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College ftball--shocking developments/thoughts on real top 25?
#41
I think Meyer will really want USC...Gruden has been very choosey up to this point...took him forever to return to the NFL...not sure if he will actually come back to coaching at alll, even....the circumstances of his firing were very suspicious and I wasn't surprised that he wrote what he wrote...I mean, that has been football culture for decades...no way these guys aren't calling dudes all sorts of whatever....you're right and your so right, I just don't know which avenue to pick...

sorry to hear about the blackout...that really sucks for you and getting cable for all games is very expensive...

...things I am hearing on the Nebraska boards is that they were immediately heartbroken but also weirdly felt like they are right on the cusp...talk in Nebraska is that Frost stays unless he loses to Minny or Purdue or whatever...that's not the usual patience you will see in an AD...



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#42
Look at the Gruden situation this way: Whoever exposed the email has some kind of power over the IT Admin for the Raiders Organization. Or, it was someone very close to Gruden, aka someone in his office that he trusts. And none of this would have happened without someone above Gruden knowing about it. This came from within, but on whose orders? If the owner wanted him gone, he would've simply had him resign. But this was an attempt at scandal, so that means that someone above the owner, who had power to get to the emails, did this.

In other words: someone outside the Raiders Organization had the power to get to his emails, exposed that one to get him gone, and he was gone. And I'm sure the Raiders's owner is furious, because he didn't sign off on this.

On Nebraska: since the AD is ok with Frost staying under those circumstances, it also means that his job is on the line. At Nebraska, the AD is not in control of football. Rather, the football boosters run it. The AD rubber stamps stuff, but the football boosters are who run it. These guys are extremely rich and powerful, and most are alums. So if the AD is saying this, it means he's under pressure.

Which Nebraska boards are you looking at?

You know... now that I think about it... I wonder if this happened to Gruden because someone else was trying to screw Meyer's chances of going to USC? If so, that means someone with more money than any of the NFL owners is involved in this, or someone with more power. Now that I think about this, this reeks...



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#43
I've been wondering if the Gruden thing is actually a shot across the bow of ALL coaches...b/c you and I know they ALL have this kind of skeleton in their closet, and this kind of threat will keep them in line...just a very weird situation.

Good info about Nebraska's AD situation....I get my info from r/CFB...informally absorb info about programs from there...really love it.



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#44
Interesting take on the Gruden sitaution. Following your theory out, that means that (((they))) have blackmail on every single NFL coach there is. And, by extension, every single major college coach there is. That leads into my theory that cfb games are rigged. Having all those coaches blackmailed means that the cfb turns out a certain way every year, because (((they))) want more money via gambling, one of the best ways to fleece people of their money.

All that being said, what are (((they))) trying to get Gruden to do? He could easily go back to ESPN. He has so much money he could retire and go fishing every day. What was their purpose? if it's not USC or even NU, then why burn Gruden like that? Something isn't adding up, and we definitely don't know the whole story.

I didn't know that plebbit actually cared about cfb. It drives npcs and blue-haired karens nuts, and there are a shit ton of both. I might just check it out.

The reason I know what's going on with NU is because I know their culture very, very well. Sometimes, I can sense what's going on. I can tell that no one actually knows what to do over there, so they're just gonna follow what they always do: fire people. Fun facts: Tom Osborne, their winningest coach ever, was nearly fired because he went 9-3 once. 9-3. Same with Frank Solich, Osborne's successor. And he won a national championship, too! Pelini was fired for having a winning record. Seriously, NU is the only university who include having winning seasons as a fireable offense. I could go on...

Tomorrow is gonna be fun, though. Three straight cfb games on ABC, so we get to see the good stuff. Cincy/UCF, followed by Iowa/Purdue, followed by OK/TCU (poor TCU).

CBS has UGA/UK, at 3:30ET, not 2:30 like I originally said. But fuck the CBS Sports App.

ESPN has Florida/LSU, followed by BYU/Baylor, 'bama/Mississippi State (please win MissU), and ASU/Utah.

Fox only has OKstate/Texas.

FS1 has MSU/Indiana.

The rest are on all the conference channels. Fortunately, they don't carry the games that matter for the Top 10, so I am ok with that.



#45
re: motivation for Gruden just need to figure who he pissed off recently...heard he gave the commish some guff in the e-mails or something like that...or he could've been collateral damage in an attack against someone else....we will probably never know as you said...

reddit has an awesome cfb community...very involved...usually the takes are pretty interesting and you get guys who are insiders at all the programs come to one place so the discusssion is amazing...strong recommend...

Nebraska is in such crap...just dropped that game to Minny...I think it is probably over for Frost...he will need to win against Wisconsin and Purdue (who just beat IOWA) to get to be bowl-eligible...that Michigan game really seemed to break them...

...thanks for the breakdown of the upcoming games...I caught some of them but I had some family work stuff to do....I think the Iowa/Purdue result is the biggest shocker...losing at home to 3-2 Purdue made no sense...LSU was always going to be feisty--too much talent to not put together some wins especially with Coach O on a warm seat...I don't think there is really another team on Cincy's schedule that they won't beat by double digits...okay SMU is on there (who are ranked) and Navy is always tricky but they are going to give the playoff committee something to talk about if there isn't a 0-loss georgia and 0-loss B1G East team (now either Michigan or MSU, I guess) to balance things out...Bama took Mississippi State to the wood shed...I was really surprised that Texas dropped one to OK State...Texas is going to get murdered in the SEC--what a dumb move for them...BYU keeps making me look dumber and dumber...thank God Utah beat ASU--couldn't stand ASU in the CFP conversation this year...I think Herm is a bit of a lucky factory...interesting to see A&M stay successful after a huge win against 'Bama

Next week looking interesting...I think Costal will have its hands full with App State--underrated game...Ole Miss/LSU should be fun..so should Oregon UCLA...ND/USC will be interesting to see if USC can get up off the matt



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#46
Saturday was incredibly revealing for the Top 25 teams, but especially, the Top 10. I only got to watch the OK/TCU game on replay, and had to settle for the rest on The College Football Show.

Oklahoma - So OK is WAY overrated despite their lossless record. On paper, they had a solid win against TCU, but God knows how much paper is worth. When you count all the variables, OK actually barely beat TCU. TCU literally was running on their second stringers, as the vast majority of their starters were out with injuries and whatnot. I thought it was going to be slaughter after OK's first two touchdowns, but TCU's second stringers came alive, and fought OK. They nearly caught up with OK, and OK's offense suddenly was moving really slowly and having to punt. And that last touchdown that OK scored? They only reason they got it was because of that 15 yard penalty that TCU got in the last two minutes of the game. So OK should be proud that they beat some second stringers from a 3-2 team that's not going to a bowl game this year.

Alabama - I'm not impressed with 'bama's win. Mississippi State is 2nd in the SEC right now, but they're even ranked, despite a 5-1 record, their one loss being 'bama. So they beat an unranked team by 40 points? That would be something if their second and third stringers had the entire second half to themselves. But they had to keep the starters in the whole game? Once you're 40 points up, your starters are supposed to come out. Was this 'bama's way of saying that they don't trust their reserves? If all 'bama is is a set of starters and not much else, then their program is way overrated. I'd put them just slightly below the Top 10.

Iowa - I'm really happy that unranked Purdue showed that Iowa is a flash in the pan. That was a solid win and Iowa couldn't handle the Boilermakers. Maybe Iowa would have more luck against Nebraska?

Michigan State - They're good, but not that good. They beat unranked Indiana. By five points. That's it. That's not a comforting win, considering that they have Michigan in a couple of weeks. I'd put them in the bottom of the Top 10.

Ok State - Same deal as Michigan. Texas A&M is a lot better than anyone gives them credit for (who else can beat supposedly undefeatible 'bama?), so their then-#24 ranking was an under-ranking. That was a hard-fought game, which showed that OK State struggled way more than they should have.

Cincy - They btfo of UCF. Which leads to a question: why did they have their QB in the third quarter? He got hit pretty hard. The backup should have been in there for the entire second half. Strange.

Georgia - They had a solid win against Kentucky. That game proved that Kentucky was under-ranked, but that Georgia was still the dominating team. Kentucky should be Top 10, or close to it. Georgia is actually #1, despite what the money behind 'bama says.

Of course, the NCAA put out a bullshit list of the Top 25/Top10.

1. Georgia
2. Cincy
3. OK (no fuck them they don't belong here)
4. 'bama (fuck you NCAA for trying to promote money)
5. TOSU (that bye week they had won't save them - they don't belong here)
6. Michigan (possibly accurate - we'll see how they do against MSU)
7. PSU (same as TOSU)
8. OK State (very iffy ranking)
9. Michigan State (possibly correct)
10. Oregon (they're beating a weak Pac-12, how does that make them good?)

For this coming weekend's fun:

ND/USC - God only knows what will happen here. No one can predict it. This is an intense rivalry, and God knows that changes the motivation on both sides so much, that effectively two different teams show up than what shows up all season. And fuck Notre Dame.

Cincy/Navy - I'm sorry you have to exist, Naval Academy. Hopefully the Plebs aren't hazed too much for your upcoming loss.

OK/Kansas - Should be an OK victory, but Kansas might pull some surprises on them.

'bama/Tennesssee - I'm pretty sure 'bama will win this one, but Tennessee isn't going to get run over like Mississippi State.

TOSU/Indiana - Indiana held their own against MSU. This won't be an easy game for TOSU. Victory will only come if they execute properly, with few mistakes, against IU.

Michigan/Northwestern - I feel bad for Northwestern. I'd bet that Harbaugh wants to send a message to everyone, and will try to run up the score against them.

Penn State/Illinois - Easy win for PSU. They may also run up the score just to send a message.

OK State/Iowa State - I can see OK State misreading ISU, thinking that they'll be an easy victory. ISU is in the top half of the Big 12, so they have some fight in them. Possibly underrated game altogether.

Oregon/(f)UCLA - Oregon should run up the score here if they want to go up past #10.

Coastal Carolina/App State - I don't think App State is going to be terribly difficult for CC. They're 4-2, and in the middle of the Sun Belt. As long as CC doesn't get too egotistical, it should be a fairly easily game for CC. They should be in the Top 10, not the Top 20.

That's all I got for this week.



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#47
that was a really great and complete post...I don't disagree about Oklahoma...but the thing is this year no one knows who is actually good...it has been such a wacky season...like the B1G: Penn State beats Wisco and Auburn and Iowa...but then all three of those teams have racked up losses...the only top 10 team that I think is really legit is Georgia...I saw them beat up on Kentucky...but what is CRAZY about them is their QB room is really thin....their guy right now does not look like a D1 guy...very small

really want to applaud your OK/Kansas upset watch...I totally forgot about Kansas...they can pull off some impressive stuff like they have with Texas in the past...also love what you said about Michigan/A&M...I think A&M has proven itself...but Michigan's best win is against who? Wisco? Washington? NIU?....they have beaten good defenses and survived good offenses...but Michigan State on the road is the real test for them next week with NW as a nice tune-up this week...very, very big matchup...

Not sure if you have seen TN play, man...their QB situation is really bad but they used the hell out of that transfer portal...lots of talent and no one to distribute it...



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#48
>but the thing is this year no one knows who is actually good
Which is the same as it is most every year. This is why the FBS needs an actual playoff series, much like the Division II has. Rotate the four major bowls between the national championship, the two semi-final games, and then use the fourth bowl for an official 3rd place game, so the Top 4 are genuine and not picked by committee. Of course, this is all fantasy...

>Not sure if you have seen TN play, man...their QB situation is really bad but they used the hell out of that transfer portal...lots of talent and no one to distribute it...
Mismanagement as its finest. I don't know much about this situation. But if they've lost a lot of talent via transfers, then that means there's serious mismanagement going on in the TN football program, and lots of unhappiness among their players. It also means that the AD either doesn't care about the situation, or doesn't have control. A properly strong AD can fix that situation, but I don't know what the unofficial power structure looks like there. And that unofficial structure is what matters, not what's on paper. I wonder how much the coach's job rides on this week's gama against 'bama...

>I totally forgot about Kansas
Don't worry about that, everyone forgets about Kansas, that's why it's called a flyover state. I can see OK letting down their guard on this game, and then playing catch up if KS decides to throw their all into the game. OK doesn't have the ability to relax and chill until the conference championship. I personally want Kansas to beat them by one point, just to spite them.

Aside from ND/USC, It's mostly big guy vs skinny guy that doesn't eat enough type of games this week, but where the skinny guy finally eats a bunch and may actually win. I really want to see a lot of upsets, but I have no idea what will happen.



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#49
I meant that TN is getting a bunch of transfers...I think it is the cost of getting their new coach--we will see what happens...

yea this is probably the worst week of CFB this year...zero top 25 matchups (though you'd usually expect USC and ND to be one)...but I am really thankful for your preview because you put up some intriguing things to keep an eye out for, especially Kansas against a very delicate OU team...



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#50
Ohhhh I gotcha. TN is getting a bunch of transfers? Either this is a major coup in college football, or there's literally nowhere else to transfer to among the FBS schools. Does TN have a vax mandate for their students/staff/faculty? If so, then that might be why they're getting a ton of transfers. No one wants to fuck their body up to score some temporary brownie points from a bunch of blue-haired NPCs that hate football and football players anyways.

So we had one game tonight (the 20th): App State vs. Coastal Carolina. App State won 30-27! So we have upset #1. App State has more fight in them than any of us gave them credit for.

We have one game on Friday, SMU vs. Tulane. Not really concerned with that game as far as the Bowls are concerned.

Aside from ND/USC, the only Saturday games that will hopefully be upsets are OK/KS, 'bama/TN, and TOSU/Indiana. I can see all three of these games not only being close, but possibly being full on upsets. And I hope OK/TOSU/'bama get upset just so that Big Money gets fucked.

As an aside: there was a CDAN blind item yesterday about Urban Meyer. Supposedly, when he was at Florida, he would make sure that he would beat the easy teams by 30-40 points each time. This for the benefit of certain other persons that were implied to be high rollers that wanted guaranteed winning bets. I want to know what the source of that blind item is. If that's really true, then maybe that's really why he's in the NFL: either he's fixiing games in the NFL due to his college experience, or he was sent to the NFL to keep him from fixing games, as it's harder to win at the NFL level. Whatever the case is, if he comes back to College Football, let him go to Nebraska. One inept school deserves a guy that fixes games. Something Nebraska was rumored to do back in the day.



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#51
I just know about their starting QB Milton who was a MIchigan guy, plus some guys on D...you bring up an interesting point about vaxing and players/coaching talent--wonder if non-mandatory states have some advantage...

Rolovich screwed up, though...he could've gotten some kind of assistant or G5 job if he took it on the chin...no one wants to hire a guy who sues his employers...plus he wasn't really that impressive as a head coach

Not to be that guy....but I called App State! I have screwed up a bunch of other calls....especially BYU...I just liked App State's fight against an admittedly bad Miami team....

I like your potential upset picks except maybe OSU/Indiana...I watched Indiana play MSU and they were absolutely dominated...OSU's passing attack may not even need to show up...pretty sure OSU covers, but weirder things have happened this year...

WOW if you are right about Meyer...I am going to go see how that is worded....he is definitely sleezy enough to do it, tho--no doubt about that...thanks for the heads up...

I just dropped by to talk about App State but really pumped to see your full post...hope to see more great games....



#52
>wonder if non-mandatory states have some advantage...
Considering that Tom Brady had immediate physical problems after taking it, and that NBA player that was told to stfu earlier this week, cuz he has physical problems, too. I'm gonna say that anyone who got vaxxed is playing with physical fire, and will have problems, unless they got lucky, and got saline shots instead. The unvax'd players/coaches will do better than the vax'd ones. That, and the schools that don't mandate the vax have a lot more actual freedom. That's also a transfer factor. Why go to a school that mandates a vax while telling you that you're evil cuz you're a "privileged" football player?

>but I called App State!
Yes you did! I didn't believe that they could take Coastal Carolina, but they managed. I think CC got lazy and let App State in. App State won by three points, so I think Coastal Carolina didn't get their shit together until it was too late. At the same time, App State is better than anyone else gives them credit for. Why can't App State play 'bama or TOSU this year? That would be a fun game.

>I like your potential upset picks except maybe OSU/Indiana
Indiana is going to give TOSU a run for its money at the absolute least. Indiana only lost by five points last weekend, and the five points that beat them came in the final minutes of the game, and there wasn't enough time for Indiana to do another drive, or even a Hail Mary. I really want to see TOSU lose here. They had a bye this past weekend, so they'll be rested. But will they be focused? Indiana has literally nothing to lose, so they'll be going balls out.

>WOW if you are right about Meyer...I am going to go see how that is worded....he is definitely sleezy enough to do it, tho--no doubt about that...thanks for the heads up...
Here's the actual quote from CDAN:
"Two coaching jobs ago, this at the time A+ list college coach had people place bets for him in games against much smaller schools. He knew he could control whether or not his team could cover a 30-40 point spread.
So Meyer used other people to make money for him, and he would make sure that Florida could cover a certain spread, which guaranteed that he would make money. But that was only against the schools they paid to lose to them, not the ranked teams. It makes me wonder who exactly was involved in this betting. Meyer can't be the only big name in all of this.

SMU/Tulane was tonight, and Tulane was btfo 55-26. I didn't expect the score spread, but stuff happens.

Saturday will be interesting.



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#53
very interested to see what the vax stuff is about....we probably won't really find out for another 10 years...

...about small schools scheduling big ones...the probelm I think is that when these smalls schools get good is so unpredictable and schedules get made many years in advance with big penalties if they switch it up on the other schools...the only real 'flex' is in the true independents...but even they need to stick to a plan..

...good points about Indiana...forgot about the OSU bye week factor...I think Indiana is really down an essential QB...their line has looked bad even with really interesting transfers coming in....but you've convinced me to keep an eye on it...they used to be the B1G's chaos team...just effing everyone up but dropping the game at the last second...

not going to lie...if Meyer did that he is a genius....that would be very hard to trace and Meyer basically has all the control you can imagine against smaller schools...effing amazing...I'm not even mad and I hate the guy...

yeah, SMU/Tulane was less of a fight than I thought it would be....I'll be there's a game we're not even considering that is going ot be a shocker on Saturday!



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#54
In my opinion, today's games were a fucking shitfest, and I just don't even know what to think of it all. Let's start with the one game I truly gave a fuck about: USC/ND.

ND is a good time, I won't lie there, no matter how much I hate the school. But USC... has this absolutely amazing ability to shoot themselves in the foot. The sheer number of mistakes drove me nuts. Out of that mess, there were two good things:
1. They kept within one touchdown of ND for most of the game.
2. ND's defense had a real problem with USC's run game. And it got worse in the 2nd half.
Score was 31-16.
ND is slated to win the rest of their games this season, so they'll get a good bowl. I just don't think they'll get playoff contention. Thank God!

Now on to the Top 10. There should be a major shakeup, because the Top 10 (except for UGA, who had a bye week) showed that they can't be counted on to be a Top 10 team all game long.

>Cincy/Navy
Well, I was wrong about both Cincy and the Navy: I thought Cincy was better than what they showed, and I didn't give enough credit to the one-win Navy. Fucking Navy had Cincy on the ropes in that game! Sure, Cincy won... by one touchdown. ONE. TOUCHDOWN. That does not bode well for Cincy, and I found myself agreeing with the comentators, saying that Cincy shouldn't be #2, because this was not a good win. This was something worse than a dirty win. 27-20.

>OK/KS
This game was similar to the Cincy/Navy game, though Kansas also made plenty of mistakes. BUT - OK's offense didn't show up 'til the beginning of the 4th quarter, and their defense showed that they're not very good. Due to KS's mistakes, they didn't keep up with OK in the 2nd half. They owned OK in the first three quarters being up 10-0. I don't know what happened to their offense after that, but maybe they just ran out of gas. OK shouldn't be in the Top 5 with that defense of theirs, and because they showed that their offense is only a part time group. 35-23.

All that being said, there was this play that should've been blown dead, but the refs allowed it to continue. OK's QB took the ball away from the RB, and turned a 4th down loss into a 1st down. The RB had lost all forward motion and was about down. Since the end of forward motion ends a play, the refs should've called it there. Nope. They let that play happen. I think that was the turning point in the game. I saw that shit and it wasn't right. But hey, (((they))) needed OK to win.

>'bama/TN
TN held their own against 'bama until 'bama got ahead of them in scoring. But that wasn't until later in the 2nd half. Just like with OK, 'bama's offense is a part time group. TN's defense slowed 'bama down pretty well, but once 'bama figured out that they weren't going to be in any playoff spots if TN gave them the spanking they deserved, they then started playing. They ran up the score as much as they could, but it was pretty ugly. I wouldn't keep 'bama in the Top 5 either, or even the Top 10, because they showed where they're weak: in the mental game. 52-24.

>TOSU/Indiana
Well I mis-called that game. Indiana was just pummelled because TOSU is desperate to get a playoff spot, despite the loss they so richly deserved. Not much I can say here.

>MI/Northwestern
Solid win on Michigan's part. But this won't help them practice for the showdown with Michigan State, who will be out for blood. 33-7.

>PSU/Illinois
Officially the longest game in FBS history, which I think includes all of the formerly-named DIV 1A. Illinois showed PSU that it was their equal. And they showed that their mental game was just a bit better than PSU's, because they won! That was a satisfying win. Sorry PSU, no playoffs for you this season. 20-18.

>OK State/Iowa State
Another Top 10 team down the drain! ISU won by a field goal. That's it. OK State just couldn't handle them. 24-21.

[color=green] >Oregon/(f)ucla [/color=green]
For I think the second time in my life, I was rooting for (f)ucla to win this one. And they damn near did. Oregon proved that (f)ucla is their equal, even though they won by... you guessed it... a mere field goal. No playoff for Oregon, either. 34-31.

Other notables:
- Ole Miss spanked LSU, 31-17.
- Miami knocked NC State out of the Top 25 by one point, 31-30
- Wisconsin knocked Purdue out of the Top 25, 30-13.
- Wake Forest/Army was the great shootout of the season! WF won 70-56. The Army kept up with them until the very end, when they ran out of gas.

So here's what I think the Top 10 should look like. Bear in mind that no one will agree with me and I will probably smdh when the Committee puts out the Top 25 tomorrow.
1. UGA
2. Michigan
3. TOSU
4. Cincy
5. Michigan State
6. Oregon
7.
8.
9. Iowa
10. OK

Yeah, I have no idea what to fill in for slots 7 & 8. This whole week simply proved that the ranking system in place is utter shit.

What's your take on this weekend's games?



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#55
I honestly didn't get to see games b/c some inconsiderate jerks invited me to some parties...so I will just basically riff on your thoughts here...busy week sorry about the delay...

I wouldn't be too hard on yourself for USC...they are just in meltdown mode right now...total disaster...but that is how they are historically...just incredible recruiting grounds so they are awesome and then they sink to ridiculous lows...ND should be out of the playoff picture I think...reasons will be a little more clear below...

Im a little more okay with Cincy's performance...service academies are always tricky...they play a style of football that you never see and requires tons of discipline and you get one week to prep for....you get great teams who get bogged down with them...its not a great look but it is what it is for Cincy...and I am really not sure who takes their spot if they win out...of course one loss and its all over for them...not that it really matters....Luke Fickell is out to some great team next year....I could see him at PSU...more on that below...

OU/KU is the game where I get down on a team...I think KU barely beat a D2 team by a TD this year...OU keeping that close is just effing unforgiveable...and how crazy is it that a former Heisman contender is riding the pine in Norman....just absolutely nuts...OU wins out, they are in the CFB playoff...but I would strongly consider 2-loss 'Bama over them should 'Bama lose to Georgia...OU has just played terrible against terrible competition....

I kept watching that 'Bama game on my phone...I was like 'when are these guys going to pull away?'...it was close until maybe the late 3rd quarter I think...'Bama is having some issues...interesting fact I've read is that no coach over 70 has ever won a natty and that's Saban's age, right now....makes you wonder if the great satan has finally lost his edge...I'll tell you what....Georgia isn't messing around....

I can say about the OSU game...they haven't played a defense in the top half of their conference yet...Indiana is just a shell of the team they once were...down to their 4th or 5th string QB...I will get to the big OSU/PSU game next....but OSU is about to come back to earth...they look like the flippn' death star now but not for long...

So the Illinois-PSU game has a bunch of hidden stories that are really interesting...PSU's defense was ranked 6 before this game...they lost a key LB/DL guy...Illlinois spent the entire time running at his backup...just ridiculous...Clifford, starting QB at PSU was in the game...his backup sucks...but Clifford himself was still hurt...he is just not ready for big time football and I think putting him out there might have been a totally cruel thing to do...so Franklin the PSU coach is rumored for LSU and USC jobs...he has switched agents...it looks like he might bail..after your post he had a press conference...his next game is HUGE (OSU)...and this guy was so out of it, he kept saying that PSU is focused on Illinois (instead of OSU)--said it, like, 5x...then he said that they were going to play OSU at the Big House (OSU plays at the Shoe)...like dude has totally checked out...weirdest damn thing...what a crazy game and what crazy storylines...

okay some quick hits--

Miami has looked so bad...I was genuinely shocked they beat NC State...don't look now but Wake Forest is undefeated, like how crazy would it be if they get into the playoff...Oregon is the PAC-12's last hope...expect some officiating and other shenanigans to keep them in the hunt...I mean, LSU is checked-out and Ole Miss is still very hungry...I dont expect anything from LSU going forward...Purdue just has Iowa's number and Wisco has the worst damn luck...Wisco has a top 3 defense they are that good...They also might have an offense in the bottom 20% which is shocking...their OL looks like bad...really bad...biggest game next week is Michigan/MSU...Michigan favored by 3 points right now by Vegas...everyone else seems to agree but one big mistake could swing it...very tight game people predict...OSU/PSU has lost some shine...but PSU's back 7 are incredible...they will help us understand if the OSU passing attack is for real...UGA's DL is an absolute monster....I don't know a team in the country that could run on them, right now....

Next week is going to be huge for the B1G East and b/c of that the playoff picture...can't wait!!!!!!!



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#56
>I honestly didn't get to see games b/c some inconsiderate jerks invited me to some parties
You know it's bad when the party you got invited to is so awful that the invite is inconsiderate. They should've at least gotten you a cute natural-born girl to get some head from. That probably would have made it considerate lol.

A bit on football from last weekend:

>I wouldn't be too hard on yourself for USC...they are just in meltdown mode right now
Yeah. I've seen this one too many times. This meltdown process came to an end under Pete Carroll... which is why the NFL fucked him over to get him back into the NFL. The Seahawks are sucking ass under him and he doesn't belong there. But there's no way the NFL is going to get rid of him. That being said, we're back to meltdown mode, and the only thing that can fix this season is beating (f)ucla. Their record is simlar to USC's, so it should be a relatively even contest. But God only knows what will happen, because that rivalry has had many unexplainable-yet-awe-inspiring games that no bookie/mafia can make proper odds for. Unless they get a certain kicker into debt gambling, and then throw him off of a cliff in San Pedro, when he didn't throw a game for them.

>I kept watching that 'Bama game on my phone...I was like 'when are these guys going to pull away?'...
'bama has a bye this week, so Nick Saban is probably running the fuck out of them, so they can get their shit together for their next game. They really need a second Hell Week to get their shit together.

>Illlinois spent the entire time running at his backup
Top 10 teams are supposed to have amazing backups as well. PSU doesn't have that, so Illinois got to exploit that.

>Franklin the PSU coach is rumored for LSU and USC jobs...he has switched agents...
Go to fucking LSU. I don't want him at 'SC.

On to this week's football:

[color=green] >Coastal Carolina/Troy State

I watched this game tonight. CC won 35-28. Their qb got knocked out in the 3rd, and vomited all over the field, but their backup took over, and did just as well. I was impressed with him.

What I wasn't impressed with was CC overall. They struggled against Troy State, which should not have happened. Troy State lost because CC made a few good plays that made all the difference in the game. They were 4-3 going into the game. App State was 4-2 when they played CC. I would rank both Troy State and App State as roughly equal to each other. It's possible that CC has a 6-1 record only because they had an easy schedule until they hit App State and Troy State. Sadly, they are not as good as we thought.

>Georgia/Florida
Bye Florida, it was nice knowing you. I think they'll be able to score on Georgia, but Georgia will dominate them overall. They don't have the power they once had.

>Cincy/Tulane
This will be an easy win for Cincy. Hopefully their 2nds and 3rds get some playing time in this game.

>OK/Texas Tech
This has potential to be a tough game for OK. Texas tech got btfo by TCU and Texas, and lost by one point to K State. Considering the caliber of those teams, that's not unexpected. But they weren't runaway scores like we've seen in TOSU games. I think they're gonna give OK a run for their money. TT also beat Kansas by 27 points, whereas OK got that last td right before the 4th quarter ended. Otherwise, that was a one touchdown game. If TT spanked Kansas that bad, then OK might be in for one as well.

>TOSU/PSU
Probably one of the top games of this season. PSU is playing the spoiler roll, and TOSU better take them seriously, even despite the loss to ILL. I'm rooting for PSU in this one because buck the fuckeyes.

>Mich/MSU
Rivalry game, and both are in the Top 10. Fireworks, fireworks everywhere. No one can predict the outcome of this game, as the amount of hate is off the charts, exceeded only by UM's hate for TOSU.

>Ole Miss/Auburn
Ole Miss has a chance to play spoiler here to #18 Auburn. I don't care about this game too much, but it has potential to be a shootout of sorts. There's no love lost between these two teams.

>Iowa/Wisconsin
I'm not sure what to think of this. Iowa may be 6-1, but my gut is telling me not to discount Wisconsin in this. It would be sweet if Iowa lost. Then it would prove that those Idiots should not be Out Wandering Around.

Those are the main games for this weekend. Oregon will beat Colorado with ease. ND/UNC will end in an ND win, unfortunately. OK State will probably beat Kansas, though it's possible that Kansas will keep it close, like they did with OK. Texas will probably destroy Baylor. San Diego State will beat Fresno State, as Fresno is one of the most inconsistent teams in the nation. Had Pat Hill, when he was at Fresno, had gotten them to be consistent, and beat USC-caliber teams, then they would probably be in the Pac-12 right now. Pat Hill was a good coach, but he could never coach consistency, so they fired his ass. And, to be honest, adding Fresno State and Boise State to the then-Pac 10 would've made way more sense than Colorado and Utah.

The rest of the games won't affect the "playoff" that the FBS has, so it'll just be entertainment.

What's your take on everything?



[+] 1 user Likes olichan12's post
#57
about the party...I was saying they were inconsiderate b/c they invited me on CFB day...LOL

I get the feeling you are a pretty hardcore 'SC fan...if you don't like Franklin (nad I dont blame u)....man it is bad news...he seems like a great 'fit' there because 'SC is willing to spend the big bucks and Franklin can recruit like crazy...plus, who does 'SC really need to contend with?...they should be in the Playoff EVERY YEAR man...always a sleeping monster out there in LA

I didn't see Coastal play, but that was another one where I was keeping an eye on the score...just a very weird year...maybe 3 teams are keeping it together, looking like champs...

here is the thing about UGA and UF....UF is ALWAYS so talented....UGA is about a QB away from this game turning into something interesting...I am not following Florida very closely but they are maybe a possession or two away from a different record...they're dangerous and close...so I don't see a huge blowout

Tulane has shown some heart against teams like SMU...but yeah...Cincy blowout almost certainly...

Total agreement about OU/Tech....now the 'transitive' wins in CFB are hard to translate because u have so many factors that go into it--it is really about matchups and the oC's ability to find those matchups...but we are in agreement...the only thing that might put a dent in this is that Tech fired their coach....but maybe that makes them very dangerous...it is hard to predict based on that...also, it isn't like OU isn't talented...they are just having trouble getting consistent QB play....they don't need a superstar with all those great pieces around the QB...kinda reminds me of Ohio State except they got Stroud to sling it...

yeah PSU is about done...Franklin's hilarious post-game, where he mixes up Ohio State week for Illinois and the Shoe for the Big House he looks checked out...no way that team is going to give him everything...Franklin is headed to LSU or USC and you can book that ticket I think....Ohio State will have their pass offense challenged a little, but it will mean more to other teams like MSU or Michigan to get tape and see what the OSU playbook looks like...Clifford is a shadow of himself, the backup sux...PSU is toast

Michigan/MSU is a tossup...Vegas pretty consistently has Michigan up 3 points...but all it takes is one big play form either team to blow it wide open...MSU's season, with their terrible OL has been a miracle...I like Michigan in this one...Michigan has a running identity and two top running backs and a hellava OL...it is going to be pretty close, but this looks like Michigan's year especially with PSU screwing everything up for themselves....

Ole Miss and Kiffin are playing great...Auburn has been too inconsistent, I think...as I've said with Florida problem with these SEC teams is that you can't have an off night...I wonder if Kiffin is eying some other jobs...maybe PSU if Franklin leaves...'SC isn't an option and going to LSU would be very weird...

Vegas actually favors Wisconsin even though they are the rankings dog...I think that is about right...both teams have horrible offense and great defense...but Wisconsin's defense is a cut above...Iowa should drop outta the top 10 after this game...

couple of interesting notes...CFB playoff committtee will release their rankings after this week...they said that they will select teams based on who they think is BEST---but not most deserving...cincy could easily get kept out...playoff is more of an invitational, it seems!!!



[+] 1 user Likes samw34099's post
#58
This weekend was an interesting set of games. They proved that the "rankings" are nothing but money telling us what to believe. I'll get to that in a minute.

Games that didn't surprise me:
>Georgia/Florida - The only surprising thing is that Georgia didn't up the score. I didn't get to see this game, so idk if this was because FL was better than everyone thinks, or if UGA is weaker than we realize.
>Cincy/Tulane - Exact same as UGA.
[color=green] >OK/TT



#59
I didn't know I could submit posts by keyboard only.  Fuck me for not knowing that you can accidentally submit posts by hitting shift-enter.  Let me try that again.
>OK/TT - I felt bad for TT watching this game.  They were just unevenly matched in a really bad way.  OK had an easy game and ran up the score.
>TOSU/PSU - This was a tough game.  It showed that PSU is way better than #20, and TOSU should be lower than #5.  I really wanted PSU to win, but alas, fate said otherwise.  TOSU has some chinks in its armor that we can all see now.
>UM/MSU - This was a good game, but damn was it tough!  Two truly equal teams that absolutely hate each other trying to keep their lossless records intact.  That first quarter made me think that MSU was in over its head, but then, they scored.  And then, it became back and forth.  That game could have gone either way, but MSU made less mistakes than UM; that's what it came down to.
>Oregon/CO - Not surprised at this.  CO has sucked since they got into the Pac-12.
>OK State/KS - I felt bad for Kansas here.  They didn't have a chance.  OK State should have run all of their backups in the second half just to have some mercy.

On to the surprises:
>Wisc/Iowa - I guess Iowa isn't as good as anyone thought.  Wisconsin owned them pretty hard.  Iowa is probably belongs at the bottom of the Top 25.
>Baylor/Texas - I swore that Texas was going to destroy Baylor.  Nope.  That first quarter made it seem that Texas was in control.  But nope, Baylor is actually good this year.  Texas... not so much.
>Miami/Pitt - This was a bit of a surprise.  I don't know much about this game aside from the score.  I guess Pitt isn't a Top 25 team.
>Fresno State/San Diego State - This was a shock to me.  SDSU should've easily beaten Fresno, but Fresno won.  The fact that Fresno is now #25 is proof that the Committee has access to better drugs than any of us.

On to the "rankings":
Georgia and Cincy being #1 and #2, respectively, is not a surprise at all, though I'm still a bit iffy on Cincy being #2.  I can see why they ranked Cincy that way.  They have Tulane as their next opponent, so another easy game for them.  Georgia wll roll over Missou next weekend.

'bama being at #3 is proof that the Committee is pushing for certain schools to be in the playoffs, despite their records.  I guess 'bama had such a great set of practices during their bye week this weekend is proof that they should be #3.  At least by Committee standards.  There is serious money involved in 'bama being national champions again that the Committee will lie just to keep that money going.  'bama plays LSU this weekend.  I expect 'bama to win against unranked LSU, but I also expect this to be a fight.  LSU won't roll over like 'bama will beg/bribe them to do.

If we're going solely off of win/loss records, then #4 OK should be #1.  They have a bye week this week, so maybe we should send a camera crew to film their practices.  Maybe that'll be enough for them to top 'bama?

#5 Michigan State will play Purdue this weekend.  This should be an easy-ish game for them, but hopefully they're smart enough not to relax too much.  I hope they btfo Purdue so they can run their seconds and thirds in the second half and rest all their starters.

#6 TOSU goes to UNL this weekend.  If UNL can get their collective heads out of their asses, they can scare the fuck out of TOSU.

#9 UM will play Indiana.  I expect slaughter, especially after losing to MSU.

If the Committee weren't run by money, blackmail, favors, and blowjobs from (mostly underage) prostitutes, then their rankings would be more accurate.  This is my opinion on the Top 10:
1. Georgia
2. Cincy
3. OK
4. MSU
5. Wake Forest
6. UM
7. OK State
8. Baylor
9. Oregon
10. 'bama

On USC: There's this weird... thing... that keeps us from winning continually.  We have the money, the talent, the program, the system, and everything any uni would need to have a championship football team.  But this... thing... keeps happening.  This is how it has been since John Robinson left to go to the L.A. Rams in 1979.  The one chance we had to be a true powerhouse was lost when the NFL forced Pete Carroll back into the NFL.  Since then, this same... thing... has been on us.  I don't know if we need Carroll back, or someone to come along who can effectively clone his program.  But we need something that isn't what we have right now. 

That being said, there is a cultural thing going on at USC, that is affecting all of this: a massive power struggle that's nearing its end.  In the old days, the power structure at USC went like this:
1. The football coach
2. The band director (Dr.  Bartner specifically, not his successor or predecessors)
3. The university president.

This worked perfectly under President Zumberge, until he left at the beginning of the 90s.  Then, when Dr. Sample succeeded him, that's when the power struggle began.  The left wing of the USC departmental structure started fighting for power.  These are the SJWs/leftists/NPC wing of the university started trying to take power.  They were led by what USC calls the Student Affairs Department, which is run by the infamous Student Conduct department, led by the 90s version of a feminist/SJW.  A bunch of shit happened to the band, they managed to get involved in the football team via some really shady shit, and started HEAVILY promoting sexual harrassment all over campus, just to take guys down, no matter who they were.  They wanted to control the student body, not just the university.

Fast forward to now.  Dr. Bartner, the band director, was forced to step down one day last year.  They gave a week's notice that the next game was his last game, saying he was "retiring".  A couple of years before, some brand new Ph.D. from Chapman University in Orange County was hired as an assistant band director.  He apparently knew jack shit about composing, despite his Ph.D. in music, because Dr. Fox ahd to teach him how to transpose and compose pieces.  But this was his second job at USC.  What was this new Ph.D.'s first job at USC?  Oh, in Student Affairs.  That was a goddamn coup, and well executed if Iever saw one.  All of the pics of the new band director show him working with the band, while in the Student Affairs uniform, not the band one.  I suspect that Student Affairs finally found some blackmail on Bartner, and forced him out.

But this would not have been possible without the help of the President's office.  Sample promoted Student Affairs to a point, but Nickias, his successor, pushed it on more.  Then someone managed to pull a Scaramucci Model on USC, and got this nigress into the Presidency at USC.  This was about the time that the current band director was hired.  She lasted a year.  Most Presidents at USC last around 10-20 years, but he was a fucking school year.  Then, they hired another nigress.  That was two years ago, and she still doesn't have a bio up on her university web page!

So, for the last 30 years, the SJWs and feminsts that have run Student Affairs have made a long power play to run the university, with them being all-powerful there.  Now that they have the Presidency and the band, their next step is to involve themselves in the Athletic Department.  They want to control all of the department, choosing whoever will bow to their will, and follow their SJW/feminist/commie set of ideals.  I honestly don't know if they've penetrated the Athletic Department.  But I would say that the power they wield now will eventually get them to negatively affect the Athletic Department. 

This whole war for power is one of those things that doesn't get talked about very much.  But I think it's affecting the football team, even if it's indirectly.



[+] 1 user Likes olichan12's post
#60
buddy very sorry for the delay...just getting crushed at work...glad to get back on track tho...

so we have games and this week's CFB playoff committee takes...I will talk about the CFB top 10 and reflect on the games from there....

1. Georgia
2. 'Bama
3. Oregon
4. Ohio State

5. Cincy
6. Michigan
7. M. State
8. Oklahoma
9. ND
10. OK State

got 2 unbeatens (Cincy and OK) after last week...Wake was really making things interesting until Mack Brown absolutely crushed it with that basketball score game lol...anyway...watching Cincy squeak it out against Tulsa was not a good look...they should be above Ohio State tho with that win against ND (now in the top 10)....OK made that controverisial QB change and the committee seems to like it...I could see ND cracking the top 4...but it all really, really depends on how Oregon and 'Bama shake out....so let me move to the top 4...

I think the only way you get Georgia AND 'Bama in is if 'Bama beats Georgia...2-loss 'Bama will not make it...and I gotta say I don't think 'Bama will make it...I know that LSU-'Bama is a rivalry game and blah, blah, blah, but LSU is a tire-fire right now and they held 'Bama to 6(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) rushing yards...meanwhile effing Georgia and i don't say this lightly has possibly the best defense of this century so far....they only allow about 25% scores in the red zone...and I was doubting Georgia's QB...but that little SOB is just dropping dimes left and right thank u very much...Georgia is looking like an absolute monster and deserves the top spot...'Bama is in based on their history and that is basically it...and if you want to debate 'Bama being in there I get it but also that program has been so consistent they kinda earned it...just look at Clemson's disaster to see how hard it is to maintain an elite program...

Now to OSU/Oregon...Oregon is the easiest to talk about....win and ure in...they got Wazzu, Utah, and the Civil War game...plus their PAC 12 champ game...seriously Jesus Christ if they can't win that they don't deserve to be in...side note, during their game with Washington, Washington's head coach slapped a kid in the head and was suspended one game without pay...that team also fired their offensive coordinator, Donovan, which was the most obvious firing ever b/c hes an idiot...

Things get REALLY interesting now...Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State....Ohio State has played solidly...but they are getting into the teeth of the schedule...I do not look down on them for barely beating Nebraska...Nebraska was within 1-score of Michigan and Michigan State...Frost is a little snakebit but his leash is officially gone...put-up or shut-up next year...he has fired his OC and OL coach I think...bad year for a put up/shut up year for Frost next year...he graduates most of that amazing defense...anyway back to Ohio State--if they win out, they deserve to be in...beating Michigan State and Michigan is no joke this year...both teams are very talented if still kinda figuring it out...but do they deserve to be ranked right now?...I kno your answer is 'no' and I agree...gotta get Cincy and Oklahoma in there based on record...both have solid wins even if they looked shaky...

the BIG controversy is Michigan and MSU's ranking...this was the 11 AM game that I chose to watch on Saturday....I know ur a results guy but let me tell you something...MIchigan got JOBBED by the refs in that game...the B1G ADMITTED this...the committee listened...Michigan had a stip 6 taken off the board for absolutely zero reason....they had phantom holding calls on key plays...their defensive ends were getting held (yanked backwards) basically every play...it was a complete crapshow...now if Michigan State had handled their business against Purdue--different story...but they did not have the mental toughness...so I agree with the committee...HOWEVER IT DOESN'T MATTER...both teams must win out against PSU and OSU...if they win everything takes care of itself...

Quick hits: ND is there for the sake of tradition I think...they need a bigger win on their resume tho Wisco is looking like a better and better win for them...I think that if we weren't talking about Georgia's defense this year we would be talking about Wisconsin--they are just that good....not following OK State's season but they have a chance to shake things up against Oklahoma in their rivalry game...

once again very sorry...looking forward to more football talk!



[+] 1 user Likes samw34099's post