D-I College football thread, non-Utah edition

Football
2470

It’s ok. I keep bringing up that “The Alliance” is more what screwed FSU this year with the vote to delay expansion. Also, this is the SAME FSU that met with JP Morgan to get the money to leave the ACC because it was too weak. People forget that FSU’s legendary coach Bobby Bowden said in 1992 the reason why FSU rejected opportunity to join SEC instead of ACC:

“They did want us, they did invite us to join the SEC. Everybody thought we would join. In fact, I thought we would but our administration — the president and others — wanted the ACC, which really was better for us.

It would have been hard wading through that SEC. Too many good teams in there, boy. Oh, gosh. Oh, that would have been some great ball.”

But yeah… let’s act like the FSU got worse in those 30 years and the ACC became more of a solid conference.

This is comical: FSU Working with JPMorgan to Explore Equity Raise, Private Equity Could Lead Investment - Sports Illustrated Florida State Seminoles News, Analysis and More

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2471

It is a big whoop. These guys work like dogs year-round and play their guts out for 13 weeks exactly for the opportunity to take home the championship trophy. They got jobbed from that opportunity and everyone with a sense of right and wrong knows it.

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2472

Here’s a crazy idea, how about Alabama and FSU play a play-in game next week to see who “deserves” to be in the playoffs.

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2473

Not looking at the other Bowl Games, do we think there is a possibility of some team in the NY6 / CFP winning the coveted “Kid n Play” Award for the biggest fade in a Bowl Game Loss?

I believe Oregon still owns this award for their 32 point fade to TCU. Before that one SMU owned it for their “two minute drill” fade against TDS. As it seems we all need something entertaining, and there is nothing quite like a huge lead collapse to feed the Schadenfreude Jones, does anyone see a game out there that we can hope for one of these?

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2474

They tried but Pac 12, ACC, and Big 1G voted against doing that this year. Now that the Alliance failed people want to retroactively change to benefit the alliance. It’s very telling that The Alliance that was built to fight the SEC may lose 2 of it’s member institutions because they made bad moves from the start.

I feel for the players. Not the administration. They have some explaining to do why they decided to vote against expansion.

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2475

Wonder if they would really consider this…
May be an image of football and text

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2476

It’s certainly a novel idea. I would have to see the contracts the University signed to play in the game. I would be surprised if the contract didn’t have some performance stipulations; and that reneging on playing would trigger a breach of contract requiring the University to pay back the Bowl and ESPN for impacts caused by not playing.

The truth is the University could simply do a “nevermind” right now and avoid the legal morass. As beat up as their team is, the kids could use the rest. Hell, our kids could use the rest, too.

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2477

I would consider beating UGA and claiming a National Title.

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2478

I would collude with Georgia and on the 1st play, everyone sits down, takes a delay of game (other team declines), then play to win and prove something.

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2479

I don’t think anyone posted this. It’s classic.

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2480

Which games are y’all following this week? I offer my list below.

  • Furman at Montana
    D-IAA quarterfinal in Washington-Grizzly Stadium

  • College of Idaho at Keiser
    NAIA semifinal

  • North Central at Wartburg
    D-III semifinal, can the Knights knock off the reigning champs?

  • North Dakota State at South Dakota
    D-IAA quarterfinal, rematch from an early season tilt

  • Albany at Idaho
    D-IAA quarterfinal, surprise playoff team visits the Kibbie Dome

1 Like
2481

Composite of 94 ranking systems - Top 10

Screen Shot 2023-12-07 at 6.52.09 AM

2482

Isn’t this, in essence, why the Holiday Bowl is suing fUCLA and the PAC? Not so much that fUCLA had covid, but missing some sort of performance stipulation. Obviously I don’t know the details, just going off of a foggy memory of 2 or 3 years ago and a team I don’t pay too much attention to.

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2483

The problem with the last Massey composite rankings is that after the CFP comes out, a lot of various ranking systems kind of start mirroring that (moreso if they have a human element, like AP, Coaches, heck CFP is also one). Less so the ones that are based on analytics, but enough that it ends up being confirmation bias. Interesting that UW has ~20 ranking systems with them in the double digits (FSU is slightly fewer than this, but more that have them in the 4-8 range). Guessing those have scoring margin as part of their approach. Also interesting is that UM is high #1, low #4; UW: 1,19; UT: 2, 12; Ohio St: 1, 8; Alabama: 1, 12; UGA: 1, 10; FSU: 2, 15. Just lots of variation. Note that CFP Resume (more the ‘deserve’ than ‘best’ team) has the same top 5 with Ohio St. and UGA swapping 6/7.

The Massey ratings, however (link) have UM, Bama, Ohio St, Texas, UW, UGA, FSU, Penn St., Ore, OU, etc. Not much different, but FSU was I think 12 before ACC CCG, so moved up 5 by beating L’ville. In all of this, Ohio St. actually probably had the biggest reason to complain, but they knew they lost to UM and couldn’t compete for CCG, so it is what it is. In the Bowl placement, Oregon got the shaft, having to play Liberty (imo, should have been SMU, but the committee said 13-0 is 13-0, ahem). USC got a better opponent in L’ville in the Holiday Bowl.

BTW, composite ratings have Utah at 24 which seems about right being 8-4 and the 4 losses to teams that are 2, 8, 16, 18. Great job for so many key positions played by backups or 3/4s.

Other interesting note: every D1 team felt the rush of victory at some point. No 0-12 teams. Kent (1-11) was the only 1 loss team. I’m sure the wins at the bottom were likely FCS or other FBS bottom dwellers.

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2484

I don’t think history goes into this but under Ryan Day since Covid year they are 1-3 after Thanksgiving. Under Ryan Day all time they have a losing record in Bowls (2-3) and in the playoff (1-3). Their best win this season is Penn State (by 8) and Notre Dame (by 3) on the road. They didn’t play any other top 25 teams. That ultimately hurt them. They haven’t beaten their rival since 2019 so that’s really harming their luster with the committee.

That said, they are the only Big 1G school to win a Natty in 25 years (Michigan in '97).

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2485

LOL. It is cringe but when you head a conference that has won 6 of the last 9 and it was done by three different schools it sort of gives you that ammo.

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2486

Good point. The interesting aspect of Sankey’s rant is the criticism that instead of using on-the-field performance, the Committee made decisions based on reputation and stature. In other words, they heard Sankey.

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2487

It’s possible Alabama wins the whole thing. Or really any of the 4. But SEC has shown up. It doesn’t quite seem like a playoff if Ohio St. and OU aren’t there to lose :wink:

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2488

It’s why all subjective playoffs or championship games (BCS) will always be flawed. The 12 team will eliminate a conference being left out in the cold (in theory).

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2489

I think it will help a lot. As @NewbombTurk noted, #13 and #14 (at least) will still be angry. But there’s only so much a championship system can do.