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

[Alps]

Interesting result: The second place Pac-12 North team has won the conference championship and will go to the Rose Bowl, after the first place North team dropped out due to COVID.

They won't go to the Rose Bowl, unless Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Northwestern, Indiana, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and maybe a few others all have COVID outbreaks this week.

Because the Rose Bowl is (currently) scheduled to host the CFP Semi-final

The Pac-12 Champ Ducks will get an auto-qualify for another BCS NY6 Bowl

Now with ND's coach talking that he will turn down a Rose Bowl/CFP berth if players' parents are not allowed as spectators...makes me wonder if 1) The Rose Bowl/Pasadena, Cali regulations are willing to allow very small numbers of fans/parents 2) If not, if the CFP committee would move that Playoff game elsewhere, to somewhere that does.  And I'm guessing that somewhere would have to NOT be in California, unless regulations change, of course

I forgot that the BCS rotates and didn't check. It's sounding like Fiesta Bowl.

[ilpt4u]

Yahoo! is reporting that the Rose Bowl will not be played in Pasadena on New Years - it has been moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (which already hosts the Cotton Bowl)

That should clear up any objections about no fans/parents allowed

[NWI_Irish96]

What I think the NY6 lineup will be:

Sugar/Playoff: Alabama vs Notre Dame
Rose (in TX)/Playoff: Clemson vs Ohio State

Orange: Texas A&M* vs North Carolina
Peach: Cincinnati vs Georgia
Cotton: Oklahoma vs Indiana
Fiesta: Florida* vs Oregon

*-the Orange Bowl is obligated to select the highest ranked SEC/B10 team to face an ACC team, which is why I put A&M there. However, I can see a scenario by which the Orange and Fiesta swap teams to keep both closer to home.

[US 89]

I can't believe I'm saying this, since I normally root against the SEC, but I'm pulling for Texas A&M to get in over Notre Dame. Sure, ND did beat Clemson earlier this year, but that was an incomplete Clemson team that was missing Trevor Lawrence. Based on yesterday's score line, Notre Dame wouldn't have stood a chance against the real Clemson team a month ago, and for purposes of CFP rankings they should be treated as a two-loss team.

Other than beating a Lawrenceless Clemson, Notre Dame's only win of note came against UNC. Texas A&M, on the other hand, has a good win against Florida as well as LSU and Auburn (granted those aren't all that good this year, but they're better than the rest of the ACC teams ND played). A&M's only loss was to Bama on the road.

[Alps]

I can't believe I'm saying this, since I normally root against the SEC, but I'm pulling for Texas A&M to get in over Notre Dame. Sure, ND did beat Clemson earlier this year, but that was an incomplete Clemson team that was missing Trevor Lawrence. Based on yesterday's score line, Notre Dame wouldn't have stood a chance against the real Clemson team a month ago, and for purposes of CFP rankings they should be treated as a two-loss team.

Other than beating a Lawrenceless Clemson, Notre Dame's only win of note came against UNC. Texas A&M, on the other hand, has a good win against Florida as well as LSU and Auburn (granted those aren't all that good this year, but they're better than the rest of the ACC teams ND played). A&M's only loss was to Bama on the road.

But it's not a big name. I'm done with football until it changes.

[Max Rockatansky]

Really it's hard to view this college football season as anything but a sham.  The lack of a centralized leadership really was apparent with all the conferences doing different things in response to COVID.  I don't see it really going much better with the basketball season just kicking off.  It kind of makes me wonder if I should just move on and just focus on professional sports from now on?  Even the MLB was able to get everyone focused on one goal in regards of how to get a season in. 

[kevinb1994]

Really it's hard to view this college football season as anything but a sham.  The lack of a centralized leadership really was apparent with all the conferences doing different things in response to COVID.  I don't see it really going much better with the basketball season just kicking off.  It kind of makes me wonder if I should just move on and just focus on professional sports from now on?  Even the MLB was able to get everyone focused on one goal in regards of how to get a season in.

Yeah, you're not wrong on that. The NCAA is basically a cartel from what I have read. Even my dad would agree.

[NWI_Irish96]

I can't believe I'm saying this, since I normally root against the SEC, but I'm pulling for Texas A&M to get in over Notre Dame. Sure, ND did beat Clemson earlier this year, but that was an incomplete Clemson team that was missing Trevor Lawrence. Based on yesterday's score line, Notre Dame wouldn't have stood a chance against the real Clemson team a month ago, and for purposes of CFP rankings they should be treated as a two-loss team.

Other than beating a Lawrenceless Clemson, Notre Dame's only win of note came against UNC. Texas A&M, on the other hand, has a good win against Florida as well as LSU and Auburn (granted those aren't all that good this year, but they're better than the rest of the ACC teams ND played). A&M's only loss was to Bama on the road.

First of all, you can't assume what would have happened in the first game if certain players had played. It counts as a win over a Top 4 team, which A&M doesn't have. Florida is a 3-loss team and neither Auburn nor LSU ended up ranked. North Carolina ended up #13. Plus Texas A&M already lost to Alabama by 28.

Let's see how A&M does with North Carolina. I think you'll be surprised.

[Max Rockatansky]

Really it's hard to view this college football season as anything but a sham.  The lack of a centralized leadership really was apparent with all the conferences doing different things in response to COVID.  I don't see it really going much better with the basketball season just kicking off.  It kind of makes me wonder if I should just move on and just focus on professional sports from now on?  Even the MLB was able to get everyone focused on one goal in regards of how to get a season in.

Yeah, you're not wrong on that. The NCAA is basically a cartel from what I have read. Even my dad would agree.

At least with the pro leagues they don't make any false pretenses about them being a business.  I could have gotten on board with the supposed "athlete safety"  thing in college but it wasn't either non-existent or cast aside once the pressure from revenue losses began to Mount.  Either way, the lack of a central consensus and strong enough central body to enforce a unified respons was really apparent in how things were handled. 

[US 89]

I am still of the opinion that although the 4-team CFP we have now is better than the BCS, an 8-team playoff would be even better. Here's my proposal for how that might work:

- 5 slots for the champions of each Power 5 Conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12)
- 1 slot for top Group of 5 conference champion (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt)
- 2 slots to remaining highest-ranked teams

[NWI_Irish96]

I am still of the opinion that although the 4-team playoff we have now is better than the BCS, an 8-team playoff would be even better. Here's my proposal for how that would work:

- 5 slots for the champions of each Power 5 Conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12)
- 1 slot for top Group of 5 conference champion (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt)
- 2 slots to remaining highest-ranked teams

No. We already have this year what we've had several other years in that the #4 seed is about a 20 point underdog to the #1 seed. We don't need four more teams worse than the #4 team creating another round of opportunity for injuries to the players on the teams with a real chance to win.

[ilpt4u]

Really it's hard to view this college football season as anything but a sham.  The lack of a centralized leadership really was apparent with all the conferences doing different things in response to COVID.  I don't see it really going much better with the basketball season just kicking off.  It kind of makes me wonder if I should just move on and just focus on professional sports from now on?  Even the MLB was able to get everyone focused on one goal in regards of how to get a season in.

Yeah, you're not wrong on that. The NCAA is basically a cartel from what I have read. Even my dad would agree.

At least with the pro leagues they don't make any false pretenses about them being a business.  I could have gotten on board with the supposed "athlete safety"  thing in college but it wasn't either non-existent or cast aside once the pressure from revenue losses began to Mount.  Either way, the lack of a central consensus and strong enough central body to enforce a unified respons was really apparent in how things were handled.

The NCAA's farcical "Student-Athlete"  has been a sham since the first billion dollar TV contract for a conference, and those "Student-Athletes"  still can't sign an autograph for $$$ without losing their eligibility and scholarship

The Conferences and their member Schools can sell the likenesses of the "Student-Athletes"  but God forbid the "Student-Athletes"  do it for their own personal gain!

[ilpt4u]

I am still of the opinion that although the 4-team CFP we have now is better than the BCS, an 8-team playoff would be even better. Here's my proposal for how that might work:

- 5 slots for the champions of each Power 5 Conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12)
- 1 slot for top Group of 5 conference champion (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt)
- 2 slots to remaining highest-ranked teams

The Power Five will break away from the NCAA before that happens

The Power Five will break away from the NCAA the moment a Group of Five team qualifies for the CFP, should it ever actually happen

The Power Five knows that Disney will only keep paying the big $$$ for the games if they are getting the big "Blue Bloods"  into the CFP

It has never been about Football. It has always been about the $$$

[Alps]

I am still of the opinion that although the 4-team playoff we have now is better than the BCS, an 8-team playoff would be even better. Here's my proposal for how that would work:

- 5 slots for the champions of each Power 5 Conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12)
- 1 slot for top Group of 5 conference champion (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt)
- 2 slots to remaining highest-ranked teams

No. We already have this year what we've had several other years in that the #4 seed is about a 20 point underdog to the #1 seed. We don't need four more teams worse than the #4 team creating another round of opportunity for injuries to the players on the teams with a real chance to win.

The issue is that typically, such as this year, the "#4" team is not the 4th best team. Or it's controversial. If you take the champions, you know what you're getting.

[US 89]

I am still of the opinion that although the 4-team CFP we have now is better than the BCS, an 8-team playoff would be even better. Here's my proposal for how that might work:

- 5 slots for the champions of each Power 5 Conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12)
- 1 slot for top Group of 5 conference champion (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt)
- 2 slots to remaining highest-ranked teams

The Power Five will break away from the NCAA before that happens

The Power Five will break away from the NCAA the moment a Group of Five team qualifies for the CFP, should it ever actually happen

The Power Five knows that Disney will only keep paying the big $$$ for the games if they are getting the big "Blue Bloods"  into the CFP

It has never been about Football. It has always been about the $$$

Think of it this way though. Sure there'll be an upset every now and then, but by and large, the P5 teams are generally going to beat G5 teams. If you have more playoff games, that rakes in more money - which would largely go to P5 conferences, who in all likelihood would make up 7/8 of the playoff field. You could argue we have this to some extent with the NY6 bowl games already, but those are irrelevant outside of the context of the game itself. I'm fairly certain people would be more likely to watch a game that actually matters for ultimately determining the champion at the end.

[NWI_Irish96]

I am still of the opinion that although the 4-team playoff we have now is better than the BCS, an 8-team playoff would be even better. Here's my proposal for how that would work:

- 5 slots for the champions of each Power 5 Conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12)
- 1 slot for top Group of 5 conference champion (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt)
- 2 slots to remaining highest-ranked teams

No. We already have this year what we've had several other years in that the #4 seed is about a 20 point underdog to the #1 seed. We don't need four more teams worse than the #4 team creating another round of opportunity for injuries to the players on the teams with a real chance to win.

The issue is that typically, such as this year, the "#4" team is not the 4th best team. Or it's controversial. If you take the champions, you know what you're getting.

The #4 team this year is the 4th best team. Nobody else is going to be less than a 17 point underdog to Alabama.

[LM117]

The Panthers have sent GM Marty Hurney packing...again.

https://www.panthers.com/news/panthers-announce-marty-hurney-will-not-continue-as-general-manager

https://www.panthers.com/news/panthers-part-ways-marty-hurney-general-manager

[ilpt4u]

I am still of the opinion that although the 4-team CFP we have now is better than the BCS, an 8-team playoff would be even better. Here's my proposal for how that might work:

- 5 slots for the champions of each Power 5 Conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12)
- 1 slot for top Group of 5 conference champion (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt)
- 2 slots to remaining highest-ranked teams

The Power Five will break away from the NCAA before that happens

The Power Five will break away from the NCAA the moment a Group of Five team qualifies for the CFP, should it ever actually happen

The Power Five knows that Disney will only keep paying the big $$$ for the games if they are getting the big "Blue Bloods"  into the CFP

It has never been about Football. It has always been about the $$$

Think of it this way though. Sure there'll be an upset every now and then, but by and large, the P5 teams are generally going to beat G5 teams

Then why are they so afraid to schedule the "top tier"  teams in G5 (in normal years), opting for FCS schools and the bottom-tier G5 programs?

I don't accept the notion that P5s beat G5s just because. Play it on the field

But who are we kidding? Its about the $$$ (for the Conferences, Schools, and Coaches, not the Players, of course). The big/power P5 programs get TV ratings eyeballs and make ESPN, FOX, CBS, NBC, etc cough up the big bucks

Indiana being left out of the NY6 bowls is another example. Despite being in the P5, Indiana just isn't seen as a Football power, so they end up going to a lower-tier bowl. If another Big Ten school with the names/legacies of Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan St, Ohio St, or Penn St, and possibly Iowa, had Indiana's record and resume, they would be in a NY6 bowl, without question, and maybe even Playoff consideration

It is a ridiculous Good Ol Boys club with so much built-in bias that ends with the same confirmation bias, year after year

It is bad for the sport. I can barely even watch CFB anymore. At least the NFL believes in "Just Win, Baby!"  to quote the late Al Davis. CFB: Win, be a Legacy Program, be in a P5 Conference, lobby for your Final Standing, and attract eyeballs. If that isn't on the resume, yeah not getting invited to the Big Dance

[NWI_Irish96]

Yes, for the most part, the Top 20 programs will not schedule the best G5 teams, or they will offer to play them at home only instead of a home and home, which they know the G5 teams can't afford to do. It minimized their risk of losing to such a team, and as an added bonus at the end of the season they can point to the G5 teams' schedules and point out they didn't play anyone good.

However, the AAC is getting stronger and stronger because they have several schools that are making very good coaching hires, and they're able to sell to recruits that being on a 10-win team in their conference is better than being on a 6-win team in a P5. Another effect of this is it's making it harder and harder for middle of the pack teams in the P5 conferences to compete with the top tier, and as a result we've seen Clemson win 6 straight in the ACC, Oklahoma 5 straight in the Big12, Ohio State win 4 straight in the Big10, and Alabama 5 of the last 7 in the SEC.

It's going to get harder for the P5 conferences to get TV audiences for any games not involving their one dominant team, which is going to open the door more for the G5.

Next year Cincinnati plays both Indiana and Notre Dame, and if they go 13-0 next year it's going to be really hard to keep them out of the playoff.

[ilpt4u]

Next year Cincinnati plays both Indiana and Notre Dame, and if they go 13-0 next year it's going to be really hard to keep them out of the playoff.

Only way the Bearcats would get in next year, even going undefeated, is if there are not 4 P5 schools with less than 3 losses

A 2 loss P5 team will get into the Playoff before an undefeated G5 team, even at 8 teams qualifying, but certainly at 4 teams

Look what happened to Boise St and pre-Pac-12 Utah in the BCS era - and Boise and Utah did all they could to schedule BCS Conference/P5 opponents and still go Undefeated, and they weren't even considered for a title game shot

And there was the chicken-sh!t BCS bowl: 2010 Fiesta Bowl, matching up Undefeated Boise St and Undefeated (pre-Big XII) TCU, so none of the "Big Boys"  had to get embarassed by a Mid-Major, like Utah did to Bama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl, or Boise St did to Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl

[ET21]

Or the Orange Bowl between NIU and Florida State that everyone lost their shit over because NIU didn't deserve to be in an "elite bowl"

[Alps]

I am still of the opinion that although the 4-team playoff we have now is better than the BCS, an 8-team playoff would be even better. Here's my proposal for how that would work:

- 5 slots for the champions of each Power 5 Conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12)
- 1 slot for top Group of 5 conference champion (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt)
- 2 slots to remaining highest-ranked teams

No. We already have this year what we've had several other years in that the #4 seed is about a 20 point underdog to the #1 seed. We don't need four more teams worse than the #4 team creating another round of opportunity for injuries to the players on the teams with a real chance to win.

The issue is that typically, such as this year, the "#4" team is not the 4th best team. Or it's controversial. If you take the champions, you know what you're getting.

The #4 team this year is the 4th best team. Nobody else is going to be less than a 17 point underdog to Alabama.

A&M had a much stronger case and resume.

[ilpt4u]

Or the Orange Bowl between NIU and Florida State that everyone lost their shit over because NIU didn't deserve to be in an "elite bowl"

NIU earned their spot, but they got shalacked on their trip to South Beach

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Notre Dame as usual got the benefit of the doubt because of their name brand, even though they haven't been competitive in a national title scenario since the late 19&0s. They'll get their ass beaten by Bama just like they were against Clemson last year, Alabama in 2012, LSU in the 2006 Sugar Bowl, and so forth.

[ilpt4u]

Speaking of Bowls and the CFP and the old BCS and all that jazz...

Most of the "Classic"  New Years Bowls have moved into the fancy new(er) stadiums in their areas...Cotton Bowl into AT&T Stadium, Orange Bowl into Hard Rock Stadium (or its countless past names), Sugar Bowl into the Superdome, Peach Bowl into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Fiesta Bowl into State Farm Stadium

So that leaves the Rose Bowl. Does the Tournament of Roses Committee dare ever entertain the idea of regularly playing the Rose Bowl Game at SoFi Stadium instead of in Pasadena at the actual Rose Bowl Stadium?

I think it is a question of When, not If, personally. More $$$ to be made in the modern stadium