NCAA 2020 College Football thread

[DragonAttack]

Coastal Carolina is 8-0!!!  unbelievable.

They had a "sell out crowd" at home today, which under COVID standards is the same amount of fans they used to get when they sucked! 

I remember going to a game at nearby Towson University a few years back when the Tigers beat the Chanticleers.  And we were all...'WTW are Chanticleers?' 

Been following them in the press.  Ya gotta be proud. 

Meanwhile, I have been joking with friends about Central Michigan going undefeated into November for the first time since my junior year.  Sadly, that 'run'  had to end against Western.  I gave up going to a Queen concert because of that game my sophomore year.  Not fair.

[dparrott]

Coastal Carolina goes 9-0!!!  Conf champ game locked.  If they beat Liberty next week (who's good), they could go 11-0.

[cramx3]

Coastal Carolina goes 9-0!!!  Conf champ game locked.  If they beat Liberty next week (who's good), they could go 11-0.

and not even sniff the playoffs but potentially a 7-0 OSU team could make it (if they even play next week).  I don't like the system at all.  I do think OSU would beat them, but it's not fair for the teams who have earned a right to play for a championship. Same goes for Cincinnati and BYU.  At least there's a chance one of those could sneak in with some potential SEC and ACC knock offs.

[dparrott]

They gotta go with their money makers I guess.  No one knows CCU or would care to watch them in a playoff game no matter how good they are.

[cramx3]

Wow Coastal Carolina had to cancel their game against liberty duesq to covid so they managed to change and schedule BYU, now two 9-0 teams will play Saturday. Thats crazy how they are able to make that happen.

[Grappler]

I haven't kept up with the COVID rules for the Big Ten, but I'm pretty irritated about the cancellation of the Ohio State/Illinois game.  Illinois played a game a few weeks ago without 15 of their players due to positive tests or contact tracing eliminating them from being able to play that week.  They got killed.

Yet, their game against Ohio State was cancelled, because Ohio State had players with positive tests.  It just smells of favoritism - heaven forbid Ohio State have to play without some of their players, get their first loss and not be playoff eligible. 

[cramx3]

I haven't kept up with the COVID rules for the Big Ten, but I'm pretty irritated about the cancellation of the Ohio State/Illinois game.  Illinois played a game a few weeks ago without 15 of their players due to positive tests or contact tracing eliminating them from being able to play that week.  They got killed.

Yet, their game against Ohio State was cancelled, because Ohio State had players with positive tests.  It just smells of favoritism - heaven forbid Ohio State have to play without some of their players, get their first loss and not be playoff eligible.

I read a rumor the big10 might change their quarantine rules to help OSU.  There's definitely favoritism in the big10.  Although if mid majors can schedule games on the fly to help their teams, I don't know why the Big10 isnt.

[dparrott]

Coastal beats BYU to stay perfect!!!      Their last game of the season is not a strong team, should be a perfect season!

[cramx3]

So the Big10 changed their rules to let OSU play in the championship game.  I have no doubt they deserve to be there, but the rule changes kind of bother me.  However, what bothers me more is that USC is also 5-0 and going to play in the Pac12 championship and yet are no where close to sniffing the playoffs.  Personally, I don't want to see more SEC teams in besides Bama, but I'm starting to lean towards those teams or ND (if they lose to Clemson) to be in over these potential 6-0 teams that will likely just get destroyed in the semifinals. 

On another note, PSU plays home to Illinois this weekend in the Big10 crossover game weekend.  Weird thing to set this up, but this is a winnable game and PSU can go from 0-5 to 4-5 before a potential bowl game (I have no idea how the bowl games will work, but it seems PSU at 3-5 currently is projected to play in one). If they can finish on a 5 game winning streak and not have a losing season, I will be happy all things considered.

[Grappler]

So the Big10 changed their rules to let OSU play in the championship game.  I have no doubt they deserve to be there, but the rule changes kind of bother me.  However, what bothers me more is that USC is also 5-0 and going to play in the Pac12 championship and yet are no where close to sniffing the playoffs.  Personally, I don't want to see more SEC teams in besides Bama, but I'm starting to lean towards those teams or ND (if they lose to Clemson) to be in over these potential 6-0 teams that will likely just get destroyed in the semifinals. 

On another note, PSU plays home to Illinois this weekend in the Big10 crossover game weekend.  Weird thing to set this up, but this is a winnable game and PSU can go from 0-5 to 4-5 before a potential bowl game (I have no idea how the bowl games will work, but it seems PSU at 3-5 currently is projected to play in one). If they can finish on a 5 game winning streak and not have a losing season, I will be happy all things considered.

PSU will easily defeat the now Lovie-Smith-less Illinois. 

I'm really irritated by the rule change to push Ohio State into the championship.  It just shows that it's all about money and nothing else.  Athletes that take money are severely punished (as are the schools) but the conference and schools will change rules to put it's best team in a position to earn money from postseason play.  Ohio State should have been forced to play games with a less than full roster like other teams have this year, even if it means losing and risking a perfect record.

[cramx3]

So the Big10 changed their rules to let OSU play in the championship game.  I have no doubt they deserve to be there, but the rule changes kind of bother me.  However, what bothers me more is that USC is also 5-0 and going to play in the Pac12 championship and yet are no where close to sniffing the playoffs.  Personally, I don't want to see more SEC teams in besides Bama, but I'm starting to lean towards those teams or ND (if they lose to Clemson) to be in over these potential 6-0 teams that will likely just get destroyed in the semifinals. 

On another note, PSU plays home to Illinois this weekend in the Big10 crossover game weekend.  Weird thing to set this up, but this is a winnable game and PSU can go from 0-5 to 4-5 before a potential bowl game (I have no idea how the bowl games will work, but it seems PSU at 3-5 currently is projected to play in one). If they can finish on a 5 game winning streak and not have a losing season, I will be happy all things considered.

PSU will easily defeat the now Lovie-Smith-less Illinois. 

I'm really irritated by the rule change to push Ohio State into the championship.  It just shows that it's all about money and nothing else.  Athletes that take money are severely punished (as are the schools) but the conference and schools will change rules to put it's best team in a position to earn money from postseason play.  Ohio State should have been forced to play games with a less than full roster like other teams have this year, even if it means losing and risking a perfect record.

I do not get how they were able to not play some games when their roster wasn't totally depleted.  I agree with you there.  And now that the Indiana game has been canceled, and if the rules didn't change, PSU would actually be playing for the Big10 championship  so now it bothers me slightly more as it impacted my team, but I still have to lean towards OSU being the best team and the team that should be playing for the big10. 

It would be nice to see some recognition for the teams who followed all the protocols, didn't have outbreaks, and played their full schedule though in this asterisk type of season.

[hefdaddy42]

I've gotta be honest, it seems really shady that the Big 10 changed the rules on getting into the championship game for the benefit of Ohio State.  They set the rules at the beginning of the season, and everybody had the same rules to abide by.

[black_biff_stadler]

FBS football is the biggest sham in collegiate sports. Just force all the power 5 and mid major conferences to play a balanced schedule where each mid major plays a minimum of four games against power 5 teams and vice versa and eliminate any FBS/FCS cross play so we can stop having undefeated obscure schools getting left out and also so we can stop hearing their fans exclaim about how they should be involved despite playing significantly weaker schedules than the teams that ultimately end up selected over them for the CFP.

It's a double-edged sword and I sympathize with mid major fans whose teams get snubbed when they run the table but it doesn't take a genius to realize that these mid major perfect seasons would easily have 2 losses or more if their schedules weren't loaded with FCS ducks, bereft of power 5 opponents, or both.

[hefdaddy42]

It's a double-edged sword and I sympathize with mid major fans whose teams get snubbed when they run the table but it doesn't take a genius to realize that these mid major perfect seasons would easily have 2 losses or more if their schedules weren't loaded with FCS ducks, bereft of power 5 opponents, or both.

Maybe.  I get it.

But also, ACHIEVEMENT has to count for something.  For me, Cincinatti achieved more this season by going undefeated against their schedule than Oklahoma did by going 8-2, or even Texas A&M in going 8-1 or whatever their record was.  I think they definitely belonged in that 5/6 game over one or both of those teams.  I'm not saying they belonged in the playoff itself, necessarily.  But at the same time, I'm not convinced that Ohio State belongs in it, either.

[hunnus2000]

So ND gets their dicks slapped by Clemson but now they're playing in the CFP???

Talk about a sham! 

[hefdaddy42]

So ND gets their dicks slapped by Clemson but now they're playing in the CFP???

Talk about a sham! 

Not really.  They were able to play a full schedule, and also beat Clemson in the regular season.  Clearly one of the top 4 teams in the country, IMO.

The only possible sham team in the playoff is Ohio State, playing only 6 games.

[hunnus2000]

So ND gets their dicks slapped by Clemson but now they're playing in the CFP???

Talk about a sham! 

Not really.  They were able to play a full schedule, and also beat Clemson in the regular season.  Clearly one of the top 4 teams in the country, IMO.

The only possible sham team in the playoff is Ohio State, playing only 6 games.

Yeah - it seems the committee wanted these 4 teams in. A&M could make a solid case.

[hefdaddy42]

So ND gets their dicks slapped by Clemson but now they're playing in the CFP???

Talk about a sham! 

Not really.  They were able to play a full schedule, and also beat Clemson in the regular season.  Clearly one of the top 4 teams in the country, IMO.

The only possible sham team in the playoff is Ohio State, playing only 6 games.

Yeah - it seems the committee wanted these 4 teams in. A&M could make a solid case.

I disagree.  I mean, yeah, they only lost one game, but they only played one elite team, and it was apparent that they didn't belong.  I think Cincinnati had a better case than A&M.

[cramx3]

I'd personally put AM over ND, but I'm not sure it matters.  It's all about Clemson and Alabama, again.  I'd rather see Cincinnatti or Coastal get a shot than giving it to ND/OSU/A&M personally.  This season was a shit show and yet it seems likely to have the same ending as the last few seasons.

[mike099]

Mississippi State - Tulsa brawl    No social distancing here. 
Fast forward a minute into the video for the real brawl.

https://youtu.be/0WqvFZVhAZk

[hunnus2000]

Mississippi State - Tulsa brawl    No social distancing here. 
Fast forward a minute into the video for the real brawl.

https://youtu.be/0WqvFZVhAZk

I caught the game after it already started and they showed highlights of the pregame warmups which already looked ugly. Then throughout the game there seemed to be cheap shots every other play. After the game, the network went to highlights and then they panned back and showed the entire brawl. It was ugly and that clip doesn't show the entire scrum. It ended with two trainers were walking an injured player back to the locker
room. The guy looked like he was on the verge of passing out so I don't know why they didn't get a stretcher or cart. The whole thing was disgusting and I hope that arrests will be made.

[Cool Chris]

The only possible sham team in the playoff is Ohio State.

Last Week: HA! Shows what you know, smarty pants!

Tonight: Uh, disregard.

[black_biff_stadler]

I loathe bama but I'm glad OSU got smoked. There are maybe three teams they'd usher into the CFP that unethically and bama and Clemson are the other two. At least those two teams actually show up in title games. I remember talking to various people after the Clemson stomping and them being like "Well, they may have only played 6 games but that proves they belong." Like, no, it fuckin doesn't prove it at all. One game, alone, doesn't justify 4-6 missing games (depending on if we're calling "normal" 12 games like in a non-2020 season or 10 games as was the case for many teams this season). How many top echelon teams open up 6-0 each season before eventually having a title-dashing loss (or multiple losses)? It would at least be very slightly more understandable if it were a team like bama or Clemson that is a legit threat to win every CFP game they play in.

[T-ski]

To say college football is top heavy is an understatement.

Someone brought up the fact Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State have won 17 of the 21 CFP games since they started in ‘14-‘15.

[cramx3]

Let's just be honest here, Bama was going to stomp on ANY team they played including Clemson who really was the only team that I felt truly deserved and earned a spot besides Bama.

I've stated before I didn't think OSU deserved to be there, but their beat down of Clemson at least showed they were a strong team, but not a single team this year or most years is good enough to beat Bama and sadly that's the way college football is and has been for awhile other than Clemson putting up a fight in previous years.

Having said that, this season was pretty much a joke.  I'm glad they were able to play and all, but with different rules in different leagues and games cancelled, late seasons, changing rules... it was mostly a sham season and yet still ended up the way every other season seems to end.

In other news, I'm LOVING what PSU has done since their last game.  Changed OC and really upgraded there, got a few key players to stick around, and even nabbed a few transfers PLUS have a top 5 recruiting class so far.  I thought Franklin did a terrible job this season, but I'm glad to see he's doing the necessary work in the offseason to get better.