Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[thspfc]

What doesn't make sense is that seeds 5-8 will get home playoff games, but seeds 1-4 won't because the quarterfinals and semifinals will be at bowl sites. They should have the first round and semifinals be at bowl sites, with the quarterfinals on home campuses. It's weird, but that's the only way it makes sense to me.

Would you rather get a bye or play a home game.

As a player I would rather get a bye; as an athletic department I would rather get the revenue of a home playoff game. And we know that money is the king of college football.

Doesn't matter anyway. The first time there's an SEC team seeded 9-12 that has to play north of Lexington in December, they'll eliminate home games. SEC doesn't play in cold weather.

Wanna bet on that?

[NWI_Irish96]

What doesn't make sense is that seeds 5-8 will get home playoff games, but seeds 1-4 won't because the quarterfinals and semifinals will be at bowl sites. They should have the first round and semifinals be at bowl sites, with the quarterfinals on home campuses. It's weird, but that's the only way it makes sense to me.

Would you rather get a bye or play a home game.

As a player I would rather get a bye; as an athletic department I would rather get the revenue of a home playoff game. And we know that money is the king of college football.

Doesn't matter anyway. The first time there's an SEC team seeded 9-12 that has to play north of Lexington in December, they'll eliminate home games. SEC doesn't play in cold weather.

Wanna bet on that?

I would. There will be some kind of rule implemented that cold weather teams have to move their "home" games to an indoor stadium. SEC is not going to allow its teams to play outdoors north of Lexington in December. They'll find some way to end that.

[thspfc]

What doesn't make sense is that seeds 5-8 will get home playoff games, but seeds 1-4 won't because the quarterfinals and semifinals will be at bowl sites. They should have the first round and semifinals be at bowl sites, with the quarterfinals on home campuses. It's weird, but that's the only way it makes sense to me.

Would you rather get a bye or play a home game.

Doesn't matter anyway. The first time there's an SEC team seeded 9-12 that has to play north of Lexington in December, they'll eliminate home games. SEC doesn't play in cold weather.

Which is such bullshit. This weekend Utah is playing Florida in Gainesville and all the commentators are going on about how it'll be such a test for Utah to play in the humidity. That's fine, but whenever SEC teams have to play in cold, the narrative shifts to "this is so unfair". Ridiculous double standard.

Alabama has played 2 non-conference home games since Saban took over in 2007. TWO IN 15 SEASONS

2009 at Duke in September
2010 at Penn State in September

On the rare occasion that Alabama schedules a highly ranked non-conference opponent, it's a "neutral site" game in Atlanta, New Orleans or Dallas, where Alabama fans will buy 80% of the tickets. In fact, every neutral site game Alabama has played in under Saban, including bowls and playoff games, have been in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona or California, with the lone exception of last season's CFP final in Indy.

The SEC schedules to ensure that their top teams will have very few or zero nonconference losses. Then the conference champion points to wins over 2-loss and 3-loss conference teams, none of whom have played anybody good outside their conference.

And I don't blame them. The other conferences could have insisted on more rigorous scheduling when setting up the bowl/playoff system, but haven't.

Let's not act like the SEC is the only conference with teams who don't want to play difficult or away OOC games.

Also, how is cold weather even a factor if the vast majority of nonconference games are played in September?

[thspfc]

What doesn't make sense is that seeds 5-8 will get home playoff games, but seeds 1-4 won't because the quarterfinals and semifinals will be at bowl sites. They should have the first round and semifinals be at bowl sites, with the quarterfinals on home campuses. It's weird, but that's the only way it makes sense to me.

Would you rather get a bye or play a home game.

As a player I would rather get a bye; as an athletic department I would rather get the revenue of a home playoff game. And we know that money is the king of college football.

Doesn't matter anyway. The first time there's an SEC team seeded 9-12 that has to play north of Lexington in December, they'll eliminate home games. SEC doesn't play in cold weather.

Wanna bet on that?

I would. There will be some kind of rule implemented that cold weather teams have to move their "home" games to an indoor stadium. SEC is not going to allow its teams to play outdoors north of Lexington in December. They'll find some way to end that.

K. What's the bet?

[thspfc]

Iowa/SD State and UNC/App State today were both insulting to the game of football in totally opposite ways.

[Roadgeekteen]

Go UMass 

[thspfc]

Since 2020, Cincinnati is 0-3 against the SEC and 22-0 against all other conferences.

[thspfc]

And now Florida, who might not even be in the top half of SEC teams, has beaten the highest-ranked team west of the Mississippi (besides Texas A&M who is in the SEC).

[Roadgeekteen]

My biggest wish for college football is for the SEC to be trash someday.

[Alps]

And now Florida, who might not even be in the top half of SEC teams, has beaten the highest-ranked team west of the Mississippi (besides Texas A&M who is in the SEC).

Pac 12 died today officially.

[US 89]

And now Florida, who might not even be in the top half of SEC teams, has beaten the highest-ranked team west of the Mississippi (besides Texas A&M who is in the SEC).

Pac 12 died today officially.

Utah's defense sucked. Gone are the days of Sack Lake City.

[Roadgeekteen]

UMass lost as expected. They had it tied 7-7 at one point though so good for them.

[Ted$8roadFan]

So many lopsided victories yesterday for the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, Georgia, Miami, Wisconsin, Baylor, and USC. Not sure what the point of having so many blowouts so early in the season other than to increase exposure for the schools that lost. At least Notre Dame/Ohio State was relatively close..

[thspfc]

So many lopsided victories yesterday for the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, Georgia, Miami, Wisconsin, Baylor, and USC. Not sure what the point of having so many blowouts so early in the season other than to increase exposure for the schools that lost. At least Notre Dame/Ohio State was relatively close..

The large schools pay the small schools a ton of money (there's that word again!) to come play them, and likely get blown out. Losing that income would be difficult for FCS/small FBS programs.

[NWI_Irish96]

So many lopsided victories yesterday for the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, Georgia, Miami, Wisconsin, Baylor, and USC. Not sure what the point of having so many blowouts so early in the season other than to increase exposure for the schools that lost. At least Notre Dame/Ohio State was relatively close..

The large schools pay the small schools a ton of money (there's that word again!) to come play them, and likely get blown out. Losing that income would be difficult for FCS/small FBS programs.

To expand on this. If you're Ohio State and you want to play Notre Dame at home, you have to agree to also play a game at Notre Dame (that will happen next year). If your entire schedule is full of teams you have to play away in addition to home, you end up with 6 home and 6 away games every year.

If you want to have a 7th home game and all the extra revenue that comes with it, you have to schedule a team that is willing to accept money in lieu of the return game. Such a team is almost always 30+ points worse than the team "buying the game."

There are exceptions though, most famously Michigan losing to Appalachian State in 2007.

[CtrlAltDel]

So many lopsided victories yesterday for the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, Georgia, Miami, Wisconsin, Baylor, and USC.

The point is to be able to jump up in the rankings. Not necessarily immediately, but in a way similar to advertising. When the time comes to make a choice, the reporters' and coaches' decisions will be impacted by the teams they have heard of doing well since the beginning of the season. A blowout later on in the season will have lesser effect.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Not denying the ratings/funding/ranking reasoning  I'm just saying it makes for difficult viewing.

[NWI_Irish96]

FYI we have a separate thread for the 2022 college season here: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=31977.0

[CtrlAltDel]

Not denying the ratings/funding/ranking reasoning  I'm just saying it makes for difficult viewing.

No argument there.

[skluth]

Alabama has played 2 non-conference home games since Saban took over in 2007. TWO IN 15 SEASONS

2009 at Duke in September
2010 at Penn State in September

Huh????
This year Alabama has non-conference home games against both Utah State and Louisiana-Monroe. Last year they had home games against Southern Miss and something called Mercer. 2020 was all messed up for everyone, but in 2019 they had home games against Southern Mississippi again along with New Mexico State. In 2018 they played at home against Arkansas State and Louisiana. I could go on but Alabama typically schedules two non-conference games against lesser non-conference opponents annually. That's pretty typical of most big powers as I'm fairly confident without looking that Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, and even next-level powers like Wisconsin and UCLA do similar scheduling.

[US 89]

Alabama has played 2 non-conference home games since Saban took over in 2007. TWO IN 15 SEASONS

2009 at Duke in September
2010 at Penn State in September

Huh????
This year Alabama has non-conference home games against both Utah State and Louisiana-Monroe. Last year they had home games against Southern Miss and something called Mercer. 2020 was all messed up for everyone, but in 2019 they had home games against Southern Mississippi again along with New Mexico State. In 2018 they played at home against Arkansas State and Louisiana. I could go on but Alabama typically schedules two non-conference games against lesser non-conference opponents annually. That's pretty typical of most big powers as I'm fairly confident without looking that Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, and even next-level powers like Wisconsin and UCLA do similar scheduling.

I think he meant to say non-conference away games, played on the opposing team's home field as opposed to a neutral site.

Also got the years wrong - that Duke game was in 2010, and the Penn State game was in 2011.

[skluth]

Alabama has played 2 non-conference home games since Saban took over in 2007. TWO IN 15 SEASONS

2009 at Duke in September
2010 at Penn State in September

Huh????
This year Alabama has non-conference home games against both Utah State and Louisiana-Monroe. Last year they had home games against Southern Miss and something called Mercer. 2020 was all messed up for everyone, but in 2019 they had home games against Southern Mississippi again along with New Mexico State. In 2018 they played at home against Arkansas State and Louisiana. I could go on but Alabama typically schedules two non-conference games against lesser non-conference opponents annually. That's pretty typical of most big powers as I'm fairly confident without looking that Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, and even next-level powers like Wisconsin and UCLA do similar scheduling.

I think he meant to say non-conference away games, played on the opposing team's home field as opposed to a neutral site.

Also got the years wrong - that Duke game was in 2010, and the Penn State game was in 2011.

That makes more sense. I did notice they often played a big non-conference neutral site game fairly often; 2016 USC, 2017 Florida State, etc.

[NWI_Irish96]

Alabama has played 2 non-conference home games since Saban took over in 2007. TWO IN 15 SEASONS

2009 at Duke in September
2010 at Penn State in September

Huh????
This year Alabama has non-conference home games against both Utah State and Louisiana-Monroe. Last year they had home games against Southern Miss and something called Mercer. 2020 was all messed up for everyone, but in 2019 they had home games against Southern Mississippi again along with New Mexico State. In 2018 they played at home against Arkansas State and Louisiana. I could go on but Alabama typically schedules two non-conference games against lesser non-conference opponents annually. That's pretty typical of most big powers as I'm fairly confident without looking that Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, and even next-level powers like Wisconsin and UCLA do similar scheduling.

I think he meant to say non-conference away games, played on the opposing team's home field as opposed to a neutral site.

Also got the years wrong - that Duke game was in 2010, and the Penn State game was in 2011.

Yeah, I did mean away.

[US 89]

Go Noles. That is all.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Great game from both FSU and LSU.