The College Football Playoff is (finally) here, and all that's left is to get yourself ready for the big games. The Rose Bowl will kick things off on New Year's Day as the No. 2 and No. 3 teams square off in the historic stadium in Pasadena, California. That will be followed a few hours later by the third straight meeting of what has become college football's best postseason rivalry as the No. 1 and No. 4 teams in the nation square off at the Merdedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Rose Bowl Semifinal
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Georgia (-2.5) -- 5 p.m. on ESPN: The over/under for this game is now at 60, and the over still seems appealing given how well these two offenses work. That would seemingly play into Oklahoma's favor. And if there's one thing Baker Mayfield has proved, it's that it is hard to bet against him. This one is setting up to be a classic featuring the top offense in the nation (Oklahoma) against one of the country's five best defenses (Georgia). Something's gotta give in Pasadena.
Sugar Bowl Semifinal
No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Alabama (-2.5) -- 8:45 p.m. on ESPN: Of the three matchups between these two teams on the game's biggest stages, this is the best matchup for the Tigers. The reason is very simple: The Crimson Tide offense hasn't been able to evolve much under first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll because of the absence of a downfield threat opposite Calrvin Ridley and an offensive line that is not all that it is sometimes cracked up to be. That plays into the teeth of the Tigers strength -- that defensive front. The Tigers will put the Tide in third and medium (or worse) consistently, which has been their biggest Achilles' heel in 2017. They've converted 41.5 percent of their third down opportunities this year (No. 50 nationally), and 31.43 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 (No. 64).
Comments
Alright alright alright (.gif), great write up. Let's go Oklahoma and Clemson!
I gotcha
Well, they have ACC officials in this game so the rest of the country is about to see what we have to deal with on a weekly basis.
Amused the ACC ref initially started to call Oklahoma's side of the coin Ohio...
I think they have been pretty good. Mostly letting them play and settle it on the field.
ESPN thinking they're going to have the Rose Bowl over by 8:45 is laughable.
Sugar won't kick until at least 9-915. Tomorrow is gonna be rough.
Thankfully we got an extra day off tomorrow.
Not me, but I've been off since the 22nd. So I can't complain.
Me too. At this point it feels like a prolonging of the inevitable misery.
Going back to work is going to be like your first day next week.
Today is rough.... I had Christmas day off and that's been it... they really needed to have the Sugar bowl at like 2 and Rose at 630....
Good lord these offenses are fast.
Very glad were were not playing the other Oklahoma university.
Oklahoma's offensive line is mashing.
That last OU TD was an absolute blocking clinic!
This game is combination of manball mashing and high scoring. I am having fun.
If anyone is having issues with watch ESPN try switching to one of the other feeds. Main feed was garbage for me lots of buffering and crap quality. I switched to the Command Center feed and it's been solid.
Film room stream is pretty interesting. I may learn a thing or two.
Skycam feed is nice for watching the marching bands at halftime.
Come on UGA
Oklahoma's run blocking is so pretty French might have to change his pants at half.
I want an $EC free championship game, go Sooners!
Just saw this on SBNation
A college football newsletter by Jason Kirk
Georgia beat Oklahoma in one of the three greatest Rose Bowls ever, and Alabama beat Clemson in one of the ... 83 best Sugar Bowls ever, meaning Jan. 8 will give us Dawgs vs. Tide at the site of the SEC Championship for all the chicken sandwiches.
Ugh, an all-SEC title game.
Conferences are a social construct. Just focus on the fact that two of the sport's most talented rosters are about to square off in a cyborg romance palace, with a team you don't like guaranteed to lose!
That was some sweet trickery by Oklahoma right there.
I feel like once we get the speed we need at the skill positions and a QB that can make all the throws and reads, we'll be in a position to compete with teams like these. Watching this game so far helps me see how close we truly are. I would truly be surprised if we aren't in the conversation in 2-3 years. (Pending BudFu stays around) #MaroonGlassesHotTake
The $ec is now the 2nd worst P-5 conference in bowl season....last season they were 3&8 ....if this result holds for Oklahoma perhaps some of the myth around the "mighty $ec will start to fade... Go Clemson!!! Go Oklahoma!!!!!
Big Game Bob on the sidelines is an aggressive move, but to each his own. This game is as entertaining as I've watched all season.
The chick fil a bowl was great even though UCF kept trying to keep Auburn in the game. Glad they came away with the win.
GET THE MIC AWAY FROM THE LADY/HIGH PITCHED MAN SCREAMING IN THE STANDS.
Those are the ACC refs. /s
Sooo... the right side of your line is getting dominated so you run off the right side on 3rd and forever and you're surprised when it goes nowhere?
Stinespring is that you?
I don't know how anyone can watch the "coaches film room" dynamic. Just a bunch of rambling over each other for the 5 minutes I could take it.
GO DAWGS! SIC 'EM!
Holy crap just when you thought OU was gonna run away with this thing.
Don't worry Oklahoma, you're not the first team to blow a halftime lead to UGA.
*shudders*
Take your leg dammit.
Heisman curse?
Dang what a game, regardless of the outcome
Fwiw, OU holds...a lot. This must just be the new normal (or ACC refs) However, as others have said their run blocking is beautiful.
I wonder just how amazing a TE Logan Thomas would've been had he picked Oklahoma. Like, zero hate on his time here...but damn...feel like he would've been uncoverable (that's a word).
Game is simply incredible. Nothing will ever beat THE FBS, when it comes to sports. Nothing.
America deserves overtime in this one
This game is great. It needs to go full Buffalo Wild Wings mode and go for 3+ OTs.
Really liking Georgia's offensive line (and Wisconsin's from the other night).
How can they even start the other semifinal game now? Have they no decency?!
Big derp there, Dawgs.
Oklahoma's overtime play calling has been awful.
That was something else. Congrats, Dawgs
Shane bringing Beamerball to Georgia
What a comeback, wow.
I am a happy man.
A friend of mine's sister goes to UGA and already has her lottery ticket to the Natty (lucky bastardess). She was trying to talk us into going...so if anyone has money they're willing to light on fire, let me know immediately, cause I really wanna go lol
I cant handle an all SEC National championship game.
Best prepare for it, Bama looks hot.
We're hurtling straight for an all-SEC title game which will result in a level of SEC ESPN love we all had thought we were past last year.
The love affair was never over. They still talk non stop about the SEc greatness.
Exactly. Just think how bad it'll be following a Bama-UGA title game.
For those that gamble that had Oklahoma +4 like I did...thoughts and prayers.
Worst case scenario in OT. If they make the kick we win but it's blocked and UGA scores on the next drive. Ugh!
Twoexcellent games tonight, for different reasons
C'mon, Tigers
Edit: nevermind. Down with Bama.
Well that Fumble looks familiar.
Horrible playcall /s
They shouldn't run cute plays.
That fumble by Alabama is exactly what happened to us last week.
I rooted hard for Clemson two years ago; go ACC, go team Chaos.
Last year I could have pulled for either team, but I grew to greatly disliking Ben Boulware; so there I was, at my wedding, pulling for 'Bama.
This year, I had similar positive experiences with Clemson fans to the awesome Bama fans we met in Atlanta. I was certain I'd be pulling hard for Clemson.
But damn if Jalen Hurts doesn't remind me of Tyrod...
Roh Tahd, I guess...
I get angry just simply thinking about Boulware and his awful beard.
I've befriended people who look like douchebags, but I've never been fond of anybody who feels themselves empowered to continuously redefine the whole movement.
"Yeah, I "might have" tried to choke out Lamar, but we were laughing about it together by halftime. Totally normal."
"Yeah, I totally throatpunched Towles, but we were all laughing about it right away all of a sudden. Together and all."
"Yeah, we stuck our fingers in their buttholes a lot, but that's totally a thing and we all laugh about that stuff together all the time."
I'm not sure he had much buy-in by all his hypothetical buddies on all of that...
I just really didn't like that guy.
Oooo...
The whole chokeout moment brought out a dark side in my wife and myself. We found a tv at my best friend's wedding last October (don't want us watching her alma mater, don't schedule your wedding in the fall) and both exploded at that shit. Still pissed at how someone can get away with that.
What the hell, the chain gang has hat cameras! How the hell do they have hat cameras and we couldn't get a handheld camera on the other side of the field for our bowl game!
You answered your own question. Our missing camera is on that guy's head.
I for one will not be watching the championship game if it has 2 fucking SEC teams in it....
So do they not call pick plays or illegal man downfield anymore?
Nope. At least not till our first game of the season.
The thought of a Bama-UGA title game makes me sick, but I honestly do enjoy watching Clemson be humbled. They will continue to be a massive thorn in our side with recruiting, so it's about time the Clemson hype train gets toned down a notch.
That pick-6 looked awfully familiar :(
I'm torn about this game. On one hand #GoACC and on the other hand #FuckClemson
As someone who lives around a BUNCH of Clemson fans, you'll have to ignore my shit eating grin over the next few months. Their arrogance had truly gotten out of control.
I have family in the Upstate part of SC. My cousins echo your sentiments.
Obviously, it's time for the Coastal (I.E. The Hokies) to step it up, and dominate.
No apologies necessary! I will absolutely join in, with a grin, uh gin (:
I'm starting to think Clemson may have been the most overrated team in the playoff. Clemson has been recruiting very well, but not to the level of Alabama where sheer depth and size in the trenches can let you simply overpower teams. Clemson is missing a true game changer at QB this year. Watson is what got them over the hump. I honestly think Ohio State would have fared better against Bama and possibly could have won.
Well thank goodness they're not recruiting QB very well here recently.......................................................
I don't think Ohio State would have beaten the Alabama team that showed up last night.
I said this shit all year long, it absolutely baffled me that everyone essentially pretended like Clemson didn't lose to a 4 win Syracuse team and needed a bunch of flukey big plays to beat NC State.
Strongly disagree that Ohio State could beat Bama, they are a good team but no team that loses to Iowa by 31 has a chance of beating Alabama, simple as that.
but if Bryant is healthy against Syracuse they win.../s
Darth Saban
Bama Undresses Clemson, Discovers Freshman Quarterback Underneath
Ps: as someone who generally avoids enjoying the bad fortune of others, it was odd to feel such bliss watching Baker Manziel sit behind the mic and cry. Sorry not sorry
So can we all boycott this year's NCG, and declare UCF the national champs?????
Beat me to it. Me and my touch screen keypad. Take a leg.
I know it won't happen, but it would be cool if one of the polls had them #1 or at least gave them some #1 votes.
This may be meant as a joke but I'm totally doing it
Looks like they're doing that themselves.
A "Perfect Season" banner, I would encourage. A championship banner, that's just kind of sad.
Edit: is he perhaps saying that it will happen one day after actually winning one?
that's as bad as a NC trophy case [ducks]
Every team i was rooting for lost today. Down here in Bama country, I'm just going to claim the undefeated knights from UCF are the real champions. I'm really going to hate pulling for the Dawgs next week. My dad graduated from Georgia Tech. "To hell with Georgia."
"The Cesspool of the South!"
I'm honestly ok with it. The warning signs were there from the 'Cuse game.
I live in Huntsville (Rocket City) Alabama. I cannot understate how unpleasant the atmosphere is down here when Bama is the cfb camps. Ugh!
You know what an Auburn fan and a loud Bama fan have in common? Neither of them got a degree from the University of Alabama.
If they win, I'm going to have to get the waders out, and it is not to go fishing with French and Musky
As a fellow Hokie that also lives in Huntsville, I couldn't agree more. Most people at the office, however, are pretty reasonable about it.
I think it was 2013 when Auburn ran that Alabama missed field goal in for a touchdown to clinch the iron bowl. Some woman in Birmingham shot another woman to death because she "didn't take the lost serious enough"- foxnews. It is just a whole different animal down here.
This is how I feel in upstate SC with Clemson.
These fans in Ohio sure are a different breed. The last time the Buckeyes won a National Championship, I couldn't even get within earshot of a conversation about college football.
Before that season, I swore I never met a more conceited group of self-absorbed assholes. Some folks just hit that success and see the light, I guess.
Well...go Dawgs. Going to be a long off-season. The love-fest for the SEC will be sickening.
2017 postseason media: "Is it fair for two SEC teams to be in the playoff?"
2018 preseason media: "Is it fair for any other conference to earn a playoff spot or should it just be 4 SEC teams?"
It wouldn't be the first time this happened.
What an asshat
As someone who wants the playoff to expand, this really couldn't have worked out much better.
You have to believe that the B1G and Pac12 are absolutely fuming right now that they were both left out only to see the SEC guaranteed a title. The playoff was supposed to help level that field and the agenda got pushed hard this year to bolster the almighty SEC again. And now, it's only a matter of time before this thing is expanded to include all conference champions.
Or at least it bloody well should be. I hate how meaningless conference championships seem to have become. Why even play the game.
Gonna throw in a PSA too, I'm not looking to go around and around on this issue again. It was a one time vent, until the next one time vent.
Although I hate the all sec championship game, I agree with you.
I want the playoff to expand and I have to believe that this will only embolden the call for that. However i believe we will always have two sec teams in the playoffs if that occurs and one of those two teams will always be Alabama. At least until Saban retires.
You are right. Bama will have a reserved spot in the playoff for the foreseeable future. I know they are a really good team, but they got in this year because of the aura of Bama. I've heard countless analysts bring up looking at their consistency the past several years for why they should get in, when this season is all that should matter. They won their first 11 games but didn't really have an impressive win, as the SEC was down this year. If Ohio State had actually shown up and not gotten embarrassed at Iowa, I have no doubt they would have taken that spot.
Bama just embarrassed a very good Clemson team. They are likely to do the same to Georgia. So, any complaints against Bama making it into the play off is really just a statement that the person really has no interest in ensuring that the best teams are there. Bama is clearly a top 4 team and all in the top 8 or so this year had major flaws which opened the door.
The only team that has a legitimate complaint is UCF. They, along with all G5, essentially play in a league they cannot win. I think that is a problem. I say this while admitting that if it was my job to pick a top 4, I wouldn't include them either. The only solution I can fathom is a larger playoff.
With such an emphasis on strength of schedule and quality wins with the new playoff committee, no one could make a salient argument for Bama's resume other than just "look at them, they're Bama." That's not a very good argument. Yes they are very good, but from just looking at a resume perspective, it was tough to make an argument other than they pass the eye test. They validated their selection last night for sure. But, they got the benefit of the doubt in order to get there in the first place. IMO, they rightfully did get in because of OSU's blowout to Iowa. But had that not happened, OSU would be in the playoff over Bama in my estimation.
You know, people keep saying this, but I have yet to see it. So far over the course of the last four years, it looks like the committee values number of losses first, followed by conference championships (but completely excluding the G5 in the process). Even with the Iowa loss, Ohio State would have been in the CFP if they hadn't scheduled and lost to Oklahoma.
My thoughts align completely with this on both fronts. I feel bad for UCF, I believe they have a reason to complain, but I also would have left them out.
I think the playoffs have to be eight teams. 5 P5 Champions, Highest Ranking G5 Team, and 2 others.
I'd be okay with this but ideally I would have a requirement for conference champion to at least be ranked in the top 12 or that slot would be forfeited in favor of an at-large bid. Additionally, I would also caveat the highest G5 team to an undefeated G5 team. I really can't support an at large bid being taken by a 1-2 loss team who almost certainly only played 1 or 2 power 5 teams all season.
This is all predicated around how I am VERY against college football being like the NFL. I don't want an 8-4 conference champion in the playoff, that heavily devalues the regular season which is the most unique thing about college football. There is no other sport where every single week of the regular season could completely define your season. The high stakes are what keep intrigue up in college football from week one all the way through November. Every single week could be the week your title shot is dashed. Every single week it's worth going to the stadium or tuning in. I enjoy the NFL, but lets keep the products unique. If you want to root for a 7-9 team who won their crappy division in the NFL to win a Super Bowl, be my guest, but I want college football to remain unique and keep that regular season as high stakes as possible. I believe that is a major reason why CFB's numbers have remained strong while most other sports viewership numbers have been trending down for years.
I would change that to the top 20 because we all know there are some voting shenanigans out there. I honestly don't care if that highest G5 team has a single loss. Give them a shot. They would probably have been the eight seed.
Yeah, I'd prefer to take it out of the hands of a committee, who will ALWAYS vote for Alabama and Ohio State if they can get away with it.
This year UCF should have been a part of the mix.
No solution is going to be meaningful until it includes relegation and promotion. As long as the conferences are aligned the way they are, "conference champion" means five different things in the five P5 conferences.
But personally, I don't care. Professional sports are all about championships. As far as I'm concerned, college football is all about Rivalry Week. The conference championships and bowl games are just exhibitions to me.
Championships are all that matters. Pounding UVA every year is peanuts compared to what winning a national championship would do for Virginia Tech.
The thing you like best about college ball is the thing I dislike the most about it. I just figured out why we rarely agree on anything, haha.
I just hate how especially for a team like us that's going to lose 1 or more a season until our talent level improves, 1 game can just knock us out. 1 game in CFB is almost TOO Meaningful, except for when it's meaningless (beating a cupcake instead of losing to them). Of course if we get to a Playoff caliber team level I'll feel differently, but this is it right now.
Indeed and there is always room for dissenting opinions. A lot of it is that I think that aspect makes college football unique and special. I additionally think it is one of the main reasons cfb is doing so well while almost all (if not all) other professional sports are seeing declines in viewership. The controversy is good for college football as is the high stakes from an interest and business perspective. This is the short version, I wrote a longer piece on this further down in the thread.
This has probably been a sub-thread elsewhere, but what does everyone think about a 6 team playoff? Top 2 teams get a bye, and you either take 5 conference champs and 1 at large, or the same setup we have now with the committee but with 6 instead of 4.
I don't like the idea of a BYE. I think it would be a huge advantage for 1 and 2. The thing I like about the bowl layoff is that it gives a chance for guys to heal up and come in on ample rest. It levels the playing field and you get a better on the field product IMO. You lose a lot of that if some teams have to play an extra game.
Very good point. Have a leg sir.
Exactly how I thought the Sugar Bowl would go.
I definitely didn't see the Rose Bowl being that high scoring, and if you had told me it would be, I would have been very confident that OU would have been on the winning end of that shootout. Lincoln Riley called such a great game until OT, then he played so conservatively, it was really strange. I still think he has an incredibly bright future as a coach and that he stays there long enough to keep them from hitting up Fuente's phone. Georgia showed a lot of poise and were very impressive to come back from what felt like a huge deficit. All their seniors who decided to come back after GT messed up the hedges last season are probably really feeling like they made the right decision now.
Agreed. I figured that if the total points in the Rose went over 50, Oklahoma would have been the winner.
Bama was awesome last night. But they also caught a huge break not having to play in a CCG. They have a much better shot at UGA now than they did in early Dec. when they were pretty beaten up.
So who is UCF playing next week?
Themselves... Vigorously
Starting ticket prices for the championship game; $2,000. Good lord.
Perfect storm of team that hasn't been there in a long time (Georgia) and Alabama is about 3 hours away from Atlanta with an alumni base even closer in Birmingham and Atlanta itself. Obviously, Atlanta is filled with and surrounded by Georgia fans.
That said, these prices have been ridiculous every year. It's almost out of the question for anyone who isn't upper middle class to attend these games (especially as a family) unless they are making a huge splurge or saved up purchase.
Starting prices?
More like scalper-prices, and fans and businesses who speculated on tickets who want to cash out at the expense of other fans.
$2000 is a little ridiculous for what I think is going to be a boring game.
Note to self: Start VT NC ticket fund three months ago.
I just don't like the idea of a team who didn't even win their division becoming National Champs. Seriously think about that. Why even have divisions then?? They should make it a written rule that you have to at least hit that benchmark. I understand that with 4 teams that it's possible to have the loser of a conference championship game still make it, but that's about it for me.
After Alabama thoroughly and emphatically shut down a clearly inferior Clemson team it seems pretty obvious the conferences aren't equal since Alabama beat the ACC's clear best team with relative ease and they didn't even win their division. I want the best teams in the playoff, no ifs ands or buts, give me the best 4 teams and let them prove it on the field. Would you rather have a scenario where Clemson potentially wins a national championship this year, knowing that Alabama beats them 24-6, holds them to 188 yards of offense on a neutral site? Do you believe if you swap Alabama into the Atlantic that they aren't a conference champion?
We doing this argument again? We seriously going down this path again? The path where you put some arbitrary subjective retroactive qualifications on who is a better conference on hindsight to support an argument that white washes entire leagues of not being worthy to even have the opportunity to put a contender out there for a national title? Yeah, I love that argument. I especially love it that now we're going towards "the SEC is so good their division runners up deserve it over the ACC"
Man, let me tell ya, this is the best continual argument on TKP. THE BEEEEEEST
Well they are proving it on the field, isn't that what you want? Because last night I saw a clearly superior team beat down and embarrass a conference champion, holding them to 188 yards and about 70 of which came on a final garbage drive where they still failed to score. My qualifications aren't retroactive, I've been saying these things all along from last season, throughout this season, and now I'm just reiterating them after they are being backed up. The the fact that all those points I made are now being proven just supports my points that the eye test matters and maybe I'm not subjectively pretending my conference is better than it is to make me feel better about my team.
I think you gotta be careful about using one game to support a broad argument. Clemson looked like they were way outta their league last night, but maybe they played a bad game and Bama played a good game. Bama certainly looked pedestrian in their loss to Auburn, who Clemson beat. Auburn looked amazing when they kicked UGA to the curb in the first game, only to be curb stomped when they played them again a few weeks later. And now we have UCF, who is not only undefeated but beat and never lost to Auburn, which is something no one else can say. Transitive properties don't work and single game matchups have a ton of variables. In the end, I guess I would like to see a more structured path to the playoffs than the eye test. Because every year, Bama is going to be good and have a top recruiting class and coaching staff. And while it doesn't matter, I'm just tired of seeing it.
This has been an ongoing thing and it has encompassed more than just one or a few games, but that said I think some of your points are very fair. Though I would like to address a few things you've brought up that the eye test helps make more sense of than just looking at a resume. When Alabama played Auburn they were playing with 4th and 5th string linebackers on the road against (until the 4th quarter) healthy Kerryon Johnson and late season, more comfortable Jarrett Stidham. Clemson played Auburn at home before Stidham had much time to gel with the offense (you can tell from play calling he didn't know as much of the playbook at that point) and Kerryon Johnson, far and away their most important player on offense was out that game. Auburn's early season struggles were further illustrated when they struggled with Mercer the following week, it was some time after before they really started clicking into gear. On the flip side, it was Auburn who was more beat up (Kerryon Johnsons shoulder pads were almost up to his ear) when they met UGA for a second time. Just looking at a resume doesn't necessarily reveal these things, but anyone who watched all these games closely would have noticed. Additionally, we've seen this illustrated in our own program as we helped support the old addage that "it's difficult to beat a good team twice" as we won rematches with BC in both 2007 and the 2008 seasons.
Now on UCF, I agree, I wish there was a larger playoff so that they could have been given a fair shot. However, in the current format of four teams, I would have left them out. They only played one P5 team all season, though to be fair, they scheduled two. I am a fan of an expanded playoff, but my arguments in reference above are based on the current, 4 team format.
How many excuses do you feel like making for other teams? You sound like Saban complaining now that he only has a week to prepare for the NCG.
The best team Alabama played this year beat them. They didn't win their division and benefitted by avoiding a loss in the SECCG (which based on your excuse making they might have been in trouble against the Dawgs)
That same "best team" they played got straight up beat on a neutral field by UCF.
The key point being one game after the fact doesn't validate your own theory on who didnpr didn't belong
You can call them excuses all you want. The same excuses were readily accepted by the CFB community at large when everyone decided to essentially pretend like Clemson didn't lose to a 4 win team. My point is that football is more complicated than just a resume. When you read that did you think "Week two Auburn without Kerryon Johnson was exactly equal to the team that beat Alabama in November, that's just an excuse" because I've seen you talk football on this board and I know you know football better than that.
Additionally, after last night how could anyone think Alabama being in the playoff wasn't a correct decision according the CFP's current stated goal to put the best four teams in the playoff? We're not talking about whether you think only conference champions should be allowed into the playoff, because that is not the criteria they are currently operating under. Last night, Alabama was a noticeably stronger team on a neutral field than Clemson, a team that was universally accepted into the playoff based on their resume.
I think to address your last question it is fair to say we are looking for different things from the CFP committee. "The 4 best teams" is meaningless to me, I am looking for the 4 teams that earned it. Call me old fashioned and going by how every sports league I have ever cheered for/watched/participated as a kid and in high school were chosen.
I am afraid I fall into the camp that thinks that a team that does not win their own division or conference does not belong in a 4 team college playoff. I really don't care how well they play after a month of rest and not even having to beat another top ten team to get into the last 4 (like Clemson and UGA had to, and Oklahoma to a lesser extent). Bama just got to sit there and get healthy because they lost. Seems odd to me. Would they have beaten Georgia in the SECCG? Perhaps. Given yesterday it seems likely. But we don't know, because they failed to qualify. Your opinion of them after last nights game is irrelevant.
I think this is a perfectly reasonable opinion. I enjoy other sports leagues but I am strongly in the camp of not wanting college football to follow suit with other sports leagues and I'll give a few reasons why:
-For a long time, college football was still many (not all, of course) our favorite sport despite the fact that we were at least somewhat content that they just picked two teams at the end of the year to play for a national championship. Now that there is a playoff, people suddenly have a lot more opinions about how they want things to play out. Conference championships used to be a trophy to be proud of, bragging rights within your conference, a goal to be achieved in it of itself. I think this, along with big bowl wins (high tier and BCS bowls) were pretty important to have other goals than a national championship, especially considering college football (and basketball) have way more teams than any professional league. I think we are up to around 130 in cfb in the highest division now, it changes so often. There was a need for other smaller trophies to be sought after and celebrated (conf, rivalry trophies, bowl trophies) because the chances of playing for a national title were so slim. I actually think the playoff has diminished the relevance of conf c'ships (not just in relation to playoff, in general) and bowl games because it has made everything about the playoff and national title, but it's no easier to win one than it was before they moved to the playoff. That said, I am still a fan of the playoff.
-Here is the big one, I think college football's high stakes regular season, where losses hurt you more than any other sports regular season (and by a large margin) is both great for the sports health because it makes every week of the season equally important and makes sure those stadiums are filled and TV's are tuned in, AND part of what makes college football's product unique and special. The numbers back up that college footballs viewership numbers remain strong while every other sports leagues, especially the regular seasons, are down and trending further down. One of the reasons: Each game of college football matters more than any other sport. The more losses your team can have in its league, the less hurt and damage is done by each loss. Your favorite baseball teams can lose 70 games and make the playoffs, how meaningless is each individual game in the big picture, if you miss a few games, who cares, there are so many and a few losses aren't so bad. The more losses that are acceptable, the less you care about them. It just keeps going that way. Almost every sports fan I know, in my age bracket (mid 20's) doesn't watch any NBA basketball until the playoffs, their regular season is just a terrible product and because the length of the season nobody cares about a random regular season game. Viewership down, attendance not as important. Even in the NFL, your team can go 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 and win their division some years while hovering below to barely above .500. Games just don't matter as much during the season and therefore, it's not as high stakes and important to watch, so attendance and viewership is down. The more we lean towards this style of conferences AQ teams into playoff spots, putting potentially 3-4 loss teams into the playoff over teams that went 11-1 or 10-2 is not what college football is about. If you can lose 4 games and still have a chance at a national title then the stakes are lower each individual week. You might be more inclined to skip out on watching games or less likely to attend a game, knowing you the stakes are no longer as high. I love the NFL, I watch the Vikings every week I can, but I know if I miss a few game because I'm busy, it's just not as a big of a deal as missing a VT game. When we lost an ugly, mistake-filled game against Carolina to end an 8(?) game win streak heading into that game, it hurt me, but not as much as the mistake-filled loss to Miami hurt me, because Minnesota still was in position to get a bye, but VT's shot at an ACC title vanished with one loss. Has there ever been a regular season game in any other sport that hurt you as badly as our loss to BC in 2007? That's part of what makes the wins so much sweeter and the losses so much more painful in college football.
Obviously, you might not agree with this, but I just wanted to flesh out a little further where I am coming from on these threads. I want to keep the college football product unique because I think it's better from a business point of view (making money, viewership, attendance) and I genuinely think it makes for the most exciting and highest stakes on field product in any sport. Closest 2nd is probably European soccer but pro/rel and a points system is an entirely different monster and difficult to compare to most American sports leagues as it is so fundamentally different.
Couldn't have put it better myself. It's football. The best teams don't always win, and that's what makes it so great.
also as a Hokie fan I enjoy watching good teams lose almost as much as watching my teams win
There is a respectful way to disagree with someone and this isn't it. Why come in with such a condescending and rude tone? It's possible to disagree with someone and state your case rather than just try to shit on them. The former is usually much more effective in proving a point and better received.
I'm with you Alum. This time the "eye test" worked but last year when they were clamoring for OSU they didn't say it was flawed when they got smacked. And I now love the "they earned it on the field" and UCF isn't in the discussion. Objective goals, i.e. division and conference championships should be the highest weighted criteria.
As long as this game is more interesting than LSU/Bama in the 2012 championship I'll be fine with it. I can deal with the SEC love...because I don't pay a shit of attention to Sportscenter or really anything ESPN related unless it's a live game. And even then I just tune the announcers out unless it's Fowler/Herbie because otherwise its Bumblefuck Magoo who can't pronounce "Edmunds" correctly or says TD's don't count unless you run it in with a power run game.
I guess this leaves me with one question since Bama won in what felt like a convincing win, did the committee get it right?
Yup.
No, they obviously should have ranked Bama higher than Clemson /s
I agree with a lot of sensible people who think an eight team playoff is best. P5 conference champs, 3 at large picks.
Any P-5 conference should get to send one team to the playoffs. They can choose that team however they want. Conference champ, best record, draw straws, whatever. But they get to send one team. You want in, be your conference's choice, or be one of the at-large picks.
Ideally, Alabama and Georgia shouldn't be playing each other for the national championship, unless it's in the SEC title game. If they make the selection and get through the other playoff games, and there are more than one, then so be it.
A change to the rules that says two entry's to a playoff must play each other in the first round would be interesting. Then we would have at least two conferences competing for the national title.
I know there is a great disdain for the preseason poll, so what if we got rid of pre season poll. Rankings don't come out until early/mid October or just follow the playoff rankings that start the first week of November, since it is the only poll that matters.
they already don't have "real" rankings until, what, week 6? The problem is, the AP, coaches, ESPN, Athlon, Bob's Football Emporium, etc will always rank teams and pollute the airwaves with them. Besides, schools like to claim that they beat top 25 teams and you can't do that if there are no rankings for half the season.
I agree that pre-season rankings are a bit silly, but from a journalistic perspective and for the good of the sport it creates talking points and drums up controversy/arguments. The safest way to handle this, and I think we've seen more of this in the last few seasons, is for the first few weeks of the polls to be much more volatile. If a team gets exposed as a pretender or an unexpected team is playing great, then simply don't be afraid to bump them down or move them up a good bit. Later in the year the rankings will become less volatile as the sample size increases and the perspective of the season becomes a little more clear.
That is part of my point playoff rankings are the only important rankings when it comes to the big three, anything else is opinion an speculation that drives the business which I'm fine with, it's what is best for business. I'm also being wildly unrealistic because as you say teams do like having that record vs top 25, along with all the upsets, and big games between ranked opponents is too big to give up. I guess my hope would be that somehow a top 25 built on 6/7 weeks into the season would produce a better poll and better CFP.
I guess all I'm saying is that I really don't have a problem with the almighty SEC having 2 teams in the playoff as long as every other conference (every P5 at least the best G5) is represented as well.
When you try to deem some worthy over others, you end up leaving out the truly worthy. Should UCF have been allowed to play for it all this year? Ab-so-fucking-lutely. Should Ohio State and USC have been included as well? Yup. I mean we had two Top 10 Power 5 champions who were frozen out. We had an undefeated G5 conference champion frozen out. I just don't agree with a system that freezes teams like that out over a team that couldn't win it's own division, especially when that division lost in it's conference title game. I didn't like Ohio State in it this year, and I don't like Alabama in this year. At least not until everyone else has representation.
The best teams don't always win. If they did, the undefeated Pats would have won the 2008 Super Bowl and not the Wild Card Giants, and the 2015 Panthers would have won and not the Broncos. Virginia Tech would have won the 2005 ACC Championship Game, the 2001 Mariners would have won their franchise first World Series. The Washington Capitals would have like 3 Stanley Cups by now, and so on. That's the beauty of sports, and something that college football seems adamant to prevent. Just let the teams settle it on the field, and not in the press rooms.
Maybe the uniqueness of college football is really what's better, given that all viewership and attendance numbers support that CFB's product is staying steady and popular and every other sport is falling off and trending down. I'm cool with a bigger playoff so UCF gets a shot, I'm not cool with turning college football into every other sports league that is trending down. Maybe the ship that isn't sinking shouldn't have the same holes poked in its hull as the ones that are.
I'm not in favor of any system that arbitrarily locks out entire conferences because of subjective feelings and opinions. If that means college football starts to look like the rest of US sports, than so be it.
Me personally won't watch the NC for a couple reasons. 1. ESPN can't get their shit together for streamers on PC. 2. I don't care to watch a SECCG Part Duex 3. I didn't even watch the CLEM-ALA game, I've seen that game for the past 3 years.
Should we stop watching the VT-UVA game since we have already seen the repeats for over a decade?
Never did I say that everyone shouldn't watch the game. I prefer a little variety during bowl season. VT-UVA is a regular season game. If everyone wants to see CLEM-ALA every year why not have that be a rivalry game during the regular season?
I dunno man I kinda think that with Oklahoma's strength of schedule they should probably play for the championship
I'm gonna watch tomorrow night, with some old friends. But part of me wishes the match-up was just a bad dream.
Smug ass $EC!