

Hell, the ND loss to NIU might not matter by the end of the season. And that sorta sucks.

Or, it is great that your team is not eliminated two weeks into a season by one bad game. All a matter of perspective.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I know a lot if people are talking about that spin move by Williams but him catching that ball on a dime and being able to redirect his entire body on a cut as he landed is just next level. I can't believe he is 17.

Crazy that the two best receivers are both freshmen, Williams and Smith.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by bob

And that sorta sucks.

Not just "sorta".

[larrymcg421]

I reject the idea that the only games that matter are ones with national title implications. Under that criteria, only a very small percentage of games in college football history have mattered.

[dubb93]

Georgia with one loss ranked ahead of Penn State and Oregon with no losses seems about normal.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

I reject the idea that the only games that matter are ones with national title implications.

Such is the system that's been created. And then exacerbated by the playoff expansion.

I didn't ask for it, but that's kinda where we.

[Solecismic]

It's not tenable long-term, but I think that's the point.

Schedules are far too variant - even within conferences now that the Big Ten has 18 schools and the SEC has 16.

If there's still a high penalty for any loss, that makes the problem even worse.

Last year was a nice ending for the "amateur" era of college sports. I can sit back and watch this happen more casually. Sorry if anyone's interested in TCY2 - I can't even imagine how to make this mess interesting.

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

A perfect ending for Freeze. I have no hate towards Auburn, but that guy should never win again.

This was certainly one of the most surprising results of the day.

OU had true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins making his first career start, and missing his #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5 wide receivers due to injury. They had to move a DB to wide receiver in practice last week just to have enough bodies to take the field against Auburn. OU's 7th string wide receiver, J.J Hester (who had one career reception in 2022) hauled in a key 60 yard bomb from Hawkins that set up the touchdown that cut Auburn's lead to 5 in the 4th quarter.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Dutch

Definitely like two prize fighters swinging into the final round for sure.

Two fighters who kept their hands down at their sides with how they defended the last few drives.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Little quote in today's ESPN article about the SEC/B1G joint scheduling talks

"I'm for anything that gives us the maximum number of postseason opportunities," one SEC source said. "I don't count bowl games as postseason opportunities."

Sad state of affairs.

[Ghost Econ]

I didn't understand how promotion and relegation works if you're not really promoted and no one is relegated.

College football ‘Super League’ details unveiled, would be called ‘College Student Football League’ - The Athletic

College football ‘Super League’ details unveiled, would be called ‘College Student Football League’
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Aron Cruickshank #2 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights breaks a tackle by Jason Simmons #14 of the Syracuse Orange during the fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome on September 11, 2021 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

Justin Williams
Justin Williams
6h ago
250

A group of executives and administrators developing a college football “Super League” formally announced its proposal Tuesday, outlining a single, national league dubbed the College Student Football League (CSFL).

The details, which have been formulating for months, feature a football-only reorganization of the 136 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools into two distinct conferences. The top 72 programs — mostly the current Power 5 — would compete in the Power 12 Conference, made up of a dozen six-team, geography-based divisions.

The remaining 64 programs — mostly the current Group of 5 — would compete in the Group of 8 conference.

A group of the top teams from the Group of 8 would be eligible for a “promotion” to play up against the Power 12 the following season, similar to the structure of European football leagues, but there would be no relegation among the Power 12 schools.

The advisory group for the CSFL, known as College Sports Tomorrow (CST), is a collection of industry leaders in business and sports as well as university presidents and athletic directors. The Athletic first reported on CST and its “Super League” ambitions in April.

Despite Tuesday’s announcement, including in-depth specifics on a format, governance and revenue model for the CSFL, the league is still a long way from being a realistic and viable proposition. It would require cooperation and coordination between the NCAA and its member institutions, almost all of which belong to conferences with their own distinct television contracts and grants of rights. The current College Football Playoff contract with ESPN runs through the 2031-32 season, and other conference deals extend beyond that. CST also states that it would not interfere with or ask for any current media contracts to be renegotiated.

CST has brought together too many high-profile powerbrokers to be completely dismissed. But the idea of college sports, which has long lacked any semblance of cohesion, moving away from the existing model and agreeing to a newly unified structure, seems — at the moment, at least — like a pipe dream.

Barriers aside, CST maintains that the league would not be a “Super League” and instead wants to prevent such a thing by better supporting all 136 FBS members. CST’s argument is that the CSFL would remedy that disruption and disorder within college sports and address the numerous legal battles the NCAA is currently facing, including the proposed House settlement. It would also aim to reduce the financial and competitive imbalance that so often defines college football in particular.

On the field, the CSFL would utilize a geographical- and results-based scheduling model to foster more competitive matchups, while still preserving certain long-standing rivalries, even between teams in different divisions. Postseason berths and seeding would be determined by win/loss records, similar to the NFL, with a 24-team playoff featuring division winners and wild card spots. The Power 12 season and postseason would run for 21 weeks from late August through early January, including multiple byes.





“Historically, the beauty of college football has been how many schools around the country were competing for the championship,” Jimmy Haslam in a statement CST released on Tuesday. Haslam is a member of CST, as well as the owner of the Cleveland Browns and longtime booster for University of Tennessee athletics. “We need to bring college football back to the broad, national model of its golden years in a system which fosters more competitive balance.”

The CSFL would be football-only, and other sports could continue competing in their current conferences or “return to their traditional, geographic conferences,” as stated in the press release.

Off the field, the CSFL would collectively bargain via a single, comprehensive players association, which the CST’s proposal suggests could lobby in tandem with the league for a special classification from Congress enabling athletes to seek collective representation without being deemed employees.

According to the CST, this would provide college athletes input on rules and compensation while offering the league protection from antitrust claims via the “non-statutory labor exemption.” The CFSL could also utilize a salary cap for teams and pay scales for player earnings, and proposes new guidelines such as limiting athletes to two transfers within a five-year window of eligibility.

“The courts are forcing change in college sports, which presents an opportunity to reimagine college football so it works for everybody,” CST co-founder Len Perna said via statement. Perna is also the chairman of TurnkeyZRG, a prominent employment search firm within college athletics.

CST’s proposal believes the CSFL would be “economically advantageous and sustainable,” with a single, consolidated league able to generate more revenue that would allow “universities to fairly compensate players, create reasonable competitive balance, cover rising NIL costs and continue to underwrite other intercollegiate sports that generate less revenue, including women’s sports and the U.S. Olympic program.”

The proposal suggests that within each conference, per-school revenue distribution would be relatively equal, with slightly more incentives eventually geared toward legacy and top-performing programs that drive the most value. However, an overwhelming majority of the revenue — 94 percent — would be distributed to Power 12 programs, with the remaining 6 percent going to the Group of 8.

The CSFL would be governed by a board encompassing all 136 schools, with one commissioner overseeing the entire league and smaller executive committees within each conference. The Power 12 executive committee would hold a “key governance role.”

Under CST’s proposal, the CSFL would be owned and controlled by the member programs, with each school retaining their rights. CST believes the revenue this league could generate would mean that no private equity would be needed to fund the model, but the CST would use “minimal” outside capital to bridge financing through the initial transition.

CST’s members include Perna, Haslam and former NBA player Grant Hill, among others. Supportive ambassadors include athletic directors Danny White (Tennessee), Bubba Cunningham (North Carolina) and Kirby Hocutt (Texas Tech), along with West Virginia University president Gordon Gee and Syracuse University chancellor Kent Syverud.

CST’s website states that, despite multiple members NFL ties, the NFL “has nothing to do with either CST or the CSFL.”

In April, The Athletic reported that Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s No. 2 executive behind commissioner Roger Goodell, was a member of the 20-person CST group. On Tuesday, Rolapp’s name was not listed on the CST news release or any of the media materials, and a CST spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic that Rolapp is not involved with CST.