Arena 2023-24 NCAA Football Discussion

I'm glad the PAC-12 is above such petty behavior; we just have terrible refs all the time

 

The game was played in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, so that play will be known as the Whiff in the Griff.
The Gators won the Eligi-Bowl.

 

You can win, you just have to be physically better than your opponent. What happens when you're not? You lose five in a row and get blown out several times. Attrition and relying on physical advantage is the lowest form of strategy. It's no strategy at all. You can win one out of six, but that's hardly something to hang your hat on.

This is the weakest Buckeyes team in a long time, they didn't have the usual physical advantage that usually makes that game plan a poor idea. This time, Michigan had the physical advantage.

Harbaugh is garbage. The players won the game in spite of the coaching staff holding them back. The coaching staff almost lost the game the same way they did against MSU, by repeatedly failing to be prepared for up tempo. Players like Hutchinson and Haskins took over and won the game in spite of the coaches.

 

I'm not sure USC is a step up from Oklahoma. Unless he wants to live in LA.

 

Oh man, the playoff committee has to be scared to death now.

The mess laid out there for them to pick through is gonna cause nothing but anger from all corners.

Today, the only safe pick is Georgia.

Does Alabama really deserve a spot if they lose to Georgia?

Cincy is standing there grinning like a maniac, desperate to crash the party, and while the excuses to omit them continue to fall, the biggest one, their schedule, still looms massive behind them.

Notre Dame...will not stand for being left out if Cincy gets to go. Watch them bail on the NCAA completely and form some rival university alliance if they get screwed.

Michigan? No worries. Iowa is gonna knock them down on Saturday. Classic let-down game coming.

OK State? Did they do enough to crack the egg?

The theory is that the contenders fall off as the weeks go by, and the 4 crystalize.

But this looks like weeks of pretenders building evidence to be considered "contenders". and the list grows and grows.

Will we be talking merits of Iowa and Baylor next week? Can Oregon squeak back in?

This is chaos.

Gonna be a lot of heat and a lot of hate on Selection Day.

 

Georgia is a lock obviously

The cynic in me says Alabama is too unless they lose to Georgia by about 40, and even if they do they probably get a free pass by virtue of being ‘Bama.

I’m sure the committee would love to find an excuse to exclude Cincinnati but unless they choke it’s going to be really tough for them to do it.

That leaves Michigan, OSU and ND for the last spot. I’d favor Michigan right now just based on current rankings.

 

Gators got a new coach: Billy Napier.

How will Tennessee react if Huepel leaves for OU?

 

I don't like Alabama but after dominating in recent years they probably deserve to get in with 2 losses over one loss teams like Oklahoma State and Notre dame. Michigan is probably the one loss team that deserves to get in next.

 

My best guess today would be:

1 Georgia
2 Alabama
3 Notre Dame
4 Cincinnati

I think Michigan will lose, and I suspect OK ST might lose, or look bad against Baylor.

I think they let Cincy in, but as the 4 so they must play Georgia in the semi-final. Once they get their doors blown off, the "evidence" to never select a group-of-five school again will be formulated.

Never mind the playoff has been filled with blowouts among Power 5 schools from the first season it was created, but oh well.

But never fear...only about 8 days until we get a tsunami of talking head content to "EXPAND THE PLAYOFF" because so many deserving schools missed out because it is only 4 teams.

I still champion the idea that only undefeated teams should have a chance to be called National Champs.

You have 2? They play a Championship Game.
You have 1? Unanimously Declared at Season's End
You have none? The title is vacant for that calendar year.
Maybe you have 3? You give a bye week to the #1 school and play the other 2.
The chances of 4 undefeated school are slim, but you could do a playoff like now.

Of course, you have to set rules to qualify. Otherwise everyone runs out to play Connecticut and Eastern Michigan as often as possible to pad the wins.

1. You have to schedule a minimum of 5 games against Power 5 schools that season. This basically means you are Power 5 or Notre Dame
or
2. You have to play at least 3 ranked teams (ranked at the END of the season). This is where Group-of-Five have a chance.
or
3. You have to beat at least 1 team ranked in the top ten (ranked at the END of the season). This is the underdog game moment.

So if you are Cincinnati, and you beat a Notre Dame who ends the year in the top ten, and you run your schedule out perfect, you deserve a shot at being National Champion.

Just a shot.

Sadly...there is too much sponsorship money to ever conceive of the notion of leaving a football season without a "National Champion".
There have been several years where the crowned team was rather underwhelming, but hey, they need to eat those tostitos and drink that gatorade.

Also why the playoff committee is really looking at revenue projections instead of highlight reels.

 

Really not a chance the committee puts a non-conference champion ND above an undefeated Cincy team that beat them if Cincy wins out.

 

They have ranked teams higher that lost to other playoff teams.

It is all about the matchups. They will spew some garbage about strength of schedule or "impressive skill sets".

As deserving as Cincy is...If they are in, they will be in as a 4.

And even more, they will be "disrespected" by the committee by having to look up at ND.

Truth is:

1. The committee want the chances of Cincy winning the semi-final to be as low as possible while still allowing them a spot in the 4.

2. There is also no way that they would rank ND and Cincy such that they could play each other in the first round, because see truth 1.

3. They know the money will be in an Bama/Georgia rematch title game, so schedule thus.

So you get Georgia v Cincy and Bama v ND in the semi's with the committee cheering for the SEC and the ratings to legitimize their farce.

 

@Jedimarine Careful not to get COVID toe with all these conspiracies

 

It's cool, Joe Rogan says it's fine. Relax...

 

As of a week ago, there were reports here that Fickell intended to stay in Cincy for family reasons and that money was not important to him. Cincinnati has one of the strongest Catholic school systems in the country (which was a factor in him moving here in the first place) and I'm sure he wants to keep his kids in that system.

But if he does consider ND...

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
This sucks. I'm a Notre Dame fan and think Kelly did a great job.

 

The rumor is Notre Dame is going to go hard after the Cincinnati coach. They want Urban Meyer, but i doubt that happens.

 

If Huepel goes to OU, Tennessee should go after Greg Schiano.