College Football Official Week 1 Thread

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Yeah, Auburn made that way too interesting.

Dabo damned near Clemson'ed Clemson by not kicking that field goal afaic.

The play BEFORE the fourth down one is the one I will never, ever understand. Why are you calling a sweep to the edge there? Run the ball up the middle. Let the clock run down and there will be about 7 seconds left, maybe as few as 5. On 4th down, you can run your sweep to take off most, if not all of the remaining time. At worst, Auburn get a single play, 80 yards away.

Instead you give them over 40 seconds left. Seriously, seriously stupid.

[Thomkal]

Coastal Carolina got off to a good start to its 2016 campaign with a 38-14 over Lamar. Looked shaky at first with a QB making his first start, but the run game came through for them. They actually trailed 14-3 at the half, then had a INT run back for TD that seemed to spark them in the 3rd. QB Josh Stilley ended his first start with a 10-22 for 138 yards day. He has a ways to go yet to make CCU fans to forget Alex Ross.

Next up a game at home against Florida A & M

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

For a country that, by and large, buys into the idea of meritocracy, obsession college football is a glaring exception to the rule.

That said, college football more closely resembles the way things actually work. We all pretend that success is completely based on merit. In reality, it is 50% merit and 50% reputation/expectations.

25% merit, 25% reputation, 50% money. And that might be underestimating money.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Loathe to say anything good about someone wearing that uniform but ... Chubb is a guy that pretty much no one is going to outwork.

Very old school work ethic, and a believer that "the ball ain't heavy".

I'm screen shotting this and putting in a frame. Titling "Jon Says Something Nice About a Bulldog." It will be in my modern miracles collection.

[Ben E Lou]

Pffft. Don't ANY of you people know the secret formula to success?

Spoiler

It's 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will.
5% pleasure, 50% pain and 100% reason to remember the name.

[molson]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Sure, but if you're in a power conference, you automagically get 7 or 8 games per season against other power conference teams. If you're not in a power conference, you're relying on the prescience of your AD to be able to schedule a 'big' game the same season that your recruiting efforts come together.

So you end up with a feedback loop when the system says "a 1-loss SEC team should be considered over a Houston team" and I notice you don't say anything about the number of losses Houston might have in that scenario. The assertion is that if the SEC team is good, Houston should go pound sand even if they're undefeated unless the AD got it juuuuust right and managed to schedule two or three top-25 teams for that season. And even then, lol nah.

That's true, but what's the alternative (other than the non-power conference team getting into a power conference - which some teams have been able to do). Otherwise, I don't see the argument for a 1-loss power conference team with a tougher schedule losing out to a 1- or 2-loss smaller conference team with a weak schedule - except that I think people find the smaller teams more interesting. I think its completely avoiding the merits of the debate to say that it's only about "TRADITION" to ever side with the team with the better schedule in that scenario.

I do think there's kind of a "bonus" undefeated teams get, even smaller conference teams, where it's greater than the sum of the parts when you break down the actual wins, and I'm cool with that, going undefeated is a special thing.

I just don't see the inherent unfairness of smaller teams in different conferences or divisions playing for smaller prizes. In football, there's a limited number of games you can play so it's harder to get separation between the teams than it is in basketball - so you HAVE to start with some teams having a structural advantage over others if you're starting with 120+ teams. At my high school, we could go undefeated or have 1-loss, but that didn't automatically mean we got to be state champions. I guess there's more angst about smaller conferences teams not getting to play for the national championship just because there is a theoretical path for them to get there. And it seems there's more angst the more access they get. Maybe it'd be better if we just officially called them a different division and they could play for the championship of that.

[tarcone]

Iowa looked shaky yesterday. Im thinking 8-4 all of the sudden. I hope it was just 1st game boredom. Defense is not as good as I was thinking. And our 2nd CB ois terrible. He was picked on all day. And got beat all day.

Love to see the all powerful, mighty, gods gift to college football SEC flexing their muscle. Oh wait, never mind.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Yep the new view changed my mind.
2nd half ejection means he sits 1st half next week

The SEC can and probably will tack on time. I hope Les will tack on a little more. He is lucky not have been charged with assault.

[booradley]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

25% merit, 25% reputation, 50% money. And that might be underestimating money.

If you think you might be underestimating money, you're underestimating money.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I'm screen shotting this and putting in a frame. Titling "Jon Says Something Nice About a Bulldog." It will be in my modern miracles collection.

Well, and don't leave out the fact that he included one of the greatest CFB quotes of all time, which was uttered by another fairly well-known Dawg.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

But college football is, I'm sorry, a steaming pile of shit.

Have you ever been to a game?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I'm screen shotting this and putting in a frame. Titling "Jon Says Something Nice About a Bulldog." It will be in my modern miracles collection.

It's rare, but it happens every blue moon or so.

Last one was probably Brendan Douglas. Saw way too much of him in high school, boy was a beast.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by molson

Maybe it'd be better if we just officially called them a different division and they could play for the championship of that.

Ah yes, more participation trophies everyone, that fixes everything.

[CU Tiger]

I'd honestly like to see power 5 relegation system.
It'll never happen, but still.

Vandy, arky, wake, Uva, Iowa state, ...a few more I'm not that familiar with. Welcome to group of 5 status. Houston, Memphis, plus a few. Congrats let's see if you can sustain

[Ben E Lou]

LOOK: Lane Kiffin trolls USC with savage tweet referencing his firing - CBSSports.com

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by digamma

Have you ever been to a game?

That brings up the question though - is it any sort of league with an end-point or resolution in mind, or is it just a series of instances of entertainment, like movies, musicals, or concerts?

I generally don't go to stuff, so I don't really care what the environment is at the game. To the extent that I care (and that has dropped across the board) it's more about results and how they matter in the big picture.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

I'd honestly like to see power 5 relegation system.
It'll never happen, but still.

Vandy, arky, wake, Uva, Iowa state, ...a few more I'm not that familiar with. Welcome to group of 5 status. Houston, Memphis, plus a few. Congrats let's see if you can sustain

Not sure how Ark makes that list.
5 bowls in 7 years, top half of the conference 4 of the 7.

Heck, even UVA has finished 2nd in their division in the last five years.

And then you'd almost certainly have to open up the transfer process to virtual free agency.

As you say, not going to happen.

[Atocep]

There's always going to be a bottom. Purposely weakening your bottom teams by creating a relegation system in college sports would be stupid.

[CrescentMoonie]

Originally Posted by Atocep

There's always going to be a bottom. Purposely weakening your bottom teams by creating a relegation system in college sports would be stupid.

I'd take UCF over Wake Forest 10 times out of 10. Same with Cincy over Iowa State. There are enough consistently strong teams below the Power 5 level to make it viable to switch them out.

[CrescentMoonie]

Props to Charlie Strong on making the bold move stylistically with the new OC and having the guts to play the kid at QB on top of it.

[Butter]

Dr. Sak just got a shout out on the Notre Dame-Texas broadcast.

[muns]

I was just coming on here to say the exact same thing. Pretty damn cool he has made it that far

[tarcone]

Where is Sak?

Iowa State lost to UNI. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHa

[Butter]

Linesman on the far sideline as it appears through TV.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

I'd take UCF over Wake Forest 10 times out of 10. Same with Cincy over Iowa State. There are enough consistently strong teams below the Power 5 level to make it viable to switch them out.

Except it's not that simple.

If you're talking a full relegation system you're creating a much weaker bottom of P5 conferences rather than making them stronger. College football isn't like pro sports where you throw enough money at a player and you'll get him and there's no draft guaranteeing top talent will eventually improve the bottom teams. College football relies on recruiting which generally comes from tradition, success, facilities, and coaches.

The bottom schools tend to lack in tradition. What they do have is guaranteed money coming in from TV deals which can be put toward coaches and facilities. With relegation that money is no longer guaranteed and it would make it near impossible for an Iowa State to do any long term facility projects because the difference in being a P5 school and a G5 school is more than $30 million per year.

Generally speaking the Iowa States and Wake Forests of the college football world are able to turn things around by investing in facilities and hiring the right coach. Baylor is a recent example. So is Oklahoma State, Louisville, and South Carolina.

With a relegation system I don't see any of those schools anywhere close to where they are right now. The money wouldn't be there and it's doubtful the jobs are attractive enough to land the coaches they ended up with.

A Cincinnati or UCF isn't going to be able to compete in the long term without some sort of long term financial security either. They'd be sitting in a P5 conference handicapped by money. All it would do is create an even bigger gap between the haves and the have-nots.

[TroyF]

Boy, this kid at QB for Texas looks special. Kid has a major league arm and throws a terrific deep ball. As an Oklahoma State fan, I am NOT looking forward to our three games against this kid.

[Butter]

I thought you liked Colorado?

[TroyF]

Grew up in Colorado and have cheered for them my entire life. (including going to the Orange Bowl when they beat Notre Dame)

Actually went to Oklahoma State and that is my alma mater.

So I have two college sports teams I cheer for. Now that they are in different conferences it is much easier. They hardly ever play each other in anything anymore.

[TroyF]

That should have been a helmet to helmet hit in the end zone and a first down for Notre Dame IMO.

[bob]

Agreed. I'm a bit amazed they didn't review it.

ACC on field refs but Big 12 Replay crew

[bob]

Since that is a new rule this year, does anyone know if the coach can challenge or if it has to be initiated by the review booth?

[bob]

150k fans will be fun to see on tv but probably miserable to be at, especially while leaving.

[MrBug708]

Did the Notre Dame guy actually think he'd get away with that? It's not high school, we have cameras...lol

[cuervo72]

Dude...just take the delay if you're not ready to kick. The extra 5 shouldn't kill you.

[tarcone]

I love college football

[Butter]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Dude...just take the delay if you're not ready to kick. The extra 5 shouldn't kill you.

Seriously.

[bob]

He had to think he actually caught it, right?

[Butter]

If he did, he's a doofus.

[CrescentMoonie]

Great game so far. Lots of fun and the score to tie it seems fitting. The frosh C for Texas needs to get his nerves straight really soon.

[JPhillips]

So we're guaranteed now to have four of the top eleven lose and Tennessee looked so bad that it should drop them in the polls. Hell of a week one.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My head officially hurts even trying to contemplate putting together the next Top 25.

Ay yi yi.

[bronconick]

Tomorrow is now going to be a 10-6 strugglefuck. It is known.

[Edward64]

I don't root for either Texas or Notre Dame but that was helluva game by Texas.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

So we're guaranteed now to have four of the top eleven lose and Tennessee looked so bad that it should drop them in the polls. Hell of a week one.

Yup. I'm completely against rankings until at least week 5. Let everyone start on even ground.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Yup. I'm completely against rankings until at least week 5. Let everyone start on even ground.

Eh, it fixes itself. Or at least it does with mine.

Over seven seasons of doing it weekly, I rather quickly figured out that every now and then an ... adjustment is needed. I try to limit anything too nutty, but usually once or twice a year there'll be a team that I realize simply has to have a tweak in my rankings more than the most recent weekends games would account for.

Despite that "bold thinking", I rarely end up with even notable outliers from the two national polls.

Things work themselves out.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And about that whole "working themselves out" notion.

While I do have the benefit of knowing what the national polls say before doing my own each week, about all I use them for is to help make sure I'm not overlooking somebody. I don't do this stuff for a living so I'm conscious that I could brainblank on somebody at some point.

And I have done it all for real (my UPI basketball poll experience). I had a process then, I have a similar one now. So whether my methodology is the same as the "real" poll voters now or not, we end up in pretty close to the same places on probably 90-95 percent of teams.

I don't think things would be noticeably different if you started in wk 3, 5, or 7. Unbeatens rise, in a rough pecking order. Same with 1 loss teams. 3-4 loss teams fall. And that'd going to be true whenever you start the poll.

[cartman]

Just got back. Simply an incredible game! 102k+ in the stands. Back and forth the whole way, and we evidently made on TV after the game.

[Ben E Lou]

This is glorious.

https://www.seccountry.com/auburn/cl...auburns-wing-t

[Butter]

Article says people are making fun of him for it... Not sure why as they pretty much shut the running game down.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

So we're guaranteed now to have four of the top eleven lose and Tennessee looked so bad that it should drop them in the polls. Hell of a week one.

It just shows how stupid it is to even have a preseason poll IMO. Last night's game was a perfect example. Those two teams were evenly matched, which made for great viewing, but I'm not sure that either of them belong in the top 25. Both teams were very flawed.

However, because Notre Dame was ranked far too high and because Texas is, well, Texas, they'll move the Longhorns up to a rank far above what they really should be ranked and Notre Dame will stay ranked far too high because they're Notre Dame.

Such is life in college football.