So after watching the state of Mississippi use all its crooked letters and humpbacks to lay claim as the sanctum sanctorum of college football dominance this past Saturday, I made the mistake of not rolling my ass off the couch and shutting down the television and was thus roped in to watching the talking heads in Bristol pontificate on the state of affairs with hyperbole and breathless superlatives in full force.
They had a conversation about how "certain experts" think teams will be able to get into the playoffs with one loss.
And I was all like...
Honestly, when was the last time four teams finished the regular season undefeated? I know there were three undefeateds in 2004, when VT played Auburn in the Sugar Bowl (Imagine an undefeated SEC team being left out these days? My how times change.)
To be honest, I think we'll be lucky to see two teams escape this madhouse of a season unscathed.
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Yeah, very easy to get sick of their BS.
Remember they are aimed entirely at the South during college football season. And in the minds of the SEC fanbase, there will be 6 undefeated SEC teams and it will be a matter of which 4 make the playoff. Just in case two lose they have to figure out which 1 loss SEC team(s) could replace an undefeated SEC team. Also if they didn't keep score at football games half the south wouldn't know how to count, so ESPN will cover the highly likely improbable scenario of 1-loss teams in the playoffs.
Ah, so THAT's why they can only count by 3's and 7's. Gotcha.
The Auburn team that got left out is exactly why ESPN is in such a pro-SEC stance now. They whined and whined and whined about that slight for weeks on end, and when they beat us by the skin of their teeth, the mothership went all in on the SEC hype, making sure no other undefeated (or close to undefeated) team from that 'epic' conference would ever feel slighted again.
That whole network is what is wrong with sports now. They've somehow changed the mindset of the country sports-wise from "win it on the field" to "its not fair if ___" and somehow making it relevant and influential on the sports world.
It got even worse when the team that was named champion was forced to give back the trophy thanks to Reggie Bush.
So the only legal undefeated team that year didn't win.
Nah, the ESPN SEC lovefest went into hyper drive in 07 when they signed that first huge contract with the SEC. The ink wasn't dry on that contract before ESPN became all SEC all the time. I remember it was around that time that the ACC had some decent games but the ESPN channels were all SEC school including that epic LSU Towson matchup that I'm sure everyone in the country were riveted by.. The Big12 and PAC 12 were smart to find another network to show their best games. Wish the ACC could parlay that relationship with ND into a big contract from NBC to show a couple of ACC games 1 of which would be prime time. Since NCBC owns Comcast they could easily start and market a ACC network too.
The fact that of the undefeated teams, most still have to play one another...
Call me an ACC homer (do those even exist in football?), but I only have FSU surviving.
You forgot about Marshall. They have the easiest schedule in the country with no power 5 teams. They are expected to finish undefeated with their hardest games already completed.
And after seeing them in person last weekend and in the bowl game last year it is a very complete team. They are solid and I would love to see them in a new years day bowl.
I think ND beats FSU
2009. Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, Boise State, TCU. Wait, that's five.
Molte grazie.
Which brings me to my next point. Won't be long until undefeated non-Power Five schools get shut out of the playoffs in favor of P5 schools with one loss (or more). I expect the banging of that exclusionary drum to be what eventually forces the expansion of the playoff field, akin to the BCS rules changes to guarantee highly ranked mid-majors access.
That's part of the reason why I would like a playoff formula closer to the NFL...where you know exactly how to get into postseason. For example, expand to include at least 6 teams so you have the power 5 conference champs plus the highest ranked group of 5 champ.
Yeah, there's the argument of watering it down because you could have a 3 or 4 loss Coastal team knocking off a 0 or 1 loss Atlantic team...but again, there's a difference between champion and best team.
I'm really hoping at some point the NCAA takes over the FBS postseason like they did with basketball back in the day (the NIT used to be the premier tournament in college basketball) and brings it up to the standards of literally every other NCAA sport (and level of football) by giving us a 16-team playoff where each of the 10 conference champions get an invite, plus 6 at-large.
See above, Marshall will most likely be undefeated at the end of this year. Nobody is talking about them for the playoffs, heck are they even ranked?
Yes, #25 in AP, #24 in Coaches' Poll.
As they keep winning they will have to move up higher.
I don't think their stupidity is all that special. I've seen better.
"Better stupid". Certainly an oxymoron. but I bet you have seen that. The world is amazing in that regard.
Failed Ice Bucket Challenge:
I really hope that last one was faked.
Right, that would have shattered his skull.
I guarantee you stupid commentators will be the first ones to call others stupid. So dont question ESPN before they call you names.