Official 2024 College Football Thread

[Passacaglia]

That's about what I would have done. I'd have probably made it Miami/SMU in the 3 spot, and BYU/Colorado (although Arizona State is in the mix too) in the 12, though I'd suggest that whichever team wins the Big 12 has a good chance of jumping Boise State.

One thing I was noticing is that when this format was released, there was a lot of talk about how great it will be for southern teams to have to come north for meaningful games in December. If this holds, the first round has a game in Ohio, a game in Pennsylvania, and two in Indiana, including:

Alabama at Notre Dame
Ole Miss at Indiana
Georgia at Penn State

Obviously this won't hold exactly, but it seems like we've got a good chance for two "South at North" games this year.

First few out: Tennessee, Miami/SMU, Texas A&M, BYU/Colorado, Clemson, South Carolina

Also, Washington State lost, so Army and Tulane at 19 and 20 are slotted currently as the 6th conference champion. They'll need some chaos to move past one of the other 5 conferences.

[GrantDawg]

The number one overall player just flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan. Brian Kelly is getting fired, isn't he?

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

The number one overall player just flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan. Brian Kelly is getting fired, isn't he?

This could really backfire on Michigan. I could see the QB room emptying out during the early portal period followed by a post-season ban chasing away Underwood shortly after.

[bob]

Yeah $10 million will flip pretty much any recruit

[RainMaker]

Doesn't Michigan have a top QB recruit they are redshirting this year?

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Doesn't Michigan have a top QB recruit they are redshirting this year?

What I've read is that he's choosing to redshirt, plus a lot of speculation that he's probably going to transfer.

[Solecismic]

They have a four-star red-shirting who seemed like he could be the future - definitely had the best-looking arm in the spring game. Hopefully, he doesn't bolt. They lost a four-star commit just for pursuing Underwood, who actually seemed to be trolling Michigan a couple of weeks ago.

But then he apparently went down to LSU for another visit, and Alabama came into town and did Alabama things. And last week, LSU visited Florida and it didn't go any better. Rumors that Kelly is on the hot seat.

The game is so much less interesting in the NIL age. I don't trust anything these days. Winning last year was great, especially living in OSU country where it was treated like the universe itself had ended. I still think I'm done caring all that much.

Whatever college football is becoming, the illusion that these are real students is long gone. Ironically, Harbaugh himself got into trouble back when he was at Stanford for chiding Michigan for pushing him into a major he didn't want so that he wouldn't miss practice time back in the day. They ended up waiting through another coach hire-and-fire cycle before the powers that be forgave him and had him take over.

If Underwood can get a $10 million guarantee based on high school play alone, good for him. He's as good a prospect as there is. But I'd almost rather someone else give him the money.

[Edward64]

Hogs vs LA Tech today.

We better not choke (we're favorite by 23.5 points). This will make us bowl eligible. Also hope our QB2 and second team gets lots of playing time.

We were 4-8 in 2023. We should be at least 6-6 and maybe 7-5 this year. If we end up 7-5, Pittman should be safe, 6-6 maybe, 5-7 he's gone.

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

The number one overall player just flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan. Brian Kelly is getting fired, isn't he?

Maybe the Hogs can grab him if we sack Pittman But don't think he'll work well with Petrino. All in all, I rather have Petrino.

[sovereignstar v2]

Living vicariously through Indiana today

[sovereignstar v2]

tOSU whiners

Great start

[Drake]

Just saw the clip of McAfee referring to Indiana (somewhat affectionately) as an Island of Misfit Toys, and now I'm kind of hoping Indiana just adopts that moniker.

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

tOSU whiners

Great start

Bennett Christian tackled. pic.twitter.com/5r40Oepn1P

— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) November 23, 2024

I am whining. Indiana is getting a lot of help today..

[sovereignstar v2]

Your coach was crying at a very obvious PI

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

Your coach was crying at a very obvious PI

Oh, that's unprecedented,. I take back my post.

[Ghost Econ]

For a guy who thinks he's a great coach, Indiana is really screwing themselves due to special teams.

[GrantDawg]

Doesn't look good for an Indiana upset.

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[Solecismic]

Averaging less than two yards per offensive play will do that, too.

He's done a great job cobbling together a decent lineup with transfers and what was there, but Indiana isn't a revenue-generating machine. There's a limit. So a couple of serious punt-team mistakes and near-zero offense turned this into a likely blowout.

Swinney was complaining it's a two-conference playoff world. What the Big Ten is fighting, right now, is whether, five years down the road, it's a one-conference world. Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State will be OK - they'll be invited to join it, but very few schools outside of the SEC will.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Kiffin has coached today like he's hoping for a buyout.

[Ghost Econ]

Jackson Dart can make most any throw, but man he makes some really terrible choices multiple times a game.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

Jackson Dart can make most any throw, but man he makes some really terrible choices multiple times a game.

I appreciate his heart, he really gives a team everything he has. And that's a welcome sight in Oxford where it hasn't always been the case.

The mistakes however, yeah.

[Ghost Econ]

I think that's the first time I've seen anyone throw 3 game ending INTs.

[RainMaker]

Dart is a really fun college QB. Reminds me a bit of Baker.

[GrantDawg]

That was probably Kiffin's best chance of making a playoff at Ole Miss. Wonder if he might not end up at LSU.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Not sure what's left for Kiffin at Ole Miss honestly. They went all-in, got nothing to show for it. The ceiling has been hit.

But with that being the case, I'm not sure I get why anybody else would put the massive $$$$ into his hands again either.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

That was probably Kiffin's best chance of making a playoff at Ole Miss. Wonder if he might not end up at LSU.

Is LSU willing to pay $60 million to part ways with Kelly?

It's going to be fascinating to see how much SEC schools are paying coaches to not coach in 5 years or so.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Not sure what's left for Kiffin at Ole Miss honestly. They went all-in, got nothing to show for it. The ceiling has been hit.

But with that being the case, I'm not sure I get why anybody else would put the massive $$$$ into his hands again either.

Because he is really, really good at selling himself. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be coaching right now.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Is LSU willing to pay $60 million to part ways with Kelly?

It's going to be fascinating to see how much SEC schools are paying coaches to not coach in 5 years or so.

Anything is possible. They could come up with the money if they wanted to, for sure. It just depends on how fed up the big money is with Kelly.

[GrantDawg]

This Georgia team just doesn't have the cohesion that previous Kirby teams have had. They maybe could go on a run in the playoffs, but I don't know if they really have it in them. They are just missing that "dawg" in them. That killer "need to win."

[GrantDawg]

That pooch kick by Penn State was weird.

[GrantDawg]

BYU doing that thing where they lose their first game and immediately lose their second.

[GrantDawg]

And Colorado kisses it's playoff hopes goodbye.

[bronconick]

This ish in Tempe is funny as hell.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by bronconick

This ish in Tempe is funny as hell.

They almost deserve to blow this after that.

[Edward64]

And the Hogs will be going bowling!

Missouri up next. It’d be great if we end regular season at 7-5.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

They almost deserve to blow this after that.

Worst end of game management I've ever seen.

[Atocep]

I just saw how Rutgers lost. That's some classic Schiano shit.

[GrantDawg]

What ancient graveyard was Texas A&M built on?

[Ghost Econ]

So it seems the CFP is slowly working itself out. I get it keeps the season in the news and gets engagement on social, but these weekly shows and rankings are so dumb.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

This Georgia team just doesn't have the cohesion that previous Kirby teams have had. They maybe could go on a run in the playoffs, but I don't know if they really have it in them. They are just missing that "dawg" in them. That killer "need to win."

I'm not sure they aren't missing the talent to some extent.

The RB room turned out to be mostly talk, the receiver room hasn't been much all year, the line play has been questionable on both sides of the ball (perhaps the most all hat,no cattle position groups) and as my observant kid pointed out to me recently how Starks often looks he's trying to cover two people at a time because he doesn't have much help. And that's without saying a word about Beck's woes.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Just thinking out loud for a minute. Still football to go tonight, next week but ...
Bama finishes losing to OU
A&M finishes losing to AU
Vandy beats UT, GT beat UGA
SEC ends up a one bid conference?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Some Pac12 caliber reffing in the ISU-Utah game.

That was a HORRENDOUS defensive PI call on obvious offensive PI.

[JPhillips]

Which 3 loss SEC team gets into the playoff?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Which 3 loss SEC team gets into the playoff?

The way today is going there may not be much choice but to include at least one.

The absolute mediocrity of the entire field has been exposed badly.

[RainMaker]

If South Carolina beats Clemson, they may have the best resume of all the 3 loss teams.

[JPhillips]

I just don't see much chance of having fewer than four SEC teams.

[RainMaker]

Good lord Williams is good.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Some Pac12 caliber reffing in the ISU-Utah game.

That was a HORRENDOUS defensive PI call on obvious offensive PI.

Refs in the Bama-OU game just one upped them.

[GrantDawg]

That was a "is the SEC purposely screwing Bama?" type call against Bama. Williams had a circus catch taken away from one of the most suspicious calls I have ever seen.

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[Solecismic]

Covered, so ineligible, but I can't for the life of me figure out what was wrong there.

It'll be fun trying to figure out who is alive and who isn't in the SEC for next week. Especially if Auburn hangs in there.

[GrantDawg]

That's probably going to do it for Bama . Wow.

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