2018 College Football Thread

[PilotMan]

If you were watching ESPN2 you just saw the NDSU Bison, the undefeated, #1 team in the FCS just trounce the #5 ranked, top rival, SDSU Jacks, in Fargo by a score of 44-21. The last game at home for our QB and Coach. A huge game for our QB Stick, who ran for 3 TD's and passed for another.

This is the 7th final in 8 years, and the 7th final in 9 years of playoff eligibility. Think about that. This team has only been FCS playoff eligible (coming up from D2) for 9 years. Now we're on the brink of standing alone as the best FCS school in history.

Tomorrow night, Maine travels to Eastern Washington and the winner will be on the opposite side in January in Frisco, otherwise known as Fargo South. Neither Maine nor EWU can match up with the Bison. The Jacks were the biggest challenge on the board and they are now gone.

It's quite a time to be a Bison fan, that's for sure.

[BishopMVP]

Is there any push to move up to FBS, or do they realize this is much better? (Coming from a UMass fan )

[JonInMiddleGA]

USA Today says (and all the local outlets are reporting as such) Justin Fields to transfer out of UGA.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Is there any push to move up to FBS, or do they realize this is much better? (Coming from a UMass fan )

There's been rumblings of the fanbase that they should, but the more intelligent know that it'll never happen. That the school can enjoy some great recruiting at this level, they can fill the dome each week, they can make it on ESPN and they are the premiere football program in the upper midwest (Minnesota, eat your heart out). No, I don't think there's ever going to be a push for FBS. All you have to do is look at App State, Marshall, Western KY, to see what happens when schools that dominated on one level move up. There's no point in trying to beat the Alabamas of the world. They have enough clout now to keep those second tier athletes interested. All this probably translates into more money for the school than trying to force something at the FBS level.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

USA Today says (and all the local outlets are reporting as such) Justin Fields to transfer out of UGA.

Reportedly headed to OU. We'll see if it's accurate.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Reportedly headed to OU. We'll see if it's accurate.

I have been hearing Ohio State pretty regularly. *shrug*

[pbot]

Apparently not from The Onion

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/urban-m...231135415.html

[albionmoonlight]

Impressive announcers in the Army/Houston game. They were talking about how Houston was playing in a two deep shell and how they needed to bring a safety down to stop the run. As they were saying this Army went play action and over the top for a big pass.

Without missing a beat, they started criticizing the safeties for biting on the play action and letting a receiver get behind them.

[Lathum]

Missed field goal in the Memphis game cost me $750 in wins. Brutal loss. 52 points at the half, over is 73. They can't score at all in the third quarter, then the missed FG that would have given the over after they ice him then a penalty.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Daaaayumm

UGA football: QB appears to warn Fields about transfer to Ohio State

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Daaaayumm

UGA football: QB appears to warn Fields about transfer to Ohio State

"The" Tate Martell has a very high opinion of himself.

[BishopMVP]

Whats the feeling on Dexter Lawrence? Will the B sample clear him or did they "accidentally" take the wrong supplement?

[BishopMVP]

Bama now down their starting LG too Starter among three suspended by Alabama for College Football Playoff over team rules violation

[JonInMiddleGA]

First Responder Bowl canceled after weather delay: Boise State vs. Boston College ruled no-contest - SBNation.com

[hollmt]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

"The" Tate Martell has a very high opinion of himself.

If Haskins leaves (and I am assuming he will), I DREAD having Martell as the starting QB.

He is not good.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I kinda wish that GT had gotten the First Responder Bowl.

And, given their performance, apparently so do they.

[bob]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I kinda wish that GT had gotten the First Responder Bowl.

And, given their performance, apparently so do they.

I just laughed out loud at that final offensive play. Seems like a fitting way to end things.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by bob

I just laughed out loud at that final offensive play. Seems like a fitting way to end things.

Tech’s Johnson suffers worst retirement party ever

So went Johnson’s final game after 11 seasons at Tech. For the record, the last offensive play of his tenure was a fumbled snap on the Minnesota 9-yard line. Usually when someone is sent off like this, tar and feathers are also involved.

As last acts go, this one was about as uplifting as Romeo and Juliet’s. Didn’t Old Yeller go out something like this?

[Atocep]

TCU and Cal probably just played the ugliest bowl game in college football history.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Tech’s Johnson suffers worst retirement party ever

So went Johnson’s final game after 11 seasons at Tech. For the record, the last offensive play of his tenure was a fumbled snap on the Minnesota 9-yard line. Usually when someone is sent off like this, tar and feathers are also involved.

As last acts go, this one was about as uplifting as Romeo and Juliet’s. Didn’t Old Yeller go out something like this?

So yesterday was the first time I've watched Georgia Tech this year. Is there a reason Oliver didn't play more? Other than Marshall is a senior?

I mean, it's clear watching the two run that Oliver is just an entirely different level of athlete.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Atocep

So yesterday was the first time I've watched Georgia Tech this year. Is there a reason Oliver didn't play more? Other than Marshall is a senior?

I mean, it's clear watching the two run that Oliver is just an entirely different level of athlete.

Senior loyalty as much as anything I could figure.

[Atocep]

The music city bowl needs to be stopped at halftime.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Atocep

The music city bowl needs to be stopped at halftime.

People may be happy in Louisville and second-guessing themselves in West Lafayette after this.

Wow.

[cuervo72]

This is definitely pretty ugly!

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

People may be happy in Louisville and second-guessing themselves in West Lafayette after this.

Wow.

Ah, I doubt the latter. I’m late to the bandwagon, but it seems to me Brohm is doing a good job with what talent-wise was a pretty good shit sandwich coming in. (Like, oh, most of the defense.) I don’t think this changes the view on his recruiting turnaround.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Whats the feeling on Dexter Lawrence? Will the B sample clear him or did they "accidentally" take the wrong supplement?

Late to the party...obviously they took something either intentionally or unintenionally.

But .002 ppm is a pretty low concentration.

If they were going to take SARMs intentionally... there are much better choices.


Shrug... the tough part is, accordimg to a pretty close source, Dexter was at about 90% to return next year and finish his degree and be a mentor the same way Wilkins did this year. With a year ban, that obviously is of the table

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Ah, I doubt the latter. I’m late to the bandwagon, but it seems to me Brohm is doing a good job with what talent-wise was a pretty good shit sandwich coming in. (Like, oh, most of the defense.) I don’t think this changes the view on his recruiting turnaround.

Well, 2nd guessing their joy in WL anyway.

High profile wins this year to be certain buuuuut ... will actually finish with a worse record than they had last year. Certainly a perplexing team.

[dawgfan]

Given that the Washington defense has been among the very best in the country in each of the last four years, you'd think that they would get more respect from ESPN commentators. And yet in both the Cal/TCU game and the WSU/Iowa State game commentators opined that the Big 12 opponent was the "best" defense the Pac-12 team had faced this season.

Yeah, sorry, but no. By no metric are either the TCU or Iowa State defenses better than Washington's.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Given that the Washington defense has been among the very best in the country in each of the last four years, you'd think that they would get more respect from ESPN commentators. And yet in both the Cal/TCU game and the WSU/Iowa State game commentators opined that the Big 12 opponent was the "best" defense the Pac-12 team had faced this season.

Yeah, sorry, but no. By no metric are either the TCU or Iowa State defenses better than Washington's.

Counterpoint: any defense playing against any of those 4 quarterbacks in TCU/Cal is automatically a top 5 defense!

Seriously though TCU and Patterson still has the rep as a good defensive team even though it hasn't been true in like 6 years. Crazy stat mostly from those early years though - TCU is now 10-0 under Patterson when they throw for less than 100 yards.

[bob]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Senior loyalty as much as anything I could figure.

Either that or the fact that other people were calling for Oliver meant CPJ was going to stuburnly stick to Marshall.

Unrelated thought: I don’t think it can be understated how much ESPN has played into the narrative that other bowl games don’t matter. An extremely large amount of this UF - Michigan game was spent talking about Clemson vs. Notre Dame and that’s been the theme this whole bowl season. They’ll spend the entire halftime shows of some games talking about the playoffs instead of some of the days’ games.

Hope tonight’s games are good after all the build up.

[Atocep]

There's a decent change Holgorsen is nudged to the Houston opening. It's going to come down to whether or not he's willing to make some staff changes. He doesn't have the best relationship with the current AD so it's probably a 50/50 thing at this point.

If he does move on the top name appears to be Neal Brown from Troy with Josh Heupel and Chad Lunsford among other names. Not exactly an inspiring list of candidates.

With Gee's ties to Ohio State and the AD's ties to Bama it wouldn't be a surprise to see them kick the tires at those programs too although I don't think anyone on either staff would be a realistic option.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by bob

Unrelated thought: I don’t think it can be understated how much ESPN has played into the narrative that other bowl games don’t matter. An extremely large amount of this UF - Michigan game was spent talking about Clemson vs. Notre Dame and that’s been the theme this whole bowl season. They’ll spend the entire halftime shows of some games talking about the playoffs instead of some of the days’ games.

Hope tonight’s games are good after all the build up.

Given the number of zero character players who sit them out these days, maybe they have an unfortunate point.

[bob]

Are they not important anymore because players are sitting them out, or are players sitting them out because they’re not important anymore?

Related to the first game, Notre Dame needed to play their best game and haven’t done that along with Clemson getting some pretty good luck. Hope game two delivers.

[Galaril]

I am a ND fan but please NCAA stop putting these bums in the playoffs or championship they frankly are not deserving sad to say.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by bob

Are they not important anymore because players are sitting them out, or are players sitting them out because they’re not important anymore?

I think we've reached the point where it's definitely the former.

Today's UF-Michigan scenario was kind of the tipping point for me I think. (Though WV-Cuse was a lower profile version of the same thing really)

[JonInMiddleGA]

And, of course, the shrill sound you hear on the wind is the whining emanating from the greater Athens, GA area by the red & black contingent.

CKS has already proven that, in 2018 at least, he's not a playoff caliber HC, not on gameday. But that won't keep the mangy mutts from pretending.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And, of course, the shrill sound you hear on the wind is the whining emanating from the greater Athens, GA area by the red & black contingent.

CKS has already proven that, in 2018 at least, he's not a playoff caliber HC, not on gameday. But that won't keep the mangy mutts from pretending.

The issue is the system itself. Given the system in place, of *course* ND belongs there and UGA doesn't.

Actually, it was last year that really cemented my thinking on how borked this whole thing is. The #4 seed was a significant *favorite* in both of its game, and won both games. Yet probably half the country was arguing that said #4 seed didn't belong in there, and they had a pretty strong argument under the stupid system in place.

When the worst seed in the playoffs is the team the majority of people expect to win it all, you have a laughably dumb system.

[bob]

I still never understood the UGa argument that they played well in a loss and got ass blasted by a three loss team = top 4 team.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by bob

I still never understood the UGa argument that they played well in a loss and got ass blasted by a three loss team = top 4 team.

Rarely can one find logic in a UGAg argument.

They might have had top 4 talent but, at least for now, they lack top 4 coaching on game day.

[stevew]

How is that not a fumble

[stevew]

Bullshit.

[bob]

Save your anger for a call that matters. This game was over at 16-3

[stevew]

I don't particularly care but a fumble is a fumble. #MJWD 2.0

[bob]

I think the refs called forward progress too early but that’s not reviewable

[bob]

I hope Oklahoma wins because I personally have no interest in Clemson - Alabama again

[CU Tiger]

So Clemson Oklahoma 3 is better than Clemson Bama 4

[bob]

Would it really be the third time they’ve played in the playoffs? Guess I just don’t remember as well as I used to.

I’m just sick of non-stop hearing about Clemson and Alabama. I acknowledge they are the best programs at this point

[JonInMiddleGA]

That shrill whining noise you may be hearing isn't just a delusional fanbase.

A number of UGAg players are embarrassing themselves on Twitter this evening.

[Galaril]

Let's see how many years of Clemson/OSU vs Bama/Georgia it takes to go to 8, or 12 team playoff. Divsion 2 and 3 figured it out a long time ago.

[bob]

So maybe I’m missing something but based on what I just saw online Clemson and Oklahoma have never played each other in the college football playoff

Correction: 2015.