Bowl season has officially begun and only two games in and we have our first upset. No one in my work pool picked Kent State (line was Utah State by 7), so the winners are whoever recognized they didn't know crap about either team and just slapped a single digit confidence on it.
Leave comments on non-Hokie bowl games here.
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I knew bowl games started today, just didn't get a chance to watch any. Damn.
The Kent State-Utah State game last night was a lot of fun and featured the worlds first robotic referee. You missed a good time.
Anish calling the ref "caffeinated" was a pretty good quip.
Pimpleton just caught a nice 61 yarder in CMU's game.
Yeah, but he dropped several that him in the hands, too. Glad to see him getting to play for someone else.
That was his downfall at VT
less than 6 minutes in and UCF is already up 14-0 on Marshall. Marshall has 0 first downs and 2 turnovers. oof.
I really need a gif of the tiny cannon at the Gasperilla Bowl
Edit: found a pic, but really want a gif of him loading and firing this thing.
I forgot Marshall was playing in a bowl game today, and apparently they did too.
It's not too late to remind them.
no joke. 4 turnovers and zero offensive points (one pick six to get on the board).
fun fact: today's bowls pit (pun intended) two underwhelming ACC teams against G5 teams in what is, for all intents and purposes, a home game for the G5 teams:
Louisianna Tech plays Miami in the independence bowl, minutes from campus.
Eastern Michigan plays Pitt in the quick lane bowl, 45 minutes from campus.
Both ACC teams are heavily favored, but you gotta wonder if this is prime upset fodder.
Plan on getting embarrassed as a conference again......#goACC
I'm not so sure about that
Miami will lose. Bunch of players not playing, OC is leaving (not being kept) after the game, players don't care about this bowl game. Hill is sitting out for some reason, for the draft.
I don't know about that. LT's offense looks pretty bad. They had a 4th and 40. Miami's offense is trying to match it though.
Miami down one to go
Seeing Miami go into pure panic mode against Louisiana Tech by throwing Tathan in at QB is euphoric
They getting ready for Hail Mary part 2 right now
Yeah but hearing generalized ACC trash talk will be annoying
I never got confirmation on whether Miami was bak or not. Did they? Are they? Will they?
Rest assured, starting tomorrow, Miami is bak next year.
They fired their OC. So for sure they bak now.
Just saw the halftime score before I turned the stream on and oof.
That might've been the worst bowl game I've watched since VT-Rutgers in the Orlando monsoon...actually, I think this was worse. Shutout by La Tech is....erm, special
Someone better at technology than me get a GIF of that flop by LA Tech when the ref touched him. That was an instant classic
He would make a great soccer player
Did you see the other official laughing at him while calling him out on it?
Yes, fantastic television
Lebron James says hello
I like Mark Richt and hate Manny Diaz. I hope Diaz stays for a long time. I'm loving them suffering.
This has to be the worst Miami team I have seen. Possibly ever.
#theybak
Wow, Miami is bad lol...this game sucks but I love watching the U stink up the joint.
They deserved to be sent to El Paso as punishment for their futility...it's the only way they'll learn
Quarterman is going to have to create a defensive touchdown singlehandedly because no one else gives a shit.
Well, I was close.
I was hoping that you would be 100% wrong on all counts.
Me too
Imagine paying for a trip to Shreveport to watch this.
Really enjoying the refs smedium shirt and glasses during this Miami debacle
We ain't Bak
It's so beautiful.
Told ya.
This feels like Miami hired their own version of Willie Taggart. It is amazing how some historically good teams repeatedly make the worst coaching hiring decisions.
lmao@ Miami spinning the LT QB into the endzone to get the ball back.
I think Miami offense tried to lose that game.
Bahahaha da U
Miami fight song in the background over shots of LT celebrating 😂
Miami loses to Tech for the third time this year. 🤣🤣🤣
Good god Miami is turrible.
The Miami and Pitt performances so far are giving weight to the argument that you need an offensive minded head coach to be successful in college football today. These two defensive coaches have the worst offenses.
I feel this way about the NFL too
I would counter with Saban in CFB and Belichick for NFL. Willie Taggart in CFB and Saban in NFL would also work. These could be outliers, but I think what you need is a good offensive coordinator.
Eastern Michigan is scoring against that Pitt defense.
Also giving weight to the idea that the coastal is awful
Is the Coastal really this bad? We may win it next year, but that may not be saying much.
the ACC is this bad, yes!
Virginia won it this year, so yes, it isn't saying much.
Yes, but not just the Coastal... This Miami team absolutely boatraced Louisville, and we stomped the healthier version of Wake.
WTF is going on? is Pitt really going to lose too?
via GIPHY
Teams that scored a point vs La Tech in 2019:
Texas
Grambling State
Bowling Green
FIU
Rice
Mass
Southern Miss
UTEP
North Texas
Marshall
UAB
UTSA
Teams played LaTech and didn't score:
Miami
Also interesting:
Teams that shut out Miami
- LA Tech
Teams Miami scored on:
- Everyone else on their schedule
Miami played like it was a spring game. That was interesting.
But...but... da u is bak!
- Division 1 Power 5 Conference Head Football Coach Pat Narduzzi
and defensive guru Pat The Douche NarDouchie
To be fair he doesn't understand pass interference either so I'm not going to hold my breathe on him understanding blocking.
Pitt takes the lead for the first time in the game with less than a minute left, and wins it.
Then, Eastern Michigan goes back to the original meaning of "going down swinging" when their quarterback gets ejected with 10 seconds left for hitting two different players and a ref.
Wow. What an end to the Pitt game. EMU QB throwing punches and inadvertently hitting a ref. Yeah, you are getting ejected every time for that.
Ref takes a fall
That ref was pissed!
He wouldn't even take his hat back!
Pitt talks trash and tries to bait a fight after every play. It must be the only thing they go over at practice because they are good at it.
Eat shit Pitt! Of course they let me down in the pool!
Just read this about DA U. LMAO!
OOF
I wonder how he's gonna explain that one to his wife
From a burner phone in a different country, preferably.
Let's be real though. If you're dropping that kind of cash on a not great bowl matchup, you probably have a ton of money lying around. It's probably about the equivalent of me dropping a $100 bet. You notice it, but it's not the make or break for your life savings.
Let's be real if your dropping thay kind of money his wife left him a long time ago.
sounds like somebody owed Tony $50,000 and needed a way to make the payment look legitimate...
another home game for the under dog today in USC vs. Iowa
Military Bowl is going on now. NC / Temple. I have NC in the pool therefore pulling for them. I feel like a cheap whore!
everyone in my pool has UNC, but I gave them the lowest confidence score of anyone (7 and everyone else is 20+ on the game). Hoping they lose so I can make up some ground, but it's not looking too likely.
Yesterday, I was rooting for Miami til I realized that it was a similar situation and it was better that I lose less than everyone else than actually get the pick right, so I got that going for me.
Wake is another low value game for me, but I'm literally the only person to pick them so the point differential will be sweet if they can pull it off. Good first drive: run run run run run run...30 yard TD pass in 2:15 of gametime.
Fortunately the games get a lot more watchable later today. I dont see any bad games on the agenda after the UNC/Temple squabble. In their defense the Pitt/EM game last night was good to watch up until the last 2 plays.
As well you should. :D
UNC is going to be a tough out next year. Howell is a stud and tons of talent around him.
No way dude, Mack is a TERRIBLE coach he only got LUCKY at Texas to win a championship! They were so bad this year it killed all their recruiting momentum! He's TOO OLD VTJ, don't you get it? UNC is no threat to us!
He dances though, and croots love that right? 🙄
Dazz has made some wicked catches today
Dax breaks Dazz!
I'm far more impressed with UNC's WR's than Howell. They make him a lot better than he really is. That said, they'll be there to help him next year too, so that will make UNC a tough out.
Michigan State just missed a FG that should have sealed it. Wake still has a chance down 6 with 3 minutes.
(I have MSU in the pick 'em).
Missed why Newman is out for Wake.
Didn't say the injury, but limped off at the conclusion of the replay.
Looked like a hand or finger injury.
Two missed pass interference calls on MSU that would have extended the Wake drive.
They've called a lot of blocking penalties, but almost anything goes in the secondary this game.
I see narduzzi left his mark
Damn Jimbo only has 1 scholarship RB for the bowl game.
Luckily for him Mond decided to double as a RB for the bowl game
Kid waving with the hot dog wearing a "Paper Planes Now" t-shirt.
What TV and bowl executive thought a bowl game that doesn't end until after 1am EST would do well in ratings?
How is the CIA or NASA not looking into this guy? He's able to bend physics to his will! 5,293 TDs on only 470 completions? And it's yielded just 45 yards? An incredibly powerful being.
Dang that's a lot of one-inch TD passes. Not sure how he's averaging over 10 TDs a completion though.
HAHAHAHA I'm sitting here cackling like a fool
He wrote Man in the HIgh Castle between classes.
So just by going off of the stats washington state and USC lost in basically the same manner. They couldn't run the ball and the other team played clock control and shortened the game. Maybe there is something to Fuente wanting to establish the run.
(Yes USC lost their QB which really took the wind out of their sail)
Same QB played a full game when they beat Utah and put points on their very good D. USC's biggest issue was being unable to stop Iowa, followed closely by their OL playing worse than Miami's (though USC still scored points, on a vastly better D).
USC's defense got gassed because Iowa kept them on the field. USC's offense isnt designed to give their defense a rest.
Memphis is fun to watch. Gainwell, Gibson, and Coxie are legit playmakers.
This game would be a blow-out if they would just stop shooting themselves in the foot.
Edit: Well, so much for that. I hate Penn State.
PSUblooks bigger, stronger, and faster. However, they look like they just said, we are bigger stronger and faster so why game plan.
They came out of halftime to play.
What's everyone predicting for the playoff?
I got:
LSU 45 Oklahoma 30
Clemson 31 Ohio State 24
And then Clemson 48 LSU 31
(Also should note...with a 2 yr old and 4 yr old at home, I really only watch VT games, and have only seen each of those teams play once this year. So, I have no idea what I am predicting)
I do NOT want Clemson to win again. I think LSU beats Oklahoma, I hope Ohio St beats Clemson.
Clemson Clemson Clemson. I think Clemson will win. By a wide margin today, by a margin in the NC
EDIT: Now I'm not so sure. I think OSU is much closer to LSU than Oklahoma was, but after watching the full-on destruction of Oklahoma and the close game Clemson played, it's tough to say that Clemson will win it all.
Wow, gutsy call.
Ohio State has looked stellar this year, and Clemson ain't played nobody, Pawwwl.
Yes, OSU has looked really good all year. And they looked really good last night too. It's clear that OSU is better than I thought, though I usually think that the Big Ten gets a little too much credit when they have a good team (usually OSU, occasionally Wisconsin or Penn State, and it's been a long time since Michigan was good). In this case, my takeaway from this season is that OSU lived up to the hype.
Clemson has, too. Despite only playing two SEC teams out of conference, they managed to get through their schedule with the reputation of not playing anyone. But they just keep winning!
Well, we can no longer say Clemson ain't played nobody.
OSU is a very good team, but it did look like Clemson just wanted it more.
The Clemson LSU matchup is the thing dreams are made of. They are both very good teams, and they've both dispatched very good teams to get to the final. This is the way playoffs are supposed to work.
The difference may well be Clemson's red zone defense, that last night made OSU settle for 3s instead of 7s.
The difference may be Clemson had to play a tougher opponent than LSU...not sure which is better!
If you dislike Ohio State (like me) watch a game against OSU against Clemson and just soak it in. It's pretty hilarious, if you thought Bama was a delusional fanbase....yikes!
Yup, I do dislike OSU and the entire Big Ten pretty much. Living in Big Ten country will do that to you. I'm not as familiar with anOSU's fan base as I am with PSU's fan base, but it must be epidemic in the Big Ten. Have you ever heard a collection of fans saying that, 'Man, there were 14 or 15 plays in that game that would have won it for us'. That's PSU's fans. Every call against them is a crime against humanity and every cheap shot their players take isn't an indictment of their guys, it's that the opponent deserved it. I can deal with it for a while, but it gets old. Very old.
That accurately describes anOSU's fanbase. There was a buckeye fan sitting at a table with his 5 or 6 year old son, and I'm not sure I've ever heard a man drop that many expletives in a half of football...right in front of his son. He went on a 5 minute rant about targeting call...now they're not all like that, but I'd say a good number of them were. Stay classy, OSU.
Only 16 pts shy on the OU points to nail the half time score.
Nice calls. Nearly nailed the Peach Bowl.
The Fiesta... you got the winner but, well, that's a whole different story altogether.
EDIT: I reversed the bowls. I'm too lazy to change it.
Love watching Memphis play. Especially when they're going toe-to-toe with PedoState. Memphis's DE is abusing the PSU OT. Go Tigers!
Let's go Memphis!
Wow...Parsons is a baller lol
Man these announces for PSU-Memphis suck, they keep saying Memphis's QB, White, is a cerebral player but he is making stupid mistakes. Basic shit like just take the sack instead of handing the ball to the defense. He has had some bone head plays all game where he is trying to do too much. If he learns to play within himself he'd be much better.
You'll be shocked to know it was the same crew that called our game against Miami.
Every other RB from PSU should transfer because #4 is outstanding. He and Parsons are the players of the game.
Journey Brown is tight but the PSU folks think that Noah Cain is the best back on the roster.
Either way, Slade is their solid fourth best RB behind Devyn Ford. Everyone is surprised he didn't transfer.
EDIT:
As an aside, when Micah Parsons was being recruited, the PSU folks didn't want him to sign. They thought he was acting entitled during the recruiting process and expected him to have a bad attitude. Oh how the turntables now that he's a darling of the program. I'm expecting him to be the best defensive player in college football next year.
Oh good, the ref for this game is from the ACC. Won't be any bad calls at all then 🤦♂️
Yeah everyone just got to see what ACC schools deal with every week... That was almost as bad of a missed call as Saints vs Rams
There's the first one. How that wasn't pass interference I have no idea
#goACC
LSU is going to murder OU
It has already begun, looks like.
If Oklahoma doesn't find a way to force the ball to Lamb 12 times a half they might as well pack it in now.
Me after that Lamb reception 5 minutes after I posted this.
THERES THE ACC OFFICIALS WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE!
The *best* the conference has to offer 😂
Lol classic acc refs
Late hit / horse collar? Nope, nothing to see
Why didn't they call a tackle out of bounds there?
I mean, it wasn't close.
Everyone will forget about how bad the officials were in this game after the natty. A PAC12 crew is reffing that game.
So, random calls with inconsistent explanations?
Yes, and possibly the best name in officiating: Michael Mothershed
Oklahoma out there headhunting players downfield instead of tackling the ball carrier. Real cool Lincoln.
Heady play, in the wrong way.
Lamb has still only touched the ball 1 (one) time.
That was one of the worst cheap shots I've seen in a while. and in a playoff game? Don't these players have something better to do? Like try to win?
Oklahoma playing dirty shit there
That was one hell of an interception.
Like taking candy from a baby.
LSU is really good, and OU also has no business being in the top 4. This is the result.
This is what happens when the committee feels the pressure to put in someone from the big12
Would we prefer the SEC or Big 10 get a double share of the playoff money?
No. The right 4 are in.
I think Oregon would have been a better matchup but with two losses it wasn't going to happen. Utah also would have likely been a better game but Oklahoma was the sexier brand.
This is an all time ass-kicking by Jefferson.
The crazy thing is he isn't even the LSU WR that won the Bilitnikof Award
OU doesn't belong in this game.
Who does though? That is why the playoff expansion wont happen for awhile. The difference between the top 2 or 3 teams and every other team is drastic.
I feel the opposite. When there are only 4 teams, you get no room for a bad game/drive/play. I feel like expanding the field gives teams more of a chance to overcome that. You see how that works in the NFL all the time
There is much more parity in the NFL.
The gap in College Football is only getting bigger.
Agreed. It will be the death of college football
Agreed. I feel the next major move in CFB is not a playoff expansion but the top programs breaking off from FBS and possibly the NCAA and forming essentially an NFL farm league.
They already have that.
Outside of playing football, the NFL and college are nothing alike in makeup, parity, and distribution of talent.
I get it, the Vikings have no talent.
#SKOL
Nah we just gave the great imposter a giant contract at the most important position lol.
Oklahoma is done and we still have 9 minutes to go in the first half. Unless they pull off another 2nd miracle like they did against against Baylor then this one is going to end ugly. Hint: LSU is not Baylor.
It's already ugly.
I think it's safe to say that LSU is the real deal at this point.
LSU's offense is fun to watch. Just think, they used to look anemic on O a few years ago.
They're fun to watch if your team isn't playing them.
I took the under at 76 . Oops
LSU may top that.
Lincoln thinking about just heading to ATL at halftime to catch the late flight to Dallas.
I'd stay at OU if I were him. He makes all the money and doesn't have to deal with Jerry Jones
Is "LSU just scored again" gonna reach memetic status?
It's the new "Danny Coale is still open."
Wow. Why didn't any team show up to play LSU today?
I haven't seen a team get spanked like this in a bowl since WVU laid 70 on Clemson.
Some of these LSU cfp records might not get touched for decades.
Clemson laid 62 on UVa a couple of weeks ago.
Of course it wasn't in a bowl game, and it wasn't all in the first half. And nobody actually thought UVa was good.
What a major bitch slapping!
Both Notre Dame and Oklahoma are the two most overrated programs in the country and I don't think it's all that close. Those two constantly are given opportunities and rankings that are unwarranted by any stretch of the imagination and then get their asses WHOOPED when I comes time to put up or shut up
Loved the little bit ESPN did the past couple days on how you shouldn't overlook Oklahoma in this game because of things along the lines of "they have a defense" and "good offense" and the whole Jalen Hurts factor. I'm willing to admit that Oklahoma would more than likely boat-race Virginia Tech this season, but to say that was anything other than an attempt to get everyone to also tune into this game is silly.
I mean you knew LSU was going to win, since the creation of a national title game in 1998, LSU has played in everyone of them that were in New Orleans. This year New Orleans hosts the championship game.
Edit: well that source was wrong, it's just the last 3 times it appears. I dont know how 2000 slipped my mind.
uhhhh, no
I don't see LSU in this picture.
Still the greatest performance by a college athlete in that stadium
No, what you see there is Vick-Jesus.
okie 0-4 cfp
Since they won the title last after the 2000 season in the Orange Bowl vs FSU, they have been manhandled and embarrassed in national title or playoff games. 2003 LSU beats them, 2004 USC manhandles them similar to tonight, Florida beats them in 2008, and now 0-4 in the CFP semis.
Looking forward to seeing if JK Dobbins can perform for OSU in a big game when Gus Johnson isn't in the booth to say "Go get it and come back with it." every time he touches the ball.
Don't forget about "JK ALL DAY." That dude quickly became one of my least favorite commentators over the course of this season.
Gus Johnson? Oh yeah he's bad, but imagine him calling soccer...doesn't get much worse than that. It's funny they paired him with Joel Klatt-that guy is probably my favorite analyst
Sooner nation:
*verbal meme: spiderman and spiderman pointing at each other, Alabama and Clemson kickers*
Wow. OSU might be too much for Clemson to handle. Making it look easy.
It's early... Clemson will flex its muscle eventually
I'm hoping so. I'm definitely rooting for Clemson but it looks like Tee Higgins is out and OSU is coming out real aggressive. Clemson is looking a little too much like Oklahoma for my liking.
Clemson is nothing like Oklahoma... different breed
For sure. The first quarter and a half looked quite a bit like LSU's first quarter and a half with the exception of OSU's field goals were LSU's touchdowns. Clemson didn't look competitive early.
I should have remembered the pasting of Alabama that Clemson executed in the final... last year?... a few years ago?
It looked similar. Alabama came out aggressive and hitting hard, it looked like Clemson was going to get beat up. But then Clemson just Clemson'ed their way through the game, calmly accepting an early deficit and getting better as the game progressed.
I thought Clemson was going to win this game by a lot, but OSU surprised me by being a lot better than I thought they were. And Clemson still won, albeit closer than the experts (me) thought.
Clemson has the horses unlike Oklahoma. They may not execute and could just as easily be manhandled. However, it would be because they didn't play well, not that they were overmatched.
Clemson about to go down 3 scores. Didn't see this coming.
All hail the return of Clemsoning!
...erm...yeah
Yeah it didn't age well
Ohio State @ LSU, y'all.
Clemson is about to get humbled...it's been awhile for them.
EDIT: maybe not
OSU's staff is running circles around Dabo and his boys.
Love watching Dabo and Venables get their asses handed to them. Dabo's golly shucks schtick disappears real fast when he's not winning.
Im sitting here wondering why no ACC team has done this, and really wondering why Saban never got after them like this.
No ACC teams have done this because they don't have rosters stocked with blue chip recruits to execute it like anOSU. Having an obscene amount of talent makes every gameplan look amazing.
Clemson on offense usually takes a couple series to start humming.
I think the bigger surprise is Clemson's defense shitting the bed early.
Trevor is fast!!
Yet again I find myself thinking that a white quarterback is deceptively fast.
But to be fair, in this case, I do think that Sunshine is one of the lankiest runners I've ever seen and his strides are just so long that he can cover ground. I still don't know how he managed to run for that 67 yard TD against that defense. How did no one catch him?
Long strides and the fact that white people can be just as fast
Looks like we have a 2nd half worth watching
Clemson is so lucky it is truly infuriating. The biggest plays this game for them that turned the tide were two dropped TD's by Dobbins, no play made by Clemson, and a targeting on a third down sack. I hate football.
Pretty sure Sunshine running through Ohio St's D for a long TD wasn't luck...
...Sparked by the above mentioned plays that kept it from being like 24-0
They didn't make a play on any of those three crucial plays. Just got lucky.
Just lil' ol' Clemson.
Clemson D forced 3 FG tries... they didn't break and give up TDs. Had Ohio St punched it in this game is 24-14 at best, and this could have been headed to a blowout. Instead, Clemson hangs in, gets a break on a legit targeting call, and they take advantage, and now we have a game.
They didn't make two of those stops lol, Dobbins dropped two TD passws, one in the EZ and the other would have been a walk in. Clemson did nothing to break up either pass.
Part of defense is getting lucky when you don't execute, like when UVA guy dropped the wide open long TD in 2018 against us. That's what happened here.
One play a defender didn't give up on the play and caught him. The other the defense got to the QB and Dobbins didn't get a great ball.
Not talking about the long run. He dropped a screen with 6 blockers and one defender in front of him and dropped a ball he had on both hands in the EZ. That was an 8 point swing where Clemson did nothing but watch Dobbins drop a pass.
Take that apologist energy elsewhere.
Yeah the screen play was bad, but it's his job to catch the ball that was passed perfectly too him. That's not getting lucky, that's a player royally screwing up.
And Clemson benefiting from it without making a play.
Ohio State just got a stop because Clemson's top WR dropped 2 passes. Looks like they get lucky too
Sure, they weren't TDs though.
Your hatred of Clemson is truly impressive, it burns with the heat of a thousand suns
It's approaching the same order of magnitude as HokieGirl and Tennessee, which is amazing.
The difference is that HokieGirl's hatred is more of a "spiritual" experience that all of us can understand.
Hokiegirl's hatred for Tennessee is more like a million suns.
That's what makes it a spiritual experience.
It's football man. Every once and a while a game comes down to a handful of plays that could have turned the tides, but something was a hair off. I'm not going to take away anything from Clemson's Defense hustling to prevent plays from becoming 7 and holding them to 3.
does Clemson have a concussion protocol?
They did in the first half. Then when they werent winning, they changed their mind.
They played ETN against Bama in 2017 after he clearly got concussed on the opening kick. They've done this shit before.
I'd love someone to press them on what changed for a guy who left the game for a half after getting hit on his bare head with a helmet that allowed him to go back in.
I didn't think his head ever hit anything. I was wondering why he was sitting
Lmao roughing the kicker, another free drive.
Completely unnecessary. Seems like something VT would do
No thank you
It's not like the refs are handing penalties out at will against Ohio st. The buckeyes didn't capitalize on their own opportunities and now they are making mental mistake.
Damn I miss having star running backs. The excitement of knowing all it takes is one miss by the defense and it's going to the house
Almost got a lucky interception there
Lucky sack there
Beat me too it hahaha
OSU really lucked into forcing that fumble there. Edit: Bad refs are bad
That was not a catch... they need to watch in real speed rather than slow mo
ok... NOW Clemson got a lucky call. That should have stood as a fumble.
Slow mo made it look like a real catch. Real speed he was trying to actually complete the catch.
Because he took three steps in the slow mo. Unreal wasn't bobbling it at all.
He didn't complete a football move, such as tucking the ball in.
I need a definition. That looked like possession.
3.a.3 is the "football move" caveat. (This is the 2018 rule book)
That's one of those weird plays where the slow-motion and real time views tell two completely different stories.
The replay booth had to overturn the call on the field, though- I'm not sure I would have been confident enough to overturn that.
At real speed, that doesn't look like a catch.
Higgins takes three steps with the ball in firm
Possession and they call it incomplete
It continues
That's the first borderline call that screwed OSU lmao
IMHO - it was ruled a fumble on the field and I really didn't see how it could possibly be overturned. Had he taken two steps I could make an argument, but three steps and a clear handle on the ball should be possession.
Oh I agree 100%. I was just saying it's not a theme of OSU getting screwed.
That was absolutely a catch and fumble
No way, he was trying to pull in the catch for about a half a second before it was knocked out. No time for a subsequent football move.
The ball was firmly in his hands while he took 3 steps!
I'll bite. Assuming it was a catch, his forward progress was halted long before the ball got knocked loose. (He was being pushed toward his own endzone the entire time the ball was in his hand.)
Don't know if that element is reviewable or not, but ultimately the correct outcome (Clemson punting on 4th down) was the outcome.
No one can possibly call out Chris for saying clemson is lucky. They are incredibly lucky. Their wr just took 3 steps with the ball firmly in his hands before fumbling, and it was reversed!!!
We can't call him out any more you mean. That was a lucky break. Everything else was self-inflicted by Ohio st.
Three steps is not the defining aspect of the play.... at any point can he firmly plant and pivot? The call was overturned per the rule's definition of a catch and possession.
Lucky INT there
Clemson must have forgotten to be lucky when they dropped that sure pick six in the first half.
It is well established that I don't know what the hell a foul in basketball is (see: me screaming at my tv during the Louisville-UK game earlier). I cannot say I know what a catch is with anymore confidence. If it is ruled a catch and fumble in real-time and they reverse it in slow-mo where it shows damn near everything they look for, I just...to hell with it. I love college football, warts and all.
also add: holding, and pass interference.
Sometimes they call it, sometimes they don't.
In regards to the Louisville game: make some motherFUCKING freethrows and we're not even in OT. Neither here nor there.
However, aside from paying a bazillion dudes to ref on a doctorate type level full-time, this shit will never be resolved.
Note to Clemson: you must always account for Dobbins.
Definitely some holding going on.
I really dig the modern version of the neck-rolls that some of Clemsons' LBs are wearing.
You taking about the cowboy collars?
They talk about how great the defender is, right before they show him holding the receiver's shirt.
Clemson got lucky they studied the Fuente Pop-Pass
Clemson scored almost too quickly
True, but the important thing was to score a TD.
I wonder if Etienne should've gone down at the 1. Run some clock, or force osu to take timeouts. They only need a fg to win.
Probably safest to just score.
Agree. Too much time for my taste.
Yeah he should've went down inside the 10 and milked some clock or at least force OSU to burn their timeouts.
Then again who can argue with a TD?
Trevor Lawrence is the real deal.
That was our play we used against them in 2016
OSU's fake sideline check quick snap is next level meta game.
Lol
I mean, Fields' pick had nothing to do with that.
This is the kind of drive Clemson should have employed.
Lucky INT
that was anti-climatic
Fields with all day to throw and he does that man, Clemson's defense is about to face a beast in burrow
I hope LSU beats them by 50
Clemson and Ohio State are both extremely good, but LSU is just in a different stratosphere right now. I've honestly never seen anything at the college level like what Burrow and the LSU offense are doing. It's seriously video game stuff.
Burrow continues to put up Heisman moments. I don't think he knows he already won it.
I'm rooting for Clemson to win it all again, though I'm torn. I'd love to see Coach O grumble his way to a national championship. Had OSU won tonight, I would be all-LSU in a couple of weeks. But since Clemson is in it, I gotta pull for Dabo and #goacc, especially since Clemson has been dismissed for their strength of schedule all season long.
Either way, we're gonna hear a 'Go Tigers' at the end of the NC game.
Lol Clemson wins on a miscommunication. Add it to the endless ledger.
Ohio st didn't execute
No shit, he threw it straight to a Clemson player with no Ohio State player within 15 yards...
I just don't get the railing against Clemson. That's all. You are picking a fight for no legit reason. There is a reason they have dominated the conference for years and it's not because they get every lucky break.
I watch all these games. They do get lucky all the time. They don't need the luck against ACC teams but it's there.
Weird how good teams (not just Clemson) could make their own luck right? Crazy how being supremely talented finds you in better positions.
Finds you in better positions to watch Dobbins drop TD passes and get targeting on a third down sack.
Or get a fumble overturned that was called a fumble on the field. By a receiver whose concussion magically disappeared at halftime
Downvote all you want, they did the same thing with ETN in 2017 who clearly got concussed on the opening kick of the SF and they played him, wobbling around, until he got hit in the head again and finally left the game after several series.
The targeting was stupidity on the player who did it, not luck. If he had sacked Trevor without fanfare, it would have just been a sack. Instead, he lowered the boom and gave them a first down instead of a sack.
Your comment in no way reflects reality. Some players deliberately target and some happen to be on the wrong end of a rule that is sometimes incompatible with physics. The targeting was a bad call. Trevor Lawrence is 6'6" and incredibly athletic. The OSU player was lining up to tackle him square in the body and Lawrence turned and ducked into the hit at the last second. These kind of targeting calls are so aggravating because they don't take into account reality or intent. Replace OSU with VT and this play lives on in VT history like the pass interference call against USC.
It would have been targeting if he had hit him with the crown of his helmet anywhere else too. Don't lead with your head and don't lead with the crown it's fairly easy.
I've never understood the dont lead with the head phrase. Can you lean forward without your head being in front of your shoulders? The notion that your shoulder should make first contact is easy during a drill with a stationary tackle dummy. When it comes to the actual game of football this is impossible. The offensive players lead with their head every single time they have the ball.
You tackle with your face mask up, looking through your target.
In one of our games a targeting was reversed due to face mask up, no targeting. The head down and leading with the crown basically demonstrates you aren't as concerned with safety and often, not always, associates with launching. It is dangerous for both the player tackling and the individual being tackled.
Typically, again not always, the offensive player is in defense mode because they are about to be hit so the natural inclination is to brace and protect. Obviously there are RBs and a few QBs that are different. Logan's run in the UCLA game comes to mind. The defensive player is not concerned with ball security unlike the offensive player (that could get them benched if dropped). Defense is trying to eject the ball with force. Offense is trying to put as much friction on the ball as possible which requires curling down.
It is fairly easy to say from the seat of your couch. When the players and coaches admit the rule is incongruent with the game of football, maybe it ain't so easy.
I can't say I played P5 football but I played for a 2 time VA state championship team as a starting Strong Safety and one preseason camp for D3 (partying was more fun than 5am wake ups)
From Sports Illustrated:
While the rules and execution aren't perfect, I think most coaches and players understand and appreciate the intent.
"Leading with helmet, shoulder forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area."
There was an all american future 1st round pick that also committed this on the same play that got Wade thrown out.......
The video tells a different story.
The OSU player led with the crown of his helmet to make a more forceful hit, and was correctly ejected. This is why the rule exists, and why it was correctly applied in this case. Some part of Trevor was going to get hit with a helmet, no matter how he reacted or covered up.
And the lesser team on the field usually has killer penalties. As a Washington Redskins fan I can confirm they are constantly having drive killing/saving penalties.
The better they are, the luckier they get. I've seen Ohio State get lucky, too.
And the DB was right there to make them pay big time
I think that miscommunication falls on the WR....if he had went inside on the post that's 6
The safety was watching Fields the entire time and made his break based on the ball being thrown. The WR continuing across would have made it a 50-50 situation at best for OSU.
We're going to see a new record for number of times Tiger Rag can played in one place in 4 hours on January 13th.
Ugh
Ah yes, but you also get LSU's Neck thrown in there
*audio is NSFW*
that chant is pretty wild & explicit. if the band tries to play it then i can't imagine the station would broadcast it to a national audience. i think lsu's admin has threatened fines to the band in the past.
If I were a rich band alumni, I'd call up the director and tell him the fines would be covered and more.
"LSU's 'Neck'" lol
HBCUs have been playing that song for decades. LSU can't just get the words wrong and then claim it as a new version.
I wish I bet all these games ended up filling out a CBS ATS pick em and never submitting it to a $5k payout group.....I'm sitting at 17-4 making it a top 50 bracket in all of CBS. My only hope now is to get that #1 spot (currently 19 correct picks).
Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan. Our pool leader has a pretty high confidence score on his WKU pick so I'm rooting for WMU.
Tied at 20 with less than a minute left in the game. WMU trying to drive into FG range to win it.
3rd and 1 at the WKU 28. WMU's kicker is only 1-3 at more than 40 yards...
Aaand WKU forces a fumble, but it's recovered by WMU for only a 3 yard loss!
Then WMU goes for it on forth and throws an incomplete!
WKU drives to the WMU 39, get's stopped OVERTIME...except that WMU had 12 men on the field. 5 yard penalty, untimed down, WKU 52 yard FG is good, Hilltoppers win it.
Oh yeah, and WKU's kicker had never made anything longer than 48 yards in his collegiate career.
Interested in this game. Nobody really knows how good Miss St is because they have played with a ton of guys suspended for each game (academic related so they couldn't announce anything official). Louisville is a much improved team with a tragic flaw in that they have a very poor defense. Miss St is without their starting QB as well because a LB on their team punched him in the face and broke his orbital bone... also MSU best player Kylin Hill is sitting out the bowl game I think.
This is a game I wouldn't put substantial money anywhere near.
EDIT: I was very wrong about Kylin Hill sitting out the bowl game, as I clearly confused his announcement with another player.
Very sadly, he was carted off after the first snap. Truly heartbreaking to see.
Stay classy, Mississippi
ACC skrong
Still plenty of time to find a way to lose
#goACC
Whew, Rece, Pollack, and Des really reaching to find good things to say about this UVA-UF matchup. Pretty evident that they got a miraculous win over their rival who has beaten the tar out of them after obsessing over it all year, and it just so happened that this was also on the line. VT should totally be there, but I'll enjoy watching Florida beat them back into irrelevance and send Perkins out BooHooing.
VT and FSU need to step it up.
No way should Louisville and UVA be in any conversation ever as football contenders in the ACC. Sad that we have to root for Florida to do the job we should have done.
Yep, we should be in this game and it sucks. I hope the coaches and players stew on that UVA loss and all it cost us the whole offseason.
It really upsets me to hear ESPN over and over and over again state how if the favorite team(aka the SEC team) loses it was because they weren't motivated to be there. It couldn't have possibly been because they could have been wrong in their projections. They make excuses for teams losing before they even lose. I've been listening for the last ten minutes about how if Florida loses they are probably not motivated to play in the Orange Bowl in their home state. That is complete BS. I grew up playing sports and never knew one decent athlete that wasn't competitive 100% of the time. Athletes will fight over checkers but somehow they aren't motivated when they take the field in the Orange Bowl??? Fla will most likely win this game but if they don't it won't be because they were outplayed, they've already laid the groundwork for the excuses.
Hooever loses should own it.
Exactly!
I don't know Hoo downvoted you, but I plussed you back up.
I was considering rooting for the ACC in this matchup......but then Bronco Mendenhall just took my Hoo hate to a whole new level with that horseshit
What did he say?
They had a soundbite from a pregame interview where Bronco said an Orange Bowl win would be a big deal for a program with such a "Unique academic situation".
Stanford has entered the chat
USC has entered the chat
Duke has entered the chat
Notre Dame has entered the chat
First time I've ever heard USC mentioned in that regard. Georgia Tech likes to use that argument and I'd guess Vanderbilt and Northwestern might as well.
I was going by the teams which had won Orange Bowls and which are ranked higher than UVA in the USNews university rankings. Georgia Tech is ranked exactly one spot below UVA,
Throw Michigan in there while we're at it.
I didn't even hear what he said but a leg for you. I hope UF stomps a mud-hole in UVA tonight.
Well ladies and gentlemen, if we had taken care of business in Hooville a few weeks ago we'd be providing (at least I think so) a better game for the Gators.
Ya hate to see it
Oh baby, that was beautiful
Steve Levy needs to dial it back a touch. He's screaming at me.
Steve Levy is still employed by ESPN? I had no idea haven't seen him in years.
Steve Levy and Karl Ravech are two personalities who will stay in Bristol until the end of time, it seems.
I liked Steve on Sportscenter when I used to watch it, but he's a subpar play by play guy for sure. He has like one volume level and I honestly just don't enjoy listening to him overall.
Well that took all of 40 seconds for Loluva to show they are gonna get dominated by Florida tonight. This game is going to be more embarrassing for the ACC than OUs loss to LSU was for the Big 12.
Fortunately this "New Year's Six" game got buried on a day without playoff games that also isn't the 31st or 1st. Although there probably are some extra viewers who are missing MNF tonight.
I hate the hoos.
Mendenhall knows he has to bet hard on Perkins. He'll be taking some chances. It's what Perkins is good at. Clutch plays.
Seeing the hoos in a bowl game is weird to me
7-7 and we're off to the races.....really???
Blink and you miss it.
UVA put up a quick 7 on Clemson. maybe this will play out the same way??
Crowd looks light in the OB.
I had no idea Bryce Hall was injured and out for UVA 🙄. How many damn times do they have to bring that up??? Been out all year...
Enough times until Cornelson gets it into his head.
Go Gata
Multiple TV references to the banged up UVA secondary. For Florida, lots of passes outside hashes. Hoping Corny is watching and listening to the broadcast to understand how to attack weak parts of a defense.
Yes, I am still salty as hell about it.
I'm also incredibly salty about it. Our coaching just failed us in that game. You look at UVA's offense right now and the way they are scheming to get guys open and each play builds on the next. They find the mismatch in your defense and exploit it. We just don't seem to do that with our offense. We throw a mixed bag of things out there and constantly try to get you to bite on the jet sweep. Just seems like we didn't look at the film and come up with a game plan to attack UVA, we just kept doing what we had been until it didn't work anymore.
You hit the nail on the head about just throwing a mixed bag out there and seeing what sticks.
Our playcalling under Corn has always been more focused on trying to confuse the opponent than playing to our strengths and exploiting the opposition's weaknesses. I understand it when we're playing teams with superior talent (Clemson and Notre Dame), but most of our losses have been to teams with lesser talent because we waste too many drives trying to set up misdirection (it occasionally pays off) instead of just keeping the offense on schedule.
I thought this quote by Florida coach Dan Mullen was interesting.
I wouldn't be surprised if UVA used a similar strategy against us and we should've been able to exploit a numbers advantage in the run game. However, the major difference is that Florida was able to average 7.8 yards per rush while we averaged 3.8 yards per rush. Florida did still attempt more passes than runs (39 to 34) while we had substantially more runs than passes (45 to 30). I don't disagree that we almost certainly should have passed more but my hunch is that the technically correct read on most plays was to run the ball but what actually worked was throwing as our WRs were able to make plays even against unfavorable coverages.
When you drill into your QB to make reads based on the numbers, I'd imagine it's difficult to tell him to ignore the numbers and toss it up for grabs. Which brings me to a strange conclusion that Willis might have had a hell of a game against UVA.
Uhhh....qualified.
We had our chance to be in this game. I really wanted to see a VT vs Florida matchup. At the least it could've been a sellout.
Virginia's offense has Florida confused defensively.
They are biting hard on all the play fakes and are getting gashed for it.
Their secondary looks confused to say the least but they're getting after the run game some kind of fast
And that wide open miss why Bryce Perkins is not an NFL QB
90 minutes later it's still the same story.
The offensive playcalling by the Hoos is... Well, it's really good. They are finding mismatches everywhere and scheming to get guys wide open. If Perkins was a little better of a passer, this game would be a track meet right now.
This UF secondary really needs to play better. Their coach should really work on their techniques.
I see what you did there
Not a single DB has turned their head for a ball tonight.
For recruiting purposes, this is not a game that we can afford Virginia to win.
And they look more than capable right now
Announcers are making me cheer for uva. I don't like it
It's hard when I hate both teams, but I'm not cheering for the hoos.
Hell of a catch. Interesting to hear all six UVA fans cheer
Perkins can do that dinking and dunking all night long. The play isn't over til you grind him into the dirt.
Wow, what a sick TD!!
If Florida doesn't start playing, I'm going to be forced to cheer for UVA.
Another break for UVA
Either UF isn't as good as advertised or UVA is playing their best game to date. I haven't watched either team all year though so who knows.
They've had some good breaks on turnovers.
I'd say UVa just got a bad break on a turnover, that was def a fumble by Florida. So, I loved that because I'm rooting big for Florida :)
Yeah, I made that comment when I was sure it was going the other way. I don't know how they didn't overturn that.
Remember when UF barely beat Miami
Florida isnt that great.....just #SEC
Playing two QB's is usually a sign your team is not very good.
I don't think it's fair to say Florida played two QBs as much as their starting QB had his leg broken in two and then they played the backup for the rest of the season.
I think that they are talking about Florida playing 2 different QBs last night. Which they did. Not talking about the one that got hurt.
Yeah, I see the "wildcat" QB got a few runs. Personally I don't think that means a whole lot when only one QB attempts any passes and takes 90% of the snaps. But come to think of it, it's kinda ironic to make the 2 QB statement with respect to Florida since they famously won a national championship with Chris Leake as the primary QB and Tim Tebow getting run as a "wildcat" QB.
This game is just reigniting my hate for Corn and co.
Florida got lucky on that call
That amazing escape from a sack, perfect throw, and strong catch by 2 seniors leaving UVa makes me think of those UVa fans saying that their backup is really good and they won't see much of a drop off. This UVa team is Bryce Perkins and a couple of decent receivers that are leaving. That was seriously an amazing play, as Perkins seems to do over and over.
Yeah, their next guy isn't going to be Bryce
I hate when I have to root for Florida.
Is Corny calling these plays? 3rd and 22 screen pass. 2nd and 17 screen pass????
A 3rd and 22 screen pass is the right call in a close game with plenty of time left. Every downfield throw that long is low percentage and high risk unless you have Pat Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers as your QB. Plus the back 7 plays way off the LOS on 3rd and long, so it can allow your WR to possibly get a head of steam and make something happen. But mostly it's just a safe play to punt and gain field position.
Elam was holding.
Interesting play call at the end of the half for UF there. Seemed to be moving the ball then call a timeout then call a screen. What?? What is the thinking behind the screen call. I mean down the field to get in FG range and spike to stop the clock. But a screen??
They were thinking that UVA was gonna bring heat and they were going to get a playmaker in space
But enough to get a huge gain?? It wasn't like they needed 5 yds. They needed a decent gain. A screen most likely isn't going to get it.
I'm sure if it was VT people would be ranting about Corn not knowing what he's doing.
Also notable: the holding on that play
"In the ACC, that's a play he would make." Good God.
Florida in typical fashion is doing less with more
Commentator: "What Virginia lacks in talent, they make up for in effort"
Ooooof.
I don't like UVa, but that's insulting.
This game is much better to watch muted
Did you guys know UVA academics were second to none?
I can just picture all the smug UVA fans nodding in agreement with what Levy is spewing
wow you gotta make that catch
This is just like our game against them. We had the chance to put the nail in the coffin but were unable.
Perkins needs to turn the ball over for Florida to win.
that was not a great series for Perkins
Those last two passes that could've been UVA TDs are great examples of why a lot of people don't think Perkins will be an NFL QB
Not his forte. He's more a master of the busted play.
Was a good strip, but nobody there from Florida to pick it up.
ohhh that should've been picked
First surrenderer cobras have made their appearance
Sad Hoo sighting.
Caught Florida napping. It's what Perkins excels at.
Levy is terrible!
"During the commercial break, we heard the Virginia fans make a lot of noise for the first time tonight." - Steve Levy at the start of the 4th quarter.
This needs to be framed.
Great play design.
How does UF not bring 4 guys to attack a obvious screen where LOLUVA has 4 guys?
Ya know I figured Florida as always was overrated. I still didn't think it was going to be close.
And that's how you answer
"Tells you how much respect that Dan Mullen has for this Virginia football team".
Seriously? UF went for it on 4th and 1 in their own territory. Mullen knew that they'd either pick up the 1st or the D would shut down UVA.
LOLOLOLOL
Watching Florida go right down the field on that crap secondary makes me more pissed about how we didnt exploit it at all in our game
Didn't they just do most of the damage on the ground?
Their big hitter was a slant right up the middle against that secondary
You are right... I'm just looking at the play by play and all it looks like is run run run run run pass run run.
Also, going for it on 4th and 1 in their own territory.
What is Grantham and Gray doing?
They need to stop the Bryce - Dubois connection.
UVa really is hanging in there...I hate it but it's impressive
They're a decent team with Perkins, Reed, Dubois. They can dink and dunk all day.
Say what you will about UVA, but Robert Anae is a very good O.C.
He looks like a genius with Bryce Perkins
Its more than just Perkins, he makes the job easier, but Anae knows how to diagnose what the D is doing and counter it effectively.
He finds mismatches well and consistently.
All things that Cornelson has been inconsistent with
UVa fans feel the same way about Anae that many feel about Cornelson
Given the average football IQ of the typical UVa fan, that doesn't mean much
Agreed, just pointing out the irony lol
I think he's decent, but much of the in play adjustment is Perkins.
The UVA boards whined about Anae as much as VT fans whine about Cornelso, until this year.
There's the interception.
I want more cobras, and I want them now!
Good Lord what a horrendous pass decision
Classic BYU game. Reliant on the QB, fully open bag of tricks, ultimately losing out to superior talent.
Perkins has thrived in this system.
Their defense has also been decent.
What are these DB's doing?
Nothing. They think they already won.
Perkins never gives up.
No wonder they can catch anything.
Bag of tricks opened again. Making the final score look nicer
This team is like an annoying gnat that won't bugger off and you still haven't managed to swat.
Like a bad zombie movie.
Good Lord, Levy and Griese talking about how Bronco said it's possible for UVA to be a football school and not compromise their precious "academic standards." Pretty sure Stanford has done far more in football than UVA, hell honestly so has Duke and Northwestern if you're talking schools typically thought of as "academic schools." That bullshit is such a crutch for UVA fans whenever they don't win at something. They want the same recruits as everyone else, they just don't get them.
Hell LOLUVA did that in the 90's right there. They were ranked 1 for a week.
Morgan Moses wasn't able to be admitted to Tennessee but somehow was able to play at Virginia
Academic standards, my ass
Ummm Ahmad Brooks dropped out of high school and attended UVA. The "academic" thing is such a fucking joke. they have had medical and law schools for 100 years and they are a public U. OF FUCKING COURSE they are going to be "highly rated"... meanwhile, their athletes are held to the same standards as all other ACC schools and most major in Anthropology or "general studies". It's a fucking scam in terms of undergrad "ratings".
Using US News and World Report Rankings, I really is amazing that UVA has conquered football better than USC, UCLA, Michigan, Notee Dame, Northwestern,Wake and Duke.
Just one spot below UVA is GT and UNC tied. Oh and the next school not tied with UMC/GT, well that's Florida.
Not gonna lie, as much as I hate UVA and wanted them to get stomped by 70, I also hate a big man TD coming off the board
I would have like to see that too, but this is the same Florida team (with a better QB) that struggled to put Miami away. I know early games don't matter as much but...
Congrats on the backdoor cover moral victory UVA. You earned it.
I'm glad Perkins and Reed will be moving on.
Unless they sign a miracle at QB they are in for a tough 2020
Perkins was 78% of their offense this year. They are going to fall off a cliff next year. It will be a struggle for them to make a bowl game. You don't just replace someone as special as Perkins.
Commence the return to normalcy for UVA. Listening to the announcers you'd think they were playing for the National Championship.
I'll say UVA played better than I thought they would.
And Florida continues to be massively overrated. They won, but I dunno about them coming into the game ranked 9th.
Over course they were over rated, the SEC isnt very good this year (LSU has been legit).
UF, like Bama, only played 5 games against teams with winning records. They had ome good win until tonight and thay was 9-3 Auburn. Even that was against a true frosh QB in his 4th start.
Nearly all of the respect Florida has gotten in the polls comes from the classic SEC Good Losses to LSU and Georgia.
If 11 ACC teams are ranked in the pre-season Top 25 for 2020, VT will have a great schedule and some great losses too.
If the SEC "isn't very good this year" then which conference is? I'd take LSU, Bama, Georgia, Florida, Auburn over any other conferences top 5 without even a second thought. B1G is only conference that is even close.
Clemson played trash opposition all year as well, and I know you wouldn't bring that same energy to try and denigrate them, ya know, because they aren't in the big bad mean SEC :(
I'd say LSU is a top tier team (top 3) and Alabama and Auburn are in the next tier (probably top 8). I don't think Georgia or Florida are at the same level (top 15). Sadly I can't argue that either wouldn't be the 2nd best ACC team, though I do think they'd have a decent chance of picking up a loss in ACC conference play.
I think Bama was top tier easily this year. They played LSU as equals and almost doubled what LSU scored on Auburn with Mac Jones at QB. I realize a 10-2 Bama is fodder to jump at for taking a step back, which they did on defense, but that offense even without Tua is deadly. With Tua it was statistically identical to LSU's.
Depends on how you define top tier. If it was the BCS era and you were picking the top 2 teams, I certainly don't think Alabama had an argument to be included in consideration while LSU, Ohio State, and Clemson would be insanely tough to decide between.
So that's why I put them slightly below in top 8 range. I certainly don't think they are chopped liver and with Tua healthy, they'd probably be in the top tier. They did lose to LSU at home with Tua playing though so even if they were statistically identical, that loss means something.
I already spoke on Florida.
Georgia was overrated all year long. And I say this as a Georgia supporter.
it's hard to say anything good about UVA, but they did play very well tonight against a team that was way more talented than them on paper. also a side note, a lot of our fan base has been super salty after losing to them and it isn't a good luck imho. *braces for down votes*
This was their year, and they made the most of it.
If last night didn't show how reliant upon Bryce Perkins their program turnaround has been then i don't know what will. You can include Dubois and Reed in that statement, but they also lose them. Yes, they are much better than they were in 2016 when they went 2-10, but i just don't see how there isn't a big dropoff moving forward. Unless Armstrong is the second coming, i don't see how their ceiling isn't 6 wins next year.
I checked because I was curious in another thread. Their talent composite mirrors Mendenhall's best BYU teams, ranked around the bottom of P5.
I agree with you completely. They are over reliant on QB play to elevate an otherwise disciplined, but not so talented roster. Without any of their playmakers it's hard to see them not struggle mightily next season, unless of course as you said one of their QB's turns out to be substantially better than expected.
Before last night Perkins accounted for over 75% of their offensive production.
Not surprising to read that at all. Last night was a microcosm of what Mendenhall's UVA can be at their best, tasking the QB with creating and elevating the entire offense and lots of trick plays and misdirection, and it still isn't enough when the talent disparity is too great.
No Perkins, No Party.
We should be salty after losing to them, given how that game played out. They had glaring weaknesses on defense that we actively avoided trying to exploit over the course of the game, and we still had a decent 4th quarter lead we pissed away. Our football staff should feel a little heat for the way that game played out so that it doesn't happen again.
After 16 years, the win over UVa had become something that VT took for granted. The fact they beat us and the saltiness we're taking into the offseason should be something that makes the program better in the long term.
uva fan at work: I mean, you can't expect to win 100 straight on us can you?
me: well...yeah
It's one thing to be salty and critical of our coaching staff and another to downplay everything UVA's done this season and the fact they did in fact beat us. On reddit, and to a lesser extent on here I've seen a lot of the latter. A lot of "oh they're nothing without Perkins" or "they only beat us because our OC sucks" or "we beat them 9/10 times" stuff like that is the kind of salt our fan base doesn't need. Yes Perkins was a large part of their offense, but people seem to forget that in 2010 Tyrod carried the offense on his back in a lot of games, same with LT3 over the course of his career, same with Jerod.
Being pissed off at losing to them in the first time in 16 years and hoping we beat them by triple digits next year is fine. Hoping they were a "one hit wonder" this year and that they'll be terrible in the coming years is just being salty. I agree we should beat UVA every year, but imo we should give them props when they come to play and honestly I hope they do well in the coming years, so that when we do beat them it'll be that much sweeter.
Alright, that I don't disagree with.
But just to nitpick, I actually do believe they wouldn't have been that good without Perkins this year. He was their entire offense, and I struggle to see where they are going to get production next year. Time and time again, that guy could make something out of a completely broken play, and it was genuinely impressive. If he had a little more accuracy on his deep ball, they could have been a 1-loss team by the end of the year, because defensively they were a veteran team that flexed their experience all year.
But next year is going to be a struggle for them in the same sense that the last 2 years have been a struggle for us. They are losing pretty much everyone who was a contributor, and their recruiting isn't good enough to cover for it. They're due to take a fairly large step back to the back end of the Coastal churn. They're one of those programs that are likely going to rely on making runs with senior laden teams every 3 or 4 years in order to have any success, much like we have been in basketball.
Fair enough
There are some pissed off people on Vegas tonight. 0:48 from winning that Florida (-14.5) bet. (I figured Florida would have a let down game so I only took the Uf ML)
Little dude representing VT in the Minnesota seating section of the Outback Bowl.
Saban just took a dumb on Michigan running the ball in with 30 seconds left in the game. Harbaugh has lost 4 bowl games in a row, hasn't beaten anOSU, hasn't won the BIG West. You hate to see it.
I think it was mostly letting Najee get a TD reward for his beastly performance on that last drive, but maybe a little to mess with Harbaugh haha.
As if Harbaugh would be above doing something like that.
Somehow, I doubt Saban cares enough about it to rub Harbaugh's nose in it. So, like you said, it was a reward for his player.
Minus the hair, Herbert and Lawrence look almost identical. Similar measurables and body type.
The Pasadena sunset reflecting off of Oregon's helmets is absolute football porn.
Rose Bowl is delivering.
Also, the Masters commercial is pornography.
Wisconsin shooting themselves in the foot and getting shafted by the refs
What i've learned from watching the Belk Bowl and Rose Bowl: When you are on the goal line and kick a fg to go up 6 against a dynamic offense, you're going to have a bad time.
Don't forget this year's Fiesta Bowl. 3 FGs from inside the red zone for Ohio State. Woulda been real nice if one or two of those had been TDs.
That is a serious 10/10 on the mulletude scale.
Edit: link to the mullet in action
https://twitter.com/bubola/status/1212550665676812289?s=21
Feel bad for Wisconsin's defense. They played a hell of a game and contained Oregon pretty much all night.
... and why the hell hasn't coverage of the sugar bowl started???
Pretty dope the turnaround Cristobal has pulled off for Oregon. Pretty cool to see Herbert teared up talking about going from 4-8 early in his career to 12-2 Pac12 and Rose bowl champs.
Fired at FIU to winning the Pac-12 and the Rose Bowl 7 years later... constructing a turnaround from 4-8 to 12-2 in 2 years... he's having a good time tonight.
That sweet sweet Nike booster money
Watching these bigger bowls, coaches of these programs and the characters they are, and how they're always selling. Dabo, Coach O, even Mario just now I'm the Rose Bowl - super personable guys, clearly passionate, but also push their brands. Fuente does zero of those things well, and we're shocked why elite players aren't lining up to play for him.
Passion, personality, an online presence or pressing the brand in interviews - all that is free. It's not a "we don't have the revenue" thing.
It was disappointing to me when I see post game interviews with Dabo or Cristobal and think "yeah we'd never get this from Fuente." Whatever happens behind closed doors happens, but these other coaches have built more impressive cultures and use many outlets to push those messages. For some reason, our staff doesn't, and I think it hurts the program.
Agreed 100%. We arent one of those teams that our name sells itself, we have to be appealing to recruits in every kind of way to help get elite players here. Gotta constantly sell, sell, sell and be open and take advantage of all selling opportunities you can muster. If you want to be a big dog, you gotta do what the big dogs do, and what they do well.
Kevin Jones, Marcus Vick, Tyrod Taylor, Kendall Fuller, and Macho Harris are the only elite recruits VT has ever had. That is the 5* list. They weren't lining up to play for Beamer either and he opened up VT and played the game before a lot of coaches did.
There are a multitude of responses to this but keeping it short:
1) When any one says elite recruits all I can think of is 5* because those are the elite recruits, so I understand why you are talking about bringing in the elite recruits if you aren't talking about 5* recruits.
2) There wasnt social media, but there was 100% brand factor and Frank was very good at that, Frank gave game day full access to the program like no one else. He sold VT to the national media better than just about any other coach selling their program. He did in the media available to him. He made his style of play known to everyone with Beamerball. Beamerball hasnt really been a thing since social media but lots of people know it.
3) This is true, however the 2011 class average was 84.49 and 2020 is 84.83. So per player this class ranks higher.
VT has never had elite recruiting and I dont see a path for them to have elite recruiting.
There are more than 30 elite recruits a year. In my eyes, any player above a .93/.94 or so is an elite recruit, and has much better odds of making the NFL than those not.
Frank built a (regional, eventually national) brand, I agree. Fuente has not. Not via social media and presence, and not in the ways Frank did
2011 was one of our worst classes ever, and lead to the downfall of our program, honestly. It is serious that recruiting is this bad. Frank also developed players much more effectively than we've seen so far from Fuente. CJF doesn't have the luxury to recruit at a .84 level and somehow be competitive.
I've got to believe Bruce Smith was an elite recruit, but it was before the internet.
Lil shoutout to Georgia and Kirby Smart for coming to play their game with almost 20 guys not playing for various reasons.
...and faking a FG while up 13 points which set up another TD. Go for the throat in a big game. One can dream.
I have to say that I am really impressed with what PJ Fleck is doing at Minnesota. I thought his "Row the boat" schtick was gimmicky, but it really looks like he has established a culture with buy in from everyone. On the broadcast of their game against Auburn, the commentators said that every opposing coach that they talked to said his team just doesn't make mistakes. Minnesota has never really been a recruiting powerhouse in the modern era, yet they actually look and play Hard, Smart, and Tough football. I want that.
I don't like Fleck as a person but I admire what he's done there. It's very impressive. Unfortunately there's an enormous gulf in charisma between Fuente and Fleck.
BC is going for the once thought unobtainable back to back bowl inclement weather cancellations.
You can tell the exact moment the announcers actually started looking at the replay because they were both saying this obvious fumble is an incomplete pass.
Tennessee continues its run of lucky breaks in big games.
Indiana with a chance a 55 seconds left.
Edit: Tennessee somehow ends up with a win.
Kind of unfair to only view luck through a one-sided lens. Tennessee was 6 inches from sealing the game on 4th down when they get a false start to make it 4th and 6ish and they have to give the ball back. Indiana showed me nothing to think they would have stopped that wildcat run or a QB sneak on 4th and inches. Their final drive was a gift from the Tennessee OL, that's pretty fortunate imo as well.
I'd argue that a false start isn't luck, while recovering an onside kick to help you score 14 points within 90 seconds in the 4th quarter might be considered lucky.
According to ESPN Stats and Info, it was the first win in 472 tries this season where a team trailed by 13 or more points in the final five minutes and came back to win.
But they did get it done.
I see it differently.
A false start, while it can be influenced by the defense, can also just be a mental error by the OL. No Indiana player "made a play" to get that false start, and it gave them the ball back. That is luck, unearned events that benefit you are fortunate.
There is a lot of luck involved in an onside kick, but there is still strategy, and someone on your team has to make a play, secure the ball, position themselves well (sometimes this is luck too), kick it into play in position to be recovered, etc. but still there is an actual on-field play being made to recover an onside kick, despite it involving an element of luck.
While there is skill to recovering an onside kick, there is always some luck involved based on the unpredicatability of a kicked football bouncing along the ground. Otherwise, some team would just get really good at onside kicks and just recover all their own kickoffs.
And if your definition of luck is when your opponent makes a mistake that benefits you, I suppose all sports are just a matter of chance. I'd call a false start a mental error that benefits you. I don't consider the opponents mistakes as luck, where I would consider an onside kick bouncing into your players chest as a bit more on the lucky side.
Remember when some were saying "at least we're not Tennessee?"
Heh
I'm still glad we're not Tennessee.
They finished with the same record and lost to Georgia State at home.
Wow way to sell the FCS national title game with a FG net worth a giant hole in it, come on it's the championship game, splurge for a new net.
Wow what an ending, what a heartbreaking ending.
The play of the game (for me anyway) was the 3rd and 23 that NDSU converted into a TD
You hate to see it
That last throw was an absolutely awful decision.