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

[Roadgeekteen]

So how long until he fakes a heart attack and moves down to an easier conference?

Again.

He should try coaching UMass football and see if he can win with our joke of a team.

[Roadgeekteen]

WE WON OMG

[CtrlAltDel]

WE WON OMG

Alabama can't say the same.

[Roadgeekteen]

WE WON OMG

Alabama can't say the same.

UMass > Alabama confirmed

[US 89]

What a day of college football:

Alabama loses for the first time in almost 2 years to Texas A&M
Oklahoma comes back to beat Texas in a thriller shootout
Ole Miss beats Arkansas on a missed 2-pt conversion with no time left on the clock
Iowa beats Penn State...barely
Michigan holds on to beat Nebraska in a close one
Wake Forest beats Syracuse in overtime
Georgia Tech wins
Utah upsets USC for their first win ever at the Coliseum
BYU loses

Even now UCLA-Arizona is looking close. Today was probably the best CFB day we've seen in years and more than makes up for the boring games we had last night.

[thspfc]

Arkansas-Ole Miss, OU-Texas, PSU-Iowa, and Bama-A&M. That's four instant classics on the same day. I can't remember a day of college football like that.

[thspfc]

Iowa is going to ruin the postgame field storm. The students should have been reminded beforehand that Iowa was the higher ranked team going in, and favored by 1.5. Storming the field should be reserved for only the biggest of upsets, otherwise it becomes watered-down. Unranked Texas A&M beating #1 Bama? Now that's a proper field storm game.

[Max Rockatansky]

Iowa is going to ruin the postgame field storm. The students should have been reminded beforehand that Iowa was the higher ranked team going in, and favored by 1.5. Storming the field should be reserved for only the biggest of upsets, otherwise it becomes watered-down. Unranked Texas A&M beating #1 Bama? Now that's a proper field storm game.

When is the last time Iowa has been a premier team in the country and beat another premier team in a close game though?

[thspfc]

Iowa is going to ruin the postgame field storm. The students should have been reminded beforehand that Iowa was the higher ranked team going in, and favored by 1.5. Storming the field should be reserved for only the biggest of upsets, otherwise it becomes watered-down. Unranked Texas A&M beating #1 Bama? Now that's a proper field storm game.

When is the last time Iowa has been a premier team in the country and beat another premier team in a close game though?

Doesn't matter. They are a premier team now, and they beat a team that they had a better than 50% chance to beat.

[CtrlAltDel]

Iowa is going to ruin the postgame field storm. The students should have been reminded beforehand that Iowa was the higher ranked team going in, and favored by 1.5. Storming the field should be reserved for only the biggest of upsets, otherwise it becomes watered-down. Unranked Texas A&M beating #1 Bama? Now that's a proper field storm game.

When is the last time Iowa has been a premier team in the country and beat another premier team in a close game though?

Doesn't matter. They are a premier team now, and they beat a team that they had a better than 50% chance to beat.

The last time Iowa was in the top 5 and playing against a team that was also in the top 5 was December 5, 2015, when they lost to Michigan State 16—13. The time before that was during the Orange Bowl on January 2, 2003, when they lost to USC 38—17. The time before that was October 19, 1985, when they beat Michigan 12—10.

[NWI_Irish96]

I put in a full 12 hours of non-stop college football viewing yesterday.

Most of Oklahoma-Texas
Ending of Wake Forest-Syracuse
Ending of Ole Miss-Arkansas
Most of Iowa-Penn State
All of Notre Dame-Virginia Tech
End of Michigan-Nebraska
End of Texas A&M-Alabama
About a quarter of UCLA-Arizona, just to decompress and come down off the adrenaline rush before I could go to bed.

One of the most remarkable days of college football I can remember.

[kurumi]

UC Davis has a transitive win over Alabama now, and definitely should be in the discussion for January :-)

Also, here's The Ohio State University marching band with a Rush medley:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTRluWPw08M

[Max Rockatansky]

Iowa is going to ruin the postgame field storm. The students should have been reminded beforehand that Iowa was the higher ranked team going in, and favored by 1.5. Storming the field should be reserved for only the biggest of upsets, otherwise it becomes watered-down. Unranked Texas A&M beating #1 Bama? Now that's a proper field storm game.

When is the last time Iowa has been a premier team in the country and beat another premier team in a close game though?

Doesn't matter. They are a premier team now, and they beat a team that they had a better than 50% chance to beat.

The last time Iowa was in the top 5 and playing against a team that was also in the top 5 was December 5, 2015, when they lost to Michigan State 16—13. The time before that was during the Orange Bowl on January 2, 2003, when they lost to USC 38—17. The time before that was October 19, 1985, when they beat Michigan 12—10.

Hence why I would tend to give the Iowa fan base some slack.  They are still tracking way behind the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and kinda even Wisconsin in terms of common relevance in the Big Ten.  I would more or less rate them on the same level as something like Michigan State.  They can field Top 25 teams consistently but rarely compete as a Top 10/premier team in the country. 

[CoreySamson]

Iowa this year reminds me a lot of the Les Miles-led LSU teams of the 2000s and early 2010s. Great defense, relies on turnovers to flip the field and score, mediocre offense. But the closest analogue to that 2011 LSU team this year is Georgia. Both teams played a close slugfest against another good team and demolished everyone else. I think this is Georgia's year. My new Top 25:

1. Georgia
2. Iowa
3. Cincinnati
4. Oklahoma
5. Ohio State
6. Alabama
7. Michigan State
8. Michigan
9. Penn State
10. Oregon
11. Ole Miss
12. Kentucky
13. Oklahoma State
14. Notre Dame
15. Coastal Carolina
16. Arizona State
17. Arkansas
18. Wake Forest
19. BYU
20. Texas A&M
21. Florida
22. NC State
23. San Diego State
24. SMU
25. Baylor

[NWI_Irish96]

Everybody has Ohio State ranked ahead of Oregon. They played each other and Oregon won. Why even bother scheduling difficult non-conference games if you aren't going to get credit for winning them?

[CoreySamson]

Everybody has Ohio State ranked ahead of Oregon. They played each other and Oregon won. Why even bother scheduling difficult non-conference games if you aren't going to get credit for winning them?

Since the Oregon game, Ohio State has whooped pretty much everyone they played. Oregon hasn't dominated like that since that game and lost to an average Stanford team. Sometimes, like in golf, the bad losses hurt you more than the good wins help you.

[CoreySamson]

Here's another Top 25 and a couple scenarios for the CFP:

1. Georgia
2. Cincinnati
3. Oklahoma
4. Alabama
5. Ohio State
6. Michigan
7. Michigan State
8. Penn State
9. Oklahoma State
10. Oregon
11. Iowa
12. Ole Miss
13. Notre Dame
14. Coastal Carolina
15. Kentucky
16. Wake Forest
17. Baylor
18. Auburn
19. NC State
20. Pittsburgh
21. Texas A&M
22. SMU
23. UTSA
24. San Diego State
25. Utah

CFP Scenarios:

What I Likely Think Will Happen
Georgia wins out and blows out Alabama in the SEC title game, becoming the 1 seed. Oklahoma and Cincinnati also win out. The fourth seed is filled by the winner of the Big 10, likely Ohio State.

1. Georgia   2. Oklahoma   3. Cincinnati   4. Ohio State

Nearly every College Football Fan's Nightmare
Alabama and Georgia both win out, with Alabama beating Georgia in the SEC title game. Oklahoma and Ohio State win out, leaving undefeated Cincinnati without a playoff spot.

1. Oklahoma   2. Alabama   3. Ohio State   4. Georgia

Complete (but entirely possible) Chaos
Alabama loses to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, putting Ole Miss into the SEC title game. There they beat a 1-loss Georgia team who lost to Missouri earlier in the year. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State play on two consecutive weekends. Oklahoma State loses the first game (a #1 vs #2 "game of the century") at home, but they win in the Big 12 Championship game, giving them a playoff berth. The Big 10 completely shreds itself apart, resulting in no team with less than two losses from that conference. Meanwhile, Cincinnati and Wake Forest have quietly won out their respective conferences, leaving the playoff picture like this:

1. Cincinnati   2. Ole Miss   3. Oklahoma State   4. Wake Forest

[NWI_Irish96]

Cincinnati is for real. They are no more than a touchdown underdogs to anybody except Georgia.

[nexus73]

I like the Complete Chaos deal...LOL!  Pandemic football has made for so many unexpected results. 

Rick

[I-55]

For the first time since I knew what Purdue was, we are ranked. I don't know how to handle this. Tell your kids about number 25 Purdue before it's too late.

[CoreySamson]

My Week 8 CFB rankings:

1. Georgia
2. Cincinnati
3. Alabama
4. Oklahoma
5. Michigan
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan State
8. Oregon
9. Ole Miss
10. Iowa
11. Pittsburgh
12. Wake Forest
13. Notre Dame
14. Kentucky
15. Baylor
16. Oklahoma State
17. Texas A&M
18. SMU
19. Iowa State
20. Auburn
21. San Diego State
22. UTSA
23. Coastal Carolina
24. Penn State
25. Louisiana

My thoughts on each conference:

AAC
3 great teams, 8 bad/mediocre teams. SMU vs. Houston this week will be interesting to watch to see who gets to play heir apparent to Cincinnati.

ACC
To me, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh are the most intriguing teams in college football this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win out and face each other for the ACC title and potentially a spot in the playoff. At the same time I bet we'll see at least 3 ranked ACC teams by the end of the year. Clemson's defense is still top-tier and Virginia is somewhat underrated. NC State will fall apart as the season goes on, though.

Big 12
I think this is the best overall conference this year. Every team here can compete in any game on any given day. I'm skeptical that Oklahoma will remain undefeated, and I think the other 3 ranked teams are pretty legit.

Big 10
It seems to me like the Big 10 title will be decided by the Ohio State/Michigan/Michigan State round robin later this year. I don't think Iowa can touch the winner in the title game. Michigan and Michigan State both have a lot to prove with this next game. Penn State, Purdue, and Indiana are overrated.

C-USA
West >>> East. Just sayin'.

MAC
Once again, West >>> East. I don't get it.

Mountain West
Lots of decent teams, but I don't see a standout here. SDSU will likely lose soon, possibly this week. Colorado State is the hardest team to figure out in college football.

PAC-12
I'm still not sold on Oregon. UCLA, Utah, Oregon State, and Arizona State seem good, until they're not.

SEC
So far it seems like a down year for them. Georgia is incredible, though. The SEC West is very balanced; the loser might only finish at 5-7 or 6-6, but the East is horrendous outside of Georgia and Kentucky.

Sun Belt
I think this conference could reach 3 ranked teams at some point this year.

[CoreySamson]

Okay, the CFP rankings are officially out, and I hate them.

Here's the top 10 according to the CFP committee:

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Michigan State
4. Oregon
5. Ohio State
6. Cincinnati
7. Michigan
8. Oklahoma
9. Wake Forest
10. Notre Dame

Why on earth is Alabama number 2? I know they're really good, but they beat Florida by 2. Georgia beat them by 27. And I'm an SEC fan. And why is Cincinnati at number 6? At this rate, with SMU losing to Houston, Cincy is going to have an awful time rising up the ranks any further, even if they win out. Plus I don't think Oregon merits being number 4.

Here's my alternate rankings:

1. Georgia
2. Cincinnati
3. Michigan State
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma
6. Ohio State
7. Oregon
8. Notre Dame
9. Wake Forest
10. Michigan
11. Baylor
12. Oklahoma State
13. Auburn
14. Texas A&M
15. UTSA
16. BYU
17. Ole Miss
18. Houston
19. Kentucky
20. Iowa
21. Coastal Carolina
22. Louisiana
23. Fresno State
24. SMU
25. Minnesota

[NWI_Irish96]

The committee is big on strength of schedule and some of the advanced metrics. Alabama's SOS is 13 and they're in the Top 4 in Strength of Record, Game Control, offensive and defensive efficiency, with Georgia being the only other team to do the same. Cincinnati's SOS is 100, Game Control is 11th, offensive efficiency is 23rd.

At the end of the day, Alabama either finishes 12-1 by beating Georgia in the SEC championship and is an obvious top 2 team anyway, or they lose a 2nd game either to Georgia or before that and is out of the top 4 anyway.

Cincinnati, assuming they go 13-0, with a conference championship, is not getting passed over by a 2-loss team that isn't a conference champion.

[Alps]

Cincinnati, assuming they go 13-0, with a conference championship, is not getting passed over by a 2-loss team that isn't a conference champion.

You will eat those words

[thspfc]

Well, this is going exactly like last year. Cincinnati gets "dIsReSpEcTeD"  by the committee because they "dEsErVe"  to be in the Playoff. Yeah, tough reality: not all the teams that "dEsErVe"  to make it can actually make it. My top 4 right now is Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan State. Why? Those are the four best teams in the country and I would pick those four to beat anyone who is not in my top 4. I don't have as much of an issue with a lot of people saying Cincy should be above Michigan State - I think that could go either way - as I do with people saying that Cincy should be above Ohio State and Alabama. OSU won by 47 against a team that Cincy beat by 14. I know that MSU only beat Indiana by 5 - but MSU has also played more than one good team. And for some reason people are still acting like Alabama's loss to A&M is the equivalent of them losing to some FCS team - as if A&M is not ranked in the top 15 (and Bama lost by only a field goal ("on the road" , as they say, which really doesn't matter much but a lot of people think it does)).

At the end of the day, I want Cincinnati in the Playoff. So that Ohio State or Alabama can beat them by at least three touchdowns and end the whining.

Generally the comeback to this is "well they're undefeated, don't they dEsErVe to be ranked in the top 4?"  Well then, doesn't Wake Forest dEsErVe to be ranked in the top 4? What about UTSA? What about the Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks, who are 8-0? They're undefeated, so they must dEsErVe it, right?

Nonsense. The top 4 teams need to be ranked in the top 4, and the top 4 teams need to make the Playoff. The highest Cincinnati should be is #4. They don't dEsErVe to be #2 because they are not the second best team in the country.